Rebirth For You Episode 1 Recap
> Rebirth For You Recap
Commandery Princess Jia’nan, Jiang Baoning, grew up in the deep palace and refused to be a puppet, determined to resist becoming a tool in palace struggles. She wanted to participate in this year's Machinist Contest outside the palace, a chance to make up for being disqualified last year after accidentally breaking a mechanism door before the competition even began. However, after her previous escapade, palace security was tightened, making it difficult for her to leave.
Undeterred, Jiang Baoning worked on her secret weapon and managed to sneak out of the palace using her cousin A-Lü's pass, checking into an inn. She resolved that if she were to marry the Emperor, participating in such contests would become even harder. Meanwhile, Li Qian was also headed to the contest, seeking "The Book of Supreme Weapons," the grand prize, believing it held clues about his late mother.
On his way, he discovered a thief attempting to sell a stolen contest pass. Just as he tracked down the thief, he found Jiang Baoning trying to purchase the very same pass. Li Qian intervened, explaining that the pass had been stolen from him, but Jiang Baoning dismissed his claim, thinking he was trying to snatch her purchase. In the ensuing struggle, the wooden pass broke into two halves.
The thief took the opportunity to flee, but Li Qian swiftly pursued and apprehended him. Jiang Baoning arrived at the Mechanism Pavilion with her half-pass, only to be told by the Master that an incomplete pass disqualified her. Shortly after, Li Qian, introducing himself as Zhang Qian, brought the apprehended thief to the Pavilion. The Master thanked Li Qian for his help.
Li Qian then explained that he had lost his own pass on his journey to the capital for the contest and requested a chance to participate. Jiang Baoning, feeling the rules were unfair as she possessed a part of the pass while he had none, protested. To settle the matter, the Master proposed a challenge for both: they had to throw an egg from the rooftop without breaking it.
Jiang Baoning confidently deployed her ingenious parachute-like mechanism, allowing her egg to land safely. Li Qian, showcasing his agile footwork, descended from the roof alongside his egg, catching it just before it hit the ground. Although Jiang Baoning accused him of merely fooling the Master, their methods were deemed valid, and both were granted entry to the Machinist Contest. Later, Jiang Baoning went to a restaurant, only to discover she had forgotten her money.
The waiter was hesitant to serve her, but Zhao Xiao, the Son of Marquis Jinghai, who had observed Jiang Baoning's earlier struggle for the pass, chivalrously paid for her meal and invited her to dine with him. Fearing her true identity might be exposed, Jiang Baoning introduced herself with a false name, Jiang Xian. During their meal, she spotted the Emperor's maid, visibly pregnant, outside the restaurant.
Curious about this unexpected sight, Jiang Baoning abruptly excused herself, thanking Zhao Xiao for the meal, and followed the maid. However, she soon encountered her cousin A-Lü, and fearing he would discover her escape and stolen pass, she quickly abandoned her investigation and returned to the palace. The next day, at the Machinist Contest, Jiang Baoning once again encountered Zhao Xiao and then Li Qian.
She immediately mocked Li Qian, suggesting he had used "petty tricks" to gain entry and wouldn't even pass the first round. Li Qian simply told her to "wait and see." The Master announced "The Book of Supreme Weapons" as the ultimate prize, clarifying that only the final winner could open it. She explained that entries would be judged on "novelty, craftsmanship, and completeness," with the top four advancing.
As contestants presented their creations, Jiang Baoning was particularly impressed by a bionic wooden fish that swam and turned just like a real fish. Realizing its tail mechanism mimicked a live fish's movement, she was inspired to modify her own clever kite, adding a switch to control its direction. Her enhanced kite was praised, and ultimately, the bionic wooden fish, the clever kite, a clairvoyance device, and a unicycle secured the top four spots, advancing to the next round.
After the first round, Li Qian’s subordinate, Wei Shu, asked if he had seen "The Book of Supreme Weapons." Li Qian explained that his bionic wooden fish was a replica of a toy his late mother had made for him. He affirmed that he hadn't seen the book but suspected the Master of the Mechanism Pavilion, by possessing such a prestigious item, might hold clues to past events related to his mother.
Li Qian sent Wei Shu back, stating he needed to investigate further. Jiang Baoning, observing Li Qian, suspected he was returning to the Mechanism Pavilion to steal exam questions. She followed him into the backyard and confronted him, accusing him of being unscrupulous. Just then, the Master and others passed by, forcing Li Qian and Jiang Baoning to hide. After the danger passed, Li Qian retorted that she too was trespassing and would be disqualified if she reported him.
He then revealed his true motive: curiosity about the Master's legendary collection of self-made gadgets. Intrigued, Jiang Baoning, despite her initial skepticism, joined him. Inside the Master's room, they marveled at many treasures. Jiang Baoning then spotted rice paper from the Qinzheng Hall. She blurted out "Qinzheng Hall," then quickly covered by claiming her family produced such imperial paper, but privately wondered why the Emperor's paper was found in the Mechanism Pavilion.
The second round of the Machinist Contest involved cracking mechanisms within a secret chamber; contestants had two hours to escape or be eliminated. Inside, Jiang Baoning immediately encountered Li Qian, stating they should each rely on their own abilities. She soon found what she thought was a mechanism but triggered a trap instead, getting entangled in a rope net. Li Qian, attempting to stop her, also fell into the trap.
Trapped together, Jiang Baoning complained about their unfortunate encounters, while Li Qian pointed out a chessboard on the wall. Jiang Baoning recognized it as "The Exquisite Endgame" and, being skilled in it, devised a solution. With her knowledge and Li Qian's agility, they worked together, swinging across to place the correct pieces, and successfully cracked the puzzle. After solving the first mechanism, Zhao Xiao joined Jiang Baoning and Li Qian.
They learned that the fourth contestant had already been eliminated by falling into a fake trap and getting locked in an empty room. While investigating, Zhao Xiao accidentally triggered another trap, causing a section of the floor to collapse. Li Qian quickly reacted, saving Jiang Baoning from falling. A square balancing platform then appeared, requiring all three to maintain their balance to keep a metal ball centered.
Working as a team, they successfully navigated the challenge, found the exit, and escaped the secret chamber. The Master congratulated them on advancing to the final round. Zhao Xiao proposed celebrating their success, but Li Qian politely declined, stating he had other matters to attend to, which left Jiang Baoning to remark that he "changes faster than the weather."
For the final round, the three remaining contestants were tasked with finding a waterproof material in the forest within one day and returning it to the Mechanism Pavilion; the first to do so would be crowned the winner. Upon entering the forest, Jiang Baoning quickly discovered water pooling within pine rosin without leaking, immediately recognizing it as the waterproof material she needed. Convinced she would win, she prepared to return.
When Li Qian approached and inquired about her findings, she playfully refused to tell him and hastily walked away, only to fall into a deep pit. Li Qian managed to grab her hand, but as he tried to pull her up, they both plunged deeper into the hole. The pit was too deep and the stone walls too slippery for Li Qian to use his light-body skills. Trapped, they began to call for help.
Fortunately, Zhao Xiao soon discovered their predicament and rushed back to the Mechanism Pavilion to summon a rescue party. While waiting in the dark pit, Li Qian noted, with a hint of amusement, that Jiang Baoning was "truly carefree" for managing to fall asleep in such a situation.
