Heart of Loyalty Episode 13 Recap
> Heart of Loyalty Recap
Mo Yan was on patrol when Princess Zhao Yu, disguised as a man, had her money pouch stolen. Mo Yan chased after and retrieved the pouch, immediately noticing the exquisite and valuable royal items inside, which she felt shouldn't be circulating among commoners. Cornered, Zhao Yu quickly denied ownership of the pouch to hide her identity and slipped away.
Soon after, Zhan Zhao appeared, having thoughtfully brought Mo Yan her favorite buns from a restaurant on the west side of the city. While they were eating, Mo Yan shared her suspicion that the person she encountered earlier was actually the princess. Mo Yan's mood soured slightly when Zhan Zhao revealed a surprising familiarity with the princess's habits, including her frequent visits to gambling houses, opera houses, and academies while disguised.
Zhan Zhao wanted to explain, but their conversation was cut short when a messenger arrived, summoning them to Bao Zheng's study. In Bao Zheng’s study, Mo Yan confidently asserted that the individual she met on the street was indeed the princess. She detailed her observations: the princess's high-quality male attire, a faint, rare agarwood scent, the lingering marks of removed jewelry, and a distinct, uncommon type of rouge.
Bao Zheng expressed his dismay at a princess frequenting the marketplace in such an undignified manner. Concerned about her safety, Zhan Zhao suggested that Princess Zhao Yu, known to be close to Prince Ning since childhood, might have sought refuge at his manor. Mo Yan, her jealousy evident, urged Zhan Zhao to find her, remarking that he was the only one who truly understood her.
Bao Zheng quickly interjected, clarifying that Zhan Zhao's familiarity stemmed from years of repeatedly catching the princess after she frequently snuck out of the palace, and that she only ever listened to him. Reassured, Mo Yan’s spirits lifted. Bao Zheng then presented Mo Yan with a sum of money, explaining it was the dowry Li Xu had left for her.
Mo Yan, feeling she had no immediate use for it, asked Bao Zheng to keep it safe until she found a person she could truly entrust herself to, someone who could bring her peace and stay by her side for the rest of her life.
Just as Zhan Zhao was about to explain his history with Princess Zhao Yu to Mo Yan, Prince Ning interrupted, revealing that Zhan Zhao and Zhao Yu had been childhood sweethearts and even playfully engaged to be married. Zhan Zhao quickly dismissed this as mere childish antics. Knowing of Princess Zhao Yu's close bond with Prince Ning, Zhan Zhao tried to ascertain her whereabouts from him.
Mo Yan stepped in, offering to fulfill three of Prince Ning’s requests in exchange for the information. Prince Ning’s first request was for Mo Yan to buy a long list of snacks, which were actually all Mo Yan's favorite treats. Zhan Zhao accompanied Mo Yan as she bought the items. Despite her cravings, Mo Yan steadfastly refused to taste any of the snacks, wary of being indebted to Prince Ning and asserting that Kaifeng City Office maintained impartiality.
Amused by her stubbornness, Prince Ning eventually relented and agreed to lead them to the princess. However, just as they were about to depart, a subordinate rushed in with alarming news: Princess Zhao Yu had been kidnapped on her way to Kaifeng City Office, with the bandits demanding a ransom of 100,000 taels of gold for her safe return.
Zhan Zhao immediately set off for the outskirts of the city, while Prince Ning hurried to Kaifeng City Office to arrange for reinforcements and the ransom. Unbeknownst to Zhan Zhao, Mo Yan discreetly followed him. In the forest, Zhao Yu, tied to a tree, was overjoyed to see Zhan Zhao arrive. Zhan Zhao swiftly defeated the bandits. As Zhan Zhao engaged the remaining assailants, Mo Yan seized the opportunity, stealthily throwing a dagger that severed Zhao Yu's ropes, freeing her.
Zhao Yu then dramatically feigned weakness and collapsed, intentionally leaning into Zhan Zhao. Displeased by this display, Mo Yan quickly intervened, taking Zhao Yu’s arm and supporting her herself when Zhan Zhao shifted away. Back at Prince Ning’s manor, Mo Yan again prevented Zhao Yu from embracing Zhan Zhao. An indignant Zhao Yu lashed out, deeming Mo Yan unworthy to speak to her. Prince Ning reprimanded Zhao Yu for her headstrong behavior.
