The Eternal Love 3 Episode 17 Recap
> The Eternal Love 3 Recap
Mo Yanchen was about to get married to Qu Meier. Despite daily visits from Mo Lian Cheng and Qu Tan Er, he refused to see them. Mo Yanchen confided in his father, Mo Yuan Long, that he had been too naive in the past, constantly entangled in love and romance. He assured his father that after marrying the Eldest Princess, he would diligently follow his father's teachings and devote himself entirely to the Mo family.
Mo Yuan Long was extremely pleased, remarking that he had not misjudged his son, who, despite his gentle nature, possessed great ambition. Soon after, a servant announced the bridal sedan chair had arrived, and Mo Yanchen departed. Her Majesty mused that Qu Meier had finally achieved her wish of marrying Mo Yanchen, though she suspected Mo Yuan Long's machinations were heavily involved, not just love.
Recognizing that Mo Yuan Long now had two powerful allies, Her Majesty declared it was time to set a trap. Xiao Zhen suggested that the annual Spring Hunt be replaced by a public competition between the two princesses, the winner of which would be granted the prestigious position of Commander of the Capital Guards. He believed this would surely stir up any restless individuals.
Meanwhile, at the wedding, Qu Meier, radiant in her wedding robes, finally had Mo Yanchen by her side. She tearfully expressed her long wait and vowed to forever cherish and protect him, acknowledging the unfairness of a man's fate. An official announced Her Majesty's decree for the competition, consisting of two rounds: Into-the-clouds Archery and a showdown with weapons, to take place in ten days.
Qu Tan Er, overwhelmed, lamented her constantly turbulent life and wished to be a laid-back young woman. Mo Lian Cheng, however, understood the political implications. He suspected Mo Yanchen had allied with his father, and if Qu Meier gained military command, Mo Yuan Long could fall into Her Majesty's trap, confirming Her Majesty's intention to "draw a snake out of its nest."
Mo Lian Cheng expressed his concern for his father, and Qu Tan Er promised to win the competition to prevent future troubles. Recognizing their equal skill levels, Mo Lian Cheng decided to personally train Qu Tan Er, starting the next day. However, Qu Tan Er, skeptical of his abilities without his memories, staged an assassination attempt with Jing Xin, who dramatically exaggerated the event. Mo Lian Cheng easily saw through the deception, pointing out Jing Xin's clean clothes.
Frustrated, Qu Tan Er confronted Mo Lian Cheng, accusing him of laughing at her and challenging him to win the military command himself. She desperately tried to provoke him into recovering his memories. Mo Lian Cheng calmly acknowledged her attempts to provoke him and assured her that even without his full memories, his martial arts skills were more than sufficient to defeat Qu Meier. Mo Lian Cheng began training Qu Tan Er in archery.
He noted her accuracy but highlighted her lack of quick target acquisition, emphasizing that only diligent practice would improve it. Qu Tan Er, however, demanded a kiss as a reward for her efforts, and Mo Lian Cheng complied. He reminded her that actual competition would feature a wider shooting range and higher targets, requiring continuous training.
Qu Tan Er, thinking strategically, decided that if she knew the ball's serving direction, she could simply run to the closest shooting position to ensure accuracy. Next, during sword training, Mo Lian Cheng tried to explain the concept of becoming one with the sword, which Qu Tan Er found abstract. She playfully offered to teach him "The Flirting Sword Skill," demonstrating it by gracefully falling into his arms.
She also mentioned other unconventional skills like "The Lovey-dovey Sabre Skill" and "The Blazing Passion Palm." Mo Lian Cheng reminded her that Qu Meier was diligently training under Mo Feng Yang at the Mo residence to win, warning Qu Tan Er against slacking off, which merely made Qu Tan Er sigh and call him "unromantic." The night before the competition, Mo Lian Cheng finally recovered his memories.
However, Qu Tan Er insisted on keeping an arm's-length distance between them, fearing that excessive "sweetness" might cause him to lose his memories again. Mo Lian Cheng teased her about her self-importance. She, in turn, expressed surprise that her casual complaint of "dissatisfaction" had actually worked to restore his memories. He reassured her to relax and face the competition, calling her an extraordinary princess regardless of the outcome.
On the day of the competition, Jing Xin and Yu Hao led a group of supporters, loudly cheering for Qu Tan Er. The first round, Into-the-clouds Archery, commenced. Qu Tan Er, full of confidence, quickly secured a victory. It was later revealed that she had bribed a servant to serve the cloud balls in a pre-arranged sequence of directions, allowing her to easily hit six targets while Qu Meier hit only three.
Qu Meier, displeased by Qu Tan Er's unexpected performance, accused her of secretly hiring an expert. Qu Tan Er, in response, credited Mo Lian Cheng for her training. Qu Meier scoffed, asserting that men were inherently weak and probably couldn't even properly hold a bow and arrow. Offended by this remark, Qu Tan Er proposed that Mo Lian Cheng face a female general in the next round to prove whether men were indeed weaker than women.
Despite an official's protest that such a match would be against societal norms and a public joke, Mo Lian Cheng confidently challenged their concerns, and Her Majesty permitted the showdown. Mo Lian Cheng faced his female opponent, who, showing respect, offered to compete without weapons. Mo Lian Cheng accepted and skillfully defeated her. Realizing she was outmatched, the female general drew her sword, only for it to be swiftly taken by Mo Lian Cheng.
Her Majesty then personally stepped into the arena, declaring her intent to test Mo Lian Cheng's hidden skills. During their intense exchange, Her Majesty experienced a moment of profound recognition, seeing a familiar shadow in Mo Lian Cheng. Although Mo Lian Cheng did not win the match against Her Majesty, he acknowledged her victory, and Qu Tan Er accepted the outcome without complaint.
After the competition, Xiao Zhen brought forward the bribed servant, who confessed to serving the balls in the specific directions as instructed by Qu Tan Er. Qu Tan Er readily admitted her "lack of skill" and "dishonest intentions," taking full responsibility and pleading with Her Majesty to spare the servant. Her Majesty, noting Qu Tan Er's quick confession, sentenced the servant to eighty lashes and ousted him from the Palace.
Qu Tan Er, distraught, apologized to the servant and vowed to care for his family. With Qu Tan Er having lost both rounds and openly cheating, Her Majesty declared Qu Meier the winner and awarded her the position of Commander of the Capital Guards. She then condemned Qu Tan Er for "defying rules, cheating in public, disregarding the morals of men, and violating cardinal guides," sentencing her to be grounded in her residence and forbidden from entering the Palace.
Later, Xiao Zhen attempted to reassure Her Majesty that giving military command to Qu Meier would ensure Qu Tan Er's obedience. However, Her Majesty was preoccupied, lamenting that her current "ruined appearance" was why Mo Lian Cheng didn't recognize her. Xiao Zhen was surprised when Her Majesty confirmed that during their fight, all her past memories had returned, and she was now certain that Mo Lian Cheng was indeed Young Master Lian Cheng, the man she had been searching for.
Despite Xiao Zhen suggesting she might be tired and overthinking, Her Majesty firmly declared that she could not wait any longer and demanded that Mo Lian Cheng be brought back to her side immediately.
