The Legendary Life of Queen Lau Episode 3 Recap
> The Legendary Life of Queen Lau Recap
Liu Baiyu's elegant and composed demeanor greatly impressed the Empress Dowager and Consort Dowager, leading the Empress Dowager to express her desire for Baiyu to reside in the palace. Baiyu politely stated that she would need to consult her father before making such a decision. Meanwhile, Princess Duan Yunyan couldn't help but grumble about the stark contrast between Liu Baiyu and Liu Jinfeng, noting their shared family background.
Their conversation was interrupted when they overheard palace maids giggling about the Queen's latest escapades: a near-fire incident in the Imperial Kitchen, making Official Su cry in the training ground, and damaging Shen Ao's essential oil machine in the Imperial Pharmacy. Yunyan, exasperated, declared that Jinfeng was utterly unfit for her Emperor brother. The Empress Dowager, however, smoothed things over by suggesting Jinfeng's lively nature and unfamiliarity with palace rules made such minor mishaps understandable.
She was relieved to hear Jinfeng had gone to the Astronomical Observatory after lunch, deeming it a much safer location. Liu Jinfeng and her maid, Sufang, arrived at the Astronomical Observatory, panting from the arduous climb. Prince Duan Longyue, the Emperor's uncle, began introducing the various bells. Jinfeng noticed a large, dusty bell and, determined to clean it, reached for her handkerchief. Longyue, alarmed, tried to stop her, but in their struggle, Jinfeng accidentally bumped into the bell.
A muffled sound echoed through the air, and Longyue immediately fled in panic, leaving a bewildered Jinfeng behind. A short while later, palace staff heard the unusual bell sound. An elder eunuch recognized it, recalling that such a sound had only been heard once before, fifty years ago, signaling an impending earthquake. Prince Duan Yunchong, hearing the news, frantically ordered everyone to spread the word and transfer everyone to safety.
Back in the garden, as the Empress Dowager reiterated her invitation for Baiyu to stay in the palace, Duan Yunchong rushed in, breathless and distraught. He reported that the Earthquake Bell had been rung, emphasizing that Prince Longyue's weather forecasts, which included earthquake warnings, had never been wrong. He urged the Empress Dowager and Consort Dowager to quickly evacuate.
The Empress Dowager instructed him to find the Emperor, but the Consort Dowager, worried for her own son, tried to stop Yunchong. He insisted that as both the Emperor's younger brother and a loyal subject, he had to go to his aid. At Langyin Pavilion, Emperor Duan Yunzhang was practicing archery, demonstrating his skill with newly developed Lingyun Arrows, which could pierce copper statues. He was in high spirits, offering generous rewards for anyone who could defeat him.
Jinfeng, exhausted from her climb down the Astronomical Observatory, overheard cries of "Your Majesty." Despite Sufang's pleas for her to return and rest, Jinfeng insisted on investigating, believing she heard the Emperor's name. When they arrived, they found Yunzhang and his guards seemingly engaging in acrobatics. Jinfeng, deciding to join the fun, declared her intention to "follow the man she married, be he a cock or dog."
Yunzhang, observing her, sarcastically commented that he would be heartbroken if she tired herself out. Jinfeng, however, took his words literally and playfully climbed a bamboo pole. Yunzhang watched, wondering if her actions were genuine innocence or a clever ploy by Liu Xie to test him. At that moment, Duan Yunchong burst in, shouting about the earthquake. Startled, Jinfeng lost her footing and tumbled from the pole, landing squarely on Official Su Jingtang and Chai Tiezhou.
Yunzhang immediately assigned tasks to his officers: Chai Tiezhou was to maintain order in the Imperial Harem, Official Su Jingtang was to get imperial bodyguards ready, and Shen Ao was to prepare medicines at Lingshu Academy. He then told Yunchong to join him in searching for their mother, leaving Jinfeng to do as she pleased. Jinfeng, still keen on following Yunzhang, stumbled and sprained her ankle. Yunchong, seeing her fall, returned to help her up.
While he supported her, Jinfeng realized the "earthquake" might just be an early warning, not a current tremor. Despite her pain, she insisted on limping after Yunzhang, worried about his safety. As palace staff scattered in disarray, Yunchong, rushing through the Imperial Garden, nearly knocked Liu Baiyu into a lake. Fortunately, Yunzhang swiftly intervened, catching Baiyu and holding her close to prevent her fall. Yunchong, witnessing the embrace, was displeased by their "indecent" behavior, suspecting Baiyu's intentions.
Jinfeng, however, was mesmerized by Yunzhang's "cool" act and refused to be angry, believing there was a good reason for their embrace, just as there was for Yunchong holding her arm to help. Suddenly, Prince Longyue arrived, clarifying that the earthquake warning was a false alarm. Yunzhang, enraged by the widespread panic caused by the misinformation, ordered all those involved to be punished.
When questioned by the Empress Dowager and Consort Dowager about the false alarm, Longyue clarified that he hadn't rung the bell. Back in the main hall, under the Consort Dowager's watchful eye, the Empress Dowager reluctantly deferred the matter of Jinfeng's punishment to Yunzhang. Jinfeng internally hoped Yunzhang would protect her. However, Yunzhang declared that despite her unintentional mistake, her prior acts of ignorance could not be overlooked.
