Love & Crown Episode 6 Recap
> Love & Crown Recap
Ling Cangcang invited Xiao Huan for a drink, and despite knowing she had an agenda and had spiked the wine, he willingly walked into her trap. As he entered, Ling Cangcang offered him a cup. He observed her subtle tension, then drank it, asking what she had put in the liquor. Ling Cangcang, surprised, asked why he would drink it if he knew it was poisoned.
Xiao Huan revealed he had anticipated a potent venom, but it was merely a substance to trigger his cold sickness. He realized her intention was to make him stay the night, creating the appearance of imperial favor so she could later demand the Phoenix Seal from Empress Dowager Liu. He told her she was naive to think his overnight stay alone would be enough to sway the Empress Dowager.
Ling Cangcang insisted she needed the Phoenix Seal to navigate the palace. She reminded him that her father had aided him for years, and Empress Dowager Liu was their common enemy. With his pursuit of imperial power and her own goals, they could form an alliance. Xiao Huan questioned if she was truly willing to let go of past grievances, and she confirmed it.
Before he could press further, he heard the returning footsteps of a spy sent by Empress Dowager Liu. Quickly, Xiao Huan swept the items off the table, creating a scene that suggested he was furious with Ling Cangcang. Ling Cangcang understood Xiao Huan's act, knowing it would lead Empress Dowager Liu to believe she had fallen out of favor, thus lowering her guard.
Indeed, a spy later reported that His Majesty had lashed out at Ling Cangcang, even scolding Imperial Preceptor Du. This led Empress Dowager Liu to dismiss Ling Cangcang as a threat, concluding that a disfavored Empress was no enemy and would be too ashamed to ask for the Phoenix Seal. Soon after, an imperial decree declared Ling Cangcang confined to her palace to reflect upon herself for causing Xiao Huan's cold sickness to resurface.
Ling Xuefeng, upon hearing of his daughter's confinement, rushed to the palace. He outwardly accepted Xiao Huan's judgment, apologizing for Ling Cangcang's flippant behavior and promising to rein her in. Xiao Huan, however, revealed that Ling Cangcang had poisoned his drink. He stated that to avoid discord between them in the eyes of the court, he chose to present it as mere anger, rather than legal punishment.
Ling Xuefeng thanked Xiao Huan for his mercy, and Xiao Huan then asked for Ling Xuefeng's continued support in handling court affairs due to his own lingering illness. Ling Xuefeng seized the opportunity to propose his full support for the Ministry of Personnel's suggestion to implement the talent recommendation system, acknowledging it as beneficial for the nation. Xiao Huan expressed his satisfaction with Ling Xuefeng's devotion.
Ling Xuefeng later discussed the situation with his aide, confirming that Xiao Huan had used Ling Cangcang's confinement to pressure him into agreeing to let Song Lanxi assume office in the Capital. He was willing to concede for his daughter's sake, confident that if Ling Cangcang were to bear a royal heir, a young emperor who might not live past thirty would pose no threat.
He also shrewdly noted that even if he didn't act against the new policy, Empress Dowager Liu certainly wouldn't sit idly by. Meanwhile, Empress Dowager Liu also learned that Xiao Qianqing was summoned back to the Capital to escort Song Lanxi. She vehemently opposed the talent recommendation system, viewing it as detrimental to her and her family's power. She suspected Xiao Huan was using Xiao Qianqing against her.
Although she decided not to intervene directly, she believed Song Lanxi, despite his noble connections, was too young and inexperienced to be an easy tool for the Emperor. Xiao Huan, knowing Ling Cangcang's profound resentment, instructed his eunuch to discreetly remove the Empress Dowager's spy from her palace. The next day, when the eunuch delivered paintings from Xiao Huan and announced the end of her confinement, Ling Cangcang sarcastically remarked on the Emperor's clever methods.
Xiao Huan, for his part, privately acknowledged that he had used her again, further cementing her hatred for him. Elsewhere, Prince of Yuzhang, Xiao Qianqing, was on his way to the Capital, and the Fenglai Pavilion was assigned to assist in escorting the candidates. Xiao Qianqing, known as the Peacock Prince, was not as superficial as his nickname suggested. He aimed to meddle in the new policy, making his return to the Capital a grand and public affair.
He argued with Shi Yan from Fenglai Pavilion about their involvement, questioning the need for assistance in escorting a few people. Zhong Lin, the Vice Sect Leader of Fenglai Pavilion, stepped forward, offering her personal service. Xiao Qianqing recognized her as the woman who gave him a hideous tattoo and asked if she was coming to the Capital to see Ling Cangcang. He initially refused to help her for altruistic reasons.
Zhong Lin, however, demonstrated her photographic memory by threatening to "forget" all the details of the candidates' list if he didn't bring her along. Impressed by her intelligence, Xiao Qianqing agreed. He confided in his aide that he suspected his imperial brother was up to no good, but he also missed his mother and Princess Ying. He instructed his aide to stay behind and keep an eye on Shi Yan.
