The Legend of Dugu Episode 43 Recap, Plot

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After Mantuo left the capital, Jialuo felt a deep sadness, though she tried to deny worrying about her sister to Yang Jian. Yang Jian, however, saw through her, teasing her about her soft heart despite her tough exterior and reminding her of her past tears and a certain hairpin Mantuo had given her. Jialuo playfully dismissed his words, claiming she had thrown the hairpin away, but Yang Jian knew her secure love for him allowed her to jest.

Later that evening, after Lihua had fallen asleep, Yang Jian proposed they return to their room, clarifying that he intended only to escort her to bed, respecting the 27-day national mourning period. He hinted at their intimacy once they reached Suizhou, far from their current troubles. Jialuo, concerned about the people in their charity house, questioned their safety without the Dugu family's protection.

Yang Jian suggested they offer a chance for anyone willing to follow them to Suizhou, a prosperous land where they could provide for them. Jialuo expressed how good it felt to have someone with whom to discuss matters and share burdens. Her mood, however, soon turned somber as she reflected on the sudden and surreal deaths of her sister Banruo and the late Emperor Yuwen Yu.

She worried that Yuwen Hu, who had been absent from the funeral rites, might be plotting against the newly enthroned Yuwen Yong. Yang Jian reassured her that if Yuwen Hu desired the throne for himself, he would not harm the current Emperor. He promised to investigate further before their departure in two days and to warn Yuwen Yong if any danger arose. The next day, Yang Jian received disturbing news.

Zheng Rong discreetly informed him that Yuwen Hu was attempting to steal Banruo's body. Yang Jian, deeply shocked, decided to investigate personally that night. He found Yuwen Hu in the hall, tenderly attending to Banruo in her coffin. Yang Jian confronted him, accusing him of defying the world and betraying Banruo's trust.

Yuwen Hu explained he only wished to lay Banruo to rest properly, as her body was temporarily stored, and revealed Yuwen Yu's intention to send Yang Jian to Suizhou to ensure his own safety while enabling Yang Jian to seek revenge alongside Yuwen Yong. Yuwen Hu then proposed a deal: if Yang Jian remained silent about his actions, Yuwen Hu would guarantee Suizhou's peace for ten years.

Yuwen Hu observed that Yang Jian, unlike his loyal father, possessed ambition in his eyes, calling it a good trait in a world where the unambitious perished. He also vowed to punish all those responsible for Banruo's death, including himself, describing the agony of surviving a loved one as worse than hell.

Yang Jian, moved by Yuwen Hu's genuine grief, though condemning his deeds, instructed Zheng Rong to keep the incident secret from Jialuo, explaining it was to honor Yuwen Hu's profound affection for the late Queen and acknowledging Yuwen Hu's perception of his own ambition. On the day of their departure for Suizhou, Yang Jian assured Jialuo that Yuwen Hu was too preoccupied attacking Qi, whose emperor's father was critically ill, to pose a threat to Yuwen Yong.

Relieved, Jialuo journeyed with him. En route, Yuwen Yong met them in the suburbs to bid farewell. Yang Jian gracefully allowed Jialuo to speak with Yuwen Yong alone. Yuwen Yong told Jialuo he intended to act as a puppet emperor to satisfy Yuwen Hu, and that his mother would soon return to become the Empress Dowager. Jialuo, still wary, cautioned him to be careful, describing Yuwen Hu as a viper.

Yuwen Yong, anticipating the muggy weather in Suizhou, gave her medicine, expecting her to be there for ten years. Yang Jian then joined Yuwen Yong for a more formal farewell. In a surprising turn, Yuwen Yong playfully suggested their future children marry, but Yang Jian jokingly demurred if Yuwen Yong's daughter resembled him.

Yuwen Yong then confessed a secret: he was fated not to live past thirty, which was why he had never defied Prime Minister Dugu to elope with Jialuo. He asked Yang Jian to take care of her, advising him to bide his time with Yuwen Hu. Yang Jian, silent and shocked, promised to protect Jialuo. Continuing their journey, Yang Jian and Jialuo shared an intimate moment in their carriage.

Yang Jian playfully teased Jialuo about her past sadness and promised to make her happy every day, never letting her cry again. He boasted of his many skills and even joked about needlework before lightly teasing her about her role in bearing children. Jialuo called him frivolous, but Yang Jian defended his right to be so with his wife in their private space. He then earnestly declared his inability to ever make her sad again, pledging a lifetime of happiness.

Jialuo, touched, leaned in and kissed him. Ten years passed, and Yang Jian and Jialuo had transformed Suizhou into a prosperous land. They had cultivated new fields, established irrigation systems, founded schools, and earned the widespread praise of the populace. Their Jici Army, trained by Yang Jian and loyal primarily to Jialuo, was well-trained and maintained order. Jialuo had given birth to their son, Yang Yong, and Zheng Rong had married Dongqu, both happily devoted to each other.

