Stand By Me Episode 2 Recap
> Stand By Me Recap
Emperor Qi Yan, lacking appetite, dismisses his meal and questions Huaizhi about the duration of his and Cheng Xi's service in the palace, implicitly questioning their loyalty. Huaizhi confirms his 30 years and Cheng Xi's 20. Qi Yan recounts his teacher's words, explaining that eunuch power stems from imperial authority, and tracing the root of the Chaolu Rebellion to the private ambitions of Li Xu and Zheng Lu, who served the crown prince.
Li Xu’s desire to eliminate Zheng Lu for greater credit led to leaked information, putting Qi Yan’s elder brother under Chou Ziliang's control. Huaizhi vehemently asserts his unwavering loyalty, assuring Qi Yan he is not like Li Xu or Zheng Lu. Qi Yan dismisses Huaizhi, instructing him to inform Cheng Xi that he will consider her proposal further, silently affirming his continued patience and endurance. Cheng Ruoyu wakes up feeling weak and dizzy, realizing she's been given a debilitating medicine.
She worries about her ability to protect Qi Yan in this state. A servant informs her that Qi Yan is going hunting and expects her to accompany him. Despite her physical weakness, Cheng Ruoyu is eager to leave the palace, though she still laments her lack of strength. Meanwhile, Qiu Yanzhi, who had subtly suggested to Qi Yan earlier to indulge in hunting, waits for Cheng Ruoyu. She feigns concern for Cheng Ruoyu's condition, noting her inability to fight.
Cheng Ruoyu defiantly insists she can still protect the Emperor. Qiu Yanzhi mockingly questions how a "Swordbearer with no martial skills" could hunt, prompting Cheng Ruoyu to propose a hunting competition. The stakes are high: if Cheng Ruoyu wins, Qiu Yanzhi must return to Xiangqi Camp and never appear before Qi Yan again; if Qiu Yanzhi wins, Cheng Ruoyu must grant her one wish. Qiu Yanzhi readily accepts.
Cheng Ruoyu and Qiu Yanzhi formally present their wager to Qi Yan, who accepts it as a way to make the hunt more engaging. Qiu Yanzhi subtly attempts to provoke Qi Yan by questioning his decision to keep a "reckless" Swordbearer like Cheng Ruoyu, but Qi Yan deflects, implying he prefers Cheng Ruoyu's presence to Qiu Yanzhi's. Cheng Ruoyu sets up traps for game.
Qi Yan finds her, playfully scolding her for her "disrespectful" words when she accuses him of scaring off her non-existent prey. He then imparts a lesson, advising her that she only sees "a small part of the whole picture" and should "infer the whole from a piece." At the rendezvous point, Cheng Ruoyu initially caught more foxes than Qiu Yanzhi through honest effort.
However, she is dismayed to discover Qiu Yanzhi has amassed a large collection of prey with the assistance of Xiangqi Camp soldiers, accusing her of cheating. Qiu Yanzhi counters, stating that a leader must learn to effectively utilize and manage an organization. Just as Cheng Ruoyu feels defeated, Qi Yan intervenes, declaring that only foxes will count towards the tally. He then personally assists Cheng Ruoyu in hunting, their close proximity causing her to blush.
Despite Cheng Ruoyu's honest efforts, Qiu Yanzhi wins the competition by presenting a large number of foxes she "traded with a merchant." She argues that the rules merely stated "whoever has more foxes wins," without specifying the method of acquisition, an interpretation that Qi Yan tacitly accepts. Cheng Ruoyu, outmaneuvered, reluctantly concedes. Expecting to be banished from the palace, she is surprised when Qiu Yanzhi simply demands she do embroidery.
Unable to embroider, Cheng Ruoyu resorts to begging her maid, A-Wu, to complete the task for her, swearing she will never lose another bet. Meanwhile, Cheng Xi receives a report from her subordinates regarding Qiu Yanzhi's background. It is revealed that Qiu Yanzhi was a servant in the Leshufang music house in Heng'an City eight years ago when she was noticed by Chou Ziliang.
After a series of challenges, she became his adopted daughter, despite a congenital heart condition and a lack of martial arts skills. Cheng Xi finds it suspicious that there are no records of Qiu Yanzhi's life before this period, speculating that her intelligent demeanor indicates a noble birth and that her past was deliberately erased. She orders her people to thoroughly investigate Qiu Yanzhi's true origins.
