The Romance of Hua Rong 2 Episode 19 Recap
> The Romance of Hua Rong 2 Recap
Upon arriving at Tianlu City, Qin Shangcheng and Rong'er found the Tianchu forces in dire straits, having suffered heavy casualties from a recent surprise attack by Southern Desolation. Lieutenant Yan, who led the advance troops, was wounded, and morale was dangerously low. General Hua, Rong'er's father, expressed his relief and gratitude for their arrival, acknowledging the gravity of the situation.
He explained that Duanmu Qingcang, the commander of Southern Desolation, had killed Tianchu's envoy, unequivocally rejecting any peace talks and launching continuous raids that severely weakened their forces. Qin Shangcheng, aware of his blood ties to Duanmu Qingcang, firmly declared that on the battlefield, there are no fathers or sons. He sought equal dialogue, but only after winning two decisive battles, especially since Tianchu was currently outnumbered.
He proposed a strategy to avoid direct confrontation, suspecting that the victorious Southern Desolation army would be building bridges to cross the river and pursue them. By reinforcing the riverbanks, they could delay the enemy's advance. Rong'er agreed with the defensive measure but emphasized it was merely a temporary solution. She observed that Southern Desolation's vast army, though formidable, was arrayed in a long, serpent-like formation, making it slow to maneuver and difficult to coordinate in a short time.
Therefore, she suggested launching multiple surprise attacks, using fewer troops to outwit and overwhelm the enemy. Rong'er's multi-point surprise attacks quickly proved effective, with Southern Desolation losing several generals in succession. Despite their success, Rong'er cautioned against overusing the tactic, as the enemy would surely fortify their passes. Qin Shangcheng, drawing on his identity as King Pirate, proposed a daring night raid.
He planned to swim across the narrowest section of the river to infiltrate and attack the enemy camp by surprise. This audacious plan succeeded, leading to further victories and forcing the Southern Desolation army to contract its formations and slow its frontal assault. Qin Shangcheng praised Rong'er, acknowledging that without her strategic command at the base camp, his efforts would be like a blade without an edge.
General Hua then received urgent intelligence from Night-Wolf, a mysterious informant known only for his valuable information. The intelligence revealed Duanmu Qingcang's plan to lead several hundred elite troops in a covert fire attack from Guan Mountain, behind Tianchu's main barracks, while the main Southern Desolation army simultaneously crossed the river for a pincer attack. Qin Shangcheng immediately recognized this as a prime opportunity.
He proposed that General Hua defend the front lines while he led a specialized force to ambush Duanmu Qingcang from the rear, aiming to capture him alive and secure victory. General Hua approved the plan. However, a scout, fatally wounded, managed to send a desperate message to Rong'er, reporting that thousands of Southern Desolation troops had secretly departed their main camp.
Rong'er instantly realized that Duanmu Qingcang's fire attack was merely a feint, and the real objective was a trap for Qin Shangcheng. She urgently requested to mobilize cavalry to rescue him, but General Hua intervened. He warned that Duanmu Qingcang was cunning and might have anticipated their reaction, intending to draw their main army out of the barracks. Such a move would leave their camp vulnerable.
General Hua, believing that Duanmu Qingcang would never harm his own biological son, urged Rong'er to stand down. Later, Zhang Xian and Qian Dayou returned alone, confirming Rong'er’s fears: they had indeed fallen into the trap. Qin Shangcheng, to protect his soldiers and brothers, surrendered and agreed to return with Duanmu Qingcang. Duanmu Qingcang, in a cruel display, stated that the battle was a test of Qin Shangcheng's worth as his son, concluding that he was "not qualified enough."
Qian Dayou, distraught, wanted to immediately gather troops to rescue Qin Shangcheng, but Rong'er stopped him, explaining it would be a suicidal mission and reiterating General Hua's belief that Qin Shangcheng would be safe. General Hua added that this confrontation between father and son was an unavoidable fate. Soon after, a letter from Duanmu Bai reached Rong'er, arranging a secret meeting.
