Stand By Me Episode 5 Recap
> Stand By Me Recap
Cheng Ruoyu followed a drunken assassin to an old residence that once belonged to Wang Yang, which she soon discovered was the base of the Xiangqi Camp. She encountered the masked black-clad figure she had previously seen at Zheng’s residence. After a brief struggle, during which Cheng Ruoyu stabbed his arm, the figure managed to escape without further engagement. From the rooftops, Cheng Ruoyu was stunned to find An Wang imprisoned there.
Guards were attempting to force An Wang to drink a painful medicine, claiming Chou Ziliang would be angry if he refused. An Wang was in immense agony. Despite her initial hesitation, worrying about upsetting Qi Yan or Cheng Xi, Cheng Ruoyu decided she could not abandon An Wang. She entered the stronghold and rescued him. As Cheng Ruoyu helped An Wang escape, they were confronted by Chou Yanzhi, who led them to a secret passage in the backyard.
Chou Yanzhi stated that only one person could leave. Cheng Ruoyu offered to stay behind, pleading with Chou Yanzhi to let the gravely ill An Wang go. After a moment of consideration, Chou Yanzhi allowed both of them to escape through the passage. Later, Chou Yanzhi mused about Cheng Ruoyu's "foolish loyalty" and wondered if she had sent her to her doom. Yan Xiu, hearing this, remarked on Chou Yanzhi's "wicked" nature, expressing his approval.
Yan Xiu then reported to Chou Yanzhi about the silver needle used in a recent assassination attempt. While the poison remained unidentified, the needle itself was traced to a special set crafted by Zheng Lu for the late emperor's acupuncture. Chou Yanzhi immediately suspected a setup, arguing that a true descendant of the Zheng family would never use such a distinctive item.
She even questioned if A-Wu, who also claimed to be from the Zheng family, might be an impostor, but Yan Xiu dismissed this, stating that A-Wu's hatred was too genuine to be faked. Cheng Ruoyu brought An Wang to Cheng Xi for treatment. She recounted her discovery of the Xiangqi Camp at Wang Yang’s old residence and An Wang’s desperate state, but she strategically omitted Chou Yanzhi's involvement in their escape.
Cheng Xi was visibly shaken by the mention of Wang Yang’s old residence and the Xiangqi Camp, acknowledging she had long known its location but feared alerting them. Realizing the suspiciously easy rescue and fearing a trap, Cheng Xi decided to move An Wang immediately. Cheng Xi chose to send An Wang to Prince Guang, Qi Chen, who lived in seclusion.
Upon their arrival, Cheng Ruoyu was overjoyed, immediately recognizing Qi Chen as the benefactor who had saved her life years ago from a pile of bodies. Prince Guang, who was Qi Yan's uncle and the late emperor's brother, readily agreed to shelter An Wang. Meanwhile, Chou Ziliang received a report about An Wang's relocation to Prince Guang’s residence.
Before Chou Ziliang could act, Prince Guang formally sent a letter to Chou Ziliang, openly requesting to keep An Wang under his care. Chou Ziliang, who had a long-standing rule not to interfere with princes, factions, or Prince Guang, was surprised by Prince Guang's bold move. Chou Yanzhi explained her initial plan to Chou Ziliang: releasing Cheng Ruoyu and An Wang was meant to test Qi Yan’s loyalty.
If Qi Yan accepted An Wang, it would prove his disloyalty to Chou Ziliang. However, Cheng Xi unexpectedly sent An Wang to Prince Guang instead. Chou Ziliang revealed the deeper reason for his caution regarding Prince Guang: during the Chaolu Rebellion, the late emperor had secretly prepared an imperial will to pass the throne to Prince Guang. After Chou Ziliang forced the late emperor to change the will in favor of Qi Yan, the original will was lost.
Chou Ziliang established the Xiangqi Camp precisely to prevent the princes and various factions from finding that lost imperial will and using it to legitimize Prince Guang's claim. Keeping Prince Guang under his thumb served as a check against both potential rebellion and Qi Yan. Realizing her miscalculation, Chou Yanzhi apologized for her oversight. Qi Yan visited Prince Guang to see An Wang, encountering Cheng Ruoyu and Cheng Xi there. An Wang remained unconscious.
Qi Yan expressed his concern that Chou Ziliang would not let the matter rest, drawing parallels to how Chou Ziliang had previously poisoned Prince Guang. Cheng Ruoyu, realizing the gravity of her actions, repeatedly apologized, but Qi Yan sternly reprimanded her, then dismissed her and Cheng Xi. Prince Guang, however, understood that Qi Yan's harsh words were a veiled attempt to distance Cheng Ruoyu from the dangerous situation.
Observing a carelessly bandaged injury on Qi Yan's arm, Prince Guang skillfully deduced it was a dart wound from a female fighter and correctly guessed it was Cheng Ruoyu who had accidentally injured Qi Yan while he was secretly trying to help rescue An Wang. Qi Yan admitted this. Prince Guang urged Qi Yan to trust and utilize Cheng Ruoyu, praising her exceptional martial skills and "heroic and righteous heart," suggesting she would bravely protect Qi Yan in crucial moments.
Qi Yan, however, voiced his reservations, perceiving her as reckless and potentially detrimental due to her lack of strategy. Later, Chou Yanzhi received intelligence that three women who had been missing from the Ziyi Bureau had briefly appeared at Cai Tavern. One of them, Yu Niang, had her throat slit by a thug ten years prior, who himself mysteriously drowned three days later. Further investigation revealed that these missing Ziyi Bureau women had eventually ended up at the Yuzhen Workshop.
Chou Yanzhi quickly dispatched her agents to Cai Tavern, where they arrested Aunt Cai under the pretense of tax evasion. Cheng Ruoyu, witnessing Aunt Cai's arrest, rushed to the palace to seek Cheng Xi's help. Denied entry without a token, she scaled the palace wall, a clandestine move observed by Qi Yan, who secretly followed her to the Ziyi Bureau. Inside, Li Rong informed Cheng Xi about Aunt Cai's capture.
After a moment of grim deliberation, Cheng Xi decided that Aunt Cai must "remain virtuous and join her late husband," sacrificing her to protect the 300 elite soldiers they had meticulously trained from 900 over eight years. As Cheng Ruoyu approached, she vaguely overheard their conversation. Just as she was about to burst in, the masked Qi Yan intervened, initiating a fierce but brief fight. The commotion drew Cheng Xi out, allowing Qi Yan to slip away.
Cheng Ruoyu did not recognize the masked figure, but she felt he was the same mysterious person she had encountered at Zheng’s residence and Wang Yang’s old house. Soon after, someone infiltrated the prison and administered poison to Aunt Cai. Chou Yanzhi's agents discovered the attempt, confirming her suspicion that Cheng Xi was behind it. Chou Yanzhi elaborated on the complex plot, deducing the existence of a third party.
This mastermind had used A-Wu to expose the Ziyi Bureau, then orchestrated the assassination attempt on Qi Yan at Cai Tavern, which consequently revealed Cai Tavern and Yuzhen Workshop. Their ultimate goal was to pit the Ziyi Bureau and Xiangqi Camp against each other, allowing them to reap the benefits. To counter this, Chou Yanzhi resolved to devise a strategy to lure this hidden mastermind into the open, stating that it was time for Cheng Ruoyu to play her part.
