Heart of Loyalty Episode 11 Recap
> Heart of Loyalty Recap
Zhang Feng, cornered, goaded Zhan Zhao to kill him, demanding, "Officer Zhan, I'll give you one last chance. Kill me right now." Despite his rage, Zhan Zhao, adhering strictly to the Laws of Song, did not yield. Zhang Feng then taunted, "I still couldn't hide this from you." Beside them, Li Xu coughed up blood, with Mo Yan holding him, tears streaming down her face. Li Xu urged, "Fifth Brother, hang in there.
We'll look for Official Gongsun once we reach Kaifeng City Office." He then added, "Listen to me. I won't be able to return to Shuzhong." He revealed he had saved money for her dowry with Bao Zheng, advising her to retrieve it quickly lest "it will be bad if he takes it for himself." With his last breaths, he told her, "My little sister is all grown up now. You must take good care of yourself."
Mo Yan, refusing to believe her beloved Fifth Brother was truly leaving, cried out, "Fifth Brother, don't deceive me! Please don't deceive me! Please don't die! Let's drop the act! Please wake up!" Li Xu then passed away in her arms.
Zhan Zhao tried to offer comfort, but Mo Yan, still clinging to Li Xu, asked him to take Zhang Feng to Kaifeng City Office first, saying, "I wish to stay alone with my brother for a moment," and assured him, "I'm fine. Zhan Zhao, you don't need to mind me." Zhan Zhao reluctantly complied, taking Zhang Feng away. Mo Yan then slowly carried Li Xu's lifeless body back to Kaifeng City Office.
Wu Zi Chu wanted to help, but Ning Jin stopped him, understanding Mo Yan's need to endure this journey alone, remarking, "She can travel this path by herself." As they reached the office, Mo Yan thought, "He didn't need to die in the first place."
In the grand hall of Kaifeng City Office, Bao Zheng presided over Zhang Feng's interrogation, accusing him of heinous crimes, including establishing the Anhua assassination organization within Feifeng Courtesan House's secret chamber, demanding a full confession. Zhang Feng feigned ignorance, claiming his visits to Feifeng Courtesan House were merely "to drink and flirt with the courtesans. Is that illegal?"
He brazenly suggested Bao Zheng was also interested in such places and even implicated Zhan Zhao, saying, "Officer Zhan is a regular customer of Feifeng Courtesan House as well. We even drank together back then. Do you still remember?" Bao Zheng, angered by Zhang Feng's insolence, ordered ten strokes. Mo Yan, overcome with a murderous impulse, was restrained by Zhan Zhao. Zhang Feng remained defiant, mocking, "I only killed Li Xu. I've eliminated a public scourge."
Bao Zheng declared that under the Laws of Song, Zhang Feng's disregard for human life and the murder of Li Xu warranted immediate execution. Zhang Feng continued to taunt, suggesting Bao Zheng wouldn't dare execute him because the stolen money remained unrecovered, and challenged him to use the "Tiger Head Guillotine." Unfazed, Bao Zheng ordered the "Dog Head Guillotine" instead, which finally rattled Zhang Feng. Panicked, he cried, "Wait! I confess!"
He agreed to disclose Tan Zhang's captivity location and the secret chamber's map, requesting paper and pen. Bao Zheng ordered Zhang Feng's imprisonment, with the trial to resume another day. Zhan Zhao approached Mo Yan, who remained sorrowful, attempting to console her, "Seven, I know you're very upset. You just need to take good care of yourself. Leave the rest to me, okay?" Mo Yan, feigning strength, replied, "I'm doing pretty well. I'm not upset at all.
I will take good care of myself." She then urged Zhan Zhao not to inform her Second Brother of Li Xu's death, fearing, "If he knows about it, I'm sure he'll kill everyone who was involved." Meanwhile, outside the Emperor's chambers, court officials sought an audience to impeach Bao Zheng for his private investigation. Ning Jin forced his way in, demanding an explanation from the Emperor for obstructing him, which he believed led to Li Xu's death.
The Emperor explained that he had acted to protect Ning Jin, as several officials had jointly memorialized complaints about his extravagant spending and suspected misuse of treasury funds, a ploy by the mastermind to divert him. The Emperor had seized this opportunity to "ensure your safety." Ning Jin retorted, "Ensure my safety? But Li Xu is dead!" The Emperor acknowledged his own selfish desires and offered to posthumously honor Li Xu by burying him under the title of Imperial Bodyguard.
The protesting officials continued to demand the case be transferred to the Ministry of Justice, accusing Bao Zheng of being "too unruly" and "deceiving" the Emperor, and specifically highlighting Mo Yan as "the little sister of The Six Evils of Shuzhong," raising concerns about the integrity of Kaifeng City Office. The Emperor then implicitly instructed Ning Jin on how to handle the situation, noting the officials' unrest and stating, "You know what to do."
Deeply grieving, Mo Yan had lost her appetite. Ning Jin brought her "hairy crabs from Zhuangyuan Restaurant," boasting that he had "selected all of them personally," ensuring each had crab roe. He shared an anecdote about overeating crabs and getting sick, advising her to "take care of your body." Mo Yan ate mechanically without a word, and Ning Jin eventually left, telling her to "rest early."
