Shadow Love Episode 33 Recap
> Shadow Love Recap
Prince Annan, having intentionally given Li Shuang an opportunity to poison him, ensured that the prisoners in his camp were well-provided with food and medicine. He informed Li Shuang that the two innocent soldiers who were killed had been honorably buried and gave her their identity tokens, suggesting she might want to keep them.
When Prince Annan hesitated to eat, Li Shuang, understanding his fear of poison, took a large mouthful of food to reassure him, stating that an honorable person would never stoop to vile tricks and she believed him to be the same. Prince Annan then questioned Li Shuang about the name "Jin'an" she frequently called out in her dreams. Li Shuang explained that Jin'an was a memory-lost servant she found in the wild and kept in her residence for chores.
She described him as useless and trouble-prone, yet a good cook who always kept her company and cheered her up, much like Prince Annan was doing now. Li Shuang asked if Prince Annan had ever loved a woman, implying he wouldn't understand her feelings. Prince Annan retorted that his focus was on protecting the country and making his mark, not on romance.
He further pointed out that Li Shuang was in danger, and the person she cared for was nowhere to be found, making her concern useless. As Prince Annan was about to leave, Li Shuang stopped him, asking him to bring a qin during his next visit. She explained that since she was a captive who wouldn't sign a surrender and wouldn't be killed or released, she might as well do something she enjoyed.
She added that Prince Annan resembled Jin'an, and his visits would make her happy. Angered, Prince Annan strictly forbade her from ever comparing him to a servant again. Meanwhile, on Wuling Mountain, Mo Yin found Lu Xin packing her belongings. He proudly mentioned how he had finished grinding a thousand bundles of herbs in just a few days, instead of the promised half-month.
Lu Xin explained that she had made progress in her medical studies and earnestly requested permission to leave the mountain to practice medicine. Mo Yin flatly refused, citing Wuling Mountain's centuries-old rule that what is learned on the mountain must stay there. Lu Xin challenged him, questioning why he could save Su Muyang (who later endangered Jin'an and Li Shuang) but she couldn't leave to help commoners.
She passionately defended her desire to cure people and feel the satisfaction of their sincere gratitude. Mo Yin dismissed her as vain and focused on "worldly success" he didn't care for. He warned her that if she insisted on leaving, she would no longer be considered a Wuling Mountain member. Lu Xin retorted that she didn't care for such rules.
Noticing Mo Yin's arms were sore from grinding herbs, she softened and gave him a pain-relieving ointment she had developed, grumbling that it was wasted on a "heartless person" like him. Back at the courtyard, Prince Annan was still troubled by his conversation with Li Shuang. He summoned his subordinate and asked if he had ever encountered a man named Jin'an in Taijin who resembled him during his search.
The subordinate vehemently denied it, showering Prince Annan with flattery, and warned him against the cunning Taijin people, advising him not to be swayed by Li Shuang. Shortly after, a guard rushed in to report trouble in Li Shuang's courtyard. Prince Annan hurried there, finding the guards covering their ears. Inside, Li Shuang was playing the qin dreadfully.
He sharply told her to stop, advising her to read or walk instead, as she excelled in everything but lacked "self-awareness" in her qin playing. Li Shuang countered that she loved playing the qin to nurture her heart and mind, even suggesting Prince Annan try it to ease his "violent temper." Prince Annan then confronted Li Shuang about not taking her internal medicine, noting she only used the external remedies.
He provoked her by asking if a renowned Taijin general was afraid of bitter decoctions. Li Shuang, rising to the challenge, quickly drank the medicine, only to discover it was sweet. Prince Annan explained that he had ordered honey to be added, knowing she disliked bitterness, and noted she would have known it wasn't bitter if she had tried it sooner. He dismissed her grateful look, stating he needed his captives to be healthy.
Li Shuang, acknowledging his gesture, offered to play a tune as thanks, mentioning it was "Jin'an's favorite piece." Prince Annan tried to leave, but Li Shuang stopped him, insisting he listen. After enduring her terrible playing, Li Shuang asked for his opinion, to which he sarcastically replied "wonderful." However, as she prepared to play more, he sharply told her to stop, stating that the qin was elegant music and should not be "ruined" like this. Prince Annan then took over.
He showed her the correct hand form and played a beautiful piece. Li Shuang was lost in memories of her past with Jin'an, even though the man playing before her did not remember those times. Prince Annan, reminding her of her status, stated that while he respected her as a fellow military commander and would not mistreat her, she needed to know her place.
