Let's Shake It! Season 1 Episode 19 Recap
> Let's Shake It! Season 1 Recap
Abe, despite outwardly appearing nonchalant, secretly yearned for Tang Qingfeng's presence at her wedding ceremony. She expressed her fear that he might not come to witness her selection of a consort. Just as the Emperor was about to declare the ceremony open, Tang Qingfeng made a timely entrance. The Emperor, remembering a previous mahjong game where Tang Qingfeng had allowed him to win, made an exception.
He acknowledged Tang Qingfeng's and his father's immense contributions to the Great Tang and his own paternal affection for Tang Qingfeng, granting him the special status of a "half-prince" to participate. Abe delightedly told Tang Qingfeng that she had been waiting for him. Duo Miaomiao, speaking on Abe's behalf, announced the three challenges for the wedding ceremony, which Abe herself had devised.
The first round, a test of physical strength called "Chest Broken Stone," quickly eliminated most contenders, leaving only Tang Qingfeng, Prince Li Yi, and Prince Li Fu. The second round, a speed test requiring participants to separate red and green beans, resulted in Li Fu's elimination, who accused Tang Qingfeng of cheating, calling him a "real monster." The final round was an endurance challenge: consuming a dish of "braised pork" personally prepared by Abe.
After Li Yi struggled, Tang Qingfeng was the only contender remaining. Abe, ecstatic, announced Tang Qingfeng as her chosen consort and praised his eating skills, promising to cook for him again. Li Yi was furious, accusing Tang Qingfeng of deliberate actions and vowing to reclaim Abe. Ji Taifu intervened, counseling Li Yi against impetuous revenge and urging him to consider long-term strategies.
He then presented the recovered "Songhetu" (Pine Crane painting), which Li Yi planned to offer as a birthday gift to the Emperor. Li Yi instructed Ji Taifu to store it safely until the imperial banquet. Meanwhile, in his confinement, Xiao Zhihe desperately tried to convince his guards to release him. Yao Luoguli, the Prince of Beidi, appeared, setting Xiao Zhihe free and offering assistance in his quest for vengeance against Li Yi.
Yao Luoguli informed Xiao Zhihe that Li Yi intended to present the Emperor with the "Songhetu," an authentic work of Emperor Taizu, and suggested that tampering with this gift would lead to Li Yi's downfall. Under Yao Luoguli's influence, a disoriented Xiao Zhihe secretly replaced the painting in the storeroom. Later, Li Yi made a quick inspection of the painting, noticing no irregularities, and ordered it to be guarded.
Separately, Tang Qingyun presented Li Yi with a delicate embroidery, hoping to offer it as a joint birthday gift to the Emperor. Li Yi, however, still resented Tang Qingyun's earlier false accusation against Abe and coldly rejected her offer. Heartbroken, Tang Qingyun confessed her unyielding devotion, but Li Yi adamantly stated that Tang Qingye was irreplaceable and that Tang Qingyun could never fill her place.
In the courtyard, Abe painstakingly attempted to sprout the "stone seed" Tang Qingfeng had given her, determined to make it grow. Duo Miaomiao reminded her of her crucial mission from Duo Star, but Abe, seemingly engrossed in her task, admitted her focus had shifted towards Tang Qingfeng. Shortly after, Tang Qingfeng arrived, announcing himself as Abe's rightful consort and escorting her to the Emperor's birthday banquet. He offered his arm, which Abe happily accepted, intertwining with him.
At the banquet, a wave of astonishment swept through the attendees as Yao Luoguli, the Prince of Beidi, entered in the capacity of the new National Master. The Emperor quickly pacified the shocked assembly, explaining that Yao Luoguli had pledged his allegiance to the Great Tang. Despite the Emperor's words, Abe felt an unease about Yao Luoguli.
Li Fu initiated the gift presentations by offering the Emperor the magnificent Tongtian Pagoda, which he claimed symbolized the enduring prosperity of the Great Tang. The Emperor was pleased, though Tang Qingfeng was heard muttering that such a project was merely a waste of resources. Li Fu then shrewdly prompted Li Yi to present his own gift, implying its uniqueness.
