Introduction
Well, with the flower spirit issue told in Eternal Love of the Fox: Drama Info and Recap Episodes 1 to 6, we knew that this drama is not only about being silly, but also quite deep with its messages on humanity. You will read further in this part how Xiangjiu faces human problems, and even has to deal with her own. We also start to see glimpses of her past lives.
Recap Episodes 7 to 15
Episode 7
Mochen chased the masked person and cornered him. His mask fell off. When we were about to see who was behind the mask, suddenly a cage fell down. Seeing the cage, it triggered Mochen’s PTSD of being caged in the past, and the guy ran away. Xiangjiu found him and took him back to Fucang Palace. After Mochen recuperated, Xiangjiu asked his opinion of the scariest place according to Qiaru. It was Ningshuang Palace, where the princess lived! The palace was indeed famous for being haunted. Mochen refused to go there because he didn’t want to deal with the princess. Xiangjiu threatened that she would find a cage for him. He pulled her back, and they accidentally kissed. The physical touch triggered a flash of memory again for Xiangjiu. Curious what that was, Xiangjiu slipped into his bed chamber at night and wanted to kiss him again, lol! Awaken, Mochen got panicky and pushed her away, because he felt so hot even though he slept on his cold ice bed.
After escaping outside, Mochen bumped into Bai Yu who was looking for Xiangjiu. Bai Yu didn’t believe it when Mochen told him Bai Yu was inside. It was more believable when Mochen told him Xiangjiu was at Ningshuang Palace! Bai Yu sneaked into the palace and was caught by none other than the princess herself. Bai Yu feigned sleepwalking… is this a new drama trope now? Their closeness made both hearts race. Aish, the drama wanted to match the feisty Princess Ningshuang with Bai Yu???
Oh well, Mochen didn’t want to help, so Xiangjiu went to investigate the palace herself. When she sneaked into Ningshuang Palace, it happened that Nanny Chen was exercising. Her rope broke off, and Mochen caught her swiftly. She then advised the nanny to lubricate the exercise rope with palm oil to prevent breaking. Noticing her cleverness, Nanny Chen suggested Princess Ningshuang take Xiangjiu in to work at Ningshuang Palace. Seeing that her beloved nanny liked Xiangjiu, the princess agreed to take Xiangjiu in. While working, Xiangjiu found the info about the princess. Apparently, when the princess was born, her mother the Empress almost died. Since then, the mother didn’t want to see her daughter anymore. Nanny Chen was the one who raised the princess.
While Xiangjiu was working at Ningshuang Palace, Mochen was enduring divine lightning strikes for his heavenly tribulations. After the strikes, Mochen was very sick. The worried Mao Jin reminded Mochen that he had to find his “ferryman” soon to ascend, and suggested that person might be Xiangjiu. When Xiangjiu went back to visit Mochen, she found him weak and sleeping under a blanket. Mochen didn’t want her to worry and check on his injuries, so he lied that Mao Jin was the one who got sick with… rabies! Lmao!
It was raining when Xiangjiu had to return to Ningshuang Palace. Mochen took a chance to walk her back, with an excuse for Xiangjiu to avoid trouble from the princess. During the walk, he explained to her about his ascension to immortality. Xiangjiu was saddened when she heard that once Mochen became an immortal, he wouldn’t return to the mortal world. Mochen explained that what people believe about immortals visiting or living with the mortals was only a fairy tale.
Episode 8
Xiangjiu begged Mochen not to leave the mortal world. Did he really intend to ascend, couldn’t he have an attachment in the mortal world? Mochen stared at the saddened Xiangjiu, and his heart moved. He decided not to ascend to make his girl happy. Even when he return at Fucang Palace and was questioned by Mao Jin. Mao Jin said that the tribulation period which used to be every thousand years, got shorter and shorter to the point that it was monthly now. Mochen said that for Xiangjiu he could endure daily tribulations if needed.
The scene with Mao Jin and Le Ning meeting when she asked him to pass the pair of gloves she made for Xiangjiu, but Mao Jin mistakenly thought they were for him, was so cute. Especially, he didn’t care that the gloves were too small. Those are the gloves you see on Mao Jin’s character image in the Supporting Character list in the first part!
