Truth or Dare Episode 30 (Ending) Recap
> Truth or Dare Recap
The Ninth Lord quickly shifted his demeanor, viewing the plans of Xiao Wanzi and Lu Yingyao as mere foolishness. Standing outside the mansion, Xiao Wanzi saw soldiers approaching her, prompting her to cry for help. Mei Shiqing rushed to her side, requesting that the soldiers imprison him as well. Inside the cell, Mei Shiqing expressed concern for Lu Yingyao, wondering how her father might be pressuring her outside.
Shortly after, Lu Yingyao herself arrived in the prison, explaining to a shocked Bao that she had requested to be there, believing they would be safer together. Mei Shiqing affirmed their unity, declaring they would face their fate together. Meanwhile, Mei Shiqing confided in his attendant, Si Heng, that he found the Ninth Lord's sudden summons back to the capital suspicious, suspecting it was linked to the Salter Cartel case.
He recalled that Rou had previously discovered a suspicious sum of money flowing into the Prosperous Store. Believing they needed to act quickly, he ordered Si Heng to immediately go to the Prosperous Store and apprehend Dong Daman. Unbeknownst to them, Situ Lin was already carrying out his master's orders. He ambushed Dong Daman's sedan, knocking out his escorts.
Situ Lin informed Dong Daman that his boss was troubled by the events in Qing Province and ordered him to close the Prosperous Store and leave the capital immediately, going as far as possible. Dong Daman agreed, viewing it as the best course of action. However, Situ Lin then revealed he had to ensure Dong Daman's departure personally, killing him on the spot.
Si Heng arrived moments later, only to find Dong Daman dead, lamenting that he was a step too late. Situ Lin reported back to the Sixth Lord, confirming Dong Daman's death. The Sixth Lord, who had seen Situ Lin grow up and whose own father, Li Tianlong, had served him, expressed disappointment in Situ Lin's handling of the Qing Province situation, chastising him for lacking foresight.
The Sixth Lord revealed that he had been the one to praise Mei Shiqing to the Emperor for his success in eliminating the Salter Cartel and Dragon Stockade after his supposed marriage to the princess, prompting the Emperor to summon them. Situ Lin, however, reported that the real Lu Yingyao had returned to the Ninth Lord's Mansion. The Sixth Lord was unconcerned, stating that merely circulating rumors about a fake princess and ensuring the Emperor knew would suffice.
He then elaborated on his scheme: the Emperor would be furious upon hearing that the Mei family had neglected the princess, allowing her to be held captive in a bandit's stronghold, and then replaced her with an impostor. The Emperor would then order the Sixth Lord to bring them for questioning.
At that point, the Sixth Lord planned to accuse Mei Shiqing of arrogance and resentment over his father's demotion, claiming Mei Shiqing attacked his bodyguards, forcing the Sixth Lord to kill him in self-defense. When Situ Lin questioned the lack of concrete evidence, the Sixth Lord assured him that his own bodyguards would testify, as would people from the Ninth Lord's Mansion, even suggesting Situ Lin stab him to create more convincing proof.
Situ Lin, though hesitant, ultimately deferred to the Sixth Lord's command. Meanwhile, the Ninth Lord confronted Mei Changyun, accusing him of a heinous crime. Mei Changyun confessed his guilt, explaining that he had never met the true princess until receiving the Ninth Lord's secret letter. The Ninth Lord's priority was to resolve the issue by having Lu Yingyao and Mei Shiqing marry as originally planned.
Mei Changyun, however, expressed concern that the young couple, especially Mei Shiqing and Xiao Wanzi, who were deeply in love, would refuse and suffer greatly if separated. He proposed adopting Bao as his son, thus making him a member of the Mei family, and having Bao marry the princess. The Ninth Lord was outraged, refusing to allow his daughter to marry a "bandit" and storming off. The next day, the Ninth Lord summoned Lu Yingyao and Mei Shiqing.
He accused Xiao Wanzi and Bao of committing a grave crime, declaring they should be executed. Lu Yingyao, deeply disappointed, asked her father if he truly viewed her as merely a tool. She then threatened to die alongside Bao and Xiao Wanzi if he harmed them. The Ninth Lord, infuriated by her defiance, reminded them of their impending audience with the Emperor.
To save Bao and Xiao Wanzi, both Lu Yingyao and Mei Shiqing reluctantly agreed to go through with their marriage. After they left, the family steward, Liu, voiced his concerns to the Ninth Lord about leaving Bao and Xiao Wanzi alive, suggesting it could lead to future complications. He proposed secretly eliminating them the next day while Lu Yingyao and Mei Shiqing were at the palace. Unbeknownst to them, Lu Yingyao overheard this chilling conversation.
The following morning, as the carriage awaited to take Lu Yingyao and Mei Shiqing to the palace, Lu Yingyao insisted on seeing Bao and Xiao Wanzi first. She claimed she needed to explain her decision to marry Mei Shiqing to them, hoping they would accept it. Steward Liu, believing her, granted her access to the prison. Inside, Lu Yingyao secretly revealed her father's and Liu's murderous plot to Bao and Xiao Wanzi.
She informed them of her plan to rescue them and hide them in a small house once owned by her nanny. As they attempted their escape, Steward Liu confronted them. Lu Yingyao retorted that she had overheard his conversation with her father. A skirmish ensued, but Mei Changyun intervened, fighting Liu and allowing the four to flee. As they made their escape from the Ninth Lord's Mansion, the Ninth Lord arrived, furious at Mei Changyun for causing a disturbance.
Mei Changyun, however, declared he had something crucial to report to the Ninth Lord. Lu Yingyao led Bao and Xiao Wanzi to her nanny's secluded small house, assuring them of its safety. Bao expressed concerns about the safety of Lu Yingyao and Mei Shiqing going to the palace after helping them escape, and also worried about Mei Changyun's fate.
