The Promise of Chang'an Episode 39 Recap
> The Promise of Chang'an Recap
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Xiao Chengxuan expressed frustration to Xiao Chengxu, noting that Helan Mingyu was demanding they withdraw troops and return Xiao Qiyuan, accusing her of exploiting Xiao Chengxu's feelings. When Helan Mingyu arrived, Xiao Chengxu ordered everyone, including Xiao Chengxuan, to leave, so they could speak privately. Helan Mingyu confessed that she was responsible for Prince Zheng (Xiao Chengli) and the Dragon and Phoenix Battalions aiding Xiao Qihan to force Xiao Chengxu to halt his advance.
She questioned if his continued fight was due to Xiao Chengrui's will, an assassination decree, or just his ambition, asking how she could stand by and watch Xiao Qiyuan’s life be at risk. She explained that Helan Yunqi was about to announce the late emperor’s will, which designated Xiao Qiyuan as the heir.
She urged Xiao Chengxu to release Xiao Qiyuan and allow him to ascend the throne, promising that he would then be granted the position of regent, holding real power without needing the emperor's title. She assured him that she would not act like Consort Qiaoshu, currying favor with both sides, as he had always been the person she trusted most. She implored him to let Xiao Qiyuan go.
Xiao Chengxu retorted that his only weakness was Helan Mingyu, and Xiao Qiyuan was not important enough. He then threatened to kill all members of the Dragon, Phoenix, and Tiger Battalions if they were only concerned about the assassination order, asking if that would bring her peace.
Helan Mingyu was appalled, calling his words insane and reminding him that the Twelve Great Xiao Battalions were his royal father's creation, and the Dragon, Phoenix, and Tiger Battalions were his comrades who fought alongside him to protect the nation. She warned that internal strife among the battalions would plunge Great Sheng into civil unrest, allowing Great Liang to exploit the chaos, ultimately harming innocent commoners and destroying everything he had worked so hard to achieve.
Xiao Chengxu insisted he was only seeking justice, but Helan Mingyu countered that his personal justice was not worth sacrificing the well-being of thousands. Xiao Chengxu expressed his deep hatred for Xiao Chengrui, who had ruined everything for him, including his mother, the throne, and Helan Mingyu. He regretted not killing Xiao Chengrui when he had the chance, believing Xiao Chengrui had orchestrated this entire situation to hurt him.
Helan Mingyu acknowledged Xiao Chengxu's pain and her own hatred for Xiao Chengrui's methods, but she recognized that Xiao Chengrui's ultimate goal was Great Sheng's long-term peace and stability, a responsibility she believed they both shared and could not escape. Xiao Chengxu, unwilling to give up, asserted that if Xiao Qiyuan became emperor, Helan Mingyu would become Empress Dowager, making any future for them impossible.
He argued that giving up the throne meant losing her, a prospect he couldn't bear after waiting so many years. With tears, Helan Mingyu told him they never had a future and that his obsession might lead him to sacrifice Great Sheng for nothing. Xiao Chengxu, however, declared he didn't care about anything else.
Helan Mingyu, having exhausted her arguments, urged him to face reality, pointing out that Xiao Qihan would undoubtedly support Xiao Qiyuan, and his battalions would join them, making it impossible for Xiao Chengxu to win. Xiao Chengxu provocatively asked if she truly believed he wouldn't use Xiao Qiyuan as a shield or even kill him. Helan Mingyu, distressed, cried out that he wouldn't dare because Xiao Qiyuan was her life, and if he died, she would not live either.
She accused him of using her life to force his hand and warned him to take responsibility for his choices, vowing to attend either his coronation or his funeral if it came to that. Helan Mingyu then left, leaving Xiao Chengxu in despair, questioning why she was so cruel to him and what he had done wrong. Helan Mingyu waited anxiously, unsure if Xiao Chengxu would yield.
When Xiao Qiyuan did not return for a prolonged period, Helan Mingyu was about to enact their final plan, but then Xiao Qiyuan suddenly reappeared, completely oblivious to the recent events. He cheerfully recounted how his Ninth Uncle, Xiao Chengxu, had taught him hunting. An attendant then delivered a letter from Xiao Chengxu to Helan Mingyu.
The letter simply said, "I cannot bear it," which Helan Mingyu understood to mean that he could not bear to destroy the world's peace and safety, nor could he bear to destroy her lifetime of peace, as these were his greatest wishes. Helan Mingyu realized that she had ultimately forced him to abandon his final ambition.
At the Chengtian Gate, Xiao Qihan confronted Xiao Chengxu, mocking him for surrendering to a "beguiling beauty" rather than engaging in a satisfying fight, to which Xiao Chengxu responded with a challenge. Xiao Qihan, still bitter, declared Xiao Chengxu his defeated subordinate but acknowledged that he would accept the late emperor's will. Helan Yunqi then officially announced Xiao Chengrui's decree, naming the Sixth Prince of Guanglin, Xiao Qiyuan, as the heir to the throne. The nobles accepted.
Helan Yunqi also announced that Helan Mingyu, as Consort Xian and Xiao Qiyuan's mother, would rule alongside her as co-Empress Dowagers, jointly overseeing the harem and guiding the young emperor. She then called upon the nobles to select a prince to serve as the nation's advisor. Xiao Chengli suggested that Helan Yunqi make the choice, and she nominated Xiao Chengxu, the Prince of Yan, as the most worthy for the responsibility of regent.
