I Will Never Let You Go Episode 44 Recap
> I Will Never Let You Go Recap
Feiyun Fortress was afflicted by a horse plague, leading Yun Lang to the Mo Manor in urgent search of bitter grass and iron horse lotus herbs. He was informed that Mo Ruofei was away in the south for business and Mo Madam was at a temple, due back in a few days. Yun Lang spoke with Lin Yuquan, who falsely claimed the manor had run out of the two crucial herbs.
Lin Dansha, overhearing this, immediately offered to retrieve the medicine from their storage, but Lin Yuquan quickly stopped her, insisting the herbs were unavailable. After Yun Lang left to search elsewhere, Lin Yuquan explained to Lin Dansha that Xiao Jiufeng was currently negotiating with Feiyun Fortress, and they were forbidden to provide any aid to Yun Lang. Lin Dansha was horrified, knowing that if the plague was not controlled, Feiyun Fortress faced severe imperial punishment.
She accused her brother of assisting an evil plot, but Lin Yuquan, consumed by fear for their lives and the family's standing as the city's largest medicine dealer under Mo Madam's trust, reminded her that Yun Lang's impending marriage to her was not born of love and that the Yun and Mo families looked down on their background. He also mentioned his own failed attempts to produce a cure for the poison they had been forced to take.
Seeing that Lin Dansha was determined to help Yun Lang even at the cost of her own life, Lin Yuquan regrettably knocked her unconscious to prevent her from leaving. Yun Lang’s search for the herbs throughout the capital proved fruitless, as Xiao Jiufeng had already orchestrated a medicine shortage. Realizing the danger Feiyun Fortress was in, Yun Lang decided to cancel his engagement with Lin Dansha to protect her from involvement.
He conveyed his decision to Lin Yuquan, who agreed to pass on the message. However, upon returning to Lin Dansha's room, Lin Yuquan discovered she had escaped through a window, taking the herbs she had secretly acquired. Meanwhile, Xiao Jiufeng arrived at Feiyun Fortress and presented a genuine badge of the Prince of Cheng to Fortress Master Yun.
He reminded the Fortress Master that the current horse plague meant they could not meet the Emperor’s demands, an offense the Emperor would not believe was accidental.
Xiao Jiufeng admitted to orchestrating the plague to weaken the Emperor and urged the Fortress Master to cooperate with him in restoring the Prince of Cheng’s grandson to the throne, promising him a position as a founding general of top rank, contrasting it with the Emperor who had only made him a royal merchant. He cited the Biluotian prophecy, "This dynasty will end on the Fifth Emperor," as divine will for the Prince of Cheng's grandson to reclaim the throne.
Acknowledging the grave implications, Fortress Master Yun requested a day to consider. Just then, news reached Feiyun Fortress about Lin Dansha and Yun Lang having successfully procured the medicine, and this information also reached Xiao Jiufeng. Impressed by Lin Dansha's devotion, Xiao Jiufeng ordered his men to summon her to a meeting. Shortly after, Yun Lang confronted Lin Dansha, reiterating his intention to cancel their engagement to protect her.
Lin Dansha vehemently refused, declaring that being a couple meant living and dying together, and she would stand by him regardless of the dangers. Later, Yun Lang met his father, Fortress Master Yun, alone. His father, swayed by Xiao Jiufeng's power, his connections to the Prince of Cheng, and the promise of a higher position, was considering the alliance, even though he knew Xiao Jiufeng was responsible for the plague.
Yun Lang, however, was adamant that treason was a heinous crime that would result in the execution of their entire clan. He urged his father to capture Xiao Jiufeng, a wanted criminal, and deliver him to the Emperor as a gesture of loyalty, hoping to gain favor and a position in the government. His father, having sent a man to follow Xiao Jiufeng, acknowledged his brazenness. Yun Lang, unwilling to wait, rushed off to inform the magistrate.
