The Prisoner of Beauty Episode 2 Recap, Plot

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> The Prisoner of Beauty Recap

Gongsun Yang pointed out that Xindu was inauspicious, as a funeral had once taken place there—tens of thousands were buried fourteen years ago. This left the Qiao family speechless, as it had indeed been Yanzhou’s fault back then. Wei Shao expressed his sincerity by sending Xiao Qiao some gifts. The envoy believed this was Wei Shao’s way of expressing interest in Xiao Qiao and that the matter could be agreed upon.

However, Xiao Qiao saw it not as goodwill, but as a threat. She inferred that if she did not give him Panyi, he would surely take it by force. To break the deadlock, she needed to understand what Wei Shao truly wanted.

Xiao Qiao sent people to inquire about Wei Shao and learned that he was extremely brutal—he had chopped Li Su’s body in pieces and stuffed it into a box, prohibited the people from praying for blessings, and did not allow anyone near him while he slept.

People speculated that this was out of fear of assassination, but in fact, it was because when he was young, Wei Shao had once survived by hiding in a box, only to witness the horrific deaths of his father and elder brother. Since then, he had feared the dark. Although Xindu had originally belonged to the Wei family, it had been occupied for a long time and had changed completely. Winning the people’s hearts would take time.

The citizens, hearing that Wei Shao was registering households every day, suspected that it was to eventually massacre them all. Upon seeing Xiao Qiao, many pleaded for her to marry soon, hoping it would curb Wei Shao’s violent urges. Xiao Qiao stood at the bridgehead, the wind stirring her red garments—an unforgettable sight. The people all praised her beauty. Wei Shao, seeing this, could not help but mock her as merely showing off her looks.

After visiting the people, Xiao Qiao seemed to understand what it was that Wei Shao truly wanted. She intentionally funded the renovation of streets and wells, thanked the people with food for repairing the roads, and bought many wildflowers. The people vied to clean up the wildflowers along the roadside and present them to her. When Wei Shao visited Xiao Qiao’s residence and saw people delivering flowers, and Xiao Qiao seriously arranging them, he was momentarily stunned.

Xiao Qiao noticed him suddenly and, startled, stood up quickly. She explained her actions and proposed that if Wei Shao married her, the people would no longer see him as terrifying and would willingly submit to him. However, Wei Shao believed Li Su was stirring up trouble and that Xiao Qiao was manipulating hearts—both equally detestable. Still, Xiao Qiao had no intention of giving up.

After all, water dripping over time can wear through stone, and her tranquil heart would do the same. The people went to the magistrate to complain, accusing Wei Shao of killing in the streets and demanding justice. Wei Shao looked at the crowd blankly, unsure what to do. Gongsun Yang reminded him that capturing Xindu was not just about reclaiming lost territory—it was for a greater dream that required the people's support. Winning their hearts would take patience.

Madam Xu’s trusted aide, Zhong Ao, arrived in the new capital to find Xiao Qiao, intending to facilitate her marriage with Wei Shao. Together, they went to the place of blessing. After Li Su entered the city, he forbade the citizens from honoring their dead. However, people secretly retrieved their relatives’ remains and the wall of blessings was built with their bones. Over time, people treated it as sacred and forgot its original meaning.

Xiao Qiao, however, knew it was a form of mourning for Wei Shao’s lost family and opposed allowing people to worship there. She insisted it must be dismantled. At that moment, Wei Shao arrived and, upon seeing Xiao Qiao, questioned her presence. She respectfully replied that she was praying for the people. But Wei Shao suddenly sneered, filled with hatred, accusing the people of letting Xiao Qiao pray there when everything was due to the Qiao family.

He ordered the wall’s demolition. The magistrate suddenly attempted to assassinate Wei Shao but was no match for him. As Wei Shao prepared to kill the magistrate, Gongsun Yang and the people intervened, begging for mercy. They praised the magistrate as a good man who had once surrendered only for the people’s sake. The magistrate mocked Wei Shao as being no different from Li Su and said he was unworthy of being the heir of the late Marquis Wei.

The people grew angry and wanted to kill him. Wei Shao sat in silence. Then Xiao Qiao arrived and suggested that since the people did not obey or respect Wei Shao, it would be better to kill them all until they submitted. That way, they could quickly marry. Wei Shao, enraged, drew his sword and held it to her neck, accusing her of being a venomous schemer. The crowd turned against Xiao Qiao and supported Wei Shao.

He declared in public that he would not fall for Xiao Qiao’s trick and released the magistrate, praising him for standing up for the people. The magistrate, moved, knelt and pledged allegiance to Wei Shao, praising him for his resemblance to the late Marquis Wei. After fourteen years, he truly submitted. Wei Shao finally showed a proud smile. Walking through the streets, people gladly registered their households to receive grain, deeply grateful to Wei Shao.

However, Xiao Qiao was later surrounded by the people atop the Dantai and was urged not to marry Wei Shao. Wei Shao dispersed the crowd and approached Xiao Qiao, his eyes falling on the sword mark on her neck. He said nothing, though he now understood that her earlier actions had been to help him win the people’s hearts. Still, he disliked such manipulative behavior.

Before leaving, Wei Shao left a box of medicine on a pillar for her to treat her wound. Xiao Qiao gave him a blessing token she had obtained from prayer. Back home, Wei Shao stared at the “eternal union” token for a long time. Wei Shao returned to the street and saw that some people had not received grain and were causing a commotion. He promised everyone would be fed.

Gongsun Yang investigated and found that all of Wei territory was suffering from a food shortage and there were more refugees than expected. The only way to solve the problem was for Wei Shao to marry Xiao Qiao and acquire Panyi. Wei Shao demolished the wall of blessings, which was built from the bones of the people. He did not want everyone to live in hatred.

He promised that no matter where someone came from, they would be considered citizens of Xindu. The magistrate would continue governing, and Wei's soldiers would rebuild Xindu with the people, ensuring a peaceful life for all. Xiao Qiao watched Wei Shao with teary eyes. Though he spoke of forgetting hatred, he had never once stopped grieving his father and brother. Gongsun Yang and others urged Wei Shao to marry Xiao Qiao quickly.

She happened to arrive and proactively handed over the seal of Panyi, saying she could help solve the food crisis in the city. She believed in Wei Shao’s goodness and was willing to hand it over early. But Wei Shao suddenly turned hostile, accusing the Qiao family of trying to erase fourteen years of hatred with a mere marriage agreement.

He mocked Qiao Gui for deceiving his grandfather back then and declared he would never fall for the Qiao family’s tricks. Only then did Xiao Qiao realize that everything Wei Shao said at the wall of blessings had been a calculated lie to deceive her.

Episode 1 Recap

Episode 3 Recap

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