Rebirth For You Episode 12 Recap
> Rebirth For You Recap
Emperor Zhao Yi was furious upon learning of Commandery Princess Jia’nan and Li Qian’s marriage, immediately ordering an edict to annul the betrothal. His ministers cautioned him, explaining that the Grand Empress Dowager, to protect Commandery Princess Jia’nan’s reputation, had bypassed him and used a blank edict from the Founding Father.
They warned that annulling the marriage would not only disgrace the princess but also be a grave act of disrespect to the Founding Father, inviting severe criticism from the Censors. Undeterred, the Emperor recounted how the ministers' past advice led to Commandery Princess Jia’nan's near marriage to Yongqing and declared he would not let her marry Li Qian. Just then, the Grand Empress Dowager arrived. She confronted him, accusing him of trying to destroy her and Commandery Princess Jia’nan.
She revealed that Li Qian was instrumental in saving the princess from being a pawn to Yongqing and emphasized that the marriage was approved by both the late emperor and herself. She expressed her dying wish to see Commandery Princess Jia’nan happily married, threatening to die if her wish was not fulfilled. Overwhelmed, the Emperor relented, stating he would not dare defy her.
Meanwhile, the Archduke's Madam personally arrived in Bingzhou to accompany Commandery Princess Jia’nan, bringing lavish dowries from the Archduke and the Grand Empress Dowager. Commandery Princess Jia’nan was surprised by the sheer volume of gifts, which her aunt explained was still considered modest by the Grand Empress Dowager and the Archduke. She then invited her aunt to rest while she and Su Su would inventory the dowries.
Li Changqing’s wife, He Cuihua, was distraught upon learning from Li Lin that Li Changqing had spent two thousand taels of gold and ten thousand taels of silver, along with other luxurious expenses, for Li Qian’s wedding, following the customs of the wealthiest Southern families. She confronted Li Changqing, lamenting that they would be left penniless and that their daughter, Li Dongzhi, would suffer.
Li Changqing defended his decision, stating that a grand wedding for his eldest son marrying the Commandery Princess Jia’nan was essential for the family’s prestige and long-term prosperity, dismissing his wife’s concerns as shortsighted. He Cuihua, however, declared she would recoup the family’s losses from Commandery Princess Jia’nan’s dowries. Elsewhere, servants gossiped about Li Qian's success and Gao Miaorong's dashed hopes, prompting Li Lin to remind them of the family's rules against idle talk.
Li Qian visited the Archduke's Madam, bringing local specialties as gifts. Jiang Lyu initially tried to bar Li Qian, accusing him of flattery, but the Archduke's Madam allowed him in. Li Qian humbly thanked her for her efforts and expressed his gratitude for Commandery Princess Jia’nan marrying someone of his military background. Jiang Lyu, however, remained hostile, openly expressing his jealousy at Li Qian taking his cousin.
He challenged Li Qian to a duel, explaining that as Commandery Princess Jia’nan's elder cousin and acting in his father's stead, he needed to properly test her future husband. Li Qian accepted, proposing a bet where the loser would grant a wish. In the ensuing fight, Li Qian skillfully used unexpected tactics to win, earning Jiang Lyu's grudging respect, who conceded Li Qian was the craftiest man he had ever met.
Li Qian then revealed his wish: he wanted to practice drawing eyebrows on Jiang Lyu, whose eyebrows resembled Commandery Princess Jia’nan’s, so he could perfect the art for his wife after their marriage. Later, Li Qian secretly entered Commandery Princess Jia’nan's room through her window, presenting her with The Book of Supreme Weapons, acknowledging it was rightfully hers.
Commandery Princess Jia’nan playfully remarked that her greatest non-regret was slapping him that day, to which Li Qian declared his greatest non-regret was snatching her away. The Archduke's Madam then arrived, finding them together. She shared the Grand Empress Dowager’s heartfelt wish for Commandery Princess Jia’nan to live a life of joy and freedom, unlike their elders who had to live cautiously. She then led Li Qian and Commandery Princess Jia’nan to the memorial tablets of Commandery Princess Jia’nan's parents.
There, Li Qian solemnly pledged his lifelong love, protection, and respect for Commandery Princess Jia’nan, promising to build a home with her, have children, honor their elders, and grow old together. On the wedding day, Li Qian, splendid in his festive robes, rode a tall horse to fetch his bride. Before Commandery Princess Jia’nan left, a Mrs. Hu affectionately placed a hairpin in her hair.
