Secret of Three Kingdoms Episode 3 Recap
> Secret of Three Kingdoms Recap
At morning court, Empress Fu Shou addressed the assembled officials, explaining that His Majesty was still recovering from his illness and had inhaled smoke from the previous night's fire, hence his difficulty speaking. Magistrate Man Chong then prostrated himself, apologizing for the Emperor being frightened, but Liu Ping intervened, stating that an accident within his private quarters was not the fault of his subjects, and Man Chong should not blame himself.
As they spoke, Imperial Consort Dong, daughter of General Dong Cheng, approached the grand hall, drawing an awkward silence from the officials present. Director Xun Yu proposed renovating the Imperial Secretariat to serve as the Emperor's temporary residence since the palace had burned down, which Liu Ping approved.
Man Chong then recommended beheading the five eunuchs responsible for the water urns that failed to extinguish the fire, but Liu Ping, unwilling to sacrifice innocent lives, deemed it not a capital crime and suggested caning them instead, calling the fire a warning from the gods. As he spoke, Fu Shou subtly tugged at his sleeve. General Dong Cheng then put forth a proposal to reorganize the palace Chamber Guards and choose high-ranking officials to monitor security.
Xun Yu suggested waiting for Grand Minister Cao Cao's return due to the seriousness of the matter, but Dong Cheng argued that Cao Cao was preoccupied with military affairs and Xun Yu could manage Xudu's affairs. Liu Ping approved Dong Cheng's suggestion, and Xun Yu acquiesced. Fu Shou again discreetly prompted Liu Ping, who then sternly told Dong Cheng not to let him down with what he had entrusted him to do.
Dong Cheng, deeply moved, knelt and pledged his life to repay His Majesty's kindness. Man Chong then reported that Yang Jun, a renowned scholar, had been ambushed by bandits 70 miles from the capital while being recruited by the Ministry of Works, suffering severe injuries. He requested permission for the Xudu Guards to hunt down the bandits.
Liu Ping granted permission and immediately inquired about Yang Jun's condition, learning he had lost an arm but was not in mortal danger and was staying at a courier inn. During this, the Empress and her father exchanged worried glances. After court, Fu Shou's father expressed concern about her pretense of being Liu Ping's wife, but Fu Shou assured him she knew what she was doing.
Fu Shou later advised Liu Ping about Imperial Consort Dong, explaining that the simple-minded and pregnant consort, who had shared a bed with the former Emperor, could easily jeopardize their plans. She urged Liu Ping to be gentle with her, as Emperor Xian had been. Imperial Consort Dong soon approached, expressing concern for Liu Ping's health and arguing with Fu Shou, accusing her and Cao Cao of wishing the Emperor ill.
Liu Ping, to diffuse the tension, instructed Imperial Consort Dong to return to her father's house for prenatal rest due to the palace's unrest. Before leaving, Imperial Consort Dong excitedly had Liu Ping feel her baby kicking, and he promised to protect their child. Outside the palace, Imperial Consort Dong expressed to her father, Dong Cheng, her feeling that His Majesty had changed, becoming unusually obedient to the Empress, wondering if Fu Shou had cast a spell.
Dong Cheng dismissed her thoughts, saying the Emperor understood everything. He then publicly announced his "birthday" celebration and invited General Wang, which Imperial Consort Dong questioned, as his actual birthday was not now. In a private conversation, Man Chong discussed Liu Ping's recent actions with Xun Yu. Man Chong questioned Liu Ping's unusual concern for Yang Jun, suggesting it was more than casual. He also found it strange that Liu Ping saved the five eunuchs from execution.
Man Chong hypothesized a connection between Yang Jun's robbery, the two unidentifiable corpses (the eunuch from the fire and Yang Ping, Yang Jun's son, who died with his face destroyed), and the events in Xudu. Xun Yu acknowledged Man Chong's suspicions but cautioned him to find concrete evidence before speaking, emphasizing Emperor Xian's importance to Cao Cao. They pondered Guo Jia's past words about Xudu needing a great disturbance, and how the recent fire seemed to fulfill that prophecy.
Meanwhile, Sima Yi, guided by intelligence, arrived at Tang Ying's residence. Upon seeing Prince Hongnong's memorial tablet, Sima Yi realized Liu Ping ("Yihe") was entangled with the Han Dynasty. Tang Ying confronted him, holding a sword to his neck.
Sima Yi, in a shrewd exchange, deduced that Tang Ying had made Liu Ping change clothes, that the palace had burned down, and that a burned corpse was used to replace him, just as a mutilated corpse had been used to replace Yang Ping. He surmised that two people had been killed and Yang Jun injured to facilitate Liu Ping's entry into the palace, mocking the Emperor for relying on a "useless scholar." Tang Ying's silence confirmed his deductions.
