Wonderful Fate Episode 6 Recap
> Wonderful Fate Recap
In a fleeting memory, or perhaps a dream, Li Fuzhu found herself back in her modern-day school. She was publicly chastised for allegedly writing a love letter to a male student named Xia from another class, despite repeating a grade twice. After the commotion, Li Fuzhu apologized to her friend for having used her name on the love letter. As other students ridiculed Li Fuzhu's looks and academic struggles, Li Fuzhu defended her friend against their cruel body-shaming remarks.
The two friends reconciled over a promise of hotpot. Back in the palace, an official reported to Tai Hou and Yun Yi that the fire in the Imperial Garden had been extinguished. Ruan Qing was the only one reportedly injured, having fainted from smoke inhalation after rushing into the flames. Tai Hou, furious about the destruction of her precious plants, prepared to punish Li Fuzhu. However, Lan Er quickly intervened, falsely confessing to causing the fire.
She claimed to have lost a hairpin given to her by Tai Hou and, while searching for it in the dark with an oil lamp, accidentally knocked it over. Despite Li Fuzhu’s attempts to confess, Lan Er silenced her. Enraged by the irreparable loss of her rare and exotic plants, Tai Hou ordered Lan Er’s execution. Li Fuzhu desperately pleaded on Lan Er’s behalf, insisting the fault was hers.
Yun Yi then stepped in, proposing that Ruan Qing’s injury was of paramount concern. He suggested that Lan Er be flogged twenty times for now, and a final decision would be made after Ruan Qing's condition was assessed. Tai Hou reluctantly agreed. Lan Er later thanked Yun Yi for saving her life. Tai Hou and Yun Yi then visited Ruan Qing, where Imperial Physician Chen confirmed that Ruan Qing's injuries were not severe, thanks to timely treatment.
Ruan Qing feigned modesty, apologizing for the trouble and claiming she only acted to protect Tai Hou and Yun Yi’s palaces, even if it meant sacrificing her own life. Tai Hou, seemingly touched by Ruan Qing's supposed selflessness, instructed Yun Yi to visit her more often, entrusting Ruan Qing to his care. Tai Hou also announced her intention to inform Ruan Qing’s father, the State Preceptor, of her injury.
Ruan Qing, despite appearing concerned for her father's worry, eventually conceded to Tai Hou's insistence, subtly reinforcing her "kind" image. Meanwhile, Li Fuzhu tended to Lan Er's badly flogged body, applying medicine. Li Fuzhu questioned why Lan Er had "carried her pot," or taken the blame. Lan Er tearfully explained that Li Fuzhu was the only one who had ever treated her as an equal, not a servant, and that she was willing to repay Li Fuzhu with extreme sacrifice.
Touched, Li Fuzhu promised that they would be best sisters, and she would protect Lan Er from any further harm. Just then, Guard Hong entered to deliver medicine for Lan Er and, in an accidental moment, caught a glimpse of Lan Er’s exposed back. Lan Er began to consider if she should marry Guard Hong, referencing the ancient custom that if a man saw a woman's body, he had to marry her.
Li Fuzhu then dismissed it as an outdated notion, joking that doctors would have hundreds of wives if that were true. Li Fuzhu then went to the Imperial Kitchen to get some delicious food for Lan Er, who excitedly requested two jin of meat. At the Imperial Kitchen, Chef Xue expressed his dismay over the Imperial Garden fire. He worried that since the Imperial Kitchen was responsible for fire control in the palace, the incident would bring shame upon them.
Later, Ruan Qing, still nursing her fake injuries, discussed her deception with an unnamed attendant (likely the Imperial Physician Chen), warning him to keep her true condition a secret and refusing his offered silver, asserting that serving the State Preceptor was honor enough. Back in her chamber, Ruan Qing grew impatient waiting for Li Fuzhu to facilitate her marriage to Yun Yi. She sent her maid, Bi'er, to summon Li Fuzhu immediately, despite the late hour.
Bi'er found Li Fuzhu happily sharing the delicious food she had prepared for Lan Er. Li Fuzhu tried to postpone the visit until morning, but Bi'er, emboldened by Ruan Qing's impending status as empress, threatened her. Lan Er, loyal to Li Fuzhu, spoke up against Bi'er's arrogance. Li Fuzhu then offered Bi'er some of Chef Xue's special dishes from the Imperial Kitchen. While Bi'er was distracted, secretly indulging in the food despite her initial disdain, Li Fuzhu quietly slipped away.
