The Vendetta of An Episode 21 Recap
> The Vendetta of An Recap
Surrounded by Tiemo forces on the mountain paths, General Gu Yu ordered Wumei to take the surviving Baiwenhu troops and break through the encirclement to deliver a critical military command. Gu Yu stayed behind to see through Xie Huaian’s plan, eventually facing the King of Tiemo. When Xie Huaian arrived with a Tiemo operative held hostage to negotiate for Gu Yu's life, the King showed no mercy.
Gu Yu, attempting to protect Xie, lunged at the King with his final strength, only to have his throat slashed. In a rage, Xie Huaian executed his hostage before escaping into the shadows. Despite their enmity, the King of Tiemo respected Gu Yu as a legendary general on par with Liu Ziwen and ordered a grand burial on a high hill.
Devastated by his friend’s death, Xie Huaian realized that the mastermind behind the chaos—and the man who had orchestrated his father's death—was his own former mentor, Zhu Zhiguang. Shaken by the discovery that the man who raised him was a Tiemo infiltrator, Xie hid away to vent his anguish before steeling himself for the next phase of his plan. Meanwhile, the King of Tiemo established a base in the study of the merchant Yang Chuhao.
Zhu Zhiguang sought punishment for losing Xie Huaian, but the King pardoned him, noting that Xie possessed a fierce spirit similar to their own warriors. They focused their attention on a recovered travelogue by Cen Weizong. The King revealed that the book, once used by a street vendor to prop up a table leg, contained records of every strategic pass between the two nations—a tool the Tiemo intended to use for their final conquest.
The burial of Gu Yu did not go as the King ordered. An old man assigned to the task, whose four sons had been killed by the Baiwenhu Army, attempted to mutilate the corpse to satisfy his vengeance. Xie Huaian, who had been tailing them, killed the man and personally carried Gu Yu to a sunny spot to lay him to rest. As he prepared the grave, he was confronted by Huben soldiers seeking to avenge Yan Fengshan.
Xie Huaian did not flee; instead, he retrieved a hidden message tube from Gu Yu’s clothing—the true signal the general had died to protect. Xie Huaian reminded the soldiers that the Huben and Baiwenhu had once been brothers-in-arms against the Tiemo. He proposed a truce, suggesting that if they still wished for his life, they should wait until the Tiemo were driven from the border.
Moved by his words and the general's sacrifice, the soldiers spared him for the time being. Back in the capital, Ye Zheng awoke at the Taiyiji Clinic after being saved by a mysterious masked figure. Xiao Wenjing and Xiaoqing had been caring for him throughout his recovery. Ye Zheng was stunned to learn that Yan Fengshan was dead.
For Xiao Wenjing, the former Emperor, the news brought a profound sense of liberation; after a lifetime spent in the general's shadow, he felt truly free. However, the peace was short-lived as the Tiemo offensive intensified, causing the capital's defenses to crumble. Following Xie Huaian’s previous instructions, Ye Zheng prepared to smuggle Xiao Wenjing out of Chang'an to find safety with old friends in Huainan.
As Xiao Wenjing prepared to depart, he lamented that although he once owned the entire capital, he was now leaving with nothing. Xiaoqing gave him a warm winter coat she had originally made for her master, and Ye Zheng reassured him that he was carrying something far more valuable: the genuine concern of his friends. After the carriage departed, Ye Zheng grew suspicious of unfamiliar faces appearing near the clinic.
Realizing Xiao Wenjing might be a target, he decided to follow in secret to ensure his safe passage. Meanwhile, Xiaoqing sought out Su Changlin, the man she believed was responsible for harming her senior brother, Ye Zheng. She tracked him to a dessert stall that had replaced an old noodle shop. Su Changlin revealed his true identity as a Tiemo operative and admitted he had lured her there.
He recounted a story from his youth about a starving boy who had eaten a bowl of noodles and fled in tears—a boy Xiaoqing realized she had seen years ago at that very location. Despite this shared memory, Su Changlin showed no mercy. He stabbed Xiaoqing, intending to use her and Ye Zheng as leverage to control Xie Huaian. As Ye Zheng attempted to intervene, he found himself blocked by his own master, Zhu Zhiguang, who warned him to return to the clinic if he valued his life.
