Everlasting Longing Episode 22 Recap, Plot

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Xuan Lie rushed to the prison to visit Luo Zhizhou, only to find that he had already passed away. What struck him as odd was that there were no old scars on Luo Zhizhou's hands, raising Xuan Lie's suspicions. He made harsh remarks on purpose and ordered the body to be cremated. At that moment, Shao Qimin attempted to take Jun Qiluo away, but they were stopped by numerous guards who claimed that the king had ordered Jun Qiluo’s capture.

Seeing this, Jun Qiluo signaled for Shao Qimin to leave first, while she calmly followed the guards, ready to face whatever fate awaited her. Xuan Lie, burning with anxiety, urgently requested an audience with the king to inquire about Jun Qiluo's whereabouts. The king's expression darkened upon hearing this, rebuking Xuan Lie for being so concerned about Jun Qiluo that he no longer seemed to regard the king as his ruler.

In response to the king’s reprimand, Xuan Lie proposed a condition: if he could marry Jun Qiluo within three days, he requested the king’s permission to take her away. The king listened and then made a demand of his own: as a descendant of the Hundred Crafts, Jun Qiluo must serve their interests, or she would face the death penalty. Xuan Lie firmly stated that he would ensure Jun Qiluo would not betray them.

After returning, Xuan Lie openly confessed to Jun Qiluo that he knew everything. Surprised, Jun Qiluo asked why he had never questioned her about it. Xuan Lie gazed at her affectionately and explained that when she was still young, she had no reason to kill his parents, and he chose to trust her unconditionally.

At that moment, Luo Qi rushed in with urgent news, saying that the king had sent people to surround the place, clearly worried that Xuan Lie would secretly take Jun Qiluo away. After a moment of thought, Xuan Lie instructed Luo Qi to spread a rumor that the Jun family had allied with Beixuan to seek wealth. He planned to use this as a cover while secretly plotting to rescue Jun Qiluo.

Luo Qi was deeply worried, concerned that the situation might escalate further. However, Xuan Lie remained confident. He explained that the more exaggerated and bizarre the rumors were, the less likely people would believe them. Luo Qi understood and agreed, acknowledging that as the wealthiest family, the Jun family would never make such unfaithful and dishonorable moves for the sake of money. Though Jun Qiluo’s family was imprisoned, her father remained remarkably calm.

He reassured everyone not to worry too much, as he had already expressed his desire to meet with the king and was confident he could persuade him to investigate the matter thoroughly and clear their names. On the other side, Dong Yin overheard some gossip about Xuan Lie and Jun Qiluo, and in her anger, she nearly took action.

Fortunately, Luo Zhizhou intervened in time, reminding Dong Yin that their situation was already very delicate, and they had to keep their composure. Dong Yin, knowing how much Jun Qiluo had respected and cared for her, said she was determined to find a way to rescue Jun Qiluo. Luo Zhizhou, however, revealed that he, along with Li Fei and Dong Yin, had already come up with a plan to rescue her.

Li Fei had arranged for a terminally ill prisoner to take Luo Zhizhou’s place, thus protecting him and leaving some money for the prisoner’s family. At this moment, an imperial eunuch suddenly arrived, taking away the Crown Prince, claiming that the king had adopted him and given him to the Prince of Yuwang at the border. Although Li Fei was unwilling, she was powerless to stop it.

Sun Zhaomin then found Xuan Lie and frankly admitted that, although she truly regarded Jun Qiluo as a sister, she would never marry Xuan Lie. She asked if Xuan Lie had a solution, and he confirmed that he did, but it required the cooperation of Madam Sun. Sun Zhaomin immediately discussed it with her mother, Madam Sun, hoping that her mother would adopt Jun Qiluo as a foster daughter.

After all, the king’s decree only mentioned that a princess from the Sun family would marry, but it did not specify which princess. Madam Sun agreed to this plan, thinking it would demonstrate loyalty to the king and also help Sun Zhaomin. Shao Qimin hurried to take Jun Qiluo away, but she urged him to leave first. Soon after, Xuan Lie returned, only to discover that due to the chaos caused by Dong Yin, Jun Qiluo had quietly left.

