episode 22 spoilers ahead

1.Xu Hui seeks out Mo Gong Gong who relays Prince Wei's message: she should focus on the harem. He will help her get rid of Meniang and she must help him depose the crown prince (where does Consort Wei factor in because she does not like to share power....)

2.Meanwhile, Xiao Q throws a tantrum about the medicine she must take. But she really does throw it up every time she tries to drink it. I have a bad feeling every time her Aunt appears, and worry what her plot is...Elsewhere Cr. Prince makes plans to send his lover away...for his safety

3.At the horse track Li Zhe and Crown Prince race horses together (Li Zhi is often portrayed as innocent). The emperor arrives and tells Crown Prince that he liked his apology and then walks him to some records. They are all about his lover, Chengxin, and Crown Prince implores the emperor to believe him when he says that he is not connected to the prophecy. The Emperor believes him, burns the reports (which was delivered to him in a twisted way) and tells him that he must kill Chengxin because it will solidify his hold on the crown and prove to the public that he is strong.

4.Elsewhere, Prince Wei is so happy he might bust. At the same time he learns that Crown Prince is sending his lover away (he wants to implicate him in the prophecy) he also learns Xu Hui has committed to his cause.

5.Xiao continues to suffer under the strange medication she must take and endure her Aunt's extremely controlling behavior. I wonder if she is poisoning her or plans to take the baby as her own after killing her?

6.The prince takes Chengxin hunting but is unable to kill him...upon his return his tutor lectures him and tells him that it is Chengxin's honor if he can die to serve him and that the Crown Prince's own worse enemy is himself.

7.Elsewhere Crown Princess walks with Menieng. Menieng and her both believe that the person being executed for 'Wu' is some Commander from nowhere. Menieng seems to not have any qualms over this (she's becoming more ruthless--she doesn't want to die). She empathizes with Crown Princess who shares (essentially) that even if she is not the crown prince's lover she wants him to value her. Menieng tells her that for a man like the crown prince, who values power, she needs to prove herself his equal and stop bowing down to him.

8.Li Zhi and Menieng have a random encounter in the library. He gives her the art of war, and tells her he has been studying to support his father when he challenges the rebels in the north. She compliments him and says he has really grown up.

9.The Emperor and Menieng meet up. he confirms he is going on an expedition soon and wlll be gone for 6-12 months. She wants to go. he says no, she says she will be like Mulan. he basically says he wants to protect her from the horrors of war. He then takes her to a private room where many candles are lit (like over a hundred) and shares every time he has felt uneasy about killing someone he has lit a candle in memory of the dead.

10.Elsewhere, the crown prince gets up in the middle of the night and meets with Chengxin. He drinks a lot and Chenxing seems to know why he is there with a sword. He begs him to be sober when he sends him off. They then go to a spot on the woods, that Chengxin has picked, and he closes his eyes and the both cry as Crown prince swings the sword....

END EPISODE

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