Episode Summary
Episode 23 saw some sweet moments between Wei Shao and Xiao Qiao, though a drunken night led to a misunderstanding about scratch marks and a desired but undelivered gift of a heart-protecting mirror. Wei Shao's jealousy over his brother Wei Liang's mirror spurred Xiao Qiao to make him a special one. Meanwhile, Su Ehuang arrived, spinning a manipulative tale of persecution by Qiao Yue to gain Wei Shao's sympathy and discredit Xiao Qiao's family, leading Wei Shao to withdraw an invitation. In Liangya Country, a frustrated Liu Yan, facing deposition, shockingly murdered his father the King and the Wangfei, seizing the throne.
Spoiler Alert
The episode kicked off with Wei Shao gazing intently at Xiao Qiao. He leaned in for a kiss, and just as he did, Xiao Qiao burst out laughing – surprise, she wasn't asleep! She playfully asked if his kiss meant he wasn't angry anymore. A slightly bashful Wei Shao lay down beside her, and Xiao Qiao took the lead, kissing him back. It was a genuinely sweet and tender moment for these two.
Fast forward to the next morning, and Wei Shao woke up to find himself sitting by the bed, with Xiao Qiao’s head resting on his arm, both of them still fully clothed. He started to wonder if Xiao Qiao's kiss from the night before was just a dream. Then, Xiao Qiao woke up, a bit flustered, especially when she spotted scratch marks on Wei Shao's neck. Worried she might have done it, she leaned in to check, but Wei Shao flinched away, telling her she shouldn't drink anymore. Xiao Qiao was left a bit confused, muttering that she’d been drunk before but never scratched anyone.
Later, Wei Shao’s brothers noticed the scratches. Wei Liang, ever the curious one, asked about them. Wei Shao awkwardly tried to pass it off as a cat scratch, but Wei Liang wasn't buying it, pointing out he’d never seen a cat in the residence. Wei Qu just rolled his eyes, clearly thinking his brother was a bit dense.
Meanwhile, Xiao Tao wanted to give Wei Liang a gift. She thought a simple bronze mirror was too plain and hoped Xiao Qiao could help her make something better. Xiao Qiao, amused, readily agreed to help.
That evening, Wei Shao returned home to find Xiao Qiao out shopping. He noticed a box on her table containing a bronze mirror and his heart soared, thinking it was for him. When Xiao Qiao came back, she suggested inviting her sister, Da Qiao, over. Wei Shao agreed but mentioned that since the Yanzhou folks didn't need to be involved in something (unspecified in the text), they didn't need an invitation, and Xiao Qiao went along with it. Wei Shao was clearly hoping Xiao Qiao would bring up the gift, pointedly asking if she had anything to tell him. When she said nothing, he kept glancing at the box, looking disappointed and repeatedly asking if she’d forgotten something. Still no gift-giving from Xiao Qiao, and Wei Shao was feeling pretty let down.
In other news, Ding Furen was planning to accompany Da Qiao and Bi Zhi to the Lu Li Assembly and also visit Xiao Qiao. Qiao Ci was supposed to be sent back somewhere, but he wasn't happy about it. He managed to get a swift horse from Bi Zhi, who immediately agreed.
The next day, Wei Shao was already showing off a heart-protecting mirror to his brothers, claiming Xiao Qiao had given it to him, complete with scriptures engraved around it. Awkwardly, Wei Liang then pulled out his own heart-protecting mirror, which matched Wei Shao's description perfectly! Wei Shao, embarrassed, quickly backtracked, saying he remembered wrong – the one Xiao Qiao gave him was inlaid with white jade and carved with mandarin ducks. The brothers immediately praised Xiao Qiao’s supposed gift, saying it must be something special.
Wei Shao then tried a different tactic with Xiao Qiao, bringing up Bi Zhi and Da Qiao's relationship. He mused that Da Qiao would surely take good care of Bi Zhi and give him something protective. Xiao Qiao didn't quite catch his drift. So, Wei Shao faked a chest pain, claiming Wei Liang hurt him during a fight earlier because Wei Liang had a heart-protecting mirror and he didn't. Xiao Qiao, while grumbling about Wei Liang being too rough, also made sure to remove certain types of food from his meal, presumably to avoid aggravating his "injury."