Mo Yan, however, directly accused Zhao Yu of staging her own kidnapping, citing several undeniable inconsistencies: only the Emperor, Kaifeng City Office, and Prince Ning knew of her secret departure, making it impossible for bandits to know her identity or location. She also pointed out Zhao Yu’s immaculately clean shoes, suggesting she traveled by carriage, and the suspiciously loose ropes used to tie her. Unable to counter Mo Yan's evidence, Zhao Yu still tried to cling to Zhan Zhao.
Mo Yan pulled Zhan Zhao away, insisting they return to report to Bao Zheng. Caught between the two women, Zhan Zhao appealed to Prince Ning for assistance. Prince Ning acknowledged that Zhao Yu vehemently opposed her impending marriage to Liao and understood her desperation, but admitted his own helplessness in the matter. Mo Yan firmly told Zhan Zhao to distance himself from Princess Zhao Yu’s affairs. Suddenly, a distressed shout from Prince Ning echoed from a nearby room.
Rushing back, Zhan Zhao and Mo Yan found Zhao Yu seemingly hanged. The sight overwhelmed Mo Yan, who collapsed unconscious. However, Zhao Yu then stirred, revealing the hanging was merely a cruel prank. Giving Zhao Yu a sharp, disapproving look, Zhan Zhao carefully carried the unconscious Mo Yan back to Kaifeng City Office. Gongsun Ce attended to Mo Yan, who was suffering from a high fever.
He later informed Zhan Zhao that Mo Yan’s pulse was weak and her condition, a long-standing affliction of corpse poison, had significantly worsened since her arrival at Kaifeng. He warned that her illness would only progress, potentially endangering her life, and that the only cure was the incredibly rare seven-leaf sophora flower, a treasure found exclusively within the Imperial Palace. Zhan Zhao reported Princess Zhao Yu’s safe return to Bao Zheng, then immediately went to tend to Mo Yan.
As he comforted her, Mo Yan’s grip on his hand tightened, and she gradually found a sense of peace. Meanwhile, Prince Ning severely chastised Zhao Yu for her dangerous prank, which had terrified Mo Yan. Zhao Yu felt unjustly targeted, perceiving that both Zhan Zhao and Prince Ning were siding with Mo Yan.
Later, as Zhan Zhao escorted Zhao Yu back to the palace, the Emperor, pleased with his successful retrieval of the princess, offered to reinstate Zhan Zhao to his former post and further tasked him with escorting Zhao Yu to Liao, ensuring her safety until she was settled. Seizing this opportunity, Zhan Zhao proposed a condition: he would undertake the mission if the Emperor granted him the seven-leaf sophora flower, emphasizing its importance over his official position.
The Emperor, surprised, asked Zhan Zhao to consider his request and return with a final decision. In another part of the palace, the Empress was overseeing the preparations for Zhao Yu’s dowry. A defiant Zhao Yu, determined to avoid marriage to Yelv Hongji, angrily swept the dowry items to the floor, stating she would rather die. The Empress tried to console her, but Zhao Yu retorted by accusing her father of weakness, which prompted the Empress to slap her.
Zhan Zhao later found a sorrowful Zhao Yu, sitting alone outside. She apologized for scaring Mo Yan and asked Zhan Zhao to accompany her to a tea house to listen to stories, a familiar request from their childhood. He reluctantly agreed. Mo Yan, upon regaining consciousness, was disheartened to find Zhan Zhao absent. Prince Ning, trying to cheer her up, took her out for a stroll. Coincidentally, they encountered Zhan Zhao and Zhao Yu together.
Concerned about Mo Yan’s potential misunderstanding, Zhan Zhao gently took Mo Yan's hand and invited her to join them for the storytelling. Mo Yan's heart swelled with happiness, but Zhao Yu, seeing their interaction, felt a pang of jealousy and immediately demanded that Zhan Zhao escort her back to the palace. That night, Mo Yan was tormented by a recurring nightmare of the great fire and charred bodies, causing her to fall from her bed.
Zhan Zhao, hearing the commotion, entered her room, finding her distressed on the floor. Embarrassed by her vulnerability, Mo Yan quickly urged him to leave. Zhan Zhao quietly retreated to the courtyard, his mind burdened by Gongsun Ce's grim prognosis of Mo Yan's worsening condition. He then made a firm decision: he would escort Princess Zhao Yu to Liao, if it meant securing the seven-leaf sophora flower that could save Mo Yan.
However, Princess Zhao Yu suddenly appeared before the Emperor, boldly declaring that she not only wanted Zhan Zhao to escort her to Liao but also to remain there with her forever.
