Li Er senses that someone has entered her residence, and she reaches out for her sword. Before she can get a hold of it though, her attacker strikes her from behind and it knocks her unconscious. Li Er’s attacker has excellent martial arts skills, and I’m pretty sure he is Xia Hou Yang, the leader of Dan Ding. As Li Er is taken away we see the scarf Jing Ke gave Li Er fall to the floor, which surprised me a little. The last time we saw it, Li Er was using it as a blindfold when she and Jing Ke did their pair sword technique. She must’ve taken it back with her to the palace. I think it tells us that even though Li Er has grown to love Ying Zheng, she does still treasure her relationship and memories with Jing Ke.
The next morning, Ying Zheng is furious that Li Er has disappeared and yells at Li Er’s palace maids for not watching over her more carefully. He threatens to take all of their lives if anything happens to Li Er. Frankly, I think part of it is his own fault. Why is the security in the palace so poor that someone can enter the palace and take Li Er away? Even if it was the leader of Dan Ding. Qing Er takes the blame for Li Er’s disappearance and asks Ying Zheng to only punish her, no one else. A snooty Zhao Gao asks her if she is admitting her mistakes so readily because she feels guilty about something, and then adds fuel to the fire by suggesting that Li Er left the palace on her own again with her martial arts brother. That theory goes out the window as Han Shen arrives with Li Zhong, having heard of Li Er’s disappearance.
They look over the room, which is a mess with Li Er’s quilt and scarf lying on the floor. Qing Er tells Ying Zheng that it is very different from when Li Er left the palace last time, and Han Shen notices that Li Er’s Gongsun sword is also still there. Ying Zheng knows how important the sword is to Li Er, and that she wouldn’t have left it behind if she had left on her own. it’s most likely that she was kidnapped by someone possessing high martial arts skills. Ying Zheng orders Li Zhong to have 6,000 soldiers (wow) begin searching for Li Er inside and outside Xianyang City, and grants permission to Han Shen to leave the palace and search for Li Er.
Yan Dan sees all of the soldiers heading out of the palace, and asks Han Shen what happened. Han Shen tells Yan Dan that Li Er has disappeared, and he is heading out of the palace to look for her. Yan Dan gives Han Shen the jade pendant he always carries and tells him that he can look for one of his people for help. As luck would have it, it’s someone that Han Shen already knows – Tian Guang.
Madam Chu is enjoying herself immensely as she snacks on oranges and gloats over Li Er’s disappearance from the palace. She is glad to be rid of Li Er, whom she thought of as a troublesome pest. Madam Chu’s maid only encourages Madam Chu’s way of thinking.
Yan Dan’s manservant reports that the people he’s sent to investigate Li Er’s disappearance have not been able to find anything. He wonders why Yan Dan is so concerned for Li Er, and even gave Han Shen his jade pendant. Yan Dan says he just wants her to come back safely.
Meanwhile, we see Li Er bound in a traveling carriage. She struggles to get herself loose, but the ropes are tied too tightly.
Jing Ke and Lan Er arrive at Tian Guang’s residence and Jing Ke takes care of treating Lan Er’s wound. He has to remove her clothing to apply medicine to the wound. Later that evening, Jing Ke tells Tian Guang that Lan Er should be okay, and during the time they were away, he was able to master the Huluo sword technique. Tian Guang says his Master would be very happy if he knew of Jing Ke’s progress.
Han Shen comes to see Tian Guang, and both Jing Ke and Lan Er listen to the conversation from inside the house. Han Shen tells Tian Guang that Li Er has gone missing from the palace, and it was most likely the result of kidnapping by someone of the Jianghu world. He hands Yan Dan’s jade pendant to Tian Guang and says Yan Dan told him that Tian Guang might be able to help him find Li Er. Tian Guang says he will reach out to his contacts to see what he can find out. They worry that Li Er is in grave danger.
When Jing Ke steps outside, Tian Guang tells Han Shen that Jing Ke has learned the Huluo sword technique. Jing Ke rudely asks Han Shen if he’s been sent to search for the King of Qin’s lost consort, when the King of Qin could’ve just sent his thousands of soldiers to find her. He mocks Han Shen for being a guard for Ying Zheng and even needing his permission to leave the palace.
Han Shen tells Jing Ke that Li Er might be in grave danger, and he should be more worried about her. Jing Ke says Li Er has nothing to do with him now, and Han Shen reminds him that he wouldn’t even be alive if it hadn’t been for Li Er’s sacrifice. Jing Ke says that she made such a great sacrifice, to happily live with Ying Zheng and have a child by him. Han Shen comes close to losing his temper, but he doesn’t break his promise to keep Li Er’s secret about Tian Ming. If anything happens to Li Er, Han Shen won’t ever forgive him. What’s more, Jing Ke won’t be able to forgive himself.
Ugh, Jing Ke is being a big jerk and I am seriously annoyed with him. It’s been years – he needs to let it go and move on. Does he not realize that a pretty and sweet woman who loves him is right next to him. You don’t see Han Shen acting like this. He loves Li Er so much too, but he’s been able to channel his feelings into protecting her and her son.
Lan Er comes out and tries to talk to some sense into Jing Ke. Lan Er tells him that she could see that Li Er still cares about him, and even after everything that has happened, they are still martial arts brother and sister. She asks if he really plans to not do anything to save her.
In the palace, Ying Zheng pines after Li Er. Li Zhong reports that their soldiers have been searching, but haven’t been able to find anything. Ying Zheng wonders where in the world Li Er could be.
