The Eternal Love 2 Episode 26 Recap
> The Eternal Love 2 Recap
The Empress Dowager visited the Eighth Prince in the celestial prison, bringing him food. Inside a bun, the Eighth Prince and Mo Liancheng, who was imprisoned with him, discovered a key. Mo Liancheng used the key to open the prison door, but as he was about to free the Eighth Prince, prison guards appeared.
The Eighth Prince urged Mo Liancheng to escape alone to find the evidence that would prove their innocence, assuring him that as a prince, his life was not in immediate danger. Outside the prison, Qu Xiaotan, the Fourteenth Prince, and the others were anxiously awaiting news. Qu Xiaotan was even considering breaking into the prison herself when Mo Liancheng returned.
The Fourteenth Prince informed Mo Liancheng that the Emperor had appointed him and Mo Yihuai to jointly investigate the assassination case. He also revealed that the Ninth Prince, Mo Jingkang, had been secretly collecting relevant evidence. This prompted Qu Xiaotan to recall a concealed box she had seen in Mo Yihuai's study, which might contain secret letters. Mo Liancheng decided they must infiltrate the Crown Prince's palace to find the evidence.
Late that night, Mo Liancheng and Yu Hao, dressed in black, stealthily entered Mo Yihuai's study. Following the location Qu Xiaotan had drawn, they found the concealed box, only to discover it was empty. Undeterred, Mo Liancheng searched the bookshelves thoroughly and found another hidden compartment. Inside were the Royal Command token and a secret letter from Du Guyan detailing the plot to assassinate the Emperor.
Meanwhile, upon learning that the token and secret letter had been stolen and that Liu Shang (Mo Liancheng's alias) had escaped from prison, an alarmed Mo Yihuai resolved to enact a new plan. Disguised as an imperial physician, Mo Liancheng gained an audience with the Empress Dowager. He presented Du Guyan’s secret letter to her, explaining that it could not only prove the Eighth Prince's innocence but also expose Mo Yihuai's treachery.
Despite his disguise, the Empress Dowager recognized him as her grandson, Cheng'er. Mo Liancheng then revealed his true identity as Mo Liancheng from a future timeline. Though perplexed, the Empress Dowager chose to believe him and took him in her sedan chair directly to the Imperial Study. Once there, Mo Liancheng disclosed Du Guyan's entire assassination plot and presented the secret letter. He also revealed that Mo Yihuai had concealed this evidence and stolen the Royal Command token.
Although the Emperor now believed the Eighth Prince was not the assassin, he was still angered by the use of a body double, believing it to be a sign of treachery. Left with no other choice, Mo Liancheng confessed his true identity.
To convince the skeptical Emperor, he recounted his journey to the Xuanling Continent, his meeting with his grandfather Mo Yifeng, and a childhood memory of a bamboo tube that was, in fact, the Qiankun Seal containing the soul of another. Hearing these intimate secrets unknown to anyone else, the Emperor finally believed Mo Liancheng. He immediately issued an imperial edict, ordering the release of both the Eighth Prince and Liu Shang.
Furthermore, he stripped Mo Yihuai of his title for his wicked schemes and lack of virtue, and appointed the Eighth Prince, Mo Liancheng, as the new Crown Prince and heir to the throne. Simultaneously, in the celestial prison, the Ninth Prince, Mo Jingkang, was attempting to poison the Eighth Prince. The Fourteenth Prince arrived just in time with the imperial edict, saving his life. Faced with losing the throne, Mo Yihuai was not disheartened.
He revealed his contingency plan: he had secretly deployed his forces and would now seize the throne by force. He instructed his subordinate, Yun Ying, to have the Central Commander besiege the palace from the northern gate, the Ministry of War advance from the southern gate, and his loyal Imperial Guards provide support from within. As night fell, Mo Yihuai, clad in armor, led his army into the imperial palace, plunging it into chaos.
Trapped in the Imperial Study, the Emperor hastily drafted a new edict to formally pass the throne to the Eighth Prince and entrusted it to Eunuch Xue for secret delivery to the Empress Dowager. He then ordered a cup of poison for himself. As Eunuch Xue tried to leave, he was intercepted by Mo Yihuai, who ordered him detained before storming into the study. The Emperor looked at Mo Yihuai with profound heartbreak.
He confessed that he had always loved Mo Yihuai and considered him the rightful successor, but Mo Yihuai's treachery had shattered his heart. Overwhelmed by guilt and resentment, Mo Yihuai claimed he was forced into this, driven by his desire for Tan'er, whom the Eighth Prince had stolen from him. The Emperor, aghast that his son would commit patricide for a woman, revealed that the marriage was arranged by the late Emperor's edict.
Seeing Mo Yihuai's unwavering determination, the Emperor's hope died. He drank the poison and, in his final moments, embraced his son, whispering that he did not blame him. After the Emperor's death, a shocked Mo Yihuai ordered a complete lockdown of the palace, decreeing that anyone who leaked the news would be executed.
