The Legend of the Condor Heroes Episode 5 Recap
> The Legend of the Condor Heroes Recap
As Dushi remained captured, the warring parties entered a temporary truce to strategize. Sengum, worried about his son, Dushi, spoke with Wanyan Honglie, who noted that Temujin had been underestimated and that Guo Jing, Tolui’s sworn brother, was dedicated to Temujin. Later that evening, Jamukha requested a meeting with Temujin.
Temujin confronted Jamukha about his betrayal, but Jamukha attempted to persuade him to surrender to the Jin dynasty, promising that Prince Zhao would spare his life and they could still be blood brothers. Temujin, however, declared he never trusted the Jin and would never trust Jamukha again, proclaiming, "I, Temujin, would rather die on my feet than live on my knees!" Seeing Temujin's defiance, Jamukha responded, "Fine! You won’t take my advice.
Then we shall end it all," and ordered his troops to attack. During the fierce battle that ensued at dawn, Temujin was struck by an arrow. Guo Jing urged him to ride his Little Red Horse to escape, promising to protect him. But Temujin refused, asserting that if he were to run away, he wouldn’t be worthy of being their Great Khan.
Just as the fighting intensified, Temujin’s reinforcements, led by Tolui, arrived, surprising Jamukha's forces, who had believed Temujin was cornered. Jamukha and Sengum's forces were defeated and ordered to retreat. Tolui, concerned for his father's arrow wound, was reassured by Temujin, who then ordered them back to camp. It was revealed that the previous night, Temujin had secretly dispatched Tolui to hasten reinforcements.
He confided in Tolui, detailing a plan to use a narrow gully to pin down the enemy and then attack from the side, emphasizing this coordinated assault as the key to their victory. Back at the camp, Jebe expressed concerns about Sengum and Jamukha potentially allying with other tribes. Temujin asked Guo Jing for his opinion, but Guo Jing deferred to his Great Khan's judgment.
Temujin then made a shocking decision: he ordered Dushi to be brought in and untied, against Tolui's demand to kill Dushi for vengeance. Temujin claimed he bore no grudge against Sengum and Wang Khan, referring to them as benefactors, and instructed Dushi to convey his apologies for the recent conflict. Tolui and others protested Temujin's leniency towards Sengum's wicked son. Temujin silenced them, declaring Dushi his son-in-law and reminding him of his childhood engagement to Hua Zheng.
He announced that Dushi would marry Hua Zheng upon returning home, with a grand celebration. Hua Zheng immediately refused to marry Dushi, and Tolui vehemently supported her, calling Dushi unworthy. Enraged, Temujin ordered Tolui tied up and beaten. Tolui continued to protest Dushi’s unworthiness even as he was dragged out. Hua Zheng, in despair, threatened to die if forced into the marriage, to which Temujin coldly replied that he would send her dead body to Dushi.
Hua Zheng then declared her hatred for her father. Later, Hua Zheng tended to Tolui's injuries, lamenting that their father forced her into the marriage and hurt Tolui. Tolui called Temujin a ruthless tyrant, and Hua Zheng expressed confusion as to why Temujin, who did not fear death, would fear Sengum, a sentiment Guo Jing echoed.
She resigned herself to the marriage as her destiny but confided in Guo Jing that Dushi was a bad man and her father was pushing her to "the abyss of suffering." She suggested to Tolui and Guo Jing that they flee to the Central Plains, but Tolui rejected the idea, warning of war between the tribes. Guo Jing reassured Hua Zheng, promising to kill Dushi if he bullied her and affirmed that he would not forgive Dushi either.
The next day, Temujin explained to Dushi that his arrow wound would take three months to heal, preventing him from personally escorting Dushi back. He appointed Jebe and Guo Jing to escort Dushi back before the wedding, along with two carts of gold, furs, and fine wines as dowry. Meanwhile, Sengum, still in his camp with Wanyan Honglie, worried about Temujin's escape.
