Nirvana in Fire 2: The Wind Blows in Chang Lin Episode 1 Recap
> Nirvana in Fire 2: The Wind Blows in Chang Lin Recap
Under the vast sky, thick smoke billowed, and a lonely city stood in the wilderness. The once sturdy city walls had long since become dilapidated under the ravages of days of war, and the Liang army soldiers stubbornly defending the city ramparts were also scarred and exhausted. Yet, the banner of the Great Liang's Changlin Army still stood tall against the fierce northern wind, unyielding.
Xiao Pingzhang, the heir apparent of the Changlin Royal Manor of the Great Liang Dynasty, gazed at the vast enemy forces below the city, his face filled with worry. He had commanded this remnant army, defending the isolated city of Ganzhou on the northern front for many days. The situation was critical; even as commander, he was as bruised and battered as any soldier, and coughed softly without ceasing.
Deputy Commander Dong Qing reported to him that there were no signs of reinforcements from either the left, right, or rear, and supplies had been cut off for dozens of days. As Xiao Pingzhang's personal guard, he pleaded with Xiao Pingzhang, as the royal heir, to immediately withdraw from Ganzhou. However, Xiao Pingzhang stated firmly, "Under the banner of the Changlin Army, how can one flee out of fear of battle?
Even if the city falls and I perish, fortunately, the Changlin King still has his second son, Xiao Pingjing." Upon mentioning his younger brother, Xiao Pingzhang couldn't help but recall the last time he saw his brother three months ago, when he was at Langya Pavilion. Langya Pavilion, nestled amidst green mountains and clear waters in Langya Mountain, was hidden from the mundane world, yet it commanded all information under heaven.
Three months ago, when embarking on his campaign, Xiao Pingzhang had detoured to Langya Pavilion, seeking an answer to a question and also to see his younger brother who was studying there. A green-robed attendant handed a brocade pouch to Xiao Pingzhang; the answer was within it. Xiao Pingzhang reached out to take it, but then paused mid-air. He asked the Old Pavilion Master if he truly intended to tell him the answer.
The attendant told him that as long as the price was paid, the answer would naturally be given. Xiao Pingzhang hesitated for a moment before opening the pouch. In another room, Lin Jiu, the Young Pavilion Master of Langya Pavilion, asked the Old Pavilion Master why he so easily told Xiao Pingzhang everything. The white-haired Old Pavilion Master calmly replied that since Xiao Pingzhang had already begun to investigate, he would find out sooner or later.
His urgency for the answer now was likely due to the grim prospects of the northern war. Xiao Pingjing, the second son of the Changlin King, was naturally carefree and active. He had been punished for playing a trick on the Old Pavilion Master, ordered to find cold crystal stones in the icy pond. For him, known as the "Little Prince of the Cold Pond," this was a trivial matter.
Upon hearing that his elder brother had arrived at the Pavilion, he rushed to see Xiao Pingzhang. Full of worries, Xiao Pingzhang quickly hid the paper slip when he saw his younger brother arrive. The two brothers embraced tightly. Xiao Pingjing urged his elder brother to stay one more day. However, Xiao Pingzhang had already deduced with the Changlin King that the enemy army was about to invade the northern territories, and a major war was imminent.
He had to immediately rush to Ganzhou to secure the left flank. He advised his younger brother to quickly return to Jinling to start a family and a career, and not to continue living so idly. The two brothers had just met but were already about to bid farewell. Xiao Pingjing saw that the northern war would certainly be difficult, but he believed his elder brother was a divine strategist in warfare and would surely be victorious in every battle.
Meanwhile, in the imperial court of Jinling, the capital of Great Liang, a fierce verbal battle erupted. The Changlin King reported to Emperor Liang that the enemy nation had amassed a large quantity of provisions and fodder at the border, clearly intending a major invasion. He hoped Emperor Liang would bestow upon him the imperial military tally. Song Fu, the Grand Secretary, strongly opposed this, advising that it was inappropriate to urgently dispatch the military tally based solely on conjecture.
