Joy of Life Season 2 Episode 1 Recap, Plot

> Joy of Life Season 2
> Joy of Life Season 2 Recap

The story of the first season ended amidst sighs and gasps—Fan Xian was pierced through the body by Yan Bingyun from the Imperial Inspectorate Fourth Division, leaving countless hearts concerned for his fate. The author of the novel, Zhang Qing, suddenly stopped updating it. Students began asking Professor Ye about Fan Xian’s life or death, and even the cleaning lady at the library, deeply concerned, quietly asked Professor Ye about it.

Professor Ye was overwhelmed; she too desperately wanted to know how it would end. Finally, Zhang Qing reappeared and handed the manuscript for Season Two to Professor Ye, who read it all in one sitting. Fan Xian was ordered to escort Xiao En and the Northern Qi spy Si Lili back to Northern Qi. The young Northern Qi emperor, Zhan Doudou, used him to eliminate the all-powerful commander of the Jinyiwei, Shen Zhong.

After enduring countless hardships, Fan Xian managed to exchange Xiao En for Yan Bingyun, who had been betrayed by Li Yunrui. From Xiao En, he not only learned the location of the legendary Temple that everyone longed for, but also discovered that he was not Fan Jian’s illegitimate child, but the son of the Southern Qing emperor and Ye Qingmei.

Before dying, Shen Zhong also revealed to Fan Xian that Second Prince Li Chengze and Li Yunrui were secretly trading and smuggling with him for massive profits. Carrying these three shocking secrets, Fan Xian led the envoy back from Northern Qi. Worried that Fan Xian would expose the conspiracy upon his return, the Second Prince sent Xie Bi’an with heavy troops to intercept the envoy midway, delivering letters to both Yan Bingyun and Fan Xian.

Li Chengze tried to recruit Yan Bingyun and threatened Fan Xian with the lives of Teng Zijing’s wife and child, as well as Fei Jie and Fan Sizhe—Fan Xian’s most cherished people. Fan Xian refused to yield, choosing to fight side by side with Yan Bingyun. Xie Bi’an’s forces surrounded them completely, and Yan Bingyun stabbed Fan Xian through the body with a sword. Fan Xian fell into a pool of blood.

News of Fan Xian’s death reached the palace, throwing the once-mighty Southern Qing Emperor into panic. He was so terrified he lost all composure and immediately summoned Chen Pingping, the Director of the Imperial Inspectorate. Chen Pingping, who deeply admired Ye Qingmei and treated Fan Xian like his own son, was devastated by the news and fell from his wheelchair in shock.

He immediately instructed Yan Ruohai, the head of the Fourth Division, to gather everyone in the department and send them in search of Fan Xian’s body. Following orders, Chen Pingping came to the palace. Fan Jian also arrived upon hearing the news. Grief-stricken, he unleashed his fury on Chen Pingping, blaming him for using Fan Xian as a pawn and sending him on such a dangerous mission.

Chen Pingping was equally heartbroken and swore to avenge Fan Xian, then take his own life in penance. When Qing Di received the second message by carrier pigeon and learned that Yan Bingyun had killed Fan Xian, he was overwhelmed with grief and locked himself in his chambers, refusing to see anyone. Chen Pingping and Fan Jian had no choice but to leave disappointed.

Yan Bingyun suggested burning Fan Xian’s body to prevent Fei Jie from using his medical expertise to bring him back to life. Fearing trouble from delay, Xie Bi’an reluctantly agreed. Yan Bingyun personally lit the firewood, and the flames quickly reduced everything to ashes. Xie Bi’an had someone pick out a charred remnant from the ashes and sent it to Li Chengze. Still suspicious that Fan Xian had faked his death, Li Chengze refused to believe he was truly dead.

Chen Pingping knew Yan Bingyun was always loyal and patriotic and would never harm Fan Xian. Fan Jian also sensed something was amiss and suspected that Fan Xian had faked his death. He was both nervous and worried that Fan Xian might be punished for deceiving the emperor. Fan Jian wanted to go back and plead with the emperor to suppress the news of Fan Xian’s death, but Chen Pingping stopped him.

He wanted to use Fan Xian’s death to create chaos in Qing. Just as Chen Pingping and Fan Jian suspected, it was all part of an elaborate plan by Yan Bingyun and Fan Xian. The sword used by Yan Bingyun was a retractable one gifted to Fan Xian by his fellow disciples from the Third Division before departure. Fan Xian also used blood packets filled with chicken blood to confuse observers.

Wang Qinian had dug a pit beneath the firewood beforehand and rescued Fan Xian, tossing in half a pig to fake the remains. The remains Xie Bi’an recovered were pig bones. Fan Xian had Yan Bingyun continue leading the envoy back while he and Wang Qinian rushed ahead to the capital to rescue Teng Zijing’s wife and child, along with Fan Sizhe and Fei Jie.

Fan Jian rushed back home and secretly informed his wife, Liu Ruyu, of Fan Xian’s faked death. He instructed the servants to erect a mourning hall to create the illusion that Fan Xian had died. Worried that Fan Ruoruo might fall ill from grief, he asked Liu Ruyu to keep a close eye on her. Clever and perceptive, Fan Ruoruo never believed her brother had died and instead consoled Liu Ruyu.

Fan Xian and Wang Qinian raced to the capital and were stunned to find altars for mourning set up all along the city gates and streets. Citizens came out to pay their respects, and merchants were hawking Fan Xian’s poetry collections and all kinds of merchandise bearing his name. Shocked, Fan Xian realized that the news of his death had spread far and wide.

Suspecting this to be Li Chengze’s doing, he dared not reveal himself and decided to hide at Wang Qinian’s house. Li Chengze deliberately spread the news of Fan Xian’s death among the public to solidify the accusation that Fan Xian had faked his death and deceived the emperor. He also had Wang Qinian’s house tightly surrounded. Fortunately, Wang Qinian had dug a secret tunnel leading out of the city.

Under the cover of darkness, he and Fan Xian slipped out, successfully evading the guards. However, they were stopped by traps set by Madam Wang. Wang Qinian struggled greatly to get past the traps and finally settled Fan Xian down. The next morning, Madam Wang asked her daughter Wang Ba to wake Fan Xian for breakfast. Fan Xian experienced Madam Wang’s bold and candid personality firsthand and was also impressed by Wang Ba’s intelligence. The three of them chatted happily and finished their breakfast in good spirits.

Episode 2 Recap

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