The Eternal Love 2 Episode 17 Recap
> The Eternal Love 2 Recap
Qu Xiaotan diligently attended to Mo Liancheng in the Snow Courtyard, but he playfully held onto her hand, complaining of discomfort from lying down too long. He insisted she massage him to his satisfaction before he would let her go. As she obliged, Mo Liancheng mused about near-death experiences, claiming he didn't see a bright white passage but rather a "normal-looking girl" standing over him, tearfully vowing to stay with him if he didn't return.
Qu Xiaotan, realizing he was teasing, called him a liar, and he responded by asking if she was finally admitting her true feelings. He then promised to appear whenever and wherever she needed him. Feigning annoyance, she quickly made her escape. Stepping out of Mo Liancheng's room, Qu Xiaotan encountered the Eighth Prince, who questioned her prolonged presence in Liu Shang's quarters.
She hastily explained that she and Liu Shang had narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in the market that day, and she was unharmed thanks to Liu Shang's intervention. Though her explanation was reasonable, the Eighth Prince sternly told her never to mention other men in his presence again. Qu Xiaotan internally noted the striking similarity to Mo Liancheng's possessive remarks, feeling an uncomfortable shift in the atmosphere, and promptly excused herself.
The next morning in the study, the Eighth Prince cautioned Liu Shang about the impropriety of being alone with Qu Tan'er after You Time, despite her being his maid. Liu Shang conceded, promising to have Jingxin present after dusk. Their conversation was interrupted by Yu Hao, who announced the Emperor's recovery and summoned all princes to the Imperial Study, specifically requesting that Qu Tan'er accompany the Eighth Prince.
Liu Shang immediately suspected the summons concerned the succession to the throne, fearing the Emperor might favor the Grand Prince due to his recent perceived merit in saving the Emperor. The Eighth Prince, however, confidently stated that the Crown Prince's title was not immutable. Liu Shang, seeing the Eighth Prince's resolve, worried about a repeat of the Grand Prince's past tragic fate. He urged the Eighth Prince to consider their brotherhood, which the Eighth Prince sharply dismissed.
Upon arriving at the palace, the Eighth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince heard the imperial decree crowning Mo Yihuai, the Grand Prince, as the Imperial Crown Prince. Meanwhile, Qu Pan'er delivered a food box to Noble Consort Dugu in the Cold Palace. Dugu, initially overjoyed, believed Pan'er was there to rescue her. Qu Pan'er chillingly clarified she was there to help Dugu "escape from pain," implying Dugu’s demise.
When Dugu initially refused the food, Pan'er revealed that Mo Yihuai was now the Crown Prince and that Dugu's continued desire to restore her nation would make her a threat to him. Realizing she was being forced to commit suicide, Dugu defiantly declared that her clan, Dayu, would still rise and ensure Mo Yihuai and Pan'er met a bad end.
After Dugu consumed the poisoned food, Qu Pan'er instructed a servant to report that the Noble Consort had committed suicide to escape punishment. During the subsequent imperial audience, the Crown Prince requested the Emperor to grant Qu Tan'er the title of Side Consort. The Eighth Prince immediately interjected, asking the Emperor to sanction his own marriage to Qu Tan'er. Faced with both proposals, the Emperor directly asked Qu Tan'er for her decision.
Qu Tan'er, recalling her previous life as a "singleton" and her newfound popularity, momentarily fantasized about becoming Empress and owning all of Dongyue. Snapped back to reality by the Emperor, she boldly stated she wished to marry neither, as her heart already belonged to someone else. Outside the Imperial Study, the Crown Prince, misinterpreting her refusal as reluctance to be a mere Side Consort, promised to make her Empress once he ascended the throne.
The Eighth Prince interjected, asserting that forced love was undesirable. Back at the Eighth Prince's palace, he directly questioned Qu Tan'er if Liu Shang was the one who held her heart. She playfully evaded, claiming her heart was her own to keep, and quickly left the room. Qu Xiaotan hurried to the Snow Courtyard to check on Mo Liancheng's injuries.
Mo Liancheng, already aware of her refusal of both the Crown Prince and the Eighth Prince, greeted her with a comment about her loud knocking. Seeing her concern for his supposed wound, he gently pulled her into a warm embrace. Qu Jianglin, having successfully negotiated peace-through-marriage with Yongye, was reinstated to his post, ushering Princess Lan Yexi into the palace.
The princess, unlike women of Dongyue, was strikingly bold, carrying a whip and asserting that her people never parted with their weapons. She firmly declared that she would personally choose her husband, and she would keep her selection method a secret until the time was right. Mo Liancheng visited Liu Qianshui and discovered signs of a forced entry into his residence. They quickly realized the Soul Wandering Flute had been stolen.
Mo Liancheng expressed grave concern, explaining that if someone used a host and the flute to break the Soul Bead’s seal, the Dark Emperor would sense the Ling Power and descend upon Dongyue. He suspected the thief possessed Xuan Power superior to his own, given his previous efforts to conceal the flute. The immediate priority, he stressed, was to recover the flute to prevent history from repeating itself.
Mo Liancheng then solemnly revealed that Qu Tan'er was the host of the Soul Bead. He sternly warned Liu Qianshui against manipulating her to unseal the bead and travel to the Xuanling Continent, emphasizing that such an act would lead to a monumental disaster. Meanwhile, Qu Jianglin recounted to Qu Pan'er how his exile to the frontier had ironically led to a miraculous turn of fortune. He had stumbled upon a rare Soul Bead cultivation manual in Yongye.
This manual, annotated by Dongyue's founding emperor Mo Yifeng, promised immense Xuan Power to its practitioner. Qu Jianglin confirmed that he had used the manual’s power to locate and steal the Soul Wandering Flute, which allowed him to extract and sense the Soul Bead's power. He stressed the urgency of finding the Soul Bead's host, as only the host could fully release its Ling Power.
Qu Pan'er immediately suspected her sister, Qu Tan'er, whose personality had dramatically changed after her drowning incident and who had gained the affections of the Grand Prince, the Eighth Prince, and even Liu Shang. Qu Jianglin agreed with her assessment. The following day, Qu Jianglin requested the Emperor to permit Qu Tan'er to return to the Qu's palace, citing his desire for family reunion.
The Eighth Prince vehemently opposed, reminding the Emperor that Qu Tan'er had been taken into his palace by imperial edict. The Emperor then sought Qu Tan'er’s opinion. Qu Tan'er, now working in the Eighth Prince's palace and content with her work and the Eighth Prince’s good treatment, declared her loyalty to the Eighth Prince and her desire to remain. Impressed by her loyalty, the Emperor granted her request. An imperial banquet was held to welcome Princess Lan Yexi.
The Fourteenth Prince questioned the Eighth Prince about his apparent disinterest in the beautiful princess, highlighting the political support that a marriage alliance would bring. The Eighth Prince, however, stated that his heart was already set on another woman as his Wangfei. Princess Lan Yexi then removed her veil, revealing her stunning beauty, and posed a provocative question to the assembled princes: why were women responsible for bearing children, yet men held all the power?
The Crown Prince immediately responded with the traditional view of male superiority. Others generally agreed, but the Eighth Prince offered a more progressive perspective, suggesting that in the future, women might have the right to choose whether to bear children, advocating for gender equality. Pleased with his answer, Princess Lan Yexi personally presented the Eighth Prince with a treasured sword as a gift.
