Episode 16 recap: Cui Lin lived in Zhenxi Army.
While Cui Lin was grinding herbs, Li Yi asked her if she spoke hurtful words to him because she felt wronged. Cui Lin, feeling sad, tearfully mocked herself, saying that she didn't hurt his heart because she had been deceiving Li Yi all along. She even claimed that her affection for Li Yi was fake. However, Li Yi assured her that his feelings for her were genuine.
Gu Xiang received a letter from Li Yi, indicating that he already had a plan to retake Xi Changjing. Gu Wanniang learned about Li Yi's letter and realized that he had a plan. She asked her father if he could figure out Li Yi's intentions, but Gu Xiang admitted that Li Yi was always unpredictable, and he couldn't guess. As Cui Lin continued grinding the herbs, she recalled a childhood memory of being saved by Lord Cui when she was fleeing from pursuers.
Thinking about their childhood moments, she couldn't help but shed tears. She didn't even realize that her fingers were bleeding from the grinding. When Li Yi approached and noticed, he told Cui Lin that she enjoyed playing chess, so he would gift her a set without her having to exert so much effort. Cui Lin replied that Lord Cui enjoyed playing chess, and she had promised to give him a set of chess pieces that she had personally polished.
She knew that she might never have another chance to give it to him. Li Yi held her hand, and Cui Lin said that her Lord had already sacrificed himself for her by plunging into the water, so why couldn't she do something for him? Li Yi asked if she still blamed herself for not saving Lord Cui, and she admitted that she was lying to him. In truth, she had long been infatuated with Lord Cui.
Li Yi realized that he had misunderstood Cui Lin, and she was deeply hurt. Cui Lin knew how to make herself sad, and the things she said were meant to hurt herself. She confessed to him that she had been deceiving him all along and that her affection for him was also fake. However, Li Yi believed that regardless of whether Cui Lin's feelings were genuine or not, his own feelings for her were sincere.
He also understood Cui Lin's emotions towards him, and he didn't believe her when she claimed her affection was fake. Li Yi handed Cui Lin a bag of candies and told her that no matter how angry she was at him, she shouldn't play with her own well-being. Chang'er happily went to find Tao Zi, but Tao Zi didn't want to talk to him, and Chang'er couldn't understand why. Tao Zi had already left.
Tao Zi came to deliver medicine to Cui Lin again. Cui Lin told her that she had said many harsh words to Li Yi earlier, but Li Yi... Cui Lin didn't continue speaking.
Tao Zi feels that if they stay here, Cui Yi will definitely worry. The two of them discussed escaping together and returning to Yingzhou. They believed that they needed to start with Li Yi. Cui Lin had already gone to sleep, and Li Yi approached her bedside. He expressed concern that Cui Lin only had a bowl of herbal soup at night and hadn't eaten any food, which would surely harm her vitality. Li Yi felt that even if she was angry with him, she shouldn't joke about her own well-being.
Cui Lin remained indifferent, but Li Yi tried to console her with Tao Zi's words. He said that Cui Lin should consider Tao Zi's feelings because Tao Zi would also be upset seeing her in this state. Cui Lin told him not to use Tao Zi to comfort herself. She and Tao Zi were like sisters, and whatever happened to her, Tao Zi would experience it too.
Li Yi gave Cui Lin a handmade mouse and then left, but Cui Lin threw the mouse outside, and Li Yi picked it up again. After Prince Liang ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, he appointed Li Yi as the King of Zhen to retake Xi Changjing. Li Yi felt like he was being grilled over a fire. If he couldn't reclaim Xi Changjing, punishment would be inevitable.
Cui Lin believed that with Li Yi being appointed as the King of Zhen, there would be many people trying to curry favor with him, and he didn't need to please her anymore. Li Yi mentioned how Cui Lin used to call him "Imperial Grandson" before and now called him "Your Highness." He asked if she would never call him "Seventeenth Lang" again. Cui Lin was about to leave, but Li Yi stopped her.
Li Yi squatted in front of Cui Lin and begged for her forgiveness. He promised not to unjustly accuse Cui Lin anymore. Cui Lin then requested that he let Tao Zi and herself return to Yingzhou, but Li Yi didn't agree. Cui Lin and Tao Zi tried to figure out a way to escape. Tao Zi went to tell Li Yi that Cui Lin wanted to eat fish meatball soup.
Li Yi thought it was rare for Cui Lin to want to eat something, so he personally went to the kitchen to make it. Chang'er ran over and begged for Tao Zi's forgiveness. Tao Zi asked him to help her buy medicinal ingredients, and Chang'er obediently bought everything she needed. Li Yi came to Cui Lin's door every day, leaving a bouquet of flowers, but they were never taken inside.
Finally, Cui Lin opened the door and took the flowers inside. Tao Zi also informed Cui Lin that Li Yi's apology was sincere and heartfelt.
The mindset of the female protagonist fully demonstrates that she prioritizes her own happiness over the pain of others. From saving them and sheltering them inside Dongguan after rescuing them from under Cui Li's blade, to then voluntarily betraying her benefactors and allies to the enemy's army, causing the deaths of so many people.
But when she returned and had an argument with the other party, everything was forgiven. And she was in the wrong for not saving her cousin when he was being killed? She knew Cui Lin had betrayed her, and she still got angry and drew her sword.
But she gets angry when someone doesn't save her? What right does she have to get angry? Immature.