Joy of Life Episode 33 Recap
> Joy of Life Recap
As Fan Xian prepared for his mission to Beiqi, he exchanged final words with Chen Pingping and Fei Jie. During their conversation, Si Lili was brought out and escorted into a carriage. Fan Xian watched her, prompting Fei Jie to reveal that the little emperor of Beiqi had specifically requested her return. Fan Xian found this perplexing, as he understood the strategic value of recapturing Xiao En, but not Si Lili.
He wondered if she had a secret affair with the emperor, but then questioned why she would be sent as a spy to the capital city if that were the case. Moments later, Xiao En, heavily bound in chains, was brought from the deepest dungeon where he had been imprisoned for many years. He greedily inhaled the fresh air and sunlight.
When a guard impatiently prodded him, Xiao En menacingly asked if the guard had family, threatening to seek them out. Yan Ruohai warned Xiao En not to provoke the younger guards, but Xiao En retorted by threatening Yan Ruohai’s own son, should he die. Xiao En then spotted Chen Pingping and Fei Jie, declaring he had prayed in his cell for them to live long enough for his revenge.
He scoffed at Chen Pingping's disabled legs, but Chen Pingping countered, making Xiao En seethe with anger. Chen Pingping calmly introduced Fan Xian as the one who would escort Xiao En back to Beiqi. Fan Xian greeted Xiao En, who inquired about his relationship with Chen Pingping and Fei Jie. Fan Xian openly stated that Fei Jie was his teacher and Chen Pingping his elder, both treating him like family.
Xiao En then challenged Chen Pingping to take a good look at Fan Xian, implying he wouldn't see him again soon. Fan Xian quickly retorted, suggesting Xiao En should look carefully at the prison courtyard, as he might return there himself, which made Chen Pingping smile subtly. Xiao En, however, dismissed Fan Xian as too young and inexperienced. Fei Jie offered to accompany Fan Xian, but Chen Pingping intervened, stating he needed to speak with Fan Xian alone.
Once Fei Jie was out of earshot, Chen Pingping advised Fan Xian to send his teacher home to rest, revealing that Fei Jie was injured. Fan Xian was shocked to learn that Fei Jie, upon hearing of Fan Xian’s mission, had ridden 800 "li" to the capital without stopping, enduring six assassination attempts. Chen Pingping noted that Fan Xian’s presence had profoundly changed both him and Fei Jie.
Before parting, Chen Pingping instructed Fan Xian to visit Taiping Residence, as someone wished to see him. At Taiping Residence, Fan Xian was surprised to find Emperor Qing. The Emperor explained that the mission to Beiqi was chosen to temper Fan Xian’s spirit. He confirmed that Fan Xian’s primary task was to retrieve Yan Bingyun.
Emperor Qing then revealed that Si Lili had been poisoned with "Red Sleeve Edict," a poison designed not for her, but for the little emperor of Beiqi. Fan Xian gasped, realizing the implications. Emperor Qing further commanded Fan Xian to find an opportunity to kill Xiao En after securing Yan Bingyun's return, adding that the Investigator's Office would not assist him to avoid suspicion.
Fan Xian mused that killing both an emperor and Xiao En in a foreign capital was an immense task. He questioned why such sensitive discussions were held outside the palace. Emperor Qing responded that in the palace, they were ruler and subject, but here, it was different, leaving the thought unfinished. He simply told Fan Xian to return alive.
Fan Xian, testing the limits, asked if failure was acceptable as long as he survived, which amused and annoyed the Emperor, who then angrily dismissed him. Leaving Taiping Residence, Fan Xian headed towards the city gate, where he met Fei Jie. Fei Jie expressed his concern, explaining he couldn't accompany Fan Xian due to the danger posed by Beiqi agents he had previously targeted.
He then warned Fan Xian about several dangerous individuals in Beiqi: Shen Zhong, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guards; Great Master Ku He; Haitang Duoduo, Ku He's formidable "Saintess" disciple; and General Shangshan Hu, Xiao En’s adopted son. Fei Jie also mentioned the political infighting between Beiqi’s little emperor and the Empress Dowager, advising Fan Xian to escape if the situation turned precarious, rather than getting involved.
Then, with some awkwardness, Fei Jie confessed that he was the one who concocted the "Red Sleeve Edict" poison, which could only be transmitted through intimate contact. He handed Fan Xian an antidote, jokingly suggesting it was in case Fan Xian couldn’t "hold himself back" on the journey. Fan Xian, flustered, denied any such intentions.
As Fei Jie walked away, he shouted a final warning: if Fan Xian did not return alive, he would personally go to Beiqi’s capital and ensure the entire city was slaughtered in revenge. As Fan Xian was about to depart, his siblings, Fan Ruoruo and Fan Sizhe, arrived to see him off. Fan Sizhe, ever the entrepreneur, urged Fan Xian to write more chapters for "Red Mansions" during his journey, emphasizing the urgent demand from their bookstore.
Fan Ruoruo reassured Fan Xian that she had arranged to move into Lin Wan’er’s imperial residence the next day to discreetly watch over her future sister-in-law. Fan Xian, delighted, instructed her to deter any suitors. The lighthearted family moment was broken by the arrival of Fan Jian, who, with a somber expression, presented Fan Xian with his personal Tiger Guards, led by Gao Da.