Meanwhile, Ling Cangcang was cheerful, having received news that a friend from outside the palace would soon arrive in the Capital. Her Begonia Pendant suddenly emitted light, leading her to the cold palace. Her maid explained that it was Princess Ying's residence, a taboo subject in the palace. Princess Ying, Empress Dowager Liu's adoptive daughter, had been close to Xiao Huan in childhood but was traumatized by a fire, becoming addled.
She chose to reside in the desolate cold palace for peace. Ling Cangcang entered and found Princess Ying, who immediately warned her not to touch her belongings and expressed a strong dislike for Ling Cangcang because of her association with Xiao Huan. Ling Cangcang asserted that she also disliked Xiao Huan. Xiao Ying then offered to tell Ling Cangcang about her pendant if she would kill Xiao Huan. Ling Cangcang hesitated, making Xiao Ying doubt the sincerity of her hatred.
Ling Cangcang retorted, challenging Xiao Ying's knowledge of the pendant. Xiao Ying revealed that it contained an Azure firefly, recorded in the Tome of All Venom, which had been specially bred on toxic powder. She demonstrated how her firefly recoiled from Ling Cangcang's pendant. Ling Cangcang learned that her own Begonia Pendant contained Wanwei Herb, a rare herb that glowed to repel venomous creatures. She wondered why her master had given her such a powerful artifact as an ordinary accessory.
Xiao Ying then confided that her master had been killed, believing Xiao Huan was responsible, which fueled her hatred and desire to see him dead. She offered her poisons to help Ling Cangcang achieve this. Xiao Huan was informed of Ling Cangcang's visit to the cold palace and Princess Ying's offer to help her kill him.
He calmly instructed his eunuch not to intervene, knowing the two women shared a common enemy, and Ling Cangcang had not agreed to Xiao Ying's deadly proposal. Back in her palace, a distraught Ling Cangcang drank heavily, dismissing her maid's concern. She lamented her fate, seeing herself as a "caged canary bird" rather than a heroine. When Xiao Huan arrived, she asked why he was there.
He said he came to apologize, but she bitterly questioned what he could possibly apologize for, as she was the one who poisoned him. He replied that it did not matter and joined her for a drink. He mentioned their first meeting on the roof, but she snapped that he had no right to bring it up. She tearfully accused him of using her as a bargaining chip against her father.
When he tried to speak, she declared that anything he said now would be meaningless to her, and she wouldn't believe him. He asked if she still wanted the Phoenix Seal, and she questioned if he was offering help or simply trying to deceive her again. Breaking her wine cup, she declared their relationship was shattered, or rather, her own pipe dream.
She demanded to know why he had killed her master and if his initial approach was solely for that purpose. Xiao Huan insisted his feelings for her were sincere, but she retorted that his "serious commitment can kill." Unseen, Princess Ying had been spying on their intense exchange. Realizing Ling Cangcang harbored deep feelings for Xiao Huan, she finally understood why Ling Cangcang had hesitated to accept her offer to kill him.
Meanwhile, Ling Xuefeng gave Luo Xianxue a new, light blade, perfectly suited for his missing right index finger. He reiterated the importance of eliminating Song Lanxi and the other officials, instructing Luo Xianxue to leave no traces. Luo Xianxue, perplexed, questioned the necessity of killing a seemingly unimportant candidate.
Ling Xuefeng revealed that Song Lanxi was the personal student of Li Chengtian, a formidable scholar and former political rival who, despite his retirement, still commanded immense respect among the court's moral faction. Ling Xuefeng realized Xiao Huan was attempting to entice Li Chengtian back into service through Song Lanxi, which would be their greatest threat.
Acknowledging that Xiao Huan had once again outmaneuvered him, Ling Xuefeng emphasized the urgency of the mission and the absolute need to succeed without revealing their identities. Luo Xianxue vowed to fulfill his duty. Xiao Qianqing, Zhong Lin, and their entourage were at an inn. Despite the lack of a suitable chef, Xiao Qianqing insisted on ordering expensive dishes like braised pufferfish with rushes for his large group, flaunting his wealth.
During their stay, they were ambushed by a group of highly trained assassins. Xiao Qianqing, having anticipated such a move, had replaced some of the actual candidates with criminals from death row, who were killed in the attack. After fending off the assassins, he proudly told Zhong Lin that his high-profile approach was a deliberate tactic to expose such attempts. Zhong Lin, though initially dismissive, conceded that he had some intelligence.
She still urged caution, noting their distance from the Capital and the potential for more incidents. Xiao Qianqing, desiring to reach the Capital safely to find Ling Cangcang, assured her he could handle it. Suddenly, a subordinate rushed in with alarming news: Official Song Lanxi had secretly left and was found barely alive, unlikely to survive. Xiao Qianqing immediately recognized this as a trap, realizing his imperial brother would try to blame him for failing to protect the official. He urgently began to devise a solution.
