The Dauntless Youths Episode 23 Recap
> The Dauntless Youths Recap
Sun Qingqing, holding Zhong Liyuan's imperial edict, resolutely returned to her hometown. Now that her hometown was unsealed and she had also been granted a title, her life finally returned to peace and quiet. Qingqing planned to explore with the villagers to find a more suitable place to live.
Although Kunwu remained in the Princes' Camp, Sun Qingqing always felt that her mother's last words held a hidden meaning, seemingly hinting at something, which made her doubt the matter of the Saintess' bloodline. Her mother had insisted that her body must be cremated upon death, otherwise, if her skin was exploited, the consequences would be unimaginable. She even had a faint feeling that Granny Su's fate this time might be grim.
On the other side, Zhong Liyuan asked the Gui Fang masked man if the divine drum could truly make his army incredibly brave and invincible. He always felt that Gui Fang was holding back, as if there was a hidden agenda. To demonstrate his unwavering loyalty, Gui Fang specifically presented Zhong Liyuan with an antidote, so that he would be unharmed and unaffected when the divine drum's magic was cast later.
At the same time, Zhong Liyuan put forward strict conditions: the princes must be eliminated as soon as possible, otherwise, there would be endless troubles and grave threats. Doubts always lingered in Guxǐ's mind; the ominous divination made her restless, predicting that the Zhongli Kingdom would face natural disasters and man-made calamities.
At this moment, Jiang Wenjuan came to visit, deliberately asking Guxǐ to divine Zhongli's future fortunes and misfortunes, and even bluntly stated that beneath Zhong Liyuan's seemingly innocent expression lay unfathomable schemes and deep cunning. Guxǐ recounted a past event to Jiang Wenjuan: many years ago, she had divined for her village, predicting that on this very day, someone would bring great misfortune to the village.
So she blocked the village entrance, vowing not to let any outsider step in, but unexpectedly, she encountered Zhong Liyuan, who was fleeing. Seeing his wretched appearance, she couldn't help but lower her guard, offered him help, and handed him a cup of water. Zhong Liyuan said that his family had been killed, and although he escaped, he got lost in the mountains and hoped for a place to stay.
Guxǐ deliberately pointed to another path, and he hesitantly walked deeper into the mountains. Afterward, Zhong Liyuan was rescued by her hunting father and brought back to the village. Guxǐ did not want the village to fall into the misfortune predicted by the divination, so she discussed with her father sending Zhong Liyuan away to prevent future troubles. But it was too late; those pursuing Zhong Liyuan had already massacred the entire village, leaving rivers of blood.
Her father was also killed while protecting her. In the end, only Guxǐ and Zhong Liyuan remained in the entire village. She found her parents' bodies, heartbroken and grief-stricken. At this moment, Zhong Liyuan guiltily covered them with straw mats and handed Guxǐ a dagger for atonement. Guxǐ stabbed Zhong Liyuan, but it could not dispel the hatred in her heart.
Seeing no survivors in the village, she also had no desire to live and asked Zhong Liyuan to kill her. Zhong Liyuan revealed that for the past month, he had been confined with his parents' corpses in a carriage, witnessing their bodies slowly decompose, yet being powerless to do anything. Now that he had escaped, he swore to avenge his parents.
At this moment, he further promised Guxǐ that ten years later, he would personally avenge the villagers to comfort their souls in heaven. From then on, Zhong Liyuan returned to the Zhongli Kingdom, and the two hid their plan, slowly dealing with the National Preceptor, proceeding cautiously step by step. That night, Jiang Wenjuan discussed with Gongsun Wuyu, suggesting they stop searching for the elixir of immortality, as it was ultimately a poison with endless harm.
However, she couldn't persuade him, and she guessed that if this matter was handled improperly, it would implicate the entire Princes' Camp, leading them to an irreversible doom. At this moment, Zhong Liyuan sent someone with an invitation, inviting the princes to a palace banquet three days later to celebrate the grand occasion together. The next day, Zhong Liyuan sent Guxǐ jewelry and new clothes, which were exquisitely magnificent.
But this was not what Guxǐ wanted; she only wished for Zhong Liyuan to be a good ruler, protecting his people's safety and ensuring peace and prosperity for the nation. Zhong Liyuan mustered his courage to confess his feelings to her. Guxǐ seized the opportunity to probe his thoughts and uncover the truth. Zhong Liyuan suddenly jumped up defensively, making Guxǐ even more suspicious of him.
She immediately asked if the Su clan taking skin to make drums was related to him. He did not answer directly but said that no matter what, he would not harm her, expressing deep affection. That night, Guxǐ secretly followed Zhong Liyuan and discovered an underground secret chamber, only to find out that Zhong Liyuan had intentionally led her there and then knocked her unconscious.
