Renascence Episode 34 Recap
> Renascence Recap
The ceremony for Yao Mowan and Chu Mo Bei's marriage in the Kingdom of Shu began, attended by Ye Junqing, who offered a painful blessing for the couple to live in harmony and have many children. The King of Shu, a figure actually impersonated by Ye Hongyi, echoed the well wishes. As a toast was made, everyone present collapsed, having been poisoned by a bone weakening powder. Yao Mowan quickly identified the poison.
Suddenly, the King of Shu ripped off his mask, revealing himself to be Ye Hongyi. He gloated, proclaiming that his wife was getting married and he should be present, asserting that the Shu guards were now under his control. Yao Mowan angrily accused him of despicable tactics. Ye Hongyi, however, deemed her a traitor for colluding with Shu and declared that she and Ye Junqing deserved to die.
Chu Mo Bei, in a rage, demanded to know what happened to his father, the real King of Shu. Ye Hongyi chillingly revealed that Chu Mo Bei's father was already dead, mocking him for his ignorance and calling him foolish. At that moment, Thousand Faces, from Chu's Iron Blood Army, formally greeted Ye Hongyi as the "King of Shu," confirming his successful coup.
A flashback revealed that Thousand Faces, sent by Ye Hongyi with a secret letter, had approached the real King of Shu. The letter proposed an alliance to eliminate Savannah rebels, with Chu only demanding Ye Junqing and Yao Mowan, leaving Savannah to Shu. The real King of Shu, however, saw through Ye Hongyi's scheme to "kill using the strength of another" and refused, vowing instead to aid the volunteer army to overthrow the tyrant.
He gave Thousand Faces one day to leave or face death. Thousand Faces then attacked and killed the King of Shu, and Ye Hongyi subsequently took his place. Back in the present, Ye Hongyi presented what he claimed were the only remains of Chu Mo Bei's father, further enraging Chu Mo Bei, who lunged at Ye Hongyi, vowing revenge.
Yao Mowan confronted Ye Hongyi, stating his true intention was to kill her and Ye Junqing, and urged him not to harm innocents. Ye Hongyi admitted his desire to kill her and proclaimed that everything was now under his control, promising a fate worse than death for all who betrayed him. Ye Junqing retorted that Ye Hongyi was the one who deserved to die. To Ye Hongyi's shock, Ye Junqing and the others were not actually poisoned.
Yao Mowan revealed that they had merely been "playing along" with his scheme. Ben Lei then led a contingent of allied forces into the hall, surrounding Ye Hongyi and his Iron Blood Army. Ye Junqing declared that Ye Hongyi's fate was sealed. Yao Mowan further mocked Ye Hongyi's hubris, stating that they had to go along with his elaborate plot. In a flashback, it was shown how the plot was uncovered.
Chu Mo Bei explained that his father had insisted he marry Yao Mowan, believing that whoever possessed her could rule the world. Finding this behavior abnormal, Yao Mowan had Han Jinyi investigate. They found a Marrow Lotion, used for skin-changing, in the King's chamber, confirming their suspicion that he had been replaced by an impostor. Han Jinyi added that a spy reported Ye Hongyi's three-day absence from court.
Concluding it was a trap, Yao Mowan and Ye Junqing secretly allied with Chu Mo Bei, arranging their forces within the palace to turn the tables on Ye Hongyi. Despite being surrounded, Ye Hongyi laughed, acknowledging Yao Mowan's intelligence but scoffing that they had underestimated him, revealing he had come well-prepared. Ye Junqing accused Ye Hongyi of being cruel and unfit to rule.
He offered Ye Hongyi mercy if he repented, but vowed to overthrow him for the sake of the innocent lives he had taken. Ye Hongyi dismissed Ye Junqing's compassion as hypocrisy, fueled by a lifelong resentment of Ye Junqing's favored status. He accused Ye Junqing of stealing Mo Xin and now Yao Mowan from him. The two brothers declared a fight to the death.
