Luoyang Episode 28 Recap
> Luoyang Recap
At Hanjia Granary, the royal granary that sustains two hundred thousand households and millions of people in the capital city, safety is of paramount importance to the empress. His Highness Jin Wang and Yang Huan arrived to inspect the granaries, personally escorted by Wu Youjue, the Interior Guard. Wu Youjue affirmed it was his duty to protect them, especially as they were on the empress’s orders.
He expressed admiration for the granary, acknowledging its crucial role in Luoyang’s livelihood and the empress’s deep concern for her subjects. Yang Huan conveyed the empress’s high expectations for Wu Youjue in entrusting him with this significant task. Meanwhile, Liu Ran and Baili Hongyi found themselves confined in separate rooms, separated by a wall.
Liu Ran expressed remorse for causing Baili Hongyi trouble and hindering him, but Baili Hongyi gently reminded her that as husband and wife, they should support each other. He confessed that ever since their marriage, he felt understood by her and cherished their harmonious life together. Touched by his words, Liu Ran realized Baili Hongyi truly cared for her, recalling how he had searched eighteen cosmetic stores across the capital city to find her and even drawn her portrait.
She vowed to remain by his side for the rest of her life. Aware of their plight, Gao Bingzhu observed an elderly man named Zhang delivering food to the Taoist priests in the nearby compound. He and Wu Siyue intercepted the old man and discreetly added a generous amount of salt to the food.
When Baili Hongyi tasted the overly salty meal, he immediately recognized it as a signal, recalling a similar tactic he and Gao Bingzhu had employed previously in the Bad Well. Realizing Gao Bingzhu had come to rescue him, Baili Hongyi boldly demanded to see Master Tiantong, claiming he knew about a special missing ingredient in the master's alchemy formula. A guard, convinced by Baili Hongyi's insistence, led him to the alchemy lab.
Gao Bingzhu and Wu Siyue watched as Baili Hongyi emerged from the lab, deliberately stretching his body in a way that subtly indicated Liu Ran's location. Inside the alchemy lab, Baili Hongyi confronted Master Tiantong, who had become convinced that the secret to elixir-making lay solely in controlling the heat, not the ingredients.
Baili Hongyi challenged this, explaining that adding ice would cause the furnace's fire to become too intense, and to balance the temperature, a certain proportion of cooling apatite was required, especially for the burning Beidi Xuanzhu to prevent explosion. Master Tiantong dismissed this, asserting that apatite would cause an explosion because it was known as a combustion agent.
Baili Hongyi then cited ancient texts, specifically Ge Hong’s "The Baopuzi," to demonstrate that apatite, despite its common association with combustion, possessed a cooling nature that, if properly proportioned, could indeed stabilize furnace temperatures and prevent explosions. Pressured by a tight deadline set by Lady of Autumn for the production of the Thunder, Master Tiantong reluctantly agreed to let Baili Hongyi prove his theory, warning him of severe consequences if he lied.
Baili Hongyi took several pieces of apatite and threw them into the furnace, triggering an immediate and violent explosion that engulfed the alchemy lab in thick smoke. Seizing the opportunity, Gao Bingzhu, Wu Siyue, and Li Beiqi rushed into the compound. Wu Siyue quickly located and rescued Liu Ran. Simultaneously, Master Tiantong's men attempted to apprehend Baili Hongyi. Gao Bingzhu swiftly intervened, battling Tiantong’s men to protect Baili Hongyi.
Master Tiantong seized the opportunity to slip away, and Gao Bingzhu immediately gave chase. Liu Ran, now safe, urged Wu Siyue to go help Baili Hongyi, but Wu Siyue reassured her that Baili Hongyi was no longer in immediate danger, as Gao Bingzhu had dealt with his immediate attackers. Li Beiqi then took charge of escorting Baili Hongyi and Liu Ran, who, having narrowly escaped, decided to return home.
