Resumo do episódio 5 de Ashes to Crown
> Resumos de Ashes to Crown
Grand Mentor Deng sat across from his old friend Wangyou, the two of them engrossed in a game of chess. Wangyou offered his congratulations on Deng Yi's recent promotion but questioned his decision to align with Chu Zhao, especially at the cost of abandoning his previous alliance with Xiao Xun. Deng Yi was unbothered, explaining that he was merely securing his own prosperous future.
When Wangyou warned him of the hidden dangers in what seemed like a simple game, pointing out how ruthlessly Chu Zhao had used the young emperor, Xiao Yu, as bait despite knowing the threat of poison, Deng Yi remained indifferent. To him, the identity of the emperor mattered little, so long as he maintained his high standing and was able to advance or retreat at will.
Back in the palace, Chu Zhao approached Xiao Yu with a heavy heart, apologizing for using him as bait and putting him in such grave danger. Xiao Yu quickly reassured his sister, reminding her that it was their joint plan to catch the traitorous Xiao Xun, and he was happy to have protected her. He treasured the handwoven Longevity Thread she had made for him, noting that each knot was meant to lock in good fortune.
Soon after, Xie Yanlai arrived, bringing some pastries for the young emperor. Before long, he turned to Chu Zhao and bluntly demanded the return of his cloak. Amused by his sudden possessiveness over an item she thought he disliked, Chu Zhao returned it with a sly remark. Xiao Yu then eagerly reminded them of a promise to build a swing. Though Xie Yanlai grumbled about the task, he set to work preparing the wooden board.
Chu Zhao confidently tied one side of the rope with a knot, disregarding Xie Yanlai's warning that her knot would slip. When she sat on the swing to test it, the rope immediately gave way, sending her falling directly into Xie Yanlai's arms. After catching her, Xie Yanlai tied a secure military knot to ensure no further accidents would happen. The three of them played happily until late into the night.
Once Xiao Yu fell asleep, they carried him back to his bedchamber. In his half-conscious state, the young emperor murmured a plea for Chu Zhao to let Xiao Xun return to Xiaonan and to end their bitter struggle. Xie Yanlai agreed with the child's sentiment, warning that continuing to fight Xiao Xun within the capital would only result in mutual destruction.
He questioned the depth of her hatred, recalling how Xiao Xun had once traveled to propose to her with seemingly genuine affection. Chu Zhao dismissed her past feelings with disgust, calling it her greatest foolishness. She then asked Xie Yanlai if he believed in rebirth, revealing that in her past life, she had married Xiao Xun only for him to destroy her family and strangle her to death.
Sensing her pain, Xie Yanlai did not mock her tale, stating that everyone must live with their choices. When Chu Zhao asked if he would assist her with her next plan to eliminate Xiao Xun, Xie Yanlai, remembering how she had once risked herself to save him from his own clan, promised to stand by her side. At the next court session, Grand Mentor Deng formally proposed releasing Xiao Xun back to Xiaonan to maintain stability.
Xie Yanlai immediately opposed the idea, arguing that keeping the prince in the capital was the late emperor's wish and served as a vital check on his father's powerful forces. Seeking a resolution, the court turned to Chu Zhao. Drawing on her authority, Chu Zhao announced that she had recently received a highly confidential report regarding unusual troop movements in the Northern Desert and suspicious figures gathering in the capital.
Though Grand Mentor Deng asked to examine the document, Chu Zhao refused, stating she needed to verify its authenticity first. She argued that if the report of collusion with the Northern Desert proved true, Xiao Xun could not be allowed to leave the capital, especially since his father had already shown signs of defiance by failing to attend the coronation.
Following the assembly, Xie Yanlai confronted Chu Zhao, having recognized that the forged report was written with the Pine Soot Ink exclusive to the Xie family. Chu Zhao did not deny her actions, explaining that she deliberately left this clue to force the influential Xie family into a tight alliance, knowing they could not afford to let Xiao Xun return to Xiaonan either.
Though Xie Yanlai warned her of the immense danger of trying to outsmart his brother, Xie Yanfang, Chu Zhao remained resolute. She asked Xie Yanlai, who had spent years on the frontier, to describe the appearance and habits of Northern Desert soldiers. Xie Yanlai realized her brilliant, yet ruthless strategy: by using the forged report to threaten Xiao Xun with execution, she would trigger his deep paranoia and force him to escape.
