I have finally caught up with the drama this weekend, with so much story and plot left in the last 10 episodes that it feels a little rushed. Plus it’s tough to say good bye to a good drama with sizzling leads, great cinematography, suave action scenes (esp by Wu Lei) and CGI that you aren’t aware of. Even the supporting cast has their little stories and endings, with so heart in their story development.
The drama is still airing for VIP folks who did not buy the Finale bundle so I believe it will still cause some stir in the next two weeks when the larger audience watched it. For now, I will just recap major plot developments in this post, so do expect spoilers.
From where we last left off:
Ling Buyi interrogated Peng Kun in private and could not get anything out of him, the next day, Yuan Shen came to take Peng Kun back to the govt jail.
Peng Kung’s wife, Wang Ling, divulged some secrets to ShaoShang and this caused a rift between our leads. Basically, ShaoShang found out all the secret plots that Ling Buyi has been planning. She asked him to tell her everything and she is willing to believe. He looked like he wanted to say before he got called off to Crown Prince’s.
Peng Kun died in jail, over asthma. Ling Buyi went crazy at his father Ling Yi, he knew he did it.
That night, he drank himself silly and almost told ShaoShang who he really is, but before he could, news of her mother dying came.
Huo JunHua is at her last breath. Before she died, she told Ling Buyi that we must take revenge and then she passed on. At her funeral, Ling Buyi and Cheng ShaoShang vowed to be together no matter what, so they bit each other’s forearms. And again, she asked if he is hiding anything from her, and this time, he firmly said no. (Different from the first two occasions, if anyone noticed.)
Because of these sudden events, Peng Kun’s death, Huo JunHua’s death, Ling Buyi is reduced to the last resort which is to carry out revenge his own way. His wedding to ShaoShang is also coming up soon because if they don’t get married within a certain period, they will have to wait 3 years for the mourning period to be over. (Everything is coming together so wrong for Ling Buyi.)
So on Ling Yi’s 50th birthday celebration, he went. He went on a killing spree, killed everyone at Ling Residence and admitted to Ling Yi that he is Huo Wushang and NOT Ling Buyi. Just when he is done, ShaoShang arrived at the scene and witnessed everything. He told her that he had to do it before they are married if not, his doings will get the Cheng family into trouble. Therefore he told her that their relationship is done, over, the end.
Ling Buyi walked out of Ling’s, knowing he would be killed but ShaoShang came riding on her horse and saved him. They rode to a cliff, and Ling Buyi saw that the soldiers are going to kill her along with him, so he decided to jump off the cliff. And this made ShanShang so angry. She wants to be with him no matter what, he wants to make sure she is safe no matter what. Arghhh.
The entire court is appealing for Ling Buyi to be punished, 3rd Prince came to ShaoShang who is ill and asked her to defend Ling Buyi in court. She went but in anger, she did her part and revealed what she knows – that Ling Buyi is Huo WuShang, therefore he is just doing his part to revenge for his father Huo Chong. The King believed her, and asked 3rd Prince to go to the mountain and search for Ling Buyi.
Ling Buyi was found but is badly injured and also almost froze to death. They treated him and when he was well enough to sit up, the King interrogated him in court, asking what had happened.
And so Ling Buyi said:
I was delivering almond fruits to my father Huo Chong at his study when he and Ling Yi came in, so I hid. Ling Yi persuaded my father to surrender to which he refused, and so Ling Yi stabbed him from behind and killed him. After Ling Yi is done, another general came into the study room and asked Ling Yi why he did it. Ling Yi said that Huo Chong refused to surrender so he did what he has to and asked the General to spare his family. The General said no way, everyone in this city will die, only Ling Yi will live.
The entire place was up in flames and I fainted. Maybe Heaven took pity on me, it rained, and when I woke up, I found the place full of corpses, everyone died, and I found my aunt (Huo Junhua) but she shushed me up, hid us in the corpses for two days two nights before we sneaked out of the city. Aunt became half-crazy and keeps chanting Ah Li, we go back to capital, go back to capital. We became beggars, eating whatever and drink whatever we can find and took two years before we reach the capital city. Aunt only calls me as Ah Li and I decided to give my name as Ling Bu Yi. Two of us are no match to Ling Yi and this is the only way to be safe before I can take revenge when I am strong enough.
