[Ep21] Li Qian and Li Ming Yue are discovering that married life isn’t easy as they have different habits and interests. Li Qian is well-read, disciplined, and into the arts and literature. Li Ming Yue is disorganized, forgetful, free-spirited, and knows there’s more to life than fancy clothes, reading and analyzing poems. They're fighting over their differences.
To solve their problem, they create a contract and agree to take turns being the head of the household. The head of the household for that day will get to decide what can and cannot be done on that day. If anyone violates the rules, they will be punished.
On his day, Li Qian tries to set a routine for her, gets rid of the snacks under her bed, gets her an alarm clock (a rooster), and she has to clean up her room. She is not pleased and refuses to clean her room. As punishment, Li Qian request that she memorize the Invitation to Wine poem (the poem isn't about drinking, but about feelings of incompetence) in two hours' time. She should've just cleaned - as she hates learning literature. lol They continue fighting over this poem, as she fails to memorize the poem, or understand its meaning. She tries to bar him from her bed that night.
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This sums up their personalities perfectly. xD |
On her day, Li Ming Yue makes him sleep in with her, makes him stay in bed with her, and he's not allowed to wake her up. When she does wake up, she insists on eating in bed. He can't stand any of this. When she tries to get him to take a bite, but he can't do it. So she makes him suck her finger, he does it but he's so disgusted. LOL, see above pic, and it's her real reaction! Later, she requests Li Qian to dress as a commoner before they head into town. (He doesn't have any plain clothes, so she makes him switch clothes with Que Yan.) In his plain clothes, he's not allowed admittance to a restaurant, so they enjoy a meal (wontons) at a local vendor’s stand, which he finds surprisingly good. She ells him that he wants to judge a place by its food but it's better to judge a palace by the dirty bowls and fresh oil stains - meaning more people coming and going, and less waste. This gives Li Qian a different perspective of life, and a better understanding of her. (He has book smarts, she has street smarts.)
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The love in her eyes. *Melt* |
That evening, he's exhausted but she won't let him sleep yet. She tells him if it wasn't for her father sending her there to be married, with the two of them being so different, how would they have ended up together. He just smiles, then gives her a squeeze and closes his eyes. She traces his brow, nose and lips - but he pretends to bite her finger, and then he finally kisses her and hugs her tightly. They go to sleep with her in his arms.
The next day, it is Li Qian’s turn as head of the household again and he's asking her about the wine poem. She offers to help him get dressed, and then she touches his ear and hypnotizes him to make him forget his request for her to memorize the wine poem. Why is she fighting him on this? Oh, right, she can be so immature sometimes.
However, he is transported back to the time when his mother taught him the poem. He sees his mother's face and hears his mother's voice reciting the poem. He is presently crying from the memory.
[Ep22] In that memory, he sees his mother and the Empress. Li Ming Yue snaps him out of it and is concerned as to why he's crying. He asks her to take him back to that memory so he can remember more of his mother. He now realizes that his mother wasn't ill, even though he'd been told his mother had died due to a long-term illness. However, she is unable to bring him back to that moment. They decide to go to the palace separately to investigate his mother's death.
Li Ming Yue is summoned before the Emperor and he will tell her truth but in exchange, she must make Li Qian forget his mother as she is not worthy of filial piety. She has no choice but to agree. Thirteen years ago, Li Qian's mother had killed people, had been in isolation for a month in the temple, but then she died in the big fire, and Li Qian was traumatized as a result. He also orders her to stop investigating the matter. (So he already knew about the hypnotism but is using it against her now. Sigh.)
Qiao Hui Xin is financially broke. Li Xun offers to help and because she has nothing else left, she offers him her body. He stops her, and says that he wants her as his wife. He asks if she'll marry him and she agrees. She cries as he kisses her. Tears for every occasion.
Li Ming Yue hypnotizes Li Qian to forget his mother as ordered. She has to use incense as well when erasing memories. She really doesn't want to but it's under the Emperor's orders. However, Li Qian wakes up halfway through the hypnosis and becomes suspicious. His mother doesn’t exist in his memories again but the Empress does appear. He gets angry with Li Ming Yue when he realizes what she's done. They argue and he leaves.
Si Kong Zhen sees them arguing and goes after Li Qian. He later advises Li Ming Yue that she shouldn’t erase Li Qian’s memory of his mother because it would also take away the good memories together with the bad ones.
She then goes to see a still very angry Li Qian. She tells him that she is worried that he will suffer more from having those memories, and that he will see his mother in a bad light. She finally tells him what the Emperor told her, and that he had ordered her to hypnotize him in exchange for the information. He is surprised that his father knew about the hypnosis. He also doesn't believe that his mother is a murderer and is still determined to find the truth. Li Ming Yue promises to help him, even if the Emperor punishes both of them.
[Ep23] Li Qian and Li Ming Yue continue investigating and find out that those who served his mother are no longer alive. However, one of the eunuchs secretly hands them the name of one survivor - Maid Deng.
They get to Maid Deng in time, as she's now being pressured to drink poison. Li Qian promises to keep her safe by taking her out of the palace. She gives him his mother's embroidered butterfly handkerchief. She reveals that the pregnancy medicine sent by Li Qian’s mother had caused the death of Concubine Qi and her fetus. However, his mother maintained her innocence. This angered the Emperor who then banished her to the temple. The fire was apparently caused by fireworks from the palace grounds. Li Qian realizes that he was the one caused that fire and goes to pay homage to his late mother at the temple.
