⏰ Schedule: 2 episodes per post, every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday 

🗓️Next Post: Wednesday, April 22 - Episodes 21&22

✎ᝰ Past Discussions:
 Index of All Discussions | Episodes 1&2 | Episodes 3&4 | Episodes 5&6 | Episodes 7&8 | Episodes 9&10 | Episodes 11&12 | Episodes 13&14 | Episodes 15&16 | Episodes 17&18

🔗Helpful Links: Flashcards | Subtitle Interchangeable Terminology

🚨SPOILERS: Kindly use spoiler tags if you are discussing anything beyond episode 20. Comprehensive directions on how to create spoilers. 

GIFs courtesy of u/AquaphobicTurtle!

Episode 19

Recap: Stationed in the North, Duke Zhenbei is suspected of colluding with the Kui Tribe regarding the Sangbo explosion. Xu Qi’an and Princess Huaiqing investigate the Chixiong lead and discover in the Imperial Library that Bodhi Beads negate the Gazing Spell. This prompts Huaiqing to remember that Princess Pingyang likely used a similar artifact to escape with Heng Hui a year ago. Xu Qi’an also recalls that he won the beads for a mysterious lady the night he acquired the Jade Stone Mirror. Princess Lin’an shares with Xu Qi’an what she knows about Pingyang’s disappearance. The imperial Loong appears and runs wild, and only submits to Xu Qi’an, secretly unnerving the Emperor who believes the Loong should only answer to the royal bloodline.

The Northern Prince 🔎

As Candle pointed out in her post, the case (naturally) links the Kui Beast at the Mount Dahuang saltpeter mines to the Kui tribe, suggesting they smuggled in the gunpowder for the Sangbo explosion. Since the blast was a calculated move to release the hidden demonic arm, it's clear an insider was involved:

• A powerful man in the imperial court.
• A man who can secretly ally with the Kui tribe.

Who ticks these boxes? The Prince of the North, Duke Zhenbei! Especially since he's been away from the Capital for years.

Reminder that Duke Zhenbei, aka Prince Huai, is Emperor Yuanjing's brother... so now the question is... if it really is him, WHY!?

Princess Pingyang's Disappearance 🗺️

Not even five minutes after her vow to never see her sworn enemy, Xu Qi'an, ever again, she is smiling ear to ear at his antics to see her. Anyone else fanning themselves over a sweaty Dylan Wang here? Please tell me it's not just me.

On behalf of Liv and myself (for requesting this specific GIF), you're welcome.

Ok, but back to business... Talking about Princess Pingyang, here's what we know from Princess Lin'an:

• Lin'an and Pingyang were best friends who grew up together.
• Pingyang fell in love with Heng Hui, a Wanderer of Qinglong Hall (Azure if you're following WeTV's translation), and dreamt of traveling with him to see the world.
• After receiving an imperial edit to get married and feeling trapped, she decides to run away and elope with Heng Hui.
• They already had arrangements to avoid the Gazing Spell that would be otherwise used by the Astronomy Bureau to locate them.
• Her departure damaged the reputations of her father (Duke Yu, presumably another of the Emperor's brother) and the royal family, thereby causing turmoil in Court.
• Duke Yu withdrew from politics and later died from political attacks.
• She had promised to write to Lin'an but there have been no news of her nor Heng Hui since they disappeared a year ago.
• And finally, a bit of a reveal, Heng Yuan was his Senior (and if you recall, Heng Yuan had been searching for Heng Hui, who he assumed was trafficked by Earl Pingyuan).

https://i.redd.it/h3fv3c6ricwg1.gif

The Loong (Spirit Dragon) 🐉

The cute little dragon is suddenly triggered and snaps, bucking the Emperor off... in what seems to be a desperate bid for freedom? Is the dragon held against its will? As imperial guards swarm and attack, the Loong panics even more, but something about Xu Qi'an calms him. What could this mean?! I mean, Xu Qi'an would calm me too. No wait... he actually increases my heart rate...

https://i.redd.it/xip9bj21jcwg1.gif

Episode 20

Recap: Xu Qi’an meets with Jinlian (No. 9) and Yuanzhen (No. 4) to discuss their concern over Heng Yuan (No. 6)’s absence since the Sangbo explosion. They go to Earl Pingyuan’s mansion to search for clues, only to witness Heng Hui on a killing spree. The Emperor is angry at the murder of Pingyuan’s son and orders the Guardians to solve the case within three days. The Guardians and the Astronomy Bureau team up to entrap Heng Hui. Meanwhile, Minister of War, Zhang Feng, tries to flee the Capital with his family, falling into Lord Wei’s trap.

