The Double Episode 19 Recap
> The Double Recap
Ye Mingyu, Xue Fangfei’s third uncle, was seething with rage and humiliation after being assaulted by Magistrate Feng’s men. He lamented that he would have punched the "cursed magistrate" if Xue Fangfei hadn't held him back. Overwhelmed by frustration, he decided to take a walk. Xue Fangfei confided in Tong Er that she knew Magistrate Feng personally.
She recounted how her father, Xue Huaiyuan, had taken pity on Feng Yutang, who was once a beggar, and given him a position in the county office. Xue Huaiyuan even entrusted him with the crucial responsibility of overseeing the granary. However, Feng Yutang betrayed this trust, engaging in fraud and embezzling public funds. Xue Huaiyuan had sternly rebuked him, declaring him unworthy of official duties.
Xue Fangfei lamented that Feng Yutang had proven to be a "rotten person" and had replaced all of her father’s loyal subordinates. Tong Er worried that such a cunning and corrupt magistrate would be difficult to deal with. Xue Fangfei then recalled an earlier encounter outside the yamen where an old woman, later identified as Dumb Granny, had discreetly handed her a note after a staged stumble.
Tong Er explained that locals called her "Dumb Granny" and believed Feng Yutang left her alone because he thought she couldn't speak. Believing Dumb Granny had vital information, Xue Fangfei decided to meet her alone. To evade Feng Yutang’s surveillance, Xue Fangfei and Tong Er swapped clothes. Xue Fangfei then instructed Ye Mingyu to escort Tong Er away first, assuring him that she was the primary target and Tong Er would be safe.
Ye Mingyu reluctantly agreed, setting a two-hour rendezvous. However, Feng Yutang's spies were not completely deceived; they sent only one man to follow Ye Mingyu and Tong Er, while the others waited for Xue Fangfei, anticipating she would appear separately. As soon as Xue Fangfei emerged, the remaining spies launched their full pursuit. Noticing the tail, Xue Fangfei deliberately took a winding path to shake them off. However, she then encountered a group of thugs who attempted to harass her.
Despite her spirited attempts to fight back, she was outnumbered. Just as she was in danger, a fan suddenly flew through the air, knocking down one of the thugs. Xiao Heng appeared, playfully greeting her as "pretty lady" and teasingly asking if her arrival in Huaixiang was motivated by his presence. Xue Fangfei returned the banter, questioning his unexpected appearance. Xiao Heng then directed his subordinates to apprehend the lingering spies.
To further mislead their pursuers, Xiao Heng dramatically pulled Xue Fangfei into a public display of affection, pretending they were secret lovers. He bought a flower and playfully pinned it in her hair, which she reciprocated by placing one in his. Xiao Heng explained that convincing the spies they were meeting secretly would disarm their suspicion. He stressed that the truth was secondary to the spectacle of tarnishing a reputable person's name.
Xue Fangfei sarcastically remarked on his choice of "lover," to which he retorted that she was "thinking too much." She then questioned his unusual willingness to perform in public, reminding him he usually preferred to observe from the sidelines. Xiao Heng responded cryptically, stating he needed to "personally enter the game."
After his men captured Feng Yutang's spies, Xiao Heng warned them to relay a message to their master: Duke Su and "Second Lady Jiang" disliked being watched, and future infringements would have dire consequences. He then instructed his subordinate, Wen Ji, to escort Xue Fangfei wherever she needed to go and ensure her safety until her tasks were completed. Xue Fangfei proceeded to meet Dumb Granny, who recognized her as the daughter of the Xue family.
Dumb Granny urgently implored her to leave Huaixiang, warning that Feng Yutang had powerful connections and Xue Fangfei's high status as "Second Lady Jiang" would only escalate the danger to Xue Huaiyuan. Dumb Granny revealed that Xue Huaiyuan's most loyal subordinates, including the Gu brothers, Peng Xiao, and He Jun, had been condemned to forced labor at the Dong Mountain sand mine. Determined, Xue Fangfei declared her intention to rescue them to strengthen her father’s case.
Dumb Granny, deeply indebted to Xue Huaiyuan for saving her life from starvation, refused to leave, vowing to avenge him if he were executed. Xue Fangfei, however, urged against such a sacrificial act, promising to ensure that the culprits faced justice. Back at the yamen, Feng Yutang confronted the captured spies. In a cruel act, he offered them "ginseng chicken soup," and when one hesitated, he forcibly made him drink the scalding liquid, killing him as a brutal warning.
