Shadow Love Episode 32 Recap
> Shadow Love Recap
Li Shuang was brought back to Yao State as a prisoner. In the dungeon, Jin'an cruelly tortured her, demanding a letter of surrender. He taunted her by bringing up her deep private affection for Taijin's emperor, an accusation that shattered Li Shuang's heart.
Jin'an had also taunted Li Shuang about Taijin's General of Cavalry being a coward for sending his daughter to her death instead of leading the campaign himself, adding that she should be grateful he came, or she'd already be in the ground with her emperor. Li Shuang remained defiant, arguing that if he truly wanted to kill her, he would have done so on the battlefield to assert his power, not waited until now.
Jin'an explained that the timing of her death significantly impacted the outcome, and that he was giving her a chance to live because he saw some spirit in her. He ended by advising her to think carefully. Meanwhile, the Majesty was surprised by Jin'an's victory. She had wanted to use the war to get rid of him, but his success only strengthened his position.
Though Prince Annan was arrogant, he had considerable talent in leading troops, and his victory resolved their immediate crisis. The Majesty, however, feared for her son Yu's throne, believing Duan Aodeng's royal bloodline and growing prestige at court, now bolstered by military merit, could sway opportunistic old ministers to disloyalty. She declared that Duan Aodeng must die.
Her aide suggested using Li Shuang, pointing out that Jin'an's assassination attempt on Li Wei before leaving Taijin had created a rift between him and Li Shuang. The Majesty worried Jin'an might not lower his guard, having forgotten his past memories, but her aide assured her that someone behind the scenes could "stir the waves." Pleased, the Majesty promised her aide a high ministerial position and additional rewards if the matter was handled well.
She explicitly instructed him to show no mercy during the act, just to ensure Li Shuang was left with a single breath of life. The Majesty's eunuch, Bai Kun, came to the dungeon under the guise of Prince Annan's authority. He initially feigned politeness, expressing sympathy for Li Shuang's suffering, but Li Shuang saw through his act and warned him not to waste time trying to persuade her; the Changfeng Army would die fighting, never surrender.
Bai Kun insisted she was being stubborn and offered to vouch for her safety if she wrote the surrender letter. When she refused, calling them "damned curs," Bai Kun brought in two of her captured Changfeng Army soldiers, Lyu Yi and Qin Wu. He threatened to kill them to force her hand, saying he assumed she would care for her soldiers' lives. Li Shuang pleaded for him to release them and come at her instead.
Lyu Yi defied Bai Kun, vowing that Taijin's army would tear him limb from limb. Bai Kun then cruelly executed Lyu Yi in front of Li Shuang, then Qin Wu. Overcome with grief and rage, Li Shuang vowed to kill Bai Kun. He chillingly claimed it was Prince Annan's order. Li Shuang then demanded Bai Kun kill her, saying he needn't waste more time.
Enraged by her defiance, Bai Kun called her a "Beautiful Lord of Hell" and ordered his soldiers to continue torturing her, even going as far as to tell them he was "giving her to them as a reward." Jin'an, after discussing the care of wounded soldiers and compensation for the fallen, had been asked by his aide why he didn't simply kill Li Shuang to strike fear into Taijin.
Jin'an explained that despite the victory, their army needed time to recover from heavy losses. He intended to keep Li Shuang alive to "check" Taijin, knowing Li Wei would not abandon his family member. This would lure Li Wei out, allowing Jin'an to avenge his brother. His aide then mentioned Li Shuang's hunger strike and that Bai Kun had gone to the camp, knowing his ruthless methods. Jin'an immediately showed concern upon hearing Bai Kun's name.
Li Shuang was brutally tortured, but she remained unyielding. As she cried in despair, believing Jin'an had ordered this, Jin'an suddenly appeared in the dungeon. He furiously confronted the soldiers, demanding what they took military discipline for, pointing out that torturing and killing prisoners in the camp without authorization was a capital offense. He swiftly dealt with those who ignored military discipline, then carefully carried Li Shuang out of the dungeon.
As he carried her, Li Shuang, in a daze, repeatedly called out "Jin'an," a name that struck Duan Aodeng as strange and caused an inexplicable unease within him. This was the first time he had heard that name since losing his memories. Jin'an was unfazed by Bai Kun's attempt to use the Majesty's name to justify his actions, stating he had never feared her and that Bai Kun's actions were a capital offense in the army.
Jin'an took Li Shuang to a secluded villa to recover. She was still calling his name, which Duan Aodeng found strange, wondering about the identity of this "Jin'an." When Li Shuang woke, she was wary, instinctively sitting up with an expression of defense and hostility. Jin'an informed her that the prison guards had been dealt with according to military law and that she would have to tend to her wounds herself as there were no other women in the army.
