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If Episode 16 was the episode that broke Jiayu's world, and Episode 17 was about picking up the pieces, Episode 18 feels like the moment she finally stands back up.
And this time, she doesn't stand alone.
She stands beside Xiao Wuyi.
Because this episode gives us something I've been waiting for:
Jiayu and Xiao Wuyi actively working together—not simply as husband and wife, but as equal partners.
And honestly?
They are terrifyingly good together. 😂🔥
💔 THE GRIEF OF LI FUHUA'S DEATH CONTINUES
The murder of Li Fuhua isn't forgotten.
Jiayu still wants justice for her mother.
But instead of remaining trapped in grief, she decides to do something about it.
She wants to find the person responsible.
And more importantly, she wants to give her mother a proper resting place.
That leads to one of the sweetest Xiao Wuyi moments in the entire drama.
🌸 JIAYU WANTS FENGMING MOUNTAIN
Jiayu learns that Fengming Mountain was once part of Li Fuhua's fief.
She wants to purchase the mountain so she can use it as her mother's burial place.
There's just one problem:
She doesn't have enough money.
So Jiayu asks Xiao Wuyi to lend her 5,000 taels.
And here comes the hilarious part.
Xiao Wuyi doesn't actually have the money. 😂
Why?
Because apparently our terrifying, calculating God of War is financially BROKE.
He has poured most of his personal wealth into the Beifu Army.
And a huge amount of money has also gone into rebuilding the Cangfeng Furnace.
So when Jiayu thinks he's refusing to lend her the money, she misunderstands him.
But Xiao Wuyi doesn't complain.
He starts looking for money.
😂 XIAO WUYI: THE BROKE GENERAL
This entire sequence is funny but also incredibly revealing.
Xiao Wuyi orders Yanyue to gather whatever money she can.
Only around 3,000 taels are available.
So what does he do?
He starts selling things.
Including his beloved horse.
😭😂
The man who commands thousands of soldiers and terrifies entire armies is basically:
“Okay... what assets can I liquidate?”
And honestly, this is one of the most charming details about his character.
He's powerful politically and militarily.
But he doesn't actually live like some extravagant prince.
His priorities are his army and his responsibilities.
❤️ HE YIELDS EVERYTHING FOR JIAYU
He even asks Qinglong to take money from the estate.
Then He Yuanji discovers what's happening.
She realizes Xiao Wuyi is selling his horse because Jiayu needs the money.
And she gives Jiayu the money herself while explaining Xiao Wuyi's situation.
That's when Jiayu finally understands.
He wasn't refusing her.
He literally didn't have the money.
Yet he was still trying to find a way.
And suddenly she realizes how much Xiao Wuyi has quietly sacrificed.
🥺 THE TWO BIGGEST EXPENSES
Jiayu learns that two of the biggest expenditures of the Jing'an Prince's household were:
Her wedding to Xiao Wuyi
and
the rebuilding of Cangfeng Furnace.
That realization hits differently.
Because she understands that Xiao Wuyi has been investing in her dreams and abilities without making a big deal about it.
He doesn't constantly announce:
“Look how much I've sacrificed for you.”
He just does it.
That's very Xiao Wuyi.
⚔️ THE BLACK-IRON SWORD
Jiayu has been working on something for Xiao Wuyi.
She gives him the Wujin / black-iron sword she forged.
And this isn't just an ordinary gift.
It's her way of thanking him.
It's also her way of expressing affection.
She has finally reached the point where she understands:
Xiao Wuyi doesn't just protect her.
He believes in her abilities.
He supports her inventions.
He respects her independence.
And he wants her to become stronger rather than simply keeping her sheltered.
❤️ BUT XIAO WUYI DOESN'T WANT THE SWORD
And THIS scene. 😭
Jiayu offers him the sword.
He pushes it back into its sheath.
Then pulls her closer.
Because what he wants isn't the sword.
He wants her.
It's such a Xiao Wuyi romantic moment because he doesn't need some dramatic declaration.
The gesture says everything.
After everything they've been through, the emotional distance between them has practically disappeared.
🦅 THE PALACE SUMMONS XIAO WUYI
Then the mood shifts.
The Empress Dowager summons Xiao Wuyi to the palace.
And she specifically orders him to bring the Phoenix Heart token.
