Episode 22 recap: Ji Chu refused to marry Lin Xi Yao.
Duke Dingguo was still considering whether Lin Xi Yao would come back to see him. He had already tidied up his daughter's room and had been comforting Duke Dingguo with false reassurances. Just when Duke Dingguo thought his daughter would not return, unexpectedly, Lin Xi Yao came back. Lin Xi Yao acknowledged Duke Dingguo as her father, realizing that the past events were not intentional on his part.
Ji Yun also investigated the totem and suddenly remembered that his mother also had the same tattoo. This revelation was completely unexpected for Ji Yun. Regardless, Ji Yun could not reveal his mother's secret to anyone. The tattoo on his body was actually a couple's tattoo, signifying a bond of life and death.
Ji Chu was interrogating Du Wenshu, who explained that he had fallen in love with a wealthy young lady in the past. Ji Chu had already investigated Du Wenshu's relationship with the young lady, but due to their disparate backgrounds, she was forced to marry into the Daliang family. Du Wenshu came to this place incognito and became a scribe. His beloved was now the empress. Du Wenshu became extremely nervous and wanted to deny the whole situation, but at that moment, Hua Qing Ge arrived.
Hua Qing Ge was the empress's niece, so Du Wenshu wanted her to help convey a message. Ji Chu and his subordinates were listening nearby, but unexpectedly, Du Wenshu used sulfur powder and light to commit suicide. Ji Yun saw that the pendant his mother wore was identical to the one on Du Wenshu's body, confirming the truth. Ji Yun mentioned the totem he saw on his mother's body, symbolizing a bond of life and death, and he took off the pendant, questioning his mother about her relationship with Du Wenshu.
Now, the mother had no more secrets and told her son everything. Ji Yun found it difficult to accept the reality. He also recalled an incident from his childhood when his mother accused him, Ji Chu, and Ji Feng of fighting over a pastry, but in the end, it turned out that his mother was the one who harmed them.
Ji Chu did not question Hua Qing Ge about what Du Wenshu said before his death. Hua Qing Ge was somewhat surprised, but Ji Chu expressed his trust in her. Hua Qing Ge informed Ji Chu about what had happened at that time. In fact, Du Wenshu was indeed prepared to reveal what happened 15 years ago, but before he could speak a word, a sudden fire broke out, preventing Hua Qing Ge from hearing any information.
In the end, they captured a guard who confessed to killing Du Wenshu, but it all seemed very staged. It appeared that there were people behind the scenes who wanted to personally deal with Du Wenshu. The empress looked at her dowry items, and there was only one that used to be a love token between her and Du Wenshu. Just as she was about to burn it, Hua Qing Ge arrived.
Hua Qing Ge mentioned that she had been to the prison and heard many stories from Du Wenshu's final moments. Du Wenshu had asked her to deliver a message to someone from his past. In reality, Hua Qing Ge wanted to see if the empress would be curious about what Du Wenshu said before his death, but from the empress's current state, she seemed to not care at all.
Feeling disappointed, Hua Qing Ge left and when she returned, Ji Chu noticed her unhappiness and comforted her. Ji Chu intentionally asked if she had developed feelings for him, making Hua Qing Ge feel embarrassed and quickly changing the subject.
Lin Xi Yao's father didn't want his daughter to work in the Eastern Bureau, so he brought all her belongings back. Duke Dingguo's only wish now was to see his daughter get married and stay by his side. Duke Dingguo found Ji Chu again, hoping that Ji Chu would marry his daughter, Lin Xi Yao. Hua Qing Ge happened to overhear their conversation and was surprised to find out that Ji Chu even gave up the opportunity to win over Duke Dingguo for her sake.
Duke Dingguo left in anger, and Hua Qing Ge, who was hiding nearby, was discovered by Ji Chu. Ji Chu assured her that he would never do anything to hurt her. Hua Qing Ge, feeling somewhat embarrassed, ran away.
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