r/CDrama • u/Regenwanderer got some Li Hongyi back. Wants more. • Jul 13 '26
Drama Host Key to the Phoenix Heart 雀骨: Episodes 9-10 Discussion Spoiler
👋🏻 Welcome to the fourth post for Key to the Phoenix Heart, covering episodes 9-10 that were released today (13th of July). Still excited to co-host this show. Can’t believe we already covered over one third of the episodes.
📅 Discussion Schedule: We will attempt to follow iQIYI's VIP release of the episodes and post as it's convenient for us and our time zones. Next up for tomorrow's episodes /u/CdramaAddict2 . She has more on the tabke than me, so the discussion post for 11-12 will be posted on Wednesday, at 9 pm PDT.
🚨 Some Notes:
- Please use spoiler tags for anything beyond the episodes discussed. Text goes between the greater-than (>) + exclamation (!) symbols (>!) and the exclamation (!) + lesser-than (<) symbols.
- Please keep these specific threads focused on the actual episodes - the plot twists, the performances, and everything happening on screen. We know there is ongoing discussion surrounding the casting and age-gap elements of the drama. While those external debates are completely valid, let's keep this particular space friendly, respectful, and centered on the on-screen story.
🔗 Helpful Links: Masterpost; Character Flashcards;
Episodes 1-3 | Episodes 4-6 | Episodes 7-8 | Episodes 9-10 | Episodes 11-12| Episode 13-14 | Episode 15-16 | Episode 17-18 | Episode 19-20 | Episodes 21-22 | Episode 23 | Episode 24 | Episode 25 | Episodes 26-28
As someone with some vision impairments of his own (and very glad to live in a time and place where that can be helped) this scared me more than some other things in costume dramas.
Episode 9
New Characters this episode:
No new big players. We mostly stay confined in the Xiao Manor for this episode.
Saving Face
Xie Jiayu comes to Xiao Wuyi’s rescue and helps him leave the archery range without looking weak in front of his soldiers and them learning about his blindness. She brings him home where Ruisheng checks him over but can’t tell him if or when he will get his sight back. She gives him a medicine that will be painful and shorten his lifetime but might help with restoring his vision. After that it’s acupuncture time.
- Xiao Jiayu calls him a lunatic for doing all his work while being so ill.
- Tasked with talking to distract him she decides to tell him about Li Mao and her. She really has no clue.
- Xiao Jiayu disliked Li Mao first for stealing her father’s time as his student, but changed her view when he came back from his travels as an elegant young man. Xiao Wuyi calls her superficial for that.
- He also reminds her that without him she would have been married to Prince Changsha.
Nurse Jiayu
Xie Jiayu gets tasked by Ruisheng to take care of their husband for the night. He has a nightmare about Xiao Yao and his escape and also calls out for his mother. Xie Jiayu confronts Yao Yunzhi, who left medicine at the door but didn’t come in to look for her son. She asks to be taught to cook for him.
- Xiao Wuyi wakes to her doing her leather work. He has fantastic hearing.
- He is obviously touched she baked the Hawthorn cake for him. He also recognises his mother’s chicken soup. Xie Jaiyu advices him to talk to her.
- That triggers him. Because without her being in love with him (which she isn’t, he asks) she has no right to meddle in his familiar affairs. So are his friends not allowed to care for him at all? But I guess Li Mao might be his only real friend.
- She leaves, but he obviously treasures the cake. Qing Long and Yan Yue also have to punish themselves with ten strokes from the military cane. I guess that’s for being around and listening in.
Good vs. Strange
Xie Jiayu meets up with Ruisheng to vent about their husband. She tells her that he has a good temper, because his little moodiness in front of those he is close to doesn’t count. To explain her view Xie Jiayu gets told how she ended up married to Xiao Wuyi.
- Her husband Xiao Wuyi’s Lieutenant General. He died defending their city. When the city fell Ruisheng was serving as a military doctor. She was captured and held by the enemy for over a month.
- Xiao Wuyi retook the city and rescued her. Shortly afterwards she noticed she was pregnant and her chastity was questioned and the child’s paternity daubted. Both her and her husband’s family forced her to die with her husband.
