Love & Crown Episode 22 Recap
> Love & Crown Recap
Leaning on Ling Xuefeng's shoulder, Ling Cangcang expressed her deep affection for his baked pears, even when he fondly recalled his late wife's pears as superior. She insisted his were her favorite. Ling Xuefeng then shifted the conversation, mentioning a letter from Ling Jueding about Ling Cangcang's arduous trip to Jiangzhou and reminded her that her mother's death anniversary was approaching, urging her to return home to pay respects. Ling Cangcang agreed.
As Ling Xuefeng prepared to leave abruptly after discussing his son, Ling Cangcang noted that the pears were not yet fully baked, to which he promised to bake some for her next time. Later, Ling Xuefeng learned from his aide that Luo Xianxue had discovered their plot to poison Ling Cangcang. Reflecting on Ling Cangcang's earlier comment about the unfinished pears, Ling Xuefeng realized she already knew the truth.
When his aide raised concerns about Luo Xianxue being a danger due to his knowledge, Ling Xuefeng ruthlessly ordered his death. Meanwhile, Xiao Huan observed Ling Cangcang practicing swordplay blindfolded. She explained that this method enhanced her perception of air currents and improved her technique. Playfully, she asserted her capability to protect him as the esteemed leader of Fenglai Pavilion, to which Xiao Huan indulged her flirtatious banter.
He offered to accompany her to her mother's death anniversary, but Ling Cangcang declined, feeling she needed to confront certain matters alone and could not perpetually evade them. She reassured him that she would protect herself. Ling Cangcang visited Ling Xuefeng in his study, recalling a childhood incident where she accidentally cracked his favorite inkstone.
Ling Xuefeng remembered how her mother had shielded her from punishment back then, and how he had cherished and continued to use the cracked inkstone all these years, just as his wife had said it was still functional. This shared memory brought a melancholic air to their conversation. Ling Cangcang then suggested they visit her mother's spirit tablet.
At the tablet, Ling Xuefeng poured his wife's favorite green plum wine, reminiscing about her love for drinking and how she would dance with her sword beneath the plum tree when tipsy, vowing that he remembered every detail about her. He then offered Ling Cangcang freshly baked pears he had prepared, hoping they would taste like her mother's.
Breaking the tense silence, Ling Cangcang revealed she was ambushed by Luo Xianxue on her return journey to the capital, and confessed her struggle to confront her father about it. Ling Xuefeng prompted her to voice her questions, swearing before her mother's tablet that he would not lie. Ling Cangcang directly asked if he had put Lovesickness Powder and another poison in her pear blossom honey, to which Ling Xuefeng admitted yes.
Ling Cangcang then questioned the sincerity of his paternal love, discerning that his affection seemed conditional on whether she furthered his ambitions. Ling Xuefeng maintained that he was certain Xiao Huan would save her and that his actions were for the Ling clan. Ling Cangcang countered, accusing him of choosing to be a ruthless Grand Tutor, willing to sacrifice his daughter for power, and urged him to cease his machinations, warning that it was not too late to turn back.
Ling Xuefeng reacted with a cynical laugh, scoffing at her attempt to "teach him how to live." Ling Cangcang reiterated her desperate plea, emphasizing that without a change of course, he would cross a point of no return. Ling Xuefeng taunted her, suggesting she had been searching his study for evidence, and then threatened Luo Xianxue's life, knowing Luo's deep affection for Ling Cangcang. He questioned if Luo Xianxue could even survive.
Horrified, Ling Cangcang demanded to know what he had done. Ling Xuefeng chillingly declared he would not kill her, but would instead pronounce her gravely ill and keep her confined to the manor, convinced that with the Empress in his grasp, Xiao Huan would not dare to act.
He attempted to sow discord between Ling Cangcang and Xiao Huan, highlighting how Xiao Huan had also hurt and lied to her, killed her master, and now sought to eliminate her father, pressing her on whether she would still choose to stand with him. At that moment, Xiao Huan entered with his troops, stating that he never intended to kill Ling Xuefeng.
He asserted that he possessed overwhelming evidence of Ling Xuefeng's crimes, including his ties to the Lingbi Sect, treason, and regicide. Xiao Huan reminded Ling Xuefeng of a chess strategy he once taught him: "Drive in a wedge and shatter the formation." He then revealed that he had used Luo Xianxue as precisely that wedge, deliberately allowing him to escape after learning of Ling Xuefeng's poisoning of Ling Cangcang.
