Love Like The Galaxy Episode 37 Recap, Plot

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As Cheng Shaoshang and Fifth Prince were walking back from Jingxin Lake, they were met by Wen Di, Empress Xuan, and their retinue. Fifth Princess immediately accused Cheng Shaoshang of being overly ambitious, saying she was betrothed to Ling Buyi yet still seducing Fifth Prince. Her maid, Chun Tiao, claimed to have seen them in a secret meeting and heard Fifth Prince call Cheng Shaoshang "beauty."

Fifth Prince vehemently denied the accusation, explaining he had been tricked by one of Fifth Princess's maids into going to Jingxin Lake under the false promise of meeting a "beauty." When challenged by Fifth Princess to identify the maid among her assembled ladies, Fifth Prince couldn't, which Fifth Princess used as an opportunity to further malign Cheng Shaoshang, declaring that women who act immorally in the palace deserved to be beaten to death.

Empress Xuan, looking distressed, interrupted, reminding Fifth Princess that it was her birthday and such behavior was disrespectful. Wen Di then asked Cheng Shaoshang to explain what happened. She clarified that she had simply passed Jingxin Lake and rescued Fifth Prince after he accidentally fell into the water. Fifth Princess scornfully dismissed her explanation, doubting anyone would believe it. Empress Xuan, complaining of a headache and exhaustion, decided to leave the banquet and return to Changqiu Palace to rest.

An official advised Wen Di to defer any investigation or punishment until after the birthday celebration, a suggestion Wen Di accepted, but he vowed to hold the culprits accountable the next day. As Fifth Princess left, she issued a direct threat to Cheng Shaoshang, promising that their conflict was far from over. Despite the public accusations, Ling Buyi's trust in Cheng Shaoshang remained unwavering. When she asked if he believed her, he simply replied, "Of course."

Feeling deeply wronged, Cheng Shaoshang had little desire to argue further. She followed Empress Xuan back to Changqiu Palace. Later that night, Cheng Shaoshang secretly slipped out to Longyuan Garden and meticulously set up a series of traps. The next morning, before daybreak, Wen Di noticed Empress Xuan was already awake and urged her to get more rest. Empress Xuan replied that she couldn't sleep while he was awake.

Wen Di then told Cheng Shaoshang that she had worked hard for the birthday banquet and should return home to her parents. Just as Cheng Shaoshang expressed her gratitude, a commotion erupted. A disheveled Fifth Princess, covered in grime, burst into Changqiu Palace, screaming that she would kill Cheng Shaoshang. Her dramatic entrance and soiled appearance shocked both Wen Di and Empress Xuan.

Fifth Princess recounted how she had spent the night in Longyuan Garden, intending to leave in the morning, only to have her and her noble entourage drenched in wastewater, thrashed with rattan canes, and covered in wood ashes after triggering Cheng Shaoshang's elaborate mechanisms. She demanded that her parents deliver justice for the humiliation suffered by her and her noble guests.

Consort Yue intervened, dismissing Fifth Princess's claims due to a lack of evidence and telling her to clean herself up. Fifth Princess, however, grew increasingly agitated, accusing Consort Yue of protecting Cheng Shaoshang. Consort Yue sharply rebuked Fifth Princess for her lack of filial piety, pointing out that she only sought her mother's help when it suited her, despite enjoying a carefree life in her own mansion.

Fifth Princess's anger spiraled, and she openly insulted the Yue clan, accusing them of flaunting their power and oppressing Changqiu Palace. She even made inappropriate implications about Wen Di's relationship with Consort Yue. Empress Xuan was deeply pained by Fifth Princess's disrespectful and baseless remarks towards Consort Yue.

Having heard enough, Consort Yue apologized to Empress Xuan for Fifth Princess's impertinence and then slapped Fifth Princess across the face, stating it was for framing Cheng Shaoshang during the Empress's birthday banquet. Fifth Princess denied it and demanded proof. At that moment, Ling Buyi presented the dance girl who had previously lured Fifth Prince. He revealed that she had confessed that Fifth Princess had deliberately orchestrated the meeting at Jingxin Lake to frame Cheng Shaoshang and Fifth Prince.

