Luoyang Episode 14 Recap
> Luoyang Recap
Baili Hongyi, seeking assistance for Wu Siyue, approached Lord Chu at the Red Silk House. He confronted Lord Chu, revealing his true identity as the head of the Intelligence Services. Baili Hongyi asserted that Lord Chu, despite his reputation as a playboy, possessed a genuine character and would not abandon Wu Siyue in her predicament. Feigning intoxication, Lord Chu made an early departure.
Recognizing that an internal mole within the Intelligence Services prevented overt action, he discreetly instructed his female guard, An Baitan, to handle the situation concerning Gao Bingzhu. An Baitan acknowledged that both Gao Bingzhu and Baili Hongyi were intelligent and capable. Lord Chu then lamented the complicated relationship between the Baili and Liu families. Meanwhile, Lord Pei received a critical message. He promptly arranged for Baili Hongyi, in disguise, and Bai Lang to enter the prison to meet Gao Bingzhu.
Lord Pei informed Gao Bingzhu that Wu Siyue had been captured by Wang Dengcheng while trying to clear his name. He explained that Wang Dengcheng was now in hiding, and only Gao Bingzhu knew enough about him to find and rescue Wu Siyue. Lord Pei then orchestrated a swap, with Bai Lang taking Gao Bingzhu's place in the cell.
Upon learning that Wu Siyue was taken to Zeyan Peak on Mount Beimang, Gao Bingzhu, without a word of thanks, immediately rode off. Baili Hongyi noted Gao Bingzhu's quick departure but acknowledged that Wu Siyue's rescue now depended entirely on Gao Bingzhu. Gao Bingzhu arrived at the desolate Guan Di Temple, the very place he first encountered Wang Dengcheng eight years prior. He found Wang Dengcheng there, holding Wu Siyue and his own mother captive.
Wang Dengcheng reminded Gao Bingzhu of their first meeting: Wang Dengcheng was a thief, having just robbed the Luoyang Magistrate's ancestral grave to pay for his sick mother's medical treatment. He had broken his leg while being chased and was desperate, even asking Gao Bingzhu to kill him after being told his mother had died.
Gao Bingzhu had then brought him back to the Unwelcome Well, where Wang Dengcheng, out of gratitude, diligently cared for Gao Bingzhu's mother and the community. Wang Dengcheng, acknowledging their shared past, proposed a grim path forward. He revealed that they were both wanted men and urged Gao Bingzhu to join the Four Season Clan with him, suggesting that killing Wu Siyue, the Interior Guard Services Grand Supervisor's sister, would be their ultimate token of allegiance.
He envisioned a glorious future for them both. Gao Bingzhu, however, was appalled. He vehemently refused to join the Four Season Clan, reminding Wang Dengcheng that they were responsible for the deaths of his companions, including Xiaowu. He had spent five years seeking justice for them and would never align himself with their killers.
Wang Dengcheng tried to persuade him, claiming he was offering a way out for the Unwelcome Well and that Gao Bingzhu, after five years away, had become a shadow of his former self. He argued that if Gao Bingzhu hadn't interfered, Song Liang would have succeeded, making Wang Dengcheng a hero. Gao Bingzhu countered that Wang Dengcheng was being manipulated and had brought danger to the Unwelcome Well. Wang Dengcheng, ignoring Gao Bingzhu's pleas, lunged at Wu Siyue.
Gao Bingzhu intervened, declaring that despite Wang Dengcheng's past services, their paths diverged from that moment on, and he would pretend they had never met, urging Wang Dengcheng to leave and harm no one else. Gao Bingzhu then decided to let Wang Dengcheng go out of gratitude for his past care of his mother. Wang Dengcheng feigned compliance but then suddenly seized Gao Bingzhu's mother, threatening to kill her if Gao Bingzhu didn't choose between his mother and Wu Siyue.
Gao Bingzhu, in anguish, agreed to act but asked for three kowtows to his mother first, then picked up his curved knife, offering his own life instead. Gao Bingzhu's mother, however, stopped him, revealing that she had been feigning madness for five years, so Gao Bingzhu could single-mindedly pursue revenge without worrying about her.
