Love and Crown 凤凰台上 (2025) Episode 23
Welcome to another single episode discussion, ep. 23. What's up with this one and two episodes every other day releases?
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 | Ep 18-19 | EP 20 | Ep 21-22
Spoilers: If you'd like to discuss anything past ep 23, please tag your spoiler. Anything up to ep 23 is fair game.
🎭 Big Revelations Recap
We had a bit of big revelations the last couple of episodes. Big shout out to Cangcang and Luo Xian Xue who are not in the dark anymore about their father!
💔 Preceptor Du: The Unwanted One
Preceptor Du, after witnessing Xiao Huan with CC and hearing him say that CC's the finest blessing, Du's feeling of being the unwanted one was hitting her real hard.
What's She Actually Feeling?
I am not so sure what she's feeling at this point. I mean, if the blood letter is true, her and XH are siblings. So I think she's not wanting to couple up with him. But I think at this point she just feels like she was used by XH. That he knew about her background, concealed it, and used her.
I did though find her thought process bizarre. She's supposed to be a smart woman. For being smart, how could she have blamed XH — who was a child then — of all the things she accused him of?
He was a kid. What was he supposed to do? 🤔
https://i.redd.it/b3qfhbdm2o3g1.gif
🖼️ The Portrait Mystery
As I was watching the scene above, a thought came in my mind.
Remember some episodes ago where CC and LXX were at her Shifu's place and they went into the basement? During that scene a portrait was found ⬇️
But CC said that she saw a different portrait of what her Shifu's wife looked like and this wasn't it. Why was this portrait there? And Who?
Daddy Ling's Plan B?
What if Daddy Ling created a Plan B some 15 years ago or so, soon after the Emperor died basically, and made Du's mom write that blood letter in exchange for her daughter's safety? What if Du's dad wasn't the old Emperor?
Does that servant woman (not sure her name) of Du know the truth? Is she a Ling spy? She seems shady.
Any thought on this?
Anyhow, this popped in my head as I was watching this scene and it's something that I think is still unanswered. I guess we’ll see.
And oh, General Lu is in over his head.
🌊 The Waterworks Map
Du is still treating XH and besides giving him his medicine, she gave him a waterworks map. She also told him that she's not going to interfere with him and CC anymore.
“Whatever I set my mind to, is always done with utmost precision.”
What she said here… gave me the shivers.
👸🏻🫅🏻 The Younger Xiao: Love Sickness & Confessions
Moving on to a lighter part of the episode, the younger Xiao siblings!
Our two favourite younger Xiao is having a meal and chat. Out of the blue, our sweet Princess told her brother that she’s with child.
His reaction…
https://i.redd.it/ik8c29igyn3g1.gif
Priceless! 🤣
I love how much XQ loves his sister as he stormed into his big brother’s room.
https://i.redd.it/hb1591asyn3g1.gif
👸🏻 Princess Ying's "Love Sickness"
Came to find out that Xiao Ying is not pregnant but with love sickness. And in this scene our sweet Princess Ying tells Li Hongqing that she hasn’t seen him in seven days and 10 hours and that she likes him.
PS: If this was 2025, our girl probably would have it to the exact second.
Our brave, straightforward, and adorable girl! 💕
Does LHQ like her? I think so, but he's not positive. Or in his words, he's terrified that he is unworthy of the Princess.
https://i.redd.it/fj3oykzuyn3g1.gif
She's confident though!
加油，公主！(Jiā yóu, gōng zhǔ! - Go Princess!)
Classless Royals = Best Royals
Whether he likes the Princess back or not, both of her brothers don't mind her choice. Yay!
Speaking of the two brothers… XQ snide commenting behind QH back again…
https://i.redd.it/4bezywqzyn3g1.gif
And XH… XH, XH, look who’s talking 😂
🐢 XQ & ZL: The Confession (Sort Of)
We're not done with the cuteness of the younger Xiao! We now have XQ and Zhong Lin. Not sure what ZL is doing with the bottles here. Antidotes?
These two haven't seen each other since they slept on the same bed together. It seems like she's been avoiding him.
Maybe inspired by his younger sister, XQ got the courage via the pretense of the hallucination poison from a scorpion, saying that he likes ZL and wants to marry her. ZL, thinking he's hallucinating, said she likes him too.
https://i.redd.it/q0tyl0qazn3g1.gif
TOO CUTE!
I think he should have kept up the pretence a bit longer 😅
But ZL is in doubt because he's a prince and she's of Lingbi Sect and has the uncurable Heartbane poison in her that can be triggered just by the smallest sound, like a bell.
💍 The Marriage Request & Dowager Empress Scheming
Our Prince isn't deterred, and he went to his mom to ask for her permission to marry ZL.
Bad move, little brother, bad move!
Mama only wants you to marry another upper-class lady. So now we see Dowager Empress scheming using some calligraphy request.
But ZL is too smart, or maybe her body having poison inside her is more immune to "regular" poison, that she doesn't fall for the trap.
And also, just in time, the Prince came in to save her from his mother.
Mama tried to use words to pit our two 🐢🐢 but she should have known that her son is way too smart for that.
https://i.redd.it/jlle2idszn3g1.gif
You tell her, XQ!
Seeking a Marriage Decree
Since mama didn’t approve and took to scheming, what’s a son to do? Ask the Emperor of course! It’s just super convenient that he’s also his big brother who, even if they’re not close, by now would have owed younger brother many favours 🤭
And what the Prince shared with ZL and those in the room is too sweet.
https://i.redd.it/5m58u7gyzn3g1.gif
👍🏻 The Emperor Approves! Princess of Ding'An!
The Emperor not only did he agree, he also gave ZL a Princess of Ding'An title!
https://i.redd.it/cxwul6800o3g1.gif
Everybody's happy! Well, almost everybody. Great idea, Empress Dowager! 😏
Is ZL Willing Now?
She is, she is!
Everybody's happy! Well, almost everybody. And the Empress Dowager left, huffing and puffing. 🤣
😰 My Fear: Will These Two Last?!
As in last to the end of the show?
https://i.redd.it/4dgimlq60o3g1.gif
I LOVE this episode. But I am PETRIFIED of the future!
Happiness in the middle of a c-drama is usually a setup for angst later. And from past c-dramas, a pissed off Empress Dowager plus another higher up in rank/power man in one show is never a great combo.
And don't forget the gentle turned evil trusted person.
Are we all ready for the angst before the end? We have about 12 more episodes to go.
💕 CC & ZL: Sworn Sisters Backstory
Before the end of the episode, we learned why ZL is devoted to CC. CC has always been protective of ZL and they became sworn sisters.
This is so sweet! Their friendship is one of the most genuine relationships in this show. 💕
Up to now, the Prince has been very protective of ZL, but I think after listening to this story, he'd be more so.
🧪 Princess Ying: Poison Princess Doing Her Thing
And our sweet poison Princess doing her poison Princess thing.
Girl, trust me, it’s not because of her 😁
What do you think is running through LHQ's mind throughout this scene?!
Until next time! ToughAnt will be with you the rest of this week. To all the American reading this, Happy Thanksgiving day!
Posted Nov 26, 2025, 9:34 PM UTC