American Perspectives: The Illustration Book and 3rd Prince's Hope ("Twisted Fate of Love" Ep. 32)

 

While Feng Xi has finally cleared his name regarding the attack on Lu Zhengming, the battle is far from over.  He knows 3rd Prince is going to be out for blood, and innocent people may be harmed in the process.  Feng Xi knows he has to be prepared to defend himself in case anyone lashes out at him.

3rd Prince and Feng Xi meet each other outside. 3rd Prince confirms the real assassin has been executed, and discussion of the matter is closed. He absolutely does not want to thank Feng Xi for bringing the truth to light, as it makes the 3rd Prince look bad.

"I was never used to being thanked by others," replies Feng Xi.  "We don't owe each other anything.  I thank the Heavens and the Earth."

"However," interjects 3rd Prince, "there's one person whom you owe.  I'm afraid you can never pay it back in full."

Feng Xi tilts his head.  "Who is this person?" he asks.

3rd Prince lowers his head and sighs. He is sure Feng Xi is lying about his memory loss. "Feng Xi, for the sake of self preservation, you pretend to be insane and not recognize your old love.  I can understand all of that. However, Dong Yue still did not blame you.  Instead, she deeply loves you. Why do you have to toss her out like a pair of worn shoes?"

Feng Xi is genuinely confused. "Who is Dong Yue?"

"How great for you, Feng Xi!" Exclaims 3rd Prince. "You are indeed quite ruthless.  Even if I forced myself to have a heart of stone, I still couldn't learn to be a bit of what you are."

"Your Highness, you overpraise me," Feng Xi says.

"Since you decided to break all ties, from now on, don't harass Dong Yue anymore."

Feng Xi looks at 3rd Prince.  "Your Highness constantly has this person on your mind. It must be that you're particularly fond of her. How could I forcibly take away your love with such immoral means?"

3rd Prince can't believe what he's hearing.

"However," continues Feng Xi, "I'm curious about the elegant nature of this person."

3rd Prince sighs and shakes his head.  Without another word, he goes back into the carriage where Dong Yue is waiting for him.

"You heard clearly all of what Feng Xi said," says 3rd Prince. 

"I also have the ability to foresee the future," says Dong Yue. "What Feng Xi said, I had already known.  There's no need for Your Highness to bring it out by asking about it deliberately."

"Having reached this stage, do you still think Feng Xi is a good person?"

"He's a bad person," Dong Yue admits. "Truthfully, I knew that in my heart a long time ago.  What I said the other day was all to deceive myself and others."

"These words, I know it's painful for you to hear.  However, being in pain for some time is better than being in pain for a lifetime. I hope that you won't retain any fantasies regarding him." 3rd Prince, the one time second choice is hoping that Dong Yue will finally consider him as a serious option.

"Thank you very much, Your Highness for your understanding."

"Do you and I have to regard each other like strangers?" 3rd Prince asks.

Dong Yue feels super awkward.  She expected a sincere interaction between friends, not an ulterior motive to his empathy. (Which is why so many women are hypervigilant when talking to men, or when they see their husband or boyfriend talking to another woman just a little too much). "I'm not good at communicating," she says. "Unless it's with someone I interacted with for a long time."

"To think about that...Dong Yue, your temperament is similar to mine," 3rd Prince continues. "Perhaps this will be the opportunity to get to know each other.  Just treat the Royal Wind Pavilion as your resting place."

Dong Yue thinks to herself, "Why was Fu Yuanchan (Yuan) caught and taken to the Royal Wind Pavilion?  Is 3rd Prince being used by the Left Prime Minister to set up Feng Xi? I must investigate everything clearly." 

She looks over at 3rd Prince. "All right.  Thank you for taking care of me, Your Highness."

He smiles at her.

