Heart of Loyalty Episode 5 Recap
> Heart of Loyalty Recap
Zhan Zhao and Mo Yan arrived at Bai Ying Yu's residence. Zhan Zhao apologized for their earlier intrusion, acknowledging that his subordinate Mo Yan had overstepped her bounds by frightening Miss Bai during his investigation of the Weavers' Quarters corruption case. Mo Yan further explained that her actions were solely aimed at finding the account book to uncover the true murderer of Bai Bao Zhen.
Since they had failed to locate it, they were preparing to return to Kaifeng City Office. Before leaving, Mo Yan presented Bai Ying Yu with a letter, explaining that it was a copy of one found at her father's relay station, which Zhan Zhao had specially transcribed for her as the original served as evidence in Kaifeng.
She elaborated that Bai Bao Zhen deeply loved his daughter and kept secrets from her because he was forced into wrongdoing and didn't want her involved. Bai Ying Yu was visibly moved, especially when Mo Yan mentioned details from the letter about her father's stomach issues and the stomach-nourishing tea she made for him. Mo Yan then probed whether Bai Ying Yu had considered finding her father's murderer. Bai Ying Yu naturally affirmed her desire for justice.
Mo Yan stressed that Bai Bao Zhen was merely a pawn, sacrificed by higher-ups in the Weavers' Quarters corruption case, to pin all the blame on him posthumously. She asked if Bai Ying Yu would stand by while these individuals escaped justice and defamed her father. Bai Ying Yu acknowledged the truth in their words but felt unsure how to proceed. As Zhan Zhao prepared to depart, Bai Ying Yu asked them to wait.
She revealed that her father had instructed her to seek Finance Commissioner Zhang Yao Zuo in the capital if he were imprisoned. Mo Yan immediately suspected Zhang Yao Zuo of malicious intent, though Zhan Zhao warned her against making baseless accusations. Bai Ying Yu then disclosed that her father had given her a package containing an account book for safekeeping, which she couldn't understand.
She had hidden it in the garden pond, wrapped in oilcloth with a string, after thieves broke into her study. The string had broken, and the pond was fed by flowing water from Lake Tai, making retrieval difficult. Since Zhan Zhao admitted he could not swim, Mo Yan volunteered to search for it. Mo Yan successfully retrieved the account book.
However, before they could examine it, black-feathered arrows, recognized by Zhan Zhao as belonging to the ruthless Three Spirit Chasers, rained down. Zhan Zhao instructed Mo Yan to take Bai Ying Yu and the account book to safety while he drew the assassins away. Mo Yan, with Bai Ying Yu, jumped into the lake and escaped through the waterways. Zhan Zhao, fighting single-handedly against three, was wounded on his left shoulder by an arrow.
Mo Yan brought Bai Ying Yu to a bridge and urged her to take the account book to Official Bao at Kaifeng City Office. Worried about Zhan Zhao, she returned for him. Meanwhile, Zhan Zhao, near exhaustion and injured, fell into the water to avoid capture. Mo Yan found him, stiff and suffocating, and gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. With a flicker of consciousness, Zhan Zhao was pulled ashore by the exhausted Mo Yan.
Soon after, Wu Zi Chu discovered a bewildered Bai Ying Yu near the bridge. They were brought to Ziyun Manor, also known as Ning Wang Manor, where Ning Jin provided refuge. Zhan Zhao remained unconscious. Mo Yan began to inspect Zhan Zhao's wound, but Ning Jin reminded her of the impropriety of men and women touching.
Wu Zi Chu informed Ning Jin that Zhan Zhao's arrow wound was slightly infected, but had been stabilized with royal incision ointment, and that his condition was complicated by a brief period of suffocation due to his inability to swim. Ning Jin then explained his reasons for helping: the same green-robed figures had also attacked and burned his previous manor to obtain the account book, making them common enemies.
He returned the account book to Mo Yan, who, though still cautious and suspicious it might be a decoy, accepted the ledger and conditionally thanked Ning Jin, asking him to look after Zhan Zhao should anything happen to her. Ning Jin, noting Zhan Zhao's surprising fear of water, later playfully probed Zhan Zhao about his feelings for Mo Yan once he awoke.
Zhan Zhao quickly denied any romantic interest, stating they were merely colleagues and that he had no such thoughts. Ning Jin then openly declared his own interest in Mo Yan. Mo Yan then faced her "Second Brother," Xiao Chen. She knelt as instructed, reciting the family motto to "vanquish evil, act within one's competence, and stay away from the government."