Back in Ningshuang Palace, Xiangjiu and a senior maid were preparing bath water for the princess. Giggling, the senior maid secretly shared the palace’s secret treasure and lent Xiangjiu a stereoscope. When Xiangjiu took a peek, there was a series of handsome, topless, and muscular men! The senior maid said the stereoscope was left by the former emperor. Later, their enjoyment was interrupted by Nanny Chen, who, after the maids left, enjoyed the pictures herself!
Ningshuang Palace might be full with horny chicks, but it was still mysterious and haunted! While Nanny Chen enjoyed the stereoscope, suddenly a high wind blew through the chamber and turned the bathwater a blood-red color, leaving the maids terrified.
Mochen visited Xiangjiu at Ningshuang Palace the next day, transforming himself into a butterfly. After Xiangjiu reported to him about the bloody bathwater, he said he guarded the palace entrance last night and didn’t see anyone coming or going. Thus, the secret must be inside the palace itself.
Unfortunately, Xiangjiu’s investigation seemed short, as the princess was suspicious that her coming to her palace was sent by Mochen. She interrogated Xiangjiu and found that her answers were not consistent. Princess Ningshuang then decided to test Xiangjiu. She pretended to attack Xiangjiu with a sword. Xiangjiu suddenly got a flash memory of her past life as a female general. She reacted swiftly, took the sword from the princess’s hand, and put it to her neck! Princess Ningshuang fired Xiangjiu on the spot!
Episode 9
Xiangjiu was mourning her lost chance to investigate the Ningshuang Palace when Mochen saw her on the rooftop at his palace. While he was accompanying her on the rooftop, in desperation, Xiangjiu asked if he would like to marry her, lol. She explained that if he married her, he would regard her father as his father; thus, Mochen would wholeheartedly search for him, too. Mochen would even use his heavenly connection for the search. Mochen was amused, since powerful divine beings wouldn’t care about mortal matters.
Mochen had a better idea to help Xiangjiu. The next day, he took her to have an audience with the Emperor. The Emperor noticed that Mochen and Xiangjiu had a special relationship, so he graciously offered his tonic soup. The Emperor was impressed that Xiangjiu had such a fine manner, which she replied was taught by her father. When the Emperor lamented his own daughter, who was bad-tempered, Mochen took the opportunity and threw an idea for Xiangjiu to teach Princess Ningshuang etiquette.
The Emperor thought that was a great idea, so His Majesty issued a decree to promote Xiangjiu with the title Mentor and assigned her to teach Princess Ningshuang etiquette. His Majesty even added that if the princess refused, she couldn’t even see him!
The imperial edict was responded differently to different people. Of course, the princess had to accept the edict. Her maids were secretly relieved since they could fart freely as per Xiangjiu’s order. The Crown Prince was suspicious of the promotion, and he noticed Xiangjiu and Mochen’s special relationship. His aide told him that Xiangjiu was Mochen’s weakness; if he could get Xiangjiu he would get Mochen. The Crown Prince also found out that Xiangjiu was the one who reported his abusive behavior towards his wife. The Crown Prince asked the Crown Princess to visit Xiangjiu at Ningshuang Palace to apologize on his behalf for his rude behavior to Xiangjiu.
Mochen sent Mao Jin with a bunch of food, masseurs, and a blueprint of Mochen’s plan to build a palace next to Ningshuang Palace for his beloved’s comfort. Xiangjiu felt uncomfortable with all these lavish gifts and sent them all away, except for the food. Next, Le Ning came with a box of food, stating it was from Mochen. However, Princess Ningshuang noticed that the food box was the same as the one Bai Yu brought when her entourage went to the palace, and realized the food box was from Bai Yu. Seeing Bai Yu hiding behind a pillar, she angrily chased him down with two axes, hahaha! Bai Yu ran all the way and entered a room where Mochen was sitting, talking to a turtle inside the ancient TV, which was now an aquarium. The princess tripped over her foot and landed on top of Bai Yu with an accidental kiss. The amused Mochen transformed the flying axes into petals of flowers, creating a romantic scene.
