The Prisoner of Beauty Episode 35 Recap
> The Prisoner of Beauty Recap
Qiao Ci tearfully reported to Wei Shao that Liu Yan's siege had overwhelmed them, and General Wei Liang had sacrificed himself to ensure Qiao Ci's escape. Wei Shao pressed Qiao Ci for more details, while Wei Xiao angrily suggested Qiao Ci should have died instead of Wei Liang. A messenger then arrived, announcing Liu Yan's capture of Panyi. Wei Qu, devastated, begged Wei Shao to allow him to retrieve Wei Liang.
Wei Shao, though firm, comforted Wei Qu and ordered him to lead a cavalry unit to Kangjun the next day to find Qiao Ping and bring Wei Liang's body back. Wei Qu, still grieving, accepted the mission. Meanwhile, Xiao Qiao suffered severe abdominal pain and fainted. Upon waking, she embraced Wei Shao, blaming herself and regretting her inability to share his pain or prevent Wei Liang's death, which had also left Xiaotao heartbroken.
Wei Shao assured her that the fault lay with Qiao Yue and Liu Yan, not her, and promised she would not be blamed. He explained that a war with Yanzhou was now inevitable. Xiao Qiao understood, urging him to pursue revenge for Wei Liang and reclaim Panyi for the people, and assured him she wouldn't blame him.
Wei Shao vowed not to fail her or harm others, asking her to take care of herself and their unborn child, Feifei, as he might not return for the birth. Xiao Qiao, unable to see him off, implored him to be cautious. As Wei Shao prepared to depart, a subordinate assured him that Yujun would be protected and that Mrs. Wei and Lady Zhu would care for Xiao Qiao. Wei Shao, though ill, left with his troops.
Xiao Qiao felt deep sorrow. Xiaotao, clutching an orchid, reminisced about Wei Liang. She remembered his promise to gather Yanzhou orchids and save enough wages to propose to her, a gesture her mother had said was to ensure Xiaotao would not feel slighted. Now, heartbroken, she wept uncontrollably. Qiao Ci found her and delivered Wei Liang's dying wish: that she should have the orchid but not wait for him.
Wei Shao's allies began defecting to Liu Yan, who celebrated his growing strength. Liu Yan plotted to ambush Wei Shao at Yongning City by destroying the dam Wei Shao had built there, turning it into his grave, and avenging Xiao Qiao's previous defiance. When Yang Feng, the dam's overseer, voiced concerns about the catastrophic flooding that would harm innocent civilians, Qiao Yue dismissed these as "trifles."
Recognizing their murderous intent, Yang Feng reluctantly agreed to the dam's destruction but advised that sulfur explosives needed precise placement beneath the load-bearing beams. Liu Shan concurred, and Liu Yan approved the plan. Yang Feng, holding the dam's engineering diagram, reflected on Qiao Gui's original vision for the Yongning Canal, built for the welfare of all people, an ambition he also saw in Wei Shao. He felt deep remorse at having to destroy it, believing he was failing Qiao Gui.
As he unrolled the diagram, he brandished a hidden dagger, attempting to assassinate Liu Yan. Though his initial strike failed, he managed to seize Qiao Yue, holding him hostage. Yang Feng declared that with Panyi and the dam destroyed, his life had no meaning, comparing himself to Zhen Zhi, who had died for the cause.
Ignoring Qiao Yue's pleas, Liu Yan mercilessly ran his sword through both Qiao Yue and Yang Feng, killing them instantly, then scoffed at Yang Feng's defiance. Back in Yujun, Mrs. Wei reassured Xiao Qiao that Wei Shao would handle the crisis. General Wei Xiao then reported that Su Ehuang and Xue Tai were leading a 100,000-strong Zhongzhou army to besiege Yujun.
Xiao Qiao proposed sending couriers to warn Wei Shao and mobilizing civilians to defend the city, offering weapons to volunteers and opening the gates for two days for anyone wishing to evacuate. Mrs. Wei commended her and approved the plans. However, when Mrs. Wei ordered Wei Xiao to escort Lady Zhu and Xiao Qiao out of the city for their safety, Xiao Qiao suddenly went into labor. After a difficult birth, she delivered their daughter, Feifei.
Their joy was cut short by news that several more cities had fallen. Mrs. Wei again urged the new mother and Lady Zhu to flee, but Xiao Qiao refused to leave, asserting her duty as the Lady of Wei to stand with her family and the people of Yujun. Moved by Xiao Qiao's resolve, Lady Zhu also refused to depart, declaring she would not shame her sons and husband, who were not deserters.
Mrs. Wei, deeply touched, praised them as truly qualified Ladies of Wei. At that moment, the newborn Feifei smiled, bringing a fleeting moment of peace. Gongsun Yang reported to Wei Shao that Liu Yan had destroyed the Yongning Canal dam, causing massive flooding, and that Zhen Zhi, Yang Feng, and Qiao Yue were dead. With their forces depleted, Wei Shao declared they must hasten to Panyi to reclaim the canal.
Immediately, another messenger arrived with dire news: Lady Yulou and General Xue Tai were besieging Yujun with 100,000 troops, on the verge of breaching the city. Gongsun Yang reminded Wei Shao that Mrs. Wei, Lady Zhu, and Xiao Qiao were in grave danger, evoking the tragic loss of three Wei generations in Xindu years prior.
Faced with the agonizing choice of advancing on Panyi or retreating to defend Yujun, Wei Shao recalled Xiao Qiao's words about Qiao Gui's dilemma of choosing between one person and the common people. After a moment of profound deliberation, Wei Shao made his decision: he commanded his army to continue their march on Panyi to retake the Yongning Canal. In Yujun, an announcement was made offering refuge, but citizens instead flocked to the city gates, demanding to join the fight.
A woman declared her refusal to be bullied, and an old veteran expressed his anger at the invasion. Mrs. Wei and Xiao Qiao addressed the crowd, with Mrs. Wei proclaiming that the Wei Clan would never betray the Wei State, affirming, "As long as the Wei Clan stands, the Wei State stands." Their words ignited the people's morale, and the united citizens pledged to defend Yujun and protect the Wei State.
In Kangjun, Wei Qu found soldiers drinking carelessly, believing themselves safe. He discovered Wei Liang's body hanging at the city gate. Overwhelmed with grief, he cut down the guards, gently lowered Wei Liang, and wept, urging his brother to return home to Xiaotao. He wrapped Wei Liang's body in the Wei family banner, vowing to fight his way out. He then stormed the prison, despite being injured and losing an arm, driven by Wei Shao's command to retrieve Qiao Ping.
He killed the remaining guards and released Qiao Ping, who was now blind. Qiao Ping thanked General Wei and assured him he could still fight with guidance, also asking who Wei Qu was carrying, to which Wei Qu replied it was Wei Liang. As they attempted to escape, a Liangya general confronted them.
Wei Qu boldly revealed that Liu Yan had killed Qiao Yue, exposing Liangya's plot to divide Yanzhou, and asserted that Qiao Ping, as the legitimate prefect, was now the rightful governor. He challenged the soldiers to choose between following an outsider from Liangya or their own prefect, Qiao Ping.
The Liangya general tried to rally his men with promises of rewards, but Wei Qu countered, warning that the Wei army would soon crush Panyi, leaving the Lord of Liangya unable to protect even himself, let alone his soldiers. He reiterated his challenge, forcing the soldiers to choose their allegiance.
