I Will Never Let You Go Episode 50 Recap
> I Will Never Let You Go Recap
Liu Qingyan chose to cooperate with her older sister Liu Qingwu. She provided Liu Qingwu with the means to contact Dongfang Shi and decided to go into hiding for a while as per Liu Qingwu's instructions. Liu Qingwu, however, stated that she would send someone to keep an eye on Liu Qingyan to ensure the successful completion of the task. Liu Qingyan understood, explaining that it was natural for Liu Qingwu not to trust her immediately after their long-standing animosity.
She then revealed that she possessed a signal arrow, which, once the mission was accomplished, she would light in the southern part of Xuzhou to inform Dongfang Shi of her success. Meanwhile, in Xuzhou City, Chen Yu arrived at the General's mansion with Mo Ruofei and Yun Lang. General Chang Kuan was furious, accusing Chen Yu of being a traitor who deserted on the eve of battle, and ordered his arrest.
He even threatened to kill Chen Yu, but then offered to beg the Emperor for mercy to save Chen Yu, ensuring his sister's bloodline would be preserved. Chen Yu, however, revealed an imperial seal, calming Chang Kuan, and then started to speak ill of the current Emperor. Chen Yu argued that the Emperor had framed him and his father for rebellion, which also hindered Chang Kuan's own career.
He suggested that Chang Kuan surrender the city to Dongfang Shi, emphasizing that Dongfang Shi, as a descendant of Prince Cheng, was not an enemy. He further promised Chang Kuan the position of Minister of War if Dongfang Shi ascended to the throne, and assured him that Xuzhou's people would not be harmed.
Chang Kuan acknowledged that surrendering a city was a major decision and required time to consider, but Chen Yu pressed him for a quick decision, giving him one day at most. Chen Yu returned to his camp to report to Dongfang Shi, who noted that they had returned intact, indicating success. Chen Yu informed him that Chang Kuan needed a day to reconsider the surrender and that he had promised Chang Kuan the position of Minister of War.
Dongfang Shi expressed gratitude but also questioned Chen Yu's somber demeanor despite his achievement. Chen Yu dismissed it as merely doing his job. After Yun Lang left, Dongfang Shi kept Mo Ruofei behind, specifically wanting to know how Chen Yu had managed to persuade Chang Kuan. Privately, Xiao Liu had already dug a tunnel to connect to Chen Yu's camp, having worked day and night due to the urgency of Chen Yu's message.
Chen Yu left Xiao Liu to guard the tunnel and ensure a retreat if necessary, then used it to secretly meet Chang Kuan in the General's mansion. Chang Kuan expressed relief, realizing that Chen Yu's earlier accusations against the Emperor were part of a larger plan. He explained that he had gone along with Chen Yu due to his belief in Chen Yu's integrity, but voiced concerns about the hastiness of the plan and Dongfang Shi's power.
Chen Yu reassured him, citing that Yun Lang of Feiyun Fortress and Lin Dansha were trustworthy allies due to their shared vendetta against Xiao Jiufeng. Chang Kuan, having reaffirmed his trust in Chen Yu and his plan, committed to cooperating with Chen Yu to win the battle of Xuzhou for the Emperor. Elsewhere, Liu Qingwu met with Chen Yu. She thanked him for helping her gain the Emperor's trust and rewards.
She wondered if he would have allowed Hua Buqi to risk her life as she did. Liu Qingwu had now completely moved on from Chen Yu, envisioning herself as Noble Consort Qing, wielding power over the imperial harem, the next time they met after the war. Meanwhile, a signal from the south of Xuzhou informed Dongfang Shi that Liu Qingyan had successfully replaced Liu Qingwu.
Dongfang Shi, believing Liu Qingyan to be Liu Qingwu, saw this as a perfect opportunity to test Chang Kuan's sincerity in surrendering. After a day and night of deliberation, Chang Kuan decided to surrender the city. He sent an envoy to Dongfang Shi, expressing his desire to surrender and offering Liu Qingwu, whom he had arrested, as a gift. Dongfang Shi, convinced of Chang Kuan's sincerity, marched his troops into Xuzhou City with Chen Yu.
