Luoyang Episode 36 Recap
> Luoyang Recap
Lord Gao, accused a man of colluding with the Four Season Clan and stealing government grain from Hanjia Granary, even as the man pleaded his innocence and insisted the seized grain was merely three days' rations for his family.
Lord Gao then announced that anyone found to be stashing grain would be treated as an accomplice of the Four Season Clan, sparking outrage among the people who argued that they couldn't buy food and were simply accepting freely distributed grain. Wu Siyue, of the Interior Guard Services, and Gao Bingzhu arrived amidst the escalating chaos.
Despite Wu Siyue's protests that the man was an innocent civilian, Lord Gao ordered the man's arrest, leading to a full-blown riot as people tried to prevent the arrest, with some even calling to kill the incompetent officials. Gao Bingzhu quickly moved to protect the man's young son during the pandemonium. Wu Siyue intervened, calming the crowd by assuring them that while the grain they had might be stolen official property from Hanjia Granary, it would not be reclaimed.
She promised that the authorities were diligently investigating and would soon provide safe food for everyone, eventually persuading the people to disperse. Wu Youjue received intelligence from the Intelligence Services indicating that rumors were spreading throughout the capital city. The populace believed the famine was caused by Crown Prince Li Dun hoarding grain to amass wealth, and they planned to confront him at the Eastern Palace the following day.
Wu Youjue tasked Wu Siyue with investigating the matter thoroughly to prevent the Crown Prince from being unjustly accused. Meanwhile, the Empress confronted the Crown Prince, expressing fury over his alleged misdeeds, which he attributed to his servants. The Empress dismissed his excuses, reminding him of previous misdeeds also blamed on subordinates, and confined him indefinitely to the Eastern Palace.
Later, Prince Jin met with Wu Youjue, urging him to use his position within the Intelligence Services to uncover scandals involving court officials, which he believed would help them seize control of the court. Wu Youjue, however, emphasized the dire situation in the capital and urged a focus on the bigger picture, a response that angered Prince Jin, who threatened to remove him from his post.
Both Wu Siyue and Gao Bingzhu suspected the Crown Prince was framed by the Four Season Clan to incite public resentment against the Court. News then reached them that unrest had broken out in the Unwelcome Well, prompting Gao Bingzhu to rush there. Concurrently, the Lord of Spring, a leader of the Four Season Clan, instructed Qingye to initiate their final plan, confident that public anger in the capital city had reached its peak due to the Crown Prince's confinement.
Four Season Clan disciples disseminated rumors among the populace, stirring fury against the Empress and urging them to storm the Imperial Palace to overthrow her, promising a life of fortune with no worries about food or clothing for those who joined their "Divine Dao." Hearing the city was in chaos and people were heading to the Imperial Palace to rebel, Baili Hongyi urgently prepared to seek an audience with the Empress, believing they could not simply wait to starve.
Inside the Unwelcome Well, the residents, desperate from hunger, gathered and demanded to leave, some even willing to rebel and die trying. Lord Pei, a Grand Court officer, ordered archers to aim at the crowd if they advanced. Gao Bingzhu arrived just in time to stop the archers, pleading with the residents not to leave, warning that stepping out would lead to certain death as rebels.
The residents scoffed at him, accusing him of siding with the authorities and questioning why they should starve in the Well when "the Divine Dao" promised unlimited grain. Gao Bingzhu then passionately revealed that the Four Season Clan was responsible for their suffering, stating they were the true cause of chaos. He acknowledged his own past mistakes, tearfully admitting he was a "sinner" responsible for the deaths of his seven friends and the ruin of his family.
He explained that his five years of agonizing struggle had been driven by a singular purpose: to lead them out of the Unwelcome Well and bring justice for his fallen comrades. Yet, many remained unconvinced, accusing him of lying and blaming him for their loved ones' deaths. Mr. Unsightly stepped forward, defending Gao Bingzhu by reminding everyone of his years of selfless support, providing them with money and food.
Gao Bingzhu, tearfully, knelt before the crowd, apologizing for his broken promise to lead them out sooner and pleading for their trust one more time. He reiterated his vow to lead them to a rightful life in the capital, but insisted that leaving now would only brand them as rebels and lead to their demise. Gao Bingzhu learned from Mr. Unsightly that an outsider had recently entered the Unwelcome Well to spread the inciting rumors. Rushing home, he found Qingye.
She revealed that the Lord of Spring had dispatched many to spread such messages, and she herself had been sent to the Well, having already eliminated the instigator. Gao Bingzhu, having spared her life before, believed she might be his long-lost sister. Qingye, however, shattered his hopes, stating she was an orphan raised by "the Divine Dao" and was not his sister, though she admitted to envying his care for his sibling.
