Episode 21

**Episode 21** is an episode of Nirvana In Fire. The episode primarily focuses on the events of Jingrui's Birthday Party.

## Events

* Resuming from Episode 20, Xie Yu calls over a soldier and has him go check to see if Prince Yu is outside. He whispers to the soldier to call the Capital Patrols, which Xie Yu commands.
* Mei Changsu asks Gong Yu to finish her story, saying that they're going to be waiting any for the soldier to go see if what Mei Changsu had said was true.
* In the alley outside Xie Manor, Prince Yu sees the soldier exit, climb on a horse, and ride away. Hui Yao asks Prince Yu if they should stop the soldier. Prince Yu shakes his head, asking what trouble can one person cause.
* Gong Yu tells the assembled guests and soldiers outside Linglin Hall that, at the time, her mother was pregnant and her father wanted to stop being an assassin. However, he wasn't able to leave until he completed one final mission. This final mission was to help an official kill his wife's child. Gong Yu's father followed Grand Princess Liyang for a month until she gave birth on Mount Rui. That night, a fire began during a lightning storm and during the chaos, Gong Yu's father was unable to complete his mission. He went back the following night and, being familiar with Princess Liyang's servants, killed the baby that that servant was holding. Because of the ambiguity of the identity of the babies, Xie Yu was angry at Gong Yu's father and ordered him to kill the other baby as well, just to make sure Princess Liyang's baby was dead. However, at this point, Gong Yu's mother, who was pregnant with her, began to feel the child moving. Gong Yu's parents went on the run for two years. When that wasn't enough, her father left Gong Yu and her mother in a brothel and went on the run by himself, eventually being killed by Xie Yu's assassins seven months afterwards.
* Zhuo Qingyao asks why Xie Yu hadn't killed Xiao Jingrui after this when he had the opportunities. Gong Yu says that Princess Liyang had known the reason for the other baby's death and so for years afterward, she had not let Jingrui leave her side. And as years passed, Xie Yu saw the merit in keeping close ties with the Zhuo family and their Tianquan Manor jianghu sect, using them as assassins for his own purposes.
* Hearing this, Zhuo Dingfeng collapses, clutching at his heart. Mei Changsu says Zhuo Dingfeng will be okay because he just took a heart-protection pill. Yan Yujin, who is still holding the pill bottle, offers one to Xiao Jingrui, who doesn't take it.
* Meng Zhi says to Yue Xiuze that if he had changed the day of his duel, Zhuo Dingfeng wouldn't have let himself be injured on purpose on behalf of Xie Yu. Yue Xiuze says that he had kept the duel for this day because he had been told that tonight Zhuo Dingfeng would be told that his son was not biologically his son, and so he had insisted on the duel happening tonight before Zhuo Dingfeng's mood could be impacted by this revelation. He also chides Zhuo Dingfeng for being foolish and getting involved in political matters. Zhuo Dingfeng tells Yue Xiuze that he doesn't blame him and the fault is on his side. Xie Yu defends himself by saying that not everything was a lie and that helping Crown Prince Xian the right thing to do.
* Mei Changsu asks Xie Yu if the soldier he had sent to check on Prince Yu has returned yet. Xie Yu says the only reason they're still standing there talking is to buy time for the soldier to raise the Capital Patrols. Meng Zhi accuses Xie Yu of using the Capital Patrols for his own personal use. Xie Yu says that as long as the Capital Patrols don't enter his manor and instead guard the outsides, it's not his personal use.
* Xie Yu raises a hand to order the guards. Xie Bi rushes forward and begs his father to reconsider his actions, citing the friendship between the Xie and Zhuo families for all these years. Xie Yu pushes him to the ground. Xie Bi grabs a sword from one of the soldiers and holds it up to his neck, threatening suicide. Xie Yu tells him to go ahead and do it. Xie Yu then disarms his son and orders the guards to take Xie Bi away.
* Xie Yu orders the guards to take Grand Princess Liyang and Xie Qi away and confine them safely elsewhere in the Manor. He orders the guards to kill Gong Yu, the Zhuo family, and their accomplices.
* Outside Xie Manor, Prince Yu watches the Capital Patrols, commanded by Ouyang Chi, arrive to block their entry. Hui Yao says that they should have stopped the soldier from before from going to get the Capital Patrols. Prince Yu says that no one could have expected that Xie Yu would go so far as to use the Capital Patrols for his personal gain. Prince Yu says that if the Capital Patrols weren't there, they could sneak into the Manor quietly, but right now there is currently no excuse for him to enter the manor by force.
