The King's Woman Episode 2 Recap
> The King's Woman Recap
In the year 238 B. C. , Ying Zheng, having completed his crowning ceremony, began his personal rule. He had been born in Handan in the State of Zhao, originally named Zhao Zheng, and as a prince hostage, he endured bullying and was even pursued by the Zhao military.
After returning to the State of Qin, he was renamed Ying Zheng and ascended the throne at age thirteen, though he remained constrained by Grand Queen Dowager Huayang and Chancellor Lü Buwei. With Queen Dowager Zhao Ji's power now diminished, Chancellor Lü Buwei's position also seemed precarious. Ying Zheng, like a fierce tiger that had been biding its time, was now ready to assert his dominance over the world.
It was reported that the rebel Lao Ai had fled to Luoyang, and filled with deep hatred, Ying Zheng decided to personally apprehend him. In the bustling city of Luoyang, Gongsun Li, disguised as a man, and Jing Ke were resting and dining at an inn. After burying her grandfather, Gongsun Yu, they had set off to find the renowned warrior Lu Goujian, as instructed by Gongsun Yu before his death.
At another table, Ying Zheng, accompanied by Chengjiao and Li Zhong, was also enjoying a meal. Observing Luoyang's prosperity, Ying Zheng articulated his vision: once he held full power, he would compel all the wealthy people of the world to move to Xianyang, reduce their taxes, and remove conscript labor.
He reasoned that these individuals valued wealth more than national dignity, and if Qin could offer them a better life, they would not care who ruled, thereby strengthening Qin's power immensely. As they dined, a young woman entered the inn and was unfortunately accosted by several ruffians. Ying Zheng, unable to tolerate the injustice, intervened, and Gongsun Li lent him a hand.
Impressed by Gongsun Li's exceptional martial skills, Ying Zheng invited them to share wine and become friends, introducing himself as "Zhao." Mistaking him for someone from the State of Zhao, Gongsun Li openly complained about Qin's tyrannical rule and its relentless attacks on other states, which caused widespread panic. Ying Zheng subtly changed the subject, and the three continued to drink and chat cheerfully late into the night.
Jing Ke, having had too much to drink, began to murmur in his sleep after Gongsun Li helped him back to his room, revealing his deep affection for her. Gongsun Li's face flushed slightly upon hearing his words. She quickly pulled the covers over him and left. Ying Zheng, also quite intoxicated, stumbled into what he thought was his room. The next morning, Gongsun Li awoke with a startled scream, finding Ying Zheng in her bed.
Ying Zheng, roused by her outcry, showed no undue surprise, concluding he had simply entered the wrong room due to his drunken state the previous night. He inadvertently referred to himself as "Guaren," the pronoun used by kings, which startled Gongsun Li. Ying Zheng quickly explained it away as a habit of his when drunk, where he liked to pretend he was a king.
Still reeling from the shock of sharing a bed with a man, Gongsun Li merely asked him to leave so she could change. Ying Zheng, however, amused himself by teasing her, remarking that since they were both men, there was no need for shyness, and even playfully offered to help her change. Witnessing her evident embarrassment, Ying Zheng chuckled, then, with a touch of conscience, he left to prepare breakfast downstairs.
Shortly after, Jing Ke arrived to wake his junior sister and was stunned to see Ying Zheng exiting her room. Ying Zheng offered a brief explanation, attributing it to having drunk too much and entering the wrong room, and commented that Gongsun Li was "strange" and acted "like a fussy woman" before heading downstairs. Gongsun Li followed, feeling nervous around her senior brother. Jing Ke assured her he was also too drunk to remember anything and that she seemed fine.
They then proceeded downstairs for breakfast. Meanwhile, Ying Zheng’s scout arrived with news of Lao Ai's whereabouts. Ying Zheng then bid farewell to Gongsun Li and Jing Ke, feigning a need to check on "new goods." Gongsun Li informed him that she and Jing Ke planned to continue their search for Warrior Lu Goujian. Ying Zheng expressed his hope that they would meet again.
