Azi forges and fits You Tanzhi with an iron mask

Azi’s iron mask for You Tanzhi is both a disguise and an instrument of control. Made from a mould of his face and fitted by a blacksmith in Yanjing, it hides his identity from Xiao Feng while allowing Azi to keep him near her without revealing that she has taken him back into her custody. She tells You Tanzhi the mask saved his life; he believes her, and the disguise becomes the basis for his obedience.

Background and Purpose

Azi’s decision follows You Tanzhi’s return to her custody. She wants to keep him close, but knows Xiao Feng would be angry if he discovered that she had concealed him after being told to release him. Her solution draws on the earlier example of A’Zhu, whose disguise as Duan Zhengchun had fooled Xiao Feng: if You Tanzhi were given a new appearance, Xiao Feng would not recognize him. Concealment is therefore the practical aim of the mask, and avoiding Xiao Feng’s discovery is the reason Azi has it made.

Azi also expects You Tanzhi might wash away ordinary makeup. Instead, she arranges a permanent disguise. The plan is not simply to alter his appearance but to prevent him from undoing the alteration himself, making the mask a lasting barrier between his identity and the people around him.

Making the Mask

The Khitan attendants first press wet material to You Tanzhi’s face and take a mould. He is held in a dungeon and does not know what the men intend; when the mould is removed, he sees that it preserves the shape of his own face. He mistakenly fears that the material is poison meant to destroy his features, while the attendants carefully carry the mould away.

Several days later they take him to a stone house, where a blacksmith compares his face with a wrought-iron mask. The four openings are for his eyes, nose, and mouth. Its precise fit makes You Tanzhi realize that the earlier mould was used to shape it, though he cannot understand the purpose. The blacksmith adjusts the iron against the moulded proportions, heating and reshaping it before it is fitted.

The attendants restrain You Tanzhi while the blacksmith puts the heated mask over his face and an iron cover around the back of his head. The pieces form a closed shell, joined so that he cannot remove it. You Tanzhi later discovers that the mask is firmly fixed. Its narrow mouth opening permits him to eat and drink only with difficulty: food must be made small enough to pass through, and he can no longer bite Azi. The disguise thus also limits what he can do.

Concealment at the Beginning Fortune Palace

Azi has the room attendants’ captain oversee the work and asks about You Tanzhi’s condition each day, at first concerned that he might not survive. When she learns he will live and that Xiao Feng is going to inspect troops in the southern outskirts, she orders that You Tanzhi be brought to the Beginning Fortune Palace, her residence after YeLu HongJi bestowed on her the title of Beginning Fortune Princess.

Seeing the completed mask, Azi is pleased that Xiao Feng would fail to recognize You Tanzhi even at close range. She rewards the blacksmith with fifty silvers. You Tanzhi, looking through the eyeholes, watches her with admiration; her attention and appearance matter to him, while she treats the mask’s success as a way to keep their secret from Xiao Feng.

A False Rescue and Its Consequences

Azi presents the mask as protection from Xiao Feng. She claims that Xiao Feng wants You Tanzhi killed and that she concealed him because she thought he should be spared. This is a lie: You Tanzhi assumes Xiao Feng arranged his capture and does not suspect that Azi arranged the mask to conceal him. Azi further warns that he must not speak if he meets Xiao Feng, since his voice could expose him, and threatens punishment if he disobeys.

The difference between the two characters’ understanding is central to the episode. Azi knows the mask serves her wish to hide You Tanzhi from Xiao Feng; You Tanzhi interprets it as proof that she has saved him. Believing her explanation, he expresses gratitude rather than recognizing that she has made his concealment—and his continued dependence on her—more secure.

The mask’s fitting also marks a reversal in their relationship. You Tanzhi had once been a pampered young master, but after severe physical and mental suffering he repeatedly bows when Azi demands it. She orders him to obey and threatens to remove an arm if he defies her. The iron shell conceals his face, while his submission makes visible how much his former resistance has been broken. Azi’s supposed rescue is therefore also a means of keeping control over him.