Xiao Qihan immediately raised an objection, questioning what would happen if the future regent harbored ill intentions and attempted to usurp the throne from the young emperor. He further suggested that the regent might force the Empress Dowagers to declare the emperor too young and abdicate.
He then demanded that Xiao Chengxu swear an oath of absolute loyalty, vowing to accept death if he ever harbored rebellious thoughts, or else another prince should be chosen to share the regency and supervise Xiao Chengxu. Xiao Chengxu agreed, declaring he would take the oath immediately so no other prince would be needed for shared regency.
He swore before the heavens and the people that he would govern impartially, never become arrogant, and would punish anyone attempting to persuade him to conspire as a traitor. He concluded his oath by vowing to die a horrible death if his loyalty ever wavered. Later, Helan Yunqi welcomed Xiao Chengxu, thanking him for stabilizing the situation at court.
She urged him not to dispute with Xiao Qihan, who was still upset and had spoken disrespectfully, and asked him to be lenient for her and the emperor's sake. Xiao Chengxu assured her he would not argue, provided Xiao Qihan understood their sacrifices for Great Sheng.
Helan Yunqi then explained that as the new emperor, Xiao Qiyuan needed to observe a period of mourning before his coronation, and during this time, the affairs of the nation would be entrusted to Xiao Chengxu. He promised not to let her worry. Xiao Qiyuan innocently asked his Royal Mother if he could bring Xiao Qirong to sit on the throne in the royal hall, causing Helan Mingyu's expression to change.
Xiao Chengxu intervened, sternly telling Xiao Qiyuan that the throne was not a toy and only he, the emperor, was allowed to sit there. He promised to protect Xiao Qiyuan and ensure no one troubled him. Xiao Chengxu then gifted Xiao Qiyuan a precious dragon jade pendant, a gift from his own royal father, saying it was meant for someone lucky enough to wear the dragon robe.
He expressed his hope that Xiao Qiyuan would become a good emperor and bring peace to his mother. After Xiao Qiyuan left, Helan Mingyu expressed guilt, feeling that she had ruined his chances. Xiao Chengxu, however, stated that his decision was made willingly and was his own choice.
He then confessed that although they had gone in circles for years and could never be together, he still held one wish: for Helan Mingyu to finish the sachet she had promised to sew for him before he went to war. He asked her to finish it if she wished to repay his kindness.
Helan Mingyu understood that the dragon pendant Xiao Chengxu gave Xiao Qiyuan was not merely a precious item, but a symbol of his relinquished dream and his profound promise. Su Yuying, in a fit of rage, smashed objects and confronted Xiao Chengxu with a knife. She accused him of betraying her, lying, and using her, believing he orchestrated everything to give the throne to Helan Mingyu’s son.
Xiao Chengxu explained that Consort Hui had been manipulating them both, trying to use them to achieve her own goals before abandoning them. Su Yuying, however, dismissed his explanation as an excuse, convinced he acted solely for Helan Mingyu. She reminded him that she had saved his life from the former emperor and questioned how he could repay her with such heartlessness. Xiao Chengxu stated that he had given her extensive control over Yan Manor and never interfered.
He then took the knife and held it to his own chest, offering his life if she felt he still owed her. Su Yuying, unable to act, broke down in tears, screaming and questioning why he treated her so cruelly after all she had done for him, and what she had done wrong to deserve it. After Xiao Qiyuan fell asleep, Helan Mingyu retrieved the unfinished sachet she had promised Xiao Chengxu ten years prior.
She decided to complete it, seeing it as a way to finish what she had started. Ling Zhen'er expressed concern that Xiao Chengxu might desire more than just the sachet, wondering if he still harbored hopes for Helan Mingyu. Helan Mingyu dismissed this, stating that given their current statuses, it was impossible for him to have any such hopes.
Xiao Chengxu informed Helan Mingyu that he planned to lead his troops to war against Great Liang after Xiao Qiyuan's coronation, determined to force an end to the conflict. Helan Mingyu then handed him the completed sachet, wishing him a peaceful and safe life. Xiao Chengxu noted that the sachet was half new and half old, different from his original vision, and realized that some things, like their past, could never be restored.
Helan Mingyu acknowledged that what they had missed could never return, just like their relationship from ten years ago. During the coronation ceremony, Empress Dowagers Helan Yunqi and Helan Mingyu guided a still-puzzled Xiao Qiyuan to the throne. Sometime later, a messenger reported to Helan Yunqi that Xiao Chengxu had defeated the Great Liang emperor, sitting on their throne in the royal hall and receiving the court's respect.
The messenger added that in Chang'an, people only spoke of the Prince of Yan, not of the new emperor, Xiao Qiyuan. Helan Yunqi expressed deep concern, fearing Xiao Chengxu's potential disloyalty, especially since he had taken the best soldiers and generals from the Twelve Battalions, leaving only the old and disabled in Yan City. However, Helan Mingyu calmly reassured her, reminding Helan Yunqi that she had watched Xiao Chengxu grow up and questioning if she truly doubted his word. Helan Mingyu stated that she trusted the promise he had made.
