American Perspectives: Third Prince And Feng Xi Stepping Up ("Twisted Fate of Love" Ep. 5)

At the interrogation, where Ming Zhu betrayed Dong Yue, it gets much, much worse.  A piece of driftwood matching the wood used for the prophetic testament was found is presented as evidence.  The people who had conducted the search stated it was found in Dong Yue's room.  Because it is a rare type of wood, they don't believe it could have possibly been used for anything else.  Dong Yue doesn't even bother to explain herself at this point, because they aren't going to believe her.  They believe she was attempting to frame Duke An for treason, and had buried a piece of wood with the prophetic testament under the bush that had blood on it.

Dao Le is at Feng Manor, talking to Feng Xi.  He does not understand why Ming Zhu is testifying against Dong Yue.  Or why she even came back because Feng Xi had sent her and her brother to a safe place.  Turns out, the Left Prime Minister had found her en route, and told her to testify against Dong Yue. Feng Xi immediately sends Dao Le to spy on the Left Prime Minister's residence.  He realizes all this conspiring is getting out of hand, and he now needs to step up and get Dong Yue out of this mess.

Dong Yue remains in prison.  The Third Prince immediately comes to visit her.  He wants to take her to an Imperial Physician to get her wounds treated.  She reminds him that he can't because she's a criminal.  She swears that she did not having anything to do with any sort of conspiracy involving rebellion, treason, and Duke An. 

Third Prince believes her.  He doesn't care if he gets punished, he intends to take Dong Yue to an Imperial Physician.  Dong Yue continues to resist.  She tells him to take her to the Water Prison (remember: because her body is made from Lotus Root, it can fully heal in the water).  Third Prince is incredulous, but she continues to insist, and he reluctantly agrees.

She is taken to the Water Prison, and she gladly immerses herself in the water.  Her wounds begin to disappear.  Because the top piece of her undergarments is wet, and shows the outline of her breast, the Third Prince realizes she is a woman.  Dong Yue notices him looking at her, and she feels very flustered.  She tells him to turn around.  When she gets out of the water, he tells her to wear his jacket.  She puts it on, and thanks him for his help.

He wants to know if the water really saved her.  She confirms that was indeed the case, that her wounds heal when they touch water, and she doesn't know why.  He promises to keep her gender a secret on her behalf.  She smiles, laughs, and thanks him for his help.

Feng Xi is at the Ministry of Justice.  As he's going in, Third Prince is coming out, and the tension between them is obvious.  Third Prince's white hanfu contrasts very nicely with Feng Xi's black hanfu, and conveys their personalities well.  Third Prince expresses that he didn't expect to see Feng Xi at the Ministry of Justice.  They both don't want the Ministry of Justice to harm Dong Yue, but Third Prince thinks Feng Xi is full of shit.  Because the Third Prince has already visited, Feng Xi decides to leave.

The following day, Dong Yue is escorted into the interrogation room, chained up, facing Feng Xi.  Their verbal exchange gets heated, as he is the one doing the interrogating.  She points out that Third Prince helped her, while Feng Xi harmed her.  That was not what he wanted to hear.  He tells her the people Third Prince was to save are the people he won't let go.  He orders to have her whipped, and then to demonstrate that he is not granting her any special favors, as so many people who have access to the Emperor are watching, he whips her himself.  He cannot make it obvious that he's saving her.

Feng Xi goes to Royal Wind Pavilion at Third Prince's invitation.  They recall the times they used to be close friends, before politics got in the way.  Third Prince tells Feng Xi to stop being heartless, because all he knows is that he beat Dong Yue, he does not know it's part of an act.  Feng Xi points out they are meeting for Dong Yue's sake.  He tells him he had no choice when it came to the beatings.  Third Prince thinks he's full of shit.

Feng Xi points out that Dong Yue is being scapegoated to protect Duke An.  He says the best people to contact in order to save Dong Yue are the people behind Duke An, not Feng Xi.  Feng Xi doesn't have enough power just yet to directly make the difference.  Third Prince is feeling discouraged.

Feng Xi is summoned by the Emperor, who is inquiring about the rumors regarding Dong Yue healing herself in the water.  Feng Xi implies that Dong Yue has supernatural powers, not to mess with her, and that his arms have been swelling and bleeding ever since he whipped her.  Becaue of this, no one wants to execute her.  (See what he did there)?  The Taishi Bureau Head Minister enters the room, and kowtows to the Emperor.  The Emperor asks for his input regarding Dong Yue.  The head minister states that an ancestral tablet had been damaged, so he had Dong Yue carve a new one, which was why the driftwood was found in her room.  Feng Xi takes advantage of this opportunity to argue that Dong Yue has been framed, and Duke An was behind it.  The Emperor then commands Feng Xi to investigate Duke An and release Dong Yue immediately.  Keep in mind, in a previous post, it was mentioned that Feng Xi wanted to take Duke An's position so he could have more power (he had planted the testament).  Left Prime Minister did not want Feng Xi to have that much power (he decided to back up Duke An, threaten Ming Zhu, and have Ming Zhu state that Dong Yue had buried the testament).  As one can see, politics in the Ancient Sinosphere was very much a game that required some really sharp foresight, and an ability to come back quickly from any set backs.