General and I Episode 49 Recap, Plot

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Pingting and Yang Feng were so engrossed in conversation that they didn't notice their child, Changxiao, had wandered off. Realizing he was gone, they immediately split up to search for him. Changxiao, having wandered aimlessly, got lost and ended up at Jiaoyan Pavilion. Thirteenth Lady, who managed the pavilion, held Changxiao's hand, offering to help him find his mother.

Chu Beijie, operating under the alias Landlord Dong, was hosting Jiaoyan Pavilion and felt an inexplicable sense of closeness upon seeing the child. Pingting soon arrived at Jiaoyan Pavilion looking for her son, but Chu Beijie was entertaining foreign merchant Mr. Kanji and missed the opportunity to reunite with her.

During a brief conversation with Thirteenth Lady, Pingting deduced that the Jin merchant convoy, rumored to be distributing rice at low prices, was connected to Jiaoyan Pavilion, and she thanked Thirteenth Lady for helping Jin. Meanwhile, Chu Beijie had been orchestrating the distribution of large amounts of military supplies to General Chen Mou's army at Yanlin City.

This operation was carefully planned to ensure the common people witnessed Jin's resilience in fighting, while also allowing for the relief of disaster victims once military needs were secured. Gui Yan sought permission from He Xia to attack Yanlin City. He requested that if his army needed reinforcement, his second uncle, General Gui Changning, be dispatched to provide support. He Xia readily agreed to this request.

Before Gui Yan departed, he reminded Gui Changning, on his father's instruction, to never drink wine again to prevent any mishaps and to be wary of He Xia. Gui Changning assured his nephew he understood and urged him to capture Yanlin City to bring pride to the Gui family. Soon after Gui Yan left, Gui Changning was knocked unconscious in his tent and force-fed a large amount of wine laced with sedatives.

Later, a military scout urgently reported to He Xia that the Bailan army had been ambushed by Chu Moran's forces from Jin State outside Yanlin City, and the situation was critical, pleading for immediate reinforcements. Another general noted that Jin's morale must have been greatly boosted by the recent influx of military rations and supplies. He Xia immediately called for General Gui Changning to lead the reinforcements. However, a soldier reported that General Gui was drunk and couldn't be woken.

Other officers were shocked by his negligence and stated he couldn't be spared. Shortly after, another report arrived, confirming that the entire Yongxiao Army had been annihilated and General Gui Yan had died on the battlefield. Upon hearing this tragic news, Gui Changning cried out his nephew's name in anguish. He Xia seized the moment to address his assembled officers and soldiers, passionately reminding them of their purpose: to fight so that Bailan would never again be humiliated by Jin.

He declared that such a "degenerate" like Gui Changning, who used his authority to hinder military operations and caused the annihilation of the Yongxiao Army, could not be tolerated in Bailan. With the unanimous support of his troops, He Xia proclaimed that every soldier, from the commander-in-chief to the footsoldier, would be treated equally with both rewards and punishments. He then sentenced Gui Changning to death without pardon for hindering military operations and disregarding military laws.

Gui Changning desperately pleaded for mercy, but it was to no avail, as He Xia effortlessly eliminated the Gui family's influence in the army. Back at Jiaoyan Pavilion, the auction concluded. Thirteenth Lady, however, whimsically announced that there was one final, most precious item for sale: herself. An attendant was surprised and asked Landlord Dong about it.

Thirteenth Lady proclaimed she was merely an ordinary young woman seeking an ideal husband and invited gentlemen to bid for her by writing their offers and a poem on slips of paper. Bids poured in, with Young Lord Zhang offering 800 taels of gold and a poem, followed by Young Lord Meng with 1,000 taels and another poem. Then, an attendant announced a staggering bid of 100,000 taels of gold from Landlord Dong himself.

His accompanying poem read: "I never had the intention to love this wonderful night; But I can't bear to see the moon setting behind West Pavilion." After the auction, Thirteenth Lady confronted Chu Beijie, asking if he couldn't bear to let her go. He responded that she was "far too willful today." She playfully retorted that she was merely following his orders as the dignified landlord to find an ideal husband.

Chu Beijie urged her not to take her happiness as a joke and to send the bidders home. Thirteenth Lady pressed him, acknowledging his generosity and implying she could only repay him with lifelong devotion. He brusquely told her to "stop messing around," but she insisted she didn't care if he still thought of "that woman" in his heart, that she wouldn't reject or pester him. Chu Beijie apologized to Thirteenth Lady, explaining he could never be with her.

She quietly accepted his words, acknowledging her own obsession. Later, while Thirteenth Lady drank alone, some customers approached her. One of them, still hoping to win her, offered his 1,000 taels of gold and then attempted to kiss her. Enraged, Thirteenth Lady nearly struck him, but Chu Beijie intervened. After handling the incident, Chu Beijie casually took a sip from a nearby wine pot. The familiar, rich taste of the plum wine made his heart stir.

