Love and Crown 凤凰台上 (2025) Episode 18 & 19
Welcome to the Ep 18 & 19 discussion
Links to discussion: Masterpost & Ep 1–3 | Ep 4–7 | Ep 8-9 | Ep 10-11 | Ep 12-13 | Ep 14 | Ep 15-16 | Ep 17
⚠️ Spoilers: If you’d like to discuss anything past Ep 19, please tag your spoiler. Anything up to Ep 19 is fair game.
Ep 18
Fond Farewell to Xijiang Camp
KME, and KMJ say a reluctant goodbye to the Emperor and Empress. KMJ asks if BCF has been forgiven and KME assumes yes given how CC was looking at BCF when she came back. BCF promises the KMJ a gift in thanks for her help. They are leaving in more style then they arrived, the whole army watches the entourage leave with respect.
Xuzhou Disaster
Xiao Qian Qing gets the insecticide from Princess Ying and meets up with Zhong Lin to head to Xuzhou. ZL is in official robes and on a mission to distribute grain. He invites himself along to protect her but insists she needs to go since she knows Xuzhou. Couples road-trip?
(We also hear XQQ asking someone track Imperial Physician Li who has left the capital.)
Xuzhou is a city full starved and dead people. At the yamen they find out from the officials that the Governor committed suicide. XQQ knows this is Daddy Ling trying to eliminate loose ends. XQQ doesn't introduce himself and let's ZL take the lead
Daddy Ling find out ZQQ left the palace sends his number 2 stooge to send orders to take him out. ZL gets orders from the Lingbi sect via a purple light arrow to kill XQQ. That answers my question from before about whether she was free after CC master died.
ZL goes to murder XQQ in his sleep he conveniently rolls away as she goes to strike then mumbles a confession about falling for her in his dreams. She is reminded of their good times and leaves.
Good thing he literally sleeps with one eye open!
The next day XQQ is watching ZL give out porridge and remembers that CC asked him to look after her.
The Locust Lord
More and more common people are offering the grain to the Locust Lord in a misguided notion this will help as they were told the Lord killed the corrupt Governor. XQQ wants to make a proper plan to counter this but ZL charges in and stooge 2 and others rally the crowd to attack her, XQQ steps in to save her and he is hurt, she then kicks one causing them whole crowd to go after them with sticks and pitchforks. Luckily XQQ had some guards nearby and they help rescue them but they end up running around town and split up. XQQ and ZL fall in an old well but escape the pursuers. ZL is again tempted to kill XQQ while he is unconscious but again recalls their meeting and how he just took the brunt of the fall protecting her.
His head guard is ordering the local officers to search for them and arrest the people worshiping but there would be too many. He tells them there is a person missing with the Minister that must be found.
XQQ wakes up and ZL admits her mistake in confronting the people. He wants ZL to yell for help, he can't because his arm is sore. ZL finally realizes that that XQQ knew there would be trouble and he admits he came to help her. He offers to boost her up so she can climb out, but reminds her to send people back for him. As she is leaving ZL decides to abandon him as she doesn't want to kill him but cant let him live.
Another one who needs to think before rushing in. The Xiao brothers really know how to pick women!
She is packing to leave when stooge 2 now in a mask comes in, he is shaking a bell that makes her heart ache. He tells her she must obey the Lingbi sect and kill XQQ. She goes back to see him and finds him feverish. She says they are different worlds and once the crisis is over they will go separate ways. The officials arrive to rescue them.
Deity XQQ
ZL leads the officials and people to pray, stooge 2 and company are again skulking about. XQQ floats down to the alter (while his people make smoke in the background) and claims to be a passing deity moved by their prayers. He offers immortal dew to be scattered on the locusts and eliminate the plague. The officials begin spreading it. Stooge 2 is at a loss until he finally sees XQQ boots and calls him out as a fake. XQQ orders them arrested and a fight breaks out. XQQ kicks stooge 2 down but he keeps signaling ZL who is behind XQQ, who turns and stabs her with his sword. Stooge 2 runs away, while the others are caught. The locusts while burning float to the sky, then drop dead.
Turtle Couple separate
The officials and people are in mourning robes to say farewell to Song Lin whose coffin is being led out of town, XQQ sees stooge 2 watching from his carriage. ZL is tied up inside. After they are out of town and away from the others he asks her who she is and why she was trying to assassinate him. She admits to being a pawn who cant break free from her past but tell him if it is for the Lingbi sect. He can't bring himself to kill her and sets her free. Song Lanxi is dead and she can't be ZL either.
