Day: September 2, 2020

Love and Destiny – ep 55 – CDrama Recap

So Phoenix Queen is getting the rundown of her (biological) daughter’s adventures and careful care of her. Yeah, but what about your ADOPTIVE daughter? You know, the one you took in because you wanted a baby to play with!?

The Queen says: don’t tell anyone I’ve woken up…State Advisor Jingxiu will kill me if he knows.

Aaaand Jingxiu is storming in! He’s not keen on going back in prison. She’s not keen on being killed.

He says: I really don’t want to. You don’t know how much I don’t want to. But I also don’t want you to kill me.
She says: YOU sent Rebel to open the Black Hole.
He says: Well, it’s a crime, and I couldn’t do it myself. Also, I needed to avenge my clan. Do you understand me?
She says: Why didn’t you kill me while I was unconscious?
He says: ….it’s complicated. [but lol, not really. I’m in love with your daughter.] I did try to keep you asleep until the day when we can face each other without grudges.
She: (glares)–when did you EVER sincerely treat me as your queen? I was only your tool.

Lady, considering that he ruled your country FOR YOU, with IMPECCABLE COMPETENCE, for MILLENNIA, and considering the fact that your country fell in about ten seconds after you got mad at him AND CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT YOU BROKE YOUR PROMISE TO HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE, you’ve got some nerve.

You incompetent moron.

Jingxiu calls her out on the breaking the promise.
But he says: It’s in the past. You are a pure, kind person who doesn’t scheme.–which is why I chose to help you.
She says: BUT I MUST BE FILIAL TO MY FATHER EVEN IF HE KILLS MY HUSBAND! (Ok, so. I think I see the problem here. Phoenix Queen is a MORON. She’s enough of a moron I stopped watching this to rant about it to the other interns. YOU UNGRATEFUL BINT.)
She says: So I was wrong and fell into your hands. Too bad my Ling Xi and my lil’ Qing don’t know about it. Don’t hurt them. (Yeah, like you actually care about your replacement pet daughter now that your real daughter is back.)
He says: Ling Xi is kind, BaoQing is naieve. I respect and love them. (YOU BETTER DO IT BOY) And once you’re gone, I’m done, there will be no threat.
She says: Remember your promise.
He says: I DON’T BREAK MY PROMISES LINGYUE UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE.

Heh, the Old Lady is cussing him out and the Orc Commander stuns/kills her–to accompany her mistress.

The Queen says: you’re going to regret your arrogance one of these days.
He says: Pity you won’t live to see it.

So the Queen gives her life force to Jingxiu JUST AS LING XI WALKS UP TO THE DOOR AND CALLS. The Queen calls for her to come in and she rushes in to see her mother and there’s a tearful reunion. Look, lady, just die already. You’re pathetic and a moron and you don’t keep your promises.

Jingxiu says: Your Majesty, please don’t get too excited, please. Ling Xi, do you mind leaving, she’s kind of dying here.

Ling Xi takes her mother’s pulse and gets alarmed.

Jingxiu says: Ling Xi, go fetch your sister who is a great doctor who lives very far away from here!

She agrees–asks him to take care of her mother–the Queen says: Ling Xi!….travel slowly…

…and Jingxiu recommences the execution. He does promise to take care of the princesses and the Phoenix Tribe. And, you know, this is a guy I trust to keep his promises. Thus ends the Phoenix Queen. I don’t like to really say this, but good riddance. She was an interesting but intensely frustrating character and this is a fitting and suitable end for her.

Baoqing, meanwhile, is hiding in her room and crying and not coming out. Aw, is this character development? Good girl. Some misery will improve you. Ling Xi, for her part, won’t let anyone touch the Queen.–it’s time to bring the body to the funeral stage for people to pay their respects. But Ling Xi won’t accept that her mother is dead.

(Heh, Lieutenant says: you’re a healer. Can you not tell whether someone is alive or not?)

But she throws him out, too.

Jingxiu arrives. He says: death is a process. She was gravely injured even when you saw her. And all of our Herculean efforts went to naught. Being able to see you was a blessing to her. Now, we have to have a funeral. OK? You done now?

But Ling Xi wants Qing Yao to examine the body and won’t let anyone else touch it before then.

Jingxiu is calm: Everyone’s suspicions will be stilled once the investigation is over

But at the South Pole, someone has also come to see Jiu Chen.

And he rushes in to the Phoenix Palace to sweep Ling Xi into a big hug, aww. And then manages to pull her off of the Queen and put her to bed. HuaYan reports (whispering). Qing Yao has arrived. Jiu Chen goes off to supervise the investigation.

