The Legend of Dugu Episode 54 Recap, Plot

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Empress Dugu Jialuo knelt before Yang Jian and declared her full support for his ascension to the throne, recognizing that to achieve great things, compromises must be made. She only asked for one promise in return: that the Yuwen family would be ensured safety and honor. Yang Jian solemnly swore to uphold this, and with Jialuo's backing, he was finally ready. On February 14th, Yang Jian was officially enthroned as the Emperor of the newly established Sui Dynasty.

The former young Emperor Yuwen Chan was demoted to the Duke of Jie and moved to another palace, though his courtesies remained unchanged. Yang Jian had truly become the unchallenged ruler of the realm. As the esteemed Empress, Jialuo found herself adorned with golden ornaments, but a heavy feeling lingered in her heart. Dongqu, her loyal attendant, observed Jialuo's somber mood and asked if she truly was happy about Yang Jian becoming Emperor.

Jialuo simply smiled, reflecting on the decades of their life together. She explained that she had come to understand that certain choices, like those her father made, were often born of helplessness and inevitability. Life, she mused, was like water; once embarked upon, there was no turning back, and thus, no room for regret. Not long after, Wang Shi and Dugu Shun arrived at Longxing Temple to bring Dugu Mantuo back.

Years of confinement had taken their toll, leaving Mantuo's face weathered and her spirit weary. As they left the temple, Mantuo looked around curiously and learned from Wang Shi that Yang Jian had become the Emperor, a revelation that filled her with shock and intense jealousy. Wang Shi gently advised Mantuo to abandon her animosity towards the Emperor and Empress, reminding her that it was Jialuo's clemency that had secured her release.

Wang Shi warned that continued defiance would not only endanger Mantuo's life but also risk her son, Li Yuan, disowning her. Recognizing the gravity of her situation, Mantuo reluctantly acquiesced. That evening, the Dugu siblings gathered for a banquet. Mantuo knelt before Yang Jian and Jialuo, humbly confessing her past misdeeds and begging for their forgiveness. Jialuo quickly helped her up, reassuring her that the past was forgotten.

Mantuo then requested to return to Longxing Temple to pray for her late husband, but both Jialuo and Dugu Shun urged her to stay with her family. Jialuo then introduced Li Yuan, now a handsome young man, to his mother. However, Li Yuan showed a noticeable distance towards Mantuo, preferring to stay with Jialuo and Yang Jian in the palace rather than return to his mother's ducal residence.

This coldness from her son pierced Mantuo's heart, though she concealed her bitterness. Later, as Jialuo and Mantuo conversed, Yang Jian watched Mantuo with a discerning eye. He confided in Jialuo, expressing doubt about Mantuo's sincerity, and instructed Dongqu to send someone to covertly monitor Mantuo's actions, fearing she might stir up further trouble. The following morning, Yang Jian spoke with Jialuo about matters of state.

He revealed that his ministers were pressing him to expand the imperial harem and take more concubines to ensure a vast lineage. However, Yang Jian firmly declared his devotion to Jialuo alone, stating that he would establish a "virtual harem" while remaining faithful to her. Jialuo expressed surprise, noting that all emperors before him had concubines. Yang Jian playfully chided her, reminding her of her jealous nature in their youth, but reaffirmed his commitment.

Jialuo accepted this, acknowledging that while history would judge, their life was their own to live. She also pointed out that to the common people, he was already seen as a "murderer" and a "throne taker," suggesting their public images were already intertwined. Yang Jian agreed, finding their shared destiny a "perfect match." Mantuo soon heard about Yang Jian's decision to forgo concubines.

While outwardly praising the Emperor and Empress's deep affection, her heart burned with jealousy, solidifying her resolve for revenge. Mantuo wasted no time, abducting Wang Shi and attempting to force her to reveal a secret passage into the palace. Wang Shi tearfully resisted, calling Mantuo mad for still opposing the Emperor and Empress and for contemplating an alliance with Princess Ashina, a representative of the Turks, who were now considered enemies.

Mantuo, consumed by her grievances, declared that Yang Jian was rightfully hers and that she should have been the Empress. She believed she had nothing left to lose and refused to be grateful for what she perceived as small mercies after being wronged. Despite Wang Shi's pleas, Mantuo remained steadfast in her reckless plan, fixated on exploiting Yang Jian's fear of public condemnation regarding his path to the throne.

Days later, the palace was rocked by the discovery of the young Emperor Yuwen Chan, barely ten years old, stabbed to death. Lihua, who had raised Yuwen Chan as her own, was distraught and confronted Yang Jian, believing him to be the killer. Yang Jian denied it vehemently, realizing this was a calculated attempt to frame him and destabilize his newly formed dynasty.

A trusted minister suggested that since Yuwen Chan was dead, they should eliminate the remaining members of the Yuwen clan, blame it on assassins from the Chen Empire, and thus remove any potential rallying points for rebellion. Yang Jian initially hesitated, remembering his promise to Jialuo, but for the sake of the Sui Dynasty's stability, he implicitly consented to the extermination of all Yuwen family descendants.

Shortly after, news spread that various Yuwen dukes and princes had met tragic ends through assassinations, suspicious accidents, or forced suicides. Lihua, hearing that Chen assassins were responsible for the Yuwen clan's demise, shifted her suspicion from Yang Jian. However, Jialuo was overwhelmed with grief upon learning of Yuwen Yong's children's fate. She felt she had betrayed her oath to Yuwen Yong and was overcome by a sudden illness, collapsing unconscious. When Jialuo awoke, Yang Jian was by her bedside.

She refused to take medicine, recalling an old vow to forgo remedies if Yang Jian survived a past ambush by Yuwen Hu. Her mind was fixated on the Yuwen family's tragedy, and she demanded to know if Yang Jian was truly innocent. To assuage her doubts, Yang Jian swore a solemn oath that if he had orchestrated the killings of the Yuwen family, his Sui Dynasty would fall within fifty years.

Witnessing the gravity of his vow, Jialuo said no more. Yang Jian stepped out of Jialuo's chambers and was met by Dongqu, who reported that it was Princess Ashina who had used a hidden passage to infiltrate Hongsheng Palace and murder Yuwen Chan. Ashina had then taken her own life. Dongqu then knelt, claiming severe injuries from pursuing the assassins and requesting permission to return home.

Yang Jian, seeing through her pretense, remarked with a cold smile that Zheng Rong must have revealed the truth to her. Dongqu confessed that she knew the truth about the Yuwen clan's demise and, as a sister to Jialuo, could no longer bear to deceive her. Yang Jian granted her and Zheng Rong permission to leave the capital, ordering that their official deaths be announced and that they receive a grand burial.

Unknown to Yang Jian, Jialuo had been hiding nearby and overheard their entire conversation. From that day forward, Yang Jian extended his dominion, conquering the Chen and Liang empires and unifying the entire country. He crushed the Turks, who had been unruly for five centuries, solidifying his status as a heroic figure and fulfilling the prophecy of "Dugu's world." Yet, Jialuo found no joy in these triumphs.

The knowledge she harbored created an invisible barrier between them, a chasm that could never be crossed. For twenty years, she kept the secret of that conversation, never asking Yang Jian the question that haunted her heart: if he had truly ordered Zheng Rong to carry out the massacre. She couldn't ask, because Yang Jian was no longer just her husband; he was the Emperor.

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