Stand By Me Episode 38 Recap
> Stand By Me Recap
Cheng Ruoyu successfully mastered the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden Formation, with Yan Zhi personally overseeing her training and providing encouragement. Cheng Ruoyu, having been part of the group sent to Lu Cong to search for Cheng Xi's Shuangpao, reported back to Yan Zhi that they failed to locate either Cheng Xi or her Shuangpao. Yan Zhi expressed surprise that Cheng Xi, despite losing her martial skills, managed to evade capture.
She deduced that Cheng Xi had gone to Lu Cong seeking Yu'er, not realizing that Yu'er was Ling Ling, and likely intended to leverage Zhang Jiang's influence to return to the capital. However, Zhang Jiang was easily eliminated by Zhang Zhongru. Yan Zhi worried that Cheng Xi might encounter Ling Ling and disclose sensitive information. She felt that since Ling Ling still harbored feelings for Qi Yan, revealing her true identity now would only complicate matters.
Therefore, Yan Zhi insisted that this secret must remain hidden until Qi Yan's demise. Yan Zhi was also concerned that Cheng Xi might reveal the truth of the Chaolu Rebellion to Cheng Ruoyu. If Cheng Ruoyu knew that Qi Yan was involved in the destruction of their family, it would cause her great distress and potentially disrupt Yan Zhi's revenge plans.
Yan Zhi held both Qiu Ziliang and Qi Yan accountable for the Chaolu Rebellion, viewing them as individuals consumed by greed. Meanwhile, Li Rong held a memorial for Cheng Xi, whom she believed to be dead, expressing regret for ordering Ziyuan to kill her, claiming it was her only choice. During the memorial, a mysterious voice, seemingly that of her deceased sister-in-law, instructed Li Rong to kill Cheng Xi and avenge the speaker.
To Li Rong's astonishment, Cheng Xi, who had been presumed dead, then appeared before her, commending Li Rong's loyalty. Cheng Xi, unable to leave the palace herself, instructed Li Rong to inform Yan Zhi about her presence and to ask Yan Zhi to exercise restraint if she tried to capture Cheng Xi.
Yan Zhi, having learned from Qi Chen's intelligence that Cheng Xi had returned and was potentially hiding in Heng'an, dispatched Yan Xiu to apprehend her at Cai Tavern and the Ziyi Bureau. However, Yan Xiu reported that Cheng Xi, Li Rong, and a group of Yuzhen Workshop assassins had vanished, having been one step too late to catch them. Cheng Ruoyu, meanwhile, was undergoing intense training but felt stifled by Yan Zhi's constant surveillance and control.
She confided in Qi Chen, expressing her desire to visit Qi Yan, whom she affectionately called "Uncle." Cheng Ruoyu worried about Qi Yan's increasing age and his profound loneliness, especially after Cheng Xi, whom she called "Auntie," had disappeared and she herself was believed to be dead.
Qi Chen sympathized and promised to bring her into the palace on the third day of the following month, coinciding with the Grand Dowager Empress's birthday, which would provide a legitimate reason for his visit and allow Cheng Ruoyu to accompany him. Qi Chen reflected on the rapid passage of time, remarking that life felt like a fleeting dream.
The Divine Doctor, frustrated that Qiu Ziliang remained alive after 96 days of seclusion despite consuming an altered manual designed to kill an ordinary person within a month, sought counsel from Qi Chen. When Yan Zhi arrived, the Divine Doctor discreetly mentioned that he had previously saved Yan Zhi's sister, Ruoling, using his century-old snow ginseng, persuaded by his senior brother, Tian Shan, who claimed Ruoling was his benefactor's descendant.
He also revealed that he and Qi Chen had orchestrated Qiu Ziliang's seclusion. Sensing Yan Zhi's affection for Qi Chen, the Divine Doctor then politely excused himself. Qi Chen confirmed to Yan Zhi that Qiu Ziliang's prolonged seclusion was a meticulously planned scheme orchestrated by him and his senior brother, Tian Shan. He recounted that after the Chaolu Rebellion, he rescued many survivors from a mass grave. Subsequently, Qiu Ziliang placed him under house arrest in Caolu.
It was during this period that he learned of an imperial edict from the Emperor to name him as successor, which Qiu Ziliang intercepted, leading to the death of Minister Wang. This revelation ignited Qi Chen's ambition to become emperor, hoping to do good for the people.
He further explained that Qiu Ziliang had not killed the former emperor, Wenzong, but instead held him captive, knowing that Qi Chen, not Qi Yan, was the rightful heir destined to inherit the throne. Both Qiu Ziliang and Qi Chen were waiting for the opportune moment. During his period of house arrest in Caolu, Qi Chen met Tian Shan, a physician whose family had suffered a horrific tragedy ten years prior.
Tian Shan's wife and daughter, Ah Zheng, were brutally murdered by Qiu Ziliang's Wufang Guards after his wife tried to protect Ah Zheng from a hunting eagle. Seeking revenge, Tian Shan discovered that Qiu Ziliang's martial arts prowess stemmed from half of a manual given to him by a Master Wuyuan in his youth.
