The Flame's Daughter Episode 16 Recap
> The Flame's Daughter Recap
Lie Ruge and Yu Zihan returned to Flaming Manor, which was adorned with festive decorations for Zhan Feng’s wedding. Guests from all over were arriving, creating a celebratory atmosphere. Ji Jinghong warmly greeted Ruge and Yu Zihan, expressing how much he had missed Ruge during her half-year absence. He asked if she planned to stay this time, to which Ruge replied she couldn't be certain.
Ruge then inquired about her father, Lie Mingjing, who Ji Jinghong informed her was in the training room. Ruge decided to visit her father first, asking Yu Zihan to proceed to the Bamboo Courtyard. Upon seeing her father, Ruge conveyed how much she had missed him. Lie Mingjing noted her improved martial arts skills. Ruge then brought up the incident in Snap Thunder Village, and Lie Mingjing confirmed he was aware of it.
He assured her that he would have Yi Lang investigate the matter secretly but cautioned Ruge against prematurely accusing Zhan Feng without concrete evidence. Later, Lie Mingjing asked Ruge if she blamed him for agreeing to Zhan Feng's marriage and if she still harbored feelings for Zhan Feng. Ruge admitted to faulting him for being too hasty, expressing concern that marrying into Swordless City might be part of an insidious scheme.
Lie Mingjing explained his deepest wish was to see Zhan Feng marry, have children, and even carry a grandchild himself. He proudly stated that as Lie Mingjing, he feared nothing from the younger generation of Swordless City and urged Ruge to set aside her worries and embrace the joyous occasion.
In Zhan Feng’s courtyard, a good fortune woman from World Swordless City diligently arranged the bridal bed, explaining traditions and advising Zhan Feng not to sleep on it until the wedding night. Surrounded by vibrant red decorations, Zhan Feng was overcome with sorrow, triggering a memory from his youth. He recalled a conversation with a young Ruge, who always wore red.
When he asked why, she explained that brides wear red and are the most beautiful, promising to be his bride when they grew up, sealing it with a pinky swear. Now, years later, he was to be married, but not to the one he loved. Later, Ruge observed Chief Steward Yi carrying medicine packets into her father's room.
Yi Lang explained that Lie Mingjing had been soaking his feet in medicated water for the past two months due to cold and dampness, and these were the drug bags. He emphasized that as Lie Mingjing's adopted son, caring for him was his duty. Inside Ruge’s room, her maids, Xun Yi and Die Yi, bickered playfully about who served her better, recalling Ruge's past heartbreak.
Shortly after, a servant informed Die Yi that Hall Leader Zhongli Wulei was waiting for her at the back mountain. Die Yi quickly left to meet him, telling Xun Yi to prepare lotus soup for Ruge. At their meeting, Zhongli Wulei, noticeably flustered, asked Die Yi if the attendant who had returned with them was Lei Jinghong.
He admitted to having intercepted information about Lei Jinghong but expressed concern that Lei Jinghong's association with the troubled Thunderbolt Clique could bring trouble to Ruge. Die Yi, observing Zhongli Wulei's discomfort, teased him, sensing he wasn't revealing the full truth and was perhaps worried about her. Zhongli Wulei, for his part, also seemed concerned that Ruge and Die Yi might be deceived.
As Zhongli Wulei prepared to leave to assist Zhan Feng with the wedding, Die Yi stopped him, still playfully pressing him about his unspoken feelings. Back in her room, Xun Yi advised Ruge to have remained at Prince of Jingyuan's Manor to avoid the wedding, but Ruge insisted she must attend to prevent Flaming Manor from facing criticism.
Ji Jinghong then invited Ruge and Yu Zihan to his Pine Courtyard for a meal, emphasizing it was a chance for them, "us disciple brothers," to gather before Zhan Feng became a married man. Ruge eagerly accepted, noting it had been a long time since they shared a meal. At dinner, Ruge attentively served Yu Zihan, urging him to eat more as he was recovering.
Ji Jinghong attempted to serve wine but was reminded that Zhan Feng, leading the wedding troupe that night, could not drink, so they opted for tea. Ji Jinghong proposed a game of snatching chopsticks, where the winner could ask the loser a question. Ruge initially resisted, wanting to eat, but Ji Jinghong convinced her, stressing the rare opportunity to gather. Ji Jinghong won the first round against Ruge and asked if "that pond" was still in her heart.
Ruge replied she didn't know, a response Ji Jinghong interpreted as her being distracted. Ruge then challenged Zhan Feng and won. She directly asked him why he had to marry Dao Liexiang so quickly and what his true purpose was. Zhan Feng simply stated it was "for myself." Ruge implored him to reconsider, urging him to stop his mistakes and avoid disappointing their father.
