Joy of Life Episode 2 Recap
> Joy of Life Recap
The red-armor knights sent by Fan Xian's father arrived in Danzhou, intending to escort him to the capital city. However, The Madam firmly rejected their request, stating that the capital was a dangerous place where Fan Xian's mother had died. She insisted that he would live longer if he remained in Danzhou and dismissed the knights, who continued to kneel outside the mansion gates. She even callously suggested they be buried if they died there.
Feeling conflicted, Fan Xian sought advice from Wuzhu. Wuzhu recalled that Fan Xian's mother had conducted business in the capital but could not remember many details. He also admitted ignorance regarding the identity of his mother's killers, leaving the decision to investigate or remain in Danzhou entirely up to Fan Xian. As they spoke, Fan Xian pondered Wuzhu's seemingly ageless face. During dinner, Butler Zhou reported that the red-armor knights were still kneeling and refusing to eat.
The Madam ignored his concerns. Fan Xian, however, grew suspicious of a dish of bamboo shoots. When he inquired, Butler Zhou reluctantly explained that Old Ha, the usual supplier, was ill, and his nephew had made the delivery for the first time. Fan Xian quickly consumed the entire dish and excused himself. Outside, he immediately vomited, having identified the poison. He discovered many other servants also suffering from severe illness and instructed them to drink milk to induce vomiting.
Noticing that the red-armor knights had left to find Old Ha, Fan Xian deduced that Old Ha had likely been coerced. Fearing this was a "trick to lure the tiger from the mountain," he instructed the knights to return to protect The Madam while he, armed with a knife, headed to Old Ha's home alone. At Old Ha's house, Fan Xian found him bound.
As he approached, the gate slammed shut, and Teng Zijing, an agent from the Investigator's Office Fourth Division, emerged. Teng Zijing, under orders to kill Fan Xian, attacked with a volley of hidden throwing knives. Fan Xian, utilizing the rigorous training he received from Wuzhu, skillfully engaged him in combat. During the intense struggle, Teng Zijing's poisoned dagger wounded Fan Xian, causing him to collapse.
Believing Fan Xian defeated, Teng Zijing questioned why he had risked his life for Old Ha by preventing the red-armor knights from storming the house. Suddenly, Teng Zijing felt his internal energy wane. Fan Xian then rose, revealing his immunity to common poisons, a result of Fei Jie's childhood training. He confessed that his own dagger was also coated with poison, incapacitating Teng Zijing.
Under interrogation, Teng Zijing admitted he was acting on a secret Investigator's Office order to execute a "traitor." Fan Xian displayed his Director-General token, given to him by Fei Jie, and asserted that as an powerless illegitimate son, he could hardly be a traitor, suggesting the order was fraudulent. Teng Zijing, now convinced of a conspiracy, revealed that Butler Zhou had assisted him in poisoning the food.
Returning to the Fan mansion, Fan Xian found Butler Zhou bound in the hall. Butler Zhou, exposed, attempted to justify his actions, claiming he was sent by Madam Liu Ruyu to prevent Fan Xian from going to the capital and disrupting the family by vying for inheritance. He also asserted that he had merely assisted the Investigator's Office in their plot. The Madam, having listened to his confession, advised Fan Xian to learn to be ruthless as he grew older.
She then ordered Butler Zhou's legs broken and him exiled to a fishing boat, never to set foot on land again. In that moment, Butler Zhou realized that The Madam's apparent coldness towards Fan Xian had been a carefully maintained facade to protect him. The Madam confirmed to Fan Xian that Liu Ruyu had indeed sent the letter to Butler Zhou, instructing him to arrange his death.
Despite this, Fan Xian declared his firm intention to go to the capital to investigate the truth himself, stating he had hidden long enough and would now confront his fate. He vowed to tell Liu Ruyu that he had no interest in the family inheritance. The Madam, though saddened, accepted his decision to depart the next day.
Fan Xian then revealed that his earlier emotional distance from her was a deliberate act to protect her from the assassins who had pursued him since childhood. Meanwhile, Teng Zijing informed Fan Xian that he had received an urgent order confirming that the assassination order was a fake, orchestrated by someone using the agency. To uncover the real culprit, Teng Zijing asked Fan Xian to feign his death.
Fan Xian went to bid farewell to Wuzhu, expressing his wish for Wuzhu to find his own purpose and live his own life, rather than solely protecting him. Wuzhu found these words eerily familiar, recalling Fan Xian's mother had once said something similar. He then produced a mysterious box, explaining it was left by her and that opening it was the one thing he truly desired. However, he lacked the key.
Fan Xian tried to open the incredibly durable box but failed. Wuzhu decided to go to the capital to retrieve the key, stating he would leave ahead of Fan Xian and they would meet there. The next day, Fan Xian departed for the capital. Along the way, he discovered Teng Zijing had disguised himself as a servant and joined the entourage.
Teng Zijing then informed a surprised Fan Xian that the knights' true mission was to escort him to his wedding. Days later, the group encountered a merchant caravan which Teng Zijing recognized as Investigator's Office operatives. Fan Xian was astonished to spot Fei Jie among them. He covertly met Fei Jie, who explained he was escorting Yan Bingyun to take charge of an intelligence network in Beiqi, a direct consequence of Fan Xian's actions.
Because Teng Zijing, a scout under Yan Bingyun, had attempted to kill Fan Xian, a Director-General, Yan Ruohai, the head of the Fourth Division and Yan Bingyun's father, was held responsible. The enraged Director of the Investigator's Office stripped Yan Bingyun of his position and dispatched him to Beiqi. Before they parted, Yan Bingyun confronted Fan Xian from his carriage, demanding the Director-General token.
Fan Xian refused, and Fei Jie intervened, reminding Yan Bingyun of his mission and warning his men not to attack. With his subordinates standing down, Yan Bingyun vowed that he and Fan Xian would meet again. Fei Jie advised Fan Xian to defer any major issues until his return and, with a playful jab, suggested he pick fatter pears next time he "acquired" fruit. Upon reaching the capital city gates, Wang Qinian, an Investigator's Office clerk, stopped their convoy.
After showering Fan Xian with extravagant praise, Wang Qinian skillfully convinced him to buy a supposedly valuable map of the capital for two taels of silver. Fan Xian, understanding the need to avoid complications, especially for Teng Zijing's discreet entry, paid the price. Inside the city, Teng Zijing departed, warning Fan Xian that Liu Ruyu would likely make his entry into the Fan mansion difficult.
True to his word, a trap had been laid ahead: a group of women were waiting in a residence to accost his carriage and ruin his reputation. However, before he could reach them, the carriage was stopped by a seemingly genial man. This man dismissed the red-armor guards, informing them they had other duties, and revealed that the women in the trap had already been killed.
He then took the reins himself, explaining that a detour was necessary due to an overturned carriage blocking the road. Fan Xian, sensing a deliberate misdirection by a powerful, unknown ally, allowed it. The carriage then stopped before a divine temple. The driver, feigning an urgent need for the restroom, left Fan Xian alone. Intrigued, Fan Xian approached the temple but was blocked by a stern guard.
After a brief physical exchange, the guard surprisingly opened the door, stating that his "master" permitted Fan Xian to enter the side hall for worship, but strictly forbade entry to the main hall. When Fan Xian inquired about the temple's deity, the guard recounted its mythical origins, telling of how enlightened beings descended to establish human civilization after the separation of heaven and earth.