The Emperor approves Li Xun’s marriage to Qiao Hui Xin (after the Empress persuades him to do so). This is now our second couple.
Now the Emperor is furious and wants to punish both Li Qian and Li Ming Yue for the investigation but Li Qian asks to accept the punishment for both of them. Li Qian is also willing to give up his military power and title. The Emperor is outraged and orders Li Qian to be spanked. He is dragged away by the guards, as Li Ming Yue cries and begs for them to forgive him.
After the punishment, Li Qian locks himself in his room to cope with guilt and anguish. He is pained knowing that he caused the temple fire that resulted in his mother’s death. Li Ming Yue is concerned about him but he asks for space from her.
During this time, grains being sent to a disaster area have been stolen. Li Ming Yue is forced to handle the issue by replacing the missing food as Li Qian continues to drink and drown in his sorrows. Si Kong Zhen visits him.
Si Kong Zhen: Pain makes people lucid. It is painful to be alive.
Li Qian: How would you know the pain in my heart?
Si Kong Zhen: A person who can stay lucid in pain is a person whose life is meaningful. Have you thought about the food robbery and who wants to destroy the House of Zi? Li Qian doesn’t answer but tries to grab the wine bottle back from Si Kong Zhen.
Si Kong Zhen: Five-day time limit, ten thousands dan of grain. You are hopeless and want to die. But what about Ming Yue? Li Qian looks at him at the mention of his wife.
Are you torturing yourself or Ming Yue?
This finally wakes up Li Qian from his stupor and he grabs his clothes and sword to leave.
As Li Ming Yue, Di Wu Cheng and the workers are trying to navigate the grain bags on carts in difficult terrain, they are attacked by bandits. Li Qian appears in time to save his wife. He orders Di Wu Cheng to investigate where the grains have gone to, as it’s better to find the cause than to keep trying to replace the food for now.
[Ep24] The Emperor is angry with the delay in the disaster relief efforts. But Li Qian manages to settle the problem in a timely manner to his father's satisfaction. However, there is still no answer as to who stole the grains in the first place. |
Pretty aerial shot of our kissing couple. |
Li Qian goes home to be comforted by Li Ming Yue. He informs her about his punishment (docked salary for three years) and she gets upset on his behalf. He stops her and just smiles at her - and she realizes that he just lied to her. However, she is also still a bit mad about how he didn’t let her stay beside him before. He apologizes and thanks her for staying with him. He asks if she’ll forgive him and she responds with a kiss.
Later, Li Xun and Qiao Hui Xin pay a visit to the Emperor and Empress. The Emperor is also worried that Li Ming Yue is a bad influence on Li Qian with her lack of knowledge towards Beixuan’s customs and etiquette. Li Xun and Qiao Hui Xin suggest to the Emperor that Li Qian needs a second wife.
The Emperor and Empress summon Li Qian to inform him of his upcoming marriage to Pei Shu Tang, a minister’s daughter. Li Qian tries to reject the Emperor’s orders to marry another woman. But the Emperor threatens to have the demon girl (his wife) dragged to the palace and be spanked to death, as practicing witchcraft and hypnosis are forbidden, if Li Qian doesn’t comply. So he is forced to accept the marriage.
Li Qian comes home to tell his wife about the upcoming marriage and asks her to put away her bell so it won't be discovered. He only says that he wronged her before leaving. (Why wouldn’t he just tell her about the Emperor's exact words?!)
It's Li Qian's wedding night. Li Ming Yue is drunk, and angrily stabbing a watermelon, complaining about her husband, and goes as far as to say that she'll take another husband to Tan Li. Li Qian goes to see Li Ming Yue but he overhears this and now he angrily leaves. Our poor sweet couple.
The next day, Pei Shu Tang pays Li Ming Yue a visit. Pei Shu Tang addresses her as Jie Jie. Li Ming Yue corrects her and says she looks older than her and has no right to call her something so intimate. Haha. Pei Shu Tang tries to make her uncomfortable by talking about Li Qian and how her body is sore this morning. Li Ming Yue offers to change her big, soft bed to an iron bed. Then she asks her to continue talking about the wedding night, and now Pei Shu Tang looks away and says it's inappropriate. Li Qian arrives, and glares at Li Ming Yue and then ignores her. Then he asks Pei Shu Tang to go with him to the palace and when they return, she needs to learn how to run their household. He dismisses Li Ming Yue and just tells her to get more rest. This smells like trouble for him.
She leaves and beats up a pillow in her room, as if it was her husband. Tan Li comes in and tries to hide her distress but fails as Li Ming Yue knows that something is wrong. She finds out that Tan Li is being bullied (burn on her arm, from a fight over a bowl of soup for Li Ming Yue) by one of Pei Shu Tang's maids. Tan Li begs her to not pursue it but she goes to see Pei Shu Tang. She demands an apology from the maid to Tan Li but she refuses, so she slaps the maid. Li Qian walks in and the maid immediately acts as if Li Ming Yue was bullying them and had slapped her for no reason. Li Ming Yue goes to slap her again but Li Qian physically restrains her by grabbing her arm. She jerks her arm out of his grasp and leaves angrily. Tan Li tries to explain what really happened but just leaves instead. Finally, Li Qian leaves as well. Once they're alone, Pei Shu Tang asks her maid to stop creating problems.
