The Legendary Life of Queen Lau Episode 19 Recap
> The Legendary Life of Queen Lau Recap
At night, Duan Yunchong intercepted Fengyue. He asked if Liu Baiyu treated her well, and when Fengyue said "quite well," he found it troublesome. He then offered Fengyue a bag of gold, asking her to gather information for him, which Fengyue readily accepted. Later, Jinfeng discovered a procession of young women entering the palace grounds and followed them to a pavilion, where she found the Empress Dowager and Duan Yunzhang. Misinterpreting their conversation, Jinfeng thought they were selecting imperial consorts.
She dramatically burst in, sat on Duan Yunzhang's lap, and playfully declared that he had enough with just her. Seeing Jinfeng's bold antics, the Empress Dowager instructed Shuan to send the girls to the music troupe, clarifying that they were new female musicians. Realizing her mistake, Jinfeng quickly dismounted from Duan Yunzhang and tried to leave in embarrassment. Amused, Duan Yunzhang pursued her, asking if she truly believed he was selecting concubines.
Jinfeng, asserting her fearlessness as the belle of Xianpa Village, continued to retreat. Mid-sentence, she stumbled and fell into a dry well, with Duan Yunzhang accidentally tumbling in after her. In the pitch-black well, Jinfeng fortunately had a fire starter, which she used to illuminate their surroundings.
To their surprise, the well walls were covered with humorous palace anecdotes: Hong from Jinxiu Palace was secretly in love with Commander Su Jingtang, Shuan snored and drooled in his sleep, Yunyan enjoyed eating garlic and chewed flower petals daily to freshen her breath, and the new chef was punished to sweep for his terrible cooking. They both burst into laughter reading these. Meanwhile, Su Jingtang and his men frantically searched the palace, only finding Duan Yunzhang's jade pendant.
Inside the well, Jinfeng spotted a drawing of Mo Mu and blurted out that she was incredibly ugly. Duan Yunzhang cautioned her to be respectful in front of Mo Mu, but just as he spoke, the fire starter suddenly extinguished, startling them both. Jinfeng quickly bowed and apologized profusely to Mo Mu. Hearing their voices, Su Jingtang and his men located them and finally pulled them to safety.
That evening, Shuan noticed Duan Yunzhang's joyful expression and remarked that he had never seen the Emperor so captivated by someone. Duan Yunzhang then dreamt of Jinfeng releasing fireflies from a jar and dancing with him under a beautiful peach tree. At the same time, in Xiangluo Hall, Jinfeng had indeed caught a jar full of fireflies. Sufang was astonished, believing the Empress would deeply move the Emperor if she presented them to him.
Jinfeng, however, initially planned to fry and eat them. Inspired by Sufang's words, she praised her for making a great contribution. As Jinfeng carried the fireflies towards Xuanchen Hall, Yu Changya intercepted her. He warned Jinfeng that she hadn't yet seen Duan Yunzhang's true colors. Jinfeng retorted that Duan Yunzhang's true self was far more handsome than Yu Changya's "dead fish eyes." Enraged, Yu Changya smashed Jinfeng's firefly jar. Jinfeng, furious, grabbed his collar.
This scene was witnessed by Duan Yunzhang from a distance, who was overcome with jealousy. He immediately ordered Shuan that, effective today, the Empress was not permitted to enter Xuanchen Hall, and anyone seeing her on the way should pretend not to. The next day, Jinfeng was disheartened at being unable to see Duan Yunzhang. Coincidentally, as Sufang was dusting books, she uncovered a copy of "Thirty-Six Stratagems."
Jinfeng immediately seized upon the "Play Hard to Get" strategy, praising Sufang for yet another great contribution. She internally scoffed, believing Duan Yunzhang was no match for her in such a game. Fengyue later informed Duan Yunchong that Liu Baiyu had instructed her to observe the Empress's every move. Duan Yunchong then told Fengyue to report any information to him.
He then deliberately explained that his actions were solely for his imperial brother, Duan Yunzhang, fearing that Liu Baiyu might harbor ill intentions and stray down a wicked path. He emphatically denied having any personal feelings for Liu Baiyu. After Fengyue left, his mother, Imperial Consort Dowager Xu, appeared, having guessed her son's true feelings. She openly admitted her liking for Baiyu.