It tasted exactly like the wine Pingting had personally brewed for his birthday, which Chu Moran had once found. He immediately called a waiter and inquired about the wine's origin. The waiter explained it was plum wine from the Baili Plum Forest at the foot of Pine Forest Mountain, adding that two years ago, someone had come to dig wells and canals specifically to plant plum trees, thus creating the forest.

Chu Beijie asked who planted the trees and who fermented the wine, but the waiter could only confirm that Jiaoyan Pavilion had purchased a batch. Convinced the wine was Pingting's, Chu Beijie set off immediately towards Baili Plum Forest, riding through the night. Meanwhile, at Pingting's home, she and Yang Feng shared a quiet breakfast, noting that Changxiao and Yang Feng's child, Ze Qing, were still asleep.

Yang Feng commented on their rare moment of peace, though Pingting admitted she missed the usual "noise and excitement." Yang Feng then asked Pingting if they were truly going to move. Pingting affirmed that since becoming a mother, her primary concern was Changxiao's safety, and she couldn't risk putting him in harm's way again. Yang Feng agreed, understanding Pingting's feelings and confirming that they would schedule their move after Ze Yin collected the final wine payments the following day.

Their quiet morning was interrupted when a servant called for "Miss Bai," indicating something terrible had happened. An unconscious old man had collapsed at their doorway. They helped him recover with honey water, and he revealed that the disaster was not natural but man-made. The Bailan Army was brutally burning, killing, and looting villages as they advanced, and they would soon reach Pine Forest Mountain.

Pingting told Yang Feng they couldn't simply leave; they needed to consult the village chief and ensure the entire village evacuated together. As Chu Beijie approached Baili Plum Forest, he asked a villager for directions to the plum forest owner's home. He soon encountered Changxiao and Ze Qing playing near a waterwheel.

Changxiao, suspicious, asked if Chu Beijie was a "bad man" and warned him about playing near the waterwheel, proudly stating that his father built it, though Ze Qing quickly corrected him, saying their mother built it. Chu Beijie praised the exquisite waterwheel and the intelligence of its builder, to which Changxiao proudly declared, "My mom is smart!" Chu Beijie advised the children to go home before their mothers worried.

As they left, Changxiao, remembering a past kindness, gave Chu Beijie a small gift, explaining that his mother taught them to be grateful for kindness shown. Chu Beijie then approached Ze Yin, asking if it was the plum forest owner's home. Ze Yin was wary, questioning how Chu Beijie knew their location. Chu Beijie introduced himself as a wine merchant collecting wine for the army, claiming to have tasted their plum wine and wishing to discuss a business deal.

Ze Yin curtly replied that all the plum wine was sold out and told him to leave. Chu Beijie persisted, asking to meet the winemaker. Ze Yin, trying to dismiss him, claimed that he and his wife made the wine and that he was the plum forest master. Chu Beijie, unconvinced, then brazenly offered to buy the entire plum forest for 10,000 taels of gold, enough to buy vast fertile plains.

Ze Yin vehemently refused, repeatedly telling him they were not selling and demanding he leave. Yang Feng arrived, calling out to Ze Yin as "A'Han." Chu Beijie, recognizing his error in judgment, apologized to Ze Yin for his reckless actions. Changxiao, still curious, asked Ze Yin if Chu Beijie was a bad man. Ze Yin firmly instructed Changxiao to stay far away from that man in the future.

Later, Yang Feng informed Pingting that the plum forest owner (Ze Yin) had encountered a "good-looking, well dressed and skilled in martial arts" man who claimed to be a wine merchant but behaved strangely. Pingting immediately suspected the man might be He Xia and, concerned for the children's safety, decided to go find them and bring them back. She quickly located Changxiao and Ze Qing and took them home.

Meanwhile, in the Prime Minister's Manor, the Prime Minister was overseeing preparations for his family's departure. He instructed his servant to leave first with the female family members while he made a trip to the palace. The servant warned him that He Xia was clearly targeting him, especially after the fate of General Gui Changning, and that going to the palace would be like "plunging into a sea of flames."

The Prime Minister, however, felt a deep obligation to the late king's princess, whom he regarded as his own daughter. He refused to abandon her in the palace. Though his servant insisted the princess was an adult and no longer needed him, the Prime Minister fondly reminisced about her childhood clinginess. He then urged his servant to leave quickly with everyone.

Just as they were about to depart, soldiers stormed into the manor, loudly declaring that no one could leave and ordering everyone to kneel, signaling the capture of the Prime Minister and his household.

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