The Legendary Life of Queen Lau Episode 24 Recap
> The Legendary Life of Queen Lau Recap
Yu Changya meticulously searched Xuanchen Hall for the formula but found nothing. Later that evening, Duan Yunzhang and Jinfeng spent time together, where Jinfeng showed him a sky lantern. She explained that if he wrote his wishes on it and released it into the sky, God would see it, and his wishes would come true. Jinfeng wrote "Mother to be happy" as her wish, and Duan Yunzhang, in turn, wrote "Jinfeng to be happy."
As they watched the lanterns gracefully float into the night sky, deeply embracing, Jinfeng reminisced that she used to come to this place every year when she was little. She then comforted Duan Yunzhang, assuring him that with her by his side, all his wishes would come true. That same night, Liu Xie led his men to arrest Elder General Ling. General Ling confronted Liu Xie, accusing him of slander, deceiving the Emperor and the people, and practicing partisanship.
Liu Xie surprisingly acknowledged General Ling's accusations against himself as true. General Ling then confidently asserted that the Ling family, having served the nation, held a decree from the Late Emperor granting them immunity from all crimes, and no one could touch any of the 132 family members without His Majesty's decree. Liu Xie, feigning forgetfulness, then produced an imperial decree, declaring he was there to arrest the Elder General under His Majesty's orders.
As General Ling was being taken away, he vehemently shouted that the decree was fake, to which Liu Xie smirked, remarking on the old man's accurate guess. The next day, Su Jingtang urgently informed Jinfeng that a major event had transpired and that her father was in court to humiliate His Majesty. In the imperial court, Duan Yunzhang questioned Liu Xie about Elder General Ling's arrest, pointing out the Ling family's loyalty.
He demanded to know what crime the General had committed to warrant a nocturnal arrest. Liu Xie, unfazed, held up a decree and provocatively stated that it would become a genuine imperial decree once His Majesty affixed his heirloom seal to it.
He then presented a series of accusations against Elder General Ling: First, five years ago, while serving as Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Ling allegedly accepted a bribe of ten thousand gold taels from Lord Lu, whose son was accused of murdering three innocent people. Consequently, all evidence vanished, witnesses disappeared, and Lord Lu's son was acquitted.
Second, ten years ago, as Senior General of the Southern Expedition, Ling was accused of colluding with the enemy on the southern border, revealing military defense maps for personal profit, which plunged the Donghao Empire into a dire situation.
Third, Liu Xie recounted that when the Late Emperor was critically ill, Elder General Ling brazenly entered his bedchamber with the imperial sword, gifted to the Ling family and capable of executing corrupt emperors, intending to assassinate the Late Emperor and usurp the throne. Liu Xie then suggested that Duan Yunzhang choose which of these three "most detestable, abominable, and realistic" incidents to formally attribute to Elder General Ling in the decree, thus providing a proper reason for his arrest.
Duan Yunzhang was furious, accusing Liu Xie of asking him to collude in slandering the Elder General. Liu Xie merely laughed, stating, "The truth can be a lie, but the lie can also be the truth. Your Majesty doesn't have to take this so seriously," prompting Duan Yunzhang to question what Liu Xie truly was. Later, Jinfeng spoke with Yu Changya, who revealed he still hadn't found the formula in Xuanchen Hall.
Jinfeng casually dismissed the formula as not being that serious, suggesting it wouldn't be an issue if her father couldn't obtain it. However, Yu Changya earnestly warned her that she didn't truly understand Liu Xie. He explained that Liu Xie's actions, including sending her to the palace and ensuring she gained the Emperor's favor, all served a specific purpose. Yu Changya insisted that every danger she and Duan Yunzhang had faced stemmed from Liu Xie's machinations.
He urged Jinfeng to leave the palace as soon as possible before Liu Xie achieved his goals, fearing that Liu Xie, in his cruelty, would eliminate her. Jinfeng, hoping for reassurance, asked if Yu Changya would add a "but"—something like, "your father loves you a lot." Yu Changya, however, adamantly concluded that Liu Xie was not a protective tiger but "the most vicious scorpion you'll ever see."
Meanwhile, Liu Second Madam expressed her frustration, believing that Yongfu had charmed Liu Xie and ruined their lives, particularly by swaying him to marry Baiyu to the "useless" Prince Yunchong. She resolved not to passively accept her fate. Hearing from a maid that the Emperor was with Yu Changya, she then took Baiyu to find Duan Yunzhang for an explanation. Duan Yunzhang dispatched his subordinates to investigate Elder General Ling.
Upon their return, the subordinates reported varying numbers of Ling's wives, all described as beautiful. They also confirmed that Elder General Ling was widely known for bullying people, being greedy, perverted, and arrogant, with countless scandalous stories circulating. Duan Yunzhang found it peculiar that Liu Xie chose to beat around the bush instead of presenting these straightforward accusations.
