The Vendetta of An Episode 11 Recap
> The Vendetta of An Recap
The Four Regional Military Commanders prepared to enter the Capital, a time of uncertainty for the newly enthroned Xiao Wuyang and Chancellor Gao. As Xiao Wuyang played his flute, Chancellor Gao reported that Xie Huaian was already deploying a plan to rescue Gu Yu, whose fate remained uncertain. Xiao Wuyang reflected that while they once easily predicted outcomes, like their military campaign against Chang'an, now, holding power presented unforeseen challenges.
Chancellor Gao conceded that "it's easier to seize power than to hold onto it." The commanders' impending arrival threatened a bloody confrontation, as they would undoubtedly resist relinquishing their military authority. Xiao Wuyang considered eliminating them to prevent an alliance with the Huben Army, believing Chancellor Gao capable of managing the fallout while striking. Meanwhile, Xie Huaian, deep within Hidden Soldier Alley, was setting his own intricate plans into motion.
He met with Ye Zheng, confirming that the Four Regional Military Commanders had entered the city discreetly, their movements tracked by Xiaoqing. Xie Huaian revealed he had located Gu Yu but intended to "plot another move" before acting. He handed Ye Zheng a secret message for Chancellor Gao, instructing him to stop his planned assassination of the four regional military commanders.
In response to Xie Huaian's inquiry about Wang Xing, whom his pageboy Xiao Wenjing had been assigned to watch, Ye Zheng reported that Wang Xing was dead and buried, attributing the swift and unexpected turn of events to circumstances beyond Xiao Wenjing's control. Haunted by Wang Xing's dying words about his wife, a noodle stall proprietress, being harassed by a thug, Xiao Wenjing sought out the noodle stall.
There, he found Wang Xing's wife, in a faded white dress, tending to her little daughter. Overcome with guilt for killing the family's pillar, Xiao Wenjing quietly observed them while eating buns. That night, a belligerent thug arrived, loudly demanding entry and spewing insults at the mother and daughter. Enraged, Xiao Wenjing emerged, killing the thug with his axe, and then silently dragged the body away, performing the grim act as a form of penance.
Concurrently, the Four Regional Military Commanders gathered for lamb hotpot in an alley. Though outwardly composed, they were apprehensive about losing their military seals, a prize they had won alongside the founding emperor 30 years prior. One commander, having foresight, revealed he had already bought the entire alley, securing at least that much if the worst came to pass. Ye Zheng soon found Xiao Wenjing, noting his grim demeanor, which reminded him of a "hitman" or "swordsman."
Xiao Wenjing confessed his acts were "penance." Ye Zheng delivered urgent news: Chancellor Gao planned to assassinate the Four Regional Military Commanders that very night. Gao was at a nearby tea house, while the commanders dined in an alley. Ye Zheng tasked Xiao Wenjing with stopping the assassination, handing him Xie Huaian's secret message and the Marquis of Wuyang's official seal—a jade token personally given by the Emperor to Xie Huaian, granting unrestricted movement throughout Chang'an.
Ye Zheng explained he needed to disarm the assassins Chancellor Gao had stationed around the tea house. Chancellor Gao, in the tea house, prepared to issue the final order. Xiao Wenjing frantically searched the area for him, mistakenly entering a small tavern filled with assassins deployed by the regional commanders, clearly targeting Chancellor Gao. He quickly located Chancellor Gao, presenting the Marquis of Wuyang's official seal and urgently warning him that the commanders were planning a counter-assassination.
He implored Gao to flee. Gao, unnervingly calm, deduced that Xiao Wenjing had uncovered two simultaneous deadly plots. He acknowledged Xie Huaian's sharp intellect, reflected in his pageboy, but lamented that Xiao Wenjing's intervention had thwarted his strategic plan to legitimize his strike by allowing the commanders to make the first move. Challenging Xiao Wenjing to find a solution, Gao continued to sip his tea.