Li Shuang then cleverly used his words, stating her survival was important for the Changfeng Army, and therefore he should not begrudge her food. Prince Annan warned her against "useless tricks," asserting he had "seen plenty of women before." Li Shuang teased him about the "kinds of women" he'd seen, before mentioning she was out of candy. Later that night, Lu Xin secretly packed many common herbs and left Wuling Mountain.
Mo Yin, discovering her, decided to accompany her, claiming he wanted to prevent her "strange prescriptions" from harming people and ruining Wuling Mountain's reputation. Lu Xin was touched, realizing he couldn't bear to part with her. They shared a moment watching the sunrise, reflecting on having seen both sunset and sunrise together.
Back in his residence, Prince Annan had been drinking calming medicine for several days since his last visit to Li Shuang's courtyard, with his subordinates commenting on Li Shuang's qin playing disturbing him. His subordinate suggested an attack on Taijin, but Prince Annan explained that his true intention behind the last battle was to make Taijin understand the situation and reopen peace talks, so he could rescue the thousands of captured Yao State soldiers who were like brothers to them.
When a subordinate asked if Li Shuang's leaky roof should be repaired, Prince Annan instructed to leave it, saying her "iron will" would endure it. His subordinates worried among themselves that Prince Annan seemed to be questioning his past in Taijin, and Li Shuang, as his former wife, might use this to undermine their troops' morale. Lu Xin and Mo Yin arrived in Lucheng and began treating patients.
Lu Xin introduced Mo Yin as her new assistant, much to his annoyance, as the townspeople questioned his trustworthiness. The grateful townspeople thanked Lu Xin profusely and offered gifts to both her and "Assistant Mo." They informed Lu Xin and Mo Yin that Lucheng was unsafe because Prince Annan (Duan Aodeng) was not dead and had led a successful counterattack, crushing the Taijin army.
They also revealed that General Li Shuang had been captured on the battlefield, leaving the border unguarded and Lucheng vulnerable. In the Taijin imperial court, officials debated Li Shuang's capture, perplexed by the Yao State's inaction and suspicious of Prince Annan's cunning. Some urged a surprise attack, citing the Yao State's heavy casualties. However, Grand General Li Wei countered that with widespread floods and a strained treasury, peace talks were the urgent priority to aid the suffering populace.
Su Muyang, the Emperor, then sought Li Wei's opinion, who reiterated that peace talks were paramount. An official accused Li Wei of putting personal interest (his daughter Li Shuang) above national dignity, calling his advice shameless. Li Wei challenged any of the officials to lead troops to battle themselves, criticizing them for their "sharp tongues" and "doing nothing" in court while disregarding the people's suffering and the soldiers' lives, insisting on fighting "battles you know cannot be won."
He then formally requested to personally lead the peace talks as an envoy, escorting war captives to the front lines. He vowed that if he brought disgrace to the state, his entire family would face execution without complaint. Su Muyang granted his request. After the court session, Su Muyang and Li Wei met privately, revealing that their heated exchange had been a staged act.
Su Muyang explained that given the severe flood crisis, ending the war was the correct policy, but as Emperor, he could not publicly reverse his earlier stance for war without losing face. Li Wei acknowledged his "personal motives" in saving his daughter and thanked Su Muyang for his understanding. Su Muyang, in turn, felt responsible for Li Shuang's predicament.
He reminisced about his childhood, learning with Li Shuang and from Li Wei in the General's residence, questioning if his reign truly embodied "diligence and benevolence." Li Wei reassured him, advising him to simply be true to his conscience and his people for the peace of Taijin. That night, Li Ting came to bid his father, Li Wei, farewell. Li Ting asked if Li Wei was going to the Yao State to fight.
Li Wei corrected him, stating he was going for peace talks, aiming for a world without war and for the peace and prosperity of Taijin. Li Ting then deduced that Prince Annan was Jin'an. He warned his father to tell Jin'an that if he dared to harm Li Wei or Li Shuang in the slightest, Li Ting would personally kill him.
Li Wei imparted a profound lesson to his son: that war inevitably brings bloodshed and sacrifice, and that he and Li Shuang led troops into battle "to end wars, not for hatred or killing." Li Ting, still worried, asked if Li Shuang would return safely, and Li Wei promised to ensure her safe return.