She then revealed that "the Divine Dao" had now ordered her to kill him. After a brief struggle, she attempted to take her own life, expressing despair as she had betrayed her masters and had nowhere left to go. Gao Bingzhu quickly intervened, stopping her, arguing that death was an easy escape, a sign of incompetence and avoidance. He urged her to live and spend her life atoning for the blood debts she had incurred.
Amidst the ongoing unrest, Baili Hongyi sought an audience with the Empress, concerned about Wu Youjue's presence at Xuanren Gate to address the rioters. He urged the Empress to recall Wu Youjue, fearing he would be endangered not just by the rioting populace but also by the remnants of the Four Season Clan. The Empress, however, expressed confidence in Wu Youjue's ability to handle the situation.
Baili Hongyi then revealed a long-kept secret: his brother, Baili Kuanren, had faked his death years ago after being exiled for slandering the court and had secretly joined the Four Season Clan. Knowing his brother's narcissistic tendencies to showcase his "masterpieces," Baili Hongyi believed Baili Kuanren was in the capital, waiting to witness Wu Youjue's demise. He implored the Empress to withdraw her order and recall Wu Youjue.
Wu Youjue addressed the agitated crowd at Xuanren Gate, publicly taking responsibility for their suffering. He then exposed the Four Season Clan as the true culprits behind the famine, revealing they had stolen the grain from Hanjia Granary and then intentionally blew it up to create the crisis, leaving millions without food.
While the people were initially skeptical, believing "the Divine Dao" had provided them with grain, Wu Youjue countered by stating that the grain distributed by the Four Season Clan was, in fact, the very same grain stolen from Hanjia Granary, which originally belonged to the people themselves. He urged them to consider why the heavily guarded granary would be destroyed if not by deliberate sabotage.
He accused the Four Season Clan of using the people's own resources to incite their anger, sow chaos, and destabilize their peaceful society. Wu Youjue then revealed carriages laden with grain, declaring it was all that remained in the capital and had been collected from the homes of all court officials at his fervent request to the Empress.
He emphasized that the officials themselves would rather starve than let the common people go hungry, asking the crowd to understand the Court's sincere efforts and the Empress's benevolence. Convinced, the people recognized the Four Season Clan as their true enemy and knelt in gratitude to the Empress. Among them, Baili Kuanren remained standing, and Wu Youjue identified him, leading to his capture.
Baili Kuanren admitted his defeat, acknowledging that he had long planned this scheme and felt no resentment at being outmaneuvered by Wu Youjue. The Empress commended Baili Hongyi's courage, revealing she had already learned the full truth from Wu Youjue, including the fact that Wu Youjue and Baili Hongyi's father had discreetly allowed Baili Kuanren to escape years ago.
She explained she had spared them out of respect for Baili Yan's loyalty, though she now found Baili Kuanren to be ungrateful. Despite Baili Hongyi's offer to accept punishment, the Empress dismissed the past, confirming that Wu Youjue had indeed captured Baili Kuanren. Later, Wu Siyue expressed profound admiration for Wu Youjue, who, despite his illness, had successfully calmed the rioting masses and captured the Four Season Clan leader. Wu Youjue confirmed Baili Kuanren was imprisoned but deferred his interrogation.
Wu Siyue then inquired about the stolen Hanjia Granary grain, and Wu Youjue informed her that it had been moved to the mountains north of the capital city and that Gao Bingzhu had already gone to retrieve it. Both Wu Youjue and Wu Siyue, however, harbored lingering suspicions, believing that the Four Season Clan's five-year plot could not have been so easily dismantled, cautioning against complacency as many remnants of the organization likely still remained active in the capital.
Meanwhile, Lord Pei of the Grand Court was actively searching for Yuwen Peipei, also known as Chunhe and Pei Niang of Hongxiao Fang, who was wanted for attacking the King of East River. He emphasized the Grand Court's need for a significant contribution, especially since the Interior Guard Services had captured the Four Season Clan leader. Liu Feng, who affectionately called her Chunhe, was secretly hiding Yuwen Peipei and bringing her food.
Yuwen Peipei expressed concern that her presence would endanger him, urging him to leave as the officials would eventually find her. Liu Feng, however, refused, assuring her of her safety and his arrangements to evade capture. He tenderly reminded her of her favorite childhood foods, declaring that no matter her past, she would always be Chunhe to him.
Acknowledging her past hardships, Liu Feng vowed to protect her and, if she desired, to take her to any place in the world where no one knew them, promising they would never return to the capital city. Moved by his unwavering devotion, Yuwen Peipei tearfully agreed to his proposal.
