Weaving a Tale of Love Episode 1 Recap
> Weaving a Tale of Love Recap
During the prosperous Zhenguan era of Emperor Taizong, the capital city of Chang'an buzzed with activity, and its people lived in peace. Among the city's renowned clothing establishments was the Ruyi Dyeing Shop, managed by An Silang and his sister, Master An, who was once known as the "best embroiderer under heaven" in the palace's Wardrobe Service.
After witnessing the palace's cutthroat politics, Master An had retired with the permission of Empress Zhangsun to live a quiet life with her daughter, Kudi Liuli. One day, Cairen Wu, recently appointed as a cairen, arrived at the Ruyi Dyeing Shop with her mother to commission an auspicious gown for her impending entry into the palace. Kudi Liuli, a young girl at the time, secretly observed the interaction from behind a screen.
Cairen Wu praised the shop's exquisite embroidery and unique designs, expressing her desire for the most unique auspicious gown in all of Chang'an. Her demanding mother then laid out stringent requirements, insisting the gown must adhere to palace regulations while also being innovative, auspicious, elegant, subtle, and unforgettable. Hearing the word "palace" stirred unease in Master An. An Silang initially expressed humility, suggesting their skills were more suited for commoners than for the imperial palace.
However, young Kudi Liuli, unaware of her mother's past, enthusiastically vouched for Master An's unparalleled skill and kind heart, promising Cairen Wu would be the most beautiful bride if her mother made the gown. Cairen Wu's mother then pressed the issue, threatening to harm the shop's reputation if they refused, suggesting their incompetence for palace-level work. Master An reluctantly agreed to take on the commission, but cautioned that she should not be blamed if her efforts did not meet expectations.
Cairen Wu assured them that if they tried their best, she would not hold them responsible. Meanwhile, within the palace, Minister Lin, the head of the Wardrobe Service, harshly admonished her embroiderers for their carelessness, reminding them that their work was more precious than their lives and served the dignity of the nobility. She was deeply concerned by rumors that Consort Yang, whom she had previously neglected, was to be named the new empress.
To mend her past oversight, Minister Lin decided to personally deliver Consort Yang's seasonal clothes. Zhuo Jinniang, Master An's only apprentice, seized this opportunity. She cleverly suggested preparing Consort Yang's ceremonial robe of the empress immediately, even before an official edict was issued, to demonstrate foresight and loyalty. Minister Lin was impressed by Zhuo Jinniang's initiative and, lamenting the absence of Master An, asked who could undertake such a critical task.
Zhuo Jinniang eagerly volunteered, highlighting her status as Master An's sole disciple. Confident in her abilities, Zhuo Jinniang secured Minister Lin's promise of the esteemed "master of the Wardrobe Service" title if she successfully crafted a robe pleasing to the new empress. Despite Master An's strict prohibition against her learning embroidery, Kudi Liuli secretly cultivated her talent. Her friend, Shanhu, was captivated by a camellia-embroidered handkerchief Liuli had made.
Liuli explained that she secretly practiced using a dull golden needle—a unique item that her mother, Master An, wouldn't regularly check. Shanhu, intrigued and envious, wanted to learn from Liuli and asked for the handkerchief as a pledge, threatening to tell Liuli's parents if she reneged on her promise. Liuli agreed and gave her the handkerchief, but a sudden gust of wind carried it away.
Sometime later, Zhuo Jinniang presented her finished ceremonial robe to Minister Lin, only to face severe criticism. Minister Lin was profoundly disappointed, deeming Zhuo Jinniang's work far inferior to Master An's legendary embroidery, which had once adorned Empress Zhangsun's ceremonial robe. Minister Lin accused Zhuo Jinniang of lacking true talent and declared any further attempts to modify the robe would be useless.
She asserted that the only way to salvage the situation was to find Master An and bring her back to modify the robe. When Zhuo Jinniang expressed her inability to locate her master, Minister Lin accused her of deliberately concealing Master An's whereabouts to secure the master title for herself.
She menacingly reminded Zhuo Jinniang that failing to produce a satisfactory robe could lead to charges of incompetence or even disrespect towards the new empress, both capital offenses, forcing Zhuo Jinniang to choose between finding Master An or facing execution. Driven by desperation, Zhuo Jinniang finally tracked Master An to Kudi's Mansion. A servant initially denied Master An's presence, but Zhuo Jinniang, a court lady, insisted on seeing her old acquaintance.
