Ever Night Season 2 Episode 27 Recap
> Ever Night Season 2 Recap
Ning Que pressed Li Yu for Li Hunyuan's whereabouts, stating that while he knew she wasn't responsible for some of the foolish mistakes, Li Hunyuan was, and he wanted to know how Li Hunyuan intended to take responsibility. Li Yu deflected, claiming Li Hunyuan was resting and suggested Ning Que sit down and have some tea after his long journey. Ning Que, curious about her intentions, complied.
Meanwhile, outside Zeng's mansion, Commander He Yi arrived with Imperial Guards, completely surrounding the entire property and appearing ready to storm it. A servant quickly informed Xia Tian and Zeng Jing of the impending intrusion. Xia Tian, acknowledging that some things are inevitable, instructed her son, Li Hupo, to stay still while she prepared to address the situation.
Zeng Jing, worried that their household staff could not repel the Imperial Guards, cautioned Xia Tian against impulsively using her Demonic Cult skills in the capital, warning it would draw harsh criticism. He advised waiting to see the outcome of Ning Que and Li Yu's conversation. Inside, Ning Que directly proposed Li Hunyuan's abdication, warning that without it, the Tang State would face ruin. Li Yu vehemently rejected the idea, stating that abdication would signify Li Hunyuan's death.
Ning Que countered, asking her to weigh the importance of Li Hunyuan's life against the survival of the entire Tang State. Li Yu then revealed Xia Tian's identity as a Demonic Cult remnant, asserting that few in the Imperial Court or military would support Li Hupo's succession.
She explained her past decision not to pursue Xia Tian, claiming it was for the sake of the Tang State's stability, and tried to persuade Ning Que and the Academy to support Li Hunyuan to rally the nation. Ning Que remained firm, declaring his non-negotiable principle: upholding the late Li Zhongyi's true testamentary edict. Li Yu then expressed her fear that Xia Tian would retaliate against her and Li Hunyuan if she gained power.
Ning Que, however, promised to ensure both their lives were spared. Unbeknownst to them, Li Hunyuan was secretly listening to their entire exchange from upstairs. Li Yu tried to appeal to Ning Que's compassion, comparing her bond with Li Hunyuan to Ning Que's with Sangsang, and admitting she had punished Li Hunyuan for his actions, though Ning Que cynically questioned the severity of her punishment, guessing she had slapped him only once.
She then asked what Ning Que wanted from her, tearfully emphasizing Li Hunyuan was her only brother and that she couldn't bear to see him die. She pleaded for Ning Que to show leniency, reminding him that she had taken a risk by allowing him into the capital and to meet her in the palace. Ning Que simply reiterated his demand for Li Hunyuan's abdication.
When Li Yu continued to push back, he offered a compromise: he would keep Li Yu and Li Hunyuan safe from death if they adhered to the testamentary edict, but Li Yu still felt this meant their ruin. Ning Que, recalling his own philosophy to Sangsang about the value of life, urged them to live on despite hardships and proposed a toast to the late king with tea.
Li Yu, sensing his resolve, asked if he already considered her a sinner of Tang State. Ning Que replied that it depended on whether she would toast with him. They both drank. Moments later, Li Yu was gripped by agonizing stomach pain, realizing the tea was poisoned. Ning Que also appeared to collapse, seemingly poisoned as well. Li Hunyuan and his guards then burst into the room. Li Yu, in horror, finally understood that her own brother had poisoned her.
Li Hunyuan, without remorse, admitted his action, justifying it by claiming Ning Que's relentless pressure left him no other choice. He sarcastically reminded Li Yu that he had learned such deceptive tactics from her, contrasting his poisoning with her "bolder" act of tampering with the imperial edict. Now asserting his authority as the King of Tang State, he forbade Li Yu from interfering in his affairs.
He then gloated over the seemingly unconscious Ning Que, drawing his sword with the intent to kill him and wishing for both of them to die together and be buried side by side. Li Yu, despite her suffering, desperately intervened, reminding Li Hunyuan that Ning Que was the guardian of the God-Startling Formation and vital for the capital's defense. Suddenly, Ning Que sat up and began clapping, much to Li Hunyuan's astonishment.
Ning Que revealed that he had not been poisoned, explaining that his Demonic Cult skills rendered him immune to such toxins. He admitted he had known about Li Hunyuan's presence and the poisoned tea all along, but drank it to expose Li Hunyuan's true nature to Li Yu. He condemned Li Hunyuan for attempting to kill his own sister for the throne.