 

Feng Xi is in his study that night, ready to get to work. He reaches over to his pile of books and notices something unusual.  He picks up a smaller book and begins to flip through the pages. "When you and I first met," says the first page, "the lady was dressed up as a man." What the hell is this? He thinks with amusement. He turns the page to find an illustration of flowers.

He turns another page to find an illustration of a man sitting down, and a woman playing the flute.  He is intrigued. The page reads, "As the wind blows in the moon's shadow, the holly flowers bloom." Something is coming to him, but it isn't clear.  He turns another page.

It's a 2 page drawing of the lovers embracing in the Moon Garden.  "Dressed in red, weilding a sword, you and I kiss for the first time," says another page, which is in reference to the time Dong Yue disguised herself as a dancer in Lu Manor.

He keeps turning the pages. "We shared the same carriage at close proximity." "At dusk, I remember composing music for you." "Live in seclusion from the world, pass through Peach Blossom Springs together."

He comes upon an illustration of the ID pendant he had seen earlier with the woman he knew as Zhao Lu.   The woman who saved him and accompanied him on his journey back to the capitol.  Her anxious reaction to him seeing the pendant is slowly beginning to make sense.  He carefully puts the book down.

"Feng Xi, Dong Yue," he thinks. "So it appears you're called Dong Yue.  The old lover you mentioned, was he me?" he begins to feel sad.  "Then why can't I remember anything?" He begins to cry.

 

"Right ahead is your room," 3rd Prince tells Dong Yue.  "So that you can get used to it, I specifically renovated it as a women's bedchamber."

"It seems you already planned to take me in," Dong Yue observes.

3rd Prince is mildly embarassed. "Otherwise, why would I say that the door of Royal Wind Pavilion is always open to you? However, this place is different from Feng Manor.  I wonder whether it's to your liking, too."

"A change in the environment will change the mood," says Dong Yue.

3rd Prince nods happily.  "Yes, it should be changed already." He can barely contain his excitement.,  "Then do you think--"

"Your Highness!" a potentially awkward situation is redirected. A servant approaches them. "Your Highness." The servant bows, and then whispers in 3rd Prince's ear.

"Okay, I understand.  You can leave," replies 3rd Prince.

"I'm taking my leave," says the servant.

"Your Highness, if you are busy, please go ahead," says Dong Yue.

"All right. Then you should return to your room," says 3rd Prince. "If you need anything, feel free to let the servants know."

Dong Yue bows, heading to her room, while 3rd Prince watches her longingly.

 

Feng Xi secretly meets up with Dong Yue at the puppet theater. He wants to get it all figured out. Dong Yue is feeling a bit drained and sad, but her mind is slightly open.  Feng Xi notices her sad expression while they are watching the show.

"Miss Zhao Lu, you are absent minded.  Do you dislike this performance?"

Dong Yue pauses. How much is she willing to say? "I just recalled something from the past."

"Does it have anything to do with this performance?" Feng Xi asks.  He's hoping that she will disclose the details of their relationship.

Dong Yue looks at Feng Xi.  To tell, or not to tell? Dong Yue is as solid as a fortress. "Don't mention anything about it," she responds.

"If you have some thoughts which you can't say openly, why don't you use the shadow puppet to get it off your chest, instead of keeping it inside?" Feng Xi suggests. He takes her hand, and leads her to the puppet screen.

Unbeknownst to them, from the balcony, 3rd Prince is observing them.  Disappointed would be a major understatement.

The two begin to role play with the shadow puppets.

Feng Xi begins, "Return it to the rightful owner! This flute is interesting.  It could only cry just now." He smiles. "I'm Feng Xi, as in 'What Night is Tonight?'"

"'What Night is Tonight'?" Dong Yue asks.  "To see my beloved...see my beloved."

Feng Xi looks over at her.

For a moment, Dong Yue remembers what Feng Xi said to her, "Even if I forget you once, I will remember you once again.  Starting today, I will love you everyday."

Feng Xi looks at her, not knowing what she is remembering.  He moves closer to her, and tenderly kisses her on the forehead.

