Episode 22

**Episode 22** is an episode of Nirvana In Fire. The episode contains the aftermath of Jingrui's Birthday Party.

## Events

* Continuing on the aftermath of Jingrui's Birthday Party from Episode 21, Grand Princess Liyang walks over to Zhuo Dingfeng, Madam Zhuo, and Zhuo Qingyao. She begs them to be kind to her daughter Xie Qi, who is married to Zhuo Qingyao, and not blame her for what her parents had done. Madam Zhuo says that Xie Qi is their daughter-in-law and they will take her in.
* Prince Yu walks over to the Zhuos and says it's been a long night and they are injured. He asks them to come with him to be settled for the night. As the Zhuos are about to leave with Prince Yu, Xiao Jingrui comes over to them. He falls to his knees and kowtows. Crying, Madam Zhuo bends down to help him up. Jingrui starts crying. Zhuo Dingfeng tells Jingrui that he is not to blame for what happened. They hug him.
* In the family shrine in Xie Manor, Xie Yu is kneeling before the memorial tablets. Grand Princess Liyang asks him if he hates her for what she did tonight because she protected those he wanted to kill and thereby abandoned him. She says that when she saw him try to kill them all, she realized that what he had done was beyond her ability as a princess to save him from. She asks him what would happen if he is convinced of his crimes. Xie Yu replies that it would wipe out the Xie family. Princess Liyang asks him what the Xie family ancestors will think of that. Xie Yu says his ancestors would understand what he did. Princess Liyang takes her dagger and holds it out in front of his neck. She says that the only thing she can do for the Xie family is kill him. Xie Yu grabs her hand and forces her to kneel on the ground in front of him. He takes the dagger away. Princess Liyang says that if he dies, none of the secrets will come out; Prince Yu wants Xie Yu's ruin, not revenge. Princess Liyang says she would ask the Emperor to let her live in religious seclusion and let her take the children with her, but she cannot save Xie Yu's life. The only thing she can save is his reputation and only if he dies now. She says she will follow him into death once she has made sure the children are settled. Xie Yu hugs her and says that he loves her. But he throws the dagger into the wall, refusing this option and choosing to live, because there's still a chance he can come out the winner. Princess Liyang says, crying, that she'd forgotten he was like this. She stands and leaves him alone.
* Outside Xie Manor, Prince Yu tells a guard to the Zhuo family back and protect them. Mei Changsu comes out of the manor, visibly limping and being supported by Fei Liu. Prince Yu offers to send an escort back with him. Mei Changsu thanks him but declines. Prince Yu offers to send a doctor to check on him, which Mei Changsu also declines. Mei Changsu points to Meng Zhi with his chin, directing Prince Yu's attention to him. Mei Changsu tells Prince Yu that Meng Zhi may have realized that they took advantage of his presence tonight. Mei Changsu offers to explain this to Meng Zhi on Prince Yu's behalf. Prince Yu exhorts Mei Changsu to be careful when explaining it to Meng Zhi so as not to turn him against them.
* Fei Liu helps Mei Changsu down the stairs in front of Xie Manor and over to where Meng Zhi is waiting. Mei Changsu says that it's already curfew and he's not someone who is meant to be out past the city's curfew. He asks Meng Zhi to escort him home. When Meng Zhi expresses confusion over this, Mei Changsu leans in and whispers to him that Xiao Jingyan is waiting for them at Su Manor.
* At Yu Manor, Qin Banruo greets Prince Yu. Prince Yu tells her they won a victory tonight with the help of Mei Changsu, and that defeating Xie Yu is defanging the crown prince. Qin Banruo congratulates him. As they walk into the hall, Prince Yu pauses and asks Qin Banruo if she thinks the relationship between Mei Changsu and Meng Zhi is out of the ordinary. Qin Banruo says that other than Mei Changsu choosing the manor that Meng Zhi suggested to him, she doesn't see any relationship between them at all. Prince Yu allows that, saying he may just be suspicious. He orders Qin Banruo to prepare a wing of his manor to house the Zhuos.
