An Oriental Odyssey Episode 22 Recap
> An Oriental Odyssey Recap
Mu Le's exceptional skills aroused jealousy among his fellow soldiers. At the military camp, Deputy Commandant Li Bao demanded Mu Le fetch hot water to wash his feet, lecturing him about military rules and respecting officers. Mu Le refused to comply, instead splashing the water directly onto Li Bao, igniting a fight. One of Zhao Lanzhi's confidants merely observed the altercation, but Zhao Lanzhi's subordinate thought it was common new recruit training and did not intervene.
Meanwhile, Uncle Xia expressed his concern to Ye Yuanan, fearing that Mu Le’s honest nature would lead to him being bullied in the camp. Ye Yuanan, however, believed Mu Le needed to toughen up and reassured Uncle Xia that she had given him twenty taels of silver to help him get by. Elsewhere, Princess Minghui, cloaked and masked, infiltrated Zhang Manor in search of the Nine-Star Heavenly Bead.
She observed Zhang presenting the bead to a man named He Zhun, who he credited with saving his family's lives. Minghui confronted He Zhun, demanding the bead. During their struggle, He Zhun pulled off her mask, immediately captivated by her beauty. As Zhao Lanzhi and his soldiers were heard approaching, He Zhun swiftly fled, instructing Minghui to meet him at White Lotus Tavern the following night if she still desired the bead.
Zhao Lanzhi intercepted Minghui, revealing he knew her identity as Princess Minghui. She accused him of ambushing her, but he clarified that his target was the bandits, and her presence was an unexpected discovery. He questioned her late-night activities and her association with the bandit, suggesting she had profound, perhaps sorrowful, reasons for repeatedly risking her life.
He offered his assistance if she confided in him, but Minghui sharply told him to leave her alone, threatening him if he continued to follow. Back at the military camp, Li Bao provoked Mu Le into another fight. Deputy Commander Li arrived and ordered Mu Le to receive twenty lashes. Zhao Lanzhi intervened, asserting that a private duel involved two people, and therefore both Mu Le and Li Bao should be punished.
Despite Deputy Commander Li's protests that Li Bao was already injured and Mu Le initiated the conflict, Zhao Lanzhi ruled that both would receive demerits, reserving any lashing for future offenses, and ordered Mu Le released. Feeling frustrated by Zhao Lanzhi's perceived bias, Deputy Commander Li instructed Li Bao to devise a more discreet scheme. Li Bao then orchestrated a staged theft, with a soldier claiming his money was missing. Li Bao suggested searching everyone's packages.
Mu Le vehemently denied the accusation and resisted having his bag searched, fighting off several soldiers. Deputy Commander Li then arrived, feigning righteousness, and forcibly searched Mu Le's bag, discovering the twenty taels of silver. Mu Le was promptly tied up.
Prior to her arrival at the camp, Tianxu, Ye Yuanan’s alchemist, had attempted to make her taste a new pill, complaining that he required a living human for his drug trials and that she had sent Mu Le away without his consultation. Ye Yuanan angrily threw the pill away. Upon visiting Mu Le at the military camp, Ye Yuanan explained to Zhao Lanzhi that she was there to deliver clothes from her nanny and inquire about Mu Le's well-being.
She quickly learned of Mu Le’s predicament and rushed to find him tied to a horse, about to be dragged as punishment for the alleged theft. Outraged, she demanded his immediate release. Deputy Commander Li claimed Mu Le had stolen money and assaulted his men, presenting the twenty taels found in Mu Le's bag as undeniable evidence. Ye Yuanan asked Mu Le, who steadfastly denied the theft, and she believed him.
Dismissing Deputy Commander Li’s logic, Ye Yuanan revealed that she had marked the money she gave Mu Le. She then requested a basin of water with alkali and publicly demonstrated that the silver turned blue, explaining that she had coated it with camel-thorn oil, thus proving Mu Le's innocence. Zhao Lanzhi ordered Mu Le untied.
He then admonished the soldiers, acknowledging that new recruits typically faced hardships but condemned their act of tying Mu Le to a horse as an attempt to kill him, not merely to teach him a lesson. He reminded them that the very soldier they bullied today could be the one who carries them back from a battlefield, gravely injured.
