Luoyang Episode 39 (Ending) Recap
> Luoyang Recap
Qingye confirmed that Baili Hongyi and Liu Ran had left Luoyang and that Gao Bingzhu was behaving as usual, keeping watch over the rice shops in the South Market. She reported back to Wu Youjue, who was meticulously preparing for the next day's opening ceremony for the granaries. Wu Youjue confirmed that all the Thunder explosives were precisely positioned and instructed his subordinate to take immediate action as soon as the appointed time arrived, confident that nothing would go wrong.
The next morning, Interior Guard Services personnel, dispatched by Wu Youjue, set up checkpoints on the roads leading to the South Market. They rigorously screened all citizens attending the opening ceremony. At the auspicious hour, the empress arrived in her sedan, greeted by kneeling citizens lining the streets. Witnessing their heartfelt welcome, she was deeply moved. Wu Youjue personally escorted the empress to the stage.
She addressed the assembled populace, acknowledging their suffering during the famine caused by the Four Season Clan's attack on Hanjia Granary. She expressed her guilt, recognizing that their hardship was a consequence of the evildoers targeting her. She then solemnly vowed to rebuild Hanjia Granary, restore the grain supply, and personally oversee the opening of the granary.
She pledged that as long as she remained on the throne, no one in Luoyang would ever go hungry again, earning the profound gratitude and cheers of the people. As the empress announced the opening of the granaries, Wu Youjue quietly attempted to slip away, claiming he felt unwell and wanted to rest. However, Gao Bingzhu intercepted him.
Gao Bingzhu politely rebuffed his excuses, reminding him that the empress had praised his efforts in disaster relief and that he held an important position. He suggested that Wu Youjue’s illness was a result of his dedication to the empress and Luoyang, and that no one would blame him, especially now that the people had food thanks to his supposed efforts. The joyous citizens erupted in cheers as the grain began to be distributed.
Wu Youjue, anticipating the detonation of the Thunder, looked around expectantly, but the explosion never came. He finally understood that Gao Bingzhu had sabotaged his meticulously laid plans. Gao Bingzhu confronted Wu Youjue, revealing that he had long suspected a deeply hidden accomplice within the Four Season Clan. It was only after the Hanjia Granary explosion that Gao Bingzhu began to focus his suspicions on Wu Youjue.
He deduced that Wu Youjue was the "Hidden Phoenix" mentioned by Lord Freedom, whose revelation would cause chaos in the world. Gao Bingzhu explained that Wu Youjue had secretly cultivated the Four Season Clan, using them to bomb Hanjia Granary, causing chaos and a famine in Luoyang.
He then orchestrated the attack on the King of East River and framed the Crown Prince for hoarding grain, which led to the Crown Prince losing power and the Intelligence Services falling under Wu Youjue’s control. This series of events allowed Wu Youjue to become the empress's most trusted confidant. His ultimate goal was to put down the manufactured riot, recover the supposedly stolen grain, and gain the people’s admiration, thereby presenting himself as the sole savior of Luoyang.
With control over both the Intelligence Services and the Interior Guard Services, along with military power, he could then justifiably seize the throne from the empress. Gao Bingzhu also revealed that Wu Youjue had given him the crucial task of guarding the grain, a clear sign that he intended to eliminate Gao Bingzhu as part of his larger scheme. Wu Youjue questioned how Gao Bingzhu, who had been under constant surveillance, managed to thwart his flawless plan.
Gao Bingzhu explained that his conversation with Baili Hongyi at the Dangyang Tavern, though recorded word-for-word by Wu Youjue's spies, contained coded messages they failed to decipher. Gao Bingzhu used seemingly innocent comments, like lamenting the lack of food in the city's taverns or expressing hope for an end to Luoyang's chaos, to hint at ongoing disasters.
He mentioned the city's famous song, "Praise the Heavenly Monument," to signify the empress's danger, and the line about "peonies" to indicate the need for the Peony Token to save her. He alluded to their first meeting in the South Market, suggesting danger there, and referenced the Lianshan Rhyme to locate the Thunder. He also implied that Wu Siyue was in trouble at the Interior Guard Services and that Mr. Unsightly from the Unwelcome Well could provide help.
Gao Bingzhu emphasized that while Wu Youjue believed he controlled everything in Luoyang, the Unwelcome Well was a place beyond the Intelligence Services' reach. Baili Hongyi understood the coded messages and rushed to the Unwelcome Well to find Mr. Unsightly, who then led him to the citizens of the Unwelcome Well. There, Baili Hongyi revealed Wu Youjue's plot to use the Thunder at the South Market during the empress's ceremony.
The citizens of the Unwelcome Well were initially hesitant, fearing the fatal consequences of leaving the Well, as many had died attempting it five years prior. However, Baili Hongyi passionately pleaded with them, arguing that Gao Bingzhu had risked his life for them in the past and that the Unwelcome Well was his last hope.
He urged them to protect Luoyang, reminding them that if the city fell, the Well would not be safe, just as when it had been sealed off and deprived of food and medicine. He inspired them by saying that if they helped save Luoyang, they would prove to the world that they were true heroes, not the cowards that society dismissed them as.
Moved by his words, Mr. Unsightly was the first to volunteer, followed by many others, finally willing to risk their lives to save Luoyang. Gao Bingzhu declared that Wu Youjue's elaborate plans had been ruined by the very people he despised—the citizens of the Unwelcome Well—and none of the Thunder explosives would detonate.
