Resumo do episódio 12 de The Chang'an Youth
> Resumos de The Chang'an Youth
Han Shoushu, unable to find his daughter Han Yu'er in her study, discovered a rough carving of a Si Nan jade pendant on her desk. This reminded him of an old incident from his years as an official, causing him great alarm. Meanwhile, at Shangyi School, Han Yu'er, worried about Shen Yiyi after Imperial Guards searched for an assassin, sought her out. However, Shen Yiyi, not wanting Han Yu'er to waste her affection, sternly rejected her once more.
She explained that she understood Han Yu'er's feelings but could not reciprocate them, emphasizing that love could not be forced and advising Han Yu'er to maintain her dignity. Heartbroken, Han Yu'er left. Tang Jiuhua, returning to Shangyi School, saw Han Yu'er's distress and, fearing she might do something foolish, followed her to Ningxiang Pavilion. There, Han Yu'er drank heavily, tearfully questioning Tang Jiuhua why Shen Yiyi did not like her.
Tang Jiuhua, irritated by Han Yu'er's stubbornness and referring to her as a "little witch," pointed out her "awful temper" and suggested she learn from Ning Xiang. Ning Xiang then appeared, discreetly used her incense burner to lull Han Yu'er into a drunken stupor, and subtly questioned Tang Jiuhua about the assassin incident at Shangyi School.
Tang Jiuhua assured her that no one at the school was injured, leading Ning Xiang to wonder if the individual in question was not from Shangyi School after all. Yang Zian, convinced that Censor Tu's sudden assassination had a hidden motive, brought Shen Yiyi to Tu Mansion under the guise of offering condolences to secretly search for documents. While Shen Yiyi stood guard outside Censor Tu's study, Yang Zian entered and observed Ning Xiang collecting incense ash from a burner.
After Ning Xiang left, Yang Zian gathered the remaining ash into a handkerchief, planning to investigate further back at Shangyi School. Back at Shangyi School, Yang Zian discussed Ning Xiang's suspicious actions with Shen Yiyi and Tang Jiuhua. He noted Ning Xiang's secretive behavior and her specific interest in the incense ash was perplexing. Shen Yiyi believed the ash held an unknown secret.
Tang Jiuhua mentioned his acquaintances among exotic doctors at the market, suggesting they might identify the components of the ash. Yang Zian, however, was wary, suspecting the assassin might either be manipulating them or believe the ash would lead nowhere. He decided they should also investigate the source of the incense itself.
Unbeknownst to them, Ning Xiang was informed by her subordinate that Shangyi School students were investigating her special perfume formula; she found this "interesting" and indicated she had a plan. Shen Yiyi and Yang Zian proceeded to the Tu Mansion's warehouse, where the steward informed them that Censor Tu used chrysanthemum and lavender-based incense for insomnia, purchased in large quantities from a city spice shop. However, upon inspection, they found all the spice containers empty.
Yang Zian discovered footprints, confirming the black-clad individual had stolen the stored spices as well, indicating a secret behind the particular blend. As they hurried out, Shen Yiyi tripped over some scrolls, falling into Yang Zian's arms. In the confined space, they found themselves in a close embrace, eyes locked, lips almost touching. Time seemed to stop, and feathers scattered on the floor rose and drifted around them. Shen Yiyi, flustered, quickly stood up, her astonishment evident.
Yang Zian, usually composed, seemed lost in thought, his gaze filled with deep affection for Shen Yiyi. He briefly mentioned a pain in his chest, which he dismissed as the room being "stuffy and hot," while Shen Yiyi internally called him an "idiot" for his lack of directness. Yang Zian, for his part, struggled internally with his feelings for Shen Yiyi, knowing she was engaged to Tang Jiuhua.
Their next stop was the spice shop, where they learned the small clerk responsible for supplying Censor Tu's incense was "gone." A staff member revealed the clerk frequently visited Ningxiang Pavilion for his lover. Just as they pondered this new lead, news arrived that the clerk, Ergouzi, had died suddenly from a food allergy. With this critical lead cut off, all their investigation efforts were redirected to the incense ash.
Tang Jiuhua soon returned with information from the exotic doctors: the ash primarily contained a nerve-calming incense, but it was dangerously mixed with arsenic and nepenthe flower. These two, when burned together, produced a slow-acting poison. Crucially, nepenthe flower was exceedingly rare in Chang'An, only found cultivated in Shangyi School's back hill bamboo grove, the same place Shen Yiyi had previously gathered it to treat Dugu Muxue's wound.
Meanwhile, Dugu Muxue had been feigning illness and taking leave for over half a month. Yang Zixu, the Teaching Assistant, grew suspicious and insisted on checking on him. Dugu Muxue made a timely appearance, pretending to be fine and demonstrating his martial prowess to allay suspicions. Back at court, Lord Han suggested to the Emperor that Censor Tu's case be transferred to other officials, citing Yang Zian's limited capacity as a student.
However, the Emperor, impressed by Yang Zian's initial findings, decreed that he would continue to oversee the investigation. Later, to create a diversion, Lord Han instigated a challenge from the East Kingdom. Kiyokawa Ono, the chief ambassador of the East Kingdom, then challenged the Great Yu Empire with arrogant remarks, refusing to kneel before the Emperor and claiming East Kingdom culture as the true "orthodox."
He taunted the Great Yu officials about the Imperial College's defeat three years prior and proposed a new competition to determine cultural supremacy. Song Chief, while initially cautious about the students' youth, recognized the Emperor's unspoken desire for Shangyi School to accept the challenge. Other officials and students passionately vouched for Shangyi School's capabilities, recalling past victories against the Imperial College and their role in solving the bad money case.
Despite Shen Yiyi's (Dieyi) caution against overconfidence, stressing that "pride goes before a fall," the students rallied enthusiastically, proclaiming "Shangyi School for the victory!" Song Chief, emboldened, accepted the challenge, vowing to redeem the nation's honor. Later, Shen Yiyi found herself filled with self-doubt, believing her skills were limited to "petty tricks" and cooking, not grand competitions. Yang Zian found her by a lake, where she was trying to skip stones unsuccessfully.
He taught her how, explaining that even small stones could create magnificent ripples, just as she, Shen Yiyi, possessed immense, untapped potential. He emphasized the national importance of the challenge, stating that Shangyi School, and indeed, everyone, needed her courage. Moved by his words and his faith in her, Shen Yiyi thanked him, though she still feared letting them down. Yang Zian reassured her that the courage to face the challenge was more valuable than winning or losing.
As they parted ways for the night, Shen Yiyi, in a vivid dream, experienced Yang Zian confessing his love for her, expressing how important she was to him and his need for her, which she reciprocated. She was then woken by Dugu Muxue, who was now her new roommate following the dormitory rotation. The next day, the Grand Chamberlain formally announced the details of the competition between the East Kingdom envoys and Shangyi School.
It would comprise five events: dancing, cooking, mathematics, swordsmanship, and weiqi, held every three days at Shangyi School, with international judges ensuring fairness. No student could participate in more than one event. Song Chief gathered the students to select participants. Xiao Xinyuan was chosen for mathematics, Dugu Muxue for swordsmanship, and Yang Zian for weiqi. For the first event, dancing, Tang Jiuhua confidently volunteered, and his selection was met with applause.
When it came to cooking, few students thought they had the skills. However, Shen Yiyi stepped forward, offering to take on the challenge. Yang Zian and other students confirmed her excellent cooking abilities, citing past instances. With the support of her peers and confidence in her own skills, Shen Yiyi accepted the role.
