Heart of Loyalty Episode 10 Recap
> Heart of Loyalty Recap
When Mo Yan was a child, her village suffered a plague, and she was wrongly accused of being a jinx. Soldiers locked her in a room with infected villagers and set it ablaze. Fortunately, her master and Xiao Chen happened to pass by and rescued her. However, Mo Yan inhaled a large amount of corpse poison, leaving her with a recurring illness that causes her to collapse whenever she sees a dead body.
Before departing, Xiao Chen conveyed this to Zhan Zhao, emphasizing that he must take good care of Mo Yan while she remains at Kaifeng City Office. Mo Yan later found her letter of resignation burned by Zhan Zhao, indicating she could stay. She thanked him, noting, "This isn't like you at all. You've changed." Ning Jin then arrived with a secret imperial order, which he read aloud.
The Emperor expressed satisfaction with Kaifeng City Office's investigation into the Jiangnan corruption case but stressed the need to secretly recover the substantial stolen money without alarming anyone. Ning Jin presented Bao Zheng with a personal token from the Emperor. Zhan Zhao interpreted the secret order, realizing that if Kaifeng City Office's clandestine investigation was discovered, the Emperor would not intervene, potentially leaving them accused of "handling cases above the authority" and "not obeying the law."
Mo Yan questioned why the highly visible Kaifeng City Office was entrusted with such a secret mission. Ning Jin explained that Bao Zheng was the only official the Emperor truly trusted in the entire imperial court. Bao Zheng accepted the weighty responsibility, vowing to uncover the truth for the Emperor and the Song empire. Bao Zheng inquired about the Feifeng Courtesan House. Ning Jin revealed that Zhang Feng was indeed the leader of Anhua, the mysterious green-robed man.
He also confirmed that there was a secret chamber in the courtesan house's basement, serving as Anhua's secret hideout. Ning Jin mentioned that Li Xu had retrieved a box from this secret chamber, which contained items Zhang Feng used for transactions. Mo Yan, concerned for her brother, questioned why Li Xu was involved, to which Bao Zheng admitted he had personally requested Li Xu's assistance.
When Ning Jin offered to bring the box to Kaifeng City Office, Bao Zheng advised against it, citing the presence of "secret forces" observing Kaifeng City Office and deeming Ning Jin's residence a safer location. Mo Yan suggested that she and Zhan Zhao should visit Zhang Feng's residence first, believing he would hold crucial clues.
After Mo Yan and Zhan Zhao left, Ning Jin privately informed Bao Zheng that Li Xu had been injured while retrieving the box, having been hit by Zhang Feng's hidden weapon, and Gongsun Ce was treating him. When Mo Yan and Zhan Zhao arrived at Zhang's residence, Zhang Yao Zuo's madam angrily rebuffed them. A servant discreetly informed them that Zhang Feng was Zhang Yao Zuo's adopted son and not his biological child.
Despite tight security, Zhang Feng had a volatile temper and was not particularly close to Zhang Yao Zuo. Crucially, on the night of Zhang Yao Zuo's death, Zhang Feng had "summoned many of the guards" from the residence, creating an opportunity for the murderer. Mo Yan and Zhan Zhao exchanged knowing glances, concluding that Zhang Feng had intentionally cleared the way for Xiao Chen to assassinate Zhang Yao Zuo, effectively using him as a "pawn."
Mo Yan suspected Zhang Feng's motive was financial, leading to a deadly family feud. Zhan Zhao began to suggest reporting their findings to Bao Zheng, but Mo Yan anticipated his words, finishing his sentence and reaffirming that she truly understood him. News spread that Duan Qing Yi, known as the "best heroine," had arrived in Kaifeng. Mo Yan was curious about her. Later, Duan Qing Yi appeared at Kaifeng City Office, directly addressing Zhan Zhao.
She told him that Zhang Feng was the very person he was investigating. She then reminded him of an "eight-year-old promise" involving a jade pendant, stating that when he saw it, he would owe her an "unconditional favor." Duan Qing Yi asked him to meet her at the Feifeng Courtesan House's Chunyu Room the following noon to discuss her request. Mo Yan, witnessing this exchange, grew visibly jealous.
She confronted Zhan Zhao, asking if she was merely "a little lady" to him, and if he only called her "cute" because she wasn't beautiful. Zhan Zhao patiently explained that he owed Duan Qing Yi an unconditional favor. Meanwhile, Li Xu's injury from Zhang Feng's hidden weapon caused him to suffer from a poison similar to Mo Yan's childhood illness. Gongsun Ce had treated him and advised him to rest.
The retrieved box proved to be impenetrable, even for Li Xu, the "Thieving Hand." He deduced that it was crafted by his old rival, Tan Zhang, an inheritor of the Mo family's machinery. They realized that finding Tan Zhang was crucial to unlocking the secrets of the stolen money. To avoid worrying Mo Yan, Li Xu, Ning Jin, and Gongsun Ce agreed to keep Li Xu's injury and the difficulty of opening the box a secret from her.
