Young Blood Episode 23 Recap
> Young Blood Recap
A mysterious assassin infiltrated the Liao delegation's compound. The fake Princess Yunni, who had taken the real Yunni captive, had anticipated such an intrusion. Her guards captured the assassin, who then committed suicide using a poisonous needle. After the body was identified as unknown, the fake Yunni ordered it hidden. Later, Jing, Zhao Jian, and Wei Yanei arrived to visit. Jing, delighted to see her old friend, quickly realized the woman greeting them was not the real Yunni.
Zhao Jian, avoiding alarming the imposter, explained their presence by claiming Wei Yanei was smitten with the "princess." While talking, Zhao Jian noticed a suspicious locked room from which a noise could be heard and subtly probed about it, which the fake Yunni dismissed as a "rat problem." Suspicious of the trio, the fake Yunni ordered her guards to follow them. After they left, the fake Yunni entered the locked room, confirming the real Yunni was indeed held captive there.
The Seventh Chamber gathered to discuss the fake Princess Yunni. Wei Yanei, inspired by his father's recent sacrifice for their country, expressed his resolve to act heroically, despite initially complaining about Zhao Jian's prank. Wang Kuan suspected the fake princess was involved in something serious, attributing the situation to a dereliction of duty by the Court of State Ceremonials.
Yuan Zhongxin argued that their earlier visit had alerted the imposters, and if they didn't investigate the locked room that night, the crucial captive would likely be gone by morning. The team agreed to conduct a night investigation and inform Dean Lu the next day. To create a diversion, Yuan Zhongxin cunningly manipulated Guard Tian, an innocent and patriotic hostel guard, into believing the Liao delegation had stolen his dog, a vital part of their performance for the Empress's birthday.
Guard Tian, incensed by this perceived act of sabotage against Song, vowed to retrieve the "stolen" dog, enabling Yuan Zhongxin's plan to gain entry to the Liao compound. As Guard Tian stormed into the Liao compound, loudly calling for his "dog," the fake Yunni confronted him. As her guards seized Guard Tian, Wang Kuan and Xue Ying, disguised as masked assassins, created a diversion, drawing most of the Liao guards away.
Wei Yanei further distracted the fake Yunni with an overly dramatic display of concern for her safety. Capitalizing on the chaos, Yuan Zhongxin entered the locked room, where he found a woman who claimed to have lost her memory and didn't know her identity. Noticing she had been treated gently, restrained with silk on a cushioned chair, Yuan Zhongxin decided to take her with him. They escaped over a back fence.
However, once outside, the woman, mistrusting Yuan Zhongxin, unexpectedly hit him and fled on her own. Her sudden action and Yuan Zhongxin's fall alerted the fake Yunni. Yuan Zhongxin quickly fabricated another story, claiming he, too, was looking for his dog. The fake Yunni, now aware of the real Yunni's disappearance, was furious. She believed the two masked assassins were the most suspicious parties and suspected they had taken the princess.
She instructed her guards to secretly search for Yunni while maintaining a facade of normalcy. Meanwhile, the rest of the Seventh Chamber learned about Yunni's escape. While Zhao Jian outwardly claimed not to be worried about Yuan Zhongxin, Wei Yanei insightfully remarked on her true, hidden concern for him. Yuan Zhongxin enlisted the help of a local information broker to locate Yunni, describing her as a quick-witted girl, not from Kaifeng, alone, and likely in a crowded, curfew-exempt area.
His contact located her at a casino, where she was displaying exceptional gambling skills, consistently beating experienced bankers. Yuan Zhongxin stepped in to gamble against her. Initially, he showcased superior skill, quickly causing her to lose all her money. Yuan Zhongxin then challenged her to a final high-stakes game: if he won, she would "belong" to him; if she won, all the money on the table would be hers. They agreed that "whatever means" were permissible to win.
Yunni, confident in her abilities, cheated by stealing Yuan Zhongxin's dice and won, then quickly fled with her winnings, instructing casino thugs to hold Yuan Zhongxin. Zhao Jian arrived shortly after. Yuan Zhongxin revealed to her that he had deliberately lost. He suspected Yunni's amnesia claim was false and wanted to observe her actions to understand her true intentions, particularly why she needed money so urgently after escaping.
He explained that by letting her "outsmart" him, he gained insight into her character, noting that she presumed she could beat him with tricks. Yuan Zhongxin and Zhao Jian covertly followed Yunni to what they knew was a now-defunct Liao spy den. Realizing Yunni was unaware of its status, and already knowing the liaison code, they decided to impersonate Liao agents.
While following, Yuan Zhongxin commented on Yunni's beauty, sparking a subtle jealous retort from Zhao Jian about his previous bet to "win her." Zhao Jian, acting as an agent, met Yunni, who was cautious and insisted they talk on the street. Yunni offered Zhao Jian a substantial reward to eliminate the Liao performing troupe at the courier hostel, asserting that the princess traveling with them was an imposter and she was the real Princess Yunni, Prince Yun'an's sister.
She proved her identity by revealing a former secret agent code known only to royalty. When Zhao Jian pressed for more details about the fake princess's identity and motives, Yunni grew suspicious, sensing Zhao Jian was not a genuine Liao agent. As Yunni attempted to flee, Yuan Zhongxin and Zhao Jian apprehended her. Yunni then tearfully accused Yuan Zhongxin of harassing her, which ignited Zhao Jian's jealousy, prompting her to punch Yuan Zhongxin.
To verify Yunni's identity, Yuan Zhongxin brought Jing to meet her. Jing and Yunni were overjoyed to reunite, embracing each other warmly, while Liao delegation members secretly continued their search for Yunni. Yunni confided in Jing, claiming that her captors were Liao people who had accompanied her to Song for the dance performance. She alleged they had kidnapped her as part of a plot to usurp power and assassinate their lord, intending to use her to threaten Prince Yun'an.
However, Yuan Zhongxin, Zhao Jian, and Wang Kuan found Yunni's story fraught with inconsistencies and questioned its veracity, deciding they must investigate further to ascertain the truth before fully trusting her words.
