Under the Power Episode 34 Recap
> Under the Power Recap
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Following the events at the hairpin competition, Min tearfully explains to her father, Mr. Chunyu, that she was forced to hide overnight with Sima Chang'an to evade bandits. The resulting rumors have caused her great distress, and to quell the gossip, she pleads with him to arrange her marriage to her cousin, Lu Yi, whom she has always loved.
Mr. Chunyu is open to the idea of strengthening their family ties but worries that the exceptionally talented Lu Yi may not reciprocate her feelings. Confident, Min insists she can win him over. Meanwhile, the Emperor, displeased with the quality of the new elixirs since Master Yuanming’s death, inquires about a rumored alchemist.
An attendant tells him of Lan Qingxuan, a reclusive Taoist in the Serenity Cottage who is said to be a master of many arts, including alchemy, and whose predictions are unerringly accurate. However, he is notoriously arrogant, refusing private consultations and requiring all visitors to queue for a number card. Intrigued, the Emperor decides to visit him in disguise. At the Serenity Cottage, the Emperor and his attendant are told to join the long queue.
Impatient, the attendant pays a peddler 20 taels for an immediate access ticket. Inside, Lan Qingxuan discerns they jumped the queue by observing their dry clothes, unlike the frost-dampened attire of those who had waited since dawn. He returns their money and asks them to leave, stating he only advises the sincere. The attendant is furious, but the Emperor calmly explains they merely sought efficiency. Intrigued by the Emperor's composed demeanor, Lan Qingxuan agrees to a consultation.
The Emperor provides his birthdate, and after a quick calculation, Lan Qingxuan is astonished, declaring it the destiny of an emperor who will rule over all and enjoy peace. The Emperor dismisses this, claiming a humble marketplace upbringing and accusing Lan Qingxuan of seeking fame. In response, Lan Qingxuan proposes a bet: within ten days, a riot will erupt in the southeast.
If he is wrong, he will leave the capital forever; if right, the Emperor must give him his jade pendant. Upon seeing the pendant, Lan Qingxuan recognizes the imperial seal and, realizing he is addressing the Emperor, bows in apology. The Emperor tells him to rise, acknowledging his fortune-telling was accurate. Back at the Chunyu residence, a matchmaker arrives with lavish gifts, announcing that Sima Chang'an has been lovesick for Min since the hairpin competition and wishes to propose.
Min adamantly refuses, declaring she would never marry him. Her newly returned brother, Qi, scorns Sima Chang'an as a mere civilian with "filthy lucre," unworthy of his sister. Elsewhere, Di Lanye confronts Dong Qisheng, accusing him of reckless extortion through abduction, which has displeased their superior, Yan Shifan. Dong Qisheng defiantly states he only obeys the Chief. Di Lanye warns him of the dangers of his unsanctioned operations in Hangzhou.
Dong Qisheng then reveals his captives: a beaten and injured Shangguan Xi and Yang Yue. When Shangguan Xi sarcastically mentions his alliance with his enemy, Di Lanye confesses that she was the one who destroyed Dong's Sect on the Water, killing over 100 people on Yan Shifan's orders. Though furious, Dong Qisheng accepts this. Citing Yan Shifan’s orders, Di Lanye demands both prisoners to aid her investigation of Yuan Jinxia. Dong Qisheng agrees to release only one.
Di Lanye chooses Shangguan Xi, but she refuses to leave without Yang Yue, threatening to die before being separated. Left with no choice, Di Lanye takes Yang Yue, telling Shangguan Xi she has done all she could for a former friend. At a restaurant, Lu Yi finds Yuan Jinxia too consumed with worry for their friends to eat. He reassures her he has a lead, which instantly revives her spirits, and she proceeds to order the most expensive dishes.
Lu Yi explains that Cen Fu found footsteps and a drag mark near the Viewing Pavilion, indicating an injury, and that he has sent Xie Xiao to follow the trail. They then overhear patrons discussing how Chunyu Qi, the royal merchant's son, killed the head butler of the powerful Sima salt merchant family over a courtesan. Lu Yi’s expression darkens. Mr. Chunyu beats his son, Qi, for the murder.
To save Qi from a ruined official career, he decides to marry Min to Sima Chang'an. A desperate Min rushes to Lu Yi, begging him to marry her instead, arguing Sima Chang'an would not dare oppose the Lu family. She even offers to be his concubine, aware of his feelings for Yuan Jinxia. Lu Yi coldly refuses, stating that one wife is enough. Heartbroken, Min calls him cold-blooded, but he retorts that Embroidered Uniform Guards are inherently so.
As Min storms out, she passes Yuan Jinxia, who questions Lu Yi's inaction. He explains that the Sima family is too powerful; pressing the matter could destroy not just Qi's future but the Chunyu family's status as royal merchants, which depends on the Lu family's support. He reveals he has already sent Cen Fu to the local government to attempt mediation. Yang Yue awakens to find Di Lanye has rescued him.
Frantic for Shangguan Xi, he insists on returning to save her. Di Lanye reveals that Shangguan Xi selflessly chose to save him, giving him the only chance of escape. Min is informed her wedding is in three days. Realizing her mother prioritizes Qi's fate, she resolves to escape. Meanwhile, Lu Yi's investigation reveals that the courtesan at the center of the dispute was bought out and has vanished, leading him to suspect Qi was framed.
Using a small knife, Shangguan Xi cuts her restraints and tries to escape, but is nearly caught. Yang Yue, having returned, creates a diversion, and they flee together, only to be cornered by Dong Qisheng at a cliff. Dong Qisheng taunts them, demanding Shangguan Xi kneel and beg for Yang Yue's life, just as Yang Yue had once done for her. She kneels, but Yang Yue, unable to bear her humiliation, attacks Dong Qisheng.
In the ensuing struggle, both men tumble over the cliff. As Dong's men move to kill Shangguan Xi, Di Lanye arrives and saves her. Ignoring her injuries, Shangguan Xi rushes to the cliff's bottom to search for Yang Yue, refusing to believe he is dead, and Di Lanye accompanies her. The night before the wedding, Min attempts to flee but is caught by Yuan Jinxia, who mistakes her for a thief. Enraged, Mr. Chunyu confines Min to her room.
Lu Yi later secretly visits her with a daring plan: she must proceed with the wedding, but once at the Sima residence, she is to take a drug that induces a state of suspended animation. Her apparent death in Sima Chang'an's home will give the Chunyu family leverage to force him to drop the charges against Qi. The cost is that Min must abandon her identity forever.
Realizing this is her only way to save her brother and her family's status, she agrees. On the wedding day, as Xie Xiao continues the search for Shangguan Xi and Yang Yue, Mrs. Chunyu emotionally prepares a composed Min for the ceremony. Min feigns acceptance, reassuring her mother she understands the sacrifice is for her brother's sake, earning her mother's tearful relief.
