The Long Ballad Episode 9 Recap
> The Long Ballad Recap
Li Changge took Shen Gu to the Governor's Office. Wang Junkuo had killed his superior to save his own life, and he secretly revealed Li Changge's identity to Shen Gu, hoping Shen Gu would spare him. Shen Gu was always a righteous man. When Changge rushed overnight to get reinforcements, not only did he refuse to shield Wang Junkuo through favoritism, but he also secretly helped Changge escape the Governor’s Office when Gao Du discovered her.
Shen Gu escorted Li Changge out. She held the Crown Prince’s Seal in her hand and asked Shen Gu to leave with her. However, Shen Gu had been a subordinate of Li Jiancheng, and Du Ruhui would not easily let him go. Shen Gu saved Changge to repay the kindness Li Jiancheng had shown him back then.
A mere dead object could not command an army; though he was once Li Jiancheng’s man, he was now a general of the Great Tang. With Asher's Tribe on the move, he had to remain in Youzhou. Shen Gu’s view of the greater good benefited Li Changge. Following his advice, she rode northwest toward Jizhou. Meanwhile, Wei Shuyu and Gao Du came in pursuit.
Shen Gu stopped the two, but with Gao Du’s help, Shuyu broke free and went after Changge. On a path leading to Jizhou, the young khan tried to intercept Asher Sun, but he was no match for him and suffered a minor defeat. He could only watch helplessly as Asher Sun left. At the same time, Changge was caught up by Shuyu. He wanted her to return with him, promising her safety, but Changge no longer trusted anyone.
Shuyu brought up the Crown Prince’s Seal in her possession. In response, Changge stabbed Shuyu with a knife, fully aware that he only came for the seal. She threw it at him, declaring that such a dead object could not summon an army. From that moment on, she severed all ties with Shuyu. Hao Dou was captured by Shen Gu.
Wei Shuyu brought the Crown Prince’s Seal to rescue him, but Hao Dou insisted on continuing the search for Li Changge. Back at the inn, Gao Du and Shuyu found that Leyan had been knocked unconscious and taken away. Shuyu wanted to look for her, but Gao Du made a decisive decision—Shuyu should return to Chang'an with the Crown Prince’s Seal and report Leyan’s abduction to the Crown Prince. In Chang'an, Du Ruhui received news of the mutiny in Youzhou.
He deliberately suggested to Li Shimin that the Youzhou generals be suppressed and their military power taken back. Wei Zheng, being straightforward, believed that suppressing the generals would be unwise. Since most of the old forces in Youzhou were once under Li Yuanji, he volunteered to go north to pacify them, hoping Li Shimin would adopt a gentle policy to win hearts. Li Shimin agreed to Wei Zheng’s request. Along the way, Changge left signs for A Dou.
Late at night, she found a woodshed and unexpectedly encountered Asher Sun there again. Seeing that he was injured, she took the initiative to dress his wounds. She asked about his identity, and Asher Sun admitted he was from the grasslands but did not go into specifics. Changge did not pursue the question further. When he learned that she was heading to Jizhou, Asher Sun reminded her of the unrest along the borders and advised her to protect herself.
Changge accepted the money he gave her but did not stop moving forward—she had always been fearless in pursuing her goals. Li Shimin felt at ease after retrieving the Crown Prince’s Seal and planned to stop pursuing Changge. Du Ruhui reported Leyan’s disappearance. Though anxious, Li Shimin decided to let Wei Shuyu redeem himself by finding her. At the same time, he ordered officials across the counties to secretly search for her and kept the matter quiet.
Leyan had been kidnapped by a flower picker named Hai Lao. She was raised in luxury and could not stomach the coarse food he gave her. Tearfully, she begged him to let her go, but he refused. Leyan waited for Shuyu to come to her rescue. When she spotted him outside the carriage and was about to call out, another kidnapped girl named Susu knocked her unconscious in order to curry favor with Hai Lao.
