Under the Power Episode 35 Recap, Plot

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Chunyu Min had her servant prepare wine and invited Yuan Jinxia to her room, claiming she had reflected deeply overnight. She tearfully admitted that their complicated relationship was her fault, born of her own misguided feelings, and that she now wished to reconcile before her wedding. Yuan Jinxia, initially cautious, was swayed by Min's seemingly sincere apology and her lament about the lack of agency women held, where parents always favored their sons.

Min then proposed a toast to put all their past enmity behind them, even asking if Yuan Jinxia feared poison when she hesitated. Yuan Jinxia eventually drank the wine, only to realize too late that it was drugged. Min then revealed her true intention: Yuan Jinxia was to marry Sima Chang'an in her place. Min's maid, Yuan Yang, briefly questioned the plan but complied under Min's insistence.

As the bride-welcoming party arrived, Yuan Yang, following Min's instructions, tearfully informed the Chunyu Master and Madam that Min had fainted from overwhelming grief. Fearing the powerful Sima family, the Chunyu parents agreed to carry the unconscious bride to the Sima mansion, considering the ceremony half complete. Sima Chang'an readily agreed, promising to withdraw the lawsuit against the Chunyu family after the wedding. Yuan Jinxia, her face covered by the bridal veil, was carried away.

Unbeknownst to them, Lu Yi and Xie Xiao, who were also searching for Yuan Jinxia, did not recognize the bride as she was taken. Min, meanwhile, slipped away to hide. In the imperial palace, the Emperor expressed disappointment over the lack of important reports, particularly from the Jiangzhe region regarding any unusual phenomena. He openly doubted the Taoist priest Lan Qingxuan, believing him to be a charlatan who used his reputation to swindle money.

He ordered his eunuch, Li Fang, to retrieve the jade that had been wagered and to immediately banish Lan Qingxuan from the capital. Meanwhile, Yuan Jinxia awoke in the bridal chamber, her mind hazy from the drug. Realizing her predicament, she resolved to escape but noticed a heavy presence of guards outside. Puzzled by the unusual number of guards for a salt merchant's residence, she attempted to flee through a window, only to be immediately discovered and seized.

Back in the capital, Li Fang confronted Lan Qingxuan, informing him that the bet with the Emperor was due and that since no strange phenomena had occurred, he was to return the jade and leave. Lan Qingxuan vehemently denied this, stating that his predictions indicated the strange phenomena had occurred and that someone must have deliberately withheld the reports from the Emperor. He boldly staked his own head as a guarantee, urging the Emperor to investigate the Jiangzhe region thoroughly.

Back at the Sima mansion, Yuan Jinxia found herself bound, just as Yan Shifan, dressed in wedding attire, entered the room. Both were visibly surprised to see each other. Lu Yi grew increasingly anxious about Yuan Jinxia’s whereabouts. Cen Fu reported that some servants had seen Yuan Jinxia with Yuan Yang. Lu Yi found this suspicious, knowing Yuan Yang was Min’s personal maid and should have accompanied her to the wedding.

Reflecting on Yuan Jinxia’s character and the circumstances of the wedding, Lu Yi deduced that the true bride taken to Sima Chang'an's mansion was Yuan Jinxia. He immediately set off for the Sima mansion. Inside the bridal chamber, Yuan Jinxia pleaded with Yan Shifan to untie her, explaining she was not his intended bride and had been drugged. Yan Shifan, however, was in a playful mood, questioning why she was there and then accusing her of following him.

Ignoring her protests, he began to accost her, stating that a wedding night naturally involved intimacy. Just as Yuan Jinxia cried out in distress, Lu Yi and Cen Fu burst into the room. Lu Yi was surprised to find Yan Shifan there but focused immediately on the vulnerable Yuan Jinxia. Yan Shifan, amused, pulled Yuan Jinxia into his lap, caressed her face, and provocatively declared she was his and Lu Yi had no right to take her.

Lu Yi sharply reminded Yan Shifan that his identity as Sima Chang'an was a sham, rendering the marriage null and void, especially since the bride was a substitute. Yan Shifan remained defiant, even leaning in close to Yuan Jinxia’s neck, causing her to shriek in fear.