The smart princess demanded to know the real reason Bai Yu sneaked into her palace that night, not sleepwalking. Bai Yu acknowledged he was looking for Xiangjiu. Realizing that Bai Yu and Mochen worked together with Xiangjiu, she questioned Mochen further about what Xiangjiu was looking. Mochen diplomatically answered that the princess would get what she wanted (meeting her mother) and Xiangjiu would get what she wanted, enough talk!
At night, protected with talismans and strings of garlic, lol, Xiangjiu went to look around Ningshuang Palace. She ran into Bai Yu, who sneaked into the place, wondering what Xiangjiu was looking for. Xiangjiu told him about the evidence she gathered about her missing father, which led to the palace. He agreed to help, and she asked him to be her lookout while she went to the toilet.
Episode 10
When she was near the outhouse, suddenly, Xiangjiu saw a person in the shadow. Before she could do anything, palace guards shouted, “Assassin!” It turned out they were chasing her! Luckily, Mochen showed up and teleported them away into a beautiful place called the Illusory Flower Woods. Xiangjiu suddenly got a vision of her past lives. Wait, I think Mochen created this as a replica of the woods where he met Xiangjiu for the first time! When Xiangjiu confirmed if Mochen also saw the shadow, he mentioned it was a woman, not a demon.
In real life, Xiangjiu returned to her room, only to be confronted by Princess Ningshuang. She lied that she was asleep, but the princess found a petal of a flower on Xiangjiu’s hair. Xiangjiu finally admitted that she wanted to know if the princess tore the two entry pages of the royal visitor registry book. The princess said she would answer the question once Xiangjiu helped her meet her mother.
Xiangjiu got an invisibility talisman from Mochen, which she wanted to use to sneak into the Kunning Palace, where Old Madam, the princess’s mother, lived. The moment she saw the Old Madam, Xiangjiu recognized her as the shadowy figure from that night! Old Madam was meeting Nanny Chen, who reported the princess’s well-being. After Nanny Chen left, Xiangjiu accidentally bumped into the vanity table, causing some jewelry to fall. Xiangjiu picked them up, not realizing her talisman had fallen off her body, so Old Madam could see her. Fortunately, the empress was not angry or fearful, and they ended up talking. Apparently, Old Madam secretly visited her daughter and only saw her from afar. She felt she was a misfortune for her daughter. In the past, her daughter always got injured, sick, or had an incident happen. Xiangjiu promised to help Old Madam and Xiangjiu reunited safely.
Xiangjiu returned and discussed with Mochen the possibility of a demon haunting the palace. She then arranged the meeting, and Princess Ningshuang was even escorted by Mochen and Bai Yu, two people with extraordinary spiritual power. As they arrived at Kunning Palace, the moment the princess stepped out of the carriage, suddenly a strong wind blew, and the princess passed out clutching her head in pain!
Episode 11
When Old Madam heard that her daughter passed out outside her residence, and the royal physician diagnosed her with heatstroke, the empress believed that they shouldn’t see each other for a lifetime! So, she issued the empress decree, forbidding Prince Ningshuang to enter Kunning Palace. Any transgression meant an assassination attempt. The princess was very devastated and stormed into Kunning Palace, disregarding her mother’s decree.
Old Madam was shocked seeing her daughter and shooed her away. The princess wanted to kill herself with a dagger there and then, since her mother didn’t want her anyway. Old Madam tried to take the dagger away, but ended up stabbing herself and passed out.
Earlier, Bai Yu checked around for any anomaly with his geomancy tool, but everything was normal. No demonic activity. So, Xiangjiu, together with Mochen, Bai Yu, Mao Jin, and Le Ning, dug out all palace records on all incidents that happened to Princess Ningshuang since birth. It was recorded that after falling sick four times post birth, the empress called a sorcerer named Yu to perform rituals. After his visit, Old Madam expelled his daughter out of Kunning Palace and put her in the Ningshuang Palace. Looking for a man from two decades ago would be difficult. Mochen suggested that they gather info from old Eunuch Sun, who had served His Majesty for a long time. Eunuch Sun confirmed that Sorcerer Yu indeed told Old Madam about the clashing destinies between her and her daughter.
