The Eternal Love 2 Episode 7 Recap
> The Eternal Love 2 Recap
Qu Xiaotan complained to Jingxin about the Eighth Prince's moody personality, suggesting he must have experienced a significant childhood trauma or was simply a "drama queen." Jingxin mimicked the Eighth Prince's angry facial expressions, which Qu Xiaotan praised for its accuracy. Suddenly, Mo Liancheng appeared behind them. He startled Qu Xiaotan, who nearly fell, but he caught her in time. Seeing this, Jingxin discreetly excused herself.
Qu Xiaotan clarified to Mo Liancheng that since he had initiated the proximity, it did not count as her breaking their three-part agreement. Mo Liancheng was pleased by her adherence to their rules and affirmed that he had indeed been the one to approach her. Just as they were growing closer, the Eighth Prince's carriage returned. Startled, Mo Liancheng immediately released Qu Xiaotan and vanished, leaving her feeling both embarrassed and vexed.
Qu Xiaotan then muttered to herself, labeling Mo Liancheng a "terminal-stage drama queen" for his behavior. A scheme had been devised to lure the Eighth Prince out of his palace, with the dual purpose of exposing a disloyal palace spy and providing a timely warning to the Eighth Prince himself. After receiving a secret letter, the Eighth Prince left his residence. However, sensing that something was amiss, he quickly returned.
He questioned his guards about any unusual activity within the palace during his absence, to which they reported that everything had been normal. Perplexed, the Eighth Prince pondered the true intention of the person who had used the secret letter to lure him away. He instructed Yu Hao to immediately go to the palace, meet with their informant, and determine why the informant had failed to attend their meeting.
He further ordered Yu Hao to change their secret code at once if the informant had not sent the letter, as this could mean the informant himself had been compromised. Qu Xiaotan stormed back to her room, berating Jingxin for abandoning her. Jingxin, concerned, asked if the Eighth Prince had harmed her, but Qu Xiaotan confidently declared that no one would dare.
Noticing a collection of gifts, including a toothbrush and slippers, she initially believed they were from the Grand Prince. However, Jingxin clarified that only the Eighth Prince had visited. Angered by the Eighth Prince's frequent mood changes and the way he toyed with her, Qu Xiaotan decided it was her turn to play a trick on him. In the study, while serving tea, Qu Xiaotan boldly proposed a new work system for the palace staff.
She suggested a five-day work week, with eight-hour shifts, menstrual leave, and the freedom for maids to leave the palace during their time off. She argued this would improve morale and reduce errors. Instead of directly approving or disapproving, the Eighth Prince tasked her with a difficult math problem from Butler Zhou.
The problem involved a new salary distribution: 33 maids who had served for over three years were to receive twice the daily salary of the 57 maids who had served less, and the senior maids were to work three fewer days each month. With a total budget not to exceed 1900 silver taels, Qu Xiaotan had to calculate the exact monthly salary for both groups.
If she solved it, her system would be adopted; if not, everyone's salary would be withheld. Drawing on her modern education, Qu Xiaotan quickly solved the equation, presenting the precise amounts and noting that seven taels of silver would remain. Impressed by her intellect, the Eighth Prince praised her for solving a problem Butler Zhou could not.
Although he could not immediately grant her request for equal pay, he promoted her three ranks, making her equal to Butler Zhou, who wondered who this peculiar yet insightful woman truly was. The Emperor grew suspicious of the daily tonic soup from Noble Consort Dugu, as it no longer eased his headaches. When questioned, she deflected blame onto a pharmacist.
The Emperor dismissed her excuse, musing aloud about his lack of trustworthy people and Mo Liancheng's absence, before ordering the soup away. Realizing the Emperor had detected the increased dosage in his medicine, Noble Consort Dugu summoned General Wei. She warned him that the Emperor intended to name the Eighth Prince as Crown Prince and that they must act swiftly, or General Wei would face eternal disgrace.
General Wei reassured her that he had a plan in motion and would have an update by the following night. Enjoying her new status as an officer, Qu Xiaotan rode a homemade skateboard down a steep staircase, nearly colliding with two servants carrying a screen. The Eighth Prince witnessed this, but before he could act, Liu Shang intervened, pushing Qu Xiaotan out of harm's way as they both fell.
