General and I Episode 22 Recap, Plot

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The Jin army, marching into Bailan, fell victim to a large-scale ambush by the Liang army. Chu Beijie, realizing his forces were vastly outnumbered, promptly ordered a retreat to prevent further sacrifices. Scouts dispatched by Chu Beijie reported no sign of the Bailan army within a fifty-mile radius, leading him to believe they had advance knowledge of the ambush.

Concluding that the Bailan army was no longer trustworthy, Chu Beijie immediately sent a homing pigeon for reinforcements, estimating that at least one hundred thousand additional soldiers would be required in Bailan within three days, given the Liang army's current strength. Meanwhile, Emperor Sima Hong, after prolonged use of golden pills, had grown indolent in managing state affairs, spending his days in revelry. One day, he fainted on his dragon bed while with his concubines.

Noble Consort Zhang, frustrated that she had not been elevated to empress despite Sima Hong's numerous new concubines and his continued enjoyment of life thanks to the golden pills, voiced her complaints to her father, Chancellor Zhang. He advised her to remain patient, assuring her that the golden pill, though slow-acting, left no trace, and that Sima Hong needed to stay alive to serve as a tool to eliminate Chu Beijie.

Chancellor Zhang then showed her a secret letter from Bailan, asserting that He Xia and the King of Liang State had already cornered Chu Beijie. Once Chu Beijie was dead, Chancellor Zhang declared, he and his daughter could securely rule the Great Jin Empire. Noble Consort Zhang, however, cautioned her father about He Xia's cunning nature.

Chancellor Zhang dismissed her concerns, confidently stating that He Xia was "just a dog with no home" and could be crushed with a mere movement of his fingers if he dared to disobey them. In Bailan, Prime Minister Gui Changqing reported to Princess Yaotian that the Liang army had reached the capital's outskirts and that Chu Beijie's ten thousand Jin reinforcements were insufficient.

He proposed deploying the Bailan army, subtly suggesting Prince Consort He Xia, a renowned general of Great Yan, lead the expedition, as Bailan's soldiers had not yet witnessed his heroic bearing. Seizing the opportunity, Princess Yaotian readily agreed. She then issued a decree for Gui Changqing to immediately hand over the military seal to He Xia, asserting that during a national crisis, ancestral rules could be overstepped.

Princess Yaotian further declared that from that day forward, all matters, regardless of importance, would be discussed in the imperial court, and no man other than Prince Consort He Xia would be permitted to enter her manor. This move effectively stripped Prime Minister Gui of his military authority and political influence. He Xia praised Princess Yaotian for deftly reclaiming military power with just a few words.

Princess Yaotian clarified that she acted solely to solidify He Xia's position in court, believing the Prime Minister was not inherently a bad person. He Xia, however, expressed lingering suspicion about a "hidden meaning" in the Prime Minister's earlier words about "another solution." Princess Yaotian dismissed his concerns, leading He Xia to fondly remark on her "heart as pure as crystals."

When Princess Yaotian asked about his confidence in the upcoming battle, He Xia assured her that it was "just the beginning" and that he would "surely grant her the world." Meanwhile, a scout informed Chancellor Zhang that the East Mountain Villa was frequented only by Chu Moran and Zui Ju, but large quantities of provisions were regularly sent up from the village below.

The scout deduced that either a valuable treasure or an important person was hidden there but admitted he dared not act without explicit authorization, having learned from past mistakes. Chancellor Zhang, calling him "worthless," initially ordered a blockade of supplies to starve them out. However, when informed that those on the mountain could sustain themselves by hunting and fishing, he harshly proposed burning the mountain.

The scout lauded his "wisdom," and Chancellor Zhang vowed to leave "no place where he can hide." At East Mountain Villa, Zui Ju relayed Chu Beijie's message that he was safe and would return in a few days after discussing important matters. He also sent a golden pill for her to investigate its secret. Zui Ju identified several nourishing herbs in the pill but found a few uncommon ingredients she could not yet discern.

