The Vendetta of An 长安二十四计 - Discussion - Episode 26
The Vendetta of An 长安二十四计 - Discussion - Episode 26
Welcome to the episode discussions for The Vendetta of An! Join us as we walk down the long road to revenge...
🔥🗡This post is for episodes 🩸26 only🩸 please use spoiler tags for express episodes or previews, thank you!🗡🔥
Express discussion for eps 24-28 is here
Link to all other discussions at bottom of post
Discussion Schedule: assuming no more power outages on my part
- 12/31 Episode 27
- 1/1 Episode 28 (Finale)
Host Notes:
Another storm is on its way but hopefully power stays on this time 😬 But I may watch 27 and 28 tonight to prepare just in case....
🔥🗡🩸🔥🗡🩸🔥🗡🩸
... Previously on The Vendetta of An ...
[DETAILS REFERENCE CORNER]
Character Flashcards: linked post contains character name card pics from all currently recapped episodes, the show has not provided one for every character. Spoiler Note: if you are watching slower than release, sort comments by 'old' on the Flashcard post to avoid later eps.
Timeline: years are approximate +/- 1yr | no new updates, see post 25
Rogue's Gallery:
👑Airing out books in a stolen courtyard: King of Tiemo/Wu Zhongheng
❕At Large: Qingyi
❌Dead: Pu Nichuan, Liu Ziyan, Wei Qianting, Yan Fengshan
EPISODE 26
THE THEME OF THE EP IS GRAIN
I am getting increasingly stressed by the impending end so the number of ALL CAPS may increase....
[RECAP]
Opening Scene: We open in Cen Weizong's courtyard, he and the Huben Orphan Fake Child Emperor (HOFCE) are sitting by the fire. The plan is for the kid to leave the city before it falls into chaos, which he feels somewhat bad about. Cen Weizong says to him, "At your age, its too soon to speak of life and death" but last time we saw this kid he literally thought Huai'an was about to murder him so I don't know, I feel like he can handle it. HOFCE (not a convenient acronym it just makes me laugh) knows he has been part of a plot that has hurt people, Cen Weizong is full of advice for everyone, including this kid:
"Heaven and earth are vast, and life is long. Try to walk farther, to see a wider world, and to forgive yourself. I know the ones you wronged have forgiven you."
He puts the child in a carriage and says that his escorts are all his friends, HOFCE should be safe.
Unclear when this scene takes place as Huai'an/Ye Zheng/Shen Xiaoqing are seemingly not at Cen Weizong's here, so did he smuggle him out just before they got there? Are they just off screen? Idk.
Also, if you're smuggling this kid out of the city... take him out his fancy clothes? He doesn't need to look like a prince anymore?
Streets of Chang'an: We see a DIFFERENT CARRIAGE (I thought it was the same one and got confused about the timeline, but a woman in red steps out of it, not a child) being stopped on its way out of the city. The Tiemo soldiers are playing a spooky prank on the citizens of Chang'an. They are laying out in front of the gate, seemingly asleep. One gets up to announce that from now on there is only 1 (of 12) gates open, Yangping Gate.
This ep has a lot of movement to it, many shots follow people in motion, walking, going about their lives, etc. After seeing the soldiers at the gate we cut to a few different scenes.
The King of Tiemo is back at Yang Chuhao's courtyard, still airing out his books.
More Tiemo Soliders are walking through the city, one of the unnamed female guards (the one with the headband) riding on a horse.
Importance of Food Moment #1: We cut to the other female guard (in the dark teal outfit), she is asking a shopkeeper for 700 flatbreads. He says that's too many for his small shop but she gives him a bunch of money and tells him to take his time.
Importance of Food Moment # 2: Then we see some citizens gossiping (the same gossiping men Wenjing walked by last ep maybe? I didn't go back to check) on their way to sit down at Lao Sha's. They are talking about how food is likely to be scarce once war starts.
"Tiemo entered the city just like that. It feels like a dream..."
"Once the Tiemo army arrives, we commoners will be the ones who suffer the most."
