In Episode 18, Jiang Taohua is accused of high treason, Mu Wuxia falls into a poisoned trap, and Shen Zaiye orchestrates a life-threatening ambush on Yugui Mountain. Loyalties snap, secrets explode, and the web of betrayal finally tightens.
🔥 1. The Incense Burns Again
The deadly Soulsever Incense is once again lit — this time with no hesitation. Empress Lv’s spy declares:
“Before one stick burns out, Prince Wuxia will be dead.”
But this time, Jiang Taohua is prepared. When Wuxia collapses, she intervenes, risking everything to save his life.
“Add more flour,” says her maid.
“No,” Taohua replies, “Yang Wanqing will notice.”
Their gambit is razor-thin — a blend of intelligence, desperation, and deeply buried care.
⚖️ 2. Interrogation and Isolation
Zaiye arrests Taohua on the spot.
“You said you wouldn’t harm him,” he says, accusing her of betrayal.
“You stood near with a blade and poison in the air — how should I trust you?”
Taohua doesn’t flinch:
“You never trusted me.”
She refuses to reveal who ordered the hit. Their relationship, once rooted in mutual respect, fractures completely in this moment.
“Torture me if you must,” she says, “I’ve already gambled everything.”
💔 3. The Divorce Letter
From her prison, Taohua sends a letter:
“Finish this cup, and we are done.”
In it, she asks Shen Zaiye for a divorce, believing it will sever her from the political web and protect him.
“I lost the game, but I do not regret the move.”
Zaiye finds her letter just as his plan to bait out Prince Wuyin goes into motion. He says nothing aloud — but keeps the letter.
This moment is devastating: two people reaching for each other across a gulf of suspicion, duty, and state secrets.
🏹 4. A Mountain Showdown Begins
Zaiye announces that Prince Wuxia will travel to Yugui Mountain. It’s a trap — to lure out the true mastermind.
His order:
“Anyone who tries to harm Prince Wuxia — no mercy.”
Meanwhile, Taohua escapes captivity and rushes to Lan Boutique, trying to warn her allies and stop the assassination.
But the plan is already in motion.
☠️ 5. Everyone Has a Plan
Empress Lv’s people plan to:
-
Push Mu Wuxia off the cliffs.
-
Blame Zaiye for everything.
-
Use the chaos to eliminate Yang Wanqing, the rogue element.
Meanwhile, Zaiye uses a double for Prince Wuxia, dressing himself in the same robes to bait their enemies.
Taohua also makes a final choice — confessing to the boutique leader:
“I know who killed Eunuch Ren.”
🧩 6. The Threads Tangle
Prince Wuyin appears at the mountain. He mocks Taohua’s plan, revealing:
“You thought we didn’t know? We caught Mu Wuxia as soon as he left.”
In a cruel twist, they kidnap Mu Wuxia — again. It was never Zaiye walking into the trap — it was Taohua.
She is accused of espionage:
“A spy from Beiyuan, caught in the act. No mention of Lan Boutique. Clean and perfect.”
🩸 7. Qingtai’s Loyalty and a Shocking Rescue
Taohua’s maid, Qingtai, tries to plead her innocence — but is restrained and dragged away.
“She didn’t do it! She was framed!”
Zaiye, watching all from afar, begins to see the truth unravel.
Back at the base camp, Prince Wuxia awakens, remembering:
“She said she was saving a life.”
He sets out to find Zaiye and clear her name.
⚔️ 8. One Last Betrayal
As the final confrontation escalates on the cliffs, Prince Wuyin mocks:
“Neither of you is leaving alive.”
He readies his men to kill Taohua and Wuxia, pushing for a public execution with no witnesses.
But Zaiye and his hidden troops are already on the move, setting up a counter-strike that will change everything.
💬 Overall Impressions
Episode 18 is a culmination of deception, longing, betrayal, and heartbreak.
-
Taohua tries to sacrifice everything to save others.
-
Zaiye struggles between loyalty to his state and to his heart.
-
Wuxia nearly dies — again.
-
And Empress Lv’s web of poison and power starts to strangle even her own people.
The writing in this episode leans heavily into duality — every moment is mirrored by a counterforce:
-
Rescue and betrayal.
-
Love and suspicion.
-
Truth and lies.
🔚 Final Verdict
“Episode 18 delivers an emotional gut punch. The mountain may be silent, but the hearts and blades it bears are deafeningly loud. As the trap closes, the show reminds us: in a world of spies and smoke, even love can be used as bait.”