Li Shuang, still traumatized, suggested he kill her if he truly wanted to avenge his brother. Jin'an rebuffed her, stating that "each debt has its owner," and that he would personally take Li Wei's life but would not involve others. He told her she couldn't die yet, implicitly using her soldiers as leverage by saying if she died, her men would be buried with her.
He reassured her that what happened today would not happen again and that he would send medicine regularly, instructing her to rest and recover there. Li Shuang could only cry. Later, Jin'an, carrying Bai Kun's lifeless body, stormed into the Majesty's palace. Her eunuch tried to stop him, citing palace rules, but Jin'an ignored him. The Majesty confronted him, accusing him of trespassing in the harem.
Jin'an retorted that she cared more about his intrusion than Bai Kun's life, implying her complicity. The Majesty, in turn, threatened him with an imperial decree that could cost him his life, reminding him that the late emperor was no longer there to clean up his messes. Jin'an boldly declared he wouldn't have come if he were afraid.
He asserted his authority as commander of the army, emphasizing that military law was absolute and brooked no outside interference, a fact he believed the Majesty knew well. He then warned her that while the young emperor had trusted ministers like Zuo Cheng and Qiu Tai to assist him in matters of governance, there was no need for external intervention. He advised her to "remain peacefully in the harem and take good care of herself," leaving her seething with anger.
Back at the villa, Jin'an's aide reported that Li Shuang had eaten a little but soon vomited, and the imperial physician diagnosed it as "grief." Jin'an then went to Li Shuang, informing her that Bai Kun had been dealt with according to military law, as an explanation for his actions. Li Shuang, still wary and resentful, accused him of pretending, claiming Bai Kun had explicitly stated Jin'an's orders.
Jin'an, defending his honor, insisted he had always been aboveboard, earning what he wanted through his own abilities. He asserted he would never stoop so low as to use soldiers' lives to force a surrender, stating that commanders shared a life-and-death bond with their men. He then offered her a few candies, telling her if she couldn't stomach food, she should eat those, and not to let her men die in vain.
Li Shuang took a candy, then surprisingly declared that she would only eat if Jin'an agreed to her demands. She criticized Yao State's food as "barren and bitter" compared to Taijin's, making it hard to swallow. When Jin'an called her a picky and decadent prisoner, she demanded he prepare 30 different specialty dishes daily, including rice, fruits, vegetables, fresh meat, wine, rare game, and fine desserts, for a prisoner.
She argued that if she was so important to him, these demands shouldn't be beyond his means. When Jin'an seemed to agree, she clarified her true intention: she wanted the monetary equivalent of all those extravagant foods converted into plain rations and medicine to be distributed among her Changfeng Army soldiers, and a promise that they would not be mistreated. Jin'an agreed to her terms, telling her he expected her to be "full of life" the next time they met.
Li Shuang kept the candy. Meanwhile, on Wuling Mountain, Mo Yin and Lu Xin enjoyed a lively existence, filled with playful banter and gambles. Lu Xin tirelessly searched through ancient texts, determined to understand the power of Jade Linglong and find a way to remove the backlash between the shadow puppet and its blood master. One day, after Mo Yin lost a medical contest to Lu Xin, he declared he would enter closed-door cultivation, much to Lu Xin's annoyance.
She accused him of being a coward, trying to avoid his punishment of pounding 1,000 bundles of herbs. She lamented his change from the strict master who used to preach hard work to the current lazy and deceptive one. After she left, Mo Yin emerged, pleased at her departure, only for Lu Xin to return, having heard him. They then discussed the Jade Linglong.
Mo Yin explained that the Jade Linglong itself was not inherently wrong, as it could greatly enhance one's power; the fault lay with those who used its power for ill. Lu Xin, however, argued that a power requiring another person to pay with their life could never be a good thing, prompting her research into breaking the backlash.
They continued to bicker as Mo Yin slowly pounded herbs, with Lu Xin scolding him for his slow pace and his "child's play" approach to common ailments, arguing that treating everyday illnesses was just as valuable as conquering rare diseases. She questioned his use of so many common herbs, but he simply told her to focus on their bet, saying he had his own plans. Lu Xin jokingly blamed him for spoiling her and not teaching her rules.
Mo Yin eventually decided to take a nap, leaving Lu Xin to pound the herbs. As Li Shuang slowly recovered, the Majesty visited her at the villa. She presented Li Shuang with a substance called "Brain-Devouring Powder," suggesting it could help her eliminate Duan Aodeng and end the constant warfare and bloodshed across the land. Jin'an learned of the Majesty's visit and, suspecting her intentions, personally brought a meal box to the villa. He sat down to eat with Li Shuang, intentionally creating an opportunity for her to use the poison.
