Stand By Me Episode 24 Recap
> Stand By Me Recap
Li Zening came to the palace, ostensibly to play the zither for the Grand Dowager Empress, but she took the opportunity to confront Qi Yan and press him on her marriage proposal. Qi Yan firmly rejected her, which Li Zening attributed to his feelings for Cheng Ruoyu. Qi Yan, however, clarified that he would never love anyone, only categorizing people as useful or useless.
Li Zening dismissed this, claiming Cheng Ruoyu was part of a complete conspiracy, blinding him with her innocent facade. When Qi Yan told her to hold her tongue, Li Zening pressed on, asserting that ever since Cheng Ruoyu appeared, Qi Yan hadn't accomplished anything successfully. She then revealed that it was Cheng Xi who betrayed him by handing An Wang over to Chou Ziliang, even citing a neighbor's testimony from Changle Lane.
Li Zening urged Qi Yan to confront Cheng Xi and question Cheng Ruoyu's sincerity if her own aunt acted this way. Meanwhile, Yan Zhi, having learned of Cheng Xi's betrayal, began to suspect Cheng Xi's true identity. She decided with Yan Xiu that instead of investigating Cheng Xi's background in Puzhou, which would likely yield no clues, they should take a shortcut and directly ask You Xiang.
Cheng Ruoyu came to see Qi Yan, who was eager to know how An Wang had returned. Qi Yan assured her that he would not blame her even if Cheng Xi had betrayed him, encouraging her to speak truthfully. However, Cheng Ruoyu, wanting to buy time to persuade Cheng Xi to repent, deliberately concealed the full truth, claiming An Wang knew nothing and deflecting questions about Liu Misha's whereabouts by saying Yan Zhi was also looking for her without success.
When pressed for anything else, Cheng Ruoyu admitted there was more but she couldn't reveal it yet. Distraught by her evasiveness and believing she was lying, Qi Yan, in deep pain, told her to leave, wanting to be alone. Yan Zhi then visited You Xiang, presenting him with three questions.
You Xiang responded by first admitting he was Cheng Xi's maternal half-brother and then expressing his desire to replace Qi Yan with the Crown Prince, reasoning that an inheritance should go to a son if one exists, over a brother. Yan Zhi doubted Chou Ziliang would permit this. She then inquired about the true identities of Cheng Ruoyu and Cheng Xi. In turn, You Xiang demanded to know Yan Zhi's identity and the whereabouts of the late Emperor's imperial will.
Yan Zhi revealed herself as Wang Ruoqing, Wang Yang's granddaughter, and disclosed that the imperial will was hidden in her sister's shoe, though she didn't know her sister's current location. You Xiang remained unconvinced, and Yan Zhi left. Back in the palace, Qi Yan refused to eat or drink. Cheng Ruoyu, worried, directly entered the palace to check on him. Seeing Qi Yan repeatedly wiping the bow Li Zening had given him, Cheng Ruoyu felt uneasy.
Later, when Cheng Ruoyu tried to bring him food, he scornfully accused her of a "honey trap," listing her innocent qualities and saying she was merely chosen to appeal to him. Cheng Ruoyu protested, attempting to explain An Wang's situation as an accident, but Qi Yan cut her off, stating he was tired of her "hopeful lies" and ordered her to "get out" before he lost his temper.
When Cheng Ruoyu refused to leave, Qi Yan, in a fit of rage, drew his bow and aimed an arrow at her. She then knelt and confessed that An Wang had confirmed it was indeed Aunt Cheng Xi who took him to Chou Ziliang, but still tried to argue Cheng Xi had her reasons. Qi Yan, having tried to control his anger, gave her one last chance to leave, reiterating he never wanted to see her again.
He then summoned Cheng Huaizhi, ordering him to take Cheng Ruoyu and leave, stating neither of them should ever return to the palace. Cheng Xi, meanwhile, visited You Xiang at night and openly confessed to handing An Wang to Chou Ziliang.
She explained that this was a calculated move to force You Xiang to commit to their grand plan: to use Liu Misha to form an alliance with Zhen Wu and launch a military coup at the Imperial Brother's enthronement ceremony, thereby seizing the Qi dynasty's throne. You Xiang, however, remained unresponsive. Alone and distressed, Qi Yan practiced archery, his mind wandering back to his past.
