Heart of Loyalty Episode 9 Recap
> Heart of Loyalty Recap
Ning Jin and Li Xu ventured into the Feifeng Courtesan House at night, seeking to uncover the origins of the foreigners. They found a room that was latched from the inside but mysteriously empty. Ning Jin commented on how strange and miraculous it was. Li Xu, a skilled 'cloud-seeking hand', cleverly found a secret chamber within the room and opened its mechanism.
As Ning Jin urged him on, they discovered a second, even more curious secret chamber inside the first one. They quietly slipped inside. Later that night, Bao Zheng convened court after Bai Ying Yu sounded the drum, not for justice, but to confess to a grave sin. She admitted to murdering the corrupt official Zhang Yao Zuo, claiming it was an act of vengeance because Zhang Yao Zuo had killed her father.
She described killing him while he was drunk and then setting the fire. When Bao Zheng asked Zhan Zhao if the crime scene evidence matched her account, Zhan Zhao confirmed that it did. Bai Ying Yu steadfastly reiterated her confession, stating her father’s death was a deep personal loss she had to avenge.
Mo Yan, unable to believe Bai Ying Yu was truly guilty, attempted to intercede, but Bao Zheng firmly reminded her that the law must be upheld without emotional interference, ordering Bai Ying Yu to the dungeon to await her trial. Zhan Zhao, though sympathetic to Mo Yan, could do nothing. From the rooftop, Xiao Chen called out to Mo Yan, announcing that with the case seemingly concluded, it was time to return to Shuzhong.
Mo Yan questioned leaving so soon, expressing her disbelief in Bai Ying Yu’s guilt due to the suspicious clues. She pleaded with Xiao Chen to find a way to clear Bai Ying Yu's name. Xiao Chen, however, pointed out that if even the Kaifeng City Office had convicted her, and Bai Ying Yu herself insisted on her confession, there was nothing he could do.
He then handed Mo Yan a knife, which Bai Ying Yu had given him, asking her to return it to Bai Ying Yu. But Mo Yan realized it was impossible to bring a weapon into the jail. She went to Bai Ying Yu in the dungeon, asserting that Bai Ying Yu was lying, questioning how a woman without martial arts could possibly infiltrate Zhang Yao Zuo’s residence and kill him.
Bai Ying Yu maintained her confession, stating she had nothing to hide and acted for revenge. Zhan Zhao, present in the dungeon, discreetly advised Mo Yan to stop pressing the issue, as Bai Ying Yu seemed resolute. Ning Jin and Li Xu reported their findings from Feifeng Courtesan House to Bao Zheng, detailing the discovery of a secret chamber and seeing people in foreign attire involved in suspicious activities.
Ning Jin announced his and Li Xu's intention to revisit the place for a more thorough investigation. Bao Zheng thanked Ning Jin and Li Xu for their efforts in uncovering the corruption linked to Zhang Yao Zuo, promising to work with the Emperor to eradicate the masterminds. Li Xu clarified that his involvement was for Mo Yan, his sister, and boasted that only he could have opened the complex mechanisms of the secret chamber.
As Mo Yan's departure loomed, Zhan Zhao drank alone, visibly distressed. Gongsun Ce, observing his friend, advised Zhan Zhao on the nature of being constrained, comparing it to seeing only a square of sky from a confined space. He suggested that if the "person in the prison" (referring to Bai Ying Yu and perhaps Zhan Zhao's own feelings) did not wish to be free, then perhaps "letting go of those outside" (Mo Yan) would be the wiser choice.
Mo Yan, still determined, approached Zhan Zhao, explaining her desire to convince her Second Brother, Xiao Chen, to let her stay and continue investigating the case. Zhan Zhao, however, told her to leave, assuring her he would handle the case himself and that Official Bao would assign him more assistance. Mo Yan felt hurt, perceiving herself as just another 'manpower' to him.
To sever her ties completely and encourage her departure, Zhan Zhao delivered a harsh assessment, stating that her willful nature made her unsuitable for public service and the rigorous rules of the government. Tears welled in Mo Yan's eyes as she retorted that she had never truly desired to be a detective in Kaifeng City Office, having only come for her Fifth Brother’s case.
She invited him, with a hint of defiance, to visit her in Shuzhong if he ever missed her, promising to treat him well. She then declared she needed to rest. The next morning, Xiao Chen, Li Xu, and Mo Yan prepared to leave Kaifeng, bidding farewell to Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce. Gongsun Ce gave Mo Yan a medicine flask and wished her well.
Qin Wei Wei presented Mo Yan with a carefully prepared meal of her favorite dishes, including mutton in lotus leaves, dried meat, and walnut flatbread, urging her to eat well and not get sick, and tearfully expressing her fondness. Mo Yan thanked them all, specifically noting Zhan Zhao's absence, which Qin Wei Wei attributed to his busy caseload. As they departed, Mo Yan repeatedly glanced back, hoping for a glimpse of Zhan Zhao, who watched her from a hidden spot.
Later, while dining in Kaifeng, Qin Wei Wei, recalling Mo Yan’s culinary skills, expressed how much she missed the girl, noting how only Mo Yan truly understood her cooking with Dahurian angelica and almonds. This thought, reinforcing Mo Yan's absence, made Zhan Zhao, deep in thought and missing Mo Yan, lose his appetite. Xiao Chen, Mo Yan, and Li Xu, along with Ning Jin, settled into an inn.