When Bi'er returned to Ruan Qing with greasy lips, Ruan Qing deduced that Li Fuzhu was deliberately avoiding her, angrily hit Bi'er, and vowed revenge. Hidden nearby, Li Fuzhu overheard an intimate conversation between Yun Yi and Tai Hou. Yun Yi questioned Tai Hou’s decision to inform the State Preceptor about Ruan Qing’s minor injury, fearing it would only cause more trouble.
Tai Hou explained that the State Preceptor had many informants, and it was better to proactively inform him rather than risk his wrath. She reiterated her demand for Yun Yi to spend more time with Ruan Qing to solidify their alliance. Yun Yi voiced his strong reluctance to marry Ruan Qing, citing the State Preceptor's corrupt practices of selling offices and abusing power, and expressed concern for the suffering such an alliance would inflict upon the populace.
Tai Hou coldly dismissed his concerns for the common people, reminding him that his primary duty was to secure his throne for the Yun family. She warned him that losing the throne would mean her downfall as Tai Hou, Yun Li's loss of a carefree life, and the complete ruin of the entire Yun family. She commanded him to hold onto the throne until a new heir, flowing with the Yun family's bloodline, was born and came of age.
With that, Tai Hou departed, advising Yun Yi to rest. Knowing Li Fuzhu was present, Yun Yi called her out. Li Fuzhu, feigning innocence, claimed she had merely been passing by and heard nothing. Yun Yi then lamented his fate as a powerful ruler unable to control his own marriage, calling it ridiculous. Li Fuzhu, sensing his deep conflict, light-heartedly asked if he truly loved or hated Ruan Qing (mistakenly referring to her as the Ruan family's eldest daughter).
Yun Yi confessed he couldn't articulate his emotions, which Li Fuzhu interpreted as "unable to let go." Li Fuzhu then offered profound comfort, explaining that humans have two hands: one to grasp the present, and one to grasp the future, with no hand to cling to the past. This philosophical insight deeply resonated with Yun Yi. Li Fuzhu then expressed her longing for her home in the modern world, missing her phone, internet, friends, teachers, and parents.
When Yun Yi asked about her life there, she admitted it was "not bad," despite having "re-taken" two years of schooling. She tried to explain the concept of re-taking and the frustration of trying hard but failing, preferring comic books to textbooks. Yun Yi empathized, acknowledging the pain of giving one's all only to fail to change the course of destiny, concluding that perhaps it was simply fate. That night, Li Fuzhu slept on the floor in Yun Yi's room.
Her loud snoring and undignified sleeping posture kept Yun Yi awake. He eventually got up and personally washed her feet, noting their unpleasant smell. Unbeknownst to them, Guard Hong witnessed this unusual sight, marveling at Yun Yi's unexpected act of service for the heavenly lady. The next day, Ruan Qing, still fuming over Li Fuzhu's evasion, ordered her guards to slap Lan Er until Li Fuzhu appeared.
Just as Lan Er was being beaten, Chef Xue arrived at Lan Er's residence with his subordinates. His men questioned the appropriateness of their presence, but Chef Xue proudly declared his status and his intention to see the "valiant woman who set fire to the Imperial Garden." When Ruan Qing confronted him, Chef Xue theatrically feigned a "brain disease" attack, acting erratically and even biting himself.
His alarmed subordinates corroborated his "illness," causing Ruan Qing and Bi'er to flee in fear. As soon as they were gone, Chef Xue immediately stopped his act, apologized to the bruised Lan Er, and introduced himself. Bi'er later informed Ruan Qing that despite Chef Xue's alleged brain disease, his cooking skills were legendary and highly favored by Yun Yi. Ruan Qing disdainfully scoffed at the idea of eating food prepared by a "person with the brain disease."
Chef Xue, in a kind gesture, provided Lan Er with boiled eggs to soothe her swelling. He offered to stay and protect her until Li Fuzhu returned, though Lan Er, having heard of his "brain disease," was somewhat wary. Later, Yun Li was seen diligently overseeing the replanting of the Imperial Garden.
He had promised Tai Hou to restore the garden within seven days to mitigate Li Fuzhu's punishment and had been tirelessly searching for rare plants, injuring his right hand in the process. Li Fuzhu joined him to help. While working, they discovered a flintstone at the site of the fire. Li Fuzhu recalled that they had used a flame stick that night and that the fire had started behind them, not at their barbecue spot. The discovery of the flintstone, coupled with their observations, led them to a crucial realization: someone else had intentionally set the Imperial Garden on fire.
