Episode 20

**Episode 20** is an episode of Nirvana In Fire. It contains the beginning of Jingrui's Birthday Party.

## Events

* In Xie Manor, Xie Bi instructs the servants to set up for the birthday party in Linglin Hall on the grounds. Xiao Jingrui comes by and Xie Bi says, since he works so hard for Jingrui's birthday, he should get half the presents. Jingrui offers him any of his presents that he wants. Xie Bi admires Jingrui's new outfit and deduces that it was made by Madam Zhuo.
* Yan Yujin and Gong Yu arrive and Xiao Jingrui greets them at the door. Jingrui invites Gong Yu to meet Grand Princess Liyang.
* In Yu Manor, Qin Banruo tells Prince Yu the time and says that Mei Changsu should already have left for Xie Manor.
* Meng Zhi arrives at Xie Manor and is greeted by Xie Yu and Zhuo Dingfeng. Xiao Jingrui and Xia Dong come over to greet him. Xie Yu remarks that Xia Dong has already arrived and he didn't know. Xia Dong reminds him that, as a woman, she greeted Grand Princess Liyang first.
* Mei Changsu arrives at Xie Manor.
* The guests enter Linglin Hall.
* Yan Yujin looks over the table of gifts and examines the bottle of heart-protection pills that is the gift from Mei Changsu. Xie Bi comes into the room, followed by Xiao Jingrui, to bring him back into the main room. Yujin brings the pill bottle with him and they come to the group of Meng Zhi, Xia Dong, and Mei Changsu. Yujin asks Mei Changsu about the pill bottle. Mei Changsu says it contains 10 heart-protection pills. Meng Zhi remarks on the high cost of that gift.
* Xie Yu enters with Grand Princess Liyang, Zhuo Dingfeng, Madam Zhuo, Zhuo Qingyao, and Xie Qi behind him and exhorts everyone to sit.
* Elsewhere in Xie Manor, Fei Liu flies over a rooftop and arrives at the armory.
* In Linglin Hall, Xie Yu offers a toast to everyone. He then offers a toast to Meng Zhi specifically, and the two of them drink.
* Xia Dong challenges Zhuo Dingfeng to a martial arts duel. They fight using chopsticks. Zhuo Dingfeng wins, but does not use the specific sword technique he is known for and that Xia Dong wants to see for investigative purposes.
* Xie Yu offers a toast to Xia Dong and Zhuo Dingfeng, all three drink. Zhuo Dingfeng then offers another toast to Xia Dong and they both drink. Zhuo Qingyao then also offers a toast to Xia Dong and they both drink.
* Yan Yujin remarks to Xiao Jingrui, who is the only one eating, that they seem to be trying to get Xia Dong drunk.
* Grand Princess Liyang whispers to Xie Yu, who then asks Gong Yu to play for them.
* Meng Zhi privately toasts Xia Dong, Meng Zhi taking the opportunity to whisper to Xia Dong that they'll wait for another opportunity to test Zhuo Dingfeng and get him to show his sword style.
* Gong Yu plays "Phoenix Courtship" (composed by Sima Xiangru) on Grand Princess Liyang's guqin.
* Yuwen Nian, Yuwen Xuan, and Yue Xiuze wait outside Xie Manor. Yue Xiuze tells Yuwen Nian to knock.
* Inside Linglin Hall, Xie Yu asks Gong Yu to play something happier. Before she can begin, a servant comes in to tell Xie Yu that there are guests outside. While the servant is reporting, Yuwen Nian, Yuwen Xuan, and Yue Xiuze walk into Linglin Hall. Yue Xiuze asks Zhuo Dingfeng why he is refusing guests and accuses him of hiding to avoid his challenge. Xie Yu confronts Yue Xiuze and asks if he's this dismissive of etiquette in the Southern Chu court. Yuwen Xuan breaks in to report that Yue Xiuze is not currently a member of the Southern Chu court, and that this is a jianghu matter, not one of Imperial courts. Xie Yu remarks that Yuwen Xuan, as a prince, is a member of the Southern Chu court and accuses him of not knowing etiquette. Yuwen Xuan repeats that he is not with Yue Xiuze, *he's* here to wish Xiao Jingrui a happy birthday and give him a gift.