This isn't a casual request.
She wants the token.
And she's willing to use imperial authority to get it.
🐦 JIAYU MEETS LI LEJUN
At the palace gates, Jiayu encounters Li Lejun.
And their relationship has completely changed.
They were once friends.
Now?
There is no warmth left.
Jiayu knows enough to realize that Li Lejun isn't the innocent person she once believed her to be.
And Li Lejun knows that Jiayu is getting dangerously close to the truth.
This scene carries so much tension precisely because neither woman needs to say everything aloud.
Their expressions do the work.
🧠 JIAYU IS NO LONGER NAIVE
This is one of the biggest character-development moments for Jiayu.
Earlier in the drama, she trusted people based largely on personal relationships.
Now she observes.
She questions.
She investigates.
She connects evidence.
And most importantly:
she can scheme.
She's learned from Xiao Wuyi.
And Episode 18 is where we finally get to see what happens when Jiayu's intelligence is combined with Xiao Wuyi's strategic mind.
🎭 THE PALACE BANQUET
The Empress Dowager demands the token.
Xiao Wuyi appears willing to cooperate.
He presents a Phoenix Heart token.
He even says he's willing to give it to the Empress Dowager.
But he has a condition.
He wants the copper and iron resources confiscated from the Cui family's private mines to be allocated to the Beifu Army.
His reason?
Military reform.
This is classic Xiao Wuyi.
Even when someone is trying to take something from him, he finds a way to negotiate something beneficial for his army.
The Empress Dowager agrees.
She reaches for the box.
And then...
She opens it.
There's no token inside.
😂
🎭 THE TRAP
The Empress Dowager is furious.
Xiao Wuyi pretends to be confused.
And then Jiayu joins the performance.
She claims that she saw Li Lejun take the token.
Li Lejun denies it.
Of course she does.
But Jiayu has already prepared the next step.
She suggests:
Search her.
And when they do...
The token is found on Li Lejun.
🔥🔥🔥
🐍 LI LEJUN IS FINALLY CORNERED
This is the moment when Li Lejun's actions finally begin catching up with her.
And what's especially satisfying is that Jiayu isn't simply accusing her emotionally.
She has evidence.
The token found on Li Lejun is genuine.
The token Jiayu uses as part of the trap is also genuine—but it came from Old Prince Xiao.
Xiao Wuyi willingly sacrificed one of his family's tokens to help Jiayu expose Li Lejun.
That's huge.
Because he knows exactly what this could cost him.
Li Mao could learn about it.
Xie Huai Gui could learn about it.
His own political position could be affected.
But he does it anyway.
Because Jiayu wants justice for her mother.
And he supports her.
💔 LI MAO TRIES TO SAVE HIS SISTER
Li Mao immediately realizes what's happening.
He kneels before the Empress Dowager.
He's trying to protect Li Lejun.
And this is where the previously unbreakable friendship between Li Mao and Xiao Wuyi finally begins cracking.
Because Xiao Wuyi doesn't back down.
He directly turns the accusation toward Li Mao.
🐍 LI LEJUN CONFESSES
Li Lejun realizes that if she keeps fighting, she could drag her brother down with her.
So she admits her crime.
She accepts responsibility.
And she does it to protect Li Mao.
It's an important moment because it shows the complexity of her character.
Her actions were terrible.
But her motivation wasn't simply greed.
She genuinely believed she had to protect her brother.
Unfortunately, her fear and desperation pushed her into murder.
And by then, the damage was irreversible.
💔 THE TRAGEDY OF LI LEJUN
What makes Li Lejun such a frustrating character is that she doesn't start out as someone who obviously wants to destroy everyone.
Her actions come from fear.
Fear of losing Li Mao.
Fear that his identity will be exposed.
Fear of losing their position.
Fear of the future.
But fear can turn into obsession.
And obsession can turn into terrible decisions.
That's exactly what happened.
She chose murder instead of communication.
And now she has to live with the consequences.
🦅 XIAO WUYI AND LI MAO'S BROTHERHOOD BREAKS
This may actually be the most emotionally important scene of the episode.
Li Mao and Xiao Wuyi were once incredibly close.
Their friendship was one of the strongest relationships in the drama.
They trusted each other.
They fought together.
They shared dreams.
But now?
