When last we left our Handsome Stranger and the Pig Butcher, they suspected someone was working with Qi.
It’s Li, and Yan Zheng knows it
He confronts Li about Qi getting away, but doesn’t outright accuse him. I wonder if he lacks proof, Li’s position is too high, or he still hopes to get him to change sides.
Li tells Yan Zheng he’s reported this failure to the emperor and asked to be punished.
Yan Zheng quotes poetry about soldiers sacrificing themselves for nothing, and suggests Li remember why he entered into service in the first place.
Meanwhile, Yuanqing tracks Qi down. I guess Qi really is sickly, because Yuanqing easily overpowers him. Not that we see it, because they’ve run out of time or money for fight scenes.
But Yuanqing can’t bring himself to kill his brother. The opposite is not true. Qi stabs Yuanqing in the stomach.
Qi tells Yuanqing that his entire family deserves to die, but Yuanqing points out his mother only ever raised him like a son. Now Qi says his heart died a long time ago, so it was easy. Which is it, Qi?
Then Qi sorta hugs Yuanqing while stabbing him again
He tells him that those who show mercy have no place in the land of killing. Or ruling the world. We get happy brother flashbacks like they aren’t both psychopaths.
Qi stabs him again and shoves him to the ground. Murderous Yuanqing sheds a single tear.
Qi goes outside to yell at Li. His family said they’d handle everything, but Qi had to deal with Yan Zheng and Yuanqing. He knows Li doesn’t like him, but warns that if he goes down, Li’s whole family goes down too.
Also, he’d like Bao murdered and Qian back.
As Qi leaves, it occurs to Li that he’d make a terrible emperor.
Shi San is having a really bad time
People are trying to kill her because she’s been blamed for Yuanqing’s latest family annihilation. But she saw Li and followed him, discovering that Yuanqing is STILL ALIVE.
Shi San wants to know: did he love her at all? Nope. But he gives her the tiger tally to take to Changyu and save her own life. Then he slits his own throat. I think he’s really dead now.
Three days later, Grand Tutor Li wants Yan Zheng punished for cutting off the eunuch’s ear. Chancellor Wei says his nephew just lost his temper a little.
Never mind that, the emperor gets a letter that all of Changxin’s sons are dead. So, things are great for him, and he wants to reward Yan Zheng and Changyu.
Grand Tutor Li fakes enthusiasm.
The Grand Princess is going home, so everyone gets drunk
When she leaves the party, Sun stands there until drunk Changyu basically orders him to go after her.
Sun catches up to her and explains that because of his family’s history, he isn’t allowed to enter official service. I guess marrying a Princess qualifies? But whatever, he dealt with it off camera, and asks for her hand in marriage.
She makes him cry by acting like she’s going to refuse, then calls him a blockhead and agrees. Happy tears time!
Yan Zheng drags a drunk Changyu away from the party. She gets annoyed and calls him Marquis, which he doesn’t like. She asks him if she can call him Yan Zheng. I mean, that’s what I’ve been doing?
He kisses her, then asks her to kiss him. She does. So much kissing that they ruin the rice paper window covering.
The next day, Sun watches the Grand Princess leave
Once he’s done helping Yan Zheng, he’ll join her and settle down. Please don’t die, Sun.
At the capital, we meet up with Wei Xuan again. Remember him? Some other Li grandson claims he’s not Chancellor Wei’s real son. Rumor is Chancellor Wei’s true love was some woman, not Wei Xuan’s mother.
So Wei Xuan beats him.
Back to our throuple. Grand Tutor Li is upset that Wei Xuan broke his grandson’s legs. Chancellor Wei is upset about what the Li grandson said.
The Emperor is upset that his old men are fighting. He gets them to stop by threatening to abdicate, then decides on some minor punishments for the young men.
Later, Grand Tutor Li learns that Qi is likely to make a move soon. He helpfully says out loud that the tiger tally Wei Qilin had 17 years ago was real, but it became fake to Prince Changxin. The key figure is the one who delivered it, Wei Qilin.
