Resumo do episódio 20 de Love & Crown
> Resumos de Love & Crown
Ling Cangcang paced anxiously, her face etched with worry for Xiao Huan, whose condition was worsening rapidly. Her younger brother, Ling Jueding, tried to comfort her, but she felt he couldn't grasp the depth of her fear. Just then, Xiao Qianqing arrived with Physician Li, carrying the much-needed antidote. Despite the glimmer of hope, Ling Cangcang couldn't shake the fear that the antidote might fail, a dreadful thought after having lost loved ones before.
Xiao Qianqing, despite his ongoing disagreements with his imperial brother, genuinely hoped for Xiao Huan's recovery. Physician Li worked diligently to administer the treatment, and Ling Cangcang watched every step nervously. Finally, Physician Li announced that Xiao Huan had passed the critical stage and would be out of danger once he awoke, bringing a wave of relief to Ling Cangcang. Later, Ling Jueding gently questioned Ling Cangcang about her complex relationship with Xiao Huan.
She admitted it was not easily explained, weighed down by the past deaths of her Master, Li Lu, Luo Xianxue’s supposed demise, and the unresolved history between her father and Xiao Huan. She pondered whether she could truly return to the palace with him. Meanwhile, Xiao Qianqing sat by Xiao Huan's bedside, his gaze filled with concern. Xiao Huan slowly opened his eyes, immediately teasing his brother about a Divination Chart he had given him.
Xiao Qianqing retorted that when he had wanted the gift, Xiao Huan refused, and now that he no longer desired it, Xiao Huan was trying to force it on him. He threatened to settle their scores once Xiao Huan fully recovered. Xiao Huan, laughing, playfully denied Xiao Qianqing any credit for saving his life, claiming that Physician Li had forced Xiao Qianqing to surrender the "Frost Blossom" antidote.
Xiao Qianqing nearly jumped up in protest, prompting Xiao Huan to relent and promise him anything he wished for, in addition to the Divination Chart. Ling Cangcang continued to be plagued by her internal struggles. When Xiao Huan attempted to leave his room without taking his medicine, Physician Li, prioritizing the Emperor’s health, knelt before him, compelling him to comply. Helpless, Xiao Huan drank the medicine.
Later, Ling Jueding joyfully informed Ling Cangcang that Xiao Huan had granted him a month of leave each year to visit their father and her in the Capital, and was also taking steps to develop trade routes and manage agriculture in Jiangzhou. He praised Xiao Huan as a reliable and kind-hearted emperor, especially for his dedication to Ling Cangcang.
However, Ling Cangcang was seen quietly packing her belongings, declaring that with the Emperor's recovery, it was time for her to depart. After learning of her departure, Xiao Huan was resolute on leaving to find her, despite Physician Li's attempts to stop him. In the Capital, Du Tingxin received a verbal edict from Xiao Huan via Lu Qi. The message reminded her of Xiao Huan's words in Jiangzhou: while many could heal him, Ling Cangcang was his only Empress.
Overwhelmed by despair, Du Tingxin lashed out at Lu Qi, calling him a coward for not confessing his feelings. Despite her late mother’s warnings against emotional attachments, she dramatically declared that if he chose to stay by her side now, he would be hers, bound to her in life and death. Lu Qi, offering his heart, then embraced and kissed her in front of an elderly female attendant.
In a secluded village, Ling Xuefeng met secretly with Luo Xianxue, who was alive and hidden by him. Luo Xianxue reaffirmed his unwavering loyalty to Ling Xuefeng. Ling Xuefeng, relieved that his children were safe, expressed grave concerns about Xiao Huan's reforms.
He revealed that Xiao Huan had leveraged the status verification system with Kumor to end the Jiangzhou conflict and intended to appoint Xiao Qianqing as regent to implement his talent recommendation system, thus undermining Ling Xuefeng and the Empress Dowager. Ling Xuefeng stated that Xiao Huan's aim was to dismantle the current governance, which would severely threaten the Ling clan and make Ling Cangcang's position in the imperial city even more perilous.