There is a crack between them.
And it isn't simply because Xiao Wuyi exposed Li Lejun.
It's because Xiao Wuyi has realized that Li Mao's priorities are no longer aligned with his.
Li Mao will protect his sister.
Xiao Wuyi will protect justice.
And those two things are no longer compatible.
💔 “IS WENXI STILL ALIVE?”
Li Mao eventually asks the question that has been hanging over everything.
The question of Crown Prince Wenxi.
And Xiao Wuyi gives him an answer:
Wenxi is dead.
He will never return.
That answer is devastating because we know there is much more behind it.
And it marks a turning point in their relationship.
Li Mao understands that Xiao Wuyi is not simply the friend he once knew.
There are secrets between them now.
And those secrets involve the throne itself.
👑 JIAYU GETS HER MOTHER'S TOKEN BACK
One of the most satisfying outcomes of the episode is that the Empress Dowager is forced to return the token belonging to Yunzhao to Jiayu.
Xiao Wuyi makes an argument that leaves her little room to keep it.
This isn't just about Jiayu getting an object back.
It's about restoring something that was taken from her family.
For Jiayu, it is another step toward justice for Li Fuhua.
❤️ JIAYU AND XIAO WUYI: A REAL PARTNERSHIP
And this is what I love most about Episode 18.
They aren't simply romantic partners anymore.
They're becoming strategic partners.
Jiayu contributes:
🧠 intelligence
🔍 investigation
🎭 deception
⚙️ mechanical expertise
❤️ emotional understanding
Xiao Wuyi contributes:
⚔️ military power
♟️ political strategy
🧠 experience
🛡️ protection
👑 access to the highest levels of power
Together?
They're extremely dangerous.
Because neither one needs to dominate the other.
They complement each other.
🌸 JIAYU'S CHARACTER GROWTH IS INCREDIBLE
Look at the girl from the beginning.
She was sheltered.
Naive.
Inexperienced.
She trusted people easily.
Now look at her.
She's standing inside an imperial banquet and helping expose a political crime.
She's reading people's intentions.
She's creating traps.
She's challenging powerful people.
And she's doing all of it without losing the warmth and optimism that made her lovable in the first place.
That's excellent character development.
She doesn't become Xiao Wuyi.
She becomes a stronger version of Jiayu.
❤️ AND XIAO WUYI LETS HER
This is crucial.
Xiao Wuyi doesn't say:
“Stay out of politics. I'll handle it.”
Instead, he lets her participate.
He trusts her judgment.
He follows her plan.
He supports her.
And that's one of the healthiest aspects of their relationship.
He doesn't need to make her smaller to make himself look powerful.
He wants her beside him.
🧩 THE PHOENIX HEART MYSTERY GETS EVEN BIGGER
By the end of Episode 18, the Phoenix Heart isn't simply a mysterious object anymore.
We now understand that the tokens are deeply connected to:
• the throne
• the rightful heir
• the old imperial family
• mineral resources
• political legitimacy
• and the secrets surrounding Crown Prince Wenxi.
And there are still pieces missing.
Which means the fight isn't over.
Not even close.
⭐ FINAL VERDICT
Episode 18 is one of my favorites because it manages to combine romance, comedy, character development, political strategy, revenge, and a major plot payoff without feeling like separate stories.
Most importantly, this is the episode where Jiayu and Xiao Wuyi stop merely being two people who happen to love each other.
They become a team.
And watching Jiayu participate in Xiao Wuyi's strategy instead of simply being protected by him is incredibly satisfying.
The romance works because their relationship is built on partnership.
He protects her.
She understands him.
He supports her dreams.
She believes in his.
And when the world starts turning against them...
they scheme together.
That's the kind of power couple I want. 😂❤️
⭐ Episode 18 Score
Story: 10/10
Plot twists: 10/10
Romance: 10/10
Political intrigue: 10/10
Jiayu character development: 10/10
Xiao Wuyi character development: 9.8/10
Chemistry: 10/10
Emotional impact: 9.8/10
Pacing: 9.8/10
❤️ Episode 18 in one sentence:
Jiayu stops being the woman Xiao Wuyi needs to protect and becomes the woman standing beside him, helping him turn an imperial banquet into a trap that finally brings her mother's killer to justice.
And this time, she doesn't stand alone.
