When last we left our Handsome Stranger and the Pig Butcher, the Zhao’s were trying to force them to have sex.
And now they’re watching at the door
Ew. No. But, Changyu reluctantly gets in bed with Yan Zheng. He awkwardly gets on top of her to make it convincing.
Since they’re so intimate, Changyu admits that Sun made her realize where Yan Zheng came from, and that he’ll leave sooner or later. He can leave anytime he wishes.
But he won’t yet, there are “things” he has to stay to do.
Since Yan Zheng looks tired, Changyu gets on top in a not-sexy way. He picks now to ask what she’d do if her parents hurt her.
Changyu casually talks of being beaten as a child by her mother, then given treats afterward. Which is to say, people can hurt you and make up for it, but if they intended to hurt you, this means you were never that close in the first place.
The candles blow themselves out, and the Zhaos are gone. Changyu notices the smell of sweets on Yan Zheng’s breath. He ate them to help him sleep.
Yan Zheng asks if she wants sweets now. Does he mean…? There’s staaaaaaaaring. And, nearly a kiss but–
The “bandits” are back!
Changyu runs, which seems unlike her, and is chased by a ton of them. Luckily, Li is right outside, with men ready to handle her pursuers.
Meanwhile, Yan Zheng catches a bandit and tortures him for info. They’re there to get a letter for the Chancellor.
Li explains to Changyu that he was dispatched to help suppress the bandits. Then she remembers she has a husband.
Yan Zheng is unconscious on the ground, and Li stares as Changyu cradles him. She explains that Yan Zheng used to be an escort and knows some martial arts. Still, she wishes she’d sent him away. Her tear hits Yan Zheng’s hand.
Flashback time. Yan Zheng didn’t get any more info before the man he managed to slit his own throat. Yan Zheng ran to find Changyu, but saw her with Li, and vanished back inside.
Back in the now, Yan Zheng only reopened old injuries. He “wakes” and tells Changyu that he’s okay. She’s still worried, which always does it for him.
Later, Li tells her that she’s a witness and can’t leave, but she’ll be under protection.
Here’s our favorite magistrate
They’ve found Changyu’s memorial tablet to Marquis Wu and want to arrest her because of it. The Magistrate thinks that because Li is the grandson of Grand Tutor Li, who condemns Marquis Wu, this will get him points.
It doesn’t. Li is anti-condemning Marquis Wu. Since mourning him is not illegal, Changyu is de-arrested. Yan Zheng watches this all go on from his watching-people window.
Also, that necklace Yan Zheng found earlier is a whistle that the Wei Death Warriors carry.
Li knew Marquis Wu when they were young and thinks Yan Zheng is Marquis Wu. The next day, he tries to get gossip on Changyu, but no one wants to share it once Mrs Zhao reveals who he is.
Except the Evilest of the Gossips, who would like to be bribed, thank you. She shares her usual nonsense, along with the fact that the marriage hasn’t been consummated. She can tell from Changyu’s virginal walk or something.
Li is even more confident that Yan Zheng is Marquis Wu.
And Now For Something Completely Different
Wei Xuan, son of Yan Zheng’s uncle, Chancellor Wei is meeting with General He Jingyuan. Li is one of his guys, despite General He not being Anti-Marquis-Wu like his grandfather. General He does not care about the Wei or the Li families. He Cares About The People.
You following?
Wei Xuan wants to use Yan Zheng’s troops to gain more power, but his plans are too rash for General He. Wei Xuan isn’t the listening type and turns this into an order before leaving. Li is the listening type, standing outside.
General He has a box that can be used to safeguard someone’s two daughters, who are going to be Ning and Changyu. He has it sent to Chancellor Wei. Then he gets an update from Li on Changyu and Ning.
Then Li asks what they should do if Wu still lives. General He is pro-Marquis Wu, who could be the pillar that steadies the realm.
Time for parallel grave visits
Changyu, Ning, and Yan Zheng visit her parents, while General He and Li visit an unmarked tombstone. General He doesn’t tell Li who it belongs to, but he will eventually. It’s been 16 years, and the truth will come to light.
16 years ago, like the Jinzhou case Yan Zheng was investigating.
General He wants Li to look after Changyu and Ning when he’s gone. So. He’s doomed.
