Resumo do episódio 31 de Sword Dynasty
> Resumos de Sword Dynasty
Yuan Zichu confessed to the King of Heng that he had previously withheld information. He revealed that he survived an attack because Bai Shanshui, a rebel from Qian, had defeated Liang Lian. Yuan Zichu believed Liang Lian, despite his ambition, would not have dared to act against him without being manipulated by someone else, and urged his father to investigate this private family matter and deliver justice.
Meanwhile, Prince Liling, the King of Xian, discussed their strategy to attack Heng with his advisors. He noted that although the recent battle in Fengwu had boosted Heng's morale, it would complicate their future. Recognizing Yuan Zihan's ruthless nature, the King of Xian dispatched Li Yunrui to the Fengwu-Xian border under the guise of providing humanitarian aid to the old and weak. This mission was designed to both enhance Xian's reputation and buy time for the imminent joint invasion.
With the armies of Xian, Mo, and Li already positioned at Heng's border, they planned for Li Yunrui to launch a surprise attack, capitalizing on Heng's stretched forces to secure both territory and population. Yuan Zihan, anxious about Yuan Zichu's survival, had previously conspired with Zhu Yuan to use a Gu spell to control the Crown Prince.
Upon Yuan Zichu's return, Yuan Zihan presented him with the severed head of Liang Lian, claiming he had avenged Yuan Zichu, despite Yuan Zichu’s clear statement that Liang Lian had attempted rebellion and that he almost died at the hands of his own people. Later, a maid named Xiaoyue, who had been transferred from Fengming Palace by Zhu Yuan, offered Yuan Zichu tea. Unsuspecting, Yuan Zichu drank the Gu-laced tea.
The following day, under the spell's influence, Yuan Zichu publicly denounced Yuan Zihan's brutality in Fengwu and accused the King of Heng of cruelty and past injustices, even referencing the King's role in the downfall of Liang Jingmeng and the Bashan Sword Field, warning of divine retribution. Although enraged, the King of Heng sensed something unusual.
He ordered Huang Zhenwei to confine Yuan Zichu and forbade anyone from pleading for him, while secretly tasking Huang Zhenwei to investigate the true cause of the Crown Prince’s bizarre behavior. As the Heng army stormed Fengwu, Ding Ning and his companions found themselves amidst the ensuing chaos, helping civilians evacuate.
Yelü Canglang, the King of Fengwu, entrusted his people's safety to Ding Ning, asking him to escort the old, weak, women, and children to Xian, reminding Ding Ning of a past favor owed by the King of Xian. Yelü Canglang refused to abandon his fighting soldiers, declaring that a true king would not flee. His beloved, Wu Lianzi, then appeared, proclaiming her unwavering resolve to live and die with him.
She spoke passionately of a life without her beloved being utterly meaningless, a sentiment that profoundly moved Ding Ning. He granted her wish to stay with Yelü Canglang. Soon after, Yuan Zihan's forces surrounded them. Yuan Zihan mocked Yelü Canglang before ordering his archers to fire, leading to Yelü Canglang and Wu Lianzi being fatally pierced by countless arrows as they fell together at the city gate. Yuan Zihan then callously ordered their heads to be collected.
Recognizing the slow pace of the elderly and children in their group, Ding Ning decided to split forces. He and Zhangsun Qianxue would draw the Heng army's attention, while Jiang Li and Nangong Caishu led the refugees to Xian. They agreed to meet at the Xian border, with a crucial contingency: if Ding Ning did not arrive within three days, Jiang Li was to return to Minshan, where Lin Zhujiu and Baili Suxue would organize a rescue.
As Ding Ning and Zhangsun Qianxue led the pursuers away, they were attacked by soldiers who recognized Zhangsun Qianxue from the incident involving Marquis Liang. After evading their enemies, they discovered a secluded cave containing a spirit vein, which Zhangsun Qianxue had sensed with her Ninth-hell Dark Lord Sword. Ding Ning deemed this a perfect location for intensive cultivation.
