Eternal Brotherhood Season 2 Episode 18 Recap
> Eternal Brotherhood Season 2 Recap
Lu Di arrived at what he believed to be the granary and was overjoyed, thinking he had truly found it. But when he opened the sacks, he discovered they were all filled with sand. Realizing he had been tricked, it was already too late—the men of the Radiant King had shut the gates and began flooding the chamber from all directions. Just after climbing out of the river, Lu Di was again blocked by the Radiant King's men.
Unconvinced, Lu Di insisted that if it were a real battle, the Radiant King wouldn’t be his match. Zichuan Xiu didn’t kill Lu Di either; instead, he removed the feather accessory from Lu Di’s waist and let him go. Everyone was confused as to why Zichuan Xiu released Lu Di again. Zichuan Xiu believed their army lacked a sparring partner, and Lu Di was the perfect one—he shouldn't be disposed of so easily.
Di Lin brought people to confront the representatives from Wayun who had come to the imperial capital to file complaints against the Three Central Offices, trying to intimidate them into silence. Unexpectedly, the representatives declared they would rather die than give up on accusing the offices. Relieved, Di Lin returned with the group. Di Lin presented the matter of private armies raised by the Three Central Offices to Zichuan Canxing.
He also pointed out that construction progress at the Wayun chokepoint was slow and that refugees were left unresettled, causing chaos. He proposed bringing in witnesses, and Canxing immediately suggested heading to the council hall to confront the Three Central Offices. At the Wayun noodle shop, the owner Chuan Nan got into an argument over his higher-than-usual noodle prices.
People thought it was a scam, but the truth was that forced conscription for repair work had made people afraid to show themselves, so he could only sell in secret to make a living. Naturally, prices were higher. Chuan Nan managed to escape capture. Those sent for repairs were promised subsidies, but later received nothing and were even detained in refugee camps. Ma Wei, representing the Three Central Offices, apologized and admitted his failure in supervision led to the situation.
Clerk Xiao also acknowledged oversight failures in person. Di Lin seized the opportunity to propose reorganizing the Three Central Offices, pointing out the mutual shielding stemming from familial ties among the officials. Xiao promptly produced the past three months’ ledgers for Canxing to review and insisted that although Wayun had issues, things were not as bad as Di Lin claimed. He accused Di Lin of severely mistrusting the offices and not wanting to be wrongfully blamed.
Luo Minghai suggested a thorough investigation before making decisions, and Canxing, feigning ignorance, suspended the discussion. Zichuan Xiu and Bai Chuan reviewed the accounts. Yuanzhou was now generating high revenue. He planned to return Yuanzhou to Elder Budan, offering an 80-20 split—they would take only 20%. Although most of Yuanzhou was under Lu Di’s control, a portion remained self-governed, and Zichuan Xiu hoped to unite these people against Lu Di.
He expected them to eagerly cooperate, but none of the messengers he sent even made it into the city. Since Di Lin failed to resolve the issues with the Three Central Offices, returning refugees decided to escalate the matter. They took to the streets, publicly demanding justice and accusing the offices of embezzling relief funds. Zichuan Ning overheard this and confronted Ma Wei with a crossbow, questioning his involvement with Wayun’s situation.
Unafraid, Ma Wei openly admitted his deep involvement and acknowledged his failure to personally oversee everything, allowing others to exploit the gaps. He walked up to Zichuan Ning and told her to aim at his chest with the crossbow, promising to set things right. In the end, Zichuan Ning couldn’t bring herself to shoot. Luo Minghai was concerned the Three Central Offices might drag Zichuan Ning into the scandal, especially since she had been overseeing the matter.
But Zichuan Canxing had already come up with a way to ensure Zichuan Ning could walk away unscathed and was well aware that the offices would try to retaliate against the refugees again. In the refugee camp, someone began stirring trouble, targeting Si Yilin and Ge Shan. They accused Ge Shan, as the Minister of Political Affairs, of ignoring the soldiers’ sacrifices and preventing them from reclaiming their land.
They also claimed Si Yilin returned from a lost battle yet still acted superior. A rebellion broke out, and Ge Shan was intercepted and stabbed. Si Yilin happened to pass by and rescued her. Zichuan Canxing was fully aware that this was all orchestrated by the Three Central Offices—overnight, public sentiment had been manipulated, though he also knew that no one dared to actually attack Si Yilin. Someone blocked Si Yilin’s path, wanting to speak on behalf of the refugees.
They were disheartened that even Di Lin hadn’t stood up for them. Si Yilin couldn’t bear to hurt them, remembered their names, and recognized their battlefield sacrifices. He was willing to take the blow and urged them to leave quickly, hoping to buy time for Di Lin, who he believed would ultimately deliver justice.
