An Oriental Odyssey Episode 16 Recap
> An Oriental Odyssey Recap
Ah Xiu's son, Huange, stood before Minister Ye, presenting a puppet figure that his mother, Xiu, had made as a love token for Minister Ye. He recounted how Xiu had taken it back with her when she left, setting up a street-side stall to cultivate silkworms and make puppets for a living, enduring great hardship.
Huange explained that Xiu had discouraged him from seeking his father in Luoyang, believing she shouldn't disturb Minister Ye's harmonious family as he was now the Minister of Finance. Overcome with emotion, Minister Ye shed tears, acknowledging the puppet figure as their love token and lamenting Xiu's long-standing misunderstanding of him. He embraced Huange, seeing Xiu's resemblance in him, and declared him his son, promising to take him home to acknowledge his family and ancestors. Huange thanked his father.
As they journeyed back, Huange ordered the carriage to stop. He asked Minister Ye for some change and then arrogantly tossed the money to an old beggar he had encountered before, telling the man he had found his father. Meanwhile, Mu Le diligently fed the horses, still pondering the identity of "Hot Toto."
He confided in Ye Yuanan that he felt he had understood horse emotions for a long time but couldn't recall who taught him, speculating it might be related to his true identity. Ye Yuanan dismissed his concerns, assuring him that he was not bullied or mistreated in their manor. When Mu Le wondered what his life would be like if he was born into a decent family, Ye Yuanan was distracted by news of a new summer robe.
She later advised Mu Le to stay away from Huange whenever possible, not out of fear for him, but out of concern for Minister Ye, who was too old to be easily irritated. Princess Minghui visited her aunt, Madam Guo, who was also Xuelan's mother, at the General's mansion. Xuelan, who was soon to be married, greeted Minghui, who teased her about her sharp tongue.
Minghui then discreetly inquired about a specific bead, the Nine-Star Heavenly Bead, asking if Madam Guo had seen it in the mansion. Madam Guo claimed to have no impression of it and dismissed the idea of General Guo hiding anything from her, asserting her control over all household affairs, down to "a grain of rice." Minghui stressed the bead's importance for her, and Madam Guo promised to find it if it was indeed in the mansion.
Minghui then offered words of comfort, reassuring Madam Guo about General Guo's "extraordinary fidelity" over the years, despite his occasional "love affairs," and Xuelan's secure marriage to the son of State Duke Zheng. She also pledged her unwavering support should Madam Guo ever need it. As Zhao Lanzhi arrived to visit General Guo, he encountered Princess Minghui, Madam Guo, and Xuelan.
Minghui immediately subjected him to sarcasm, calling him a "renowned figure" and a "favored subject of the Empress," implying he was beyond criticism or praise. Zhao Lanzhi, sensing her long-standing misunderstanding of him, excused himself from General Guo, stating his intention to resolve the issue with Minghui immediately. He then pursued Minghui as she departed in her carriage. Minghui ordered her attendants to speed up and lose him, but Zhao Lanzhi quickly caught up on horseback.
He directly confronted her, asking if she was the masked girl who had saved him from the deep pool in Luotian Cave. Minghui feigned ignorance of the deep pool but then inadvertently said that both Zhao Lanzhi and "silly Ye Yuanan" should have died in it, revealing her knowledge of Ye Yuanan's presence there. Zhao Lanzhi pointed out her slip, confirming his suspicion. Minghui quickly tried to backtrack, but it was too late.
Zhao Lanzhi then acknowledged that he owed her a debt for the death of her servant Jiang Ren and for saving his life, promising to repay her when the chance arose. However, he warned her that he would not hesitate to punish her if he found any evidence of illegal practices. Minghui silently vowed that the outcome of their rivalry remained uncertain. News of Minister Ye bringing his eldest son home spread like wildfire among the servants.
When Minister Ye arrived with Huange, he was met with chaos. Madam Ye, Ye Yuanning, and Mu Le immediately confronted Huange. Madam Ye angrily accused him of drinking her deer milk cheese, while Ye Yuanning claimed Huange had stolen money from him and grabbed his chest. Mu Le, recognizing Huange as the boy he had previously disciplined for bullying children, was also furious.
