The Legendary Life of Queen Lau Episode 13 Recap
> The Legendary Life of Queen Lau Recap
Liu Jinfeng announced her withdrawal from the contest, pulling Liu Baiyu onto the stage to join Duan Yunzhang. For the flower, a distinct scent with a slightly bitter, pungent, yet fresh hint, both Duan Yunzhang and Liu Baiyu correctly identified it as rosemary, winning the prize money. Duan Yunzhang declared that all their winnings would be donated to the sickhouse to aid the poor and weak, viewing it as a public benefit.
The host praised them as a talented and generous couple, truly a match made in heaven. Observing this, Liu Jinfeng felt it was her cue to leave. As she walked away, Duan Yunzhang, leaving Liu Baiyu behind, quickly followed her. Duan Yunzhang caught up to Liu Jinfeng, revealing that he was well aware of her and Liu Baiyu's scheme.
Liu Jinfeng, no longer pretending, stated her intention to take her mother back to Xianpa Village once she found her, suggesting Duan Yunzhang could then make Liu Baiyu his Empress. Duan Yunzhang was angered by her casual attitude towards the imperial position. Liu Jinfeng questioned why he wouldn't release her if he wasn't her "Xuan" and was dissatisfied with her as Empress.
She further provoked him by claiming there were many fine men in the world, and in her village, Duan Yunzhang, being thin, would be called a "weakling," whereas numerous "masculine men" queued up to court her, the village belle. She even boasted about a childhood friend who loved her dearly, stating they would have been together if not for her engagement to Duan Yunzhang. Before she could finish, Duan Yunzhang suddenly embraced and kissed her. Liu Jinfeng was momentarily stunned.
Duan Yunzhang then awkwardly explained his actions by saying he was too drunk and needed to go to bed. After the contest, Duan Yunchong admired Duan Yunzhang's graceful leap from the stage, lamenting his own inability to perform such a feat. Liu Baiyu scoffed, remarking that Duan Yunchong's only value was being Duan Yunzhang's henchman. Duan Yunchong retorted, expressing annoyance that Liu Baiyu hadn't thanked him for saving her earlier and implying that Duan Yunzhang held no affection for her.
Liu Baiyu accused Duan Yunchong of deliberately trying to keep her away from Duan Yunzhang. Though he initially denied it, Duan Yunchong then adamantly declared that as long as he was around, Liu Baiyu would not get any closer to his brother. Later, before sunset, everyone gathered at the palace gates.
Liu Jinfeng arrived last, explaining she had carried a bag of rice for someone and walked ten streets to perform a good deed, much to the amusement of the others. Back in Xiangluo Hall, Liu Jinfeng was too troubled to eat or sleep, her mind filled with images of Duan Yunzhang. She tried to force herself to sleep to escape her thoughts. That same night, Duan Yunzhang also dreamt of Liu Jinfeng and woke up in surprise.
The next day, Duan Yunzhang and Liu Jinfeng encountered each other at the Imperial Academy. Duan Yunzhang attempted to dismiss his behavior the previous day, attributing it to being drunk and delirious. Liu Jinfeng, still upset, retorted that she would simply regard the incident as a "dog bite." Duan Yunzhang then warned her against trying to set him up with Liu Baiyu again, emphatically stating his unwillingness to associate with any daughter of the Liu family.
Liu Jinfeng privately wondered how Duan Yunzhang had known about her and Liu Baiyu's plan, as she hadn't revealed it to anyone. While eating an apple at the Imperial Academy, Liu Jinfeng tripped on a doorstep and choked, falling unconscious. Duan Yunzhang immediately called for an imperial physician, promising a handsome reward to whoever could cure her. Yu Changya, a new physician from Lingshu Academy, quickly arrived and skillfully removed the apple, reviving Liu Jinfeng.
Refusing any monetary reward, Yu Changya requested only to serve by Duan Yunzhang's side, like Su Jingtang, to gain his appreciation. Duan Yunzhang, acknowledging his need for a skilled medical professional after Shen Ao's passing, granted his request. Liu Baiyu visited Liu Jinfeng at Xiangluo Hall. She declared her intention to pursue Duan Yunzhang on her own merits, without Liu Jinfeng's assistance, stating that she had overheard Duan Yunzhang's conversation with Liu Jinfeng that morning.
