Episode 34 recap: Meeting with Ning Yuan Zhou, the person of good fortune.
Li Tong Guang, disguised, came to retrieve the ashes of the Master. Just as he was about to pay, Lu Geng refused, informing Li Tong Guang that the collection of these ashes was not for monetary gain but to honor the many things the Master had done for them during his lifetime. Li Tong Guang held the ashes of the Master, crying like a child, and buried them. Yang Ying conveyed a message to Li Tong Guang, asking him to find a way to help her leave the palace and pay respects to the Master. Li Tong Guang understood that Yang Ying had reached this point in order to avenge the Master's death. He instructed his subordinates to find a way to replace Yang Ying and let her see the Master.
As soon as Yang Ying boarded the carriage, someone lurked in the courtyard behind her. Li Tong Guang met the Emperor and Emperor An warmly told Li Tong Guang that the reason he had been strict with him in the past was to help him grow. Now, he needed Li Tong Guang's assistance in supporting the Second Prince and promoted Li Tong Guang to Duke of the country. When Li Tong Guang left, he gave some money to the people around the Emperor, claiming it was to take care of his family affairs, and had someone inform Li Tong Guang that the Emperor intended for Yang Ying to become the Crown Princess.
As soon as Li Tong Guang turned his head, he saw a servant of Concubine Chu. He went to see Concubine Chu, who was very angry that Li Tong Guang had accompanied Chu Yue instead of coming to see her. Li Tong Guang directly stated that it was Concubine Chu who arranged the marriage and now she was mentioning it again.
Concubine Chu was choked up, and Li Tong Guang casually mentioned that he had simply replaced Concubine Chu with Chu Yue. Concubine Chu kept asking Li Tong Guang if he had any feelings for her, and Li Tong Guang retorted, asking if she herself was not clear.
Concubine Chu angrily told Li Tong Guang that if that was the case, he shouldn't blame her for being uninteresting. She also threatened to kill Yang Ying. Li Tong Guang, feeling anxious for Yang Ying, pushed Concubine Chu away and quickly chased after her.
Just as Yang Ying arrived at the Master's grave, an assassination attempt took place. In a critical moment, as fortune would have it, Ru Yi appeared. However, Ru Yi was weak and frail. Ning Yuan Zhou arrived just in time and killed those people. Ru Yi was delighted to see Ning Yuan Zhou, and Ning Yuan Zhou was shocked to hear Ru Yi calling his name. Yang Ying was overjoyed to see that the Master was alive.
Ru Yi recalled being saved by Deng Hui. Deng Hui knew that Ru Yi's heart was not on the left side, but deliberately stabbed her on the left side. Ru Yi said that she had gambled correctly on Deng Hui's kind heart. Ning Yuan Zhou wanted to take Yang Ying and Ru Yi back, but Yang Ying didn't want to go back. She felt that she had transformed from a little sparrow into an eagle and couldn't return.
Yang Ying knew that she had seen a lot and learned how to protect herself along the way. Being here, she could strive for peace between the two countries, which was also a good thing. Whether it took three years or five years, it would all be meaningful.
Seeing that Yang Ying had made up her mind, Ning Yuan Zhou and the others didn't insist any further. As they watched Yang Ying walk away, Ning Yuan Zhou sighed in relief that he no longer had to go to the underworld to find Ru Yi. The two of them passionately kissed each other. Li Tong Guang watched from a distance, and Yang Ying called him over. Li Tong Guang knew deep down that he no longer had the right to hold a knife against Ru Yi. He asked Yang Ying if Ru Yi had mentioned him. Yang Ying told Li Tong Guang that when the Master heard the sound of the Beipan horn, he thought it was Li Tong Guang rushing to his aid, but it turned out to be her instead. Li Tong Guang, with tears in his eyes, said he knew it would turn out this way.
Outside the Tianmen Pass, Prince You Xian of Beipan greeted the Second Prince of An Kingdom and asked if he could enter the city gates later. After receiving confirmation, he continued on. The Second Prince resented his father for believing that he had killed his older brother and exiling him to this poor and cold place. He blamed himself for following in his father's footsteps and thought that his dealings with Prince You Xian were just business and nothing significant.
Wuhuang arrived at the place where his brothers had died with Qian Zhao. Qian Zhao made the Emperor kneel down, wanting his brothers to confess. Just as the Second Prince arrived at the city gate and signaled his subordinates with the Beipan's code, he heard people inside the city saying that they were going to proclaim him as the Crown Prince. He quickly ordered his men to close the city gates, but the Beipan forces had already received the news and started their attack. It all happened too suddenly, and it was too late.
The Second Prince realized that he had caused trouble, but he and his guards quietly changed into Beipan soldiers' clothes, hoping to escape to Hexian so he could still become the Crown Prince, and no one would know. The Beipan forces launched a fierce assault on the city. Yuan Lu felt that something was wrong and went to Qian Zhao with Sun Lang. When they saw Qian Zhao about to kill the Emperor, they were shocked.
Qian Zhao spoke of their brotherhood and told the Emperor that Chai Ming was his younger brother. The Emperor was greatly shocked and filled with regret. Sun Lang tried to stop Qian Zhao, and Qian Zhao was deeply hurt to see his brothers trying to prevent him from harming the misguided ruler.
If there's no consistent and stable output from the male lead, the female lead is just the strongest assassin! This is a drama centered around the growth of a strong female lead, telling the story of Ru Yi's transformation from being the most powerful in terms of martial prowess to becoming a contemporary woman with flesh, thoughts, and a soul.
Even though there were a few episodes of slow-paced romantic scenes, those who paid close attention would know that the male lead is merely a presence, and it's mostly the female lead who determines their value.
She realizes what she wants, how to achieve it, and what needs to be done. Even her future plans don't revolve around the male lead. The male lead is really just carrying the pot from start to finish!
I like the male lead's personality in the drama; it's similar to my husband's. He's always understanding, encouraging, and supportive, which is what allows her to become the best version of herself.
The plot is always unexpected and addictive. I feel that characters are more complete with romantic scenes. It's categorized as a historical romance, so why not have more emotional scenes? If it were in reality, I would choose a guy like Ning Yuan Zhou, someone steady, reliable, emotionally stable, responsible, and dependable.
Each character has their own unique traits, and the plot isn't too chaotic. Maybe because I used to watch anime before, which tends to be more explosive, I find this plot very reasonable. Overall, I highly recommend it.