3rd Prince sees this from the balcony, and walks away in disgust.

Dong Yue turns back to the screen, feeling a little flustered.  How much does he know? she wonders.

"Seeing that you changed the script of this performance," says Feng Xi, "I couldn't stop adding some of mine, too. MIss, are you happy with it?"

"This is also the first time I'm watching this play," Dong Yue lies. "I'm not familiar with this play, so I merely revised some of the script."

Feng Xi isn't buying it. "If this is your first time watching it, how could you complete the phrases that easily? This is really fate.  The script of this play seems to be written for us.  You are Miss Yue who calls herself Miss Zhao Lu.  As for me, I'm that young master Xi."

Dong Yue looks at him in surprise, but quickly regains her composure. "It's just like you said. A play is like life, and life is like a play.  It's full of coincidences."

He looks at her and laughs softly.  "We experienced life and death together.  That's not just a mere coincidence. What I told you...it's not a joke.  I trust that our story is not that simple, either."

They look at each other softly.  He moves closer to her, he is about to kiss her, but Dong Yue feels afraid, and moves away.

"Don't think that just because you're Prime Minister, you can do any frivolous thing to me. You were impolite to me several times today.  Let's not meet again."

"Miss, are you afraid because you are fated with me?"

Dong Yue needs to get her thoughts together.  She takes a deep breath and walks away, not answering the question.

She pauses in front of the screen, and Feng Xi catches up to her.  She walks away again, completely unsure.

 

The next evening, Dong Yue notices 3rd Prince's personal guard, Qing Xiao, meeting with the assassins.  She realizes her suspicion that  3rd Prince has Feng Xi's friend, Fu Yuanshan captured as a means to lure Feng Xi has been confirmed.

Dong Yue immediately goes to the Feng Manor, and leaves a note in his study, which says, "This is where Fu Yuanshan is being detained."

As she is leaving, she runs right into Feng Xi.

"Since you are concerned about me, why are you hiding your identity?" he asks.

"I made an appointment with His Highness to watch a play tomorrow.  This will be the last time I help you."

He looks at the writing on the note. "Miss Zhao Lu, of course I want to find Fu Yuanshan.  However, this is not the only thing I want."

"All things in this world might not be what you wished," says Dong Yue. "Since you have what you want, stop looking for me." As she walks away, he grabs her hand to stop her. "Hold on," he says. He turns to her.  "The joys and sorrows we went through together, were they all fake?"

Dong Yue gets her hand free, glares at him, and walks away.  He opens up the note Dong Yue gave him, and sees it's a detailed map of the secret room in the Royal Wind Pavilion.

 

Dong Yue is sitting with 3rd Prince at the puppet play. 3rd Prince is somewhat distracted.

"What's wrong, Your Highness? Is the play not interesting?" Dong Yue inquires. 

"That's not it. I just feel this pedantic scholar is just as foolish as me in the past.  I kept looking back to the past and future, and then hesitated, and lost my beloved." He looks at Dong Yue. "You should wait here." He stands up.  "I'll perform for you."

"You?" asks Dong Yue.

"I'll perform as a different scholar." 3rd Prince gets behind the puppet screen, and pays the puppet master to let him take over.

As he is performing, Dong Yue wonders, "I wonder if things are going smoothly for Feng Xi over there."

While 3rd Prince and Dong Yue are at the puppet play, Feng Xi and Dao Le are at the Royal Wind Pavilion, ready to save Fu Yuanshan.  They are able to knock the guards out, get in to the Secret Room, and find Fu Yuanshan.  Yuanshan is chained to a wall, and it's obvious he has been tortured.

Dong Yue is continuing to keep 3rd Prince at the puppet show, where he is pouring his heart out in his performance.  HIs delivery is getting more and more depressing, so Dong Yue goes to check on him.  Instead of 3rd Prince, it's the original puppet master.  Dong Yue realizes he is back at the Royal Wind Pavilion, and she immediately leaves.

