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

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.. this is the last episode recap of our dearest drama, Unchained Love. I have a bittersweet feeling that overwhelmed me every time my recap project ended. I always have a small thought in my mind that kept on wondering whether my dear readers love my recap or the drama that I choose. And wonder if they would wait for another recap? Well… if you have any ideas what drama I should write next, feel free to send us a message in the comment box below. Lastly… thank you so much for being patient with me. I love you all!

Table of Contents

Episode Recap

Episode 35

Unchained Love recap - episode 35(1)

Yu Zun took the imperial guards to chase the man in black. He rode his horse fast in small alleys skillfully that Yu Zun had to jump off the roofs to chase him. When he got the opportunity to release arrows, they only hit the bamboo hat and revealed Cao Chun’ang’s smiling face. Yu Zun was stunned when he realized that he was deceived.

Meanwhile, the real Xiao Duo had disguised himself as one of the Imperial Guards who protected the dragon carriage (the Emperor’s carriage). After he saw Yu Zun take the guards away, Xiao Duo charged to the phoenix carriage (the Empress’s carriage) with a sword to attack the guards. She Qilang and the Zhaoding Guards followed suit.

The hidden guards who stood by at the buildings around the street showed themselves and started to release arrows to Xiao Duo and his men. Strangely, the Emperor did not seem perturbed, he indifferently saw the commotion as if he did not care about it. However, he stared at Xiao Duo intently while his hand slowly reached for a wooden ornament on the side of his dragon chair.

Xiao Duo was able to approach the phoenix carriage and opened the curtain. The woman who sat inside the carriage wore a phoenix robe but her face was covered with a red handkerchief. She was tied to the chair. Xiao Duo took off the handkerchief and saw Bu Yin Ge. There was a fabric stuffed in her mouth. When Xiao Duo pulled out the fabric, Bu Yin Ge immediately told Xiao Duo that he fell into a trap and Bu Yin Lou was at the dragon carriage.

As soon as she said that, countless arrows flew in his direction from the dragon carriage. It turned out the wooden gear in the dragon chair could activate a mechanism in the carriage. The Emperor modified his dragon carriage to be an automatic crossbow that could release many arrows in no time. Although Xiao Duo was an expert, he was overwhelmed by those arrows.

When he dodged arrows, an arrow flew past him directly into the phoenix carriage and stabbed Bu Yin Ge’s heart. When he saw her, Bu Yin Ge was already dead. Xiao Duo flew to the carriage roof, but he could not dodge an arrow and got shot. His body fell to the ground with a loud thud.

After a time that felt like forever, Xiao Duo stood up in a daze. The Emperor saw Xiao Duo walked to his carriage. He stood up and opened the curtain door. Xiao Duo saw him and he threw the sword in his hand in his direction. But the Emperor dodged it. Xiao Duo’s stride became much stronger as if he had more energy to fight the Emperor.

But when he raised his hand to throw an arrow, Xiao Duo was frozen. He saw the Emperor holding the unconscious Bu Yin Lou in his left arm, while his right hand was in her throat. He got a vicious smile on his face. Xiao Duo could not take the risk so he surrendered. She Qilang, Yuwen Liang Xu, and the rest of the Zhaoding guards were arrested too.

The Emperor ordered the Imperial Guards to execute Xiao Duo by dismembering him with 5 horses. Everybody was stunned that the Emperor would dismember Xiao Duo in front of his newly crowned empress and the public. Even Yu Zun could not hide his disapproving expression at the Emperor’s action.

The Emperor announced that Xiao Duo dared to disrespect royal power and he could not be forgiven. Xiao Duo replied that the royal power was lofty and treated others as objects and withered grass. His voice was getting louder when he said that he did not accept it and he would contend with the highest authority in the world.

Bu Yin Lou broke free from the Emperor’s clutches and jumped from the carriage. She ran to Xiao Duo’s direction but two guards stopped her and she was too weak to fight them. So Bu Yin Lou started to cry. The Emperor saw everything in excitement. However, his smile froze when Bu Yin Lou started to laugh crazily and recited the poem again. Everybody stared at her in shock, including the Emperor.

Yuwen Liang Xu opened his mouth and started to yell “Murong Gao Gong is without benevolence and virtue. He killed Prince Rong and usurped the throne.” She Qilang and the Zhaoding guards followed suit. The Emperor’s eyes widened when he heard the words. But he was not the only one who was shocked. The people who watched from the side also listened to the words and started to whisper to one another. In no time, they also started to yell “Foolish Emperor is tyrannical.”

