An Oriental Odyssey Episode 26 Recap
> An Oriental Odyssey Recap
Confined in a wooden cage, Princess Ming Hui was urged by Zhao Lanzhi to consider how she would explain her actions upon their return. She asserted that she didn't regret her deeds, stating that everyone acts with intentions, reasons, and difficulties, but she thanked Zhao Lanzhi for shielding her from a poisoned dart, a kindness she would never forget. Later, Princess Ming Hui inquired with Zhao Lanzhi about Chen Tianshu, which immediately aroused Zhao Lanzhi's suspicions.
Observing Chen Tianshu teaching Ye Yuanan, Zhao Lanzhi noted his sophisticated martial arts movements, realizing he was no ordinary traveling doctor as Ye Yuanan had claimed. He further suspected that Chen Tianshu was the mysterious expert who had consistently aided Ye Yuanan. To prevent Mu Le from appearing, Ye Yuanan ordered strict defenses. Meanwhile, Chen Tianshu instructed Ye Yuanan that the only way to deal with someone of Mu Le’s strength was to stab him directly in the heart.
He explained that by estimating Mu Le’s height and arm length, his heart would be located three centimeters beneath his sternum. Ye Yuanan, horrified by such a ruthless method, questioned why he would teach her something so vicious, especially since Mu Le had treated her well. Chen Tianshu responded that he knew she lacked the heart to kill Mu Le, even with the knowledge, but encouraged her to learn it anyway, suggesting it might be useful later.
He further demonstrated how to inflict a death blow from the back, targeting two finger-widths below the left shoulder blade. Later, Mu Le launched an attack on Zhao Lanzhi’s military camp, using a feint to draw attention away from his true target. Ye Yuanan, upon hearing the commotion, had ordered a capture, but it wasn't Mu Le they caught.
Mu Le broke through the defenses, confronting Zhao Lanzhi and demanding a one-on-one fight to avenge He Zhun, whom Zhao Lanzhi had killed. Zhao Lanzhi, having lost his martial arts skills, was no match for Mu Le. Mu Le asserted that the bandits of Huodu Mountain were chivalrous, only robbing corrupt merchants and killing wicked tyrants.
Mu Le denied killing Li Long, Li Bao, or Xiaohu, stating he merely set fire to the barracks to force Zhao Lanzhi to retreat sooner, not understanding why Zhao Lanzhi had to annihilate his brothers. Zhao Lanzhi countered that their actions were illegal and that outlaws, like law-breaking merchants and local hooligans, must face legal punishment. He chastised Mu Le for ignoring Ye Yuanan’s repeated attempts to persuade him to change his ways.
As Mu Le prepared to strike Zhao Lanzhi, Ye Yuanan rushed forward to protect him. Recalling Chen Tianshu’s lesson, she used the handle of her dagger to point at the precise location of Mu Le's heart, asking him if he conceded. She declared that if she had used the blade, his heart would have been pierced, and he would have lost. She urged him to return with her.
Meanwhile, Princess Ming Hui was eavesdropping on soldiers who discussed Zhao Lanzhi’s contingency plan to use rolling rocks if Ye Yuanan failed to subdue Mu Le. She heard a signal was given to cancel the rock attack as Ye Yuanan had succeeded. The mysterious white-clothed man also witnessed this, appearing pensive. However, Princess Ming Hui deliberately cut the ropes, causing the large rocks to fall.
As the rocks cascaded down towards the camp, endangering Ye Yuanan, Mu Le bravely pushed her out of the way, taking the full impact himself and sustaining severe injuries. Ye Yuanan furiously confronted Zhao Lanzhi, accusing him of breaking his promise. Zhao Lanzhi admitted preparing the rocks but insisted he had ordered the attack to be called off. Unconvinced, Ye Yuanan tearfully pleaded with Chen Tianshu to save Mu Le.
