Joy of Life Episode 28 Recap
> Joy of Life Recap
Yan Xiaoyi reported to Princess Royal at Guangxin Palace that he failed to capture the assassin but was certain he had shot him with an arrow. Princess Royal, aware that her secret meeting with Zhuang Mohan had been overheard, candidly told Yan Xiaoyi that she had traded Yan Bingyun's identity to Beiqi in exchange for Zhuang Mohan's cooperation. She then ordered Yan Xiaoyi to find and kill the assassin.
Despite his role as Director of Imperial Guards, Yan Xiaoyi readily agreed, explaining that Princess Royal had saved him from starvation as an orphaned child after his village was destroyed, and he vowed to remain by her side no matter the circumstances. Yan Xiaoyi mentioned the assassin’s build was similar to Fan Xian's. An attendant, however, dismissed the idea, as Fan Xian was publicly drunk last night.
Princess Royal, however, remained cautious and dispatched Yan Xiaoyi to the Fan mansion to confirm Fan Xian’s presence. Before daybreak, Yan Xiaoyi arrived at the Fan mansion. Liu Ruyu was overseeing preparations for Fan Xian’s breakfast. Fan Ruoruo, who had spent the night guarding Fan Xian’s empty room, quickly improvised a dummy in his bed before Liu Ruyu could check. As Liu Ruyu prepared to leave, a servant announced Yan Xiaoyi's arrival.
Yan Xiaoyi, asserting Princess Royal's authority, demanded to see Fan Xian. Liu Ruyu, though uneasy, led him to Fan Xian’s room. Ruoruo bravely stood in front of the closed door, insisting her brother was unwell and shouldn't be disturbed. Growing suspicious, Yan Xiaoyi attempted to push her aside, but Ruoruo steadfastly clung to the doorframe, determined to protect the room as she had promised Fan Xian. Yan Xiaoyi’s suspicions deepened when he couldn’t detect any breathing from inside.
Just as the standoff intensified, Fan Xian's voice calmly called out, inviting Yan Xiaoyi in. Fan Xian allowed Yan Xiaoyi to enter and, despite Liu Ruyu’s concern, dismissed her and Ruoruo, asking them to pull back the bed curtains and wait outside. Once alone, Yan Xiaoyi accused Fan Xian of being the assassin, stating that an intruder in the palace had been shot in the lower back and demanding to inspect Fan Xian for injuries.
Fan Xian, acknowledging Yan Xiaoyi's lack of an imperial decree, proposed a wager: if he had an injury, he would accept any punishment, but if unharmed, Yan Xiaoyi must kowtow to Ruoruo. Fan Xian cleverly reminded Yan Xiaoyi of his recent fame as a "Poetry Immortal" and warned him that any harm would not only bring severe repercussions from Emperor Qing and the court but also implicate Princess Royal.
After a moment of hesitation, Yan Xiaoyi accepted the bet, confident in the accuracy of his arrow, which he claimed could wound even a Great Master. Fan Xian then dramatically revealed his perfectly unblemished body. Defeated, Yan Xiaoyi, without a word, left the room, found Ruoruo, and silently kowtowed to her before departing without looking back. Fan Xian, dismissing his family, claimed he needed more rest. Once alone, Fan Xian quickly shut the door.
Wuzhu, who had been hiding behind it, urged Fan Xian to release the suppressed pain. Fan Xian, relaxing his inner strength, immediately coughed up a mouthful of black blood. Wuzhu confirmed that Yan Xiaoyi was indeed the only Ninth Dan archer in the world, whose arrows were known to injure even Great Masters. Fan Xian explained that he was lucky; the arrow had struck the mysterious key he wore at his waist.
To his amazement, the key, despite being hit by such a powerful arrow, remained completely undamaged, its material unknown. Fan Xian then relayed the secret conversation he had overheard between Princess Royal and Zhuang Mohan: her betrayal of Yan Bingyun to Beiqi in exchange for Zhuang Mohan's aid in discrediting Fan Xian, all to save Zhuang Mohan's younger brother, Xiao En.
Wuzhu, however, showed little interest in these political intrigues, his only concern being when Fan Xian could return the fake key to the palace. Fan Xian, eager to uncover his mother's secrets, focused on the wooden box. They found it contained another layer of security: a modern smart password lock.
Fan Xian’s attempts to open it failed, but Wuzhu, with an imperceptible touch, caused the lock to open, fueling Fan Xian's suspicion of a deeper secret shared between Wuzhu and his mother. Meanwhile, Hong Sixiang and Yan Xiaoyi reported the palace assassination attempt to Emperor Qing. Hong Sixiang admitted that one of the assassins, though only a Ninth Dan martial artist, was exceptionally elusive and used the unique swordsmanship of Si Gujian, which is why he couldn't catch him.
