The King's Woman Episode 37 Recap
> The King's Woman Recap
Meng Wu and Li Zhong were discussing the dire situation, as Ying Zheng had gone missing and they feared searching too extensively would alert the enemy. A scout reported that the Han army was encircling the back mountains, seemingly searching for something, which made Meng Wu realize their secret might be out. Just then, Gongsun Li arrived. Li Zhong expressed his belief that Gongsun Li's help would be more valuable than an army.
Gongsun Li, wasting no time, urged Meng Wu to provide all details about Ying Zheng's situation and exact location so they could act immediately. In the vast mountains, a weary and disheveled Ying Zheng struggled. He was soon ambushed by Han soldiers; despite his resistance, he sustained a stab wound to his abdomen. As more soldiers closed in, several arrows suddenly found their marks, taking down his attackers.
One soldier managed to seize Ying Zheng, but when Ying Zheng looked back, he saw Gongsun Li standing on a slope, bow in hand. Their eyes met, conveying unspoken understanding. With a subtle nod, Ying Zheng shifted, creating an opening for Gongsun Li’s arrow to strike the remaining soldier. Gongsun Li immediately rushed to Ying Zheng, her anxiety palpable.
As the sounds of more Han troops approaching grew louder, she quickly led him to hide under a small hill, their hands tightly clasped. Once the soldiers passed, Ying Zheng's weakness became apparent. Gongsun Li decided they needed to find a safe place to treat his serious wound first. She gently chided him for his carelessness, asking why he was so injured.
In the quiet confines of a cave, Gongsun Li diligently tended to Ying Zheng's deep wound, her concern evident. Ying Zheng, observing her, smiled and told her she had saved him twice: once physically and once emotionally, bringing light back into his heart. Gongsun Li, slightly embarrassed, noted his newfound eloquence. He explained that outside the Qin palace, he felt free to be himself.
He confessed that if he could choose, he would rather be with her than be the King of Qin. He elaborated that he had embarked on this dangerous expedition to the Han state because he saw her "shadows" everywhere in the palace, and the pain of her absence was unbearable.
He then explained that unifying China was a generations-old aspiration of his ancestors, and he was destined to be a solitary king, bound to defend Xianyang and Great Qin, while she was free to roam. Curious, he asked how she found him. Gongsun Li recalled their previous conversation during his visit to Han Fei, where he had mentioned his military strategy of crossing Mount Xionger to the Anshan region to capture Nanyang if he ever battled Han and Wei.
Based on Meng Wu's report of his last known location near Wu Pass, she had deduced his probable hiding place. Ying Zheng thanked her, acknowledging her compassionate nature to always help those in need, and promised to ensure her freedom once they returned to safety. Gongsun Li then gently urged him to stop talking and let her focus on bandaging his painful wound.
The next day, as they shared wild fruits, Ying Zheng informed Gongsun Li that the Qin army had remained at their previous location, as Meng Wu had not advanced on Nanyang due to his disappearance. Infuriated, Ying Zheng declared he would punish Meng Wu for disobeying orders once they returned to Xianyang.
Gongsun Li chastised his volatile temper, explaining that Meng Wu had endured sleepless nights, anxious about the news leaking, discreetly sending out search parties, and simultaneously holding off the Han and Wei armies. Ying Zheng, however, insisted on the absolute priority of military orders, arguing that Meng Wu should not have delayed military matters for him.
Gongsun Li then proposed sending a messenger pigeon to Meng Wu, ordering him to immediately attack Nanyang, where they could then meet the Qin army. Ying Zheng conceded this was the only viable plan. Gongsun Li made him promise not to punish Meng Wu and Li Zhong, emphasizing that they were the only ones who genuinely cared for him and were willing to sacrifice everything.
Ying Zheng, secretly delighted by her continued concern for him, readily agreed, a smile playing on his lips. Back at the Qin army camp, Meng Wu received a messenger pigeon from Gongsun Li, informing him that she had found Ying Zheng and instructing them to advance on Nanyang to meet them there. Greatly relieved to confirm Ying Zheng's safety, Meng Wu immediately ordered a full, overnight advance towards Nanyang.
Li Zhong also emphasized the urgency, prioritizing Ying Zheng's safety and the swift conquest of the city. Meanwhile, in Nanyang, Gongsun Li and Ying Zheng, dressed in simple civilian clothes, wandered through the streets. They stopped to buy a cake from an old woman and inquired if there were any inns nearby.
The kind auntie explained that Nanyang was a small town with no inns, but she offered them an empty room in her own home if they didn't mind the humble conditions. Touched by her generosity, they gratefully accepted, even offering payment, which she politely declined, sensing they might not have much money. They then helped her pack up her stall. Inside the humble abode, Ying Zheng attempted to chop vegetables but proved quite clumsy, leading Gongsun Li to take over.
Impressed by her skilled knife work, he realized she was an accomplished cook, prompting her to explain she had learned at age ten, cooking for her grandfather and senior brothers before entering the palace. He then playfully chided her for not cooking for him in the palace, to which she reminded him of the palace rules forbidding consorts from handling knives. Suddenly, Gongsun Li experienced a wave of nausea.