Later, Wei Liang and Wei Shao were walking down the street, and Wei Liang was deliberately showing off his heart-protecting mirror, much to Wei Shao's annoyance. Wei Qu warned Wei Liang that if this issue wasn't resolved, he might find himself exiled to some desolate, cold place. Panicked, Wei Liang privately sought out Xiao Tao and told her everything. Xiao Tao and Xiao Qiao then scoured all the shops but couldn't find a gold-and-jade heart-protecting mirror. Xiao Qiao decided she’d just have to make one herself – after all, if Wei Shao said it existed, she had to produce it.
Qiao Ci, meanwhile, pretended to return to Yanzhou but actually used that swift horse to race to Yujun. He even had his attendant go back and report that he was waiting in Yanzhou. At the same time, Xiao Qiao finished making the heart-protecting mirror and gave it to Wei Shao. Just as Wei Shao was overjoyed, news arrived that Su Ehuang had reached the posthouse and was waiting to see him. Xiao Qiao initially wanted to go with him, but Wei Shao refused, saying she’d been too tired lately and needed to rest.
It turns out Su Ehuang, in her eagerness to see Wei Shao and recover quickly, had used some strong medicine that made her lose her voice. She also broke the half-jade pendant that Wei Shao’s late elder brother, Wei Bogong, had left her. When she met Wei Shao, she spun a tale: she claimed Qiao Yue was sending Qiao Ci everywhere to capture her, intending to present her to Wei Shao to solidify Xiao Qiao's position. She further alleged that Qiao Yue was now gathering beauties from all over to win favor with various regional lords. She said her jade pendant was broken during her escape, and she’d deliberately poisoned her voice so Qiao Yue couldn't use her. Wei Shao actually believed her story but didn't blame Xiao Qiao. He did, however, withdraw an invitation he’d sent to Boya.
When Xiao Qiao learned about all this, she didn't plead Su Ehuang's case. Instead, she sided with Wei Shao and even offered to apologize to Su Ehuang. To help Wei Shao fulfill his promise to take care of Su Ehuang, Xiao Qiao prepared some gifts. Wei Shao embraced her, not wanting her to apologize, especially since she knew nothing about Su Ehuang's schemes. At this point, Wei Shao was simply hoping Xiao Qiao would just be a Wei family wife.
Over in Liangya Country, Liu Yan was practicing his swordsmanship when Liu Shan came to persuade him to spend more time trying to please the "Dianxia" (Highness/Crown Prince) instead of hiding away practicing martial arts. Liu Shan reminded him that he was, after all, the legitimate heir, and the Wangfei's (Princess Consort/Queen's) attempts to stir trouble wouldn't ultimately succeed. Liu Shan then told Liu Yan about the Lu Li Assembly being held in the Wei Kingdom, hoping Liu Yan would go and accomplish something there, which would surely help him regain his secure position as the heir apparent. However, Liu Yan worried that his going would only make the Wangfei more complacent. Liu Shan warned him that his position was already unstable.
Just then, the King of Liangya summoned Liu Yan. The King announced he wanted to take his younger son, Liu Qi, to the Wei Kingdom. The Wangfei immediately started stirring the pot, listing Liu Yan's supposed faults and claiming he had offended the Wei Kingdom first, forcing the aging King of Liangya to go himself. The King joined the Wangfei in berating Liu Yan, even threatening to depose him. Enraged, Liu Yan snapped and killed both the King of Liangya and the Wangfei. Liu Shan walked in to witness this horrific scene and berated Liu Yan, saying he shouldn't have burdened himself with such infamy. But Liu Yan, in a shocking turn, warned Liu Shan that he was no longer his uncle but merely a slave to the new King of Liangya – otherwise, he could join the dead king. With blood still on his face, Liu Yan then sat on the throne.