Qi Chen and Tian Shan then devised a plan: they would impersonate Master Wuyuan's disciples, forge the second half of the martial arts manual, and subtly alter it to cause Qiu Ziliang's internal organs to deteriorate, leading to a sudden death. Qi Chen also revealed that the Right Minister, currently overseeing the Xiangqi Camp in his stead, was Shisan, a skilled disciple of Tian Shan.
Shisan, a former performer adept at mimicry, successfully gained Qiu Ziliang's trust by presenting a fabricated Chess Formation diagram as a "vow of allegiance" and offering strategic advice. He quoted his master's teachings about ""patience unshaken, like the great earth, and quiet meditation, profound and vast like a hidden treasure"" to further convince Qiu Ziliang. The success of the Xiangqi Camp ultimately made Qiu Ziliang believe in the authenticity of the false manual.
Qi Chen concluded his explanation by using an ancient saying, ""The skilled rider falls from his horse, the proficient swimmer drowns in water, the seasoned drinker falls to alcohol, and the great warrior perishes in battle,"" to illustrate Qiu Ziliang's impending downfall. When Yan Zhi questioned if he still desired to be emperor, Qi Chen noted that Qi Yan was gravely ill and would likely perish once Qiu Ziliang died.
Yan Zhi then asked if he wished to rightfully reclaim what was his, to which Qi Chen confessed he was unsure. A Xiangqi Camp soldier, Zusan, approached Cheng Ruoyu, claiming Yan Zhi had summoned her. Cheng Ruoyu immediately sensed something was amiss. The soldier then admitted to being an assassin from the Yuzhen Workshop, sent by Cheng Xi, referred to as the "Shang Gong," to meet Cheng Ruoyu regarding her "true identity."
The assassin directed Cheng Ruoyu to the Apricot Grove and then diverted Yan Zhi's pursuing forces, which had been alerted by the discovery of Zusan's death and a silk thread from Cheng Ruoyu's clothing near a secret escape tunnel. This tunnel was the very one Yan Zhi's grandfather had used to escape with her and Ruoling years ago, and Yan Zhi regretted not having it destroyed. Upon arriving at the Apricot Grove, Cheng Ruoyu found Yan Zhi already waiting.
Enraged, Yan Zhi reprimanded Cheng Ruoyu, stating that her word was law in the camp and defiance would result in death. Cheng Ruoyu defiantly countered that Yan Zhi could neither kill her nor imprison her forever, appealing to their friendship and urging Yan Zhi to release her before she developed hatred for her.
After Cheng Ruoyu's impassioned plea and declaration that she would not be controlled like a puppet, Yan Zhi had no choice but to release her from the Xiangqi Camp dungeon. Meanwhile, Yan Zhi attempted to confide in Yan Xiu about her feelings for Qi Chen, but Yan Xiu, sensing the conversation's direction, swiftly made an excuse about continuing the search for Cheng Xi and departed.
Concurrently, Han Ding returned to Qi Yan, reporting that Misha had been killed and he himself had been captured by Qi Chen's men, confirming Qi Yan's suspicions about Qi Chen's true intentions. Qi Yan resolved to face the challenge ""step by step." " Cheng Xi, informed that Yan Zhi had intercepted Ling Ling in the Apricot Grove and killed her assassin, was certain that Ling Ling was indeed Yu'er and still alive.
Her certainty stemmed from observing Ling Ling's familiar fighting style when she fought Zhang Jiang, and Yan Zhi's subsequent cautiousness and attempts to prevent their contact. Cheng Xi intended to tell Cheng Ruoyu her true lineage and use her as a powerful "chess piece" to kill Qi Yan. As Cheng Xi was unable to appear herself, she entrusted Li Rong to convey Cheng Ruoyu's true lineage. Released from detention, Cheng Ruoyu made her way to the rain pavilion.
There, she found Cheng Huaizhi, whom she called "Uncle," performing a mourning ritual, offering cold noodles before a crystal coffin. Cheng Huaizhi explained he was celebrating, but Cheng Ruoyu, by revealing intimate details such as his fondness for a palace maid named Shen Shen and the true nature of his offerings, convinced him of her identity. Overjoyed, Cheng Huaizhi promised to arrange a meeting with Qi Yan at midnight the following day.
Cheng Ruoyu reassured him that she would never abandon Qi Yan. As Cheng Ruoyu left the pavilion, she was intercepted by Li Rong, who led her to Cai Tavern. Li Rong began to disclose Cheng Ruoyu's true origins, revealing that Qi Chen had not merely rescued her from traffickers, but had in fact discovered her amidst a pile of dead bodies. She further stated that Cheng Ruoyu's grandfather was a high-ranking official.
However, before Li Rong could reveal the crucial detail of her grandfather's surname, Yan Xiu, who had been secretly trailing them, fatally struck Li Rong in the throat with a concealed weapon.
