Qingchuan's Veil of Vengean Episode 3 Recap
> Qingchuan's Veil of Vengean Recap
On the battlefield, Chen Siqi was nearly killed, but was saved in time by Mo Qingchuan. At that moment, Chen Siqi was deeply grateful to her. Today marked the day of Chen Siqi's promotion, and guests came in an endless stream to offer their congratulations, with gifts piling up in the room. Mo Qingchuan quietly watched everything from the shadows.
Chen Siqi seemed very satisfied with his current life—feeling he could finally live up to the spirits of his deceased parents, give his younger sister a good life, and bring honor to his family name. Mo Qingchuan did not disturb Chen Siqi and his sister, choosing instead to leave silently. The next day, she stood on the attic with Jiang Kui, helping her identify former members of the Mo Army.
It was the day of Prince Jing’s funeral, and officials from the court had gathered to pay their respects. Chen Siqi had once served as the deputy commander of the vanguard battalion in the Mo Army—he was cheerful and skilled in martial arts, and possibly one of the targets to be eliminated. He now held the position of Guard Commander, ranked fourth-grade.
Zhou Zheng, currently serving as the Mo Army's chief secretary, was known for his integrity and now held the third-grade rank of Left Supervisor in the Court of Judicial Review. He was under investigation. Mo Junyu arrived with Cao Yuyan, the beloved niece of Empress Dowager Cao and the woman he loved most. Yet, Mo Junyu was also marked for death. After the Empress Dowager and the Emperor arrived, Xia Qiguang publicly told the Empress Dowager about Prince Jing’s assassination.
Members of the Cicada Agency brought Cao Ling’an, already caged, and handed over the Golden Cicada to Xia Qiguang. Xia Qiguang enumerated Cao Ling’an’s crimes: protecting death-row prisoners to establish the Suoque Sect, colluding to eliminate political enemies, and even poisoning members of the sect—a crime that could be proven. Cao Ling’an was now unable to speak. He and Chen Siqi had used poison to control death-row prisoners, turning them into their tools. Poison was found at the scene.
Chen Siqi rushed forward in panic, pulling the cloth from Cao Ling’an’s mouth, begging him to speak and not implicate him. But Cao Ling’an still couldn’t speak, and even Xia Qiguang didn’t understand why. Xia Qiguang pleaded with the Empress Dowager to have Zhou Zheng thoroughly investigate the matter. With everyone watching, the Empress Dowager had no choice but to agree. Chen Siqi was also taken into custody. Chen Siqi’s jade pendant fell to the ground.
He shouted loudly, demanding to retrieve it, but Zhou Zheng picked it up and held it in his hand. Seeing this, Mo Wang remembered that during her secret investigation, Zhou Zheng’s name had appeared in a memorial impeaching the Mo Army. She then instructed Jiang Kui to go to Zhou Zheng’s house and see if there was anything interesting there. The Cicada Agency delivered their badge along with a priceless luminous pearl.
However, Xia Qiguang handed everything to the Empress Dowager, claiming it was Prince Jing’s final wish—to help resolve the northern snow disaster. The Golden Cicadas could be exchanged for silver notes and entitled one to all profits of the Cicada Agency. The Empress Dowager was very pleased and ordered Xia Qiguang to stay in the capital to observe mourning for three years. After that, he could return to his fief. Mo Wang watched everything coldly from an inconspicuous corner.
In her view, with Prince Jing dead, the connection between the Cicada Agency and the court was broken. Now only Xia Qiguang could carry on. Jiang Kui couldn’t understand why Mo Wang, at such a painful moment for Xia Qiguang, was only thinking of how he could be useful. But Mo Wang believed that instead of crying with Xia Qiguang, it was better to avenge Prince Jing with him. After all, this was the path Xia Qiguang had chosen.
The Empress Dowager investigated Mo Wang’s background extensively and discovered that no one had ever seen her true face. She was said to be hideous and always wore a mask. She had only descended from the mountain three years ago, taking in the nation's most infamous playboy Bai Liang, the second-ranked master of lightning strikes Qiu Yin, and the number one enchantress Jiang Kui as her disciples. She proclaimed herself the number one eccentric master in the world.
After taking over the Cicada Agency, she claimed to be the richest person in the world, a boast the Empress Dowager found laughable and self-aggrandizing. The Empress Dowager suspected that Cao Ling’an’s silence by poisoning had deeper reasons. Before arriving, Xia Qiguang had given the Suoque Sect’s account books to the Empress Dowager. They implicated many high-ranking officials. She had thought Xia Qiguang had powerful guidance behind him, but after reviewing the ledgers, they didn’t seem that extraordinary.
Still, Cao Ling’an had to be silenced—there was concern he might implicate others. Prince Jing had left a letter for Mo Wang, which Xia Qiguang handed to her. When Mo Wang went to offer incense to Prince Jing, Jiang Kui felt heartbroken. Three Golden Cicadas were handed over—money she had acquired through raids and robberies. Though corrupt officials had been robbed, none dared speak out.
The Cicada Agency now had roots deep in the court, all thanks to Prince Jing’s secret planning. Mo Wang gave more Golden Cicadas to Xia Qiguang, believing it all rightfully belonged to him and wishing to protect it with him. Xia Qiguang feared that although the Empress Dowager let him stay in the army, she might never truly entrust him with power.
But Mo Wang had her own plans: she arranged for Xia Qiguang to report to the barracks the next day to enlist. She suggested it’d be best if he could squeeze out a few tears; if not, he should loudly declare his determination to serve. If met with resistance, he should offer bribes to get in and let people say they were coerced by Xia Qiguang and had nothing to do with it.
That way, he could smoothly enter the military. Xia Qiguang didn’t expect Mo Wang to know the inner workings so well. Inside the military camp, no one really saw Xia Qiguang as a soldier because of Mo Wang’s status as the Young Lord. Yet Xia Qiguang was very proactive, waking early to wash everyone’s clothes and serve tea. When Commander Cao Huaitai heard of this, he deliberately summoned Xia Qiguang and, after dismissing everyone, began beating him severely.
Xia Qiguang, recalling Mo Wang’s words, thought of how his father had endured countless humiliations over the years and vowed to endure as well. No matter how hard Cao Huaitai beat him, he remained indifferent. Cao Huaitai’s subordinates feared he might truly injure Xia Qiguang and reminded him that Xia Qiguang had given the Empress Dowager three Golden Cicadas. Cao Huaitai finally relented but ordered him to clean the stables as punishment. While doing so, Xia Qiguang saw former members of the Mo Army doing the dirtiest, most exhausting tasks—and still being whipped.
