The Love Lasts Two Minds Episode 20 Recap
> The Love Lasts Two Minds Recap
In Qinhe County, the county magistrate, Jing Ci, and Yuan Qinhe examined five corpses found by the river. The victims, identified as one master and four servants from their clothing, all had their little fingers removed. Yuan Qinhe wondered about the connection to the cases of Princess Changle, Xiaoyu, and Prince He. Jing Ci speculated that these victims were likely court officials assigned to local positions, targeted by a hidden force. Li Daren presented bulletins detailing important official appointments.
Jing Ci inquired if a Secretary of Water named He Hong had been sent to Qinhe before Prince of Bo's arrival. Yuan Qinhe wondered if the victim was He Hong, but noted the discrepancy: Prince of Bo arrived only two months ago, while the bodies were discovered three to four months prior. Li Daren confirmed that Secretary He had arrived approximately four months prior and acted decisively. However, since Prince of Bo's arrival two months ago, Secretary He had disappeared.
Li Daren also recalled seeing Secretary He inspecting river projects just two months ago. Jing Ci then suggested that the He Hong present two months ago was an impostor. Yuan Qinhe reasoned that someone must have killed the real He Hong on the road to Qinhe, taken his place as Secretary of Water, and then fled two months later when Prince of Bo, who likely knew the real He Hong from the capital, arrived, fearing exposure.
Li Daren immediately dispatched men to search for the fake He Hong. The mysterious mastermind, upon learning of He Hong's body discovery, worried that the shrewd Jing Ci would trace it back to him. He ordered his subordinates to monitor Jing Ci's movements at the county government. Jing Ci, meanwhile, instructed A'heng to investigate the fake He Hong's activities.
A'heng reported back that the impostor, in addition to routine duties, had dug a diversion channel in the middle of the river, redirecting Qinhe's water elsewhere. Jing Ci, understanding the implications, rode with A'heng to the site. At the river, Jing Ci observed that the new channel was of little use for local irrigation due to the already low-lying and water-sufficient terrain.
Instead, the tributary it fed flowed directly to Yingshui, an area where the Army of Kuang State was stationed. A'heng pointed out that if Kuang State harbored rebellious intentions, this waterway could transport troops directly to Qinhe. Jing Ci concluded that Qinhe's proximity to the capital meant this scheme posed a significant threat to the foundation of the Yong State.
He was certain the true motive of the culprits lay not in the victims themselves, but in manipulating the imperial court. Yuan Qinhe went to Jing Ci's room and found him absent. Noticing markings on a Qinhe river map on his desk, she realized he had found a clue and hurried to find him. As Jing Ci and A'heng were about to return, a group of masked assailants on horseback attacked them.
Yuan Qinhe arrived during the skirmish and immediately joined the fight. She saw a masked woman launch a hidden weapon at Jing Ci and instinctively flew in front of him, deflecting it with her sword. Despite her quick action, a poisoned needle still grazed her arm. During their ensuing struggle, Yuan Qinhe managed to wound the woman and tear off her veil, revealing her to be Jiang Tan, the landlady.
Yuan Qinhe demanded to know her true identity and her relationship with Zuo Yanxi, questioning if Zuo Yanxi had warned her to escape previously. Jiang Tan claimed she did not know Zuo Yanxi. As Yuan Qinhe moved to apprehend her, Jiang Tan's accomplices rushed in and rescued her. Yuan Qinhe urgently called for Xiaohuai to pursue, but suddenly collapsed into Jing Ci's arms, unconscious from the poison.
Jing Ci immediately rushed Yuan Qinhe back to the county government and summoned a doctor. However, the doctor was unable to identify the poison. Xiao Lu mentioned Zuo Yanxi's medical expertise, believing he could cure Yuan Qinhe. Jing Ci recalled the two detox pills Zuo Yanxi had given him before leaving and quickly instructed A'heng to retrieve them for Yuan Qinhe.
Holding the pale and weak Yuan Qinhe in his arms, Jing Ci was filled with regret, realizing how he had repeatedly pushed her away, pretending not to care, but unable to truly do so. He vowed that if she would only wake up, he would cease his internal struggle, abandon past hatreds and future worries. They would simply stay together, quietly and devotedly.