Li Er is currently being held hostage by Dan Ding, and ewww, Bao Ye (second in command of Dan Ding) touches Li Er’s hair and face as he talks about her beauty. Stay away from her, you creep. So happy when she kicks him back across the room. Li Er asks who they are working for and why they would kidnap her when she’s from a ruined state and doesn’t involve herself in court politics. She is called naive and told that the reason people are after her is because she isn’t on any side, but yet Ying Zheng gives her so much love and affection. If she’s not someone who people want to have on their side, she’s someone that people want out of the way.
Li Si tells Madam Chu that Li Er can’t even save herself now, let alone do anything to help Han Fei. Madam Chu and Li Si’s personal and professional ambitions have definitely intersected, and he praises Madam Chu for her plan. Since Li Er always stayed out of court politics, and even left the palace on her own previously, everyone will just think that she left the palace on her own again. They plan to kill Li Er and not leave any traces to be found. Madam Chu decides for the moment not to do anything about Li Er’s son, since he won’t have any power or influence without his mother. WTF, lady. Stay away from Tian Ming. Madam Chu is so jealous and bitter that she is a princess from Chu, but yet Ying Zheng only has room in his heart for Li Er.
Xia Hou Yang tells Li Er that he can’t believe she’s fallen into his hands. Given the confused state of the world, it’s not unreasonable that he and Dan Ding would align with Qin since it is currently the most powerful state. After all, her grandfather had been named a commander-in-chief of Wei state. Li Er mocks Xia Hou Yang and says he is far from being able to compare himself to her grandfather. He grabs her by the throat in anger. If he hadn’t been ordered to kill Li Er, he would use her as bait to lure Jing Ke. Li Er asks who is behind him, and Xia Hou Yang tells her it’s obviously someone whose road she is blocking. She figures out that it’s Li Si behind all of this.
Madam Chu tells Li Si that she’s arranged to take care of Lord Chang Ping. Once he’s taken care of, the Grand Dowager will give Li Si her support to become the next Prime Minister. Li Si thanks her, and takes his leave. Madam Chu’s maid tells her that she is right to get rid of Li Er for being so arrogant. Madam Chu says that what she especially can’t stand is that not only does Li Er have Ying Zheng’s love, but Han Shen loves her too. Madam Chu says that she can’t stand Han Shen, and will not let him off easily. She’s gone totally mad with jealousy.
The members of Dan Ding discuss their plan to use Li Er to lure Jing Ke to them so they can obtain the Huluo sword technique. Han Shen and Jing Ke storm in on them, and Jing Ke easily handles the Dan Ding men. Jing Ke demands to know where Li Er is, but Bao Ye escapes and runs. Han Shen and Jing Ke race after him and are lured into a net trap. They shake themselves loose and threaten Bao Ye to tell them where Li Er is. He finally tells them where they can find her. The other members of Dan Ding catch up to them, and Han Shen tells Jing Ke to go after Li Er. He will handle the rest of them.
When Jing Ke goes to rescue Li Er, he realizes that it is a trap and Xia Hou Yang and other members of Dan Ding have been lying in wait. Xia Hou Yang seems to get the better of Jing Ke and demands he turn over the Huluo sword technique, but Jing Ke shakes him off. He knew it was a trap all along and came prepared. Okay, not bad. He provokes Jing Ke by calling his Master stupid. WTF, Li Er’s grandfather was awesome. Jing Ke defeats Xiao Hou Yang and the other members of Dan Ding using the Huluo sword technique.
Jing Ke races into another building where he finds and rescues Li Er, who is stunned to see her martial arts brother. More members of Dan Ding come charging in, and Jing Ke easily defeats them using the Huluo sword technique. Li Er looks on with astonishment. Jing Ke and Li Er are pursued by members of Dan Ding, but they are lured into the same net trap as Han Shen and Jing Ke were, allowing Jing Ke and Li Er to escape.
In the palace, Li Zhong reports to Ying Zheng that Han Shen has sent news of where Li Er is. Ying Zheng decides to personally go and bring Li Er back to the palace.
Li Er and Jing Ke have found a cave to hide in from the rain. Their conversation is so strained as they can’t talk with each other easily as they did before. They talk about how Jing Ke came to save Li Er – he found out she had been kidnapped when Han Shen came to see Tian Guang – and Jing Ke tells her that honestly, he wouldn’t have come to save her if not for their martial arts brother. Li Er seems very hurt by that. Jing Ke awkwardly asks Li Er if the King of Qin treats her well, and Li Er says that he does. Li Er says that she can tell he’s learned the Huluo sword technique. Jing Ke tells Li Er that he’s been with Lan Er, and Li Er says that Lan Er is a good woman and she could tell that she loves him. She’s happy for them. Jing Ke lets her think that they are together and says he will cherish her. When Jing Ke goes to check whether the rain has stopped, Li Er tells herself that this is how things are now. She doesn’t have the right to care about him anymore, and it’s best that Jing Ke hates her so he can focus on the future.
Thanks to all the readers of this recap!
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Sunny
Thank you for the recap!
To much Jing Ke in this episode. I don't care for the character or the actor and I don't think he has any romantic chemistry with Dilireba so the awkward end scenes were believable as I usually find their scenes kind of awkward lol!
I know I should I hate her but for some reason I find Madam Chu kind of amusing. The way she sits around scheming and bitching whilst eating oranges and getting ego boosted by her maid is so funny to me for some reason! XD