He then swiftly drew his sword, dispatching the surrounding guards and intending to kill Li Hunyuan to avenge the innocent lives lost. Li Yu, now fully recovered after Li Hunyuan hastily produced an antidote for her, desperately knelt and begged Ning Que to spare her brother. She promised that both she and Li Hunyuan would publicly confess their crimes and announce Li Hunyuan's abdication at the morning assembly the next day.
Ning Que agreed, allowing them to live for the time being. Meanwhile, Commander He Yi, who was outside Zeng's mansion, received word from an old eunuch that Ning Que had been poisoned and was near death. He Yi was about to order his Imperial Guards to storm Zeng's mansion and kill Xia Tian and Li Hupo. Just then, Ning Que appeared from behind, swiftly killing He Yi and the eunuch.
He then ordered the Imperial Guards to kneel, announcing that the palace situation had been resolved and that Xia Tian and Li Hupo would return home. Ning Que then knelt before Zeng Jing to report, expressing his regret that he couldn't bring Sangsang back safely, a revelation that deeply saddened Zeng Jing. Elsewhere, a young girl, who possessed the consciousness of the Heavenly Maid, began to cry, unaware of the emotion.
Sangsang, explaining that it was tears, helped her understand that these were the result of missing Ning Que and that emotions, whether joy, sadness, anger, or anxiety, added richness to life, preventing it from being like death. Sangsang further explained that the Heavenly Maid herself was subtly changing under the influence of the Sage, waxing and waning like the moon, and that her heart would feel dark, causing her to cry, just as it was that night.
The next morning, Li Yu and Li Hunyuan arrived early for the morning assembly, which was attended by all civil and military officials. Li Hunyuan knelt before the court, expressing deep remorse for his actions. He confessed his youthful folly and misguided decisions, admitting that his rashness had led to the annihilation of the cavalry with heavy armor in Chengjing City and the deaths of General Xian Zhilang, General Xu Shi, and General Ma Shixiang.
He apologized to Ning Que and promised to become a disciplined and virtuous monarch, adhering to the Academy's teachings. Ning Que remained unconvinced and began to leave. Li Yu then stepped forward, offering to bear the blame for her brother's mistakes, reiterating that Li Hunyuan was her only sibling and promising to provide a full explanation to the people of Tang State after the war.
She also announced that Li Hunyuan would appoint Li Hupo, the Sixth Prince, as the Crown Brother, asking Ning Que to relay this message to Xia Tian. Ning Que, however, interrupted Li Yu, correcting her statement about having only one brother. With a swift movement, he unsheathed his sword and executed Li Hunyuan on the spot, declaring that now she truly had only one brother. Overwhelmed by grief, Li Yu fainted. General Hua Shanyue immediately ordered Ning Que's arrest.
Ning Que, however, placed his sword at Hua Shanyue's throat and proclaimed to the assembly that with Li Hunyuan dead, Li Zhongyi's only remaining son was Li Hupo, who alone could inherit the throne. Li Peiyan condemned Ning Que's impulsive actions, warning they would further complicate the Tang State's already precarious situation. Ning Que sharply retorted, asking if Li Peiyan himself harbored ambitions for the throne. He then left the assembly without looking back.
Xia Tian returned to the Imperial Palace, a place filled with memories of Li Zhongyi. Seeing his old brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and the throne he once occupied, she was overcome with sadness, lamenting how everything had changed. Li Hupo approached her, wanting to know the first thing his father said when he learned of Xia Tian's true identity as the Demonic Cult Saintess.
Xia Tian recalled that Li Zhongyi had said nothing, but simply cooked his favorite sesamum indicum porridge. When she asked why, he replied that if she was there to kill him, he'd prefer to be a well-fed ghost. She concluded by revealing that he later married her, making her the Queen of Tang State. Li Hupo expressed his admiration for his father's broad-mindedness and composure, feeling his own inadequacy.
Xia Tian then advised him to honor his father's legacy, to be diligent, focus on state affairs, and not to betray Li Zhongyi's expectations. Li Hupo solemnly vowed to govern the Tang State well. Subsequently, Li Hupo smoothly ascended to the throne as the new King of Tang State, receiving formal congratulations from the civil and military officials. Li Peiyan, though resentful, was forced to offer his congratulations.
