Luoyang Episode 16 Recap
> Luoyang Recap
Wu Siyue arrived to see Lord Chu and was surprised to find Gao Bingzhu already there, realizing he had joined the Intelligence Services. Seven days prior, Gao Bingzhu had approached Lord Chu, offering to collaborate and stating his willingness to join the Intelligence Services in order to combat the Four Season Clan.
He explained that the Intelligence Services, being "too old-fashioned" and out of touch with the common people, had failed to recognize the conspiracy between Liu Xiang, Song Liang, and the Four Season Clan. Gao Bingzhu, however, claimed to know these individuals well and could help identify the killer of Agent Han Dongqing.
Lord Chu warned him that joining meant permanent allegiance until death, requiring him to forsake all personal affections, desires, marriage, and children, to become completely unburdened and devoted solely to public service. Gao Bingzhu affirmed he was already alone with no attachments. Lord Chu then tasked him with bringing back Wang Dengcheng from the Grand Court prison, believing Wang Dengcheng possessed vital information about Song Liang's associates.
Gao Bingzhu subsequently sought out Mr. Unsightly, the registrar of the Ghetto Archive, to acquire the Internal Breathing Elixir. Mr. Unsightly explained that this elixir, developed in Lianshan Hall for underwater workers, allowed individuals to stop breathing for up to two hours, appearing dead, which could buy time for rescue if they were trapped underwater.
Although the recipe was lost, Mr. Unsightly managed to find a couple of pills for Gao Bingzhu, cautioning him to act within his limits and avoid further trouble, also urging him to let go of his mother's past. Gao Bingzhu thanked him. Following the plan, Gao Bingzhu secretly entered the Grand Court prison and administered the Internal Breathing Elixir to Wang Dengcheng.
Upon learning of Wang Dengcheng's apparent death, Gao Sheng, concerned about potential repercussions, ordered his body to be immediately transferred to the morgue and instructed all witnesses to report that Wang Dengcheng had died of a heart attack, as Her Majesty disapproved of torture. Later that night, Gao Bingzhu entered the morgue to rescue Wang Dengcheng. After reviving him, Wang Dengcheng, distraught and desperate, questioned why Gao Bingzhu hadn't killed him given all the misery he had caused.
He confessed to being a monster but accused Gao Bingzhu of being no better, blaming him for his mother being harmed into feigning madness and the ruin of seven Ghetto men's families. Wang Dengcheng then pleaded with Gao Bingzhu to kill him, asserting he would be the eighth victim. Just then, masked assassins descended upon them. Gao Bingzhu fiercely engaged the attackers, but in the ensuing chaos, he lost track of Wang Dengcheng.
As An Baitan and her team arrived, Gao Bingzhu discovered Wang Dengcheng's lifeless body, hanged. He was overwhelmed with emotion, recalling past moments with Wang Dengcheng, particularly how Wang Dengcheng had cared for his mother while he was absent and how Wang Dengcheng had once rallied the Ghetto men to protect the capital alongside him, expressing concern for Gao Bingzhu's well-being.
Before his death, Wang Dengcheng had warned Gao Bingzhu that Liu Xiang and Song Liang's failures would provoke the Four Season Clan, whose mole within the Intelligence Services had already made a move. He cautioned that joining the Intelligence Services would plunge Gao Bingzhu into constant peril from countless enemies. Back at the Intelligence Services, Lord Chu confronted Gao Bingzhu, confirming that Wang Dengcheng's death was a deliberate test.
Lord Chu admitted his distrust, explaining that Gao Bingzhu's deep-seated hatred for revenge could lead him to disregard the Services' interests. However, he clarified that the test's primary purpose was to lure out the mole, who had remained hidden since Agent Han's assassination. Gao Bingzhu, in turn, revealed his own findings: the Cakery housed seven Intelligence Services agents, four of whom knew his whereabouts, indicating the mole's source was among them.
He also mentioned that one of the assassins from the recent attack had been captured alive, urging Lord Chu to interrogate him. Lord Chu acknowledged Gao Bingzhu's actions as correct and officially inducted him into the Intelligence Services as the new Halberdier, replacing Agent Han.
During the formal induction, Gao Bingzhu's physical measurements were recorded, and he was again reminded of his new identity—no longer Ghetto officer or wanted criminal—and the strict vows: to forsake love, marriage, and family, dedicating himself entirely to public service, with the Intelligence Services as his sole home. When Wu Siyue learned of Gao Bingzhu's decision, she was furious. She initially attempted to dissuade him, offering her assistance or Lord Chu's help so he wouldn't have to join.