Results: death by loss of spiritual energy. But there’s no evidence of foul play. And there’s no evidence not of foul play. They go off to examine Old Lady’s corpse. (allegedly dead via “extreme grief.”) But no one wants to admit (until barked at by God of War) that it was the Lieutenant who came by to announce it.

Jiu Chen arrives to confront the not-so-great trio. Jingxiu denies all wrongdoing and demands evidence–and throws a bit of shade at Heaven, which will never grow old.

So the two of them pull out their energy and blast each other. Jingxiu is not a match for Jiu Chen, but he’s actually able to put up a fight, which neither Lieutenant nor the other mooks are able to. Jiu Chen warns them: I’m going to GET the evidence, and meanwhile, don’t give me an excuse.

But now he has to explain all this to Ling Xi.

Ling Xi says: I thought Jingxiu would be able to protect her! He’s clever, powerful, and watchful. But if she died, under his care, yeah that is suspicious.

Jiu Chen also tells her about what happened down in the black hole abyss back when he was there. It will be difficult for them to find actual evidence against Jingxiu.

But Jiu Chen says: right now, we should prepare for the funeral. That’s what’s important right at this moment.

Ling Xi agrees. They will find out the truth eventually….dangit.

So. To the place of ritual clanking and extremely fancy robes. Baoqing gives a sidelong look at Jingxiu.

But at least Jiu Chen and Ling Xi get to cuddle up afterwards. Very nice, even if Ling Xi is lamenting that she really does have bad luck, not good one. Jiu Chen reassures her. She asks if he’s leaving. He says: will you come with me? Ling Xi doesn’t want to go just yet, since the court situation is unstable. AND! she agrees to come with him once they find out the truth about the death.

So. Jingxiu is getting quite a lot of support for taking the throne. There are also just about as many for Baoqing. None for Ling Xi, however, who has only been there a few days and was never formally acknowledged–and would not even BE acknowledged as a princess at all except for Jingxiu’s support.

Orc Commander, who is always the guy who points out the uncomfortable but true and ruthless path, says: dude, either go forward or, you know, lose everything. (So….the situation would be MORE stable if Ling Xi left? Hah.)

Princess Baoqing, meanwhile, is having nightmares about her big brother/crush killing her mother. Awww poor Lil Psycho.

Yuan Tong, meanwhile: is sitting out in the desert, meditating and doing purple-black magic. Oh no, don’t you DARE SHOW. Don’t YOU DARE MAKE JINGXIU THE NEW DEMON KING. Oh, she’s getting a demon-infused powerup that will help her to be able…uh oh. UH OH. She’s got the black smoke coming off her, like Rebel Rebel used to. Poor Yuan Tong. I hoped you’d be redeemed, horrible as you are.

So Jingxiu is starting to be slightly annoyed by Jiu Chen’s coming and going without any real regard for the Phoenix State.

Meanwhile in Heaven, Jiu Chen is reporting to the Emperor–who is grieved that the Phoenix Queen, who governed wisely and gently, is gone. EXCEPT THAT WAS ALL JINGXIU DAMN YOU ELITIST BASTARD. HE’S THE ONE WHO HAS BEEN RUNNING THE SHOW AND HE DID IT WELL AND HE DID IT WITH CARE AND DEVOTION UNTIL YOU ALL FORCED HIS HAND. HASHTAG JINGXIUDIDNOTHINGWRONG. Hmph.

Meanwhile, Ling Xi tells Qing Yao and HuaYan that Jingxiu is a suspect in the Queen’s death. Ling Xi is very reluctant to believe this, since she has good memories of him…but she believes it. HuaYan’s shocked muttering draws attention at this point. She speaks up in his defense. Qing Yao says: power is poison. (Baoqing’s maidservant is spying on them…and gets caught.)

But then Baoqing strolls up to make trouble: you killed your father and your mother.
Ling Xi just gives her a look and says: I thought you were feeling bad. But now all of a sudden you’re full of vim and venom. Hey. We’re both princesses, but I’m a high god, so I OUTRANK YOU. Don’t give me trouble. I tolerated you, but I’m not afraid of you. And I’ll TAKE YOU OUT if you bother me again. (That’s NOT NICE LING XI.)
Baoqing is slightly flabbergasted. Well…getting slapped around is good for her, really. But still, not nice, Ling Xi!

Lieutenant and Jingxiu discuss. Who is going to inherit the Phoenix throne? It’s time to move, now. The Phoenix Bloodline has been severed….

That’s a weak ending. Gah. This is a FRUSTRATING plotline.