Young Blood Episode 7 Recap
> Young Blood Recap
Following Dean Lu Guannian's orders, Zhao Jian was assigned to personally attend to Yuan Zhongxin, ensuring he remained within her sight. Yuan Zhongxin, however, sought to evade her constant presence and asked Wei Yanei to help him to the latrine. On their way, Yuan Zhongxin inquired if Wei Yanei still aspired to be the section chief. Wei Yanei acknowledged that with the new rules for selecting the chief, decided by the teachers, he lacked the ability to attain the position.
He pointed out that Old Thief favored Zhao Jian, Instructor Yue often praised Wang Kuan, and Liang Zhu preferred Xue Ying but would likely choose Wang Kuan in the end. Yuan Zhongxin, however, had a scheme in mind and claimed he could help Wei Yanei secure the leadership role.
He elaborated that if Wei Yanei simply told Liang Zhu he disliked Yuan Zhongxin, Liang Zhu would ensure Wei Yanei became chief, hoping Yuan Zhongxin would suffer more during training under Wei Yanei's command. Wei Yanei found the plan surprisingly simple and agreed to try. Meanwhile, Xue Ying was practicing his swordplay in the courtyard when Wang Kuan approached him. Wang Kuan volunteered to help Xue Ying understand the lessons taught by Old Thief, particularly the details about criminal tattoos.
Xue Ying expressed his gratitude, but Wang Kuan clarified that Yuan Zhongxin was the one he should truly thank. Wang Kuan explained that Yuan Zhongxin had noticed Xue Ying's struggle with reading. While Yuan Zhongxin had appeared to mock Xue Ying when first revealing this, Wang Kuan clarified that Yuan Zhongxin had actually confided in him specifically, knowing Wang Kuan's willingness to help others, and implying Yuan Zhongxin's true intention was to prompt Wang Kuan to assist Xue Ying.
Wang Kuan assured Xue Ying that Yuan Zhongxin was not a malicious person. Troubled by this revelation, Xue Ying spent a restless night. Eventually, he woke Yuan Zhongxin in front of their peers and offered a sincere apology, acknowledging his previous misunderstanding and Yuan Zhongxin's true intentions. Yuan Zhongxin feigned ignorance, attributing Xue Ying's actions to sleepwalking. After five days of lessons, the time came for the three teachers to choose the section chief.
To Zhao Jian's astonishment, all three teachers—Old Thief, Instructor Yue, and Liang Zhu—unanimously recommended Wei Yanei. Wei Yanei and Yuan Zhongxin exchanged subtle glances, confirming their pre-arranged plan had succeeded. With Wei Yanei's appointment as section chief, Dean Lu Guannian announced the team's first official mission. A Liao Dynasty spy had died in a prison camp, and a secret document was missing. Their task was to infiltrate the camp and retrieve the document.
Citing Yuan Zhongxin's injuries, Wei Yanei proposed that Yuan Zhongxin be excused from the mission. Dean Lu Guannian agreed, instructing Yuan Zhongxin to remain in the Secret Repository to recover, with Zhao Jian assigned to care for him. The others were to undergo fake facial tattooing to disguise themselves as criminals and gain entry into the prison camp. Later, Zhao Jian confronted Yuan Zhongxin, immediately seeing through his elaborate plan.
She accused him of making Wei Yanei section chief, knowing he was unsuitable, all as part of his scheme. Yuan Zhongxin candidly admitted that his efforts to promote Wei Yanei and feign severe injury were calculated to avoid the perilous prison camp assignment, stating that he could easily influence Wei Yanei as chief. He questioned why the court would send them, posing as criminals, into such a dangerous place instead of deploying imperial guards.
Yuan Zhongxin, who believed in steering clear of trouble, paused when Zhao Jian asked what would happen if they never returned. He confidently asserted that with Wang Kuan and Zhao Jian among the group, they would undoubtedly be fine. Wang Kuan, Xue Ying, Wei Yanei, and Xiao Jing, disguised as prisoners, proceeded to the prison camp in search of the secret document. However, their true identities were soon discovered by the camp warden, who advised them to leave.
Wang Kuan insisted they would only stay for three days if the mission went smoothly. Back at the Secret Repository, Dean Lu Guannian informed Zhao Jian and Yuan Zhongxin that Wang Kuan's group had gone missing. He urged them to enter the prison camp to rescue their comrades and complete the mission. Yuan Zhongxin, seeking a complete understanding of the situation, pressed for more details about the secret document.
Yielding to their persistence, Dean Lu Guannian led them into a hidden room. Within the secret room, a man named Mr. Han was imprisoned. Mr. Han revealed that he was the source who informed them the secret document was in the prison camp. He explained that the document was a list of Song Dynasty crossbow technicians. Given the variety of Song crossbows, the crossbow academy was a primary target for Liao spies.
A Liao spy, attempting to smuggle this list out of the city, inadvertently clashed with Wei Yanei and was subsequently sent to the prison camp. The spy later died in the camp, but the document vanished. Mr. Han warned that multiple Liao spies had already infiltrated the prison camp, and if the list fell into Liao hands, it would be a catastrophic disaster for the Song Dynasty. Zhao Jian questioned Mr. Han's motivation for helping them.
Mr. Han disclosed that the Liao Dynasty's government was divided into Northern and Southern courts. The missing document pertained to the Southern court's operations. By assisting the Song Dynasty, he aimed to undermine the Southern court, paving the way for the rise of his own Northern court. Yuan Zhongxin and Zhao Jian agreed to enter the prison camp to find the document and rescue Wang Kuan's group.
Yuan Zhongxin seized the opportunity to request that Zhao Jian share a cell with him, ostensibly to prevent her from causing trouble. Upon entering the camp, Yuan Zhongxin inquired about the missing group, but the warden claimed ignorance, and no other prisoners had seen them. Zhao Jian found the warden's denial suspicious, but Yuan Zhongxin, familiar with such places, cautioned that no one in a prison camp could be trusted.
Inside their cell, Yuan Zhongxin skillfully scattered insect repellent, clearing the room of pests, a meticulousness that surprised Zhao Jian. However, Yuan Zhongxin's roguish demeanor soon provoked Zhao Jian, leading to a physical altercation between them in the cell. Leveraging his street smarts from years of mingling in the jianghu, Yuan Zhongxin, with Zhao Jian, successfully earned the trust of the prisoner leader. They were subsequently assigned to be supervised by Ding Er.
That night, Ding Er approached Yuan Zhongxin, unlocking their cell with a key and inviting Yuan Zhongxin and Zhao Jian for a talk. As they walked, Yuan Zhongxin and Zhao Jian noticed the peculiar emptiness of the prison cells at night. Combined with Ding Er, a supposed fugitive, possessing cell keys, they suspected something deeply amiss.
