Luoyang Episode 20 Recap
> Luoyang Recap
The stubborn Hua Qingzhi, known as Agent Yize, refused to confess, despite Wu Youjue's furious threats over killing an executive and attempting to sabotage the Intelligence Services. Unable to extract information through force, Wu Youjue handed over all of Hua Qingzhi's outgoing messages to Gao Bingzhu. Gao Bingzhu meticulously sifted through them, pinpointing a message sent on June 23rd, the very day Han Dongqing was murdered. This message claimed, "a guest made a scene at Fashan Temple.
Three people were severely injured." Gao Bingzhu immediately recognized the discrepancy, knowing that only he, Baili Hongyi, and Wu Siyue were present at Fashan Temple that day, leading him to deduce that they were the "three people" mentioned. Wu Youjue then dispatched An Baitan to trace the message's recipient. Meanwhile, Baili Hongyi, confined within the Interior Guard Services, was under strict orders from Wu Siyue not to leave.
He amused himself by loudly critiquing the guards' training, pointing out flaws in their stance and distracting them, much to their annoyance. Wu Youjue summoned Wu Siyue. Upon entering the secret chamber, she found Gao Bingzhu already there. Gao Bingzhu eagerly informed her that the mole within the Intelligence Services had been apprehended. Though the burden of Han Dongqing's death weighed heavily on Wu Siyue, finding the mole offered a sense of partial revenge.
She then confided in Gao Bingzhu, revealing that The 16th Night was likely a woman. Gao Bingzhu, without another word, swiftly departed. Moments later, An Baitan arrived to inform Gao Bingzhu that Hua Qingzhi's intelligence had been sent to Ji Shan Fang. Gao Bingzhu, still without speaking, walked out, ignoring Wu Siyue's attempts to call him back. An Baitan then escorted Wu Siyue to Wu Youjue.
Wu Youjue had invited Wu Siyue to join him in paying their final respects to Han Dongqing. He presented Han Dongqing's service record, acknowledging that while it was a mere register in the vast archives, Han Dongqing himself was unique and unforgettable. Wu Youjue formally inscribed "Loyal, kind, brave, determined, reliable, a man of integrity" on the record, marking the definitive end of Han Dongqing's life.
Wu Siyue vowed to capture the Four Season Clan's murderers to bring peace to Han Dongqing's spirit. Wu Youjue affirmed the Intelligence Services' commitment to protecting all people, not just the Empress, and declared that they would never retreat, even if it meant fighting against ten Four Season Clans. Back at the Interior Guard Services, Baili Hongyi continued to infuriate the guards by finding fault everywhere.
One guard complained that Baili Hongyi’s antics caused him to hurt his back during training. Other guards grumbled about Baili Hongyi's persistent demands, including an expensive abalone soup from Star House that cost half of a guard’s monthly salary. The exasperated guards eventually brought their grievances to Li Beiqi.
Li Beiqi confronted Baili Hongyi, who coolly argued that the Interior Guard Services' layout was fundamentally flawed, pointing out issues with the axis of symmetry, uneven ground, and improperly placed Dougong brackets, insisting that his observations were valid. Infuriated, Li Beiqi ordered Baili Hongyi confined to the dungeon, though he cautioned the guards not to harm him. Soon after, Liu Ran arrived at the Interior Guard Services, demanding her husband's release.
The guards, citing security protocols and Wu Siyue's absence, refused her entry or any information, merely telling her that she would be notified if there was anything to report. In the dungeon, Baili Hongyi found himself incarcerated next to Li Ji, who was loudly protesting his innocence. Li Ji introduced himself and explained his plight: he was accused of murder after a slight nudge to an outlander at Tianxiang House resulted in the man collapsing and bleeding from seven orifices.
Li Ji's father had bribed a coroner, who reported the outlander's internal organs were completely rotten. Baili Hongyi immediately deduced the cause: Shachi Venom, a peculiar poison from the West known to cause instantaneous death and internal organ decay without external wounds. He questioned Li Ji for details about the outlander's name, the body's whereabouts, and any signs of prior injury or illness. Meanwhile, Gao Bingzhu arrived at Ji Shan Fang and directly requested to drink with Yao Niang.
Yao Niang promptly announced an early closure, ushering out all the patrons and producing her finest Qianhe wine to share with him. Concurrently, Liu Ran, unable to secure her husband's release, sought out Wu Youjue for assistance. Wu Youjue personally intervened, apologizing to Baili Hongyi for his detention and ordering his immediate release from the Interior Guard Services.