Ying Zheng, visibly alarmed, asked if she was unwell, fearing Han Shen had caused her hardship. Gongsun Li gently dismissed it, saying, "This is not an illness. Stupid. . ." and Ying Zheng instantly understood: she was pregnant with his child. Learning she had discovered this in Yongxiang Prison, he expressed dismay that she hadn't informed him of such a crucial matter. Gongsun Li retorted that he had the "worst temper" in the world.
Unfazed, Ying Zheng happily accepted all the blame, even offering to be hit. He then playfully asked if she had intended to deliver the child outside the palace, to which she replied it depended on his future conduct. He insisted she stop cooking and rest, worrying about a miscarriage, but she teasingly called him "naggy."
As Gongsun Li resumed cooking, Ying Zheng’s gaze remained fixed on her, musing on the simple joy of their togetherness, finding that humble fare tasted better than any grand feast when shared with her. He began suggesting names for their child: "Yang'er" for a prince, given their discovery in Nanyang, and "Yue'er" for a princess, reflecting her love for the moon.
When he asked if this meant she wouldn't leave him, Gongsun Li confessed she had already decided to return to Qin. Overjoyed, Ying Zheng embraced her, sincerely apologizing for his past actions regarding Yan Dan, admitting his intense jealousy of Han Shen and all the men around her. He promised to never treat her poorly again, grateful for her return. Their laughter filled the room as the old woman entered, prompting them about the meal.
That evening, Gongsun Li and Ying Zheng shared a meal with the auntie. Gongsun Li inquired why she lived alone, which led the auntie to burst into tears. She tearfully recounted how Qin soldiers had brutally killed her husband, son, and even her pregnant daughter-in-law, leaving her utterly alone. Overcome with grief and rage, she vowed to personally kill the King of Qin if ever given the chance, calling him a demon.
Ying Zheng attempted to explain that the Qin King's true intention was to unite the world and bring an end to the endless wars as quickly as possible. However, the auntie was too consumed by her pain to listen, reiterating only the countless lives lost. She then urged Gongsun Li and Ying Zheng to pack their belongings and leave by the morning, warning that the Qin army could arrive at any moment and their lives were paramount.
Her words left both Gongsun Li and Ying Zheng with a profound sense of sorrow, contemplating the tragic human cost of grand ambitions like unification. Soon after, the Qin army reached Nanyang, with Meng Wu leading the charge. Amidst the chaos, two Qin soldiers entered the auntie's home, attempting to loot. Ying Zheng emerged to stop them. The soldiers, not recognizing him, defiantly refused until Meng Wu arrived, bowing low and instantly realizing their grave error.
Ying Zheng, enraged, ordered their immediate execution for looting during battle. As the soldiers begged for mercy, the auntie, having overheard and pieced together the truth, realized the man before her was the King of Qin. Fuelled by vengeful grief, she seized a sword from the ground and lunged at Ying Zheng. Meng Wu, acting swiftly to protect his king, fatally stabbed her. Ying Zheng was furious at Meng Wu's action.
Gongsun Li rushed to the dying auntie, who, with her last breath, pleaded with Gongsun Li to leave the "tyrant king." Heartbroken and devastated by the auntie's death, Gongsun Li wept, bitterly accusing Ying Zheng's grand cause of unification of being nothing but a massacre. Ying Zheng, deeply pained by her words, promised to give the auntie a dignified burial.
He then vowed to issue a strict command to all Qin forces that from then on, battles would only be fought between soldiers, and no innocent civilians would be harmed. He pleaded with Gongsun Li to believe him, assuring her that their child, Tianming, would not have to endure such conflicts.
Meanwhile, in the state of Yan, Tian Guang met with Yan Dan, explaining that Ying Zheng had used the false pretext of Han Fei's betrayal to invade Han, despite Han Fei's proven loyalty. Tian Guang warned that just as Ying Zheng invented an excuse for Han, he could easily do the same for Yan, especially now that Yan had offered refuge to the Qin traitor general, Fan Wuji.
Yan Dan acknowledged the logical threat but expressed his reluctance to banish Fan Wuji due to his sense of loyalty. Tian Guang countered that even if Fan Wuji were expelled, Ying Zheng would simply find another reason to invade. He emphasized the impossibility of rapidly strengthening Yan's military within a short timeframe, concluding that assassinating the King of Qin was the only viable path for Yan's survival. Yan Dan, visibly shaken, decided the matter required careful and extensive deliberation.
On the bustling streets of Ji City, a mother and her son, selling flatbread, were accosted by thugs demanding protection money. When they refused, the thugs resorted to violence. A skilled swordsman named Wei Zhuang intervened, skillfully fending off the ruffians. Observing the fight, Jing Ke found Wei Zhuang’s sword technique strikingly familiar. As the thugs prepared another assault, Jing Ke subtly kicked some stones, striking them and causing them to retreat. He then calmly left with Gai Lan.
Upon returning to their manor, they were surprised to find a large gathering of people. Jing Ke confirmed he hadn't invited them. Soon, Qin Wuyang arrived, greeting the crowd and then introducing Jing Ke as a renowned warrior whose impressive sword skills were well-known, and it was revealed that Wei Zhuang was also among the guests.
