In the Name of Blossom Episode 23 Recap
> In the Name of Blossom Recap
Prince Ning’s equipment was naturally superior. This time, he used fire attacks, ordering his troops to shoot thousands of flaming arrows toward Jiang Zhangyang’s position. Jiang Zhangyang’s forces used shields to block, but some of the shields couldn’t withstand the countless arrows flying at them, and several soldiers fell, bleeding out on the ground. Jiang Zhangyang’s forces only numbered around fifty thousand, far fewer than the enemy, so he carefully planned his strategy to attack.
Prince Ning had intended to end the battle quickly, so he used a large amount of oil to try and burn down Jiang Zhangyang’s position. Jiang Zhangyang had originally planned to launch a surprise attack at night, but Prince Ning had strengthened his defenses. Jiang Zhangyang’s death squad fought desperately to break through, firing only one arrow, and it was unclear how badly Prince Ning had been injured.
Prince Ning had planted many spies near Jiang Zhangyang’s camp, so when Jiang Zhangyang arrived on the first day, all the grain supplies were immediately burned. The disparity between their forces was already huge, and now with the grain gone, the chances of victory were even slimmer. Jiang Zhangyang held firm, and immediately sent a letter asking his subordinates to evacuate He Weifang. He Weifang received Jiang Zhangyang’s letter. In this critical moment, she did not choose to retreat.
Instead, she immediately used her connections to gather fire oil and grain overnight, instructing her elite supply team to transport it to the front lines for support. Furthermore, having heard that Prince Ning often used fire attacks, He Weifang, to protect the soldiers from harm, recruited many skilled craftsmen to forge fireproof armor for them. This new armor would protect vital areas, such as the chest, ensuring the soldiers' safety.
With He Weifang’s strong backing, Jiang Zhangyang quickly distributed the new armor to the soldiers and launched a surprise attack under the cover of darkness. Prince Ning still underestimated Jiang Zhangyang, thinking of him as striking at a stone with an egg, but he reorganized his forces and prepared to fight back. Jiang Zhangyang, however, shot down Prince Ning’s flag and advanced toward the enemy, taking out a royal decree personally written by the emperor.
He showed it to the many generals around Prince Ning, the decree clearly stating that Prince Ning was the true traitor and rebel. It also offered anyone who was willing to switch sides a chance to save themselves from death. With the imperial decree in hand, many who had been forced to follow Prince Ning began to reposition themselves. Prince Ning was truly shocked.
He had never expected his army to abandon him, and especially didn’t understand how Jiang Zhangyang had come into possession of the decree. Jiang Zhangyang sneered. Prince Ning had always looked down on women, but he didn’t know that the precious decree had been handed over by the emperor to the Empress Dowager, who passed it to Xiao Xuexi. Xiao Xuexi then delivered it to He Weifang in the dead of night.
Prince Ning still struggled desperately, claiming that the decree was fake, urging his generals not to be deceived, and to fight to win the battle. The situation was already set. Jiang Zhangyang had long since laid the groundwork for the entire situation. Even Prince Ning’s confidant, Yu Zheng, was a secret agent planted by Jiang Zhangyang, so the reinforcements Prince Ning waited for had already defected.
Liu Chang saw that Prince Ning had become a fish in a net, immediately drawing his sword and holding it to Prince Ning’s neck, trying to redeem himself for his past mistakes. Finally, Prince Ning was captured. The emperor took control of the military, and the court was cleared of corruption. He Weifang and Jiang Zhangyang went together to honor the many soldiers who had sacrificed their lives.
The success they had achieved today was built on the blood of many martyrs. Jiang Zhangyang could finally live the life he had long dreamed of, as a carefree hermit, and couldn’t help but think about the house he had previously built. He Weifang had long since bought it back with the wealth from her years of business.