This time, the Emperor really panicked. He had to stop the words from spreading so he told Yu Zun to kill the people. Yu Zun was shocked but he could not disobey the order. Things become chaotic when the Imperial Guards targeted the people. Nobody was spared even women and children.

She Qilang, Yuwen Liang Xu, and the Zhaoding guards used the chance to break free from the guards. During a critical time, Cao Chun’ang rode fast and threw the sword to cut one of the ropes tied to Xiao Duo. He moved swiftly to kill most of the guards surrounding Xiao Duo and free him from the ropes. He supported Xiao Duo to flee but he would not budge. Xiao Duo walked to the Emperor and killed everybody who got in his way.

The Emperor become scared and yelled to his guards to stop Xiao Duo and not let him come near. It took two guards to stop Xiao Duo. When he almost touched Bu Yin Lou, Yu Zun suddenly appeared and kicked him. He almost stabbed Xiao Duo with a spear if She Qilang did not stop him.

Xiao Duo and his men were too tired to fight anymore. They lost the fight and had to retreat. This time, Yu Zun disobeyed the Emperor’s order who told him to kill Xiao Duo. He just stood in an attack position but did not move forward. The Emperor was furious when he saw Xiao Duo flee. The supposedly happy occasion ended with dead bodies strewn all over the road.

At the palace, the Empress Dowager ordered Eunuch Zhang to take Bu Yin Lou away from Fengyi Palace and imprisoned her at the Fugu Temple. As she walked to the temple, Bu Yin Lou thought that the temple must have had some grudge against her. After a long twist and turn, she had to return to the place where it all began.

Xiao Duo, Yuwen Liang Xu, She Qilang, and the pale Cao Chun’ang gathered in a room. Xiao Duo said that the incident with Bu Yin Lou has spun out of control. And because Great Ye did not tolerate a crazy empress, he was worried that Bu Yin Lou’s life would be difficult.

Xiao Duo ordered Cao Chun’ang and She Qilang to tell their brothers to spread the news that Murong Gao Gong had killed Prince Rong. When he did not hear Cao Chun’ang’s response, Xiao Duo noticed that he was not in good shape. Tong Yun who just entered the room panicked.

Everybody was shocked when they found out that Cao Chun’ang was injured in the fight. As he leaned towards Xiao Duo, the deathly pale Cao Chun’ang said that he always regarded Xiao Duo as his elder brother. He was happy that at the end of his life, he could be surrounded by his family and asked Xiao Duo to protect Tong Yun. Everybody’s expression turned grim while Tong Yun cried profusely. She Qilang could not hold his tears and punched the wall to vent his emotion.

Xiao Duo stared at Cao Chun’ang in disbelief when Cao Chun’ang closed his eyes and his body became lifeless. She Qilang could not hold back his tears and Tong Yun wailed for her husband. Nobody believed that Cao Chun’ang had died.

Until Xiao Duo’s finger touched Cao Chun’ang’s vein and felt that he was alive. He pushed Cao Chun’ang away and told him to wake up because he was not dead yet…🤣

Tong Yun and the rest were dumbfounded while Cao Chun’ang pretended to be surprised that he lived again…😅. Yuwen Liang Xu had to stop She Qilang from beating up Cao Chun’ang. She Qilang was angry because he already shed tears for him. Cao Chun’ang told Xiao Duo that he was fine, therefore Bu Yin Lou would be fine too.

Xiao Duo understood that Cao Chun’ang wanted to ease the gloomy atmosphere and cheer him up. So he said that there must be another way to save Bu Yin Lou, at worst, he would just break into the Imperial City.

The rumor that the Emperor killed Prince Rong circulated wildly among the people. One of the court officials suggested the Emperor reinvestigate the death of Prince Rong. So the people could learn the truth and the Emperor’s name could be cleared. The rest of the court agreed with the suggestion.

How could Murong Gao Gong did not realize the meaning behind the official’s words? He got angry and took Yu Zun’s sword to punish the official. Sun Tai Qing tried to stop him but failed, the Emperor stabbed the official and killed him on the spot. The Emperor almost killed another official when the Empress Dowager rushed to the hall.

The Empress Dowager screamed that the Emperor was immoral and cruel. She threatened to issue a decree to depose him. But before she did that, the Emperor announced that the Empress Dowager had become old and she should stay at her Shouhe Palace.