Seeing Liu Shang in apparent pain and bleeding, Qu Xiaotan rushed to help him. However, a visibly jealous Eighth Prince pushed her aside, insisting on helping Liu Shang himself. This direct contact triggered Liu Shang's "forbidden zone" effect, causing him extreme pain. The Eighth Prince misinterpreted this agony, believing Liu Shang was merely feigning injury to elicit Qu Xiaotan's sympathy. When Liu Shang regained consciousness, he found Qu Xiaotan resting on his chest, anxiously counting his heartbeats.
Amused, he briefly considered feigning more pain to tease her, but she urgently gave him a secret letter from an "old kook." The letter warned that a palace informant would act that night and that the Eighth Prince must be prevented from leaving the palace. Upon learning from a servant that the Eighth Prince had already departed, Liu Shang abandoned his pretense of injury and rushed out.
He privately acknowledged that both he and the Eighth Prince were "drama queens," but that Mo Liancheng was the true master of the art. Liu Shang arrived to find the Eighth Prince and Yu Hao surrounded by assassins. Recognizing the location as the same place where he had been trapped, Liu Shang warned the Eighth Prince of the ambush and joined the fight.
During the battle, the Eighth Prince was struck by how similar Liu Shang's fighting style was to his own. One captured assassin confessed that the Grand Prince had ordered the attack, threatening his family. Jingkang rushed to inform Mo Yihuai, the Grand Prince, of the situation. Mo Yihuai dismissed the assassin's confession, asserting that the ever-suspicious Mo Liancheng would see it as a setup.
Jingkang also reported that Liu Shang's fighting style was said to be remarkably similar to Mo Liancheng's. Determined to learn the truth, Mo Yihuai decided to visit the Eighth Prince's palace. The next morning, he saw Jingxin carrying a jade bracelet—Qu Tan'er's most cherished possession. Jingxin explained that due to her amnesia, Tan'er now wanted to sell it. She also revealed how indulgent the Eighth Prince was, even having a carpenter craft a skateboard for her.
Hearing this, Mo Yihuai grew concerned that Mo Liancheng was genuinely falling in love with Qu Tan'er. In the study, Mo Yihuai presented the sword that nearly killed the Eighth Prince, followed by a distinctive seal he had found in Wei Zongheng's residence. The Eighth Prince recognized it as his unique symbol for communicating with his palace informant.
Mo Yihuai then proposed an alliance: he would help eliminate Wei Zongheng's faction and restore the Eighth Prince's command of the Capital Army, on the sole condition that the Eighth Prince hand over Qu Tan'er. The Eighth Prince rejected the offer without hesitation, declaring that he and Qu Xiaotan were bound by a solemn promise of eternal loyalty and he would never trade her for military power. As Mo Yihuai prepared to leave, a guard announced Liu Shang.
The Eighth Prince noted Liu Shang's resemblance to the mysterious man who had once saved him and questioned Mo Yihuai's persistent interest in his household. After Mo Yihuai left, Liu Shang argued that the Grand Prince was likely innocent, pointing to the assassin's overly consistent story and Mo Yihuai's calm demeanor.
Liu Shang suggested that Noble Consort Dugu was the primary suspect and that Qu Tan'er could be used as a bargaining chip to turn the two factions against each other. The Eighth Prince noticed Liu Shang's immediate and strong opposition to using Qu Tan'er in such a scheme, sensing his unusual concern for her, which left him unsettled.
Elsewhere, Mo Liancheng met with the Fourteenth Prince, who commented on his changed attire and new fondness for steamed dumplings, attributing both to a woman's influence. From this, Mo Liancheng realized with dismay that the Eighth Prince was falling for Qu Tan'er, making his past self his current rival. To interfere, Mo Liancheng advised Qu Xiaotan to brew the coldest possible tea for the Eighth Prince, hoping it would displease him.
Back in the study, Minister Wu urged the Eighth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince to resolve their differences and support General Wei. The Eighth Prince realized Minister Wu had defected to Noble Consort Dugu's side but was in an awkward position. Just then, Qu Xiaotan served the ice-cold tea. The Eighth Prince, finding it undrinkable, ironically remarked on its "fitting" coldness for the tense atmosphere.
He then firmly dismissed Minister Wu, publicly praised Qu Xiaotan for her "meritorious" service, and ordered hot tea instead. Internally, Qu Xiaotan fumed, feeling like a pawn manipulated by the "split-personality" prince's contradictory demands. She secretly told Jingxin that after serving the tea, they would meet Mo Yihuai at their secret rendezvous in an hour.