In a secret room in the outskirts of Luoyang, Lao Ai hung suspended, his body covered in wounds. Chancellor Lü Buwei, who had secretly captured him, confronted Lao Ai. Lü Buwei offered Lao Ai a choice between a quick death or a gruesome execution by King Ying Zheng.
Lao Ai, despite his dire state, laughed, revealing his knowledge of Lü Buwei's secret: that Lü Buwei had orchestrated Lao Ai's entry into the palace as a false eunuch to seduce and control Queen Dowager Zhao Ji, and to rid himself of her pestering, all to secure his position as Chancellor. Enraged by this exposure, Lü Buwei prepared to silence Lao Ai permanently. At that moment, Ying Zheng entered the room, startling Lü Buwei.
Ying Zheng revealed that he had orchestrated this entire scenario, purposely leaking Lao Ai's location to Sikong Ma, knowing Lü Buwei would surely come to eliminate Lao Ai and protect his secret. Ying Zheng asserted that he was not as foolish as Lü Buwei thought and declared that he would now control everything, leaving Lü Buwei with only the nominal title of Chancellor.
He then had Lao Ai taken away, signaling that this was only the beginning of his retribution against those who had wronged him. Meanwhile, the head of the Danding Men, Xiahou Yang, desired the legendary Huluo Sword Technique, said to have been created by the great warrior Nie Zheng and passed down to Gongsun Yu, capable of single-handedly countering armies. He had suspected Gongsun Yu possessed this technique for years, having failed to defeat him five years prior.
Upon learning from his senior disciple, Bao Ye, that Gongsun Yu had died fighting for Puyang, Xiahou Yang speculated the sword technique must have been passed to Gongsun Yu's only granddaughter, Gongsun Li. He promptly dispatched his disciples to find and capture her. Earlier, Danding Men members had already tested Gongsun Li's martial arts, confirming her identity as a woman and the authenticity of the Gongsun family sword technique.
Unaware of the Danding Men's intentions, Gongsun Li decided to leave Luoyang with Jing Ke. As they walked through the streets, she suddenly realized her grandfather’s silver hairpin was missing. Distraught, she resolved to return to the inn to search for it. Jing Ke, unwilling for her to exert herself, told her to wait while he went back.
Jing Ke found the hairpin at the inn, but as he prepared to leave, a larger group of Danding Men disciples reappeared, clearly intending to capture Gongsun Li. Jing Ke refused to reveal her whereabouts and engaged them in a fierce fight. During the struggle, he managed to escape into a forest. Just as an enemy's sword was about to strike him, the eccentric warrior Lu Goujian suddenly appeared and saved Jing Ke.
After concluding matters with Lao Ai, Ying Zheng made a special visit to the King of Wey at his manor, a residence Ying Zheng himself had bestowed upon the King of Wey when the state had submitted to Qin. His unexpected arrival alarmed the King of Wey, who feared for his life. However, Ying Zheng explained that he had come to understand the customs of Wey, particularly what women of Wey admired.
Relieved, the King of Wey then spoke at length about the traditions of his people. Upon leaving the King of Wey's manor, Ying Zheng unexpectedly encountered Gongsun Li once more at a wine shop where she was waiting for Jing Ke to return. Both were pleasantly surprised. Before they could exchange more than a few words, a group of assassins burst in. Gongsun Li, in an attempt to protect Ying Zheng, was struck by a sword and fell unconscious.
Enraged, Ying Zheng declared the attackers to be remnants of Lao Ai's faction and ordered them all to be killed without mercy. Ying Zheng immediately transported Gongsun Li to the King of Wey's manor for urgent medical attention, instructing them to find the best physician available. The physician, after examining her, had to remove her outer clothes and discovered she was a woman. He reported this finding to Ying Zheng. As he gazed at the unconscious woman with a furrowed brow, Ying Zheng suddenly noticed a familiar jade pendant hanging around her neck.
