Joy of Life Episode 14 Recap
> Joy of Life Recap
Fan Xian stopped Cheng Jushu, loudly declared his crimes in front of all the citizens, stated that someone wanted to make a deal with him but he wouldn't, and since the overall situation prevented others from killing him, he would do it himself. Cheng Jushu actually burst into laughter upon hearing this. He forcefully pushed away the two Investigator's Office envoys escorting him, then rushed forward and began fighting with Fan Xian.
Fan Xian took out Teng Zijing's dagger that he had prepared. Remembering what Teng Zijing had told him, he struck fiercely and without mercy. Zhu Ge anticipated that Fan Xian would not let go easily, so he had the experts from the First Bureau lie in ambush in the small woods to react, but he didn't expect Fan Xian to make his move in the street. He immediately went there himself to stop him.
After a round of fighting, Cheng Jushu, severely wounded, was no match for him and was spitting blood. Just then, Teng Zijing's son appeared from somewhere. He saw Cheng Jushu and greeted him very naturally, not afraid of him like everyone else. Cheng Jushu actually smiled when he saw him. He wiped the blood from his hands, gently touched the child's head, and then abruptly charged towards Fan Xian.
Fan Xian was still worried that Cheng Jushu would harm the child. Seeing this, he immediately stepped forward and forcefully thrust the dagger into Cheng Jushu's body, not forgetting to tell the child to turn his head away. Before Cheng Jushu died, Fan Xian asked him why he didn't take the child hostage.
Cheng Jushu weakly said that since he was born, his appearance was ugly, and those who saw him felt fear or disgust, either begging him to kill someone or staying far away. Only this child had offered him fruit. Hearing Cheng Jushu's words, the child innocently said that the big guy ate pears as fast as a child. Fan Xian couldn't describe the feeling in his heart. Just then, Zhu Ge arrived.
He immediately ordered his men to apprehend Fan Xian. Fan Xian did not resist, but sternly told the child not to look back and to quickly go home. Upon returning to the Investigator's Office, Zhu Ge sternly questioned Fan Xian on why he disobeyed orders from above. He not only confiscated his Commander's Token but also ordered him to be imprisoned in the dungeon.
When the news reached the palace, Eunuch Hou worriedly said that with this happening in broad daylight, the news would likely not be suppressed. Emperor Qing, however, did not get angry; instead, he smiled and praised Fan Xian, saying that this was a move made after assessing the situation, and the kill was excellent. He ordered Eunuch Hou to immediately draft an imperial decree to save Fan Xian.
Zhu Ge was about to personally escort Fan Xian to the dungeon, but he was stopped by a group of people from the Third Bureau. Fan Xian was Fei Jie's disciple, and the Third Bureau was personally brought up by Fei Jie. In a way, Fan Xian was their junior fellow disciple. The person in charge pleaded with Zhu Ge, believing that even if he made many mistakes, he shouldn't be put in the dungeon.
Zhu Ge didn't want to waste words with these 'poison masters'. He sternly declared that anyone obstructing would be charged with treason. Unexpectedly, everyone from the Third Bureau laughed upon hearing this. Zhu Ge, unable to bear it any longer, placed the sword in his hand against Fan Xian's neck, telling them to move aside. Seeing that the situation was dire, Fan Xian promptly stopped these kind senior fellow disciples, stating that he could handle this small matter himself.
Zhu Ge told Fan Xian that Fei Jie was not in the capital, and the people from the Third Bureau were like dragons without a head, unable to achieve anything. Fan Xian had disrupted his plan to attack Qi, and no one could save him today. As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Qinian appeared from somewhere and brazenly blocked Zhu Ge and his group.
Zhu Ge was about to get angry, but Wang Qinian took out the Investigator's Office information about Cheng Jushu, stating that Fan Xian was not only blameless but also meritorious, because Cheng Jushu had no Northern Qi general he was friendly with at all, and this deal was likely an attempt to send false intelligence. He implored Zhu Ge to be lenient.
