Till the End of the Moon Episode 20 Recap
> Till the End of the Moon Recap
Tantai Jin resolved to make Ye Xiwu fall in love with him. He had his eunuchs gather an array of gold and silver jewelry, as well as cosmetics, intending them as gifts. When Ye Xiwu arrived, not to thank him but to question his motives, she privately noted that Pian Ran’s methods seemed to be working.
She advised Tantai Jin that to make someone happy, one must give them what they truly desire, much like how she made him happy by bringing him food she knew he would enjoy. Taking her advice, Tantai Jin asked what she liked. Later, Ye Xiwu invited Tantai Jin to sit by the lake with her and watch the stars. She reminisced about her childhood, lying by Heaven Lake on Mount Changze, watching stars and fireflies on a full moon night.
To bring her joy, Tantai Jin used his magic to conjure countless fireflies, which delighted Ye Xiwu immensely. When she mentioned the lake from her memory was far away, he promised to take her there someday. Meanwhile, the armies of the Sheng and Jing Kingdoms were locked in a stalemate at the Mohe River. Xiao Lin's aide expressed concern that their forces couldn't advance, nor could the Jing army attack.
Xiao Lin corrected him, explaining that while the Sheng army indeed couldn't advance, Tantai Jin wasn't truly stuck. Attacking Jia Pass directly after crossing the river would exhaust their troops, leaving them vulnerable to being pushed back by the Jing army. Xiao Lin recognized this as Tantai Jin's "retreat to advance" strategy, designed to make the Sheng King impatient and provoke a foolish attack.
He laid out three options: seek a peace treaty, which was impossible due to the King's aggressive stance; find alternative attack routes, which was unfeasible as the King had purged many capable generals, leaving no one trustworthy to lead a multi-pronged assault; or wait for the Mohe River to freeze in a few months, which was their only viable option, though the King's suspicious nature would likely not permit such a long delay.
Tantai Jin had military intelligence deliberately intercepted by the Sheng Kingdom and was pleased to hear his strategy to bait the Sheng King had succeeded. He rewarded the Moonshadow Guard who carried out the mission. That evening, Tantai Jin presented Ye Xiwu with a piece of meteorite as a birthday gift, claiming it was a star that had fallen from the sky. Ye Xiwu was surprised and touched that he remembered her birthday.
He granted her a day off to return home, and she happily invited him to celebrate with her family. Tantai Jin accompanied Ye Xiwu to the entrance of the Ye Mansion but chose not to enter. Her grandmother and General Ye understood his decision, recalling the harsh treatment he had endured as a hostage in their household. General Ye expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Tantai Jin for sparing their family and urged Ye Xiwu to cherish his genuine affection.
Realizing that Tantai Jin's reluctance stemmed from painful memories, Ye Xiwu quickly finished her longevity noodles and went to find him, apologizing for bringing him to a place of unhappiness. Tantai Jin reassured her, stating he was happy she had brought him, even though he didn't enter.
He then took her to Lingxing Hall, the imperial mausoleum where his mother, Concubine Rou, was buried—a place he had yearned to visit since childhood but was forbidden from, only able to make the short journey after ascending the throne. At Lingxing Hall, Tantai Jin introduced Ye Xiwu to his mother's spirit as his wife, confident that his mother would have liked her. Ye Xiwu promised to visit and pay respects frequently.
Overjoyed, Tantai Jin asked Ye Xiwu to choose a spot for herself within the imperial mausoleum, expressing his hope that one day she would truly love him. Internally, Ye Xiwu, as Li Susu, knew she couldn't genuinely love him in this life. When Tantai Jin mentioned how the "original" Ye Xiwu would cry at her own mother's tomb, Li Susu felt a pang of guilt over her deception. She wondered if Tantai Jin was beginning to truly love her.
Observing the slow accumulation of the Extinction Nails in his heart, she worried about the 300-day deadline before the Barren Abyss barrier collapsed and knew she had to accelerate the process. Back in the Sheng capital, the Sheng King was enraged by Xiao Lin's inaction, suspecting him of disloyalty after receiving the intercepted military report.
He had a servant who dared to defend Xiao Lin beaten to death and issued a decree commanding Xiao Lin to cross the Mohe River and advance north within three days. Upon receiving the grim edict, Xiao Lin recognized the futility of the assault. Despite his subordinate's plea to defy the order, Xiao Lin, torn between his duty as a subject and his filial piety as a son, solemnly decided to lead his troops in a final, desperate attempt.
Tantai Jin was informed that Xiao Lin had crossed the Mohe River, confirming his trap had worked. He declared to Ye Qingyu that the time had come to unite the country and end the war, ordering him to Jia Pass to personally capture Xiao Lin on the battlefield.
At Jia Pass, just as Xiao Lin's forces were about to break through, Tantai Jin arrived and ordered his own troops to retreat, explaining he intended to capture Xiao Lin in single combat to crush Sheng's morale. He proposed a parley, offering Xiao Lin a share in governing the world if he surrendered. Xiao Lin refused, and they dueled. Tantai Jin noticed a powerful "Heart-guarding Scale" protecting Xiao Lin.
Before he could press his attack, Pang Yizhi intervened, using lightning charms to cover Xiao Lin's retreat. Tantai Jin allowed them to go, later explaining to Ye Qingyu that a shrewd man like Xiao Lin already understood Sheng's impending defeat and that only unification could truly end the war. The Sheng King was furious at Xiao Lin's retreat and lambasted his generals.
He commanded Ye Bingshang to enter the palace and remain with the Empress, effectively holding her hostage to pressure Xiao Lin to defend the next strategic location, Boshan City. Xiao Lin, injured from the battle, bade Ye Bingshang farewell. Acknowledging the bleak military situation, he told her that if he fell, she should not remain a widow but find another reliable man.
Ye Bingshang tearfully declared she would die with him, but inwardly questioned how he could protect her when he couldn't even protect himself. As a hostage, Ye Bingshang endured a harsh existence, spending her days copying sutras and eating vegetarian meals with the Queen in a dilapidated residence. She lamented that power was the only true weapon and that Xiao Lin, whom she had relied upon, was now unresponsive to her letters.
Fearing the Extinction Nails might retract if she and Tantai Jin were separated for too long, Ye Xiwu began sending him frequent letters, sometimes addressing him as "My Husband." She even attempted to bake flower cakes for him and urged him to return soon. Tantai Jin received her letters but remained suspicious that her eagerness was merely a ploy to prevent Sheng's swift defeat, not a sign of genuine affection.
He considered replying but hesitated, fearing his handwriting would reveal that he wasn't the original Tantai Jin she knew. After half a month without a response, Ye Xiwu grew anxious. She learned from Pian Ran that Tantai Jin had been injured, and despite his strict orders forbidding her from leaving the capital, she secretly followed Pian Ran's troops. Pian Ran, aware of Ye Xiwu's presence, intentionally ordered a forced march to deter her.
Meanwhile, at the camp, Tantai Jin was increasingly frustrated by Ye Xiwu's sudden silence but stubbornly refused to ask why, unaware that she had finally arrived at his encampment after an arduous journey.
