The Double Episode 27 Recap
> The Double Recap
Upon regaining consciousness, Zhou Yanbang found himself injured and unable to move. Jiang Yu'e's parents came to take her home, but she adamantly refused, choosing to remain by Zhou Yanbang's side. She envisioned herself as the future Mrs. Zhou and inwardly promised to exact revenge for the beatings she had suffered at his hands.
Her parents left disheartened, while Jiang Yu'e watched Zhou Yanbang, a chilling smile on her face as she resolved to make him live a "happy" life under her care. Meanwhile, Mrs. Qi and her son arrived at the Jiang residence to propose marriage to Jiang Ruoyao, assuring the family of a lavish wedding. Jiang Ruoyao, however, remained cold and distant towards Mr. Qi. Ji Shuran, eager to secure the union, quickly made arrangements, agreeing to hold the wedding soon.
But as the Qi family prepared to depart, Jiang Ruoyao suddenly declared her refusal to marry. Jiang Yuanbai was furious, chastising Jiang Ruoyao for publicly shaming the Qi family and embarrassing Ji Shuran. Jiang Ruoyao defended herself, stating that her discontent stemmed from her mother's ceaseless control over her life since childhood. She recounted how she was forced to practice the qin and endure painful remedies, and how her engagement to Zhou Yanbang was a choice forced upon her.
She declared her desire to break free from her mother's influence and choose her own path, even if it meant sacrificing her marriage as a means of escape. Ji Shuran, feeling her efforts were wasted, was heartbroken. Old Madam intervened, reminding everyone that she herself had chosen her own spouse. With her support, Jiang Yuanbai reluctantly allowed Jiang Ruoyao to decide her own marriage.
Back in her room, Ji Shuran angrily confronted Jiang Ruoyao, convinced that Xue Fangfei had instigated her defiance. Jiang Ruoyao denied this, asserting that Xue Fangfei was not the malevolent figure her mother portrayed. She expressed her intention to live life on her own terms and pursue scholarly travels instead of marriage. The argument escalated, and Ji Shuran slapped her daughter.
Jiang Ruoyao then brought up the painful memory of Jiang Yue, hinting that Ji Shuran had harmed others for her personal gain. Ms. Sun tried to mediate, urging Jiang Ruoyao to apologize, but she refused and was subsequently confined to her residence by Ji Shuran. Xue Fangfei visited Concubine Hu at the ancestral shrine, finding her neglected and abused by the maids in a desolate dwelling.
Xue Fangfei admonished the disrespectful servants and instructed Tong Er on how to properly care for a mistress. Once alone, Xue Fangfei confronted Concubine Hu, revealing her awareness of the faked madness and urging her to speak the truth about Jiang Yue's death. Xue Fangfei shared the tragic past of Jiang Li, who was wrongly accused, abandoned, and confined for a decade on Qingcheng Mountain, a place far colder than Concubine Hu's current abode.
She spoke of her unwavering determination to fight against injustice, refusing to bow down to those who harmed her. Xue Fangfei encouraged Concubine Hu, who had endured years of silent suffering, to come forward, promising her support and ability to help. Moved by Xue Fangfei's words, Concubine Hu finally confessed that Jiang Yue's death was not an accident. She had always felt uneasy about Ji Shuran since her arrival in the Jiang family.
She recounted how Ji Shuran had pushed Jiang Yue, causing her to fall and fatally strike her head on a rockery, then instructed Ms. Sun to fabricate the scene to appear as an accidental drowning. Concubine Hu’s personal maid, Baoqin, had witnessed the entire incident but was later dismissed from the household and disappeared.
Concubine Hu explained that she feigned madness to protect herself, knowing that no one would believe her accusations against the powerful Ji family, especially with their influence and the favored Consort Li backing them. Xue Fangfei vowed to seek justice for Jiang Yue. Ji Shuran met with her father, Ji Yanlin, who scolded her for her lack of ruthlessness and the strained relations with the Qi family.
Ji Shuran recalled how her father had once forced her to abandon Liu Wencai and then marry a simple-minded marquis. To avoid this fate, she, at her father's suggestion, had poisoned her close friend, Ye Zhenzhen, and usurped her position as Jiang Yuanbai's main wife. She offered her father drugged tea and revealed Liu Wencai's return as the Imperial Diviner, supported by Princess Wanning. Liu Wencai demanded that Ji Yanlin sever an arm and kowtow in apology.
Though she held a dagger, Ji Shuran found herself unable to harm her father. Later, Ji Shuran, acting on her father's behalf, visited Liu Wencai at the Office of Imperial Diviner to apologize. Liu Wencai coldly rejected her apology, asserting his intent for revenge. He recounted his miraculous survival from a fire, saved by a Taoist priest. Under the priest's tutelage, he endured brutal self-mutilation to convince people that evil spirits were transferred into his body during exorcisms.
This gruesome display gained them notoriety, eventually leading them to Princess Wanning, who offered a position in the Office of Imperial Diviner to the more ruthless of the two. Liu Wencai killed the Taoist priest to secure the role, gaining direct access to the imperial court. Meanwhile, Xue Fangfei learned from Tong Er that Haitang, her former maid, had been located but bore a long, disfiguring knife scar on her face.
Xue Fangfei remembered how Haitang had tried to rescue her from the Shen residence, but she had sent Haitang to deliver a message to Xue Zhao instead. Driven by her malicious intent, Ji Shuran instructed Ms. Sun to secretly administer a sedative to Jiang Ruoyao, making her appear disoriented and irrational. Ji Shuran then tearfully told Jiang Yuanbai that their daughter was possessed by an evil spirit and requested the Imperial Diviner to perform an exorcism.
Old Madam, observing the unfolding drama, chose not to interfere, silently waiting to see the true nature of Ji Shuran's scheme. Jiang Jingrui, agitated, rushed to inform Xue Fangfei about Jiang Ruoyao's supposed possession and the impending arrival of the Imperial Diviner, recounting the chilling tale of a consort in the palace who was ruthlessly executed after being accused of possession by the same official. Xue Fangfei quickly grasped the gravity of the situation, realizing she was Ji Shuran's ultimate target, and resolved to boldly embrace the role of the "evil spirit."
