Episode 18 recap: # Reevaluating the Alliance of the Five Regions, Yuan Mo Seeks Duomi's Help
In Episode 18, Yu Chi Hua arrives early to roll call, and Yuan Mo greets him as usual with warmth. However, Yu Chi Hua abruptly tells him to keep his distance, insisting on maintaining a whip's length away. This leaves Yuan Mo puzzled about what he might have done to offend Yu Chi Hua.
Meanwhile, Wang Kun Wu assigns a new task to Ji Ming Li and Shen Bai Lian: to change the carpets. When the two notice that the tables have been moved, they mistakenly believe they are being fired, and their faces fall as they prepare to pack up and leave.
Seeing their distress, Wang Kun Wu quickly intervenes and introduces them to the new recruit, Qing Er, explaining that they will help Qing Er learn the ropes. Realizing it was just a misunderstanding, their mood lifts, and they break into smiles.
Wang Kun Wu then begins recounting old grievances between the Moon Shadow and the Northern Wilderness, while Yu Chi Hua decides to take charge of matters related to Moon Shadow himself. Yuan Mo, eager to help, volunteers, but Yu Chi Hua firmly declines, his resolve as solid as a locked gate.
That evening, Yuan Mo invites A Shu to dinner, choosing dishes with names that sound romantic, hoping to impress. However, A Shu finds his efforts unnecessary, leading to an awkward conversation between them.
At this moment, Duo Mi, the prince of the Northern Wilderness, joins their table and starts critiquing their dialogue. A Shu believes everyone has their own tastes and there’s no need for consensus. Seeing A Shu's open-mindedness, Duo Mi suggests they go out to sample the world's cuisines together, but A Shu douses this idea, stating he isn't interested in food.
As Duo Mi prepares to leave, the chef, Master Duan, approaches him, asking for compliments about his cooking. Duo Mi simply replies, "I only speak the truth." Yuan Mo suddenly remembers that Duo Mi's mother is the Moon Shadow princess, and life in the Northern Wilderness hasn’t been easy for him. No wonder he has come to Da Yong as a food enthusiast to escape reality.
The next day, Yuan Mo goes to the Sifang Pavilion to gather more information about Duo Mi. However, Wang Kun Wu pulls him away to discuss the alliance with the Northern Wilderness. The main concern from the Northern side is the benefits of mutual trade, and the negotiations go fairly smoothly, except for the issues involving An Xiu Yi and Yu Luo.
After the talks, Lord Ao privately meets with Yan Le to discuss the sharing of the oasis.
Kang Yun Hai used Lord Ao's nephew as bait to prevent the Northern Wilderness from forming an alliance with Da Yong. Seeing Lord Ao's underhanded tactics, Yu Chi Hua decided to bring in some Northern refugees to create more trouble for him.
Instead of addressing the issue, Lord Ao pretended to be sick and stayed behind closed doors, and Yuan Mo suspected he was just trying to buy time. Wang Kun Wu and Yuan Mo wanted to enlist Duo Mi's help to balance out Lord Ao, but Duo Mi had already made plans to have dinner with A Shu. This made Yuan Mo anxious, feeling like a cat on a hot tin roof, and he rushed to stop them.
The four gathered at a table, and Wang Kun Wu explained their purpose, but Duo Mi claimed to have no interest in politics, only in food. When Yuan Mo mentioned Duo Mi's mother and the situation he would face once the new prince ascended, Duo Mi finally showed some concern. A Shu then sang a Northern song, completely winning Duo Mi over.
Meanwhile, Lord Ao continued to feign illness to avoid any trouble, but Duo Mi organized a party with the refugees right outside his door, featuring wrestling during the day and bonfires at night, which kept Lord Ao from getting any rest. Eventually, unable to endure it any longer, Lord Ao had no choice but to agree to continue negotiations the next day. Wang Kun Wu understood perfectly that Lord Ao was compliant in words but not in spirit, and he prepared for a series of tough conditions during the talks.
As for Yuan Mo, he was puzzled about why Yu Chi Hua seemed to target him constantly. He even absurdly considered buying a whip for A Shu to teach Yu Chi Hua a lesson, planning to beg for forgiveness afterward. However, this plan was overheard by Steward Jiang, who mistakenly thought Yuan Mo was being unreasonable and promptly took him to Lord E Guo for a scolding.
Feeling defeated, Yuan Mo returned to the Sifang Pavilion. Wang Kun Wu noticed his dejected demeanor and wondered what had happened. Meanwhile, A Shu had made some money selling cosmetics and came to the Sifang Pavilion to bring Yuan Mo some snacks. When she heard that Yuan Mo was pursuing Yu Chi Hua, A Shu was taken aback, realizing the plot twists were happening faster than flipping a page!
Comments(Episode 18)