Love and Crown 凤凰台上 (2025) Episode 27 & 28
Last 2 episodes of the week today.
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| EP 23 | Ep 24-25| EP 26
Spoilers: If you'd like to discuss anything past Ep 28, please tag your spoiler.
Episode 27
Failed Coup
The fight begins!
Commander Zhang and the capital patrol, are ordered by Daddy Ling to send XH on his final journey. The Imperial Guards defend. Imperial Preceptor Du is watching while her toy boy General Lu looks about to pee himself.
Shout out to Xiao Qian Qing, he gets hands on in the fight! While Daddy Ling and Maleficent Du are looking smug thinking they have the upper hand XQQ takes out several attackers and intercepts Commander Zhang who was approaching XH. He kicks him back.
However, XH has another piece in play...
General Ling spears Commander Zhang. Lackey #1- dead.
Young General Ling has arrived and promptly takes out Commander Zhang while declaring his arrival to protect his Majesty! Daddy Ling did not see this coming, his co-conspirators were also shocked.
The Jiangzhou soldiers help the Imperial Guards subdue the remaining traitors. Turns out General Ling pretended he was going to Xijiang in order to sneak back to the capital without Daddy Ling or his spies knowing. General Ling wants Daddy Ling to stop.
Daddy Ling acknowledges XH truly is the finest student he ever taught.
This time he admits defeat and doesn't try to taunt XH. Has he played his last card?
XQQ accuses Daddy Ling of sending General Lu to use Princess Ying to assassinate XH, letting the others in on the secret that they already know General Lu is a traitor.
Daddy Ling laughs and says they want to place the blame for everything on him. General Lu jumps in trying to make this accusation stick and tries to silence Daddy Ling at the same time but is stopped by General Ling.
In the end he is struggling with the Imperial Guards when Maleficent Du makes a move.
Who knew she would turn on him? Lackey #2 - dead.
Pawn no More!
In the aftermath, we see Luo XianXue tell CangCang and Zhong Lin that Daddy Ling is being spared and sent back to the temple to pray for the Empress and repent. She says there is no going back.
Maleficent Du is recalling how loyal General Lu was to her and blaming XH for the loss of her pawn. She really is beyond acknowledging any responsibility now.
She orders Daddy Ling killed to silence him.
CC accompanied by LXX goes to see Daddy Ling. She asks him why and he makes excuses about powerful ministers and their families being killed if they do not seize power. She tells him he should not have fought for what wasn't his. He is angry he was so close but lost, but has no regrets Wow! Even still? General Ling has requested to leave the Capital with the entire Ling family to guard the Northern border and never return.
CC says a final farewell. Daddy Ling says he regrets dragging her into this. He tells her if she still wishes to leave to go with her brother. He wishes her well.
Before CC and LXX get far assassins arrive and they rush back. CC fights some off but then seeing a sword coming for Daddy Ling she decides to shield him with her body? What is she thinking?
LXX makes a valiant effort to protect CC but is struck from behind.
Luckily LXX is smarter and grabs the sword while continuing to fight with the others. In the end he takes a sword through his heart from behind. Before dying he manages to take them all out.
CC is crying while LXX dies again but this time he can't come back.
LXX has redeemed himself. Many of us saw this end for him and we were right. Do we now feel bad for him?
I think even Daddy Ling squeezed out some tears. Where did Maleficent Du get all these assassins?
Villain #2: On the verge of death.
The Imperial guards have arrived and CC is moving her father when he gets hit by an arrow. Before he passes out he tries to tell her about Du. Do you think he regrets getting Du involved now?
Meanwhile Du is blaming XH for the loss of everyone who lover her and declares he should taste the same grief.
The prognosis for Daddy Ling is not good. Miracle doc Li is brought in to work on him.
XH realizes this Daddy Ling was not behind XY's assassination attempt and their is still someone else and they are behind this attack to silence him. XH decides to fake his death to keep him safe and wait for him to wake up.
CC is worried that the enemy is close to them. XH says he will try to reveal the mastermind. He wants CC to promise to put her own safety first when she sees the warning arrow so he can take the risk. Reluctantly she promises. Will she keep her word?
Preceptor Du is back to work on the water file. She uses the excuse of telling Eunuch Fung about his health to listen in on XH and XQQ conversation.
Childhood Dreams
The brothers are having a heart to heart conversation and we see how XH was very strictly raised as the Crown Prince while XQQ fooled around. One day XH told XQQ his dream of living freely in the martial world. XQQ says he cared about XH's dream. He fought him for the throne because he thought he was to frail to rule, so he wanted him to live his dream instead.
