The Vendetta of An Episode 15 Recap
> The Vendetta of An Recap
Yan Fengshan, desperate for a puppet to solidify his control over the capital, finds a young orphan to play the part. He crafts a grand deception, telling the boy to forget his past and claiming he is actually of the Xiao imperial bloodline—a long-lost prince. Yan declares that since the throne is vacant, the boy must become the Emperor to maintain order.
When the bewildered boy asks if it is true, Yan bluntly admits it is a lie, but asserts that his word makes it reality. He then orders Zhiying to dress the boy in a dragon robe to see if it fits. Meanwhile, Wang Pu goes alone to a remote temple to confront Xie Huaian, who is calmly cooking dumplings.
Xie reveals that they met nineteen years ago, back when Yan Fengshan was a cold and cruel general who had just adopted a child from the northern border. Xie then tells Wang Pu the horrific truth of his origins and Yan’s blood-stained past. Twenty-five years ago, at a place called Chen Valley—known to the Tiemo people as Mingshanzi Gorge—Yan and his soldiers were captured and locked in a granary.
Their captors toyed with them, providing less food each day until only a single bun and a knife remained. To survive, Yan killed all his brothers-in-arms; when the Tiemo finally opened the doors, they found him sitting among the corpses, eating them. After escaping, Yan wandered the wasteland like a ghost until he reached his own borders. A kind farming couple took him in, offering him a hot meal and meat.
However, still trapped in the trauma of the granary and believing one had to kill to eat, Yan murdered the couple with the very knife they provided for his meal. He only spared the infant crying in his cradle—the child who grew up to be Wang Pu.
Xie Huaian gives Wang Pu a choice: return to Yan Fengshan and poison him with a plate of dumplings to avenge his parents, or die at the temple at the hands of Captain Wang, who is waiting outside. Xie admits he wants to see Yan die with his own eyes. Wang Pu returns to the city, buys pork, and prepares dumplings for his adoptive father.
When Yan arrives, Wang Pu invites him to eat, mentioning that the guards sent to watch him were eliminated and that he had met Xie Huaian. Wang Pu asks for the truth, and Yan confirms the story of the granary and the murdered couple, admitting he changed the course of Wang Pu’s life, which should have been a simple existence as a farmer.
Yan tells Wang Pu that avenging his blood kin is only right and says he will not blame him for any choice he makes. However, Wang Pu remains loyal to the man who raised him, stating that the parents he never knew mean nothing to him. He informs Yan that a man in a fisherman's hat and a fish-glue mask—presumably Xie Huaian—is watching from a nearby watchtower.
Wang Pu then eats the dumplings himself, coughing up blood as he reveals he poisoned his own portion. He chooses to die for his father rather than kill him, wishing Yan a long life and peace. As Wang Pu breathes his last, Yan sighs at the young man’s foolishness, realizing that Xie Huaian never actually believed Wang Pu would kill his adoptive father; the plan was for Yan to witness the agonizing death of the person he loved most.
Yan sends Zhiying to the tower, but they find only a decoy. Following the ordeal, Xie Huaian and Captain Wang confront the temple keeper, who had planned to sell Xie out for a reward. Xie spares the man’s life despite his betrayal and thanks him for the shelter before ordering Captain Wang to return to the capital to gather their remaining men.
Xie notes that a Tiemo secret envoy is heading to the capital to negotiate with Yan, providing the perfect opportunity to strike back. Xie travels to Cangshuiuan, a hidden refuge designed by his father where salt-funnel timers are used to tell time in the absence of sunlight. There, he finds Xiao Wenjing working in a salt shop. Xiao Wenjing is overjoyed to see Xie, and they regroup with Ye Zheng to discuss the political landscape.
Yan Fengshan has the capital sealed and is using a fake emperor to maintain a facade of peace, while Xiao Wuyang’s army is surrounded. They realize Yan intends to bribe the Tiemo by ceding northern lands in exchange for them destroying the White Tiger Army. Xie also visits the injured Xiao Wuyang, who experiences brief moments of clarity.
Wuyang encourages Xie to use his wisdom to serve the people, just as his father did, and vows not to die before Yan is defeated. He warns Xie to keep his awakening a secret from everyone. As they prepare their next move, Xie tells Xiao Wenjing that once the Tiemo envoy enters the capital, they will make him disappear for one night, during which Xiao Wenjing—the true prince—must negotiate with him as the Emperor.
Though terrified, Xiao Wenjing accepts his duty. Before Xie departs to find out if the White Tiger Army is still standing, Xiao Wenjing hands him a lantern for the dark road ahead. Once alone at his brother's bedside, Xiao Wenjing breaks down in tears, overwhelmed by the dangerous mission Xie has set for him.