Yan Xiaoyi suggested searching the Dongyi mission. Emperor Qing, displeased by their lack of concrete evidence and the national embarrassment of two assassins escaping unscathed, sternly reminded them to focus on the assassins' true motives rather than the immediate pursuit, before dismissing them. Following this, Princess Royal, still perplexed by the situation, instructed Yan Xiaoyi to promptly inform Zhuang Mohan to leave the capital city to avoid complications.
Separately, the Empress Dowager, upon learning of the assassination attempt on Princess Royal, speculated it was due to her tight control over the Neiku, which invited jealousy. Hong Sixiang expressed concern for the Empress Dowager’s safety, but she merely smiled, assuring him she had slept peacefully throughout the night.
Outside the Fan mansion, Wang Qinian, having paid the locksmith handsomely as per Fan Xian's instructions, sent him away from the capital to avoid trouble, emphasizing that he must not reveal anything about last night. As Wang Qinian turned, he was startled to find Chen Pingping and Shadow standing behind him. Chen Pingping calmly questioned Wang Qinian about the locksmith's identity and whether the palace assassination was connected to Fan Xian.
Wang Qinian, trembling with fear, feigned ignorance and tried to concoct a story about a simple theft. When he refused to disclose any information, Chen Pingping ordered Shadow to "teach him a lesson." Back in his room, Fan Xian and Wuzhu inspected the opened box. Inside, they found a strange object crafted from an unknown metal.
Wuzhu puzzled over its purpose, but Fan Xian, recognizing it as a top-tier weapon from a modern era, understood its immense power in this world. After carefully placing the weapon back, Fan Xian discovered a letter addressed to Wuzhu. At Wuzhu's request, Fan Xian read the letter aloud.
Written by Ye Qingmei during her pregnancy, the letter affectionately addressed Wuzhu as "Zhuzhu," expressing her fondness for him, her attempts to find him a partner, and her wish for him to smile more. Hearing his late mistress's familiar tone, Wuzhu uncharacteristically smiled. This rare display of emotion made Fan Xian realize how little he truly knew the man who had accompanied him for over a decade. Sadly, Wuzhu recalled nothing of the events mentioned in the letter.
Ye Qingmei wrote of her concern for Wuzhu's apparent lack of curiosity and desire, explaining that she intentionally left the letter in the box without explicit instructions to open it, hoping that one day, he would be driven by his own curiosity to do so. Wuzhu simply stated that he opened it because he wanted to know what she had left for the world and if she would still mention him.
The letter then shifted in tone, becoming Ye Qingmei's emotional outpouring. She recounted her extraordinary life in this world, having experienced and accomplished much, yet she expressed profound loneliness, emphasizing that no one truly understood her. She was grateful that in her loneliest moments, Wuzhu was always there. She instructed Wuzhu to destroy the box if she was no longer alive, believing others were "unworthy" of knowing her story.
Finishing the letter, Fan Xian felt a profound sadness and asked Wuzhu if he missed his mother. Wuzhu, unsure what "missing" meant, listened as Fan Xian passionately described it as a constant presence in one's heart, a singular voice one yearns to hear, and a single smile one wishes to see. Understanding, Wuzhu then responded, "I miss her." As Fan Xian put the letters back, he discovered another secret compartment at the bottom of the box containing a second letter.
This one bore a clear warning: "Zhuzhu, don't open this letter." His curiosity piqued, Fan Xian asked Wuzhu if he should open it. Wuzhu, with a nod, allowed him to proceed. To Fan Xian’s surprise, the letter was addressed to him. In it, Ye Qingmei dispelled any notions of time travel or parallel universes, confirming that this was indeed Earth, their original world. She described a cyclical history where global cooling led to "major ice ages," effectively resetting civilization.
She revealed herself to be one of those from a past era who had been cryogenically frozen and later revived, emerging into a feudal world after old civilizations had perished and new humanity had evolved through primitive and slave societies. She and other "pioneers" had spread knowledge, contributing to the legends surrounding the divine temple. Addressing Fan Xian's likely confusion about his childhood, she explained that he was a unique "memory datafication experiment," the sole successful subject among many.
For further answers regarding the "Forbidden Door" and the truth of human extinction, she directed him to the Taiping Residence. There, a hidden mechanism beneath a pond would open a secret door within the house, holding all the answers. However, she strongly advised against opening it, warning that knowing the truth would bind him to a perilous underground world, while choosing ignorance would allow him a peaceful and joyful life.
Ye Qingmei also revealed that "vitality Qi" was merely a residual trace from the previous advanced civilization. Her final instruction was a simple yet perplexing plea: "Be nice to Wuzhu." Fan Xian pondered the dangerous secrets in the Taiping Residence, torn between fear and curiosity, and questioned why the formidable Wuzhu would need his care. Wuzhu, ever stoic, simply replied, "Up to you."