Duanmu Bai informed her that Qin Shangcheng was being held under house arrest in the Tianchi Pavilion of Mu's Palace. He provided Rong'er with a letter detailing his and Qin Shangcheng's true identities, meant for the Empress Dowager, along with a special token granting her free access to the palace. He explained that the Empress Dowager was Qin Shangcheng's only hope. He also conveyed his apologies to Qin Shangcheng through Rong'er.
Rong'er, accompanied by Qian Dayou, presented the letter and token to the Empress Dowager. Qian Dayou initially expressed his frustration with Rong'er for not fully protecting Qin Shangcheng, but Rong'er insisted she had done her best. Rong'er revealed that Qin Shangcheng was the Empress Dowager's grandson and that she herself was pregnant with the Empress Dowager’s great-grandchild. A servant cautiously suggested that the Empress Dowager shouldn't trust Rong'er's words and should leave the matter to the Emperor.
However, Rong'er bravely declared that she and her unborn child’s lives were in the Empress Dowager's hands and invited her to verify Qin Shangcheng’s presence in Tianchi Pavilion. The Empress Dowager visited Qin Shangcheng and found him suffering from a severe rash. She immediately recognized it as an allergic reaction to white fernwort, a sensitivity common among the Duanmu family from their ancestors. Enraged, she demanded to know who dared to bring such a thing into Mu's Palace.
Duanmu Qingcang then appeared, admitting he arranged it. He explained that as an emperor, he couldn't simply accept a son based on one person's word; he had to verify Qin Shangcheng's bloodline. Having confirmed Qin Shangcheng was indeed a descendent of Duanmu, he then joyfully shared the news with his mother. Despite the happy reunion, Duanmu Qingcang explained that Qin Shangcheng must remain confined because he had fought against him, an act of "worst offense."
He insisted that Qin Shangcheng needed to understand his heritage and allegiance. The Empress Dowager, however, argued that Tianchu had raised Qin Shangcheng, and his temporary alignment was understandable. She also revealed Rong'er's pregnancy, which brought immense joy to Qin Shangcheng, who worried deeply about Rong'er and their child. The Empress Dowager promised to personally care for Rong'er during her pregnancy.
Rong'er then embarked on a series of subtle maneuvers to gain the Empress Dowager's sympathy and secure Qin Shangcheng's release. She first claimed her unborn baby craved Qin Shangcheng's homemade eel noodles. The Empress Dowager promptly arranged for a Tianchu chef but kept Qin Shangcheng confined. Next, Rong'er feigned nightmares about the baby's safety without Qin Shangcheng by her side. The Empress Dowager brought her an amulet and even offered to sleep with her, but still, Qin Shangcheng remained imprisoned.
Finally, Rong'er suggested that fathers should communicate with their babies during pregnancy to foster a bond and prevent future conflicts, hoping this would prompt Qin Shangcheng's release. Qin Shangcheng, though awkward, attempted to communicate with the baby, repeatedly murmuring, "Daodao, my baby, Daddy wants to be with you every day." This attempt also failed. Undeterred, Rong'er later stumbled upon the late Empress Mu Qing's untouched sleeping palace, which was meticulously cleaned by the Emperor on her birthday each year.
Despite the guards' warnings about not entering, Rong'er insisted, stating that as Mu Qing’s daughter-in-law, she was not an outsider. Inside, she discovered a pair of baby shoes inscribed "Wanjiang Fulong Shoe shop, Yi-Chou year." Rong'er realized this year coincided with Duanmu Qingcang’s northern expedition to Wanjiang and Qin Shangcheng’s birth. She understood that even amidst war, Duanmu Qingcang had cared for his pregnant wife and unborn child.