The Empress Dowager was so angry to hear she was confined by her unfilial son that she fainted. The court was in uproar again. The Emperor disbanded the court and told the official that they did not have to attend the court anymore. He left the hall afterward.

Sun Tai Qing and Yu Zun escorted the Emperor back to Shangqiong Palace. The Emperor was worried Xiao Duo would try to kill him and told Yu Zun to dispatch more troops to protect him.

After Yu Zun left, Sun Tai Qing worriedly tried to remind the Emperor that he had made mistakes. He massacred the people, kill an official, imprisoned the Empress Dowager, and disbanded the court. The Emperor looked at him in shock. He said Sun Tai Qing would not say that. Sun Tai Qing was the one who taught him that as an emperor, he should make people submit to him and fear him.

They had to bend to his will and anybody who disobeys would be killed. Sun Tai Qing was stunned. He got down on his knees and begged the Emperor to stop making mistakes. The Emperor kept muttering that anybody who disobeyed should be killed. He took out his sword and stabbed Sun Tai Qing’s body. When Sun Tai Qing realized his mistake, it was too late. He was the one who made a mistake in the first place.

The Emperor has lost his mind… Poor Sun Tai Qing. I never liked him, but his death was too tragic…😩

Princess Hede was aghast when she heard all news about his brother from her maid, Ruolan. She wanted to see Bu Yin Lou and asked Ruolan to pretend to be her.

The Emperor went to Fugu Temple to see Bu Yin Lou. He stared at her and asked whether she was satisfied because he was being cornered right now. Bu Yin Lou gave no response and kept muttering the poem. From behind the door, Princess Hede watched her brother and Bu Yin Lou intently. That night, Ruolan delivered a letter to Yuwen Liang Xu. He was stunned when he read the content.

Xiao Duo and his friends gathered to discuss their plan to enter the Imperial City. However, they need an inside man and unfortunately, they already had their men withdraw from the city. Suddenly Yuwen Liang Xu came and gave them a way out. He showed Princess Hede’s letter to Xiao Duo. She wrote that her brother was tyrannical and she was disheartened. She offered her help if Xiao Duo planned to save Bu Yin Lou.

Yu Zun came to deliver Princess Hede’s daily necessities. She asked about the Emperor’s condition. Yu Zun replied that the Emperor could not sleep and eat well. He was anxious and restless. Princess Hede wanted to return to his brother’s side and asked for help from Yu Zun. However, he hesitated because he did not have enough power to help her. Princess Hede had already considered his situation and offered Yu Zun a plan.

The Emperor still could not understand how Bu Yin Lou could become a madwoman. And he still could not decide whether she was pretending or not. The Emperor was very happy when he heard a report that Xiao Duo was seen on the northern border. He thought if Bu Yin Lou knew that Xiao Duo had abandoned her, she would stop pretending.

Yu Zun offered a suggestion to the Emperor. There was a person who could help the Emperor with Bu Yin Lou’s matter. And the person was Princess Hede. She treated Bu Yin Lou as her sister, therefore she must know whether Bu Yin Lou was really mad or not.

The Emperor accepted the suggestion and took Princess Hede to the Fugu Temple. Before they entered the building, the Emperor threatened Princess Hede. She promised that she would not betray him again. The Emperor was satisfied with her answer and they entered the building.

Episode 36

Princess Hedde went into the room to see Bu Yin Lou while the Emperor waited outside. However, things did not go as he wished. Bu Yin Lou still showed a dazed expression on her face. When Princess Hede mentioned that Xiao Duo had escaped and left her, Bu Yin Lou only showed a little reaction. When Princess Hede gave her the fish immortal pendant.

Bu Yin Lou took it and smiled. But then she repeatedly recite the poem and her voice became louder before she shoved Princess Hede to the floor. The Emperor was shocked. He always thought that Bu Yin Lou was only pretending. Now he believed that she really had become mad. Yet, he could not accept the fact that he was the one who drove Bu Yin Lou into madness. He immediately left the temple as if he ran away from the ghost.

That night, Bu Yin Lou stared at the fish immortal pendant and realized that there was a letter stuffed into it. She took it and read the letter. When Bao Zhu came to deliver the food, she was shocked to find the room dark and Bu Yin Lou curled up on the floor. She muttered some words about darkness. Bai Zhu calmed her down and said she would bring more candles for her. When she came back later, she brought a few maids to light more candles.