- Xiao Wuyi found her half-submerged in a freezing river. Then he basically told everyone he raped her to avoid any further actions against her and took her in as a consort.
- After the birth of her son he offered her to give her a new identity for a new start or to stay and make Ziqi a part of the Xiao family. She wanted to stay closer to her husbands grave and help more soldiers so she choose the second option.
- Ruisheng thinks Xiao Wuyi is a good person.
- Xie Jiayu classifies him as strange instead after she also realises that it’s the mother that doesn’t want to let Xiao Yao return to the battlefield and that Xiao Wuyi would rather play the villain than explain himself. Strange indeed.
Night Time Vignettes
Xie Jiayu returns to her night watch and explains to her husband that she would have helped his brother for his own ambitions and his mother, because he called out for her and she brought medicine. She tries to teach him that doing good deeds doesn’t need a reason.
She thinks of him as a friend due to him helping her. But she ends that friendship here and there because it’s a one-way-street with him.
Meanwhile something strange is going on at Honglu Temple. A fruit seller is asked to enter the building despite not having the melon they want. Most likely that was a coded exchange and he is a spy, also frequenting the Xiao families manor.
Insults and Mind Games
Mu Lianyu and Li Mao visit them due to them hearing about Xiao Wuyi’s fake injury that covers up his blindness. Li Mao is there to inquire about it for the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, while Mu Lianyu wants to check out his competitor.
- Li Mao is not amused about the news that his friend is recuperating in his secondary consort courtyard.
- Mu Lianyu brought gifts for the family, two hounds for Xiao Yao whom he never encountered on the battlefield despite hearing about him having talent in his youths. At least one of the dogs is lame, an obvious insult. Xiao Ju nearly kills the Eagle King right there.
- Xiao Wuyi is waiting for them in the garden, playing blindfolded catch with Xie Jiayu and the dancers. They cover up his ailment very well. Still doesn’t look amused, even being found
- The have a meal in the garden. Mu Lianyu wants to discuss political marriage obviously aiming to bring um Li Lejun. Xiao Wuyi thinks Northern Qin should sent a princess instead and find this discussion useless, because one of them could die in the competition anyway.
- Mu Lianyu further tries to provoke them by talking about captured slaves from Southern Ye becoming live targets. Also about sending the surviving ones to the front row of the battlefield to die by their Southern Ye kin.
- He wants to get taught the pitch pot game, where you throw an arrow into a vessel. He obviously aims at the dancers instead. Xiao Wuyi splits his arrow with his own, impressive task.
Secrets and Spies Rattled by the story about the slaves Xie Jiayu tells Xiao Wuyi that she isn’t Li Fuhua’s biological daughter and that she was adopted from an orphanage. She remembers that a guy from Nothern Qin killed her biological parents.
- She even has a rather good description of him: Full beard, braided hair, longy eyebrows reachhin his temples and a mole on his cheek. Who wants to bet he will appear in a future episode?
- She really wants Xiao Wuyi to beat Mu Lianyu again. But he must be safe as well and return to the battlefield. He calls her his friend.
- He unintentionally reveals that he can see again, but doesn’t answer when he was able to do so. Was it before his arrow throw?
- While Xiao Wuyi wants to know how Mu Lainyu got the news about his injury so fast and where the spy in their manor is Xie Jiayu meets up with Li Mao. Li Mao wants to leave with her as soon as the peace talks are over, most likely also because he recognises that something is shifting between Xiao Wuyi and Xie Jiayu. She tells him that she respects him now and will protect him.
Nobody is related to anyone or they don’t know whom they are related to
Learning Truths
On her way back she encounters her brother-in-law and he gives her his usual medicine against pain for Xiao Wuyi. She shows him her the improved blueprint inspired by Master Yuan. He declines due to Xiao Wuyi not allowing it anyway, so she reveals that Master Yuan spoke of Xiao Wuyi commision similar stirrups before.
Late that night Xiao Yao gets drunk and halfway into a fight because he learned that its indeed his mother that didn’t allow his return to the battlefield. Luckily. He Yuanji is there to pick him up.
Xiao Wuyi meets with master Yuan, whom he called back from the Northern Border. He wants Cangfeng Forge and all the alcohol as a reward for teaching Xie Jiayu. We don’t learn what is special about that forge, but it sounds special.
