Queen Dugu Episode 7 Recap, Plot

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Yuwen Yong, knowing his health was rapidly deteriorating, felt he could not jeopardize Jialuo's lifelong happiness. He swallowed his pain, feigning indifference to sever their burgeoning affection. He told Jialuo that during his time in Tongzhou, he had realized he desired a virtuous woman like his mother, not a tomboy like her. He also stressed the perils of the royal family, asserting he could not allow her to suffer from his emperor brother's bullying if she were to marry him.

Yuwen Yong confessed that his return to the capital was a ploy to gain Taishi Yuwen Hu's sympathy, making it appear that Jialuo's impending marriage had given him the courage to come back, relying on Yuwen Hu's affection for Banruo. He instructed Jialuo to pretend she had fallen for someone else when she left, believing that the more sorrowful he appeared, the more Yuwen Hu would be convinced to let him stay in the capital.

Yuwen Yong pleaded for her help, emphasizing his strong desire to avoid returning to Tongzhou. Though heartbroken, Jialuo agreed to play along, expressing her concern for his health. She tearfully confronted him, calling him "bad" for making her hope for their marriage for so long. She asked if she was truly destined to marry Li Cheng.

Yuwen Yong reaffirmed that Li Cheng's family was wealthy, promising her a rich life, and pointed out that both her father and sister approved of the match. Accepting his words, Jialuo reluctantly agreed to the marriage. Yuwen Yong then offered her his premature well wishes for a happy marriage and an early baby. As Jialuo departed, she declared her engagement and told Yuwen Yong to leave her alone, to which he called out her name in despair.

After Jialuo left, Yuwen Yong's composure shattered, and he coughed up blood. Yuwen Hu emerged, observing Yuwen Yong's agony. He remarked on Yuwen Yong's profound love, marveling at his fabrication of lies to spare Jialuo worry. Yuwen Hu questioned if Yuwen Yong truly wished to see Jialuo marry another and offered to intervene, dismissing the Duke of Longxi as insignificant. He challenged Yuwen Yong's decision to surrender without a fight.

Yuwen Yong thanked him but explained he could not, as he had less than ten years left to live. He questioned why he should burden Jialuo with his short life, having lost the right to his own happiness, and saw no need for her to know his true affection. Yuwen Yong declared he would send her to heaven with a smile, even if it meant his own descent into hell.

Moved by this profound sacrifice, Yuwen Hu promised to help Yuwen Yong remain in the capital. Yuwen Yong gratefully accepted. Outside, Jialuo wept uncontrollably, unable to stem her tears. Yang Jian rushed to comfort her. Jialuo expressed her bewilderment at Yuwen Yong's sudden change of heart, relaying that he claimed to have always treated her as a younger sister and that his marriage promises were merely a joke.

Yang Jian offered to confront Yuwen Yong, but Jialuo refused, feeling too humiliated. She resigned herself to letting go of Yuwen Yong but lamented the distant prospect of marrying into the Duke of Longxi's family. She asked Yang Jian and Mantuo to visit her often, a promise he readily made, though he playfully teased her for her naiveté.

Despite Jialuo's reluctance, her marriage was finalized, with both she and Mantuo receiving their engagement gifts on the same day, a rare event as both were marrying heirs of dukes. Mantuo, consumed by vanity, worried that Yang Jian's gifts would be meager. Her maid, Autumn, reassured her, citing Yang Jian's lavish spending in the capital, including 3000 gold coins for a porcelain vase, as proof of his wealth. Autumn promised that Yang Jian's gifts would bring Mantuo great honor.

Mantuo, feigning disinterest in money, adorned herself with a pin from the Queen. Meanwhile, Jialuo, reflecting on her engagement, found herself unable to feel any happiness. The engagement ceremony began with Yang Jian presenting his gifts to Dugu Xin, who graciously accepted them. An announcer detailed Yang Jian's extensive offerings for Mantuo, including two north geese, jewelry vases, silk, tiger skins, brocade, cloth, and 500,000 coins. The maids were impressed, likening the gifts to a princess's engagement.

Mantuo's maid, Autumn, congratulated her, while Mantuo confidently anticipated Li Cheng's gifts for Jialuo. When Li Cheng's list was announced, it significantly surpassed Yang Jian's, featuring 1000 acres of land and 2,000,000 coins, in addition to other precious items. Mantuo was mortified, feeling utterly shamed. Nanny Ma, ever one to stir trouble, declared Yang Jian's family stingy. Autumn tried to defend Yang Jian, arguing that his gifts were already substantial and that Li's family had simply overstepped convention.

Dugu Xin, embarrassed by the commotion, silenced them and called out to a distraught Mantuo, who had fled the scene. Meanwhile, Dugu Xin and Li Bing were drinking. Dugu Xin commented on the excessive nature of Li Bing's gifts. Li Bing, insisting his family was rich, claimed he merely wanted to show sincerity, fearing Jialuo might not agree to the marriage otherwise.

He then admitted his true motive: to appear as an unpretentious "local homeowner" to Yuwen Hu, hoping to secure his position as Major General. Dugu Xin acknowledged the strategy but pointed out that it would embarrass Yang Zhong, Yang Jian's father. Li Bing dismissed the concern, stating it was reasonable for Jialuo, being the main wife's daughter, to receive better gifts than Mantuo, a concubine's daughter. Mantuo remained in her room, weeping.

Dugu Xin and Banruo tried to comfort her, urging her to compose herself. Dugu Xin explained that Yang Jian's gifts were generous, but Li's family had simply been overly lavish, and even Banruo's gifts as a princess were modest due to royal protocol. Mantuo, however, defiantly asked if she had to be inferior to Jialuo because she was a concubine's daughter. Dugu Xin chastised her, worried about Yang Jian's perception, and dismissed her complaints about maid names as trivial.

