Young Blood Episode 29 Recap
> Young Blood Recap
After Yuan Zhongxin was detained at the inn, Liu Sheng interrogated him about the murders of Huo Yuguang and Guard Tian Hu. Liu Sheng presented a knife with Yuan Zhongxin's name carved on it as evidence. Yuan Zhongxin vehemently denied the accusation, highlighting the absurdity of a murderer leaving such a clear clue. Liu Sheng conceded that he didn't believe Yuan Zhongxin was foolish enough for such a blatant act.
He explained that he had arrested Yuan Zhongxin primarily to protect him from the enraged guards, who were furious about Tian Hu's death. Liu Sheng announced his intention to take Yuan Zhongxin back to Kaifeng, promising to uncover the true killer there. He challenged Yuan Zhongxin to flee if he was guilty, but Yuan Zhongxin vowed not to.
Later, Yuan Zhongxin managed to speak with Yun Ni, who confided that she had witnessed Liu Sheng killing Huo Yuguang and believed Liu Sheng was an agent of Han Duanzhang, thus implicating Yuan Zhongxin in a larger conspiracy. Yuan Zhongxin relayed this information to his Section 7 comrades, emphasizing the need to protect Yun Ni. Zhao Jian then visited Yun Ni and Xiaohua to verify their account.
Yun Ni maintained that Liu Sheng was the murderer but expressed reluctance to testify immediately, fearing retaliation while Liu Sheng still held power. Zhao Jian advised them to wait until their return to Kaifeng to make a formal accusation. When pressed for details, Xiaohua admitted that neither she nor Yun Ni had actually seen Liu Sheng commit the murders; they had only seen him exit Huo Yuguang's room and then peered in from the doorway, seeing two bodies.
They claimed they feared entering lest they be implicated. Zhao Jian instructed them to stick to their story and prepare to testify against Liu Sheng in Kaifeng. The following morning, as Zhao Jian, Wei Yanei, and Xiao Jing prepared to leave with Liu Sheng's convoy, news arrived that Yuan Zhongxin had fled. Liu Sheng, who had previously only suspected Yuan Zhongxin, now declared his flight an admission of guilt.
He ordered his imperial guards to hunt Yuan Zhongxin down, authorizing the use of lethal force if he resisted or if anyone interfered. Traveling back to Kaifeng in their cart, Wei Yanei questioned why they weren't pursuing Yuan Zhongxin. Zhao Jian calmly asserted that Yuan Zhongxin likely had his own reasons for leaving and would eventually return to them. Back in Kaifeng, Yun Ni was held at the courier hostel.
There, she publicly denounced Liu Sheng as the real murderer of Huo Yuguang and Guard Tian Hu, stating she and Xiaohua had witnessed it. Given the testimony of a Liao princess, Liu Sheng was promptly arrested. However, the imperial guards continued their pursuit of Yuan Zhongxin, as new reports suggested he was responsible for the deaths of another group of guards, making him a primary suspect. The members of Section 7 discussed the perplexing situation.
Wang Kuan observed that while Yun Ni’s testimony implicated Liu Sheng, it wasn't conclusive proof, and Yuan Zhongxin’s position had worsened. Zhao Jian decided to consult Lu Guannian to ascertain Liu Sheng’s place of detention and speak with him. She instructed Wang Kuan to search for Yuan Zhongxin within the city, while Wei Yanei and Xiao Jing were to remain at the hostel to guard Yun Ni and await Yuan Zhongxin.
Zhao Jian met with Lu Guannian, who unexpectedly informed her that Han Duanzhang had escaped, prompting a widespread search. Lu Guannian granted Zhao Jian permission to see Liu Sheng but questioned her about Yuan Zhongxin's whereabouts, which Zhao Jian claimed ignorance of. Meanwhile, Wang Kuan found Yuan Zhongxin at an old gambling den outside the city. Yuan Zhongxin clarified that he hadn't escaped but had been released by Yun Ni.