However, when pressed for details, Fifth Princess threatened the girl, causing her to feign unconsciousness. Wen Di ordered the girl to be returned to her father for discipline. Fifth Prince attempted to expose Fifth Princess's threats, but she retorted with a venomous insult, calling him a "bastard" and disparaging his mother's humble origins. Enraged by the insult, Fifth Prince blurted out the truth: Fifth Princess and her friends had pushed Cheng Shaoshang into the water a few days prior.

With the truth revealed, Cheng Shaoshang admitted she had set the traps in Longyuan Garden as retaliation. Cornered, a furious Fifth Princess confessed to another crime, shouting that she should have used venomous snakes to kill Cheng Shaoshang that day instead of just scaring her. Unrepentant, she asserted her superior status as a direct descendant princess, belittling Cheng Shaoshang's life as trivial as an ant's.

Empress Xuan, visibly distraught and pale, condemned Fifth Princess for her arrogance, unfilial behavior, and malicious acts on her birthday, admitting she had indulged her too much and tearfully declared she would never forgive her. Ling Buyi's face darkened as he warned Fifth Princess that he had a "big gift" waiting for her once she left the palace, but she remained defiant.

Finally, Wen Di decreed that Fifth Princess be confined to the imperial mausoleum for half a day to reflect on her actions, after which she would return to her mansion under house arrest, forbidden to leave without his decree. Fifth Princess, still screaming her innocence, was forcibly removed as attendants rushed to support the ailing Empress Xuan.

After everyone else had left, Consort Yue confronted Luo Jitong, inquiring about the punishment for her maid, Chun Tiao, who had instigated the rumors. Luo Jitong calmly responded that she had never expected such deceit from Chun Tiao and assured Consort Yue that she would have her father and brother sell the maid to a remote, harsh region.

Observing Luo Jitong's swift and decisive handling of the matter, Consort Yue recognized a hidden shrewdness and calculating nature, concluding that the drama within Changqiu Palace was only just beginning. Alone in the quiet palace corridor, Ling Buyi's emotions were in turmoil. He asked Cheng Shaoshang if her tears and request for a hug that night were due to the bullying she had suffered.

He expressed his hurt, questioning how long she would have kept the truth about the snake and drowning incidents from him if it hadn't come out during the confrontation. Cheng Shaoshang tried to downplay the snake incident, calling them common water snakes, but Ling Buyi pressed on, demanding to know why she hadn't told him. He asked who she considered him to be and why she continually distrusted him and acted alone.

Cheng Shaoshang struggled to articulate her feelings, eventually saying she wasn't unwilling to trust him, but Ling Buyi interrupted, asserting that she simply didn't hold him dear in her heart. Cheng Shaoshang defended her self-reliant nature, explaining that her childhood experiences had taught her not to depend on others. She questioned why women must always wait for their fiancés to save them, asserting that they are capable of saving themselves.

To her, the recent incidents were entirely manageable, just like her past fights, which she had always handled alone. She wondered why she couldn't continue to be herself after meeting him. Ling Buyi countered, distinguishing palace dangers from domestic disputes. He argued that if her recklessness cost her his life, he could avenge her, but it wouldn't bring her back.

Cheng Shaoshang retorted that he was the one who brought her to the palace, and thus, the dangers were a consequence of their connection. Ling Buyi interpreted this as her true feelings, believing she distrusted and even feared him. Cheng Shaoshang admitted her fear but also expressed a desire for closeness, explaining that after years of neglect, she needed time to fully open her heart.

