Love Like The Galaxy (Episode 19-21 Recap)

Title: Love Like The Galaxy
Also Known As: 星汉灿烂, Xing Han Can Lan, The Stars Are Brilliant , Splendid Stars
Part 1: 星汉灿烂 / Xing Han Can Lan
- Episode: 27
Part 2: 月升沧海 / Yue Sheng Cang Hai
- Episode: 29
Director: Fei Zhen Xiang
Screenwriter: Zou Yue
Genres: Romance, Historical, Mystery, Political
Country: China
Year: 2022
Original Network: Tencent
Where to Watch: WeTV

List of Recap:

Part 1

Part 2

Hola! Have you been waiting for the Love Like The Galaxy episode recap, readers? I’m so glad to give you another recap, right now are episodes 19-20. What would happen to our silly Shao Shang and cold General Ling? Let’s found out then! But first, another characters introduction for you.

Table of Contents

New Characters Appearance

The Officials

Minister Ji Zun

Minister Ji Zun was the head of the Ministry of Justice. He was an upright man and always stand by Ling Bu Yi’s side, even though he always did things that turned the Ministry of Justice into chaos.

Minister Zuo

Minister Zuo was an official from the Imperial Censorate. He was a sly person and always weighed off benefits over everything.

General Wu

General Wu was the senior general whom the Emperor appointed to help Ling Bu Yi pacify the rebellion of Lord yong.

The Rebel

Lord Yong used to be the Emperor trusted aide. He assisted the Emperor to sit on the throne. After the world’s peace finally obtained, the Emperor invite him to the court. But Lord Yong rejected the idea and prefer to stay low key as the lord of Feng Yi County. His son was Prince Xiao who made He Zhao Jun canceled her betrothal with Lou Yao.

The Royals

The Crown Princess

Crown Princess was the wife of the Crown Prince. She came from a humble family and was able to marry the Crown Prince only because the Emperor used to make a promise back in olden times. She seemed kind and gentle, but royals tends to hide their true nature.

Second Princess

The 2nd Princess was the daughter of Consort Yue. We rarely saw her, but every time she showed up she always scolded her sisters’ misconduct. According to Wan Qi Qi, she was the most righteous one.

Third Princess

The Third Princess was the daughter of Consort Yue. She lives an extravagant life. She was always dressed to the nines with jewelry dangled over her. She loves money and everybody could see it. She often caught quarrels with the fifth Princess. Before she was married, she was Ling Bu Yi’s admirer.

Fifth Princess

The fifth Princess was the only daughter of Empress Yuan. Between the Emperor’s children, she was the youngest and the only one who was born in a peaceful era. Therefore, she become the most spoiled and extravagant one. She close to Wang Lin. She has many male aides (male concubine?) at her mansion even though she was about to marry the Yue family.

Episode Recap

Episode 19

Shao Shang has mixed feelings because of the edict. She was happy because she was praised by the Emperor, yet she feeling confused to be praised to such an extent. After Ling Bu Yi and his entourage went, all the guests dispersed.

In the corridor, Lou Ben told Lou Yao that Ling Bu Yi was the one who asked for the imperial edict for Shao Shang. Lou Yao was surprised, but his one-track mind accepted the fact as Ling Bu Yi being kind to them. He even intended to visit Ling Bu Yi to say thank you. But Lou Ben forbade him and told him that he and Shao Shang should interact with him less.

Did Lou Yao never suspect Ling Bu Yi’s ulterior motives?🤦🏻‍♀️

After Lou Yao was out of sight, Ling Bu Yi appeared from the corner of the corridor. He praised Lou Ben for his knowledge of Feng Yi terrain. His intention was clear: Ling Bu Yi wanted Lou Ben to draw a map and serve the Emperor as his official.

Lou Ben admitted that he was an ambitious man, but he cannot overlook the fact that his uncle oppressed them. He knew that if he accepted Ling Bu Yi’s offer, Lou Yao would be downtrodden by his uncle. Therefore, Lou Ben rejected Ling Bu Yi’s offer but he still promised to deliver the map.

At the banquet hall, Shao Shang surrounded by a group of chattering young ladies who praised her. Lou Li and Wang Lin were the only ones who refused to join the crowd. Of course, they wouldn’t. Lou Li and Wang Lin didn’t even feel a shred of joy for Shao Shang.

In the middle of a conversation that elated Shao Shang, Lian Fang called her and conveyed three messages from General Ling to her.

The Messages are:

He has something to tell her
Shao Shang didn’t need to worry because he wouldn’t harm her.
Shao Shang immediately rejected him and told Lian Fang that she would not see him. But Lian Fang told her the third message.
If Shao Shang refuses to see him, he will be the one who comes to her. And it was a sign of her agreeing to marry him.

