Episode 22 recap: Pan Yue went alone to the Hongmen Banquet.
Bai Xiaosheng came to find Yang Cai Wei, avoiding Pan Yue in a mysterious manner. Yang Cai Wei quickly assured her that they no longer had any secrets between them. Bai Xiaosheng suspected that Zhuo Lanjiang was in trouble and told them what had happened that day. The three of them went to the back mountain of the Yinyu Building and discovered that the characters on the bag were the characters "Zhuo". The relationship between Xinzhen Academy and Yinyu Building was absolutely inseparable.
Pan Yue and Yang Cai Wei quickly analyzed the structure of the Water Ripple organization, but Bai Xiaosheng was anxious to save someone. Yang Cai Wei tried to stop her from taking risks, but Bai Xiaosheng accused her of not being willing to take risks for her. Yang Cai Wei quickly explained herself, and Bai Xiaosheng calmed down.
Zhuo's father invited Pan Yue to the Yinyu Building banquet in the name of Zhuo Lanjiang. Pan Yue believed that they intended to confront each other, and he would definitely go. Zhuo Lanjiang is currently not eating or drinking, but Zhuo's father hasn't thought about his son's situation at all and is determined to kill Pan Yue because if Pan Yue doesn't die, it will be them who die.
Bai Xiaosheng insisted on following Yang Cai Wei and Pan Yue to the Yinyu Building. She would not have done this losing business before. Yang Cai Wei realized that Bai Xiaosheng liked Zhuo Lanjiang, but for Bai Xiaosheng, this was a relationship without a future. Yang Cai Wei advised her to tell Zhuo Lanjiang her feelings, and it's better to regret after doing it than to miss the opportunity and regret it.
On the day of the banquet at the Yinyu Building, Yang Cai Wei was worried and afraid that something would happen to Pan Yue on this dangerous trip. Pan Yue calmly went to the appointment alone and arrived at the Yinyu Building. Yang Cai Wei and Bai Xiaosheng also acted separately, one went to steal the key, and the other went to the kitchen.
Zhuo's father believed that Pan Yue's solo attendance at the banquet was a sign of disrespect, but Pan Yue calmly revealed his hidden intentions. Afu went to persuade Zhuo Lanjiang to eat, but for Zhuo Lanjiang, everyone was betraying him, and he felt very sad. Zhuo Lanjiang saw that the meal was arranged in a square shape, as Yang Cai Wei had mentioned before, and he opened it to find the prison key inside.
Pan Yue speculated that the reason Zhuo's father sold himself as the mastermind was because of Zhuo Lanjiang. He thought they had something to discuss, but Zhuo's father intended to die with him. Zhuo Lanjiang successfully left the prison and met up with Yang Cai Wei and Bai Xiaosheng, rushing to the main hall to stop Zhuo's father. Pan Yue, seeing the fire in front of him, remained calm and raised his cup to toast him, then skillfully exposed Zhuo's father's intentions. He was only trying to protect Zhuo Lanjiang, but would he be happy if he knew the truth? Zhuo Lanjiang and the three of them had already arrived outside the main hall. Faced with Sun Zhen's threat with a sword, Zhuo Lanjiang kept stepping forward.
Sun Zhen said that Zhuo's father did all these things for Zhuo Lanjiang. The person behind the scenes used Zhuo Lanjiang to threaten Zhuo's father, who knew he couldn't escape, so he acted like a guard dog.
Pan Yue tried to persuade Zhuo Lanjiang and even showed him the princess's token of immunity, assuring him that if they revealed the truth, everything could still be salvaged. Zhuo Lanjiang's hurried arrival and pleas shook Zhuo's father once again. He was willing to cease hostilities with the county government but couldn't disclose the name of the person behind it. Would Pan Yue still protect Zhuo Lanjiang? Pan Yue stated that he had no involvement in the matter and, moreover, Zhuo Lanjiang was his friend.
Pan Yue initially intended to leave with Zhuo's father, but to his surprise, Zhuo's father forcefully threw him out. Zhuo Lanjiang watched his tearful father in the midst of the fire and heard his father say that the people of the capital would seek revenge, and only by his death could Zhuo Lanjiang be safe. Zhuo's father died amidst Zhuo Lanjiang's cries, but the fire destroyed all the evidence.
After that day, Zhuo Lanjiang locked himself in his room and drank alcohol from morning till night, ignoring everyone. Seeing his desolate state, Pan Yue deliberately provoked him, mentioning that his father had protected him all his life and would be enraged if he saw him like this. Zhuo Lanjiang finally stopped drinking, but his eyes were filled with despair. Bai Xiaosheng personally made soup for him, bearing the scar on her hand, and Zhuo Lanjiang drank it.
Zhuo Lanjiang built a new tomb for his father and arranged to meet Yang Cai Wei there. He apologized to her for his father's actions, acknowledging that he could never repay his debt to her and didn't expect her forgiveness. Yang Cai Wei would not forget what Zhuo's father had done, but since he was now deceased, she would not hold a grudge.
Yang Cai Wei once again advised Zhuo Lanjiang not to blame himself excessively, but Zhuo Lanjiang knew that he carried the blood of the Zhuo family and couldn't escape the connection. On the day of their monthly appointment, Zhuo Lanjiang didn't show up. Instead, he sent a jar of wine and something for Bai Xiaosheng through a servant. Yang Cai Wei and Bai Xiaosheng realized that something was amiss and hurriedly went to find him. Bai Xiaosheng searched in the rain for a whole day and finally saw his boat growing distant by the riverside.
Pan Yue arrived in search of Yang Cai Wei, believing that if they gave Zhuo Lanjiang some time, he would come back. However, Bai Xiaosheng also left behind a farewell letter, stating that she knew where Zhuo Lanjiang had gone. Pan Yue took bold measures and sealed the Yinyu Building to reassure the people of the capital.
Yang Cai Wei mentioned to Pan Yue about Gu Yong's last words mentioning the character "Yang," but they realized someone was eavesdropping on their conversation. Perhaps this person could be a new clue.
Comments(Episode 22)