I’m not sure what that means.
Chancellor Wei has his son beaten
Then Wei Xuan throws a tantrum over his father loving Yan Zheng more than him and his mother. Chancellor Wei stops him from beating himself, gives him a little head rub, and tells him he’s not a child anymore.
Speaking of beatings, Grand Princess wants to beat her brother, the Emperor, for betrothing her to Yan Zheng. This makes him whine and cry.
Later, the Emperor sneaks to Chancellor Wei’s to beg for help. There are rumors that someone from the Eastern Palace is back to take the throne. I think that’s Qi. I guess it could be Bao?
Chancellor Wei will take care of the rumors, but he wants the Emperor to win over Changyu. The Emperor whines that she’s lowborn, but Chancellor Wei wants her summoned to court and honored.
So Changyu comes to the capital! She goes with Li to the Emperor, and things are awkward. Not just because she doesn’t know court manners, but because the Emperor hits on her.
Then, when he grants her a new rank, the ministers argue over whether she should actually receive it. Grand Tutor Li calls her a pig-slaughtering woman, and she insults him and the other ministers back.
Chancellor Wei defends her. She thanks him dramatically and invites him to join her in paying respects at Yan Zheng’s parents’ graves.
Changyu really misses her small town
That nice place where she was ostracized and lonely.
Outside the court, Li warns her about making enemies. Then his grandfather tells her to get barefoot and pregnant already. Changyu secretly breaks Grand Tutor Li’s palanquin, so when he leaves, it dumps him on the ground.
The Emperor asks the Grand Princess about Changyu. Yan Zheng has already warned her he doesn’t want people at the capital to know about their connection.
Li tries to tell his grandfather that Qi would make a horrible emperor. Grand Tutor Li replies with “whataboutisms” aimed at Chancellor Wei. Li explains that Qi is a murderous psychopath, but Grand Tutor Li isn’t listening. I hope Qi murders him.
After he leaves, Grand Tutor Li orders that people watch his grandson.
Changyu takes a stroll through the Capital at night, and Yan Zheng finds her. She runs to him for a hug, and some more kissing.
Changyu is sad that no one cares about what happened 17 years ago. Yan Zheng promises to help search for the truth and clear her father’s name.
Our horrible throuple is together again
Grand Tutor Li whines about Changyu to the Emperor. She’s disrespectful, not pregnant, bad, and stuff. But Chancellor Wei wants to commend her for killing Changxin and protecting the bloodline of Prince Chengde. Which is… Bao?
The Emperor pretends he’s happy to hear this. Chancellor Wei wants permission to search the realm for this possible heir. The Emperor grants it.
Grand Tutor Li thinks Chancellor Wei and Yan Zheng are working together, and wants this to stop. He orders a rumor to be spread that everything from 17 years ago is Chancellor Wei’s fault because he received a letter from his secret true love.
Grand Tutor Li does not have this letter, though it sounds like it may have once existed.
He thinks Chancellor Wei was too soft-hearted 17 years ago, and that’s why things ended up how they are now. Now they’ll just set the stage again.
Cdramas like to keep secrets during the final arc
SO many times I’ve seen our lead couple pretend like they are fighting only for it to turn out to be a secret plot. That’s clearly not what’s happening here, but are Yan Zheng and Chancellor Wei secretly working together?
I could believe it. As Li pointed out, Chancellor Wei and the Emperor are not great, but Qi is far, far worse. Yan Zheng is a good guy who wants What Is Best For The People, so I can see him working with his Uncle against Qi.
So, are they behind all the rumors? Even the ones about Chancellor Wei and Some True Love?
But I’m confused. Wasn’t Chancellor Wei trying to kill Changyu when this all started? What changed? Why did her parents choose that particular time to die by suicide? Did I miss something? We’ve got 6 episodes left. Hopefully I’ll get it.
As far as our lead couple, they weren’t on screen much. I hope at least the actors got some downtime. The way Chinese dramas are pumped out, I’m not sure about that either.
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