Bai Pingting grew uneasy, realizing the messenger had not personally seen Chu Beijie, making his "safe" status questionable. Her fears were confirmed when news broke that the mountain was on fire, specifically around the country house, indicating arson. Observing the easterly wind, Bai Pingting quickly ordered Chu Moran to dispatch a team to West Mountain to evacuate the villagers while the fire was still manageable.

Recognizing their vulnerable position, Bai Pingting devised a plan: she and Zui Ju would draw the attackers' attention, allowing Chu Moran to gather forces and surround them. Chu Moran initially protested, reminding her of Chu Beijie's strict order for her to remain indoors. Bai Pingting argued that if Chu Beijie were truly well, no one would dare set fire to the mountain, concluding that something dire must have happened to him. She declared they could not simply wait for death.

During the ensuing confrontation, Chu Moran struggled to protect Bai Pingting and Zui Ju against the overwhelming number of assassins until timely reinforcements arrived, eliminating most of them. An interrogated survivor confessed that Chancellor Zhang had sent them to uncover a secret at the East Mountain Villa while Prince Zhenbei was away fighting in Bailan, adding that Chancellor Zhang believed Prince Zhenbei would "not be coming back."

On the battlefield, Chu Beijie commanded his remaining soldiers to abandon their boats and cross the Huai River to retreat into Great Jin territory. However, the Liang army relentlessly pursued them with fire arrows, causing heavy casualties. Later, a general reported that reinforcements would not arrive for another seven days, leaving Chu Beijie with drastically reduced forces to hold the border.

He questioned whether the order for delayed reinforcements came from the Military Governor or Sima Hong himself, as the enemy was now poised to cross into Jin territory. Chu Beijie instructed his men to rest, prepare large quantities of oil and fire arrows, and maintain constant vigilance over the Huai River, asserting they still had a chance to fight if the enemy attempted a river crossing.

Upon learning of Chu Beijie's precarious situation, Bai Pingting finally understood that the treacherous court faction working against him consisted of Chancellor Zhang and his daughter, Noble Consort Zhang. She also realized that He Xia was the mastermind, conniving with both Bailan and Liang to target Chu Beijie. Convinced that only she, Chu Moran, and their mountain guards could save Chu Beijie, Bai Pingting rallied the troops.

She declared their unwavering responsibility to rescue Chu Beijie from his life-and-death situation but offered an exemption for those who were only sons, had parents over seventy, or had young children. She passionately urged the others to join, explaining that the attack on East Mountain Villa was just the beginning of a larger scheme to eliminate them all, and their only chance of survival lay in rescuing Prince Zhenbei.

Her impassioned plea was met with thunderous cries of "Save Prince Zhenbei!" from the soldiers. Back at the palace, Chancellor Zhang, in collusion with Royal Physician Li, successfully fabricated a "pregnancy" diagnosis for Noble Consort Zhang. Overjoyed, Sima Hong immediately announced that the prince would be welcomed with the rites reserved for a crown prince, ordering eighty canon shots in the palace and declaring his intention to take Noble Consort Zhang to worship the ancestors.

Noble Consort Zhang, still frustrated that she was not yet Queen despite the fabricated pregnancy, complained to her father. Chancellor Zhang reassured her that her status would inevitably elevate with her son's and that no one else would be qualified to be Queen once the prince was born. Meanwhile, Ze Yin learned the full extent of He Xia's manipulation of Bai Pingting's strategic medicine plan.

He realized that He Xia had twisted her strategy, which was intended to sicken Sima Hong, to instead poison the two princes, knowing the specific drug was fatal to children but harmless to adults. Ze Yin surmised that He Xia, having grown up with Bai Pingting, must have known the secret of the prescription. His wife questioned why Bai Pingting would have sacrificed herself to protect He Xia.

Ze Yin decided to write a letter to Chu Beijie and dispatched a messenger to deliver it, hoping to reveal the truth about Bai Pingting's involvement and resolve any lingering animosity Chu Beijie might harbor. He also pondered the suspiciously easy passage of Chu Beijie's army into Bailan, suspecting a deeper plot.

Episode 21 Recap

Episode 23 Recap