Your Sensibility My Destiny Episode 21 Recap
> Your Sensibility My Destiny Recap
On the eve of the Ancestral Remembrance Ceremony, Mo Qingchen took Lin Chi to the market. He had told her that he would announce his withdrawal from the competition for the throne during the ceremony, assuring her that this was the happiest choice for him, as he intended to devote his life to her.
While holding Lin Chi as she slept, Mo Qingchen secretly wished that in their next life, they could be born into an ordinary family and live as a married couple, never to be separated. He asked Lin Chi not to blame him for his upcoming actions, believing she would understand. The next day, during the Ancestral Remembrance Ceremony, Mo Qingchen, as the imperial prince, was expected to offer prayers for the people.
Instead, he produced a dagger, cut his palm, and publicly declared himself the "senseless monster" foretold by the Imperial Preceptor. He then quickly administered an antidote to Lin Chi, telling her it was the last time he could protect her. Mo Qingchen proclaimed that Lin Chi and the Empress were unaware of his true identity and should not be punished.
Following his confession, the Emperor, having no choice, ordered Mo Qingchen to be imprisoned, to be executed on a chosen day. Ji Dingyue seized this opportunity, and Lin Chi, witnessing Mo Qingchen's arrest, fainted. After Lin Chi regained consciousness, she learned that Mo Qingchen was in prison, though not yet formally convicted. She also discovered that the Empress had been grounded and confined to her palace, virtually becoming a resident of the cold palace.
Ji Dingluan attempted multiple times to see the Emperor but was denied, as the Emperor likely knew his intentions. Moreover, Wu Mo Manor was under surveillance by Prince Rui’s men, making it difficult for anyone to leave. Ji Dingyue later visited Mo Qingchen in prison, taunting him while confirming that the antidote given to Lin Chi was indeed genuine. Mo Qingchen countered, stating that his self-sacrifice was to ensure Lin Chi's and the Empress's safety.
He reminded Ji Dingyue that he owed too much to the Lin sisters due to his past selfish desires. Mo Qingchen explained that his death would extinguish the prophecy threatening the Emperor, and the Emperor, understanding Ji Dingyue's motives, would not expose royal secrets for Ji Dingyue's deceased mother. Ji Dingyue, however, vowed to make Mo Qingchen and his mother pay for his own mother's death.
During a court session, ministers urged the Emperor to execute Mo Qingchen for the kingdom's stability. Ji Dingyue further implicated the Empress, accusing her of framing his mother, and demanded a thorough investigation and punishment. The Emperor questioned whether Ji Dingyue's mother was more important than the peace and stability of society.
He reiterated that the Empress's palace was now like a cold palace, but strictly forbade anyone from harming her, thus rejecting Ji Dingyue’s demand for further punitive action against the Empress. Meanwhile, Ji Dingluan discussed a plan to break Mo Qingchen out of prison. Their idea involved bribing the prison guards and substituting Mo Qingchen with a death row prisoner.
Ji Dingluan explained that his own maternal uncle was a former commander of the imperial guards, whose former subordinates were now assigned to prison or patrol duties, suggesting this connection could be exploited. They considered approaching Du Ruo for assistance with the plan. However, Lin Chi objected, insisting that Du Ruo should not be dragged into such a dangerous predicament due to his official position.
The Emperor then made a secret visit to Mo Qingchen in prison, clearing the room of all guards. He expressed his sorrow over Mo Qingchen's impending death and questioned why he had confessed after hiding his identity for so long, especially for the sake of Lin Chi. Mo Qingchen calmly responded that it was his choice and asked the Emperor if he truly believed he was the prophesied monster.
He offered to sacrifice himself for the greater good of the kingdom, asking only that the Emperor keep his promise to treat the Empress kindly. The Emperor agreed. Mo Qingchen then requested that the Emperor prevent Lin Chi and Ji Dingluan from attempting any rescue. Following this, Du Ruo, suspecting Mo Qingchen’s actions were connected to Lin Chi, decided to proceed with a prison break. However, Eunuch Dai intercepted him, taking him away.
Eunuch Dai then appeared at Wu Mo Manor to deliver an imperial decree, declaring Mo Qingchen guilty of slaughtering innocent people. The decree ordered all his relatives and everyone in Wu Mo Manor to be exiled a thousand miles away, effective immediately. Lin Chi refused to leave, asserting that she, too, was a monster and would die with Mo Qingchen.
Eunuch Dai then revealed a verbal command from the Emperor: Prince Jing, along with the Yulin Guards, would escort them out of the city, where Prince Jing was waiting. Du Ruo arrived at the prison, presenting a golden badge, and claimed to be acting on a secret imperial command to transfer Mo Qingchen to the Supreme Court. He stated that Mo Qingchen was the principal culprit in the decade-old massacre of the Lin family and needed to be tried there.
Mo Qingchen recognized this as the Emperor's clever scheme to save him, which would both silence the officials and prevent the scandal of a monster in the royal family from spreading. Du Ruo prevented the prison guards from accompanying them and instructed Mo Qingchen to meet Lin Chi in the woods southwest of the city. Mo Qingchen realized then that the Emperor was orchestrating his escape. He quickly mounted a swift horse that had been prepared outside the city.
Du Ruo explained that he was doing this for Lin Chi, emphasizing that if Mo Qingchen died, Lin Chi would live a miserable life. He urged Mo Qingchen to treat Lin Chi well and never return. In a prior secret meeting, the Emperor had instructed Du Ruo to proceed with this plan, making it seem as though Mo Qingchen was being charged for the Lin family murder case.
He explicitly told Du Ruo to deny ever meeting him and to claim that the golden badge was not personally handed to him. Upon learning of Lin Chi's exile and Mo Qingchen's transfer to the Supreme Court by Du Ruo, Ji Dingyue was enraged, realizing the Emperor was actively working against him. He dispatched troops to intercept and kill Mo Qingchen outside the city and personally went to the Supreme Court to confront Du Ruo.
There, Du Ruo feigned ignorance, claiming he had forged the golden badge and that no imperial decree existed, implying he acted alone. Ji Dingyue, suspecting Du Ruo was a pawn of the Emperor, chose not to kill him, believing he might be useful in the future due to his connection with Lin Chi. He ordered Du Ruo to be taken away and reiterated the command to his troops to pursue Mo Qingchen outside the city.
Mo Qingchen encountered Ji Dingyue's soldiers outside the city but evaded them to avoid leading them to Lin Chi. Suddenly, the Emperor appeared and seemingly shot an arrow at Mo Qingchen, deliberately missing him. Mo Qingchen knelt, expressed his gratitude, and quickly left to find Lin Chi. The Emperor then commanded his own guards to report that they had seen no one pass by. Mo Qingchen finally reunited with Lin Chi and the others, who had been anxiously awaiting him.
He quickly assured them that Du Ruo was safe and that the Emperor had made all the necessary arrangements. Zhuang Chen, despite his usual frugality, generously gave Lin Chi and Mo Qingchen all his savings and the deed to a secret house he had bought for emergencies, considering it Lin Chi's dowry.