Upon entering, Chang Kuan requested Dongfang Shi to uphold his promise to not harm the people of Xuzhou. Dongfang Shi assured him of this and promised Chang Kuan and Chen Yu high positions as military advisors. When asked by Dongfang Shi how to punish Liu Qingwu, Chen Yu advised against killing her, suggesting it would tarnish Dongfang Shi's reputation. Dongfang Shi agreed and ordered her release, then proceeded to garrison his army within Xuzhou.
Moments after Dongfang Shi's army settled in Xuzhou, a devastating plague broke out, spreading rapidly and infecting nearly half of his forces. Dongfang Shi, furious at the lack of a cause or remedy, ordered his men to find paper and a pen to write prescriptions. He then instructed Mo Ruofei to purchase medicine in bulk, even resorting to force if merchants refused, and sent others to check on the newly arrived soldiers.
Unbeknownst to Dongfang Shi, this plague was no accident; it was a carefully executed plan by Chen Yu and Yun Lang. Lin Dansha, using her medical knowledge, had ensured that all the crucial "willow grass" in the surrounding areas was unobtainable, leaving Dongfang Shi, despite his medical skills, powerless to stop the epidemic. Lin Yuquan, searching for medicine, found Lin Dansha and, suspecting foul play, directly asked if she had initiated the poison.
Lin Dansha denied it, claiming Xiao Jiufeng wasn't present. Lin Yuquan, disheartened by his sister's continued pursuit of revenge, expressed his desire for a peaceful life, arguing that their father would want them to live well, and that they were already benefiting from Yun Lang's generalship and his own position as military doctor. He stated his intention to pledge loyalty to Xiao Jiufeng and abandon the pursuit of revenge, hoping for a peaceful life.
Lin Dansha, deeply disappointed, called him a coward afraid of death. She revealed that she had given a remedy to General Chang Kuan. She firmly declared that she would avenge their father herself if he would not, and he could continue living his comfortable life without involvement. Lin Yuquan tried to dissuade her, warning her of Xiao Jiufeng's immense power and the severe consequences should she fail, but Lin Dansha refused to listen.
Lin Yuquan left to assist Mo Ruofei, urging his sister to calm down and discuss it again after the plague. Meanwhile, Chen Yu was planning Hua Buqi's rescue. Xiao Liu reported Hua Buqi's location, noting she was heavily guarded by a servant inside and dozens of soldiers outside. Chen Yu acknowledged the lack of manpower but refused to ask for soldiers from Chang Kuan.
He reasoned that Chang Kuan's loyalty to the Emperor would inevitably lead to Hua Buqi's discovery and cause animosity between Chen Yu and the Emperor at such a critical juncture. He instructed Xiao Liu to prepare adequately and rescue Hua Buqi during Chang Kuan's planned surprise attack the following day. The plague continued to decimate Dongfang Shi's army, with Mo Ruofei and Lin Yuquan reporting the complete unavailability of willow grass and over 10,000 deaths.
Dongfang Shi deduced that the plague was man-made. Just then, Chang Kuan's forces launched a sudden attack on Dongfang Shi's camps. Dongfang Shi, his forces severely weakened, ordered a full retreat and instructed his men to find "Zhu brat" (Hua Buqi). During the chaos, Chen Yu confronted Dongfang Shi, who realized Chen Yu's involvement in the scheme. Chen Yu instructed Xiao Liu to protect Hua Buqi and escape, but Mo Ruofei intercepted them.
Mo Ruofei called out "Eldest Brother" to Hua Buqi before brutally killing Xiao Liu in front of her and knocking her unconscious. Chen Yu and Dongfang Shi engaged in a fierce duel, both sustaining serious injuries. Fortunately, Chang Kuan arrived with his troops, ordering his men to pursue Dongfang Shi with a reward of 10,000 taels for his capture, while saving the unconscious Chen Yu.
