Episode 24 recap: Cui Lin and Li Yi had an argument
Sun Jing used Taicun as a shield, standing in front of him Li Yi couldn't believe that Sun Jing would use a child as a shield, thinking he had no courage Sun Jing told him to stop talking and threatened to kill Taicun immediately if they didn't retreat Li Yi told him to stop and offered his own life in exchange for Taicun's
Cui Lin believed that Taicun, being young, wouldn't be capable of governing the world if he grew up to be incompetent. Sun Jing sent Lady Wei away, and she was reluctant to leave and wanted to stay with Sun Jing at Zong Pass. Sun Jing knew that the upcoming battle with the Zhenxi Army was a fight for survival, and they shouldn't stay there.
Li Yi led the Zhenxi Army, while Cui Lin led the Cui Family Army, and they reached the gates of Zong Pass. Sun Jing's subordinates wanted him to leave first, saying that the green mountains would remain even if there were no firewood. Sun Jing believed that he wouldn't leave, no matter where they went. His subordinates informed him that the combined forces of the Zhenxi Army and the Cui Family Army outnumbered them tenfold. Sun Jing believed that the soldiers outside were all fighting, and he couldn't leave.
Sun Jing had his subordinates bring Taicun to him and used him to threaten Li Yi and the others. Sun Jing told them that Taicun was in his hands now and they should listen to him. Li Yi asked him what he wanted to do, and Sun Jing told him to go back and tell his father to return the throne to Taicun.
Li Xuan Ze told Li Yi not to mind him and to kill Sun Jing to bring peace to the world. Li Yi told Sun Jing that he was willing to exchange his own life for Li Xuan Ze's, but Li Xuan Ze and the generals of the Zhenxi Army disagreed.
Just as Li Yi was about to cut his own throat with a sword, Cui Lin arrived in time and shot the sword out of his hand with an arrow. Cui Lin told Li Yi that the child he brought was the real Taicun, and the child by Sun Jing's side was a fake. Sun Jing didn't believe it. He knew that when they captured Taicun, there was a seal on his body. Cui Lin told him that if he was the real Taicun, why would he have the seal on him for verification?
The soldiers were somewhat swayed by Cui Lin's words. At that moment, Cui Lin shouted for all the generals to listen to his command. Whoever could kill Sun Jing would not only be rewarded with a noble title but also receive ten thousand gold. The soldiers rushed forward upon hearing the order, and General Han took the opportunity to take Li Xuan Ze away.
In the end, Sun Jing was defeated by Cui Lin and Li Yi's forces. Li Yi asked him if he had ever imagined such an outcome when he first rose up in rebellion. Sun Jing believed that he was brave and skilled, and if it weren't for being poisoned, he wouldn't have ended up like this.
Sun Jing told them that he would not let them take his life, and he ended his own life with a sword. Lady Wei and her son were also captured while fleeing, and Sun Jing's rebellion came to an end. Li Xuan Ze was taken away during the chaos, and Li Yi still believed that the child brought by Cui Lin was the real Taicun. Cui Lin told him that the real Taicun was the child in Sun Jing's hands, but he had been taken away by someone in the confusion.
Li Yi became anxious upon hearing this. He had promised Consort Xiao that he would save Taicun. Because of this, Li Yi scolded Cui Lin, who understood what he was thinking. Li Yi wanted to bring back the real Taicun and have the Emperor designate him as the Crown Prince.
Cui Lin told him that the situation in the world was still unsettled, and the ministers in the court were not stable. Just because Li Yi thought that way didn't mean that all the ministers in the court thought the same. Li Yi felt that Cui Lin, who understood righteousness so well, should have consulted with him beforehand. The two of them had a big argument about this, and Cui Lin felt that he had meddled too much.
