Episode 8 recap: Jiang Ci Discovers Teng Rui is Alive
In Episode 8, Wei Zhao is worried that An Cheng will report back to Pei Yan, so he finds someone to distract An Cheng. He calls Jiang Ci to a back alley for a private conversation. Jiang Ci agrees not to reveal that Wei Zhao is the silver-masked assassin, asking only for her little clay cat back. They reach an agreement and return to the marketplace, where they see An Cheng approaching from a distance.
To prevent Pei Yan from becoming suspicious about his relationship with Jiang Ci, Wei Zhao intentionally trips her. Jiang Ci's basket of seeds and vegetables spills onto the ground. An Cheng rushes over to help her, and Wei Zhao excuses himself and leaves hurriedly.
Back at the Jian Ding Hou residence, Pei Yan learns that Jiang Ci accidentally fell while interacting with Wei Zhao. He inquires about her well-being. Jiang Ci eagerly shares the clues she obtained from visiting the prison to see Tong Min and Fan Yi. She notes that Fan Yi seemed particularly wary of the words "behind the house" and mentioned an assassin infiltrating the courtyard, which makes Jiang Ci suspect he is hiding something.
The next morning, Pei Yan sends someone to summon Wei Zhao to the riverside. He suspects the killer used an underwater passage to enter the courtyard and conducts a thorough search around the culvert. They discover several pieces of cloth caught on branches. Cui Liang analyzes that the killer likely entered through the culvert, identifying the threads as a type of silk called "Bie Yun Jin," which has recently been sold to Wei Country.
Cui Liang finds out that someone in Wei Country has a grudge against Teng Rui and is skilled at swimming, even capable of beheading someone underwater. An Cheng also believes that the fire at the courtyard was due to infighting among people from Wei Country. She urges Pei Yan to report this to the Emperor Xie Che to expedite Tong Min's rescue, but Pei Yan hesitates.
To divert attention, Wei Zhao falsely claims that people from Wei Country set the fire that killed Teng Rui. He creates confusion and encourages Pei Yan to corroborate this story. Wei Zhao advises An Cheng and Cui Liang to leave temporarily so Pei Yan can contemplate the situation. Jiang Ci realizes that everything is part of Wei Zhao's careful scheme. She sends Cui Liang away and confronts Wei Zhao, accusing him of deliberately leaving clues to mislead Pei Yan into believing that Teng Rui was killed due to infighting among Wei Country people. Jiang Ci suspects that Wei Zhao is actually Xiao Wu Xia but lacks solid evidence.
Wei Zhao tries to argue his way out, and Jiang Ci recounts the sequence of events. On the day of the banquet, Wei Zhao deliberately seeks her out and pulls her into the water, hoping to make it known that he cannot swim, while also establishing Jiang Ci as an alibi. Jiang Ci decides to tell Pei Yan the truth, but Wei Zhao warns her against acting rashly. He insists that because he has helped cover the truth, Pei Yan won’t believe her. Wei Zhao advises Jiang Ci to give up; the reason he points to Wei Country is to prevent the people of Yue Luo City from bearing the blame. Jiang Ci is momentarily speechless by Wei Zhao's heartfelt words.
Caught in a dilemma, Jiang Ci seeks out Cui Liang to learn more about Yue Luo City. She discovers that it was once a paradise, coveted by both Da Liang and Wei countries. However, it fell victim to war. Twenty years ago, Yue Luo City had sought a friendly relationship with Da Liang, but for unknown reasons, a great war broke out between them. After the conflict, Yue Luo City became a territory of Da Liang, annually sending many young men and women as slaves. After hearing Cui Liang's account, Jiang Ci feels a deep sense of sorrow and begins to empathize with Wei Zhao.
It was late at night, and Jiang Ci couldn't sleep. She sat alone in the courtyard, lost in thought. Pei Yan brought her a coat, and Jiang Ci eagerly wanted to know how Pei Yan planned to report the arson and murder case. Pei Yan wanted to report the truth about the infighting among Wei people but feared that they wouldn't accept it. He worried that it would lead to a major war between the two countries, yet he felt he couldn't remain silent.
Jiang Ci inadvertently caught a glimpse of Ru Xia's busy figure through the window. Suddenly, she realized that Tong Min's sighting of Teng Rui was likely a false alarm. She suspected that Teng Rui might not be dead after all. Wanting to report this to Pei Yan, she hesitated, fearing it might be a trap set by Wei Zhao. If Pei Yan acted on it, he could lose his position and title. Jiang Ci decided she needed solid evidence before approaching Pei Yan.
Unable to sleep, Jiang Ci returned to review the case files all night until dawn. She suddenly discovered that the coroner's report described Teng Rui's body as unrecognizable, yet his limbs were intact. Jiang Ci recalled that Teng Rui had previously broken his leg while riding, leading her to conclude that the body left at the scene was a fake.
Early in the morning, Pei Yan entered the palace to report to Emperor Xie Che. Jiang Ci hurriedly caught up with him, presenting the evidence she had found. Pei Yan immediately followed Jiang Ci back to the Hou residence, and Wei Zhao, witnessing this, felt a pang of fear.
Cui Liang wanted to examine the body himself, so Pei Yan sought permission from Emperor Xie Che. Worried that time was running out, Wei Zhao quickly found Old He to identify Teng Rui in the prison. Seventeen years ago, Teng Rui had led a massacre in a village, and Old He’s daughter, A Lan, had tragically died in that incident. The couple had confronted Teng Rui for revenge, who, terrified, repeatedly begged for mercy. Teng Rui revealed that the Wei Country had hired the assassin sisters Yan Qiao Shuang to kill Prince Qi.
Pei Yan reported his findings to Xie Che and volunteered to search for Teng Rui. Xie Che readily agreed. Pei Yan dispatched people to secretly investigate Teng Rui's whereabouts without alarming the townsfolk. Wei Zhao, fearing that Teng Rui would be discovered, hesitated to send him out of the city. He decided to create trouble for Pei Yan and shift the blame toward General Lu of Zhenyuan.
Jiang Ci accompanied Pei Yan into the city for the investigation. As night fell, Pei Yan took her to a roadside stall for lamb noodles. The owner was preparing to close up for the night to go home to his wife and children, so Pei Yan had to give up. Jiang Ci casually called out Pei Yan's name, and the owner expressed deep gratitude, recalling how Pei Yan had defended his hometown for three days and nights to drive out the Wei forces, allowing his family to enjoy their current happiness. Hearing this, Jiang Ci felt a newfound respect for Pei Yan.
Meanwhile, An Cheng and her team were investigating on the street when they suddenly spotted someone resembling Teng Rui getting into a carriage. An Cheng followed the carriage to General Lu's residence in Zhenyuan and promptly reported back to Pei Yan. Pei Yan suspected this might be an attempt to mislead him, diverting his investigation toward General Lu's estate. He decided against acting rashly and resolved to report to Xie Che instead.
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