Unchained Love (Episode 33-34 Recap)

Title: Unchained Love
Also Known As: 浮图缘, Floating on the Edge, Forbidden Love
Director: Wu Qiang
Casts: Dylan Wang, Chen Yu Qi, Peter Ho, Zheng Li
Screenwriter: Li Jing Ling
Genres: Romance, Comedy, Historical
Country: China
Episodes: 36
Original Network: iQiyi
Where to Watch: iQiyi, WeTV
Adapted from the web novel: Fu Tu Yuan by You Si Jie

List of Recap:

Dear readers… I’m so sorry for the late post. We’re getting close to the finale of this Unchained Love recap, and I feel an explicable feeling that arose whenever a drama was almost ended. In this episodes 33 and 34, Bu Yin Lou had a mental breakdown. Did she really go crazy or was she just pretending? Let’s find out. Happy reading!!

New Character Appearance

Bao Zhu

Bao Zhu was Bu Yin Lou’s new maid servant. She was ordered by the Emperor to take care of her, stay by her side, and never leave her. Bao Zhu would report every single thing that she did or said to the Emperor.

Episode Recap

Episode 33

Bu Yin Lou watched the play in fear. It was obvious that the Emperor wanted to use the play as a warning that he knew about her relationship with Xiao Duo. Her fear intensifies when the Emperor brutally beat the actor who played Xiao Duo with his walking cane. Bu Yin Lou tried to stop the Emperor but he yelled at her. He looked hysterical, almost crazy with anger.

Bu Yin Lou’s actions revealed another secret that she had been keeping: Xiao Duo’s thumb ring. The Emperor saw the ring and snatched it from her neck. He threw it to the ground next to the unconscious actor and nonchalantly returned to his chair. He imitated a eunuch’s voice and told her that Bu Yin Lou must return to the palace. Bu Yin Lou stood beside him, trembling in fear.

Meanwhile, Xiao Duo and Cao Chun’ang returned to the Zhaoding Bureau. Before they went in, Xiao Duo stopped Cao Chun’ang because he felt something amiss. In a second, they were surrounded by the imperial guards. Yu Zun stepped forward and said that he was there on behalf of the Emperor to arrest Xiao Duo. Cao Chun’ang got angry and unsheathed his sword, but Xiao Duo stopped him. Although the situation was dire, Xiao Duo kept calm and replied that he would go with Yu Zun.

Meanwhile, in the Palace, Bu Yin Lou was under house arrest in Yongze Palace. When she overheard two maids gossiping about Xiao Duo who was thrown into prison, Bu Yin Lou became restless. She forced her way to Shangqiong Palace, but the only person she met unexpectedly was Bu Yin Ge.

Seeing her sister came, Bu Yin Ge went to her and bragged about how much the Emperor loved and spoiled her. When she saw that her taunt did not affect Bu Yin Lou, Bu Yin Ge became angry. She blamed Bu Yin Lou for making her life miserable. If Bu Yin Lou did not enter the palace or died as a tribute lady, she would not be married off to the West Shu. And she hated that because her face was similar to Bu Yin Lou, she had become a plaything for Yuwen Liang Shi and Murong Gao Gong.

Bu Yin Lou ridiculed her because Bu Yin Ge was afraid to confront those people. So Bu Yin Ge could only make things difficult for her. Bu Yin Lou also said that she was not like Bu Yin Ge who was willing to be other’s plaything. She said that she wanted to live with the one she loves and walked on the path she had chosen.

Bu Yin Lou reminded Bu Yin Ge that she should leave the palace as soon as possible and stop daydreaming that the Emperor dotes on her because he loves her. But Bu Yin Ge refused and said that she soon would be the Empress.

In the middle of their debate, Sun Tai Qing entered the room and convey an edict for Bu Yin Ge. The Emperor has summoned her to the Hall of Imperial Supremacy. He also told Bu Yin Lou to follow them to the hall. Bu Yin Ge left the room with a cocky expression on her face.

When they arrived at the Hall, the court was in an uproar because the Emperor wanted to appoint Bu Yin Ge as the Empress. Those officials disagree because she used to be the Prince of Nanyuan’s concubine. The Emperor beckoned Bu Yin Ge to his throne. Bu Yin Ge obediently followed his order and sat next to him with a coquettish expression. The Emperor and Bu Yin Ge’s manner disgusted the official that even Sun Tai Qing showed a worried look.