Banruo, supporting her father, urged Mantuo to be calm to uphold the family's honor. Mantuo then boldly demanded that her dowry exceed Jialuo's to restore her dignity, placing Dugu Xin in a difficult spot. Generously, Banruo offered half of her own dowry to Mantuo.

But then, Banruo delivered a further blow, explaining the tradition of inheriting mothers' dowries: Jialuo's mother, Miss Cui, had brought millions, while Mantuo's mother, Miss Zhu, had only brought two sets of clothes and a few pins. Dugu Xin tried to stop Banruo, but Banruo insisted Mantuo needed to understand the unchangeable truth of her status as a concubine's daughter and learn to manage her temper for her future marriage.

Dugu Xin, silenced, could only comfort Mantuo, advising her to ignore Banruo's harsh words and prepare for Yang Jian's visit, urging them not to let trifles trouble their future. Still feeling abandoned by her father, Mantuo lamented her fate. Li Cheng visited Jialuo and presented her with a hairpin.

He told her his father had agreed to a two-year engagement before marriage, during which he would stay in the capital and even offered to help with her charity house and porcelain workshop. Jialuo, however, felt awkward, stating their relationship was still unfamiliar after only one meeting. Li Cheng reassured her of his initial affection and promised to treat her well, asking if she was reluctant to marry him.

Jialuo clarified it was the suddenness, likening herself to a wild donkey suddenly harnessed, making her feel unaccustomed. Li Cheng playfully called her the "most beautiful donkey." As it grew late, Jialuo departed, feeling exhausted, while Li Cheng continued to admire her. Yang Jian, seeing Mantuo's sadness, apologized for the engagement gifts. Mantuo graciously accepted, looking forward to their life as family. Yang Jian promised to become an ambitious man and make her an honorable Duchess.

Mantuo, taking advantage of his sincerity, requested he contribute to her dowry to outshine Jialuo's, citing her father and sister's perceived favoritism. She implored him to use his wealth to make her proud, reminding him of her desire to win this competition against Jialuo and her mother's humble dowry.

Yang Jian tried to convince her to focus on their own lives, explaining he only had 5000 gold coins left, and the 3000 gold he spent on Jialuo's vase was a ruse to deceive Yuwen Hu. Mantuo then asked him to borrow money just for one day. When she refused to back down, Yang Jian shared his dream of true pride: achieving safety, stability, and good governance of their fiefdom. Mantuo, seemingly accepting his perspective, agreed.

Yang Jian, pleased, promised to invite several princes as best men on their wedding day to make her the envy of all the capital's girls. Mantuo was delighted, and Yang Jian placed a hairpin on her, asking if she felt better. Later, a subordinate attempted to cheer up Yuwen Yong, suggesting he drink to forget his sorrows. Yuwen Yong refused, stating he needed to preserve himself to see Jialuo more before he died.

At a spring banquet, Mantuo, stung by snide remarks about her status as a concubine's daughter, retreated to a garden, where she "accidentally" encountered Yuwen Yong. She feigned pleasantries, then subtly brought up Jialuo, hinting that she was now fully involved with Li Cheng. Yuwen Yong, though acknowledging it was good, seemed distant.

Mantuo, pretending to console him, spoke of fated love and urged him not to dwell on his sadness, to which Yuwen Yong responded with a hint of irony about being lucky. Autumn then reported to Mantuo, revealing that Jialuo had left Yuwen Yong's presence in anger, indicating a breakup. Autumn also confirmed Yuwen Yong's prolonged stay and employment under Yuwen Hu, signifying the Taishi's strong backing. Mantuo realized this meant Yuwen Yong had powerful support.

Nanny Ma further ignited Mantuo's resentment, claiming Yang Jian was a leftover from Banruo. Enraged by this slight and her father's perceived favoritism, Mantuo dismissed Nanny Ma. Although she chastised Nanny Ma for insulting Yang Jian, Mantuo internally reaffirmed her decision to leave Yang Jian, concluding he was not a man of his word regarding money. Driven by her ambition to become a Princess and equal Banruo, Mantuo ignored Autumn's warnings about Yuwen Yong's disfavor with the Emperor.

She believed that with Yuwen Hu's support and Jialuo out of the picture, she could win Yuwen Yong over. Mantuo immediately put her plan into action, feigning illness to avoid Yang Jian's invitation for a hunting trip. She then instructed her servant to bribe Yuwen Yong's subordinates to obtain his schedule, enabling her to engineer "accidental" encounters. Soon, Mantuo "coincidentally" met Yuwen Yong during a hunt, claiming they had both shot the same bird.

She invited him for tea, where she lavished him with flattery, noting his genuine smile for the first time in days. Yuwen Yong acknowledged it. Mantuo then launched into a fabricated account of Jialuo, accusing her of abandoning Yuwen Yong for the wealthy Duke of Longxi and secretly dating Li Cheng in wine bars before Yuwen Yong's return. Yuwen Yong, however, subtly defended Jialuo, stating she was not to blame, but rather he was.

Mantuo persisted, claiming Jialuo didn't deserve him and that many people secretly worried about Yuwen Yong. Yuwen Yong, with a hint of sarcasm, said he must be lucky and accepted Mantuo's offer of a drink. After their tea, Yuwen Yong's servant reported a surprising discovery: the bird they had supposedly both shot during the hunt had not been hit by an arrow but had been stabbed afterward. The servant concluded that Mantuo had acted quickly to create the deception.

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