Episode Summary
Xie Huaian and Han Ziling deal with the psychological aftermath of killing Di Lu while planning Gu Yu's rescue from Hualiu Fang. We learn Han Ziling's true identity and why he serves Xie. Meanwhile, Xie blackmails the Gatekeeper into silence using her adopted son's token, and Xiao Wenjing is forced to kill an escaping prisoner to protect their cover.
Spoiler Alert
The Vendetta of An: Episode 10 Recap
The Truth About Li Sangeng
We finally get the full picture on Li Sangeng. His real name is Han Ziling. A year ago, the new Emperor summoned him to the capital. It looked like a promotion. It wasn't. Xie Huaian intercepted him with a hard truth. The Emperor hates Gu Yu. Since Gu Yu introduced Han to the court, the Emperor wanted Han dead just to send a message.
Han was skeptical. Xie Huaian proved it the hard way. He found a fugitive, disguised him as Han, and sent him to the palace. The double was killed immediately. That brutal move saved Han’s life. Since then, Han has been hiding in the Hidden Soldier Alley as a sleeper agent for Xie. He owes Xie his life.
A Grim Burial
Back in the present, things get dark fast. Xie and Han have to bury Di Lu’s body in the courtyard. This hits Han hard. Di Lu took care of him. Han started to see him as family. Xie Huaian is more pragmatic. He knows they had to kill Di Lu to survive. If Di Lu lived, they died.
To cover the smell of the decomposing body, Xie pours kitchen wine over the grave. It’s a smart, cold move. They get their stories straight in case anyone asks. Han goes home shaken. He keeps replaying the kill in his head. He regrets that Di Lu noticed Xie’s injury. That mistake cost Di Lu his life. But they have to keep moving. The next morning, they go back to work like nothing happened.
Plotting the Rescue
Han Ziling isn't just sitting around. He brings Xie a defense map of the Hidden Soldier Alley. He located Gu Yu. He is being held at Hualiu Fang. The place is locked down tight with guards.
Han has a plan. Hualiu Fang is close to Li Mingtai’s house. He suggests Xie visit Li Mingtai. It gives Xie a perfect excuse to scout the heavy security around the brothel without raising suspicion.
Inside Hualiu Fang, Gu Yu is bored. A beautiful maid watches him. She tries to get close, promising to do anything for him except help him escape. Gu Yu doesn't care about her. He asks for a carving knife and some wood. He figures he’ll be there a while, so he might as well whittle.
The Gatekeeper’s Secret
Wang Pu is ramping up the pressure. He looks like a gentle scholar, but the guy is a monster. He captures some of Gu Yu’s rescuers and burns them alive. Han warns Xie to watch his back.
Xie returns to his room and realizes someone tossed it. The Gatekeeper noticed Di Lu is missing. Di Lu asked her for a nice pen right before he vanished. Xie was the last person to see him.
The old woman confronts Xie. She demands to know where Di Lu is. Xie knows her history. Her father was one of the first Tiger Guards. She lost her own son years ago. She found a starving boy eating fruit off her son’s grave and raised him like her own.
Xie plays a dirty card. He pulls out a gold coin he got from Qing Yi. The old woman recognizes it. She knows Xie has leverage over her adopted son. She backs down. When Wang Pu asks her if she found anything suspicious, she lies and says no.
Xiao Wenjing’s First Kill
Xiao Wenjing tries to do a simple job. He brings food to a captured Tiger Guard named Wang Xing. Wang Xing is crafty. He tricks Xiao and makes a run for it.
Xiao panics. If Wang Xing escapes, Xiao and Xie are dead men. He hesitates at first. He isn't a killer. But Wang Xing pushes him too far. Xiao finally snaps and kills him. He drags the body back to bury it. The experience clearly breaks something inside him. He looks traumatized.
