Joy of Life Episode 16 Recap
> Joy of Life Recap
A waiter frantically informed Fan Xian that the woman from the room opposite had looked at their food, claiming she was checking its quality. Upon hearing this, Wang Qinian, who had been feigning death, quickly sprang up and rushed to the opposite room, but found it empty.
He confirmed Si Lili's presence by the lingering scent of Chenguang incense, a distinctive fragrance used at Joy Tsin House, a detail he knew from his own past visits to the establishment to listen to music. The waiter then informed them that Si Lili had ridden her own horse towards Pijia Hill, despite his warning about the prevalent robbers there.
Wang Qinian, examining fresh horse waste, identified the premium forage the horse had consumed, confirming their pursuit was on the right track and that they needed to acquire horses to continue the chase. However, Fan Xian felt uneasy about how smoothly their pursuit was going. He noted that Si Lili, knowing his proficiency with poisons, had used only common ones and had explicitly revealed her escape route to the innkeeper. This suggested she was intentionally luring them.
Despite Wang Qinian’s detailed tracking, confirming they were close and that Si Lili’s horse was fatigued, leading him to believe they would catch her by morning, Fan Xian remained suspicious. Soon after, they found Si Lili calmly waiting for them at a roadside pavilion, alone with her horse. Fan Xian confronted her, asking if she was a Beiqi agent, to which she admitted. However, she denied orchestrating the Niulan Street assassination, asserting her affection for him.
When Fan Xian insisted on taking her back to the capital for interrogation, Si Lili coolly challenged him, asking if he knew why she had poisoned them and led them there. A sudden realization struck Fan Xian: the innkeeper had warned about robbers in Pijia Hill. At that very moment, dozens of brigands, who were also Beiqi secret agents, emerged from their ambush to surround Fan Xian and Wang Qinian.
Si Lili revealed that these robbers were indeed Beiqi agents, originally scheduled to meet her there, and she had deliberately used the opportunity to ambush Fan Xian when she realized only two people were chasing her. With a triumphant smile, Si Lili mounted her horse, intending to leave Fan Xian and Wang Qinian to the robbers. However, before she could get far, the thunder of approaching hooves filled the air.
Nearly a hundred elite black knights, clad in dark armor, steadily forced her back towards Fan Xian. Wang Qinian immediately recognized them as the formidable Black Knights, the elite direct force of the Investigator's Office's Head. In the capital, Director of the Fourth Division Yan Ruohai, hearing of the black knights' sudden deployment, expressed concern, highlighting their unusual activation. Assuming the Head was nearby, Fan Xian expressed a desire to meet this legendary figure.
However, Master Shadow, the Head of the Sixth Division, informed them that the Head had not come in person. Instead, Master Shadow conveyed a message from the Head to Fan Xian: "Act with a free hand. Even if the sky falls down, he will push it back. He will be back when you need him the most."
Wang Qinian privately explained that Master Shadow was widely regarded as the Investigator's Office's most terrifying assassin, always by the Head's side, yet his appearance and name were unknown. Gazing at the now encircled Si Lili, Fan Xian mused that such overwhelming power rendered all clever schemes insignificant. Si Lili, shocked by the display of force, questioned Fan Xian's identity, bewildered why Chen Pingping would deploy the Black Knights for him.
Fan Xian admitted he had never heard the name "Chen Pingping" before, prompting Si Lili to explain it was the Head's name, a taboo to speak directly. Wang Qinian added that Chen Pingping, the King of Nights and source of all sins, was once a nightmare to all kingdoms.
Concerned about assassination attempts on their return journey, Wang Qinian suggested they proceed covertly, especially given the involvement of various powerful factions in the Niulan Street assassination, which he believed an agent alone couldn't orchestrate. However, Fan Xian countered that the Black Knights' dramatic appearance made secrecy impossible. Instead, he opted for an audacious approach, displaying a banner publicly announcing their capture of Si Lili, the Beiqi agent, and their return to the capital.
