The Prisoner of Beauty Episode 3 Recap
> The Prisoner of Beauty Recap
Wei Shao confronted Xiao Qiao, stating he was not breaking off their engagement but rather exposing the Qiao family's schemes. He accused her family, particularly Qiao Gui, of being too naive to believe that a single marriage contract could erase fourteen years of deep-seated hatred. Wei Shao questioned if Xiao Qiao thought her beauty could truly enchant him, recalling how Qiao Gui had similarly deceived his grandfather years ago.
He declared that he would not be fooled by the Qiao family again. Sparing her life only for the sake of an important seal, Wei Shao ordered Xiao Qiao to pack her belongings and leave Xindu immediately, warning her to tell her family to prepare for his retribution. Visibly heartbroken and in tears, Xiao Qiao realized she had gravely misjudged him. Following Wei Shao's command, Generals Wei Liang and Wei Qu began expelling Xiao Qiao’s entourage.
Xiaotao and the envoy expressed disbelief and panic, fearing they couldn't face their own lord after such a disgrace. Gongsun Yang tried to reason with Wei Shao, pointing out that the two families had already exchanged a Letter of Marriage and the Qiao family had surrendered Panyi. However, Wei Shao dismissed Panyi as something he could have taken by force anyway.
He believed Xiao Qiao's actions were a tactic to pressure him into marriage, convinced that if he didn't expel her, the Qiao family would only grow more audacious. Gongsun Yang gently reminded him that despite everything, Xiao Qiao was just a young woman. Outside, the citizens of Xindu, fueled by anger, chased Xiao Qiao’s carriage through the streets, pelting it with objects.
The envoy lamented that they should never have allowed a woman to lead, believing their current predicament was a direct result of following Xiao Qiao. Undeterred, Xiao Qiao resolved to head to Panyi to prepare for a confrontation with Wei Shao. In a forest outside the city, Xiao Qiao’s carriage was ambushed by a group of assailants. Just as the situation grew dire, Liu Yan arrived with his forces and rescued them.
Xiao Qiao, feigning tears and deep gratitude, thanked Liu Yan for his timely assistance. She expressed regret for previously delaying their marriage due to family matters and voiced fears that Wei Shao might retaliate against Liangya for Liu Yan’s intervention, igniting a war. Seizing the opportunity, she proposed that they unite to defeat Wei Shao once and for all.
Liu Yan, moved by her apparent distress, readily agreed to go to Panyi with her, proclaiming her a "treasure" in his eyes. Observing this, Liu Shan, Liu Yan’s uncle, cynically remarked on Liu Yan’s infatuation with a "dumped woman." Liu Yan, however, assured his uncle he wouldn’t forget their "important matters."
Liu Shan remained skeptical, warning Liu Yan never to trust the Qiao family, highlighting how they offered Panyi to Wei Shao but were unwilling to provide substantial betrothal gifts for Liu Yan. Xiaotao, witnessing Xiao Qiao’s performance, remarked on her skilled "hypocritical act." News of Xiao Qiao’s departure to Panyi soon reached the Qiao family. Qiao Gui and others worried for her safety. Xiao Qiao’s younger brother, Qiao Ci, blamed himself for failing to protect both his sisters.
Meanwhile, Da Qiao, still on the run, felt immense guilt for her escape, believing she had abandoned her sister. Bi Zhi, though desiring a lifelong union with Da Qiao, couldn't bear to see her sorrow. He informed Da Qiao of Xiao Qiao’s expulsion and offered to accompany her to Panyi to find her, or to escort Da Qiao back to Kangjun to reunite with her family. Da Qiao, resolute, chose to go to Panyi to find Xiao Qiao.
Xiao Qiao and Liu Yan successfully entered and took control of Panyi. When Wei Shao received this news, he was enraged. He publicly declared that Xiao Qiao had eloped with Liu Yan and was hiding in Panyi, vowing to capture and execute them both. That night, Xiao Qiao had a terrifying dream of Wei Shao brutally murdering her family. Waking in a cold sweat, she swore she would prevent that dream from ever becoming reality.
Soon after, Liu Yan came to discuss their marriage. Xiao Qiao cautiously suggested they should consult their elders first, proposing to return to Kangjun for proper deliberation. However, Liu Shan, eager to expedite matters, arranged for Yang Feng, the Panyi County Magistrate, to accept the betrothal gifts on behalf of Xiao Qiao's family. Xiao Qiao reluctantly agreed to Liu Yan’s arrangements, but expressed her fear that Wei Shao would come seeking revenge, potentially implicating Liu Yan and Liangya.
Liu Yan assured her he had a flawless plan to ensure Wei Shao would not return alive. Before leaving, Liu Yan ordered her to be strictly guarded. Yang Feng attempted to see Xiao Qiao, but Liu Yan blocked him, insisting all matters be reported directly to him. Yang Feng then revealed that Wei Shao's forces were just thirty li away and would arrive soon.
