Episode Summary
A public argument leads to Chu Yu entrusting Wei Jun with a crucial piece of evidence about a traitor. As the Wei army is called to the northern border, Wei Jun and Chu Yu share a farewell promise. The army is then led into a disastrous ambush in Baidi Valley due to false intelligence, resulting in the death of the family patriarch, Wei Zhong.
Spoiler Alert
A Public Showdown and a Private Promise
A Coward Gets What He Deserves
We open with some classic political trash talk. A guy named Cao Yan, who is a high-ranking official, is running his mouth. He’s talking to a duke’s daughter but he’s really just badmouthing Chu Yu. He brings up her past with Gu Chusheng. He even starts dissing her war hero father.
He just doesn't realize Chu Yu and her maid, Wanyue, are right there. Wanyue is not having it. She grabs a teacup and smashes it at his feet to shut him up. Cao Yan gets furious. He’s about to really lay into them. But Chu Yu’s hand goes to her whip. She’s ready to handle this herself.
Before she can, Gu Chusheng steps in and tells her to calm down. It’s a bit frustrating. But then, a pebble flies out of nowhere. It hits Cao Yan right on the forehead. He starts bleeding and immediately hides behind one of the women. Pathetic.
The pebble-thrower is revealed. It's Wei Yun, the younger Wei brother. He and his older brother, Wei Jun, walk up. Wei Jun gives Cao Yan a piece of his mind. Normally, he would scold his brother for being so impulsive. But this time, he lets it slide. Cao Yan was way out of line. He's a pen-pusher insulting a soldier who bled for the country. He deserved it.
A Secret to Keep
Chu Yu asks to speak with Wei Jun alone. She gives Wei Yun a look that says, "scram." Wei Jun tells her he can't let her help with the crossbow investigation. It’s too dangerous. But he does promise to tell her everything once he figures it out.
Wanyue tries to follow Wei Yun. She wants to find the location of the Armory. It doesn't work. Wei Yun and his guard, Wei Qiu, spot her immediately. They lose her in seconds. Chu Yu isn't even disappointed when she hears. She knows finding the Armory isn't that simple.
She decides to put her faith in Wei Jun. She gives him the key piece of evidence. It's the mechanism from a Bei Qi eight-pronged crossbow. Her brother, Chu Linyang, risked his life to bring it back from the battlefield. Wei Jun stares at it. He realizes the truth. There must be a traitor inside his own Armory. But who?
The Drums of War
A Bittersweet Farewell
Urgent news hits the capital city, Huajing. The Bei Qi kingdom is on the move. The northern border is in danger. The head of the Wei family, Wei Zhong, gathers his seven sons. He tells them the Wei family army is deploying immediately.
They draw lots to see who stays behind. Wei Yun draws the "defend" lot. He has to stay and guard the home front.
Before leaving for the front, Wei Jun goes to visit Chu Yu. She isn't home. He doesn't go inside. He just leaves a letter for her. The Crown Prince, Li Huan, is going to the front to "supervise" the army. He’s a total amateur.
Chu Yu gets home and reads the letter. She panics and runs to the top of the city gate. She sees the army marching away. She screams out that she will wait for Wei Jun to come back. He hears her, turns around, and smiles.
Marching into a Trap
The letter from Wei Jun has Chu Yu worried. He wrote about the Armory. He confirmed there are only two ways to get in. You either need a direct order from the Emperor, or you need an official pass. The traitor is someone with serious access.
A month passes. The war with Bei Qi is a stalemate. Then, the Bei Qi army suddenly retreats to a place called Baidi Valley. The military intelligence report says they have fewer than 50,000 men. The inexperienced Crown Prince sees his chance for glory. He orders the Wei army to chase them down and finish them.
Wei Yun, back in the capital, thinks this is a terrible idea. Baidi Valley is a natural basin. It's a perfect spot for an ambush. But it's a direct order. The army has to obey.
Ambush in Baidi Valley
The Trap Is Sprung
The Wei army charges into battle. They go straight for the Bei Qi general, Su Cha. They chase the retreating enemy right into Baidi Valley. Suddenly, a thick fog rolls in. Visibility drops to zero.
Wei Zhong, the family patriarch, yells for the army to halt. Then they hear it. The sound of crossbows being fired from all directions. They realize it's an ambush. It's too late to retreat.
The intelligence was completely wrong. The Bei Qi didn't have a small force in the valley. They had a massive one. Wei Zhong understands instantly. There's a spy high up in the Da Sui command. Someone fed them fake intel on purpose.
The Fall of a General
The enemy's crossbows are powerful. They cut through the Wei army, causing huge casualties. The Bei Qi soldiers then charge out of the fog. They completely outnumber the Wei forces. Wei Zhong orders his men to break out of the encirclement.
A Bei Qi soldier aims an eight-pronged crossbow directly at Wei Zhong. One of his sons, Wei Shu, throws himself in front of the bolts to save him. But it's no use. As Wei Shu falls, soldiers behind Wei Zhong attack. They run him through with their spears.
Wei Jun and the other brothers see their father fall. They can only watch in horror.
