Episode 30 recap: Lao Bao and the Zhongxi Army protect Li Yi and die on the battlefield.
Li Yi is walking with the funeral procession when suddenly someone in the group tries to assassinate him. Fortunately, Li Yi reacts quickly and evades the attacker. Lao Bao sacrifices himself to protect Li Yi and gets shot in front of him. Li Yi is heartbroken but helpless.Li Yi storms into the Xing Wang Mansion, intending to kill Li Jun. Fortunately, General Xiao Pei stops him. Li Jun runs to the Emperor to file a complaint, and the Emperor orders Li Yi to kneel in front of the palace gate and forbids him from getting up without permission. Cui Lin already knows everything and instructs Tao Zi to quickly inform Chang'er that if Li Yi acts impulsively and rushes out, they must find a way to stop him.
Tao Zi believes that Cui Lin understands Li Yi the best, and Cui Lin sighs, saying that even if someone understands, what difference does it make? Gu Wanniang witnessed the nursemaid falling in front of her at that time, and she still feels a bit scared when she recalls it. Her maidservant advises her not to see Prince Qin in the future as it is too dangerous. However, Gu Wanniang believes that wealth and danger go hand in hand, and she cannot avoid seeing Li Yi.
Prime Minister Gu hears what she says and thinks highly of her, saying that she is indeed his daughter. He tells Gu Wanniang that Li Yi acted too impulsively. If he had known earlier, he would have taught Li Yi to show weakness in front of the Emperor. He would have advised him to first gather evidence of Prince Xin's involvement in the nursemaid's death, and then bring it to the Emperor, pleading to him while not mentioning Prince Xin's responsibility. This way, the Emperor would feel guilty.
Prime Minister Gu feels that he has played this chess move well, but it has fallen apart. However, as a minister, he cannot sit idly by. Prime Minister Gu and Pei Xian go together to meet the Emperor. They propose that the Emperor strip Prince Xin of his title and exile him to the borderlands. The Emperor is very reluctant because he believes that Li Yi is not dead, so why can't Prince Xin be pardoned?
Seeing the situation, Pei Xian immediately kneels down and tells the Emperor that if Prince Xin is not dealt with according to the law, he will take the Zhongxi Army and persuade Li Yi to go to the borderlands to save his life. Prime Minister Gu also agrees and threatens to resign with other officials if their proposal is not accepted. The Emperor becomes anxious and immediately asks if they can compromise. After his repeated requests, Prime Minister Gu and Pei Xian finally agree.
Li Lai learns about this and rushes to the Emperor, crying and saying that he can't bear to leave him. He fears that he won't be able to see him alive if he leaves.
Liu Cheng Feng arranged to meet Li Lai in a remote location and told him that he would help him seize the throne. Li Lai instructed Liu Cheng Feng to inform Uluo that once he ascends to the throne, he will grant him control over certain territories.
On the day they went together to perform the ancestral rites, it was also the day of Li Yi's nursemaid's funeral. Li Yi planned to go alone to see off the nursemaid's funeral procession and then return for the ritual. Since they all traveled in sedans and no one else knew whether he was present or not. A spy from the Jie Shuo faction managed to infiltrate the funeral procession, but fortunately, Li Yi, being alert, was not ambushed by the spy.
Chang'er saw that Li Yi had started fighting, so he quickly drew his own sword and joined in. Li Yi instructed Chang'er to leave the city immediately and inform Pei Yuan to protect the Emperor, while he himself hurried to the Emperor's location. Indeed, the spies from the Jie Shuo faction had already reached the Emperor, addressing Prince Xin as His Highness. It was only then that the Emperor realized that Li Jun was facing a rebellion for the throne, but it was too late for him to intervene.
Li Lai and Li Jun were already facing each other with swords, engaged in a fight to the death. It was only before Li Jun was killed by Li Lai that he realized that Li Lai was the one behind the instigation and the one who stood to benefit from the chaos. As Li Yi looked at Li Lai lying on the ground, he quickly crouched down to check on him, but to his surprise, he was stabbed by Li Lai. Li Lai ordered his subordinates to spread the word that Li Yi and Li Jun were plotting a rebellion and instructed them to kill Li Yi.
Not far away, the archers from the Jie Shuo faction began their attack as well, and Li Yi was struck by an arrow and fell to the ground. Zhao Erge and the other brothers were all killed by the Jie Shuo spies. Li Yi watched as each of his brothers fell before him, causing him immense heartache. However, he was now faced with countless Jie Shuo spies and had no choice but to fight alongside Lao Bao.
In order to save Li Yi's life, Lao Bao positioned himself in front of Li Yi like a human shield. Li Yi watched as Lao Bao, standing in front of him, was shot with arrows by the Jie Shuo spies, turning him into a hedgehog. However, Li Yi was powerless to stop it. With a heavy heart, Li Yi held Lao Bao's face in his hands. Even in death, Lao Bao's expression remained resolute. Li Yi gently touched his eyes and silently vowed to take Lao Bao home.
Today's plot seems to be quite controversial. Shiliulang (Seventeen) is being heavily criticized, but from Shiliulang's perspective, he has witnessed the dirty secrets of the palace since childhood and has had enough of the royal constraints.
The supreme position in Xi Changjing is not what he sought or desired. He is unwilling to fight for it. He saves Taisun for the sake of Consort Xiao's promise, for the duty to his older brother, and for the loyalty to the late emperor's rightful successor.
Keeping promises, remaining loyal and righteous—this is who he is. His desires were once to never see his mother again, and later, to break free from constraints and be with Ayin by his side.
Are his desires truly excessive?
I find his character development to be very reasonable. It's unnecessary to stand in a godlike perspective and criticize Shiliulang. What he wants and desires has never been fulfilled. It's truly cruel to blame him for everyone's misfortune.