Importance of Food Moment #3: Lao Sha has been looking around the street and finally spots who he's been waiting for: Xiao Wenjing, looking even more dejected than last ep. He ushers him over to a table despite Xiao Wenjing's protests that he has no money. Lao Sha brings out a bowl of plain rice and whispers under his breath that "Xie Huai'an said you would understand everything when you saw this." Xiao Wenjing does look so relieved and hopeful to hear Huai'an's name. Lao Sha also says Huai'an made the rice himself, burning one of his pots in the process which made me laugh because once as a teen I also ruined a pot by forgetting there was rice cooking on the stove. Wenjing pictures Huai'an cooking for him and then eats the rice with the same franctic energy we saw him have early in the show. Fortified by the message and the meal, he tells Lao Sha he will stay strong.
As he leaves, Lao Sha keeps an eye on the not-so-shadowy Tiemo guards who were following and watching Xiao Wenjing.
Back at Cen Weizong's courtyard, Huai'an is sitting by the fire with his eyes closed as Shen Xiaoqing returns from the street. She says Tiemo is already in the city and people are terrified but Huai'an reassures her, the common people won't be harmed for now. There are still more Tiemo troops to arrive, the number of men they have now isn't enough to hold the city for long.
Huai'an gets up and stares out across the courtyard and into the sky, saying he planned for years to take down Yan Fengshan but the Tiemo and Zhu Zhilong betrayal were beyond his calculations. Shen Xiaoqing agrees that life is indeed unpredictable. Holding up his hand to the sun he then says,
"Tomorrow, at shen hour, a wind will rise."
Shen Xiaoqing looks at him thoughtfully, saying he reminds her of an old man. He smiles and agrees, he is indeed old. Our boy is tired.
"I have no family left in this world. Living in this world, I can only cling to memories. Such days should come to an end."
Xiaoqing vehemently disagrees with this implication and he smiles at her care for him, telling her not to worry. Then he tells her they need to go out for a bit, he needs get a pot mended. Xiaoqing is also worried about being out in public right now but agrees.
Back to Schemes and Sly Smiles: Huai'an and Xiaoqing walk down the street wearing hats, their only attempt at hiding their identity. They go into a pottery shop and Huai'an puts a pot that is broken clean in two on the counter, asking to get it fixed. He and the shopkeeper go back and forth a bit about the timing of the repair all the while Xiaoqing is watching them skeptically. She also noticed the shop was unusually full of smoke, the shopkeeper claims its just from a nearby restaurant. Playful music is in the background as Huai'an tells the shopkeeper he will return for his mended pot, tomorrow, at shen hour.
Shen Xiaoqing tries to interrogate Huai'an about his weird interaction with the pottery shopkeeper but he brushes her off and then they go to a clinic of a famous physician, Yi Zhihu.
This whole bit of Xiaoqing trying to figure out what Huai'an is up to gave me big Mysterious Lotus Casebook vibes, in my notes I called it "SXQ Fang Duobing hours."
At the clinic, Huai'an acts like he needs a consult, much to the medically trained Xiaoqing's confusion, and she ends up leaving him alone with the legendary doctor. Dropping the ruse, Huai'an asks "where is he?" and then enters a storage room set up with a small bed. On the bed sits Another Mysterious Hooded Person who speaks with a gruff voice. There is a close up on the quite long sword he has nearby and I don't recognize it but maybe we are supposed to? Huai'an confirms with Mysterious Hooded Person that all preparations for their shen hour plan are in place.
Tea Time: At Wuyang Army Camp, General Impatience is once again pacing around a tent. A few soldiers come to report to him and he despairs at the number of troops of theirs that have seemingly disappeared in the last 5 days. He goes to the tent of General Patience, (who now has a name!) Xiang Xuehuai, shouting all the way. Inside General Xiang and Ye Zheng are having tea. General Xiang reveals that he sent their most elite troops to Chang'an 5 days ago at Huai'an's request and that Ye Zheng is here with more instructions.
Flashback: Chen Zhiying handing over the Baiwenhu message token from Gu Yu to General Xiang, saying they are all soldiers in this fight against Tiemo.
Importance of Food Moment #4: We cut back to Chang'an and follow the pottery shopkeeper out back of his shop and into a smokey kitchen where an enormous quantity of bread is being made. The bread is put into cloth bags and then into chests which we follow being carried down the street (again, so much motion and movement in this ep). We follow the chests inside a building full to brim with Imperial Soldiers who are eagerly awaiting these secret provisions.