As they left, Bu Yin Lou stood up and took some oil from each of the candle holders, and poured it into the bucket. After that, she tore a piece of cloth from her dress and tied it to the window bars. Bu Yin Lou was doing it to count the days. A piece of cloth for each day that passes.

Far from the temple, on a place higher than the hill outside the Imperial City, Xiao Duo saw the action. He understood her intention and then ordered She Qilang to prepare his brother to do “work” for him. Yuwen Liang Xu was curious about the “work”, but Xiao Duo paid no heed to it. It was She Qilang who asked Yuwen Liang Xu to come with him with a playful look on his face.

It appears that “the work” was a plan to entertain Bu Yin Lou. Xiao Duo made his men fly several kites. A luminous bag was tied to every kite. Yuwen Liang Xu who was holding a kite string sneered that only a bootlicker like Xiao Duo would do such a thing for women.

When Xiao Duo released an arrow, those bags burst and the fireflies inside those bags created a figure of two fish. The fish was so impressive that even Yuwen Liang Xu forgot his words and asked Xiao Duo to lend him some kites too… 😅. Bu Yin Lou saw the fish from his windowsill and liked it very much.

Yu Zun reported some urgent state affairs to the Emperor. There were many things that happened outside of the Imperial City. Pirates ran amok, locusts destroyed the crops, corruption was everywhere, and the people were furious. Those things started to happen after the Emperor decided to abandon the court. Many court officials suddenly took sick leave, or suddenly retired and went back to their hometown.

The Emperor laughed at himself. He recalled when he called Xiao Duo his weapon. And now when the weapon is gone, the demons and devils could not be suppressed anymore. He began to question whether he could not do anything without Xiao Duo’s help. Yu Zun did not say a word and let the Emperor wonder.

However, he looked restless and the Emperor saw that. He asked what happened and hesitantly, Yu Zun told him about another rumor that had been circulating lately. It was said that people knew that the Emperor’s lower body was seriously injured and that he could not have any children in the future. The Emperor only laughed at the rumor.

Later the Emperor dreamed of Bu Yin Lou. She came to him with a lantern but then she started to burn inside and vanished. The Emperor was thirsty but there was no water in his cup and nobody by his side.

When Princess Hede went to find her brother, she saw two maids came out from Shangqiong Palace. They brought a tray full of cold food powder (it probably was some kind of drug). When Princess Hede came, she saw her brother surrounded by women. She was angry and drove all the women away.

She reported that she had learned about what happened to their country recently. Princess Hede took the initiative to visit several officials and they had come up with plans. She was there to tell the Emperor about the plans so he could decide on them.

The Emperor looked at her and told her to leave. Princess Hede got furious and yelled that he was the Emperor who was supposed to be a protector of the people. He could not give up on himself and abandon the country. The Emperor sneered that everybody mocked him and all of those people deserved to die.

Since nobody stayed by his side and protected him, he no longer cared about anything that happened to Great Ye. Princess Hede swallowed her anger and told her brother that the lantern festival was coming. She planned to hold it in the Palace to bring good luck. The Emperor only said that it was up to her. Princess Hede casted a furious glance at him and left.

When the Lantern Festival finally arrived, Yu Zun was busy inspecting each lantern that was being presented by the people for the Emperor. Every lantern is finely crafted and beautiful. However, Meng Jieyu’s lantern was beyond that. It was bigger than a carriage and there were beautiful dancing fish on top of the carriage. It was so grand that even Yu Zun was amazed to see it.

When he was about to inspect it, Meng Jieyu tactfully avoided it and said that Princess Hede especially waited for her lantern. As he was afraid that he would ruin the lantern, Yu Zun let the lantern pass. Thank goodness, because inside the lantern was full of people. Xiao Duo and his men used eunuch uniforms and hid in the lantern. At that time, She Qilang was already prepared to attack if Yu Zun opened their hiding place.

The palace was merry and everyone was so happy to see the festivities. Ruolan walked alone to a certain lantern. She looked around and knocked on its wall several times and left. Not long after, Xiao Duo and his men emerged from it.

Meanwhile, the hustle and bustle of the festival woke up the Emperor. He opened his bedroom door and called Sun Tai Qing. He told the eunuch to check what happened but then the Emperor remembered that he had killed his most loyal servant. The Emperor went to the windows and watched the magnificent lanterns displayed outside his window.