Li Ming Yue is angry, throwing her stuff around and says that she wants to leave for Xiyue. Tan Li starts packing everything, and is quicker than Li Ming Yue wants it to be. Ah, of course she was bluffing.
Later Que Yan tells Li Ming Yue that she needs to clean up Li Qian’s study. Then she finds out that he is at Si Kong Zhen's house with Pei Shu Tang. Now she's further enraged about having to clean the room while he's away with his other wife. She declares that she'll make a bigger mess but the room is already a total mess with books, bags, scrolls strewn everywhere. Que Yan tells her that her husband said that she’s the only one allowed to clean this room. Haha, but she hates cleaning! While she’s angrily cleaning up, she finds his clay figurine of her (love token) in a cabinet by itself. She is happily surprised by this, as she thought he had thrown it out. She puts it on a higher shelf. Then she notices a fan so pulls it out and opens it, and a piece of paper falls out. It's a note from Li Qian asking her to meet him at the Luomei pavilion at 5 p.m. She appears happy to find this but says that she won't forgive him.
She meets him at the pavilion and he asks about her packed bags.
[Ep25] Li Ming Yue replies if she needs to report everything to him. Li Qian asks her if she wants to go back to Xiyue. She turns away from him and he gives her a back hug and says that she's probably destroyed his study by now. (Uh, it was already in a sad state to begin with.) She removes his arms to get out of his hug. She looks at him and says that Pei Shu Tang is better suited for him. (She is definitely jealous.) Then she says that she’s leaving for Xiyue tomorrow and turns around to leave. Li Qian stops her with a hand on her arm. He gently turns her around and then places his hands on her arms and asks her to listen to him.
Li Qian: No matter how knowledgeable and mature Pei Shu Tang is, I don't like her. I prefer the kind of princess who doesn't like to read, who likes to play with her scimitar, has a bit of a temper, and who makes a bowl of strange-tasting osmanthus cake.
Li Ming Yue: Really?
Li Qian: Why didn't you ask me if I did it with Pei Shu Tang that night?
She looks at him like he's crazy to even mention it.
Li Ming Yue angrily: Did you?!?
Li Qian smiling: You don't want to go now?
Li Ming Yue scowling: I will listen to it and then leave. Say it.
He explains that he has to put on a show to flush out a spy in their household. On their wedding night, Pei Shu Tang had a pair of scissors ready to use on him but Li Qian quickly snatched it away. He threatened to report her for trying to assassinate a prince. Pei Shu Tang is then forced to reveal that she was sent by Li Xun as a spy to create discord in his marriage and with Xiyue. She was forced to marry him as her lover’s life is being threatened. She knows that he and Li Ming Yue love each other deeply, but there is another spy lurking in his household now. She offers to help him and then hands him an ecstasy pill that Li Xun gave her to put in his tea. He accepts her offer of help and promises to set her free but they will still need to keep up appearances so as not to alert Li Xun. Li Qian also took Pei Shu Tang with him to visit Si Kong Zhen for tea so that she could reunite with her lover, who is being watched by Li Xun. He should've told her this sooner - he knows what her temperament is! lol
They’ve made up. I just love them so much.
Li Qian says that it seemed like she was going back to Xiyue. She tells him that she feels sorry for Pei Shu Tang now. He teases her by suggesting they’ll keep Pei Shu Tang to accompany her then. She throws her arms around his neck. (~10:10, She's in her glorious jealous possessiveness.)
Li Ming Yue: Never. Now you are mine. You are not allowed to look at other women. Then she stands up her tiptoes and kisses him. And then they talk about their plan of attack. Okay, now they've officially made up. lol
At home, Li Qian and Li Ming Yue pretend to be on the verge of divorce by staging various arguments behind closed doors and making sure everyone hears them. Tan Li helps them figure out who the other spy is.
Li Ming Yue then gives the impression that she wants to kill Pei Shu Tang to the maids. She gives each maid a different task. Maid Fu, who is tasked with gunpowder, reports everything to Li Xun and Qiao Hui Xin. Being suspicious that they are just acting, Qiao Hui Xin questions Pei Shu Tang and informs her that Li Ming Yue is planning to kill her with gunpowder. Pei Shu Tang asks to be saved (but she knows who the spy is now).
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Does this look like a man who's been fighting with his first wife? ;)
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Li Qian and Li Ming Yue stage a huge fight in her quarters. Behind those closed doors, they are yelling at each other, throwing things, breaking things - and they’re actually holding hands and hugging each other, too. Li Qian whispers to her that Maid Fu is Li Xun’s spy, and that Qiao Hui Xin suspects that they’re only acting. He goes to kiss her but she stops him. They need make plans first. She suggests that he hit her in front of everyone later. (~20:15 This is a funny scene because of how they’re destroying things - he’s spinning her around in the room and knocking over things. lol) She insists that he needs to hit her but he says that he can't bear to do it. She tells him that for their sake, it's the only way. They are also arguing loudly in between these lines of conversation. He thanks her for her help and they share a kiss at the end of this “fight”.