The Emperor ordered Bu Yin Ge to dance in the hall to show off her charm as his future empress. Bu Yin Ge seemed at a loss for a second, but then she started to dance. The court officials showed mixed expressions of upset, ridicule, chagrin, and embarrassment on their faces. Whispers of mocking were heard among the officials. Sun Tai Qing’s worried expression increased by several points.

Bu Yin Lou casted a glance at the officials behind him, she felt something was amiss. After the dance was over, the Emperor was very satisfied with Bu Yin Ge. But his excitement incited more anger in the officials. They started to increase their voice to the point of screaming. One of them even dared to question whether the Emperor had gone mad. But The Emperor did not seem perturbed by it. He looked like he was waiting for something.

The Empress Dowager heard the commotion at the court and decided to visit the Hall, followed by Princess Hede. She was shocked when she saw Bu Yin Ge sitting next to the Emperor on the dragon throne. The first thing she said was an order to arrest Bu Yin Ge. The Emperor did not say anything and let the eunuch take the bewildered Bu Yin Ge.

The Empress Dowager was angry and reminded her son that an empress was the mother of the nation. A role model for every woman in the country. There were many virtuous and respectable ladies in the harem, but the Emperor had to choose a wicked and impure woman who committed treason.

The Emperor asked the Empress Dowager to make sure that the empress must be chosen from the harem member. The Empress Dowager emphasized her words and said that except Bu Yin Ge, everyone from the harem was a good candidate to be an empress. The officials also agreed with Empress Dowager’s words.

The Emperor seemed satisfied with the result. He said that he would do as their wished. He asked Sun Tai Qing to read his decree that has already been written to everybody in the Hall. The decree shocked Bu Yin Lou because it appointed her as the Empress. The Empress Dowager was furious when she heard the decree.

Bu Yin Lou immediately kneeled to refuse the decree. The Emperor pursed his lips in anger because of her rejection. He said that Empress Dowager and the officials had agreed to his decision and his words as an emperor were absolute. He stared at her intently and ordered Bu Yin Lou to thank him for his grace. Bu Yin Lou was unwilling, but she had no way out.

She could only drop her body and thank the Emperor for the grace. The Emperor immediately ordered Bu Yin Lou to move to Fengyi Palace. He also ordered the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to pick an auspicious date for the coronation ceremony.

The Empress Dowager left in a huff. Bu Yin Lou instantly realized that she had fallen into the Emperor’s plan. He used Bu Yin Ge as a decoy to make the Empress Dowager and officials accepted her as an appointed empress. It was his revenge to trap her for a lifetime in the Imperial City.

Bu Yin Ge rushed to the Emperor and asked whether his words in the Hall were untrue. She really believed that the Emperor would make her the empress. The Emperor laughed at Bu Yin Ge and ridiculed her, in his eyes, how could a woman like her deserve the position? The Emperor almost beat her to death if Sun Tai Qing did not stop him. The Emperor punished Bu Yin Ge to work in the Laundry Bureau for the rest of her life.

The Emperor went to see Bu Yin Lou in Fengyi Palace. He told Bu Yin Lou that he had banished Bu Yin Ge for her. He also told her that he only loved Bu Yin Lou and she was the only Empress for him. The Emperor admitted that he put her in the highest position in the country only to trap her. He wished her to be forever lonely.

The Emperor took Bu Yin Lou to the prison to see the bloodied Xiao Duo. When she saw a guard beat Xao Duo, Bu Yin Lou immediately rushed to him. The Emperor told her that he would let Xiao Duo feel the 72 tortures of Zhaoding Bureau, which was created by Xiao Duo himself. Bu Yin Lou’s eyes were full of fear and despair.

She immediately kneeled in front of the Emperor. She admitted her sin and begged the Emperor to spare Xiao Duo. Although his voice was weak, Xiao Duo told her to stop and get up. The Emperor showed a cruel smile and took a hot iron plate. His intention was clear, he would put it on Xiao Duo’s body.

Bu Yin Lou immediately went to shield Xiao Duo. She told the Emperor to torture her instead. Bu Yin Lou admitted that she was the one who seduced Xiao Duo. She would bear all the torture on his behalf. Xiao Duo told the Emperor that if he was angry at him, he should go to him instead.

The Emperor laughed and said to Xiao Duo that every plea and tear from Bu Yin Lou would mean another torture for him. He also stated that Bu Yin Lou would be his Empress and wife. They would spend a lifetime as a loving couple. And one day, she would be buried with him. Xiao Duo who was tied to a pole could not do anything when he saw the Emperor drag Bu Yin Lou away from him.