Shao Shang refused to be threatened by him and went to find Ling Bu Yi.

And readers, this is the most beautiful scenery in this drama. After you read this recap, you must watch the episode right away, and don’t forget to tell me your impression of this scene.

Ling Bu Yi wait for her at a beautiful ginkgo forest inside the Lou residence. He had already made sure that no one would interrupt them.

The sight of Ling Bu Yi standing in black armor under the sunlight is something that stays rent-free inside my mind right now…😍
When Ling Bu Yi asked why she agreed to come to the forest, Shao Shang answered him with a clear answer. That is she indebted to him because he saved her many times. Therefore, she should treat his kindness with sincerity. After he listened to her answer, Ling Bu Yi seemed dejected.

Ling Bu Yi asked her what she wanted to do in the future besides marrying. Shao Shang’s answers made him stunned. There were so many things she wanted to do for the benefit of people. Ling Bu Yi understood that they were not on the same path.

Ling Bu Yi said that this might be the last time they met because he would go to war, and nobody could tell when he will be returned because he might die. He tells her he knows her plan to move away with Lou Yao. Ling Bu Yi advised her not to be hasty because he’d ask the Emperor to send her to a safe place. He said that because Ling Bu Yi didn’t want her to go to any barren land. Shao Shang was frail, and Ling Bu Yi afraid she’ll suffer.

These were the romantic and swoon-worthy scenes that I’d been waiting for…😍

Shao Shang was moved by his words and looked at him in a new light. Well, that was true because Ling Bu Yi literally bathed in the sunlight and looked very handsome.

She told him that she would played her flute for him when Ling Bu Yi return with triumph. But he rejected her because she was going to be married and they should never meet again. After that, he dismissed her.

Is this his way of saying goodbye to her? Or another attempt to make her waver?

Late at night, Lou Ben sends him the map with a message that he rejected his offer to join the court. I guess Lou Ben was doing this because he knew that Lou Yao wanted to leave the Lou residence after his marriage, and he was afraid that his uncle would suppress Lou Yao if he become an official. And Ling Bu Yi tried to persuade him to be an official so the Second Branch of the Lou family would not be oppressed by the First Branch. Ling Bu Yi did it with an intention to provide Shao Shang so she would have a good life after her marriage.

Ling Bu Yi set off to war! I pray for him to be okay and that he will return safely.

One month later… So soon??

Ling Bu Yi and General Wu have captured Lord Yong and his son, Prince Xiao. They won the war!!!

But they come with sad news. General He and his sons had been killed in battle. Therefore, the only members left in He family were He Zhao Jun and his younger brother. General He asked for a last request from the Emperor because he was worried about his daughter and son. He requested the Lou Clan to continue the betrothal between He Zhao Jun and Lou Yao.

The Emperor and the court were in an uproar. The request sparked a heated debate among officials because Lou Yao had betrothed Shao Shang. General Wan tried to defend the Cheng family, but Grand Tutor Lou said nothing at all.

Meanwhile, in the Cheng residence, Father Cheng, Mother Cheng, General Wan, and Shao Shang were discussing the request in the hall. Shao Shang was disheartened because she thought her bad luck must be the cause of this matter. Shao Shang could see clearly that the Lou family avoid making their stand, not because they cared about the Cheng family, but rather because they were weighing the benefits of this matter for them. Shao Shang and her big heart only thought about Lou Yao, because he was the one who would suffer as a consequence of the request.

In the Lou residence, Lou Yao broke his leg when he climbed the wall. The First Madam Lou came and scolded the Second branch for not agreeing to General He’s request. Lou Yao threatens her to tell everybody that the First Branch of the Lou clan was the one who avoided the betrothal with He Zhao Jun in the first place. They refused to marry their son to He Zhao Jun and made Lou Yao the betrothed one.

At the prison, Ling Bu Yi questioned Lord Yong. He threatened Lord Yong with the case of armament smuggling in Gu City. Because of Lord Yong’s greed, Gu City fell. Many soldiers lost their lives, and many people lost their homes.

Lord Yong was stupefied when he listened to Ling Bu Yi’s words. He never thought Ling Bu Yi would find out about his involvement in the Gu City case.

Episode 20

Lord Yong told Ling Bu Yi about his intention. He just wanted to save some money to have a good retirement. He never intended to harm the people of Gu City. Furthermore, Lord Yong disclosed an important fact about Gu City. Nobody had come to help General Huo. The reinforcement had forsaken him. Lord Yong also tries to sow discord between Ling Bu Yi and the Emperor. The angry Ling Bu Yi stabbed him to death.

Ling Bu Yi showed us his true nature; a cold-blooded and ruthless person.

Ling Bu Yi instructs the Liang Duo (Liang Qiu Fei and Liang Qiu Qi) to report the death of Lod Yong as a suicide because Lord Yong felt guilty about betraying the country. He also tells them to search for the survivors of the Gu City massacre. He wanted to know the truth behind Lord Yong’s last words.