She then overheard Duanmu Qingcang confessing his regrets to Mu Qing's spirit, lamenting their separation and how it had affected his relationship with Qin Shangcheng. Confronting him, Rong'er eloquently appealed to his paternal love, asserting that Mu Qing would never wish to see father and son in conflict. She highlighted Qin Shangcheng's difficult, parentless upbringing and expressed her desire for their child not to repeat that cycle.
Moved by Rong'er's words, Duanmu Qingcang released Qin Shangcheng, and the family shared a meal with the Empress Dowager. During the meal, Duanmu Qingcang recounted a past war where kohlrabi and radish saved his family, reaffirming his ambition for a unified realm. Qin Shangcheng, however, expressed skepticism about this grand vision.
Duanmu Qingcang then proposed a wager: if Southern Desolation could conquer Tianlu City within half a month, Qin Shangcheng would forever remain in Mu's Palace; if not, Qin Shangcheng and Rong'er would be free to leave Southern Desolation. Both men agreed, while the Empress Dowager urged them to set aside their disputes and simply enjoy their meal. Later, Qin Shangcheng and Rong'er discussed their strategy to counter Duanmu Qingcang. Qian Dayou suggested that Night-Wolf, Tianchu's spy, would surely send intelligence.
Rong'er, however, reminded them that Night-Wolf was now extremely cautious after a previous false intelligence report had led to Qin Shangcheng's capture. They needed a new way to contact him. Qin Shangcheng recalled a past communication from a contact related to Tianchu's royal family, mentioning that a spy within Duanmu Qingcang's inner circle would leave grain route information at the corner of Huichuntang, marked by an abutilon pictum flower.
Meanwhile, Duanmu Qingcang and his Shadow Guard captain, Fuqin, plotted to use Qin Shangcheng as bait to expose Tianchu's hidden spies. Fuqin agreed, emphasizing the importance of securing Southern Desolation's secret cannon development. Duanmu Qingcang theorized that people, like fish, are cautious by day but bolder at night, thus he aimed to "embolden" the spy. Qian Dayou and Zhang Xian, acting on Qin Shangcheng's plan, planted a signal at the specified corner. Fuqin secretly observed.
Zou Yitian, revealed to be Night-Wolf, took the bait and left false intelligence at the location. Fuqin reported Zou Yitian's identity to Duanmu Qingcang. Duanmu Qingcang decided to continue using Zou Yitian to feed misleading information to Tianchu, planning to expose him directly to Qin Shangcheng later. Duanmu Qingcang openly gloated about successfully manipulating Qin Shangcheng to pass false information to Tianchu, anticipating a major defeat for Tianchu. He then prepared to execute Zou Yitian.
Qin Shangcheng attempted to intervene, enraging Duanmu Qingcang, who was about to strike him. At that critical moment, the Empress Dowager, who had secretly gone to Lingchan Temple, returned unexpectedly. She vehemently condemned Duanmu Qingcang for exploiting his own son and vowed to protect Qin Shangcheng and Rong'er, even if it cost her life. Just then, a messenger arrived with shocking news: Southern Desolation's armies, which were attacking Xunyang, Shaoguan, and Rongcheng, had been encircled by Tianchu forces.
Duanmu Qingcang was stunned. In a separate, lighter moment, Qian Dayou and Zhang Xian were comically discussing the art of having a baby. Qian Dayou stressed the importance of a strong physique, praising Qin Shangcheng's vigor and suggesting his future child would be equally lively. Zhang Xian offered Qin Shangcheng a bottle of "rice flower liquor," but Qin Shangcheng firmly refused, citing the ill effects of alcohol on health and pregnancy.
Qian Dayou then tried to give Qin Shangcheng a nourishing soup, an ancestral recipe from Doctor Hua, filled with ingredients like shrimp, oysters, and various beans. He implied Qin Shangcheng needed it because Rong'er hadn't yet become pregnant, unlike Zhang Xian's wife, Hui, who conceived quickly. Qin Shangcheng, infuriated by the insinuation that he was "weak," confronted Qian Dayou, who quickly apologized for his blunder.
