Episode 22 recap: Xue Fang Fei struck the drums at the city gate to seek justice for her father, Xue Huai Yuan
Li Zhongnan arranged for someone to assassinate Xue Fang Fei, but was caught by Xiao Heng The two tacitly understood and supported each other Wan Ning urgently sought to verify Xue Fang Fei's identity after learning of her return to the capital Shen Yu Rong refused to indulge her anymore and scolded her for arguing with the dead, angering Wan Ning and causing her to slap him
Liu Yuanfeng comforted the disaster victims, Liu Su distributed food, and Jiang Jingrui was responsible for registering victim information. Xue Fang Fei studied the map and discovered problems with the rioting victims. Originally, Xue Fang Fei and the others were in Huaixiang, but when they arrived in Dingzhou, those riotous victims had appeared there, and Ye Mingyu suspected they came from Ningzhou.
Xue Fang Fei consulted Liu Yuanfeng, and they both suspected something was wrong in Weinan County, with someone deliberately luring the victims to Dingzhou. Jiang Jingrui proposed arresting the ringleaders, and Xue Fang Fei prepared to take the risk and set a trap to draw out the rioters.
When the rioters blocked Ye Mingyu's carriage from leaving the city, Xiao Heng kicked them out and apprehended them. He had heard of Xue Fang Fei's plan and wanted to take her and Xue Huai Yuan away from Dingzhou, but Xue Fang Fei refused to leave, wanting to uncover the truth behind the crisis.
Jiang Jingrui noticed Xiao Heng's interest in Xue Fang Fei, and she teased him about his lack of ambition, to which Liu Su unexpectedly defended Jiang Jingrui, hinting that she had feelings for him.
It was discovered that the crisis in Dingzhou was orchestrated by Lu Ziyun in Weinan County, who had embezzled the disaster relief funds and deliberately lured the victims to Dingzhou. Xiao Heng prepared to go to Weinan to arrest Lu, reminding Xue Fang Fei to stay calm, to which she wished him safety. Jiang Jingrui helped Liu Su move the grain, and she became impressed by his strength, though she rejected his presumed confession.
Jiang Yunbo was deeply concerned for Xue Fang Fei, fearing she would be trapped in Dingzhou, but he also worried that if the crisis was resolved, Li Zhongnan might find an excuse to harm the Jiang family upon her return.
When Xiao Heng reached the Weinan granary, he found that Lu Ziyun had already escaped, but he remained calm, knowing it was a ploy to divert attention.
Ye Shi Jie scoured the land for grain, but no caravan was willing to transport it after he had collected it. So Ye Ming Xuan counted the family's transport wagons and prepared to escort the grain to Ding Zhou himself.
Li Zhong Nan's spy reported that Xiao Heng had been outwitted, and Ye Shi Jie had nowhere left to gather grain. This pleased Li Zhong Nan, as his goal was to isolate Xue Fang Fei in Ding Zhou. The agitators gathered in Ding Zhou again, deliberately pretending to be dead in order to shift the blame onto Xue Fang Fei, clamoring to see her and demand that she come out.
The city guards at the gate saw they were powerless to resist the distressed civilians, so in a panic they closed the city gates. Jiang Jing Rui quickly pushed Liushu inside the city, but he himself was left outside the gates. When Xue Fang Fei learned of this, she disregarded the danger and stood on the city wall to pacify the rioting civilians. Liushu got people to come support them, and they forced the gates open, driving the rioters back. But the agitators deliberately incited violence, shouting that they would capture Xue Fang Fei.
Fortunately, Ye Shi Jie and the Ye family arrived and distributed grain to the civilians, and the rioting civilians were apprehended. Ye Shi Jie had already sent word to Ye Jia Er to secretly gather grain in Cang Zhou, while his grain collection efforts in Lu Yang were just a cover. Xiao Heng had previously sent two secret memorials to the capital, asking Jiang Yun Bo to grease the wheels for the Ye family's grain to reach Ding Zhou smoothly.
Jiang Yun Bo deliberately put on a show in front of Li Zhong Nan to lower his guard. Wan Ning wanted to deal with Xue Fang Fei, and Shen Yu Rong talked back to her, angering her enough that she slapped him. The Ministry of Justice and Li Zhong Nan submitted memorials to the Emperor, asking him to punish Xue Fang Fei and Jiang Yun Bo.
The Emperor knew that Xue Fang Fei was a pawn of Xiao Heng, and asked for his opinion. Xue Fang Fei and the others arrived safely in the capital, and the Ministry of Justice wanted to summon her and Xue Huai Yuan for questioning, but the Gu siblings blocked them. Xue Fang Fei told her fellow villagers not to worry, as someone would uphold justice for their grievances, and she requested that the city's Drum of Hearing be sounded.
People discussed how the Drum of Hearing hadn't been used in a long time. Xiao Heng realized that the last time it was sounded was when he had acted on behalf of General Xiao. He prayed for a gentle wind to carry the drum's sound, and for Heaven to judge the loyal and the disloyal. The drum resounded through the sky, and snow began to fall, as one villager after another in Huai County sounded the Drum of Hearing.
Hong Xiao Di heard this, and sent an inner court official to convey an edict, combining the case of Xue Fang Fei's imprisonment and Xue Huai Yuan's corruption for joint investigation. Hong Xiao Di was interested in Xue Fang Fei, as he had been waiting for someone to stand up, hoping to use this to purge the improprieties in the Great Yan officialdom.
Comments(Episode 22)