Episode Summary
After the Spring Festival, Zang Hai is selected as a historian to compile the annual chronicles. On the Lantern Festival, he and Mingyu Suti plan to steal the Gui Seal while the Emperor hosts a banquet. Zang Hai successfully retrieves the seal from Hanzhang Hall, discovering it was hidden by a mechanism related to his father, Kuai Duo, and realizing his father was the "Wild Goose" and the Emperor the "Deer." He also finds a secret passage. Back at the Qintianjian, while trying to replicate the seal's box, Zang Hai is confronted by Shi Quan, who reveals himself as Lu Fen, Cao Jingxian's adopted son, and seizes the seal. Cao Jingxian arrives, forcing Zang Hai to admit he is Kuai Duo's son, Zhi Nu. A fight ensues when Mingyu Suti and Xiang Antu intervene. Mingyu Suti is fatally wounded by Cao Jingxian while protecting Zang Hai and Xiang Antu, but not before she seriously injures Cao Jingxian, who escapes. Mingyu Suti dies, making Zang Hai promise to protect Xiang Antu. Zang Hai advises Xiang Antu to stage Mingyu Suti's death as an accident. The next day, the Emperor announces Mingyu Suti's death by illness, expresses suspicion, and reinforces the Dong Xia border to prevent rebellion.
Spoiler Alert
Legend of Zang Hai Episode 32 Recap & Spoilers
The Lunar New Year has passed, and with it, the Emperor initiated the annual tradition of opening the Shíguǎn (History Hall) for the compilation of the Niánshǐ (Annual Chronicles). Zang Hai found himself selected by the Cabinet, drafted from the various ministries to serve as a historian at the Imperial Palace. His days became a blur of early departures and late returns as he dedicated himself to this prestigious task. Before long, the vibrant Shàngyuánjié (Lantern Festival) arrived, with every household illuminating the night with lanterns and fireworks. Zang Hai, after pushing himself to complete his section of the chronicles, finalized a daring plan with Mingyu Suti: they would steal the coveted Gui Seal that very night. Their strategy hinged on the Emperor hosting a grand banquet for all officials, which would leave Hanzhang Hall, the seal's presumed location, less guarded.
As darkness fell, Zang Hai put their plan into motion. He had Mingyu Suti orchestrate a spectacular fireworks display just outside the Imperial Palace. The sky erupted in a cascade of light, bathing Hanzhang Hall in an almost daytime brilliance. The sheer intensity of the pyrotechnics momentarily blinded the Imperial Guards, creating the diversion Zang Hai needed. He slipped into Hanzhang Hall unnoticed.
Inside, Zang Hai produced a Tóngyú (Copper Fish) artifact, placing it upon a Luópán (compass). Following its guidance, he navigated to an inner chamber. This room was a testament to the Emperor's artistry, filled with his hand-carved miniature replicas of pavilions, terraces, and towers. Zang Hai's initial search yielded nothing. However, his attention was soon drawn to a particular set of carvings – a deer and a wild goose. An inscription on the goose read: "Ninth Year of Zhenshun." Pressing on with his search, Zang Hai then discovered an astonishingly detailed miniature model of the entire Capital. It even included his own family home, which had been tragically burned down a decade earlier. He noted, however, that the layout of his home in the model was incorrect. When Zang Hai instinctively adjusted the miniature structure to its proper configuration, a hidden mechanism whirred to life, and the Gui Seal was revealed. The ornate box housing the seal was the handiwork of none other than Kuai Duo, Zang Hai's father. It bore a single, significant carving: "Wild Goose." In that moment, a crucial piece of the puzzle fell into place for Zang Hai – the Emperor was the "Deer," and his father, Kuai Duo, was the "Wild Goose."
Just as Zang Hai secured the Gui Seal and prepared to depart, his sharp eyes caught an anomaly in a large wall painting depicting a grand building: it was missing its Dǒugǒng (traditional architectural support brackets). Suspecting another secret, he pressed the spot. True to his intuition, it was a cleverly disguised mechanism that activated a hidden door, revealing a Mìdào (secret passage). Zang Hai used this passage to make a swift and unseen exit, hurrying back to the Qīntiānjiān (Imperial Astronomical Bureau).