Then, the Archduke's Madam advised her to live harmoniously with her in-laws, but to always confide in her maternal family if she ever faced hardship, assuring her of their unwavering support. With tears in her eyes, Commandery Princess Jia’nan bid farewell to her aunt and Su Su.
Jiang Lyu, carrying Commandery Princess Jia’nan on his back, carefully brought her out of the mansion, wishing her a lifetime of happiness with Li Qian, and formally entrusted her to Li Qian, imploring him to cherish her. Li Qian vowed that from that day forward, Commandery Princess Jia’nan would be his life.
Following a local Jinxi custom, gunny bags were laid from the palanquin to the bridal chamber, ensuring the bride’s feet did not touch the ground, symbolizing a smooth and prosperous journey ahead. Li Qian promised to walk this path with Commandery Princess Jia’nan for the rest of their lives.
Inside Li Mansion, the wedding ceremony commenced with traditional bows to heaven and earth, to ancestors for their blessings, to parents for their nurture, and finally, a marital bow between the couple, wishing them a lifetime of love and togetherness. After the crossed-cupped wine, Li Qian was spirited away by his friends for celebratory drinks.
Meanwhile, Gao Miaorong, still resentful over Li Qian’s marriage, refused to change into festive attire, believing her fate was not set and she should continue fighting for what she desired, drawing inspiration from Li Qian’s own words about mastering one's destiny.
At the mansion entrance, Li Changqing greeted various guests, including Mr. Hu, the Water Transport Commissioner, who praised the Li family’s good fortune, and Jin Xiao, Li Qian’s close friend, who was also recently transferred back to Jinxi by the Grand Empress Dowager. Cai Shuang, Officer Accountant of the army, arrived with a gift but was initially turned away by the guards for not having an invitation.
Li Lin intervened, vouching for Cai Shuang and explaining that many wished to attend to share in the good fortune, and allowed him entry. During the banquet, He Cuihua, feeling proud of her new daughter-in-law, engaged in conversation with other prominent ladies.
When Madam Zhuang subtly mocked Li Dongzhi’s upbringing in the military and lack of feminine grace, implying it would be hard for her to marry, He Cuihua cleverly retorted, hinting that Madam Zhuang's daughter, Furong, would only attract suitors interested in her family’s wealth. Later, He Cuihua declared that she needed to end the banquet early to rest, as her "noble daughter-in-law" would be eagerly waiting to pay respects to her the next morning.
That night, a seemingly inebriated Li Qian stumbled into the bridal chamber, playfully pursuing Commandery Princess Jia’nan. She tried to invoke the Grand Empress Dowager’s oral instructions about her fragile health to avoid consummating the marriage. Li Qian then revealed that he was not truly drunk and was already aware of her residual poison from Abbot Hongyi at Mount Wutai.
He assured her that as her husband for life, he would never do anything to harm her health and had no intention of being intimate until she fully recovered. He simply wanted to share their bridal bed, to keep her company in an unfamiliar place. Reassured, Commandery Princess Jia’nan playfully wrestled with him before Su Su, waiting outside, reminded them of Commandery Princess Jia’nan's health and extinguished the candles, leaving them to their rest.
The next morning, as Commandery Princess Jia’nan prepared for the day, Li Qian tried to paint her eyebrows but stopped, declaring her natural beauty needed no enhancement. He then placed his late mother’s hairpin in her hair and recounted the story of his parents' love and the tragic destruction of his clan by the Yongqing State.
He confided in her his two lifelong aspirations: to repel Yongqing and serve the court, and to find those responsible for the massacre of his family to exact vengeance. Later, Commandery Princess Jia’nan and Li Qian paid their respects to his late mother and to Li Changqing, introducing Commandery Princess Jia’nan to other family members, including Li Lin, who managed household affairs, and Gao Miaorong, who had grown up with Li Qian and Li Lin.
Li Qian also mentioned his younger sister, Li Dongzhi, who was away on military duties. Li Changqing then announced that Commandery Princess Jia’nan, as the new mistress of the house, should take over its management from He Cuihua. However, He Cuihua resisted, arguing it was too soon. Gao Miaorong and Li Lin also suggested a gradual handover, citing Commandery Princess Jia’nan’s unfamiliarity with the household and the ongoing spring plowing season.
Commandery Princess Jia’nan gracefully agreed to postpone assuming the household duties. Afterwards, He Cuihua and Gao Miaorong marveled at the immense wealth of Commandery Princess Jia’nan’s dowry, with He Cuihua remarking that since Commandery Princess Jia’nan was now part of the family, her dowries were essentially theirs too.
