The Eternal Love 3 Episode 19 Recap
> The Eternal Love 3 Recap
To ensure Mo Lian Cheng's safety, Qu Xiaotan was forced to agree to marry Yun Xiu after Xiao Zhen threatened her with Mo Lian Cheng's private entry into forbidden grounds. Xiao Zhen displayed Mo Lian Cheng's dagger, which he claimed Mo Lian Cheng had accidentally dropped. Qu Xiaotan initially feigned ignorance about the dagger, but after deliberating on the potential danger to Mo Lian Cheng, she resolved that she could not gamble with his life.
She declared that marrying Yun Xiu for Mo Lian Cheng’s sake was not infidelity, and Xiao Zhen returned the dagger to her, congratulating her on her new Main Prince Consort. Meanwhile, in a secret room, Mo Lian Cheng, seeking an exit, relied on moving embers to detect airflow and successfully found his way out. The following day, Mo Lian Cheng served tea to Her Majesty, his hands noticeably trembling.
When questioned, he claimed it was from prolonged scripture copying, a response Her Majesty found unconvincing given his earlier steady hands. She probed further, asking if he could not bend over, to which he attributed his discomfort to extended prayer. Her Majesty then spoke of recent palace commotions, expressing her intent to address those with ulterior motives.
Mo Lian Cheng humbly stated he dared not speculate on her intentions, but when pressed, he praised Xiao Zhen’s combat prowess and acknowledged Her Majesty’s past admiration for his martial skills. Her Majesty then commanded him to guard her chamber for the night. Despite his initial hesitation, citing the great responsibility, he accepted the order. However, he insisted on guarding from outside, deeming it inappropriate for a man and woman to be alone in a room.
After Mo Lian Cheng departed, Xiao Zhen informed Her Majesty that Qu Xiaotan (Second Princess) had immediately agreed to the peace-making marriage upon hearing of Mo Lian Cheng's situation. Xiao Zhen suggested that Her Majesty could simply take Mo Lian Cheng into her harem if she desired him, but Her Majesty maintained that true love cannot be bought with power.
Xiao Zhen then reminded her of the health risks associated with excessive affection due to her illness and highlighted Mo Lian Cheng's suspicious night visit to the Altar of Souls, a forbidden palace area. While Xiao Zhen initially proposed Mo Lian Cheng might be pursuing power, Her Majesty suspected he was investigating for someone else, specifically Qu Xiaotan.
Xiao Zhen confirmed this suspicion, reporting that he had witnessed Qu Xiaotan near the Soul-guarding Pearl, sensing a commotion from the pearl and observing a sudden white light emanating from her. Her Majesty, intrigued, believed this connection could be highly beneficial to her grand plan and instructed Xiao Zhen to proceed with their arrangements, reminding him of Qu Xiaotan's marriage that day. Qu Xiaotan, now married to Yun Xiu, deliberately avoided him.
Mo Jingxuan arrived at her residence, informing her that Mo Lian Cheng had gone to Her Majesty's imperial chamber the previous night and had yet to return. He added that Her Majesty had bestowed many new clothes and gifts upon Mo Lian Cheng.
This news infuriated Qu Xiaotan, who, despite having sacrificed her own happiness to protect him, concluded that Mo Lian Cheng was not forced and was instead enjoying himself, calling him a "bastard" for being "lovey-dovey" with Her Majesty. Shortly after, Xiao Zhen appeared to convey Her Majesty's congratulations and gifts for her wedding, along with a crucial imperial decree: to ensure the continuation of the royal bloodline, Qu Xiaotan must spend the night in Yun Xiu's room.
Back in her room, Qu Xiaotan fumed over the lavish gifts Mo Lian Cheng received instead of punishment, fully understanding Her Majesty's underlying intentions. Jing Xin attempted to persuade her that Mo Lian Cheng was compelled, but Qu Xiaotan remained seething, lamenting that he couldn't have refused Her Majesty's advances even once. Just then, Yun Xiu entered her room uninvited, boldly signaling for Jing Xin to leave.
Despite Qu Xiaotan's protests, Jing Xin reluctantly departed, leaving Qu Xiaotan helpless as Yun Xiu advanced towards her, declaring his intention to stay for the night and forcibly grabbing her. Soon after, Mo Lian Cheng requested permission to return to his residence, which Her Majesty granted. However, his relief was short-lived as Xiao Zhen informed him of Qu Xiaotan's new Prince Consort, a revelation that deeply unsettled him.
Meanwhile, Mo Feng Yang shared her suspicions about Yun Xiu with her father, Mo Yuan Long, recounting his cunning tactics in past battles. She believed this peace-making marriage was far from simple. Her father acknowledged Her Majesty's likely ulterior motives and advised caution. Concerned that Yun Xiu's true intentions could endanger not only Mo Lian Cheng and the Mo family but also all of Dongyue, Mo Feng Yang resolved to investigate.
