Go East Episode 9 Recap, Plot

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Mu Yikuan and Bai Suqin were about to get married when Yuchi Hua suddenly intervened to stop the ceremony. Yuan Mo asked Director Bai to bring out an essay written by Mu Yikuan and discovered that the ink used had a foul smell, typical of cheap, inferior ink used by commoners. In contrast, Director Bai’s ink had a pleasant fragrance.

On the day Long Bina was murdered, the essay Mu Yikuan wrote at the Hongwen Pavilion also had a foul smell, indicating that it had been written earlier at home. Bai Suqin questioned Mu Yikuan about what had really happened, and Yuan Mo recounted the events of the past two years. When Mu Yikuan first arrived in Changle, he quickly learned the court game of archery in order to make connections with the powerful.

Eventually, he seized the opportunity to meet Bai Suqin and, through various efforts, gained the favor of Director Bai, which gave him a chance to pass the annual exams and become an official. Unfortunately, Long Bina’s sudden appearance disrupted all his plans. Mu Yikuan realized that he had to remove this obstacle to achieve his dream of rising from a humble background. Hongye also confirmed Yuan Mo's analysis.

Mu Yikuan had given her a sum of money, asking her to find a way to get close to Bai Suqin. All the subsequent events were part of Mu Yikuan's meticulous plan. Bai Suqin fainted on the spot, and Hongye bluntly revealed that she had witnessed Mu Yikuan running out of the alley on the day Long Bina was murdered.

Finally relieved, Yu Deshui agreed to share some of the credit with the East Wing and asked An Xiuyi to help Jingzhao Prefecture close the case. Wang Kunwu, uninterested in taking credit, simply reminded them about how to explain the situation to the Yanle delegation. Long Ge wanted to take Mu Yikuan back to Yanle, but An Xiuyi informed him that they were in Dayong's territory, and Yanle had no authority to act recklessly.

Frustrated, Long Ge sought revenge on A Shu. On her way back home, A Shu’s driver suddenly disappeared. When A Shu got out to investigate, Long Ge ambushed her from behind and threw a powder into her eyes, causing her vision to go black. Yuan Mo found A Shu crawling back home and urgently asked her how to concoct an antidote. A Shu explained that Long Ge had used a special Yanle powder called Shiming San, which had no antidote.

The next day, Yuan Mo sent people everywhere to search for Long Ge but to no avail. Wang Kunwu suggested giving Long Bina a grand burial, although others thought it unnecessary. Yuan Mo believed it might lure Long Ge out and agreed with Wang Kunwu’s plan. While boiling water at home, A Shu nearly scalded herself, but Yuan Mo arrived in time to help.

A Shu said she would quickly adapt to living with blindness and wouldn’t be a burden on Yuan Mo. Yuan Mo scolded her for being too distant, reminding her that since they shared a household registry, they were practically family. Yuan Mo held an elaborate funeral for Long Bina, and as expected, Long Ge took the bait.

Yuan Mo was able to obtain the antidote and later took A Shu to the city gate at night to enjoy the dazzling lights. A Shu, overwhelmed with emotion, threw herself into Yuan Mo's arms. The next day, to celebrate A Shu regaining her sight, Yuan Mo took her shopping for new clothes. A Shu suspected that Yuan Mo had ulterior motives, so he reluctantly added fifty taels to his account.

Yuchi Hua and Bai Suqin planned to go to Nanshan to escape the summer heat, but they were knocked unconscious by their carriage driver and went missing. Wang Kunwu and Yuan Mo suspected that the maid, Hongye, was involved and went to the prison to question her. Mu Yikuan claimed ignorance but admitted that he had feelings for Bai Suqin and didn’t want anything bad to happen to her, so he shared some details about Hongye.

The first time Mu Yikuan saw Hongye, she was being beaten by a Hu merchant in the street. Unable to bear it, he gave all his silver to free her. Later, Hongye mentioned that she had been locked in a cellar for several years. Following this lead, Wang Kunwu divided his men into two teams to search systematically. A Shu accidentally recognized a hurriedly moving Hongye, knocked her out, and rescued the frozen Yuchi Hua and Bai Suqin.

Wang Kunwu used crushed ice to revive Yuchi Hua’s frozen limbs. An Xiuyi, puzzled by the method, asked why hot water wasn’t used instead. Wang Kunwu explained that hot water would actually trap the cold inside the body, a common military remedy. Slowly, Yuchi Hua regained consciousness. Faced with irrefutable evidence, Hongye finally confessed to her crimes. It turned out that she and Mu Yikuan were lovers.

To help Mu Yikuan achieve his goal of passing the imperial exams, she became a maid to get close to Bai Suqin. When Long Bina became an obstacle, Hongye killed him after his altercation with A Shu. Despite everything, Mu Yikuan truly fell in love with Bai Suqin and planned to marry her, which drove Hongye to extreme measures. Feeling betrayed, Hongye falsely accused Mu Yikuan of killing Long Bina and resented Bai Suqin, leading to the kidnapping. She could not forgive Mu Yikuan for betraying her feelings.

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