Lan Ling Wang, 兰陵王 Episode 16 Recap

So one of the best and most intense Yu Wen Yong scenes comes to mind in this episode. At this point, anyone who reads my blog knows that I basically think that Yu Wen Yong is the best character in this show. I love this scene to bits, and for good reason.

Ah Lan Ling Wang. When you’re good, you’re real good. So, slight recap. Xue Wu decides to go with Yu Wen Yong to his kingdom and Lan Ling Wang follows them in disguise. Har.

Xue Wu catches the Masked Man who also happens to be Lan Ling Wang, her fiance. She doesn’t know this and berates him for trying to catch her in the shower. She threatens to report him but tells him that if he send word that she is okay to Lan Ling Wang that she’s okay, she wont tell on him. Xue Wu tells the masked man that she loves lan Ling wang very very much and doesn’t want him to worry about her.  Lan Ling Wang of course doesn’t say a word, but once Xue Wu leaves, he’s happy and grumps that at least Xue Wu has a heart and remembers about him.

 

Meanwhile Yu Wen Yong is forgiving his general who abandoned him at the Battle of Mang Shan, where Yu Wen Yong lost terribly to Lan Ling Wang. Yu Wen Yong tells the general that the general has been loyal for decades and in doing so always left his family. Yu Wen Yong forgives the general for thinking of his family this one time and gives him a royal sword and says that they together, will create the new world. Yu Wen Yong sees the general as a brother.

Yu Wen Hu throws a party in honor of his own birthday and makes Yu Wen Yong, the king, sit beneath him, which is a huge insult. The vasals all flock to Yu Wen Hu, and it seems that Yu Wen Hu has all the power of a king, just not the title. Yu Wen Hu  even demands that Yu Wen Yong adopt Yu Wen Hu as his father and make him his honorary king, this would honor all that Yu Wen Hu has done for Yu Wen Yong. Yu Wen Yong smiles and says that he alreay feels that Yu Wen Hu is a father to him, to which the ass kissing Yu Wen Hu courtier kneels and congratulates Yu Wen Hu as the honorary king.  Yu Wen Hu says that he has a gift for Yu Wen Yong and brings out the general that Yu Wen Yong had just forgiven. He says that this man is a traitor and has kill many soldiers because of the Battle of Mang San.

 

Yu Wen Yong tries to save the general by saying that many were at fault. But Yu Wen Hu would have none of it and accuses everything of the general. The general knows that death is imminent and screams that it was because Yu Wen Hu was holding his family hostage that he had no choice but to retreat. Yu Wen Hu smiles and asks if the horses are prepared. ( In ancient china, a dishonorable death is where 4 horse pulls a live person apart, the person is tied by arms and legs to each horse and the horses are made to run in different directions. This way the body isn’t buried whole and it brings great shame to the family)

Yu Wen Yong goes to the general and tells him that no one is allowed to use Yu Wen Hu’s name in vain. The general keeps screaming until Yu Wen Yong draws a sword and stabs the general through the chest. The General, in his dying breathe whispers thanks to Yu Wen Yong, for saving him for an ignoble death, from preventing shame from death by dismemberment.

Yu Wen Yong turns around calmly and smiles at the shocked assembly, and says that he’s punished the prisoner for taking Yu Wen Hu’s name in vain. He asks Yu Wen Hu that he be excused to change out of his bloodied things.

Yu Wen Yong leaves and goes to wash his hands in water, the more he washes, the more pain is shown on his face. He’s traumatized, angry, and frustrated by the violent act he need to carry out until finally his bodyguard stops him from harming himself.

  

Yu Wen Yong punches a table with in frustration as he remember his promises with the general. He vows vengence on Yu Wen Hu.

 

Yu Wen Yong goes to see the little princess, who is sleeping and apoloigizes for coming in late. He says sadly that today he lost a friend who tried to save him from the jaws of the hungry wolf.

But the wolf was too strong and ate his friend. He turns around to leave and comes face to face with Xue Wu.

 

Xue Wu and Yu Wen Yong talk outside, and Yu Wen Yong tells her not to worry about the current problems of the palace. He will become a powerful ruler. Xue Wu smiles and says that she doesn’t know if he will be a great ruler but she does know that he will be a great father. He asks if it’s because he’s so good to Zhen Er, his niece. Xue Wu says that she saw how he was with the kids in the village a long time ago. She doesn’t care if he become a rule above everyone. He doesn’t need to supress his pain, his sadness,  but she wants him to experience the normal feelings of a normal person, because this way he’ll know what the people wants . Xue Wu leaves Yu Wen Yong in deep contemplation. He thinks  that everyone sees him as a strange thing, to want him to die or want him to become a hegemon. Only Xue Wu sees him as a normal person.

