Episode Summary
In this episode, Zhao Yue orders Chu Yu's death after learning Li Changming is pregnant, but Wei Yun saves her. Li Changming uses a demand for red jade to send a secret message, leading Chu Yu to strike a deal with the Empress Dowager. The plan falls apart when Li Changming refuses to leave, vowing to kill Zhao Yue herself. As Zhao Yue moves to eliminate Chu Yu, Wei Yun issues a public challenge to draw him away. In a shocking final move, Li Changming poisons herself to abort her baby, choosing her mission for Da Sui over her feelings for Zhao Yue.
Spoiler Alert
A Messy Welcome in Bei Qi
Zhao Yue's Deadly Overreaction
So, Zhao Yue finds out Li Changming is pregnant. For a second, he’s actually happy. He promises her and the baby are his entire world now. This sweet moment lasts for about five minutes.
Chu Yu shows up, acting as the official envoy. She heard the Grand Princess (that’s Li Changming) fainted and just wants to see if she’s okay. Zhao Yue’s guards immediately stop her. They treat her like she’s there to assassinate someone.
Zhao Yue is completely paranoid. He thinks Chu Yu is there to take Li Changming back home. So he decides to accuse Chu Yu of being a fake envoy. Then he orders his men to kill her. He wants her to die quietly so he can keep Li Changming. Chu Yu is a fighter, though. She’s not going down that easily.
The Cavalry Arrives
Wei Yun to the Rescue
Chu Yu puts up a good fight against the guards. But there are too many of them. She starts to get tired. Just when things look bad, Wei Yun shows up. He jumps right into the fight and helps her. The two of them together are just tearing through the Bei Qi guards.
A moment later, Song Wenchang and Lu Qiba arrive. They provide backup with crossbows and help clear the field. The fight doesn't last forever. The Empress Dowager sends her own people to put a stop to the whole mess.
Once things calm down, Song Wenchang and Lu Qiba start teasing Wei Yun. They joke about him chasing Chu Yu all the way to Qizhou. Wei Yun explains how he got into the state. He says most people in Bei Qi have heard of him but don't know what he looks like. That let him slip in with Gongsun Lan's help. He decides to stay at the inn with Chu Yu's crew instead of going back to Gongsun Lan's place.
Li Changming's Game
The Red Jade Ploy
Li Changming is now playing her own game. She’s trying to drive a wedge between Zhao Yue and his mother, the Empress Dowager. She knows she can't ask for the queen's title directly. So she asks for something that symbolizes it. She demands a red jade phoenix crown. Zhao Yue, completely smitten, agrees immediately.
She doesn't stop there. She also demands nightly baths in the most expensive milk. Zhao Yue actually puts out a royal notice to get the milk. The common people are not happy about it.
Wei Yun's group hears about the red jade. Chu Yu knows this isn't Li Changming’s style. She isn't greedy. Chu Yu knows something is up. Wei Yun figures it out. The demand for red jade is a secret message. Their home region, Yuncheng, is famous for its gems. Li Changming is trying to communicate with them. That’s why she keeps rejecting all the jade other people bring her.
A Deal with the Dowager
Chu Yu takes some top-tier red jade from their home country, Da Sui, and goes to see Empress Dowager Yunyang. She uses the gift as an opening to make a deal. The Empress Dowager wants Li Changming gone anyway, so she agrees.
But the Dowager has her own plan. She thinks Li Changming is a corrupting force who needs to be eliminated. She gives a secret order to her men. They are to kill Li Changming right after Chu Yu gets her out of Bei Qi territory.
Plans Go Sideways
A King's Temper Tantrum
Chu Yu finally gets to see Li Changming. But there’s a big problem. Li Changming refuses to leave. She says she is staying to kill Zhao Yue herself.
Zhao Yue finds out very quickly that Chu Yu visited the Empress Dowager and Consort Mei. He is absolutely furious. He puts Li Changming under heavy guard. Then he takes his own men to intercept Chu Yu, Song Wenchang, and Lu Qiba.
Zhao Yue tells Chu Yu that any deal she made with his mother is worthless. He is the king. Chu Yu just mocks him. She tells him he has no idea how to be a king. She says the Empress Dowager is a better ruler and he doesn't even deserve the throne.
Wei Yun Makes His Move
To save Chu Yu, Wei Yun makes a dramatic entrance. He shoots an arrow carrying a written challenge onto the palace gate. It's signed with his name.
Zhao Yue sees the challenge, and his face goes pale. He has to respond. He leaves some of his guards behind to finish off Chu Yu's group. He takes the rest of his men to find and face Wei Yun.
The Point of No Return
Li Changming's Sacrifice
Li Changming gets a tonic from Consort Chen. She puts poison in it. She has decided to cause a miscarriage. Then she will frame Consort Chen for the poisoning.
Her loyalty to her country is absolute. She realizes the baby almost made her truly fall for Zhao Yue. For the sake of her mission, the child cannot be born.
