The Chang'an Youth Episode 8 Recap
> The Chang'an Youth Recap
Yang Zian was absent from his classes, leading Tang Jiuhua to suspect he had gone to indulge in carousing. However, Xiao Xinyuan believed Zi'an was not a frivolous man and must have had a hidden reason. Shen Yiyi admitted that she, too, felt something was amiss and had followed him all the way. Fearing discovery, she hid around a corner, only for Zi'an to disappear into a yard the moment she turned away.
Dugu Muxue urged them to stop speculating, asserting that Zi'an certainly had his own plans. Yang Zian, disguised as a common laborer, was indeed led to a remote villa outside the city, where he discovered a large-scale bad money operation. Inside, numerous blacksmiths were diligently melting iron sand and casting copper coins, working in silence as speaking or escaping would result in death.
From outside, Zi'an overheard a transaction between the gang leader and a masked woman, whom he could not identify due to her mask. The masked woman expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of the current batch of coins, but assured the leader that the exchange rate of three bad coins for one good one would remain. As Zi'an leaned in closer to hear more, he accidentally stepped on a branch, making a noise.
The masked woman immediately ordered her men to search, stating, "Better to kill a hundred by mistake than let one escape." Meanwhile, Shen Yiyi, having tracked Yang Zian, also arrived at the villa and was captured by the same group of bandits. When she saw Zi'an inside, she instinctively called out his name, inadvertently exposing both their identities. They were then bound and thrown into a dilapidated shack.
Shen Yiyi confided in Yang Zian that she had left flour marks along the path to the villa, hoping Tang Jiuhua and Dugu Muxue would follow them. Yang Zian asked her what she would wish for if they managed to escape alive, to which Shen Yiyi replied she would want to taste his cooking. Using her ingenuity, Shen Yiyi managed to untie their ropes.
As they quietly slipped out, they knocked over a wooden stake, alerting the bandits, who immediately gave chase. During their escape, Shen Yiyi twisted her ankle, and Yang Zian swiftly carried her on his back. They were fortunate to encounter Tang Jiuhua and the imperial guards, who had followed Shen Yiyi's flour trail. Yang Zian quickly informed them that they had been held in the shack, confirming its connection to the bad money case.
Back at Shangyi School, the doctor examined Shen Yiyi, confirming it was just a minor sprain requiring only a hot compress and a few days' rest. Tang Jiuhua, still agitated, reproached Yang Zian for involving Shen Yiyi in such a dangerous investigation, expressing how worried he had been. Yang Zian remained silent, while Dugu Muxue, though understanding Zi'an's predicament, did not intervene verbally.
Shen Yiyi, feeling responsible for derailing Zi'an's plans, apologized to him for her actions, to which he calmly responded that he was not angry. The officers had searched the hideout but found no substantial evidence of the mastermind, as the bad money had been moved, leaving only casting tools and molten iron. Feeling guilty for the stalled investigation, Shen Yiyi realized that her earlier comment about "molds or letters" was crucial.
She then pointed out that the most critical element in creating counterfeit currency was the coin template, which was under strict imperial protection and accessible to only a select few. Yang Zian, recognizing the significance of this insight, knew he had to report it to the Emperor immediately. Unbeknownst to them, Ning Xiang was being reprimanded by her true master, Yang Prime Minister. He expressed his grave concern that the ongoing investigation could implicate him.
He instructed Ning Xiang to create a diversion to shift the court's attention. Ning Xiang swiftly orchestrated the assassination of several important officials in Chang'An, fabricating suicide notes that implicated the "snakehead" (smuggler's leader) in providing the minting templates and detailing how the profits were divided. This led to the purported suicides of the snakehead and the implicated officials, officially closing the bad money case.
