Episode 24 recap: The Queen was mistakenly killed by Xiao Quan.
Xiao Quan learned that the prison had caught fire and Yan Zhang Yun's body was completely destroyed, originally suspecting that she had been blown up. But when he found out that Fushou had married the Emperor, he dismissed this suspicion, thinking that if Yan Zhang Yun were still alive, Fushou would never have married the Emperor. The Queen was placed under house arrest, and Xiao Quan immediately panicked and ordered Xue Ying to take action.
Xiao Quan came to find Bai Yi and told him to start moving. Bai Yi had suddenly lost two beloved disciples, and he began to doubt whether he had been wrong all these years, while Xiao Quan at this point only cared about seizing the throne and nothing else mattered. Chuyue watched the courtyard being decorated for the wedding, and she still harbored resentment towards Fushou. She couldn't wait to marry the Emperor right after Yan Zhang Yun's death.
Wei Tian Jiao told Chuyue that Fushou had actually exchanged her lifelong happiness to save Yan Zhang Yun. Learning that Yan Zhang Yun was not dead, Chuyue finally realized where she had gone wrong. As Fushou was being crowned as the Imperial Consort, Xiao Quan quietly led a group of men to invade the palace. The Queen herself conferred the golden seal on Fushou, but just as the Emperor was about to retire with Fushou, a guard came to report that the palace had been invaded.
Fushou drew her sword to protect the Emperor, and at this moment Xiao Quan revealed himself. The Queen was shocked to see her brother, and the Emperor warned Xiao Quan that a rebellious son like him would meet a bad end. Soon, Yan Zhang Yun and the Qianyu Guard arrived to the rescue. When Xiao Quan tried to attack the Emperor, Yan Zhang Yun appeared, and Xiao Quan realized she was not dead. The Emperor had already set a trap, and the secret guards came out from hiding to kill all of Xiao Quan's men.
Xiao Quan was left alone. He laid down his weapon, saying he would submit to the Emperor's judgment. But he secretly drew a dagger to stab the Emperor, and the Queen rushed to shield the Emperor, getting fatally stabbed instead. Xiao Quan wailed in anguish at the Queen's death. He was captured, and the news spread widely among the people. Bai Yi and his disciples left the Southern Kingdom.
The Emperor went to the Queen's chambers, and Fushou gave him the Queen's self-ground orchid powder. The Emperor then realized the Queen's devotion to him, and deeply regretted his past neglect of her. Her sewing of his clothes lay on the bed, which she had stitched for him overnight, further saddening the Emperor.
Xiao Quan was exiled to the borderlands, and on the journey he plotted to commit suicide, but the escorts could not allow him to die so easily.
Chuyue, in order to atone for her sins, had already shaved her head and become a nun. The Emperor held a list and was about to start investigating Xiao Quan's informants, terrifying the trembling officials. But the Emperor decided not to pursue the matter further, and publicly burned the list, announcing that the southern regions would have their taxes reduced and that he was focused on development.
The Emperor proclaimed to the world, clarifying that the Qin family had been harmed by Xiao Quan, and pardoned all Qin family members, allowing them to share the ancestral temple.
Yan Zhang Yun was finally able to openly mourn his father, and showed the edict to his ancestors, clearing the Qin family's name. The Emperor wanted to reward Yan Zhang Yun and Fushao, and Fushao brazenly asked for the courtyard and jewels, but was interrupted by Yan Zhang Yun, who said she could only have Yan Zhang Yun.
Yan Zhang Yun requested to go to the border regions with Fushao to fight side-by-side. The Emperor explained to Fushao that when he was in the prison, he had conspired with Qinyan to have Yan Zhang Yun fake his death, so that Xiao Quan would have no reservations about starting a rebellion, allowing the plan to marry Fushao.
Afterwards, Yan Zhang Yun quietly asked the Emperor if he had planned to take Fushao for himself while Yan Zhang Yun was presumed dead, but the Emperor lied that he only cared about the realm. Yan Zhang Yun bid farewell to the Emperor, not knowing when they would meet again. Fushao left the palace with Yan Zhang Yun's arm, and he took her to his parents' graves, where she had been terrified years ago but the bodies were now properly buried by Yan Zhang Yun.
At the graves, Yan Zhang Yun promised to take care of Fushao. They returned to their old home, seeing its dilapidated state and reminiscing about their childhood together, and Yan Zhang Yun marveled that he never thought he'd find her again in this vast world. Fushao recalled their childhood games of worshiping the heavens, and felt they were destined to be together.
Comments(Episode 24)