She stands beside Xiao Wuyi.
Because this episode gives us something I've been waiting for:
Jiayu and Xiao Wuyi actively working together—not simply as husband and wife, but as equal partners.
And honestly?
They are terrifyingly good together. 😂🔥
💔 THE GRIEF OF LI FUHUA'S DEATH CONTINUES
The murder of Li Fuhua isn't forgotten.
Jiayu still wants justice for her mother.
But instead of remaining trapped in grief, she decides to do something about it.
She wants to find the person responsible.
And more importantly, she wants to give her mother a proper resting place.
That leads to one of the sweetest Xiao Wuyi moments in the entire drama.
🌸 JIAYU WANTS FENGMING MOUNTAIN
Jiayu learns that Fengming Mountain was once part of Li Fuhua's fief.
She wants to purchase the mountain so she can use it as her mother's burial place.
There's just one problem:
She doesn't have enough money.
So Jiayu asks Xiao Wuyi to lend her 5,000 taels.
And here comes the hilarious part.
Xiao Wuyi doesn't actually have the money. 😂
Why?
Because apparently our terrifying, calculating God of War is financially BROKE.
He has poured most of his personal wealth into the Beifu Army.
And a huge amount of money has also gone into rebuilding the Cangfeng Furnace.
So when Jiayu thinks he's refusing to lend her the money, she misunderstands him.
But Xiao Wuyi doesn't complain.
He starts looking for money.
😂 XIAO WUYI: THE BROKE GENERAL
This entire sequence is funny but also incredibly revealing.
Xiao Wuyi orders Yanyue to gather whatever money she can.
Only around 3,000 taels are available.
So what does he do?
He starts selling things.
Including his beloved horse.
😭😂
The man who commands thousands of soldiers and terrifies entire armies is basically:
“Okay... what assets can I liquidate?”
And honestly, this is one of the most charming details about his character.
He's powerful politically and militarily.
But he doesn't actually live like some extravagant prince.
His priorities are his army and his responsibilities.
❤️ HE YIELDS EVERYTHING FOR JIAYU
He even asks Qinglong to take money from the estate.
Then He Yuanji discovers what's happening.
She realizes Xiao Wuyi is selling his horse because Jiayu needs the money.
And she gives Jiayu the money herself while explaining Xiao Wuyi's situation.
That's when Jiayu finally understands.
He wasn't refusing her.
He literally didn't have the money.
Yet he was still trying to find a way.
And suddenly she realizes how much Xiao Wuyi has quietly sacrificed.
🥺 THE TWO BIGGEST EXPENSES
Jiayu learns that two of the biggest expenditures of the Jing'an Prince's household were:
Her wedding to Xiao Wuyi
and
the rebuilding of Cangfeng Furnace.
That realization hits differently.
Because she understands that Xiao Wuyi has been investing in her dreams and abilities without making a big deal about it.
He doesn't constantly announce:
“Look how much I've sacrificed for you.”
He just does it.
That's very Xiao Wuyi.
⚔️ THE BLACK-IRON SWORD
Jiayu has been working on something for Xiao Wuyi.
She gives him the Wujin / black-iron sword she forged.
And this isn't just an ordinary gift.
It's her way of thanking him.
It's also her way of expressing affection.
She has finally reached the point where she understands:
Xiao Wuyi doesn't just protect her.
He believes in her abilities.
He supports her inventions.
He respects her independence.
And he wants her to become stronger rather than simply keeping her sheltered.
❤️ BUT XIAO WUYI DOESN'T WANT THE SWORD
And THIS scene. 😭
Jiayu offers him the sword.
He pushes it back into its sheath.
Then pulls her closer.
Because what he wants isn't the sword.
He wants her.
It's such a Xiao Wuyi romantic moment because he doesn't need some dramatic declaration.
The gesture says everything.
After everything they've been through, the emotional distance between them has practically disappeared.
🦅 THE PALACE SUMMONS XIAO WUYI
Then the mood shifts.
The Empress Dowager summons Xiao Wuyi to the palace.
And she specifically orders him to bring the Phoenix Heart token.
This isn't a casual request.
She wants the token.
And she's willing to use imperial authority to get it.
🐦 JIAYU MEETS LI LEJUN
At the palace gates, Jiayu encounters Li Lejun.
