The Vendetta of An Episode 10 Recap
> The Vendetta of An Recap
A year ago, Han Ziling was summoned by the New Emperor. Xie Huaian warned him not to attend the summons, explaining that while General Gu Yu was loyal and had recommended Han, the Emperor disliked Gu Yu and sought to exclude him from certain affairs. Killing Han Ziling was the Emperor's way of sending a warning to Gu Yu to stay out of it.
Han Ziling expressed his disbelief and determination to go, stating he must go if he wished to save Xiao Wenjing. Xie Huaian then proposed a wager: he would find a wanted criminal to disguise as Han Ziling and send him to meet the Emperor. If the impostor died, Han Ziling would owe Xie Huaian a favor. Xie Huaian explained the impostor wouldn't need to say anything because the Emperor's intention was to kill "Han Ziling" regardless, as a warning.
Han Ziling questioned Xie Huaian's morality, noting that Xie Huaian promised the criminal's family 1,000 liang of gold for his sacrifice. Xie Huaian retorted that a "good man" could help neither Han Ziling nor the person Han wished to save. Finally, Xie Huaian asked Han Ziling to infiltrate Hidden Soldier Alley as an undercover agent. In the present, Xie Huaian and Han Ziling buried Di Lu's body in the courtyard.
Han Ziling was deeply distressed, lamenting that Di Lu had treated him as a friend and had died only after realizing Xie Huaian's true identity from a wound. Xie Huaian acknowledged Di Lu had indeed considered Han Ziling a friend but emphasized that the action was one of self-preservation; if Han Ziling had hesitated, both he and Xie Huaian would have ended up buried. He pointed out that ultimately, people act to protect themselves.
Given Di Lu's popularity in Hidden Soldier Alley, his disappearance would not remain a secret for long, so they needed a solid alibi. Xie Huaian poured wine over the burial spot, explaining that the house's damp, north-facing nature would help the wine smell linger for over ten days, masking the odor of the body.
They concocted a story: invited by Di Lu, they had visited his house in the first half of the Xu hour to taste his homemade pine needle wine. They drank and chatted, becoming somewhat reckless, and accidentally knocked over several jars of wine before leaving around Hai hour. Afterward, Han Ziling suffered from a hangover and was confined to bed, while Xie Huaian was busy writing travel passes.
They agreed that they would claim not to have seen Di Lu again for two or three days after that evening. One day, Han Ziling, using the name Li Sangeng, visited Xie Huaian, who was now posing as Wang Xing. Li Sangeng arrived under the pretense of preparing a travel pass for Li Mingtai, who was supposedly ill.
Li Sangeng admitted he had intentionally made Li Mingtai sick with questionable buns to create a plausible reason for Xie Huaian to leave his residence. He reported that Di Lu's disappearance hadn't yet aroused suspicion, as Di Lu had been known to take assignments that kept him away for several days. However, Li Sangeng warned that this wouldn't last. He then revealed the true layout of Hidden Soldier Alley.
It wasn't just a single alley but a larger conceptual area within Yanzuo Ward, measuring 450 bu from south to north and 650 bu from west to east. Everything inside this area, except the outermost ring where common people lived, constituted Hidden Soldier Alley. The outer ring provided excellent cover and could serve as a source of hostages in times of danger.
He noted that the row houses on the west side generated little trash, indicating fewer hidden soldiers and a weaker defense. The main troop storage areas were in the northwest and southeast, which they needed to avoid during any operation. Regarding Gu Yu, Li Sangeng reported that his location was widely known: Wang Pu had publicly dragged Gu Yu into the Zuihua Tower by the market, taking pride in the capture.
Xie Huaian declared that Gu Yu was too important to be lost. Li Sangeng then suggested that Xie Huaian deliver Li Mingtai's travel pass himself, as Li Mingtai's second-floor window directly overlooked the Zuihua Tower, offering a convenient vantage point. Meanwhile, Gu Yu was being held at Zuihua Tower, attended by a maid who eagerly sought to please him, replacing his previous attendant, Wumei.