Xuan Lie sensed something was wrong and immediately chased after her, but he could not find her. Jun Qiluo, walking alone to the edge of a cliff, reflected that the only way to free Xuan Lie from his pain was for her to disappear. With that resolve, she leaped off the cliff. Xuan Lie saw this and desperately lunged to catch her, but he failed.

Overcome with grief, Xuan Lie tried to jump after her, but Luo Qi and others managed to stop him in time. Deeply immersed in the unbearable pain of losing Jun Qiluo, Xuan Lie was inconsolable. Xuan Lie came to persuade the Empress Dowager and the king, and the Empress Dowager showed him the new weapons, revealing that the descendant of the Hundred Crafts had passed away.

Xuan Lie, deeply concerned about the suffering of the people, urged the king to seize the opportunity to negotiate peace and avoid the ravages of war. However, the king insisted that Xuan Lie lead the troops into battle. Xuan Lie resolutely stated that he could not obey the king’s command. The Empress Dowager, with a heavy heart, urged the king, pointing out that Yan Nan now had new weapons, which significantly reduced their chances of victory.

Moreover, with Xuan Lie unwilling to lead the army, the Empress Dowager believed the wisest course of action would be to negotiate peace. After much consideration, the king finally accepted the Empress Dowager’s suggestion. Meanwhile, Jun Qiluo visited the king, keenly observing that the king was actually not enthusiastic about war but was instead concerned about the people. Jun Qiluo further analyzed that with their current advantage, negotiating peace was undoubtedly the best choice.

The king was impressed by Jun Qiluo’s insight but was also considering how to keep her in Yan Nan. Given that the crown prince was of marrying age, the king began to entertain the idea of marrying Jun Qiluo to the crown prince. Faced with the king’s proposal, Jun Qiluo could not directly refuse, but she asked to marry the crown prince as a woman, wearing a wedding gown she had made with her own hands, in a grand ceremony.

The king readily agreed. Soon after, Jun Qiluo’s family was released, and Jun Qiluo was overjoyed. Jun Xiukun’s husband came to visit, learning that Jun Feifan had “died,” and he became worried about the future of the Jun family. Jun Qiluo reassured him to focus on his studies and prepare for the upcoming spring exams. Jun Xiukun’s husband became furious, thinking that Jun Qiluo’s words were inauspicious and that the Jun family had shown him no respect.

He regretted coming to visit today. Jun Xiukun hurried after him to explain, claiming that her eldest sister did not mean it that way. Meanwhile, the king sent He Jiyao on a diplomatic mission to Yan Nan, and Xuan Qingkou secretly followed him. Upon learning of this, the king, though helpless, could only advise He Jiyao to take care of the princess. Xuan Lie left a letter behind and set off alone for Yan Nan.

Jun Qiluo went to her family’s shop, only to find that the second branch had already made arrangements, with various shops setting up obstacles. She then went to confront the second branch, who smugly insisted that it was inappropriate for a woman to manage the household and that the Jun family should be handled by the second branch. In the second branch’s place, Jun Qiluo unexpectedly found Shao Qimin’s belongings.

Shao Qimin confessed that he was actually a secret guard of the king, sent to the Jun family from a young age. Because the Jun family had treated him kindly, he had always regarded them as family. Jun Qiluo had actually suspected this all along but had been waiting for Shao Qimin to admit it himself.

She knew that the king was well aware of the Jun family’s every move and had harbored doubts about those around him but had often felt that she was overthinking. Shao Qimin returned to report to the king, stating that the crown prince and princess were happily married, so there was no need for Jun Qiluo to marry the crown prince. Instead, he suggested that he marry Jun Qiluo, promising that he could ensure she remained in Yan Nan.

To his surprise, the king nodded in agreement. Jun Qiluo and her two younger sisters continued searching for a shop and finally found one at the end of the street. They believed that as long as the goods were of good quality, the remote location would still attract people, especially since it was close to the Jun family, saving labor.

They went to speak with the shopkeeper but were told that they were unavailable, which Jun Qiluo knew was the second branch’s interference. The third sister sighed at how difficult business was. Just then, Xuan Lie arrived in Yan Nan and seemed to have seen Jun Qiluo. He rushed after her, but she had already disappeared.

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