Realizing Liu Jinfeng's plan was not only exposed but also ineffective, Liu Baiyu announced she was ending their partnership, leaving Liu Jinfeng disheartened. Upon learning of Yu Changya's presence in the palace, Liu Jinfeng rushed to Lingshu Academy. She confided in him, lamenting that her years of correspondence with "Xuan" had been a sham, as the person she thought she was writing to was not the Emperor.
Yu Changya then confessed that he had been the one writing those letters, acting under instructions from Liu Jinfeng's father, Liu Xie. He even admitted to having read all of her letters to "Xuan." Liu Jinfeng was furious, accusing both Yu Changya and Liu Xie of being deceitful and expressing her disappointment in a friend she had trusted. Yu Changya quickly apologized.
When Liu Jinfeng pressed him about his true purpose in the palace, Yu Changya playfully suggested he couldn't find another woman whose face he was so "satisfied" with that he'd consider swapping it, startling Liu Jinfeng, who immediately fled. Shuanzi reported to Duan Yunzhang that the Queen had recovered. Duan Yunzhang, however, dismissively stated that the imperial examination was imminent and he should not be disturbed with such minor issues.
He feigned ignorance of the Queen's identity, saying he was not acquainted with such a person. Liu Xie sought out Liu Jinfeng, using her mother's desire to visit her as leverage to compel Liu Jinfeng to participate in the upcoming imperial examination. He explained that the late emperor had decreed that Duan Yunzhang must pass the Imperial Academy's examination and rank first to officially assume full governing power.
Liu Jinfeng, on the other hand, merely needed to avoid coming in last. Hoping to reunite with her mother, Liu Jinfeng reluctantly agreed. Chai Tiezhou discovered that Minister Wang of Rites, a known alcoholic, would be the chief examiner. He planned to bribe Minister Wang with a rare, thousand-year-old foreign liquor. Duan Yunchong, however, revealed that Minister Wang's daughter was married to Bai Mao, the Commander of the Jingji Battalion, who was a relative of Liu Xie.
He doubted Minister Wang would allow Duan Yunzhang to pass. Su Jingtang then proposed stealing the exam papers from the examination hall's secret chamber. Duan Yunzhang firmly rejected all these schemes, asserting that his father's decree was a test meant to temper him into a legendary emperor, a legacy he could not betray by cheating. Sufang discreetly informed Liu Jinfeng that the Emperor, Duan Yunzhang, was actually the one who always came in last.
Yunyan elaborated on this, sharing a well-known palace rumor: when Duan Yunzhang was ten, while copying Qu Yuan's "Li Sao" in the Imperial Study, he suffered severe stomach cramps. In his haste to finish the last sentence before using the toilet, he accidentally knocked over and shattered a porcelain statue of the God of Culture and Literature. Since then, he had been cursed with bad luck in every examination, consistently placing last.
Liu Jinfeng found this "capital's biggest gossip" hilarious and, realizing Liu Xie's true intention was to ensure Duan Yunzhang didn't come in last by making her take that position, vowed not to lose to Duan Yunzhang. She immediately dragged Yunyan to the Imperial Library to cram for the exam. Liu Baiyu, hidden behind a pillar, witnessed this entire exchange.
Liu Jinfeng enlisted Yunyan's help to find several books in the library, and specifically located a portrait of the God of Culture and Literature. As she was returning to Xiangluo Hall, she encountered Duan Yunzhang, who sarcastically suggested she was merely using the books as a pillow and wasting precious literature on a "pig's brain." Liu Jinfeng retorted, asking who was the "pig-headed" one who consistently came in last every year.
Provoked, Duan Yunzhang declared he would achieve first place this year. Liu Jinfeng scoffed, asserting that his only options were coming in last after her or after someone else, enraging Duan Yunzhang. Liu Jinfeng then hung the portrait of the God of Culture and Literature in a nearby pavilion, proclaiming him her new guardian deity.
Duan Yunzhang, in a fit of pique, knelt before the portrait and swore that if he failed to achieve first place, he would remove his imperial robe and run ten laps around the Imperial City. Not to be outdone, Liu Jinfeng vowed that if she came in last, which she claimed was impossible, she would remove her phoenix crown and strike herself a hundred times with Grand Tutor Wei's golden ruler.
Duan Yunchong reported this dramatic bet to the Empress Dowager and Consort. The Empress Dowager suggested that Liu Xie intervene to persuade the Emperor and Empress, fearing the bet would negatively impact Duan Yunzhang's exam performance. However, Liu Xie calmly expressed his belief that a healthy level of competition would actually motivate Duan Yunzhang to excel.