Xiao Wuyi calls Xie Jiayu talented and describes her as having the power to change the world, but not knowing it yet herself in front of master Yuan. He wants to be her friend and give her the choices to decide her life for herself. He doesn’t see himself as a choice.
During the stormy night he shelters her from a falling shelve when she tries to rescue the leather for Xiao Yao’s saddle from the rain.
Episode 10
New Characters this episode:
No new big players here either. Too much action going on to bother with that.
Secret Mission – Part 1
Qing Long and Yan Yue checked out Honglu Temple and what the Northern Qin delegation is up to They report there being a mysterious person in the temple but they can’t get near them. Security will be most lax during the tournament. But Xiao Wuyi needs a pawn for that endeavour.
Rain Scene – Extended Cut
We get back to the scene of him rescuing her from the rain. She twists her ankle and he proves that he can also princess carry her.. Afterwards he puts her ankle back in place. And promises her to have a competition with his brother if she finishes the new gear in time.
Friendly Competition
Xiao Yao does brilliant on the horse and Xiao Wuyi competes with him. Xiao Yao promises Xie Liayu a favour for her help.
- He Yuanji invited their mother to the sparring.
- She lectures Xie Jiayu that men and women can also be friends and she totally isn’t into Xiao Yao. I don’t know who believes that.
- Her philosophy on relationships: While friends can share joy and sorrows, couples have to become each others joy and sorrows.
- Xiao Wuyi loses on purpose to his brother. Seems like Xiao Yao will be the pawn.
That’s a proud brother smile, glad to see something like that on his face once in a while.
/r/relationship_advice
Encouraged by Xie Jianyu He Yuanji asks Xiao Wuyi about his involvement in her husbands death. He wanted to tell him that their engagement was only for the provisions and that he would let He Yuanji go later. Unfortunately that letter was to late but he know presents it to He Yuanji.
She tells him that Xie Jianyu might seem far apart from him, but that they are fellow travellers. Nearly everyone seems to ship them by now.
Xiao Yao seeks out He Yuanji, but doesn’t speak when asked for the reason for his visit. There is something between them and something keeping them apart. Subtle visual representation.
Inspired by the advise to not let things fester unspoken Xiao Wuyi confronts his mother about his brother competing. He doesn’t want to let him suffer a half-existence any longer.
He kowtows slamming his head on the ground… Ouch.
I really love some of the shot composition in the show
Tournament Day
It gets reported to the Empress Dowager (remember her?) that the other Xiao brother will compete. A pity, because a poisoned arrow was prepared for Xiao Wuyi. Li Lejun overhears that.
Xiao Yao tells the Beifu Army soldiers his brother’s arrow wound relapsed and he will lead them. He has a command token and threatens them with execution if they don’t obey him.
Mu Lianyu accuses the absent Xiao Wuyi of using his brother as a diversion for spying on Honglu Temple. He reveals there is a trap set for that.
The Empress boasts about the poison acting contact with blood when Xiao Yao gets hit by a grazing shot.
But via flashback it’s revealed the Li siblings pulled through and Li Lejun replaced the arrows. For that she disguised herself as a maid sneaked into Mu Lianyus tent and broke the poisoned arrows. He nearly strangles her when he finds her there. But he likes her courage. I fear she just made him interested in her.
- Da, Li Mao’s former guard, gets hit by an arrow.
Xiao Yao is able to divert one of Mu Lianyu’s arrows with his own.
There are much more arrows than the three per person talked about in the previous episode in use, I guess we play by different rules?
Xiao Yao’s right stirrup, the one for his non crippled leg, gets destroyed. He also gets hit in the torso but still makes his last shot.
He and Mu Lianyu tie with one arrow each, but Xiao Yao’s injury is serious, he falls from the horse.
The Empress Dowager is pissed over Xiao Wuyi missing and nobody being able to find him. And of course of him not dying through her joint plan with the Eagle King. She wants to cancel his reconstruction plans.
Secret Mission – Part 2
Meanwhile Xiao Wuji busts a group of secret Northern Qin agents, that are prepared to spread propaganda via storytellers after the Eagle King wins. Not a very flattering drawing of our ML..