And their relationship has completely changed.
They were once friends.
Now?
There is no warmth left.
Jiayu knows enough to realize that Li Lejun isn't the innocent person she once believed her to be.
And Li Lejun knows that Jiayu is getting dangerously close to the truth.
This scene carries so much tension precisely because neither woman needs to say everything aloud.
Their expressions do the work.
🧠 JIAYU IS NO LONGER NAIVE
This is one of the biggest character-development moments for Jiayu.
Earlier in the drama, she trusted people based largely on personal relationships.
Now she observes.
She questions.
She investigates.
She connects evidence.
And most importantly:
she can scheme.
She's learned from Xiao Wuyi.
And Episode 18 is where we finally get to see what happens when Jiayu's intelligence is combined with Xiao Wuyi's strategic mind.
🎭 THE PALACE BANQUET
The Empress Dowager demands the token.
Xiao Wuyi appears willing to cooperate.
He presents a Phoenix Heart token.
He even says he's willing to give it to the Empress Dowager.
But he has a condition.
He wants the copper and iron resources confiscated from the Cui family's private mines to be allocated to the Beifu Army.
His reason?
Military reform.
This is classic Xiao Wuyi.
Even when someone is trying to take something from him, he finds a way to negotiate something beneficial for his army.
The Empress Dowager agrees.
She reaches for the box.
And then...
She opens it.
There's no token inside.
😂
🎭 THE TRAP
The Empress Dowager is furious.
Xiao Wuyi pretends to be confused.
And then Jiayu joins the performance.
She claims that she saw Li Lejun take the token.
Li Lejun denies it.
Of course she does.
But Jiayu has already prepared the next step.
She suggests:
Search her.
And when they do...
The token is found on Li Lejun.
🔥🔥🔥
🐍 LI LEJUN IS FINALLY CORNERED
This is the moment when Li Lejun's actions finally begin catching up with her.
And what's especially satisfying is that Jiayu isn't simply accusing her emotionally.
She has evidence.
The token found on Li Lejun is genuine.
The token Jiayu uses as part of the trap is also genuine—but it came from Old Prince Xiao.
Xiao Wuyi willingly sacrificed one of his family's tokens to help Jiayu expose Li Lejun.
That's huge.
Because he knows exactly what this could cost him.
Li Mao could learn about it.
Xie Huai Gui could learn about it.
His own political position could be affected.
But he does it anyway.
Because Jiayu wants justice for her mother.
And he supports her.
💔 LI MAO TRIES TO SAVE HIS SISTER
Li Mao immediately realizes what's happening.
He kneels before the Empress Dowager.
He's trying to protect Li Lejun.
And this is where the previously unbreakable friendship between Li Mao and Xiao Wuyi finally begins cracking.
Because Xiao Wuyi doesn't back down.
He directly turns the accusation toward Li Mao.
🐍 LI LEJUN CONFESSES
Li Lejun realizes that if she keeps fighting, she could drag her brother down with her.
So she admits her crime.
She accepts responsibility.
And she does it to protect Li Mao.
It's an important moment because it shows the complexity of her character.
Her actions were terrible.
But her motivation wasn't simply greed.
She genuinely believed she had to protect her brother.
Unfortunately, her fear and desperation pushed her into murder.
And by then, the damage was irreversible.
💔 THE TRAGEDY OF LI LEJUN
What makes Li Lejun such a frustrating character is that she doesn't start out as someone who obviously wants to destroy everyone.
Her actions come from fear.
Fear of losing Li Mao.
Fear that his identity will be exposed.
Fear of losing their position.
Fear of the future.
But fear can turn into obsession.
And obsession can turn into terrible decisions.
That's exactly what happened.
She chose murder instead of communication.
And now she has to live with the consequences.
🦅 XIAO WUYI AND LI MAO'S BROTHERHOOD BREAKS
This may actually be the most emotionally important scene of the episode.
Li Mao and Xiao Wuyi were once incredibly close.
Their friendship was one of the strongest relationships in the drama.
They trusted each other.
They fought together.
They shared dreams.
But now?
There is a crack between them.
And it isn't simply because Xiao Wuyi exposed Li Lejun.
It's because Xiao Wuyi has realized that Li Mao's priorities are no longer aligned with his.