As Feng Xi, Dao Le, and Fu Yuanshan are leaving the secret room, they are blocked by the Eagle Assassins.  Arrows are fired, and Feng Xi successfully avoids them, with a full twisting lay out flip.  He moves the wall Fu Yuanshan was chained to, and uses it to block the arrows. The assassins move closer, and Feng Xi kicks the wall into them, effectively knocking them down.

The head assassin goes after them, and is momentarily blocked, until he stabs Dao Le.  Feng Xi is horrified, and he kicks the assassin away.  They are surrounded by more assassins.  The number increases, and 3rd Prince enters the room.  3rd Prince admits to setting a trap.  He tries to make it seem that Dong Yue was in on it, which was most certainly not the case.

Feng Xi is confused.

3rd Prince swears that Dong Yue sold him out.

"Do you think by doing this, you can obrtain Dong Yue's heart?" Feng Xi inquires.

"Do you think I wouldn't kill you?" 3rd Prince growls.

"Kill me, and you won't get the surrender document of Mount Hao," says Feng Xi.

"Young Master, you absolutely cannot tell him," says Fu Yuanshan.

"What surrender document?" asks 3rd Prince.

"That year, General Ming expedited to deliver the surrender document to His Majesty.  When it reached His Majesty, it turned into a Letter of Collusion with enemies.  If the real surrender document really existed, would HIs Majesty eliminate the loyal members of the Ming Family based on that concrete evidence?" Asks Feng Xi.

"What a fairy tale," smirks 3rd Prince. "The Left Prime Minister is right.  You are indeed the remaining evildoer of the Ming Family!"

"The Ming Family are not evildoers!  The Ming Family is innocent," says Fu Yuanshan.

"Colluding with enemies and planning high treason are known as innocence?" Retorts 3rd Prince. "Are there still any innocent people in the kingdom?"

"I heard the 3rd Prince lost his mother during childhood," says Feng Xi. "And was raised by Imperial Consort Ming.  Do you not have any feelings for the Ming Family at all? Do you really believe the Ming Family colluded with the enemies and betrayed this country?"

3rd Prince is having memories of his days with Consort Ming, and running around with a slightly older little boy.   Unbeknownst to him, the other little boy is Feng Xi, Consort Ming's son.

3rd Prince signals the assassins to back away from Feng Xi.  "I was only 3 then," says 3rd Prince.  "I've already forgotten a lot of things."

"It seems that Your Highness didn't forget the Imperial Consort Ming.  If you are interested, I can take you to see the surrender document."

"You are trying to use that to trade for your life," says 3rd Prince.

"Whether I can live or not, just wait until you see the surrender document before you decide."

"Young Master," Fu Yuanshan interrupts, "the 3rd Prince is colluding with Left Prime Minister.  Don't let the surrender document fall into his hands!"

"Fine," says 3rd Prince.  "Take me to see that surrender document."

"I also have a condition," says Feng Xi.  "Dao Le is gravely injured.  Let him go."

3rd Prince promises he won't kill Dao Le due to his loyalty.  His personal guard, Qing Xiao, releases him.

Feng Xi takes 3rd Prince and his entourage down by the river.  Fu Yuanshan refuses to disclose the specific location of the Ming surrender document, so without hesitation, Feng Xi stabs him, and pushes him into the river. Feng Xi lies to 3rd Prince and says Fu Yuanshan is the remaining evildoer of the Ming Family, and that the surrender document does not exist.

3rd Prince doesn't believe it, and is sure the remaining Ming member is Feng Xi.

Dong Yue finds Dao Le in the secret chamber, and immediately takes him out.  She cannot allow anyone from Feng Manor to die.

 

"Twisted Fate of Love" can be watched on Viki or Youtube. Dialogue is adapted from the English subtitles, which were provided by "A Twisted Love Team at Viki.com"