Pursuit of Jade: Ep 31 - Ep 32 Recap - Fan Changyu, Commander
Previous Recaps: Ep 1-5, Ep 6-9, Ep 10-11, Ep 12-13, Ep 14-15, Ep 16-17, Ep 18-19, Ep 20-21, Ep 22-23, Ep 24, Ep 25, Ep 26, Ep 27, Ep 28, Ep 29-30
Novel fan translation: Chasing Jade (Around Ch 100)
Main characters:
Zhang Ling He as Yan Zheng/Xie Zheng, title: Marquis of Wu'an, courtesy name: Jiuheng
Tian Xi Wei as Fan Changyu/???, courtesy name: Shanjun
Ep 31: It's the funeral for General He. The Xie army generals bring in a paper representation of Wei Qilin to burn in effigy, Fan Changyu defends him and tries to make them stop. Xie Zheng enters and puts the funeral back on track (which girl, maybe not the time to try to defend your father during a funeral). Xie Zheng goes to visit her and she calls him by his title instead of his name. He says he thinks he knows what this is about. She establishes distance between them but doesn't tell him anything (this is very frustrating).
they talk through a barrier metaphorically
In the capital, Wei Yan and Tutor Li are squabbling. Li Huaian is going to be appointed to leadership in Jizhou so the Li side is happy, but with Xie Zheng still in charge of the military, the Wei side still has power. The generals come to drink with Fan Changyu but Li Huaian shows up to apologize to her. I hate this so I'm not going to talk about it (he was right to be angry at her).
The Cuties, Bao'er and Changning are reunited and having a good time with the Zhaos. Yu Qianqian arrives so everyone is together.
Li Huaian and Fan Changyu are put in charge of the Jizhou army by royal command. Fan Changyu misses this announcement because she's stewing meat (we are not going to talk about this and how insane it is for her to do...). Li Huaian goes to visit Xie Zheng about Fan Changyu. Xie Zheng calls her his wife, Li Huiaian is all second male lead about it. After departing, they both acknowledge that Fan Changyu's appointment is probably to make her a pawn/scapegoat in the Li/Wei faction battles.
do not deny that she's his wife
Aunt Zhao is worried that Fan Changyu will abandoned her poor husband now that she's powerful and rich (lol). Princess Qi Shu treats Li Huaian and tells him NOT to second male lead (he probably won't listen). Then Gongsun Yi arrives and the princess runs away because she's still angry with him. Li Huaian comes to teach Fan Changyu some stuff about the military. Why is no one talking about how the one kid died from the Pig Butcher Squad; did they just plunk a new person in?
Why is someone other than Tutor Tao teaching Fan Changyu? Annoyed teacher montage. Fan Changyu remembers Xie Zheng annotating books for her.
Ep 32: The soldiers are all fighting about Fan Changyu's love life. Li Huaian shuts them up by calling Fan Changyu his sister.
You have barely any screen time together!
The imperial eunuch is angry that he hasn't been able to see Xie Zheng or Qi Shu. The princess goes to see him and is angry to learn that they want her to marry Xie Zheng. She tells them to get Xie Zheng to agree first (lol). He marches into the military camp and is greeted with indifference and manspreading:
Xie Zheng is not interested in marrying Qi Shu and he threatens to dethrone the emperor over it. Then he cuts of the eunuch's ear for good measure. Gongsun Yin is freaked out, but Xie Zheng calmly says he wants to depose the emperor anyway, he's got Yu Bao'er now after all. Gongsun Yin warns him that Li Huaian and Fan Changyu are getting cozy.
Sui Yuanqing shows up to be dramatic? Xie Zheng cuts his spear in half.
Qi Min's fake mother knows that he's fake. I just met her but she's the best and has no time for his bullshit.
Bandit lady is still lurking around.
Fan Changyu hears that Xie Zheng is supposed to marry the princess. She's sad about it. Then she decides to hunt for Qi Min, who fakes his death. Xie Zheng shows up and Jin Yuanbao calls him a prince consort a bunch of times. Qi Min's body is a very well-done fake. They are having so much trouble catching Qi Min that they suspect an informant is helping him. Looks like the Li faction is the problem:
Are the mains finally going to talk? Dare I hope? He vehemently denies being engaged to marry the princess.
stop looking at each other through screens
Xie Zheng already knows about her identity and is investigating the truth. They tell Sui Yuanqing the truth about his "brother" and then release him to find Qi Min.
at least the mains are together
Xie Zheng is about to arrest Li Huaian.
Pretty sure we will be back to single episodes tomorrow unless something changes because of the leak.
Drama Rant: >!I know I call her a Himbo Pig Butcher, but Fan Changyu cooking meat instead of listening to an imperial edict? Who does she thinks she is?! That's just insane and a reverse of her character development. She's supposed to be learning to become a general and upper class! Also, the break-up in the novel is epic and initiated by Xie Zheng because of filial piety and what is this nonsense? I am so angry. I don't care about Li Huaian and this forced love triangle, I want my characters to be logical! I want a Fan Changyu training in the military montage not a stupidity breaks all the teachers montage...!<
Novel bits: In the novel, Xie Zheng cuts himself with a massive mo dao not twin knives, across his back. So this is the parallel scene to the one we saw recently (Ch 99) Her almond eyes were cold and sharp, her tone unusually forceful: “Either you untie your clothes, or you leave now and never appear before me again.”
Xie Zheng’s hand gripping her wrist didn’t let go. His phoenix eyes were half-lowered, long lashes casting a beautiful arc of shadow. His jaw appeared somewhat pale in the morning light filtering through the window screen. He asked with a lazy smile, “Your tone… why does it sound like you’re forcing me into prostitution?”
Fan Changyu’s lips tightened, “I am forcing you.”... His Adam’s apple bobbed as he lowered his eyelashes, resisting the urge to grab her jaw and kiss her deeply. He obediently untied his robe again, slightly raising his eyes. The pitch-black color of his pupils had lightened somewhat in the morning light, making them look particularly beautiful. His profile seemed to be coated in a soft glow.
Posted Mar 22, 2026, 12:04 PM UTC