Stand By Me Episode 10 Recap
> Stand By Me Recap
Zuo Ma, his arm wounded by Qiu Yanzhi’s concealed weapon, quickly bandaged himself before rushing to report to Chou Ziliang. Qiu Yanzhi, anticipating this, worried that Zuo Ma's report might expose her if he had collected enough evidence. She knew Chou Ziliang wouldn't believe it without concrete proof. Meanwhile, Cheng Ruoyu arrived at a forest outside the city. She found Qi Yan’s spirited horse, Ru Feng, tethered to a tree, seemingly left for her use.
As she prepared to ride to Qishan, she witnessed Zuo Ma being pursued by agents from the Xiangqi Camp. Cheng Ruoyu attempted to rescue him from the forest, but Zuo Ma, not wanting to implicate her, desperately urged her to leave on the horse. Unbeknownst to Cheng Ruoyu, Zuo Ma had concealed an account book in her travel bag; Cheng Ruoyu herself believed it was left by Qi Yan.
Soon after, Yan Xiu and his men apprehended Zuo Ma, bringing him before Qiu Yanzhi. Under interrogation, Zuo Ma admitted to traveling to various regions, including Xuzhou, Shangzhou, and Yuezhou, to investigate Qiu Yanzhi’s background. He revealed that Qiu Yanzhi's identity and household registration were fabricated, and that her original name was Da Ya, born in Lingnan, Heng'an city suburb.
He also uncovered that she had sustained a severe chest injury before entering the music house, which had damaged her heart meridian and rendered her unable to practice martial arts. Zuo Ma exposed Qiu Yanzhi’s lie, stating that she had falsely accused him of causing her injury, which led Chou Ziliang to punish him with three years of cleaning latrines.
Still resentful, Zuo Ma declared that he had entrusted all the evidence he gathered to Cheng Ruoyu, which greatly angered Qiu Yanzhi. Cheng Ruoyu rode swiftly to the Ziyun Pavilion on Mount Qishan. There, she observed the Workshop Master and Xia Ziyuan leading a group of young women in a fierce competition for a jade token hanging from the rooftop. The contest was brutal, with participants fighting mercilessly.
After one girl successfully secured the token, Cheng Ruoyu, unable to condone such cruelty, intervened by revealing her identity as the new Swordbearer of the Ziyi Bureau. When Xia Ziyuan proceeded to punish the losing girls, Cheng Ruoyu tried to stop her. She challenged Xia Ziyuan with her Qingguang Sword but was easily defeated.
Xia Ziyuan warned Cheng Ruoyu against overestimating her abilities, explaining that the Yuzhen Workshop held such competitions daily, and only the one who collected the most tokens could become the Master. " Strength is respected" was their primary rule. That night, Qi Yan was plagued by a dream of Cheng Ruoyu being chased and in peril, awakening in a cold sweat. He immediately sought out Qi Chen, addressing him affectionately as "Uncle Wang."
He recalled that Qi Chen used to call him "Xiao Wu" as a childhood habit. Learning that Cheng Ruoyu had gone to Qishan alone, Qi Yan requested Qi Chen to dispatch Yuan Du to protect her. The next morning, Cheng Ruoyu returned to the Ziyun Pavilion, determined to participate in the jade token competition again. However, she was quickly defeated. Undeterred, she continued to challenge daily, repeatedly losing but persevering. Yuan Du observed her struggles, quietly noting her determination.
Qiu Yanzhi, having sent Yan Xiu to investigate, confirmed that Cheng Ruoyu was not in the palace, corroborating Zuo Ma’s claim that he had met her in the forest and given her the evidence. Qiu Yanzhi instructed Yan Xiu to continue tracking Cheng Ruoyu's whereabouts. She then went to the palace herself, feigning illness and expressing how she had missed Cheng Ruoyu, to search for her.