Importance of Food Moment #5: Outside of Cen Weizong's courtyard, Ye Zheng is pacing around slowly, arms crossed. Huai'an and Shen Xiaoqing return from their rounds in the city and the three exchange looks. Xiaoqing bypasses Ye Zheng's 'where the hell have you been?' and praises the smell of the congee cooking in the courtyard. Huai'an doesn't say anything. Very sweet sibling mood here with all the unspoken communication happening simultaneous to the spoken dialogue. Also Huai'an seems to just be playing a bit of a prank of Xiaoqing, telling her earlier not to tell Ye Zheng about their outing when Ye Zheng is already fully in on the 'shen hour plan.' Again with the mischievous Li Lianhua vibes.
As they make to head back in a group of men carrying axes come walking with purpose down the street. Huai'an quickly deduces they must be neighbors, as Tiemo soldiers wouldn't be so brazen at this point. They enter the courtyard and the men quickly follow, pushing the doors open and loudly calling out for Cen Pickles and demanding food. They are worried about future food shortages if Tiemo invades.
Cen Weizong then arrives and everyone calms down. Turns out he does frequently feed his neighbors, even giving them all nicknames based on their favorite foods.
We cut briefly to Yang Chuhao's house where Fang Genghui is walking briskly into the library to give a message to the King who is doing a divination over a map. Fang Genghui reports they have not found Huai'an but they did see Lao Sha giving Xiao Wenjing a bowl of rice as a coded message.
Back at Cen Weizong's, his neighbors leaves and he chats with Huai'an about them. Huai'an says,
"Food is the primary need of the people, when grain runs out, their world collapses."
Huai'an then brings up Lao Sha's wonton shop and how his father would visit there with his friends including Wu Zhongheng. Cen Weizong joins in the reminiscing, saying that of the group he has accomplished the least but liked hanging out with his friends. At this the music abruptly stops leaving the scene silent. Cen Weizong immediately picks up on Huai'an's changed demeanor as well.
Huai'an tells him about Wu Zhongheng being the King of Tiemo and Cen Weizong does not seem surprised. Huai'an asks him if they are still friends, which Cen Weizong denies, saying:
"After your father hung the red silk in the hemlock tree, I never showed up again. Wu Zhongheng must have known then that I belonged to the Liu faction. If we were still friends, I could have walked into his courtyard to assassinate him, regardless of the outcome."
Reassured by this, Huai'an tells him not to worry, he has a plan to kill the King.
Behind them, Ye Zheng and Shen Xiaoqing are sitting at a table inside. Xiaoqing is eating and offers some to Ye Zheng who declines, he's been watching Huai'an and the former grand preceptor talk and he feels uneasy. Later that night she catches him watching Huai'an again, who is now sitting alone int he courtyard, looking up at the sky. Shen Xiaoqing is worried he will be cold but Ye Zheng tells her to leave him be.
Importance of Food Moment #6: I've decided I can't stand Wuyin Chong. His expressions are no longer charming, now he's just being smug. Ugh! We follow him walking briskly through a courtyard full of soldiers, one of them hands him a scroll. Wuying Chong enters a storeroom where we see Xiao Wenjing is being held. He gives the soon-to-be-un-deposed emperor the scroll to read, its the proposed treaty between their nations.
Tiemo's price for not invading Chang'an is as follows: they will now control all of the contested Northern territories and require an annual tribute of 250k liang of gold, 250k liang of silver, 100k horses, 300k bolts of silk, and 900k dan of grain. At this last bit the music gets super dramatic and Xiao Wenjing's facial expression becomes similarly grim. Turns out he was paying attention at emperor school, he knows his lands cannot easily produce this much grain.
"Even the fertile fields of Ganzhou yield only 200,000 dan a year. Huzhou, Huainan, and others yield less than 100,000 dan a year. Yet you demand 900,000 in tribute? You call this a peace treaty? Isn't this just turning my people into your slaves and livestock?"
Wuyin Chong reminds him that the alternative is that Tiemo invades and simply kills everyone, signing the treaty will save lives.
Xiao Wenjing stands his ground (well, he is still sitting down, but you know what I mean), saying:
"I was once a useless emperor, blind the suffering of the people. But now I understand. A bowl of rice or a single flatbread can be the line between life and death. If you can't even give them that, then attack. When you do, the people of Chang'an will die fighting with you."
"You can try, if you lose, Chang'an will be a wasteland," Wuyin Chong replies.
After he leaves Wenjing in the store room, our pageboy emperor axe murderer says under his breath, "Monster...but so am I."