Ji Jinghong interjected, pressing Ruge to admit she loved Zhan Feng and didn't want him to marry another. Ruge clarified that her concern was for her father's feelings, a point Yu Zihan corroborated. Later, in Yu Zihan's bamboo courtyard, Ruge confided in him, expressing her growing suspicion that a mastermind was orchestrating events: Ying Yi's sudden appearance, the incident in Snap Thunder Village, Yu Zihan's affliction by the Chill Spell, Yin Xue's disappearance, and now Zhan Feng's abrupt marriage.
She felt they were all being trapped. Yu Zihan calmly advised her that it was fine to be momentarily ensnared, as quiet observation would eventually reveal the weakness of their adversary. Back in her room, Ruge looked for an outfit for the wedding, only to realize all her clothes were red. As the bride would wear red, Ruge wanted to avoid it. Die Yi pointed out Ruge's long-standing preference for red, meaning they had no other colored dresses.
Xun Yi then offered her own exquisite, unworn dress from the previous year for Ruge to wear, which Ruge gratefully accepted. Xun Yi and Die Yi discussed how Ruge wished to avoid being the subject of gossip at the wedding by not wearing red. Meanwhile, Lei Jinghong found solace in drinking alone at Flaming Manor, saddened by Dao Liexiang's impending marriage.
In a parallel scene, Dao Liexiang sat despondently in her room at World Swordless City, her spirit crushed by Yin Xue’s death. The wedding ceremony commenced amidst joyous announcements. Zhan Feng and Dao Liexiang, in their elaborate red wedding attire, performed the rituals. Numerous guests, delighted by the union, showered the newlyweds with flower petals and sweets. Lie Mingjing beamed with happiness as Zhan Feng and Dao Liexiang stepped over a fire basin.
As they prepared for the husband-and-wife bow, Ying Yi dramatically burst into the courtyard. Yi Lang immediately tried to intervene, reminding her of the wedding and urging her to leave. However, Ying Yi, brandishing a dagger, threatened to kill herself right there if anyone approached, shocking the assembly by announcing she was carrying Zhan Feng's child.
She knelt before Dao Liexiang, tearfully begging her to annul the marriage and return Zhan Feng, claiming he loved only her and was forced into this union. Dao Liexiang, composed, lifted her red veil and calmly told Zhan Feng to control his woman. Zhan Feng, enraged, loudly ordered Ying Yi to "scram!" Witnessing the escalating chaos, Yu Zihan subtly suggested to Ruge that they should leave.
Before they could, Yi Lang violently kicked away Ying Yi’s dagger and moved towards her with ill intent, stating he would "wipe" her for staining the festive occasion. Ruge quickly intervened, chastising Yi Lang for his harsh treatment of a woman and reminding him that Flaming Manor was not an evil sect.
She then took Ying Yi away from the scene, asking Yu Zihan if she could house Ying Yi in his Bamboo Courtyard, as it was the safest place in the manor, to which he agreed. Seizing the opportunity created by the commotion and the presence of numerous Jianghu figures, Lie Mingjing, with unexpected gravitas, publicly announced that his daughter, Lie Ruge, would soon succeed him as the next Sect Leader of Flaming Manor.
He asked the guests to be understanding of her youth and impetuous temper. He then instructed the celebrations to continue and the bride to be escorted to the bridal chamber. After bringing Ying Yi to the Bamboo Courtyard and using an acupoint block to restrain her, Ruge instructed Die Yi to go to Azure Dragon Hall and investigate Ying Yi's background. Die Yi, who had already expressed her suspicions about Ying Yi, readily agreed.
At Azure Dragon Hall, Zhongli Wulei's attendant suggested he should now marry Ruge, given her impending succession, but Zhongli Wulei dismissed the idea, instructing his staff not to discuss the succession for the time being. Die Yi then presented Zhongli Wulei with a written request from Ruge to investigate Ying Yi.
Although he initially cited protocol, Die Yi reminded him of Ruge's imminent appointment as Sect Leader, and Zhongli Wulei agreed to provide information by the next morning, cautioning Die Yi against leaving written evidence. Back at the Bamboo Courtyard, Xun Yi expressed her apprehension about Ruge’s sudden appointment, noting that everyone had expected Zhan Feng to be the successor and fearing the troubles that would follow. Ruge, however, maintained a pragmatic outlook, asserting they would adapt to whatever came.
Die Yi supported Ruge, arguing that as Lie Mingjing's biological daughter and possessor of the Flaming Token, Ruge was the rightful heir. Ruge mused that her father might have made the announcement in anger. Leaving her bickering maids to watch Ying Yi, Ruge stepped out for a stroll.
