A League of Nobleman Episode 25 Recap
> A League of Nobleman Recap
Zhang Ping and Lan Jue first met years ago when Zhang Ping's mother came to Lan's mansion to discuss matters with Lan Lin, Lan Jue's father. Zhang Ping's mother took Lan Lin to Moluo village, planning to depart soon as "one more day is one more risk." After their presence was discovered, Xuan Ji and his men arrived.
Lan Lin recognized Xuan Ji and, sensing ill intent, instructed someone to go inform the village while he blocked their path, urging Zhang Ping's mother and son to flee. Zhang Ping's mother hid him in the dense forest and asked if he remembered what troubled her. She told him she hid her "heart trouble" under the water and if he ever wanted to know who she was and what she did, he should go find it.
She suggested they play hide-and-seek one more time, promising him preserved fruit if he won, and gave him something to hide well. She also mentioned that Water Illusion was a medical technique to cure troubled minds. To draw away the pursuers, Zhang Ping's mother ran off in another direction, instructing him to hide well.
Zhang Ping later remembered this traumatic event, initially believing his mother had abandoned him, but realized upon waking that she had died trying to save him and his clansmen were good people. Wang Yan found Zhang Ping and woke him, seemingly from the effects of Water Illusion. Zhang Ping confirmed his mother's sacrifice and the good nature of their clan.
He explained that the Sacred Lake symbolized reverence for nature, and their clan were generations of healers, with Water Illusion being a medical technique. He pondered why his mother, knowing her impending death, asked him to search for her "heart trouble" under the water, a place where such a thing wouldn't conventionally be. Wang Yan agreed her words must have held significant meaning beyond the literal.
Meanwhile, Lan Jue and Xu Dong visited the dilapidated hut where Gu Qingzhang had stayed under the alias Mr. Jinghu. Lan Jue suspected any secrets Gu Qingzhang held might be hidden there. Xu Dong searched and found items under the floorboards, including a drawing marking the location of Lan's Mansion and a prince's birth certificate dating back to the 15th year of Qingfeng.
Lan Jue realized Gu Qingzhang had indeed investigated him and wondered if the Jade Tablet related to the current emperor. Zhang Ping took Wang Yan to his childhood home, which showed signs of having been searched. He found height marks on the wall and recalled a quiet older brother named Xiaolong. He remembered his own childhood nickname, Kuruo, meaning "puppy" in their clan language, a custom for children to be easily raised.
He then realized that "Xiaolong" was the clan language pronunciation of "Qingzhang." Later, Gu Qingzhang spoke with Lan Jue, admitting his true purpose in coming to the capital ten years prior was not for the imperial examination and that he had approached Lan Jue with ulterior motives. He revealed he is the real prince who was switched with another baby thirty years ago using the Resurrection Array but did not die.
He explained that Zhang Ping's mother, skilled in Water Illusion, was forcibly taken by Xuan Ji from Moluo village to the Department of Incantation. Zhang Ping had found his mother's journal, which detailed how, after the Resurrection Array ceremony, she saw Xuan Ji leaving suspiciously with an infant. She followed him to Yunxiao Mountain, where she realized he planned to bury the dying baby and the secret. However, thunder and lightning struck, frightening Xuan Ji away.
Zhang Ping's mother, seeing the child's innocence, took the dying infant and fled the capital for Moluo village. Along the way, she used herbs to keep him alive, and upon reaching the village, the clan leader's treatment miraculously healed the baby. Ten years later, she saw the boy had grown intelligent and studious. Believing he should return to his rightful place, she told him his true identity and planned to take him back to the capital.
She mistakenly thought Xuan Ji had switched the baby out of fear of punishment, unaware it was a secret order from Her Majesty the Empress Dowager. She decided to first consult the upright Lan Lin in the capital and took Zhang Ping with her after he insisted. Gu Qingzhang recounted anxiously waiting, only for the village massacre to occur.
Gu Qingzhang explained that Zhang Ping's mother's visit to Lan Lin was to facilitate the real prince's return to the Empress Dowager. As a loyal subject, Lan Lin believed the prince should return quickly and immediately reported the news to the Empress Dowager. At that time, the late emperor had just died, and Empress Dowager Li had gained power by bearing the only son.
Fearing exposure, she secretly ordered Xuan Ji to follow Lan Lin to Moluo village and kill everyone who knew the truth, including her own son. Lan Lin only understood the depth of Her Majesty's conspiracy after Xuan Ji brought him back to the capital. Gu Qingzhang further revealed that Lan Jue's father was not the one who colluded with the enemy; the military information was leaked by one of the Empress Dowager's confidants.
To avoid implication, she blamed Lan Lin and, using Lan Jue's life as leverage, forced Lan Lin to falsely confess to treason. Gu Qingzhang declared his return to the capital was for revenge against the Empress Dowager for the lives lost due to her greed and lust for power. He planned to expose her crimes during the Immortal Instrument ceremony, causing her downfall.
He intended to show that the power she cherished was merely a plaything to him and would make those who pursued it fight to the death. He formally invited Lan Jue to witness this event. Before leaving, he told Lan Jue that "Mr. Jinghu" was a past identity and that starting the next day, he would be known as Dr. Gu in Hanyuan Hall, tasked with treating Her Majesty's burns.
Meanwhile, Zhang Ping discovered a traditional clan prescription effective in treating the miasma, providing a solution for the Army for Southward Crusade. He copied the necessary prescriptions, written in the clan's language, for Wang Yan before they parted ways. Wang Yan wished him a safe journey, stating he would await their victorious return in the capital and asking about Zhang Ping's plans upon returning.
