With the emperor on his way, Chang Gong gives Zheng Er two choices. She can either go greet Gao Wei and allow the prince to quietly slip away, or she can reveal Chang Gong is still alive. In which case Chang Gong will tell all as to who was keeping him alive and lying to the emperor.
Zheng Er chooses to let her man go.
Unfortunately, Chang Gong stupidly hangs around too long and is spotted by Gao Wei. At least the guilty emperor simply thinks he's seeing a ghost and freaks out.
Zheng Er may have let Chang Gong go but that doesn't mean she's let him go for good. She once again swears vengeance against him for breaking her heart.
Over in Zhou, Yung requests Xue Wu to come to another morning meeting. After the slap from the queen, Xue Wu wisely declines the offer. (More time must have passed as Xue Wu is starting to get a bigger belly.) If Mohammad won't come to the mountain, the mountain will come to Mohammad. Only Mohammad keeps avoiding the mountain. Yung sends the always reliable Shen Ju to corner Xue Wu and extend an invitation for an inspection. He promises it will all be strictly business.
Meanwhile, Chang Gong and his snazzy hat learns about Xue Wu being with Yung in Zhou State.
Xue Wu learns the "inspection" was just a ruse so Yung could get her alone outside of the palace. She explains the reason she's been avoiding him is because she doesn't want to create any more friction between Yung and Axina. He poo-poo's the whole idea. His marriage to Axina was always political. While they are on friendly terms, Yung doesn't consider himself and his wife in love or anything schmaltzy like that.
Axina, however, doesn't see it that way and is already plotting on how to get rid of the divine sorceress.
Wow, a lot of time must have passed as the court physician predicts Xue Wu will be going into labor any day now. The queen sweetly suggests Xue Wu go have her baby at a Buddhist temple. Yung thinks that's a great idea and sends Xue Wu on her way.
Yung and Axina drop Xue Wu off at a mountain temple. No one notices the evil eye exchange Axina has with the head monk. Nor does anyone hear the ominous music playing.
Wait, maybe I'm wrong! Shen Ju (the real hero) and his masked men think the monks around here are acting mighty fishy and bear watching.
That evening Xue Wu goes into labor. She goes looking for help only to stumble upon a monk/masked men battle royale going on outside. Shen Ju yells for her to escape. Labor pains or not, this girl's going out the window! The evil head monk is in hot pursuit.
Xue Wu is running through the forest. I sure hope there are no sink holes or steep cliffs around as she's always finding those.
Yung drops by Axina's quarters. He notices the queen is acting awfully nervous tonight. Anyway, he lets her know that he's already agreed to Xue Wu's request to retire to the borders to raise her baby. She'll no longer be a part of Zhou state affairs (and thus no longer a threat to Axina).
Xue Wu stumbles to the ground, the evil monk with a sword slowly stalking her. He's about to strike when one of those masked men comes out of nowhere and kills the monk. The masked man disappears back into the forest when Shen Ju and his men start to catch up. (You know who the masked man is. I know who the masked man is. Xue Wu doesn't know who the masked man is.)
Axina offers the king some tea. Yung roughly knocks the teeny tiny cup out of her hands. He gave Axina every opportunity to come clean about what she was up to but she never took it. Yung storms off in a huff leaving Axina on the floor crying after him.
Xue Wu is heavy into labor and Shen Ju is forced to take her to a nearby farmhouse where the wife is drafted into being a midwife. Standing outside the door, listening to Xue Wu's cries of pain, is masked Chang Gong. The midwife worries that neither Xue Wu nor the baby is going to make it. Chang Gong clenches his fist in helplessness.
Xue Wu has a vision of the supposedly dead Chang Gong cheering her on. This gives her the motivation to finally push that baby out. Good Lord, look at that huge baby! No wonder she had a difficult birth. By the way, it's a boy. She names him Ping An.
Xue Wu asks Shen Ju what the deal was with those monks. He tells her how Yung was suspicious of the queen and so asked Shen Ju to keep an eye out on the divine sorceress. Xue Wu says she won't be returning to the palace. She'll just stay here and settle in this nice farmhouse. (Um, don't the original occupants of the house have a say in this?)
Xue Wu wants to thank the masked guard who came to her rescue in the woods. This puzzles Shen Ju as all the masked men were with him. C'mon, Xue Wu: put two and two together!
Shen Ju reports back to his king. Yung is so angry at the murderous monks that he orders all of them to be executed. Buddhism will no longer be practiced in Zhou. Axina, a devout Buddhist (and murderer), tries to talk Yung out of his orders but he won't budge.
Chang Gong is... somewhere when he comes upon some hot pink Qi soldiers trying to steal some kids. I don't know. All I know is he dons his mask and kicks Qi butt.
Thus Zorro the Gay Blade is born!
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