* By Linglin Hall, a battle is occurring between Xie Yu's guards and Zhuo Dingfeng, Madam Zhuo, Zhuo Qingyao, and Gong Yu. Seeing a guard about to attack Madam Zhuo from behind, Xiao Jingrui enters the fight. When a guard gets too close to defeating Gong Yu, Yan Yujin joins the fight. Yuwen Nian also joins in. Xie Yu yells at Yuwen Xuan, saying didn't he promise he wouldn't interfere. Yuwen Xuan claims he cannot control Yuwen Nian and she is not under his authority. Yue Xiuze joins the fight to defend Zhuo Dingfeng. As the guards get too close to entering Linglin Hall, Meng Zhi attacks them. Xia Dong throws up a firework to alert the Xuanjing Bureau that she is in distress and needs help.
* Outside Xie Manor, Prince Yu sees the firework and takes that as the pretext he needs to enter Xie Manor. He is blocked by the Capital Patrols.
* Xia Dong chastises Mei Changsu for being so nonchalant about all of this and tells him to find them a way out of this situation. Mei Changsu has Fei Liu open the hidden door in the back wall of Linglin Hall that leads to the Xie family shrine. Mei Changsu, Fei Liu, Zhuo Dingfeng, Madam Zhuo, Zhuo Qingyao, Xia Dong, Meng Zhi, Xiao Jingrui, Yan Yujin, Yuwen Nian, Yue Xiuze, and Gong Yu all escape through this door, shutting it behind them. Jingrui leads them out into the manor grounds. Behind them, Xie Yu opens the secret door and the soldiers continue their pursuit.
* The pursued guests cross a bridge over a pond and take shelter in a pavilion. Meng Zhi and Yue Xiuze stand at the top of the bridge to hold off the guards. Xie Yu orders a guard to get the bowmen from the Capital Patrols.
* Outside Xie Manor, Prince Yu argues with Ouyang Chi of the Capital Patrols to let him and his soldiers into the manor.
* Inside the pavilion, Yuwen Nian tries to talk to her brother Xiao Jingrui, but is stopped by Yan Yujin. Yujin asks her where her cousin Yuwen Xuan is, Yuwen Nian says she doesn't know. Yujin says that it's good that his father Yan Que does not know about this, but that even if he knew about it, he wouldn't care.
* Outside Xie Manor, Ouyang Chi tells Prince Yu that he cannot enter without an Imperial order or the permission of the owner, as a matter of protecting the capital's safety. Prince Yu says he needs to enter the respond to the firework thrown by Xia Dong. Ouyang Chi tells him not to worry, because he had sent a man inside, and the man reported that Xie Yu said this was a private matter and they don't need outside help in managing it. Prince Yu asks him what would happen if he insists on going in. Ouyang Chi responds that in that case, he would allow Prince Yu to enter, but not with any of his soldiers. Yan Que comes forward and asks Ouyang Chi if he would allow *him* to enter.
* Inside Xie Manor, Xie Yu orders the bowmen from the Capital Patrols to surround the lake and kill everyone in the pavilion.
* Yan Que asks Ouyang Chi if he's forgotten him. Ouyang Chi replies that, no matter what else he might forget, he would never forget him.
* A soldier reports to Xie Yu that Yan Que has arrived outside and that he doesn't think the Capital Patrols can hold out much longer because of it. Xie Yu goes to the door to see him.
* Inside the pavilion on the lake, the guests watch the firelight of the bowmen taking up position. Xia Dong asks Mei Changsu what he said to Meng Zhi. Mei Changsu replies that he told Meng Zhi to look after Xiao Jingrui. Xia Dong says that Jingrui had looked to him as a brother, but tonight Mei Changsu stabbed him in the back. Is this how he got his reputation? Mei Changsu looks at Jingrui, who has his back to Mei Changsu. Mei Changsu bows to Xia Dong and walks away.
* Inside the pavilion, Zhuo Qingyao rips some cloth from his clothes and gives it to his mother to use as a bandage for his father. Mei Changsu offers them a bottle of medicine.
* Outside Xie Manor, Xie Yu arrives to speak to Yan Que and Prince Yu. Marquis Yan says that it's late and his son hasn't come home yet. Xie Yu tells him not to worry and points out that Xia Dong is inside and that Xia Chun isn't worried. Xia Chun comes to the front of the crowd. Marquis Yan says that his son doesn't have the same ability to defend himself that Xia Dong has. Prince Yu orders his soldiers to be ready to enter by force. Xie Yu draws attention to the sign by the front gate that the Emperor wrote that declares him the pillar of defense. Yan Que looks at the sign, then starts walking slowly forward towards Xie Yu.
* Inside the pavilion, Gong Yu kneels in front of the Zhuos and offers them her life in exchange for their infant son's life. Madam Zhuo refuses, saying that if Gong Yu's father was alive, she would take revenge on him, but she will not take revenge on Gong Yu, who was not involved in the assassination.
* Mei Changsu asks Zhuo Dingfeng if Xie Yu hadn't attacked him tonight, would he have still kept his secrets. Zhuo Dingfeng isn't sure. He hates Xie Yu, but his son is married to Xie Yu's daughter and they are expecting a child.