When Duan Yunchong described Baiyu as cunning and sharp-tongued, his mother countered that these traits indicated intelligence and the ability to manage him. Duan Yunchong was delighted that his mother viewed Baiyu's perceived flaws as virtues, concluding that it was perfectly fine for him to like her. As Liu Baiyu wrote her novel, she intended for Duan Yunzhang to be the male protagonist. However, Duan Yunchong's image kept appearing in her mind.
She tried to force her thoughts back to Yunzhang but couldn't. Frustrated, she tore up her manuscript, declaring that he would not be in her story. Jinfeng finally secured a meeting with Duan Yunzhang. She sincerely told him that despite their initial unpleasantness, her time in the palace had been joyous.
She confessed that she once viewed him as a weakling, but now he was utterly transformed, having achieved first place, taken over the court, and even carried her while running a dozen laps around the imperial capital. However, she declared her decision to give up, believing he hated her and that her obsession and selfishness had caused him distress. She vowed to reform herself, rediscover her identity, and always remember they were merely a contractual couple.
She promised to be a nominal Empress, assist the Empress Dowager in managing the imperial harem, and ensure he had no worries, allowing him to focus on state affairs. Her only request was that he agree to ignore her, no matter how much she might "harass" him, as she would try her best to become a normal person again. Jinfeng departed, crying, while secretly thinking that Duan Yunzhang was no match for her "play hard to get" strategy.
The following morning, Liu Xie arrived at Jinfeng's residence for breakfast. Jinfeng, suspicious of his motives, noted that he usually only appeared when he wanted to harm or trick her. Liu Xie, feigning innocence, requested her help in gathering detailed information on all palace staff, as detailed as possible.
When Jinfeng questioned his purpose, he joked about needing it for "evil things" and reminded her that if she succeeded, she could travel to Xianpa Village with the Emperor next month to enjoy herself. Jinfeng agreed. After Jinfeng's departure, Duan Yunzhang mused over whether she was genuinely giving up.
He wondered if he, as a man, should express his feelings or at least offer her a hint, but Shuan, unable to advise, simply admitted he didn't know as he was not a man. To assist her father, Jinfeng went to the Empress Dowager and Imperial Consort Dowager Xu.
She explained that ever since she ran around the imperial capital with the Emperor, she realized a grave issue: the palace staff, and especially Duan Yunzhang, lacked physical training and were physically weak after his enthronement. She proposed a new physical regime, promising that within days, not only would the Emperor become stronger, but everyone in the palace would too. Jinfeng then presented "Health Certificates: Pass" and "Work Harder" certificates.
She declared that palace staff who passed a health examination would receive a "Health Certificate" and be reinstated, while those who failed would receive a "Work Harder" certificate and be personally trained by her to improve their fitness. She then began conducting physical examinations and distributing these certificates. Duan Yunzhang heard from Shuan that the dance taught by the Empress had recently become popular throughout the palace.
The Empress led by example, personally instructing everyone, and even added evening sessions due to high demand. Duan Yunzhang wondered what Jinfeng might be planning. The Empress Dowager observed the crowds dancing in the palace and worried it might violate ancestral customs. However, a palace maid named Cui explained that the Empress's dance had a magical quality; after participating, everyone became more proactive in their duties, and the palace felt more cohesive.
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager happily and secretly joined in the dancing to the music. That night, Jinfeng was utterly exhausted. Sufang, perplexed, asked why Jinfeng insisted on teaching everyone to square dance if her goal was merely to gather information for her father. Jinfeng explained that she had to be convincing; otherwise, the Empress Dowager would not believe her sincerity.
Sufang then questioned why she couldn't simply tell the Empress Dowager that she needed the information for the Grand Chancellor. Jinfeng responded, "Then, I would've exposed Liu Xie." Sufang further questioned why exposing Liu Xie was problematic, given he was already set on doing bad things, making Jinfeng momentarily reconsider. The next day, Duan Yunchong informed Duan Yunzhang that the annual Big Parade of the Jingji Battalion was approaching.
Duan Yunzhang would be required to stand for six hours under the scorching sun to review the troops. He suddenly realized that Jinfeng's strenuous physical training was meant to accompany him for this event, and he was deeply touched by her thoughtfulness. He immediately sought out Jinfeng, who was teaching square dancing. Confronting her, he stated that he knew her "little trick," adding that no matter how subtle she was, nothing in the world escaped his knowledge. Jinfeng was startled, wondering if Liu Xie had betrayed her.
