The Legendary Life of Queen Lau Episode 30 Recap
> The Legendary Life of Queen Lau Recap
Duan Yunzhang had planned a romantic surprise for Jinfeng at Lijingxuan, but his efforts were overshadowed when Prince Yunchong appeared in a magnificent hot air balloon flower chariot. From high above, Yunchong grandly announced his love for Baiyu, declaring, "Baiyu! I want you to know that I like you! Will you marry me?" The assembled palace maids were filled with envy, praising his romance and marveling at Baiyu's good fortune. Overwhelmed, Baiyu blushed and ran off.
Jinfeng, observing the scene, expressed her relief that she wasn't up in the sky, admitting her fear of heights and joking that Yunzhang would have been a widower. Duan Yunzhang, seeing her reaction, felt a sense of relief himself. Later that evening, Duan Yunzhang asked Jinfeng for her thoughts on the day's events. Jinfeng dismissed the hot air balloon proposal as childish, adding playfully that she was glad she wasn't on it, or Yunzhang might have become a widower.
When asked what she considered romantic, Jinfeng pointed to their moon shadows, suggesting they make heart shapes with their hands. " This is our kind of romantic," she declared. Duan Yunzhang was deeply moved by her simple yet heartfelt gesture and embraced her in a passionate kiss. Meanwhile, Yunchong found Baiyu in her study, pressing her for an answer to his proposal. He declared that if she said yes, he would immediately ask his Imperial Brother to issue a decree.
If she refused, he vowed to ask her every single day until she agreed. Baiyu simply smiled, neither confirming nor denying, and handed him an autographed book. Yunchong, puzzled at first, soon discovered the word "Yes" written on the last page. Overjoyed, he danced around the room, elated that Liu Baiyu had agreed to marry him. Baiyu, watching him, mused that he wasn't as foolish as he seemed.
In another part of the palace, Xu Taifei was drinking heavily, weighed down by her gloomy mood. Her maid urged her to stop, warning of the consequences if the Empress Dowager discovered her. Defiant, Xu Taifei retorted that she had endured enough and was no longer afraid of the Empress Dowager. Just as she spoke, the Empress Dowager arrived. Xu Taifei quickly feigned anger, scolding her maid for drinking during the day.
Unconvinced, the Empress Dowager then invited Xu Taifei to accompany her to a certain place, mentioning that Liu Xie's wife, Yongfu, was currently in the palace for an unknown reason, and Liu Xie was doing everything he could to persuade her to return. At the Xuanchendian, the Empress Dowager met Yongfu, expressing surprise that the usually stern Grand Chancellor Liu Xie was, in fact, a "sweet husband" who worried about his wife.
She particularly admired Yongfu's unique hairstyle, the "Wuman hairdo," which Yongfu had created herself. Impressed, the Empress Dowager cordially invited Yongfu to stay at Qianluo Hall for a few days. Jinfeng, who was also present, encouraged her mother to accept the invitation and prolong her stay. In the imperial court, Duan Yunzhang was informed that Grand Chancellor Liu Xie was tasked with welcoming the new martial scholar from Xiyue Empire, General Zhu Tan.
The Emperor expected the general to proceed directly to the palace for an audience, but a messenger reported that the emissaries had, unexpectedly, gone directly to Grand Chancellor Liu's Residence instead. Sufang later informed Jinfeng that Xiyue Empire championed gender equality, allowing women to participate in the imperial martial examination. General Zhu Tan, this year's martial scholar, had risen to fame after wiping out rebels a day after her appointment.
Sufang described General Zhu as having a "round face and eyes with single eyelids" and being "really built." She also recounted a precedent from twenty years prior when Consort Li, another Xiyue general who visited the capital, married the Late Emperor shortly after. This historical context immediately alarmed Jinfeng, who felt she needed to act. Meanwhile, Su Jingtang voiced his anger at General Zhu Tan's blatant disrespect for the Emperor by heading straight to Liu Xie's Residence.
He pointed out that the precious jewels brought as tribute by Xiyue Empire had all fallen into Liu Xie's hands, and the banquet Liu Xie hosted was said to rival a national feast. Prince Yunchong seized the opportunity, suggesting this was a prime chance to remove Liu Xie, as privately meeting foreign emissaries was a capital offense. Duan Yunzhang, enraged, decided to personally go to Liu Xie's Residence.
On his way out, he encountered Jinfeng, who, having heard about General Zhu, mistakenly believed Yunzhang was rushing to see the general and accused him of being fickle. At Liu Xie's Residence, a lavish banquet was being held to welcome the Xiyue general. Li Liang, a vanguard general from Xiyue, directly engaged Liu Xie in negotiations. She stated her Lord's decree requested a marriage alliance, land cession, and a specific name list, promising assistance in return. Liu Xie readily agreed.
At that moment, Duan Yunzhang stormed in, angrily reprimanding the Xiyue emissaries for disrespecting Donghao by attending a private banquet instead of presenting themselves at the palace. Li Liang calmly explained that they had arrived late and feared disturbing His Majesty, planning to seek an audience the following day. Yunzhang then questioned the presence of 3,000 Xiyue warriors, to which Li Liang claimed they were merely for transporting gifts.
Infuriated, Yunzhang demanded to know if they still held Donghao Empire in any regard. Stepping forward, Zhu Tan introduced herself and apologized for their actions, admitting they had not followed proper etiquette. She urged His Majesty to return to the palace due to the late hour, promising to formally present themselves and apologize in court the next morning. Liu Xie then declared the banquet concluded, and Zhu Tan and her entourage departed.