Bai Yu and Mao Jin were able to find Sorcerer Yu (remember, Mao Jin was a dog spirit!). It turned out that the sorcerer was Nanny Chen’s cousin. The nanny was the one who instructed her cousin to make up the statement of clashing destinies. They found some herbs in Nanny Chen’s room, which, after the royal physician’s confirmation, could cause the symptoms that the princess suffered when visiting her mother. There was also a bottle of red liquid to produce ‘bloody’ bath water. The final piece of evidence was a letter written by Nanny Chen to Sorcerer Yu about her plan to take over the princess.
After being cornered, Nanny Chen confessed her evil deeds, stemmed for being childless, serving the Old Madam for years. She was taken away, and the princess had a joyful reunion with her mother.
Just admiring the cinematography of Fucang Palace, where Mochen and Xiangjiu relaxed by the pond after finishing their investigation.
Episode 12
Well, the princess lied about knowing the torn pages of the visitor registry book. She did it, so Xiangjiu was motivated to reunite her and her mother. Poor Xiangjiu, of course, she was angry. The princess, who now obediently called her “Mentor”, promised a thorough investigation if Xiangjiu’s father’s missing case was related to her residence. Now, officially, our squad is born, consisting of Xiangjiu, Mochen, Bai Yu, Mao Jin, and Le Ning.
Since the princess didn’t know anything about the registry book, the investigation shifted to the smell that lingered on the book. They were lucky they had Mochen (a fox) and Mao Jin (a dog). Mochen smelled the same smell on the princess’s maid, Xiang. The princess finally realized that it was the datura flower. She got five plants in the past to tend, but one was missing two years ago. Also, two years ago, Huo Zhongren entered the palace and disappeared. Now they needed to find who stole the plant.
Enough investigation. The princess hosted a banquet for them to celebrate her reunion with her mother. While they were partying, the Crown Princess arrived, bringing gifts. At first, Princess Ningshuang didn’t want to invite her in because Song Lian was her brother’s wife, whom she despised. Xiangjiu explained that Song Lian saved her life before from the Crown Prince’s clutch, so Song Lian was her friend. The seven of them ended up partying till night.
After the party, some of them were drunk, including Xiangjiu. She staggered towards the courtyard, where she saw a ladder leaning against a building, and climbed it. Who the heck left a ladder up at night??? Mochen followed her closely, in case she fell. Xiangjiu asked Mochen if they knew each other before, because of the glimpses she kept seeing of her past lives. Mochen didn’t answer, but couldn’t help but kiss her. Then we got the famous scene we saw in the previews. I was surprised the CGI department remembered to include the shadows of the flying tails!
Now we got to know how they met many years ago, when Mochen was still a little white fox. At that time, Xiangju’s name was Qinghua. Qinghua and the fox became friends and played in the woods. That was the woods Mochen used as a design for the Illusory Flowery Woods. Ten years later, Qinghua grew up to be a young woman and was married off to the landlord’s son far away. Qing didn’t want to marry, so she told the fox that if only it were a human, it could take her away. The fox was very upset and returned to its lair. An old man in a white robe, the same man whom we saw in Xiangju’s dream in the first episode, told the fox that if he and the woman were meant to be, they would meet again somewhere someday.
On her wedding day, the fox came to see Qinghua, who was getting ready for the wedding. Her father came, and upon seeing the fox, he wanted to kill it. Qinghua shielded the fox and ended up being beaten, too.
Song Lian, the Crown Princess, went home drunk, too. On the way home, she was confronted by her ex-lover, Gongsun Hao. Gongsun Hao questioned her if she would stop deceiving herself. It was revealed then that Song Lian didn’t marry the Crown Prince of her own will, but he raped her. Returning home, the Crown Prince wanted her to take her friendship to Xiangjiu for his advantage. When Song Lian refused, the Crown Prince pushed her into the water. Did he forget the Emperor’s edict not to harm his wife? Song Lian couldn’t sleep that night. She remembers what Mochen told her at the banquet: “Love yourself well. If we don’t even love ourselves, who will love us?”