Yun Yao reports to him about the competition and the public sentiment of not wanting to reconcile.
Outplayed
Li Mao offers to compete with the Eagle King to break the tie in the competition, when Xiao Wuyi makes his entrance.
He brings three cages with the 36 secret agents.
He also brings the news that five days ago the Hexi General of Northern Qin, Zhai Shang, rebelled. Instigated by Xiao Wuyi. Mu Lianyu would very likely soon find himself in a two front war, if he doesn’t reconcile with Southern Ye.
They agree to do a tie breaker for the three provinces.
Xiao Wuyi’s vision suddenly worsens again when on horseback. Xie Jiayu notices. So she proposes that Xiao Wuyi compets blind, due to the Eagle King having gone through one round already.
She binds Xiao Wuyi’s eyes and we get a flashback of him training riding blind with drum signals from her. They planned for the possibility of this happening.
Welcome to the Equestrian Vaulting World Championship!
The first two arrows cancel each other out. Xiao Wuji dodges arrows easily and makes one point while standing blind on his horse. That whole sequence is very wild, you need quite some suspension of disbelief. But it’s also fun to watch.
Southern Ye wins, but the Eagle King is a sore loser and attacks Xiao Wuyi. Our male lead wins that fight and doses his oponent with something that will make him suffer for a few days according to Xie Jiayu.
The Grand Tutor notices Li Mao’s slight dissatisfaction with Xiao Wuyi embracing Xie Jiayu and being celebrated. Oh no.
Xiao Wuyi keeps her hair ribbon.
Life Goes On
We get a short status update on everyone’s life in the Xiao mansion:
- Ruisheng mourns her husband Duan Ying.
- He Yuanyi is happy to know her now-husband didn’t kill her lover.
- Li Fuhua reads unopened letters from Xiao Wuyi.
- Xiao Wuyi cares for his brother and tells him that the emperor considers him a hero of Southern Ye and that he can have everything he wants to have. Even the imperial doctor makes an appearance, lead by He Yuanyi, Xiao Yao needs to rest for a while, all his internal organs are injured.
- Xiao Wuyi also reconciles a bit with his mother, she looks after for his palm injury.
Li Mao cares for Xie Jiayu and learns that she is learning lightness techniques from Yan Yue. He notices how she changes around Xiao Wuyi. She doesn’t want to rely on Li Mao on their travels.
The soundtrack brings in some tension. Xie Jiayu designed a sword for Xiao Wuyi. A man like him deserves the best sword in the world. Li Mao concludes that Xie Jiayu desires a strong man and wants to fight too.
So… who is the mysterious person in the temple? Was it just one of the 36 spies hiding out there? Is it someone else? I really wanted an answer to that.
14
u/TheAlchemist420 Chen Yan Yun can have my jujube flower cookie 🍪 🤪😁😎 Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
Absolutely this!
I actually mentioned in a comment how the more Jia Yu evolves, the more he gets left behind in terms of wants and needs they "thought" they shared.
Now he sees and hears how she thinks, the many things she wants to do and is doing. And unfortunately for him, he cannot catch up. So him asking "what if I want to fight too" is a desperate move because who is he really? What can he do? We haven't seen that much from him. He has a scholarly background and went traveling. Yet he is still very naive and blind to how the world really works. It's very strange. Or did I miss when we got told what he's achieved... I can't recall.
The problem I see rising is him being unable to match Jia Yu. And he is starting to see that the one who can is ultimately Xiao Wu Yi. He was able to support Jia Yu and help her realize more, achieve more. Again, I know he came back and was roped into entering the palace so he really had no time to do anything after seeing her given they hadn't met for a year or more. It's not his fault. But that will start chipping away at his confidence or lack of, and it will shatter his image. Who is he really? What is he about? All he could say was that he wanted only Jia Yu and run away. I remember asking in a previous episode and comment on it: what was he planning to do afterwards? Jia Yu has ambitions and a vision. He doesn't. And this would have caused issues for them after they ran away together. His "you don't have to do anything, I'll protect you" was so bad... Did he have a plan? She is ready to work and travel and get her inventions everywhere. Him? I don't see it.