Episode Summary
Ling Xuefeng sacrifices Luo Xianxue to save himself, causing a permanent rift between Cangcang and Xiao Huan. Devastated, Cangcang plans her escape with help from Zhong Lin and Xiao Qianqing. At a ceremony, she asks Xiao Huan to let her go, and he agrees. After she leaves, she reappears on a battlefield just in time to save Ling Jueding from an arrow as reinforcements arrive.
Spoiler Alert
A Horrible Choice
The Set-Up
So, Xiao Huan finally tells Ling Cangcang what's going on. He explains that her father, Ling Xuefeng, gave him an impossible choice. Now, Xiao Huan wants to show her father just how painful that kind of choice really is. Cangcang is completely stunned.
Right on cue, they hear her father yelling that he's been framed. They run over to find Ling Xuefeng putting on a whole performance. He acts weak. He insists he's the victim here. It’s a classic move. He even gives a secret signal to Luo Xianxue.
A Brother's Sacrifice
We quickly see that Luo Xianxue is the one being set up to take the fall. Cangcang is not having it. She begs Xiao Huan to spare her brother. She pleads and pleads.
But Luo Xianxue can't stand watching his sister grovel. He says he refuses to let his family be humiliated like this. So, he lights a torch and sets himself on fire. Right there. He dies in the flames. Xiao Huan is shocked. He didn't think Ling Xuefeng would go this far. He knows this was his father-in-law's plan all along. It was a sacrifice to save himself. But now there’s no turning back for anyone. Xiao Huan can't prove it, and he knows Cangcang will never believe him over her family.
A Queen's Despair
On the Edge
Later, Cangcang is standing on a high wall inside the palace. She looks like she's about to jump. Xiao Huan gets word and sprints over. The thought of her jumping is something he just can't handle.
He asks her what she's thinking. He begs her to come down. She tells him she once thought living in the palace meant she could protect the people she loved. Now she knows she was wrong. She says she deserves this pain. It's her punishment for being a bad judge of character. For letting a wolf into her house.
The Escape Plan
A Forged Seal
Elsewhere, Xiao Qianqing spots Zhong Lin acting suspiciously. He's carving something. Xiao Qianqing sneaks a look when she's not paying attention. He finds her carving a replica of the imperial seal.
Zhong Lin tells him she's not afraid of the emperor. She says if Cangcang dislikes someone, then she dislikes them too. Her only goal is to get Cangcang out of this place. Xiao Qianqing points out that he's a prince. Smuggling one person out of the palace would be easy for him. He tells Zhong Lin she can trust him to help.
The Last Dance
A Final Performance
Cangcang receives a strange token. She barely has time to look at it before she has to hide it. Xiao Huan arrives. She tells him she won't be attending the big sacrificial ceremony. He's taken aback but accepts her decision. He tells the State Preceptor the ceremony will happen anyway. He holds out hope that she might change her mind.
And she does, sort of. Xiao Qianqing shows up and tells Cangcang he's there to rescue her on Zhong Lin's behalf. Cangcang doesn't want to owe him anything. She just tells him to take care of Zhong Lin. Then, she disguises herself as a dancer and takes the stage at the ceremony.
Letting Go
Xiao Huan spots her immediately. He walks right up and pulls her into the archery ritual. He says he wants to shoot the arrow with her.
She looks him in the eye and asks him to let her go. Xiao Huan can't believe she's this unhappy by his side. But he turns around and lets her leave without a fight. Cangcang is shocked he agreed so easily. Du Tingxin is also confused. She can't understand why he would let go of the woman he loves so much.
Aftermath and a New Battlefield
A Broken Emperor
Cangcang leaves a letter for Xiao Huan. After he reads it, he's completely shattered. He orders everyone to leave him alone so he can grieve in private.
Du Tingxin watches him suffer. She makes a quiet promise to herself. If Ling Cangcang ever hurts Xiao Huan again, she will make sure Cangcang doesn't live. Later, she overhears him secretly asking for news about Cangcang. He still can't stop worrying about her. The knowledge is like a knife in Du Tingxin's heart. She just sits outside the hall all night, staring at nothing.
The Battle at the Gate
The scene shifts to a raging battle. Kumor's army is about to breach a city's defenses. Ling Jueding is on the front lines, fighting for his life in a desperate last stand.
Just as things look hopeless, Ling Cangcang arrives. She gets there just in time to jump in front of him, taking an arrow meant for him. At that exact moment, the reinforcements finally arrive. Kumor sees them and knows the fight is lost.