Ling Bu Yi came to her mother’s courtyard to pray at the altar of Huo Chong. He talked to the memorial tablets about Lord Yong and he promised that he would find out the truth and avenge the Huo family.

Her mother, who was pruning the plants, stopped her movement. She seemed to understand his words. But not long after, she had another mental breakdown.

ove Like The Galaxy - Episode 20-3 — Ling Bu Yi calmed down his mother… such a good kid…🥰

Ling Bu Yi was kneeling in the hall of Changde Palace to atone for his crime. But the Emperor came with anger and rebuked him for killing a criminal without trial. But still, the Emperor was lenient with him because he was injured. The Emperor told him (indirectly) to stand up and stop kneeling. But Ling Bu Yi said nothing and kept on kneeling. The Emperor kicked him, and Ling Bu Yi resumed his position just like a bounce-back toy. You must see this scene, it’s hilarious!😂 In the end, the Emperor still scolded and punished him because Ling Bu Yi had crossed the line.

ove Like The Galaxy - Episode 20-4 — Memorial tablets for all the deceased soldier of Huo family’s troops

The Lou family sent a message that said the Lou family wanted the Cheng family to cancel the betrothal. The Chengs were angry because the Emperor had not yet issued an edict to cancel the betrothal, but the Lou had made a move. The angry Mother Cheng took Shao Shang to the Lou residence. She wanted an explanation from them.

ove Like The Galaxy - Episode 20-5 — General Ling, I’m trying to help you up… but, did you gain weight recently?

Father Cheng was sure that they would get into a fight with the Lous.

The First Madam Lou and Lou Li accept them arrogantly as usual. She said they would cancel the marriage even if the Cheng family was not happy with that.

Shao Shang said if the Lou family was indebted to the He family, why First Madam Lou not cancel her son’s betrothal and have him marry He Zhao Jun. The First Madam Lou was fuming because she could not rebuke her words.

When Mother Cheng criticize her, First Madam Lou lost her composure and Mother Cheng slapped her. Mother Cheng also said that because the marriage was canceled, the slap was served to sever their ties. Lou Li was enraged seeing her mother slapped. She charged to attack Mother Cheng, but Shao Shang slapped her 👏.

I like this scene since, for the first time, Mother Cheng acts harmoniously with Shao Shang. Their gestures are indeed similar…😂

When they were about to leave the hall, Lou Yao, his mother, Wang Yanji, and Yuan Shen were standing at the door. Shao Shang was surprised to see his broken leg. The Second Madam Lou explained to her how Lou Yao broke his leg. Shao Shang was also surprised to see Yuan Shen.

Lou Yao’s mother said that she didn’t dare to go against the Emperor’s will, so she suggested Shao Shang marry Lou Yao as an equal wife to He Zhao Jun. Mother Cheng was disappointed to hear Second Madam Lou’s suggestion. She charged out in anger and left Shao Shang and Lian Fang alone.

Because Lou Yao said he would not cancel the betrothal, Shao Shang still hoped to get married to him. She met Yuan Shen at the entrance door of Lou’s residence. Yuan Shen invited her to his carriage.

In the carriage, Yuan Shen told her the reason why General He insisted on marrying He Zhao Jun to Lou Yao. It was because the descendants of the Lou family were scholars and civil officials, that He Zhao Jun’s brother could protect his inheritance, which was the He troops, manors, houses, and tribesmen.

Shao Shang was quiet before she uttered an unbelievable question. “Why don’t you (Yuan Shen) marry He Zhao Jun?” The question irked Yuan Shen so he kicked her out of the carriage.🤣

ove Like The Galaxy - Episode 20-11 — Please, get out! 😂

Shao Shang and Lou Yao were waiting for He Zhao Jun outside the city gate. They intended to ask her to let Lou Yao go. He Zhao Jun saw them. She invited Shao Shang to join her because she was in a hurry.

He Zhao Jun took her to the Ministry of Justice. Shao Shang followed her inside when she saw an execution ground and Prince Xiao on the platform.

He Zhao Jun was there to execute him herself as revenge for her family. When He Zhao Jun speak to Prince Xiao, Shao Shang heard everything that happened to the He family. She was stupefied to hear about their cruel death.

When He Zhao Jun swung the guillotine, Shao Shang hastily turned around and hit a sturdy chest. It was Ling Bu Yi. He immediately hugged her and calmed her down by saying his line, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here”.

