Young Blood Episode 32 Recap
> Young Blood Recap
Jing successfully led Wang Kuan and Yun Ni away. Yun Ni was astonished by Jing's newfound bravery for the one she loved, yet she harbored resentment towards Wang Kuan over Xiaohua's death. Wang Kuan reiterated that he was not Xiaohua's killer. Aware that Di Jiang was relentlessly pursuing him, Wang Kuan urged Jing to take Yun Ni to Yuan Zhongxin, arranging to meet them later behind the hostel.
He had detected "hooligans" tracking him, and believed that if the three continued together, they would all be captured. Prioritizing their safety, Jing reluctantly complied, but secretly worried Wang Kuan wouldn't survive until evening. She discreetly knocked out Yun Ni, hid her in a secluded spot, and rushed to the hostel to find Yuan Zhongxin for help. Meanwhile, Wang Kuan encountered Han Duanzhang and Di Jiang on the street.
Han Duanzhang ordered Di Jiang to first ascertain Yun Ni's whereabouts, then eliminate Wang Kuan. Just as Di Jiang was about to act, Lu Guannian, accompanied by Old Thief, appeared. Lu Guannian intervened, commanding Di Jiang to return to Secret Repository, asserting that Wang Kuan was not Liu Sheng's killer. Di Jiang, though defiant and declaring he was no longer a student, was outmatched by Lu Guannian's forces. Lu Guannian protected Wang Kuan and took him back to Secret Repository.
Shortly after, Yuan Zhongxin and Zhao Jian arrived at the scene, having been alerted to Wang Kuan's danger. They realized they were too late and Wang Kuan had been taken, unsure if it was by Lu Guannian or Di Jiang. At Secret Repository, Lu Guannian questioned Wang Kuan about Yun Ni. Knowing Lu Guannian’s collaboration with Han Duanzhang, Wang Kuan refused to cooperate, simply stating he didn't know her location.
Lu Guannian then revealed his entire plan to Wang Kuan, claiming it was all for the benefit of Song, despite working with Han Duanzhang. Wang Kuan challenged this, asserting that Song was not ready for war and that such a plan would only benefit Han Duanzhang and plunge Song into a premature conflict with Liao, especially with Yuan Hao of Xia eyeing their borders. He advocated for a strategy of cultural assimilation over military aggression.
Wang Kuan’s arguments struck a chord with Lu Guannian, who admitted that his actions were inadvertently dragging Song into war. Realizing his grave miscalculation, Lu Guannian decided to prevent the marriage document from entering the capital by meeting Yuan Zhongxin. However, before they could leave Secret Repository, they were intercepted by officials from the Ministry of Military, who had received orders to restrict Lu Guannian's movement, signifying a broader conspiracy at play.
Wang Kuan acknowledged that now only Section 7 could halt the document's arrival. Elsewhere, Yuan Zhongxin had already learned from Old Thief that he had sold Wang Kuan's location to Lu Guannian. Old Thief, wary of the unfolding situation, sought out Yuan Zhongxin to understand the full scope of events involving Lu Guannian and Han Duanzhang. Yuan Zhongxin, withholding nothing, revealed Lu Guannian's plan to Old Thief. Led by Jing, they found Yun Ni in her hiding spot.
Yun Ni, furious and confused, cursed them all. After untying her, Yuan Zhongxin, in front of Yun Ni and Old Thief, detailed Lu Guannian and Han Duanzhang's scheme for a proxy war between Song and Liao, which amounted to treason. Old Thief was baffled that Han Duanzhang, seemingly a Liao official, would betray his own country. Zhao Jian then unveiled Han Duanzhang's true identity: he was not a Liao native but a Bohai survivor, much like Jing.
The real Han Duanzhang had died thirteen years prior during the Liaoyang mutiny. The man posing as Han Duanzhang was, in fact, Da Yanlin's son, who had assumed the identity of Han Shaoxun's unacknowledged son to escape death and exact revenge on Liao for killing his father and family. Han Duanzhang’s ambition extended beyond mere civil strife in Liao; he desired Song to join the conflict, creating even greater chaos.
Yuan Zhongxin further suggested to Yun Ni that Han Duanzhang was the one who murdered Xiaohua. He explained that Xiaohua's death was a calculated move to prevent Yun Ni and Xiaohua from returning to Liao, thereby ensuring Yun Ni remained in Kaifeng until the marriage document arrived, forcing Song into the conflict. Yun Ni questioned how Han Duanzhang could have known her and Xiaohua's movements.
Yuan Zhongxin and Zhao Jian clarified that Han Duanzhang had many accomplices among high-ranking Song officials, not just Lu Guannian, citing the ease with which he could frame Wang Kuan for Liu Sheng's death in the Ministry of Punishments. Convinced, Yun Ni agreed that their only recourse was to stop the marriage document from entering the capital. Wei Yanei quickly arranged for army horses. As they rode to intercept the document, Han Duanzhang ambushed them, holding Wei Yanei captive.
He threatened to kill Wei Yanei if they didn't cease their pursuit. Han Duanzhang openly admitted to killing Xiaohua, explaining it was necessary to keep Yun Ni in Kaifeng and ignite the larger conflict. Jing confronted him, reminding him of their shared Bohai heritage and the suffering war would bring. Han Duanzhang, however, dismissed her, stating his loyalty was now to Song and that his hatred for Liao fueled his desire for revenge, regardless of the cost in lives.
Yun Ni, horrified, threatened to expose his plot to Liao, but Han Duanzhang remained unperturbed, knowing that with the marriage document's arrival, the truth would not matter. The document entered the city while they were stalled. Han Duanzhang, having achieved his immediate objective, released Wei Yanei and walked away, declaring his disdain for his past identity and embracing the name Han Duanzhang as a symbol of his revenge.
Back in Secret Repository, Lu Guannian was also released, realizing the inevitability of the situation. The marriage edict had arrived in the capital, making Yun Ni's marriage to a Song prince a certainty. Yuan Zhongxin's group informed Yun Ni of this, and she, understanding the gravity of the situation, confessed her regret for misunderstanding Wang Kuan. She accepted the edict, but before she officially departed for the wedding preparations, she expressed her profound sadness at leaving her homeland.
Then, as she was being led away, Yun Ni discreetly retrieved a hidden knife and took her own life. Her suicide, occurring after her acceptance of the edict, was a final act of self-sacrifice. She clarified that her death was due to her overwhelming sorrow, not defiance, ensuring that neither Song nor her brother could be blamed, thus preventing the very war Han Duanzhang sought to ignite.
In the aftermath, Old Thief realized the profound wisdom of Yun Ni's act, confirming that her death had indeed eliminated the primary catalyst for war between Song and Yun An's faction in Liao. Jing was heartbroken, mourning Yun Ni and reflecting on promises of showing her Kaifeng that would now never be fulfilled. Yuan Zhongxin emphasized that Yun Ni's sacrifice had only bought them time.
Zhao Jian agreed, noting that the underlying threat of Song's own war hawks, who had colluded with Han Duanzhang, remained. She then deduced that the leak regarding Wei Yanei's secret visit to Lu Jian's mansion pointed to Lu Jian's own servants as the collaborators. Old Thief, acknowledging his own oversight, worried about the growing power of his subordinates.
Yuan Zhongxin challenged Old Thief's vision for Secret Repository, advocating for an institution that not only protected Song but also actively prevented unnecessary wars and curbed dangerous ambitions. Impressed and enlightened, Old Thief agreed to rectify his inner circle and proposed the closure of Secret Repository, urging the students to forge their own paths, free from intrigue.
