Luoyang Episode 30 Recap
> Luoyang Recap
Gao Bingzhu presented his chilling deduction: the Four Season Clan intended to deploy their devastating weapon, the Thunder, during the highly anticipated Ceremony of Light, the moment when the empress would personally officiate at the Heavenly Temple. He urged Lord Chu to persuade the empress to cancel the event.
Baitan vehemently opposed this, highlighting the immense resources and effort already poured into the Ceremony over the past six months and stressing that canceling it would severely undermine the authority of the Intelligence Services. Gao Bingzhu, however, prioritized the lives of Luoyang's citizens, emphasizing the catastrophic consequences if the Thunder were detonated. Lord Chu mediated the heated argument, acknowledging Gao Bingzhu's concern for public safety.
He agreed to report to the empress but cautioned that she was unlikely to cancel the Ceremony. Instead, he tasked Gao Bingzhu with swiftly uncovering the Clan's conspiracy and granted his request to visit Lord Freedom, the Clan's leader, who was imprisoned in Interior Guard Services' secret dungeon. Wu Siyue, though still recovering from a severe injury, visited her brother, Wu Youjue, deeply concerned by his visible fatigue and the toll his duties had taken on him.
She insisted on taking charge of the Ceremony of Light's security and investigating the Thunder, eager to alleviate his immense burden. However, Wu Youjue, prioritizing her recovery after her recent near-death experience, firmly told her to rest and focus on her healing. Baili Hongyi, accompanied by a helper, began to excavate Baili Kuanren's grave. Uncle Baili and Liu Ran rushed to stop him, warning against violating customs and risking divine punishment.
Baili Hongyi remained resolute, compelled by the mysterious circumstances surrounding his brother's death and the discovery of Baili Kuanren's handwriting at an incriminating location. Upon opening the coffin, they found it filled with rocks, confirming Baili Hongyi's suspicion that his brother was still alive. He then recalled Baili Kuanren's lifelong frustration with having six fingers, which had prevented him from becoming an official, and his deep interest in their grandfather's old books.
This led Baili Hongyi to theorize that Baili Kuanren must possess critical knowledge about their grandfather's connection to the Four Season Clan and his practice of witchcraft. Later, acting on orders from the Lady of Autumn, Gong Yan led a group of assassins to attack Baili Hongyi at the grave. Their ambush was abruptly cut short when numerous arrows rained down from the surrounding forest, forcing Gong Yan and her assassins to hastily retreat.
Unsure of who had intervened to save them, Baili Hongyi quickly reburied Baili Kuanren's coffin with his helper before hastily departing the area with Liu Ran and Uncle Baili, fearing further attacks. Gao Bingzhu, invoking Lord Chu's authority, sought an audience with Wu Youjue. Initially, Wu Youjue dismissed him and ordered his arrest, reminding Gao of previous warnings.
However, Gao, undeterred, leveraged the critical threat of the Thunder and the impending Ceremony of Light to pressure Wu Youjue, who reluctantly allowed him access to Lord Freedom in the secret dungeon. Inside, Interior Guard Services removed the iron muzzle from Lord Freedom. The captive immediately launched into a frantic rant about burning down "weeds" and the empress. Gao, attempting to pose as an ally, recited phrases from the Four Season Clan's teachings and mentioned the Thunder's destructive power.
Lord Freedom, convinced by Gao's facade, then vaguely revealed parts of the Clan's plan and cryptic clues about the Thunder's target within Luoyang, which Gao diligently committed to memory. Upon learning that Gao Bingzhu had visited Interior Guard Services without seeing her, Wu Siyue, despite her injured leg, rushed to confront him. Gao expressed his concern for her wound. He then informed her of his impending departure from Luoyang for a few days to further his investigation.
Wu Siyue immediately insisted on accompanying him, asserting her leg was fine and she could offer assistance. Gao, however, firmly urged her to prioritize her recovery and focus on aiding Wu Youjue with the Ceremony's security, assuring her he would return swiftly.
Wu Siyue then reminded him of the solemn promises they had made amidst the ruins: to survive, to find Tan together, to bring the people of the Unwelcome Well out of hardship, and to live to witness the beauty of Luoyang. Gao solemnly reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to every one of those promises. Wu Youjue subsequently collapsed from severe overwork and his recurring illness.
Wu Siyue rushed to his side, overwhelmed with guilt and repeatedly apologizing for her perceived role in his deteriorated state. After regaining consciousness, Wu Youjue, though weak, insisted on continuing his work, attempting to draft reports. Distressed by his condition, Wu Siyue insisted on taking over his responsibilities with the assistance of Li Beiqi, reassuring him that they could be trusted.
Wu Youjue, despite his frailty, sternly reiterated the paramount importance of the Ceremony of Light's security and the dire threat posed by the Thunder. Recognizing the complexity of the task, he revealed his intention to enlist Baili Hongyi's aid, believing him to be the most suitable person to assist Wu Siyue in thoroughly investigating the Thunder's secrets. Baili Hongyi then confronted Uncle Baili, directly asking if he had known about the empty coffin.
Uncle Baili confessed, revealing that Baili Yan had personally handled all of Baili Kuanren's funeral arrangements ten years prior, including preparing the body and burying the coffin overnight, and then made all household servants swear an oath of secrecy regarding Baili Kuanren. Meanwhile, Wu Youjue, despite his lingering illness, personally visited Baili Hongyi.
He explained his own deteriorating health and Wu Siyue's recent injury, then formally requested Baili Hongyi to join Interior Guard Services as a consultant to assist Wu Siyue in investigating the Thunder. He emphasized Baili Hongyi's unique qualifications, including his understanding of the Thunder's power and his intimate knowledge of Luoyang's architecture and streets.
Baili Hongyi initially expressed doubts about his suitability for such a role, then shifted the conversation to Baili Kuanren, inquiring about their shared past as fellow students under Fu Lyuping, the North Gate Scholar. He then revealed that Baili Kuanren's coffin had contained no body. Wu Youjue initially dismissed the idea of Baili Kuanren being alive, suggesting grave robbery. However, Baili Hongyi reminded him that Wu Youjue himself had visited the Baili Mansion on the very night Baili Kuanren died.
Reluctantly, Wu Youjue agreed to take Baili Hongyi to Interior Guard Services' archive to review relevant records. At the Interior Guard Services' archive, Baili Hongyi uncovered documents detailing Baili Kuanren's conviction for defaming the court, leading to his exile and subsequent death. Disbelieving this, he pressed Wu Youjue for more information. Wu Youjue reluctantly revealed that Baili Kuanren, despite being a commoner, had bravely exposed the corrupt official Lai Junche by submitting a report to the empress.
However, Lai Junche intercepted the report and maliciously framed Baili Kuanren for insulting the empress and slandering the court, leading to the empress's condemnation. Wu Youjue noted that Baili Kuanren then mysteriously died at home less than half a month later, and the doctor who treated him had also since passed away, leaving the true cause of death ambiguous. After careful consideration, Baili Hongyi agreed to assist Wu Siyue in investigating the Thunder.
Concurrently, Wu Siyue meticulously orchestrated security measures for the Ceremony of Light, deploying Interior Guard Services to protect the Heavenly Temple and monitor all city gates. She was alarmed to discover that Li Beiqi had permitted over a dozen individuals, registered as refugees, to enter Luoyang, and now Li Beiqi himself had vanished. Realizing the gravity of this breach, Wu Siyue immediately dispatched teams to locate both Li Beiqi and the refugees, whose registered addresses proved to be fake. She issued strict orders for Li Beiqi to be apprehended and brought back, even if he resisted.