At night, while Xiangjiu was sleeping, a red and black swirl came out of her body. The person then turned around, facing Xiangjiu, and said that she caused much of her misery. Mochen suddenly showed up and confronted the spirit. What??? The spirit looked like Xiangjiu and mocked that she was not afraid of him. What is this? Is this part of Xiangjiu?
Episode 13
One of the Crown Prince’s subordinates, Mr. Gao, might be connected to Huo Zhongren’s disappearance. His son had caused significant trouble in Bronze County, and the Registrar was none other than Huo Zhongren. The reason for him to enter the palace two years ago was to report the crime of Mr. Gao’s son. Gongsun Wugui investigated Xiangjiu’s background and found that she was Huo Zhongren’s daughter and came to the capital to find her missing father. Initially, the Crown Prince wanted to win over Xiangjui, but she posed a greater threat than her missing father, since she had Mochen and Princess Ningshuang’s backing.
Bai Yu woke up next to Princess Ningshuang, hahaha, how could they be together in bed? She accused him of sleeping with her while drunk. He denied, claiming to be a eunuch. The princess knew he wasn’t, so either she would kill or castrate him. He chose the third option, becoming her ‘slave’.
This Stomach Spirit was kinda confusing. It was Xiangjiu’s stomach. This spirit was the one who tried to ‘eat’ Xiangjiu last night but was prohibited by Mochen. Even when Mao Jin heard about it, he was also afraid. Xiangjiu had intense stomach pain lately. Her stomach was in a mess, and when it completely shut down, her own life would end. Mochen gave her a strict diet and lifestyle regimen to get healed.
Episode 14
Mochen took Xiangjiu to recuperate in the Illusory Flowery Woods he created. Was not a recovery; instead, she saw her first life as Qinghua. It was the continuation of Qinghua’s life after marriage. Her husband and the in-laws were abusive to her, which eventually led to her demise. The little white fox followed her and witnessed all. After waking up from the illusion, Xiangjiu realized that it was her past life, and the little white fox was none other than Mochen. Xiangjiu also understood that she was Mochen’s “ferryman”.
The odd thing was Qinghua’s mother-in-law appeared to reincarnate as Madam Zhao, Xiangjiu’s former supervisor. At this time, she was also a mean woman who mistreated the maids. Xiangjiu tried to make Le Ning and the other maids’ lives better by demanding a better work environment and pay, but Madam Zhao instigated the supervisors from the other bureau to protest against Xiangjiu and Mochen. Mochen punished her by making her experience her own past brutality as Qinghua.
Episode 15
Xiangjiu not only had stomach problems, but her other internal organs were also bad. Bai Yu, who visited her, was able not only see the Stomach Spirit, but also the spirits of her other internal organs: kidneys, liver, pancreas, and heart. All complained about her neglecting her own body due to a bad lifestyle. Xiangjiu explained that after her father’s disappearance, she tirelessly worked to help the poor in Bronze County, leaving her no time for self-care. Lol, Xiangjiu apologizing to her internal organs and pleading for another chance by living a healthy life oddly made sense.
There was also a subplot about the Crown Prince, who used his wife to get close to Xiangjiu to mislead her. However, the Crown Princess wanted to “borrow a knife to kill” her husband, meaning using Xiangjiu and Mochen to get rid of the Crown Prince. While I felt bad for the Crown Princess, I had yet to determine if she was a good or a bad character, because the way the camera panned to her facial expression that she was a gray character.
Conclusion
Somehow, with the Crown Prince and Crown Princess getting involved with Xiangjiu’s quest to find her missing father, I have a feeling that at the end, the Eternal Love of the Fox (九尾藏不住) will go political. I already gave up on seeing the full extent of her past lives. In this part, we only got to know Xiangjiu’s first life! I don’t think there may be enough time to tell her the other lives, and we still need to see four or five more.
I just hope that Xiangjiu will find her father alive by the end of drama!
