Renascence Episode 24 Recap
> Renascence Recap
Upon receiving news from Qian Mian that Prince Su, Ye Junqing, was nearing victory at Yulin Pass, Emperor Ye Hongyi was advised to seize the opportunity to attack Lian City, whose defenses were currently weak. However, Yao Mowan intervened, cautioning against another assault that would further devastate the already suffering people of Lian City. She bravely offered to go to Lian City herself to negotiate a peace treaty with the Southland general.
She reasoned that as a woman, she would be underestimated, making the Southlanders drop their guard, which would in turn help reduce casualties for the Kingdom of Chu. Convinced by her logical argument, Ye Hongyi dispatched an elite troop to accompany and protect her. During her peace talks, Yao Mowan firmly reminded the Southland general that Chu and Southland shared established diplomatic relations, which Southland had violated by initiating the war, an act she deemed dishonorable.
She also highlighted Chu’s military might and the Southland army's vulnerability, offering them three days to peacefully evacuate Lian City. Meanwhile, Ye Hongyi secretly instructed Qian Mian to release a captured Southlander spy, while separately arranging for false intelligence to be spread. Qian Mian then revealed to an aide that he had disseminated a false report to Ye Junqing, claiming Yao Mowan was trapped in Lian City.
This was a calculated trap to ensure Ye Junqing's demise, as Ye Hongyi intended to withhold aid. To ensure his scheme remained secret, Qian Mian brutally murdered the aide after promising him a promotion. Believing the false report that Yao Mowan was in peril, Ye Junqing urgently rushed to Lian City. There, a furious Southland general, resentful of Chu's perceived betrayal, falsely boasted that he had dismembered Yao Mowan.
Enraged, Ye Junqing killed the general, unaware that the general had, in fact, already agreed to Yao Mowan's terms of surrender. After entering Lian City, Ye Junqing's subordinate, Ben Lei, reported that Yao Mowan's body was nowhere to be found, but that a plague had broken out, infecting many citizens. Ye Junqing immediately took charge, ordering the cremation of the dead, isolation of the infected, and the assembly of all available doctors.
Witnessing a distraught young girl mourning her mother, a plague victim, Ye Junqing defied warnings and went to comfort her, inadvertently injuring himself and contracting the plague. Yao Mowan soon learned that Ye Junqing had been lured to Lian City by false reports of her capture and was now besieged by the Southland army. She confronted Ye Hongyi, desperately pleading for immediate reinforcements.
Ye Hongyi, however, coldly dismissed her pleas, asserting that casualties were an unavoidable aspect of warfare and that everything was governed by destiny. He then accused her of truly worrying about Ye Junqing, forbidding her from further meddling in military affairs. Simultaneously, Ye Junqing and Ben Lei, realizing the Emperor's malicious intent, deduced that Ye Hongyi was deliberately withholding aid to eliminate Ye Junqing.
Acknowledging Ye Hongyi's ultimate goal was his life, Ye Junqing decided it was not yet time for a desperate final stand, just before collapsing from the surging plague. As Yao Mowan continued her heated argument with Ye Hongyi, a messenger arrived with the fabricated news that Ye Junqing had been defeated and bravely martyred.
Overwhelmed with grief, Yao Mowan defiantly questioned Ye Hongyi if this was the outcome he had desired, to which he feigned sorrow and rebuked her for her "insolence." Disregarding Ye Hongyi’s earlier prohibition, Yao Mowan secretly rode to Lian City, where she found a gravely ill Ye Junqing unconscious. Ignoring the warnings of his soldiers about the highly contagious plague, she pushed past them.
When Ye Junqing briefly awoke and tried to push her away, fearing she might be infected, Yao Mowan defiantly kissed him, vowing that they would face life and death together. She promised to find a cure and that after they had exacted their revenge, they would retreat from the world to live a simple life as husband and wife.
Ye Hongyi soon received a report from Qian Mian, confirming that Ye Junqing was alive and that Yao Mowan had gone to Lian City. Realizing his plan to eliminate Ye Junqing had failed and that he had underestimated his brother, Ye Hongyi nonetheless continued to withhold reinforcements.
As the Southland army intensified its siege, threatening to raze Lian City, Yao Mowan deduced that Ye Hongyi was intentionally using the city's inhabitants and soldiers as pawns to weaken Southland's forces for his own strategic gain. Resolved that passive waiting was no longer an option, she decided they must seek external aid. She proposed enlisting the help of Han Jinyi, the Lord of Wanhuang City, and Chu Mo Bei, the Crown Prince of Shu.
A flashback revealed that Yao Moxin, Yao Mowan's older sister, had once outmaneuvered Chu Mo Bei in a business wager. Impressed by her intellect and generosity, Chu Mo Bei had pledged a favor to her, symbolized by a golden coin, promising to aid her family if they ever faced trouble.
Despite his subordinate's counsel against interfering in Chu's internal affairs, Chu Mo Bei decided to honor his promise, driven by both his sense of obligation and a curious desire to meet Yao Moxin's renowned sister. The Southland army, deploying explosives, began to breach Lian City's gates. Despite his severely weakened state, Ye Junqing prepared to lead the defense.
Yao Mowan tried to stop him, concerned for his health, but he gently knocked her unconscious to prevent her interference, entrusting her to Ben Lei's protection. He then rallied his remaining soldiers with a passionate speech, urging them to fight valiantly for their land, family, and dignity.
As Chu's soldiers engaged in a desperate battle, suffering heavy casualties, unexpected reinforcements arrived: Han Jinyi led the forces from Wanhuang City, while Chu Mo Bei commanded the Shu army, launching a decisive pincer attack on the Southland forces. Upon learning of this unforeseen turn of events and the utter failure of his intricate plan to eliminate Ye Junqing, Ye Hongyi realized that further inaction would expose him to severe criticism.
He grudgingly ordered his own troops to finally reinforce Lian City. Following the battle, Yao Mowan informed a recovering Ye Junqing that the war had ended. She had also discovered a crucial medicinal herb to cure the plague, and Han Jinyi was actively searching for it to produce a remedy. Shortly after, Ye Hongyi arrived, immediately confronting Ye Junqing.
He accused Ye Junqing of gross insubordination and fabricating military reports, declaring that these offenses, by military law, warranted the death penalty. Yao Mowan attempted to defend Ye Junqing, arguing that his actions were noble, meant to rescue her, and that the false reports were a necessary wartime deception. Ye Hongyi silenced her, then sharply questioned her unauthorized presence in Lian City and her solitary interactions with Ye Junqing.
Ye Junqing, taking full responsibility, urged Yao Mowan not to defend him and requested immediate punishment. Yao Mowan then boldly clarified her motivations, stating that her presence in Lian City was solely for Ye Hongyi's benefit: to prevent the catastrophic loss of a strategic city and the "God of War," which would have severely damaged his reputation and the morale of Chu's army.
She explained that her actions had created a narrative where his eventual arrival appeared to be a meticulously planned "fatal blow," thereby salvaging his image. She concluded that her "gamble" on his inherent benevolence had proven correct. Ye Hongyi, acknowledging her status as the Noble Consort, declared he would spare her punishment. However, he swiftly condemned Ye Junqing to public execution in three days, citing his "violation of military orders" and its devastating consequences for Chu's people and soldiers.
As Ye Hongyi delivered his decree, Qian Mian reported that the majority of soldiers from Lian City were infected with the plague, warning that without immediate treatment, the contagion threatened to endanger the entire army.
