Treasure at Dawn Episode 29 Recap
> Treasure at Dawn Recap
In a deep cavern, Wen Jue was suddenly struck unconscious from behind. Two masked figures swiftly approached her, carrying a change of clothes. Meanwhile, Fu Sheng awoke to find himself alone in a profound, eerily silent cave. He cautiously explored further, entering a room where a strange performance was underway. Before he could make sense of it, the performers vanished without a trace, leaving only an unsettling silence.
Elsewhere, Gu Tian was being interrogated and beaten, despite repeatedly stating his name was Gu Tian. He insisted he would never change the name his father gave him. When Fu Sheng arrived and intervened, Gu Tian quickly signaled for him to leave and find help, explaining that these people were delusional, believing he had sold himself to Jibei Palace to become a eunuch.
Fu Sheng, realizing the situation, decided to play along when the men mistook him for the Jibei King. He commanded them to keep "Su Rang" (Gu Tian) by his side as an attendant. As soon as Fu Sheng made this decision, the entire scene and all the people vanished as if they had never been there. Fu Sheng concluded that these illusions were meant to guide them through the true history of the Jibei Mansion.
Suddenly, Fu Sheng felt a sharp pain in his chest and coughed up blood. He realized he had been poisoned, suspecting it was a consequence of his earlier "choice" and his initial misunderstanding of Jibei history. He managed to use acupuncture to temporarily contain the poison, planning to fully address it once they were out of the cave.
He speculated that the previous illusion had shown how the late Jibei King was poisoned by Su Rang, and his choice to keep "Su Rang" close had mimicked this fatal mistake. Meanwhile, Sun Siming also fell into an illusion, finding himself playing the role of the Jibei King. He was being harshly chastised and whipped by a "master" for not diligently governing the state. Sun Siming inwardly complained about the King's unfortunate fate, apologetically asking the master for leniency.
He was told that despite being the King, he was forbidden from handling state affairs and was confined to the palace, acting as a mere puppet for Attendant Su. When asked if he resented this, Sun Siming initially denied it, then admitted his resentment, exasperated by being beaten regardless of his answer. He was then urged by the "master" to study diligently so he could one day kill Su Rang and reclaim his royal power.
Shortly after, a character portraying Su Rang entered, dismissing the others. " Su Rang" informed the "King" that two of the three elder ministers appointed by the late King were secretly colluding with foreigners and betraying Jibei. He had already executed them, ensuring Jibei State was free of traitors. This marked the point where the King, realizing Su Rang's ruthless methods, became completely subservient to him. "
Su Rang" then settled down for a nap, instructing the "King" to fan him. When Sun Siming emerged from the illusion, he found himself holding a knife. Remembering Fu Sheng's experience of being punished for following historical events, Sun Siming decided to act contrary to history and stabbed "Su Rang," hoping this divergent choice would break the cycle. He proudly announced his "correct" choice to Fu Sheng.
However, the illusion reset once more, revealing that "Su Rang" harbored deep resentment from this very stab, eventually leading him to use the "art of face-changing" to alter the King's identity and seize control. Tuoba Ruo and Su Rang, guided by Sun Siming's signal, also arrived in the cave and witnessed these historical events.
The "Su Rang" character in the illusion revealed his secret: he had used the face-changing technique to reshape the King's appearance, effectively turning him into a puppet under his control. Sun Siming, having once again chosen incorrectly, was injured by hidden arrows, grimacing in pain. Just then, Wen Jue regained consciousness in an unfamiliar room, finding herself in different wedding clothes. Fu Sheng, following her tattoo, soon located her. Su Rang's men were attacked by hidden arrows.
Guo Sishui examined the arrows, identifying them as old-fashioned crossbow bolts used by the Royal Army twenty years ago, known for their slightly shorter arrows and weaker accuracy, which had been abandoned long ago. Su Rang, realizing the old Royal Army faction was behind these "supernatural pretenses," immediately ordered his men to search the entire cave and then guard all cave entrances. Fu Sheng and Wen Jue inadvertently entered a room decorated for a wedding.
The illusion forced them to participate in a "royal wedding" ceremony, threatening that Wen Jue's poison would remain incurable if they refused. Fu Sheng noticed that one cup of the traditional marriage wine was poisoned, while the other held the antidote. Without hesitation, Wen Jue drank the poisoned cup, knowing it was the only way to proceed, and urged Fu Sheng to escape quickly before she succumbed to the poison.
With her dying breaths, she implored Gu Tian to look after Fu Sheng, describing his habits and the support he would need. She expressed her fear of dying in the dark, insect-filled cave. Fu Sheng promised to save her and get her out. Suddenly, the illusion dissipated like a bubble. Wen Jue slowly woke up, finding herself with Gu Tian and Sun Siming, but Fu Sheng was gone.
Gu Tian, noting the disappearance of the blue tinge on Wen Jue's face, reassured her that Fu Sheng was a good man who would surely be fine. He speculated that the masked figures had taken Fu Sheng to continue their "performance" related to the Treasure of the Sealed Book. It was revealed that the masked figures were members of the old Royal Army faction. They found Fu Sheng collapsed from the poisonous miasma and quickly administered an antidote.
Su Rang, also discovering the Royal Army old guard was behind these "supernatural pretenses," immediately led his soldiers to confront them. Fu Sheng awoke to a shocking truth: the current Jibei King was an imposter. The old Royal Army faction, consisting of former high-ranking officials like Wang Huangyu and Liu Yuan, descendants of the Liu clan, planned to perform the "art of face-changing" on Fu Sheng, intending to remake him into the true Jibei King and restore the royal line.
Su Rang confronted these "wild ghosts" who had fled twenty years ago, accusing them of using the "brat" (the true heir they planned to use) as their means of resistance. He declared that letting them escape decades ago was a mistake he would now rectify.
