Episode 22 recap: Jiang Ci Accompanies Wei Zhao in Reminiscing the Past
In Episode 22, the citizens of Moonset City cast their votes to elect a new city lord. Elder Li receives the most votes, while Wei Zhao arrives at the election meeting holding the former city lord's jade hairpin. He declares publicly that without the hairpin, no one is qualified to be city lord. Elder Li is furious, and Elder Hong rushes after Wei Zhao, who recognizes him immediately.
After Wei Zhao's father, Xiao Haitan, was killed, the clan blamed him as the culprit and hunted him and his sister down. They hid in the grass, and although Elder Hong found them, he ultimately let them escape. The four elders suspect that the person causing a ruckus at the election meeting with the jade hairpin is Xiao Wuxia, the son of Xiao Haitan. They gather to discuss a plan, and Elder Li suggests that whoever finds the hairpin should become the city lord. The elders split up to search for Xiao Wuxia in Moonset.
When the townspeople hear that Xiao Wuxia has returned, they storm the Xiao family's old house, causing chaos. Wei Zhao witnesses this scene, his anger boiling as he considers intervening, but Jiang Ci quickly stops him. Elder Hong’s son arrives just in time and manages to persuade the crowd to disperse. Wei Zhao, seeing the destruction of his childhood home, is flooded with memories of happier times spent with his family.
Jiang Ci cleans up the old house thoroughly and inadvertently discovers markings on the doorframe where Wei Zhao and his sister's heights were recorded each year. She offers to help him add his current height. This moment triggers Wei Zhao's memories of his parents and sister, contrasting sharply with the present reality, and he cannot hold back his tears.
Wei Zhao's intention in bringing the jade hairpin to disrupt the election was to expose a traitor. Lu Yu learns that Emperor Daling has sent Pei Yan to Lingzhou for military reforms and dismisses him as a threat. The informant in Moonset reports the stalled selection of the city lord to Lu Yu, who orders swift action to resolve the issue, believing that Xiao Wuxia poses no real danger.
Pei Yan and his team ride swiftly to Lingzhou, knowing Lu Yu is unlikely to relinquish military power without a fight. He has already made comprehensive preparations. Pei Yan sends someone ahead to inquire about Wei Zhao's whereabouts, hoping to retrieve the financial records of Rong Yu Die, but finds nothing. Suspecting that Wei Zhao has returned to Moonset, Pei Yan devises a clever plan to incite conflict between Wei Zhao and Lu Yu, hoping to benefit from their struggle.
Wei Zhao is downcast all day, and Jiang Ci tries her best to cheer him up by repairing the swing he loved most as a child. The swing is engraved with the character “暇” (xia) from Xiao Wuxia's name, which brings tears to Wei Zhao's eyes. Jiang Ci understands that Wei Zhao harbors deep family grievances and national hatred, so she encourages him to follow his own path.
Jiang Ci and Yu Lian search everywhere for their master but find no trace of him. In the end, Jiang Ci writes a letter to her master and has it sent to Jiangjia Village. Wei Zhao observes everything and sees the messenger deliver the letter to him. Noticing Jiang Ci's unhappiness, he takes her out for a bowl of sweet porridge, but they discover that no one in Moonset City sells it. Instead, Wei Zhao decides to take Jiang Ci to Mingyue Valley to gather spirit coffin flowers to make the porridge.
When they arrive at Mingyue Valley, Jiang Ci is horrified to find it is a chaotic burial ground filled with bones. Scared, she hurriedly urges Wei Zhao to leave. Meanwhile, Pei Yan arrives early at the Zhenyuan Army camp, where Lu Yu has the soldiers shout slogans to intimidate him. Pei Yan remains calm and deliberately reveals that Wei Zhao has come to Lingzhou to investigate Lu Yu's arms smuggling case. Furious, Lu Yu orders his men to search for Wei Zhao both inside and outside the city.
Seeing that Lu Yu has fallen into his trap, Pei Yan sends people to Moonset to look for Wei Zhao and Jiang Ci, ensuring Jiang Ci's safe return. Wei Zhao wants to take Jiang Ci to gather spirit coffin flowers, but she makes various excuses to decline, not wanting him to see the current devastation in Mingyue Valley.
That night, Wei Zhao arrives at Mingyue Valley and is confronted with the sight of scattered bones, leaving him with mixed emotions. Jiang Ci learns from Yu Lian that the citizens of Moonset have suffered greatly from the ravages of war, with Lu Yu also committing atrocities, resulting in the chaotic burial ground they see today. She realizes that spirit coffin flowers can no longer grow here.
On this night of the full moon, a tune suddenly plays in Moonset City, causing the townspeople to stop and silently mourn the lost lives. Jiang Ci sees Wei Zhao returning from Mingyue Valley and feels a surge of compassion for him, quietly choosing to stay by his side.
Comments(Episode 22)