Upon learning Cheng Ruoyu was confined by Qi Yan, Qiu Yanzhi attempted to force her way in but was blocked by Cheng Huaizhi, forcing her to leave in frustration. After another defeat, Yuan Du intercepted Cheng Ruoyu outside, handing her three embroidered pouches from Qi Chen. He advised her not to focus solely on winning the jade token.
The pouches were labeled with riddles: "A carp leaping over the dragon gate," "Lying on ice to fetch the carp," and "Two kids debating the sun." Cheng Ruoyu opened the first pouch, finding a detailed diagram of the Yuzhen Workshop’s formation, complete with instructions on how to break it. Yuan Du explained that the entire arena was a battle array, and success depended on understanding its movements, not just blindly fighting.
Cheng Ruoyu rigorously trained according to the instructions, quickly grasping its essence. She managed to break the formation overnight, showcasing her remarkable talent. Qiu Yanzhi, meanwhile, commissioned a new squad of pawns from the Xiangqi Camp to ascend Mount Qishan, intending to capture Cheng Ruoyu and the three hundred warriors of the Yuzhen Workshop. Cheng Ruoyu, in her next challenge, successfully acquired a jade token, securing her victory.
Yuan Du informed her that the Xiangqi Camp pawns were already on their way and urged her to return to the palace immediately. Cheng Ruoyu then opened the second pouch, which contained a medicinal prescription for a throat ailment. Recognizing that the current Workshop Master was mute due to a throat condition, Cheng Ruoyu presented the prescription.
Despite Xia Ziyuan's skepticism about its unknown origin, the Master, after some hesitation, accepted the prescription and officially transferred the Master's token to Cheng Ruoyu. The Master of the Workshop and the girls then formally greeted Cheng Ruoyu as their new Swordbearer. Cheng Ruoyu opened the third pouch, only to find it empty. Puzzled by the riddle "Two kids debating the sun," she pondered its meaning.
Suddenly, Yuan Du, having scouted ahead, discovered that the Xiangqi Camp pawns had reached the mountainside and immediately sounded the retreat bell. He instructed the Yuzhen Workshop girls to retreat to Jinyang and blend in with Lady Ninghe’s entourage, while urging Cheng Ruoyu to return to the palace. However, Cheng Ruoyu decided to lead Xia Ziyuan to lure the pawns away, covering the escape of the other girls. Along the way, they encountered Qiu Yanzhi in her carriage.
Cheng Ruoyu, realizing the danger, sent the injured Xia Ziyuan ahead on Ru Feng and stayed behind to confront Qiu Yanzhi. Qiu Yanzhi demanded the account book left by Zuo Ma, but Cheng Ruoyu feigned ignorance, claiming to have received nothing. Qiu Yanzhi, unconvinced, instructed Yan Xiu to pursue Xia Ziyuan, suspecting the book was with her.
When the pawns returned to report that Ziyun Pavilion was deserted, Qiu Yanzhi declared her intention to take Cheng Ruoyu back to Chou Ziliang. Just as the situation escalated, Qi Yan arrived, riding his own horse. He questioned Qiu Yanzhi’s men, reminding them Cheng Ruoyu was "Our sword bearer" and demanded to know their intentions. He then told Cheng Ruoyu to ride with him. Cheng Ruoyu thanked Qi Yan profusely for his rescue, praising his kindness, which secretly delighted him.
Shortly after, Xia Ziyuan returned and reported to Qi Yan, who then ordered everyone to return to the palace. Back in safety, Cheng Ruoyu tended to Xia Ziyuan’s wounds while Xia Ziyuan complained about being dragged into danger. Cheng Ruoyu, still pondering the third riddle, surmised that "Two kids debating the sun" might imply she needed to bring back someone who defied her, using the "emperor's scorching sun" to awe them.
Since Xia Ziyuan was the only one who consistently challenged her, Cheng Ruoyu concluded this referred to Xia Ziyuan. Qi Yan then endorsed this idea, tasking Xia Ziyuan to serve as a messenger between Cheng Ruoyu and the Yuzhen Workshop, which had already departed for Jinyang.
