As Li Zhong checks the last coffin in the funeral procession where Yan Dan is hidden, Jing Ke makes his move and swiftly kills a number of the surrounding guards. Li Zhong’s sword is about to stab Yan Dan when Jing Ke hits him and he falls backward. Han Shen rushes at and attacks Jing Ke, but tells Jing Ke under his breath to wound him. Jing Ke wounds Han Shen’s right arm. Li Zhong is stunned by what is happening. His soldiers are some of the strongest in Qin. Jing Ke puts his sword to Li Zhong‘s throat so Tian Guang can free Yan Dan and take him to safety. Jing Ke continues to hold Li Zhong as a hostage to keep the remaining Qin soldiers at bay while Tian Guang and Yan Dan ride off. Jing Ke: “As I see it, you should stop chasing us. I don’t want to kill anyone. … Thank you. If we have the fate to meet again, I’ll return your horse.” Li Zhong tells the other soldiers not to attack, and Jing Ke rides off after Tian Guang and Yan Dan.
Li Zhong and Han Shen return to the palace and report to Ying Zheng and Li Er that they weren’t able to capture Yan Dan. Ying Zheng says that Yan Dan must’ve planned everything very carefully, and for a long time. He didn’t detect anything because he trusted Yan Dan too much in the past. Li Zhong reports that the warriors helping Yan Dan are extremely skilled in martial arts, particularly one individual who was able to kill a number of his soldiers on his own. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed that such a terrifying person exists. Ying Zheng tells Li Zhong that they must be careful going forward.
Ying Zheng asks Han Shen if he has any idea who the warriors were since they are of the same world. Before Han Shen can answer, Li Er says that since he has been in the palace for years, he probably wouldn’t recognize new warriors coming onto the scene. Your jumping into the conversation is a little suspicious, Li Er. Li Zhong doesn’t let the matter go, and says that the warrior must belong to a certain martial arts school. He questions Li Er if she recognized the warrior’s skills since she saw them too. Li Er says that it’s a big world, and she doesn’t have the ability to recognize every warrior‘s skills.
Li Zhong doesn’t stop questioning Li Er, and asks her where she was when Yan Dan escaped. Was she inside? Or was she outside? How did events unfold? Li Er says that it was very chaotic at the time, and she had gone outside to have a look at what was happening. That must have been when Yan Dan escaped. Then, Li Zhong says, it was the guards’ fault for not protecting Li Er? He yells at Han Shen and asks him what the truth is. Li Er: “Commander Li!” Ying Zheng: “Forget it. Let’s discuss this another day.” Li Zhong apologizes to Li Er for any offense, and Li Er tells him that he was just doing his duty. Li Zhong asks Ying Zheng about continuing to pursue Yan Dan, and Ying Zheng says that he’s tired and wants to discuss it another time.
Li Er sits alone in her residence, hoping that Jing Ke will bring Yan Dan to safety. She is lost in her thoughts when Ying Zheng comes to see her. He approaches her from behind and rests his hands on her shoulders, surprising her in the process. Li Er looks happy to see him, and asks him when he arrived. He says that he just walked in, but she didn’t notice him because she was so lost in her thoughts. Ying Zheng says that he was extremely worried when she was taken, and he would never have sent her to Yan Dan’s manor if he knew Yan Dan was faking his illness. If the bandits had taken her away to be their mistress, he would’ve sent his soldiers to wipe them all out. Li Er: “You think too much. Do you think everyone loves a tigress like me?” Ying Zheng: “Are you saying that I have a unique preference to love a tigress like you?” Cute moment.
Ying Zheng tells Li Er that he has a one of a kind gift for her. He’s decided to bring Tian Ming back to the palace, as he knows that he will bring her comfort. Li Er says that that’s wonderful, that during the three years that Tian Ming lived outside the palace, she’s only been able to see him a few times. She was worried that if things continued like this, Tian Ming wouldn’t be able to recognize her as his mother. At these words, Ying Zheng pulls Li Er into a hug. “I’m sorry. I’ve kept you apart for too long. I won’t separate you guys again. To be honest, sometimes I really miss Tian Ming. After all, he’s my son.”
Ying Zheng kept Li Er and Tian Ming apart for THREE years?! WTF! We saw Li Er grow to love and accept Ying Zheng a while ago. Why wasn’t Tian Ming brought back to the palace then? It’s not like all of a sudden the palace has become a safe place for Tian Ming. Why isn’t Li Er more upset that he kept her from her son for so long? She seems just relieved and thankful that Ying Zheng is bringing Tian Ming back to the palace. I think it would’ve made a lot more sense to the story if Li Er came to love Ying Zheng after he returned Tian Ming to her, instead of just her family sword.
Tian Guang, Yan Dan, and Jing Ke decide to rest on their way to Yan. Jing Ke reminisces about Li Er, but then his thoughts shift to Lan Er and the moments that they have shared together. He remembers when they met, when she took care of him when he was drunk, and how she even got hurt because of him. Aww, is he starting to be interested in Lan Er now? That would be great. She loves him so much and it’d be nice to see Jing Ke moving on.
Oh, Tian Ming is so adorable! It’s cute how he sits in Ying Zheng’s lap while Li Er watches next to them. Calling him ‘Father’, Tian Ming asks Ying Zheng what it means to be carefree and if they can be as carefree as the birds in the sky. In what is a bit too serious for talking with a three year old, Ying Zheng responds that birds can‘t be fully carefree – they have to worry about food and bigger birds so they are scared every day. Tian Ming: “I don’t want to be feared by others. I want to play with everyone together (aww, he’s a lot like his mother). If being carefree means that people will be scared of me, then I don’t want to be carefree.” What a good kid. Ying Zheng: “It’s all right. You don’t understand the expectations that I have for you.” Li Er says, “You treat Tian Ming so well.”