This bold move was meant to deter any attackers, as anyone attempting to intervene would reveal their own guilt. The news quickly reached the Second Prince and Princess Royal. The Second Prince acknowledged Fan Xian's cleverness in using public awareness for safety. Meanwhile, the Princess Royal, playing chess with the Crown Prince, lightheartedly suggested killing Fan Xian outside the city to nullify his marriage contract with Lin Wan’er and prevent her losing control of the palace treasury.
The Crown Prince, however, advised against it, fearing such an act would draw Emperor Qing's suspicion, prompting the Princess Royal to dismiss it as a mere joke. During their journey, several factions attempted to take Si Lili from Fan Xian. He warned Si Lili that any of these parties would subject her to unimaginable torture, emphasizing that her only chance of survival lay in cooperating with him.
Si Lili, a shrewd individual, refused to divulge the mastermind behind the assassination, knowing that this secret was her last bargaining chip. Fan Xian, though frustrated, respected her decision and refrained from using torture, stating that abandoning one's moral baseline would make them no different from beasts. He reaffirmed his principles to Wang Qinian, who, while initially suggesting private torture, ultimately pledged his loyalty as long as his monthly stipend of fifty taels of silver was secured.
Upon reaching the capital gates, they found several groups, including the Ministry of Penalty, waiting to intercept Si Lili. When Fan Xian presented his official Tisi token, the officials demanded a formal arrest warrant. Just as Fan Xian found himself in a difficult spot, Yan Ruohai, Director of the Fourth Division of the Investigator’s Office, arrived with an official warrant. Citing the Emperor's direct authority over the Investigator's Office, he asserted their jurisdiction and allowed Fan Xian to proceed.
Fan Xian anticipated being allowed to preside over Si Lili's case due to his involvement in the assassination investigation. However, Yan Ruohai firmly stated that since they were back in the capital, the case now belonged to the Investigator’s Office, and Fan Xian, as a party involved, should recuse himself to avoid suspicion. Despite Fan Xian’s reluctance and Si Lili’s silent plea for help, he reluctantly handed her over.
Yan Ruohai dismissed Fan Xian, crediting his efforts in apprehending Si Lili, and absolved Wang Qinian of his previous offense of secretly investigating documents. Wang Qinian, relieved, decided to return home to his family, promising to work for Fan Xian in the future. Meanwhile, Fan Ruoruo, upon hearing of Fan Xian’s successful capture of Si Lili, felt more concern than joy.
She sought an audience with the Crown Prince at the Eastern Palace, offering to discreetly monitor her brother’s actions to secure a future for the Fan mansion. While the Crown Prince remained skeptical of her motives, given her close bond with Fan Xian, he did not refuse her offer. Feeling troubled, Fan Xian went to the royal residence to see Lin Wan’er.
He sat with her in silence, distressed by the turn of events, and she listened patiently, understanding his unwavering resolve to avenge Teng Zijing. Lin Wan'er suggested he seek out Ye Ling’er. She explained that Ye Ling’er had visited Joy Tsin House after learning Fan Xian's true identity, intending to investigate his connection to Si Lili.
Two days later, Ye Ling’er was reported to have fallen into a river and been rescued, and had since remained confined to her residence, leading Lin Wan’er to suspect she might have witnessed something significant. Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by Lin Gong, Lin Wan’er’s second brother, who burst into the room and aggressively attacked Fan Xian with a sword, accusing him of disrespecting Lin Wan’er's honor by secretly entering her chambers.
Lin Wan’er quickly intervened, reminding Lin Gong of her engagement to Fan Xian and the potential damage to her reputation if word spread. Fan Xian skillfully evaded Lin Gong’s attacks and made his escape. Lin Gong, convinced of Fan Xian’s deceit and fearing for his sister’s well-being, vowed to deploy guards to prevent Fan Xian from returning. Later, Fan Xian visited Ye Ling’er, asking about her fall into the Liujing River. Ye Ling’er's face paled at the question.
She eventually pleaded with him to stop inquiring, explaining she could not risk her entire Ye clan. Fan Xian, sensing her genuine fear, did not press further, but he inwardly deduced that the person she saw must hold a position of immense power. Back at the Investigator’s Office’s dungeon, Yan Ruohai prepared for Si Lili's interrogation, stating he was awaiting the arrival of the true interrogator, hinting it was neither himself nor Zhu Ge of the First Division.