Later, Li Qian announces to both wives that he will only take Pei Shu Tang to the temple (of God of Marriage), and Li Ming Yue should stay home and reflect on her mistakes. (Di Wu Cheng, Tan Li, and Pei Shu Tang’s maids, including Maid Fu are all there.) Pei Shu Tang walks to Li Ming Yue’s table and thanks her for being understanding. Li Ming Yue gets up and threatens to beat her. Li Qian gets in between them and yells at her to stop behaving this way. She then dares him to hit her. He grabs her arm and asks if she thinks he really wouldn't dare hit her? She eggs him on to hit her. He raises his arm and stops with his arm mid-air. She realizes that he can’t bring himself to do it, so she hypnotizes him to slap her. He slaps her quite hard and then she’s clutching her face. After he slaps her, he snaps out of the trance, looks at his hand and realizes what just happened. (Aww, his heart shattered right there. Gah, I hurt for him!) He catches himself (his eyes are so red now) and angrily tells her that he taught her a lesson today, and that she should behave herself in the future. She runs out of the room clutching her face with Tan Li following her.
Later, Tan Li is rolling a boiled egg on her swollen cheek. She asks Li Ming Yue if there really was no other way. Li Ming Yue happily replies that she didn’t want to use hypnosis but he really cares about her so much now, otherwise how could he hit her? They needed to fool the maids.
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Kink? I like Princess Kang Le's expression here. Hahaha! |
Princess Kang Le shows up angry on her behalf, and wants to confront her brother. Li Ming Yue says he’s her brother, so why is she just siding with her? Her sister-in-law says it doesn’t matter why he hit her as it’s not right. And goes on to say this is enough for her to want to go destroy him. Li Ming Yue asks her how she is going to fight him? She comments that she’s like a mouse before a cat whenever she sees her brother. (I’ve never noticed it but I’m usually too busy laughing at her antics.) Then she says that she is going to go all out and beat him. Li Ming Yue grabs her arm to stop her. Princess Kang Le asks why is she stopping her? Li Ming Yue says she’s planning to beat her husband, so she naturally wants to stop her. Now Princess Kang Le asks her if this is some kink for them. LOL Maid Fu interrupts to bring her green bean cakes from Pei Shu Tang, as a way to ease her pain. Li Ming Yue instead asks her about the gunpowder, and tells her that it’s for fireworks that Princess Kang Le asked for help with, and also mentions to misunderstand anything. Princess Kang Le says when has she ever asked for that. Li Ming Yue tells her that she’s just forgotten about it already. Maid Fu notices all of this and takes her leave. As she’s leaving, Li Ming Yue mentions to Princess Kang Le to not go to the temple. Once Maid Fu leaves, Li Ming Yue fills in Princess Kang Le on the plan.
Maid Fu informs Qiao Hui Xin that Li Ming Yue intends to use gunpowder in dealing with Pei Shu Tang and that Li Qian did hit Li Ming Yue. After Maid Fu leaves, Lu Xin comes into the room and suggests that they should kill both Li Qian and Li Ming Yue then, but Qiao Hui Xin quickly objects as she only wants Li Ming Yue dead. Her excuse is that she wants to see Li Qian suffer through loss and betrayal. Deep down, Li Xun knows that she is still unable to forget about Li Qian. Did he really think she would?
Later, Li Ming Yue visits the temple with Tan Li and she tells the palace official that she has a surprise for Prince Zi, and she wants to bury it in the incense holder, and that her husband must be the first person to light the incense. Once the official leaves, they start hiding something inside the incense holder (it’s a very large pot.) Li Ming Yue talks openly about the plan but Tan Li shushes her. They know that someone is listening to their conversation and watching them as well. The Emperor and Empress are invited by Li Xun to attend the temple.
The next day, the Emperor and family are at the temple (of God of Marriage). Li Qian lights and places the first set of incense with Pei Shu Tang. Then Li Xun asks him about the whereabouts of Li Ming Yue. Li Qian replies that there is something going on at his house so she is handling it. His father agrees that as she is the first wife that she should be there to handle it. Suddenly an official interrupts to warn the Emperor about the gunpowder.
[Ep26] Pei Shu Tang chimes in that Li Ming Yue must be jealous of her to want her dead, and asks Li Qian to help her, but then she falls into a faint. Qiao Hui Xin insists on accompanying Pei Shu Tang to take her back to Ling House, so they leave together.
Maid Fu suddenly comes forward to say that it is Li Ming Yue who asked her to buy the gunpowder but she didn’t know that she was going to kill anyone with it. Li Xun goes forward to the incense holder and unearths a large bag. He immediately suggests going to Zi House to bring in Li Ming Yue. But Li Qian stops him and takes the bag from him to reveal some talismans for harmonious marriage rather than any gunpowder. Li Xun is confused by this. Meanwhile, Pei Shu Tang finds a way to escape from Qiao Hui Xin and reunites with her lover with the help of Si Kong Zhen.
Li Xun asks where all the gunpowder has gone to. Suddenly the sky lights up with fireworks. Princess Kang Le comes running in with Song Jin Yu and Li Ming Yue, and asks if her father and his wife enjoyed her surprise - the fireworks. She also tells them that she learned how to make fireworks from Li Ming Yue.