After the guests left, Liu Xie explained his actions, claiming he merely wished to prevent Duan Yunzhang from embarrassing himself by punishing foreign emissaries in a private residence. Yunzhang, however, retorted, calling Liu Xie "insolent." Liu Xie, in turn, challenged Yunzhang, asking who commanded the courtiers and the army. Yunzhang, seeing through Liu Xie's facade, realized that his late father's trust in Liu Xie had been deeply misguided and that Liu Xie's ambition was now "obvious."
Liu Xie, with a smirk, countered that he preferred to conquer an Emperor who had matured into a capable ruler, not a "child emperor who knows nothing," hinting at his own desire for a worthy opponent rather than an easy victory. Back at Xuanchendian, Duan Yunzhang, on edge, heard a noise and sat on his bed clutching a dagger. It turned out to be Jinfeng. He explained his need for caution, fearing a potential threat from Liu Xie.
Jinfeng, however, reassured him, saying her mother had always maintained that her father, Liu Xie, was a good man. Yunzhang then posed a serious question: if he and her father ever became irreconcilable, whose side would she take? Jinfeng, ever practical, replied that she would side with whoever treated her well. She then playfully pressed him about his long meeting with General Zhu, suspecting there was more to it than he let on.
When Yunzhang tried to evade the question, Jinfeng playfully threatened to hit him with a pillow if he didn't tell her. Later that night, Xu Taifei met with the Xiyue Prince. He embraced her warmly, and she recalled a past promise from him in Xiyue: if she simply obeyed, he would grant her anything she desired.
The following day, during the imperial court assembly at Hanyuan Hall, Zhu Tan formally presented Donghao with vast tributes from Xiyue Empire, including fine horses, cows, goats, and ten thousand gold. She conveyed a message from her Lord, declaring that these gifts were not just tribute, but also a dowry.
Citing the long-standing friendly relations and past marriage alliances between Donghao and Xiyue, and lamenting the twenty-year halt in this tradition since Consort Li's marriage, Zhu Tan then formally proposed to marry Duan Yunzhang as his consort to further strengthen their diplomatic ties. After Zhu Tan's departure, the ministers immediately protested, reminding Duan Yunzhang of the Late Emperor's explicit rule that Consort Li was to be the last consort from Xiyue Empire, forbidding any further marriage alliances.
At that moment, Su Jingtang rushed in with alarming news: the 5,000 Xiyue warriors who had transported the gifts refused to withdraw. Instead, they had established a base camp outside the city, openly practicing martial arts with thunderous shouts, a clear act of provocation.
Before the court could process this, another urgent military report arrived from the south: a massive Xiyue army of 300,000 warriors had been camped at the border for over ten days, vastly outnumbering Donghao's mere 30,000 defenders. The report urgently sought His Majesty's orders regarding reinforcements and whether to go to war or seek peace. Amidst this mounting crisis, another frantic messenger, Chai Jiaozhou, burst in, exclaiming that General Zhu Tan and the Queen were fighting.
Jinfeng, with a bleeding lip, was fiercely engaged in a physical altercation with Zhu Tan. The palace staff, including Sufang, cheered for Jinfeng. Displaying surprising strength, Jinfeng managed to climb a tree and pull Zhu Tan down. Duan Yunzhang arrived just as Zhu Tan realized her opponent was the Empress. Startled, Jinfeng lost her grip and fell into Yunzhang's arms, while Yu Changya swiftly caught Zhu Tan.
Yunzhang, attempting to defuse the situation, explained that the Queen had a quick temper. Zhu Tan, however, declared they were now "friends" through their fight and promised to get along well in the palace. She then pointedly reminded Yunzhang that since he had accepted the dowry, she would now await his imperial decree for their marriage. In response, Jinfeng gave Yunzhang a disgusted thumbs-down before storming away.
Yu Changya watched Zhu Tan's carriage depart, his mind drifting back to his childhood memories of teaching a young Zhu Tan martial arts. He recalled her unwavering ambition to become a martial scholar, despite her father's literary background. Meanwhile, the Xiyue Prince praised Zhu Tan for her performance.
Zhu Tan confirmed that all arrangements outside the city were complete and attempted to inquire about plans for "the one in the palace," but the Prince quickly cut her off, instructing her not to ask. Zhu Tan expressed concern that not returning to the inn might arouse suspicion from the young Emperor.
The Prince, however, welcomed the idea, stating he eagerly anticipated Duan Yunzhang raising an army, as it would reveal whether the "old fox," Liu Xie, would choose to rebel or not. Back in her palace, Jinfeng was heartbroken and refused to see Duan Yunzhang. Liu Xie, visiting his daughter, encountered Duan Yunzhang outside Jinfeng's hall.
Yunzhang reiterated his earlier challenge, vowing to defeat a "fully capable" Liu Xie and asserting that Liu Xie would eventually regret his decisions, as Yunzhang was determined to win. Liu Xie suggested that General Zhu Tan, being a talented individual, would make a fine consort for the Emperor. Duan Yunzhang staunchly refused, stating that even if Jinfeng were to agree, he would not.
He expressed his disdain for Xiyue Empire's long history of embedding spies within Donghao, from palace staff to officials and now attempting to place an "eye" by his side. He declared he was no longer the naive child from ten years ago. Liu Xie smiled, seemingly pleased by Yunzhang's maturity. As Liu Xie prepared to enter Jinfeng's chambers, Yunzhang reminded him that Jinfeng would never agree to such an arrangement. Liu Xie merely chuckled, remarking that his son-in-law dreaming of taking a concubine was utterly wishful thinking.