Unexpectedly, Zhu Ge coldly said that he had already thoroughly investigated Cheng Jushu's background, and it was precisely to use his own scheme against him. Fan Xian killing Cheng Jushu had disrupted his plan. The more Zhu Ge thought about it, the angrier he got. He directly told Fan Xian that since the Director was not in the capital, no one could save him. But no sooner had he finished speaking than someone called out to him again.
Zhu Ge turned back and found that the person was none other than Yan Ruohai, Head of the Fourth Bureau. Yan Bingyun had been demoted to Northern Qi because of Fan Xian, with his life uncertain. Zhu Ge didn't understand why Yan Ruohai would still save Fan Xian. Yan Ruohai said expressionlessly that he was just here to deliver a message, and then produced Emperor Qing's secret decree.
Zhu Ge had no choice but to let Fan Xian go and return his Commander's Token to him. After Fan Xian left, Yan Ruohai told Zhu Ge that it was precisely because Fan Xian publicly killed Cheng Jushu, a Northern Qi expert, which was also considered a popular tale in the streets. Now that war was imminent, Emperor Qing was protecting not Fan Xian, but the citizens' proud spirit and indomitable fighting will.
On the other side, Si Lili set the pleasure boat on fire, then rode out of the city with over a dozen similarly dressed people on horseback, leaving the capital separately. After leaving the Investigator's Office, Fan Xian gave Wang Qinian money and asked him to continue helping investigate the mastermind behind the assassination, and then used a carriage to take Teng Zijing's body home.
Teng Zijing's son was very happy to see Fan Xian and asked Fan Xian why he was fighting with the big guy in the box. Fan Xian did not answer, but only asked him where he had seen him. The child told him it was in the courtyard next to the stable on Dashu Street. The child pulled Fan Xian to find his mother. Teng Zijing's wife had sat by the oil lamp all night, with a faint premonition.
After sending the child away, although it was difficult to speak, Fan Xian still told Teng Zijing's wife that he had been assassinated on the streets of the capital and Teng Zijing had died saving him. He knelt down and begged her for forgiveness. Teng Zijing's wife vomited blood in grief after hearing this. She told Fan Xian that Teng Zijing had told her that staying was not for repaying kindness, but because he considered Fan Xian a kindred spirit.
This path was his own choice, and as his wife, she could not interfere, but she could not forgive him. Therefore, she asked Fan Xian to visit less in the future because she didn't want her son to be harmed because of this. Fan Xian felt guilty and could only leave with tears in his eyes. After returning, Fan Xian asked Wang Qinian to find a few people in the capital to secretly protect Teng Zijing's wife and son.
Wang Qinian told Fan Xian that he had secretly looked at a confidential report from the First Bureau and found that the two female assassins were disciples and grand-disciples of the Grandmaster Sigujian from Dongyi City, and the crossbows they used were military weapons. The Four Great Grandmasters were all extraordinary individuals. Even if they wanted to kill him, they wouldn't do it so stealthily. There must be someone else behind this.
To further pursue the clues, Fan Xian brought Wang Qinian to the courtyard on Dashu Street and unexpectedly found a dropped token. Wang Qinian felt that the symbol on the token looked familiar, but that confidential report was in Zhu Ge's hands. Wang Qinian volunteered to investigate, as he was already familiar with this kind of matter.
Late at night, Wang Qinian snuck into the First Bureau to search for the confidential document and indeed found the same symbol as on the token. However, when he came out, he saw Zhu Ge waiting for him with a group of people from the First Bureau. Fortunately, Wang Qinian's Qinggong was excellent, and seeing the situation was bad, he immediately slipped away.
On the other side, Fan Xian went to the home of the Brigadier General who had lost military weapons to investigate, but unexpectedly found that everyone in the Brigadier General's entire household had hanged themselves.