Liu Cheng Feng came to find Li Yi again and told him that he wanted to contend for the throne with him. Li Yi felt that his elder brother should have the priority, and it wasn't his turn. Liu Cheng Feng told him that if Li Yi married Cui Lin, then both the Zhenxi Army and the Cui Family Army would follow Li Yi's command, and the people of the world would also support Li Yi.
Li Yi agreed to the joint invitation from Liu Cheng Feng, and the two of them discussed killing Li Yi. Cui Lin was still angry, and Tao Zi whispered many things in her ear, but Cui Lin still didn't mention Li Yi. Chang Er and Lao Bao were also very anxious, and Tao Zi told Chang Er a plan.
Chang Er felt that it was inappropriate, so he told Lao Bao, who was very satisfied. They immediately followed Tao Zi's suggestion and drugged Li Yi. Taking this medicine would make him sick. But unexpectedly, Li Yi saw through Lao Bao's plan. He didn't expose it and allowed Lao Bao to eat the drugged pastry.
To disturb Li Yi's thoughts and take Cui Lin away, Liu Cheng Feng had Ah Shu give Cui Lin the medicine to reveal her true appearance. Cui Lin indeed fell seriously ill, and Tao Zi hurriedly went to find Li Yi to visit her. However, Li Yi didn't believe her and thought she was pretending to be sick. No matter what Tao Zi said, he refused to visit Cui Lin.
From the very beginning when Li Yi went to Laoslan Pass, it was evident that he didn't want to compete. The Li Dynasty itself was foolish, and if someone as smart as Li Yi wanted to compete, wouldn't he have succeeded?
Does it mean that just because his surname is Li, he must become emperor? That's why he would rather hide his identity and serve at the border as a loyal soldier, avoiding the internal conflicts of the palace.
Although he was eventually forced to reveal his identity due to his outstanding achievements, it's clear that he just wanted to live as an ordinary person, with brothers and a loved one. Becoming an emperor means being bound by countless responsibilities, and it's not the fairy tale ending that many imagine.
In reality, Li Yi sees through it all!
Shiliulang, who is carefree and unrestrained, cannot simply return to Laoslan Pass amidst the chaotic times. Moreover, the Cui family's military power has no successor now. How could Cui Lin leave her father and go to Laoslan Pass with you?
The outcome of the Cui family's involvement in the Camp is evident, even without wielding military power.
Why doesn't Shiliulang think about what will happen to him once he loses his military authority?
Would he still have his life? Ayin originally wanted peace in the world. Why doesn't he ask or consider that her aspirations are not aligned with his, and yet he keeps wanting to take her back with him?
Shiliulang cannot simply return to Laoslan Pass amidst the chaotic times. With your foolish father ruling the world, how can there be peace? Even if Taisun is the crown prince, it's difficult to prevent some people from harboring murderous intentions.
You can choose not to compete for the throne and not become the crown prince, and Cui Lin can choose not to persuade you. It would be better for both of you to go your separate ways, and in the end, you may not even have the chance to return alive.
Furthermore, the Cui family's military power has no successor now. How could Cui Lin abandon her father and go to Laoslan Pass with you? It's clear that the Cui family's outcome is evident even without holding military authority.
Ayin originally wanted peace in the world, so how could she choose to live in seclusion now? From the beginning, the two of you had different aspirations. Li Yi's upbringing has also shaped him in a way that it would be difficult for him to become a ruler without undergoing personal growth.
Cui Lin cannot persuade him because their ambitions are not aligned.
In short, if the two of you cannot understand each other, then it's better not to be together. Love without trust is truly exhausting.
From a young age, he lacked maternal and paternal love. He lived in the palace, exhausted from the intricate power struggles for over a decade. On the other hand, at Laoslan Pass, he lived carefree and unrestrained for seven years with a group of brothers who were willing to risk their lives.
He never wanted to compete for power. In his world of benevolence, he knew that striving for power would undoubtedly result in countless deaths and injuries, including those around him and future generations. Choosing not to compete might just offer him a chance to return to his previously free life.