Under the Power Episode 23 Recap, Plot

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Beggar instructs Yuan Jinxia to feed Lu Yi his medicine mouth-to-mouth, then quickly slips away, leaving her to grapple with the task. Hesitantly, Yuan Jinxia tries to administer the medicine, but Lu Yi remains unresponsive. Seeing him in obvious pain, she resolves herself, taking the medicine into her mouth and carefully feeding it to him. She continues until Lu Yi suddenly bites her lip. Though wounded, Yuan Jinxia is relieved that Lu Yi has finally taken the medicine.

From outside, Lin Ling observes the scene, choosing not to enter. She worries about Jinxia’s rapidly worsening condition, noting that the snake poison is spreading unusually fast and fearing that even if Lu Yi is saved, it will be too late to cure her. The poison takes its toll on Jinxia, causing her hand to tremble uncontrollably as she privately fears for her life. Yuan Jinxia tries to hide her snake-bitten hand as Shangguan Xi arrives with snacks.

She dismisses her paleness as a cold and invents a story about biting her own lip because she missed eating meat. Shangguan Xi mentions that Yang Yue is preparing soup and Xie Xiao is making medicine for her. Shangguan Xi then asks if Jinxia and Yang Yue have considered being more than friends, but Jinxia vehemently rejects the idea, stating they are better as buddies. After Shangguan Xi departs, Jinxia steels herself, determined to hold on until Lu Yi recovers.

When Lu Yi regains consciousness, he finds Jinxia asleep by his bedside. Waking to his recovery, she is overjoyed, though Beggar notes her face is ashen. Lu Yi asks about her injured lip, and Jinxia quickly fabricates a story about tripping over a stone. Beggar, aware of the truth, interjects with a cryptic comment that it's all Lu Yi's fault, nearly revealing the secret. Alarmed, Jinxia quickly cuts him off to maintain her cover.

Lin Ling examines Lu Yi, confirming that his pulses are normalizing and his life is no longer in danger. Delighted, Yuan Jinxia insists that Beggar rest while she personally cares for Lu Yi, an act Lu Yi finds both touching and unusual. Meanwhile, in the capital, Yan Shifan returns and questions Yan Feng about recent developments. He learns that the Emperor appointed Wu Shouxu as the Director-general of the Southeast, a move Yan Shifan views as an affront.

Yan Feng also informs him that the craftsman tasked with framing the "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" painting reported that there was "something wrong" with it. Yan Shifan dismisses the matter for the time being. Back at the cottage, Yang Yue prepares snacks for Shangguan Xi, prompting Jinxia to playfully accuse him of neglecting her.

Seeing her pale complexion, Yang Yue explains he has made her a special porridge to nourish her blood and improve her Qi, touching her deeply. After he leaves, Jinxia suddenly coughs up a mouthful of blood. She begs Lin Ling, who rushes to her side, to keep her condition a secret, but Lin Ling grimly warns that the poison has become far more complex.

Lin Ling insists Yuan Jinxia change her blood-stained clothes, offering her a beautiful dress she has kept for a long time. Jinxia is deeply moved by the kindness, affectionately calling her "Aunt Lin." Lin Ling also provides eggs for Jinxia to wash her hair with, emphasizing the importance of hair care for a girl. As Lin Ling helps comb her hair, she is struck by Jinxia’s strong resemblance to an old friend.

Jinxia then confronts Lin Ling about her grave warning. Lin Ling explains that unlike Lu Yi's poison, the snake venom in Jinxia's body will cause excruciating, bone-penetrating pain. She reveals that the poison has spread faster than expected and she fears Jinxia "won't live beyond three days," though she vows to do everything in her power to save her. Despite the devastating news, Jinxia bravely feigns composure.

After she leaves, Lin Ling reflects on Jinxia's likable nature, resolving to fight for her life even with slim hope. Feeling the weight of her impending death, Jinxia is heartbroken, realizing she has so many unfinished tasks and chastising herself for her impulsive sacrifice. She adds a few drops of her own blood to Lu Yi's medicine before bringing it to him.

Lu Yi, seeing her in the unfamiliar dress, remarks that she looks "more girly" but he is "not used to it." Jinxia then asks if he would be sad if she were no longer with him. Confused, Lu Yi questions if she is hiding something, which she denies. As she turns to leave, he calls her back, admitting that perhaps he would indeed be sad.

The strange conversation, combined with her injury and pale appearance, leaves Lu Yi with an ominous feeling that something is being hidden from him. Later, Xie Xiao finds Yuan Jinxia hunched over in pain. She dismisses his concern, claiming it was just a stomachache. She asks him about the afterlife, expressing her own wish to be reincarnated into a wealthy family with both parents. Xie Xiao suggests she could become a wealthy man's wife in this life by marrying him.

Touched, Jinxia tells him she is happy to have him as a friend before asking to be left alone. Once he leaves, she breaks down in tears, fearing there may not be a next life. Elsewhere, Beggar voices his concern to Lin Ling about Jinxia's deteriorating health. Lin Ling explains that the poison is spreading faster than anticipated and has begun to reach Jinxia's vital organs.

She fears that by the time Lu Yi is fully detoxified, it will be too late to save Jinxia from fatal organ failure. Desperate, Beggar offers to help her search through their master's old medical books for a solution. Yuan Jinxia pens farewell letters to her friends. In the letter, she reveals she is dying and won't live past the next day, apologizing for leaving without a direct farewell.

She asks Yang Yue to pass on her regrets to their master and instructs her friends to retrieve money she buried at home for her mother. She specifically asks Lu Yi to apply for compensation for her "death in the line of duty" so her mother can live comfortably. She leaves his badge and sword outside the door.

Her friends discover the letters and are in disbelief until Beggar reveals the full truth: Jinxia willingly subjected herself to snake poison to act as a living antidote for Lu Yi. Hidden nearby, Lu Yi overhears this shocking revelation as he reads the letter she left for him. Enraged, Xie Xiao grabs Beggar, accusing him of murder, but Shangguan Xi intervenes, urging them to split up and search for Jinxia.

Meanwhile, Jinxia wanders aimlessly, lamenting that as an orphan, she has no place to go. As Lu Yi frantically searches for her, she finds a dilapidated hut, reflecting on the grimness of waiting for death alone in such a desolate place.

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