Joy of Life Episode 16 Recap
> Joy of Life Recap
The waiter, in a panic, told Fan Xian that the girl staying across the hall just now, under the pretense of checking the inn's food, had looked at these dishes. Hearing this, Wang Qinian, who was lying on the ground pretending to be dead, scrambled up with a roll and rushed to the room across the hall, but he was still a step late. The room was empty.
Wang Qinian smelled the lingering scent of Chen Guang incense, which was commonly used at the Drunken Immortal Inn, and determined that the person just now must have been Si Lili. After the two inquired about Si Lili's whereabouts from the inn waiter, they sped quickly in the direction of Pi Jia Qiu. As they chased through a bamboo grove, Wang Qinian found fresh horse manure on the ground.
After identifying it, he confirmed that the horse had eaten the same horse feed as at the inn just now. Seeing Si Lili was just ahead, Fan Xian, however, always felt that everything was too smooth. Si Lili knew he was skilled in poisons, yet she only used ordinary poison, and then told the innkeeper her destination, as if deliberately waiting for them to catch up.
But given the urgency of the situation, he couldn't worry about too much; he just had to wait until he caught up with Si Lili. Wang Qinian judged based on the fatigue level of Si Lili's horse that they would definitely catch up to her early the next morning. In fact, not long after, they found Si Lili in a pavilion by the roadside. She was sitting there leisurely with just her and her horse, waiting for them to approach.
As soon as Fan Xian saw Si Lili, he questioned if she was a Northern Qi spy. Si Lili nodded but did not admit that the Niu Lan Street assassination was orchestrated by her. Fan Xian knew this matter was not as simple as it appeared. He wanted to bring Si Lili back to the capital for interrogation, but Si Lili remained calm and asked them in return if they knew why she had poisoned them and led them here.
A thought suddenly struck Fan Xian, recalling the innkeeper mentioning that bandits were rampant near Pi Jia Qiu. As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of bandits who had been ambushed there surrounded the two. Only then did Fan Xian understand that these bandits were also Northern Qi spies. Si Lili smiled proudly at the two, flipped onto her horse, and continued to leave. But she hadn't gone far when she heard the roar of hooves getting closer and closer.
Nearly a hundred elite cavalrymen in black armor gradually forced her back towards Fan Xian. Wang Qinian recognized that this group was the Director's most elite force – the black knights. Wang Qinian guessed that since the black knights had arrived, the Director shouldn't be far away. Fan Xian was just about to meet this legendary figure when the Head of the Sixth Office, Shadow, who led the group, told the two that the Director had not come.
Instead, he was instructed to pass a message to Fan Xian: let him do as he pleased, and even if the sky fell, he would prop it back up. When Fan Xian needed him the most, he would appear by his side. Wang Qinian quietly told Fan Xian that this Lord Shadow was the Investigator's Office's publicly recognized most fearsome assassin. He followed the Director year-round, but no one had ever seen his face or knew his name.
Looking at Si Lili, who was surrounded, Fan Xian couldn't help but sigh with emotion: with a thousand cavalry sweeping across, all schemes become a joke. This was true power. Wang Qinian worried that someone might come to silence them on the way back to the capital and suggested Fan Xian act discreetly. Fan Xian, however, did the opposite.
He took a piece of cloth, openly wrote "Escorting Northern Qi spy Si Lili back to the capital" on it, and when they reached the city, he told everyone he met. Soon, this news reached the Second Prince and the Princess. The Princess was playing chess with the Crown Prince when she heard the news. Her brows furrowed, and she half-seriously suggested killing Fan Xian before he entered the capital, so his marriage contract with Wan'er would be void.
Fortunately, the Crown Prince was worried that this would arouse Emperor Qing's suspicion, so she lightly brushed it off, saying it was just a joke. On the way back, people constantly tried to take Si Lili from Fan Xian. Fan Xian told Si Lili that no matter which side she fell into, she would suffer severe torture, and only by cooperating with him could she preserve her life.
Si Lili was meticulous in her thoughts, and this secret was now her last lifeline. Naturally, she was unwilling to easily reveal it, and Fan Xian was helpless. After finally making it back to Kyoto, just as they reached the city gate, several parties, including the Ministry of Justice, had already gathered there waiting for him. Fan Xian took out his Commander's Token, but the person in charge asked him for the document authorizing the arrest.
Fan Xian was in a difficult situation, but fortunately, Yan Ruohai arrived with His Majesty's official document and successfully rescued him. Fan Xian thought Yan Ruohai would let him be the main interrogator for Si Lili's case, but Yan Ruohai told him that now that they were in Kyoto, the matter should be handled by the Investigator's Office, and as a party involved, he should avoid suspicion.
Although Fan Xian was reluctant, he could only hand Si Lili over to him. When Fan Ruoruo heard the news that Fan Xian had successfully captured Si Lili and returned to the capital, she was more worried than happy. After much thought, she took the initiative to go to the Eastern Palace to request a meeting with the Crown Prince.
She told the Crown Prince that she was willing to help him monitor Fan Xian and seek a slim chance of survival for the Fan Mansion in the future. The Crown Prince was half-doubting of her offer but did not refuse. After parting ways with Wang Qinian, Fan Xian felt sad and went to the Royal Villa to see Lin Wan'er, hoping to talk with her and calm himself down.
Lin Wan'er knew he would not be willing to give up, so she suggested he find Ye Ling'er, because she had gone to the Drunken Immortal Inn looking for Si Lili, but two days later, news spread that she had fallen into the water and been rescued, possibly because she had seen something. While the two were talking, the Second Young Master Lin Gong suddenly rushed in. He impolitely drew his sword and slashed at Fan Xian.
Fan Xian did not want to fight him, so he faked a few moves and then slipped away. After leaving the Royal Villa, Fan Xian came to find Ye Ling'er and asked her the reason for falling into the water a few days ago. Hearing this, Ye Ling'er's already pale face turned even paler. After much thought, she actually begged Fan Xian not to press her further, because she could not risk her entire Ye family. Fan Xian did not want to make things difficult for her, only secretly guessing that the status of the person behind it must be quite high.
