Flying up without Disturb Episode 16 Recap
> Flying up without Disturb Recap
Second Prince Huan Zong ordered his bodyguard, Bei Jun, to whip him, insisting on a genuine punishment rather than a pretense. A palace maid informed Kong Hou of the ongoing whipping, which she initially dismissed as a trick but soon realized was serious. Rushing to the scene, Kong Hou found Huan Zong being lashed and immediately intervened, accusing him of being insane. Huan Zong asserted that the self-inflicted pain was his apology.
Seeing his severe injuries, Kong Hou declared them even, accepted his apology, and implored him to stop. Though she first suggested a palace maid tend to his wounds, citing her own unhealed injury, Huan Zong insisted that she do it. While applying medicine, Kong Hou recalled a past memory where she tended to his itching after he was wounded protecting her from poisonous thorns, noting that he was "aloof, yet unexpectedly adorable" then, a stark contrast to his current demeanor.
Huan Zong flinched, telling her to be gentle. Following this, Huan Zong ordered Kong Hou to return to his personal service the next day, relieving her of stable duties. Later, Emperor Jing Hong, while receiving a massage, inquired about the Crown Prince's recovery. Soon after, one of Huan Zong's bodyguards presented a captive to the Emperor, revealing that this person had poisoned a horse meant for Huan Zong, causing it to go wild and endanger the Crown Prince.
The bodyguard requested the Emperor to administer justice. Emperor Jing Hong confronted Consort Qi, recognizing the captive as her brother. Consort Qi confessed, claiming she only meant to scare Huan Zong for constantly troubling the Emperor and had no intention of harming the Crown Prince. Enraged, the Emperor chastised her, revealing his own plan to wait for Huan Zong to lower his guard before delivering a fatal blow.
He fumed that Consort Qi's impulsive act had alerted the "patient predator," forcing him to now take the initiative. The Crown Prince happily played hide-and-seek with Kong Hou, proudly stating that "Second Brother said this is a tactic" after she found him. The Crown Prince then pleaded with Huan Zong to fly a kite with him, reminding him of past broken promises. Kong Hou supported the Crown Prince, mentioning her master's advice on the benefits of fresh air.
Huan Zong reluctantly agreed. After Huan Zong failed to fly the kite, Kong Hou took over and skillfully launched it high into the sky, much to the Crown Prince's delight. Kong Hou then proposed a kite-flying competition. During the competition, their kite became stuck in a tree. Kong Hou climbed up to retrieve it but slipped, spraining her ankle and falling into Huan Zong's arms. They bickered again, with Huan Zong calling her clumsy and she accusing him of bullying.
The Crown Prince defended Kong Hou, praising her as "brilliant, adorable, and beautiful," and asked Huan Zong to treat her better. He then expressed his desire for Kong Hou to stay by his side forever and, being too young to marry her, asked Huan Zong to marry her instead. Huan Zong and Kong Hou exchanged a look but did not refuse, making the Crown Prince overjoyed.
Later that night, while watching over the sleeping Crown Prince, Kong Hou impulsively hugged Huan Zong from behind, and he did not push her away. After they left the room, Kong Hou asked why he didn't push her away, and he claimed he feared waking his brother. She then reassured Huan Zong, telling him that he was not corrupted by power but acted solely to protect his brother and others.
Subsequently, Huan Zong gathered his late elder brother's former subordinates, informing them that their enemy was now on alert. He instructed them to wait for the completion of the temple where Emperor Jing Hong planned to cultivate, as that moment would be their best chance for revenge. His subordinates pledged their unwavering loyalty. Meanwhile, outside the illusion, Kong Hou's Senior Tan grew increasingly anxious after five days of her absence, suggesting they force their way in.
Lin Hu cautioned against this, warning that their own inner demons could adversely affect those within the illusion. He highlighted Kong Hou's intelligence and unique absence of inner demons, urging patience. Lin Hu also explained that time flowed differently inside—one day outside equaled ten days inside—and Kong Hou's Concealment Pill would soon expire. They agreed to intervene only if a disturbance occurred or if Kong Hou was discovered.
While Huan Zong and Kong Hou were together, a guard rushed in to report that Consort Qi had taken the Crown Prince. Consort Qi attempted to feed the wary Crown Prince, who refused her food. She then placed his hand on her pregnant belly, claiming to carry a new prince who would become the Emperor's favorite, implying the Crown Prince would be cast aside.
She cruelly asserted that Huan Zong merely pretended to care, had killed their elder brother, and would eventually kill the Crown Prince too, graphically describing gruesome execution methods. The terrified Crown Prince began to cry hysterically. When Emperor Jing Hong arrived, Consort Qi feigned distress, claiming she had merely revealed her pregnancy, prompting the Crown Prince to allegedly attack her belly. Enraged, Emperor Jing Hong moved to strike the Crown Prince, but Huan Zong swiftly intervened.
Huan Zong questioned the distraught Crown Prince and comforted him, assuring him, "Brother knows, Brother believes you. Don't be afraid." Outside, Bei Jun informed Senior Tan and Kong Hou about Consort Qi's "miscarriage risk" and refused them entry. An imperial physician soon confirmed that Consort Qi's pregnancy was stable. The Emperor then confronted Consort Qi, revealing he knew she faked the incident and sternly warned her to "behave yourself."
Huan Zong comforted the Crown Prince, who was then confined to his quarters by imperial decree. Huan Zong then knelt outside the Emperor's palace and declared he would go to the ancestral temple to pray for the unborn child. Emperor Jing Hong understood this as a silent warning that he would not tolerate a severe punishment for the Crown Prince based solely on Consort Qi's word.
He mused that while Huan Zong might be contemplating rebellion, it was not the right time to act, prioritizing his own cultivation goals. Huan Zong continued kneeling at the ancestral temple, joined by Kong Hou. She questioned his methods but reiterated her unwavering support, stating, "I came here for you. No matter what happens. . . I'll be with you." The effect of Kong Hou's Concealment Pill was visibly nearing its end.
An eunuch brought Emperor Jing Hong a letter from Master Jin Yue. The letter revealed a prophecy about an "extraordinary cultivation prodigy" in the imperial family, whom Jin Yue had identified as Huan Zong. Jin Yue expressed his desire to take Huan Zong as his disciple and requested the Emperor's approval. Emperor Jing Hong was enraged, cursing Jin Yue for rejecting him but wanting Huan Zong.
Fearing Huan Zong's growing power, he vowed to never permit it and immediately ordered his guards to act. At the temple, Huan Zong and Kong Hou sensed the approaching danger, realizing the Emperor was making his move. The palace erupted in chaos. Huan Zong's loyal bodyguards attempted to protect him from poisoned arrows. Huan Zong ordered a guard to take Kong Hou to a safe place.
She resisted being forced away in a carriage until Senior Tan, who was with her, warned her that if Huan Zong died within the illusion, his real self would never awaken. Meanwhile, Emperor Jing Hong's guards seized the crying Crown Prince. The Emperor declared Huan Zong a traitor scheming rebellion and ordered his capture, dead or alive. Huan Zong arrived to confront the Emperor, who held the Crown Prince hostage.
The Emperor gave Huan Zong a choice: surrender, or watch his brother die. Huan Zong threatened to kill his father if he harmed the boy. Amidst the ensuing fight, poisoned arrows flew, and Huan Zong shielded his brother. The Crown Prince was gravely wounded, crying out, "Brother, it hurts." As he died in Huan Zong's arms, the Crown Prince said he was tired and pleaded for Huan Zong and Kong Hou to stay with him forever.