The next day, Princess Hede asked the Emperor to deprive Bu Yin Lou and Xiao Duo of their position and banished them from the Imperial City. The Emperor knew that although Princess Hede seemed to ask for a punishment, in reality, she was pleading for them. He felt that he was betrayed by her. The Emperor got angry and said that she was the only person that he trusted, but she helped Bu Yin Lou and Xiao Duo to deceive him.

Princess Hede said that she wanted to tell him about Bu Yin Lou and Xiao Duo’s relationship. But she could not do it because she envied Bu Yin Lou. In her eyes, Bu Yin Lou was a brave woman who never give up on her fate and always be herself. When she pleaded again for Bu Yin Lou, the Emperor slapped her.

Princess Hede finally realized that the Emperor’s feelings for Bu Yin Lou were not love. He never cared for her feelings and treated her as his belonging and take this for granted. Princess Hede said that the Emperor had become someone they used to hate, someone who would trample on others. The Emperor refuted it because, in his eyes, it was Princess Hede who had to learn that time has changed and now, power is the only truth in the world.

The Emperor used the badly bruised Yuwen Liang Xu to make Princess Hede choose between Bu Yin Lou and Yuwen Liang Xu. Princess Hede was hesitant, but when the Emperor hit Yuwen Liang Xu, she made up her mind and pleaded for Yuwen Liang Xu. The Emperor said that he would fulfill his promise as long as she did not let him down.

Yuwen Liang Xu asked Princess Hede to go with him. He had buried his brother and he did not want to lose her. Princess Hede did not want to go because she could not leave her brother. But in the end, she promised that she would go with him. When they left the palace, Princess Hede realized that they had fallen into a trap when the imperial guard surrounded them. She hit Yuwen Liang Xu’s horse so it would run as fast as it could, away from the forest.

Her eyes widened in disbelief when she saw it was her brother who trapped her. Emperor said that he had to test her because he did not know if she would betray him again. In his mind, everybody wanted to leave him or begged him to spare others. And he hated it. The Emperor had become a cruel person when he suggested cutting off Yuwen Liang Xu’s limbs and putting him in a jar, so he could always be together with Princess Hede. After that, he issued a decree to arrest Yuwen Liang Xu, dead or alive.

The shocked Princess Hede was escorted back into the palace. It was Yu Zun who personally did it. In her daze, Princess Hede heard a song played in a Xun flute from outside the palace. It was Yuwen Liang Xu who stood at the top of the hill outside the Imperial City. Princess Hede crouched down and cried.

The Emperor wanted to disband Zhaoding Bureau and kill all the members, on the accord of colluding with Yuwen Liang Xu and starting a rebellion. The reason was ridiculous because the Zhaoding Bureau and Xiao Duo had contributed to pacifying the rebellion. When Yu Zun spoke his mind to the emperor, he got angry and asked Yu Zun if he dared to disobey him. Yu Zun kneeled and asked for forgiveness. He would never dare to disobey him. After that Yu Zun left to follow the order.

The Emperor called a maid to bring him a herbal soup made from tiger and deer phallus. He drank the soup in one go and ordered the maid to bring him another bowl. Sun Tai Qing reminded him not to take too many herbal soups.

Episode 34

Although the Emperor worked swiftly, Xiao Duo’s brain worked harder than his. The Emperor made his imperial guard stand by in the forest to set up an ambush for Xiao Duo’s men who fled from the city. Little did he know that the situation was the other way around. Cao Chun’ang and Tong Yun (plus Eunuch Ba, the pug) acted as bait and when the Imperial Guard prepared to attack them, She Qilang suddenly appeared with his brothers and wiped out all the Imperial Guard.

Earlier, Xiao Duo had sensed something had happened when the Emperor suddenly took Bu Yin Lou away from the Deer’s Reed Residence. He transferred the Zhaoding Bureau guards away and ordered Cao Chun’ang to see Tong Yun and She Qilang as soon as possible. And Xiao Duo had planned it before Yu Zun arrested him.

Meanwhile at the Imperial City. The Emperor fell asleep in his sedan. He dreamed of the young Prince Rong screaming at him. Saying that everything he has now originally did not belong to him. The Emperor abruptly awoke. To ease his feelings, he asked Sun Tai Qing about Bu Yin Lou. Sun Tai Qing said that according to Bao Zhu’s report since Bu Yin Lou returned from the prison, she had slept intermittently for more than twenty hours a day.