She assured Gu Yu she was now his attendant and would remain so, claiming he would be staying there for a while and that Wang Pu wanted him to feel at home. She offered to fulfill any request, with the sole exception of helping him leave. Gu Yu then asked for a small carving knife and a piece of white camphor wood.
He explained that if he were truly confined there for a long time, he needed something to pass the time. He challenged her ability to even acquire a carving knife, to which she readily agreed to find it. Wang Pu, continuing his interrogation of Gu Yu's captured men, used brutal tactics. He questioned a Baiwenhu soldier about the number of infiltrators in Hidden Soldier Alley, offering to spare the soldier's life or even two lives if he revealed a name.
When the soldier remained silent, Wang Pu, frustrated by his "rudeness," ordered him burned alive. Later, Li Sangeng met Xie Huaian and informed him that a Baiwenhu soldier, likely attempting to rescue Gu Yu, had been burned to death. He advised Xie Huaian to warn the remaining Baiwenhu soldiers to be cautious and urged both of them to exercise extreme care. Back at his residence, Xie Huaian was confronted by the gatekeeper, Aunt Xin.
She noted that Di Lu had borrowed a fine pen from her a couple of days prior, making Xie Huaian the last person to see him before he vanished. She demanded to know Di Lu's whereabouts. Xie Huaian admitted that Di Lu was dead, his body buried beneath the wine jars in his house.
Aunt Xin, recognizing Xie Huaian despite his disguise (his dyed white hair), revealed her identity as one of his father's first Huben Army subordinates and swore revenge, citing Liu Ziyan as an example. Xie Huaian acknowledged her loyalty but reminded her that her adopted son, Qingyi, was now imprisoned by the Imperial Guard.
He showed her a gold coin, implying it was from Qingyi, and warned her that while Qingyi was an "expendable pawn" to the Huben Army, he was useful to Xie Huaian. He threatened Qingyi's life if anything happened to him, effectively placing Qingyi's fate in Aunt Xin's hands. Aunt Xin initially invoked the rigid rules of the Huben Army, but Xie Huaian countered, highlighting her deep maternal bond with Qingyi.
He reminded her how, many years ago, after her biological child Liu Ziqi died, she found a young Qingyi, about the same age as her deceased child, eating offerings at the grave, and took him in as a "gift from above." He appealed to her not to let her "second child" die. He promised Qingyi's safe return if she remained silent and helped him stay hidden in Hidden Soldier Alley.
When she questioned if he would spare Qingyi, given Qingyi had once schemed against him and served the Huben Army, Xie Huaian stated he possessed "some humanity." He then dismissed her, acknowledging the past bond between her and his father. In a flashback, Aunt Xin, mourning at her son Liu Ziqi's grave, encountered a starving young Qingyi eating the offerings. She recognized his desperation and his age being similar to her late son.
Qingyi, who confessed to having killed members of his opera troupe and escaping, sought her guidance on survival, acknowledging he was already on a dark path. Aunt Xin taught him. Meanwhile, Xiao Wenjing brought food to Wang Xing, who was disrespectful, making Xiao Wenjing "eat like a dog." Wang Xing tried to escape, telling Xiao Wenjing that he had to go into Hidden Soldier Alley; if he didn't, he would die, but if he did, his master would die.
He tearfully described his family—a wife and six-year-old daughter—and how a rogue was harassing his wife back home in Guiyi Ward, Wazi Alley, at the breakfast stall where she often wore a worn-out purple robe. He needed to return to kill the rogue himself. Xiao Wenjing, realizing Wang Xing's treachery, stopped him, calling him an "ungrateful mutt," and ended up killing him in a struggle. Xiao Wenjing then solemnly dragged Wang Xing's body away.
Later, Wang Pu visited Xie Huaian's (Wang Xing's) courtyard, noting its unusual quietness. Xie Huaian explained he had sent his helpers home because Wang Pu had requested minimal personnel handle newly issued confidential travel passes. Satisfied, Wang Pu showed Xie Huaian the details of the confidential document: a physical description of a man—"Height six chi. Square forehead, broad face, a nose that rises straight up to the brow, and long hanging earlobes. From Binning to Chang'an." Xie Huaian instantly recognized the description.
