The Legend of Taotie Episode 36 Recap
> The Legend of Taotie Recap
Zhu Chengbi was puzzled about why Zhao Heng, a prince, was a half-beast. She suspected that Zhao Heng's mother's identity might hold the answer and asked him about her. Zhao Heng tried to recall his last memory of his mother. He remembered her kneeling in tears, pleading with the emperor to spare Zhao Heng and grant her wish to be buried alongside someone.
However, she never revealed who she wanted to be buried with, leaving it a mystery to this day. Zhao Heng took Zhu Chengbi to his mother's tomb. When they opened the coffin, they found not only his mother but also an older brother he had never met. Zhu Chengbi speculated that more than a decade ago, the current emperor performed the "Tongxin Sign" ritual.
At that time, the emperor had just ascended to the throne, and to stabilize his rule, he resorted to desperate measures, including marrying Zhao Heng's mother with ulterior motives. Realizing this truth left Zhao Heng heartbroken. He had always felt ashamed of his half-beast identity and blamed his mother for the hardships he endured. Now, he saw the truth: it was his father who had treated them all as pawns.
His mother's and brother's tragic deaths and the impending execution of his younger brother were all part of the emperor's schemes. Zhao Heng secretly met a palace maid who had served his mother during her lifetime. Seeing the time was right, the maid handed over a letter written by the empress before her death. In the letter, Zhao Heng’s mother detailed the events leading up to her death and warned him to guard against the emperor.
Now that the truth was clear, with internal strife and external threats plaguing the kingdom, Zhao Heng asked Zhu Chengbi if she was confident in preparing the dish. He was willing to sacrifice everything for the stability of the nation. The emperor took Zhao Heng on a patrol outside the palace, but they were suddenly ambushed by Wu Xiang, who had orchestrated a rebellion.
Concerned about the safety of his only royal grandson, Wu Xiang ordered archers to shoot at the emperor. The emperor was struck by an arrow, yet Wu Xiang showed no remorse, only pleading for the emperor to rescind his orders and spare the young prince. The emperor stubbornly refused, and the Imperial Guards quickly surrounded Wu Xiang's rebel soldiers.
Seeing Wu Xiang attempting to escape, Zhao Heng killed him with his sword, declaring that his crimes of embezzling military grain alone justified his death. When Zhao Heng returned to the palace, he found the imperial physicians kneeling in fear, pleading for mercy. He dismissed everyone from the room and approached his father’s sickbed. Zhao Heng embraced the frail emperor tightly, remembering how he had always yearned to be close to his father.
He never imagined their final moment of closeness would be like this. In his final moments of clarity, the emperor confessed that he had always loved Zhao Heng and his mother. However, as emperor, many of his actions were out of necessity. He had exiled Zhao Heng to the borderlands for years not out of cruelty, but to avoid the temptation of harming him due to his guilt and memories of his mother.
After the emperor’s death, Zhao Heng wrote a letter to his younger brother, Zhao Ai, urging him to return to the palace immediately. Zhao Heng soon received a reply in which Zhao Ai revealed that strange scales were appearing on his body, and he was deeply frightened. Zhao Heng rushed to Zhu Chengbi for answers. Zhu Chengbi explained that Zhao Ai was the true dragon of this era, and the scales were a sign of the dragon awakening.
If the true dragon could be successfully awakened, the land of Wu Xia would no longer suffer invasions. Zhao Heng begged Zhu Chengbi to use him as an ingredient to complete the "Tongxin Sign" ritual. Zhao Heng visited his mother’s tomb for the last time. There, he saw his younger brother and mother lying peacefully together. Reflecting on how cold it must have been for them in the tomb all these years, Zhao Heng decided to join them.
Zhu Chengbi arrived, wearing the outfit Zhao Heng had once gifted her, which coincidentally matched what Zhao Heng was wearing. His eyes filled with tears, and he expressed gratitude that he could die in front of Zhu Chengbi, feeling no regrets in life. With those words, Zhao Heng tore open his chest with his own hands and removed his heart.
Related Posts