However, she had become more docile and never mentioned Xiao Duo anymore. The Emperor thought that if only Bu Yin Lou was not too stubborn, he did not have to come that far for her. After the brief conversation, the Emperor decided to go to Fengyi Palace.

Bu Yin Lou stared at the table full of food, but she did not touch her chopstick at all. Only when the Emperor came, she took the rice bowl and started to eat. The Emperor came and ridiculed her because although Xiao Duo was in prison, she was heartless enough to still enjoy her food. Bu Yin Lou answered all his ridicule with an indifferent attitude. Her answers were perfunctory and she did not seem to care about the Emperor’s words. And this situation irked the Emperor.

He threw her rice bowl away and yelled that a wench (like her) who betrayed him did not deserve to live comfortably. Bu Yin Lou sighed and called the Emperor by his name, Murong Gao Gong, and said that she did not owe him anything. They never had reciprocal feelings, so there was no betrayal. The Emperor replied emotionally that he loved her and he had offended the world for her.

So, she did owe him everything. Bu Yin Lou raised her face and stared at the Emperor intently and said that she was sick of his wishful thinking. He never cared about her or her feelings and he did not know anything about her, then how could it be love? In her eyes, the Emperor was a pathetic person who was obsessed with love.

All his time, he always wanted power, so in the name of love, he used her as a tool to become a tyrant. And it made him feel happy. Yet, the Emperor knew that every step he took showed his incapability. So he tried to control her, something that was hard to possess, to prove that he was not a useless person. Because deep down inside, he knew everything he had originally did not belong to him.

Her last word poked the wound in the Emperor’s heart. He blamed Bu Yin Lou. In his mind, because of her, Xiao Duo forced him to enter the chaos of Imperial City. Also because of her, he killed his own nephew. Bu Yin Lou refused to be blamed. She refuted that every single step the Emperor took was his choice.

It was he who refused to spare himself. And then Bu Yin Lou cursed him with a blatant loath in her eyes. The Emperor could not hold himself and slapped her. But Bu Yin Lou slapped him back. The Emperor was stunned before he immediately drove out everybody in the room.

The Emperor gripped her throat, pushed Bu Yin Lou to the phoenix chair, and cursed her. He told her that he made her an empress, so she should obey, love, thank, and treat him as her only master. Bu Yin Lou raised her brows and said if he could insist on her, why could she not like Xiao Duo? The Emperor was livid when Bu Yin Lou said that she hated him and she questioned the reason that made him dare to ask her to love and be grateful to him.

The Emperor threatened to kill her, and Bu Yin Lou challenged him to do it because she knew that he could not do it. She was an empress and if she died before the coronation, his prestige as an emperor would crumble.

Bu Yin Lou told the Emperor that all she wanted was to live a free life and never become a puppet for others. Because the Emperor refused to listen and keep repeating that she never obeyed him, Bu Yin Lou told him a story. It was another version of their life where she became an obedient, sensible, and gentle consort. Bu Yin Lou said that she might love him and they would have a son together. Their life as a husband and wife was bliss.

But then she would team up with Xiao Duo to revolt and kill the Emperor with poisoned wine. Bu Yin Lou would ask Xiao Duo to make their child to be the emperor and she would be the Empress Dowager. She would control the court and her words become the rule. Together with Xiao Duo, they would control the six palaces together. The Emperor was stunned before he muttered that Xiao Duo had made her crazy.

When he could not take it anymore, the Emperor left Fengyi Palace. But before he left, he got a novel idea in his mind. He would dismember Xiao Duo with 5 horses as a gift for her coronation. And the Emperor would do it when they paraded in the city. The Emperor seemed satisfied with his idea and started to laugh.

At the prison, Xiao Duo tore a piece of fabric from his clothes and wrote a letter with his blood. The content was, “Three days later, at noon”. He stuffed the letter into a man-made crack at the corner of a wall. It seemed that the crack was a secret place to exchange letters. After he stuffed the letter, Xiao Duo returned to the table and sat quietly.

Bao Zhu supported Bu Yin Lou to try her newly made phoenix robe and coronet for the coronation ceremony. There was something wrong with Bu Yin Lou that day. She looked at the dress and said that the color was wrong. It should have been white and not red. Bao Zhu was confused. But the confusion started to change into fear when Bu Yin Lou talked about the burial day.

She remembered that yesterday she was at the temple where the Tribute Ladies died. She talked in a daze about the white ribbon that was hanging on the crossbeam and pairs of women’s feet that kicked and made the ribbon flutter.