Despite his reservations about Liu Xie's methods, Duan Yunzhang ordered all collected evidence to be sent to the Ministry of Punishments for a joint trial with the Court of Judicial Review, vowing to make Elder General Ling pay if the allegations were proven true. Later, as Jinfeng was showing Duan Yunzhang a newborn foal, Liu Second Madam, accompanied by Baiyu, appeared.
Jinfeng had just finished telling Duan Yunzhang three stories about a horse and its saddle, asking him to identify the most detestable character among them. Duan Yunzhang remarked that she sounded exactly like her father. Liu Second Madam, immediately responding, stated, "Because she is Liu Xie's daughter," before openly accusing Yongfu of being a witch who enchanted Liu Xie and passed her witchcraft to Jinfeng.
She claimed that Jinfeng, despite her ordinary looks, used this witchcraft to bewitch His Majesty and make all men in the Imperial Harem, especially Imperial Physician Yu, dote on her. Liu Second Madam further asserted that Liu Xie had initially intended for Baiyu to enter the palace, but Jinfeng's witchcraft cunningly led to her taking Baiyu's place. She then implored His Majesty to deliver justice for Baiyu. Duan Yunzhang, visibly angered, ordered Suanzi to slap the "vixen."
As Suanzi cautiously approached Jinfeng, Duan Yunzhang clarified that he meant Liu Second Madam. Seeing her mother struck, Baiyu intervened, pleading for forgiveness, but then pointedly reminded Duan Yunzhang that Jinfeng was Liu Xie's daughter, and he had once declared he would never love a daughter of Liu Xie. Irritated by Baiyu's meddling, Duan Yunzhang embraced Jinfeng and walked away. Duan Yunchong then stepped forward and helped Liu Second Madam and Baiyu.
Baiyu angrily assumed he was there to mock her, but Duan Yunchong questioned if she desired to be Queen for status or out of genuine affection for his brother. Baiyu was stunned, and Duan Yunchong, with a slight smile, noted that she didn't genuinely like Yunzhang that much, and he himself wasn't that much inferior to his brother. Baiyu was left speechless.
Yu Changya, under the pretense of giving beauty treatments to palace maids, discreetly inquired about a secret room in Xuanchen Hall. To his surprise, the maids dismissively informed him that the existence of a secret room in Xuanchen Hall was no secret at all; everyone in the imperial capital knew about it. Yongfu later proposed to Liu Xie that they celebrate Jinfeng's birthday together next month, a suggestion Liu Xie readily agreed to.
Yongfu observed that Jinfeng, like Liu Xie, was nostalgic and possessed a conscience. Liu Xie was deeply moved, remarking that Yongfu was the only person in the world who believed he had a conscience, to which Yongfu replied, "Because you gave me my conscience." Liu Xie's subordinate reported that Yu Changya still hadn't found the formula in Xuanchen Hall, suggesting it might not even be in the palace.
Liu Xie, however, drew an analogy about two horses in the market, one white and one brown, which a horse breeder falsely claimed were both white. He concluded that Yu Changya was lying and that they had underestimated the young prince, implying that sometimes the most obvious truth is overlooked, and that Yu Changya's apparent loyalty to Jinfeng might mask his true intentions. Later that night, Jinfeng expressed her concern to Duan Yunzhang about Liu Second Madam's accusations.
Duan Yunzhang dismissed them as nonsense, joking that if Jinfeng were truly a witch, she would have made herself smarter. However, he admitted that Baiyu was right about one thing: he didn't know Jinfeng's past well enough. He promised to learn more about her and make up for his absence in her past. He assured her that who she was didn't matter to him, as long as it was her.
That same night, Yu Changya, clad in night clothes, was intercepted by Duan Yunchong, who confronted him and was promptly knocked unconscious by Yu Changya in a panic. Yu Changya then proceeded to a secret meeting with a female house servant of Elder General Ling. The servant informed him that Elder General Ling had been exiled, and his family pardoned. She had convincingly told her housekeeper she was returning home to avoid suspicion.
Yu Changya instructed her not to get involved in the search for the formula directly. Instead, he revealed his plan: he would set a fire, expecting the Emperor to expose the secret room's location to prevent damage. He advised the servant to hide in Muyan Palace for a few days and await his contact when her assistance was needed.
The next day, Jinfeng learned that Xuanchen Hall was on fire and, in a panic, mounted a horse to go to the Emperor's rescue, despite her inability to ride. The horse bolted in the wrong direction, and she couldn't control it. Meanwhile, Duan Yunchong, having regained consciousness, saw Jinfeng uncontrollably riding towards him and fainted once more in fright. The horse eventually carried Jinfeng to Taihe Hall, where she encountered Duan Yunzhang.
As she was about to fall from the runaway horse, Duan Yunzhang swiftly leapt forward and caught her. He questioned her presence, and she explained she was coming to save him because Xuanchen Hall was on fire. Duan Yunzhang, surprised, asked "What?" indicating he was unaware of the fire.