Wanyan Honglie assured him their garrison was strengthened, and Temujin would "walk right into the trap" if he invaded. Sengum was relieved when Dushi returned unharmed and recounted Temujin's apologies, his wound, and Temujin's wish for Dushi to marry Hua Zheng that day. Jamukha and Wanyan Honglie were suspicious, but Sengum, convinced that Temujin was a "timid little lamb" who feared them, dismissed their caution, especially after seeing Hua Zheng and the lavish dowries.
Hua Zheng, confronting Dushi, declared that while her father might fear him, she did not. Dushi responded that he wanted her love, not her fear. Overjoyed and complacent, Sengum ordered a grand celebration, butchering a lamb and encouraging everyone to feast and drink, effectively lowering their guard. In her temporary tent, Hua Zheng tearfully told Guo Jing she did not want to marry Dushi, finding him nauseating.
Guo Jing tried to console her, suggesting Dushi, who had admired her since childhood, might treat her well. But Hua Zheng confessed her love for Guo Jing, lamenting that if she couldn’t marry him, there would be no point in living, and embraced him. At that moment, a drunken Dushi burst into the tent. Seeing them, he accused Guo Jing of seducing his bride and grabbed Hua Zheng. Guo Jing intervened, pulling Dushi away.
Enraged, Dushi attacked Guo Jing, threatening to kill him. In a moment of desperation, Hua Zheng stabbed Dushi with a dagger, then, panicked, shouted to Guo Jing that she had killed him, and they both fled the tent. A wounded Dushi chased them, shouting orders to catch them, and chaos erupted as wedding escorts clashed with Sengum and Jamukha's men. Just then, Temujin, leading his forces, launched a powerful surprise attack, ordering everyone killed.
Jebe instructed Guo Jing to protect the princess. It was revealed that this elaborate wedding procession was a ruse planned by Temujin, who had anticipated Sengum's arrogance and susceptibility to deception. Temujin had hardened his heart, relying on Jebe and Guo Jing to protect Hua Zheng, and deliberately kept the full plan secret from others to avoid compromise. The plan was for the wine during the celebration to be used to burn down their tents, triggering a combined forces attack.
Temujin confronted Jamukha, echoing his earlier defiance: "I, Temujin, would rather die on my feet than live on my knees!" As Jamukha, defeated, repeated Temujin's defiant words from their earlier confrontation, now in despair, Temujin personally shot and killed him. With this decisive victory, Temujin’s army became invincible, unifying the Mongol tribes and fulfilling his grand ambition. He was henceforth known as Genghis Khan.
After the unification, Genghis Khan held a ceremony to reward his soldiers, appointing Jebe, Bo’orchu, and Muqali as commanders. He also appointed Guo Jing as a commander, much to the pride of his masters. Genghis Khan then announced that he would bestow upon Guo Jing a "very precious gift"—his favorite daughter, Hua Zheng—betrothing her to him and making him his "Golden Dagger Son-in-law." While others celebrated this great honor, Guo Jing hesitated, then politely declined the marriage.
Genghis Khan asked if Hua Zheng was not good enough for him. Guo Jing's mother, Li Ping, intervened, explaining that 18 years ago, her late husband and his sworn brother Yang Tiexin had made a promise: if their families had two boys, they would become sworn brothers; if a boy and a girl, they would marry.
Master Zhu, one of Guo Jing's masters, confirmed that the Yang family had indeed had a boy and that Taoist Qiu Chuji had located Yang Tiexin's son. He added that Qiu Chuji had asked them to bring Guo Jing to the South of Yangtze River to meet Yang’s son. Another master suggested that Guo Jing should first meet Yang's child and avenge his father's death, and only then return to marry Princess Hua Zheng.
Genghis Khan asked Hua Zheng for her opinion. Although saddened by Guo Jing's departure, Hua Zheng agreed, stating that if they were to marry and he still harbored thoughts of revenge, she would not be happy either, preferring him to fulfill his duty. Genghis Khan praised Hua Zheng's thoughtfulness and offered Guo Jing 10 taels of gold and 20 Mongol soldiers for his long journey.
