Episode Summary
Lian Wantang tries to seduce Lu Jingming, but he's onto her. Shen Jiangli investigates her mother's death, uncovering Zou Yiniang's plot with a heated cloak. Lian Wantang reveals Shen Qilan's threats. Shen Jiangli confronts her family, and Zou Yiniang confesses to protect Shen Qilan.
Spoiler Alert
"My Destined Consort" Episode 18: Recap & Spoilers
So, Lian Wantang has been working overtime to get close to Lu Jingming ever since she arrived at the Lu family estate. And get this, Lu Jingming seems to be playing along! He even took her to a jewelry store and bought her some bling when he was in a good mood. Lian Wantang, thinking she's totally winning him over, gets bold. She tells him she's got her eye on a piece of jewelry that Shen Qilan (you know, the other woman) owns and wants one just like it. Lu Jingming, smooth as ever, agrees and even has the jeweler bring in an artist to custom-make it for her. Talk about playing with fire!
Later that night, Lu Jingming suggests Lian Wantang stay at his place. Lian Wantang, clearly thinking she's calling the shots, orders his servants to deck out her room with furniture and books. But then, Lu Jingming's tone shifts. He tells his men to keep a close eye on her and that no one except Shen Jiangli is allowed near her. That's when Lian Wantang realizes something's fishy.
Meanwhile, Lu Jingming visits Shen Jiangli, dropping hints that his mother's death might not be what it seems. He's been testing Lian Wantang and suspects she's not as innocent as she appears. He reveals that the person Tian Xiaozhen identified in the ancestral hall wasn't the real killer of Shen Jiangli's mother. Shen Jiangli's older brother shows up, and his experiments reveal that the trace amount of Lei Gong Teng (Thunbergia grandiflora) in the bracelet wouldn't be enough to kill someone. It needed a heat source!
Shen Jiangli, ever the strategist, heads back to her mother's house with her maid. She makes a point of wandering around Zou Yiniang's room and then sends the maid in to snoop around. Bingo! The maid finds a wool cloak hidden in Zou Yiniang's secret room.
Shen Jiangli takes the cloak back and examines it closely. She discovers heating patches sewn into the sleeves. A former servant of her mother confirms that Zou Yiniang used to visit her mother often and helped her care for the cloak. Plus, the stitching on the cloak looks like it's been altered.
With solid evidence in hand, Shen Jiangli confronts Lian Wantang. Cornered, Lian Wantang spills the tea. She claims Shen Qilan threatened her, kidnapped her mother, and forced her to frame Tian Xiaozhen in the ancestral hall. Apparently, Tian Xiaozhen did tamper with the bracelet, but Zou Yiniang was the real mastermind, using the heating patches to amplify the poison.
To throw Shen Qilan off her scent, Shen Jiangli pretends to be exhausted from dealing with Lian Wantang and claims she's trying to get rid of her rival for Lu Jingming's affections. Shen Qilan, eating it up, relaxes her guard. Shen Jiangli seizes the opportunity and, with evidence and Lian Wantang as a witness, heads back to her father's house.
Her father, confronted with the evidence of his late wife's murder, turns pale but still defends Zou Yiniang, even hitting Shen Jiangli. But just then, Lu Jingming arrives! Talk about perfect timing – he's there to back up his wife. Just as Zou Yiniang is about to be handed over to the authorities, Shen Qilan shows up. She tries to weasel out of it by claiming her mother knew nothing and that a deceased servant was responsible. Shen Qilan gives her mother a signal, and they both start acting. But Shen Jiangli isn't fooled. She asks Shen Qilan how she knows so much and why she'd go to such lengths for a mere servant. Shen Qilan realizes she's slipped up, and Zou Yiniang, to protect her daughter, confesses to everything.
So, there you have it! Episode 18 is full of twists, turns, and backstabbing. Who will pay for their crimes? And how will Lu Jingming and Shen Jiangli navigate all this drama? Stay tuned!
