Episode Summary
Ling Cangcang flees the palace and joins her brother, Ling Jueding, at the border to fight Kumor. Her plan for a night raid backfires when she is betrayed and captured. Kumor discovers her true identity as the Empress. In the capital, a desperate Emperor Xiao Huan risks his own health to arrange a rescue mission, while fending off political schemes from his father-in-law, Ling Xuefeng.
Spoiler Alert
The Empress Goes to War
A Sibling Reunion at the Border
The episode kicks off right where we left off. Kumor sees the reinforcements and pulls his troops back. Smart move on his part.
Ling Jueding is getting his wounds patched up. Then his sister, Ling Cangcang, walks in. She’s the one who brought the backup. Jueding immediately dismisses everyone. He is not happy to see her. He reminds her she's the Empress. She has no business being on a battlefield. He asks if the Emperor or their father knows she's here.
Cangcang admits she snuck away from their dad. She says it doesn't really matter who else knows. Jueding can tell she's been through something awful. He always knew that Emperor Xiao Huan was bad news.
Jueding feels guilty. He was away with the army when she got married. He couldn't stop it. He had no idea she was living in a "cage." He tells her he would have broken her out if he had known. Cangcang says no. She isn't going back. She thinks her experience can help him defeat Kumor's army.
A Father's Fury
Back in the capital, their father, Ling Xuefeng, finds out. He learns Cangcang ran off to the front lines. He is absolutely furious. He gets so angry he snaps a calligraphy brush in half with his bare hands. The man is losing control of his kids, and he knows it.
The Night Raid Goes Wrong
A Flawed Plan
Jueding gives Cangcang a tour of the military camp. She looks over the maps. She quickly spots a weakness in Kumor's camp layout. She suggests a night raid. It seems like a solid plan.
During the raid, Cangcang notices a woman named Minmin in Kumor's tent. Something about her feels off. But the mission is the priority. This is a mistake. While Cangcang is distracted, Minmin quietly frees some captured guards.
Later, Cangcang is helping move grain supplies. She sees that same woman again and gets a bad feeling. She tries to cover their cart's tracks, but it's too late.
The Capture
Cangcang decides to handle the pursuers herself. She goes off alone to intercept them. This ends badly. Minmin gets the drop on her and captures her.
Kumor recognizes Cangcang. He knows she led the reinforcements against him. He's angry and orders his men to execute her. While this is happening, Xiao Huan wakes up from a nightmare back in the capital. He has a feeling Cangcang is in serious danger.
Cangcang tries to play for time. She taunts Kumor for killing innocent people. She hopes to provoke him into a one-on-one fight. But during the scuffle, the Phoenix Seal falls out of her clothes. That seal is the official symbol of the Empress. Everyone freezes. In that moment of shock, she's easily restrained. Kumor now understands he doesn't just have a soldier. He has the Empress. He has the ultimate bargaining chip.
The Emperor's Gambit
A Desperate Plan
Xiao Huan receives a letter from Kumor. His worst fears are confirmed. He's worried sick about Cangcang. The problem is, he can't trust anyone in his own court.
So he goes to the one person he can, Du Tingxin. She still holds a grudge against Cangcang. But then she sees what Xiao Huan is doing to himself. He's using a dangerous poison-based method to counteract his own chronic "cold poison." He's risking his life just to be well enough to send her as an envoy to negotiate Cangcang's release.
This hits her hard. She agrees to go. She warns him not to use any of his internal energy while she's gone. He needs to wait for her to come back and treat him properly.
The Old Fox vs. The Emperor
Ling Xuefeng storms in to confront Xiao Huan. He demands to see his daughter. Xiao Huan puts on a performance. He lies and says he threw Cangcang into the Cold Palace. He declares that nobody is allowed to visit her.
Ling Xuefeng is a crafty old fox, though. He doesn't buy it. He tries to manipulate the Emperor. He brings up a story from their childhood. He's laying on the guilt to force Xiao Huan to let him into the Cold Palace.
Xiao Huan sees right through it. He knows what this is really about. Ling Xuefeng isn't worried about his daughter's comfort. He's terrified his son, Jueding, will do something stupid at the border to save his sister. That would get the whole Ling family in trouble and cost Xuefeng his military power.
Xiao Qianqing is listening from behind a screen. After Xuefeng leaves, Xiao Huan gives Qianqing a new job. He tells him to act as regent and run the country while he "recovers." This is a huge chess move. Xiao Huan is pulling Qianqing into the conflict. He's betting that Qianqing’s good conscience will force him to protect the innocent people caught in the middle of this power struggle.