Thinking quickly, Xiao Wenjing flung open a window and bellowed, warning the commanders of an impending assassination and urging them to escape. This cry prompted the commanders' own assassins to rush out to protect their masters, only to be ambushed and captured by Chancellor Gao's waiting forces. Gao still intended to proceed with killing the commanders.
Xiao Wenjing swiftly presented Xie Huaian's secret message, which argued that executing the commanders now would cause Yan Fengshan to retreat, thus losing the "bait" necessary to lure him out. After reading the letter, Chancellor Gao deferred the final decision to Xiao Wuyang, who was observing from an upper floor. Xiao Wenjing, upon seeing his brother, Xiao Wuyang, immediately knelt in fear, then quickly departed.
Xiao Wuyang remarked on Xiao Wenjing being the first person in years to approach him with a weapon so closely, acknowledging a rare "flaw" in their otherwise meticulous planning. He and Chancellor Gao concluded that the intricate "trap within a trap" was likely the work of the Huben Army, deciding to entrust both Gu Yu's fate and Yan Fengshan's downfall to Xie Huaian, whom they referred to as "White Hair."
As the immediate danger subsided, the regional military commanders, now safe, inquired about the next step. One of the commanders, addressing Wang Pu, declared that General Yan Fengshan would "personally join the fray." Later, Xiao Wenjing confided in Ye Zheng about his encounter with his brother. He found it strange that Xiao Wuyang didn't recognize him, but even stranger that he felt no hatred for the man who had usurped his empire and life of luxury.
Xiao Wenjing pondered whether he truly didn't love the empire as much as he once thought. Xie Huaian also discussed Xiao Wenjing with Han Ziling (formerly Li Sange), asking why Han Ziling, initially recommended by Gu Yu, had planned to save Xiao Wenjing's life. Han Ziling revealed it was due to a misunderstanding, having witnessed Xiao Wenjing's plight under Yan Fengshan's oppression, realizing that even as emperor, he was like a caged bird.
Having read Xiao Wenjing's writings from his time as crown prince, Han Ziling believed that despite his subsequent weakness, Xiao Wenjing possessed a genuine concern for his people. He quoted Xiao Wenjing's four wishes for ministers, soldiers, the Emperor, and common folk, particularly appreciating the wish for the common people to live peacefully without concern for rising prices. Han Ziling lamented Xiao Wenjing's subsequent weakness under Yan Fengshan's long suppression, preventing him from ushering in a peaceful era.
He admitted to being "stubbornly old-fashioned" in his continued hope for Xiao Wenjing. Han Ziling then entrusted Xie Huaian with a letter for Xiao Wenjing, requesting its delivery should anything happen to him, believing that even without knowing his whereabouts, Xiao Wenjing was gazing at the same moon. Meanwhile, Wang Pu relentlessly pursued the Baiwenhu Army in Hidden Soldier Alley.
Known for his keen intellect and meticulous methods as Yan Fengshan's top strategist, he searched for clues by analyzing the trash. He confidently confirmed the presence of Baiwenhu soldiers, having previously deduced their existence from a unique medicinal plaster for knee pain, specifically developed by the Gu family for the Baiwenhu Army. He pinpointed their location to the seventh row of rooms.
Unbeknownst to Wang Pu, Xie Huaian had anticipated his methods and cunningly planted the incriminating bandage to create a false trail. Xie Huaian informed Wu Juan that Wang Pu had fallen for the bait. He had already relocated the other Baiwenhu soldiers to vacant residences in the western part of the alley.
With a detailed map of Hidden Soldier Alley, Xie Huaian outlined the rescue plan for Gu Yu, highlighting critical points around Zuihua Tower where the Huben Army maintained watch. As dusk settled, Xie Huaian initiated the operation. When Wang Pu and his forces stormed the supposed hideout, they found themselves ambushed and surrounded by Wu Juan and the Baiwenhu Army, realizing too late that Gu Yu had already been rescued.