* In Su Manor, Mei Changsu, Xiao Jingyan, and Meng Zhi are meeting. Jingyan asks Mei Changsu about his health. Mei Changsu puts down the bowl of medicine he was drinking and says that thanks to Meng Zhi, they managed to get through tonight's events safely. Jingyan says that when Mei Changsu told him about the events, he was shocked. Meng Zhi says that Princess Liyang's scandal was a well-kept secret even back then. He asks Mei Changsu if Prince Yu asked him how he found out about it. Mei Changsu corrects him: Prince Yu was the one who had told *him* about it. Before the New Year, Mei Changsu planted the story in the Imperial Palace of Da Liang and in Hong Xiu Zhao and started the rumors again about Princess Liyang's relationship with Yuwen Lin and how similar Xiao Jingrui looks to Prince Chen of Southern Chu. This caused Qin Banruo to start investigating the matter. Mei Changsu then had Gong Yu fail in attempting to assassin Xie Yu and take refuge in Hong Xiu Zhao. In gratitude for the rescue, Gong Yu told Qin Banruo about the dead infant. Prince Yu was also the one to host the delegation from Southern Chu and could see Yuwen Xuan's resemblance to Xiao Jingrui.
* Meng Zhi expresses concern for Jingrui and for Mei Changsu's friendship with him. Will Jingrui blame Mei Changsu for being cruel in how these matters came out? Mei Changsu doesn't answer, and Xiao Jingyan says that if Mei Changsu hadn't been cruel, how else could he break Jingrui away from Xie Yu. The truth would have eventually come out and they would have had to face the consequences. A clock sounds in the distance. Meng Zhi asks Jingyan if there was anything else he wanted to discuss. Jingyan says that the plan didn't need him at all, but he wanted to see Xie Yu's downfall for himself. Meng Zhi laughs and says it seems to him like Jingyan was concerned about violence tonight and wanted to make sure Mei Changsu was safe. Mei Changsu interrupts and tells Meng Zhi that, at the hunt the day after tomorrow, make sure to impress Yuwen Xuan so that the Southern Chu delegation don't think that there's weakness to exploit in Da Liang. It is necessary to squash any invasion ambitions before they begin and Meng Zhi, as a high ranking military official, needs to show Yuwen Xuan that Da Liang's military is not all like Xie Yu. Meng Zhi agrees, but tells Mei Changsu not to worry about small details like that. Xiao Jingyan puts in that it's not a small detail, that tonight gave Yuwen Xuan a chance to see the fissures in the Imperial Court. Meng Zhi rudely replies to defend Mei Changsu and his plan, and says that he bets that Southern Chu has the same kind of power struggles in their court. Mei Changsu shakes his head minutely at Meng Zhi and tells him that Southern Chu's court has been peaceful these last few years. But if Da Liang's officials continue to fight amongst themselves, they lose prestige among their neighbors and look ripe for invasion.
* Xiao Jingyan leaves. Mei Changsu holds Meng Zhi back and chides him for speaking rudely to Jingyan, telling Meng Zhi that Jingyan is their lord, and their roles are as strategist and general, and that Meng Zhi needs to act appropriately. If Meng Zhi defends Mei Changsu too vigorously, Jingyan may become suspicious of their relationship. Meng Zhi asks Mei Changsu if he feels guilty over what he did to Jingrui. Mei Changsu does not reply.
* In Yangju Hall, Prince Yu reports to the Emperor about the case and pleads for clemency for Grand Princess Liyang and her children, saying that Zhuo Dingfeng's testimony cleared Princess Liyang of knowledge of Xie Yu's crimes. The Emperor agrees to pardon the family because the Grand Empress Dowager has been ill, so for her sake, he won't let her descendants suffer. The Emperor allows Princess Liyang to leave Xie Manor and move to her own manor along with the children. The Emperor tells Prince Yu to oversee the rest of the case and be careful of the evidence, making sure that Xie Yu is charged with all of his own crimes and none of anyone else's.
* Xie Qi has gone into labor. Doctor Qin tells Princess Liyang that her life can't be saved. Princess Liyang rushes to Xie Qi. Xie Qi pleads with her to save the child.
* In Su Manor, Zhen Ping reports to Mei Changsu that Xie Qi died in the night, but that the child survived. Zhen Ping says that Prince Yu allows Zhuo Qingyao to go to her, but by that point it was already too late and he did not see her before she died. Princess Liyang gave the child to Zhuo Qingyao as Xie Qi had asked her to. Hearing this, Mei Changsu nods sadly, then has a coughing fit. Zhen Ping goes to get Doctor Yan. Mei Changsu looks up to see Fei Liu sitting in front of him. Mei Changsu assures Fei Liu that he is well, and that he will get better because his heart will harden.