Whether she was Yuan Qinhe or Feng Mianwan, she was the one person he was destined to be with for his entire life. In her semiconscious state, Yuan Qinhe seemed to recall fragments of the past, crying out to Jing Ci that she would not marry. Jing Ci embraced her, reassuring her that she wouldn't marry anyone else, and he would not let her. She then murmured, "Not Jing Ci, but Zhiwan."
Jing Ci gently told her she could call him anything, even "A'Ci," and softly kissed her forehead. Yuan Qinhe looked up and kissed his lips, prompting Jing Ci to deepen the kiss. Afterward, he checked her pulse, relieved to find the toxins cleared from her system. He covered her with a blanket, wishing for her swift recovery. Meanwhile, Xiaohuai flew back, carrying a golden-stem bracken in its mouth, which it had bitten off near a mysterious cave.
Jing Ci presented the plant to Li Daren, explaining that Xiaohuai likely brought it from the suspect's hiding place. He further confirmed that one of the attackers was Jiang Tan, the restaurant landlady, who was also a suspect in the murders of Fu Manqing and Xiaoyu. The other skilled male assailant used a blade with a technique identical to He Hong's killer.
Jing Ci concluded that the attack, which occurred right after they discovered abnormalities in the fake He Hong's river project, was an attempt to stop their investigation. Jing Ci revealed the true purpose of the waterway: not for trade, but for military transport. The plan was to connect the canal with Yingshui to allow 50,000 Kuang State troops to gather near the capital within three days, threatening the Yong State. Li Daren was horrified by this revelation, nearly collapsing.
He then inquired if Jiang Tan and He Hong's killer were the same group, given their shared practice of removing little fingers. Jing Ci explained that this practice was characteristic not only of the criminals but also of the Emperor's Shadow Guardians, suggesting the culprits intended to frame the Emperor by leading investigators to that clue. Li Daren was so shocked he fell to the ground.
Jing Ci identified the golden-stem bracken, noting its rare golden stem, which in Qinhe could only be found in the long-abandoned Du Garden. He explained that Prime Minister Du, in a previous dynasty, had been granted a batch of these medicinal plants by Emperor Zhaozong to be cultivated in his garden. Despite the garden's ruin, the highly reproductive plant persisted. Therefore, Jing Ci concluded that the perpetrators of these crimes were hiding in Du Garden.
Li Daren, regaining his composure, immediately ordered his men to Du Garden to apprehend the culprits. Upon arriving at Du Garden, they were ambushed by masked figures. Amidst the chaos, Jing Ci and A'heng descended into a secret chamber through a well. Inside, Jing Ci confronted the mastermind who attempted to flee. During their struggle, the mastermind released venomous snakes from a coffin, which Jing Ci swiftly dispatched with his sword.
Realizing his plan was compromised, the mastermind activated a mechanism, destroying the secret chamber as he escaped. One of his subordinates dropped a waist token, which Jing Ci instructed A'heng to collect. As the chamber began to shake violently, Jing Ci and A'heng quickly escaped through an exit. Li Daren asked about the situation inside. Jing Ci reported that the mastermind had fled, and the secret chamber, along with any potential evidence, had been destroyed by the triggered mechanism.
Li Daren also reported that the remaining masked figures had all committed suicide by poison. Jing Ci stated that for Qinhe, the case was closed, but for the capital, everything was just beginning. Back at the county government, Jing Ci rushed to Yuan Qinhe's room. Xiao Lu informed him that Yuan Qinhe had briefly woken up, immediately asked for Jing Ci, and then fainted again when she tried to rush out to find him.
Seeing Jing Ci's concern, Xiao Lu remarked that despite his usual reserved demeanor, Jing Ci deeply cared for Yuan Qinhe. Later, Yuan Qinhe fully awakened, remembering Jing Ci's presence and how he had asked her to call him "A'Ci." She realized she had genuinely fallen for him. Determined to protect him and acknowledging that he was the only one she truly recognized in this life, she resolved to recover quickly. Meanwhile, the mastermind escaped to a safe location with Jiang Tan and his subordinates. He lamented that his years of careful planning in Qinhe had been ruined by Jing Ci.
