The Chang'an Youth Episode 17 Recap
> The Chang'an Youth Recap
At Ancient Feihu Road, Great Yu’s troops faced perilous conditions and heavy casualties. The Shangyi School students, eager to join the fight, pressed General Li for permission to go to the battlefield. Initially, General Li hesitated, reminding them of the Emperor’s strict orders to protect their lives at all costs.
However, Dr. Wu, using a clever analogy about a poet's need to write their own verses, argued that preventing Dr. Lin, and by extension, the students, from implementing their innovative ideas would stifle their spirit. The students, including Yang Zian, asserted that their strategies were valuable and they were not acting on impulse. They vowed that if they won, the Emperor would be pleased, and if they lost, they would gladly die on the battlefield as atonement.
Convinced by their fervent patriotism, General Li, lamenting that he would be deemed a "guilty minister," granted them permission, stating that a general at the front does not always need to strictly adhere to imperial orders. Inside the military camp, the Shangyi School students and General Li devised a plan. Knowing Tuoxi’s forces were unfamiliar with the terrain of Feihu Valley, they decided to exploit its natural advantages.
Their strategy was to use war drums as a signal to lure the Tuoxi army into the narrow, treacherous parts of Ancient Feihu Road, where they could be ambushed. Tang Jiuhua, having studied Tuoxi General's bold but reckless tactics alongside Shen Yiyi, proposed a feigned retreat to draw him further in.
The plan worked, and upon hearing the Great Yu drums and seeing Xiao Xinyuan flee, Tuoxi’s General believed the Great Yu army was retreating and ordered a full pursuit into the valley. Unbeknownst to the charging Tuoxi forces, Shen Yiyi had already laid Skyquake Bombs along their expected path. These innovative bombs, crafted from niter, sulfur, charcoal, rosin, bamboo shavings, and resin, were designed for high explosive power and even waterproofing.
Once the Great Yu troops had safely passed and Tuoxi’s army was deep within the canyon, the war drums sounded the signal. Soldiers hidden on the cliffs ignited the bombs. The unfamiliar explosions terrified Tuoxi’s horses, causing chaos and heavy casualties. Combined with archer attacks, Tuoxi’s army was trapped and overwhelmed. Back at the Great Yu camp, General Li rejoiced in their perfect victory, praising the students for their adaptive tactics.
Yang Zian, however, regretted that the Tuoxi General had managed to escape. General Li dismissed his concern, deeming the Tuoxi General to be at his weakest, and dispatched Deputy General Gao to capture him, dead or alive. As celebrations began, concern grew when it was discovered that Shen Yiyi, still known as Shen Dieyi, was missing. Xiao Xinyuan revealed she had taken newly refined Skyquake Bombs to test their power.
Worried for her safety, especially since she carried the Sinan pendant crucial to Dieyi's origins, Yang Zian and Tang Jiuhua quickly went to find her. Meanwhile, Shen Yiyi was indeed testing her improved Skyquake Bombs, marveling at their increased destructive force. She then witnessed the capture of the wife of the Xia Meng Pass defender and her maid by Tuoxi soldiers.
The maid bravely tried to help her madam escape but was killed, her dying wish for Shen Yiyi to save the madam. Shen Yiyi stealthily followed the Tuoxi captors into their mountain hideout. There, the Tuoxi General demanded the madam dance for him. Shen Yiyi, disguised as a dancer to blend in, stepped forward, offering to dance herself. During the dance, she whispered a signal to the madam and threw a Skyquake Bomb, creating a diversion for their escape.
However, she was caught by the Tuoxi General. Just as Shen Yiyi faced grave danger, Yang Zian arrived. The Tuoxi General, seeing Yang Zian's concern for her, challenged him: commit suicide, and Shen Yiyi would be freed. Yang Zian, unable to bear the thought of harm coming to Shen Yiyi, stabbed himself.
Feigning acceptance of their grim fate, Shen Yiyi cunningly suggested to the Tuoxi General that since both she and the wounded Yang Zian would die anyway, he should let them die together. She proposed an elaborate game, where she would turn her back to Yang Zian, giving him a chance to betray her and escape, thereby labeling him a "villain" if he took it, or a "good man in hell" if he didn't.
Slightly lowering his guard, the Tuoxi General agreed. At that moment, Yang Zian, with a final surge of strength, pulled the dagger from his chest and flung it at the Tuoxi General’s neck, killing him instantly. Yang Zian collapsed from severe blood loss. Shen Yiyi rushed to him, desperately stemming his wound, crying and questioning his selfless act. He confessed his deep love for her, admitting he couldn't stand to see her hurt.
He revealed his past fantasies of her being a woman, even when he believed her to be a man, and declared that she had stolen his heart and must take responsibility for his lifelong affection. With tears streaming down her face, Shen Yiyi kissed him. Shen Yiyi later awoke in a military tent, tended to by Dugu Muxue. He reassured her that Yang Zian, though more gravely injured, was out of danger and resting.
Dugu Muxue also informed her that the remaining Tuoxi forces had surrendered and the rescued families were safe. Soon after, Tang Jiuhua and Xiao Xinyuan visited her. Seeing her "unconscious," Tang Jiuhua confessed his guilt and promised not to blame her if she woke up. Shen Yiyi, having feigned unconsciousness, promptly "woke up" and acknowledged Tang Jiuhua's vow.
She then shared heartfelt stories about the real Shen Dieyi—the wind chimes Tang Jiuhua made for him, Shen Yiyi's preference for tangerines that Dieyi would bring her, and Dieyi's childhood promise to marry Tang Jiuhua—helping Tang Jiuhua come to terms with Dieyi’s death and forgiving Shen Yiyi for her impersonation. They both resolved to uncover the truth about Shen Dieyi's origins.
With the enemy fully eradicated, the Shangyi School students returned triumphantly to the capital, where their families and crowds enthusiastically welcomed them. Tang Jiuhua was greeted by his grandma, who playfully chided him for secretly joining the army and then pressed him to introduce his future wife. Tang Jiuhua skillfully dodged the topic. As the students prepared for an imperial banquet at the palace, Shen Yiyi realized her Sinan pendant was missing. She hurried back to the carriage to retrieve it, where she unexpectedly encountered Lord Han, who was greatly shocked to see the pendant on her.