Wu Siyue joined Gao Bingzhu in pursuit of Master Tiantong, following him to a cave in the North Mountain. Inside, they discovered numerous copper boxes filled with a black powder. Master Tiantong suddenly appeared, confirming the substance was the Thunder, though he claimed these were defective batches. To demonstrate its power, he threw a torch onto the powder. The Thunder immediately ignited with a massive explosion, engulfing the cave in flames.
Gao Bingzhu instinctively pulled Wu Siyue, frantically trying to escape, but they were trapped amidst the burning debris. Meanwhile, Lady of Autumn confronted Lord of Spring, pressing him to hasten the production of the Thunder. She revealed their plan to assassinate the empress during the Ceremony of Light, once the Heavenly Temple was completed. Lord of Spring urged patience, noting that Master Tiantong was diligently working.
He also subtly reprimanded Lady of Autumn for publicly referring to herself as the Daozun, reminding her that their true teacher, Daozun Xiaoyaozi, was still alive. He shared his hope that once their grand scheme succeeded, they could bring their elderly teacher back. Shortly after, Master Tiantong sent word that he had successfully perfected the Thunder, much to Lord of Spring’s satisfaction. Back at the Baili Mansion, Baili Hongyi, still reeling from his escape, immediately sought Shen Fei's help.
He explained that after his brother Baili Kuanren's death, their father had hidden all of Kuanren's written texts. Baili Hongyi suspected he had seen his brother's distinct handwriting at Master Tiantong's place. With Shen Fei's assistance, he located the cabinet where the texts were hidden.
He then carefully compared the writings, noting his brother's unique trait of having six fingers, which caused him to slightly lift his pinky, creating a subtle upward stroke at the end of each character to avoid smudging the ink. Through this meticulous comparison, Baili Hongyi was certain that the writings he had seen belonged to Baili Kuanren, leading him to suspect that his brother might still be alive.
Trapped within the collapsing cave, Gao Bingzhu struggled to free himself from the rubble. Once out, he desperately searched for Wu Siyue, finding her leg pinned beneath heavy rocks. With immense effort, he managed to move the rocks, then quickly bandaged her leg to staunch the bleeding. He called out for help, but his cries echoed unanswered in the desolate cave.
Wu Siyue, despite their perilous situation, remarked on a strange sense of relief, having been so consumed by investigations that she hadn't had a quiet moment in a long time. They both clung to the hope that help would eventually arrive. The empress summoned Wu Youjue, commending his management of the informers' case and the Interior Guard's achievements under his leadership.
As a reward for his service, she bestowed upon him the honorary title of Duke of Ying, along with a fief of three hundred households. Wu Youjue gratefully accepted. The empress confided in him, acknowledging her advanced age and expressing her sole remaining wish: to personally light the grand Buddha lamp in the Heavenly Temple, a project twenty years in the making. She tasked Wu Youjue with the crucial responsibility of overseeing security for the upcoming Ceremony of Light.
Separately, Wu Youjue also spoke with the Crown Prince, who shared his disappointment that the empress hadn't appointed Wu Youjue as Minister of War, noting that the Duke of Ying title was merely ceremonial and lacked real power. Wu Youjue humbly stated his contentment in serving the empress and the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince then advised Wu Youjue to excel in the Ceremony of Light security, as it might lead to further favor from the empress.
He also expressed regret that the empress had only grounded him for self-reflection regarding the Dai Zhou incident, rather than pursuing the case further. Wu Youjue, in turn, cautioned the Crown Prince to be discreet in such matters. Later, Wu Youjue received an urgent report detailing Wu Siyue's disappearance and a deafening explosion at North Mountain, which was believed to be connected. He immediately confronted Baili Hongyi, demanding a full account of what had happened.
Baili Hongyi, with no choice, truthfully recounted the events. Enraged, Wu Youjue declared his intention to personally search North Mountain for Wu Siyue, delivering a chilling threat to Baili Hongyi: if Wu Siyue were harmed, he would not spare him. Meanwhile, the Lord of Spring, having received Master Tiantong's message, deduced that the Thunder was an extremely powerful and highly explosive substance that was easily flammable and preferred shade, fearing light. He surmised that Tiantong had likely hidden it in a shady area within the North Mountain and ordered his followers to search there.