Qiao Hui Xin returns to the palace to report that Pei Shu Tang is missing, and accuses Li Qian of having her kidnapped. Li Xun accuses his brother of planning all of this.
Li Qian: Is it me who brought Father here today? Is it me who wanted to investigate this case? Is it me who was determined to send Pei Shu Tang to your house? If not, to say that this is my plan is ridiculous. Not to mention, I want to ask you and your wife for her. If you cannot get my second wife back, I will never give up.
The Emperor is now angered by Li Xun’s lack of judgment and misinterpreting everything and Qiao Hui Xin’s incompetence. He orders a citywide search for Pei Shu Tang and fires the official who investigated the case. He orders Li Xun to be put under house arrest and to reflect on his actions and Maid Fu is now ordered to be spanked to death. The Emperor, Empress and officials leave.
Qiao Hui Xin looking at Li Qian: Did Pei Shu Tang betray us long ago?
Li Qian glaring: She is a person, not a tool. Naturally, she has her own ideas. Just like today, it is what you and my brother did. Do not blame others.
At home, Li Ming Yue and Li Qian are finally alone together in her room. He confirms that he had the gunpowder replaced after Li Xun’s henchman had confirmed the gunpowder first. She then asks him what he would do if the Emperor asks him to marry again. He tells her in the future, even if the Emperor orders him to marry again, he would rather die than comply. He asks if she's satisfied with that answer. She replies how can she be satisfied with that? (Yeah, he'd be dead, what good is that?) He carries her off to bed.
At home Li Xun is defeated and just wants to live a contented life with Qiao Hui Xin. But Qiao Hui Xin is not satisfied and still wants to avenge her father’s death. She wants Li Xun to be superior to Li Qian. He continues to love her, even if she won't love him ever. Ugh.
Di Wu Cheng brings news that a group from Xiyue are coming to the palace for the Emperor’s birthday celebration. Li Qian needs to go out of town to meet the group, which includes the new Crowned Prince, Kai Er Bi and Pugu Yun Si. Si Kong Zhen says, “We just sent one away, and now there is another one coming.” (Pei Shu Tang --> Pugu Yun Si.) In the time that he’s been gone, Pugu Yun Si has now become a powerful military commander having won several wars and taking over smaller kingdoms for Xiyue.
Li Qian is sitting in the swing in the courtyard at night, and he is depressed thinking about Pugu Yun Si's return to Beixuan. Li Ming Yue finds him there, and tells him, “It's too late. This Princess Consort cannot sleep alone, so I deliberately came to bring you back to rest.” However, his only response is that he’s said those words to her before (Ep12). He has such a sad look in his eyes.
He tells her that Pugu Yun Si is coming back with her brother, Prince Kai Er Bi. She sits next to him on the swing and then tells him that she is happy that they're coming for a visit. She also tells him that she has let go of all of her past feelings and that she only sees Pugu Yun Si as an old friend. She then goes to sit on his lap and asks if he’s going to sleep with her now. With a smile, he tells her that she’s becoming less disciplined and he’s going to teach her a lesson. She laughs and he carries her off to bed.
The next morning, Shifei (her Xiyue horse) just shows up without a rider. Li Ming Yue gets on the horse to go for a ride but the horse suddenly takes off from someone else’s cue. The horse leads her directly to Pugu Yun Si, who is waiting for her in the forest. (I truly enjoyed not hearing this man for the last 8 eps!) He presents her with a Yixue bride's crown. He still wants Li Ming Yue to be his bride. She rejects it. He looks shocked and angered by this, but he talks about all the wars, making the army stronger, especially against Beixuan, and that now even the King of Xiyue (her father) wouldn’t dare control him.
Li Qian comes back home with Kai Er Bi and is informed by Tan Li that Li Ming Yue was taken away on a horse. Kai Er Bi realizes it must have Pugu Yun Si, and promises to punish him when he finds him. They split up with Kai Er Bi looking for him and Li Qian looking for his wife.
Back in the forest, Li Ming Yue continues telling Pugu Yun Si that she made the choice for herself and that she truly loves Li Qian. She continues that she is happy to see him again, and treats him as her xiongdi. He gets enraged by this, slams the crown on the ground, and tells her that he doesn't want to be her xiongdi. (Another tantrum.) Li Ming Yue leaves with Shifei. Qiao Hui Xin comes out from her hiding spot and smirks at the discarded crown. Pugu Yun Si tells her, “I believe it now that as long as Li Qian is not dead, Aimaila will not look back.” I seriously hate the way he says her Xiyue name.
[Ep27] Li Qian meets with Pugu Yun Si and accuses him of kidnapping his wife. Pugu Yun Si tells him that he only wanted to see her and she should be arriving home by now. Pugu Yun Si then gives him two choices: return Aimaila to him and Beixuan will remain safe (no war), or keep her and go to war. Li Qian vows that he will protect both his wife and Beixuan, much to Pugu Yun Si’s anger. Li Qian also vows to fight him until the end and then leaves.
Back at home, Li Ming Yue is waiting for Li Qian. Li Qian runs to her and hugs her. Then he tells her that he met with Pugu Yun Si, who was deliberately waiting for him, and indicated that he was not going to give up on having Li Ming Yue. He also tells her that she must not go out alone in the future. She tells him to not worry as she will listen to him. She also mentions that she hasn’t her brother. Now Li Qian is worried and sends out Di Wu Cheng to look for him.