The terrified survivors reported that "Jiang Li" (Xue Fangfei) had been seen with Duke Su, who appeared to be protecting her. Realizing the implications of Xiao Heng's involvement, Feng Yutang dispatched a message via homing pigeon. Meanwhile, Xue Fangfei shared her findings with Ye Mingyu, informing him that Xue Huaiyuan’s confidantes were at the Dong Mountain sand mine. He offered to gather men from Luyang for a rescue, acknowledging the difficulty given Feng Yutang’s constant surveillance.
Separately, Xiao Heng's team had meticulously surveyed the sand mine area, identifying a river between two mountains where the sand mine was located, and an official gold mine further upstream. Lu Ji explained that the gold mine's tunnels were complex, prone to changes due to "land damages," and impossible to enter without a map. Wen Ji's suggestion of a "forceful attack" was dismissed as impractical.
Xue Fangfei then approached Xiao Heng, requesting his assistance and manpower to rescue Xue Huaiyuan's ex-subordinates from the sand mine. Xiao Heng, who had independently discovered the official gold mine and its inaccessibility without a map, stated he had his own priorities to address first. Xue Fangfei, adopting a "bossy" tone, pressed him for details, leading him to reveal his need for a map of the sealed gold mine.
Xue Fangfei produced the map left by Xue Zhao, emphasizing that it represented "a human life" and offering her own life as a guarantee of its authenticity. Initially wary, Xiao Heng hesitated, but Xue Fangfei, having keenly observed his past actions, exposed his true intentions.
She detailed how he had orchestrated her return to the Jiang family and manipulated conflicts with the Li family, particularly concerning Ye Shijie, all to weaken the Li family's influence and investigate widespread corruption, which she traced from the capital to Luyang. She concluded that Xiao Heng was acting under "His Majesty's order" to target the powerful Li family, whom she suspected were illicitly enriching themselves from national resources, including the gold mine.
Impressed and slightly unnerved by her insight, Xiao Heng accused her of being "presumptuous" and questioned if she had a death wish. Xue Fangfei, her eyes welling up, responded that she "couldn't live long" outside his "game" and offered herself as a "killer move." Though Xiao Heng initially claimed disinterest, she reminded him of his own words: "different paths, same destination," challenging his reluctance to fully commit to her cause.
After a moment of contemplation, Xiao Heng accepted her proposition, agreeing that saving people from the sand mine and exploring the gold mine could proceed concurrently. He tried to dissuade her from accompanying him to Dong Mountain, but she remained resolute. Meanwhile, in prison, Feng Yutang tormented Xue Huaiyuan, revealing that "Jiang Li" and Duke Su’s presence in Huaixiang likely indicated their interest in him. He brutally stabbed Xue Huaiyuan’s finger, warning him that his impending execution might be hastened.
Outside, Feng Yutang’s spies reported that Xue Fangfei’s group had visited various grain vendors, meticulously comparing prices and quality. Realizing they were exposing his granary corruption, Feng Yutang ordered his main force to converge on the granary, convinced it would be their target. This, however, was Xue Fangfei’s "diversion" tactic. When Feng Yutang arrived, he found only Ye Mingyu and a few others, confirming he had been outmaneuvered.
Xue Fangfei, having successfully diverted Feng Yutang's attention, joined Xiao Heng at Dong Mountain. Using Xue Zhao's map, she identified a narrow, overgrown "wild entrance" on the mountain's south side, likely abandoned due to its impracticality for large-scale transport. While Lu Ji led a contingent to the main sand mine area, Xue Fangfei and Xiao Heng, along with a few of his men, entered the gold mine through the hidden entrance.
Inside the dark and winding tunnels, they discovered an uncharted fork. Xue Fangfei froze, momentarily paralyzed by the claustrophobic environment and traumatic memories of her burial. Xiao Heng quickly grasped her hand, providing reassurance. They decided to split, with Xue Fangfei and Xiao Heng taking one path. Deeper within, they encountered two guards. Xue Fangfei, under Xiao Heng's watchful eye, skillfully incapacitated them, and they quickly changed into the guards' uniforms.
Simultaneously, a homing pigeon arrived at Li Jin's location, informing him of Xiao Heng’s presence in Huaixiang and the discovery of the official gold mine. Li Jin calmly responded that he had "already prepared a countermeasure." As Xue Fangfei observed the extensive illegal mining operations, she realized that the illicit gold mining, a grave act of treason, was intrinsically linked to the fate of the Xue family, Shen Yurong, and the Eldest Princess. Xiao Heng, sensing her profound realization, asked if she understood the monumental consequences of confronting such powerful adversaries.