Separately, Qi Yan summons Qiu Yanzhi and confronts her about her ambiguous actions: forcing him to take poison but delaying the antidote until Cheng Ruoyu's arrival, and winning the hunting competition yet choosing not to banish Cheng Ruoyu. He suggests her actions were intended to "teach a lesson." Qiu Yanzhi clarifies that her lessons were aimed at Qi Yan, not Cheng Ruoyu.
She explains that her past experiences witnessing the suffering of common people in Heng'an City fueled her desire to assist a wise ruler in revitalizing Daxing. Qi Yan remains skeptical, asking if she truly expects him to believe her. Qiu Yanzhi responds that belief is entirely up to him, urging him to consider her words carefully before taking her leave. Later, Qi Yan visits the Grand Dowager Empress.
She sternly reprimands him for neglecting state affairs and indulging in leisure while the nation faces internal corruption and external threats. She reminds him of his past intelligence and prowess, questioning why his ambition is focused on his brothers rather than on strengthening the Great Prosperity. Wearied, she dismisses him. Afterwards, Cheng Ruoyu, with the help of A-Wu, presents the embroidery to Qiu Yanzhi, who immediately recognizes it was not done by Cheng Ruoyu herself.
The following day, Qi Yan again decides to skip morning court for a hunting trip. An annoyed Cheng Ruoyu confronts him, attributing his truancy to Qiu Yanzhi's influence. Ignoring her protests, Qi Yan invites her to ride with him and offers to teach her archery and hunting techniques. As they ride, Qi Yan confides his frustration with court, where he feels powerless and only disappoints his ministers.
He prefers the strategic patience of hunting, likening it to a prey waiting for the right moment to strike. He then imparts a lesson, advising her that when strength is insufficient, one should hide, and when the hunter is exhausted, strike with a single blow. Cheng Ruoyu is impressed by his precise archery skills. Suddenly, she spots an assassin targeting Qi Yan and, without hesitation, pushes him off the horse, causing them both to fall.
After the fall, Qi Yan reassures Cheng Ruoyu that he is unharmed, though he playfully complains about her falling on him. Cheng Ruoyu immediately suspects Qiu Yanzhi, noting that she deliberately did not bring her soldiers for the hunt, making it seem as though she was complicit. Qi Yan, however, examines the retrieved arrow tip, noting it lacks poison and a blood groove, indicating it was not meant to be fatal.
He deduces the attack was a setup to frame Qiu Yanzhi, believing the arrow to be from Chou Ziliang's residence. He tasks Qiu Yanzhi with investigating its origin. Soon after, Qiu Yanzhi reports back that six guards identified from the royal hunting grounds were found poisoned with common rat poison before they could be fully interrogated. This sudden poisoning of the witnesses, coupled with Qi Yan's prior deduction, points to a larger scheme.
Qiu Yanzhi advises waiting for the next move. Qi Yan suggests they visit Heng'an City, and Cheng Ruoyu eagerly proposes they try the city's famous biángbiáng noodles. Meanwhile, back at court, Chou Ziliang expresses his irritation with Qi Yan's continuous absence and idleness. Overruling Cheng Huaizhi’s cautious warnings, Chou Ziliang orders all memorials to be taken away. In Heng'an City, Qi Yan, Cheng Ruoyu, and Qiu Yanzhi arrive at Cai Tavern.
Qiu Yanzhi explains that the tavern, originally Granny Li's famous biángbiáng noodles shop, changed its name after Granny Li's passing, with the recipe now inherited by Aunt Cai. Cheng Ruoyu, having heard about the place from a childhood friend who would often sneak away to eat there, excitedly orders three bowls of noodles. She then instructs Qiu Yanzhi to sit at a separate table. Cheng Ruoyu enthusiastically devours her noodles, explaining to Qi Yan their unique preparation and name.
Intrigued, Qi Yan takes a bite but finds the noodles incredibly sour. He notices Qiu Yanzhi hasn't touched her food and she admits she finds them too sour, having tried them before. Despite his dislike, Qi Yan forces himself to continue eating the sour noodles, stating that "precisely because I fear it, I must give it a try," much to Cheng Ruoyu's delight.