 

The queen and Yu Wen Yong plays chess, she comments on how popular Xue Wu has become in the palace. She asks what Yu Wen Yong was talking about with Xue Wu but the king evades her question. She takes his silence to hide some chess pieces. He wins and leaves, and she wonders sadly that the normally observant king hasn’t even noticed that she touched his chess pieces. She wonders if Xue Wu has his heart too.

 

Yu Wen Hu and his minister talk about the plan to kill Yu Wen Yong by poisoning his food through his royal cooks. Yu Wen Yong’s spy overhears this, and that Yu Wen Yong once poisoned will be forced to abdicate in favor of his uncle.

Zhen Er the little princess asks what Xue Wu is thinking of and Xue Wu replies that she is thinking of her loved one. Zhen Er gets a little jealous once she that its someone in the Kingdom of Qi, and threatens to never get better. But Xue Wu says that if she not allowed to with her loved one, then she and her loved on will die. Yu Wen Yong comes to vist and the three of them engage in a cute round of charades.

  

Yu Wen Yong takes Xue Wu to the royal library and Xue Wu marvels at the rare and near extinct text books, Yu Wen Yong says that he can give all the books to her. Meanwhile Lan Ling Wang and his two masked soliders are talking, and they say that Xue Wu may be kept in their kingdom, since the King clearly loves Xue Wu. Lan Ling Wang goes to spy on Xue Wu and Yu Wen Yong.

 

Yu Wen Yong asks if Xue Wu is still mad about the Mang Shan battle where he went up against Lan Ling Wang. Xue Wu says that she understands the tides of politics and has forgiven Yu Wen Yong, espically since he has promised her that he wants all his citizens to be safe and happy.  (Lan Ling Wang thinks jealously, what good is being king) Yu Wen Yong says that he’s thankful that she’s able to cure Zhen Er. Xue Wu replies that Zhen Er is a happy child and once her sickness is cured. Yu Wen Yong asks Xue Wu to say forever and take care of Zhen er.

She says no. Yu Wen Yong asks what good is Lan ling Wang, he’s just a duke. Yu Wen Yong can give Xue Wu thousands times more riches and treasures. Xue Wu sighs and says that he doesn’t understand love. Yu Wen Yong counters back, what’s there to understand about love between a man to a woman.

Xue Wu asks in his household of thousands, did he have anyone, truely anyone he can show his true self to. When Xue Wu gets mad or upset she turns to her loved one, vents on him or grabs his checks and pinches it. Yu Wen Yong asks confusedly if Lan Ling Wang really allows her to do that. She smiles and says yes. Outside, Lan Ling Wang is stunned that she’s told Yu Wen Yong about what happens between them, accepts it, laughs that she would say this about him, and then puts his head in his hand. Xue Wu says that she has to go.

Yu Wen Yong says that she should stay at least a few days, Zhen Er is still sick. Xue Wu says she’ll stay for a few days and goes to see Zhen Er.

Yu Wen yong has more important matters, as Yu Tu has come over to tell him about the assassination plot. This is risking her life and Yu Wen Yong tells her that he has more important things for her to do now.

 

At night a masked solider comes to Xue Wu’s room. She guesses that he’s the one that was watching her before she caught him by the bathhouse. She’s about to scream and he covers her mouth, telling her that it’s time to go home.

 

She panics and says that she doesn’t want to go with him anywhere. He tells her that its time to go back to Qi, and asks if she still doesn’t recognizes his voice. She finally gets it.

NOTE TO READERS: I won’t be recapping the whole drama. As I found that I didn’t really like it after episode 25 or so. Basically, I’m only recapping the good bits. Trust me.

Now, I found Yu Wen Yong’s handwashing to be heartbeaking and  a little bit scary. It’s interesting how much rage and frustration is behind his calm mask. And his realization of why he likes Xue Wu so much is sweet. I’ve said this many many times, but I find Yu Wen Yong’s character much more well written and well rounded than any of the characters, as does often happen with the 2nd male lead. If he doesn’t get the girl, it aint for the lack of trying. Xue Wu and Lan Ling Wang might be meant to be, but Yu Wen Yong deserves happiness.