Episode Summary
He Yan cleverly uses her horse-taming skills to bypass a physical exam and successfully enlist, but her unique abilities arouse the suspicion of General Xiao Jue. As she begins the harsh military training, her inconsistent performance—excelling with certain weapons while failing miserably at others—puzzles the general further. The episode culminates in a tense cliffhanger when He Yan, secretly bathing in a hot spring, is nearly discovered by the arriving Xiao Jue.
Spoiler Alert
He Yan, now equipped with a male identity courtesy of Liu Buwang, faces her first major hurdle to joining the army: the mandatory physical examination. This check requires recruits to strip for the military doctor, a situation she absolutely cannot allow. Fortune intervenes when a horse, under the care of Cheng Lisu from the Imperial Medical Academy, bolts and throws its rider. Seizing the moment, He Yan not only saves Cheng Lisu but also masterfully calms the panicked animal.
Her expert horse-taming skills immediately catch the eye of General Xiao Jue. He recognizes the technique as exclusive to the Fuyue Army and instantly suspects she might be a spy sent by He Rufei. However, he keeps his suspicions to himself for now. Xiao Jue is in a precarious position; he lacks hard evidence of a conspiracy between Prime Minister Xu Jingfu and He Rufei, and he is already under the Emperor's distrust. This distrust led to his "promotion" to the underfunded and undermanned Yezhou Garrison, a move prompted by rumors that he ruthlessly flooded Que City. The drill instructor, impressed by He Yan's abilities, allows her to skip the physical and register directly, playing right into her hands. Still, Xiao Jue orders a thorough background check on this mysterious new recruit.
Meanwhile, another layer of political intrigue is revealed through Chu Zhao, a student of Prime Minister Xu. Chu Zhao presents a gentle and obedient facade but is deeply cunning, even injuring his own arm to earn his master's sympathy and cover his tracks while spying on Xiao Jue.
He Yan, familiar with Xiao Jue's character, refuses to believe the rumors about him flooding Que City. She is determined to join his Xiao Family Army, seeing it as the fastest path to distinguish herself and re-establish her standing. In the barracks, she meets a diverse group of new recruits: Wang Ba, who bears a bandit's tattoo; Zheng Li, whose face is marked by a criminal's tattoo; Jiang Jiao, from a family of escorts; the short-statured farmer Xiao Mai; and Huang Xiong, a hunter who paradoxically wears Buddhist prayer beads.
The first day of training is brutal. Under Drill Instructor Shen Han, the recruits are woken with cold water and immediately forced into a grueling run with heavy packs. He Yan's body, still weak from past injuries and poison, struggles to keep up. Her performance is a mixed bag; while she shows remarkable skill with Mandarin Duck Blades, her archery and spear handling are laughably inept. This contradictory display only deepens Xiao Jue's curiosity.
That night, unable to sleep, He Yan follows the scent of sulfur to a hidden hot spring. As she bathes, she is startled by the arrival of another person—none other than Xiao Jue himself. Desperate to remain unseen, she submerges herself in the water. But the ever-vigilant general notices the tell-tale bubbles and is instantly on high alert, sensing someone is hiding nearby.
