The Vendetta of An Episode 18 Recap
> The Vendetta of An Recap
Under the shroud of a long, restless night, the crippled Chancellor Gao maneuvered his small wooden cart to Gu Yu’s secret hiding place. They spoke in low voices; Gu Yu expressed his deep gratitude for the steamed buns Gao had provided to sustain him over the past month, while Gao confessed his remorse for his past distrust of the general during the transition of power. Realizing Gu Yu’s unwavering loyalty, Gao declared that their old grievances were finally settled.
As midnight passed, Gao prepared a final, fatal distraction. He allowed Gu Yu to escape the palace using his cart and clothes, while Gao himself crawled toward the dragon throne, drawing a hail of arrows and sacrificing his life to ensure the general's freedom. In the Huben Army quarters, the Tiemo secret envoy, Wuyin Chong, was ambushed in his room by a masked man wielding an axe.
The intruder was Xiao Wenjing, who revealed his face to the envoy’s absolute shock. Long believed to have died in a palace fire, the former prince stood before him, now cold and calculating. Xiao Wenjing warned that any pact with the traitor Yan Fengshan was void because the Xiao imperial line still endured. To prove his authority, Xiao Wenjing led Wuyin Chong to a meeting with Gu Yu.
The general warned the envoy that a second upheaval was coming to the Capital. He made it clear that while they aimed to destroy Yan Fengshan, the Tiemo forces would also be eradicated if they continued to support the traitor. Impressed by the strategic brilliance of Xie Huaian, who had orchestrated the entire encounter, Wuyin Chong remarked that the night's complexity made him fall in love with the city all over again.
Meanwhile, Yan Fengshan moved the captive Xie Huaian to the residence where Xie's late sister, Bai Guan, once lived. Xie awoke to find himself surrounded by memories of her. A maid named Zhiying, acting on Yan’s orders to treat Xie as a guest, brought him water. However, the atmosphere turned frigid when Xie questioned her role in his sister’s death.
When Zhiying admitted her involvement, recalling how she once mocked Xie's seven years of sacrifice as a ferryman to protect Bai Guan, Xie declared with icy resolve that everyone involved—including her—was destined to die. By morning, Wuyin Chong sent word to Yan Fengshan that their agreement was shelved as it no longer served Tiemo’s interests. However, he promised that the Tiemo forces currently facing Gu Yu’s Baiwenhu Army would maintain their positions.
Yan Fengshan immediately realized someone had reached the envoy during the night. His suspicions grew when he witnessed the head eunuch pouring a cup of wine to mourn Chancellor Gao at his favorite spot. From the eunuch’s unintentional reaction, Yan deduced that Gu Yu had been hiding in the sewers directly beneath the palace for an entire month. Though Yan admitted he had lost this particular round, he remained confident because he still held Xie Huaian.
Later, Yan Fengshan visited Xie Huaian, who was now refreshed and dressed in new clothes. They shared a rare Tiemo treat, a bitter root Yan had chewed during his years as a scout. They discussed how the price of the snack had risen due to the military standoff and the lack of merchants. Yan lamented that Xie had systematically eliminated almost all of his elite allies—including Wei Qianting, Liu Ziyan, and Wang Pu—leaving him only with Zhiying.
When Yan asked if Xie intended to kill her as well, Xie confirmed that no enemy would meet a peaceful end on his path of revenge, and that included Yan himself. When Yan questioned why Xie spared Yang Chuhao, Xie replied that Yang’s initial choice to be a bystander was not a capital offense. Yan then mentioned a clever young accountant named Su working for Yang, noting that the boy had a mysterious "story" and strongly reminded him of Xie Huaian himself.