Unaware of the painting switch, Li Yi proudly presented what he believed to be the "Songhetu," the treasured artwork of Emperor Taizu. To the shock of all, it unfurled to reveal a portrait of Imperial Concubine An, a figure whose memory was a source of deep and painful grief for the Emperor. Both the Emperor and Empress were enraged, and the Emperor swiftly ordered Li Yi's confinement to the Eastern Palace, forbidding him from leaving without his explicit permission.
Amidst the chaos, Abe observed Xiao Zhihe's agitated demeanor and approached him with concern, but he insisted he was fine. Ji Taifu appealed to the Empress on Li Yi's behalf, suggesting that the painting substitution was a frame-up. However, the Empress, deeply wounded by what she perceived as a direct accusation related to Imperial Concubine An's demise, refused to be swayed. Following Ji Taifu's departure, Li Fu arrived, feigning sympathy for the Empress.
He subtly fueled her anger by revealing that Li Yi had secretly erected a private memorial for his deceased birth mother within the Eastern Palace. This disclosure, coupled with the Empress's guilt over her past actions concerning Li Yi's birth mother, irrevocably severed her bond with Li Yi, much to Li Fu's quiet satisfaction. A palace maid warned Abe that Li Yi's house arrest was a grave matter, potentially jeopardizing his position as Crown Prince.
She elaborated on the severity of presenting Imperial Concubine An's portrait, a forbidden topic due to the Emperor's profound sorrow. Abe, realizing Li Yi wouldn't have made such an obvious mistake, suspected foul play. Meanwhile, Ji Taifu informed Li Yi that he had lost the Empress's support and was certainly being targeted by a cunning mastermind.
In the imperial chambers, the Emperor, weighing the possibility of deposing the Crown Prince, was interrupted by the return of General Tang Jizhong from Longyou. General Tang Jizhong, praising the Emperor's foresight, assured him that such a drastic measure was a way to protect Li Yi from the inevitable, bloody conflicts among the princes. Overwhelmed by emotion and stress, the Emperor suddenly fainted. Separately, Abe, weary of mundane "palace fights," sensed a malevolent, extraterrestrial influence at work.
She identified Yao Luoguli, the National Master, as the most suspicious individual, noting his inexplicable composure during the painting scandal. She also suspected Xiao Zhihe's involvement. Duo Miaomiao, hearing Abe's suspicions, urged her to capture Xiao Zhihe for interrogation. Tang Qingfeng confronted Xiao Zhihe about his unusual behavior at the banquet. Xiao Zhihe, distressed, confessed that Yao Luoguli had incited him to seek revenge on Li Yi by manipulating him into tampering with the painting.
However, he admitted that his memory of the actual act of switching the artwork was hazy. Tang Qingfeng vowed to conduct a thorough investigation. Just then, Abe burst in, shouting for Xiao Zhihe to run. Misinterpreting Tang Qingfeng's intentions, she asserted her duty as Xiao Zhihe's "Shimu" (teacher's wife) to protect him, insisting that letting him go now was the most dangerous course of action without proper evidence.
Tang Qingfeng clarified his intent was to investigate cautiously, not to hand him over, which relieved Abe, and they agreed to strategize together. Back in the imperial chambers, the Emperor regained consciousness, murmuring Imperial Concubine An's name. After ordering General Tang Jizhong to rigorously investigate the instigator of the disrespectful gift, emphasizing his intolerance for fratricidal conflicts, he fainted once more.
Abe, Tang Qingfeng, and Xiao Zhihe collectively analyzed the painting incident, quickly concluding that Li Fu was the primary beneficiary and had orchestrated a "borrowing a knife to kill" scheme. Abe strongly asserted that an extraterrestrial entity must be guiding Li Fu, as such elaborate cunning and the ability to bewitch Xiao Zhihe pointed to non-human intelligence. Tang Qingfeng found her deduction logical. When Xiao Zhihe asked about their next move, Abe, with a startling directness, declared their immediate plan was to bind him, which surprised both Tang Qingfeng and Xiao Zhihe.
