The King's Woman Episode 25 Recap
> The King's Woman Recap
The news of Gongsun Li’s abduction quickly spread throughout the palace, causing the frightened palace servants to kneel in terror. Ying Zheng, his face dark with fury, chastised them as useless, incapable of protecting his consort and threatening severe punishment if anything happened to her. Zhao Gao, however, suggested that Gongsun Li might have merely left the palace for fun again, perhaps even with her eldest senior, just as she did previously.
At that moment, Li Zhong and Han Shen arrived. Han Shen, observing that Gongsun Li's short dagger, which she always carried, was still there, immediately deduced that she was taken by force. He presented the short dagger that belonged to Gongsun Li’s master, emphasizing she would never leave without it. Han Shen was confident she had been kidnapped by a highly skilled martial artist who could take her out of Qin territory within two days.
Despite Li Zhong’s skepticism about such a quick conclusion, Ying Zheng allowed Han Shen to leave the palace for investigation, demanding immediate reports. He also ordered Li Zhong to dispatch two thousand Huben soldiers to search within the city and three thousand more outside. As the Huben army prepared to leave the palace in an orderly fashion, Yan Dan, the Crown Prince of Yan, intercepted Han Shen, inquiring about the commotion.
Upon learning of Gongsun Li’s disappearance, Yan Dan gave Han Shen an identification token, advising him to seek help from his strategist, Sir Tian Guang, in Anyi if needed. Yan Dan also secretly dispatched his own people to search for Gongsun Li. In stark contrast to the palace's chaos, Madame Chu calmly enjoyed a Huaibei orange with Shang Yi, remarking that the harem, like the orange, would be "unlimitedly sweet" once the bitter seeds were removed.
Shang Yi agreed, recognizing Gongsun Li as the troublesome "eyesore" whose absence brought peace to Zhaode Palace and confirmed her disappearance had caused a widespread mobilization of personnel. In his manor, Yan Dan’s men reported no news, and he worried that if the kidnapper was a hidden Jianghu expert, Gongsun Li might already be outside of Qin. He affirmed his personal concern for her safety.
Meanwhile, Jing Ke brought an injured and unconscious Gai Lan to Sir Tian Guang, where he carefully tended to her wounds. Sir Tian Guang and Jing Ke had a long conversation, during which Jing Ke revealed he had finally learned the Huluo Sword Technique, making Sir Tian Guang exceptionally pleased. However, the conversation abruptly ended when Sir Tian Guang inadvertently mentioned Gongsun Li.
When Gai Lan woke, she realized her clothes had been changed, and she blushed, assuming Jing Ke had done it. Han Shen then arrived, informing Sir Tian Guang of Gongsun Li’s abduction. Jing Ke remained remarkably indifferent to the news. Sir Tian Guang, wishing to celebrate Jing Ke’s martial breakthrough, joyfully announced his achievement to Han Shen. However, Jing Ke turned aggressive.
He bitterly called Han Shen a "dog to the king of Qin" and accused Gongsun Li of bearing a child for Ying Zheng, proclaiming she had nothing to do with him anymore. Han Shen, remembering Gongsun Li's plea to keep the full truth about her circumstances (including the child) secret from Jing Ke, did not reveal it. Instead, he urged Jing Ke to believe Gongsun Li’s actions were ultimately for his (Jing Ke's) sake.
He warned Jing Ke he would regret it for the rest of his life if Gongsun Li died, then left, telling Jing Ke to inform Sir Tian Guang he would wait at the Anyi Inn. Despite his outward coldness, Jing Ke’s eyes betrayed his inner turmoil. Gai Lan, emerging from her room, gently chided Jing Ke, reminding him that Gongsun Li was his junior sister and he could not ignore her fate. Jing Ke remained silent.
Later that night, Ying Zheng held Gongsun Li's dagger, deep in thought. When informed there was still no news of her, his brows furrowed further in worry. Gongsun Li awoke to find herself captive and immediately questioned her captor, Bao Ye, as to why she, a person from a defeated state with no political affiliations in Qin, had been seized.
Bao Ye chillingly explained that because she didn't belong to any political side but held Ying Zheng's affection, she was either a target to be drawn in or one to be eliminated. At that moment, Xiahou Yang entered. Gongsun Li, with cutting words, infuriated him by saying he was nowhere near the caliber of her grandfather, Gongsun Yu. Yet, he did not kill her.