Xiao Huan knew Ling Xuefeng would never tolerate an uncontrolled pawn like Luo Xianxue. While Ling Xuefeng was preoccupied with purging his ranks, Xiao Huan capitalized on the distraction to dismantle his vast network, exposing his secret manufacturing of weapons, embezzlement of grain, manipulation of prices, and control of intelligence. Xiao Huan revealed that this intricate plan had been years in the making. Cornered, Ling Xuefeng told Xiao Huan to kill or punish him as he saw fit.
Xiao Huan reiterated his promise not to kill him or destroy the entire Ling clan, explaining that he would not allow his Empress to be associated with a traitorous father or a rebellious family. Ling Xuefeng retorted with a final warning, reminding Xiao Huan of his own teaching to "remove the threat completely and never soften your heart," prophesying that sparing him would be Xiao Huan's greatest mistake.
Xiao Huan then advised Ling Xuefeng to take care and departed with Ling Cangcang. Later, Ling Xuefeng's subordinates reported their failure to eliminate Luo Xianxue. Luo Xianxue had sent a message through them, declaring that he would not harm his foster father, who had saved his life and raised him. More importantly, he stated, Ling Xuefeng was Ling Cangcang's father, and harming him would mean harming Ling Cangcang, a deed Luo Xianxue would never commit.
Ling Xuefeng was struck by this, realizing that after a lifetime of meticulously calculating human hearts, he had been taught a profound lesson by his adopted son—that deep affection inevitably creates vulnerability. Meanwhile, Du Tingxin, who was bathing, received news of Ling Xuefeng's defeat. Subsequently, Ling Xuefeng visited her and revealed a secret he had safeguarded for the imperial family for over a decade: she was the daughter of the late Emperor.
Du Tingxin, initially composed, was enraged after reading a blood-written letter from her mother, the former Imperial Preceptor. The letter spoke of all beings being ensnared by love and hate, and though the Imperial Preceptor herself could not escape it, she prayed her child would grow up safe, asserting that her child carried imperial blood. Du Tingxin was deeply incensed by her birth status, lamenting her "unacceptable, unacceptable, such an unacceptable fate."
In the imperial court, Ling Xuefeng formally resigned from his position, proclaiming that he had honorably served two reigns, assisted the late Emperor in his conquests, and helped the current Emperor usher in a prosperous era. Declaring his life's work complete, he requested permission to retire to the hills. Xiao Huan granted his request, and Ling Xuefeng humbly thanked him, wishing Great Qi everlasting peace and prosperity.
Xiao Qianqing observed Ling Xuefeng's departure, finding it unsettling that such a powerful figure would retire so readily, musing that failing to completely neutralize him now might lead to future problems. Later, Xiao Huan confronted Ling Xuefeng, recounting the story of his youth. As a frail fourteen-year-old prince, he had waited in the heavy snow at Xishi Gate to make a proposition to Ling Xuefeng: that he would make Ling Xuefeng his Grand Chancellor and Ling Cangcang his Empress.
Xiao Huan confirmed that he had fulfilled every one of those promises, including sparing Ling Xuefeng's life and protecting the Ling clan, as he always kept his word. Ling Xuefeng conceded that his earlier worries had been unwarranted and expressed his desire to find a peaceful place for spiritual cultivation, vowing never to return to the palace. He was then escorted by a general to the Deer Courtyard, where he reiterated that his only desire was peaceful retirement.
The general concurred, stating his sole wish was for the well-being of the one in his heart, prompting Ling Xuefeng to acknowledge the general as a man of deep feelings. Simultaneously, a distraught Du Tingxin sought Xiao Huan at the palace, only to be informed he was unavailable. A eunuch discreetly hinted that Xiao Huan was in the Imperial Garden, near the wintersweet trees. She hurried there.
In the Imperial Garden, Xiao Huan told Ling Cangcang that all their past troubles were now behind them. Ling Cangcang reflected on her name, "Cangcang," and her mother's hope for her to live a free and unburdened life, wondering what her mother would think of her current circumstances. Xiao Huan then reiterated the story of his childhood arrangement with Ling Xuefeng, admitting that his journey to power had been meticulously planned and calculated.
Yet, he concluded, marrying Ling Cangcang was the most successful outcome of all his intricate schemes and the greatest happiness of his life. Du Tingxin, who was secretly listening, overheard these words. Her grief immediately dissipated, replaced by an intense, burning hatred. She realized that the concealment of her true identity had merely been another calculated move in Xiao Huan's grand game.