Minister Ye intervened, introducing Huange as his son, the eldest brother of Ye Yuanan and Ye Yuanning, and "the eldest son of our family." Madam Ye was so shocked that she claimed to have a stomachache. The family rejected Huange's status, with Madam Ye insisting that Ye Yuanning was the only son. Even Ye Yuanan expressed her difficulty in accepting a new elder brother. Mu Le reiterated that a boy who bullied children could not be their brother.
The entire household demanded an interrogation, convinced Huange was a liar. Minister Ye, enraged by their refusal to accept Huange, defended his new son, calling his existing family "ignorant and incompetent." He asserted his authority in the house, declaring that he had the final say. Seeing the escalating tension, Huange offered to leave but insisted on proving his lineage. He proposed a blood-drop test between himself and Minister Ye in front of everyone.
During the blood test, Huange's blood miraculously blended with Minister Ye's. Unbeknownst to the family, Huange had prepared for this by applying castor oil to his hand, a trick that would make "even a cat's blood blend with a dog's blood." Minister Ye, convinced by the test, was overjoyed and embraced Huange, reaffirming him as his biological son and the "Eldest Young Master."
To compensate for his absence and to provide him with training, Minister Ye appointed Huange as the mansion's bookkeeper and promised to secure him an official post in the Imperial court. Madam Ye and Ye Yuanning protested vehemently, but Minister Ye was firm in his decision, silencing them.
Soon after, Huange, now in charge of the accounts, proposed deducting from the masters' monthly pocket money to cover the cost of necessary repairs for the mansion's gate and main building, justifying it as a fairer solution than embezzling from servants' salaries. Minister Ye approved his suggestion. Ye Yuanning was furious when he discovered his pocket money for the month had been significantly reduced. He confronted Huange, demanding the rest of his allowance.
Huange smugly refused, threatening to break Ye Yuanning's finger if he dared to punch him again. He taunted Ye Yuanning about his excessive spending, which he accurately deduced was for gambling, and threatened to expose him to their father. Huange then grabbed Ye Yuanning's hand and forced him to call him "Eldest Brother" before letting go. Huange later reflected that Ye Yuanning was "not qualified to compete with him."
Madam Ye hosted some friends at the mansion, but Huange instructed the servants to serve cheap watermelons instead of the palace-bestowed fruits. When Madam Ye confronted him, he calmly explained that watermelon was good for health and the special fruits were reserved for Minister Ye. He then began to expose her fraudulent accounting practices, citing specific instances of inflated expenses for gifts, such as Lord Zhou's mother's seventieth birthday and a grandaunt's banquet.
He revealed that the previous accountant kept a separate book to distance himself from her misdeeds, suggesting she had a private coffer. Faced with this undeniable evidence, Madam Ye was forced to dismiss her guests and yield to Huange, who smugly announced "the Eldest Son of the family is taking my leave now." Feeling triumphant, Huange set his sights on Mu Le. He demanded that Mu Le bring him a superior horse to ride.
Mu Le, initially reluctant, remembered Ye Yuanan's advice to avoid conflict with Huange for Minister Ye's sake. He released Huange and allowed him to ride Ye Yuanan's horse. Huange, full of self-importance, galloped off but soon fell from the horse. Both Ye Yuanning and Madam Ye, humiliated and frustrated by Huange's tyranny, turned to Ye Yuanan for help.
Ye Yuanning complained about the drastic reduction in his pocket money, while Madam Ye pleaded with Yuanan, who "has a say with the Empress," to discipline Huange for disrespecting her. Ye Yuanan, however, advised them to accept Huange as their father had, to stop calling him a bastard, and to manage with the money he allocated. She subtly hinted at Ye Yuanning's habit of "stealing things here and selling them."
Reminding them that a blood test had confirmed Huange's identity, she warned that further resistance would only "extremely anger" their father. She suggested a compromise. Madam Ye lamented that Ye Yuanan was "not of one mind with us," yet she also acknowledged that no one else seemed capable of handling the troublesome Huange. She then noticed Ye Yuanan emerging from the basement. Elsewhere, Zhao Lanzhi was investigating a case at a brothel when he spotted Huange reveling.
When the brothel workers warned Huange that the officials were from the Court of Justice and Revision and might arrest him, Huange arrogantly dismissed them. He boasted that they were "just salaried men" and his father, "Finance Minister Ye," was the one who approved their wages.