Ling Buyi finally understood why Cheng Shaoshang had once preferred Lou Yao: Lou Yao posed no threat and made her feel comfortable. In contrast, his own forceful efforts to keep her by his side had made her feel repressed, even disgusted, and prevented her from seeing him as a truly intimate person. He expressed deep regret for having forced her. After this intense exchange, Ling Buyi's demeanor reverted to his usual cold, silent self.

He stated that he should not have forced her to stay and that he should have realized this truth earlier. As he turned to leave, Cheng Shaoshang desperately called out to him, reminding him that he once claimed to love her fierce and vengeful nature, questioning why he was now forcing her to change. She asserted her identity as Cheng Shaoshang, not merely "Ling Zisheng's fiancee." Ling Buyi briefly turned back, simply stating, "I know.

You don't have to change," before continuing his departure. Watching his retreating back, Cheng Shaoshang despairingly muttered that she had already learned to accept the palace and even him, but he, it seemed, could not accept her for who she truly was.

Acting on the information provided by Fifth Prince, Ling Buyi deployed his forces to the Ministry of Justice, where he publicly subjected Official Zuo and the family members of the seven other young ladies involved in bullying Cheng Shaoshang to a flogging. Yuan Shen, the Attendant Gentleman of the Ministry of Justice, watched the spectacle impassively. Official Zuo vehemently protested, claiming his daughter's actions were merely a "joke among girls" and accusing Ling Buyi of disregarding the law.

Ling Buyi mockingly retorted that he was simply "joking around like men" and continued the punishment. Yuan Shen, far from intervening, declared he would meticulously record every strike Ling Buyi inflicted for a future trial and calmly sipped tea with Fifth Prince as the beatings continued. Ling Buyi’s subordinate assured Official Zuo that all eight families would face justice, adding that Ling Buyi had already uncovered evidence of corruption against the other seven officials.

Ling Buyi then ordered the disgraced family members to be paraded through the capital, ensuring all citizens would witness the consequences of failing to discipline their children. Meanwhile, an eunuch escorted Fifth Princess back to her mansion. Initially defiant, she believed her parents were merely trying to scare her. However, the eunuch, firmly asserting his authority derived from Wen Di, insisted she comply.

Upon entering her courtyard, Fifth Princess was confronted with the sight of her executed aides, their bodies neatly laid out. She collapsed into tears, finally grasping the gravity of her actions. The eunuch relayed Wen Di's stern message: the aides were executed for their misconduct, and as a princess, she bore the responsibility of being a filial role model; if she failed to reflect, more would suffer.

The news of Fifth Princess keeping "male companions"—or, as her family's aide clarified to a furious Marquis Yue, merely "aides"—spread like wildfire, causing immense humiliation for the Yue family. The Marquis, enraged by the scandal, dismissed the "aide" explanation as a cover-up by the Xuan clan and questioned his niece's ambitions. The Yue family aide, recognizing a political opportunity, suggested that the upright Third Prince, whom Wen Di frequently praised, was the rightful successor.

At Changqiu Palace, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were attending to the still-unwell Empress Xuan. The Crown Princess, however, continued to highlight Fifth Princess's transgressions and the unpleasant rumors, further upsetting the Empress. The Crown Prince tried to silence her, but Cheng Shaoshang intervened, remarking that the Crown Princess's attempts at comfort were only making things worse. Later, in private, the Crown Prince chastised the Crown Princess for being inconsiderate of his parents' feelings.

The Crown Princess denied any malicious intent, tearfully recounting how her past miscarriage was caused by the stress of seeing Qu Lingjun's entanglement with the Crown Prince, a memory that still haunted her. The Crown Prince, exasperated, dismissed her accusations, stating that Qu Lingjun was now happily married and he had always treated her with propriety. He accused the Crown Princess of being overly suspicious and projecting her own insecurities.

Deeply misunderstood, she lamented that in his eyes, she was merely a jealous woman. The Crown Prince countered that no one despised her for her humble background; it was her own self-resentment. He urged her to let go of her lingering resentment, firmly stating he would not marry Qu Lingjun.

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