Lu Yingyao reassured him that her father valued his reputation above all else and would never let it be known that his daughter had been kidnapped. She hinted that Mei Changyun had a more important task to attend to. Suddenly, the Sixth Lord and Situ Lin appeared, surrounding the house. The Sixth Lord ordered Mei Shiqing's capture. Mei Shiqing, feigning surprise to see Situ Lin alive, asked why the Sixth Lord was there with him.
The Sixth Lord openly admitted his presence, remarking that he hoped to see them astonished. Mei Shiqing boldly challenged the Sixth Lord, revealing his awareness of the Sixth Lord's entire machinations, from sending Mei Changyun to Yong Province to orchestrating their return to the capital, and how he had been under constant surveillance. The Sixth Lord, pleased that Mei Shiqing understood, declared that he knew even more.
The Sixth Lord arrogantly boasted that this was "his capital" and that Mei Shiqing and his companions were "going to die anyway," so revealing his plans was of no consequence. Lu Yingyao countered, reminding him that they were en route to see the Emperor, who would surely punish him and investigate his motives if any harm befell them.
The Sixth Lord scoffed, asserting that he had already informed the Emperor that the Mei family had abandoned the princess to a bandit's lair and replaced her with an impostor, inciting the Emperor's fury. He claimed the Emperor had ordered him to bring them back for questioning, but now, he announced, "you can't go."
Mei Shiqing then sarcastically recounted the Sixth Lord's false narrative: Mei Shiqing, inflated by his Qing Province achievements, resented his father's demotion, attacked the Sixth Lord, and was consequently killed. The Sixth Lord elaborated, adding that Mei Shiqing, in a fit of madness, also killed the princess who had just escaped from the stockade, before fighting him to the death. To solidify his fabricated story, the Sixth Lord dramatically stabbed himself, proclaiming the wound as proof of Mei Shiqing's attack.
He announced that Mei Changyun had already been apprehended and that he was there to arrest them for deceiving the Emperor. Situ Lin, for his part, warned Mei Shiqing of the dire consequences of his actions and threatened to kill them all. At this critical moment, Mei Shiqing, seeking to buy time, offered to tell the Sixth Lord's fortune by analyzing the character "Wang" (王). Intrigued, the Sixth Lord agreed.
Mei Shiqing interpreted the character's three horizontal strokes as representing heaven, earth, and humanity, with the vertical stroke symbolizing a direct path to power, suggesting the Sixth Lord aimed not merely to be a duke, but to be "the Emperor." He revealed that the Sixth Lord's illicit salt trade was a means to secretly amass wealth for this grand plan.
Pressed for more information, Mei Shiqing continued, warning that "Wang" (王, lord) sounded similar to "Wang" (亡, death/doom) in Chinese, prophesying a tragic end if the Sixth Lord pushed too far. The Sixth Lord demanded to know how Mei Shiqing knew all this. Mei Shiqing calmly stated that killing Dong Daman had not erased all traces.
A flashback revealed a dying Dong Daman instructing Si Heng to ensure his wife and children left the capital and to seek information from his wife. This implied Si Heng had indeed acquired incriminating ledgers and information from Dong Daman's wife. Mei Shiqing then revealed that all the evidence was now where the Sixth Lord least wanted it to be: before the Emperor.
Simultaneously, at the Ninth Lord's Mansion, Mei Changyun confirmed to the Ninth Lord that the evidence against the Sixth Lord was irrefutable, and that the Sixth Lord was desperately trying to eliminate all witnesses. He warned that the Sixth Lord had already informed the Emperor about the fake princess, posing a threat to both the Ninth and Mei Mansions.
Mei Changyun urged the Ninth Lord to recognize the Sixth Lord's true intent of rebellion and to act decisively to prevent a catastrophe. The Ninth Lord, realizing the gravity of the situation, agreed that they had no choice but to "make a try" and immediately went with Mei Changyun to face the Emperor. Back at the small house, the Sixth Lord, realizing Mei Shiqing's "calculating" mind, furiously ordered his men to kill him.
Just then, Mei Changyun arrived with troops, declaring that the Emperor was aware of the Sixth Lord's treachery and had ordered his arrest. A fierce battle erupted. Situ Lin bravely defended the Sixth Lord but was ultimately killed by the Sixth Lord's own sword during the chaotic fight. Mei Changyun seized the opportunity to subdue the Sixth Lord. With the Sixth Lord's rebellion swiftly quelled, Mei Changyun returned to inform Mei Shiqing and his companions.
He explained that although the deception of the fake princess was a grave crime punishable by death for their entire families, the Emperor, considering their merits in eliminating the Salter Cartel, destroying the Dragon Stockade bandits, and providing crucial evidence against the Sixth Lord, decided to grant them clemency. Mei Changyun further revealed that Queen had interceded on their behalf, leading the Emperor to fulfill their true wishes.
Xiao Wanzi was granted the title of princess and betrothed to Mei Shiqing, the General of Qing. Bao was appointed Deputy General of Qing and was to marry Lu Yingyao. The Ninth Lord, though "totally surprised and confused," had no choice but to accept the imperial edict. Mei Changyun joyfully declared that after enduring so many hardships, they had finally found their "wishes fulfilled" and a "happy ending."
On their wedding day, under magnificent golden halls, the two couples entered for their ceremony. As they bowed to heaven and earth, then to their parents, and finally to each other, a slight worry lingered about another mix-up. However, as the grooms lifted their brides' veils, they confirmed their true loves, dispelling all fears and leaving them to embrace their long-awaited happiness.