In bed that night, Li Qian is hugging Li Ming Yue tightly. She tells him it’s been two hours already and asks for him to let go of her and he refuses. Poor guy, I can’t blame him. Di Wu Cheng returns to report that he was unable to locate Kai Er Bi nor his servants. He only found his horse, and his sword which was covered in blood by an abandoned house. Now Li Qian is out of the bed. Di Wu Cheng shows him the sword and suggests going with him but is told to stay and stand guard outside Li Ming Yue’s room, and he’s not allowed to leave his post. Li Qian tells his wife that she is not allowed to go outside, and to wait for his return. She looks distressed but doesn’t argue and just asks him to be careful. He leaves to look for Kai Er Bi.
Li Qian gets to the abandoned house with Kai Er Bi’s sword and finds several slaughtered men outside the house. Pugu Yun Si shows up and is framing Li Qian for killing these men and kidnapping Kai Er Bi. The two men appear before the Emperor with Pugu Yun Si accusing Li Qian of those crimes. Li Qian explains that he was with Kai Er Bi in the city, but then they split up. Then he sent out Di Wu Cheng to look for him and only his horse and sword were found. And when he showed up at the abandoned house, he had found the slain men. The Emperor asks him why he went to investigate alone, and Li Qian said he was very concerned and wanted to bring back Li Ming Yue’s brother. Li Qian offers the search of his home, which Pugu Yun Si refuses as he considers it useless. Pugu Yun Si wants Li Qian to admit to the crimes and stop being protected by Beixuan. Pugu Yun Si demands that they hand over Kai Er Bi in one day or Xiyue will start a war against Beixuan.
Li Qian suspects Qiao Hui Xin is helping Pugu Yun Si with the kidnapping as the words Pugu Yun Si used were similar to what Li Qian had said to Qiao Hui Xin previously. (Ep26, All things happened due to your choices today. Do not blame others.)
Pugu Yun Si and Qiao Hui Xin are indeed behind Kai Er Bi's kidnapping. Qiao Hui Xin gave him the idea to kidnap Kai Er Bi. She advises Pugu Yun Si that keeping Kai Er Bi will create more problems. Pugu Yun Si takes an injured Kai Er Bi with him but Li Xun discovers them. Qiao Hui Xin lets them leave. Then Li Xun tells Qiao Hui Xin that her involvement in Kai Er Bi’s kidnapping is considered an act of treason. Qiao Hui Xin in turn threatens Li Xun to keep quiet as she has found out the secret concerning Li Qian’s mother’s death. (Now she wants to trample on the only person who has been on her side the entire time.) Li Xun is worried about Beixuan being in a war.
Li Qian comes home and hugs Li Ming Yue and apologizes for losing her brother. He tells her that her brother's servants are dead, and that he's being framed for Kai Er Bi's disappearance as he was the last person to see him. She is worried and knows that he didn’t do this. However, Li Qian is unable to reveal the entire truth to Li Ming Yue as the thought of losing her pains him. He is aware that Pugu Yun Si wants Li Ming Yue in exchange for Kai Er Bi, thus this war would then be avoided.
Later, when Li Qian confronts Qiao Hui Xin at her home, she is cold and refuses to help him locate Kai Er Bi. He continues pressing her about Kai Er Bi’s location. She just accuses him of being bewitched by Li Ming Yue. She taunts him that he knows where Kai Er Bi is, what that person (Pugu Yun Si) wants, and he needs to make the right choice. And it’s none of her business. He gives her a disgusted look before he leaves.
Li Ming Yue confronts Pugu Yun Si as she suspects Pugu Yun Si to be the kidnapper (and she’s figured out why he is doing this). She knows Li Qian didn’t do any of the crimes he’s accused of. She knows that he’s trying to ruin Li Qian. She asks why he would treat Kai Er Bi this way, as they're supposed to be close like brothers. Pugu Yun Si says if they're brothers why did he take Li Ming Yue away from him. She asks him why he won’t let this go, and goes on to say that she has forgiven her brother. She wants to know what happened to him.
Pugu Yun Si: Love is the most unpredictable magic in the world. It makes selfish people selfless. It makes cowardly people brave. It makes smart people dumb. Naturally, it will make bold and unrestrained people stubborn and despicable. If I can be so cruel earlier, maybe I won't lose you. You are mine. You were, and you will continue to be.
He then forces a kiss on her but she shoves him off of her and slaps him on the face. Li Ming Yue tells Pugu Yun Si that she will kill him if he harms her brother and then she leaves.
Now Li Qian and Li Xun are both before the Emperor, who blames Li Qian for not handling the matter properly. Li Qian suggests that he will personally go to Xiyue to negotiate peace. Li Xun agrees and says that he can’t bring too many soldiers so as to not incite anger with Xiyue and start the war. The Emperor doesn’t want Li Qian to go and wants more options but Li Qian says there is no other way. Li Xun then requests that Li Ming Yue be placed under house arrest at Ling House The Emperor agrees to place her under house arrest at the palace. Li Qian asks that the Emperor be kind to Li Ming Yue.
