The Eternal Love 2 Episode 19 Recap
> The Eternal Love 2 Recap
Qu Jianglin intercepted Qu Xiaotan and Jingxin at Qu's mansion, demanding to know if Qu Tan'er had heard of the Soul Bead and how to activate it. Qu Xiaotan vehemently denied any knowledge of it, prompting Qu Jianglin to threaten Jingxin's life. To save Jingxin, Qu Xiaotan feigned remembering the Soul Bead but claimed her memory was currently impaired due to "Mercury retrograding" and the immense pressure from their menacing demeanor.
Unsatisfied, Qu Jianglin ordered them to be confined to their room under strict guard. Later, Qu Jianglin confided in Qu Furen that he suspected Qu Tan'er was the Soul Bead's host due to her drastic change in temperament, a fact Qu Pan'er had also noted. He resolved to keep Qu Tan'er close to force out the secret.
When an attendant announced the Eighth Prince's arrival, Qu Jianglin instructed him to decline, feigning illness, and to do the same for all future visits from the Eighth, Fourteenth, and Grand Princes. Trapped in their room, Qu Xiaotan anxiously cared for the bruised Jingxin, worrying about Mo Liancheng waiting by the lake and fearing he might have already returned to the modern era. Suddenly, Mo Liancheng appeared at the window.
Qu Xiaotan apologized for missing their rendezvous, explaining that Jingxin's capture by Qu Jianglin had prevented her from leaving. Tears welled in her eyes as she expressed fear that she had hindered his return. Mo Liancheng reassured her, declaring that waiting for her had been far more challenging than waiting for any anomaly, as he had awaited her for "many lifetimes and kalpas."
He attempted to rescue them, but seeing Jingxin's injured state and the increased guards, Qu Xiaotan insisted he couldn't take them both. Realizing he could not extract them safely alone, Mo Liancheng promised to return and reluctantly departed. Meanwhile, a distraught Qu Pan'er returned home, lamenting to her parents that Mo Yihuai's heart was solely set on Qu Tan'er, leaving him indifferent to her.
Qu Furen consoled her, vowing to deal with Qu Tan'er once the Soul Bead's secret was revealed. Qu Jianglin then presented Qu Pan'er with a small bottle containing a powerful "Love-enchanting Gu" from Xiangxi. He instructed her to administer it to Mo Yihuai on their wedding night, assuring her it would make him devoted and wholeheartedly hers without causing him harm. Qu Pan'er was overjoyed, feeling as though she had received a precious treasure.
On the night of the wedding, Mo Yihuai returned to the bridal chamber heavily inebriated, showing no joy despite the festive decorations. He embraced Qu Pan'er, yet called out "Tan'er." Despite her deep love for him, Qu Pan'er could not help but shed tears of heartbreak. At the Eighth Prince's palace, Liu Qianshui examined Mo Liancheng, noting that even the most potent medicines were proving ineffective. He observed Mo Liancheng's declining health, predicting he was not far from losing consciousness.
Mo Liancheng, acutely aware of his deteriorating condition, decided it was time to entrust Qu Xiaotan's protection to someone he could trust. He also acknowledged the difficulty of accessing Qu's mansion, as Qu Jianglin was feigning illness, preventing both the Eighth Prince and Fourteenth Prince from entering. Back at Qu's mansion, Qu Xiaotan and Jingxin anxiously awaited rescue.
Unexpectedly, Qu Furen informed Qu Xiaotan that the Eighth Prince's palace was preparing for an imperial matrimony, claiming Liu Shang himself had agreed to it. Qu Xiaotan, outraged, dismissed this as a lie. Just then, the Fourteenth Prince arrived, visibly angry after hearing of Jingxin's beating. He fiercely warned Qu Furen against harming Jingxin again, then presented an edict from the Empress Dowager commanding Qu Furen to transcribe one hundred sutras as penance.
Seizing the opportunity, the Fourteenth Prince told Qu Xiaotan that Liu Shang wished to meet her in the woods outside the city in an hour, and using the Empress Dowager's summons as an excuse, he facilitated their immediate release from the mansion. The Fourteenth Prince escorted Qu Xiaotan to the outskirts and left. Qu Xiaotan found Liu Shang, only to see him standing intimately with Princess Lan Yexi.
Qu Xiaotan confronted Liu Shang, demanding to know if he truly intended to marry Princess Lan Yexi. Liu Shang responded with cold indifference, asking why not, and stated their "destiny had ended." Devastated, Qu Xiaotan called him a liar and defiantly declared she would completely forget him. Liu Shang then advised her to return to the Eighth Prince. Heartbroken, Qu Xiaotan watched Liu Shang and Princess Lan Yexi walk away side-by-side.
Concurrently, the Eighth Prince received a note from Liu Shang instructing him to wait for "Tan'er" at his palace gate at noon and to care for her, without asking why she was sad. At noon, a carriage arrived, and inside, the Eighth Prince found a distraught Qu Xiaotan. In her sleep, Qu Xiaotan cried out "heartless scoundrel," confirming the Eighth Prince's suspicion that her sorrow stemmed from Liu Shang's arranged marriage.
Upon waking, Qu Xiaotan demanded to be returned to Qu's mansion, stating there was someone in the Eighth Prince's palace she never wanted to see again. Reluctantly, the Eighth Prince agreed and ordered Yu Hao to prepare a carriage for her. After Qu Xiaotan departed, Liu Shang appeared visibly despondent. Princess Lan Yexi shrewdly deduced that he had used her as a shield to push his beloved Qu Tan'er away.
Liu Shang admitted his guilt, but Princess Lan Yexi graciously accepted the situation, stating that her feelings for him were her own concern. She expressed gratitude for having met him, declaring that even if she remained unmarried for life, she would have no regrets. Princess Lan Yexi then cautioned Liu Shang about an evil object in Qu Jianglin's possession that glowed with purple light, which she had witnessed Qu Jianglin using for cultivation.
That night, Mo Liancheng, cloaked in black, infiltrated Qu's mansion and stole the Soul Bead. Discovering the theft, Qu Jianglin immediately sealed off the mansion and ordered a meticulous search. The following day, Qu Jianglin reported the theft to the Emperor, asserting that only Princess Lan Yexi knew the Soul Bead's location. He accused the Eighth Prince and Princess Lan Yexi of conspiring to steal it, warning that its capture by another nation would threaten Dongyue.
After consideration, the Emperor granted Qu Jianglin permission to lead soldiers into the Eighth Prince's palace to search for the Soul Bead. Meanwhile, the Eighth Prince summoned Liu Shang to his study. Upon his arrival, the Eighth Prince pressed a sword to Liu Shang's throat, demanding his true identity. He revealed that he had spoken with Liu Shang's fellow disciples, who confirmed that the real Liu Shang had died long ago.
Unfazed, Liu Shang calmly told him to simply believe he was Liu Shang. As they spoke, Liu Shang suddenly clutched his chest in agony, and the Eighth Prince inexplicably felt a sharp pain in his own heart. Seeing no other way to conceal the truth, Mo Liancheng removed his human-skin mask, revealing a face identical to the Eighth Prince's. Stunned, the Eighth Prince's sword clattered to the floor.
Mo Liancheng confessed he was the Eighth Prince from the future, then extended his hand, challenging the Eighth Prince to take his pulse, knowing he had studied medicine with the late Emperor. The Eighth Prince's examination confirmed Mo Liancheng's pulse indicated he was nearing death, yet he still struggled to believe the incredible claim. At that critical moment, Yu Hao burst in, announcing that Minister Qu, bearing an imperial edict, was at the gates to search the palace.