Villagers hailed Yang Jian and Jialuo as an exemplary couple, noting how Jialuo had invested her business earnings, particularly from porcelain kilns and weaving workshops, into public works, earning her the reputation of a benevolent leader. One day, Lu Zhen arrived in Suizhou, surprising Jialuo. They joyfully reunited, with Jialuo, despite being a mother, still feeling like a "little girl" in Lu Zhen's presence. Jialuo introduced her children, Lihua and Yang Yong, to Lu Zhen.

Tired from years of travel, Lu Zhen, witnessing the warm family scene, decided to stay in Suizhou, emphasizing that her friendship with Jialuo transcended national conflicts. Later, Lu Zhen explained why she had left Qi: a woman named Lu Lingxuan, Wei's wet nurse, had usurped political power after Gao Zhan's death.

Lu Lingxuan used Lu Zhen's established reputation to sell titles, expel rivals, incite conflict with Zhou, and seize control, making it seem as though Lu Zhen herself was involved in these corrupt dealings. Unwilling to be associated with such a person, Lu Zhen had left Qi. Yang Jian met with Lu Zhen and thanked her for her past kindness in helping save his father.

Lu Zhen acknowledged Yang Jian's well-trained army and praised his governance of Suizhou, stating it rivaled the prosperity of Chang'an under the late Emperor Yuwen Tai. Yang Jian explained that his military preparations were for self-protection against Yuwen Hu, and together with Jialuo, they focused on economic development for the welfare of the people, recognizing that both wealth and a strong army were necessary to protect Suizhou.

Lu Zhen then shrewdly observed that while Jialuo was kind, governing a county required different skills from managing a household, and offered to teach Jialuo the art of governance, an offer Yang Jian accepted on his wife's behalf. Reflecting on their conversation with Zheng Rong, Yang Jian expressed his awe at Lu Zhen's insight, noting that she had articulated his own "unclear expectation" – his ambition.

Zheng Rong initially assumed Yang Jian merely aspired to become a major general before age thirty, like his father. Yang Jian clarified that he desired "far more," to "go further," and to "conquer the world," recalling Yuwen Hu's earlier observation about his ambition. He mused on the humble origins of emperors and heroes, comparing himself to them, but also acknowledged the immense difficulty and danger of such a path.

For now, he concluded, building a strong and unconquerable foundation in Suizhou was paramount. Yang Jian, however, remained suspicious of Lu Zhen's motives, questioning why a Qi national would so readily help them, and why she was teaching Jialuo skills beyond a governor's wife. He also decided not to tell Jialuo of his true ambitions, knowing her compassionate nature would cause her to worry about the inevitable wars.

Meanwhile, Yang Jian received news of severe floods in Qinzhou, Linzhou, and Xinzhou due to continuous heavy rains, and immediately ordered the construction of dikes to prevent disaster. In the capital, Yuwen Yong expressed his distress over the floods, despite being a puppet emperor. Yuwen Hu arrived, congratulating Yuwen Yong on turning twenty-five and announcing he had chosen Princess Ashina, the most beloved daughter of the Turkic Khan, as Empress.

Yuwen Yong pointed out she was engaged to the Qi emperor, but Yuwen Hu countered that the Khan always favored Yuwen Yong and the alliance with Turkic was crucial for gaining an advantage. Yuwen Yong reluctantly agreed, still expressing concern for the flood victims and his own belief that he would die young. However, a messenger reported that Suizhou, under Yang Jian's capable governance, had suffered no casualties due to early dike reinforcement and population relocation.

Furthermore, Yang Jian had punished price-gouging merchants and sent aid upstream, leading many refugees to seek safety in Suizhou, where Jialuo had established porridge sheds. When Geshu questioned why Yuwen Hu hadn't seized the throne earlier, Yuwen Hu explained that internal conflicts with old ministers, combined with external threats from Qi (whose emperor Gao Wei had become unruly after Gao Zhan's death) and the newly enthroned emperor of Chen, prevented him from doing so.

He aspired to a stable country once he became emperor and planned to first unite with the Turks, then conquer North Zhou, and finally destroy Chen. Yuwen Hu, upon receiving detailed reports of Suizhou's doubled tax revenue, silk production, and military strength, realized he had overlooked Yang Jian while focusing on Yuwen Yong and the old ministers. He then instructed Geshu to send Yang Jian as an envoy to Turkic to bring back Princess Ashina.

Geshu noted that this mission was a trap, as Qi also sought the princess, ensuring a bloody conflict for Yang Jian. Failing to bring her back would be dereliction of duty. Geshu also expressed concern for Jialuo, remembering Banruo's deep care for her sister. Yuwen Hu dismissed his worries, stating he hadn't ordered Yang Jian's death and had kept his promise of safety in Suizhou.

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