Along his path back to Xiaonan, Chu Zhao intended to plant weapons and deploy men disguised as Northern Desert soldiers, ensuring Xiao Xun would be shot dead for armed treason the moment he attempted to cross the border. When word of the secret report reached Xiao Xun, he grew increasingly anxious. He was baffled by how Chu Zhao could have uncovered his family's actual, clandestine ties with the Northern Desert despite his utmost vigilance.
He understood the trap she had laid: staying in the capital meant facing public execution, while fleeing would brand him a traitor and lead to his death at the border. Realizing that Chu Zhao held all the initiative, Xiao Xun decided to abandon his original route and implement a desperate third option to secure his escape and turn the tables. Meanwhile, Grand Mentor Deng’s elderly mother wandered off and became lost.
Chu Zhao found her foraging for discarded vegetable leaves in the West Market and personally escorted her back to the Deng residence. Deeply grateful, Deng Yi welcomed them. Chu Zhao expressed her admiration for his journey, noting how a man of such humble origins had risen to the rank of Grand Mentor through sheer diligence. She then presented him with a Longevity Thread, symbolizing locked-in fortune.
Recognizing that the gift carried a price, Deng Yi asked what she desired in exchange. Chu Zhao demanded that he stand aside and allow her to eliminate Xiao Xun, offering him all of the prince's accumulated wealth and forces in the capital once the deed was done. She even added a chilling warning that if he interfered, those very riches would be used to end his own life.
Enticed by the offer and recognizing her resolve, Deng Yi agreed to the deal. It was late when Chu Zhao returned to the palace, finding Xie Yanlai waiting for her outside Qiwu Palace under the bleak moonlight. He informed her that Xiao Xun was prepared to make his escape the following day.
To ensure the prince fell into their trap, Xie Yanlai explained his plan to deploy naval forces to blockade the docks under the guise of searching for smuggled salt. With the waterways closed, Xiao Xun would be forced onto the official land road passing through Woniu Ridge, where a contingent of crossbowmen lay in wait. Xie Yanlai promised to lead the operation personally to ensure nothing went wrong.
The next morning, Chu Zhao received word that Xiao Xun's mansion was empty, but he had not taken the official road. Instead, he had outsmarted their blockade by boarding a merchant ship that sailed hours ahead of schedule. Realizing they had been tricked, Xie Yanlai immediately led his men in hot pursuit. When he finally caught up with the escaping prince on the water, Xiao Xun mocked him, questioning if Chu Zhao truly wanted him dead.
To throw Xie Yanlai off balance, Xiao Xun brought up a painful memory from the past, asking if the young boy named Xiang, the sole survivor of the tragedy at Wei Village, had ever returned to seek vengeance. The mention of this name severely shook Xie Yanlai's composure. Seizing the moment of distraction, one of Xiao Xun's guards stabbed Xie Yanlai in the chest, plunging him into the rushing river.
Xie Yanlai was rescued and brought back to the palace, where the imperial physician treated his severe wounds. Although he had suffered massive blood loss and a high fever, his life was no longer in danger. Sitting by his bedside, Chu Zhao was consumed with guilt, blaming herself for dragging him into her dangerous schemes. Her despair deepened when news arrived that Xiao Xun had successfully crossed into Xiaonan, making any future attempt on his life infinitely more difficult.
Determined to uncover how Xiao Xun had managed to bypass the waterways, Chu Zhao ordered an investigation into the ship's clearance. She soon discovered that the pass had been issued by Fang Du, the Sima of Vessels who was also a known disciple of Grand Mentor Deng. Furious at Deng Yi’s blatant double-dealing, Chu Zhao decided to send a clear message. She had a massive coffin crafted from precious golden-thread nanmu delivered directly to Deng Yi's courtyard.
Confronting the grand mentor, she claimed the luxurious wood was a fitting reward for his great service and ordered that it remain in his yard for him to look at every day. Knowing he had been caught red-handed, Deng Yi offered no excuses and quietly accepted the grim warning. Before leaving, Chu Zhao coldly remarked that if he found the Longevity Thread she had given him to be too long, she would gladly offer him a much shorter one.