Back at Ji Shan Fang, Gao Bingzhu and Yao Niang engaged in lighthearted conversation, reminiscing about their seven years, five months, and three days of acquaintance. Gao Bingzhu casually brought up Yao Niang's former claim that Master Kang was her husband and how he disappeared owing significant debts.
Yao Niang expressed profound gratitude to Gao Bingzhu for his steadfast support over the years, from drinking on her behalf to collecting debts and protecting her from troublesome rascals, allowing Ji Shan Fang to flourish. Gao Bingzhu then revealed his knowledge that she was The 16th Night. Yao Niang confessed without hesitation, admitting that she simply could not bring herself to kill him. Yao Niang then began to unravel her tragic past.
As a young girl, her father had sold her to the Four Season Clan for a mere bag of rice, never looking back. She was then forced into training with hundreds of other children, learning martial arts and the art of killing. Her first mission from the Clan was to kill all her companions, with only three allowed to survive.
She recounted the brutal process of eliminating the other two remaining survivors, solidifying her grim realization that life held no inherent value, and any amount of killing was justified to achieve a mission and survive. She confirmed that Master Kang was not her husband, but her senior brother, whom she had killed on the Lady of Autumn's orders after he botched a mission by seeking undeserved credit.
Following his demise, the Lady of Autumn instructed Yao Niang to take over Ji Shan Fang. Yao Niang recounted how, when she first took over Ji Shan Fang, a group of rascals arrived to collect Master Kang's debts. Gao Bingzhu, appearing just in time, declared her "my girl" and fiercely threatened to cut out their tongues and feed them to dogs, effectively scaring the rascals away.
Yao Niang thanked him, but Gao Bingzhu scoffed, sarcastically lamenting his own naivety for heroically saving a ruthless killer. He realized she had merely used him to intimidate the rascals, knowing he wouldn't commit murder himself. Yao Niang conceded that she was moved by his unexpected protective act for a stranger, but lamented that she had met him too late to change her path.
Gao Bingzhu's anger flared as he accused her of bringing his companions to a place they "were not supposed to be" five years ago, leading to their deaths. He angrily asserted that her own hands had stabbed his friends to death, and he had foolishly considered her his closest friend. Yao Niang reminded him that she had cared for the severely injured Gao Bingzhu after his friends were massacred five years prior.
Gao Bingzhu tightly grasped Yao Niang's hands, systematically listing her treacherous deeds. He accused her of murdering Chen Que of the Grand Court and deliberately leaving her hand-halberd at the scene. He explained that she knew he would investigate, leading him to discover the halberd was made of Lian Mountain copper, thus linking it to Baili Yan. She then killed Baili Yan, intending to frame Gao Bingzhu for his death, possibly even during the Baili Mansion's wedding celebration.
Lastly, she orchestrated a loud argument among boatmen at Ji Shan Fang to lure Gao Bingzhu to a boat, engaging him in a staged fight to fake The 16th Night's death and end his relentless pursuit. Yao Niang expressed her frustration, acknowledging that Gao Bingzhu had repeatedly obstructed the Four Season Clan's plans and relentlessly pursued the truth.
She claimed that as The 16th Night, she should have killed him countless times, but as Yao Niang, she found herself unable to do so, admitting that he would have died countless times if not for her protection. Gao Bingzhu was heartbroken, overwhelmed by the realization that his most trusted friend was the ruthless assassin, The 16th Night, and had meticulously orchestrated these schemes.
Simultaneously, Wu Siyue relentlessly pressed An Baitan for Gao Bingzhu's whereabouts and the nature of his investigation. An Baitan initially refused, citing confidentiality and expressing doubt about the Intelligence Services' capacity to protect Gao Bingzhu. Wu Siyue vehemently insisted that she "could" protect him, finally compelling An Baitan to reveal his location. Having received a secret order from the Lady of Autumn to eliminate Gao Bingzhu, Yao Niang changed into her black execution attire and retrieved her hand-halberd.
She confessed to Gao Bingzhu her deep envy of Wu Siyue, who could openly be by his side and aid him, while Yao Niang was condemned to hide in the "darkest corner," unable to openly express her feelings despite all she had done for him. Gao Bingzhu sharply retorted that she had no right to compare herself to Wu Siyue. Yao Niang, her voice filled with sorrow, apologized and promised she would never lie to him again. With those final words, she tragically used the hand-halberd to take her own life in front of Gao Bingzhu.
