Young Blood Episode 22 Recap
> Young Blood Recap
Wei Yanei knelt before Wei Zhuoran, offering an apology but expressing no regret for his actions. He admitted to being an undutiful son but maintained that he had been loyal to the Song Dynasty. Wei Zhuoran gently comforted his weeping son, showing no signs of blame. As Wei Zhuoran was imprisoned, Wei Yanei remained steadfastly by his side.
Wei Zhuoran, aware that a death sentence was inevitable for him, urged his son to live a peaceful life and continue the Wei family line. Overcome with grief, Wei Yanei produced a knife, intending to take his own life. Fortunately, Yuan Zhongxin and Zhao Jian arrived just in time to stop him. Seeing Wei Yanei's desperation, Wei Zhuoran revealed that he would not truly die, thus there was no need for his son to contemplate suicide.
At that moment, Lu Guannian arrived and corroborated Wei Zhuoran's statement, explaining that the wheeled cannon drawing was fake. He admitted that his apparent obstruction at the city gate had been a deliberate act to help Wei Zhuoran sell the counterfeit drawing. However, Wei Yanei's unexpected theft of the military order had complicated their carefully orchestrated plan, forcing them to continue the charade.
This entire operation was a highly guarded secret, but fearing Wei Yanei would genuinely harm himself, Lu Guannian had obtained an imperial edict to disclose the truth. Wei Zhuoran then elaborated that the wheeled cannon scheme was a trap. While a cannon could indeed be constructed from the drawing, it possessed a fatal flaw: it would collapse after more than three uses.
If the Xia military were to mass-produce these defective cannons, it would not only be a colossal waste of resources but also demoralize their troops on the battlefield, providing the Song Dynasty with a crucial opportunity for a counterattack. Emperor Song had masterminded this elaborate deception to ensure the fake drawing reached the Xia.
All high-ranking officials were privy to the plan, including Chen Gong, who had chosen to commit suicide to ensure the drawing's delivery to the Xia, believing his sacrifice would avert a future invasion by the Xia. Even Deputy Commander Liu was revealed to be a Xia spy, which explained why Wei Zhuoran had eliminated him. With the Xia agents now in possession of the drawing, Wei Zhuoran's public death sentence was merely a cover.
In reality, he would live in exile in Lingnan under a new identity, forbidden to return to Kaifeng as long as the Xia were attempting to build the wheeled cannons. As father and son prepared for their separation, Wei Zhuoran expressed his pride in Wei Yanei's maturation, promising to remain proud of him even from afar. Wei Yanei, in turn, vowed to achieve great things, determined not to disappoint his father.
A month later, with Wei Zhuoran publicly declared executed and the Wei family property confiscated, Wei Yanei stood outside his former home, reminiscing about his father. He and Xue Ying scaled the wall into the mansion, where they uncovered a hidden stash of silver notes and gold. Wei Yanei confided in Xue Ying that his father's supposed corruption and bribery had all been a performance to align with the Emperor's grand scheme.
The lavish lifestyle Wei Yanei had enjoyed was funded by his father selling off family assets. However, the money they just found was Wei Yanei's own earnings, revealing that he was not as much of a spendthrift as he had appeared to be. Soon after, Lu Guannian assigned Section 7 a new mission. For the upcoming Empress's birthday, the group was to pose as a performing troupe and reside in the courier hostel.
Their task was to discreetly observe all activities within the premises. During the ongoing truce between Song and Liao, a Liao delegation, led by Princess Yunni, the cousin of Prince Yun'an, was scheduled to arrive and offer artistic performances as a gesture of goodwill. Wei Yanei was immediately taken by Princess Yunni's beauty. However, Zhao Jian noticed something unusual about one of the Liao envoy's carriages and decided to investigate further.
The Liao delegation maintained strict security within their private courtyard, making it inaccessible to outsiders. Knowing that Xiao Jing shared a close friendship with Princess Yunni, Zhao Jian proposed that Xiao Jing approach Yunni. Bound by a promise to Wang Kuan not to involve Xiao Jing in dangerous tasks, Zhao Jian reluctantly asked Wei Yanei to discuss it with Wang Kuan. Wang Kuan, prioritizing Xiao Jing's well-being, initially refused. However, Xiao Jing overheard their conversation and, eager to help Zhao Jian and protect Yunni from any potential harm, volunteered for the mission herself.
