The First Jasmine Episode 13

Bits of truth and consequences of lies

Him telling her his nickname is A'Yao and allowing her to call him that was so sweet! 🤗 The look and the tears in his eyes when A'Li said she wants to help him stand up and live his life happily—she makes him so happy already by that thought alone and warms his heart immensely! 🥰 And I do love that they always zoom the camera in to show us two pairs of shoes when she's with him. Is that a way to prove to us that it's real, and not her imagination playing tricks again? 🤭And that's why he got so angry when Feng presented him with evidence that she had hired the bandits herself. And he's right to be—are there really any liars who tell only one lie? We know everything she says is a half-truth mixed with her imagination, but he doesn't, nor does he know the reason for it. That fact alone hurt him, and even more so because he is already living with the consequences of misplaced trust from his past. 🥺 I bet he will question her past activities on the mountain even more now—her martial arts skills, her weiqi skills, the amount of chores. Her answers already felt a bit suspicious to him. 🤨But it is interesting info that her mother and father were involved with the decree, which was the one piece missing to prove Mo Xiuwen's return wasn't treason. I wonder if it is destroyed or just hidden somewhere? If it's the latter, then A'Li can help find it to prove Prince Ding's innocence and clear his name. 🧐☝️And what is with the rivalry for favouritism in Marquis Muyang's house? Is his son jealous of the guard, or does the guard just know the son is spoiled? I couldn't read which of the two guys could be considered "good" and is worth my support, if any. The one who declined the fish, or the other? 🤔

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Trust given and betrayed

Ye Li is diligently administering Xiu Yao’s treatment and pain meds. She is exhausted and cold so he offers her a place by him. She runs off and he shows his disappointment when she arrives with pillow in hand. 😁 He shares his nickname and gives her such an adoring face at adding him and his happiness to her to do list. She is the first in a very long while to truly care about him as a person with no agenda. 🥰 The Marquis is receiving funds from his last weapons deal and lamenting the loss of his cronies and being blamed for Huan Fang’s death. He has no way to prove his innocence. There is hatred between his young servant and son. They both by for first place in the Marquis’ eyes. It seems the Marquis has gone vegetarian at the Empress Dowager’s strong suggestion. His son tries to give the carp to the young aide who refuses to take it. The official offered to take it to calm things down but it is clear this fight is not over between the two young men. Ye Li is quite the chess player and finally Xiu Yao tries his hand at the game. He too is defeated. Her skill at avoiding the stone dish collapse hints of sword skill. She diverts his attention by claiming menial chores as the reason for callouses. This hints that when she saw master Zhu she was the one fending off the snakes. Xiu Yao keeps asking about the lack of people as her life stories seem very solitary compared to the number that should be there. She keeps changing the subject to not give direct answers to people count. Her father sees a seer about his first wife and is told she is dead. He doesn’t believe it so visits Ye Li. She makes him cut to the chase and he asks about her mother. She very calmly states she has been dead eight years. This throws off her father who had no clue. This seems odd he has no clue but he feels even more haunted now with his nightmares. Since he deserted his family, he deserves the guilt.😝The spy friend learns that Ye Li employed the assassins on their way from the temple. As the details play out it was manipulation of events to get him to trust her with his leg treatment. He was so disgusted and angry to be so well played by the wife he was beginning to love and trust. He portrayed his absolute rage so well it was palpable. She cannot defend her actions and is finally pushed to see how they looked from his eyes. He is noting the Lishan related events and has sent his spy friend to keep digging and get to all the truths. He recalls an event with his brother where he is being strongly admonished for rescuing Ye Li and her mom from the bandits. He is reprimanded for leaving his post and that things played out as they did because he left. The empress Dowager has summoned Xiu Yao to the palace. She is irate that a trustworthy good official was killed. She has given Yuan Fang’s case to him and he is told to find out who killed him. No matter who it turned out to be she wanted them held accountable. It is not viewed as a bad thing by his colleagues so they embrace the new task. It is Ms Ye’s bday and ye Li and uncle are heading for the festivities. Xiu Yao has not accompanied her and it is not clear if he will go or not tho gifts had been prepared. Ye Li’s uncle tries to give pointers about keeping the peace in marriage. She responds that he takes others’ experiences to pass along as his own and is this what he learned from his Lishan mentor?😝 On the way Ye Li sees a scene with a distraught mother and stops the carriage. She gets out and recalls a scene with her mom striving to get the decree to save the prince. We do not have any confirmation if it still exists or was destroyed, but we can all hope with her it is yet to be found tho posthumously for the prince. Lots of emotions for our couple in this episode. Ye Li plots as well as she breathes and Xiu Yao is now aware of it. I hope he can set aside their differences to continue his leg treatments. She is having to accept the her plot to get him to accept them, may be the very thing that causes it to fail. Waiting to see if we get a peek at the Ye bday celebration and how Yuan Fang’s murder investigation goes.

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