Wu Youjue, unwilling to accept defeat, tried to frame Gao Bingzhu, arguing that he had no proof and that no one would believe an "untrustworthy slave" from the Unwelcome Well who guarded the granaries and allegedly planted the explosives. Gao Bingzhu fiercely countered, stating that he was not alone and that the spirits of those who died because of Wu Youjue's schemes were watching.
He condemned Wu Youjue for his inhumane ambition, sacrificing loved ones and lives for personal gain, and treating people like weeds to be eradicated. Just then, Wu Siyue appeared with Interior Guard Services officers, wielding the Peony Token and announcing the empress's order to arrest Wu Youjue for conspiring with the Four Season Clan and plotting against Her Majesty.
Earlier, Gao Bingzhu, suspecting Wu Youjue, had met with Wu Siyue in the Unwelcome Well, laying out his theory that her brother was the mastermind behind the recent calamities, including the disappearance of evidence related to the Hanjia Granary explosion and the King of East River's attack. Though initially unwilling to believe her brother's betrayal, Wu Siyue listened as Gao Bingzhu presented the accumulating evidence of Wu Youjue's benefiting from every crisis.
Realizing the gravity of the situation and the danger Wu Siyue might face, Gao Bingzhu instructed her to first visit Liu Ran before returning to the Interior Guard Services. He told her to give Liu Ran her authentic Peony Token, while he made a fake one for her to carry as a precaution. He also arranged for Liu Ran and Baili Hongyi to meet him at midnight if Wu Siyue did not contact them.
Later, after learning that Wu Siyue had been detained, Gao Bingzhu instructed Liu Ran to bring the real Peony Token to Wu Siyue to rescue her, ensuring she could present it during Wu Youjue’s arrest. Wu Youjue stubbornly resisted arrest, but his remaining Four Season Clan assassins lurking outside the South Market were quickly subdued by the imperial guards.
Wu Siyue pleaded with him to surrender, offering to accompany him to seek mercy from the empress and bear the consequences together. Wu Youjue, convinced the empress would never spare him, refused. As they argued, Wu Siyue spotted Liu Feng perched on a corner tower, drawing his bow and aiming at Wu Youjue. Without hesitation, she bravely pushed her brother out of the way, taking the arrow meant for him.
Gao Bingzhu rushed to her side, holding her as she whispered her last wishes to him, expressing her love and desire to spend more time with him, and assuring him she would hold on. With a faint smile, she passed away peacefully in his arms, leaving Gao Bingzhu utterly heartbroken. Wu Youjue screamed in anguish at the tragic sight. Ten days later, Luoyang had fully recovered its vibrant bustle and prosperity.
The empress issued a decree allowing all citizens of the Unwelcome Well to relocate from their secluded community and be properly settled in various districts across Luoyang, where they could live openly and honorably. The former residents rejoiced, sharing their good news and celebrating their new lives, including enjoying a grand Water Banquet. In related decrees, all remaining Four Season Clan members were arrested and handed over to the Grand Court for investigation.
Pei Jian, formerly a magistrate, was promoted to Vice Minister of the Grand Court and tasked with overseeing the case. Furthermore, the Crown Prince was cleared of all charges related to the Four Season Clan and released from his house arrest. Wu Shenxing, the King of Jin, was stripped of his title and demoted for dereliction of duty, confined to his residence for reflection.
In recognition of Wu Siyue's ultimate sacrifice for the country, Wu Youjue was spared the death penalty. He was instead imprisoned in the Interior Guard Services dungeon for life, never to be released. Overcome by the magnitude of his defeat and the loss of his sister, Wu Youjue descended into madness, believing himself to be the empress. Li Yichen, the King of East River, having recovered from his injuries, resumed leadership of the Intelligence Services.
He no longer needed to wear his mask, openly leading the organization under his true identity. The empress also showed clemency towards Liu Feng, sparing him from the death penalty and ordering him to become a monk. Liu Shi took his son, Liu Feng, to Mount Zhongnan to pray for Wu Siyue's soul.
As for Baili Hongyi, the empress acknowledged his intelligence, courage, and service in protecting Luoyang, bestowing upon him the title of Deputy Minister of Works and granting him the noble title of Lord Evergreen. On the annual Lantern Festival, Luoyang was awash with festive lights as citizens celebrated in the streets with songs and dances. Gao Bingzhu and Baili Hongyi stood on a bridge, observing the joyous faces of the Unwelcome Well citizens, who were now integrated into Luoyang society.
Baili Hongyi revealed that he had resigned from his official post and planned to travel the world with Liu Ran, inviting Gao Bingzhu to join them. Gao Bingzhu, however, politely declined. He expressed his desire to remain in Luoyang, to continue protecting the peace that Wu Siyue had so cherished and died for, and to persist in his search for his sister, A'tan.
He affirmed that Luoyang, with its mix of nobles, commoners, and the newly integrated Unwelcome Well residents, was a good place, and this hard-won peace was worth safeguarding. Baili Hongyi wished him well, promising to return one day to see the Luoyang that Gao Bingzhu would protect. With a final farewell, Baili Hongyi departed, leaving Gao Bingzhu alone on the bridge, a serene smile seemingly crossing his face as if he saw Wu Siyue smiling back at him.
