Shadow Love Episode 29 Recap
> Shadow Love Recap
Lu Xin asked Mo Yin why he had intervened that day when Li Shuang and Jin'an faced death. Mo Yin confessed he had never considered love, but witnessing their selfless devotion moved him deeply, making him realize that perhaps enabling lovers was a form of healing. Lu Xin, adjusting Mo Yin’s hair tie, thanked him for saving Li Shuang and Jin'an and for helping her understand her own heart.
She admitted she couldn't abandon her friends, which meant she likely wouldn't be able to join Wuling Mountain. Mo Yin was surprised to hear he was included in her definition of a friend. He then informed her that everyone would soon be returning to Lucheng, and they might only meet again if fate allowed. Meanwhile, in the capital, Emperor Su Muyang, concerned Li Shuang might not return, ordered an elite unit of Imperial Guards to surround Wuling Mountain.
He instructed them to bring Li Shuang back no matter what, and to account for Jin'an, dead or alive, as he was deeply entangled in past affairs. Su Muyang justified his actions by asserting that self-interest was human nature and that even the most loyal would compromise under threat. He vowed not to let go of what he believed belonged to him.
As Li Shuang, Jin'an, and Lu Xin prepared to descend Wuling Mountain, Mo Yin did not appear in person. Instead, he sent a subordinate to deliver healing medicine, advising them to rest and take it regularly. Jin'an expressed skepticism about Mo Yin’s medicine, referencing his past magical antics. Before leaving, Lu Xin emphatically clarified to Mo Yin's subordinate that there was no romantic involvement between her and Mo Yin, and she was not pregnant, urging them to stop spreading rumors.
She returned a bead, telling Mo Yin he and she were now even. Shortly after, Mo Yin's subordinate reported Lu Xin's words, leaving Mo Yin visibly disheartened. However, Lu Xin then reappeared, startling him. She revealed she had only accompanied Li Shuang and Jin'an part of the way down the mountain.
She declared her decision to stay on Wuling Mountain to study medicine and help those in need, refusing to return to Lucheng to witness Li Shuang and Jin'an's affections while she remained alone. As Li Shuang and Jin'an continued their descent, Li Shuang, understanding Lu Xin’s newfound joy and freedom on the mountain, wished her well, urging her to write regardless of where they were, as their hearts would always be connected.
Lu Xin then admonished Jin'an to treat Li Shuang well, threatening to make him pay if he ever hurt her. Returning to Mo Yin, Lu Xin playfully accused him of being heartless for not seeing them off. Mo Yin, after playfully chiding her for her audacity, handed back the bead, stating he never takes back what he gives. He then gave her a mock test about becoming his disciple, which she eagerly accepted.
Li Shuang, later reflecting on this, felt a sense of relief, confident that Lu Xin would be safe with Mo Yin, despite his eccentricities. After descending the mountain, Li Shuang and Jin'an discovered that Ji Ran and the other Changfeng Army soldiers had disappeared. Jin'an immediately recognized this as a sign that they wouldn't abandon their post without orders.
Soon, Su Muyang's guards appeared, stating they were there to escort Li Shuang and Jin'an back to the capital because the Emperor missed them. Jin'an prepared to fight, but the guard revealed they had abducted the Changfeng Army soldiers, as well as Li Shuang’s father, Li Wei, and brother, Li Ting, as leverage. Faced with such a threat, Li Shuang and Jin'an reluctantly agreed to return.
Upon their return to the capital, Su Muyang's subordinate confirmed that Li Shuang had complied due to her family's safety. He also reported that Jin'an’s extraordinary strength, derived from a sacred relic of Wuling Mountain, was now gone. Su Muyang expressed a dismissive pity for the once brave "man in black," now a mere mortal.
He then informed his aide that the Yao State intended to seek peace, but he suspected their true motive was to probe Taijin's vulnerabilities during the imperial transition. He ordered a banquet to entertain the Yao envoy, instructing Li Shuang and Jin'an to attend, citing Li Shuang's border experience and Jin'an's past heroics against the Yao State as reasons to honor them.
At the banquet in Xianyang Palace, Bai Kun, the Yao State envoy, congratulated Su Muyang on his ascension but refused to kneel, claiming to be there for peace, not submission. A Taijin official questioned his sincerity, but Li Shuang diplomatically intervened, affirming Taijin's desire for peace and mentioning the Changfeng Army's long-standing dedication to it. Su Muyang then offered a modest welcome banquet due to the period of national mourning.
Bai Kun then provoked Li Shuang, questioning Taijin's reliance on a woman for defense. Li Shuang sharply retorted that Taijin employed people regardless of gender, and that despite his nation's "elite generals," they had all been defeated by her. Bai Kun then presented the Yao State's conditions for peace: the return of captured Yao soldiers and the disbandment of the Changfeng Army, in exchange for ceding the cities of Qingchuan and Helan.