The King by now is in tears. And he asked Ling Buyi what his name is, and finally he said, “Huo Wu Shang.” (But everyone in the drama called him Huo Buyi after this.)
Despite all these, Huo Buyi still needs to be punished and he asked to be sent to the borders for 7 years, and breaking up his marriage with ShaoShang. When he left, she sent her brother to return his private seal back.
At the same time, the Queen asked to be removed from her position so that the King can choose another Crown Prince who is more suitable. With this, the Queen is confined to ChangQiu Palace and ShaoShang decided to accompany the Queen in ChangQiu Palace and for 5 years, she did not get out of the palace and see anyone, not even her family.
Same thing, Huo Buyi just fought and fought fierce battles at Xi Bei (North-West) for 5 years too.
FIVE YEARS LATER
On New Year’s Day, the Queen fainted, the doctors said she doesn’t have long to live. So the King decided to summon Huo Buyi back to the capital. The Queen hopes to see ShaoShang get married while she is alive therefore ShaoShang decided to get engaged with Yuan Shen since he asked, and he does not mind that ShaoShang still has Huo Buyi in her heart.
Very soon, Huo Buyi is back. And after reporting to the King, he met ShaoShang by chance at the palace gate. They had a brief but cold exchange. ShaoShang looks like she just came back to the palace after going out with Yuan Shen.
Luo JiTong is also back from Xi Bei and she so very much wanted to marry Huo Buyi but he sent dowry and a bronze mirror to Luo Residence and asked that she find a good man to marry. Because of this, her family kicked her out of the house.
Left with no choice, Luo JiTong plotted to get rid of Cheng ShaoShang as she knows that Huo Buyi still has ShaoShang in his heart. But her plot failed as Huo Buyi arrived in time to save ShaoShang while Luo JiTong along with the horse carriage fell off the cliff.
And then the Queen died. The two of them rushed back to see the Queen one last time. The Queen wishes for Huo Buyi to let go of the past and move on, likewise for ShaoShang not to waste time like she did. The Queen wishes for the two of them to get back together but she knows it can’t be forced but she also knows life is short so please treasure who you have and not have any regrets. Her last words were to the King that even though she is blessed to meet the King this life, she does not wish to meet the King the next life and then she passed away.
After the Queen passes on, ShaoShang and Huo Buyi had a meal together and she confirms that she still can’t forgive him and so they parted ways. But she also broke up her engagement with Yuan Shen. And the three of them set off in three different directions, leaving the capital.
ShaoShang got lured to Hua City by Lou Li (Lou Yao’s sister), Yuan Shen met a mishap near Hua City along the way to save 3rd prince and Huo Buyi while going back Xi Bei found out about it and rushed to Hua City.
At Hua City, a mysterious person instigated Lou Li to kill ShaoShang and we found out that it is Lou Ben’s wife who has been plotting along to get all of them trapped in the basement of the Lou residence’s temple. Her plan almost succeeded if not for Huo Buyi’s intervention who rushed in time to save all of them. His men helped to get Yuan Shen, Lou Yao’s wife He ZhaoJun and ShaoShang out of the basement but before Huo Buyi could, Lou Ben’s wife came and stopped him from climbing up the ladder. And then we heard a huge explosion.
ShaoShang thought that Huo Buyi is dead and cried ever so loudly.
But miraculously, Huo Buyi stepped into the temple alive, and ShaoShang ran to him and hugged him. Huo Buyi was like “ShaoShang, are you forgiving me?” (Of course she did.)
Now that they are back together, both of them quickly set off separately to save the 3rd Prince and the Guo City in danger. Huo Buyi managed to save the 3rd Prince while ShaoShang helped Guo City’s folks.
For the ending, Huo Buyi and ShaoShang confessed their love to one another and we get an ending kiss. And then we switched the scene to the King who found out that Huo Buyi married ShaoShang in Hua City but he is not there to witness so it is not counted. Therefore the couple needs to come back to the capital and get married again. (I agree with the King, where are our wedding scenes!)
Together with the entire Cheng family, Huo Buyi and ShaoShang looked up at the sky, looked up at the galaxy and marvelled at its brilliance. (It’s a call-back to the drama name, galaxy 星汉 being brilliant 灿烂.)
The end.
DramaKaffe 