In the ensuing battle, Ye Hongyi's men created a smoke screen, allowing him to escape while vowing to kill Ye Junqing someday. Afterward, Ye Junqing ordered Ben Lei to gather leaders from all countries to discuss strategies against Chu. The war then escalated. An alliance was forged between the Kingdom of Shu, Southland, and the volunteer army of Savannah. As a unified force, they successfully captured two cities of Chu: Yulin Pass and Yecheng.
Ye Junqing, renowned as Chu's God of War, and Yao Mowan, praised for her intelligence, served as the joint commanders of the allied army, fighting alongside Han Jinyi and Chu Mo Bei. Chu's cities continued to fall. Hearing reports of Luocheng's capture and General Li Yu of Henei defecting, Ye Hongyi commanded his forces to heavily guard Qi City, a historically strategic location, vowing to personally oversee its defense.
At a strategy meeting, the allied leaders planned a four-pronged attack: General Huan Heng and Han Jinyi would infiltrate through the moat, Chu Mo Bei would flank from the rear, and Ye Junqing and Yao Mowan would lead a frontal assault. Upon arriving at Qi City, Ye Junqing's forces were met by Ye Hongyi, who stood atop the city wall using innocent civilians—women and children—as human shields, daring the attackers to advance over their bodies.
Ye Hongyi taunted Ye Junqing, knowing his conscience was his weakness. Seeing Ye Junqing's struggle, Yao Mowan argued that attacking would make them no different from the tyrant. Faced with this dilemma, Ye Junqing reluctantly ordered a withdrawal. As the allied forces retreated, they fell into an ambush orchestrated by Ye Hongyi, suffering heavy casualties. Chu Mo Bei, realizing they were overdue, dispatched reinforcements, arriving just in time to rescue Ye Junqing and Yao Mowan.
When informed of the rescue, an enraged Ye Hongyi declared that this was "just the beginning." Back at their camp, the allied leaders were at an impasse. General Huan Heng proposed a bold solution: he would personally infiltrate Qi City to persuade the defending general, Wei Qi—his former student—to surrender. Ye Junqing was hesitant, concerned that Wei Qi, who had been punished in the past because of Huan Heng, might hold a grudge.
However, Yao Mowan insisted it was their only viable option, and Huan Heng was confident. Ye Junqing ultimately agreed, urging him to prioritize his safety. Huan Heng, disguised, entered Qi City, but he was already being watched by Ye Hongyi's agent, Thousand Faces. He found Wei Qi, who was shocked by his master's presence. Wei Qi angrily accused him of disloyalty for joining the rebels.
Huan Heng calmly delivered a powerful sermon on the true way of a king and condemned Ye Hongyi as a tyrant, but Wei Qi stubbornly maintained his loyalty and ordered him to leave. As Huan Heng exited, Ye Hongyi and Thousand Faces appeared. Ye Hongyi accused Wei Qi of collusion, and as Wei Qi denied it, Thousand Faces swiftly struck down and killed Huan Heng. Witnessing his master's murder, Wei Qi's loyalty began to waver, horrified by Ye Hongyi's cruelty.
Afterward, Ye Hongyi ordered Huan Heng's head to be displayed on the city gate and his body to be fed to dogs as a warning. Separately, Chu Mo Bei met with Yao Mowan, assuring her that their previous engagement was merely a ruse. He confessed that he knew her heart belonged to Ye Junqing and, unwilling to separate them, had already issued an order proclaiming that she was no longer the Crown Princess of Shu.
Han Jinyi, also present, playfully teased Chu Mo Bei about fearing rejection. Just then, a soldier burst in with the news of Huan Heng's tragic death and the gruesome display of his head on the city wall. Overcome with grief, Yao Mowan blamed herself for his demise, but Ye Junqing, who was also there, consoled her, affirming that while revenge was necessary, her own life was the most important thing.
