Episode Summary
In this episode, Xiao Huan collapses from poison, but a risky cure and Ling Cangcang's care bring him back. He then dismisses a resentful Du Tingxin. Meanwhile, Xiao Qianqing finds the antidote with help from a reappeared Zhong Lin.
Spoiler Alert
The Emperor Collapses
A Sudden Turn for the Worse
The episode kicks off with snow falling around Ling Cangcang. It’s a bad omen. Xiao Huan is suddenly exhausted. He can barely stay awake and has no energy. Ling Cangcang touches him and realizes his body is freezing cold. She's obviously worried.
Xiao Huan manages a weak smile. He’s happy to see she cares so much. He finally admits he tricked her and sent her away for her own good. He reminds her that he isn't just the Emperor. He's her husband. He can tell she has feelings for him, even if she won't say it out loud. He playfully tells her to be quiet. Then he says he's tired and just wants to lie down next to his wife for a bit.
The Point of No Return
Just as Ling Jueding arrives with his soldiers to greet them, everything goes wrong. Xiao Huan collapses. He passes out right beside Ling Cangcang. She screams his name, but he doesn't respond at all. He’s completely unconscious.
Du Tingxin rushes in to examine him. Her diagnosis is grim. She says he's critically ill and might not be saved. The moment Ling Cangcang hears that Xiao Huan could die, she completely breaks down. She can't accept it and just sobs.
A Glimmer of Hope
An Old Cure
Ling Jueding steps in with a potential solution. He pulls out an old prescription. He says a "divine doctor" left it behind after treating soldiers for a similar cold poison. He has no idea if it will actually work now. Du Tingxin looks over the prescription. She admits it's a clever formula, but she seems hesitant about it.
That's all Ling Cangcang needs to hear. She immediately orders her attendants to prepare a medicinal bath. She personally takes care of Xiao Huan through the entire night. Finally, he wakes up. He sees her by his side and looks genuinely happy.
A Test of Loyalty
Here's the twist. Xiao Huan actually woke up much earlier. He just pretended to still be unconscious. He wanted to see what Ling Cangcang would do. He watched her cry, thinking he was dying from the poison. When he "wakes up," she's overjoyed.
Afterward, Xiao Huan asks for a private moment with Du Tingxin. He uses a follow-up examination as an excuse. He immediately confronts her. He asks her why she abandoned him. Ling Cangcang overhears him telling Du Tingxin to leave. She actually backs him up. She tells him that while he's the only person she has, Du Tingxin isn't the only doctor in the world who can cure him.
Du Tingxin is furious. She warns Xiao Huan that he will regret this decision. She believes his truce with Ling Cangcang is temporary. She's convinced Ling Cangcang won't stick by him until the end.
A Separate Mission
The Hunt for the Antidote
While all that drama is happening, Xiao Qianqing is on his own quest. He goes to find Physician Li by himself. He doesn't trust his own men, so he has them restrained before he leaves. He remembers that his brother, the Emperor, gave him the state's secret Qianji Diagram. He's using it to find the antidote alone.
He searches for a long time. He's about to give up and assume Physician Li lied to him. Then he spots the antidote. It's in a dangerous spot, and he almost falls trying to get it. At the very last second, Zhong Lin appears and saves his life.
A Complicated Reunion
Zhong Lin tells him they're even now. He spared her life once, and now she saved his. But Xiao Qianqing refuses to let her leave. The sight of him makes Zhong Lin break down in tears. Xiao Qianqing has no idea how to react when he sees her crying.
She responds by slapping him across the face. She says the world is massive, but there's no place left for her to go. She tells him the Lingbi Cult will definitely try to hurt him again. She says she might as well stay by his side to protect him. Xiao Qianqing is more than happy to agree to this.
Schemes and Resentment
A New Pawn
Du Tingxin is seething with resentment. She can't believe Xiao Huan chose Ling Cangcang over her. Lu Qi comes to see her. He uses the excuse of reporting on his journey, but it's obvious he just wanted to see the State Preceptor.
Du Tingxin picks up on his nervous energy immediately. She knows he has a crush on her. She gives him the classic "I am devoted to the gods and cannot have worldly attachments" speech. But then she gives him some medicine for his wounds, keeping him on the hook.
A Furious Father
The episode ends with Ling Xuefeng. He receives a letter and learns his son and daughter are both safe. He is ecstatic. He immediately orders his men to report on every single move his children and the Emperor make. Seconds after he gives the order, his men report back. They lost Xiao Qianqing. He escaped their watch. Ling Xuefeng is absolutely furious.