Chen Tianshu regretfully stated that Mu Le's meridians were shattered and internal organs ruptured; even gods couldn't save him. Overwhelmed with grief and anger at Zhao Lanzhi for indirectly causing Mu Le's condition, Ye Yuanan spent the night cradling Mu Le. The following day, as the army prepared to return to Luoyang, a dying Mu Le briefly regained consciousness.
He pulled out a bamboo flute he had made for Ye Yuanan when she was sick, intending to give it to her if they ever parted ways. He asked her not to cry, promising he would be heartbroken, and made her swear that if he died, she would only mourn for three days before returning to her carefree self. Just then, Zhenzhen arrived and administered a mysterious pill, reviving Mu Le.
Upon waking, Mu Le expressed to Ye Yuanan that he couldn't die so meaninglessly and resolved to leave to discover his true identity. Ye Yuanan, heartbroken, asked if they would ever meet again, but Mu Le, without a word, turned and walked away. Ye Yuanan cried out that she had never regarded him as a slave. Chen Tianshu tried to console Ye Yuanan, advising her not to cling to emotions, as all feelings eventually fade.
Ye Yuanan remained silent, instead playing the bamboo flute Mu Le had given her. Zhao Lanzhi was lauded for eradicating the bandits of Huodu Mountain and promoted to Deputy Minister of the Court of Judicature and Revision. He attempted to bring Princess Ming Hui back to the Court of Judicature and Revision for questioning, but State Preceptor Tian Qiao's disciples intercepted them, taking her away.
Princess Ming Hui presented a Nine Divine Bead to the State Preceptor, who, displeased with her performance, threatened to kill her for exposing herself. To save her life, Princess Ming Hui revealed that she had seen two more Divine Beads on Chen Tianshu, the same person she encountered when General Guo became a "moth darting into fire" and again at Huodu Mountain, noting they were on his wrist.
This information prompted the State Preceptor to save her, confirming his suspicion that it was his ruthless junior fellow apprentice, Chen Tianshu, who, after their master’s passing, had betrayed fellow disciples to hoard the Divine Beads.
The State Preceptor, feigning benevolence, gave Ming Hui medicine and reminded her of his leniency towards her family, mentioning how he interceded on behalf of her brother, who had smuggled a golden Buddha statue, to coerce her continued loyalty in retrieving the remaining Divine Beads from Chen Tianshu. Back at the Ye mansion, everyone wondered why Mu Le hadn't returned, but Ye Yuanan simply stated he had left.
While bathing, Ye Yuanan reflected on her memories with Mu Le, particularly a forceful kiss, experiencing a complex mix of emotions. Simultaneously, Mu Le reminisced about his first meeting with Ye Yuanan, both deeply missing each other. As Deputy Minister of the Court of Judicature and Revision, Zhao Lanzhi reported to the Empress about recent cases. He expressed his suspicion that the State Preceptor was behind them, including a third, secret force that interfered with the Huodu Mountain bandit eradication.
Despite her known animosity with the State Preceptor, the Empress surprisingly defended him, ordering Zhao Lanzhi to cease his investigation due to lack of concrete evidence and the State Preceptor's high status. As she departed, the Empress instructed Zhao Lanzhi to deliver her prized dendrobium orchids from the Imperial garden to Ye Yuanan, commenting that dendrobiums grow in valleys, are difficult to obtain, and have mysterious origins, implying a hidden meaning.
The palace eunuch clarified that the Empress rarely gifted flowers, and each plant in her garden carried symbolism, leading Zhao Lanzhi to surmise that the Empress believed Ye Yuanan harbored secrets. When Zhao Lanzhi arrived at the Ye mansion with the orchids, he saw Chen Tianshu and asked Minister Ye about him.
Minister Ye, flustered and wishing to avoid trouble, awkwardly claimed Chen Tianshu was a distant relative who knew some medical skills, attempting to cover for Ye Yuanan’s earlier description of him as a "Jianghu traveling doctor." Ye Yuanan, upon greeting Zhao Lanzhi, congratulated him on his promotion and awards, remarking that as acquaintances, she wished him well, which left Zhao Lanzhi feeling that their shared experiences meant little to her.
