Episode Summary
The final confrontation happens at Baidi Valley. Li Changming tricks and kills Zhao Yue with a poisoned kiss, then sacrifices herself by jumping off the same cliff. Instead of conquering Bei Qi, Chu Yu and Wei Yun negotiate a fifty-year peace. Wei Yun leaves to serve three years at the border, while Chu Yu becomes the empire's only female general. Three years later, Wei Yun returns, and Chu Yu proposes to him on the city wall.
Spoiler Alert
The Trap in Baidi Valley
Bei Qi is falling apart. Eleven cities are in open rebellion. Chu Yu correctly guesses that Zhao Yue has only one way out. She will try to escape through Baidi Valley to East Liang.
So, Wei Yun and Chu Yu take the Da Sui army there to wait. It’s a perfect ambush. Sure enough, Zhao Yue walks right into their trap. They block her path forward and her path back. She has nowhere to run.
The Cliffside Confrontation
A Hostage and a Failed Taunt
Zhao Yue tries to play mind games. She throws insults at Wei Yun, Song Wenchang, and Song Shilan. She wants to make them angry. It does not work. They are completely unfazed.
She moves to her backup plan. She pulls out Li Changming, using her as a human shield. But this plan fails too. Li Changming announces she is willing to die for Da Sui. Zhao Yue is running out of options.
A Poisoned Kiss
Wei Yun gives the order to attack. The Da Sui soldiers overwhelm Zhao Yue’s men. The fight pushes Zhao Yue to the very edge of a cliff. Wei Yun and Chu Yu close in. Zhao Yue is confident Chu Yu won't risk killing Li Changming.
Then Li Changming speaks. She tells Zhao Yue that her greatest enemy was never Chu Yu or Wei Yun. It was Zhao Yue herself. Li Changming reveals a devastating secret. Zhao Yue was the one who caused the death of their unborn child.
Zhao Yue is in disbelief. She asks Li Changming if she ever truly loved her. Li Changming answers with a kiss. For a brief moment, Zhao Yue looks happy. Then she starts coughing up blood. The kiss was poisoned. Li Changming pushes her off the cliff.
A Tragic Farewell
Chu Yu rushes forward to help Li Changming. But Li Changming steps back toward the edge. She reveals the poison was in her own mouth. She is dying too.
Chu Yu has an antidote given to her by Tuantuan. Li Changming refuses to take it. She says she no longer wants to live. She feels responsible for turning Zhao Yue into a monster. She believes half of Zhao Yue’s sins are her own. Zhao Yue’s death is not enough to pay for everything. Li Changming says she will pay the other half.
With that, she lets herself fall from the cliff. Chu Yu lunges forward but can’t even grab the hem of her dress. After all that, they couldn't bring Li Changming home to Da Sui.
A New Era for Da Sui
Peace and Politics
With Zhao Yue dead, Chu Yu and Wei Yun could have easily conquered Bei Qi. They don't. Instead, they choose to negotiate. They sit down with Empress Dowager Yunyang.
They strike a deal. Da Sui gets its three cities back. Bei Qi agrees to fifty years of peace. The war is finally over. Gongsun Lan’s undercover mission in Qizhou also ends. He can go back to being Qi Lan of the Armory Division.
Back in Fengling City, Chu Yu feels a huge sense of relief. The people are finally safe. They no longer have to live in fear of war.
Promises and Promotions
Wei Yun tells Chu Yu something important. He made a deal with the Emperor to get permission to go to Qizhou. He promised to spend three years guarding the border. He brought her back safely. Now he has to go fulfill his promise.
Chu Yu says she will wait for him. She jokingly adds a threat. If he is late, she will take Xiao Qi and move somewhere he can never find them.
Sometime later, the Emperor abdicates the throne. The Crown Prince, Li Huan, becomes the new Emperor. His first act is to give Chu Yu the title of "General of the North Phoenix." She is the only female general in the empire. Her position opens the way for women to take civil service exams and become officials. Wei Yun is also honored. He is named the "Duke Who Guards the Nation."
Three Years Later
Wei Yun’s three years at the border are over. He rides back to the capital, Huajing.
Chu Yu is waiting for him on the city gate tower. She is practicing her sword forms. This time, she is the one who proposes. She asks Wei Yun if he is willing to marry her.
His eyes fill with tears. He says he is willing. It feels just like the day they first met. Their sacrifices have earned this time of peace for the empire. The nation they fought for is on a path to a better future.