Ying Zheng: “Tian Ming is a good child. He’s also very lucky. He was raised by people who love him. Unlike me and Yan Dan. He’s been held hostage in a foreign state since he was young. It’s not like I don’t understand how he feels. He must’ve thought that one day, when he has power, he’ll have all those who once belittled and pitied him never look down on him again. So, I’d rather everyone fear me than pity me.” Ying Zheng and Tian Ming look like they have a really close relationship, and Ying Zheng does seem to treat Tian Ming really well, but at the end of the day, Tian Ming is not his biological son. He’s Jing Ke’s.
Chu Liang Ren eats oranges as she reads, and she soon throws a fit. Why did her maids let her eat so many oranges? She has a stomachache! Lol. Chu Liang Ren is crazy. Chu Liang Ren’s maid rushes in with news – Han Zhang Shi is pregnant! Chu Liang Ren initially doesn’t care because Han Fei must be the father, but her maid tells Chu Liang Ren that it’s because the child is Han Fei’s that no one will much care about the child. Why doesn’t Chu Liang Ren pretend to be pregnant, and after Han Zhang Shi gives birth, take the child and pretend the child is hers and Ying Zheng’s? It will improve her standing in the palace. Chu Liang’s Ren maid really brings out and encourages the worst in Chu Liang Ren. Chu Liang Ren realizes that this is a good plan and agrees.
Chu Liang Ren visits Han Zhang Shi, bringing along herbal supplements that will help with Han Zhang Shi’s health. She apologizes for how unfairly she treated Han Zhang Shi in the past, and says that they should help each other and get along well. She mentions that what she has brought is especially good for pregnant women. Han Zhang Shi quickly covers her stomach. After Chu Liang Ren leaves, Han Zhang Shi tells her maid how suspicious Chu Liang Ren’s behavior is. She thinks that Chu Liang Ren knows she is pregnant, and is plotting something. She remembers what Chu Liang Ren did to Jing Liang Ren. She tells her maid to secretly throw away the supplements that Chu Liang Ren brought. Glad to see Han Zhang Shi show some smarts.
Chu Liang Ren meets with a palace physician, and tries to bribe him into helping her pretend that she’s pregnant. When that doesn’t work, she threatens him into helping her.
Han Zhang Shi pays a visit to Li Er, and reveals that she’s pregnant with Han Fei’s child. She asks for Li Er’s help to talk to the King about letting her keep the baby. Li Er agrees to help Han Zhang Shi.
That night, Li Er tells Ying Zheng that Han Zhang Shi is pregnant with Han Fei’s child, about 4-5 months along. A poor child to have lost his father before even being born. The news that Han Zhang Shi is pregnant will likely spread, since she had to go see a doctor when she wasn’t feeling well. Li Er tells Ying Zheng that Han Zhang Shi had asked her to talk to him on her behalf. In name, Han Zhang Shi is a concubine of the King, but in reality, she is pregnant with Han Fei’s child. To the world, Han Fei is a traitor to Qin, so this is a matter which cannot be made public. Ying Zheng: “Han Zhang Shi is fearful that I will make her abort the baby?” Li Er tells Ying Zheng that she thinks that they owe a lot to Han Fei, and Ying Zheng agrees with her. He tells Li Er that he will turn this matter over to her, and she can tell Han Zhang Shi not to worry. However, given the delicate relationship between Qin and Han, this matter must be handled carefully.
As Ying Zheng is busy with official court business, Zhao Gao reports that Chu Liang Ren is pregnant. Ying Zheng is stunned: “She’s pregnant too?” Zhao Gao thinks: “Does that mean someone else is pregnant?” Ying Zheng tells Zhao Gao that he is currently preoccupied with the situation with Yan Dan, and sends Zhao Gao to go and see Chu Liang Ren in his place.
Zhao Gao goes to see Chu Liang Ren, and snidely says that it sure doesn’t seem like she’s pregnant, since she doesn’t have any symptoms and is not showing at all. Chu Liang Ren fakes morning sickness to get Zhao Gao to leave. She realizes that she needs to put on a better show, and tells her maid to find her a fake belly.
Ying Zheng holds royal court, and Lord Chang Ping reports that General Li Mu of Zhao has defeated them more than once. Ying Zheng is furious that his plans to conquer the world may be disrupted by this one general. Lord Chang Ping recommends that Qin retreat from Zhao for now, and attack again in the future when Qin is stronger. General Li Mu does not have a good relationship with the current King of Zhao, and it will be to Qin’s advantage to drive a wedge between them. Next, Li Si raises whether Qin should send troops in pursuit of Yan Dan. Lord Chang Ping says that this is Ying Zheng’s decision, and other people do not need to comment. Lol. He recommends against sending troops after a hostage prince.
Thank you everyone for reading!
Sunny
Thank you for the recap!
Little Tian Ming is so cute! His relationship with YZ is really adorable and nice to see. I think it made sense they kept him out of the Palace that long as it's easier to kill or harm a baby than a toddler. LI Ji has been able to see him during that time so it's not as if they were kept separate. I don't know as much about Chinese royal upbringings but I know in English royal families it was common for princes/princesses to be brought up apart from their parents in their own household by their wet nurse, tutors, servants and would see their parents occasionally and they wouldn't come to Court until they were older.
LMAO at Chu Liang Ren and her oranges! They are probably my second favourite ship on the show lol!