Episode 23 recap: Defiance of Imperial Decree
Sha Ping Wei had been waiting at the door for a long time, hoping to meet Princess Chang Ping. Initially, Sha Ping Wei wanted to bring Li Du Bing Yan along, but due to etiquette considerations, Li Du Bing Yan felt that her identity was not suitable. Yuan Bu Qu suggested that she disguise herself as a maid and accompany them, which made Du Bing Yan very happy.
However, everyone assumed that Sha Ping Wei was the groom-to-be for Princess Chang Ping, but Empress Huang declared that Yuan Bu Qu was the chosen groom. Princess Chang Ping immediately stepped forward and expressed her love for Sha Ping Wei, but Empress Huang paid no attention and called Yuan Bu Qu forward. She told Yuan Bu Qu that if he didn't marry Princess Chang Ping, he would have to drink the poisoned wine before him. Unexpectedly, the so-called celebration banquet turned out to be a trap. Yuan Bu Qu, being honorable, stated that he had already married a new wife and couldn't marry Princess Chang Ping. Caught between the groom and the poisoned wine, Yuan Bu Qu chose the wine. Just as he was about to drink it, Du Bing Yan intervened and knocked the cup of poison to the ground. Du Bing Yan also revealed her identity and declared that she and Yuan Bu Qu would never be separated.
Enraged, Empress Huang planned to throw both of them into the dungeon. Even so, Yuan Bu Qu held his head high and proudly led Du Bing Yan towards the prison. Princess Chang Ping was still insisting to her mother that she wanted to marry Sha Ping Wei, but Empress Huang was concerned that Sha Ping Wei would continue to fight on the battlefield, leaving Princess Chang Ping alone at home. However, Princess Chang Ping didn't care. Her mother told her that she was just as naive when she was young and only realized the truth through experience. In fact, the wine Empress Huang gave Yuan Bu Qu was not poison; she just wanted to test the depth of their love and see how Yuan Bu Qu would handle his emotions.
Li Yu Hu was still trying to embroider the red wedding veil for Du Bing Yan, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get it right. Initially, they thought that you, Du Bing Yan, and Yuan Bu Qu would definitely have a wedding in the capital. However, they learned from Qi Tian Lei that Huang Hou still wanted to make Li Linlin, Yuan Bu Qu, the son-in-law. Furthermore, Yuan Bu Qu and Du Bing Yan were imprisoned, so the situation was extremely critical. The two hurried to the capital, hoping to help Yuan Bu Qu and Du Bing Yan.
Currently, Du Bing Yan and Yuan Bu Qu were still in the prison. In order to see them, they needed an imperial decree from Huang Hou, and Chang Ping Gong Zhu took charge of this matter. When the princess was about to leave after obtaining the decree, she suddenly heard her mother telling her own story from her youth. It turned out that before marrying the emperor, Huang Hou also had someone she loved. They had made a promise to elope, but the other person never showed up. She herself was clouded by emotions at that time, so she didn't want her daughter to suffer.
Chang Ping Gong Zhu arrived at the prison with the imperial decree. Li Yu Hu and Qi Tian Lei disguised themselves as Ya Huan and guards and came along. Li Yu Hu was overjoyed to see Du Bing Yan, and Du Bing Yan told Chang Ping Gong Zhu that his feelings for Yuan Bu Qu would never change. Yuan Bu Qu asked the three of them to be witnesses and they held a simple wedding in the prison. Du Bing Yan even put the gift Li Yu Hu gave him on her head. Despite being in a difficult situation, their love for each other was enough.
Chang Ping Gong Zhu suggested that if they could find her mother's former lover, perhaps everything would turn around. The princess said the only clue they had was the half-golden lotus made of gold foil in her mother's hand. Du Bing Yan suddenly remembered that Liu Ruo Qian also had a half-golden lotus in her possession, and she had said it was a token of love for a pair of ill-fated lovers. Du Bing Yan asked Li Yu Hu to tell Liu Ruo Qian about the golden lotus.
Later, Liu Ruo Qian took Li Yu Hu and Qi Tian Lei to a grave. It turned out that Liu Ruo Qian's senior brother was Huang Hou's lover. They met while treating patients and fell in love at first sight, vowing to spend their lives together. The senior brother personally crafted the golden lotus as a symbol of their love and planned to go to the capital to propose to the girl. However, the girl was forced by her family to participate in a selection process. Nevertheless, Huang Hou only wanted to marry her senior brother, so they made a pact to elope.
The ending is so ridiculous! Just to extend the number of episodes, they forcefully made Huang Hou pressure Yuan Bu Qu into becoming a husband. It's completely illogical! He's a highly accomplished general, and yet with just one word from Huang Hou, he gets thrown into prison.
It's absurd! Is the emperor who bestowed the marriage to the princess just a figurehead?
The difference in status between the princess and Sha Ping Wei is actually quite significant, so it is reasonable for the empress to test him. As for Yuan Bu Qu, if he really wanted to agree to marry the princess, the empress would probably have him killed immediately. Having lost two wives and abandoning a third, such a person would not be suitable for the princess to marry.
We need to break free from the confines of traditional thinking. Who said that one must be virtuous and well-behaved to be considered a good daughter? Deliberately making mistakes and causing mischief is not something I desire, but could the torrential rain in Yangzhou be a sign of a fated destiny?
Here comes Miss Li Yu Hu from the Li family, come and witness the special connection I inadvertently forged.
General Yuan doesn't love the princess at all, and the princess doesn't love General Yuan either. What's the point of Empress Huang testing General Yuan? Even if General Yuan is a virtuous gentleman and a good man, he wouldn't become a sidekick to the princess.
If there's any testing to be done, it should be testing Sha Ping Wei, shouldn't it?