General and I Episode 42 Recap, Plot

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The Jin King was infuriated by his officials, who, instead of addressing the lingering silkworm crisis, were quick to impeach Chu Beijie for his unauthorized military actions and abandonment of his army. The King ordered all officials involved in agriculture and sericulture arrested. Meanwhile, Chu Beijie continued his search for his wife, Pingting. He arrived outside the city gates of Nan'an Commandery, where he subdued the city guard and showed him Pingting’s portrait.

The guard produced an identical portrait, revealing that the Prince Consort, He Xia, had sent it with orders to capture or kill the woman if seen. Pingting and Zui Ju, traveling through the countryside, observed Bailan soldiers impersonating tax collectors at a farmhouse. Pingting cleverly exposed their ruse, compelling them to admit that someone had recently challenged several Bailan checkpoints. The Prince Consort had mobilized troops to Xiaoyang Pass, but many soldiers had deserted.

Zui Ju questioned if the mysterious swordsman the deserters spoke of was Chu Beijie and if he was in danger. Pingting initially believed Chu Beijie would not go to Xiaoyang Pass, knowing He Xia had set up defenses there and that Chu Beijie would deliberately choose remote passes when searching for them. Later, Zui Ju asked Pingting if she missed Chu Beijie. Pingting admitted she did, always feeling his presence near.

However, she believed their union was a mistake and that she had already brought him enough harm. She did not want him to sacrifice more for her, feeling that their being together was a torture for both of them. She instructed Zui Ju that their plan to continue towards Great Liang remained unchanged. That night, Pingting suffered severe abdominal pain, a sign of distress for her unborn child, brought on by her anxious thoughts.

Zui Ju quickly tended to her, performing acupuncture. When Pingting inquired about her baby’s health, Zui Ju assured her it was fine, attributing the erratic fetal movements to Pingting’s poor health and mental exhaustion. She advised Pingting to rest and suggested buying medicinal herbs to aid her recovery. However, Pingting insisted they had no time, stating they must go to Xiaoyang Pass the next day. Zui Ju was perplexed, recalling Pingting’s earlier assessment that Chu Beijie would avoid the pass.

Pingting explained that He Xia’s plot was certainly more intricate than they knew, and she felt compelled to go to Xiaoyang Pass regardless, to warn Chu Beijie if he appeared there. Zui Ju expressed concern that Pingting always suffered for the baby, emphasizing it wasn't hers alone. Pingting responded that it was "Beijie's baby."

The next morning, Pingting and Zui Ju expressed their gratitude to the farm family, who offered them rations and suggested Xiaoyang Pass as the most convenient route to Great Liang. In Bailan, Princess Yaotian was furious with her officials over the lack of law in the kingdom and vexed that Prince Consort He Xia had once again outmaneuvered her by secretly deploying troops to Xiaoyang Pass, with General Luo Hao leading the defense.

She ordered her men to the pass to ensure that neither Bai Pingting nor Chu Beijie would leave Bailan alive. Later, in a secret meeting with her Prime Minister, Yaotian expressed admiration for Pingting's intelligence but lamented that if Chu Beijie found her, he would become invincible, making it difficult for Bailan to unify the world. She issued a secret order: if Bai Pingting was found, she was to be immediately killed.

She added that Pingting could be identified by a luminous jade hairpin she always wore. Meanwhile, Chu Beijie continued his relentless search. He inquired at a roadside tea shop about two women, describing Pingting and Zui Ju. The shopkeeper confirmed seeing two women matching their description heading towards Xiaoyang Pass. Without hesitation, Chu Beijie immediately rode towards the pass. Unbeknownst to him, this was part of He Xia’s carefully laid trap.

Later, when Pingting and Zui Ju arrived at the same tea shop, the shopkeeper recognized them, asking why they had returned after passing by earlier. Pingting denied it, but the shopkeeper insisted, mentioning a tall man on a handsome horse who had just inquired about them. Pingting instantly realized that Chu Beijie was being lured into a perilous trap at Xiaoyang Pass. Upon reaching Xiaoyang Pass, Chu Beijie found two women hanging in a cage outside the city wall.

Rushing to their aid, he released them, only to discover they were assassins tasked with taking his head. He quickly subdued them, but then arrows rained down from the city walls. Bailan’s Garrison Commander, Luo Hao, mocked Chu Beijie for falling for the Prince Consort’s trick. Wounded, Chu Beijie fiercely engaged the Bailan soldiers. Pingting and Zui Ju arrived just as Chu Beijie began to weaken.

Pingting, desperate to die by his side, was held back by Zui Ju, who reminded her of her child. Just then, Chu Beijie seemed to sense Pingting’s presence, inspiring him with renewed strength. Timely reinforcements arrived: Jin soldiers who had remained in Bailan after a previous war, sent by Chu Moran. Their arrival turned the tide, saving Chu Beijie. After the battle, Pingting recognized the Jin soldiers.

She told Zui Ju that Chu Beijie was safe for now but expressed her unwillingness to see him again, believing that staying away was the only way for them to return to their original lives and ensure his safety. She affirmed her decision to continue towards Great Liang via Pine Forest Mountain. Zui Ju, however, pleaded with her not to go alone in her fragile state, and Pingting acquiesced. Chu Beijie awoke in the care of the loyal Jin soldiers.

They explained that they had been secretly stationed in Bailan on his past orders and had recently been contacted by General Chu Moran to assist him near the border. Chu Beijie thanked them, explaining he was not on a military expedition but on a personal mission to find his wife. He offered to release them from danger, but they reaffirmed their unwavering loyalty. Moved, Chu Beijie accepted their allegiance, calling them brothers.

They then offered to lead the search for Pingting while he recuperated. Back in Jin, the King's health was failing. He received Grand Marshal Xie, confiding his deteriorating condition and the urgent need to find Chu Beijie to inherit the throne. He then issued a secret decree: upon Bai Pingting's discovery, she was to be formally declared Queen on the spot. Meanwhile, in Great Yan, the Yan King discussed the sudden withdrawal of Bailan and Jin troops with his "Father-in-Law."

He dismissed the notion that Princess Yaotian alone had swayed the Jin army, concluding that an exceptionally intelligent individual—implying Pingting—had written a letter that preserved both states. Reiterating the saying, "He who has Bai Pingting will possess the world," he expressed his desire to find and leverage her for his own cause. Separately, a high-ranking official, referred to as "My Lord," inquired about Fei Zhaoxing’s whereabouts.

Revealing that the Jin Emperor suspected him of involvement in Bai Pingting's affair and that Fei Zhaoxing knew all of his past misdeeds, the Lord ordered his men to find and kill Fei Zhaoxing to silence him permanently.

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