The sight reminded him of the night when he was celebrating the lantern festival with Bu Yin Lou. That year, he made a courtyard filled with revolving lanterns for Bu Yin Lou. He was so happy when Bu Yin Lou complimented his hard work. The memory brought tears to his eyes.

Yu Zun came to report about the Lantern Festival. The Emperor had forgotten about it and said that he wanted to go to the Fugu temple, so he and Yu Zun went there. Unbeknownst to them, Xiao Duo was also there. He saw the Emperor walked with difficulty to the tower. When Yu Zun wanted to assist him to climb the tower, the Emperor told him to wait down the stairs.

Bu Yin Lou was restless inside her room, she stared at the buckets full of lamp oil. She remembered the letter that was stuffed inside the fish immortal pendant. Inside the letter, Xiao Duo explained his plan and asked her to act according to his plan. The Emperor stood outside the door, he canceled his plan to enter the room. So he talked to Bu Yin Lou from the outside.

The Emperor reminisced about the last lantern festival. He wanted to take her to see the festival and forget about the past. However, he felt that nothing mattered now because he had decided to keep her by his side forever. The Emperor dropped the key and left. He told Yu Zun to seal up the tower. Yu Zun reminded him that Mrs. Yin Lou would not be able to live anymore. But the Emperor wanted her to stay by his side forever, it did not matter whether she lived or died.

Yu Zun was stunned at the order. He could not disobey it so he took some of his men to Bu Yin Lou’s door. He asked for her forgiveness before he sealed up the door. Bu Yin Lou banged on the door and told him not to seal it but it was futile. So she burned down the door. Xiao Duo saw the fire lit at the top of the temple. He took his double sword and climbed up to the Fugu temple.

Inside the palace, the Emperor sat on his dragon chair with a blank look. Princess Hede walked up to him when she saw the small light up in the Fugu Temple direction, she understood that their plan had worked. She took the Emperor and asked him to walk with her to see the lanterns.

Bu Yin Lou saw the bright fire in front of her. She took her fish immortal pendant and talked to it. She admitted that all this time she never believed in it. But if the immortal fish saved her life, she would start to worship it….🤣

Xiao Duo saw the door was burned and smashed it. He also knocked out all the candelabra so it would burn all the furniture in the room. Before he took Bu Yin Lou away, Xiao Duo threw his double sword into the fire amidst Bu Yin Lou’s protest. He said he was no longer the chief of the Zhaoding Bureau so he did not need the swords anymore.

Xiao Duo and Bu Yin Lou encountered Yu Zun and his patrolling guards. Although they hid behind a statue, Yu Zun could recognize Xiao Duo and Bu Yin Lou’s postures from behind. He pondered for a while and let them get away. Bu Yin Lou was confused about why Yu Zun let them go but Xiao Duo understood his intention. When they passed by the mask stall, Xiao Duo took a mask for him and gave another one to Bu Yin Lou. They walked to the exit door with a mask on their faces.

In the middle of the road, they accidentally met with the Emperor and Princess Hede. The Emperor could recognize their posture, so he was suspicious and stopped them. He tried to pry through their mask and told them to take it off. Princess Hede panicked and told him not to bother them. On the side of the road, She Qilang and his brothers were ready to attack the Emperor.

The time passed by so slowly. When the Emperor reached his hand to take the mask off their face, Yu Zun reported that the Fugu Temple was burnt. The Emperor was shocked and ran into the temple. Princess Hede stood for a while and told Xiao Duo and Bu Yin Lou to leave.

The pair of lovers were finally free from the shackles that bind them. They ran towards their freedom, free from the walls of the Imperial City which surrounded them like a prison. They never knew whether they could really be free, but they had to try.

The Emperor stared at the brightly lit room up in the Fugu Temple. There were indescribable feelings that rose within him. When Yu Zun reported that he had found Bu Yin Lou’s body, he was stunned. He dropped his cane and walked away from the temple. In the middle of the road, he fell sideways. Yu Zun who stared at his master saw it and immediately went up to check on him.

The End.

My Musing

Ahhhh… I really wondered what happened to the Emperor, was he okay, or maybe the death of Bu Yin Lou hit him too hard and he died? I hoped that whatever happened to her, Princess Hede would ascend to the throne. She was a much better leader than her brother.

Thank you for always being there Dear Readers… I’ll see you in another series of recap episodes. Ciao!

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