Young Blood Episode 36 Recap
> Young Blood Recap
Wang Kuan and Wei Yanei went to Lin's mansion to investigate Lin Mosheng's connections with the city's rogues. They discovered that the deceased rogues had all been on Lin Mosheng's payroll. While staking out, they spotted a mysterious military man and intentionally let him go so Xue Ying could discreetly track him. Xue Ying followed the military man out of the city, only to be surprised when the man used a token to gain entry into the Wuwei Army camp.
The military man's conversation with an accomplice revealed his "escape" was a staged event, part of a larger, unseen plan. Meanwhile, Yuan Zhongxin and Zhao Jian sought out a beggar named Xiao Wu in Binzhou, asking him to help locate Li Zhen, the surviving Lin family guard. After their meeting, Zhao Jian returned to her residence to analyze a sand table. Prince Zhao once again asked Yuan Zhongxin if he was willing to marry Zhao Jian.
Yuan Zhongxin's answer remained unchanged, disappointing Prince Zhao, who felt that if Yuan Zhongxin wouldn't fight for Zhao Jian, she couldn't wait for him forever. Later, Xiao Wu arrived at the Prince's mansion with news of Li Zhen's whereabouts. Zhao Jian recognized Xiao Wu from previous encounters. Under Zhao Jian's enticement, Xiao Wu confessed that Yuan Zhongxin had already secretly hired him to report Zhao Jian's every move.
This revelation about Yuan Zhongxin's obvious affection brought a smile to Zhao Jian's face. Xiao Wu reported that Li Zhen was in the east of the city. As Yuan Zhongxin and Zhao Jian went to find him, they encountered one of the secret agents involved in Lin Mosheng's murder. Realizing his cover was blown, the secret agent committed suicide by poison right in front of them.
Yuan Zhongxin had noted a discrepancy in the secret agent's writing habits (the agent wrote with his right hand, but the room was set up for a left-hander), suggesting he was an impostor. Before taking the poison, the secret agent hinted that a powerful, tricky mastermind, highly familiar with Binzhou, was behind Yuan Zhongxin's group's quick discovery of his location. Zhao Jian confirmed the secret agent couldn't be saved, stating, "He has poisons in his mouth. We can’t save him.
. . Those people are definitely not normal gangsters. They are secret agents." With the secret agent dead, they turned to Li Zhen. Li Zhen recognized Zhao Jian from Lin Mosheng's marriage proposals and Yuan Zhongxin from an earlier beating he endured under Lin Mosheng's orders.
Li Zhen claimed to know nothing about the assassination or why he was being pursued, stating he had merely used the chaos of the attack to escape and intended to flee Binzhou to avoid further trouble. Skeptical, Yuan Zhongxin and Zhao Jian decided to bring Li Zhen back to Prince Zhao's mansion for further interrogation. Yuan Zhongxin then met with Wang Kuan, Wei Yanei, and Xue Ying. Yuan Zhongxin mentioned the account book the deceased secret agent was looking for.
Wei Yanei produced a book, but Yuan Zhongxin found nothing unusual in it. Wang Kuan, however, revealed that the person tracked by Xue Ying had disappeared into the Wuwei Army camp, suggesting a military connection. Wang Kuan also found that the rogues Lin Mosheng had hired were monitoring the military camp, especially a general or someone monopolizing the supply routes. He disclosed that all rogues sent to monitor Captain Qin Wuya had died violently.
Wang Kuan's intuition suggested Qin Wuya was connected to the secret agents, perhaps even the mastermind. Yuan Zhongxin was surprised, questioning if Qin Wuya would truly risk his own son if he were the orchestrator. They concluded that Li Zhen likely held the remaining answers. Yuan Zhongxin took the account book, intending to question Li Zhen, while Wang Kuan planned to continue investigating the camp.
At Prince Zhao's mansion, the gentleman who passed the literary test and sent Zhao Jian the sand table arrived with betrothal gifts. Zhao Jian was surprised to find it was Ding Er, whom she had encountered in the prison camp. Ding Er greeted her, repeatedly calling her "my wife," which infuriated Yuan Zhongxin. Yuan Zhongxin confronted and beat Ding Er, then, with Zhao Jian's help, tied him up.
Zhao Jian warned Yuan Zhongxin to be wary, describing Ding Er as scheming and deceptive, and firmly stated she would never marry him. Suddenly, Captain Qin Wuya arrived with soldiers, ordering them to stop. He revealed Ding Er's true identity: Miqin Mubei, the chief of Xia's Right Garrison, warning that harming him could bring catastrophe to Binzhou.
Prince Zhao was horrified that his marriage invitation had attracted such a high-ranking Xia general and immediately prepared to send a memorial to the imperial court, reaffirming his loyalty to the Song dynasty. Qin Wuya clarified that Miqin Mubei was in Binzhou to escort Xia's imperial merchants and he intervened to prevent a diplomatic incident.
