The Vendetta of An Episode 28 (Ending) Recap
> The Vendetta of An Recap
The night before the final confrontation, Xie Huaian finalized his grand strategy, leaving a detailed letter for the pottery shop owner and physician, Yi Zhihu. His plan was a masterclass in deception: he used his own life as bait to rescue Xiao Wenjing and allowed Cen Weizong to infiltrate the enemy’s inner circle. By gaining Wu Zhongheng's trust through a staged betrayal, Cen Weizong successfully lured the King of Tiemo into a secluded granary, isolating him from his main forces.
Simultaneously, Xie Huaian orchestrated a misinformation campaign, leaking reports that the Tiemo King was trapped in Hidden Soldier Alley. Driven by desperation to save their leader, three thousand Tiemo shadow guards abandoned their covers and converged on the alley, walking directly into a lethal trap set by the Baiwenhu and Wuyang armies. Inside the granary, Wu Zhongheng found himself facing a masked assailant.
After a brutal struggle that left both men severely wounded, the mask fell away to reveal Yan Fengshan. Xie Huaian had spared Yan Fengshan’s life once before, keeping him in the granary to witness how he had been used as a pawn by Wu Zhongheng. Xie Huaian had offered Yan Fengshan a path to redemption: to find peace by eliminating the man who had orchestrated the downfall of both their families.
As they lay bleeding on the floor, Yan Fengshan looked upon a bamboo amulet he had once carved for the young Liu Li. Clinging to this symbol of his former self, he declared that his debt to Chang'an was finally paid before drawing his final breath. While the duel raged in the granary, the battle for Hidden Soldier Alley reached its climax. Xiaoqing and Ye Zheng waited for the appointed signal at the Shen hour.
As the Tiemo reinforcements arrived, they found themselves in a maze-like trap designed by Xie Huaian. Ye Zheng systematically eliminated the Tiemo centurions, collecting their command arrows to lure even more shadow guards into the "death gate" left open on the west side of the alley. The Baiwenhu Army, which had appeared to retreat earlier under Gu Yu’s command to preserve their strength, now emerged from the shadows to wipe out the exposed Tiemo forces.
Outside the city, the political landscape shifted exactly as Xie Huaian had predicted. Xiao Wenjing, protected by the Baiwenhu Army, revealed that Xie Huaian’s messengers—who were actually his own agents—had reached the four regional commanders. These commanders were given a stark choice: stand united with Chang'an against the Tiemo invasion or face an immediate attack from the Baiwenhu Army. Faced with the threat of being crushed between two forces, the commanders chose to support the capital.
Furthermore, Xie Huaian had successfully infiltrated the Tiemo intelligence network days prior, ensuring that every military report Wu Zhongheng received was a fabrication. The sound of signal flares exploding in the sky stirred the fading consciousness of Xie Huaian. Despite his grave injuries and the blade still lodged in his torso, he dragged himself to the granary to ensure Wu Zhongheng was finished. He found the King of Tiemo clinging to life, still arrogant enough to believe he could escape.
When Wu Zhongheng mocked Xie Huaian as a mere scholar whose hands were meant for tea and ink rather than swords, Xie Huaian offered a cold smile. He reminded Wu Zhongheng of a lesson from fifteen years ago at the Grand Academy. During a demonstration on making timers, Wu Zhongheng had taught his students that a room filled with flour dust was a volatile hazard.
With the granary floor covered in flour from the previous struggle, Xie Huaian used his last bit of strength to pull the broken arrow from his own body and strike a spark against a wooden beam. He declared that even with a broken body, his victory over the King of Tiemo was absolute. The resulting massive explosion consumed the granary, ending the Tiemo threat forever. In the aftermath, peace returned to the streets of Chang'an.
Though Xiaoqing, Ye Zheng, and Xiao Wenjing searched for him, Xie Huaian was gone. He had achieved the peace he sought for the empire, fulfilling a life dedicated to the protection of Chang'an, regardless of the sacrifice.