Xiao Chen chastised her for putting herself in danger and getting entangled with government affairs, stating that she would have died if he had arrived a second later at Bai Manor. Mo Yan explained she only wished to clear her Fifth Brother Li Xu's name. Xiao Chen insisted she return to Shuzhong and cease being a detective.
Zhan Zhao and Ning Jin asked Xiao Chen to let Mo Yan get up and speak, and Mo Yan persuaded him to allow her more time, asserting she had found the evidence (the account book) that would prove Li Xu's innocence upon delivery to Kaifeng City Office. Xiao Chen finally relented, on the condition that she and Li Xu return to Shuzhong after rescuing him.
When Ning Jin attempted to help Mo Yan rise, Xiao Chen curtly prevented him, declaring that he never associated with government officials. Ning Jin then offered Mo Yan the royal incision ointment for her bruised knees, but she insisted Zhan Zhao needed it more, greatly irritating Ning Jin. Zhan Zhao later quietly advised Mo Yan to use the ointment, and asked her why she returned to save him, to which she simply replied that she was worried about him.
Later that evening, during dinner, Ning Jin was overtly attentive to Mo Yan. Mo Yan, however, voiced her concern that the manor was too ostentatious and posed a security risk with enemies at large. Zhan Zhao agreed, but Ning Jin, accustomed to grand estates, considered them exaggerating. He decided they would stay one more day for Zhan Zhao to rest before departing.
Mo Yan then noticed a familiar scent, that of her second brother, on Bai Ying Yu, causing Bai Ying Yu to blush and leave the table abruptly. Ning Jin continued to tease Mo Yan, mentioning how she had tightly clutched Zhan Zhao's hand even when he was unconscious. Mo Yan explained it was out of righteousness, a principle taught by her second brother.
Wu Zi Chu added that Mo Yan had abandoned Bai Ying Yu by the bridge to return for Zhan Zhao, and Bai Ying Yu was freezing when he found her. He then asked Mo Yan how she managed to bring both the non-swimming Zhan Zhao and Bai Ying Yu out of the water. Mo Yan said it was complicated and mentioned giving Bai Ying Yu over ten breaths.
When asked how many she gave Zhan Zhao, she stammered, prompting both her and Zhan Zhao to recall the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and awkwardly leave the table. That night, Zhan Zhao, haunted by the memory of Mo Yan giving him air, practiced his sword to calm his mind. Xiao Chen, listening to Zhan Zhao's sword practice, observed that his heart was troubled. Bai Ying Yu brought Xiao Chen food, explaining he hadn't eaten.
Xiao Chen, though blind, knew it was her by sensing her presence, stating that with a clear mind, one could make their own judgments. Mo Yan also couldn't sleep. Zhan Zhao advised her to bundle up against the cold mountain air. She lamented not being able to enjoy Gusu's scenery on this trip. Zhan Zhao then questioned her about her future, mentioning Xiao Chen's desire for her to quit being a detective.
Mo Yan affirmed her intent to return to Shuzhong after saving Li Xu, admitting her fault in violating family rules and suggesting Zhan Zhao would have fewer worries if she weren't a detective. Zhan Zhao, however, did not consider her a burden and urged her to rest. The next morning, a heavy rain began. Mo Yan suggested it was an opportune time to travel, as the rain would conceal their tracks.
Zhan Zhao concurred, agreeing that it would also allow them to get a head start, and offered to prepare the carriage with her, but Xiao Chen intervened, stating he would accompany his sister. On the carriage, Mo Yan comforted a distraught Bai Ying Yu, assuring her that Kaifeng City Office would thoroughly investigate the case. During a brief stop, Mo Yan prepared some porridge.
Ning Jin praised her cooking, jokingly suggesting she become a cook at his manor instead of a detective. Suddenly, Xiao Chen, with his keen hearing, sensed an anomaly outside. Soon, arrows struck their location, indicating the Three Spirit Chasers had found them. Realizing the danger, Zhan Zhao proposed they split into two groups to ensure the safety of both the witnesses and the evidence.
Zhan Zhao and Wu Zi Chu would take the account book to lead the chasers away, while Mo Yan, Xiao Chen, Ning Jin, and Bai Ying Yu would take an alternate route to Kaifeng City Office. The chasers continued their relentless pursuit, vowing not to stop until they recovered the account book. Along the journey, Mo Yan inquired why Ning Jin, a prince, was accompanying them, fearing for his "delicate" body. Ning Jin proudly asserted his masculine strength.
He then asked Mo Yan why she chose to be a detective, given her second brother's disapproval. Mo Yan replied it was to save Li Xu, but then paused, reflecting on her future after her mission.
