Tian Guang tells Jing Ke that they need to rescue Crown Prince Dan of Yan who is living right under Ying Zheng’s nose in Xianyang City. It’s an extremely difficult task. Tian Guang doesn’t want to impose and says that it’s Jing Ke’s choice, he won’t force him to help. Jing Ke is immediately ready to go, and Lan Er says she’ll go as well. Jing Ke tells Lan Er that this is not a good idea, since she is just recovering from her injury. Tian Guang tells her not to worry, he has made arrangements for them to be joined by other warriors from Yan.
Back in the palace, Han Shen gives Li Er a letter from Tian Guang that Jing Ke is on his way to Xianyang City. Li Er stuns Han Shen by telling him it was her who told Tian Guang that Yan Dan had been placed under house arrest. She considers Yan Dan to be her friend, and she needs to help him return to Yan. If her grandfather were alive, it’s what he would want her to do.
Han Shen is very concerned with Li Er taking such a dangerous risk, and if Ying Zheng finds out, she will be guilty of treason. Who knows what he would do to her and Tian Ming. He volunteers himself so Li Er can stay out of it (if something goes wrong, he can just leave), but Li Er says she has to be involved. She was the one Yan Dan asked for help, and she worries about things going wrong if she isn‘t there. Even if Ying Zheng finds out, Li Er doesn’t believe he would kill her or take his anger out on Tian Ming. You never know, Li Er. You’re taking a huge risk. That’s a lot of faith you’re putting into Ying Zheng’s feelings towards you and Yan Dan.
Li Er believes that Ying Zheng has always considered Yan Dan a close friend, and never really wanted to place Yan Dan under house arrest. He had no choice but to take such action as the King of Qin. She thinks that she would be doing Ying Zheng a favor by helping Yan Dan leave. Um, Li Er, I don’t think Ying Zheng will see it that way.
Han Shen asks Li Er why she is letting herself getting pulled into all this, and that he can’t tell if Li Er is doing all this for Yan Dan or Ying Zheng. She says that her grandfather always taught her that warriors should live according to their principles. Warriors should not only care for their own safety but should do what they ought to. That’s who Li Er is. Han Shen tells her that since her mind is made up, there’s no way to go back. Li Er says she is not comfortable pulling Han Shen into all this. They suddenly hear a noise outside, but Li Er doesn’t see anyone. She asks Qing Er what happened, and Qing Er says she had stepped away for a little while.
Jing Ke and Tian Guang are prepared to leave on their mission to rescue Yan Dan, and Jing Ke feels very confident. As they are about to leave, Lan Er comes rushing out and warns Jing Ke to be careful. Jing Ke tells her not to worry, since his martial arts skills are now at a level where he can overcome any obstacle. Heh.
The night before the plan to rescue Yan Dan will be put into motion, Li Er, Jing Ke, and Yan Dan stare at the moon, each lost in their own thoughts.
The next morning, Li Er helps Ying Zheng organize his scrolls and prepares tea for him to drink. Ying Zheng smiles like he can’t believe she’s there. Li Zhong and Han Shen come in and report that Yan Dan has been feeling ill for a few days now. Ying Zheng becomes very concerned at this news, and tells Li Zhong to send a physician. Li Er volunteers to go and visit Yan Dan on Ying Zheng’s behalf, and Ying Zheng is happy to give her his permission.
Li Er arrives at Yan Dan’s residence for her visit. It turns out that no one is allowed to visit Yan Dan without a decree from Ying Zheng. That’s so controlling. Han Shen hands over Ying Zheng’s decree, and Li Er is allowed to see Yan Dan. Knowing a soldier is listening at the door, LI Er and Yan Dan exchange greetings and converse formally to maintain appearances. Li Er says that she will sing a song of Yan for Yan Dan to help him feel better and recover from his illness more quickly.
Just then, a group of masked men storm Yan Dan’s manor. The group is led by Tian Guang, and this looks to be part of the plan. They make themselves out to be bandits looking for valuable items. A clash begins between the masked warriors and the soldiers guarding Yan Dan’s manor. The commotion is heard inside, and Han Shen orders the soldier at Yan Dan’s door to go check it out. With him gone, the conversation becomes freer.
Yan Dan tells Li Er that he wasn’t sure that she would help him, and Li Er says that she understands his feelings of homesickness and wanting to return home to Yan. Yan Dan thanks Li Er for her help, and Li Er tells him to get ready to leave while she goes out to have a look. She tells Han Shen to stay and look after Yan Dan. Han Shen: “Be careful.” The clash continues outside, as Jing Ke takes care of a number of soldiers on his own.
Outside, Li Er takes a sword from a fallen soldier and heads for Jing Ke, making it appear to the Qin soldiers that she is going to go fight him. Li Er tells Jing Ke to take her as a hostage so he and the others can escape. Jing Ke is shocked to see Li Er, but does as she asks. Meanwhile, Tian Guang sneaks Yan Dan out. The soldiers start to give chase, when Han Shen tells them that he will go rescue Li Er. He tells them to go report what happened to Li Zhong.
Ying Zheng is reading through his scrolls when Li Zhong arrives and tells him that Yan Dan’s manor was attacked by bandits. Although Yan Dan is safe (heh), the bandits took Li Er as a hostage so they could get away safely. Ying Zheng is stunned and furious that his soldiers allowed Li Er to be taken. Li Zhong says he will investigate what happened and report what he finds out.
