Resumo do episódio 9 de Rebirth
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After escaping the heavily guarded Li'an City, Zhuge Yue immediately confronted the King of Ximeng. He demanded the true antidote for the Snow Blood toxin in his veins, realizing that the medicine he had been given previously only offered temporary relief while actually worsening the poison. Though the King was held at swordpoint, he remained cunning, reminding Zhuge Yue that only he possessed the cure.
Acknowledging that the King had saved him at Ximin Mountain, Zhuge Yue agreed to a new deal: he would perform three tasks in exchange for the antidote and his freedom. With the battle of Li'an completed as the first task, the King accepted the arrangement, though he secretly ordered his subordinates to ensure Zhuge Yue did not survive once the remaining two missions were finished.
At the Crown Prince’s mansion, Chu Qiao managed to recover and escape the trap set for her. She soon confronted the maid, Ming Lu, who had attempted to drown her. Ming Lu revealed her true identity as the daughter of Mu Zheng, a former Imperial Guard commander in Zhenhuang City. She confessed that her family had been executed because of the rebellion led by Chu Qiao and Yan Xun, fueling her deep hatred for the Xiuli Army.
Despite the girl’s vow to kill her again, Chu Qiao released her, feeling responsible for the collateral damage of her past actions. Li Ce expressed concern about leaving such a threat alive, but Chu Qiao remained firm, even as she struggled with the lingering effects of her old injuries from the frozen lake.
As they discussed how Chu Qiao’s identity as the real Lady Fu had been leaked to the Empress, Chu Qiao realized that the Yong envoy, Zhao Kuo, was the most likely informant. Zhao Kuo had encountered her multiple times and was a primary enemy of the Xiuli Army. Suspecting he was preparing to flee Biantang to report to Muhe Xifeng, Chu Qiao set out to eliminate him. Meanwhile, to protect her, Li Ce devised a clever ruse.
He used a double to pose as Lady Fu and staged a scene where she had been poisoned by her pastries, even going so far as to forcibly enter the Empress’s chambers at night to demand justice and deflect suspicion away from the mansion's activities. While Chu Qiao hunted Zhao Kuo, the Empress sent her confidant, Zhan Ziyu, along with an imperial physician to the Crown Prince’s mansion to investigate the poisoning.
Li Ce did everything in his power to stall for time, feigning outrage and blocking access to the bedroom. Zhao Kuo, cornered by Chu Qiao, tried to bargain for his life by revealing a shocking secret: He Xiao, the deputy commander of the Xiuli Army, had not died at Meilin Pass but was currently a slave and prisoner in Yong.
Chu Qiao eventually finished the task, and with the help of Ming Lu—who had followed her to avenge her own father against Zhao Kuo—Chu Qiao managed to sneak back into her room just as Zhan Ziyu was about to break in. To make the deception convincing, Chu Qiao swallowed Gelsemium elegans, a potent poison she had carried since her time at Qingshan Court. When Zhan Ziyu and the physician finally entered, they found her unconscious and coughing up dark blood.
The physician confirmed the presence of the poison, noting its unusual and fierce nature. Although Zhan Ziyu remained suspicious, he had no choice but to withdraw. Later that night, the Empress received word that Zhao Kuo had been assassinated outside the city. She immediately suspected that Li Ce’s dramatic display at the palace was a cover for the murder, realizing her son was far more calculating than he appeared.
The following day, the Empress summoned Li Ce to question him about the chaos. Sensing her growing distrust, Li Ce played the part of a talentless, devoted son. He claimed he had expelled his concubines only to please Lady Fu and confessed his lack of merit in governing. He went as far as offering to resign from his position as Regent, asking the Empress to continue shouldering the heavy responsibility of the state.
Pleased by his apparent submission and his willingness to hand over power, the Empress’s immediate suspicions were eased, though she continued to monitor the mansion’s residents. Free from immediate palace scrutiny, Li Ce took Chu Qiao to a quiet summit overlooking the land. He revealed his true ambition: he could no longer afford to be a wastrel and needed to protect himself and those he cared for.
He proposed a secret partnership where he would provide the funding and resources for Chu Qiao to train a private, elite fighting force loyal only to him. In return, he promised to use his influence to locate He Xiao in Yong and help Chu Qiao rescue him. Chu Qiao, recognizing the necessity of having her own army and wanting to bring her comrade home, accepted the deal.