Welcome Back to The Wig: Huai'an has dyed his hair again and donned his all white outfit. He is sharpening a sword by the fire in Cen Weizong's courtyard. We also see fabric and threads laid out on the table. Ye Zheng spots all of this and takes a minute to decide how to approach his friend, he goes for gentle bemused curiosity...
"Huai'an, why are you sharpening my blade?"
Huai'an doesn't answer but simply hands it back to him once he is done. Ye Zheng sits down and gets more directly to the point, accusing him of acting strangely. Huai'an smiles and returns the accusation. Ye Zheng looks surprised as Huai'an says,
"The pageboy is locked in the imperial guard station. You scouted the area, right?"
Ye Zheng says there's too many guards and he is worried that once the shen hour plan commences that Wenjing will be killed immediately. He asks Huai'an for soldiers to help him rescue his deposed emperor but of course Huai'an has already come up with a plan. He tells Ye Zheng to just stick to what he was already assigned, Huai'an himself will go rescue Xiao Wenjing.
Huai'an reveals that Lao Sha serving Xiao Wenjing a bowl of rice was a scheme within a scheme, a ruse for show for the Tiemo guards following Xiao Wenjing. He wanted to force Tiemo's hand, making them think they were about to rescue Wenjing and thus move him from the guard station to the palace ahead of schedule. When he is en route to the palace to sign the peace treaty, that is when they will have a chance to rescue him. The rescue will then also serve as a diversion to keep the shen hour plan a secret.
Ye Zheng does not like this plan, as it involves Huai'an putting himself directly in Tiemo's line of sight. Ye Zheng says his job is to keep Huai'an safe.
"If anything happens to you, what meaning will my life have left?"
Ye Zheng reminds him he has never questioned or faltered in following Huai'an's commands but this time is different, he is walking straight towards death. Shen Xiaoqing comes outside and is also concerned by Huai'an's return to white. He says,
"I was born white haired and I'll die white haired. What is there to fear?"
And then makes to leave, telling Ye Zheng they will see each other again at shen hour. An OST song starts playing, with very on the nose lyrics about leaving. Ye Zheng is teary eyed as Huai'an leaves. Like Ye Zheng and Shen Xiaoqing, I am STRESSED about this situation.
Huai'an dramatically closes the door to the courtyard as he walks away. I think about the other times we've seen him walk alone down a street (when he had that 'not quite real' meeting with Yan Fengshan in the rain, and then when Yan Fengshan sent him back to 'die in his home.')
what the hell subtitle timing, why do you want to hurt us
We end with Ye Zheng talking to Shen Xiaoqing, the dialogue playing over Huai'an walking away down the street,
"Shifu once told me that Huai'an was born white haired and that the Grand Preceptor divined that he would live until his hair turned white again.
Looks like his mind is set."
[NOTES]
OST song as Huai'an leaves is Go From Now On (从此去) sung by Sa Ding Ding & Chen Li Jun
Wikipedia article on ancient Chinese timekeeping, shen hour appears to be mid/late afternoon ~3 or 4pm.
Wikipedia article on 'dan' unit of measurement
📜Schemes and Secrets: Cen Weizong getting HOFCE out of city, Huai'an shen hour plan to take down Tiemo
[REFLECTIONS]
Being shaken by the Tiemo reveals has not stopped Huai'an from scheming and now that his plan is in motion, it seems like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders. He smiled a lot more in this ep than the past few, so I can only assume that means the final two are going to be heartwrenching.
I am predicting that Huai'an's plan involves >!poisoning Tiemo's troops food supply in some way given all the emphasis on food in this ep.!<
Thanks again for joining me for these final eps!
🔥🗡🩸This post is for EPISODE 26 ONLY, please be mindful of spoilers. For express discussion space for 24-28 click here 🩸🗡🔥 Thank you, your host is trying their best to avoid major spoilers and has so far succeeded.
Links to Discussion Posts:
Index | Masterpost (Eps 1-3) | Eps 4-5 | Eps 6-7 | Eps 8-9 | Eps 10-11 | Eps 12-13 | Eps 14-15 | Eps 16-17 | Eps 18-19 | Ep 20 | Ep 21 | Ep 22 | Ep 23 | Ep 24 | Ep 25
Other useful links: Airing Schedule | DramaWiki | MDL| Weibo | OST info
Posted Dec 30, 2025, 9:11 PM UTC