Li Mao will protect his sister.
Xiao Wuyi will protect justice.
And those two things are no longer compatible.
💔 “IS WENXI STILL ALIVE?”
Li Mao eventually asks the question that has been hanging over everything.
The question of Crown Prince Wenxi.
And Xiao Wuyi gives him an answer:
Wenxi is dead.
He will never return.
That answer is devastating because we know there is much more behind it.
And it marks a turning point in their relationship.
Li Mao understands that Xiao Wuyi is not simply the friend he once knew.
There are secrets between them now.
And those secrets involve the throne itself.
👑 JIAYU GETS HER MOTHER'S TOKEN BACK
One of the most satisfying outcomes of the episode is that the Empress Dowager is forced to return the token belonging to Yunzhao to Jiayu.
Xiao Wuyi makes an argument that leaves her little room to keep it.
This isn't just about Jiayu getting an object back.
It's about restoring something that was taken from her family.
For Jiayu, it is another step toward justice for Li Fuhua.
❤️ JIAYU AND XIAO WUYI: A REAL PARTNERSHIP
And this is what I love most about Episode 18.
They aren't simply romantic partners anymore.
They're becoming strategic partners.
Jiayu contributes:
🧠 intelligence
🔍 investigation
🎭 deception
⚙️ mechanical expertise
❤️ emotional understanding
Xiao Wuyi contributes:
⚔️ military power
♟️ political strategy
🧠 experience
🛡️ protection
👑 access to the highest levels of power
Together?
They're extremely dangerous.
Because neither one needs to dominate the other.
They complement each other.
🌸 JIAYU'S CHARACTER GROWTH IS INCREDIBLE
Look at the girl from the beginning.
She was sheltered.
Naive.
Inexperienced.
She trusted people easily.
Now look at her.
She's standing inside an imperial banquet and helping expose a political crime.
She's reading people's intentions.
She's creating traps.
She's challenging powerful people.
And she's doing all of it without losing the warmth and optimism that made her lovable in the first place.
That's excellent character development.
She doesn't become Xiao Wuyi.
She becomes a stronger version of Jiayu.
❤️ AND XIAO WUYI LETS HER
This is crucial.
Xiao Wuyi doesn't say:
“Stay out of politics. I'll handle it.”
Instead, he lets her participate.
He trusts her judgment.
He follows her plan.
He supports her.
And that's one of the healthiest aspects of their relationship.
He doesn't need to make her smaller to make himself look powerful.
He wants her beside him.
🧩 THE PHOENIX HEART MYSTERY GETS EVEN BIGGER
By the end of Episode 18, the Phoenix Heart isn't simply a mysterious object anymore.
We now understand that the tokens are deeply connected to:
• the throne
• the rightful heir
• the old imperial family
• mineral resources
• political legitimacy
• and the secrets surrounding Crown Prince Wenxi.
And there are still pieces missing.
Which means the fight isn't over.
Not even close.
⭐ FINAL VERDICT
Episode 18 is one of my favorites because it manages to combine romance, comedy, character development, political strategy, revenge, and a major plot payoff without feeling like separate stories.
Most importantly, this is the episode where Jiayu and Xiao Wuyi stop merely being two people who happen to love each other.
They become a team.
And watching Jiayu participate in Xiao Wuyi's strategy instead of simply being protected by him is incredibly satisfying.
The romance works because their relationship is built on partnership.
He protects her.
She understands him.
He supports her dreams.
She believes in his.
And when the world starts turning against them...
they scheme together.
That's the kind of power couple I want. 😂❤️
⭐ Episode 18 Score
Story: 10/10
Plot twists: 10/10
Romance: 10/10
Political intrigue: 10/10
Jiayu character development: 10/10
Xiao Wuyi character development: 9.8/10
Chemistry: 10/10
Emotional impact: 9.8/10
Pacing: 9.8/10
❤️ Episode 18 in one sentence:
Jiayu stops being the woman Xiao Wuyi needs to protect and becomes the woman standing beside him, helping him turn an imperial banquet into a trap that finally brings her mother's killer to justice.
