The Legend of Dugu Episode 38 Recap, Plot

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During a family feast at the palace, which Queen Dugu Banruo could not attend due to her pregnancy, Emperor Yuwen Yu represented her. Jialuo and Yang Jian bickered over a dish, prompting Yuwen Yu to ask Jialuo to behave with proper etiquette and stop messing around, noting that Banruo would be displeased if she heard of their squabbles. Mantuo, seizing the opportunity, feigned magnanimity, telling Yang Jian that Jialuo had been naughty since childhood and he should not mind her.

She offered to apologize on Jialuo’s behalf, but Yang Jian dismissed it as nothing. Yang Jian observed Mantuo's display and felt uneasy. When Jialuo joked that Yuwen Yu, as host, should be punished with a drink for their petty quarrel, Mantuo stepped in, declaring it improper to punish the Emperor. Instead, Mantuo offered to punish herself with drinks as an apology to the Emperor, surprising both Jialuo and Yang Jian with her display.

Later that evening, Jialuo, anticipating a shared dinner with Yang Jian in the main courtyard, discovered that he had gone to Mantuo’s room. She arrived to find Yang Jian tenderly feeding Mantuo medicine, who had supposedly vomited after drinking a yellow croaker broth. Mantuo provocatively met Jialuo’s gaze while being cared for. Yang Jian explained he was simply lending a hand because no maids were present, as Qiuci's skirt had been vomited on.

Mantuo then tearfully recounted her lonely and miserable life in Longxi, mentioning her fight with Jialuo over the petition, which left Yang Jian feeling sympathetic. Suddenly, Zheng Rong, Yang Jian’s attendant, rushed in, falsely claiming the Xishan Camp was on fire. He then revealed that Jialuo had seen Yang Jian feeding Mantuo medicine and, in a fit of anger, had left in a carriage with Dongqu.

Zheng Rong admonished Yang Jian for not avoiding suspicion, reminding him that Mantuo was Jialuo’s sister and had a husband, and there were many others who could care for her. Yang Jian, distraught, searched for Jialuo throughout their manor but found no trace. He also sought help from Yuwen Yong, who, furious at Yang Jian for neglecting Jialuo because of Mantuo, called him a fool when Yang Jian attempted to prioritize finding Jialuo over their argument.

Yuwen Yong swiftly dispatched his own men to search for Jialuo at her usual haunts, including the porcelain workshop, Ruyu shop, and the graveyard of Prime Minister Dugu. Meanwhile, Jialuo and Dongqu traveled aimlessly in a carriage, with Jialuo instructing Dongqu to go anywhere, as long as it was far from the capital.

Dongqu encouraged Jialuo to stop dwelling on Yang Jian, calling men untrustworthy and their words fleeting, and revealed that just yesterday, Yang Jian had expressed his intention to move in with Jialuo in the main courtyard. Yang Jian's scouts soon confirmed Jialuo had left the city with Officer Du and cavalry, heading east along the Weishui River, assuring her safety but not her destination.

Yang Jian, feeling wronged, lamented that Jialuo left without a word even if he was in the wrong. The following morning, Mantuo, despite Qiuci's advice to maintain distance from Yang Jian due to the impropriety, insisted on visiting him at his home. She scornfully remarked on Jialuo’s temper and reminded Yang Jian of his old promise to wait for her until she regained her freedom.

Mantuo declared that since she was unhappy, Jialuo and Yang Jian should not be happy either, vowing to stir up trouble between them. Mantuo’s attempt to enter Yang Manor was initially blocked by a servant who cited the homeowner's discomfort, the madam's absence, and rules for visiting dignitaries. Mantuo angrily retorted, claiming her right as Jialuo's sister to enter. Undeterred, Mantuo found Yang Jian and tearfully complained about being denied entry.

She then expressed concern for Yang Jian’s well-being, noticing his dark circles from not sleeping. She reminded him of their past love and his promise to wait for her, suggesting that his marriage to Jialuo was merely a façade. Yang Jian simply replied, "You misunderstood," which Mantuo interpreted as a sign he still held affection for her. At that moment, a eunuch arrived with a decree from Queen Banruo, summoning General Yang Jian to the palace immediately.

Mantuo attempted to accompany him but was informed she needed a formal petition to enter the palace. Yang Jian, leaving Mantuo in Qiuci's care, hastened to the palace. Qiuci then further explained to Mantuo that wives of state officials were required to stay at Hongbin House upon returning to the capital and needed special permission to visit their own homes, let alone the palace, but Mantuo dismissed her, vowing to complain to her elder sister about the servants.