However, Gao Bingzhu insisted he joined willingly, claiming that as a lowborn, he needed the protection and backing of the Intelligence Services. Wu Siyue, remembering the severe vows, expressed her disbelief and anger, demanding to know why he had willingly accepted such conditions. In her frustration, she even slapped him. Gao Bingzhu coldly insisted that she address him by his new title, Halberdier, and declared that his personal affairs were no longer her concern as the guardian of the capital.
An Baitan expressed disbelief that Gao Bingzhu would willingly serve the Intelligence Services wholeheartedly. Lord Chu, in a separate conversation, acknowledged that Gao Bingzhu still harbored deep attachments despite his claims. Gao Bingzhu later escorted Wu Siyue to the Intelligence Services' Archive. Wu Siyue requested information on "The 16th Night," a hand-halberd wielding assassin from the Four Season Clan.
She also shared a crucial detail from her previous encounter with Lord Freedom: five years prior, she had encountered Lord Freedom, the Four Season Clan's leader who was presumed dead but was in fact alive and deranged. He had uttered a cryptic prophecy: "When the Hidden Phoenix shows up, the world will collapse."
However, the Archive contained no records of "The 16th Night" or "Hidden Phoenix," leading Gao Bingzhu to deduce that the mole within the Intelligence Services had already destroyed them.
Sharing their combined intelligence, Wu Siyue and Gao Bingzhu concluded that Song Liang had likely been collaborating with the Four Season Clan and "The 16th Night" for five years, specifically to eliminate Lord Freedom's trusted associates during an event where Song Liang was lauded for "wiping out" the clan and capturing Lord Freedom. This suggested the original "wipe out" was a deception, a betrayal of Lord Freedom by a Four Season Clan member who colluded with Song Liang.
Gao Bingzhu then retrieved Song Liang's travel records, which revealed his frequent visits to White Horse Temple, despite his usual station at the Capital Battalion. Liu Xiang was also noted to frequently visit the same temple to dispense congee. Meanwhile, Baili Hongyi and Liu Ran journeyed towards Mount Lian. Baili Hongyi instructed Liu Ran not to act independently once they arrived.
Liu Ran, touched by his rare displays of consideration, expressed her trust in him and promised to fully assist him in finding the copper ore. As night approached, Liu Ran suggested they find an inn for rest. The innkeeper informed them only one room remained due to many travelers. Liu Ran offered to find another place, but Baili Hongyi suggested they share the room, to which Liu Ran readily agreed.
Inside their room, Liu Ran offered Baili Hongyi food and tea. When Baili Hongyi decided to rest, Liu Ran offered to help him undress, but he politely declined, stating his assistant Shen Fei usually handled it. He then asked her preference for which side of the bed she wished to sleep on.
As they settled in, Baili Hongyi noted Liu Ran was hogging the covers, leading to a brief, shared adjustment of the blankets before they bid each other good night and fell asleep. Back in the capital, Wu Siyue invited Abbot Chengqing of White Horse Temple to the Interior Guard Services to inquire about Song Liang and Liu Xiang.
The Abbot confirmed that both men regularly visited the temple for different reasons—Liu Xiang for charity, and Song Liang for spiritual atonement—but never at the same time, thus never meeting. When Wu Siyue pressed if there was anyone both men had regular contact with, she interrupted Gao Bingzhu when he tried to interject, asserting her authority to ask questions.
Abbot Chengqing then revealed that a monk named Ruo'an, a visiting disciple from Daci'en Temple in Chang'an who served as the temple's guest greeter, had attended to both Liu Xiang and Song Liang during their visits. Armed with this information, Wu Siyue and Gao Bingzhu located Ruo'an's residence hidden within the bustling market, finding it deserted. Inside, Gao Bingzhu discovered partially burned scraps of vine-bark paper, recognizable as a special type used exclusively by the Intelligence Services.
He also found numerous homing pigeons, deducing that Ruo'an was the crucial messenger, using the pigeons to relay information between the Intelligence Services' mole and the Four Season Clan from his convenient city-center location. Wu Siyue declared that Ruo'an must still be within the city gates and intended to capture him herself, ordering Gao Bingzhu to stand down. She reminded him that the Intelligence Services' mandate was supervision, not law enforcement, implying he was overstepping his bounds.
