Rebirth Episode 26 Recap
> Rebirth Recaps
Su Gulin met his end in bitterness, cursing his followers to perish with him. As his reign crumbled, his sole remaining commander, weary of Su Gulin's cruelty, accepted an antidote for castor toxin offered by Zhuge Yue. To stabilize the palace, Zhuge Yue donned Su Gulin’s mask and assumed the identity of the new King of Western Meng.
He successfully deceived the guards by claiming an assassin had been killed after triggering the bird alarm, ordering all troops to retreat and guard the inner palace's perimeter. Zhuge Yue’s immediate priority was rescuing Chu Qiao. Though he arrived in time, she remained unconscious due to extreme exhaustion. While she recovered, a physician discovered a strange medicine in Su Gulin’s quarters.
Its primary ingredient was Wolf Vine, a deadly poison that, through the principle of "fighting poison with poison," could potentially cure the Snow Blood toxin in Zhuge Yue’s system. The physician warned that the treatment would cause a violent fever for seven days; survival would mean a full recovery, but failure would be fatal.
Fearing he might not be there when Chu Qiao woke, Zhuge Yue wanted to delay the treatment, but the physician and Ming Lu tricked him into drinking the decoction. He soon fell into a deep coma. When Chu Qiao finally regained consciousness, she stayed by Zhuge Yue’s side day and night. As his fever reached a life-threatening level, the physician suggested that only immersion in ice water could suppress the heat.
Chu Qiao personally prepared the bath and held the unconscious Zhuge Yue as they entered the freezing water together. Recalling how he had once saved her from an icy lake years ago, she prayed for his recovery and promised to protect him just as he had always protected her. After seven days, Zhuge Yue finally opened his eyes.
Finding a moment of peace, Zhuge Yue joked that since he was no longer a noble of the Zhuge family, he would have to marry into Chu Qiao’s family and rely on her. Meanwhile, Yanbei was fracturing under internal dissent. Several tribes, disillusioned with Yan Xun’s leadership, called for a vote to strip him of his military power. Helian Ling returned to the capital and informed Yan Xun that General Huan was alive.
Years prior, General Huan had managed Yanbei with great skill while Yan Xun was incapacitated, yet he had repaid her loyalty by attempting to have her killed. Despite this betrayal, the resilient general survived and later saved Helian Ling. Realizing his grave errors, Yan Xun sought out General Huan at her secluded home. He arrived with a horse he claimed was Shanxue, the favorite mount of his late father.
Although Huan revealed the true Shanxue had died years ago protecting her from a mountain cat, Yan Xun used the moment to admit he had "lost" the essence of Yanbei and pleaded for her help to restore it. Huan agreed to return to Yanbei, but she made it clear her "blind loyalty" was over. She demanded full command of five thousand soldiers from the Black Eagle Army, ensuring they would answer only to her.
The elders of the twelve tribes gathered to decide whether to secede from Yanbei, using feathered arrows to cast their votes. Just as the secession seemed certain, General Huan entered the hall. She reminded the leaders of the late King’s many kindnesses, such as mediating trade conflicts, finding fertile lands during migrations, and digging canals to bring water to their people. Using an arrow crafted by her father, she cast her vote for Yan Xun.
She argued that while she would no longer serve him with foolish devotion, the thirteen tribes had to remain united to survive the approaching winter. Following her lead, her brother An Luo and the other elders reconsidered their stance.
