Unique Lady Season 3 Episode 18 Recap
> Unique Lady Season 3 Recap
Zhong Wumei, realizing the gravity of the situation, decided on a decisive move for the upcoming Sacrificial Offering Ceremony, which he felt he absolutely had to attend. He instructed Lin Luojing not to leave the mansion that day, telling her that if he didn't return on time, she was to immediately follow Zhang Ji and depart Sheng Jing. Lin Luojing, reminding him of his promise never to leave her behind again, urged him to return safely.
Zhong Wumei, in turn, reassured her, saying he still owed her a wedding and she owed him a child, so he would certainly come back unharmed. He confided in her that he feared Qi Yu might also be involved in the unfolding events. He also noted that the Royal Ancestral Temple, being far from the Palace, offered an opportunity for easy escape and transfer for their adversaries, but it was also their best chance to rescue His Majesty.
Meanwhile, Yu secretly met with Prince Jing Yuan, reporting that all preparations for the Sacrificial Offering Ceremony were complete. Prince Jing Yuan expressed his impatience, but also his concern that Yu might make a mistake because of her loyalty to Lin Luojing. Yu, however, pledged her unwavering loyalty to Prince Jing Yuan, reminding him that he had saved her when she was at her lowest.
She assured him that she knew who to serve and would never betray him, regardless of Lin Luojing's kindness. At the Sacrificial Offering Ceremony, the Emperor was conspicuously absent, with Eunuch Su presiding in his stead. When a minister attempted to discuss the matter of designating a crown prince, Prince Jing Yuan quickly interjected, asserting that His Majesty must be indisposed and that they should proceed according to his edict, as Eunuch Su was there on the Emperor's behalf.
Zhong Wumei, observing the Emperor's absence, inwardly noted that Prince Jing Yuan, or Jin Chen, as he called him, had taken precautions, confirming his suspicion that a fierce battle lay ahead, but his men, including Zhang Ji, were already moving to secure the secret passage.
Prince Jing Yuan then publicly brought up long-standing rumors concerning Zhong Wumei's lineage, suggesting they should be addressed and judged fairly before the ceremony, for the sake of Sheng Jing's stability and the designation of a crown prince. He insisted that if Zhong Wumei’s royal bloodline was found to be false, it would throw the realm into chaos. Zhong Wumei challenged Prince Jing Yuan to provide evidence, questioning the timing of these revived rumors.
Prince Jing Yuan countered that the rumors were decades old and, with the Emperor indisposed and the need for a crown prince urgent, the issue could no longer be ignored. When Zhong Wumei asked how he could dispel these doubts, Prince Jing Yuan proposed that Zhong Wumei activate the Crystal Bead, a family treasure said to only glow in the hands of a true member of the Zhong family, as proof of his identity.
Zhong Wumei countered by suggesting a traditional blood test with the Emperor, implicitly highlighting the Emperor’s absence. When Zhong Wumei pressed Eunuch Su for the Emperor's whereabouts, the Eunuch stammered evasively. Prince Jing Yuan then openly accused Zhong Wumei of having coerced the Emperor, inciting other ministers to demand the Emperor's appearance. Just as tensions escalated, Lin Luojing arrived at the ceremony, accompanied by Princess Chang Yuan, Zhong Ziyun.
Princess Chang Yuan announced that since the Emperor could not be present, her blood could be tested with Zhong Wumei's to prove his identity. The officials, realizing she was the long-unseen Princess Chang Yuan, paid their respects and acknowledged the validity of her proposal. Yu had suggested using a blood test to clear Zhong Wumei's name, and Lin Luojing, who already suspected Yu's involvement, agreed to the method. Lin Luojing then called for water for the test.
However, when the blood of Zhong Wumei, Princess Chang Yuan, and then Lin Luojing herself, all blended in the water, Zhong Wumei immediately suspected foul play. When ministers accused Xi Que, she vehemently denied tampering with the water, stating she had simply brought it from the well. Zhong Wumei quickly identified that alum had been added to the water. Lin Luojing then stepped forward, defending Xi Que and directly accusing Yu of being responsible for adding the alum.
Yu attempted to deflect blame, insisting she had not touched the water and that Xi Que was the only one who handled the basin. Xi Que, however, revealed that she had originally intended to get water from the nearest west side hall, but Yu had specifically directed her to the more distant east side hall.
Yu claimed she did this out of concern that the water in the west side hall, used by servants, might have impurities that would affect the test. Lin Luojing connected this incident to Yu’s earlier suggestion of using a blood test to clear Zhong Wumei's name, seeing a pattern of manipulation.
When Yu brought up Lin Luojing’s past suspicions about Xi Que, Lin Luojing questioned how Yu knew about those private doubts, which only she, Zhong Wumei, and Zhang Ji were privy to. She then exposed Yu as the true traitor, revealing how Yu had fabricated a story about Xi Que's father being ill, coerced Xi Que into writing a letter home for money, and then secretly swapped the letter's contents for messages in Qi Yu script.