He recounted Yun Ni’s reasoning: he could only help her if he escaped, as the Liao-Song crisis remained unresolved, and she promised to reveal everything later. Yuan Zhongxin also confirmed he had not killed the imperial guards found dead. He asked Wang Kuan to get an update on Liu Sheng from Zhao Jian. Wang Kuan, however, sensed Yuan Zhongxin was still being evasive.
Yuan Zhongxin confessed that he deliberately kept Wei Yanei and Xiao Jing in the dark due to the severe implications of helping a Liao princess escape, suggesting possible involvement from Lu Guannian and wanting to shield his friends from what he considered a "personal interest" investigation. He reiterated that if he had to involve anyone, it would be Wang Kuan.
Upon Wang Kuan’s return to the hostel, Zhao Jian handed him Lu Guannian’s token, asking him to visit Liu Sheng in her place. She explained that Lu Guannian had ordered her to immediately join the hunt for Han Duanzhang, preventing her from further involvement in Liu Sheng’s case. Since Wang Kuan was now aware of the situation, Zhao Jian divulged the full details of Yuan Zhongxin’s scheme. After Yun Ni had "released" Yuan Zhongxin, he hadn't fled the inn immediately.
Instead, he gathered Zhao Jian and Liu Sheng, pointing out the inconsistencies in Yun Ni and Xiaohua’s testimony, particularly their impossible claim of seeing Tian Hu’s body from the doorway. Yuan Zhongxin posited that since Yun Ni and Xiaohua had released him, they couldn't be the murderers, but were likely part of a larger plan. He proposed playing along with Yun Ni's orchestrated accusation of Liu Sheng.
Imprisoned, Liu Sheng could then observe who would try to further incriminate him, thereby revealing the true mastermind. Both Liu Sheng and Zhao Jian, despite their initial differences, agreed to this risky plan, prioritizing the nation's interests over personal grievances. Zhao Jian instructed Wang Kuan to first help Yun Ni escape, then proceed to the Ministry of Punishments to question Liu Sheng. Wang Kuan proceeded to the hostel to help Yun Ni and Xiaohua escape.
Yun Ni requested Yuan Zhongxin meet them at the hostel gate in an hour, promising a full explanation then. Yuan Zhongxin and Wang Kuan successfully escorted Yun Ni and Xiaohua to a discreet, hidden house. While Yuan Zhongxin conversed with Yun Ni inside, Xiaohua and Wang Kuan went outside to fetch water. Wang Kuan momentarily left to find a rope for the well, and then a scream was heard.
Yuan Zhongxin and Yun Ni rushed out to find Xiaohua fatally stabbed. A distraught Yun Ni immediately accused Wang Kuan, attempting to attack him. Wang Kuan, in shock, defended himself, explaining he had only stepped away for a moment and had not seen the assailant. Yuan Zhongxin intervened, knocking Yun Ni unconscious to quell her emotional outburst. Trusting Wang Kuan’s innocence, Yuan Zhongxin theorized that Xiaohua was the specific target, questioning her importance in the larger plot.
He then directed Wang Kuan to go to the Ministry of Punishments to question Liu Sheng, hoping to uncover the true killer, while he remained to handle the scene and Yun Ni. Arriving at the prison, Wang Kuan presented Lu Guannian’s token to the guard and was allowed to enter Liu Sheng’s cell alone. Inside, he discovered Liu Sheng dead, his sternum brutally broken.
When questioned, the guard confirmed that both imperial guards and officials from the Ministry of Punishments had previously visited Liu Sheng but refused to disclose the last visitor or details about his food and water, stating those responsibilities fell to the Ministry of Punishments. As Wang Kuan exited, another official from the Ministry of Punishments arrived with his own token, also intending to see Liu Sheng. Wang Kuan identified himself as being from the Secret Repository, which surprised the official. Seemingly unaware of Liu Sheng's death, the official warned Wang Kuan not to meddle in the case, asserting it was outside the Secret Repository's jurisdiction.