However, Ke Zhen'e, the leader of Guo Jing's masters, politely declined the soldiers, stating that the Seven Freaks of the South would personally escort Guo Jing, as Mongol soldiers might draw too much attention. Genghis Khan accepted. They then raised a toast, wishing Guo Jing a rewarding journey. The next day, Guo Jing and his masters packed their belongings and left the desert.
Hua Zheng bade him a sorrowful farewell, reminding him of their promise and telling him she would wait for him. Guo Jing, seeing her distress, urged her to take care of herself, and then departed. After a long journey, Guo Jing and his masters arrived in Zhangjiakou.
His masters, delighted to return to the Central Plains after 18 years, reminisced about past times, including a friendly fight with Taoist Qiu, and remembered their deceased comrade Asheng, glad they brought Guo Jing there. Ke Zhen'e spotted some foreign women and their escorts. The masters, feeling tired, decided to find an inn to rest and drink.
They encouraged Guo Jing, who had grown up in Mongolia and was curious about the Central Plains, to explore the bustling streets by himself, instructing him to meet them at the inn later. As Guo Jing watched street performers, a young beggar, who was actually Huang Rong in disguise, dashed through the crowd, pursued by a bun shop owner. The beggar hid behind Guo Jing. Guo Jing, seeing the commotion, learned the beggar was being chased for stealing a bun.
He offered to pay for it, but when the owner demanded an exorbitant 30 cents, Huang Rong, angered by the price, threw the bun back at the owner and called him heartless. The furious owner then threatened to beat her. Guo Jing, seeing her outnumbered, quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her along, fleeing from the owner and his men. They climbed onto the rooftops, successfully shaking off their pursuers.
Catching her breath, Huang Rong complimented Guo Jing’s "great levitation skill." Claiming exhaustion, she then asked Guo Jing if he was hungry and led him to Yuzhen Restaurant, the best establishment in town. At the restaurant, a waiter, assuming Huang Rong was a beggar, tried to turn her away. She asserted she came to eat, and Guo Jing confirmed he would pay for the meal.
Annoyed by the waiter’s skepticism, Huang Rong told him to "cut the nonsense" and serve whatever she ordered, assuring him they would pay. She then proceeded to order an incredibly elaborate meal of various fruits and eight sophisticated appetizers, a list so extensive and refined that it left Guo Jing, who had only ever considered lamb dishes to be delicious, utterly astonished. However, Huang Rong barely touched the food, claiming she was "not impressed at all."
Guo Jing, seeing her lack of appetite, assured her he didn't mind paying, explaining that she was his first friend since leaving home, and his mother had taught him that friends should share everything. Guo Jing then inquired about her origins, noting her lack of a Northern accent.
Huang Rong, with a pitiful expression, fabricated a tragic tale: her mother died young, her father remarried, and her cruel stepmother tortured her daily, forcing her to do chores without food or sleep. She even claimed that wolves in the mountains didn't eat her because she was "too skinny." Guo Jing expressed deep sympathy, contrasting her sad story with his own "luckier" upbringing in Mongolia with his loving mother and seven masters.
He enthusiastically described Mongolia as a beautiful place with clear blue skies, full of "great heroes," and shared an anecdote about raising two well-trained white condors that came when he whistled. Fascinated, Huang Rong expressed a desire to go to Mongolia and catch her own condors. Guo Jing, concerned about her frail appearance, warned her she might not survive the Mongolian winter and urged her to return home to her father, but she insisted her father didn't care about her.
Touched by her story, Guo Jing generously gave her all 10 taels of gold he had received from Genghis Khan, saying it should last her a while. When Huang Rong asked if he regretted giving her all his money, and if he thought she was a swindler, Guo Jing firmly replied, "Of course not."
Observing her thin clothes, he then gave her his warm black fur coat, a gift from the Great Khan, telling her to wear it so she wouldn't catch a cold sleeping outside, and to take better care of herself. Huang Rong, touched by his kindness, asked why he trusted her when he didn't even know her name. Guo Jing admitted his oversight, introduced himself as Guo Jing, and asked for her name. She replied, "My name is Huang Rong."