Lin Luojing also pointed out the inconsistency in Yu's story about Xi Que sending silver tickets, when the mansion's accounting only dealt with silver taels, and Xi Que herself had a known preference for physical silver over paper money for security. Lin Luojing concluded that Yu’s actions were designed to gain her trust, frame Xi Que, and ultimately facilitate Prince Jing Yuan's larger conspiracy to undermine Zhong Wumei.
She then recounted Princess Chang Yuan's testimony: Princess Chang Yuan had seen Yu, disguised in a cloak, follow Lin Luojing to her meeting with Liu Xiuwen, an act designed to provoke suspicion and discord. Lin Luojing also pointed out that Xi Que's footprints found in a corner of Jiang's Private Kitchen were intentionally placed there by Yu to frame her.
Zhang Ji further corroborated these findings, reporting that he had seen Yu use flying skills to leave the mansion and dump items into a well near the Royal Ancestral Temple. Lin Luojing passionately declared that despite all evidence pointing to Xi Que, her trust in her maid had never wavered. With all her deceptions exposed, Yu could no longer deny her actions.
Prince Jing Yuan, attempting to salvage the situation, tried to have Yu imprisoned to prevent further revelations, but Zhong Wumei stopped him. Zhong Wumei then publicly accused Prince Jing Yuan of being Yu's mastermind, revealing that the special paper used in Yu's forged letter was exclusive to Prince Jing Yuan’s mansion and that Yu had been subtly watching Prince Jing Yuan since entering the Royal Ancestral Temple.
Faced with undeniable facts, Yu lashed out at Prince Jing Yuan, accusing him of murdering her parents and attempting to attack him. She then confessed that she had grown up in Qi Yu and that her parents were killed by the Jin clan of Sheng Jing. She had sought revenge, and though Lin Luojing had given her hope by taking her in, she ultimately failed to avenge her family.
Acknowledging Lin Luojing's kindness and mentioning another crucial benefactor in her life, Yu tragically took her own life as an act of final gratitude. Prince Jing Yuan, unaffected by her death, calmly stated he would remember her loyalty. As Prince Jing Yuan attempted to discredit Princess Chang Yuan's identity and Zhong Wumei prepared to activate the Crystal Bead to prove his lineage, Hua Yingchi suddenly appeared, stopping Zhong Wumei.
Immediately afterward, the Emperor himself arrived, proclaiming his ability to confirm Zhong Wumei and Princess Chang Yuan's relationship, rendering the Crystal Bead unnecessary. The Emperor confronted Prince Jing Yuan, revealing that Prince Jing Yuan's men had been captured by Zhong Wumei's imperial guards. The Emperor further exposed Prince Jing Yuan's treason, detailing how he had been imprisoned in a secret passage within the Palace, and praised Hua Yingchi and Zhong Wumei's imperial guards for rescuing him.
Hua Yingchi explained that the secret passage and its stone pillars were part of an ancient defense system established by the Tian Yi Clique for the Zhong family, inadvertently giving the Emperor a means to signal for help when confined by Prince Jing Yuan. The Emperor ordered Prince Jing Yuan's arrest and commended Lin Luojing for her sharp intellect, urging Zhong Wumei to cherish her.
He also tasked Zhong Wumei with overseeing governmental affairs and assisting the little Prince in his growth. Suddenly, Liu Xiuwen and Yi Yi appeared, leading an attack to rescue Prince Jing Yuan, who had just been apprehended. In the ensuing chaos, they managed to free Prince Jing Yuan and seize the Crystal Bead, with Zhong Wumei sustaining a scratch from Liu Xiuwen during the struggle. After the conflict subsided, Lin Luojing and Hua Yingchi finally reunited.
Lin Luojing immediately recognized him as her long-lost "Hua Hua" and expressed immense relief that he was alive, recalling his past rescues. Hua Yingchi explained that to awaken him, the Sect Leader had given him a Reviving Pellet, which, despite its powerful effects, had altered his appearance but also allowed him to act more freely. He apologized for not telling her sooner.
Lin Luojing, overjoyed, assured him she was just glad he was back and that his presence made her feel safe. When Hua Yingchi inquired about Zhong Wumei’s treatment of her, she confirmed that Zhong Wumei treated her very well. Zhong Wumei then expressed his deep gratitude to Hua Yingchi for his repeated assistance to the Zhong family, specifically mentioning how Hua Yingchi had forewarned him about Wen Ru Yu's poison.
Lin Luojing realized that "Hua Hua" was the anonymous benefactor Zhong Wumei often spoke of. Zhong Wumei, recalling some of Lin Luojing’s playful taunts about him being inferior to “Hua Hua,” playfully threatened to cut down all the flowers in his backyard, including the cosmos sent by the Emperor, in a display of jealous affection. Lin Luojing teasingly called him the "King of Jealousy." She then reminded him of another instance at the Wen Xiang Lou beauty contest where "Hua Hua" had saved her, leading to accusations of her meeting a man.
