Episode 14 recap: Joe Tai was almost killed due to his identity as a deserter.
Joe Tai was almost killed due to his identity as a deserter.Di Mingjie dreamt of himself transforming into a rain master. When he took off the mask, he woke up immediately to see Cao An looking extremely terrified. Ma Rong laughed at him for sleeping soundly. Di Renjie, unable to spare many words, urged Ma Rong to quickly seek help from Bazinga Gang to investigate the whereabouts of the child soldiers who sneaked out of the camp that night.
Di Renjie was concerned about Cao An and the case. In a hurry, he informed Cao An through the door that he would handle the case first and would discuss matters with her when he returned later. He then hurried to Qiao Tower and happened to see Huang Ying'er putting on a feather coat, getting drenched in heavy rain, and attempting to jump off the building. He commanded the rain master to save her, and she stopped under the rain master's order. However, when Huang Ying'er recognized him, she strongly resisted, refusing to answer Di Renjie's questions. She took advantage of the moment when Di Renjie was pushed down and jumped off without hesitation, dying on the spot. At that moment, an eagle circled in the sky, emitting a long cry, giving hope that Huang Ying'er's wish would come true.
Di Renjie grieved as he looked at Huang Ying'er's lifeless body. Suddenly, someone came to inform him that several child soldiers were to be executed. Di Renjie rushed to the military camp, but it was already too late. The four child soldiers had been hanged. Di Renjie angrily berated the sergeant for disregarding human life, insisting that the truth should be uncovered before passing judgment. However, the sergeant disagreed because these four soldiers were beggars he had picked up and transformed into soldiers step by step. He didn't want them to carry any other accusations and lose their glory; he would rather leave them as mere corpses.
The sergeant warned Di Renjie not to interfere with military matters because the military camp was his territory. When Cao An played the piano, she was absent-minded, constantly searching for Di Renjie's figure among the crowd. Unfortunately, she had been waiting in vain and even broke a piano string. Some people in Mingyue Lane noticed Cao An's thoughts, knowing that she was longing for Di Renjie, and that Di Renjie also intended to take her away, advising her not to refuse to see him.
Cao An worried that following someone blindly might not lead to a good outcome. She both hoped for Di Renjie's arrival and feared it. Di Renjie was deeply saddened by his inability to save Huang Ying'er and the four soldiers. He drank and went to find Cao An. They spoke through the door. The next day, Di Renjie woke up in bed to find himself staying at Ming Le Lane. He longed to see Cao An, but she had already entrusted him to a maid and left a message, asking him to leave after finishing his tea as she would return later.
Bazong discovered that the four child soldiers who died went to the restaurant that day. The restaurant owner, following Bazong's instructions, cooperated fully. It was revealed that the four individuals did not carry knives when they entered the restaurant. Upstairs, two people were discussing something: one was the owner of a salt shop, and the other person was unknown to Bazong, except for the fact that he had a small mustache. Bazong noticed the sudden change in the faces of the four child soldiers when the man with the mustache appeared, and shortly after, the four individuals were taken away.
Di Renjie immediately deduced that the man was the captain. Combining his previous denial of having seen the four individuals and his insistence that he had not left the military camp, Di Renjie concluded that the captain was suspicious. He followed the restaurant owner and discovered the location where the stolen goods from the military camp were concealed. Confirming that the captain was a corrupt official, Di Renjie planned to capture him with the help of Qiao Tai and Ma Rong. However, the captain took the initiative and used Qiao Tai's status as a deserter to his advantage. He imprisoned Di Renjie and locked Ma Rong, who attempted to rescue Qiao Tai, in a cell. Eventually, the captain resorted to torturing Qiao Tai, leaving him on the verge of death.
Ma Rong witnessed Qiao Tai's battered and bloodied body and cried in distress, fearing that Qiao Tai was dead. However, Qiao Tai still had some breath left and asked Ma Rong to convey a message to Di Renjie about his origins. It turned out that Qiao Tai was indeed a deserter. He was originally a cannon fodder in his former army, destined to die sooner or later. However, the wife of Shangfeng, the commanding officer, took a liking to him and asked him to take her away. Unfortunately, the woman couldn't endure hardships and regretted her decision after just three days. Qiao Tai then sent her back. Upon hearing this, Ma Rong couldn't help but feel angry and anxious, reproaching Qiao Tai.
The captain intended to kill Qiao Tai, and Di Renjie, trapped and unable to intervene, was filled with desperation. However, in a moment of inspiration, Di Renjie deliberately mentioned several procurement requests and revealed the quantities of the supplies. This caught the attention of hungry soldiers who were unarmed but forced to go to battle. They became a distraction for the captain, buying enough time for Hong Liang and his men to arrive. They exposed the captain's corruption, ultimately saving Qiao Tai's life.
After waking up, Qiao Tai worried that Di Renjie might learn about his past mistakes. Fortunately, Ma Rong covered for him, praising his bravery on the battlefield. For the time being, Di Renjie chose to believe these words. The abbot of Ming Le Lane noticed Cao An's thoughts and intentionally had Ah Xiang spread the news that Di Renjie was in danger at the military camp. Cao An quickly rushed out upon hearing this. The abbot knew that Cao An would leave, so he started practicing the zither while instructing Ah Xiang to bring more people back.
I can't believe there's a love subplot. Shouldn't Di Ren Jie focus on solving cases? I've followed the entire Di Ren Jie series, including the novels and radio dramas, and this is the first time I've seen a romantic storyline.
And the main characters, they look like Beauty and the Beast. They're already married, so why are they still dating? I've watched Zhou Yi Wei's variety shows, and seeing him in a romantic relationship in the drama is really hard to immerse myself in!