That evening, Mo Yan observed Xiao Chen returning to the city alone, deducing he was planning to break Bai Ying Yu out of jail. She pointed out that Xiao Chen had cunningly left his Bamboo Sword behind, creating a plausible excuse for his return if he were caught or discovered. Li Xu, realizing Mo Yan was also returning to Kaifeng, surmised she was doing so for Zhan Zhao. Ning Jin, overhearing this, became crestfallen.
Anticipating Xiao Chen’s return, Zhan Zhao waited outside Kaifeng City Office. He confronted Xiao Chen, questioning if he was merely returning for his forgotten sword, then pressed him on the severe consequences of a prison break and whether he truly wished to subject Bai Ying Yu to a life of perpetual wandering. Xiao Chen, resolute, engaged Zhan Zhao in a fierce but evenly matched duel.
Inside, Xiao Chen admitted to Bao Zheng that he was the one who killed Zhang Yao Zuo. Bai Ying Yu, upon hearing this, immediately tried to recant her earlier confession, insisting she was the killer. Mo Yan, who had just arrived at the scene and was initially barred entry before Bao Zheng allowed her in, then presented her evidence.
She pointed out that Zhang Yao Zuo’s charred body had unburnt feet because he hadn't been wearing shoes, contradicting Bai Ying Yu’s statement that he was going to bed. Furthermore, the presence of golden threads on his body indicated he was wearing an elaborate outer robe, not simple underwear, suggesting he wasn't preparing for bed but was dressed.
The footprint on the door frame and the nearby discarded shoes indicated Zhang Yao Zuo was attempting to escape and silence his footsteps when he was killed. Mo Yan concluded that Bai Ying Yu’s confession was a lie to protect Xiao Chen; she had burned the body to destroy evidence for him, not for revenge, but out of love.
Bai Ying Yu then admitted her actions were indeed out of love for Xiao Chen, who, in turn, expressed that he would regret it if he didn't return for her. Bao Zheng then formally charged Bai Ying Yu with destroying the crime scene and obstructing the investigation, to which she pleaded guilty. He then charged Xiao Chen with murder and attempted prison break. Xiao Chen also pleaded guilty. Bao Zheng initially sentenced Xiao Chen to execution the following day.
Mo Yan desperately pleaded for leniency, arguing that Zhang Yao Zuo, a truly wicked man, deserved to be punished by the law. Even Zhan Zhao, breaking from his usual strict adherence to law, implored Bao Zheng to consider the mitigating circumstances and show mercy, stating that Xiao Chen’s crime, while serious, was justifiable. Bao Zheng, however, remained firm. Just then, an officer reported that the person previously bribed to confess to Zhang Yao Zuo’s embezzlement had committed suicide.
The Emperor, learning of Zhang Yao Zuo's massive corruption, then ordered a lighter sentence for Xiao Chen, influencing the outcome. Consequently, Bao Zheng revised the sentence, exiling both Xiao Chen for murder and Bai Ying Yu for destroying evidence, to 2000 li away. Mo Yan, Zhan Zhao, and the others gathered to see off Xiao Chen and Bai Ying Yu. Mo Yan asked Xiao Chen if he regretted his choices, but he responded that he was content with his decision.
She then urged him to take good care of Bai Ying Yu on their journey. In turn, Xiao Chen entrusted Mo Yan to Zhan Zhao’s care, warning him that he would "pay" if anything happened to her. Zhan Zhao solemnly vowed to protect Mo Yan with his life.
An official declaration then confirmed that Xiao Chen and Bai Ying Yu, though guilty of obstructing justice, had been spared execution by the Emperor's mercy and were instead sentenced to exile 2000 li away. Mo Yan remained at the Kaifeng City Office and was well looked after by everyone.
One evening, Qin Wei Wei brought her supper, affectionately remarking on how thin Mo Yan looked, and tried to prepare more food, but Mo Yan assured her the current meal was excellent. As the other officers, feigning sleepiness, discreetly left, Zhan Zhao approached Mo Yan, who was still upset with him. She tried to retreat to her room with her food, but Zhan Zhao stopped her. He stumbled through an attempt to explain his actions, admitting he had overthought things.
Mo Yan cut him off, demanding a proper apology. He sincerely apologized for chasing her away, hurting her feelings, making decisions for her, and, most importantly, for not following his own heart. Mo Yan, her anger appeased, forgave him. Driven to uncover the secrets of the foreigners at Feifeng Courtesan House, Li Xu ventured alone into the inner secret chamber. Ning Jin and Wu Zi Chu waited anxiously outside.
Ning Jin expressed his worry about Li Xu being in there so long and recalled Li Xu's instruction not to enter, as only Li Xu could open the specific "box" they were after, and they might hinder him. When Li Xu finally emerged, he was injured, having been hit by a hidden weapon. He revealed that Zhang Feng was indeed the mysterious green-robed man and that Feifeng Courtesan House was their secret base.
Li Xu had witnessed Zhang Feng conducting a secret transaction with individuals wearing "odd clothing." Despite his injuries, he had managed to seize a crucial box, which he almost forgot to hand over, stating he risked his life for it. Before he could explain what the box contained, Li Xu collapsed.
