Ever Night Season 2 Episode 23 Recap
> Ever Night Season 2 Recap
Xian Zhilang, leading 4000 cavalry with heavy armor, rallied his troops, asking if they would fight one more battle with him, to which they pledged their lives. As they charged, Chong Ming confronted Xian Zhilang, declaring the battle over. Chong Ming, who had been a hostage in Tang State and had been treated well, revealed that his years of apparent friendship with Princess Li Yu and even becoming an officer were a pretense.
He argued that while others might call him a traitor, Tang people had no right to, given how Yan State had been bullied for years. He explained his deep-seated resentment against Tang State's perceived arrogance in embracing "universal peace" while truly not understanding other nations' true intentions. Chong Ming further confessed that the apparent discord between him and Prince Long Qing was also a facade.
He knew Long Qing desired power beyond the mundane world, while he himself sought the earthly throne, but their shared goal was to destroy Tang. Xian Zhilang, defiantly, stated that Tang had not lost and would not be destroyed by Yan State. He proclaimed that Tang soldiers were not invincible, but they always achieved ultimate victory.
Chong Ming retorted that there would be no more Tang State, thus no more victories, and Xian Zhilang then countered that Chengjing City would someday be bathed in the blood of the Tang army. Chong Ming then struck Xian Zhilang with an arrow, killing him.
Hua Shanyue delivered the grim news to Li Hunyuan and Li Yu that General Xian Zhilang and the entire cavalry with heavy armor had been annihilated, confirming it was a trap meticulously set by Chong Ming and Long Qing. Li Hunyuan reacted with fury, vowing to execute Chong Ming, Long Qing, and the Yan King for their deception. Meanwhile, Chao Xiaoshu arrived outside Chengjing and was aghast at the scene of countless Tang soldiers lying dead.
He deduced that it was a joint ambush by Yan State and the Golden Horde, and he resolved to avenge the fallen. In the Yan palace, the King of Yan, Chong Ming, and Long Qing celebrated their triumph. The King of Yan expressed his pleasure in witnessing Tang's defeat in his twilight years, a day he had awaited his entire life, acknowledging their twenty years of enduring hardships to revive Yan State.
Long Qing, however, reminded them that the war was not yet over. Chong Ming proudly proclaimed that their ambition extended beyond Yan State to the entire world. Long Qing then announced his immediate departure for the northwest border to strike at Tang's forces unprepared, with Chong Ming adding that the day of Tang's destruction was fast approaching. Principle Jin, unsummoned, stormed into Li Hunyuan's presence, accusing him of misusing the cavalry with heavy armor.
Principle Jin reminded the young king of the Tang Code, which stipulated that such elite forces must guard the capital, a rule even the late King Li Zhongyi respected. He condemned Li Hunyuan for his arbitrary actions that cost the lives of four thousand Tang soldiers. Enraged by the defiance, Li Hunyuan ordered Principle Jin's execution, disregarding pleas from other officials, including Xu Chongshan, whom he threatened with similar punishment for insubordination.
As Principle Jin was dragged away, he cursed Li Hunyuan as a "fatuous ruler" who would ultimately ruin Tang State, prompting Li Hunyuan to order his tongue be pulled out and his body dismembered. Chao Xiaoshu, true to his word of seeking vengeance, infiltrated the Yan palace.
He faced Chong Ming, who, surrounded by guards, taunted him, questioning if he, a cultivator in the Stage of All-Knowing, could single-handedly breach the palace, even referencing Chao Xiaoshu's past triumph at the Rainy Night in Spring Breeze Pavilion where he had assistance. Chao Xiaoshu, undeterred, declared that no Tang soldier's blood would be shed in vain, and unleashed his fury on the guards.
The Yan King, arriving amidst the chaos, gloated about Tang State's most tragic defeat in a thousand years. Chao Xiaoshu cut him off, asserting that Tang people had not lost, and then swiftly killed the Yan King, stating that one Tang person still stood before him. Upon learning of General Xian Zhilang's demise and Principle Jin's execution, Princess Li Yu immediately confronted Li Hunyuan.
She reprimanded him for his treatment of a respected elder and commanded Xu Chongshan to safely escort Principle Jin back to his residence. She then ordered Hua Shanyue to reinstate Zeng Jing and Grand Secretary Wang to their official positions and convene an immediate council. When Li Hunyuan protested, questioning who was the true King of Tang, Li Yu sternly replied that her actions were to ensure he could still be a good king.
At the royal court, officials knelt in silence. Li Yu took full responsibility for the annihilation of General Xian's forces, pledging to atone with her life after the war. She then urged the officials to rise and focus on the urgent matters at hand, tasking Zeng Jing and Grand Secretary Wang with saving Tang State from its crisis. Li Hunyuan, feeling undermined, silently resented Li Yu's assertiveness.
In Wei City, which had been besieged for months, food supplies were critically low. Xia Tian and Prince Li Hupo were reduced to eating horse meat. Li Hupo complained about the taste, but Xia Tian explained they ate for survival, not enjoyment. She then took him to the army camp, where they witnessed injured soldiers choosing to starve to death to conserve the meager provisions for their healthy comrades. This deeply moved Li Hupo.
Xia Tian then encouraged him to live strongly, fulfill his father Li Zhongyi's legacy, and honor the sacrifices of the fallen soldiers, reminding him that he was the hope of Tang State. Ma Shixiang later informed Xia Tian that Princess Li Yu had tampered with the posthumous edict, placing Li Hunyuan on the throne.
Xia Tian was astonished by Li Yu's bold move and realized they needed to carefully consider their next steps for returning to the capital, as it was now a dangerous proposition. Meanwhile, at West Shrine, Hierarch Xiong Chumo saw Tang State's recent military defeat as an opportune moment for a full-scale invasion.
When Principle Cheng Lixue and the High Priest of Oracle expressed reservations, concerned about public opinion and the flimsy pretext of the Sage's actions or the Yan-Tang conflict, Xiong Chumo revealed that Xia Tian, the Queen of Tang, was the Demonic Cult Saint Virgin.
He declared that Tang State, a nation that did not believe in Light, protected the Daughter of Lord of the Deceased, and whose queen was a Demonic Cult Saint Virgin, would bring disaster to the world and did not deserve to exist. With this powerful justification to "act on behalf of Heaven," no one dared to object, and Xiong Chumo swiftly ordered a universal crusade against Tang State.
In a hidden boudoir, Ye Hongyu visited Mo Shanshan, urging her to recognize the current state of affairs. She informed Mo Shanshan that the King of Dahe State and the Calligraphic Prodigy of Mochi Garden had publicly pledged to join West Shrine in the crusade, acknowledging Tang State as the enemy of the entire world. Mo Shanshan, however, remained steadfast, believing that Xiong Chumo would ultimately fail to conquer Tang, which possessed a thousand-year foundation.
Separately, in a snow-covered landscape, Sang Sang, having ascended, was seen walking alongside the Heavenly Maid. He Mingchi brought a personal letter from Hierarch Xiong Chumo to Princess Li Yu. The letter, a surrender demand, bore a message implying Tang State's impending chaos. Li Yu, showing the letter to Li Hunyuan, expressed her disdain, scoffing at Xiong Chumo's assumption that she, as a woman, would fear death.
She challenged the notion of surrender, questioning if such a word ever appeared in Tang Dynasty's history books. She then asserted that it was Li Hunyuan's turn to take a stand as the new King of Tang. Following her implied command, Li Hunyuan bravely tore the surrender letter to pieces, a defiant act that was met with acclamation from the assembled officials.