[Ep28] Li Qian is getting ready to leave for Xiyue, and it's a tearful goodbye for the couple. He has red eyes and is sniffling when he sees her helping with his packed items. She hands him a wine bag, but she's not making eye contact with him.
Li Ming Yue: Drink a little when you're cold. Drink a little when you're hurting. Drink a little when you're not sleeping. She finally looks him in the eyes, and her eyes are full of tears. And also drink a little when you miss me.
Li Qian: If I drink a little when I miss you, before I leave the city, this wine will be already finished. When I miss you, leave it up to me.
Li Ming Yue: But I don't need to miss you. I don't want to worry about you. I just want you to come back soon, and let me see you every day. Let me hold you every day. Sorry, it's all because of me. It's my fault. She starts crying and he kisses her.
He tells her to wait for him to return, and he will then pick a flower for her as they will be blooming by the time he returns and will brew two cups of tea for them. She promises to wait for him, and asks him to remember that she is waiting for him. They share another kiss.
Li Qian makes arrangements to have Si Kong Zhen and Di Wu Cheng protecting the palace on the outside while Princess Kang Le will be inside with Li Ming Yue. Song Jin Yu is responsible for keeping Princess Kang Le in line. More like she keeps him in line. lol Li Qian gets ready to leave on horseback with only four soldiers.
Li Qian’s thoughts: Ming Yue, regarding the danger of this trip, I dare not say. I'm afraid that if I say it, I won't see you before the flowers fall. I hope that I can return soon. I will not miss the flowers, and I will not miss seeing you.
At the palace, Li Ming Yue already misses Li Qian and is waiting for his return. Princess Kang Le tries to cheer her up.
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The dark couple. (I'm only offering one viewing of these two.) |
Meanwhile, Qiao Hui Xian finally burns the lock of Li Qian's hair. (Still creepy.) She vows that Li Qian will die as revenge for her father’s death. Li Xun sees the lock of hair burning and consoles her.
When Li Qian reaches Pugu Yun Si’s army camp, he goes in alone, and leaves his four soldiers outside the camp. Inside the tent, Li Qian tells Pugu Yun Si that he will repay Li Ming Yue’s debt to him to make things even. This results in Li Qian removing his armor, and then piercing himself twice with an arrow to repay Li Yun Si for the times Pugu Yun Si has saved Li Ming Yue’s life. This is not enough and Pugu Yun Si tells him that the debt can only be repaid in person by Li Ming Yue. So he kills a few of his own men and frames Li Qian for killing them and a fight breaks out. Pugu Yun Si says he won't try to kill him himself but allows his men to try to so Aimaila won’t think that he killed her husband. I'm sure she'd know who had ordered it. One of the four Beixuan soldiers rushes back to the palace to report about the threat to Li Qian’s life as planned, and the others sacrifice themselves to help Li Qian escape while Pugu Yun Si orders for his capture.
Qiao Hui Xin seeks out Li Ming Yue to gloat about Li Qian’s predicament and to tell her that she'll never see Li Qian again. The Emperor’s aide overhears their conversation as Qiao Hui Xin seems revengeful over the death of her father at Li Qian’s hands. Li Ming Yue doesn't believe it as she believes in and understands Li Qian. She asks Qiao Hui Xin how can she say that she loves him if she doesn’t understand nor believe in him? Qiao Hui Xin seems confused by this, and leaves after telling her, let’s see how long she can endure it (the waiting).
Li Ming Yue then decides to escape the palace to look for her husband. Princess Kang Le, Si Kong Zhen, and Song Jin Yu help her escape the palace. (The palace has terrible security. And why are they going against Li Qian’s wishes?!) Li Xun tells Qiao Hui Xin that Li Ming Yue has escaped and is now considered a fugitive. He knows that she doesn’t want Li Ming Yue to come back alive.
[Ep29] Si Kong Zhen accompanies Li Ming Yue to look for Li Qian. But Li Xun’s soldiers manage to catch up to them. Si Kong Zhen has Li Ming Yue to travel on without him as he stays to fight them off. Si Kong Zhen successfully escapes but is seriously injured. Li Ming Yue is on her way to Pugu Yun Si’s camp, while Li Qian is traveling in the opposite direction, so they miss each other on the road. (I hate this so much.)
Qiao Hui Xin wants to join Li Xun to look for Li Qian. She says that she wants to see Li Qian suffer and step on him to resolve her hatred. As the Emperor has given Li Xun command of an army to rescue Li Qian, they now have the resources to get rid of the people that she hates. Li Ming Yue reaches Pugu Yun Si’s camp and demands to see her brother and Li Qian. Pugu Yun Si insists on Li Ming Yue’s love. He offers her a bracelet that she liked from the last time they were in Xiyue together, but she keeps asking about her brother and Li Qian. He won’t answer her question and continues showing her mementos of their shared past. He tells her that her relationship with Li Qian is fake and as a result of hypnosis. He insists that theirs is the real one. She acknowledges that his love for her and her love for him, at that time, was real but they are different people now and they can’t go back. He tells her that he can take her back. She replies that she already has a home now. He replies that he doesn’t believe that she willingly agreed to that marriage but at the same time, he is afraid to believe it is true. (So he’s going to stay in total denial.)