He acknowledged that the King of Heng was already in the eighth realm and Ye Zhen at the peak of the seventh, emphasizing the urgent need to increase his own power for vengeance. With one more level, his Life-sustaining Magic Art would fully resolve his yang hyperactivity.
Zhangsun Qianxue proposed a plan: she would use her Ninth-hell Dark Lord Sword to protect him, allowing him to simultaneously cultivate his Life-sustaining Magic Art and forge the Great Torture Sword into his natal sword. This synergistic process would also enable her to break into the seventh realm.
Confident in the safety of their hidden sanctuary, Ding Ning teased Zhangsun Qianxue for her rare shyness, to which she mused that she used to only see him as Ding Ning, and he confirmed he was still just Ding Ning. They shared a tender embrace and kiss. The King of Heng received urgent reports of the allied forces from Xian, Mo, and Li invading Heng. Initially, he commanded a full retreat to the capital to confront the allied armies.
However, a new report detailed that Xian had deployed an additional 100,000 troops into Fengwu. Recognizing Xian's strategic foresight, the King immediately ordered Yuan Zihan to lead the main army back to Fengwu to defend the captured cities and prevent Xian from gaining any territorial advantage. In Fengming, Ye Zhen, having learned that the King of Heng was preoccupied in Fengwu while the allied forces launched their invasion, convened her court.
She initially proposed appointing Fang Xiumu to lead 300,000 troops to attack Li, aiming to break the alliance. During the discussion, she remarked to Chancellor Li that his past "meritorious" deeds, much like Liang Jingmeng's, had led to his injuries, implying a warning about being too powerful. Chancellor Li, however, strongly advised against attacking Li, arguing that Xian, as the largest and leading force, should be the primary target.
He warned that focusing on the weaker Li might allow Xian and Mo to bypass Li and directly attack Fengming, potentially leading to its fall and Xian's global dominance. With the unanimous support of her ministers for Chancellor Li's strategy, Ye Zhen outwardly agreed to redirect the main force to attack Xian. Privately, however, Ye Zhen revealed to Ye Xinhe that she had anticipated this opposition.
She secretly instructed Ye Xinhe to send an order to the Ye clan in Xiaozhong Prefecture, arranging for a surprise attack on Li. Ye Zhen believed this covert action would force Li's army to return for defense, throwing them into disarray and allowing Heng to capitalize on the chaos.
Ye Xinhe voiced concerns about public rumors that Ye Zhen sought to usurp power, but Ye Zhen dismissed them, stating her sole concern was the preservation of Heng and that the King of Heng did not heed such gossip. After waiting three days at the Xian border without any sign of Ding Ning, Jiang Li decided to depart, honoring their contingency plan.
He informed Li Yunrui of his intention to leave, explaining that as people from Heng, their presence would be inconvenient and a burden during the ongoing conflict between Heng and Xian. Li Yunrui, though unable to convince him to stay, respected Jiang Li's resolve. He showed Jiang Li a military report detailing the strict lockdown of the borders between Heng, Fengwu, and Xian, making it dangerous for Jiang Li’s identity to pass unnoticed.
Despite this, Jiang Li reiterated his unwavering commitment to his identity as a person from Heng and his agreement with Ding Ning. Recognizing his firm stance, Li Yunrui reluctantly allowed him to depart. Frequent reports of military setbacks began to pour into the Heng court, alarming Chancellor Li and the other ministers. Three thousand vanguard soldiers were lost at the Heng-Xian border.
The Mo army, with 300,000 troops, engaged Fang Xiumu at Qilongling, while Li's 100,000 forces remained strangely inactive at their border, suggesting their main strength was allied with Mo. The situation worsened with news that Liangshan Prefecture was under a fierce pincer attack by 400,000 Xian troops, jointly led by the King of Xian and Lü Siche, causing distress among the ministers over this cunning strategy.
Amidst these escalating conflicts, Fang Xiumu, the esteemed head of Heng's Eleven Marquises, personally confronted Di Xiu, the Flying Eagle General of Mo. In a decisive duel at Qilongling, Fang Xiumu defeated and killed Di Xiu with his spear, galvanizing the Heng forces, who then charged into battle with renewed morale.
