The Eternal Love 3 Episode 2 Recap
> The Eternal Love 3 Recap
Upon seeing the Empress, who strikingly resembled her, Qu Xiaotan privately wondered if anyone else found it odd, though she mused that nieces often resemble their aunts. Noticing the Empress smiling at Mo Lian Cheng, Qu Xiaotan grew silently jealous, thinking to herself that "Cheng Cheng is mine." She quickly interjected, declaring Mo Lian Cheng reserved and boring, unsuited to entertain Her Majesty.
Su Yue La, however, praised Mo Lian Cheng's exquisite sword skills, leading the Empress to have him perform a sword dance to convince everyone. During his performance, a perfume sachet slipped from his sleeve. Qu Xiaotan recognized it as her own and immediately accused Mo Lian Cheng of concealing a woman's personal belonging and acting improperly, demanding his removal from the selection.
Mo Lian Cheng defended himself, suggesting the sachet's placement should be questioned with its owner or the attendant who prepared his attire, not him, as he had already undergone a body search. Su Yue La supported the palace's attire preparation as faultless and denied having the sachet. Qu Xiaotan pressed further, alleging Mo Lian Cheng had deliberately spilled tea on her and taken the sachet while assisting her with a change of clothes, driven by admiration.
Mo Lian Cheng retorted that she knew well how the tea was spilled and who requested the change. Su Yue La then suggested that, despite potential injustice to Mo Lian Cheng, his continued participation would harm the harem's reputation if the rumors persisted. The Empress commanded Su Yue La to thoroughly investigate the matter. Mo Lian Cheng's involvement in the harem selection incident brought shame upon the Mo family.
His father sternly rebuked him for tarnishing their revered reputation, remarking on the ridicule and criticism they now faced. Mo Father ordered Mo Lian Cheng to copy the code of virtue daily as punishment. Mo Yanchen defended his brother, suggesting it was a misunderstanding and that the truth would soon emerge, with Mo Jingxuan adding that those slandering others would face their comeuppance.
Mo Father silenced them, asserting that Mo Lian Cheng's innocence or guilt would be decided by the Empress, not by them or public opinion, and reiterated the punishment. Qu Xiaotan, reflecting on the incident, realized Mo Lian Cheng had been framed and she had inadvertently exacerbated his predicament. She initially attributed the entire situation to the Empress's resemblance to herself, a thought Jing Xin quickly hushed, deeming it highly disrespectful.
Jing Xin then cautioned Qu Xiaotan about the severe consequences for a man whose reputation is tarnished, especially when the Empress is involved; a lighter sentence could mean becoming a monk, while a heavier one could lead to being drowned in a pig cage. Alarmed by the gravity of her actions, Qu Xiaotan rushed to the Mo Residence with Jing Xin.
Spotting a familiar cherry blossom tree outside the residence, Qu Xiaotan immediately halted the carriage and began to scale the wall, feeling a sense of destiny, as if her beloved awaited her on the other side. In the courtyard, Mo Lian Cheng was engrossed in copying the code of virtue. Qu Xiaotan called out to him to catch her as she descended, but he failed, as he always did, much to her exasperation.
She chastised him for letting her fall, to which he coldly responded that men and women should not have direct contact. Just then, Mo Yanchen approached, addressing her as Tan Er and expressing concern for her fall, mentioning that Mo Lian Cheng was well aware of their mutual affection. This remark left Qu Xiaotan bewildered, as she recalled Qu Tan Er's affections were for Mo Yihuai, making her question Mo Yanchen's identity.
Mo Yanchen escorted Qu Xiaotan to the main hall to meet Mo Father, with Jing Xin rushing back to join them. Qu Xiaotan nearly addressed Mo Father as "Father Emperor," momentarily forgetting his changed status. She declared her willingness to take responsibility for Mo Lian Cheng's predicament. Mo Yanchen appeared surprised, but Mo Lian Cheng gently declined her offer, pointing out that her intervention would only further tarnish both their reputations given his already compromised standing.
Qu Xiaotan, however, was resolute, promising to restore his and the Mo family's honor. To achieve this, she instructed Jing Xin to find a storyteller to narrate Mo Lian Cheng's heroic deeds, even commissioning a mason to create plaques and children to sing specially composed nursery rhymes throughout the city. Later, Yu Hao summoned Qu Xiaotan and Su Yue La to the palace to discuss the investigation's progress.
Su Yue La hesitated to report, but Qu Xiaotan confidently stated that Mo Lian Cheng was innocent, citing his well-known upright character. She proposed a method to identify the true culprit: by releasing butterflies, which were attracted to the unique scent of her imperial perfume sachet, among all the harem candidates. The person on whom the butterflies landed, besides herself and Mo Lian Cheng, would be the most suspicious.
Recognizing the implication for her brother, Su Jing Yuan, Su Yue La quickly interjected, declaring Mo Lian Cheng's innocence and dismissing the need for any test. Qu Xiaotan subtly warned Su Yue La about the dangers of jealousy and framing others before departing. Yu Hao subsequently reported to the Empress that Su Yue La's brother, Su Jing Yuan, was indeed suspected of framing Mo Lian Cheng.
The Empress decided to retain Su Yue La for her own purposes but ordered Su Jing Yuan to be punished according to the law. Yu Hao also suggested that Qu Xiaotan's behavior in the hall that day was likely a misunderstanding, given her usual respect towards Her Majesty. Qu Xiaotan then went to the Mo Residence to find Mo Lian Cheng, where she encountered Mo Yanchen.
Despite her efforts to clear his name, Mo Lian Cheng remained displeased by her public antics and abruptly left upon seeing her. Mo Yanchen tried to soothe Qu Xiaotan by offering tea, but she made an excuse about urgent state affairs and quickly departed. Meanwhile, Mo Jingxuan was discreetly presenting a gift to Jing Xin when Qu Xiaotan unexpectedly appeared. She immediately questioned Mo Jingxuan about his brothers, discovering that many were twins and that he also had a sister.
She then inquired about Mo Yihuai, to which Mo Jingxuan revealed that he had been given away to another family shortly after birth, a fact his father had once mentioned. Qu Xiaotan then turned to Jing Xin, who downplayed her relationship with Mo Jingxuan, insisting they were merely acquaintances and reminding Qu Xiaotan that it was she who had previously warned Jing Xin to maintain her distance from Mo Jingxuan.
Late that night, Mo Lian Cheng entered the palace to see the Empress, who asked him for a shoulder massage. Upon hearing this, an enraged Qu Xiaotan stormed into the palace, determined to disrupt their private meeting. She burst into the Empress's chambers, finding Mo Lian Cheng holding the Empress's hand. As Qu Xiaotan intervened, Mo Lian Cheng suddenly experienced a severe headache, and the look in his eyes instantly changed.
After leaving the Empress's presence, Mo Lian Cheng sought out Qu Xiaotan. She was overjoyed, believing he had returned to his true self, and playfully chided him for pretending not to recognize her and for not catching her when she fell from the wall. As they bickered, Mo Lian Cheng unexpectedly pulled her into a kiss. However, the moment was fleeting; he abruptly pushed her away, admonishing her to maintain propriety.
He then stated she was the Second Princess of Dongyue and Mo Yanchen's childhood sweetheart. Confused, Qu Xiaotan realized he had lost his memory again. Mo Lian Cheng also acknowledged his memory lapse regarding their interaction and how he left the Empress's chambers, musing if this brief amnesia was connected to his previous memory loss. Qu Xiaotan then speculated that Mo Lian Cheng might be experiencing the same phenomenon she once did with Qu Tan Er, sharing one body.