Li Ming Yue: Everything in the world has its own time to be born and to die. No manpower can reverse it. He walks closer to her and holds on her arms.
Pugu Yun Si passionately: As for me, you are my world, always, from beginning to end. And everything in your world suddenly changed to Li Qian. What is my fault? Why should I accept this fate?
Li Ming Yue: You're not wrong and neither am I. Yun Si, I want to see my second brother and Li Qian. He just stares at her and then finally drops his hold on her arms and walks away.
Pugu Yun Si angrily: You have no right to request these things now.
She tells him that she knows he wants her to be unattached and willing to stay with him. She is then taken to see Kai Er Bi, who is tied up in a chair, looking more beaten up and blindfolded. Her brother asks her why she came and tells her to hurry up and leave. Pugu Yun Si says that he’s blindfolded because he knows hypnosis. She asks that he release Kai Er Bi and she'll marry him. Kai Er Bi protests and says “No. You can't marry this despicable villain!” Pugu Yun Si then states that he needs to stay for the wedding. Li Ming Yue asks about Li Qian while removing her bracelet. Pugu Yun Si notices her fiddling with the bracelet and removes it from her hand. He then orders Kai Er Bi to hypnotize Ming Yue to make her forget Li Qian, or he'll kill him and she’ll have to painfully marry him with memories of Li Qian. Kai Er Bi agrees, is untied and takes the bracelet from Pugu Yun Si. He touches her forehead and then tells her to return to her time in Xiyue, that she’s never been to Beixuan, nor has she met Li Qian, and there is no one by the name of Li Ming Yue, and she is the Xiyue Princess, Aimaila. She faints into her brother’s arms after the session.
Song Jin Yu has found Si Kong Zhen (apparently, they share some telepathic abilities), and have him stowed away in Princess Kang Le’s room. However, Princess Kang Le and Song Jin Yu are busy bickering as usual. Si Kong Zhen complains about the lack of medical attention - no bandages or medicine, and instead he has to listen to them quarrel by his bedside. (These two useless fools...LOL)
Aimaila and Pugu Yun Si are on a walk, and he tests her by calling her Ming Yue, which she does not respond. He calls her by Ming Yue again and she tells him to stop talking about the moon in the daytime. (It’s a pun for her Beixuan name.) He continues testing her by giving her a sachet, which she says is a love token in Beixuan. She pulls out her scimitar and says this is much better. She goes on to say that he's so kind and so he asks for a reward - a kiss. She acts shy so he hugs her instead (but he has doubts that she's really forgotten about Li Qian, and he hopes that she isn't lying to him.) Li Ming Yue recalls how her brother touched her forehead (which is not a requirement) and wordlessly signaled for her to play along/pretend to be hypnotized. (Maybe her brother finally learned his lesson in hypnotizing her.)
They are now drinking wine and he asks if she loves him. She replies that naturally she loves him. He then starts undressing but she looks almost panicked and says that they should wait until their wedding night.
Pugu Yun Si almost menacingly with an intense stare: You and I are so deeply in love. No matter when we do it, it will be wonderful. (It’s so revolting how he says this.) He lifts her chin to look her in the eyes and she looks away. She meets his gaze and he starts putting his clothes back on.
Pugu Yun Si: Stop pretending Aimaila. I can't lie to you, but you can't lie to me either. You have never forgotten the past.
Li Ming Yue: What did I lie to you about? When did I lose my memory? Why don’t I remember?
He doesn’t respond but walks away from her and pulls out her clay figurine of Li Qian from under the table. She looks at him and at the love token and doesn’t say anything but her eyes are fluttering nervously. He just throws the figurine and it breaks into pieces. She doesn’t say anything but she is looking intensely at the broken pieces on the floor. He says that Kai Er Bi lied to him and that he won’t let him go. Now Li Ming Yue looks up at him and asks him why is he making others suffer because of something between them? He replies that he can’t let go of her and just wants his Aimaila back. He then tells her that she will be locked up in this room until the wedding.
Li Ming Yue: You know that I only have Li Qian in my heart. You know that even if you force me, it can only make you and I suffer.
Pugu Yun Si scoffs: It will not be more painful than now.
He then orders for the room to be locked up and leaves her alone in there.
Meanwhile, Si Kong Zhen is still asking for medical attention. Song Jin Yu and Princess Kang Le explain that they can't let the maids see him nor get a doctor. (They’re all in trouble for helping Li Ming Yue escape.) Si Kong Zhen says he’ll do it himself and asks for clean cotton and medicinal alcohol. These two are clueless about which medicine to use or or how to apply the bandages. Si Kong Zhen says that he should go back to the brothel as it’s not a good idea to die in Princess Kang Le’s bed. He also tells Song Jin Yu that the right to die in Princess Kang Le’s bed is his, and he won’t fight with him about it so please save him first. LOL This poor guy. Now Song Jin Yu and Princess Kang Le are fighting about who will tend to him. She says that looking at Si Kong Zhen’s state of undress would be akin to looking at pork and she doesn’t mind. Song Jin Yu says that he minds, and then changes it to Si Kong Zhen will mind. And they’re back to arguing and physically fighting about who will undress him and tend to his wounds, and they actually injure him further. LOL
Li Qian has arrived back at the camp and has rescued Kai Er Bi.
[Ep30]
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