At the palace, Banruo angrily confronted Yang Jian, accusing him of prioritizing Mantuo and causing Jialuo to run away. She vehemently declared that Mantuo, now married to Duke Li Bing, had no connection to him and that his heart was too easily swayed by Mantuo’s tears and feigned illnesses. Banruo warned that if anything happened to Jialuo, Yang Jian would pay a heavy price, regretting ever allowing Jialuo to marry him.

Overwhelmed by anger, Banruo suffered a sudden fetal movement, and a doctor was quickly summoned. Taking the opportunity, Chunshi advised Yang Jian to prioritize finding Jialuo and reiterated Banruo's concern as an older sister, not a queen. She warned Yang Jian that his wavering between Mantuo and Jialuo would only bring pain to both. Yang Jian expressed understanding but questioned Banruo's repeated accusations against Mantuo.

Chunshi revealed that Banruo never truly liked Mantuo, describing her as narrow-minded and unforgiving, often using tears as a weapon. She disclosed that Banruo had kept Mantuo’s daughter's death a secret from Yang Jian, fearing it would rekindle his old affections. Yang Jian, still defending Mantuo, claimed to have let her go and only helped her due to her illness, expressing confusion over Jialuo's departure after supposedly asking him to care for Mantuo.

Chunshi, sensing his misunderstanding of women’s minds, questioned his commitment and recalled past suspicious incidents surrounding Mantuo's dowry and her "falling into water," hinting at Mantuo's initial reluctance to marry him. Watching Yang Jian depart, Yuwen Hu remarked to Geshu on the Dugu sisters' "quirky tempers." Geshu updated Yuwen Hu on Banruo’s condition, confirming she was too far along for an induced miscarriage, so they had administered a drug to cause a stillbirth without severely harming Banruo.

Yuwen Hu, despite a pang of sadness, recognized the irreversible nature of the plan and ordered Geshu to quickly find Jialuo, believing only her sister could comfort Banruo after the loss. Mantuo, still in the capital, triumphantly went to the palace, expecting support from Banruo. However, she first witnessed her attendant, Wang Shi, being disciplined by Banruo for failing her duties in Longxi.

Mantuo was then dragged into Banruo's presence, where Banruo furiously scolded her for creating trouble, disowning her as a sister, and threatening to help Li Bing marry a third wife if Mantuo continued her disruptive behavior. Humiliated and expelled from the palace, Mantuo cried in her carriage, blaming Jialuo and cursing Banruo. Wang Shi, however, pointed out that Mantuo had brought this upon herself by attempting to steal Jialuo’s husband.

Mantuo then desperately pleaded with Wang Shi not to abandon her, citing her recent suffering and the death of her child, and admitting she was wrong while expressing remorse for her past words. Wang Shi, acknowledging Mantuo’s cunning, still warned her against over-doing things. Meanwhile, Jialuo and Dongqu had arrived in Luozhou, a city on the borders of Qi Kingdom. While exploring a grotto, they unexpectedly met Lu Zhen and Gao Zhan, the former Emperor of Qi.

Lu Zhen explained that Gao Zhan was gravely ill and had only a few months left to live, prompting her to take him out to enjoy their remaining time together, free from imperial duties. She advised Jialuo, who was still upset over Yang Jian’s actions, to cherish every moment with the one she loved and to make choices she wouldn't regret, regardless of imperfections or past entanglements.

Lu Zhen shared her own experience, regretting the quarrels and disputes with Gao Zhan over their eighteen years together, realizing she should have simply cherished and indulged him. Enlightened by Lu Zhen's words, Jialuo decided to return to the capital. That night, as Yang Jian continued his search for Jialuo, he encountered Li Cheng at a relay station. Believing rumors that Li Cheng was responsible for the death of Mantuo’s daughter, Yang Jian furiously confronted him.

Li Cheng, however, offered to reveal Mantuo’s true nature, inviting Yang Jian to hear his story. Li Cheng recounted how Mantuo had first tried to seduce him for his noble status before turning to his father, and later used her own child to frame him, leading to his exile in Nanning. He challenged Yang Jian to verify his claims, saying he would await his judgment.

Recalling Chunshi's earlier warnings and the suspicious events of Mantuo's dowry and her fall into the water, Yang Jian began to doubt Mantuo. He immediately ordered his men to return to the capital and find Mantuo's wet nurse's family and Xiage, Jialuo's former maid, determined to uncover the truth.

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