Xiahou Yang admitted he was keeping her alive to lure out Jing Ke, revealing his cunning strategy. When Gongsun Li demanded to know who ordered her capture, Xiahou Yang merely hinted that someone wanted her gone from Qin forever, leading her to realize it was Li Si behind the plot. Indeed, the abduction was Madame Chu’s idea, orchestrated through Li Si, whose subordinate was Xiahou Yang.
Madame Chu, consumed by jealousy, desired Gongsun Li’s death, while Li Si sought to prevent Gongsun Li from advocating for Han Fei. The two conspirators congratulated each other on their success. Madame Chu gloated that Gongsun Li's disappearance, given her history of secretly leaving the palace, would be perceived as another escape, making it impossible to investigate, even if Han Shen and Li Zhong provided verbal support. She predicted that Ying Zheng would eventually conclude it was an unjust case.
Li Si then inquired about their previous agreement. Madame Chu reassured him that once Lord Changping was eliminated, the Grand Queen Dowager would ensure his nomination to Ying Zheng, securing his position as Great Qin's chancellor. Satisfied, Li Si took his leave. Shang Yi later asked Madame Chu about her unusually ruthless plan this time. Madame Chu coldly stated her disdain for Gongsun Li, who, despite her inferior background, had insolently manipulated both Ying Zheng and Han Shen.
She seethed with anger upon learning Han Shen had immediately left the palace to search for Gongsun Li, vowing that he would not escape her wrath, regardless of his affection for Gongsun Li. At the bustling Anyi Inn, Danding Men disciples were drinking. One disciple questioned why their master hadn't killed Gongsun Li as instructed.
Bao Ye explained it was to lure Jing Ke out, allowing their master to acquire the Huluo Sword Technique before eliminating all three of Gongsun's disciples. As they prepared to toast, Han Shen, who had been listening nearby, erupted in a rage. He attacked their table with his sword, engaging Bao Ye in a fierce fight. Han Shen was initially at a disadvantage, but then Jing Ke dramatically broke through a window, swiftly injuring many of the disciples.
Bao Ye feigned an offer of a map, then threw a hidden weapon and fled. Han Shen and Jing Ke swiftly pursued him, narrowly avoiding an ambush in a dense forest. They eventually cornered Bao Ye, holding their swords to his throat until he revealed Gongsun Li's location: Xianxianxuan. Jing Ke knocked Bao Ye unconscious.
Seeing more of his disciples approaching, Han Shen instructed Jing Ke to go alone to rescue Gongsun Li while he stayed behind to fight them off. Jing Ke arrived at Xianxianxuan, finding the area eerily quiet. He cautiously moved forward, pushing open a door to find a woman wearing a hood. Upon removing it, he discovered it was not Gongsun Li but a decoy. Xiahou Yang then appeared, attempting to incapacitate Jing Ke by blocking his internal channels.
However, Jing Ke had anticipated this trap and had taken precautions, nullifying the attack. After a fierce exchange with Xiahou Yang and defeating his disciples, Jing Ke located and rescued Gongsun Li from another room. Gongsun Li’s eyes lit up with joy and admiration upon witnessing Jing Ke's vastly improved combat skills. As heavy rain began to fall, Han Shen, observing Danding Men disciples searching frantically on the road, deduced that Jing Ke had successfully rescued Gongsun Li.
He promptly sent word back to the palace. Upon receiving the news, Ying Zheng immediately decided to personally leave the palace to find her. Jing Ke and Gongsun Li found shelter in a cave to escape the torrential rain, a fire flickering between them. Despite the warmth of the flames, an awkward silence settled between them, a stark contrast to their former closeness.
Jing Ke eventually spoke, mentioning that Gai Lan had accompanied him during his sword training, allowing him to perfect his technique to take her out of the mountains. Gongsun Li smiled faintly, remarking that Gai Lan was a good girl and expressed happiness that she was with him. Jing Ke affirmed he would cherish Gai Lan. Although they spoke of others, the unsaid words hung heavy in the air, and both struggled to hold back tears.
Jing Ke eventually excused himself to check if the rain had stopped. Gongsun Li, watching him leave, thought to herself that she was no longer qualified to care for him and that it would be better if he hated her, allowing him to focus on his future. Despite her resolve, her face clearly betrayed her profound heartache.
