Episode 13 recap: # Yuan Mo's Clever Strategy Fails to Form Alliance Among the Five Tribes
In Episode 13, back at the Four Directions Pavilion, the group begins analyzing the tricks of the Red Lotus Society. A Shu confidently states that guessing the amount of money in a pouch isn't too difficult. Yuan Mo is skeptical and pulls out a pouch, challenging A Shu to guess the amount. After weighing it, A Shu accurately names the sum, much to the surprise of the others.
A Shu explains that for someone from a lower class, this skill isn't hard; it's almost like a professional ability. Wang Kun Wu recalls that everyone was searched before entering the Red Lotus Society, making it easy to know how much money they brought. After Wang Kun Wu and Yu Chi Hua leave, A Shu remains troubled. Yuan Mo asks what's wrong, and A Shu expresses his disdain for seeing commoners being deceived, as he once was one himself. He pleads with Yuan Mo to rescue all the commoners, which Yuan Mo reluctantly agrees to, prompting A Shu to excitedly hug him from behind.
The next morning, Yuan Mo consults Yu De Shui about how to rescue the commoners. Yu De Shui points out that the commoners come from various tribes, making their rescue quite challenging. Yuan Mo, who usually ignores matters of national importance, suddenly seems invested, leaving Yu De Shui puzzled about his intentions.
However, the pressing issue at hand is the alliance of the Five Tribes of the Desert. Yuan Mo remains unconcerned, but Wang Kun Wu argues that since the commoners are from these tribes, a successful alliance would unify them and prevent the people from being displaced. Addressing the alliance is also a responsibility of the Four Directions Pavilion.
Regarding the issue of the missing commoners, Yu Chi Hua takes responsibility for the capital's jurisdiction. Upon returning to the capital to request soldiers, Yu Chi Hua is informed that after being reassigned to the Four Directions Pavilion, he cannot command soldiers from the capital. He tries to lower his tone, but the advisor Lin points out that the commoners gathering at the Red Lotus Society is merely a form of emotional comfort, with no deaths, injuries, or lost property reported. Moreover, the capital is responsible for maintaining order in the entire Chang Le area and lacks extra troops, leaving Yu Chi Hua empty-handed.
Wang Kun Wu takes Yuan Mo to search for books about the Five Tribes. Yuan Mo, uninterested in studying, is solely focused on rescuing the commoners. Suddenly, An Xiu Yi bursts into the archives with Lin Su Su and begins removing all the documents. Initially, Wang Kun Wu tries to stop them, but when An Xiu Yi questions him about the current systems and trade relations of the Five Tribes, neither can provide an answer, leaving them to watch as the documents are taken away.
This prompts Wang Kun Wu to realize that the West Courtyard still lacks sufficient understanding of the Five Tribes. To remedy this, everyone must quickly familiarize themselves, and the only one capable of leading this effort is Yu De Shui. He arranges for the training to take place at Ruyi Tower, where the content will be creatively delivered through a dramatic reenactment of the conflicts among the Five Tribes, performed by the workers at Ruyi Tower.
After a dramatic reenactment at Ruyi Tower, Wang Kun Wu and Yuan Mo gained a basic understanding of the situation. To strengthen ties with the Northern Desert, the Moon Shadow Kingdom arranged for Princess Moon Shadow to marry the Northern Desert Khan. Shortly after, the Khan passed away, and the princess was forced to marry the new Khan, which disrupted the hierarchy. The Queen of Moon Shadow demanded the return of the princess, but the new Khan severed ties with Moon Shadow, with Long Tu Qi sowing discord between the two nations.
The East and West Valleys were embroiled in a struggle for the throne, with the Yu Luo River serving as the boundary. The fluctuating river levels led to ongoing disputes, making the two nations hostile toward each other. Understanding the basic situation, An Xiu Yi requested that the West Courtyard reach out to the Five Tribes. The envoy from the East Valley insisted that the Yu Luo representatives maintain a distance of ten paces, while the Yu Luo envoy refused to have the East Valley envoy in sight. The Moon Shadow envoy demanded that the Northern Desert treat them as elders, and the East Valley could not sit at the same table as the West Valley.
Such stringent conditions made it impossible to hold a successful alliance meeting. However, Yuan Mo created a map based on the opinions of the various nations, allowing the Four Directions Pavilion to be constructed in a way that met everyone's requirements. After much effort, the envoys of the Five Tribes were finally invited to the Four Directions Pavilion, where each found a suitable seat according to their requests. Yu De Shui announced that each envoy should first present their specific trade demands, which would be compiled by a clerk and then shared with the envoys for review. Everything was proceeding smoothly, and the desire for an alliance was close to being realized.
Just as An Xiu Yi announced the brotherhood between the Great Yong and the Five Nations, the envoys from Moon Shadow, Northern Desert, and the East and West Valleys suddenly turned hostile. Yu De Shui's expression darkened, as the hard-won plans for the alliance crumbled. Kang Yun Hai suspected that the Five Tribes had intentions to target Yan Le but was relieved that no agreement had been reached. He instructed Ma Zhi Wen to secretly negotiate among the nations to prevent the alliance from occurring.
An Yuan Dao harshly reprimanded An Xiu Yi and commented on Yuan Mo's map. Following An Yuan Dao's remarks, Yuan Mo brought up the issue of the Red Lotus Society and the commoners involved. Finally, Yu De Shui decided to take action. Meanwhile, Yu Chi Hua was still unable to secure soldiers, feeling frustrated. A Shu suggested that if they could find Chen Xinliang, who had been cheated by the Red Lotus Society, they might gain valuable insights into the situation within the society.
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