That evening, Qin Weiwei told Zhan Zhao that Mo Yan had prepared his favorite carp dish. Mo Yan attempted to speak with Zhan Zhao, but Ning Jin arrived unexpectedly, eager to drink and praising the fish. Annoyed by the interruption, Mo Yan abruptly left for her room, claiming she was tired. Zhan Zhao and Ning Jin then playfully argued over who got to eat the fish Mo Yan had made.
Later that night, Mo Yan, unable to sleep, asked Zhan Zhao if he was still going to Feifeng Courtesan House and insisted on joining him, declaring she was going to investigate the case, not with him. Zhan Zhao firmly refused, stating it was "not a place for ladies" and that it was "an order" for her to stay. Undeterred, Mo Yan secretly resolved to go.
Meanwhile, Zhang Feng was enraged by the theft of the box, which he valued at "over 60 carts of treasure." Despite his calm demeanor, his subordinates were terrified. They deduced that Li Xu, known as the "Thieving Hand," was the thief and that the box might be at Prince Ning's residence due to Ning Jin's recent frequent visits to Kaifeng City Office. Zhang Feng threatened his subordinates with death if they failed to retrieve it.
At Feifeng Courtesan House, Zhan Zhao encountered Zhang Feng, who immediately grew suspicious of his presence in a courtesan house. Duan Qing Yi, disguised as a courtesan named Ying, smoothly intervened, claiming Zhan Zhao was her guest. In the Chunyu Room, Duan Qing Yi revealed that her senior, Tan Zhang, an inheritor of the Mo family's machinery, had been abducted by Zhang Feng six months prior and forced to build Feifeng Courtesan House.
She believed Tan Zhang was held in a secret chamber within the courtesan house, and the entrance was in their current room, identifiable by a unique "coin symbol" Tan Zhang incorporated into all his mechanisms. She sought Zhan Zhao's help to rescue her senior. As she playfully tried to return the jade pendant, she asked if he was afraid of his "little lady" getting jealous. Just then, Zhang Feng unexpectedly burst in.
Zhan Zhao quickly embraced Duan Qing Yi to maintain their disguise. Mo Yan, who had followed Zhan Zhao, witnessed this. Outside, Mo Yan angrily confronted Zhan Zhao about the embrace and Duan Qing Yi's "indecent outfit." Zhan Zhao explained that it was "an emergency" and "to deceive the public" while they searched for a hidden passage to the secret chamber where Tan Zhang was held.
He refused Mo Yan's demand to join the investigation, arguing that her presence would "attract attention," and sent her back, promising to return soon. Zhan Zhao returned around "5 AM," much to Mo Yan's anger. She accused him of lying and being hypocritical after his previous advice on propriety during investigations.
Zhan Zhao reiterated his explanation about Tan Zhang and Duan Qing Yi saving his life and owing them a favor, clarifying that Tan Zhang was not only Duan Qing Yi's senior but also her husband, and the jade pendant was a symbol of this favor. Mo Yan, relieved that there was "nothing between" Zhan Zhao and Duan Qing Yi beyond "old acquaintances," eventually accepted his explanation and dismissed him for the night, still a little sulky.
The next day, six ministries jointly impeached Ning Jin for "extravagance," leading the Emperor to order a search of his manor. Zhan Zhao and Mo Yan quickly decided to move the box from Ning Jin's residence to prevent it from being discovered by the Emperor's search party. It was then that Mo Yan learned Li Xu was injured. She confronted Li Xu, accusing him of lying about being fine.
Despite his protests, she insisted he return to Shuzhong for his safety, revealing her maturity. Li Xu, touched, agreed to leave but playfully revealed he had "long recovered" and had merely been feigning injury to have Ning Jin wait on him. As Zhan Zhao and Mo Yan transported the box, Zhang Feng's men ambushed them, separating Mo Yan from Zhan Zhao and capturing her along with the box in a carriage.
Zhan Zhao, searching frantically, discovered Mo Yan's signature pills scattered on the ground, indicating her path. Zhang Feng, holding Mo Yan captive, mocked her "despicable" tactic of dropping pills, revealing that his men had already intercepted Ning Jin and Kaifeng City Office, leaving her without allies. Meanwhile, Li Xu's crow returned to him with one of Mo Yan's pills, signaling her danger. Li Xu immediately sent the crow to notify Ning Jin.
However, Ning Jin was blocked by imperial guards who cited the Emperor's decree and the allegations of "extravagance," preventing him from leaving his manor to help. Undeterred, Li Xu rushed to intercept Zhang Feng's carriage. Mo Yan, seeing his injury, pleaded with him to leave, but Li Xu refused, vowing to protect her. He fought Zhang Feng, but despite his bravery, he was outmatched. Just as he was struggling, Zhan Zhao arrived with reinforcements and apprehended Zhang Feng.
Mo Yan rushed to Li Xu, relieved to see him seemingly fine, but suddenly, Li Xu coughed up blood and collapsed. Zhan Zhao furiously demanded the antidote from Zhang Feng. Zhang Feng, in a fit of deranged laughter, confessed that because Gongsun Ce had previously neutralized all his poisons, he had developed a new, "unsolvable" poison. Li Xu bled profusely from his mouth, and Mo Yan tearfully begged him to hold on, but Li Xu, holding her hand, succumbed to the poison and died.
