Episode 40 recap: Xiao Heng, Xue Fang Fei, and their love story finally ended in a marriage.
Xiao Heng was besieged alone at the city tower, with Shen Yu Rong standing on the city wall, ordering the archers to get ready. He mocked Xiao Heng for being abandoned by others. Suddenly, Xue Fang Fei rode up on a horse, ready to accompany Xiao Heng to fight and die for the Great Yan, allowing Shen Yu Rong to kill her once more.
Shen Yu Rong could not understand. He hated how the nobility had crushed him and Xue Fang Fei, and felt that it was not worth dying for the Great Yan. He ordered Xue Fang Fei to kill Xiao Heng, wanting to go back to the past with her. Xue Fang Fei remained steadfast in her beliefs. She loudly called out the names of the Dragon Warrior Army who had died at Wangcheng, denouncing the emperor for covering up his crime of abandoning the city, even sacrificing one hundred Dragon Warriors.
When Xue Fang Fei shouted their names, the Dragon Warriors present were moved, as these were their comrades and loved ones. Shen Yu Rong did not want to hear any more, ordering the archers to continue getting ready. At this moment, Si Tu Jiu Yue arrived with reinforcements. Shen Yu Rong took out a fish talisman and ordered Yang Qing to kill them, as disobedience meant death.
Shen Yu Rong thought he could maintain control. He mocked Xiao Heng's incompetence and let the Dragon Warriors and the allied army fight each other. Xue Fang Fei showed no mercy, seizing the opportunity as Shen Yu Rong grabbed the fish talisman to shoot two arrows, injuring his palms.
Si Tu Jiu Yue quickly flew over and snatched the fallen fish talisman, returning it to Xiao Heng. Xiao Heng temporarily parted ways with Xue Fang Fei, taking the Dragon Warriors to seek revenge on the emperor. Shen Yu Rong painfully pulled the arrows out of his palms, and Xue Fang Fei stood before him, demanding that he face the legal consequences of the Great Yan.
Shen Yu Rong wanted to hold her back. He blamed himself for taking the wrong path, thinking that if he had not passed the imperial examination, he could have lived a peaceful life with Xue Fang Fei in Huaizhou. Xue Fang Fei turned and looked up at the moon, hoping that in his next life, Shen Yu Rong would be born into a wealthy family and become a truly good person.
After Xue Fang Fei left, Shen Yu Rong stood on the city tower, playing the tune they had once shared, and then jumped off the tower, crashing to the ground. Xue Fang Fei paused briefly but continued walking forward, her vision blurred by Shen Yu Rong's fading silhouette.
Xiao Heng led the Dragon Warriors to defeat the emperor, who then held the Empress Dowager hostage, threatening Xiao Heng with her life, believing her to be Hong Xiao Di's most beloved concubine. The Empress Dowager hoped that Xiao Heng would not tell the emperor about the palace maids' affairs, and then deliberately killed herself by falling on the emperor's sword.
The emperor panicked, and Xiao Heng seized the opportunity to wound him. The emperor begged for mercy, but Xiao Heng showed no compassion, slaying him with a single sword strike. After the emperor's death, the northern remnants rebelled, citing the emperor's demise as the reason. The court officially dispatched Xiao Heng and others to suppress the uprising. Li Zhongnan and Li Jin were executed for colluding with the traitors, and Shen Yu Rong's family - his mother and sister Shen Ruyun, who had fled to the countryside - were also arrested and charged.
Jiang Yunxing and the Yang clan were expelled from the Jiang family genealogy. The capital city finally restored its peace. Hong Xiaodi gazed at the portrait of Li Fei, learned of her final words before her death, and his eyes grew moist. Xiao Heng would depart three days later, and Hong Xiaodi hoped he would bring a large army to follow. Xiao Heng was concerned that there were remnants of the usurper king left in the capital, so he only took the Dragon Warrior Army to the northern border.
Xue Huaiyuan's condition improved, and he was able to recognize everyone. Xue Fangfei was relieved to hear this. Xue Huaiyuan acknowledged Xiao Heng and also supported Xue Fangfei's actions. Xue Fangfei confessed her feelings to Xiao Heng, hinting that he should renovate the Duke's mansion. Xiao Heng laughed foolishly all day after hearing this.
The two went to the cemetery to see Jiang Li, and Xue Fangfei seemed to see Jiang Li appear, who thanked her for clearing her name. Xue Fangfei and Xiao Heng got married and entered the bridal chamber, and Xue Fangfei gave Xiao Heng the jade pendant of the raccoon cat.
After the marriage, the two planted a wintersweet tree together, and Xiao Heng promised that the day the wintersweet bloomed would be the day of his triumphant return. Watching Xiao Heng's departing figure, Xue Fangfei felt reluctant to part. Jiang Yunbai resigned from office and moved with his family to Yongzhou, worrying about Xue Fangfei as he left.
Xue Fangfei said she would wait for Xiao Heng, or else she would bind her hair and remain a widow for life. She openly revealed her identity, which Jiang Yunbai had already known, but this was also his deepest pain. After the Jiang family left, Ye Shijie acknowledged Xue Fangfei as his sister and hoped to help her in the capital.
Xue Fangfei went to water the wintersweet tree every day, waiting for Xiao Heng's return, year after year, season after season. Xiao Heng suppressed the remaining northern rebels, leading the imperial army in the attack. The Dragon Warrior Army suffered heavy casualties, with Luxue and Wenji also killed by arrows, leaving only Xiao Heng.
On the battlefield, the enemy troops kept attacking, but Xiao Heng, with the jade pendant from Xue Fangfei in his mouth, looked up at the sky with determination. Finally, when the wintersweet bloomed, Xue Fangfei, dressed in red, ran to the tree and saw the flowers in bloom. Suddenly, the sound of a galloping horse caught her attention, and a man in red clothing wearing the raccoon cat jade pendant came rushing towards her...
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