Resumo do episódio 5 de A LOVER IN THE MORTAL WORLD
> Resumos de A LOVER IN THE MORTAL WORLD
Years ago, Fei Zheng stood before the leader of Changmo and swore a solemn blood oath to serve the tribe for life, even while stationed in the kingdom of Jinglan. His childhood friend and fellow trainee, Jin Xi, eventually approached him in the capital and presented a token representing the King of Mo. Now a high-ranking official as the Minister of Revenue, Fei Zheng was reminded of his sleeper status.
Jin Xi informed him that it was time to activate his role to assist in a long-planned scheme for revenge, with his immediate mission being to ensure the safety of the Changmo princess during her marriage alliance. As Xiao Chi and his group traveled through the forests west of the capital, they were intercepted by a band of desperate bandits.
The thieves were quickly overwhelmed by Xiao Chi’s soldiers, and upon realizing they were facing government officials, they begged for mercy. The bandits explained they were actually displaced villagers from Qingshan Village whose land had been forcibly seized by the servants of the powerful official Wang Ruhai to build a tomb for his recently deceased concubine.
Moved by the sight of the elderly and weak hiding in the shadows, Xiao Chi provided them with silver to settle elsewhere and promised to report this injustice to the Emperor. In the capital, Emperor Liu Chu was eager to welcome his childhood friends, Xiao Chi and Fei Zheng. He spent the morning meticulously dressing in his finest robes, intending to meet them personally at the city gates.
However, his plan was blocked by Wang Ruhai and two other senior ministers. They chided the Emperor for neglecting his duties at the Hall of Diligent Governance and argued that it was beneath his dignity to personally receive a "brute soldier." Asserting their authority as the late Emperor’s trusted advisors, they punished Liu Chu by ordering him to remain in the palace and copy the ancestral instructions ten times before he was permitted to see his friends.
While the ministers went to the city gates to receive the group, the Princess of Changmo was settled at a post house. Xiao Chi and Fei Zheng were then summoned to the palace for a formal court session. During the meeting, Liu Chu expressed his deep affection for his friends and proposed transferring Xiao Chi to the capital's defense so he would not have to return to the dangerous border.
This suggestion was immediately met with resistance from the senior ministers, who claimed that replacing a general so abruptly was a grave taboo. Xiao Chi seized the moment to retaliate against the ministers' overbearing behavior. He revealed that he had brought back the Border Special Envoy, Zhao Gao, and openly accused him of embezzling 800,000 taels of military funds and attempting to force a woman into marriage.
When Wang Ruhai tried to defend his nephew, Xiao Chi detailed how the official’s servants had seized land in Qingshan Village, leaving the people destitute. Faced with these direct accusations, Wang Ruhai could only stammer in denial. Seeing his chance to check the power of the old guard, Liu Chu ordered Wang Ruhai to retire to his home while a full investigation was conducted. Later that night, Liu Chu, Xiao Chi, and Fei Zheng gathered for a private celebration.
The Emperor dismissed his attendants so they could drink freely, just as they had done years ago at the manor. Relieved to have finally vented his frustrations against the ministers, Liu Chu rewarded Xiao Chi with a special imperial token that granted him unrestricted access throughout the capital. As the wine flowed, the conversation turned toward Xiao Chi’s future wedding.
When the others joked about the many women at the border who wanted to marry the general, the usually stoic Xiao Chi became flustered and quickly made an excuse to leave. Meanwhile, Han Yunling had left the post house on her own, determined to find the location of the Imperial Prison so she could search for her brother, Han Mo. As she navigated the city streets, she was harassed by a group of scoundrels.
Though she defended herself by throwing chili powder at the men, they eventually cornered her in a dead end. Just as the thugs prepared to attack, Xiao Chi arrived on horseback and rescued her. Liu Chu later visited his elder sister, the Long Princess Liu Xie, to boast about his newfound sense of authority. However, Liu Xie scolded him for recalling a vital border general without consulting her, fearing that Changmo might take advantage of Xiao Chi’s absence.
Despite her concerns, she agreed that Xiao Chi deserved a significant reward. At her suggestion, the Emperor granted Xiao Chi his own former residence—the old prince’s manor—to serve as the general's new home. Although Xiao Chi felt it was inappropriate to live in the Emperor's former quarters, he was forced to accept the decree.
He settled into the manor and invited Fei Zheng to stay in the South Courtyard, while assigning Han Yunling to the East Courtyard, the very rooms where Xiao Chi himself had once lived.
