An Oriental Odyssey Episode 28 Recap
> An Oriental Odyssey Recap
Zhao Lanzhi implored Princess Ming Hui to release Ye Yuanan, reminding the Princess that he had once taken a poisoned blade for her. Despite this, he knelt before Ming Hui, begging for Ye Yuanan's freedom. Ming Hui was incensed, demanding to know what made Ye Yuanan so worthy of such a sacrifice from him. Zhao Lanzhi explained that while Ye Yuanan might have no merits in the eyes of others, she was simply herself.
Ming Hui retorted that Ye Yuanan was "insane," as were her servant and the old monk she harbored, suggesting Zhao Lanzhi had been "infected" by her as well. She declared that she was acting on a decree, and with the Emperor, Empress, and State Preceptor involved, she could not simply release Ye Yuanan.
She added that she would not let Ye Yuanan off even if Zhao Lanzhi killed himself, asking how he expected the State Preceptor to release Ye Yuanan without Chen Tianshu being caught. Zhao Lanzhi clarified that he only asked her not to torture Ye Yuanan, emphasizing that torture might prevent Ye Yuanan from revealing Chen Tianshu's whereabouts. Ming Hui then asked how he could possibly repay such a significant favor.
Zhao Lanzhi promised that he, Zhao Lanzhi, would do anything she asked in the future. Satisfied, Ming Hui agreed to temporarily not torture Ye Yuanan, making him swear to uphold his promise. Afterward, Zhao Lanzhi untied Ye Yuanan. When she asked what he had said to Ming Hui, he lied, assuring her he had not begged in a servile manner. He then asked if she truly refused to disclose Chen Tianshu's location, to which Ye Yuanan maintained she knew nothing.
Zhao Lanzhi then declared he would go to the Empress to beg for her release. Before leaving, he asked if risking her life for others was truly worthwhile, and Ye Yuanan replied, "If I don't fight for what I think is right, then who will fight for me?" Unbeknownst to them, Ming Hui overheard their conversation and felt a pang of envy, believing she would cherish such devotion far more than Ye Yuanan.
Zhao Lanzhi proceeded to kneel before the Empress's palace for a full day and night, but she refused to see him. An eunuch advised him to stop, explaining that the Emperor's headache had returned, making the matter too sensitive for the Empress to decide alone.
The eunuch further relayed that the State Preceptor had made it clear the case would not be closed until the perpetrator of the Ci'en Temple case from nineteen years ago was apprehended and the Emperor's "inner demons" were resolved. Just then, the State Preceptor arrived in his carriage, likely on his way to treat the Emperor's headache. Zhao Lanzhi courageously blocked the carriage, identifying himself as Deputy Minister of the Court of Judicature and Revision.
He accused State Preceptor of being connected to various past cases, including Qianduan Brothel's opium smuggling, Luotian Cave's cultural relic trade, the theft of the Empress's painting, Prince Nanjing's granddaughter Shui Yue's sorcery, and General Guo's transformation and communication with bandits, all of which implicated Princess Ming Hui. Zhao Lanzhi offered a deal: if State Preceptor would release Ye Yuanan, he would cease all investigations into those sealed cases.
State Preceptor was enraged by this bargaining and retaliated by severely injuring Zhao Lanzhi. The Empress finally emerged, but only to usher State Preceptor into the Emperor's chambers to attend to his pain, effectively saving Zhao Lanzhi's life. State Preceptor, in his thoughts, dismissed Zhao Lanzhi as insignificant, boasting that he would rule the world once he collected all Nine Divine Beads, rendering even the Empress powerless.
He also mentally noted that he would deal with Ming Hui later for disobeying his order to kill Zhao Lanzhi. Zhao Lanzhi, still on the ground, pleaded with the Empress to release Ye Yuanan, reminding her that Ye Yuanan had saved her life. The Empress acknowledged Ye Yuanan's past kindness in the banana tree forest and General Guo's Mansion but stated that these deeds could not justify abandoning the arrest of a highly wanted criminal or ignoring the Emperor's health.
She concluded that Ye Yuanan could not be released until the case was resolved. Meanwhile, Mu Le was in the West Market, inquiring about his origins when a flower vendor mentioned flowers from a place called Suoluo, a name that resonated with Mu Le as both familiar and strange. Later, he saw a wanted poster for Monk Tianshu, confirming his survival, and learned that Ye Yuanan had been arrested for harboring him.
Remembering Ye Yuanan's casual remark about throwing Chen Tianshu into Wanxing Temple, Mu Le immediately headed there. He requested lodging from a young Taoist, who initially refused due to temple rules, suggesting a nearby cave. However, after seeing Mu Le's seemingly bulging bag, the young Taoist changed his mind and allowed him to stay the night, provided he left early in the morning.
During dinner, the other Taoists, noting the temple's meager provisions, made it clear they would not share their food with Mu Le. Mu Le then opened his bag, revealing an array of meat dishes, tantalizing the hungry Taoists. He deliberately described each succulent dish in detail, further provoking their hunger. Eventually, he offered to share, and the Taoists eagerly joined him, even producing liquor to drink with the feast.
