Episode Summary
Episode 18 sees Liu Shulan suffer a devastating miscarriage due to complications arising from a police search, an incident for which Officer Qi Dacang bears responsibility. Her husband, Mu Jianhui , consumed by grief and anger, rejects apologies from Police Captain Zhao Feng . The tragedy hardens Mu Jianhui, who secretly tasks Li Yuanguang with retrieving a silver-button bowl. Qi Dacang, guilt-ridden, begins to suspect the bowl's hiding place. Meanwhile, the archaeological dig led by Fang Kun and Luo Qing is halted by protesting villagers awaiting delayed subsidies. Mu Jianhui, after obtaining the bowl, uses it to pledge allegiance to the powerful Zhao Youlin , offering to procure treasures for him in exchange for backing, and is assigned a mission to Hong Kong. Heartbroken and disillusioned by Mu Jianhui's path, Liu Shulan leaves him to live in seclusion. The episode also shows Luo Qing's attempts to investigate the Lü family tomb being met with resistance from the clan, particularly Lü Fugui , even as one of the apprehended tomb raiders expresses remorse.
Spoiler Alert
The Lost National Treasure: Episode 18 Recap & Spoilers – A Heavy Toll
The episode opens with Liu Shulansuffering a sudden, severe hemorrhage during the police operation. The mishandling of the situation by Qi Dacangand his team places undeniable responsibility on them. Seizing this, Liu Shushengand his wife become increasingly confrontational. Police Captain Zhao Fengpersonally visits the hospital to apologize to Liu Shulan's husband, Mu Jianhui . However, a grieving Mu Jianhui refuses the apology, passionately stating that their unborn child was "half their lives." Tragically, despite efforts to save the baby, it succumbs to prolonged oxygen deprivation. While Liu Shulan's life is spared, the physical trauma leaves her unlikely to conceive again.
The news of the baby's death sends Mu Jianhui into an emotional collapse, and he furiously lashes out at Qi Dacang. Captain Zhao Feng immediately orders Qi Dacang to be taken back to the police station. Zhao Feng himself remains outside Liu Shulan's hospital room, waiting for Mu Jianhui to emerge. He offers another apology and hands Mu Jianhui his business card, assuring him he can call anytime. Mu Jianhui accepts the card, his expression turning cold and steely as he watches Zhao Feng depart. Soon after, Mu Jianhui uses a public telephone outside the hospital to make a clandestine call to Li Yuanguang . His instructions are chilling: Li Yuanguang is to sneak into Liu Shusheng's house under the cover of night and retrieve a silver-button bowl wrapped in tinfoil.
Meanwhile, Qi Dacang is tormented by guilt and a sleepless night, acknowledging the innocence of the lost child. Officer Yang Qingshi , a father himself, empathizes with Mu Jianhui's profound loss. As Qi Dacang meticulously reviews the events of the search, his attention is drawn to the bowl that had contained Hulatang . A sudden realization strikes him: the silver-button bowl might be hidden at Liu Shusheng's residence. This conviction leads Qi Dacang to impulsively rush out and attempt to prevent Liu Shusheng and his wife from leaving, sparking a heated argument. Captain Zhao Feng intervenes, taking Qi Dacang back to the conference room for a stern dressing-down. He then takes Qi Dacang and Yang Qingshi for a meal, stressing that solving complex cases requires patience and a long-term strategy – "fishing with a long line to catch a big fish" – rather than rash actions.
In a parallel storyline, the archaeological dig faces a new obstacle. The much-awaited crop subsidy funds for the local villagers have been delayed. Frustrated, the villagers direct their anger towards the archaeological team, forcing a suspension of their work. The team leader, Fang Kun , and Guo Shilinmake numerous inquiries but receive only evasive answers and no definite timeline for the funds. Guo Shilin uses this situation to try and persuade Fang Kun to shift their excavation efforts to the Lü family tomb. Luo Qing , an archaeologist specializing in the Qin-Han period, was assigned to this dig due to a personnel shortage at the provincial institute. She finds crucial support from her Shimu , Xiang Xin , a highly respected authority in archaeology, whose presence helps Luo Qing and her team navigate many of their challenges.
Back at the hospital, Liu Shulan awakens but remains silent, her grief palpable. Mu Jianhui, aware of her unspoken resentment, attempts to explain his motivations and feelings. However, Liu Shulan, consumed by the loss of their child, weeps. She acknowledges Mu Jianhui's ambition, tied to his family's former glory, but questions if it's worth such a devastating price. His greed, she implies, led to their child's death. She implores him to abandon his current path, to do good, and to avoid causing further harm to himself and others.
Later that night, Li Yuanguang successfully retrieves the silver-button bowl. Visibly affected by his sister-in-law's miscarriage, he expresses his unease, stating he doesn't want to be part of a scheme that exchanges a baby's life for five million. Mu Jianhui's response is chillingly pragmatic. He claims their child's death has "paved the way" for him, that the child "died for a purpose." He vows never to surrender to fate.
The investigation continues as Qi Dacang interrogates Yan Xiaowu , but the suspect remains tight-lipped, offering no new leads.
Mu Jianhui, now in possession of the silver-button bowl, takes a bold step. He meets with Zhao Youlin , a powerful figure, to pledge his allegiance, hoping to secure him as a backer. Initially, Zhao Youlin is hesitant. However, Mu Jianhui's offer to procure valuable treasures from the Qinzhou region for him and to handle any "sensitive" matters, allowing Zhao Youlin to maintain his comfortable position within the military, eventually sways him. A pleased Zhao Youlin agrees and arranges for Mu Jianhui to travel to Hong Kong for a significant transaction. Upon returning to the hospital, Mu Jianhui discovers Liu Shulan is no longer in her room. A call to Wen Wenreveals that Liu Shulan has left him and moved to the mountains to live alone.
The focus then shifts to the Lü family tomb. Luo Qing makes a personal visit to Lü Fugui , a key member of the Lü clan, but he is not home, and Lü's wife dismisses them coldly. The situation escalates when the police escort two apprehended tomb raiders, Wang Taipingand Guo Fengshan , to the site to identify their crime scene. This enrages the Lü clansmen. A distraught Lü Fugui produces the Lü family's ancestral rules and leads the entire clan in reciting them publicly. Overcome with remorse, Wang Taiping confesses his guilt, expressing deep regret for leading outsiders to desecrate his ancestral tomb. Despite this emotional display, when Luo Qing later attempts to inquire about the Lü family's secrets from Lü Fugui, she is once again met with a cold and uncooperative demeanor.