Meanwhile, Yan Zheng burns too much spirit money at once, getting ash in his eyes. Changyu carefully wipes and blows it out. Yan Zheng is So In Love.
Back in town, the Evilest of the Gossip’s grandson claims Ning knocked him down. He’s older and bigger and this is a lie, she pushed him, he didn’t budge, and then he chased her and fell.
The Evilest Gossip shrieks a bunch, then trips as she leaves. The chorus of staring villagers thinks this is karma.
Changyu sees candy on the ground and knows it was Yan Zheng
She tells him he doesn’t owe her anything, and the sooner he leaves, the safer he’ll be. He scolds her about killing chickens to warn monkeys, flashing back to being bullied by Wei Xuan as a kid.
I dunno. But it’s about people not helping the weak, but flattering those in power who do horrible things.
Moved, Changyu tells him not to go. He doesn’t want her telling him want to do, and she thinks he’s cute. Also, wasting candy.
Later, she asks why he became an escort guard. He talks vaguely of his father’s unfinished business, and she concludes he’s rebuilding a family escort agency. She’d be happy to help.
They have an adorable back-and-forth about whether either of them owes the other.
No more romance, there’s a grain shortage!
Love. The. Hats.
Grand Tutor Li and Chancellor Wei argue over solutions. Chancellor Wei reminds everyone that 16 years ago the grain failed to reach Jinzhou, and the city was slaughtered. With that, the grain is going to the army.
Later, at his desk, Chancellor Wei remembers Yan Zheng as a child. His wife then shows up to be sad about Yan Zheng’s death. He tells her to go away.
After that bit of marital bliss, he gets the box General He sent. It contains blood-stained letters relating to Jinzhou. Chancellor Wei knows General He is risking his life to get him to spare the lives of the two daughters of “those two traitors.”
But he needs General He for the war. He’s not worried about Changyu and Ning, who are just some girls. He burns the bloody letters.
Li tells Changyu a made-up story about a treasure map and bandits to explain the attacks. He gives her money from General He as compensation for families who’ve lost members to bandits.
Also, he’s moving into her ex’s place and plans to find her parents’ killers.
Yan Zheng comes out, and Li gives him a staaaaare
Not that kind of stare. This is not a BL.
Ning is heartbroken because the falcon is gone. Changyu is sure it’s gone forever. Yan Zheng, who earlier sent the bird off with a message, pinky promises it’ll return.
Changyu doesn’t believe him, she’ll buy Ning chicks and she’ll forget the falcon. Yan Zheng says that a truly tamed falcon comes back.
Changyu’s new business partner, Qian, is thrilled she’s not leaving. They celebrate their new partnership, while someone watches with creepy camera vision.
Li is reading poetry alone when Yan Zheng appears at his place to drink tea. Li calls him Marquis and brings up the Li-Wei feud. When asked which one he is, Li says that he only works for the people. What about Yan Zheng?
Yan Zheng has always acted for himself.
Li thinks grabbing his own power would create more chaos. Yan Zheng breaks a teacup and holds a shard to Li’s neck before Li’s men can attack from behind. Li looks unfazed, holding up a hand to keep his men back.
I guess Changyu and Ning are safe for now?
Court politics have entered the building, and we’re at the confusing part with all the names.
Right now, the show wants us to think Chancellor Wei is evil. Since he tried to have Changyu and Ning killed, I can’t imagine he’ll turn out good. But his relationship with Yan Zheng could be… complicated.
On the other hand, I doubt Changyu’s parents will be traitors. Cdramas don’t usually let the brave, virtuous heroine’s parents be bad guys. Were they framed? Betrayed the wrong people for the right reason? Will we find out anytime soon?
I get that Evil Gossip is there so Changyu can learn to defend herself, but she’s so tiresome.
I like that, outside of the political schemes, the name Marquis Wu hasn’t come up often. Changyu is not a Marquis Wu fangirl. She admired him and was sad that he passed. This feels very real.
Yan Zheng is nicely violent, soft-spoken, and mysterious. He’s hard to pin down, but he’s definitely falling for Changyu. All that falcon talk was subtext, presumably Yan Zheng may have to leave one day, but he’ll want to come back.
And that ending got me. I wasn’t super thrilled to have to stop and write this recap!
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