* Xie Yu tries again to get the Southern Chu delegation to leave. Yue Xiuze accuses Zhuo Dingfeng of ignoring a challenge and calls him a coward, wondering if he's still a member of the jianghu. Zhuo Dingfeng moves forward to accept the challenge, but is held back by Xie Yu.
* Meng Zhi and Xia Dong whisper together and agree that, while Zhuo Dingfeng could hide his sword mastery in a fight with Xia Dong, he could not do it in a fight with Yue Xiuze. Xia Dong comes forward and supports the duel, telling Zhuo Dingfeng that he risks his reputation if he avoids the challenge.
* Zhuo Dingfeng tells Yue Xiuze that today is his son Xiao Jingrui's birthday and requests that they fight the challenge on a different day. Yue Xiuze refuses, saying that the King of Southern Chu only allowed him six months away from court to go fight challenges, and that why wait until tomorrow when they have already met today.
* Xie Yu objects again to the duel, pointing out that they have guests right now. Meng Zhi says that he would like to see a duel comparing the styles of Yue Xiuze and Zhuo Dingfeng's Tianquan Manor. Xia Dong seconds that, saying she would also like to see it.
* Xie Yu calls for guards to have the delegation from Southern Chu forcefully removed. Zhuo Dingfeng orders the guards to stop and accepts the dueling challenge.
* Two guards lie prone outside of the armory of Xie Manor. Inside, Fei Liu plays with some of the weapons and examines the bows. He tests one of the bowstrings with his dagger.
* Outside Linglin Hall, Yue Xiuze and Zhuo Dingfeng fight using swords. Yue Xiuze exhorts Zhuo Dingfeng for holding back and not fully engaging. Yue Xiuze injures Zhuo Dingfeng's wrist, stopping the duel. Yue Xiuze demands to know why Zhuo Dingfeng allowed himself to be injured.
* Xia Dong tells Meng Zhi that she did not see enough to establish a link between Zhuo Dingfeng and the technique used in the eunuch murder case.
* Yue Xiuze says that he lost the duel and tells Zhuo Dingfeng that he will await his challenge in the future. Xie Yu tells Zhuo Dingfeng to go inside to rest.
* In Yu Manor, a soldier reports to Prince Yu that the army is on standby.
* Outside Linglin Hall, Yuwen Xuan says that Zhuo Dingfeng should stay outside to hear this. Xie Yu scoffs. Mei Changsu comes forward and tells Xiao Jingrui to give Zhuo Dingfeng one of the heart-protection pills. Jingrui calls to Yan Yujin, who has the pill bottle. Yujin gives a pill to Zhuo Dingfeng.
* Yuwen Xuan prompts Yuwen Nian, who goes to Xiao Jingrui and removes the veil she has been wearing over the lower part of her face. She calls Jingrui "older brother" and introduces herself. She asks Jingrui to come back with her to Southern Chu to see their shared father, Yuwen Lin. Inside Linglin Hall, Grand Princess Liyang clutches at her heart. Yuwen Xuan takes Yuwen Nian inside the hall to pay their respects to Grand Princess Liyang.
* Yuwen Xuan reveals that, twenty years ago, when his uncle Yuwen Lin was in Jinling, Yuwen Lin and Grand Princess Liyang had had a love affair resulting in pregnancy. Yuwen Lin did not want to leave, but was forced to leave by the Empress Dowager. However, Yuwen Lin had not forgotten Princess Liyang or their child. Yuwen Nian kowtows and thanks Princess Liyang for taking care of her father. Yuwen Nian asks Princess Liyang to part with Xiao Jingrui to let him come to Southern Chu since Princess Liyang already has another son. Xiao Jingrui asks Grand Princess Liyang if they are telling the truth. Before she can answer, Yuwen Xuan states definitively that Xiao Jingrui is the son of Yuwen Lin, the King of Southern Chu. Xiao Jingrui again asks Princess Liyang if it is true. She is crying and cannot answer. Jingrui falls to his knees and Princess Liyang rushes to him and cries on his shoulder.
