Episode 5 recap: A Mai became involved in the war.
As expected, Chang Yu Qing's attempt to attack the prison failed, so he decided to begin the siege. Chang Yu Qing ordered his subordinates to fight swiftly and decisively, and they started advancing towards the main gate of Silver Fort City. The general instructed his men to inform them to burn all the weapons in Silver Fort City and leave nothing for the people of the Northern Desert.
Tang Shao Yi sent his subordinates to the prison to ask if they could join the battle against the people of the Northern Desert, promising them amnesty for all their crimes if they participated. A Mai was the first to step forward, declaring that she was born as a person of Southern Xia and would die as a ghost of Southern Xia. A Mai told them that Silver Fort City was their home, their loved ones, and their parents, and asked if they were willing to abandon them all.
Inspired by A Mai's uplifting words, all the prisoners took to the battlefield. Seeing the situation, A Mai told Tang Shao Yi that they definitely couldn't hold on, but Tang Shao Yi insisted they must defend the city, regardless of the outcome. Soon, the people of the Northern Desert broke through the city gates. The general ordered Tang Shao Yi to hurry to the prison and protect Li Er Niu, ensuring that he didn't fall into the hands of the people from the Northern Desert, as that would result in more casualties.
Chang Yu Qing killed the general of Silver Fort City and ordered his men to enter the city. Just as A Mai was about to leave, the elder brother in the prison, Xu Yong, who was barely alive, called out to her. He asked A Mai to save his daughter, Xu Xiu Er. Tang Shao Yi went to ask Li Er Niu why he didn't leave, and Li Er Niu told him he had nowhere to go.
Tang Shao Yi thought that Li Er Niu could easily obtain a high position and great wealth if he left now, but Li Er Niu said he was a person of the Northern Desert, and Tang Shao Yi wouldn't even be able to see him if he wanted high position and wealth. Li Er Niu burned all the blueprints, as he didn't want to help the people of the Northern Desert kill others or let them use their weapons to harm his own people.
Tang Shao Yi believed that although Li Er Niu had burned the blueprints, he himself was the living blueprint. Li Er Niu suggested that Tang Shao Yi should kill him. Tang Shao Yi couldn't bring himself to do it, as even though Li Er Niu was a person of the Northern Desert, killing him was not something he could do. Tang Shao Yi told Li Er Niu that he would take him along and try to break through. If they succeeded, they would both survive, but if they failed, Tang Shao Yi would kill him first.
A Mai arrived at the location Xu Yong had told her about and saw corpses strewn everywhere.
A Mai was deeply saddened, and she picked up a dagger from the ground to defend herself. Suddenly, she heard a loud cry and hurried over to find a Northern Desert man attempting to rape a woman. A Mai used the dagger she had just found to kill the Northern Desert man and quickly asked the woman if she was Xu Xiu Er.
After receiving a positive response, A Mai handed Xu Xiu Er a string of beads that belonged to Xu Yong, her father. Xu Xiu Er learned that her father had passed away, and she was contemplating suicide with the dagger. A Mai intervened just in time to stop her. Li Er Niu felt immense guilt, knowing that this whole situation had arisen because of him. When he was in the Northern Desert, Chang Yu Qing had repeatedly approached him for the blueprints.
If he didn't give the blueprints to Chang Yu Qing, his clan members would be killed. He managed to escape on his own. Li Er Niu tried to lock himself up in the prison cell, but somehow the information leaked. Chang Yu Qing's attempt to attack the prison failed, so he began the siege, resulting in the deaths of many people in Silver Fort City.
A Mai realized that they couldn't stay in Silver Fort City any longer and needed to find a way to leave quickly. Tang Shao Yi believed that they could only escape by fighting their way out. A Mai told him that she had a plan and asked Tang Shao Yi to find several sets of clothing belonging to the people of the Northern Desert so they could disguise themselves.
A Mai led them to find Si Ye (Fourth Prince), and she saw the devastation in the area, thinking that Si Ye had also been killed. As they were preparing to leave, Si Ye's voice was heard, asking if it was A Mai and her companions. A Mai explained to Si Ye their intention to leave the city and asked if he could create a token for them.
Si Ye felt that an ordinary token wouldn't work in the current situation, so A Mai suggested that he make a token resembling Chang Yu Qing's. She also asked Tang Shao Yi to impersonate Chang Yu Qing. However, Tang Shao Yi still felt unsure about it, as he didn't want to risk Li Er Niu's life.
A Mai assured him that she wasn't asking him to take such a risk. Instead, she wanted the Northern Desert soldiers themselves to escort them out of the city.
As a casual viewer, I've finished watching the first six episodes. The plot progresses quickly, and the story is tightly woven. I'm really looking forward to what will happen next. Even the supporting characters have great storylines, and each character is well-established.
The main characters are all on a journey of growth, and I'm excited to see their development in the later episodes. There's also a humorous element that I quite enjoy.