* At Xie Manor, soldiers close it up.
* Inside the Imperial Prison, Xie Yu is chained to a wall inside a cell.
* Outside the gates of Jinling, officers of the Xuanjing Bureau enter the city
* In Su Manor, Tong Lu reports to Mei Changsu that Xia Jiang, director of the Xuanjing Bureau has returned to the city.
* At the Xuanjing Bureau, Xia Dong and Xia Chun stand in front of Xia Jiang. Xia Jiang chastises Xia Dong for her attendance at Jingrui's Birthday Party, telling her that the Bureau answers to and obeys only the Emperor and does not get involved in faction fights. Xia Dong says that she attended the party to gain evidence for the eunuch murder case. Xia Jiang asks her why she did not leave once she had gotten the evidence she was looking for. Xia Dong says that she did not think the Emperor would believe the charges if Xie Yu had the opportunity to kill Zhuo Dingfeng. Xia Jiang says that does not matter to the purpose of the Xuanjing Bureau. In punishment for getting involved in a faction fight between Crown Prince Xian and Prince Yu, Xia Jiang confines Xia Dong to quarters.
* In Wuying Hall, Xia Jiang reports to the Emperor. Xia Jiang says that he is ashamed and has punished Xia Dong for her involvement at Jingrui's Birthday Party. When the Emperor replies that Xia Dong was acting in her duty and helping solve a case, Xia Jiang says that he thinks the events at the party were not just because of a case, but that someone was attempting to use Xuanjing Bureau for their own purposes. The Emperor asks if that means there was someone behind it. Xia Jiang says that Xie Yu's crimes are one matter, but how they were made public is another matter. The Emperor orders him to investigate it. The Emperor also orders him to go see Xie Yu in prison, so he can pass along anything Xie Yu wants to tell the Emperor that Prince Yu may not wish to say.
* In the Imperial prison, Xia Jiang visits Xie Yu in his cell. Xie Yu asks for Xia Jiang's help. Xia Jiang says that he can save his life so long as Xie Yu stays quiet about Xia Jiang's secrets.
* In Su Manor, Tong Lu reports to Mei Changsu that Prince Jing performed well at the hunting party and the Emperor has given him rewards for it, causing Prince Jing to be given presents by Crown Prince Xian, Prince Yu, and other officials; of those presents, Prince Jing only kept those from his brothers. Tong Lu also reports that Shisan has rooted out seven or eight spies planted by Qin Banruo in various households. There still has not yet been a decree on Xie Yu's sentence. Mei Changsu muses that this will make someone very anxious, and on cue, Zhen Ping announces that Prince Yu has arrived.
* In Su Manor, Prince Yu consults Mei Changsu about why the Emperor may be delaying pronouncing Xie Yu's sentence. Prince Yu tells Mei Changsu that Xia Jiang has returned to Jinling and Prince Yu blames Xia Jiang for the delays. Mei Changsu interprets Prince Yu's report to mean that Xie Yu only plead guilty to crimes to help Crown Prince Xian, but not ones done on his own account, like the eunuch murder case. Prince Yu says that Xie Yu claims that Zhuo Dingfeng is framing him for other crimes for revenge. Mei Changsu says that it seems to him that Xie Yu is positioning himself to survive and then, if the Crown Prince succeeds to the throne, he will be able to return. Prince Yu expresses confusion about why Xia Jiang would be helping Xie Yu, since they have no obvious connection to each other. Prince Yu tells Mei Changsu that Xia Jiang met with Xie Yu once in prison, but that because it was by Imperial order, none of Prince Yu's agents were able to hear what was said between them. Mei Changsu asks Prince Yu for the list of assassination targets that Zhuo Dingfeng confessed to. Prince Yu hands it to him and Mei Changsu peruses it. He picks out the name Li Chongxin, notes that he was a schoolteacher, and wonders aloud at what reason there was to kill him. As even Zhuo Dingfeng doesn't know the reason why he was told to kill some of these people, Mei Chnagsu asks Prince Yu if he thinks that Xie Yu might have wanted these people killed on behalf of others. Mei Changsu points out that Prince Yu had said that Xia Jiang and Xie Yu were not connected to each other, but yet Xia Jiang is helping Xie Yu. Mei Changsu suggests that their connection may be because of this and that Xie Yu killed someone for him.