Episode 21

He Zhao Jun left the Ministry of Justice and took Prince Xiao’s decapitated head with her. Shao Shang chased after her and asked her to let Lou Yao go because she didn’t love him and she’d bully him in the future. He Zhao Jun said she was no longer He Zao Jun from the past. She needed him because she had to protect her brother, even though she didn’t love him. But Shao Shang insisted that Lou Yao shouldn’t sacrifice his happiness for her sake. He Zhao Jun was emotional, she scolded Shao Shang and rendered her speechless.

Ling Bu Yi came and calmed her down. He put Shao Shang behind him to protect her. He Zhao Jun, who saw this small gesture, said since Shao Shang had General Ling by her side, she shouldn’t try to snatch Lou Yao from her.

Ling Bu Yi instructed Shao Shang to get into his carriage. Shao Shang, who was shocked, followed the instructions in silence. Ling Bu Yi advised He Zhao Jun to be kind to others because not everyone in the world is indebted to the He family. He Zhao Jun cried.

Inside the carriage, Shao Shang asked Ling Bu Yi about the situation in Feng Yi County. Ling Bu Yi explained Feng Yi County was saved because the General put himself, his sons, and his trusted follower in the line, and fought until he was the last one alive. Shao Shang cried pitifully over her fate. She is always the unlucky one.

Lou Yao was already waiting at the entrance of the Cheng residence. When he heard that He Zhao Jun took her to witness an execution, he was enraged and about to find He Zhao Jun. However, Shao Shang stopped him and asked him to talk another day.

Shao Shang went inside the house dejectedly. She spent the night alone in silence. Whilst Lou Yao standing alone in front of the Cheng residence’s gate.

Mother and Father Cheng sat in the hall. They talked about what happened to Shao Shang. While Old Madam Cheng tried to hold on to Shao Shang’s betrothal gifts.

ove Like The Galaxy - Episode 21-5 — My precious…😁

Shao Shang announces her decision to cancel the marriage to her family. Hence, The Chengs visit the Lou residence to convey their decisions. Lou Yao refuses to accept her decision. Shao Shang takes him outside to talk to him in private because she needs to put him in the picture.

Shao Shang reminded Lou Yao that General He was kind to him, and he was like a teacher and a father to him. She also told him about the death of the He family’s sons, notably the fifth son of He family who was close to Lou Yao. Shao Shang said that General He was a great man who protected people. His sacrifice was too big to be compared to their love affair.

Shao Shang cried when speaking. She asked for Lou Yao’s forgiveness because she had wronged him. Lou Yao, with teary eyes, answered that Shao Shang never wronged him. Shao Shang had reminded him of his own word in Hua County. He used to say that he wanted to be a great man who protects people, but right now, he regrets that he cannot endure a small grievance like their situation. Lou Yao finally agrees to break off the betrothal.

It breaks my heart to see them apart. Shao Shang and Lou Yao had made many plans for their future. They might not love each other yet, but their bond was strong.

Shao Shang and Lou Yao announce their decisions to the elders. Shao Shang and Lou Yao use this opportunity to warn the First Branch of the Lou family to stop meddling with the Second Branch’s affairs anymore.

It was so sad to see them wishing a good life and good marriage with each other, while they have to be separated. I cry and cry over this scene.

At the Marquis Cheng Yang’s residence, Princess Ru Yang, Madam Chun Yu, and princess Yuchang gossiped about Shao Shang and Lou Yao’s betrothal. They also talk badly about our Shao Shang and criticize Ling Bu Yi for fighting and killing all day. Unbeknownst to them, Ling Bu Yi heard all their conversation.

He rebuked them for speaking about someone else’s marriage. Ling Bu Yi wanted Madam Chun Yu to convey a message to his father. He said that Marquis Cheng Yang had to stop pestering the Emperor over all issues (he didn’t specify it, but it seems that Ling Bu Yi wanted him to stop asking the Emperor to persuade him to be filial to Marquis Cheng Yang). And lastly, he asks them not to worry about Cheng Shao Shang’s marriage because he would be the one responsible for her marriage.

Old Madam Cheng was crying!! She was crying bitterly over the betrothal gifts. Between the wailing, she criticizes the Emperor for bullying them. Father Cheng scolded her for vilifying the Emperor.

Suddenly, Fu Deng came to announce a message from the Emperor. Old Madam was shocked, she thought the Emperor heard everything she said just then. But it turns out the message was a decree for the Cheng family to join the sacrificial ceremony on Mount Tugao.

At Tugao Mountain, Shao Shang was wandering alone when Wan Qi Qi and Cheng Yang came and find her. They wanted to take her to see the royals at the archery competition.

This was our first time meeting the royal family. But the relationship between the princesses was unharmonious. When the competition occurred, they were busy to satirize each other.

In the sitting area, Wan Qi Qi was busy telling tales about the royals when Cheng Song came and smacked her head. He scolded her for gossiping about the royals. Shao Shang who was already dispirited, become quieter when she saw Lou Yao and He Zhao Jun arrived together.