* Outside Xie Manor, Xie Yu pulls the sword from Ouyang Chi's scabbard. Prince Yu and his men step forward, swords drawn. Xie Yu tells Yan Que that if he tries to enter by force, Xie Yu will forget their old friendship and not spare him from the attack. Yan Que tightens the strings on his hairpiece and steps forward. Grand Princess Liyang shouts at them to stop and comes outside, followed by two servants.
* In the pavilion, Zhuo Dingfeng addresses Mei Changsu by his jianghu title and says he knows what Mei Changsu did tonight was for Prince Yu. He says he doesn't want to be involved in politics anymore. Mei Changsu tells him that even if he comes forward and testifies, he may still be considered an accomplice. Zhuo Dingfeng asks Mei Changsu to guarantee that he will save the lives of Madam Zhuo, Zhuo Qingyao, and the unborn child of Qingyao and Xie Qi, allowing Zhuo Dingfeng to bear the crime alone and not have his entire family incriminated and executed. The Zhuos start crying. At this point, the bowmen begin to fire on the pavilion from all sides and everyone takes cover.
* Outside Xie Manor, Grand Princess Liyang tells Xie Yu to step aside and allow Yan Que, Prince Yu, and the soldiers to come inside. She takes out a dagger and holds it against her own throat and repeats that Xie Yu should let them in.
* Inside the pavilion, arrows continue to fly toward the guests. Zhuo Qingyao cuts some of them with a dagger, but is forced to retreat. Fei Liu grabs some of the arrows out of mid-air. Yan Yujin says that Xie Yu seems really determined to kill them and that he can't believe he treated Xie Yu as his uncle this entire time. Mei Changsu, also a nephew of Xie Yu, says that Yujin wasn't the only one. Yuwen Nian grabs hold of an arrow right before it would have hit Yan Yujin. Meng Zhi and Yue Xiuze are outside the pavilion, swatting at the arrow with their swords.
* An order comes for the bowmen to stop shooting and all soldiers to put down their weapons. Mei Changsu says it is time for things to end.
* In Xie Manor, Yan Yujin reunites with his father Yan Que. Yujin asks why his father had come. Marquis Yan responds of course he came, Yujin was here.
* By the bridge to the pavilion, Xia Chun asks Xia Dong what happened. Xia Dong says she'll explain elsewhere, but here isn't a good place for it. Meng Zhi, Mei Changsu, and Fei Liu come up to them. Xia Dong says to Mei Changsu that she feels like she's been used as a pawn. She asks Meng Zhi what he thinks, but he doesn't answer the question. Xia Dong tells Mei Changsu that his reputation is well-earned and that anyone who says he is bad at weiqi is laughable. Mei Changsu says that he actually is bad at weiqi. Xia Dong says she's only concerned with her own cases, so Mei Changsu should tell Prince Yu that he shouldn't come to her about anything that happened that night. Mei Changsu says he doesn't pass on messages, but Prince Yu is smart enough not to bother her about this.
* By the pavilion, Xiao Jingrui helps Grand Princess Liyang sit down on a bench. She is still holding the dagger and Jingrui tries to take it from her. She resists, but tells him not to worry, she won't kill herself. She takes his hand off of hers and she keeps the dagger. She looks up and sees Yuwen Nian and then tells her to come over. Princess Liyang asks Yuwen Nian if her father Yuwen Lin had asked her to come here to bring Jingrui back with her. Yuwen Nian says that Jingrui is her brother and their father has missed him. Princess Liyang tells Yuwen Nian that when she had parted with Yuwen Lin after their love affair, the two of them had agreed that it would end there and there wouldn't be any regrets or blame between them. Princess Liyang tells Yuwen Nian that Jingrui is of age and can decide for himself whether he goes to Southern Chu. Then Princess Liyang tells Yuwen Nian to leave. Yuwen Nian starts crying and Yue Xiuze comes over and helps her away. Jingrui stands there and watches but doesn't say anything.
* Prince Yu is standing by Mei Changsu on the bridge to the pavilion. Princess Liyang orders him to come over. Prince Yu bows to his aunt. She stands and walks over to him, then touches the dagger to his chest. Princess Liyang demands his protection for the Zhuo family and that he not implicate other people, in exchange for her not telling the Emperor about what Prince Yu had intended to do tonight in charging into a Marquis's house. Prince Yu says that if the Zhuos testify, he can protect them and ask for amnesty. Princess Liyang explains that she doesn't just mean now, she wants Prince Yu to protect them forever. She makes Prince Yu swear to her that he will protect the Zhuos even when it no longer benefits him to do so. Prince Yu gives her his oath. Princess Liyang then removes the dagger from pressing into his chest and walks toward the Zhuo family.