The Long Ballad Episode 33 Recap
> The Long Ballad Recap
Du Ruhui gathered archers to guard outside Liuyun Temple. Li Jing also arrived there, asking Du Ruhui to hand over the command, as he was more adept at deploying troops. Du Ruhui never imagined that Liuyun Temple would warrant Li Jing’s personal appearance—he had tried to seek an audience with Li Jing eighteen times without success. Li Jing merely chuckled, saying he had taken a liking to a good disciple and naturally didn’t want him to perish at Liuyun Temple.
Li Jing then took Du Ruhui’s military tally and began deploying troops and ordering arrows to be fired. Inside the temple, Asher Sun heard Li Jing’s voice. Familiar with Li Jing’s tactics, he easily dodged the incoming arrows. Soon, only Jinse remained alive inside the temple. Asher Sun and Li Changge captured her. Jinse repeatedly accused Asher Sun of betraying Asher’s Tribe and the Great Khan. However, Asher Sun stood firm—he had never betrayed his tribe.
He was merely saving someone he cared about. Jinse, in contrast, was the one truly leading the tribe into disgrace. Her actions were meant to incite war between Asher’s Tribe and the Tang Empire. Hao Du arrived at Liuyun Temple with his men. Asher Sun knocked Jinse unconscious, preparing to hand her over to the Tang Empire, then fled to the backyard with Li Changge.
Inside the temple, Du Ruhui could not find Changge, and Li Jing was also surprised that Asher Sun was not there. Situ Langlang claimed that the person who had just coordinated with Li Jing was him—only he and the temple master were inside the entire time. The people inside the temple insisted on protecting Changge. Du Ruhui relented and decided not to pursue the matter further.
He apologized to the temple master for his earlier offense, but the master took no offense and simply advised Du Ruhui to let go of his obsession. Du Ruhui, who hadn’t seen Li Jing in many days, now stood before him. He tried to provoke Li Jing to return to court in his official robes, but Li Jing didn’t fall for it.
Du Ruhui, left with no other options, brought up the Crown Prince’s disappearance and proposed a full-scale citywide search. Li Jing, however, worried it would alert the enemy. Li Leyan, meticulous in thought, came up with a perfect plan and asked Du Ruhui to hand her the military tally first. In the city, Li Leyan distributed porridge to the poor. During this, she and Hao Du spotted a strange-looking man at the relief station.
The man was leaving the city with a young girl and tried to kill her once outside. Fortunately, Hao Du rescued the child and brought her to Li Leyan. The rescue was all thanks to Li Leyan. Luoyang was also being secured according to her plans. She knelt to comfort the girl and, once she was safe, handed her over to Hao Du. Hao Du wanted to escort her back, as it wasn’t safe, but she refused and left alone.
Wei Shuyu learned from soldiers that Hao Du had deliberately let Li Changge go. He felt relieved—so long as Changge was safe, he could rest easy. Later, Du Ruhui came to see Jinse and discovered she was a descendant of the Sui royal family. Jinse was not acting alone, but she refused to reveal anything more. Du Ruhui ordered her imprisoned, wanting her to experience a fate worse than death. Li Changge woke up.
Luo Shiba brought her medicine but, not being good at caring for others, nearly scalded her. Asher Sun quickly took the bowl and fed the medicine to Changge, but she drank it all in one gulp. Then she suddenly remembered the Crown Prince and, alarmed, told Li Leyan and Wei Shuyu where he was. Upon learning the location, Wei Shuyu proposed bringing Hao Du along. The three went to a sumo arena and found the bruised and battered Crown Prince.
Still arrogant, he threatened to kill Changge and all who disrespected him. Enraged, Li Leyan struck him and told him to control himself—and never mention Changge to Du Ruhui again after returning. On the grassland, Mimi Guli saved a child who, upon waking, reminded her not to forget her mission. He had been sent by Yicheng and begged her to keep him alive, or else Yicheng would kill him. Mimi had to stay true to her duty.
At that moment, Mu Jin arrived and took Mimi to a field of flowers, where he gave her a piece of candy and confessed his feelings. Mimi felt unworthy of Mu Jin and rejected him, but Mu Jin insisted that he was the one unworthy of her. After Asher Sun left the grassland, the Great Khan drowned himself in wine, missing him and wishing things could return to the way they were.
Meanwhile, in prison, Jinse took out the poison hidden on her body and committed suicide. Before dying, she recalled her plan with Yicheng. Humiliating Yicheng before the Great Khan had been part of the plan, so that she would gain the grassland people’s sympathy. When they least expected it, she would strike. She had brought Yicheng’s plan to Luoyang, but failed. Sensing something was wrong due to the lack of updates from Jinse, Yicheng prepared to dismantle the Great Khan’s power and have Asher Sheer take his place.