Bao Zhu’s fear intensified when Bu Yin Lou said that she was already dead on burial day. At that time, Xiao Duo was the last person she saw. He was there to send them off. Bao Zhu carefully asked who were they that Bu Yin Lou mentioned. Bu Yin Lou replied by pointing her finger up at the roof as if she saw many people floating in the air. Bao Zhu ran off to call an imperial physician for her. Bu Yin Lou was left alone in the room.

She was still in a daze and whispered about she would not care about anything at all. Position and honor were only a joke. Imperial City was a place that would separate her from her beloved and devour them. If they intended to push her too far, they could wait to see who could risk it all and overturn heaven.

That night, Bu Yin Lou dressed in white and went to Chengyuan Palace. She recited a poem and danced at a pavilion. The atmosphere was eerily quiet. Only her voice and the wind were heard that night. Two eunuchs were walking down an alley and saw her. They were shocked and crouched down behind the railing. They thought she was Noble Consort Shao and ran away in fear. Bu Yin Lou kept on reciting the poem while remembering the emperor’s words that he had been haunted by his nephew, Prince Rong.

Bao Zhu went to Shangqiong Palace in panic. She reported that Bu Yin Lou was possessed. The Emperor was stunned but he did not believe in Bao Zhu’s words. He went to Fengyi Palace and saw Bu Yin Lou had ruined the phoenix robe and coronet. She muttered that if she could not use them, then nobody could. The Emperor told her to stop playing tricks. Yet, he could not decide whether Bu Yin Lou was pretending or not.

The rumor about Bu Yin Lou had been possessed by Noble Consort Shao was spread quickly to the ear of the court officials. They begged the Emperor to take back his decision of choosing Bu Yin Lou as the empress. The Emperor refused and threatened to kill any of them who was against his decision.

The Emperor went to Fengyi Palace to tell Bu Yin Lou about the situation. Although Bu Yin Lou seemed not to pay attention, he kept talking. He said that Bu Yin Lou had succeeded with her trick. But no matter what happened, whether she was really crazy or not, he would still hold the ceremony as scheduled. Bu Yin Lou did not respond and kept on uttering the poem endlessly.

That night, Xiao Duo broke out from jail through a secret passage and left countless dead bodies of the imperial guards. His action angered the Emperor who vented it on Yu Zun who was clueless about the secret passage. He ordered Yu Zun to find Xiao Duo as soon as possible.

Cao Chun’ang and She Qilang brought Xiao Duo to the Dream House backyard, where the rest of their brothers from Zhaoding Bureau had been waiting for them. Tong Yun and the pug was also there. It turned out that Yuwen Liang Xu was the one who brought them to hide in that place. Miss Meng, who ran the Dream House was not pleased with the situation. But she was a kind person and he cared about her apprentice, Yuwen Liang Xu. So she let them stay if Xiao Duo was willing to pay more…😅

The Emperor was furious because Yu Zun failed to find Xiao Duo. His emotional condition and the effect of the herbal soup made his nose bleed. Amidst his confusion, the Emperor was hallucinating and saw his nephew, Prince Rong calling him again and again. The Emperor had an idea to set up a trap for Xiao Duo at the coronation ceremony. He was sure that Xiao Duo would come and try to take Bu Yin Lou away.

On the coronation day, Bu Yin Lou was still in a dazed state when the maidservants help her to wear the phoenix robe and coronet. Sun Tai Qing tried to remind the Emperor to think thrice about his plan. But the Emperor was not pleased with his words and ordered the guard to lock Sun Tai Qing up.

Bu Yin Lou and the Emperor were not the only people who prepared for the big day. Xiao Duo also did the same. However, when he stepped out of his room, Xiao Duo was stunned to see Cao Chun’ang, She Qilang, and their brothers standing up in front of his door, waiting for him. They were determined to help him take back his precious wife. Tong Yun did not join them, but she asked every one of them to come back alive.

The Emperor and the imperial guards were ready to set up a trap. On a certain road, every building was packed with archers. She Qilang blended between the people and saw many guards hiding. Yu Zun who rode in the front saw a man clad in black riding a horse and stopped the parade.

He immediately recognized the double sword and was sure that the man was Xiao Duo. He ordered the guards to catch him. Inside the carriage, the Emperor lazily sat and watch the commotion with great interest.

My Musing

Did the Emperor slowly turn crazy? He seemed mentally unstable.🤨

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Unchained Love (Episode 35-36 Recap) – The End