She urged him to live a good life for her and Ah Tan, then bravely took Wang Dengcheng's dagger and ended her own life, leaving Gao Bingzhu inconsolable. Afterward, Gao Bingzhu buried his mother and carved a wooden memorial tablet for her, weeping inconsolably from grief. Wu Siyue, moved by his sorrow, quietly departed, unable to bear witness further. Just as tragedy struck, Lord Pei and his guards arrived, securing Wu Siyue.
Wu Siyue immediately requested that Wang Dengcheng be taken to the Grand Court. Lord Pei agreed, despite Gao Bingzhu still being a convicted criminal, and accepted full responsibility. At the Grand Court, Baili Hongyi had been waiting anxiously. Upon seeing Wang Dengcheng brought in, he immediately inquired about Gao Bingzhu, only to learn that his mother had died.
The news deeply affected Baili Hongyi, stirring up memories of his own deceased father and leaving him with a profound sense of sadness. Returning home, he was preoccupied, unable to engage with Liu Ran, who wished to speak with him, despite her earnest pleas. The next morning, Wu Siyue returned to the temple to check on Gao Bingzhu, but he was gone. She went to Bai Lang's house, finding him recently released from the Grand Court by Lord Pei.
Bai Lang, however, had no information on Gao Bingzhu's whereabouts. Desperate, Wu Siyue searched throughout the Unwelcome Well, but Gao Bingzhu remained elusive. At the Baili mansion, Baili Hongyi sat motionless in his room until midday, refusing to eat. Shen Fei, his attendant, urged him to eat, suggested checking on Liu Ran, whom Baili Hongyi had upset the previous night, and offered to inquire about Gao Bingzhu's whereabouts.
Suddenly, Yunzhi rushed in, distraught, to report that Liu Ran was missing and had taken her clothes and jewelry. Baili Hongyi and Shen Fei searched the entire mansion, but Liu Ran was nowhere to be found. Yunzhi tearfully accused Baili Hongyi of being heartless, reminding him of Liu Ran's devotion and his cold treatment, even contemplating divorce.
Baili Hongyi, inspecting Liu Ran's room, noticed that two pieces of her preferred fish glue used for facial masks and two rare dimple makeup sheets, drawn by palace artists, were missing. He concluded that Liu Ran had run away. As Baili Hongyi and Shen Fei set out to search for Liu Ran, they encountered Liu Shi, Liu Ran's father, who had just returned from mountain cultivation.
Learning of his daughter's disappearance, Liu Shi, surprisingly calm, advised Baili Hongyi not to worry. He stated that Liu Ran had always been independent and likely just needed time alone to clear her mind. Handing over some wild eggs, Liu Shi then returned home, taking Yunzhi with him. During their conversation, Liu Shi directly confronted Baili Hongyi about his repeated refusals to marry Liu Ran and his subsequent reliance on her dowry after resigning from his official post.
Despite Baili Hongyi's attempts to explain his actions, Liu Shi remained unconvinced, concerned only with the extent of his daughter's suffering that drove her to leave. Meanwhile, Wu Siyue returned to report to Wu Youjue. Having already been informed by the Grand Court about Wu Siyue's unauthorized actions, Wu Youjue chastised her severely and immediately ordered Gao Bingzhu's arrest.
Wu Siyue, in an unprecedented move, knelt before her brother, pleading for him to clear Gao Bingzhu's name and promising to obey his every command thereafter. Wu Youjue, infuriated by her willingness to kneel for Gao Bingzhu, was left seething. Later, Liu Ran sent a message to Wu Siyue, inviting her to meet at Liubai Building. Wu Siyue arrived promptly. Liu Ran attempted to maintain a calm demeanor while serving tea, but Wu Siyue quickly sensed her distress.
Liu Ran tried to conceal her feelings, but Wu Siyue pressed, suspecting it involved Baili Hongyi and threatening to speak with him directly. Liu Ran desperately stopped her, insisting she couldn't bring Baili Hongyi any more trouble. She confessed that Baili Hongyi's father had died due to her uncle's actions, specifically from ingesting white fungus soup.
Overwhelmed by guilt, Liu Ran revealed that she had unknowingly cooked white fungus soup for Baili Hongyi, ignorant of its connection to his father's death. The realization of his likely sorrow, coupled with her unwitting role, led her to believe that Baili Hongyi might be better off without her in his life.