The Emperor, pleased with the swift resolution, rewarded Shen Yiyi and Yang Zian with fifty academic credits each and a one-time immunity privilege at Shangyi School. Shen Yiyi attempted to exchange her credits for an additional immunity, but Dr. Lin firmly rejected her request, citing the Emperor's decree. For years, Ning Xiang had been working for Han Shangshu, though her ultimate allegiance lay with Yang Prime Minister. They communicated using letters sealed with a unique wax stamp.
Han Shangshu, wary of an ongoing investigation into a specific Sinan jade pendant, instructed Ning Xiang to mass-produce these sealing wax stamps and distribute them to peddlers for sale. His intention was that if the stamp became widely available as a common commodity, it would obscure their connection to it and prevent investigators from tracing it back to him. Upon learning that Han Yu'er's house arrest was lifted, Shen Yiyi immediately invited her for an outing.
Han Yu'er, delighted, presented Shen Yiyi with a jade pendant, claiming that Tang Jiuhua had clarified that the past incident between Shen Yiyi and Yang Zian was merely a staged act to test Han Yu'er's feelings. Enraged by Tang Jiuhua's meddling, Shen Yiyi refused to listen to his explanations and summarily sent him away. As the semester reached its midpoint, it was time for dorm reassignments.
Shen Yiyi, hoping to avoid further complications, had intended to request a room with Tang Jiuhua. To her dismay, Dr. Lin assigned her to share a room with Xiao Xinyuan. Resigned, Shen Yiyi approached Xiao Xinyuan to discreetly propose swapping rooms with Bai Shaoqian after lights out each night. Xiao Xinyuan initially expressed concern about being discovered, but Yiyi insisted it would be undetectable if they both remained silent.
Xiao Xinyuan, however, seemed to hint at already knowing a secret about Shen Yiyi, causing her to quickly drop the idea and rush off to class. Xiao Xinyuan silently pondered when Shen Yiyi would realize his feelings for her, already aware of her secret. Concurrently, Shangyi School organized an excursion to Green Stream Valley for a traditional ritual of cleansing. Tang Jiuhua informed Shen Yiyi that this outing included a communal bath in the stream, which could expose her identity.
After a serious discussion, they decided that Shen Yiyi would feign an inability to swim to avoid participation. On the day of the outing, Han Yu'er joined the group. Dr. Lin, feeling unwell, was replaced by Yang Zixu as the assistant leading the trip, alongside the Chief's Teaching Assistant. Upon arriving at the stream, where many students began disrobing to bathe, Shen Yiyi quickly steered Han Yu'er to a secluded spot.
She subtly inquired about the sealing wax stamp on a letter Han Yu'er had with her, asking if its intricate pattern was exclusive to the Han family or could be purchased elsewhere. Han Yu'er casually confirmed that her family had many such stamps and it was not unique, much to Shen Yiyi's disappointment. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew a letter into the river.
Shen Yiyi rushed into the water to retrieve it, but in her haste, she twisted her ankle. Han Yu'er's frantic calls for help alerted everyone, including Xiao Xinyuan. Xiao Xinyuan found Shen Yiyi's Sinan pendant, which had fallen from her, and quickly helped her hide when Yang Zixu approached. While hiding, Shen Yiyi overheard Yang Zixu addressing Xiao Xinyuan as "Your Highness Second Prince," revealing his true identity.
Xiao Xinyuan, in turn, acknowledged that he knew Shen Yiyi was a woman, and they both agreed to keep each other's secrets. After Yang Zixu departed, Xiao Xinyuan returned the Sinan pendant to Shen Yiyi. Han Yu'er, captivated by the pendant's distinctive pattern, picked it up, prompting Tang Jiuhua to chide her for her perceived lack of worldly experience, leading to another playful argument between them.
Concerned about Shen Yiyi's recklessness, Yang Zian pulled her aside and sternly chastised her for approaching the water when she couldn't swim. Shen Yiyi, seeing his concern, playfully leaned in and whispered that she had been thinking of him the entire time she was in the water, which created a subtle, intimate atmosphere between them.