Later, Zhan Zhao, having learned Mo Yan hadn't eaten, prepared a bowl of chicken noodle soup for her. Finding her eating the crabs, he started to leave, saying, "I made some noodles for you since you didn't have your dinner. Since you've taken your dinner, I'll return now." Mo Yan stopped him, claiming, "I haven't had my fill yet," and eagerly ate the noodles, complimenting the taste and her favorite "chicken drumstick."
Zhan Zhao then told her to rest, confirming that Bao Zheng had approved the investigation into Feifeng Courtesan House, saying, "In the future, investigating Feifeng Courtesan House will be our priority. You don't need to worry anymore." That night, Zhan Zhao prepared to secretly investigate Feifeng Courtesan House, but Ning Jin intercepted him in his carriage. Ning Jin announced his intention to join, stating he had dismissed Wu Zi Chu and that they were "going to investigate Feifeng Courtesan House."
Zhan Zhao voiced concern about Ning Jin's safety due to his lack of martial arts, but Ning Jin insisted his intelligence was crucial, asserting, "Without me as your cover, you'll only alert them when you go inside." He declared his motivation, "for that brat's and Li Xu's sake, I need to search Feifeng Courtesan House no matter what." Just then, Mo Yan appeared, also insisting on joining.
Ning Jin tried to stop her, but Mo Yan stated, "I came to the Kaifeng City Office because of Fifth Brother in the first place. Now, I'm trying to find out the truth for Fifth Brother's sake. If I don't find out the mastermind, I will never give up." Zhan Zhao agreed they had no right to stop her, and Ning Jin relented.
Ning Jin entered Feifeng Courtesan House through the front, making a grand show of booking "the entire second floor" for himself to drink, clearing out other patrons and staff. Meanwhile, Zhan Zhao and Mo Yan used their agility to secretly enter the second floor, where they met Qing Yi.
Qing Yi expressed doubt about the map Zhang Feng had provided, noting her senior had designed the secret chamber to be "very complex" and capable of trapping hundreds, and without a proper map, "we have no idea how to get down." Mo Yan emphasized the urgency, arguing, "If the members of Anhua knew that Zhang Feng was captured, it would be disadvantageous for us to give them time. And, your senior will be in huge danger."
Ning Jin led them to the secret chamber, where Mo Yan observed that Zhang Feng's map showed four entrances, making it look like a maze, and suspected Zhang Feng was "hiding something from us. He didn't tell us the entire truth." To expedite their search for Tan Zhang, they decided to split up.
Mo Yan gave Ning Jin some "Ruochong San" (Nymph Powder), explaining her brother had taught her to make it, and that "If someone inhales it, they'll descend into a coma immediately. We can use this during dangerous moments," but advised him to run if necessary. While exploring alone, Ning Jin nearly stumbled upon Anhua assassins, but Mo Yan pulled him to safety. She realized, "All of these paths are connected.
This is a huge maze," and deduced, "They lured us in so that they could kill us easier. We need to be careful." She promised, "I'll protect you." In another part of the maze, Qing Yi swiftly defeated two assassins. Zhan Zhao, in an open area, was ambushed by assassins but fought them off, with Qing Yi joining him to finish them. Zhan Zhao realized Zhang Feng had deliberately led them into the maze, intending to trap and eliminate them.
He also concluded that since the Anhua organization was still active despite Zhang Feng's capture, there was a hidden mastermind behind everything. He urged Qing Yi that they "need to meet up with Seven and His Highness as soon as possible." Zhan Zhao and Qing Yi soon found a weakened Tan Zhang in a stone room, and shortly after, reunited with Mo Yan and Ning Jin. As assassins fired arrows from outside, they took refuge in a room.
Zhan Zhao prepared to fight their way out, but Mo Yan discovered critical clues about the stolen money on a wall. She hastily scanned the information as the stone chamber began to collapse, quickly realizing the corruption case was linked to Liao. At the last possible moment, Zhan Zhao grabbed Mo Yan and led everyone out of the collapsing secret chamber to safety. After recovering, Tan Zhang opened the treasure chest Li Xu had stolen. Inside was a "Jianxian Rock."
Tan Zhang explained that when crushed into powder and inhaled, it "will numb your pain receptors and render you painless. It'll also make you excited." Mo Yan questioned its connection to the stolen money, but Tan Zhang was unsure. Just then, a report came: Zhang Feng had feigned death and taken Qin Wei Wei, the coroner, hostage when she came to examine him. Zhan Zhao rushed to the prison, ordering Ma Han to remain calm.
Inside, Zhang Feng held a broken piece of porcelain to Qin Wei Wei's neck. Zhan Zhao attempted to negotiate, but Qin Wei Wei fiercely rejected the idea, telling Zhan Zhao, "you mustn't negotiate with a person like him." With no escape route, Zhang Feng grew increasingly desperate and frenzied, challenging Zhan Zhao to a deadly duel of speed, stating, "I want to compete with you to see which of us is faster." As Zhan Zhao prepared to draw his Juque Sword, Zhang Feng made a sudden, brutal move toward Qin Wei Wei.
