The Heiress Episode 9 Recap
> The Heiress Recap
Han Shiyi reflected on the recent incident in the flower field where Chen Yanyi caught her after she nearly fell from a horse. Her heart pounded intensely, a sensation she attributed to the lingering fear from the near-fall. Meanwhile, Yun'er, Wang Xiai's maid, was out shopping when she encountered Zhou Xuezhang. He kindly helped her gather her dropped purchases, and seeing one item was broken, he bought her a new one.
He offered to escort her home, but Yun'er politely declined. In the imperial court, ministers once again pressed the Emperor to name an heir to stabilize the realm. The Emperor acknowledged the necessity but grew visibly annoyed by the competing factions of the Second Prince, Chen Yanhao, and the Fifth Prince, Chen Yanyi. He declared that both princes would participate in state affairs, and the one who proved more capable would ascend to the Eastern Palace.
Later, Chen Yanhao visited Prime Minister Wang, his uncle, expressing concern about competing with Chen Yanyi, whose strength lay in military command. Prime Minister Wang assured him that as the Emperor would not test them in battle, Chen Yanhao, with the Prime Minister's backing in court, held the advantage. Chen Yanhao also voiced frustration that Chen Yanyi had "crippled" many of his underworld associates under the guise of eliminating "risks from the former dynasty."
Prime Minister Wang advised a cautious approach, suggesting it was too risky to act against Xue Jia directly since he had already "emerged." To maintain his facade as a flamboyant playboy, Han Shiyi visited Yidian Pavilion, where Hong'er, a courtesan with a fondness for him, offered her company. Suddenly, a disheveled man burst in, brandishing a knife and taking Hong'er hostage.
Soon after, soldiers, led by Commander Chang Qi, a subordinate of Prime Minister Wang, arrived to apprehend the man, identifying him as a wanted criminal. Fearing for Hong'er's safety, Han Shiyi swiftly declared that Hong'er was carrying his child, emphasizing the Han family's single-son lineage for three generations. This bold lie successfully deterred the soldiers, who retreated rather than risk offending the powerful Duke Han.
The criminal, recognizing Han Shiyi's identity as Duke Han's heir, decided to switch hostages, believing Han Shiyi would offer a better chance of escape. Han Shiyi, prioritizing Hong'er's safety, agreed to become the hostage. Just then, Chen Yanyi and Wang Zhongyu arrived. Both men simultaneously demanded the criminal release Han Shiyi, offering safe passage out of the city, with Chen Yanyi even offering his personal tally.
The criminal, however, scoffed at their offer, correctly deducing that their hesitation stemmed solely from Han Shiyi being his captive. He insisted on holding Han Shiyi until he was safely out of the city and beyond the range of crossbows, at which point he would release her. Han Shiyi noticed a subtle exchange of glances between Chen Yanyi and Wang Zhongyu, finding their unexpected coordination bewildering. Chen Yanyi and Wang Zhongyu conceded, ordering the City Guards outside to retreat.
As the criminal led Han Shiyi towards a waiting carriage, Han Shiyi discreetly reached for a hairpin hidden in his sleeve, intending to strike. Before he could act, Chen Yanyi moved swiftly, incapacitating the criminal with a precise strike from his thumb ring. To avoid revealing his martial prowess to Prime Minister Wang's men, Chen Yanyi claimed the man had simply fainted from blood loss. Han Shiyi played along with the deception.
Wang Zhongyu, observing the scene, remarked to Chen Yanyi with a knowing smile that his martial arts were impressive. After the ordeal, Hong'er expressed immense gratitude and admiration for Han Shiyi, proclaiming him a "true man" despite his outward playboy image. Han Shiyi felt somewhat uncomfortable with the praise, while Chen Yanyi and Wang Zhongyu exchanged cryptic smiles. Back at Prime Minister Wang's mansion, Chen Yanhao expressed his desire to eliminate Xue Jia.
However, Prime Minister Wang advised against any direct action now that Xue Jia was publicly apprehended, fearing it would alert others. Xue Jia was brought before a joint trial by the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Capital Security and Administration, an occasion Han Shiyi attended. He observed the obvious discord between the two government bodies.
Xue Jia recounted his plight: his father, Xue Fuliang, the Prefect of Qingzhou, was falsely accused of embezzling relief funds and had died in prison. Xue Jia himself was exiled to Minyue, survived an assassination attempt, and journeyed to the capital seeking justice, only to be pursued by assassins. With Han Shiyi's encouragement to speak freely, Xue Jia presented documents as evidence, directly accusing the Second Prince, Chen Yanhao.
When questioned by the Emperor, Chen Yanhao, following Prime Minister Wang's advice, shifted the blame to Pan Zhanpeng, the Chiliarch of Qingzhou, portraying his own involvement as a mere oversight due to his unfamiliarity with Qingzhou's situation and his hurried departure to attend to his ill mother. He claimed Pan Zhanpeng had collected the relief funds from him, and he believed the villagers had received their provisions.
Marquis Jin, however, raised suspicion about how Chen Yanhao, supposedly recovering from injuries, had arrived at court so promptly. Chen Yanhao explained that Director Chang had informed him the previous night. Despite initial reservations about Chen Yanhao's carelessness, the Emperor accepted his explanation as "forgivable" given the circumstances of his mother's illness.
He then ordered a joint investigation by the Department of Capital Security and Administration and the Ministry of Justice into the missing Qingzhou relief funds and the cause of Xue Fuliang's death. During another visit to Hong'er's room in Yidian Pavilion, Han Shiyi discreetly examined an unfinished manuscript. He immediately recognized the handwriting as strikingly similar to Wang Zhongyu's, leading him to realize Wang Zhongyu was the mysterious author, Yidianmei.
Later, Hong'er, still deeply grateful for Han Shiyi's bravery, expressed her desire to "be faithful" to him. Han Shiyi gently declined, citing his household's strictness, and instead proposed that she become his "bosom friend," with whom he could discuss plays, drink, and chat. Hong'er accepted, and Han Shiyi took a sachet from her. At the Imperial College, Han Shiyi pulled Wang Zhongyu aside and confronted him about being Yidianmei.
Playfully, he slung an arm around Wang Zhongyu's shoulder and declared, "So the person I've always liked is you!" Wang Zhongyu blushed deeply at this unexpected "confession." This entire interaction was witnessed by Chen Yanyi, who had been following them. Wang Zhongyu, who previously only saw Han Shiyi as a character in his stories, found his heart racing after Han Shiyi's words, making him question if he was developing feelings for her.
He became visibly nervous and breathless whenever Han Shiyi spoke to him about his novels. He even attempted to convince Han Shiyi to abandon Chen Yanyi and spend more time with him, promising an abundance of stories. Chen Yanyi, observing their closeness, grew visibly jealous. He abruptly interrupted them, ordering Han Shiyi into his carriage. During the ride, Chen Yanyi asked Han Shiyi about his strong liking for Yidianmei.
Han Shiyi, feigning ignorance of his true gender, replied that if he were a woman, a talented and considerate "warm man" like Yidianmei, who understood women's hearts so well, would undoubtedly be adored by every woman. He added that Yidianmei's identity remained a mystery, and as a man, his admiration was purely intellectual. Chen Yanyi then challenged Han Shiyi's casual familiarity with Wang Zhongyu. Han Shiyi, feigning innocence, insisted there was nothing improper as they were both men.
Noticing Chen Yanyi's jealousy, Han Shiyi advised him to give up on her, stating their different preferences made a relationship impossible. Chen Yanyi was left speechless and frustrated. Later, Han Shiyi went to visit Xue Jia in his prison cell.