Miqin Mubei then brazenly told Zhao Jian that upon his return to Xia, he would petition the Song emperor for a marriage decree, ensuring she would become his wife. He dismissively told Yuan Zhongxin to be silent. Just then, Yuan Boqi arrived.
Zhao Jian, noticing Yuan Boqi's simmering rage, explained to Yuan Zhongxin that Miqin Mubei was the general who led the Xia army in the Battle of Qichuan village, where nine thousand Song soldiers died—a deep trauma for Yuan Boqi. Miqin Mubei, in a deliberate provocation, challenged Yuan Zhongxin to choose between stopping his brother or letting him seek revenge.
Yuan Zhongxin intervened, telling Yuan Boqi that killing Miqin Mubei would reignite war between Song and Xia and lead to more bloodshed. Zhao Jian also urged Yuan Boqi not to fall into Miqin Mubei's trap. Though torn by his grief, Yuan Boqi reluctantly put down his sword, but told Yuan Zhongxin, "You don’t understand."
As Yuan Zhongxin followed his brother, Yuan Boqi recounted how a scout sacrificed his life to save him in the battle, leaving him feeling his life no longer belonged to him. He explained that he chose not to kill Miqin Mubei to prevent further wars, but also confessed his profound despair, questioning the meaning of his own existence.
Yuan Zhongxin encouraged him to live well for those who died, and Yuan Boqi promised not to kill Ding Er for the time being. Shortly after Yuan Boqi's departure, news reached Prince Zhao's mansion that Instructor Liang had attacked Miqin Mubei at a hotel in retaliation for his brother's death and had been arrested by the Wuwei Army. Miqin Mubei sustained only a flesh wound. Authorities, fearing for the ongoing peace talks, ordered Instructor Liang's severe punishment for treason.
Zhao Jian decided to go to the hotel to plead with Miqin Mubei for Instructor Liang's release, believing it was the only way to save him. Yuan Zhongxin offered to accompany her, but Zhao Jian refused, fearing his presence might further provoke Miqin Mubei, whom she suspected might be linked to Qin Wuya. She urged Yuan Zhongxin to focus on interrogating Li Zhen and investigating Qin Wuya.
Wang Kuan, concerned for Zhao Jian's safety, questioned Yuan Zhongxin's seeming indifference to Miqin Mubei's marriage proposal, reminding him of their mutual affection and how a proposal from Yuan Zhongxin could easily resolve the situation. Yuan Zhongxin, however, confessed that marrying Zhao Jian would put her life in danger, though he refused to elaborate further. Meanwhile, Wei Yanei and Xue Ying reported minimal progress on their camp investigation, cautious not to alert their targets.
Wang Kuan, ever the caretaker, offered them mung bean soup. He lamented the delay of his own marriage to Xiao Jing, but she reassured him that their shared commitment to the Secret Repository's mission came first. During his interrogation of Li Zhen, Yuan Zhongxin pressed him on why he alone survived the Lin family massacre and why he hadn't reported it, implying Li Zhen's direct involvement. Li Zhen repeatedly denied any knowledge.
When Li Zhen invoked Song law against illegal detention, Yuan Zhongxin sarcastically apologized and threatened to release him onto the streets, knowing his pursuers were still active. Despite being tied up and mocked, Li Zhen tried to maintain his dignity, daring Yuan Zhongxin to do his worst. At the hotel, Zhao Jian observed Prince Mozang publicly humiliate Miqin Mubei by splashing tea on him and calling him names, a power play that Miqin Mubei silently endured.
Zhao Jian commented on his unusual restraint, and Miqin Mubei acknowledged Prince Mozang's current influence and his own need to tolerate it. Zhao Jian then asked what it would take for him to release Instructor Liang. Miqin Mubei challenged her to a sand table game—the "final phase of sand table" they had discussed before—with Instructor Liang's freedom as the prize. The rules were simple: Zhao Jian's troops were besieged, and she had to break through.
Zhao Jian first chose a mountain road, noting its ruggedness, but Miqin Mubei pointed out that in winter, with dry conditions and prevailing northwest winds, fire attacks would be devastating. Zhao Jian then chose a waterway, believing horses could traverse the frozen lake. Miqin Mubei then revealed his trap: he had already sent people to spread salt in the waterway to accelerate the ice melt.
By the time her troops reached the center of the lake, the ice would melt, cutting off their retreat and leaving them vulnerable. Zhao Jian realized Miqin Mubei had skillfully manipulated her into choosing his desired trap. Miqin Mubei coolly stated that she had chosen her path herself, and Zhao Jian, defeated, conceded.