Ye Yuanan gave Mu Le the clothes from Nanny Zhang, but Mu Le responded ungratefully, telling her to thank the nanny instead. When Ye Yuanan pressed him, he expressed his anger, asking what he should thank her for—being sent to the military camp only to be bullied and framed. She realized the depth of his resentment. Later, Zhao Lanzhi found Mu Le aggressively attacking a scarecrow, venting his frustration.
Zhao Lanzhi questioned Mu Le about his recent troubles and his disrespect towards Ye Yuanan. Mu Le admitted his anger was directed at Zhao Lanzhi, whom he saw as a romantic rival for Ye Yuanan. Zhao Lanzhi acknowledged that Mu Le had once saved his life and that he did not forget that debt. He then shared a story about a high-born lady who eloped with her servant, only to endure a difficult and impoverished life.
He asked Mu Le if he truly desired such a fate for Ye Yuanan, emphasizing that genuine love meant providing the best possible life. Zhao Lanzhi advised Mu Le, as a man, to pursue his ambitions and focus on his military training and duties as his soldier, rather than being confined by romantic fantasies. Mu Le seemed to accept his counsel, standing up respectfully.
Princess Minghui awoke in a fright from a dream where the National Master killed her for failing to retrieve the Nine-Star Heavenly Bead. She proceeded to White Lotus Tavern, where she confronted He Zhun. He Zhun identified himself as a bandit from Huodu Hill and clarified that Zhang had gifted him the bead for saving his family's lives, not that he ever promised to give it to her at the tavern.
He demanded she accompany him if she wished to possess the bead. Minghui refused, calling him an "arrogant devil." He Zhun reiterated that she must either go with him now or leave a message for him at a hunter's cave on Huodu Hill, promising he would come for her. Just then, Zhao Lanzhi arrived, revealing he had been tracking bandits from Huodu Hill on the Empress's command and had seen Minghui allow He Zhun to escape previously.
He admitted to having someone watch Prince Yu's Mansion, confirming he had followed her. Minghui, realizing she could not let Zhao Lanzhi capture He Zhun or discover the truth about the Divine Beads, helped He Zhun escape. Zhao Lanzhi pursued He Zhun. To create a diversion and allow He Zhun to get away, Minghui suddenly kissed Zhao Lanzhi, asking him not to push her away and confessing her exhaustion.
Zhao Lanzhi was momentarily surprised, recalling a similar kiss from a masked woman who had saved his life. He then pushed her away, sternly questioning her relationship with the bandit and her willingness to risk her life, warning her of severe repercussions. Minghui, feeling overwhelmed, stated it was late and she wished to go home, instructing him to return with a search warrant if he had more questions. She then collapsed, unconscious.
Zhao Lanzhi carried the unconscious Princess Minghui to a bamboo hut. In her sleep, she had nightmares, repeatedly calling out "Jiang Ren" and urging someone to flee from pursuers. When she regained consciousness, Zhao Lanzhi informed her of her fainting spell and his decision to bring her there. He then sternly reprimanded her for disrupting his manhunt and allowing the Huodu Hill bandit to escape, warning that her actions could lead to a death sentence for colluding with criminals.
Minghui deflected his criticism by accusing him of molesting an unmarried princess, momentarily silencing him. Zhao Lanzhi then asked her about her dream of Jiang Ren. She explained it was the same recurring dream: Jiang Ren died because of him. Zhao Lanzhi acknowledged that arresting Jiang Ren was his duty and he did not regret it, but he still missed Jiang Ren as a rare friend. He offered to help Minghui, but she scoffed at his suggestion, calling him conceited.
Unfazed, Zhao Lanzhi advised her that she lived her own life, and if she felt powerless to change her circumstances, it was only due to her lack of courage. He shared his own past: his father had been wrongly accused of treason and executed, and his family exiled. Despite everyone's expectation that he would follow a path of wickedness, he chose to become a good man, believing it was the only way to avoid being manipulated.
He rose through the ranks to become an officer, solved crimes, maintained order, and eventually succeeded in exonerating his father. He explained that he brought her to the bamboo house to symbolize resilience, like bamboo that stands strong against storms. He told her to rest, as her people would soon arrive to take her home, and he had official duties to attend to. He pointedly warned her not to attempt to stop him from conducting his official business or catching criminals again.