Master An, upon seeing her former apprentice, noted the disruption to her peaceful life and instructed her maid, Ye, to keep Kudi Liuli away. Zhuo Jinniang then implored Master An to modify the robe, explaining her predicament and the severe consequences she faced from Minister Lin. Master An initially refused, reiterating her desire to remain detached from palace affairs, a privilege granted by the late Empress Zhangsun. However, Zhuo Jinniang retaliated with veiled threats.
She warned that if the robe remained unacceptable, she would be forced to reveal Master An's location and unparalleled skill to the new empress. This would undoubtedly result in an imperial edict for Master An to return, an order defiance of which would be a capital offense. Zhuo Jinniang then subtly brought up the name "Liuli," implying knowledge of Master An's daughter and threatening her family's safety.
Seeing her family and daughter in peril, Master An, though noting Zhuo Jinniang's ruthless transformation, reluctantly agreed to help under one condition: Zhuo Jinniang must never reveal that Master An had a daughter. Zhuo Jinniang swore a solemn oath. Master An instructed her to leave the robe and return in seven days, also warning Zhuo Jinniang that to secure her desired "master" title, she must claim the modified robe as entirely her own work.
Before leaving, Zhuo Jinniang, with insatiable ambition, made one last request: Master An's golden needle, the symbol of the "best embroiderer under heaven," claiming it would legitimize her position and bring honor to their school. Master An refused, remarking on Zhuo Jinniang's greed. Back home, Master An discovered Kudi Liuli secretly attempting to embroider a handkerchief with the golden needle. Seeing the exquisite craftsmanship Liuli had achieved with the dull needle, Master An was both amazed and deeply troubled.
She tearfully questioned why Liuli wouldn't heed her warnings, explaining that while embroidery itself wasn't bad, exceptional skill was like "a precious stone that lands its innocent possessor in jail." She revealed that her own talents had forced her into the palace's deadly power struggles, and she desperately wanted to prevent Liuli from suffering the same fate. Master An confessed her profound fear, stating that Liuli's extraordinary talent only amplified her worries.
While Master An wrestled with her fears, her husband, Kudi Yanzhong, and his sister, Cao, discussed Master An's precarious situation. Cao suggested a drastic measure: preparing a divorce paper for Master An as a contingency. She argued that if Consort Yang failed to become empress, the divorce paper would serve as proof of the Kudi family's disassociation from Master An, thereby protecting their family and reputation, especially Kudi Liuli.
To save her family from ruin, Master An sadly agreed to this plan, urging her husband to write the document and sever ties with her. Accepting her dire circumstances, Master An resolved to secure Kudi Liuli's future. Recognizing Liuli's innate talent for clothing design, Master An decided to fully impart her skills to her daughter. She gave Liuli her comprehensive tailoring notes, instructing her to memorize everything, then burn them immediately, and never reveal the secrets to anyone.
Master An also entrusted Kudi Liuli with the golden needle, a symbolic token of the "best embroiderer under heaven" bestowed by the late empress. She explained that Kudi Liuli would be sent to the Wu's Mansion for seven days to complete the finishing touches on Cairen Wu's dress.
Master An promised to retrieve Liuli herself in seven days, but gave her solemn instructions: if she did not return, Liuli must not go back home, but instead ask Cairen Wu to send her to a nunnery, never to reveal her true identity as the daughter of Master An. Kudi Liuli, distressed by the impending separation and the gravity of her mother's words, tearfully agreed, promising to obey. Master An reassured her daughter that these measures were for her safety.
Meanwhile, young Pei Xingjian, a scholar on his way to Chang'an for the imperial examinations, encountered the esteemed General Su Dingfang returning from a successful military campaign. Filled with admiration, Pei Xingjian followed the general to a temple, begging to be accepted as his student. General Su, initially annoyed, tested Pei Xingjian by asking him to shoot the highest and most beautiful camellia flower from a nearby tea tree.
Pei Xingjian aimed and shot, but instead of a flower, he struck the very camellia-embroidered handkerchief that Kudi Liuli had lost earlier. General Su dismissed him, deeming him superficial. However, the abbot of the temple interceded, remarking on the unusual coincidence of hitting the only "fake" flower among hundreds.
Swayed by the abbot's words, General Su reluctantly agreed to reconsider, instructing Pei Xingjian to wait outside the temple for a few days, and if fate truly brought them together again, he would take him as a student, provided Pei Xingjian never entered the temple grounds.
