The Eternal Love Episode 16 Recap
> The Eternal Love Recap
Following his recovery, Mo Liancheng, enraged by the assassination attempt on Qu Xiaotan, confronted Princess Qingyun, warning her that he would make anyone who dared to harm his wife suffer immensely. Distraught by his disdain, Princess Qingyun sought out the Empress Dowager, begging for her intervention. The Empress Dowager reminded Qingyun that Mo Liancheng had recently contradicted her for the first time in his life over Qu Xiaotan, making her own position difficult.
She advised Qingyun to reconcile with Qu Xiaotan, but Qingyun lamented that Mo Liancheng wouldn't even allow her to apologize. The Empress Dowager eventually agreed to host a gathering to ease tensions, urging Qingyun to cease causing trouble. Unbeknownst to them, the Empress Dowager was the true orchestrator of events. She had intentionally revealed Qingyun's hatred for Qu Xiaotan to Qu Pan'er, anticipating that Pan'er would instigate Qingyun to act.
Her ultimate objective was to eliminate Qu Xiaotan and frame Qu Pan'er for assassinating a prince, thereby dismantling the Qu family and aiding Mo Liancheng's bid for the throne. Although she had secretly sent someone to protect Mo Liancheng during the attack, he still sustained injuries, much to her frustration that Qu Xiaotan remained unharmed.
Believing Qu Pan'er's hatred for Qu Xiaotan after her mother's death would drive her to act alone, the Empress Dowager hosted a golden autumn wine party for the princes and their consorts. At the party, the Empress Dowager directed Princess Qingyun to sit beside Mo Liancheng and encouraged her to learn from Qu Xiaotan's attentive care. Meanwhile, Qu Pan'er, consumed by resentment, orchestrated a plot.
She deliberately collided with a maid, and then, feigning a twisted ankle herself, instructed the maid to put down the wine pot and fetch medicine. While the maid was distracted, Pan'er poisoned the wine. The unsuspecting maid later returned and poured the tainted wine for Qu Xiaotan. Qu Pan'er then approached Qu Xiaotan and Mo Liancheng, feigning a desire for reconciliation and offering a toast with the poisoned wine.
Sensing malicious intent, Qu Xiaotan and Mo Liancheng declined, with Xiaotan feigning illness. Seeing an opportunity to earn Mo Liancheng's favor, Princess Qingyun stepped forward and drank the wine meant for Qu Xiaotan, unaware it was poisoned. Despite Qu Pan'er's panicked attempt to stop her, it was too late. Qingyun succumbed to the poison and died. An attendant immediately pointed out that Qingyun had drunk the wine intended for Qu Xiaotan.
The enraged Empress Dowager initially blamed Qu Xiaotan, but Mo Liancheng defended her, noting she never touched the cup. Suspicion shifted to the maid, who recounted how Qu Pan'er had feigned an injury and made her leave the wine pot unattended. Mo Liancheng suggested a search. While nothing was found on the maid, a bottle of the same poison was discovered on Qu Pan'er. Faced with irrefutable evidence, the Empress Dowager ordered her arrest.
Qu Jianglin pleaded with Mo Yihuai to intercede for his wife, but Mo Yihuai coldly refused, stating Qu Pan'er's repeated attempts to kill Qu Xiaotan meant she was no longer his wife in his heart. Later that night, Qu Jianglin begged Qu Xiaotan to save Qu Pan'er, offering his family heirloom, the Soul Bead, in exchange. Recalling that the Soul Bead might be the key to her return home, Xiaotan agreed to consider it.
Meanwhile, in the imperial prison, the Empress Dowager confronted Qu Pan'er, who admitted the poison was for Qu Xiaotan. The Empress Dowager revealed her knowledge of Pan'er's schemes, including instigating Qingyun and her secret protection of Mo Liancheng during the previous attack. Mo Liancheng then arrived, surprisingly asking for leniency for Qu Pan'er.
He argued that saving her would be a strategic victory; Qu Jianglin, having been rejected by Mo Yihuai, would offer the Qu family's unwavering loyalty and the coveted Soul Bead. Recognizing the value of his proposal, the Empress Dowager agreed not to execute Qu Pan'er for now. At the Qu mansion, Qu Jianglin honored his promise, giving the Soul Bead to Mo Liancheng.
He explained that its seal could only be broken by a ritual using the blood of a Qu descendant as an activator. As the ritual was performed, a vibrant purple light emanated from the newly unsealed Soul Bead.
