Legend of Yun Xi Episode 45 Recap
> Legend of Yun Xi Recap
Gu Qishao, driven to exhaustion, worked tirelessly to find an antidote for the gu poison, even spitting blood despite Gu Beiyue's pleas for him to rest and eat. Meanwhile, Emperor Tianhui's research into gu-abetted individuals proved highly successful. His subordinates reported that they could control these individuals using silver needles and that healthy people infected with the blood of the first generation gu-abetted individuals would transform into a second, albeit less powerful, generation.
Pleased with the eight completed first-generation subjects, Emperor Tianhui ordered the widespread dissemination of the poison plague, justifying it as a necessary sacrifice for the people's future peace and to strengthen his army. He then specifically instructed Eunuch Li to send two gu-abetted individuals to the capital to assassinate Han Yunxi, believing her death would eradicate the Poison Master lineage and the gu poison's cure, ultimately leading to Long Feiye's demise.
The Emperor even attempted to personally create a gu-abetted individual, receiving a warning that touching any other poison would cause his hand to turn gray. Chu Qingge’s nanny confirmed that after three more doses, the slow-acting poison administered to Emperor Tianhui would take full effect, causing him to fall gravely ill. However, Chu Qingge confessed a surprising sadness about their plan's impending success, hinting at her growing affection for the Emperor.
Later, Emperor Tianhui, feeling weary, visited Chu Qingge and requested a bowl of lotus-nuts soup. Chu Qingge hesitated to serve it, clearly reluctant to continue poisoning him. When he insistently took the bowl, his finger briefly touched the soup and immediately turned gray, and he realized the lotus-nuts soup contained medicine.
Pretending a sudden recall of urgent state affairs, he abruptly departed, but secretly ordered Eunuch Li to take the lotus-nuts soup to the Imperial Academy of Medicine for a discreet examination. Days later, Chu Qingge was seen studying a map of Xiqiu, hoping to find a quicker way to rescue her brother. Emperor Tianhui unexpectedly arrived, and she feigned homesickness.
He expressed his deep affection for her and revealed his grand plan to use his powerful gu-abetted army to reclaim his lost empire and conquer Beili. He proposed that Xiqiu could become a dependent state under Tianning, with him and Chu Qingge ruling together, and instructed her to prepare to accompany him on the expedition.
Concluding that the gu poison was indeed incurable, Gu Qishao, after a period of intense and fruitless research, decided to return to the capital to be with Han Yunxi, wanting to accompany her for whatever time they had left. While traveling with Gu Beiyue and Yuze, they stumbled upon a horrific scene: soldiers forcing common people to ingest a mysterious medicine, confirming Emperor Tianhui's sinister method of rapidly spreading the gu poison.
Gu Beiyue, noticing Gu Qishao's weakened state, bravely distracted the soldiers to allow Gu Qishao to escape. Meanwhile, in Qingshan Town, Tang Li discovered an alarming absence of strong men, concluding that Emperor Tianhui had abducted them to create more gu-abetted individuals. He vowed to dismember the tyrannical Emperor. Tang Li then encountered Gu Beiyue, who informed him that Emperor Tianhui had successfully developed gu-abetted individuals.
Gu Qishao, having departed from Gu Beiyue, instructed Yuze to take the vital Traceless grass into the town, where Long Feiye's troops, led by Tang Li, had arrived to help combat the spreading plague. Tang Li was alarmed to learn that a single gu-abetted individual could be used to create many more. He quickly took charge, instructing a Cavalry General to secure the city gates and ordering Gu Beiyue to stay and guide other doctors in containment efforts.
Tang Li declared his intent to immediately report the dire situation to his brother, Long Feiye. At this crucial moment, Yuze arrived, bringing the Traceless grass. Gu Beiyue vouched for Yuze’s dedication in collecting and preparing the herb, assuring Tang Li of its efficacy in treating the plague. Tang Li, trusting Gu Beiyue's word, directed them to use the Traceless grass to help the infected citizens.
