Episode 11 recap: Shang Yi Zhi's rescue of the prince outweighs his previous achievements.
During the days leading up to the martial arts competition, A Mai remained tense and vigilant. The matter of Shang Yi Zhi's life and death was of utmost importance, so A Mai couldn't afford to be careless. Wang Jiao Wei, the commander of Yuzhou City, arrived at the training site of Qingzhou Army with a high and mighty attitude, urging them to surrender early. However, A Mai was not discouraged in the slightest. The competition had not yet taken place, and the outcome was uncertain. Seeing the training of the Qingzhou soldiers, A Mai felt a wave of anxiety and recalled her father's teachings from her childhood. He had repeatedly emphasized that success in battle required not only physical strength but also the clever use of tactics. It seemed that this time, she needed to plan carefully.
During the day, Shang Yi Zhi saw A Mai talking and laughing with Tang Shao Yi, and they even had their arms around each other. It was an intimacy that made Shang Yi Zhi uneasy. In the evening, Shang Yi Zhi nervously went to A Mai's room and asked about her relationship with Tang Shao Yi, and whether she liked him. After receiving A Mai's denial, Shang Yi Zhi finally felt relieved and explained that it was a question some soldiers had asked.
On the day of the competition, the first round was won by the Yuzhou Army. Shi Da Chun was not present in the judges' seat. Although he appeared to be eating, he was still restless. His wife was afraid that Shi Da Chun would secretly favor the other side. If they offended the prince, their future would be bleak. Shi Da Chun understood this well, but he was caught in a dilemma between the prince and his savior. He was truly torn.
The prince's strategist, Yang Xuan, believed that the Yuzhou Army was likely to win and advised them not to be too harsh on the Qingzhou Army. In the second round, Tang Shao Yi came to challenge on behalf of the Qingzhou Army, riding a horse that A Mai had bought, a spirited steed. Tang Shao Yi fought five opponents alone, and Shang Yi Zhi nervously sweated. However, Tang Shao Yi ultimately lived up to everyone's expectations, and the Qingzhou Army won this round.
Now the score was tied, and the most crucial round was the third one. Both sides had to snatch the flag when the hourglass ran out of sand. Whoever grabbed it first would be the winner. A Mai participated in the scramble and commanded the entire process. As the hourglass neared its end, she quickly scattered a bag of sand around the flag, using the sand to confuse the Yuzhou soldiers who were vying for the flag. In the end, the soldiers of Qingzhou emerged victorious.
Yang Xuan was furious and accused them of cheating before storming off. Soon, a report arrived from the military that the prince had been abducted by the Northern Desert Army. A Mai immediately ordered Shang Yi Zhi to mobilize troops to rescue the prince. However, Shang Yi Zhi was surprised. The prince wanted to kill him, so he couldn't understand why he should risk his life to save him when he was already captured.
A Mai taught him to think long-term. If they could successfully rescue the prince this time, perhaps the prince would show some leniency in the future. With A Mai's guidance, Shang Yi Zhi headed north with his trusted subordinates and finally rescued the prince. This was the first time the prince saw Shang Yi Zhi, and he was deeply impressed. After all, it was Shang Yi Zhi who saved him from the hands of the bandits, so their achievements and faults balanced each other out.
Now the Qingzhou Army and the Yuzhou Army have joined forces and are training together at a designated training ground every day. Shang Yi Zhi is worried about how to unite the two armies and fight the enemy together. A Mai came up with an idea: take both army units out for multiple operations together. As long as they work together a few times, they will gradually build cohesion. A Mai is clever and wise, and she has helped Shang Yi Zhi overcome many dangerous situations. They are not only friends but also comrades in arms. Shang Yi Zhi really wants A Mai to stay by his side, but A Mai insists on going to the Northern Desert.
A Mai and Shang Yi Zhi grow together. Neither of them starts off as mature individuals with all the answers. Instead, they both experience setbacks and transformations. One grows from a determined avenger disguised as a man to a true military strategist, while the other evolves from a spoiled playboy into an emperor.
This kind of growth isn't guided by someone older; rather, it's supported and protected by each other throughout their journey. They encourage one another, and there is still a thread of growth between them.
The TV drama's adaptation of the romantic storyline is more reasonable than the original novel. The romantic storyline in the novel is twisted and fragmented. The TV drama added more hatred between Mai Sui and Chen Qi, as well as the massacre and city destruction, making her path of revenge more reasonable.
The reason for joining the army is also better explained than in the novel. Changing the original male lead of the city destruction, Chang Yuqing, was a good move because it doesn't make sense for someone with a different stance, being an enemy general, to develop feelings.
As for Shang Yi Zhi, I don't know if it's a change in character or the actor's poor acting skills, but it somewhat hampers the adaptation. As for the female lead's experience leading troops in battle, it's portrayed well according to the novel, but there won't be many exciting moments in the beginning.
The exciting moments come much later.