Under the Moonlight Episode 2 Recap, Plot

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Yu Mama first sold Luo Shu’s coming-of-age ceremony for a high price. She meticulously dressed Luo Shu and spread the word to attract numerous wealthy merchants and noble sons. The Mingke Courtyard was packed with guests as Yu Mama publicly auctioned off Luo Shu’s debut night. The wealthy merchants started bidding fervently. One lord offered 300 taels, and the rest hesitated to outbid him. Unexpectedly, Qi Menglin, the youngest son of Governor Qi, raised the bid by one tael.

The lord countered, and Qi Menglin raised it again by another tael. The bidding war escalated until Qi Menglin offered 501 taels, forcing the lord to leave reluctantly. Yu Mama invited Qi Menglin inside and reported the situation to her master. The master had already planned for Luo Shu’s debut night to go to the lord, but Qi Menglin’s interference upset their arrangement. The master threatened Yu Mama to drive Qi Menglin away or face severe consequences.

Yu Mama approached Qi Menglin for negotiation, assuming he could not produce the 500 taels. However, Qi Menglin revealed a silver note. Realizing he had never seen Luo Shu before, Yu Mama schemed to have another girl impersonate her. Meanwhile, Luo Shu feigned seeing a mouse and tricked the servant standing guard into entering her room, giving her an opportunity to escape. Yu Mama brought Qi Menglin to the fake "Luo Shu," a girl disguised as Jin Miaocui.

With her face veiled, Luo Shu played the zither, deeply moving Qi Menglin with her music, though he couldn’t see her face. The girl suggested they drink and celebrate together, but Qi Menglin showed no interest in consummating the night. He was only trying to prevent the older lord from harming Luo Shu. When the servant awoke and reported Luo Shu’s escape, Yu Mama immediately led a search party and eventually cornered Luo Shu.

At the same time, Chen Meiqing and Han Muzhi arrived with constables, creating chaos. Luo Shu urged Jin Miaocui to use the commotion to escape and seek help from the county office. Han Muzhi wanted to take Luo Shu with him, but Yu Mama, unwilling to lose her prized asset, pleaded with him. Han Muzhi instructed Chen Meiqing to take Luo Shu away while he stayed behind to deal with Yu Mama.

Qi Menglin, locked in a room, mustered all his strength to break the door down and accused Han Muzhi of abducting a common woman. Han Muzhi ignored his accusations and had Qi Menglin arrested and taken to the county office as well. After the operation, Luo Shu and Jin Miaocui completed their undercover mission to expose the scheme involving the fake “child-giving master” and his disciples. Once the criminals were apprehended, Luo Shu declined any monetary reward.

Instead, she begged Han Muzhi to help her and Jin Miaocui buy their freedom. Han Muzhi was uncertain, as the procedures for buying freedom were complicated. Chen Meiqing tried to dismiss them with a few words, but Luo Shu was determined and decided to wait for their final decision at the county office gates. As night fell, Jin Miaocui grew impatient and left Luo Shu behind. However, Han Muzhi later arrived, bringing a coat to keep Luo Shu warm.

Learning she was still outside, he insisted on letting her and Jin Miaocui stay in the county office’s side courtyard, despite Chen Meiqing’s objections. Filled with resentment, Chen Meiqing tasked a matchmaker with arranging their accommodations. The matchmaker, knowing the two women were former courtesans of Mingke Courtyard, deliberately placed them in a storage room. Luo Shu cleaned up the room and made do with her situation.

The next morning, Luo Shu and Jin Miaocui heard the matchmaker loudly berating a kitchen maid named Cai Baozi. The maid, with soot-covered cheeks, had burned the flatbreads she was making. Luo Shu greeted Cai Baozi, who revealed that she was the younger sister of Constable Cai. Luo Shu borrowed a set of constable clothing from Cai Baozi to move freely around the county office.

While Chen Meiqing disapproved of this, Han Muzhi saw no issue and even instructed Chen Meiqing to find Luo Shu a better-fitting outfit. Determined to leave her past behind, Luo Shu asked Han Muzhi for a new name. He removed the character “Xiang” from her name, declaring that from now on, she would simply be Luo Shu. Now going by her new name, Luo Shu, in her constable disguise, visited the county jail.

Qi Menglin loudly declared his innocence and begged Luo Shu to release him. Unable to make such a decision, she offered to bring him a decent meal instead. Qi Menglin gave her a jade ring as a token. Another prisoner in the same cell, Xu Wuzuo, overheard Qi Menglin’s identity and begged for his help. He detailed how he had been wrongly accused by the former magistrate. Qi Menglin, incensed by the injustice, vowed to seek justice for Xu Wuzuo.

When Luo Shu returned, she brought Qi Menglin not a meal but a large brick, angering him greatly. Luo Shu explained that she didn’t want him to be accused of bribing officials. Despite his frustration, Qi Menglin pleaded with Luo Shu to help prove Xu Wuzuo’s innocence.

Episode 1 Recap

Episode 3 Recap

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