Liu Shan, quick-thinking, suggested that Liu Yan rally the city's populace to create a barrier, relying on the people's immense power to keep Wei Shao outside Panyi. As Wei Shao's army approached the outskirts of Panyi, the city's inhabitants buzzed with rumors. Some feared a brutal massacre by Wei Shao, who was described as a monstrous figure with three eyes and four arms, his generals as bloodthirsty.
Others rallied, believing Liu Yan, hailed as a good match for Xiao Qiao by Lord Qiao, would successfully defend the city. Xiao Qiao recognized these narratives as deliberate fabrications by Liu Yan to manipulate the people into fighting Wei Shao. She encountered Yang Feng overseeing a cartload of sulfur and, in a hushed tone, urged him to halt any plan that would harm the civilians, emphasizing that their safety was more important than any victory against Wei Shao.
She then subtly inquired about the Yongning Canal, learning Yang Feng had overseen its construction. Liu Yan later met Xiao Qiao by the ancient canal.
When she revealed her knowledge of using sulfur for a fire attack and expressed concern for Panyi's people, Liu Yan disclosed his true, ruthless strategy: not to merely attack Wei Shao with fire, but to use the sulfur to destroy the Yongning Canal dam, flooding Xindu and plunging the entire Wei State into chaos, making it vulnerable to conquest.
He callously dismissed the lives of Xindu's people, saying they were "Wei's people" and their suffering was insignificant in the face of his grand ambition. Xiao Qiao was horrified, realizing Liu Yan's "love for the people" was a facade, extending only to "his" own people, and that he was using her to fulfill his wild ambitions, making him more cruel than even Li Su.
Sensing her growing animosity, Liu Yan ordered her, Xiaotao, and other confidantes to be confined to their rooms under strict guard. Xiaotao complained that Liu Yan was proving worse than Wei Shao, who, despite his harshness, had never resorted to tying them up. It became clear that Liu Yan had merely used Xiao Qiao to gain entry into Panyi. Wei Shao launched his attack on Panyi, with arrows raining down on the city walls.
Despite heavy casualties among Panyi's defenders, Liu Yan remained unconcerned, confident in Panyi's easily defensible terrain. He planned to stall Wei Shao for two days, by which time the sulfur would be fully deployed to flood Xindu. Realizing Liu Yan was simply buying time, Xiao Qiao quickly used a candle to burn through her restraints. Blaming herself for unwittingly leading Liu Yan into power, she was determined to prevent further suffering.
Creating a diversion by toppling bamboo scrolls to distract the guards, she escaped through a window and made her way by small boat to the granaries. There, to her alarm, she discovered many of them were indeed filled with sulfur. Wei Shao’s initial feigned attack was met with an unexpected, fierce resistance from Panyi’s citizens, surprising him. His horse, sensing something, snorted repeatedly, drawing his attention to the strong smell of sulfur.
Discovering traces of sulfur, Wei Shao deduced Liu Yan’s plan for a massive fire attack. He concluded that Liu Yan was even more brutal than Li Su. Just then, a fire erupted in a city granary, quickly spreading and igniting the sulfur. Believing it to be divine intervention and Liu Yan's self-inflicted downfall, Wei Shao ordered a full-scale assault, also declaring his intention to avenge his "stolen wife."
Overwhelmed, Liu Yan decided to abandon the city, but, recalling Xiao Qiao, he turned back with his personal guards to search for her. Wei Shao’s forces swept into Panyi. He immediately ordered his men to find Xiao Qiao, "dead or alive." Wei Shao encountered Xiaotao and Yang Feng, the Panyi County Magistrate. They urgently explained that Xiao Qiao had been abducted and confined by Liu Yan, refuting the elopement rumor.
They revealed that Xiao Qiao, discovering Liu Yan's plan to destroy the Yongning Canal and flood Xindu, had deliberately started the fire to create an opportunity for Wei Shao to attack and save the city. As proof of her unwilling betrothal to Liu Yan, they pointed to the paltry "betrothal gifts," which included a mere weasel instead of a valuable lynx.
Wei Shao was further horrified to learn that his own soldiers had been ordered to find and kill Xiao Qiao to boost morale. Meanwhile, Xiao Qiao, having escaped the burning granary by hiding in a water tank, climbed out only to be confronted by Wei Xiao. Wei Xiao, his eyes burning with hatred, raised his bow.
He accused the Qiao family of treachery fourteen years prior, which led to the tragic deaths of his father and brothers, and the subsequent grief that killed his mother. He declared that their betrayal had forced him to become a "wild child fighting wolves for food" and, therefore, the entire Qiao family deserved death. Xiao Qiao turned and fled, as Wei Xiao released a sharp arrow after her.
