Till the End of the Moon Episode 26 Recap
> Till the End of the Moon Recap
Ye Xiwu, having collapsed from her arduous journey, is brought back to the palace by Tantai Jin. He stays by her side until she awakens. Upon her stirring, Tantai Jin attends to her thirst and then pledges, "From now on, whatever you want, just tell me. I'll grant you every wish." Ye Xiwu, in turn, asks him directly, "Tantai Jin, marry me. I wanna be your queen." He joyfully accepts her proposal.
Ye Qingyu expresses concern to Tantai Jin, describing Ye Xiwu as seemingly "possessed" since her return, having even driven away family members who tried to bring her home for her Grandma's memorial. Tantai Jin asks Ye Qingyu not to upset her further before the wedding, explaining that Ye Xiwu is already deeply saddened by Xiao Lin's death and her Grandma's passing.
He reveals that Ye Xiwu requested to sever all ties with the Ye family, and he instructs Ye Qingyu to remove her name from the family genealogy. When Ye Qingyu questions why Tantai Jin would still make her queen despite her trying to murder him, Tantai Jin states that Ye Xiwu is the only one who hasn't abandoned him, and her willingness to return and love him is all he desires.
Tantai Jin, eager for the marriage, dismisses his officials' suggestions for an auspicious date and declares the wedding will be held in three days, on August 24. During this time, Ye Xiwu remains resolute in her decision to isolate herself from her family. When her brother, Ye Zeyu, comes to the palace shouting for her, she orders him to be dragged away, ignoring his distraught pleas about her abandonment of the family and lack of remorse for their Grandma.
Later, Ye Qingyu confronts her, asking why she has been hiding from them. Ye Xiwu responds with chilling indifference, questioning his authority and threatening to have him removed from his post if he continues to defy her. Ye Qingyu expresses his sadness that she no longer resembles his sister, to which Ye Xiwu confirms she has officially disowned the Ye family. Tantai Jin sets the wedding day, eager to make Ye Xiwu his queen.
He had learned of a Jing Kingdom custom that required the twin lotus flowers on the bridal veil to be personally embroidered by the couple to ensure a long and happy life together. To fulfill this, Tantai Jin secretly embroideres the flowers himself, praying to the gods to spend his whole life with Ye Xiwu. On the day of the wedding, as Ye Xiwu approaches, she notes his unusually vivid happiness, observing that he must be very pleased.
The wedding ceremony proceeds smoothly, a dream come true for Tantai Jin. On their wedding night, Tantai Jin joyfully lifts Ye Xiwu's red bridal veil. She thanks him, but he dismisses it, reminding her they are now husband and wife. With a painful resolve, Ye Xiwu embraces and kisses Tantai Jin, a deceptive act that allows her to gather nine Soul-slaying spikes. Using the power of the World-overturning Jade to incapacitate him, she mercilessly drives the spikes into his heart.
She confesses, "Tantai Jin, my purpose in the first place was to kill you," and confirms that all her declarations of love were lies, stating, "I have never loved you." Six of the spikes penetrate his heart, but the remaining three shatter upon striking his Heart-guarding Scale, which unexpectedly activates. Ye Xiwu is distraught by her incomplete mission, but Tantai Jin is left utterly heartbroken, questioning why she lied to him.
Ye Xiwu awakens in the dungeon, experiencing a painful backlash from using the World-overturning Jade, causing her vision to blur. Distraught, she laments her failure to complete her mission and prevent the Devil God's return, acknowledging the jade's curse of a tragic, violent death for its user. Meanwhile, Ye Qingyu learns of Ye Xiwu's assassination attempt on Tantai Jin.
He then understands that her previous actions of cutting ties with the Ye family were a desperate measure to protect them from repercussions. Rushing home, he discusses with his family how to save Ye Xiwu, proposing to convince Tantai Jin to allow the three judicial departments to interrogate her before a formal trial. He tries to persuade his father, Ye Xiao, to flee to avoid implication.
However, Ye Xiao firmly refuses, declaring that as her father, he will not abandon Ye Xiwu, irrespective of her actions, and is prepared to bear any consequences. Ye Qingyu, respecting his father's decision, urges him to take care and instructs his eldest brother to look after the household.
Unbeknownst to them, Ye Bingshang, who has been covertly observing, schemes to prevent Ye Xiwu from revealing the truth about her own involvement in poisoning, fearing it might come out during the interrogation. Tantai Jin awakens to the news that the strange Soul-slaying spikes embedded in his heart meridians cannot be removed by external force and will cause him excruciating pain. The imperial physician predicts he will not live for more than three years, even with careful recuperation.
Tantai Jin accepts his fate, vowing to endure the constant agony. He then insists on visiting Ye Xiwu in the dungeon, despite his injuries. In the dungeon, he confronts her, recalling her past affectionate words, which now feel like cruel lies. He admits his foolishness in falling for her, lamenting that she is the most heartless person he knows.
Ye Xiwu responds that she once hoped to be the light in his darkness, but now sees him as unworthy of any. Tantai Jin bitterly reflects on his past self, an "idiot" who endured her mistreatment, torture, and even murder attempts, yet still longed to marry her and grow old together. He declares that he was truly foolish, only truly "waking up" after being pierced by her six spikes.
In the dungeon, Ye Xiwu reflects on her failure to destroy the Devil God and her subsequent humiliation, deciding there is no point in living. She tries to provoke Tantai Jin, asserting his lack of dignity and demanding he kill her immediately. Tantai Jin confronts her with her current pain, stating it is insignificant compared to his own.
When she explicitly asks him to kill her, he cruelly refuses, vowing to keep her alive so she can endure his hatred, promising to slowly "take her apart" to discover the true nature of her heart. He makes it clear that since his affection meant nothing to her, she must now taste his hatred.
He later reiterates to his attendant that he keeps her alive precisely because he hates her and wants her to suffer, not to grant her the escape of death she desires. Ye Qingyu learns that Ye Xiwu is refusing to eat or drink, showing a clear intent to die. Recalling Tantai Jin's command to keep her alive, Nian Baiyu grants Ye Qingyu permission to visit his sister.
Simultaneously, Ye Bingshang, feigning familial concern, bribes a jailer to gain access to the dungeon. Once alone with Ye Xiwu, Ye Bingshang drops her pretense of sympathy, revealing her long-standing hatred for Ye Xiwu. She maliciously asks if Tantai Jin consumed the poisoned porridge, revealing she too had added a lethal poison to it, intending for both Tantai Jin and Grandma to die.
Ye Xiwu, horrified, finally understands Tantai Jin's misunderstanding—he believed she was poisoning him to save Xiao Lin—and is shattered to realize that Ye Bingshang is responsible for their Grandma's death. Enraged and cornered, Ye Bingshang decides to silence Ye Xiwu permanently and attempts to strangle her with a piece of silk. Just as Ye Xiwu is on the brink of death, Pian Ran and Ye Qingyu arrive, intervening to save her.