Jing Ke asks Li Er why she was at Yan Dan’s manor, and if she had planned everything. Li Er admits that she did. She didn’t want Jing Ke to know so he wouldn’t be distracted. Li Er tells Jing Ke that her grandfather would be very proud of him for having learned the Huluo sword technique so well. Jing Ke: “Is there anything else you’re keeping from me?”
Tian Guang and Yan Dan catch up to them, and Yan Dan thanks Jing Ke for his help. He is honored to have had Jing Ke and Li Er’s help in leaving Qin. He fears that otherwise, he would’ve grown old and died in Qin. Li Er tells Yan Dan to return safely to Yan.
Han Shen catches up to them, and Tian Guang and Yan Dan thank him as well. Han Shen tells them that they better get going because the soldiers are right behind. Yan Dan tells Li Er that he greatly thanks her for her help. She tells Yan Dan to stay safe and to take care.
As Jing Ke and Li Er/Han Shen head off in opposite directions, Jing Ke and Li Er take turns looking back at each other as they think of the memories they shared in the past. Li Er thinks that with Lan Er taking care of Jing Ke, she has nothing to worry about.
Li Zhong demands to know how Ruan Qing and his soldiers were not able to take care of a group of common bandits. Don’t blame him too much, Li Zhong. They were not ordinary bandits. Li Zhong says that they are the best of the best and can’t believe they were defeated, regardless of how skilled the bandits were.
Ruan Qing apologizes and asks to be punished. Li Zhong tells him to forget it for now and take care of their fellow soldiers who were hurt. They will leave it up to the King to determine any punishment. Li Zhong takes a closer look at the fallen soldiers, and he sees that all of them were killed with just one or two simple knife cuts. He realizes how strange all of this is and that the wounds must have been inflicted by a warrior possessing exceptional martial arts skills. He becomes suspicious and asks where Yan Dan is. He is told that he is in his room, resting.
Ying Zheng rides through the forest on his way to rescue Li Er. He sees Li Er and Han Shen heading towards his direction, and immediately jumps off his horse. Li Er tells him that she’s okay, and Ying Zheng asks where the bandits are. Han Shen tells him that the bandits left Li Er behind, and took off already. He was bringing Li Er back to the palace so that Ying Zheng wouldn’t worry. Ying Zheng becomes suspicious that the bandits are gone and wonders if this was a ploy. He tells Han Shen to bring Li Er back to the palace while he heads for Yan Dan’s manor.
Li Zhong goes to see Yan Dan, and “Yan Dan” tries to get him to leave by saying he is not feeling well. Li Zhong doesn’t budge, and tells Yan Dan that under the King’s orders, he must see him in person. When Yan Dan refuses, Li Zhong starts to reach for his sword. Just then, Ying Zheng arrives and storms into the room. He sees that “Yan Dan” is not Yan Dan at all. He is furious and yells at him to tell him where Yan Dan has gone. The false Yan Dan refuses and commits suicide before Ying Zheng can bring him back to the palace to be tortured and interrogated. Ying Zheng orders Li Zhong to start searching for Yan Dan, leaving no stone unturned.
Li Zhong leads a troop of Qin’s soldiers in search for Yan Dan. He plans to go to Hangu Pass first, because Yan Dan must pass through there to return home. We know from before that is exactly where Tian Guang, Yan Dan, and Jing Ke are headed. Li Zhong has a military seal from Ying Zheng that will allow them to take the fastest route to Hangu Pass and intercept Yan Dan.
Tian Guang, Yan Dan, and Jing Ke arrive at the Hangu Pass, traveling in the disguise of a funeral procession. There are coffins and everything. After some back and forth, the soldiers are about to let them through even though they don’t have an official permit. Just then, Li Zhong arrives with Han Shen and his troop of soldiers. Damn. Li Zhong tells Han Shen to inspect everyone and see if any of them were the bandits who invaded Yan Dan’s manor. How is Han Shen supposed to know? 1. He was inside when the bandits invaded the manor. 2. All of the bandits had been wearing masks over their faces. Surprised that Li Zhong didn’t recognize Jing Ke since they had met each other in Luoyang City. Must be because it was so long ago and it’s so dark at night.
Han Shen pretends to inspect everyone closely, and reports back that he doesn’t recognize anyone. Li Zhong orders that the coffins be opened so he can inspect the bodies. Tian Guang doesn’t get anywhere when he tries to argue. Li Zhong taps each coffin to identify if there are any hidden compartments, and drives his sword through the bodies to confirm no one is alive. Smart. As Li Zhong makes his way down, Jing Ke starts to prepare himself. When Li Zhong gets to the last coffin in the procession, he taps the side of the coffin and starts to drive his sword in. At the same time, Jing Ke moves with the speed of light and kills many of Li Zhong’s gathered soldiers. Yan Dan is in fact in the last coffin, in a hidden compartment.
Thank you very much everyone for reading!
Sunny
Much thanks for the recap.
Um…I did not understand Li Er's actions in this episode at all. The screenwriter has me very confused. I get that she has her ideals and feels sorry for Yan Dan but she and Yan Dan have barely had any interaction to believe they are more than acquaintances nevermind such great friends that she will commit what is essentially treason and betray her husband for a guy who said an episode ago that he wanted to kill YZ.
And her confidence that YZ won't punish her. Does she not understand politics? Or why Yan Dan is a hostage? This has a big political implications. Even YZ wouldn't be able to stop her being punished. And does she really think if YZ found out about it he would be cool finding out that she collude behind his back AND with her ex-baby daddy? Seriously? Way to confirm all his trust issues!
I just found myself thinking this whole episode with a wife like this who needs enemies…