The Long Ballad Episode 35 Recap
> The Long Ballad Recap
Leyan mentioned Changge to Li Shimin, saying she only wished that one day Changge could let go of her inner knot and return. Seeing the table full of delicious dishes, Leyan couldn’t help but think of the hardships of the common people. She didn’t ask Li Shimin for rewards, only hoping that he would allow the people of the Tang Dynasty to live a life free of famine as soon as possible.
Seeing how different Leyan had become, Li Shimin could feel the hardships she had endured. Leyan remembered the bitterness, but also the kindness. She mentioned Madam Chai, who took her in, and pleaded for a favor on her behalf. At the same time, she asked Li Shimin for permission to leave the palace. She was preparing to go out to investigate agriculture and silk production, to show sympathy for the people’s suffering.
Yalu requested an audience with the Great Khan, but Sheer’s close aide, Raymond, killed Yalu. Raymond and Yicheng were in collusion and had already taken control of the Yurt Court. Yicheng found Asher Sun’s letter on Yalu and realized that Asher Sun had grown suspicious about the Dingxiang incident. Now that Jinse's plan had failed, Raymond was preparing to replace her and go to Luoyang on Yicheng’s behalf to carry out the grand scheme.
Later, Yicheng brought medicine to the ailing Great Khan. She drugged it, and after he passed out, she stole his seal and sent Raymond to deliver a message to the Eagle Division, claiming that Yalu had shown contempt for the Royal Court and was imprisoned. Yicheng feared Asher Sun and didn’t want him to ruin her plan.
Once her great ambition was achieved, the first person she intended to eliminate was Asher Sun, so Sheer could ascend to power without obstacles and no longer suffer under her. Leyan was preparing to leave the palace to investigate agriculture and silk production. Hao Dou was ordered to accompany her. Hao Dou kept avoiding Leyan, fearing he would upset her. Helpless, Leyan had to order Hao Dou to stay using her status as a princess.
Hao Dou had been suppressing his emotions. He stopped and couldn’t help but pour out his heart to Leyan. The reason he kept avoiding her was that he thought she didn’t like him, and he didn’t want to upset her, so he chose to protect her from afar. As long as Leyan was safe, he wanted nothing else. After speaking, Hao Dou turned to leave again, but Leyan stopped him.
She thanked him for saving Changge’s life and no longer treated him as a stranger. She asked him to protect her well. Seeing an elderly couple cuddling in the fields, Leyan was reminded of Shuyu. She knew there was someone else in Shuyu’s heart. Hao Dou encouraged Leyan to be brave and express her feelings, saying that even if she was rejected, it was okay.
Raymond arrived at the Eagle Division with a letter sealed with the Great Khan’s seal, crushing Asher Sun’s hope of obtaining the Lithospermum from the Yurt Court. The Royal Court refused to provide it, and now the priority was treating the sick soldiers of the Eagle Division. Asher Sun believed the Great Khan wouldn’t kill Yalu without reason, so he decided to temporarily endure the injustice to Yalu and focus on obtaining the Lithospermum.
Although the Northern Desert was remote, it could be reached in three days. Changge planned to lead Elder Qin’s Yanxing Sect to the north to find the medicine. Mimi learned of the plan and prepared to go with her. Hao Dou told Shuyu about Leyan’s hardship during the investigation. Shuyu made time to accompany Leyan for a day. Gathering her courage, Leyan asked Shuyu if he still liked Changge.
She confessed that she liked him and wanted to walk side by side with him. Although Shuyu knew he and Changge were not meant to be, he also didn’t have feelings for Leyan. But just as he brushed a flower petal from her hair, Leyan misunderstood and happily assumed he had accepted her. Shuyu didn’t deny it. Hao Dou, seeing Leyan get what she wished for, smiled faintly, feeling happy for her. Asher Sun was planning Changge’s route.
Sun Simiao bluntly said Asher Sun was lovesick. The next day, Changge and her group arrived in the Northern Desert. She and Mimi saw that Asher's Tribe was recruiting new soldiers but had no time to care and rushed to the pharmacy for Lithospermum. However, due to a recent royal decree banning the trade of Lithospermum, there was none available. They left empty-handed. Elder Qin planned to try another method and buy it at a high price.
While Elder Qin sought the herb, Changge informed the Tang Dynasty of Asher’s Tribe recruiting new soldiers. She, Mimi, and Xufeng stopped at an inn for a meal. There, they encountered a mischievous little girl who shamelessly dined without paying, confidently convincing the innkeeper she wasn’t dodging the bill—just paying a few days late.