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So, my assumption that GT Xie did not know of LeJun's plan was correct. However, he let her go once he learned the reason behind that choice... Mao is way more important to him than any other person. 🫤And that leads me to a question — what would GT Xie do if Mao didn't want to follow his "suggestions" anymore and wanted to decide everything on his own? Would the father turn against his son? And if Mao learned he was used in some ways for GT's ambitions? Would the son turn against his father? 🤔We finally saw the sword JiaYu forged for WuYi! 🤩 Only, she wanted to give it to him in return for a 5k tael loan for her mother's memorial on some mountain overlooking her homeland in Northern Qin. Such a sweet and well-thought gesture from JiaYu to her mother... 🤗🤧But WuYi didn't have the money, so he secretly sold his prized steed that his father had gifted him... Oh, WuYi! Always being so selfless with JiaYu and her wishes. I bet, if he could, he would give her the world and more! That's the man and husband WuYi is. 🥰Thanks to He YuanJi for telling JianYu where the money had come from. That's yet another thing that brings them closer again. AND she gifted him the mentioned sword for that... 🤗 However, WuYi said he wanted something else... I think we all know what it is! 🤭But the culmination of the episode definitely was the Empress Dowager's banquet, where with clever thinking, JiaYu and WuYi managed to make LeJun confess about killing Princess Yunzhou. 👏But imprisoning LeJun has just driven the rift wider between Mao and WuYi. Actually, the way Mao asked WuYi if he can guarantee Crown Prince WenXi is dead makes me wonder if maybe he suspects WuYi's true identity and his question was asking WuYi for a promise to never compete for the throne? 🤨 WuYi confirmed he's dead, yet it took some pause between the answer... So, would he decide to stay dead forever, really, if Prince Qi would start to abuse his power somehow? 🤔
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WuYi knows JiaYu is exhausted and hasn’t eaten since kneeling before her mother’s memorial. He brings her flatbread and she immediately starts discussing her mom’s case. I don’t think they know that Cui Jun was a fake but the letter her mother wrote to Tutor Xie acknowledged it. Her mother hated his obsession with the case and it had driven a wedge between them she thought insurmountable, but as she pursued the truth of it for herself she found it had merit. She acknowledged he had reason and hoped they could remain friendly if not partners. JiaYu figured Tutor did not capture him or he would not have tried to make a deal for the letter. WuYi decides to use his own token to move things along. LeJun visits the Tutor and he is ready to choke her to death for killing his wife when she reveals Prince Wendi is alive and has the token. The very next day Empress dowager has a dream and wants them present at a banquet. Here WuYi shows his token and even has the guests pass it around to look. LeJun is definitely nervous and is ultimately accused because the token was slipped in her sleeve. Her mind worked in such a tragic way. She had no bottom line where her brother was concerned. She argued with Princess Yunzhao over a cliff and could not change her mind. She showed her ‘friendship’ by having JiaYu out of the carriage and taking her place. How would she not think her friend wouldn’t want justice for her mom as much as she wanted to protect her brother. It never once crossed her mind that if Prince Wenxi was still alive and hadn’t tried for the throne he might not be interested in the job. Her brother talked her out of killing the coachman’s family but when the wife showed up as a withness the lesson she got from that was she should have killed them all. Tutor Xie is still reeling from the loss of his wife and that Prince WenXi is till alive. Prince Qi is now officially at odds with WuYi over his sister. WuYi had a legitimate point that if he fancied himself a ruler to be, he needed to judge impartially and justly. There was no justification for his sister killing Princess Yunzhao. It was fun watching Empress dowager having to choose between JiaYu and Tutor Xie for the token she didn’t want pried from her hand. His identity as the crown prince is still covered because she didn’t know what the pieces looked like or understood the one was superior to the other three. Mao is going to be on the warpath now but so is JiaYu. She has found a site for her mother’s grave but the owner wants top tier prices. She assumes WuYi is wealthy and has no clue he gives most of his income to take care of his army. She thought he was begrudging her cash and took her sword back. He showed his love for her and respect for his aunt by selling his prized one of a kind steed and all his estate holdings yet still 200 taels shy. His wife brought these to her and informed JiaYu the lengths he had gone to to get as much cash as possible. Jia Yu gives him the coveted sword but he tells her what he really wants. They are moving closer as a couple as Mao moves closer to being their nemesis.
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"Key to the. Phoenix Heart is one of the best dramas of 2026. I am absolutely in love with them and their chemistry!"
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