Mo Ruofei and Lin Yuquan skillfully distracted the pursuing soldiers, allowing Dongfang Shi to escape with Hua Buqi. Dongfang Shi explained to Hua Buqi that despite their current unsafe situation due to his battle loss, he had to keep her with him. He feared that Xiao Jiufeng would capture and sacrifice her to open the Biluotian treasure. He vowed to protect her at all times and sought food for them.
Back in Xuzhou, Chang Kuan informed the recovering Chen Yu that Dongfang Shi and Mo Ruofei had escaped to Xichu Province. He recounted their decisive victory, having killed 80,000 of Dongfang Shi's 200,000 soldiers, captured 100,000, and taken three cities. Chen Yu expressed regret at not being able to rescue Hua Buqi.
He then inquired about Yun Lang and Lin Dansha, asking Chang Kuan to bring them to him and confirming that their alliance with him remained a secret from Dongfang Shi. Chen Yu thanked them for their crucial contributions to the victory. Yun Lang stated that he sought no reward, only the safety of his people in Feiyun Fortress and his cousin, and the death of Xiao Jiufeng.
Lin Dansha added that she and Yun Lang would return to Dongfang Shi's camp even without being asked, as her father was still raising warhorses for Xiao Jiufeng, and her brother Lin Yuquan was with Dongfang Shi. That night, Dongfang Shi rested with Hua Buqi in a forest. He tried to engage her, offering her a roasted chicken leg and reminiscing about their past agreement to have a Beggar's Chicken cooking competition.
Hua Buqi remained silent and unresponsive, clearly missing Chen Yu. Dongfang Shi grew sad, confessing that he usually called her "Zhu brat" because Chen Yu called her "Buqi," and he didn't want to be like him. He admitted he loved the name Buqi, viewing it as a "once in a lifetime promise," and lamented how their relationship had deteriorated because of his pursuit of the throne. He longed for the days in the desert when they would bicker and joke.
He wished he had met her earlier, believing he could have treated her better than Chen Yu, with more tricks to make her happy. Hua Buqi finally spoke, telling him that if he found it not worth it, he should abandon his quest for the throne to save countless lives. Dongfang Shi replied that there was "no turning back," and even if he wished to give up, Xiao Jiufeng would never allow it.
The next morning, Hua Buqi awoke to find Dongfang Shi suffering from a high fever. Concerned, she used a sword to cut the ropes binding her wrists and found herbs to treat him, recalling the herbal knowledge her Ninth Uncle had taught her. Dongfang Shi felt better and thanked her, expressing his happiness that she had not escaped, perceiving it as a sign of her affection for him.
Hua Buqi clarified that she merely didn't want him to die an "ugly death" to wild animals. She then asked him to release her. Dongfang Shi countered, explaining that she would be hunted by both the Emperor and Xiao Jiufeng, and therefore, it was safest for her to remain by his side. Hearing this, Hua Buqi remarked that she "should've run away."
Meanwhile, Xiao Jiufeng received news that, though Dongfang Shi's status remained unknown after Xuzhou, he was likely alive as no public announcement of his capture or death had been made. More importantly, his subordinates reported finding the Biluotian sacred item and map in a house in the woods. Xiao Jiufeng exclaimed that "God is helping" him, declaring that with the Biluotian treasure, they could "turn this around," and he was now determined to capture Hua Buqi.
Dongfang Shi took Hua Buqi to a secluded house in Mei Village, which had been abandoned due to the war. His subordinate questioned why they were settling there instead of finding Xiao Jiufeng to plan a counterattack. Dongfang Shi stated he had his own plan and strictly forbade anyone from informing Xiao Jiufeng of their location, threatening severe consequences for any disobedience. He then personally took Hua Buqi to her room to rest. Later, Mo Ruofei attempted to see Dongfang Shi but was turned away by a guard, indicating Dongfang Shi's desire for privacy and his secretive plans.
