Love & Crown Episode 32 Recap
> Love & Crown Recap
Ling Xuefeng warned Ling Cangcang about the challenges ahead, particularly concerning Imperial Preceptor Du Tingxin, whom he described as a truly mad dog. Moments later, a monk arrived to announce that Du Tingxin's people had arrived. Ling Xuefeng then confessed to Ling Cangcang that he did not fully know the truth surrounding the deaths of Princess Ying and the Empress Dowager. Ling Cangcang understood and thanked her father. As Ling Xuefeng fondly recounted childhood memories, Ling Cangcang sensed something amiss.
Before she could react, Ling Xuefeng knocked her unconscious and ordered Zhong Lin and his men to quickly hide his daughter. Du Tingxin's arrival was aggressive and direct. She told Ling Xuefeng to ensure Ling Cangcang remained hidden, warning him not to let her find her. Du Tingxin then demanded Ling Xuefeng write a letter threatening General Ling Jueding to hand over his command tally.
Ling Xuefeng denounced Du Tingxin's scheme as too cruel and believed she desired too much power. Du Tingxin revealed that she had become "mad" from the moment Ling Xuefeng gave her a blood-written letter, questioning why she, a member of the Xiao bloodline, could not sit on the throne when others could. Ling Xuefeng drank the poisoned plum wine offered by Du Tingxin.
He then revealed he had poisoned himself with a toxin hidden in his prayer beads, challenging Du Tingxin to see whose poison would take effect first. He declared that he had prepared this poison for himself long ago and had never submitted to threats in his decades of public service. He wished he could live to see Du Tingxin's ultimate demise, doubting that the people she intended to kill would die so easily.
Ling Xuefeng quickly succumbed to the poison, sacrificing himself to buy time for Ling Cangcang. As Ling Cangcang regained consciousness, she realized something was terribly wrong and desperately tried to go back but was held back by Zhong Lin. She tearfully mourned her father, vowing to avenge him. Afterward, Du Tingxin visited Xiao Ying's former residence, reflecting on past memories and admitting that there was "no going back."
Meanwhile, Zhong Lin suspected Xiao Huan might be dead, as no body had been found after so much time. Ling Cangcang, however, was resolute and instructed Zhong Lin to rally her father’s former subordinates to consolidate power. In the palace, ministers relentlessly pressured Xiao Qianqing to ascend the throne. Zhong Lin was brought to Xiao Qianqing, where she confronted him, accusing him of changing and being a coward who hid from the truth, yielding to the officials' coercion.
She questioned if he truly wanted to become a "traitor and usurper" who "killed his brother for the crown." Xiao Qianqing insisted Xiao Huan was dead and promised not to harm Ling Cangcang, offering to honor her as the "Empress of the Late Emperor" and provide a peaceful life in a separate residence. Zhong Lin expressed profound disappointment, telling him she had misjudged him and that "all ties are cut."
Xiao Qianqing spent his days drinking, having handed over much of his regent authority to Du Tingxin. When Minister of Rites Liu Mingzhuo, Vice Minister of Revenue Liu Cheng, and Director Chen Ling of Personnel all requested to resign due to age or illness, Xiao Qianqing approved their requests without hesitation. Mr. Li (Li Chengtian) publicly criticized Xiao Qianqing for neglecting state affairs and allowing the Imperial Preceptor to wield such power, warning that the realm would be ruined.
Du Tingxin suggested that Mr. Li should retire, and Xiao Qianqing readily agreed. Mr. Li, perceiving the deepening chaos and Du Tingxin's wolfish ambition, sent his family away, resolving to complete one last crucial task for the Great Qi. Du Tingxin, considering Mr. Li a stubborn and unyielding obstacle, decided that even if he was unafraid of death, his death must serve her purpose. She subsequently ordered his killing, which was carried out by the mysterious Ghost King.
Reports from the Lingbi Sect revealed that several of their branches had been destroyed, with rumors of a "Ghost King" emerging, who carried the Moon-Eclipse and had completed the mission of killing Li Chengtian before them. The Ghost King's appearance was deemed a glory to the Lingbi Sect. Seven days prior, Xiao Huan, who was not dead, explained his plan to Hongqing.
He had used the Moon-Eclipse to temporarily suppress the cold poison in his body, a process that would ultimately consume his essence and lead to his death. He viewed the Moon-Eclipse as both medicine and poison, allowing him to heal and enhance his power but with a fatal cost.
Xiao Huan told Hongqing that he had to stage his death and reappear with a new identity as the Ghost King to confront the Saintess, who was using Du Tingxin to destabilize the court. Hongqing remained loyal, believing Xiao Huan would never harm Princess Ying or seek his own demise, deducing that his leap from Phoenix Terrace was a strategic escape.
Xiao Huan acknowledged that he owed everything to Great Qi and its people but regretted the pain he caused Ling Cangcang. He explained that he could not involve her in his dangerous plan, as confronting the Saintess would invite a "mad backlash," and he had to send Ling Cangcang away to safety before he could act decisively.
Back in her residence, Ling Cangcang had a nightmare, then found an umbrella at her door, instantly believing it was left by Xiao Huan, confirming his survival. She secretly began to seek out information about Xiao Huan and discreetly contacted her father's former subordinates. She learned from a villager that the Lingbi Sect was growing stronger and had allied with the court, with its Saintess having returned from the far south.
Ling Cangcang met with one of her father's trusted men. He informed her that Ling Xuefeng had many hidden "chess pieces" (spies) in the palace and the capital, and that Ling Cangcang herself was the key to activating them. He revealed that before Ling Xuefeng’s death at Fayun Temple, he had secretly instructed his loyalists that if he met misfortune, the temple bell would ring as a signal for them to follow Ling Cangcang's command. Ling Cangcang arranged a meeting with these loyalists at Guisi Mausoleum, three days after the mourning period for her father.
