Episode 31 recap: The mystery surrounding Fan Xian's origins has caused a great uproar.
As Fan Xian's injuries gradually healed, Emperor Qing came to visit him and questioned why Fan Xian had saved Li Cheng Ping instead of him at the Suspended Monastery. Fan Xian did not want to be accused of not helping someone in need. When Li Yun Rui learned that Fan Xian was alive, she became enraged and swore to have him killed, as the Empress also wanted Fan Xian dead, simply because he was Ye Qingmei's son.
Chen Pingping told Fan Xian the truth about the assassination attempt at the Suspended Monastery, and then left. Emperor Qing came to ask Fan Xian what Chen Pingping had said, and Fan Xian concealed the fact that the white-robed swordsman was Ying Zi, but revealed everything else. Emperor Qing admitted that he had arranged the arson and assassination attempt at the Suspended Monastery, not to drive out the Ye family, but to make Ye Liu Yun reveal himself. Emperor Qing then issued twelve imperial decrees to Ye Liu Yun, all of which he ignored. Ye Zhong left Ye Ling'er in the capital as a hostage to restrain Ye Liu Yun.
Ye Liu Yun is one of the four grand masters in the world, with abilities that surpass ordinary people and place them above royal power. The Xuanhe sect sent disciples Hai Tangduo and Lang Tao to protect the Northern Qi royal family, and the Sihui Sword protects an Eastern Yi city. Ye Liu Yun wanders freely like a carefree cloud and wild goose, which makes Emperor Qing wary of him and vow to eliminate all the grand masters one by one to secure his own rule.
Before being demoted to Dingzhou, Ye Zhong gave Ye Ling'er many instructions, advising her not to continue challenging others in martial arts, and that she could marry Li Chengze, but should not develop true feelings for him. Ye Ling'er watched her father's dejected figure with mixed emotions.
Emperor Qing questioned why Fan Xian had chosen to save Li Cheng Ping instead of him in the crisis, and Fan Xian explained that the fatal strike aimed at Li Cheng Ping was more dangerous. Emperor Qing was satisfied with the answer and promised to take Fan Xian to a certain place after he had fully recovered.
Li Yun Rui secretly returned to the capital, afraid of being questioned by Emperor Qing, and temporarily took refuge at Li Chengze's residence. She took the opportunity to sow discord, urging Li Chengze to kill Ye Ling'er and sever all ties with the Ye family, or else he would never have a chance to compete for the throne against Li Chengqian.
Li Chengze believed that as long as the Ye family had Ye Liu Yun, they would not collapse, so he not only wanted to marry Ye Ling'er, but also help the Ye family regain Emperor Qing's trust. Li Yun Rui was greatly disappointed and angrily decided to return to Xinyang.
Fan Jian woke up in high spirits and intentionally wore a green hairpin, which Liu Ruyu found odd and advised him to change. Fan Jian then learned that there were many rumors circulating in the capital about Fan Xian being the child of Emperor Qing and Ye Qingmei, and having no relation to Fan Jian. Liu Ruyu thought Ye Qingmei had cuckolded Fan Jian and expressed sympathy, leaving Fan Jian frantic and unsure how to explain.
The mystery surrounding Fan Xian's origins spread rapidly through the capital, but the Censorate did not issue any clarification. When Li Chengze heard the news, he was greatly shocked. Li Yun Rui packed her bags to return to Xinyang, but upon learning that Fan Xian was the son of Emperor Qing and Ye Qingmei, she became furious and swore to kill him, despite Li Chengze's attempts to persuade her.
Li Yun Rui hated Ye Qingmei deeply and was determined not to let her son live. Li Yun Rui grew angrier, willing to take the blame and become Emperor Qing's obedient knife. When Emperor Qing wanted to dismiss the Prime Minister, Li Yun Rui had Yuanhong frame and force Lin Ruofu into retirement. However, she did not expect that Emperor Qing would then let Ye Qingmei's son Fan Xian snatch the imperial treasury from her hands, of which Li Chengze was unaware.
Fan Jian suspected that Chen Ping Ping had revealed the mystery of Fan Xian's origins, so he directly confronted Chen Ping Ping to settle the score. Only then did he learn that Emperor Qing had ordered the information to be released. Fan Jian treated Fan Xian like his own son, and if his origins were exposed, it would invite much hatred and pursuit. Chen Ping Ping was also helpless in the matter.
The Empress learned that Fan Xian was also a prince, and immediately went to discuss strategy with Li Cheng Qian. Since Fan Xian was in control of the Inspection Bureau and the Imperial Treasury, he was overshadowing Li Cheng Ze. The Empress worried that Fan Xian would snatch the Crown Prince position from Li Cheng Qian, but Li Cheng Qian did not take it seriously. The Empress wanted Fan Xian dead because Ye Qingmei's death was caused by her, and the entire Empress clan was therefore massacred.
If Fan Xian investigated this, she and Li Cheng Qian would both die for certain. Li Cheng Ze learned that Ye Qingmei was killed by the Empress's clan, and wanted to use this to attack the Empress. Li Yunrui knew the Empress was isolated and could not be relied upon. Li Cheng Qian wanted to join forces with Fan Xian to deal with Li Cheng Ze, and persuaded the Empress to apologize to Fan Xian. But the Empress and Ye Qingmei were sworn enemies, so she firmly refused to bow to Fan Xian. Li Cheng Qian wanted to use Fan Xian to obtain the throne, and then kill Fan Xian, to which the Empress readily agreed.
Yi Guipin brought Li Chengping to thank Fan Xian for saving his life. Li Chengping kowtowed to Fan Xian until he passed out from bleeding. Yi Guipin learned that Fan Xian was Emperor Qing's son, and wanted Li Chengping to become Fan Xian's disciple. Li Chengping woke up and performed the formal disciple ceremony for Fan Xian.
A maid brought poisoned medicine to Fan Xian, which Yi Guipin quickly discovered. A eunuch also suddenly attacked Fan Xian, but Yi Guipin protected him.
Emperor Qing arranged for Fan Xian to recover in the Guangxin Palace, where Li Yunrui had previously lived. He suspected Li Yunrui had sent Palace maids and eunuchs to harm Fan Xian, so he ordered Hou Gongong to drive Li Yunrui out of the capital.
Li Yunrui was unwilling to give up, but dared not disobey the imperial order. Li Cheng Ze swore to have Fan Xian killed. Lin Waner wanted to stay in the palace to take care of Fan Xian, but Liu Ruyu worried that once Fan Xian learned he was a prince, he would never return to the manor.
On the way back, Li Cheng Ze ambushed Lin Waner and told her about Fan Xian killing Lin Gong. Lin Waner didn't believe it, but Li Cheng Ze insisted, and even gave Lin Waner a dagger, telling her to kill Fan Xian herself.
Fan Xian's injuries were gradually healing. He wrote a letter to Hai Tangduoduo, wanting to use the Tian Yidao cultivation method to rebuild his foundation. He asked Li Chengping to send the letter to the Inspection Bureau, where Lin Waner happened to see it.
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