He recalled a time when he and Li Zening were deeply in love, just three days away from marriage. However, the late Emperor's unexpected decree to relocate Li Deyun to the south had shattered their dreams. Qi Yan's pleas to the Emperor were in vain, and Li Zening was forced to follow her father, separating the lovers indefinitely. Qi Yan mused on how the circumstances had made both of them turn away from him, deeming his own despairing state "ridiculous."
Later, Cheng Huaizhi found Cheng Xi at the Ziyi Bureau, still accompanied by Cheng Ruoyu. He severely reprimanded Cheng Xi, demanding she kneel and publicly scolding her for her betrayal of Qi Yan and engaging in deceitful schemes. Cheng Xi attempted to explain privately, but Cheng Huaizhi, deeply disappointed and ashamed to face Qi Yan, refused to listen. Cheng Xi, in turn, angrily ordered Li Rong to escort Cheng Huaizhi away.
As he left the Ziyi Bureau in tears, Cheng Huaizhi lamented Cheng Xi's transformation. Cheng Xi then confronted Cheng Ruoyu, accusing her of reporting her to Qi Yan, which resulted in Cheng Huaizhi's banishment and Cheng Ruoyu's own expulsion from the palace. Cheng Ruoyu, defiant, struck the Ziyi Bureau's great drum, summoning all the girls. As the Sword Wielder, she commanded them to apprehend Cheng Xi.
However, the girls, led by Yuniang, unanimously drew their swords against Cheng Ruoyu, demonstrating their loyalty to Cheng Xi, who had raised them. Cheng Xi mockingly declared that without her, Cheng Ruoyu was nothing, to which Cheng Ruoyu retorted that at least she remained a person of flesh and blood, unlike them who would become mere weapons under Cheng Xi.
Cheng Xi then dismissed her, stating she no longer belonged there, adding that Cheng Ruoyu would eventually betray Qi Yan too, as their fates were sealed long ago. As heavy rain poured down, Cheng Ruoyu walked alone, feeling utterly lost and helpless. Soon, Yan Zhi arrived in a carriage and invited her inside. Yan Zhi noted Cheng Ruoyu's despondent state and asked if she had anticipated these outcomes. Cheng Ruoyu recounted her failed attempt to rally the Ziyi Bureau.
Yan Zhi explained that the girls' loyalty to Cheng Xi, their mentor, was natural, as Qi Yan was an outsider to them. Yan Zhi challenged Cheng Ruoyu's steadfast loyalty to Qi Yan over her aunt, who had raised her. Cheng Ruoyu maintained that she chose to distinguish right from wrong, regardless of family ties, seeing treason as inherently wrong, and had hoped to prevent her aunt from making a grave mistake.
Yan Zhi, however, declared that it was already beyond repair, as Qi Yan knew the truth and Cheng Xi was beyond repentance. She presented a cynical view of the world, stating that there was no way to please everyone; only winning mattered, and everything was considered right if one won, and wrong if one lost. She emphasized that Qi Yan must win swiftly to achieve his ambitions, otherwise, his current efforts would be meaningless.
When Cheng Ruoyu asked how to win, Yan Zhi advised her to return to Qi Yan, help him quell the Luzong rebellion, and thereby win back his trust. She revealed that Li Zening was the one who informed Qi Yan about Cheng Xi's actions. While Cheng Ruoyu denied any romantic rivalry with Li Zening, Yan Zhi insisted that Li Zening, and perhaps even Qi Yan, saw it differently.
Yan Zhi then offered a way to win back Qi Yan's heart: by bringing him Liu Misha as a gift. Armed with this new resolve, Cheng Ruoyu courageously returned to Qi Yan. Despite Qi Yan's harsh command to "get lost," she playfully threw a Cuju ball, signifying she had "rolled away," yet remained. Qi Yan, unimpressed, reminded her he had also forbidden her return.
Cheng Ruoyu urgently clarified that Cheng Xi had only handed An Wang to Chou Ziliang, but had not revealed Liu Misha's whereabouts. Qi Yan questioned if she was seeking refuge with him after being abandoned by Cheng Xi. Cheng Ruoyu affirmed her intention to work with Qi Yan to find and rescue Liu Misha, reciting the Ziyi Bureau's oath of loyalty to the nation and the Emperor.
She asserted that Cheng Xi's belief in controlling the Zhenwu Army through Liu Misha was naive, declaring that in her "game of chess," she would not let others play her pieces, and that Princess Misha, she would make sure to have.
