Romance of a Twin Flower Episode 13 Recap
> Romance of a Twin Flower Recap
Nie Sangyu woke up to find her courtyard filled with her favorite flowers, expressing her delight. She asked Ning Yuxuan who was responsible, and he explained it was the new steward who wanted to arrange the house properly. Ning Yuxuan also presented her with several dishes prepared by different chefs, asking her to identify which flavor resembled that of the Chen family mansion.
Nie Sangyu initially suspected he had prepared everything himself, but Ning Yuxuan quickly denied it, again crediting the new steward. Nie Sangyu mentioned needing to go to her shop, Haoxue Cosmetics, and took some of the meat with her. Meanwhile, Gui Bai informed Ning Yuxuan he had written to Lord Qin because Ning Yuxuan seemed unwell. Gui Bai then recited several poems from Lord Qin's reply, explaining their meaning: Ning Yuxuan was jealous.
Flustered, Ning Yuxuan questioned if this was true. At Haoxue Cosmetics, Nie Sangyu found no customers and lamented her mounting expenses, including fifteen taels for materials like pearl powder and coral. Ning Yuxuan arrived, claiming to be inspecting Haifang, and asked for tea. Nie Sangyu gave him a tiny amount, prompting him to call her petty. She explained the high costs of running the shop, particularly mentioning a twenty-tael shipping tax.
Ning Yuxuan was surprised, stating the tax had been reduced to two taels per shipload three years ago. Realizing she had been cheated, Nie Sangyu insisted they go confront the person responsible, dragging Ning Yuxuan along. At the Dragon Gang headquarters, Chief Shen Liancheng berated his men for their incompetence. A subordinate announced that a man named Yuan Lang wished to see him to apologize for injuring their men.
Suspecting this might be the person who rescued Nie Sangyu, Shen Liancheng allowed him in. Yuan Lang, accompanied by two friends, introduced himself as a traveling businessman wishing to operate in Haifang. He offered silver as a token of goodwill, explaining that it was a misunderstanding between allies. Shen Liancheng accepted the gesture, stating that anyone who follows the Dragon Gang's lead in Haifang is a friend.
At the dock, Nie Sangyu confronted the vendor, Li San, about overcharging her for the shipping tax. Li San insisted the twenty-tael tax was a long-standing rule. When Registrar Liu arrived, Nie Sangyu pressed him for clarification. He reluctantly admitted the correct tax was two taels. The surrounding merchants, who had all been paying twenty taels, were outraged. Ning Yuxuan arrived, and the crowd appealed to him for justice.
Under pressure, Registrar Liu confessed that the extra money was given to the Dragon Gang as a fee for suppressing bandits. Ning Yuxuan announced they would go to the Dragon Gang immediately. As they left, he overheard someone comment that Nie Sangyu resembled a Miss Ji. At the Dragon Gang's base, Ning Yuxuan questioned Shen Liancheng about the government payments. Shen Liancheng claimed the money was given directly at the dock and never entered official records.
Ning Yuxuan demanded to see the gang's account books. When Shen Liancheng scoffed at his accounting knowledge, Nie Sangyu stepped forward, declaring that as a Second-rank Lady with Imperial Mandate, she was skilled in accounting. After examining the books, she found significant discrepancies, calculating that of the 5,981 taels the government had paid, only 800 were spent, leaving a difference of over 5,000 taels.
Ning Yuxuan declared that he would enforce the court's rules, cease all payments to the Dragon Gang, and have the county office collect the proper shipping tax. He then demanded the return of the 5,000-tael difference. Yuan Lang visited Huang Han at his pawnshop and used a specific hand gesture. Huang Han recognized it as belonging to the Tea Gang and addressed Yuan Lang as A-Lang, remembering him from childhood.
Yuan Lang expressed his disappointment that former Tea Gang members were now following Shen Liancheng, who was using the gang's name for nefarious deeds. Huang Han explained that after the Tea Gang disbanded, Shen Liancheng formed the Dragon Gang using their symbols, forcing old members to rely on him. Yuan Lang declared his intention to eliminate these criminals and revive the Tea Gang, and Huang Han pledged his loyalty.
Yuan Lang then revealed he was not the true master but had located him. At the Dragon Gang headquarters, Hu Da proposed a solution to their financial loss: robbing the Ship Guihai, a treasure-filled vessel docked with minimal security. He suggested that a successful heist would also help them gain favor with connections in the capital. Shen Liancheng approved the plan. Later, Ning Yuxuan confirmed to Nie Sangyu that the overcharged tax had been returned to the people.
While reviewing a list of Haifang's prominent figures that Nie Sangyu had compiled, Ning Yuxuan again overheard people commenting on her resemblance to Miss Ji, which made him thoughtful. Gui Bai then reported that one of Shen Liancheng's men was seen using secret signals to arrange a meeting at the Shuiyan House. Deducing this was Shen's response to losing control of the docks, Ning Yuxuan ordered Gui Bai to monitor the meeting.
He also asked for an update on the search for his first wife and information on Miss Ji. Gui Bai arrived at the Shuiyan House and was surprised to see Nie Sangyu entering, dressed in men's attire. Inside, a Mr. Pei from a rival cosmetic store was promoting a lotion he claimed was made from expensive snake oil.
Nie Sangyu publicly debunked his claim by demonstrating that his product sank in water, unlike real animal oil, proving it was made from inferior, harmful ingredients. After the fraudulent Mr. Pei was driven out, Nie Sangyu introduced herself and her brand, Haoxue Cosmetics, to the owner, Madam Wu, and the star performer, Miss Shui. She gifted Miss Shui her Feiwan Face Cream.
Miss Shui, noticing Nie Sangyu's unique scent, correctly guessed she was a woman and, impressed by her honesty and business acumen, invited her to wait in Room Tingshui to talk further. In another room, Miss Shui told her attendant, Qingqing, to burn any more letters from a Mister Qian in the capital, stating he was only interested in her "medicine formula," which she considered her most valuable possession.
Meanwhile, Hu Da and other Dragon Gang members arrived near the Shuiyan House, searching for Room Tingshui to finalize their plan. They openly discussed their plot to rob the Ship Guihai, expressing nervousness but reassuring each other that the ship's feared owner, Guihai Yidao, was absent. Gui Bai, hidden nearby, overheard their entire conversation. When the men realized they might have been heard, they vowed to kill any eavesdropper, at which point Gui Bai revealed himself to them.
