episode 18 spoilers ahead

18/96!

1.The emperor tells Fuji to be patient, that a woman is nothing before the state, and he need not worry. He then issues an order that Xu Hui be summoned to the Imperial Library and replace Wu. Wu will not come back for the job (he specifically picked her because she was Wu's best friend). His goal is to keep Wu away from state matters.

2.This makes Xu Hui's day. Meanwhile, Rui'an tells Wu, who is working on the lantern, that Xu Hui has replaced her in the study. This doesn't bother her until she learns it is permanetly. She is sad, but will trust the emperor. She asks Rui'an to have the emperor meet her at the pond at 7 to light the lantern.

3.Elsewhere, Consort Wei gets rid of Yuling, Consort Yang's mole, and tells Chun Ying to send a warning to Yang to stop spying on her. The emperor must choose between seeing Consort Wei (whom he promised to see after she defended Yin when died) or Wu. He chooses Consort Wei. There, Consort Wei drugs him and it seems like Xiao Q sleeps with him (the emperor calls her Meniang)

4.Wu waits...and waits....he doesn't come. She lights the lantern herself...so sad....

5.The emperor awakens and quickly leaves. Yang learns her spy is dead and the emperor spent the evening with Wei and Xiao Q. Yang believes that the emperor was unable to write off the horse incident and so now is distancing himself from Wu in order to protect her. She decides she must help Wu out of this, and plans to re interpret the prophecy....

6.Wei has Xiao Q fake pregnancy symptoms, to gain the attention of the emperor, and then they will deal with the matter of her actually becoming pregnant next (she is so cocky she thinks she can get away with this?)

7.Consort Yang visits Wu, who asks her how to gain the attention of the emperor again. She reminds her that she told her this could happen. Wu (naively) says she will trust the decisions of the emperor. Elsewhere the emperor orders Xu Hui to ignore Wu (this makes no sense I don't understand why).

8.Fuji reports that every night Wu waits for him, lighting the lights, and the emperor coldly tells him he need not worry. He isn't going to see her because he does not want her to be killed; he is tired of innocent people dying....

--This episode was not as interesting as other episodes. I am interested to see what they do next--

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