XQQ want to leave with ZL and XY to find LHQ. Whether they find him or not he will make XY happy. He hands over his royal seal and military token for Southern Chu for XH to take care of. He says at least one of them should live their dream of wandering the world.
Wait you want to give up your acting role?
XH tells XQQ he still needs him. XQQ thinks with Daddy Ling gone, the greatest threat is gone. XH tells him it is not that simple. Daddy Ling was silenced to by the person who used XY. Du was still listening in.
XQQ goes to see XY and while she cant remember LHQ she says she has feelings of longing for him but also sadness. XQQ thinks about what XH said.
ZL finds the soul-severing grass and says it can be used to drive out the dual-pupil parasite in XY's body and return her clarity. It is searing hot and will burn anyone who touches it except XH who has the cold poison. The medicine from the plant will need to be infused into XYs meridians for 3 days, XH will use a great deal of inner force and suffer burns. He decides to take the risk.
The gang is back together! It has been awhile since we seen them all together.
XQQ cant stand seeing her in danger and stops the treatment. When XH tries to reason with him he lashes out saying XY is not XH's sister so he doesn't care. CC has to step in and tell him that only XH understands her suffering as only he has endured pain since childhood that the others couldn't. She says XY would not want to walk away half way after everything she has endured. Not knowing or remembering anything would not make her happy.
Episode 28
Maleficent Du's Next Plan
Du is panicking about the thought of XY knowing something.
Du doesn't want XY to remember as even though XY never saw her
she is still worried that XH is smart enough to figure it out.
She wonder why neither XY nor Daddy Ling could kill him.
The Price Paid
Empress Dowager is upset that XQQ is not visiting. Du pays her a visit and let's it slip that XQQ gave up his seal and command token giving XH full power.
She blames XQQ and says XH will kill him tomorrow. She beats him. We hear more about the past XH's mother was not from a prominent family while Empress Dowager was from the Liu family was of high rank and had served loyally for 3 generations. She says XH is an enemy not a brother.
He asks about the price she paid:
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Was it XY? He knows it was her encouragement that led the servants to abandon their posts and ignore XH which led to the fire.
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He asks if why the late Empress suddenly died of illness?
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Why her son was born with cold poison?
He asks if she loves XY or if she ever loved him?
Question: What does everyone think? Is she behind it all? Or is she a scapegoat for the previous Imperial Preceptor who had ties to the Lingbi sect?
XL finds XQQ and gives him her special salve for his pain. XQQ is still set on his plan to travel the world with ZL and XY in freedom.
Empress Dowager goes to see XY and tries to use her to get XQQ to take back his seal. She gets physical with her and XY ends up having a memory of her childhood and sees the Empress Dowager gave the late Emperor some type of medicine. Turns out she killed him.
Another person panicking about XY's memories.
LHQ wakes up. He was caught on a tree and saved by some villagers.
Glad LHQ is off the missing persons list.
XH has figured it out!
XH is treating XY again. She recalls what happened that day. That the person who told her LHQ was dead gave her incense and that incense was medicinal incense.
CC comes to visit XH. He says when everything is over they should take a trip out of the palace to visit the martial world together. XH decides to send CC away before confronting Du.
The next day news arrives that Daddy Ling is getting better, XH tells her to go and be there when he wakes up. He says the palace has a rare lingzi that can help patients who just wake up and she should take it.
XH says he will miss her while she is gone.
Maleficent Du seeks Allies
Maleficent Du goes to see the Lingbi Saintess.
She has a golden snake hairpin that her mother left her. If she was ever in danger she could use it to get help from the Lingbi sect.
What is the relationship between the previous Imperial Preceptor and the Saintess?
All the stewards are being bribed / blackmailed to support Du. Nanny Yan gives a name list of people to be added into the various palaces.
She is assured by her Nanny that soon both the Court and the Harem will be in her control.
XH Plans to Save His Siblings
XH and XY have a sweet moment.
XH gives XY a pendant to give to XQQ when they leave the palace. He wants them both to be safe and happy. XH tells her to go to Fenglai Pavilion for people and money if they run into trouble. XY apologizes even though she can't recall what for. She asks about the treatment but he says it hurts her too much so they will stop. She insists he treat her.
Empress Dowager arrives and accuses XH of trying to kill XY. XQQ arrives in time to see XY die. Empress Dowager Liu again insists that XH killed her, trying to drive a wedge between the brothers.
Will XQQ believe that XH is behind it?
Question: Who killed XY, Empress Dowager Liu or Maleficent Du?
LHQ returns to find XY dead. The flower blooms.
Questions:
Will XQQ turn on XH or will XH be able to make him realize the truth?
Will LHQ play a pivotal role in taking down Maleficent Du and avenging XY?
Posted Nov 30, 2025, 4:30 AM UTC