In a pavilion, Lin Dansha met Xiao Jiufeng as instructed. He threatened that the Emperor would confiscate Feiyun Fortress, citing a past example where another fortress was beheaded for failing to deliver horses. He urged her to persuade Yun Lang to cooperate. As they spoke, Yun Lang arrived with officers, intending to arrest Xiao Jiufeng. However, to Yun Lang's shock, the officers turned their weapons on him, revealing they had been bribed by Xiao Jiufeng.
Lin Dansha stepped in front of Yun Lang, shielding him and demanding his release. Xiao Jiufeng gave them half a day to persuade Feiyun Fortress to surrender. As they left, Lin Dansha tearfully confessed to Yun Lang that Xiao Jiufeng had killed her father and forced her and her brother to take a slow-acting poison, coercing them into becoming his informants to ensure their survival and to seek revenge.
She had secretly obtained the herbs from her brother, who had bought them all up in the capital, because she didn't want Xiao Jiufeng to use her. She revealed her intention to fight Xiao Jiufeng to the death that day, but his sudden arrival had changed her plans. Yun Lang, understanding her plight and knowing her character, chose to believe her.
Back at Feiyun Fortress, Yun Lang, having discussed it with his father all night, agreed to cooperate with Xiao Jiufeng. However, he laid down conditions: Feiyun Fortress would provide ten thousand steeds, but a "Feiyun Cavalry" must be established under his direct command, with soldiers joining from Xiao Jiufeng's army. Xiao Jiufeng agreed, appointing Yun Lang as a colonel, stating that his ascent to general would depend on his capabilities.
Yun Lang then made another demand: an antidote for Lin Dansha and her brother. Xiao Jiufeng, noting their deep affection, consented, promising the antidote once the horses were safely delivered to their destination. Following this reluctant alliance, Fortress Master Yun dispatched a letter to Mo Madam, his sister, detailing the grave situation and urging her to sell all properties in the capital and seek refuge at Feiyun Fortress to ensure their safety.
Mo Madam, understanding the shared fate of their families, immediately instructed Mo Bo to recall Mo Ruofei from the south. Meanwhile, Chen Yu had taken Hua Buqi to a secluded, beautiful cottage in Xuzhou, where they enjoyed a peaceful and stable life while awaiting the arrival of Zhu Old Master. Hua Buqi expressed her amazement at discovering she was the Saintess of Biluotian, a figure from legendary stories.
Chen Yu reassured her that the current location was safe and no one could find them for now. They planned to eventually return his Master's and his sister's ashes to Biluotian and leave the Biluotian treasure there forever. They spent their days in sweet domesticity; Chen Yu suggested teaching her poems, but Hua Buqi, ever lively, preferred hunting, fishing, and picking wild vegetables, boasting of her superior skills.
They even playfully argued about the origins of dew and made a bet about Chen Yu distinguishing dew-made tea from other waters. Chen Yu, using his keen senses, easily discerned that Hua Buqi had, in fact, used well water with flower petals, winning the bet. Despite winning, he playfully sent Xiao Liu to hunt pheasant, fulfilling Hua Buqi's wish. They celebrated their simple happiness, drinking wine until they were "only-stopping-once-totally-drunk."
Their tranquil life was abruptly interrupted when Chen Yu received news from his secret guards: Commander Han, tasked with escorting Zhu Old Master, reported that Zhu Old Master had been captured by Bai Jianfei in an inn in Suizhou and taken back to the capital. Unbeknownst to Chen Yu, Liu Qingwu had leveraged her new position as an imperial concubine to praise Bai Jianfei to the Emperor.
The Emperor, seeing an opportunity, planned to use Zhu Old Master as bait to ensnare Chen Yu and his entire group in the Celestial Prison. Concerned for Hua Buqi's safety and well-being, Chen Yu decided to keep the news from her. He made an excuse about needing to be away for a few days and set off for the capital, intent on rescuing Zhu Old Master himself.
He gathered his secret guards, acknowledging the extreme danger of raiding the heavily guarded Celestial Prison. He justified the risk by affirming that Zhu Old Master was Hua Buqi's closest family, and he had promised her to ensure his safety. Despite the perilous situation, Chen Yu was eventually caught in Bai Jianfei's trap and imprisoned.