Unable to tolerate it any longer, Lu Yi rushed forward, pulled Yuan Jinxia from Yan Shifan's grasp, and, ignoring Yan Shifan's veiled threats, declared that since he had come, he would certainly take her with him. Yan Shifan, after a moment, instructed his guard, Yan Feng, to let them go, ominously stating that the future was long. Lu Yi carried the disheveled Yuan Jinxia out, then helped her onto his horse, riding back towards the Chunyu mansion.

After escorting Yuan Jinxia to a room in the Chunyu mansion, Lu Yi prepared to leave, but Yuan Jinxia called out to him. She confessed that she had felt truly hopeless, believing she couldn't escape her fate, until he appeared. She then asked if offending Yan Shifan for her sake was truly worth it.

Lu Yi turned, pulled her into a tender embrace, and revealed that while he could tolerate Yan Shifan's transgressions against himself, he could not bear to see Yuan Jinxia harmed in the slightest. He confessed that while he had often wondered about the woman he would one day marry and have children with, he had never imagined it would be her. He gently kissed her forehead, his eyes full of tenderness.

Yuan Jinxia cautiously nestled into his arms, tears silently streaming down her face. Later, the Chunyu Master, having apprehended his daughter, brought Min to the Sima mansion. Yan Shifan, appearing indifferent, instructed the Chunyu Master to leave Min with him and then forcibly dragged her into the bridal chamber, questioning her audacity and implying a harsh reprisal for having tricked him. The following morning, Yuan Jinxia awoke, disbelieving that the events of the previous night were not a dream.

Clutching her blanket, she giggled softly to herself, reveling in the realization that Lu Yi loved her. In stark contrast, Min, having endured a night of torment at Yan Shifan's hands, seethed with hatred for everyone. Meanwhile, the Emperor, following up on Lan Qingxuan's earlier claims, discovered that serious civilian conflicts in the Wu and Kang districts had resulted in tens of thousands of casualties over a week ago, and the local prefect's reports had been deliberately suppressed.

Realizing the truth in Lan Qingxuan's words, the Emperor acknowledged his virtues. Commander Lu Ting's investigation confirmed Lan Qingxuan was an orphaned disciple of Master Yuanming, a devout Taoist hermit, and under the protection of Sir Yang Ming. Convinced, the Emperor ordered Li Fang to invite Lan Qingxuan to the palace. Yuan Jinxia, still processing recent events, suggested exposing Sima Chang'an and Yan Shifan as the same person.

However, Lu Yi cautioned her, reminding her that Chunyu Kai, Min's brother, was still in Yan Shifan's custody, meaning the Chunyu parents would not easily change their stance. Lu Yi affirmed that he had done everything he could for Min, but since she had chosen to harm Yuan Jinxia, he would naturally protect his own. Yuan Jinxia then playfully asked if he would still be fair and just if she were to make a mistake in the future.

Lu Yi responded affirmatively, adding that she should behave well and always follow his instructions to avoid any missteps. Lu Yi admitted his surprise at Yan Shifan's willingness to fake an identity. Yuan Jinxia recounted her fear upon realizing Yan Shifan was the groom, and mentioned his previous two marriages, questioning why he would come to Hangzhou to act as a businessman and marry common girls.

She then recalled hearing at the Sima mansion that the dowry included a land contract for the Chunyu family's western stables, speculating that Yan Shifan's true motive for marrying Min was this land. Lu Yi agreed, concluding there must be a deeper, hidden reason behind Yan Shifan's actions. The Emperor summoned his trusted ministers to a grand announcement.

He proclaimed that he and Lan Qingxuan had successfully forged a miraculous Dan medicine from rare herbs, which would prolong lifespan and improve circulation, and generously distributed the pills to his officials. Subsequently, Lan Qingxuan sent a secret message to Lu Yi, delivered by a messenger and promptly burned by Cen Fu under Lu Yi's instruction.

The message confirmed that Lan Qingxuan, with the help of Sir Xu, had gained the Emperor's trust and was now by his side, signaling that Lu Yi could now proceed with his plan. Meanwhile, Shangguan Xi, still heavily injured, relentlessly searched for Yang Yue. Di Lanye desperately tried to make her eat some fruit, scolding her for starving herself and worrying that Shangguan Xi would die if she continued this way.

Di Lanye questioned what Shangguan Xi would do if Yang Yue was never found, but Shangguan Xi remained resolute, believing that if Yang Yue was still alive, she would certainly find him. After finishing the fruit, Shangguan Xi, despite her weakness, pushed herself to her feet and continued her determined search.

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