A Dream Within A Dream Episode 29 Recap
> A Dream Within A Dream Recap
The Emperor summoned Minister Yan and instructed him that at the joint interrogation regarding the Pingrong Battle, the truth presented must be the truth that he desired. Meanwhile, Yao Qian was taken to a small room where he discovered High Chancellor Gao Changyin was alive. High Chancellor Gao gave Yao Qian fabricated evidence and instructed him to attend the joint interrogation the next day to present it and testify against the Seventh Prince, Nan Heng.
Early the next morning, men from the Capital Prefecture, led by Capital Prefect Chu Guihong, arrived at Nan Heng's residence to arrest him as a suspect in a murder case. Nan Heng's steward, Fugui, informed them that Nan Heng was not there, adding that someone seeking to frame another will always find a way. Nan Heng had already gone directly to the Ministry of Justice hall for the joint interrogation.
At the hearing, Nan Heng confronted Chu Guihong, accusing him of fabricating evidence and using torture. He produced blood-stained clothes, claiming they were proof that his men, A'long and A'hu, had been tortured in the Jingzhao Mansion Prison by Chu Guihong. Nan Heng stated he had rescued A'long and A'hu and sent them for medical treatment, acknowledging that entering the prison and freeing prisoners was a capital offense, but insisted he would not flee from crimes he committed.
He refused to be framed by Chu Guihong's fabricated evidence, stating he did not want any Great Jing citizen to die due to schemes. Chu Guihong countered Nan Heng's accusations. He claimed that Nan Heng, fearing exposure of his collusion with the traitorous Qianyu scout Lu Yi during the Pingrong Battle (specifically, concealing a request for help from the Qianyu Army), had ordered A'long and A'hu to assassinate Lu Yi to silence him.
Chu Guihong presented purported confessions from A'long and A'hu as proof. Nan Heng argued that if A'long and A'hu were truly his loyal men, as Chu Guihong claimed they would say whatever he told them to, they wouldn't have testified against him unless they were tortured into confessing or the evidence was fabricated. Song Yimeng, upon hearing that Nan Heng was in trouble, frantically searched for evidence to prove his innocence. She found old letters from Chu Guihong.
In one letter, written just five days before the Pingrong Battle, Chu Guihong's father mentioned placing spies around Nan Heng in Youcheng to monitor his every move. Song Yimeng realized this letter proved Nan Heng was under surveillance at the time and could not have colluded with outsiders without being discovered. Determined to clear Nan Heng's name, she rushed to the Ministry of Justice hearing, seeking justice and the truth for him.
During the hearing, Nan Heng questioned Minister Song Yude about the Pingrong Battle. Minister Song recalled the events of November 2nd, four years prior, when the Heyuan army attacked Pingrong City, holding a hundred civilians hostage. The Qianyu King's army was trapped, and Chu Guihong was captured after a failed night raid. The next day, Heyuan forces advanced to Youcheng.
Nan Heng pointed out the peculiarity, asking why, with 40,000 Qianyu troops supposedly focused on Pingrong due to its open terrain, Xing City and Ji City were attacked first, as if the enemy knew the exact military deployment. He suspected someone had leaked this confidential information. Chu Guihong insisted there were no traitors in the Qianyu Army, but Nan Heng brought up Lu Yi, the Qianyu scout Chu Guihong himself called a traitor.
Nan Heng then speculated that a mere traitor like Lu Yi couldn't have returned to the capital and disappeared so easily alone, suggesting a more powerful mastermind was behind the betrayal and subsequent manipulation. Nan Heng accused Chu Guihong of falling for the schemer's plot and helping cover up the truth by fabricating evidence to frame him. Chu Guihong retorted, calling Nan Heng a cruel and ruthless villain. Song Yimeng arrived, forcefully entering the hall to spectate the trial.
She presented the letter written by Chu Guihong, but he denied writing it and tore it up, accusing Song Yimeng of fabricating evidence. Chu Guihong then twisted the accusation, claiming Nan Heng colluded with the enemy, let them in, and used the Heyuan army to eliminate the Qianyu Army's influence. Song Yimeng loudly denounced Chu Guihong's lies and fabrications. Chu Guihong pressed Minister Yan, the presiding judge, to quickly pass judgment. Nan Rui suddenly intervened, speaking up for Nan Heng.
He argued that his father, the Emperor, always taught them to rely on evidence, and without solid proof, Nan Heng should not be convicted. He became emotional, telling the Emperor that people called him foolish because he relied on his father's favor, but he didn't want this kind of help, stating that gaining military command through such means would mean losing the trust of the people.
Yao Qian then dramatically entered the court, claiming to bring evidence of Nan Heng's collaboration with Heyuan. He presented what he alleged were letters exchanged between Nan Heng and the enemy, stating he had witnessed them and was risking his life for justice. Chu Guihong was pleased and ordered Nan Heng's arrest. Just then, Eunuch Liu arrived with an imperial decree.
The decree stated that Nan Heng, commander of the Xuanjia Army, had colluded with Heyuan and committed treason, and ordered him to be imprisoned pending further orders. Song Yimeng urged Nan Heng not to confess to something he didn't do. Nan Heng told her her trust was enough. After Nan Heng was imprisoned, High Chancellor Gao Changyin appeared to him.
He revealed he had faked his death and orchestrated the events, having planted men in both the Xuanjia and Qianyu armies, as well as having 3,000 private soldiers hidden outside the city. He told Nan Heng he had pushed him into this corner precisely to force him to seize the throne and stage a rebellion. Nan Heng confronted High Chancellor Gao, asking if he was responsible for the death of Nan Heng's mother, the Empress.
High Chancellor Gao admitted he killed her, claiming it was necessary for the Gao family's advancement. He expressed satisfaction that Nan Heng finally possessed the ruthlessness needed to ascend to power and offered Nan Heng his support and forces to launch an attack on the palace. Unbeknownst to them, the Emperor was secretly listening to their conversation. He finally learned the truth: High Chancellor Gao Changyin was the mastermind behind the schemes and treason, and Nan Heng was not involved.
It was then revealed that Nan Heng had met with the Emperor beforehand and suggested they stage a setup together to lure High Chancellor Gao out. As a wager for the plan, Nan Heng offered to relinquish his Xuanjia Army command token and withdraw from politics if the plan failed. After hearing Gao Changyin's confession, the Emperor ordered High Chancellor Gao's arrest and later execution for his crimes.
Meanwhile, Song Yimeng began kneeling outside the palace gates in the snow, petitioning the Emperor for Nan Heng's case to be reviewed. She wrote about Nan Heng's twelve years of service with the Xuanjia Army, his care for the people, and his numerous contributions during conflicts like the Jinyang Mutiny, the Battle of Tancheng, and the war with Dongshuo, which brought years of peace.
The Emperor refused to see her immediately, wanting to test her resolve, but instructed his eunuch to ensure she didn't freeze in the snow. A final imperial decree declared High Chancellor Gao Changyin and his accomplices guilty of treason, responsible for the deaths of 20,000 Qianyu soldiers. Their property was confiscated, they were exiled to the north, and all their titles were stripped as a warning to all officials.