She later arrived at Qu Xiaotan’s residence to offer her congratulations. Qu Xiaotan, praising Yun Xiu, dismissed Mo Feng Yang's concerns about his integrity. To facilitate her investigation, Qu Xiaotan cleverly persuaded Mo Feng Yang to stay at the residence, under the guise of preventing gossip should she personally deliver gifts to Yun Xiu’s private chambers. Mo Feng Yang readily accepted the invitation.
Upon his return, Mo Lian Cheng overheard servants gossiping about Yun Xiu's bold actions towards Qu Xiaotan, leading him to believe they were deeply involved. When informed that Qu Xiaotan was in Yun Xiu’s chamber and had forbidden disturbances, Mo Lian Cheng sent Yu Hao to gather more information. He then confronted Qu Xiaotan and Yun Xiu, who were openly flirting.
Still fuming over Mo Lian Cheng’s stay at the palace, Qu Xiaotan deliberately provoked him, demanding he greet Yun Xiu, the Main Prince Consort. Mo Lian Cheng refused, arguing that morning greetings were out of place. Yun Xiu intervened, urging Qu Xiaotan not to be angry and suggesting "more opportunities" in the future, further enraging Mo Lian Cheng as he witnessed Yun Xiu patting Qu Xiaotan’s hand.
Yu Hao soon reported that Mo Feng Yang had already confronted Yun Xiu, but Qu Xiaotan had intervened. Mo Lian Cheng then sought out Mo Feng Yang, offering to help her investigate Yun Xiu, a task difficult for her as a woman, in exchange for information. Mo Feng Yang described Yun Xiu as a cunning and treacherous military leader, whose past actions included strategic troop withdrawals, feigned surrenders, and night attacks.
She concluded that his peace-making marriage was "definitely not simple." Mo Lian Cheng promised to find an opportunity to search Yun Xiu's room for clues, and Mo Feng Yang urged him to be cautious. That night, Qu Xiaotan intentionally had a servant inform Mo Lian Cheng that she was spending the night in Yun Xiu's room. This act left Mo Lian Cheng sleepless, seeking solace in alcohol.
The next morning, Mo Lian Cheng stealthily entered Yun Xiu's room to search, but was discovered. A fight ensued, with Yun Xiu accusing Mo Lian Cheng of trespassing and Mo Lian Cheng questioning Yun Xiu’s aggressive response. Qu Xiaotan intervened, remarking on Yun Xiu's impressive fighting skills. To explain his presence, Mo Lian Cheng claimed he was attempting to make amends for his past behavior by tidying Yun Xiu's room.
Qu Xiaotan seized the opportunity, instructing Mo Lian Cheng to prepare Xiyue nut cake for lunch under Yun Xiu's guidance, using ingredients from Yun Xiu's dowry. In the kitchen, as Mo Lian Cheng diligently prepared the cake, Qu Xiaotan and Yun Xiu openly flirted, with Qu Xiaotan playfully criticizing Mo Lian Cheng's culinary skills and even asking Yun Xiu to feed her. Mo Lian Cheng, exasperated, pushed Yun Xiu's hand away, sarcastically stating he was concerned Qu Xiaotan might choke.
When Yun Xiu mentioned taking lunch to Mo Feng Yang, Qu Xiaotan instructed him to take the cake that Mo Lian Cheng had made. Mo Lian Cheng protested, but Qu Xiaotan clarified that he made it with her and Yun Xiu’s guidance. Mo Lian Cheng observed that Yun Xiu seemed quite pleased, hinting that he preferred to be with Mo Feng Yang. Qu Xiaotan dismissed his remarks as an attempt to change the subject.
Later, Yun Xiu indeed took the Xiyue nut cake to Mo Feng Yang, who was practicing sword fighting. Mo Feng Yang, not hungry, initially refused it, but Yun Xiu insisted, taking a bite to subtly assure her it was safe, which she correctly interpreted as him showing her it was not poisoned.
Mo Lian Cheng, observing Yun Xiu's gaze frequently drifting towards Mo Feng Yang while he and Qu Xiaotan dined, began to suspect Yun Xiu's true interest lay with Mo Feng Yang, and that his flirtations with Qu Xiaotan were merely a show to provoke him. Qu Xiaotan, noticing Yun Xiu's distraction, suggested he go practice swordsmanship. He readily agreed and joined Mo Feng Yang. During their practice, Yun Xiu held back his moves, admitting he feared injuring her.
Mo Lian Cheng then confronted Qu Xiaotan, asking if she had deliberately orchestrated Yun Xiu's training with Mo Feng Yang. She denied it, but upon realizing her efforts to upset him stemmed from her jealousy over his time in Her Majesty's imperial chamber, Mo Lian Cheng chose not to offer immediate explanations. He found her jealousy endearing and decided it was best to first uncover Yun Xiu's secrets before revealing the truth, fearing that premature disclosure would "wake a sleeping wolf."
