The Romance of Hua Rong Episode 1 Recap
> The Romance of Hua Rong Recap
Hua Rong, a mischievous and free-spirited young woman aspiring to be a chivalrous heroine, arrived in Yin Cheng. Disguised as a man, she climbed to the window of Lady Xiao Hui at Tian Xian Lou and entered the room. Hua Rong informed Xiao Hui that she had been entrusted by Xiao Hui’s mother to rescue her. Xiao Hui gratefully accepted the help, expressing her mother’s widespread efforts to save her.
She then revealed the primary obstacle: her Body Selling Contract was still with the procuress, who kept the key to its location on her person at all times. Noting Xiao Hui’s performance attire, Hua Rong quickly devised a plan. She declared herself "warrior Hua Hua" and promised to save Xiao Hui from her misery, emphasizing her dedication to chivalry. Donning a white dance costume and a veil, Hua Rong blended among the performers in the main hall.
Meanwhile, the pirate Qin Shang Cheng and his two subordinates entered, taking seats. His subordinate informed him that their target, Pei Yong, was somewhere upstairs, but his exact room was unknown. Qin Shang Cheng, seeking to draw Pei Yong out, instructed his men to create a disturbance. As the procuress busily entertained guests in the bustling hall, Hua Rong seized the opportunity, dancing near her and deftly snatching the key from her waist.
This action did not go unnoticed by Qin Shang Cheng. As Hua Rong tried to escape, Qin Shang Cheng called over the procuress and revealed Hua Rong’s theft. The procuress ordered her men to apprehend Hua Rong, plunging the hall into chaos. Amidst the pandemonium, Qin Shang Cheng spotted Pei Yong emerging from the second floor and immediately went in pursuit with his men. Hua Rong, having evaded capture, rushed to the procuress's room.
Using the stolen key, she unlocked a chest filled with jewels but found no trace of the selling contract. Deciding to take the jewels to help the poor, she began to pack them when Pei Yong burst into the room, holding her at knifepoint. Moments later, Qin Shang Cheng and the procuress arrived. Thinking quickly, Hua Rong falsely claimed Qin Shang Cheng was her accomplice, throwing a pearl she pretended was the key toward him.
The procuress, fooled by the ruse, ordered her men to seize Qin Shang Cheng, allowing Hua Rong and Pei Yong to escape by leaping out of the window. Out on the streets of Yin Cheng, Jin Yiwen, the free-spirited Fourth Prince of Wanjiang Kingdom, was traveling incognito with his attendant, Lai Sheng.
Lai Sheng voiced concerns about the rampant pirates in Yin Cheng, particularly in Tian Chu territory, urging Jin Yiwen to leave quickly and be less conspicuous, referencing a past incident where Jin Yiwen's meddling led to him being chased by a snake. Jin Yiwen dismissed his warnings, stating he wouldn't leave until he found the Longevity Pill, even musing about meeting some pirates. Suddenly, the fleeing Hua Rong collided with them, scattering her bundle.
Pei Yong swiftly boarded an official ship to escape, and Hua Rong, desperate to flee her pursuers, followed suit. Below deck, in the ship's cargo hold, Hua Rong discovered her bundle had been swapped during the chaotic escape, and her jewels were replaced by a precious manuscript.
Simultaneously, Jin Yiwen, now aboard his own ship, was scolding Lai Sheng for losing his most treasured manuscript, declaring he wouldn’t go anywhere until it was found, prompting Lai Sheng to suspect his young master was intentionally prolonging their stay. Later, in the ship's bottom, Hua Rong used the manuscript to start a fire for warmth, lamenting her current predicament and contrasting it with her heroic aspirations to become like "warrior He Yun."
After a day without food, her hunger drove her to search for sustenance on deck. There, she encountered panicked government soldiers shouting about approaching pirates. To her astonishment, the soldiers quickly surrendered and scattered without resistance. Puzzled, Hua Rong grabbed one, who fearfully explained that Qin Shang Cheng, the Pirate King whom even the government couldn't touch, had arrived. Hua Rong was dismayed to realize it was the same man she had outwitted earlier that day.
Her first instinct was to escape, but her chivalrous spirit compelled her to face the pirates to protect the royal funds she spotted on board. As Qin Shang Cheng's pirates boarded, his second-in-command, Chen Biao, moved to execute the surrendering soldiers, arguing that pirates never spare witnesses. Qin Shang Cheng intervened, reiterating his rule against harming those who surrender and rebuking Chen Biao for his disregard. He then ordered Chen Biao to leave.
While Qin Shang Cheng's men began plundering the ship, Hua Rong boldly stepped forward to confront him. She gathered all the wine jars on deck and threatened to ignite the ship if Qin Shang Cheng and his men didn't leave without taking anything. Unfazed, Qin Shang Cheng declared his right to take whatever he desired. True to her word, Hua Rong hurled the torch down. Qin Shang Cheng swiftly caught her in mid-air, demanding to know Pei Yong's whereabouts.
Hua Rong staunchly denied knowing Pei Yong, arguing that if she were truly his accomplice, she would have escaped earlier rather than getting caught. Qin Shang Cheng still looked at her with suspicion. Qin Shang Cheng brought Hua Rong back to his island stronghold. Later, while he was changing, the pearl Hua Rong had given him during their escape fell from his grasp, and a faint smile touched his lips as he reflected on her cunning actions.
The next day, a subordinate assigned Hua Rong to arduous labor at the quarry. Qian Dayou, tasked with overseeing the workers, approached Hua Rong intending to make things difficult for her. However, Hua Rong cleverly diverted him by identifying a piece of jade he cherished as a fake and eloquently explaining its flaws, demonstrating her extensive knowledge of calligraphy, porcelain, lacquerware, enamel, and painting.
Impressed by her insights, Qian Dayou invited her to examine his other treasures, which Hua Rong politely declined, citing her overwhelming workload. Later, Qin Shang Cheng inquired about Hua Rong's progress, and Qian Dayou, subtly shielding her, reported that she was "suffering and became good." Qin Shang Cheng decided to reassign her, and Qian Dayou suggested the kitchen, noting the steward's notorious strictness and tendency to beat new recruits, framing it as another tough test.
In the kitchen, the steward was berating a cook for failing to prepare a new dish for Qin Shang Cheng. Hua Rong intervened, stopping the steward from hitting the cook. She confidently announced her knowledge of royal recipes, claiming she had memorized them and could create a dish that would bring pride to the steward. Eager for recognition, the steward readily handed the task to Hua Rong.
The dish she prepared, though small, was deemed "not bad" by Qin Shang Cheng. Qian Dayou, still trying to ascertain Qin Shang Cheng's intentions, pressed if he wanted to continue "troubling" Hua Rong. Qin Shang Cheng affirmed his desire to further test her. Witnessing the steward's continued oppression of the cooks, Hua Rong plotted her revenge. During the bustling lunch rush, she deliberately caused an explosion in the kitchen using flour, as a lesson to the tyrannical steward.
Qin Shang Cheng, immediately suspecting Hua Rong, gathered everyone who worked in the kitchen. Feigning ignorance of the culprit, he declared that if no one confessed, everyone would receive twenty cane strokes, a severe punishment. As the cooks pleaded for mercy, Hua Rong challenged Qin Shang Cheng's arbitrary rule, demanding proof before punishment. When he pressed her to reveal the perpetrator, Hua Rong stepped forward and admitted to causing the explosion.
Qin Shang Cheng, now openly enraged, demanded her reasoning for daring to "use" him in her scheme. Hua Rong defiantly stated her confidence that he would not dare to harm her.
