The Double Episode 10 Recap
> The Double Recap
Xiao Heng called out "A-Li," an intimate nickname that drew Xue Fangfei's attention. He invited her to breakfast, and his chiding manner over the meal reminded Xue Fangfei of her father and brother, evoking strong memories of her family. Later, at the School of Integrity, Xue Fangfei arrived slightly late, immediately attracting criticism from Meng Hongjin. Mr. Li's sons, Li Jin and Li Lian, made their entrance, and Meng Hongjin quickly joined their side.
Jiang Jingrui and Liu Xu also arrived, and the two teams, uneven in number, exchanged tense glances, ready for the upcoming Entry Exam wager. The examiner, Mr. Xiao, announced the rules: the team ranking last would be expelled from both the School of Integrity and the Imperial Academy. Shen Yurong, appointed by His Majesty, was overseeing the exam. Xue Fangfei was momentarily lost in thought as Shen Yurong appeared, while he, upon seeing her, subtly clenched his fist.
The first academic exam began with a gong strike, and Ye Shijie and the other students took up their brushes. Meanwhile, following a clue from the Lonely Gentleman, Xiao Heng discovered that Taohong, a performer, might be involved in the embezzlement case. He instructed Wen Ji to investigate her discreetly, focusing on any financial trails, cautioning him not to alert anyone.
Wen Ji, eager to place a bet on the Li team at the local gambling den, mentioned the city's frenzy over the Jiang and Li wager. Amused, Xiao Heng decided to attend the exam himself to "watch the show." The academic exam concluded, with Li Jin and Ye Shijie advancing to a rapid-fire question-and-answer round. Ye Shijie initially dominated, answering the first five questions correctly. Jiang Jingrui was secretly delighted, confident in Ye Shijie's lead.
However, Li Jin, known for his comeback strategy, then seized the initiative, answering several questions in a row and disrupting Ye Shijie's focus. Ye Shijie struggled to regain his composure, falling behind. Shen Yurong then posed a complex political and economic question concerning the strategies for dealing with corrupt officials when a new emperor faces an empty treasury and frequent droughts. Li Jin proposed delaying action against corrupt officials to prioritize disaster relief, arguing they were essential for distribution.
Shen Yurong, however, favored Ye Shijie's response, which advocated for the immediate eradication of corruption to protect the people and the emperor's dignity, despite the pragmatic challenges. Xue Fangfei, having once discussed such matters with Shen Yurong, knew his true leanings and correctly anticipated Ye Shijie's victory in this segment. This final question brought the scores to a tie, concluding the first round. That evening, Liu Xu treated the team to a celebratory meal.
Jiang Jingrui, ever confident, suggested they all hold hands for good luck. As Liu Xu held Ye Shijie's hand, her heart unexpectedly quickened. The four friends laughed and encouraged each other for the upcoming rounds. Jiang Jingrui expressed his wish not to be paired against Li Lian in the next round. During this time, Shen Ruyun sought Shen Yurong's advice on a Go puzzle.
He was visibly annoyed and, in a moment of distraction, almost told her to ask Xue Fangfei before dismissing Ruyun. He was tormented by the memory of Xue Fangfei. Meanwhile, Xue Fangfei played Go with Jiang Jingrui, whose skills had dramatically improved under her guidance. He marveled at her talent, which she attributed to self-study in Zhennyu Hall, reinforcing his belief that they were both prodigies.
Jiang Jingrui, unconcerned by Li Lian's reputation, later confided in Xue Fangfei that he had witnessed Ji Shuran bribing Fairy Jinghong, a celebrated qin player from Wangxian Pavilion who was also a chief examiner for the music test. Xue Fangfei now understood the challenges ahead. The second round, the Go exam, began. Jiang Jingrui's wish came true, as he was not paired with Li Lian but rather with Shen Ruyun.
Remembering Shen Ruyun's impatient temperament, Xue Fangfei advised Jiang Jingrui not to show mercy. Jiang Jingrui employed a deceptive strategy, allowing Shen Ruyun to gain an initial advantage before launching his attack. His moves, reminiscent of Xue Fangfei's guiding style, confused Shen Ruyun. Overwhelmed and seeing the game turn, she had a vision of Xue Fangfei sitting opposite her and promptly fainted, leading to Jiang Jingrui's victory.
After the match, a terrified Shen Ruyun rushed to Shen Yurong, insisting that Jiang Li was Xue Fangfei. Enraged, Shen Yurong slapped her, forbidding her from uttering such nonsense. He fiercely reminded her that he himself had buried Xue Fangfei, asserting that she was dead and buried in Qingcheng Mountain. He also accused Ruyun and her mother of gladly conspiring to harm Xue Fangfei, only for Ruyun to now be "afraid of ghosts."
Despite not taking first place, Jiang Jingrui secured a respectable fifth position. The third round, archery, underwent a sudden change: instead of traditional horseback archery, it would be the Heaven's Bow Technique, an assessment requiring participants to shoot targets while suspended in the air. In the first match, Zhou Yanbang competed against Zhuge Pei. Jiang Ruoyao watched intently and praised Zhou Yanbang heartily after he successfully hit the targets. Next, Liu Xu faced Meng Hongjin.
Meng Hongjin effortlessly hit her targets, while Liu Xu, suffering from acrophobia, missed her first two shots. Meng Hongjin mocked her, but Xue Fangfei and her teammates rallied around Liu Xu, cheering her on. Suddenly, Li Lian covertly struck Jiang Jingrui, who was operating her rope, with a hidden weapon. This caused Liu Xu's rope to shake violently and sent her into an inverted position.
Despite this dirty trick and her intense fear, Liu Xu, inspired by her teammates' support, overcame her terror and hit her remaining targets. Although she lost the match, her bravery earned a roaring ovation from the crowd, and even Meng Hongjin's teammates hoisted her onto their shoulders in celebration. With the scores now tallied, it was clear that for Xue Fangfei's team to win the overall wager, she would need to secure first place in the final qin examination.
This meant not only outperforming Wang Qingqing from Li Lian's team, who was a perennial runner-up, but also surpassing Jiang Ruoyao, who had consistently held the top spot in qin exams for years, setting the stage for a tense family rivalry. Xue Fangfei's old wrist injury, exacerbated by her diligent qin practice, flared up again.
She tried to reassure Jiang Jingrui that she would overcome it through sheer effort, but Xiao Heng, observing her, saw her pain and remarked that she was being too hasty. He insisted on taking her to Situ Jiuyue for further treatment. When they arrived, Situ Jiuyue, still annoyed at Xiao Heng for his earlier provocations about her reputation, examined Xue Fangfei. She diagnosed damaged veins and stated that full recovery would take at least three days.
Given the exam was the next day, this was unacceptable. Xiao Heng then challenged Situ Jiuyue, implicitly daring her to find a quicker solution. Rising to the provocation, Situ Jiuyue proposed a drastic, high-risk method, warning Xue Fangfei that failure to endure it could be fatal. Despite the danger, Xue Fangfei, determined to win, declared her willingness to try anything.