Sima Yi then warned that if he died, the entire capital would know, and the Sima family and "Yang Ping" (Liu Ping) would become their enemies, daring her to gamble on the consequences. Back in the palace, Fu Shou summoned the eunuch Leng Shouguang, praising his intelligence and loyalty. She entrusted him with secretly investigating the burial site of the eunuch who supposedly saved them from the fire, as Man Chong was highly suspicious.
Leng Shouguang assured her he would handle it discreetly, posing as a friend of the deceased. Later, Fu Shou brought medicine for Liu Ping, but he hesitated, asking if it was truly necessary. Fu Shou described Emperor Xian's final days, how he struggled to swallow medicine, emphasizing his solemn and clean nature. Liu Ping decided to drink the bitter medicine, reasoning that Emperor Xian would have smelled of it, and he needed to maintain the charade to avoid suspicion.
Fu Shou noted their physical differences despite being twins, attributing Liu Ping's healthier constitution to his freedom outside the palace. She then asked if he had ever been intimate with a woman, causing him to choke. Fu Shou explained that his awkwardness with Imperial Consort Dong revealed his inexperience.
She then demonstrated how Emperor Xian, despite his stern nature, would tenderly hold Imperial Consort Dong after she became pregnant, emphasizing how the consort found him to be the "most tender and strongest man." She urged Liu Ping to understand the woman in his arms was his wife, teaching him how to behave. Liu Ping, smiling, remarked on Fu Shou's virtue in teaching her husband how to caress other women, calling her truly proper.
Immediately, Fu Shou's demeanor hardened, reminding him it was all for the sake of the Han Dynasty. As she left, Liu Ping unconsciously touched his shoulder where she had leaned, feeling a strange sensation. At the Dong Manor, Dong Cheng gathered other ministers, revealing the cloth belt imperial edict and proclaiming that the time had come to eliminate the traitors.
He explained that the palace fire and Liu Ping's earlier words to him were a secret decree, a "gift" to create a weakness in Cao Cao's control, allowing them to infiltrate the Chamber Guards.
General Wang Fu admitted they only had 500 men against Cao Cao's 5,000, but Dong Cheng argued that Cao Cao was preoccupied with the Battle of Guandu, and losing the capital would spark revolts from Liu Bei and Sun Ce, allowing them to use others as pawns. Suddenly, Yang Xiu interrupted their meeting, warning them that Man Chong had already dispatched spies to their residence.
He claimed to have dealt with the first batch but stated he would not intervene further, then departed. Yang Xiu returned home and discussed the situation with his father, admitting that tricking Guo Jia would be challenging. His father worried about Yang Xiu's identity being exposed once Dong Cheng acted, but Yang Xiu insisted they had to take risks to gain power.
Later, Leng Shouguang reported to Fu Shou and Liu Ping that the eunuch's body was still at the Xudu Guards Office, and Man Chong suspected he was not a eunuch. Liu Ping was surprised, but Fu Shou remained calm, stating she would issue a decree the next morning, praising the eunuch and ordering Xun Yu to bury him immediately.
Liu Ping was distraught at the thought of burying Emperor Xian as a eunuch, but Fu Shou explained it was Emperor Xian's dying wish and that he had sacrificed his honor for the Han Dynasty, a sacrifice Liu Ping would not understand. Liu Ping then demanded to know the meaning of his words to Dong Cheng. Fu Shou vaguely described it as an "incantation" from Emperor Xian that would "turn Xudu upside down."
Frustrated by being kept in the dark, Liu Ping confronted Fu Shou, demanding the full truth. Fu Shou revealed the full plan: Dong Cheng would use the cloth belt edict to gather forces against Cao Cao, while "the Emperor" (Liu Ping) would commit suicide, followed by the Empress (Fu Shou) also dying, all arranged by Emperor Xian to incite public outrage against Cao Cao.
Horrified by his brother's "heartless" plan, Liu Ping asked Fu Shou about her wedding day with Emperor Xian. Fu Shou recounted their marriage at fourteen years old, where Emperor Xian, instead of a traditional ceremony, questioned her willingness to join a crumbling dynasty. He declared he needed a loyal subject, not a gentle wife.
Fu Shou responded by biting his hand until it bled, and Emperor Xian mixed his blood with the nuptial wine, drinking it with her as a "blood oath" to the world, a pact that had lasted until this day. Fu Shou then lamented that Liu Ping had yet to grasp even "thirty percent" of Emperor Xian's resolve. At that moment, Chief Eunuch Zhang Yu requested an audience. Fu Shou inquired about his late-night visit, and Zhang Yu directly asked, "Where is His Majesty?"