Emperor Liang, accustomed to trusting the Changlin King, directly bestowed the military tally upon him. The Changlin King, having received the military tally, rushed to the northern front without delay. After the officials dispersed, Song Fu approached Xun Baishui, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, and questioned him why he had remained silent in court.
Xun Baishui calmly replied that Emperor Liang had great trust in the Changlin King and granted his every request, so he saw no point in wasting words. Song Fu, under the guise of loyalty to the emperor, expressed concern that Emperor Liang favored the Changlin King too much. Grand Secretary Xun Baishui also frankly stated that Emperor Liang was frail, the Crown Prince was young, and the Changlin King's merits overshadowed the sovereign.
Song Fu stated that he was responsible for the provisions and supplies for this northern war, and he actually intended to cut off the Changlin Army's supplies. The timeline returns to the present. Xiao Pingjing was jolted awake by a nightmare, anxiously wanting to know news of his elder brother. However, Lin Jiu claimed that Langya Pavilion was outside the mundane world, viewing it like a flowing stream, merely observing without participating.
At this moment, news from the northern front arrived. The Old Pavilion Master learned that the Liang army's supply ships had unexpectedly sunk in Datong Prefecture. The Liang army was now surely in dire straits; the key to victory lay only in whether Xiao Pingzhang could hold the isolated city of Ganzhou. Upon hearing the news, Xiao Pingjing immediately and anxiously set off for Ganzhou alone on horseback. Below Ganzhou city, the roar of battle shook the heavens.
The Dayu army surged forward like a rainbow; large shields stood like walls at the front of their formation, longbows were positioned behind, raining down arrows like a downpour. Flaming stone projectiles, propelled by the immense power of catapults, flew across the sky, pounding the dilapidated city walls. The Changlin King's personally led cavalry reinforcements were still rushing forward, but the enemy's scaling ladders had already been set against the city walls.
The Liang army fought fiercely with the enemy on the walls, having just used fire oil to destroy the Dayu army's battering ram assaulting the city gate, when another section of the wall collapsed with a roar under the impact of catapulted stones. The tide of battle hung in the balance. Xiao Pingzhang, alone with his sword, leaped down into the breach in the city wall, like a god of war descended, blocking a large host of enemies before him.
Blood stained his entire body red, making it impossible to distinguish whether it was his own or the enemy's. The enemy was driven back by Xiao Pingzhang's divine bravery, but an arrow rain immediately followed. Xiao Pingzhang, his strength exhausted, had no time to dodge and was pierced by two long arrows in his chest. He fell into a pile of corpses and a sea of blood. At this moment, all the soldiers stared intently at their commander.
Xiao Pingzhang knew that he absolutely could not fall now, otherwise Ganzhou would surely be lost. He suddenly opened his eyes, disregarded the blood gushing from his body, and struggled to stand. Encouraged by his roar, the Liang army's morale soared, finally driving back the enemy and saving Ganzhou city. After the bloody battle, the Changlin King's reinforcements arrived, and Ganzhou city was temporarily out of danger.
However, the severely wounded Xiao Pingzhang had lost too much blood and was unconscious. As the arrows were too close to his vital organs, the army medics were helpless. The Changlin King could only anxiously await the arrival of Old Master Li, the head of Jifeng Tang, to save his eldest son's life. Unexpectedly, the one who arrived was a young girl of pleasant appearance and calm demeanor, Lin Xi.
Lin Xi spoke few words and immediately began to treat Xiao Pingzhang, her medical practice professional and efficient. At this moment, Xiao Pingjing, having ridden hard, also arrived in Ganzhou. Seeing his elder brother's life hanging by a thread, he was greatly agitated. Upon seeing that a young girl was performing the treatment, in a fit of anger, he was about to complain about how such an important matter of life could be entrusted to a mere girl.
However, before he could finish his words, Lin Xi had already swiftly removed the arrows. Lin Xi found Xiao Pingjing's noisy fussing too annoying and asked the Changlin King to have him removed.