He sentenced her to confinement in Xiangluo Hall to thoroughly study palace rules. Jinfeng protested, claiming she didn't know the bell was the Earthquake Bell and did understand some rules. Yunzhang then enumerated her recent blunders—burning the kitchen, disrupting the training ground, destroying Lingshu Academy, causing palace-wide panic, and endangering his mother and the Consort Dowager—and challenged her knowledge of rules.
He then offered a reprieve: if she could properly perform an apology ritual to his mother and the Consort Dowager, she would be spared further punishment. When Jinfeng hesitated, he asked Yunyan to demonstrate. Jinfeng attempted the bowing ritual but, due to her sprained ankle, she stumbled and fell, prompting Yunyan's disdainful remarks. Yunzhang then informed Jinfeng about the upcoming "Relative Banquet" in ten days, where she would have to face the imperial clan.
Yunyan confidently asserted that Jinfeng wouldn't be able to learn the etiquette in time. This sparked Jinfeng's resolve, and she challenged Yunyan: if she succeeded, Yunyan must acknowledge her as Imperial Sister-in-law. Jinfeng then formally apologized to the Empress Dowager and Consort Dowager for the day's events and requested someone to teach her the palace rules, vowing to master them within the ten days.
As Jinfeng limped out of the hall, Yunzhang observed her, wondering if her injury was indeed real. Back in Xiangluo Hall, Jinfeng cried tears of frustration and anger, believing Yunzhang had turned cold after their marriage. Later that night, Chai Tiezhou speculated to Shen Ao that Jinfeng might be Liu Xie's spy, deliberately causing chaos. Shen Ao, in turn, suggested that Jinfeng's near-discovery of the Emperor's wrestling team justified Yunzhang's cautiousness.
He mused that the Emperor might have announced the "Relative Banquet" to publicly humiliate Jinfeng, providing an excuse to extend her confinement. Shen Ao also recalled that Yunzhang's birth mother, Consort Li, had drowned in a palace fire, which might explain Yunzhang's heightened concern for safety. Suddenly, Yunzhang arrived at Lingshu Academy, explaining he had come to borrow something. Back in Xiangluo Hall, Sufang informed Jinfeng that Yunchong had sent ointment while she was crying.
Jinfeng, still fuming, complained about Yunzhang's perceived coldness, calling him a "fickle pig trotters" and contrasting his behavior with the thoughtful Yunchong. Assuming Sufang was applying the ointment, Jinfeng vehemently declared her wish to never see Yunzhang again. To her astonishment, it was Yunzhang himself applying the medicine. He gently apologized for his harsh words in Qianluo Hall that afternoon, explaining that he was flustered.
He clarified that his intention behind making her learn the rules was for her own good, hoping she would truly internalize them for all future banquets. Jinfeng's anger melted away, realizing his true intentions. Breaking into a smile, she admitted her narrow-mindedness. Yunzhang then reminded her of her promise to become a good queen and "follow the man she married."
Jinfeng reaffirmed her commitment to learning the rules with all her might, vowing not to leave Xiangluo Hall until she succeeded. Playfully, she extended her other leg for more ointment, startling Yunzhang, who quickly retreated, leaving Sufang to finish the task. Jinfeng, however, remained convinced that Yunzhang still loved her deeply. Meanwhile, at the Grand Chancellor's residence, Liu Baiyu's maid informed her that the Second Madam had waited all day for news regarding Baiyu's permanent stay in the palace.
Baiyu was relieved her mother had already left, as she would have rekindled old arguments had she learned her father hadn't approved. She reflected on her past: her biological father died young, and she was adopted by her current father to honor a marriage decree from the Late Emperor. Her father had originally intended for her to marry the Emperor, but after he unexpectedly had another daughter, Jinfeng, the plan was abandoned.
Baiyu held immense respect for her father, believing his decisions were always wise, and couldn't understand her mother's persistent anxieties. When her maid questioned her unwavering obedience, Baiyu recounted how her father and the Late Emperor, then Crown Prince, had become fast friends, sharing deep conversations and regretting not meeting sooner.
Suddenly, a report came in from Mr. Bai, her publisher, urging her to submit a new manuscript for her popular stories, written under the pseudonym "Lovely Breeze and Bright Moonlight," threatening closure of his publishing house. Baiyu sent word that she would deliver the manuscript soon, but insisted Mr. Bai not visit the residence again, fearing her father would discover her secret hobby of writing romance novels. Inspired by Yunzhang's earlier rescue, she immediately began to write.
In the palace, the Empress Dowager fretted over finding a suitable tutor to transform Jinfeng into a proper queen within ten days. The Consort Dowager suggested the "Three Heads and Six Arms" from the Imperial Ceremonial Service—a triplet known for their swift, ruthless, and highly effective training methods. The Empress Dowager agreed immediately.
Unbeknownst to them, Princess Yunyan had overheard their discussion and secretly met with the three sisters, instructing them to teach Jinfeng incorrect and embarrassing etiquette, rather than proper palace rules. The next morning, Wu Qing, Wu Yi, and Wu Xin, the three sisters from the Imperial Ceremonial Service, arrived at Xiangluo Hall. Tasked by the Empress Dowager, they promptly pulled a reluctant Jinfeng from her bed, initiating a rigorous lesson in palace etiquette.
They meticulously taught her various nodding gestures, emphasized that proper walking involved a specific hip sway, and insisted on applying thick makeup daily, deeming it essential for a queen who was a role model for all women. After a day of such "systematic learning," Jinfeng felt she had made progress and asked if she could go out for a breather, but the sisters firmly reminded her of her confinement and instructed her to focus on makeup.