Ep 19
XH and CC are still on their way back to Jiangzhou... I guess they took the scenic route.
XH will always put CC before himself.
He is burning up but is happy since she cares about him. He asks why she came back while she asks why he tricked her into leaving. He argues that he needs to keep her safe as her husband. She says she cannot be CC who BCF likes again even if she is the Empress. XH wants her to to admit she came back because she was worried about him but she says she didn't want to be blamed for his death. He shamelessly hugs her under the guise of needing warmth. XH falls asleep and CC cannot wake him up to greet the waiting army.
Preceptor Du Panics
XH is seriously ill and CC is at his bedside. Preceptor Du says XH condition is worse than she expected. She tells CC that he took the Yushu Pill to force down the cold poison but it is poison too hence the black lines on his arms, now his heart and lungs are affected. XH is throwing up black blood, while Preceptor Du panics and looks like she wants to jump in bed with him, despite CC being right there. CC begs her to come up with treatment but she is of no help and still blames CC for the use of the frost reed. In the end it is General Ling who brings a prescription form a Shaman for a medicine bath. While Preceptor Du is unsure CC and General Ling jump into action. I have to say I didn't expect Preceptor Du to be this useless.
The best c-drama cure for a fever is to share heat. Glad CC is on top of things!
XH's fever finally breaks and he is awake and up. Preceptor Du barges in and XH sends CC away. XH is not happy with her for choosing the seal over the Empress. She tries to lie her way out. She finally admits that she thinks CC is a threat to him and she wishes she would never return to his side. He is so mad he is spitting blood again. He decides to send her away while she claims he needs her to look after his health. He says others can help with his health but he will only have one Empress and CC overhears. Preceptor Du still wont leave without trying to make him doubt CC and their relationship.
Preceptor Du you are sounding really desperate and not professional at all.
XQQ has discovered where Physician Li is but is very cautious to not allow any guards to follow him. Glad he is staying alert. We see a flashback to him when he was alone in the well and took out the pouch XH left him only to find the map their father left that XH swore he wouldn't get while he was still alive. XQQ had realized that XH wasn't expecting to survive.
Physician Li has a plan to use the Frost Blossom instead of the Frost Reed and says it give XH at least 10 years. The blossom grows in damp and cold and is said to be found on cliff sides growing in birds nests since they pick the blossoms.
XQQ is determined to find it but after succeeding nearly fall off a cliff. On his way down he swears that if he dies he will haunt XH as a ghost. Is this his karma for thinking of holding back the cure?
Turtle Couple Together again
ZL saves XH from crashing to the ground. She is injured and looks terrible. He decides to bring her along and giver her medicine to replenish her blood. When she doesn't tell him where she wants to go, he teases her about clinging to him. She ends up in tears! It is not pretty. To cheer her up he decides to let her hit him but in the end she smack his face. She say she has nowhere to go. He asks why she doesn't go to CC but she says she cant face her. She tells him her story. Master Li Lu rescued her from Saintess of Lingbi sect and only gave her one task which was to protect CC even by dying for her. She always followed the order and before he died he told her to listen to CC from then on. He says she failed him not CC. She apologies and admits she tried to kill him because a Guardian ordered her too. Apparently the Lingbi sect is still divided but they will do everything to complete a planned kill. She wants to stay with him for safety.
Isn't this supposed to be the other way around? These 2 are always so funny.
He says he is going to Jiangzhou to find XH and will take here there to see CC.
Preceptor Du has an Admirer
Preceptor is back in the palace and agonizing over memories of what XH said to her. General Lu who travelled with her arrives he is definitely crushing on her. I though there was some weird vibes in their previous interactions since he never called out her lies and he came this time to ask her what he should tell, still wanting to cover for her. He wants to serve her. She explains what Nanrong stands for. He apologizes and goes to leave but she offers him incense and pills to help with sleep and tells him to come back monthly to get them. I think she is planning to string him along for future use, what do you think?
Daddy Ling
Daddy ling celebrates that Jiangzhou is safe and both his kids are. He then sends words to his spies there to spy on everything they say and do with each other and the Emperor.
Stooge 2 comes back and admits his failure in killing XQQ. He is told to reflect on how he falls short of Lou Xianxue. I don't know at least he isn't obsessed with CC so wont try to run off with her before she has that Prince.
Do you think LXX and Stooge 2 will come into conflict later?
Posted Nov 24, 2025, 6:13 AM UTC