Upon his return to the Qintianjian, Zang Hai immediately set to work, attempting to create a convincing replica of the Gui Seal's unique box through the night. His concentration was shattered by the sudden arrival of Shi Quan. Zang Hai, caught off guard, tried to usher him away, but Shi Quan's demeanor had changed. Drawing a knife, Shi Quan took Zang Hai hostage, his voice chilling as he confessed his true identity: he was Lu Fen, the adopted son of the powerful Cao Jingxian. He admitted to being an undercover agent within the Qintianjian for many years, biding his time for this precise opportunity to seize the Gui Seal for his adoptive father. Zang Hai was stunned; his own thorough investigations into Shi Quan's background had never hinted at anything remotely suspicious. Lu Fen (Shi Quan) further explained that he and his three siblings were all fiercely loyal to Cao Jingxian. His original mission had been to monitor Chu Huaiming. When Chu Huaiming failed to locate the Gui Seal, Cao Jingxian ordered Lu Fen to remain embedded in the Qintianjian – a place of significance as it was Kuai Duo's former workplace. He had been patiently waiting, and now, encountering Zang Hai, he expressed a lingering curiosity about Zang Hai’s own hidden identity.
Before Zang Hai could react, Cao Jingxian himself swept into the Qintianjian, effectively preventing any retaliation from Zang Hai. Clutching the recovered Gui Seal triumphantly, Cao Jingxian showered Lu Fen with praise for his successful deception. He then turned his attention to Zang Hai, cruelly forcing him to admit his true lineage: he was Zhi Nu, the son of Kuai Duo. Cao Jingxian’s sharp gaze then fell upon Zang Hai’s workbench, where the half-finished replica of the seal’s box lay. He instantly deduced Zang Hai's audacious plan: to use a fake to deceive others, while wielding the real Gui Seal to exact his long-awaited revenge. Without hesitation, Cao Jingxian ordered Lu Ran (the name used in the source at this point, potentially another subordinate or a variation of Lu Fen's name) to kill Zhi Nu, ensuring his silence. With the precious seal in hand, Cao Jingxian prepared to depart.
The tense standoff was shattered by the dramatic entrance of Mingyu Suti and Xiang Antu, who burst in with their own contingent of followers, quickly surrounding Cao Jingxian and his men. A fierce battle immediately erupted. Amidst the chaos, Xiang Antu managed to provide cover, allowing Zang Hai (Zhi Nu) to break free from the immediate melee. Cao Jingxian, seeing his escape route threatened, attempted to flee. However, Mingyu Suti, with lightning speed, intercepted him. She cut down his Changwei guards and cornered him, her voice ringing with authority as she demanded he surrender the Gui Seal. Cao Jingxian, though now isolated, defiantly refused. He feigned compliance, extending the box as if to hand it over, but it was a treacherous ruse. He suddenly produced a concealed crossbow and fired at Mingyu Suti, wounding her.
Xiang Antu and Zang Hai watched in horror as Mingyu Suti was struck. They surged forward to help her, but Cao Jingxian, relentless, re-aimed his crossbow, this time targeting Xiang Antu. In a selfless act of bravery, Zang Hai threw himself in front of Xiang Antu, ready to take the bolt. But before it could strike, Mingyu Suti, already grievously wounded, lunged forward one last time, shielding Zang Hai and absorbing the second arrow herself. Despite the agonizing pain, Mingyu Suti summoned her remaining strength, turned, and plunged her sword deep into Cao Jingxian, impaling him. The surviving Changwei guards scrambled to rescue their severely injured master, managing to carry Cao Jingxian away as they retreated.
Mingyu Suti's injuries were catastrophic. As she lay dying, her final words were a heartfelt plea to Zang Hai: "Protect Xiang Antu." With that, she succumbed to her wounds. Xiang Antu was consumed by a devastating, raw grief. Zang Hai, profoundly moved by Mingyu Suti's sacrifice and Xiang Antu's sorrow, offered solemn counsel. He urged Xiang Antu to take Mingyu Suti’s body back to the Zhi Palace and meticulously stage her death to appear as an unfortunate accident. He stressed the absolute necessity of keeping the night's violent events a closely guarded secret. Xiang Antu, her heart shattered, swore an oath to avenge her mother’s death.
The following morning, Zang Hai attended the imperial court session. The Emperor, before the assembled officials, made a public announcement: Mingyu Suti had passed away suddenly at the Zhi Palace due to an illness. The Emperor openly stated that he found the circumstances of her death to be highly suspicious. However, lacking immediate evidence to uncover the true cause, and wary of potential unrest, he made a strategic decision. He ordered the reinforcement of troops along the Dong Xia border and, in a move to placate the region, declared a five-year waiver of taxes for Dong Xia, hoping to prevent any rebellion that might arise from this unsettling incident.
