Unchained Love Episode 22 Recap
> Unchained Love Recap
Princess Wan Wan, deeply concerned, hurried to the Imperial Physician's office to seek treatment for Yuwen Liangxu. Her maidservant reminded her that as a princess, her status was vastly different from that of Yuwen Liangxu, the brother of a disgraced official, implying no future between them. Wan Wan acknowledged this truth but felt compelled to help, believing Yuwen Liangxu was innocent.
Torn, she also felt conflicted about helping Bu Yinlou and defying her brother, Murong Gaogong, acknowledging his right as emperor to punish criminals. Meanwhile, Bu Yinlou spoke frankly with Murong Gaogong, stating she regarded him as a brother and offered to move to the Empress Dowager's side to serve her and pray for him. Enraged, Murong Gaogong demanded to know if she harbored feelings for another man, specifically her cousin, and vehemently declared that she would never leave him.
He ordered servants to prepare her for bed, leaving Bu Yinlou desperate. Her maid, Tong Yun, offered to take her place, but Bu Yinlou rejected the dangerous idea. Instead, she revealed a secret medicine from Wan Wan that would cause disfiguring sores on her face, undetectable by imperial physicians, allowing her to avoid the emperor's advances.
She asserted that having been loved by "the best person," she refused to be treated like an object and reaffirmed that she had only been truly "married" once. As Bu Yinlou prepared to take the medicine, an impatient Murong Gaogong entered. Feigning remorse, she offered to drink a cup of wine as an apology. When Murong Gaogong demanded a cup for himself, Bu Yinlou and Tong Yun panicked. Noticing their nervousness, he ordered Tong Yun to drink the entire flask.
Bu Yinlou intervened, confessing the wine contained a drug designed to disfigure her, though it was not poison. Furious that she would ruin her face to remain chaste for another man, Murong Gaogong attempted to force himself upon her. Bu Yinlou struggled fiercely, pleading with him not to make her hate him.
Thwarted but enraged, he issued an imperial edict falsely proclaiming that Bu Yinlou had pleased him in bed and conferred upon her the title of Consort Duan, wanting the world to know she belonged to him. As punishment, Tong Yun was flogged thirty times and sent to the Dyeing Workshop. Far away, an injured and feverish Xiao Duo decided to return to the capital in secret to retrieve Bu Yinlou.
He instructed Fang Jiang to spread news that he was resting after being injured by bandits and to find a look-alike to take his place, demanding all be ready in three days. However, Fang Jiang then brought devastating news from the capital: Bu Yinlou had been made Consort Duan after supposedly spending the night with the emperor. Heartbroken, Xiao Duo questioned why Bu Yinlou hadn't trusted him, recalling her promise that she had only been truly "married" once—to him.
The memory, along with a flashback of Zhuo Ying and Fang Jiang's wedding vows, felt like a fragile dream that had shattered, leaving him in anguish. Bu Yinlou was relocated to the isolated Deer's Reed Residence, cut off from the outside world and separated from Tong Yun. Deciding to be proactive, she was immediately stopped from leaving by Suhuai, the Head Maidservant, who cited the emperor's strict orders.
Bu Yinlou’s request to visit the injured Tong Yun was denied, with Suhuai assuring her that Tong Yun’s injuries were minor. When she tried to simply walk around the grounds, the maidservants followed her every step, explaining their lives depended on her staying put. Just then, Empress Rong'an arrived. Bu Yinlou greeted her with mock deference, feigning confusion on how to address her now that the emperor had changed and sarcastically calling her "Old Madam Zhao."
Enraged by the disrespect, Rong'an slapped her. Suhuai knelt and pleaded for mercy, fearing Murong Gaogong's wrath if Bu Yinlou were harmed. As Rong'an moved to strike again, Bu Yinlou seized her arm, pulled her into a room, and held her hostage. Before she could question Rong'an, imperial guards arrived. Cornered, Bu Yinlou deliberately injured her own arm, and the sight of blood shocked Rong'an into retreating.
Bu Yinlou taunted her, warning of the severe consequences for assaulting a consort and implying she could be exiled to a temple again. As Rong'an departed vowing revenge, she rewarded Suhuai with a jade bracelet for her loyalty. Rong'an then manipulated Suhuai, arguing that Murong Gaogong didn't truly value Bu Yinlou, or he wouldn't have her so tightly guarded like a criminal. Convinced that Bu Yinlou had no future, Suhuai pledged her allegiance to Rong'an.
That evening, when Suhuai brought dinner, Bu Yinlou noticed the new jade bracelet and knew Suhuai had been turned. She pretended to eat the meal and secretly followed Suhuai, overhearing her report to Rong'an that Bu Yinlou had consumed the food but showed no ill effects. Perplexed that the poison hadn't worked, Rong'an ordered Suhuai to increase the dosage to three times a day, plus snacks. Now aware of the poisoning plot, Bu Yinlou could only muse sarcastically on how much attention Rong'an was paying her.
