Love of Thousand Years Episode 23 Recap
> Love of Thousand Years Recap
In the early morning, Xuanzhu found a crowd gathered outside, led by the Prime Minister and Zuo Zichen, who knelt before her. They implored her to shoulder the grave responsibility of restoring Dalis, as she was the last surviving royal bloodline. Xuanzhu, initially stunned, expressed that she was merely a woman and did not know how to govern a country.
However, after remembering something Zuo Zichen had said previously, she affirmed her commitment, stating she would not disappoint them and would lead Dalis back to glory, with Zuo Zichen pledging his full support. Tan Chuan observed Xuanzhu receiving the kneeling homage and then walked away alone. Xuanzhu pursued her, mocking her for being foolish and suggesting that Tan Chuan wouldn't have been able to defeat Li Yuan without Xuanzhu's help.
She then taunted Tan Chuan, asking if she was worthy to attempt saving the people with the Spirit Lantern in her current state. Tan Chuan coldly retorted that her actions were none of Xuanzhu's concern. As Tan Chuan turned to leave, Xuanzhu stopped her, asking if Tan Chuan truly intended to abandon her position. Tan Chuan, feeling exhausted, insisted that Xuanzhu was stronger and braver, more suitable for the role, and entrusted the people of Dalis to her.
Xuanzhu then stated she had no interest in restoring the state and found it futile with so few remaining people, but admitted enjoying the feeling of being a princess and being adored by the masses. Fu Jiuyun watched Tan Chuan's distress from afar through his Mirror of Stars. Xiaobai, seeing Tan Chuan’s despondent state, pulled her from her bed, forcing her to look at herself in the mirror and reminded her of her true identity.
Tan Chuan confessed her weariness, feeling she had failed many, having been deceived by Er Meng and the Prime Minister, unable to protect her kittens, or kill Li Yuan, and even hurting Fu Jiuyun. She believed she couldn't do anything right and feared she would hurt more people if she continued down this path, concluding that she was destined for an ordinary life.
Xiaobai comforted her, asserting that she was far from ordinary, being the only one to shatter his White Moon Star Cloud Mirror in thousands of years. He advised her to let go of the past and confront difficulties head-on. Suddenly, Tan Chuan appeared behind Fu Jiuyun, having noticed him watching her through the mirror. She sternly told him not to use such means again. Fu Jiuyun, after some playful banter, promised not to use magic again.
Tan Chuan then lightheartedly demanded he go catch fish, or even a donkey, sending him and Xiaobai off. Afterward, Tan Chuan decided to bury her arrows, symbolizing her desire to forget the past and start a new life. Time passed, and Tan Chuan began living a simple life with the people of Dalis at Xiangqu Mountain, planting vegetables and flowers.
Meishan, observing her, remarked to Fu Jiuyun that Tan Chuan seemed happier than before and appeared content to reside there long-term. He suggested this might be the best outcome, allowing Fu Jiuyun to eventually forget her and continue his immortal life. Fu Jiuyun, however, expressed a deep sense that something was amiss. Meanwhile, the Emperor of Tianyuan regretted his past errors in believing demons that caused chaos in Gaodu and wronged many officials.
He wished to reward Ting Yuan for his help in slaying demons and protecting the capital. Ting Yuan, visibly distressed, began to speak of his brother, Crown Prince Li Yuan, who he believed had died. To everyone's shock, Li Yuan suddenly entered, claiming he had merely been practicing meditation in the East Palace to honor his mother.
Ting Yuan was visibly shaken by Li Yuan's seemingly lifeless demeanor, quickly excusing himself and riding out of the city, attempting to call out to Li Yuan, who responded with a blank stare. Later, Fu Jiuyun embraced Tan Chuan, praising her cooking and stating he had longed for her sweet and sour crispy meat.
As he savored her meal, he declared it a delicacy of the mortal world, superior to even dew from his immortal mountain, and urged her to eat more, noticing her recent weight loss. Tan Chuan then asked Fu Jiuyun if he enjoyed their current peaceful life of "making wine with pine flowers and tea with spring water" and living like ordinary farmers on Xiangqu Mountain. He hesitated, taking a drink, before she interrupted him with more food.
Soon after, a heavy rain began. Tan Chuan ran out into the downpour, crying bitterly and expressing her profound sense of failure, feeling incapable of doing anything right. Fu Jiuyun silently embraced her, offering comfort. Concurrently, while Fu Jiuyun was away, the Suzerain secretly entered his room, searching for the Spirit Lantern. From a sachet, he discovered Li Yuan's spiritual power.
Driven by greed and the promise of immense power—power said to be a hundred times greater than the Spirit Lantern, capable of making all beings in the Three Realms his slaves—the Suzerain consumed it. He suffered greatly before collapsing, and Li Yuan's true form then re-emerged, trapping the real Suzerain within a bottle. Meishan tended to Fu Jiuyun's wounds, caused by deeply embedded Soul-Locking Nails, which he painstakingly removed.
He urged Fu Jiuyun to recuperate and not use his internal energy. Meishan expressed concern that the Demon King of Nanman, now possessing all seven powers, would soon break free from the Soul-Locking Nail's hold, ending their peaceful days. He suggested finding the Qingying Stone to curse and defeat the Demon King, a method he claimed was told to him by Guanren Immortal. Fu Jiuyun, however, was skeptical, noting that even his master had searched for years without success.
Fu Jiuyun then reflected that the Three Realms operate on different paths, yet Tan Chuan now shared his fate and faced the same enemies. He mused that no one could escape the cycle of fate. Meishan countered that it was karma, asserting that Tan Chuan's destiny had changed the moment Fu Jiuyun first saw her, suggesting her conflict with the State Preceptor was a destiny he had given her.
Meanwhile, the possessed Suzerain, now Li Yuan in disguise, reported to the Demon King that Fu Jiuyun was careless. The Demon King asked if his holy power had been harmed. Li Yuan admitted he was using the body of a small snake, which limited his power, but revealed that his original body had been retrieved from Gaodu.
He decided not to return to his original body immediately, as he had gained some trust from Fu Jiuyun in this guise, hinting at unexpected gains, particularly related to the Qingying Stone, which he believed was Fu Jiuyun's only chance. As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, Tan Chuan watched children play, reflecting on her past life in Dalis.
Fu Jiuyun approached her and asked if she envied the family reunions typical of the festival, even jokingly suggesting they have two children themselves. Together with Xiaobai, they made rabbit lanterns. Fu Jiuyun playfully drew features resembling Tan Chuan on his rabbit lantern, leading to a playful squabble over it. They were then seen making and tasting mooncakes. Later, everyone gathered for the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations.
Children recited a moral verse, which Xuanzhu clarified, explaining it encouraged correcting mistakes, remembering kindness, avoiding gossip, and not boasting. The children, delighted by Xuanzhu's presence, asked her and Zuo Zichen to help release a large sky lantern. Zuo Zichen initially hesitated due to official duties, but Xuanzhu insisted they shouldn't spoil the children's fun. As they released the sky lantern, a child asked if it should be released with someone they loved.
Zuo Zichen watched Xuanzhu with the children, a new understanding dawning on him. Someone offered Zuo Zichen a snack and questioned how he would feel if Xuanzhu were eating something made by another. Zuo Zichen, reflecting on the verse about not relying on one's own strengths, seemed to understand his feelings. Xuanzhu, later speaking with Zuo Zichen, emphasized that a sky lantern only holds meaning when released with the person one loves.
