A League of Nobleman Episode 29 (Ending) Recap
> A League of Nobleman Recap
Gu Qingzhang brought the Empress Dowager to a high vantage point overlooking the Yong Kingdom shrouded in scarlet mist. He reminded her how she had sacrificed her own child to gain power and everything she possessed, and now she should witness it all vanish. He questioned why, even in this dire moment, she refused to admit her mistakes or express regret, desperately wanting to hear her say she regretted it and had cared for him.
Defiantly, the Empress Dowager declared she never regretted her choices. She even thanked him, believing that once everyone in the city was dead after tonight, no one would know her secret, and she would maintain an everlasting name. Seeing her continued stubbornness, Gu Qingzhang, deeply disappointed, told her to die alongside her power. As he turned to leave, she revealed his childhood nickname was "Tan'er," a name she said belonged only to him.
Memories flashed of her giving a young child a night-blooming cereus (epiphyllum) and calling him Tan'er, and another memory of her discarding the flowers. Amidst the growing peril, the people sought ways to escape the spreading scarlet mist. Some suggested running, believing they should save whoever they could. Zhang Ping proposed a solution: rain, explaining that a downpour would prevent the pollen from spreading through the air.
Looking at the clouds, some felt rain was coming, but Zhang Ping suggested they couldn't wait. He proposed using a rain catcher by sprinkling a large amount of salt into it and igniting it with gunpowder to disperse the salt high into the sky, turning clouds into rain. He noted the capital's rain catcher was on Yunxiao Mountain but might be obsolete. Cannons, he suggested, could serve the same purpose.
They quickly formed a plan: one group would fetch cannons and ammunition from the city gate, Lan Jue and Chen Chou, familiar with the city's terrain, would lead the evacuation of citizens to the higher ground of Yunxiao Mountain, and Zhang Ping would gather salt, requesting helpers. Several officials and Zhang Ping's subordinates, including Xu Dong, volunteered, expressing their loyalty and willingness to face death with him, stating this was the first time they had defied his direct orders.
Zhang Ping tasked the other officials with assisting Lan Jue in getting people safely up the mountain. The evacuation efforts commenced with urgency. Lan Jue and Chen Chou, joined by scholars like Xu Lu and Wang Cheng who felt it was their duty not to stand aside while people suffered, urged everyone to cover their faces and quickly move to Yunxiao Mountain, emphasizing that low areas were dangerous. Meanwhile, Zhang Ping's group searched for salt.
They encountered a salt merchant who, upon learning the salt was needed to bring rain and save the capital, offered his entire inventory of 600 catties, which had just arrived at the wharf, and guided them there. On Yunxiao Mountain, the race against time continued. As the scarlet mist advanced, people were running and trying to get to higher ground. Zhang Ping's group arrived with the salt, which was quickly mixed with gunpowder and loaded into cannon shells.
They began firing the shells towards the sky to induce rain. Eventually, the general in charge reported that they had run out of salt bombs, leaving the rest to fate. Lan Jue, who was helping guide people on the mountain, anxiously awaited Zhang Ping. Zhang Ping finally arrived, safe, much to Lan Jue's relief.
Lan Jue remarked that if he were to die today, he wouldn't want to have any connection with Zhang Ping in the next life, which Zhang Ping dismissed as he didn't believe in ghosts, gods, or the afterlife. Just then, rain began to fall. Relief washed over everyone as the downpour intensified, washing away the deadly scarlet mist. The people cheered, their city saved.
In the aftermath, Zhang Ping returned an orchid sachet to Lan Jue, explaining that Old Lord Lan, Lan Jue's father, had given it to him twenty years prior and he was now returning it to its rightful owner. As people began returning or assisting each other in the city, Chen Chou was seen helping an elderly woman, assuring her that even though Grandpa Yang was gone, he and Zhang Ping would continue to come heat water for her weekly.
Suddenly, news of the Emperor's return spread. The Emperor, having heard of the capital's great trouble, had led an elite cavalry force to rush back. He was greeted upon his arrival by officials, including Grand Tutor Liu Xian. Expressing relief that they were safe, the Emperor reunited emotionally with his son, Ziyi.
Later, the Emperor addressed his court, reflecting on the past twenty years under the Empress Dowager's rule and declaring his intention to usher in a new era by creating a great and beautiful land for the people. Zhang Ping stated his belief that a good emperor was one who ensured the people lived in peace and contentment and that there were no unresolved cases in the realm.
The Emperor explained his decision to appoint Zhang Ping as the magistrate of Yiping County, noting that the capital was still unsettled with remnants of the Empress Dowager's faction and Zhang Ping's straightforward nature would put him in danger if he remained.
He intended for Zhang Ping to gain experience outside the capital for a few years and expressed high expectations, seeing him eventually becoming the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, or perhaps even Prime Minister, though he knew Zhang Ping preferred the Court of Judicial Review. Zhang Ping accepted the assignment. Zhang Ping and Chen Chou set off for Yiping County to take up the post.
Chen Chou expressed excitement about helping Zhang Ping with cases and anticipated their lives improving, while Zhang Ping worried about being a magistrate as he only knew how to investigate cases, despite Chen Chou's reassurance that the Emperor saw him as having the potential for Prime Minister. Back in the capital, speculation arose about the new Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.
Wang Yan arrived to take up the position, immediately ordering all the backlogged case files from the archive to be brought out, declaring his determination to investigate them one by one. Meanwhile, Lan Jue was able to bring his son, Lan Hui, back to the mansion now that his father's name had been cleared.
He reflected on the years he had fostered his son in the countryside to protect him while seeking justice for his father, acknowledging that Lan Hui had suffered, but was now grown and wished to purify the world with him. He lamented that his late wife, Congrou, was not alive to see this day. In Yiping County, Zhang Ping had set up a noodle stall, calling it a hobby, with Chen Chou nearby.
Chen Chou questioned why he was still selling noodles despite being a magistrate. Just then, Lan Jue arrived in Yiping County in his new role as Inspection Commissioner, tasked with patrolling counties on behalf of the Emperor, proclaiming decrees, promoting/suppressing issues, addressing local grievances, and resolving backlogged cases. Spotting Zhang Ping's stall, Lan Jue approached, offered five pennies, and asked for a bowl of noodles. They shared a look, reminiscent of their first meeting.
