Episode Summary
Ling Cangcang and Xiao Huan's visit to her father is filled with tension, ending with Xiao Huan subtly threatening him. The Empress Dowager seizes Cangcang's official seal after a confrontation. Xiao Huan's romantic gesture with pear blossoms fails to mend their relationship, but the episode ends with Cangcang initiating a truce, inviting him for a drink.
Spoiler Alert
A Tense Homecoming
The episode kicks off with Ling Cangcang and Emperor Xiao Huan making their formal visit to her family. You could cut the tension with a knife. Her dad, Ling Xuefeng, immediately tries to do the whole formal bowing thing. Cangcang is not having it. She rushes to stop him, saying it's just a normal family visit.
But Xiao Huan is in a mood. He shuts that down fast. He tells her father that she's the Empress now. Bowing is just something they'll have to get used to. It was cold. Then, without missing a beat, he asks where her adoptive brother, Luo Xianxue, is. He says out loud that Cangcang was worried about his injuries. He was clearly trying to put her on the spot and make things awkward.
Cangcang didn't even flinch. She basically said, "Yeah, I'm worried. What are you going to do about it?" Then she stormed off to find him. Her poor dad was left to apologize for her being so "willful."
The Emperor's Warning
A Threat for Dad
While Cangcang is gone, Xiao Huan has a little chat with her father. He gets straight to the point. He mentions a new "evil cult" that has been assassinating court officials. Then he drops the bomb. He says Cangcang's late master, Li Lu, was connected to this cult. This directly implicates her father, Ling Xuefeng. It was a clear, undisguised threat.
Later, we see Ling Xuefeng talking to Luo Xianxue. He says he has planned Cangcang's entire life so she could be happy. But he admits that some pain is just unavoidable for her. This sounded pretty ominous to me.
A Secret Memorial
Cangcang gets a message from a carrier pigeon. That night, she sneaks out of the palace. She goes to a secret spot to set up a memorial for her master. Xiao Huan knows exactly where she is. He tells his guards to leave her alone. He's letting her grieve, even though her master is now his political enemy.
Luo Xianxue shows up to comfort her. He tells her to let the past go. Cangcang isn't ready for that. She tells him she will play the part of a good Empress. But she's only doing it until she can uncover the truth about her master's death.
We also get a quick scene with Xiao Huan and his guard, Shi Yan. The guard asks why he doesn't just tell Cangcang the truth. Xiao Huan says the truth would destroy her. He would rather she hate him than see her in that much pain.
The Palace Games Get Real
Facing the Empress Dowager
Cangcang tries to do her duty and visit the Empress Dowager Liu. The Dowager's servants block her at the door. Things escalate when one of the servants hits Cangcang's personal maid. Cangcang does not hesitate. She immediately strikes the servant back. I loved this moment. She is not a pushover.
This forces the Empress Dowager to finally see her. The Dowager uses the incident as an excuse to make a power move. She says an Empress's power comes from having an heir. Since Cangcang doesn't have one, she isn't stable enough. So, the Dowager announces she is taking control of the official Empress's seal. It's a huge blow. Cangcang leaves, completely furious.
A Garden of Good Intentions
Xiao Huan is definitely still hung up on Cangcang. His guard tells him she's still carrying the hairpin he gave her. He gets all sentimental. He then orders his servants to bring in tons of heaters to force the pear blossoms in the garden to bloom early. He's trying to create a romantic moment to cheer her up.
It sort of works. Cangcang loves the flowers. But her mood sours when she hears the Emperor is coming. She almost leaves, but then thinks better of it. She knows she needs allies in the palace, so she can't afford to completely alienate him. The conversation is stiff. Her answers are forced. Xiao Huan gets angry at her coldness and leaves.
That night, he thinks about how she promised to wait for him under the pear trees. But he decides not to go. He just stands her up.
An Uneasy Truce
The court is giving Xiao Huan a hard time. His attempts to push new policies are being blocked by all the ministers. We also see State Preceptor Du watching Xiao Huan take his medicine. The Preceptor says he needs to observe the symptoms. This confirms the Emperor is either sick or being systematically poisoned.
The episode ends with Cangcang deciding to play the game. She sees Xiao Huan and doesn't run away. She walks right up to him. She asks him to put her hairpin in her hair. Then she invites him to drink with her. He looks torn, but he can't say no.