He instructed Luo Xianxue to stop Xiao Huan at all costs. Zhong Lin invited Ling Cangcang for a drink, hoping to confess her feelings for someone, but struggled to voice them. Before she could, Xiao Huan and Xiao Qianqing arrived. Xiao Huan confronted Ling Cangcang, asking why she was leaving so abruptly. Ling Cangcang hesitated, explaining she needed time to process certain matters.
Xiao Huan urged her to return to the Capital with him, reminding her of her promise and suggesting they take a scenic waterway route from Yanxia Lake. Xiao Qianqing, always quick with a remark, teased Xiao Huan for pursuing his wife, while grumbling about having to manage political "old foxes" in the Capital himself. As they were about to leave, the group heard a baby crying. Zhong Lin rushed to investigate but was suddenly stabbed.
All four were ambushed and forced into a stronghold of the Lingbi Sect. Inside the stronghold, Zhu Sha, the Shuyang chapter leader of the Lingbi Sect, poisoned Xiao Huan, Ling Cangcang, and Xiao Qianqing with a "soft-bone powder" that debilitated them. When Xiao Qianqing saw Zhong Lin writhing in pain from "Bone-Eating Ice" poison, Zhu Sha declared that only a self-inflicted wound from him would save Zhong Lin. Without hesitation, Xiao Qianqing stabbed himself in the arm.
Zhu Sha mocked his wound as insufficient and demanded a deeper cut, promising to treat Zhong Lin and Ling Cangcang in a luxurious VIP room if he complied. Later, Zhong Lin finally revealed to Ling Cangcang that she was a member of the Lingbi Sect, sent by her Master. Ling Cangcang admitted she had suspected as much after her Master's identity was exposed but found it difficult to confront the truth.
Zhong Lin tearfully reaffirmed her profound loyalty, stating she would rather die than harm Ling Cangcang. Ling Cangcang accepted her explanation, acknowledging that life often presents complex situations and that Zhong Lin must have had her own compelling reasons. They agreed that their immediate priority was to escape. Zhong Lin further revealed that a Lingbi Sect Protector had previously ordered her to kill Xiao Qianqing, but he had helped her escape.
She concluded by stating that the current operation's goals were to kill the Emperor of Great Qi and retrieve a sacred relic. Zhu Sha returned, offering Xiao Huan a sinister deal: spend one night with her, and she would release his companions. She brazenly proposed that Xiao Huan divorce Ling Cangcang, marry her, and together they would rule the world, with him as Emperor and her as the Ghost King.
She also demanded the Moon-Eclipse, the Ghost King's token, from Xiao Huan. Xiao Qianqing angrily interjected, denouncing Zhu Sha as a "freakish witch." This provoked Zhu Sha to threaten Zhong Lin. Panicked, Xiao Qianqing frantically offered himself to Zhu Sha instead of Xiao Huan, praising his own youth and gentleness. However, Zhu Sha dismissed him, stating her preference for Xiao Huan’s "proud streak." Xiao Huan, disregarding Xiao Qianqing’s impulsiveness, sternly warned Zhu Sha against harming Ling Cangcang.
Unfazed, Zhu Sha then used "Illusion-Butterfly Powder" on Ling Cangcang, explaining its horrific effects: it would trap her in a terrifying illusion, causing her to writhe in agony as her mind battled the drug's influence until her internal organs ruptured. Zhu Sha mockingly taunted Xiao Huan, stating that in her current delusional state, Ling Cangcang perceived him as her mortal enemy.
Despite Zhu Sha's malice, Xiao Huan, unwavering in his belief that Ling Cangcang would never truly harm him, bravely walked towards her. Under the agonizing influence of the drug, Ling Cangcang was in immense pain and mental anguish. Her hand trembling uncontrollably, she finally plunged a knife into Xiao Huan, who then collapsed to the ground.