* Mei Changsu gives Gong Yu a significant look. Gong Yu starts laughing slowly, drawing attention to herself. She says that now she understands why her father was killed.
* At Yu Manor, a soldier reports to Prince Yu that there hasn't been anyone leaving Xie Manor yet. Prince Yu confirms that Yue Xiuze hasn't come out yet, and then says that it's nearly the time they agreed upon. Once that time is up, he'll continue with the plan as previously agreed.
* In Linglin Hall, Gong Yu confronts Xie Yu, saying that now she understands why he had her father killed: it was because her father didn't complete the job he was sent to do. He was sent to kill Princess Liyang's baby, but killed Madam Zhuo's baby instead. Xie Yu flies at Gong Yu, grabs a sword, and attacks her. The two of them fight. Madam Zhuo jumps in to intervene. Gong Yu tells Madam Zhuo details about her infant's body, confirming that she has personal information on what occurred, and then declares that if Zhuo Dingfeng wants to know all the details, he should ask Grand Princess Liyang. Gong Yu says that Princess Liyang knew that Xie Yu planned to kill her son.
* Xie Yu calls for guards.
* Madam Zhuo calls for Zhuo Qingyao to come stand by them. He starts to move and his wife Xie Qi calls for him from behind. Zhuo Qingyao goes to stand with his parents.
* Xie Yu orders the guards to kill Gong Yu. He tells Zhuo Dingfeng that if he defends her, he will have to kill him as well. Zhuo Dingfeng says he is not protecting her, he just wants to hear what she has to say.
* Xia Dong comes forward and reminds Xie Yu that she and Meng Zhi are both still here and witnessing this. Mei Changsu tells her that of course Xie Yu knows that she's still there, but that he's backed himself into a corner, so while Xie Yu knows it won't be wise to kill Gong Yu in front of Xia Dong, Xie Yu has no other choice. If Xie Yu doesn't act now, Mei Changsu says, he won't have any other chances to kill anyone.
* Zhuo Dingfeng asks Xie Yu who he wants to kill: him or Gong Yu. Xie Yu replies that he wants to kill Gong Yu because she is spreading lies. He asks Xia Dong and Meng Zhi not to get involved.
* From an alley outside Xie Manor, Prince Yu and his army watch soldiers move around inside Xie Manor. Hui Yao remarks that there must be an falling out going on inside. Prince Yu remarks Xie Yu killed Zhuo Dingfeng's son and even Zhuo Dingfeng won't overlook that.
* Outisde Linglin Hall, Meng Zhi tries to talk Xie Yu down and is unsuccessful.
* Meng Zhi whispers to Mei Changsu that Xie Yu's threat is serious: his household has 800 soldiers, and if bowmen arrive, Meng Zhi can't save anyone but himself.
* Princess Liyang goes to Xiao Jingrui. Xie Yu promises her that he won't hurt Jingrui, because if he had wanted to kill Jingrui, he could have done it before now.
* Yuwen Xuan says that as long as Xie Yu doesn't hurt Xiao Jingrui, he won't get involved or say anything to Emperor Xiao Xuan about it, because it has nothing to do with Southern Chu.
* Xie Yu looks to Mei Changsu, who draws attention to the fact that no one has seen Fei Liu, his bodyguard.
* A soldier comes to report to Xie Yu that all the bowstrings in the armory have been cut. Mei Changsu calls to Fei Liu, asking if it was fun. Fei Liu comes out from where he had been hiding and joins them. Mei Changsu tells Xie Yu that he had made preparation before coming here tonight and that Prince Yu is waiting for him outside with his soldiers. Xie Yu calls over a soldier and has him go check to see if Prince Yu is outside, and whispers to the soldier to call the Capital Patrols, which Xie Yu commands.