1st-rank Mummified Corpse 🧟

Xu Qi'an meets Chu Yuanzhen (No. 4) in person, but introduces himself as No. 3's brother - a flabbergasted Jinlian neither confirms or denies this and gets to business. Here is how we connect the dots so far:

• The magic artifact that blocks the Gazing Spell comes from Qinglong Hall, which Heng Hui must have used to help Pingyang escape.
• This artifact has somehow fallen in the hands of Chixiong, linking the Sangbo Case with Huan Yuan who has been searching for Heng Hui.

Instead of finding Heng Yuan, they get to meet zombified Heng Hui with the demonic arm instead. Heng Hui is seemingly there for revenge, confirmed when the Earl's son mentions that he saw Heng Hui die with his own eyes. Piecing it together, Xu Qi'an deduces:

• Ministers were arguing about Duke Yu's appointment in Court, indicating a power struggle between nobility and the bureaucrats.
• The Earl's human trafficking business could be used to secretly send people out of the Capital (like Hui and Pingyang).
• Shortly after Hui and Pingyang's disappearance, Duke Yu passed away.
• These Ministers benefitted most from the demise of Duke Yu's family.

https://i.redd.it/uqotp5h0mdwg1.gif

Pomegranate Metaphor 💔

DYK: One of the most popular modern sayings about pomegranates is the Pomegranate Theory which suggests that "the purest form of love is when someone peels a pomegranate for you". This is because the fruit is notoriously messy and difficult to prepare. I wonder if that is what the pomegranate here symbolizes as we see both Lin'an and Duchess Yu grieve over Pingyang's disappearance. Despite her own feelings, Lin'an lies to Duchess Yu about staying in contact with Pingyang, just to give her some solace that Pingyang is safe and sound.  

The Fish takes the Bait 🎣

That fish is the Minister of War, Zhang Yi, who panics when Lord Wei not only reports to the Emperor that the Sangbo and Pingyang cases are related, but that they are connected to Pingyang's disappearance which was planned by Ministers to take down Duke Yu. Minister Yi is detained after he's caught trying to flee the Capital.

https://i.redd.it/gjncy87zldwg1.gif

However, we're still left with the following questions:

• What is the intent behind releasing the demonic arm? It can't simply be for Hui's revenge... Could it be for rebellion?
• Who does the arm belong to? Xu Qi'an had originally suspected the former Supervisor (of the Astronomy Bureau).

Fish #2 🐟

Heng Hui is also a fish. He falls into a trap at the Minister of War's residence, and is teleported to an isolated location to face off not one, not two, but four 4th-rank experts!

https://i.redd.it/tphlqtzwldwg1.gif

New character:

Yang Qianhuan, 4th-rank Formations Master of the Astronomy Bureau

Modern References:

• The Jade Mirror doesn't only vibrate like it does as a phone when he's being contacted, but you can have private chats with it! It really is just a modern day phone.
• Xu Qi'an impresses Yuanzhen with another poem he learned from his previous life, titled The Swordsman 剑客, written by Jia Dao during the Tang Dynasty.

 

Counters

Who Is Here playing in the background: 10 (Ep 19 at 38 min mark very briefly)

XQA flipping ponytail: 16 (1 in E19 only) 

XQA finds money: 3 (none in either ep)

XQA has hay in mouth (by episode): 9/40 (none in either ep)

We're at the halfway mark! For first-time watchers, how are we doing? For rewatchers, is it as great as you remember?