Fan Jian reiterated the warning about Beiqi's internal power struggles, advising Fan Xian to flee if danger arose, a sentiment Fan Xian privately acknowledged was impossible given Emperor Qing's orders. With tears in his eyes, Fan Jian watched as Fan Sizhe offered a bowl of farewell liquor. Fan Xian drained it, then deeply bowed to his father, sister, and brother before resolutely running to catch up with the waiting convoy.
Meanwhile, in Beiqi, General Shangshan Hu received intelligence that Fan Xian's mission was underway. Fearing that his adoptive father, Xiao En, would fall into the hands of opposing imperial factions, Shangshan Hu decided to intercept the mission at the border within Qing territory, rescue Xiao En, and eliminate the mission's leader, Fan Xian. Later, the mission convoy halted in a dense forest for a break. Fan Xian, claiming a need for nature's call, ventured into the woods.
Wang Qinian, suspicious that Fan Xian might be attempting to escape the perilous journey, insisted on following him. Unable to shake him off, Fan Xian ordered Gao Da to remain with the convoy and ensure no one else left. Deep in the forest, Fan Xian met Uncle Wuzhu, as prearranged. Wuzhu reported on his visit to Taiping Residence, confirming its strict defenses.
Although he managed to enter, he found nothing concrete but sensed a strange mechanism connected to a stone in the pond, which he believed only Fan Xian could decipher. Fan Xian, despite his late mother's warning against seeking the truth, admitted his overwhelming curiosity and decided to postpone his investigation until his return from Beiqi. When Wuzhu asked why Fan Xian wasn't bringing the weapon from the chest, Fan Xian said he left it at home for Wuzhu to guard.
Wuzhu then declared his own intention to travel north to challenge Great Master Ku He, having heard that Ku He might target Fan Xian. He aimed to engage Ku He in battle to ensure the Great Master couldn't interfere with Fan Xian. Fan Xian, initially startled by Wuzhu’s casual challenge to a Great Master, was reassured when Wuzhu stated he would only handle Great Masters, leaving lesser opponents to Fan Xian.
Wuzhu then vaguely recalled that Fan Xian’s mother, Ye Qingmei, had once traveled with Xiao En, and that her arrival in this world was somehow linked to him. This revelation left Fan Xian deeply troubled, as it implied Xiao En might hold the secrets to "the Forbidden Door," creating a profound dilemma given his imperial orders to kill Xiao En.
Upon Fan Xian’s return to the convoy, Gao Da immediately complained about Wang Qinian's apparent fruit theft, describing him as sneaky and greedy, and urged Fan Xian to dismiss him. Fan Xian, exasperated but understanding, promised to handle it. Soon after, Wang Qinian stealthily approached Fan Xian with a bag of chilled fruits, boasting that he had secretly taken them from the gifts intended for Beiqi. Fan Xian, amused by the absurdity, refused.
When Gao Da again tried to intervene, Fan Xian simply waved him away. The following day, Gao Da once more reported Wang Qinian's continued fruit pilfering and offered to personally drive him away.
Left with no other recourse, Fan Xian fabricated a story: Wang Qinian’s greedy demeanor was merely a clever disguise, and he was, in fact, a brave and steadfast warrior who had nobly volunteered to share the prison carriage with Xiao En to keep him under constant surveillance, a task no other guard dared to undertake. Gao Da, completely fooled, was deeply impressed.
He sought out Wang Qinian, profusely apologized for his earlier misjudgment, praised him as a true hero, and swore that if any misfortune befell Wang Qinian at Xiao En’s hands, he would personally avenge him by slaying Xiao En. Wang Qinian was utterly bewildered by Gao Da's sudden change of heart. After Gao Da departed, Fan Xian explained the elaborate deception to a crestfallen Wang Qinian, who now had no choice but to accept the dangerous assignment.
With a basin of water in hand, Wang Qinian nervously entered Xiao En's prison carriage. He cautiously approached Xiao En, offering to wash his face with a cloth-wrapped stick. Xiao En seized the stick and half-jokingly inquired if taking Wang Qinian hostage would be effective against Fan Xian. Trembling, Wang Qinian explained that he was a person of no consequence, and the powerful figures in the Investigator's Office would hardly care about his fate.
Xiao En continued to tease him before requesting a massage, which Wang Qinian nervously began to perform. Xiao En then asked if Wang Qinian feared him. Wang Qinian admitted his fear but stated that if he were to die, Fan Xian was wealthy enough to ensure his wife and daughter would live comfortably. Xiao En then asked Wang Qinian his name, which he haltingly revealed as Wang Qinian.
Meanwhile, Guo Baokun, consumed by a desire for revenge over his father’s imprisonment, bribed a jailer to visit Guo Youzhi. He excitedly informed his father that he had assembled a group of assassins to ambush and kill Fan Xian in the wilderness. Guo Youzhi was aghast, desperately trying to dissuade his son from such a reckless act. However, Guo Baokun, seemingly deluded, claimed to have studied military strategies and believed he had discovered his own potential as a brilliant general.
His father’s pleas were cut short when the jailer urged Guo Baokun to leave, leaving Guo Youzhi to silently pray for his son's safety. Guo Baokun then met with the assassins he had hired, led by a man named Zhao Da. Using a pre-arranged secret phrase, he identified them. Zhao Da and his men, ostensibly retired soldiers who now worked in farming, assured Guo Baokun of their proficiency in murder and robbery, vowing not to fail.
However, Guo Baokun found their relaxed attitude and excuses about farm work unsettling, especially their casual assertion that they could easily catch up to Fan Xian's mission even if they started late.
