The Legend of Taotie Episode 19 Recap
> The Legend of Taotie Recap
Late at night, Zhu Chengbi came to Zhao Heng to apologize. She explained that she had encountered an old acquaintance during the day but had done nothing inappropriate. Zhao Heng, direct as always, stated that their engagement had never been a matter of mutual consent. If Wan Er found someone she liked, he would report to the Emperor and have their engagement annulled. Wan Er had come to Wuxia precisely to marry and fulfill her mission.
Upon hearing Zhao Heng mention breaking off the engagement, she adamantly refused. She immediately knelt beside Zhao Heng, clutching his sleeve with a pitiful expression. Wan Er insisted that her relationship with the man was pure and offered to prove her sincerity with her life. Zhao Heng, who was not a ruthless man, was moved by pity and forgave her. He even promised to send her a specialty dish from Tianxiang Tower for her upcoming birthday banquet.
Lately, Lu Ying had been visiting the Firework Lane to see Qu Yan. With her exceptional beauty, Qu Yan naturally attracted some unsavory characters. Those who came to listen to her sing were either wealthy or noble, and one man, lusting after her, spent a lot of silver to have her drink with him. Unable to tolerate such disrespect toward the woman he cared about, Lu Ying used an old madam's hairpin to subtly remind the man to behave.
Although his intention was merely to give a warning, others around grew envious of him. Lu Ying and Qu Yan often spent time alone, while Qu Yan showed disdain for everyone else. That night, the man who had harassed Qu Yan was found dead. Many suspected Lu Ying since they had witnessed his conflict with the victim. However, Qu Yan testified that Lu Ying had no opportunity to commit the crime, and the crowd quieted down.
Zhu Chengbi finally completed the Hibiscus Banquet, creating delicate pink hibiscus flowers from the egg mixture. Not only was the dish visually stunning, but its fragrance was also enchanting. Chang Qing, pitying the loss of a small life, questioned her. Zhu Chengbi explained that it was not a true loss. For a life to be born, a pair of male and female spirit birds needed to unite, but this particular egg would never hatch.
When the Hibiscus Banquet began, everyone who tasted the dish praised it, saying its flavor evoked their most cherished memories. Ying Tao noticed some diners moved to tears and initially thought the dish might be unpalatable. However, seeing their nostalgia and emotional expressions, she finally understood the true brilliance of the Hibiscus Banquet. Among the diners, Chen Ze paid one hundred taels of silver to taste the Zhu Que egg.
Seeing how much others praised the dish, he decided to save his portion and mustered the courage to bring the hibiscus broth to Zhao Heng’s residence to give it to Wan Er. Wan Er, who despised seeing Chen Ze, immediately drove him out. That night, a man who had just tasted the Hibiscus Banquet walked into the bustling streets with ill intentions and harassed a woman in public. Suddenly, his body burst into flames, and he burned to death.
Strangely, the man appeared joyful as he was consumed by the fire. Lu Ying, tasked with investigating the case, found the charred corpse bizarre and began questioning witnesses about the events that day. When Zhu Chengbi heard about the incident, she immediately suspected the involvement of Zhu Que and angrily confronted her. Qu Yan, however, showed no remorse.
She explained that she had once painstakingly incubated her eggs, but one day, after returning from foraging, she found only broken eggshells in her nest. Someone had eaten her bird eggs while she was away. Heartbroken, her mate went in search of the thief but was brutally killed. Now, she was the last female spirit bird left in the Three Realms, utterly alone. To avenge her loss, she devised this banquet to uncover the culprit.
Zhu Chengbi, moved by Qu Yan’s tragedy, urged her not to take things too far. As Chang Qing’s life entered its final countdown, he and Zhu Chengbi had a quiet conversation. Chang Qing mentioned that if someone were willing to give up their life for her, a single wish could come true. His wish was to obtain the *Lianxin Tower*. Zhu Chengbi immediately objected, firmly telling him never to bring up the matter again.
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