Flourished Peony Episode 22 Recap, Plot

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Jiang Zhangyang accompanied the emperor on a discreet inspection tour and met with Cheng Qing in a secluded mountainous area. Back when the emperor deliberately demoted Cheng Qing to Luoyang in front of King Ning, it was actually a covert mission to investigate corruption and abuse of power in Luoyang. Cheng Qing lived up to expectations, uncovering that the Chen family had embezzled funds and seized land from the people.

The Chen family’s power extended into the Six Ministries, all under the protection of King Ning. The Chen family knew King Ning’s secrets thoroughly. To eliminate King Ning, the Chen family must first be removed, but this required a carefully timed opportunity to leave King Ning no room for maneuvering. Meanwhile, Mudan, demoted to a lowly status, suffered constant hunger and disdain in the military camp. Thankfully, the mute woman and Mudan supported each other.

They often went to the hills behind the camp to forage for wild vegetables. When Mudan spotted a plant called *mao qiang*, she warned the mute woman that the entire plant was toxic and inedible. As they were speaking, they heard the sound of drums and whistles from the military camp. The mute woman’s face turned pale with fear. It turned out that the camp was using convict slaves as targets for sword practice by new recruits.

The mute woman’s sister had died this way. Mudan narrowly escaped, with a sharp arrow grazing her arm. Others were not as fortunate—some were struck in the neck and died with their eyes wide open, while others were hit in fatal spots and were doomed. Mudan couldn’t hold back her anger, denouncing the general for treating lives so carelessly. The general retorted that he was protecting the common people with legitimate status, not these slaves with forged identities.

Later, Mudan decided they couldn’t continue living in constant fear of being killed. She intentionally mixed the toxic *mao qiang* into the wild vegetables served to the soldiers. That night, many soldiers in the camp were poisoned, writhing in pain and wailing. Carrying an herbal remedy that could induce vomiting and detoxify, Mudan stood outside the tents and called out to those with stomach pain. The suffering soldiers weakly came out, begging for a bowl of her remedy.

The camp doctor discovered Mudan’s knowledge of medicine when the remedy she prepared proved effective. General Yuan, suspecting that Mudan’s resourcefulness indicated she was no ordinary person, questioned her. Mudan took the opportunity to explain her desire to live and revealed her skills in medicine, literacy, and accounting, emphasizing that she did not want to die as a target for undisciplined recruits. The doctor and the new recruits pleaded on Mudan’s behalf, and eventually, General Yuan agreed to her request.

The emperor returned to Chang’an ahead of schedule, while Jiang Zhangyang and Chuan Yu stayed in Luoyang. There, they sought out the *jiangmian* (fermented noodle soup) that Mudan had mentioned. At the shop, they encountered an elderly man vying for the last bowl of *jiangmian*. Through his words, Jiang Zhangyang recognized him as Mudan’s father and agreed to let him trade a honey-glazed pancake for the last bowl. Liu Chang was determined to rescue Mudan from the military camp.

However, the County Princess intercepted his letters to Mudan, becoming even more enraged and vowing that He Weifang must die. Under orders from the camp, the mute woman was falsely accused of a crime and beaten to death. Mudan covered her body with her own clothes, lamenting that such a pitiful girl should not be left exposed in the wilderness. Later, Mudan was sent to the kitchen to help and encountered a soldier attempting to assault her.

She fought back desperately, and the soldiers suddenly fell ill, sparing her life. Jiang Zhangyang received a letter from Xu Zuping and Yun Niang detailing Mudan’s plight. He immediately rushed to the military camp, exhausting two horses in the process. Upon arriving, he nearly mistook the body covered in Mudan’s clothes as hers but soon realized it wasn’t He Weifang.

By the time Jiang Zhangyang reached the kitchen, Mudan had already escaped with the help of the new recruits she had saved earlier. His arrival felt more like a finishing touch than a rescue. Later, Jiang Zhangyang reprimanded General Yuan harshly, but knowing he would never confess that the County Princess was the mastermind, Jiang Zhangyang had him detained and sent to the Minister of War for further handling. In truth, it wasn’t mere luck that saved Mudan.

The mute woman had overheard General Yuan’s plan to harm Mudan and risked her life to warn her. Mudan preemptively spiked the food with medicine, but the mute woman was beaten to death for her efforts. Jiang Zhangyang comforted Mudan and took her out of the military camp. As they were leaving, Mudan hesitated for a moment and called out to Jiang Zhangyang from behind.

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