Destiny of Love Episode 24 (Ending) Recap
> Destiny of Love Recap
Fu Chengjin returned to the palace and found that Fu Yunnuo had already taken control of the situation. The emperor and the noble consort were placed under house arrest. When the emperor was still in power, Fu Yunnuo would at least respect Fu Chengjin’s opinion. But now, having stripped the emperor of his authority, upon hearing that Fu Chengjin wanted to leave, Fu Yunnuo directly placed him under house arrest within the palace.
Qiao Manman and Jiufeng were still in the capital. Seeing that Fu Chengjin had gone in but not returned, Qiao Manman and Jiufeng began to devise countermeasures. There were many disaster victims in the capital, so Qiao Manman took out the money they carried along with some of the savings from Wanshitang to buy relief grain and distribute it directly to the victims.
Upon hearing that the emperor was gravely ill, the empress emerged from the deep palace and personally served by his side. The imperial physicians conducted a thorough diagnosis and found that the emperor's health was deteriorating rapidly, and he likely did not have long to live. The empress was very worried, and the physicians advised the emperor to avoid anger. However, Fu Yunnuo would visit every other day to provoke the emperor.
Even when barely able to speak, the emperor reminded Fu Yunnuo not to harm Fu Chengjin in the slightest upon hearing that Fu Chengjin had also been placed under house arrest and that Fu Yunnuo planned to eliminate him completely. Qiao Manman arranged a meeting with Fu Yunnuo and pleaded with him to open the granaries to aid the victims, urging him to be a wise prince who truly cared for the people.
But Fu Yunnuo felt that Qiao Manman did not understand him. Now, he was more determined than ever to prove himself to her through actions. Jiufeng secretly sneaked into the palace to meet the emperor and revealed Fu Chengjin's plan. The emperor was very pleased and, fumbling around, took out a token from his person and urgently handed it to Jiufeng, instructing him to deliver it to Fu Chengjin at all costs. The next day was the ancestral worship ceremony.
Fu Yunnuo sent the ceremonial attire and jewelry to Qiao Manman, hoping she would attend on time. Late at night, Jiufeng handed the emperor’s token to Fu Chengjin, and everything proceeded according to plan. Fu Chengjin wrote a note for Jiufeng to deliver to Qiao Manman, stating that they would act the next day and asking her to take care of herself. On the day of the ancestral worship, Fu Yunnuo confidently raised his wine cup.
Now, he was exercising imperial authority in the emperor’s stead. Many ministers knelt before him. A guard hurriedly arrived to report that the refugees had gathered at the palace gates, raising their arms and demanding justice from Fu Yunnuo. The ministers also joined in to persuade Fu Yunnuo to provide disaster relief and resettle the refugees. Fu Yunnuo ignored all advice, thoroughly chilling the hearts of the ministers.
With the country in the hands of someone like this, its days were numbered. At that moment, Fu Chengjin strode out with the imperial token, proclaiming the emperor's decree to depose Fu Yunnuo. With the token in hand, the ministers immediately rallied behind him and supported the removal of Fu Yunnuo’s title as heir. Moreover, A Li Ya had already brought troops to strongly support Fu Chengjin. Fu Yunnuo had no way to escape.
His men took Qiao Manman hostage and tried to force Fu Chengjin’s people to lay down their arms. But Jiufeng, with his precise archery, seized the opportunity and shot the person holding Qiao Manman. Fu Yunnuo, driven mad, attempted to flee. He grabbed Qiao Manman's hand and forced her to go with him. As their pursuers closed in, they reached a cliff with nowhere left to run.
Qiao Manman urged Fu Yunnuo to surrender, saying it was not too late to turn back. Realizing he was doomed, Fu Yunnuo couldn’t bear to drag Qiao Manman down with him. He drew his sword to take his own life, then turned and jumped off the cliff. Qiao Manman immediately grabbed his hand, trying to pull him up, but the stones under her feet gave way, and she fell with him. Fu Chengjin immediately ordered a search for Qiao Manman.
They searched the base of the cliff thoroughly but found no bodies. With the political situation now unstable, the emperor, before his last breath, passed the throne to Fu Chengjin and expressed his gratitude to Qiao Manman for walking such a long road with Fu Chengjin. With that, he passed away peacefully. Three years later, after Fu Chengjin had devoted himself to governing the nation, the people lived in peace and no longer faced displacement.
With the realm at peace, Fu Chengjin still couldn’t feel joy. At first, he had only wanted to live a quiet life, never coveting the throne. But now, though the people’s lives had improved, he still hadn’t seen Qiao Manman again, leaving a lasting regret in his heart. Another Lantern Festival arrived. Fu Chengjin remembered that he had met Qiao Manman during this very festival three years ago. He dismissed his attendants and returned alone to the same place.
A fortune teller invited him to draw a lot, and when Fu Chengjin drew a most auspicious one, the fortune teller praised his exceptional luck. Nearby, a couples' competition was being held, with the host encouraging everyone to participate, promising rich rewards. Fu Chengjin had once entered this contest with Qiao Manman. At that time, Qiao Manman had been overjoyed at the prospect of a prize and begged Fu Chengjin to pretend to be her partner.
Fu Chengjin rushed to the center of the stage and looked out at the crowd. Sure enough, he saw a familiar face—Qiao Manman. She was alive! At that same place, in that beautiful moment, Qiao Manman seemed to have lost her memory. Fu Chengjin invited her to join the competition and took out their token of affection. As it turned out, Qiao Manman had one too. Fu Chengjin’s eyes turned red.
He told Qiao Manman that the token she held was worth a fortune. Qiao Manman looked bewildered and, wary of deception, insisted he pay a deposit before making a purchase. Fu Chengjin smiled as he held her hand and asked her to come with him to retrieve it… The two of them were so happy. They ran forward with long strides, heading toward long-lost happiness together!