In their drunken revelry, one Taoist casually mentioned that their "master" (referring to Chen Tianshu in disguise) had only been accepted into the temple a few days prior, and it was because of a name he mentioned. Mu Le quickly inquired if the name was "Ye Yuanan," which the Taoist confirmed. Realizing the truth, Mu Le angrily confronted the disguised Taoist, ripping off his human skin mask to reveal Chen Tianshu.
Mu Le chastised Chen Tianshu for enjoying himself while Ye Yuanan suffered in jail because of him and demanded he come along. Chen Tianshu resisted, claiming he was framed nineteen years ago by his senior brother, Tian Qiao, and that Ye Yuanan had willingly covered for him. Mu Le rejected this, stating, "She's willing but I'm unwilling! . . . Her life is the most important thing for me."
Mu Le then used a drugged liquor and meat to subdue Chen Tianshu, having taken an antidote himself, and prepared to take him to exchange for Ye Yuanan. Zhao Lanzhi, without food or drink, continued his vigil, kneeling before the Empress's palace. The Empress, moved by Zhao Lanzhi's unwavering dedication, visited the Emperor, who was still suffering from severe headaches.
She informed him about Zhao Lanzhi's three-day and three-night vigil, pleading for Ye Yuanan's release, and suggested there might be a deeper, "queer" truth behind the matter. The Emperor, reasoning that Ye Yuanan would have confessed if she knew Chen Tianshu's whereabouts after three days in jail, decided to release her. However, the Emperor then expressed worry that his headaches might be incurable.
State Preceptor quickly intervened, urging the Emperor not to give up hope and offering to personally interrogate Ye Yuanan to uncover Chen Tianshu's location, thereby resolving the Emperor's "inner demons." After State Preceptor departed, the Empress noticed a peculiar scent from the incense by the Emperor's bed and summoned an Imperial Physician to investigate. Meanwhile, Uncle Xia visited Ye Yuanan in jail, bringing her food and a soft sword, urging her to find a way to escape.
Ye Yuanan mused on the heavy guards, recognizing that escaping alone would be difficult, but decided she would rather fight than simply await her fate. Shortly after, several boys arrived to escort Ye Yuanan to State Preceptor's palace for interrogation. Princess Ming Hui attempted to block them, asserting Ye Yuanan was her prisoner under the Empress's orders. The boys scoffed at Ming Hui's inefficiency and accused her of possibly harboring "unfaithful intentions."
Ming Hui denied this, pleading for more time to uncover the truth and for State Preceptor's trust. The boys attacked Ming Hui, breaking one of her fingers, and delivered a chilling message from State Preceptor: she was ordered to kill Zhao Lanzhi. At his palace, State Preceptor greeted Ye Yuanan, complimenting her martial prowess, chivalry, intelligence, kindness, and loyalty, noting her past act of saving the Empress.
Ye Yuanan, however, dismissed these as mere hearsay and reiterated that she had no knowledge of Chen Tianshu's whereabouts. State Preceptor then offered to take her as his disciple, promising to teach her all his skills, including healing, divination, machine crafting, and weapon manufacturing, assuring her she would become the "top master of martial arts." He also offered her unlimited wealth and a future as a high-ranking official.
Ye Yuanan questioned this grand offer by bringing up Ming Hui's broken finger, asking why a disciple would be treated so harshly. State Preceptor explained that Ming Hui was disobedient and less clever, deserving punishment for wasting his time, and assured Ye Yuanan she would be treated differently. Still, Ye Yuanan refused to divulge any information. Seeing that persuasion failed, State Preceptor had Ye Yuanan's family brought into the hall, using their lives to coerce her.
He promised her father a high government position and a promising future for her brother if she cooperated. In a desperate act, Ye Yuanan drew the soft sword from Uncle Xia and lunged at State Preceptor, but her blade had no effect on him. Just as State Preceptor was about to strike Ye Yuanan, Mu Le burst in with a bound Chen Tianshu, saving her.
Ye Yuanan asked why he had come, and Mu Le simply replied that he could not leave her in danger. State Preceptor, addressing Chen Tianshu as "Junior Sect Brother," expressed surprise at their reunion, remarking on Ye Yuanan's efforts to protect Tianshu, only for him to end up back in his hands. Meanwhile, the Imperial Physician reported to the Empress that the Emperor's bedside incense contained a high dosage of St. John's Wort and rosemary.
While initially believed to prevent depression, long-term use of such a mixture could damage the liver and kidneys, disturb sleep, and even cause hallucinations. The Empress dismissed the physician, ordering him to keep this information strictly confidential. Later, she visited the Emperor, who felt much better and inquired if the medicine he had taken was State Preceptor's new concoction. The Empress clarified it was from the Imperial Academy of Medicine.
The Emperor expressed surprise, noting that State Preceptor usually treated him, and questioned why the Academy suddenly had a cure. The Empress subtly hinted that a medicine's effect depends on the doctor's heart, asking if a doctor's medicine would change if his heart changed. When the Emperor asked for clarification, the Empress promised a thorough investigation before reporting the full truth to him.
