Episode 19 recap: A Mai strategized and repelled the Northern Desert Army.
Shang Yi Zhi appointed A Mai as the commander of the Seventh Battalion, and A Mai knelt down to accept the order. Xu Jing and the others gathered together to discuss the next steps, and A Mai presented a plan. A Mai hoped that Shang Yi Zhi could lead the entire army to fight to the death and secure a way out for the Northern Garrison. Shang Yi Zhi followed A Mai's instructions.
Shang Yi Zhi promoted A Mai to the position of captain of the Seventh Battalion, and A Mai, with tears in her eyes, expressed her gratitude. Chang Yu Qing handed a letter to Cui Yan for him to read. After reading it, Cui Yan became furious. He couldn't understand what the court was thinking, still considering withdrawing the troops at such a critical moment. Chang Yu Qing asked him to read it carefully before making any conclusions. Cui Yan realized that the letter was written by Chang Yu Qing's father.
He quickly changed his tone and said that Uncle Chang must have his reasons for doing so. Chang Yu Qing asked him to explain the reasons. Cui Yan couldn't find the right words to explain, so Chang Yu Qing told him to prepare for an early assault on the city the next day. Chang Yu Qing punished Jiang, the deputy general, because many of their comrades had died in battle. Chang Yu Qing instructed Jiang to live and eat with the injured soldiers, urging him to reflect on his own past experiences.
Shang Yi Zhi realized that Chang Yu Qing was only pretending to attack, so he asked the other battalion commanders for their opinions. A Mai told Shang Yi Zhi that she wanted to request him to lead the entire army to fight to the death and secure a way out for the Northern Garrison. Tang Shao Yi advised her not to talk nonsense, but A Mai clarified that she wasn't asking Shang Yi Zhi to attack the enemy camp directly. Shang Yi Zhi allowed A Mai to continue, and she explained that Pingjia Hollow was like a gourd, easy to defend but difficult to attack. She hoped that Shang Yi Zhi could lead their troops to depart from the rear camp, leaving only one battalion behind.
They would pretend that the main army was still in the camp while they circled around the mountains to the back. They would set up an ambush there and wait for the Northern Desert Army to arrive. A Mai and Shang Yi Zhi would then launch a pincer attack from the front and the rear. After listening to A Mai's plan, Xu Jing believed that A Mai was taking a gamble. If their main army failed to arrive before the Northern Desert Army, then Chang Yu Qing's troops would be wiped out.
A Mai told him that both sides were gambling in this large-scale battle. Shang Yi Zhi wanted to exchange positions with A Mai. He wanted to stay in Pingjia Hollow to defend the city while A Mai led the main army to advance. However, A Mai refused, believing that Shang Yi Zhi would come back for her every time.
Shang Yi Zhi said that with so many people around, they shouldn't hug her for now. A Mai punched him and said, "What time is it? Shang Yi Zhi is still joking around."
A Mai watched Shang Yi Zhi's figure and thought to herself that he would definitely come back. Chang Yu Qing's subordinates informed him that the Northern Garrison had gotten up early in the morning to cut down the forest. He didn't understand why they were cutting down trees. A Mai told them that they needed to make a big fire and use bamboo to make arrows, creating the illusion that they were still present at the camp.
Chang Yu Qing ordered Deputy General Jiang to reinforce the troops' armor so that they could defend against the Northern Garrison's whips and arrows. A Mai, with one battalion left behind in Pingjia Hollow, created a lot of commotion by cutting bamboo and starting fires. The soldiers in the battalion helped A Mai create the illusion of the entire army being present.
The whips and arrows produced by the Northern Garrison were very powerful. A Mai told them that it was the first time they had such abundance and encouraged them to be spirited. Several days later, A Mai waited at the entrance of Pingjia Hollow without eating or drinking, waiting for Shang Yi Zhi to return. Wang Qi and Er Dan tried to persuade A Mai to eat something. They asked if A Mai was still angry. If she was, then they would have to go out and chop firewood.
A Mai told them to make a fire and make it strong. Wang Qi took the brothers and went out to chop trees. During the tree-cutting process, they were ambushed by the Northern Desert soldiers. Wang Qi hurried back to inform A Mai about the ambush. A Mai told Er Dan to gather all the brothers and catch the enemy off guard while they hadn't returned yet.
A Mai captured Cui Yan and brought him into their camp. When Chang Yu Qing learned about it, he quickly arrived at the gate of Pingjia Hollow. A Mai told Chang Yu Qing to come alone into the city for discussion, or else she would kill Cui Yan. Chang Yu Qing agreed, and as he was about to go alone, Deputy General Jiang Cheng Yi shot an arrow at Cui Yan. Luckily, A Mai reacted in time and saved Cui Yan's life.
At Jiang Cheng Yi's command, the Northern Desert Army launched an attack on A Mai and her troops. In a critical moment, Shang Yi Zhi also returned with a large force, and they launched a pincer attack, defeating the Northern Desert Army. A Mai acted as Cui Yan and knew that keeping him there was useless. By releasing him, it would surely cause dissatisfaction within the Northern Desert Army camp.
I'm truly baffled by this female lead character. She's incredibly hypocritical. When she caused the deaths of so many people due to her personal feelings, she didn't acknowledge her own actions.
But when the male lead suggests sacrificing a small number of people, she blames him for not treating the soldiers as human beings. Her proposed solution is for everyone to die together. And then, she goes and saves others while being with the enemy leader.
Multiple times, she disobeys military orders and acts impulsively because of her own affairs. She lacks rationality and wants to kill people without thinking, especially in the later stages where her intelligence takes a nosedive.
I thought she had some brilliant plan when she rushed to kill Chen Qi, but all she did was attempt to kill him. At this point, even the screenwriter's intelligence drops. The enemy leader kills even the people who adopted her, let alone the daughter of the adoptive parents.
And yet, after not seeing each other for over a decade, she can recognize her on the battlefield with just a glance and then claims it's the female lead's accomplishment. This storyline truly disgusts me to the point of wanting to vomit.