Concurrently, back at the palace, Eunuch Li reported to Emperor Tianhui that imperial doctors confirmed the lotus-nuts soup contained a slow-acting poison. Enraged and betrayed, Emperor Tianhui also learned that Chu Qingge was suspected of conspiring with court officials. Despite his anger, he deferred immediate action against her, choosing instead to focus on the rapid development of his gu-abetted army, reiterating the critical importance of the first-generation gu-abetted individuals for his grand ambition.
Gu Qishao, now in Meihai, desperately embraced Han Yunxi, pleading with her not to sacrifice her life for Long Feiye. He revealed his knowledge that her heart blood was the only true antidote, urging her to find other ways and reminding her that he would use all her owed conditions to make her not die. He offered to take her away from all the complexities of their lives and from Long Feiye.
Han Yunxi, however, refused, stating she must save Long Feiye because his condition stemmed from her father’s actions. Their emotional exchange was interrupted by Long Feiye’s arrival. He confronted Gu Qishao, who attempted to expose Han Yunxi’s self-sacrificing plan. Long Feiye vehemently silenced Gu Qishao with a threat and then turned his fury on Han Yunxi, enraged by her intimate conversation with Gu Qishao. He harshly accused her of lacking shame and being unfaithful.
While admitting he could not control her heart, he declared he could control her actions and restricted her to Meihai, claiming that love and romance no longer mattered to him as he pursued his grand ambition. He then cruelly threatened to kill Gu Qishao and hide his body forever. Han Yunxi, in a fit of despair, slapped him.
As Han Yunxi left in tears, Long Feiye, consumed by regret, recalled Gu Qishao's earlier revelation: that Han Yunxi’s heart blood was the crucial component for his antidote, meaning her death would be the cost of his survival. This memory confirmed his harsh words and actions were a deliberate, albeit painful, attempt to push her away and dissuade her from sacrificing herself. Upon returning to the capital, Long Feiye immediately began making preparations for an assault on Xijing.
He was observed instructing Tang Li on various state and military affairs, revealing that he was poisoned with gu and only had months to live, unable to witness the unification of the Qinxi empire. He was implicitly training Tang Li to ascend to the throne. Meanwhile, Long Feiye learned that Han Yunxi was residing at Gu Beiyue's residence. Simultaneously, Emperor Tianhui received news that Long Feiye had successfully suppressed the poison plague in Qingshan Town and the Xijing border regions.
Frustrated by the difficulty in obtaining materials for first-generation gu-abetted individuals, Emperor Tianhui resolved to drastically increase the production of second-generation gu-abetted individuals. Despite Eunuch Li’s concerns about using ordinary civilians given the plague’s suppression, Emperor Tianhui ruthlessly declared they would infect his own soldiers with the poison plague, instructing Eunuch Li to do so carefully and with higher doses, assuring him he would manage any dissent from the powerful Mu family who controlled Xijing’s military.
Undeterred by Long Feiye's harsh rejection, Han Yunxi remained determined to save him. She met with Gu Qishao, who was visibly well and not killed by Long Feiye. Despite Gu Qishao's pleas for her to abandon Long Feiye, Han Yunxi asserted her duty, stating that as his former wife, she could not watch him die, especially since his condition stemmed from her father’s actions.
Gu Qishao offered again to take her away, promising unwavering devotion, but Han Yunxi firmly declined, choosing to forge her own path. Instead, she provided Gu Qishao with a modified prescription for an antidote, originally developed by her father in the Herb-Ghost Valley. She explained that while it might not completely cure the poison, a year’s continuous dosage could potentially alleviate it.
She asked Gu Qishao to prepare a year’s supply of pills in three days, instructing him to meet her at Meihai. She claimed she would then deliver the medicine to Long Feiye and leave with Gu Qishao, justifying her trip to Meihai as a need to gather her belongings. Gu Qishao, overjoyed, readily agreed to the deal.
However, as Gu Qishao departed, Han Yunxi silently apologized to him, revealing her true intention to save Long Feiye and her acceptance of her own fate. Long Feiye was later informed by a subordinate that Han Yunxi planned to meet Gu Qishao at Meihai in three days, after which they intended to leave together, but he showed no overt reaction, having already accepted his limited time and focused on preparing Tang Li for leadership.
