The Prisoner of Beauty Episode 28 Recap
> The Prisoner of Beauty Recap
Wei Shao confronted Wei Yan at the city gate, attempting to persuade him to stay. Wei Yan, however, remained resolute, explaining that his departure was necessary to protect Xiao Qiao from harm and preserve Wei Shao's dignity. He openly declared himself the son of Chen Pang from Bianzhou, renouncing his ties to the Wei family.
To seal his resolve, Wei Yan severed a finger, vowing that as long as Madam Xu lived, he would never aid Bianzhou in its conflict against the Wei State. He then drank from a flask of wine named "Yearning for Home," presenting it to Wei Shao as a final farewell before riding off. Wei Shao watched him go, clutching the wine flask. Following Wei Yan's departure, Madam Xu became gravely ill after her recent fall. Xiao Qiao diligently nursed her.
Wei Shao’s mother rushed in, weeping dramatically and even attempting to retrieve a jade burial suit, mistakenly believing Madam Xu was at death's door. Xiao Qiao quickly intervened, clarifying that Madam Xu was merely resting. Annoyed by the commotion, Madam Xu dismissed everyone, then wept privately, consumed by sorrow over Wei Yan’s leaving. Wei Shao, deeply saddened, sat alone in the courtyard. Xiao Qiao joined him, offering comfort and leaning close.
She expressed her unwavering belief in his ability to uncover the true instigator behind the rumors and recent misfortunes, describing the hidden culprit as a venomous scorpion pulling the strings. Acting on his resolve, Wei Shao apprehended Lanyun and Zixin.
Under intense interrogation, Zixin confessed that all the schemes, including the substitution of wheat seeds at Madam Xu's birthday banquet, the plot to frame Qiao Ci, and the propagation of rumors about Wei Yan and Xiao Qiao, were orchestrated by Su Ehuang. Lanyun corroborated Zixin's testimony. Confronted with undeniable evidence, Su Ehuang initially denied everything before resorting to recounting her tragic past and claiming her actions were driven by a desire to help the Wei family.
She then professed her love for Wei Shao and tried to convince him to spare her by highlighting her "peony fate," which she asserted would help him unify the realm. Wei Shao was unmoved. He sternly told her she was unworthy of his elder brother. He wiped away the peony huadian from her forehead, exposing it as a fake.
He reminded her that his elder brother, Wei Bao, had known the huadian was false but still cherished and wished to marry her. He also pointed out that Chen Xiang had genuinely cared for her, building her a grand pavilion and tolerating her covert activities for Wushan. Wei Shao accused Su Ehuang of being consumed by her own boundless ambitions and utter ingratitude for the true affection she had received.
He then seized the jade pendant she held, the last remnant of her connection to his brother. As punishment, Wei Shao ordered Lanyun and Zixin to be beaten to death. He then had Su Ehuang's nose cut off, declaring that he spared her life only out of respect for his late brother. Disfigured and enraged, Su Ehuang cursed Wei Shao, vowing to drag him and Xiao Qiao to hell.
Wei Shao placed the jade pendant before his late brother's memorial tablet, lamenting the betrayal Wei Bao had suffered. Xiao Qiao, standing beside him, observed that the Su Ehuang his brother had loved must have been a very different woman. She playfully suggested that perhaps the current Su Ehuang genuinely admired Wei Shao, as she was a woman drawn to strength and power.
Wei Shao feigned annoyance at Xiao Qiao's casual use of his name, but she countered that people change, and Su Ehuang's hardships had transformed her. She concluded that returning the jade to his brother was a rightful act. Wei Shao then asked if Xiao Qiao's feelings for him would ever change, to which she lovingly assured him they would not, for she had a husband who truly cherished her.
Expelled from the Wei residence, Su Ehuang sat in a carriage outside the city, wiping blood from her mutilated nose. Her maids, terrified by her disfigurement and fearing for their own futures, conspired to steal her money and abandon her, believing she had lost all value and prospects. Su Ehuang overheard their plot. In a swift and brutal act, she killed the two leading maids, terrifying the others into submission.
She then donned a butterfly mask to conceal her facial injury. Su Ehuang declared that her destiny was not to follow an emperor, but to be the one who determined who would rule the realm. She commanded her remaining servants to summon General Xue Tai and announced her intention to travel to Liangya. Wei Shao was immersed in official documents, working late into the night. His aide, Wei Qu, expressed concern for his Lord's well-being and offered assistance.
Wei Shao, complaining of a stiff neck, playfully asked Wei Qu for a massage, then teased him about his lack of experience due to being unmarried and having no one to care for him. Later, when Wei Qu offered him dried meat for sustenance, Wei Shao rejected it, joking that such a coarse diet was only suitable for unmarried men, implicitly contrasting it with the comfortable life Xiao Qiao provided.
Wei Qu then sent an attendant with a coat, and soon after, Xiao Qiao herself arrived to fetch Wei Shao. Wei Shao quickly downplayed the importance of his work and eagerly accompanied Xiao Qiao home. His staff observed their deepening affection, noting they seemed like newlyweds, especially with Xiao Qiao's mourning period nearing its end. In Liangya, Su Ehuang met with Liu Yan to discuss military strategy.
She revealed a crucial detail: a hidden path in Mount Lian-gang, connecting Liancheng and Xiaogang, which General Bi Zhi had secretly excavated under Wei Shao’s orders. Liu Yan acknowledged his cousin, Xiao Qiao, was indeed cunning, but expressed gratitude for her actions, which had inadvertently presented him with a strategic opportunity. Su Ehuang then elaborated on her sincerity, explaining that she had initially dismissed Liu Yan as another man only interested in her status.
However, after his departure, she realized that Chijun, Liu Yan’s territory, was her true calling, and that his ambition deeply impressed her. She clarified that she sought an alliance, not marriage, emphasizing her formidable assets: the legacy of her late husband, the command of General Xue Tai, and 50,000 elite troops from Juejun.
She declared herself the "talent scout" who would choose the next emperor, not a mere follower, and suggested their alliance was divinely ordained, given that both Wei and Qiao had wronged them. Liu Yan, convinced, prepared to mobilize his forces. Soon after, envoys from Wushan arrived in Liangya, demanding Su Ehuang return to marry the Governor of Taozhou as a concubine.
They presented a lavish array of betrothal gifts, including a million pieces of silver, hundreds of bolts of silk, twelve hu of wine, twelve hu of various grains, and the tribute of two counties for twenty years. Su Ehuang, incensed, vehemently refused, asserting that with 50,000 troops at her command, she would never be a concubine.
The envoy, however, countered that her military strength was precisely why the Governor was making such an offer, reminding her that as a remarried woman, she would not otherwise receive such generous gifts. The envoy then inquired about Liu Yan's intentions, noting the Wushan patriarch's confusion regarding Su Ehuang's stay in Liangya without a formal title. Liu Yan unequivocally stated that he had no intention of taking a concubine.
Instead, he made a grand counter-proposal: he would grant two counties as Su Ehuang's personal fief and offer double the Governor of Taozhou's betrothal gifts, formally proposing to marry her as his wife.