Su Muyang, secretly pleased by the prospect of disbanding the Changfeng Army, which would clear the path for Li Shuang to become his consort, asked Li Shuang for her opinion. Li Shuang argued against disbanding such a vital defense force. Su Muyang, however, implied that it was time for Li Shuang to lay down her armor and marry. He suggested they could host Bai Kun together as old friends if he visited Taijin again. Li Shuang reluctantly agreed.
Su Muyang then declared he would keep the maps of Qingchuan and Helan, while other conditions would be discussed later. Bai Kun accused Su Muyang of greed and going back on his word, threatening renewed warfare. At this critical moment, Jin'an rose and met Bai Kun's gaze, startling the envoy who recognized him as the long-missing Prince Annan.
Jin'an calmed the situation, explaining that the Emperor was merely testing their sincerity, and pleaded with Su Muyang to consider the people's desire for peace. He proposed releasing half the captives in exchange for the two cities, but maintained that the Changfeng Army could not be disbanded. Bai Kun found this counter-offer greedy, but Su Muyang asserted Taijin's dominant position, declaring he would have whatever he desired as the ruler of the world.
As Jin'an prepared to ask for Li Shuang’s hand in marriage, he stepped forward to speak. Su Muyang, however, preempted him. While acknowledging Jin'an’s past services and offering a reward, Su Muyang announced that Jin'an would have to wait for his own marriage because Su Muyang had already arranged for Li Shuang, the Changfeng Army commander and General of the North, to resign her military post and enter the palace as his consort.
Later, walking back, Li Shuang worried that Jin'an was upset, but he assured her he understood her sacrifices. He held her close, explaining that if he didn't understand her now, he couldn't claim to love her. He was only angry that she had to bear her pain alone for so long, and promised to face all challenges with her, reiterating that she was his wife for life. Li Shuang, touched, cried on his shoulder.
Jin'an playfully complained about her tears, to which Li Shuang retorted that he was too fussy for a lifetime partner. Jin'an, however, insisted on tidiness before meeting her father, Li Wei. Li Shuang teased that without proper parental consent or a matchmaker, Li Wei wasn't officially his father-in-law yet. Jin'an confidently declared that with his charm, Li Wei wouldn’t refuse him. Upon arriving at the Li residence, Li Shuang apologized to Li Wei for her disobedience.
Li Wei simply expressed relief that she was safe. Li Shuang then introduced Jin'an to her father, who then respectfully greeted Li Wei. Just then, Li Ting, Li Shuang's brother, rushed in, overjoyed to see her but mistaking Jin'an for a former pest from Lucheng. Jin'an explained he had suffered an accident and forgotten much of his past, including Li Ting. Li Ting accused Li Shuang of favoring Jin'an, but Li Shuang defended Jin'an, explaining his recent injury.
She then asked a servant to prepare a room for Jin'an. Later, Jin'an confided in Li Shuang about his distress over his fading memories. Li Shuang reassured him, reminding him of his earlier words about not dwelling on the past and creating new memories, as they had a long journey ahead. Separately, Ji Tianjiao, Su Muyang's Consort Li and the Prime Minister's daughter, stormed into the palace at night after hearing Su Muyang's intentions regarding Li Shuang.
Su Muyang tried to feign affection, but Ji Tianjiao confronted him about delaying her coronation and planning to make Li Shuang empress. She reminded him that his position was due to her father's support. At that moment, Ji Tianjiao's father, the Prime Minister, appeared, confirming he was the source of the information. He sent his daughter away to rest, then confronted Su Muyang directly.
The Prime Minister reminded Su Muyang of his role in placing him on the throne and subtly threatened to remove him. He also demanded that Su Muyang dismiss an impeachment case against Jia Shihong, the governor of Jiuqing County, who was related to the Prime Minister's family.
Su Muyang feigned powerlessness, calling Jia Shihong a corrupt official, but the Prime Minister asserted that the impeachment was a political attack by former rivals aiming to weaken Su Muyang's power by cutting ties with his powerful ally. He reminded Su Muyang of his desperate pleas for support to secure the throne, warning him against being ungrateful over a "minor" corruption case.
He concluded by stating that if he had the power to put Su Muyang on the throne, he also had the power to remove him, and reiterated that Ji Tianjiao would be empress as long as Su Muyang reigned. Su Muyang, feigning respect, promised to heed his guidance, while secretly harboring murderous thoughts. The next morning, Jin'an arrived to meet Li Wei, who greeted him formally.
Jin'an humbly stated his relationship with Li Shuang, their mutual love, and formally requested Li Shuang’s hand in marriage, seeking Li Wei’s blessing. Li Wei tested Jin'an's resolve, questioning how he would protect Li Shuang now that he had lost his supernatural strength, especially with Su Muyang's intentions.
Jin'an firmly replied that he would protect her with his life, and planned to take Li Shuang away from the capital as soon as possible, believing Su Muyang would not dare harm Li Wei due to his fear of the Changfeng Army. When Li Wei asked what if Li Shuang refused to leave, Jin'an confidently stated he would find a way to convince her if Li Wei didn't stand in their way. Li Wei pressed further, asking what if he "did" stand in their way, to which Jin'an replied, "Then I'll keep pestering you until you don't."
