Where the Mask Ends episode 27 recap: The plague, a bleeding Emperor and A Chou dragged out

In short

The Emperor coughs up blood and leaves for a hot-spring palace with Lu Zhuo as escort. A Chou falls ill with the plague, and Han Liao, on the Empress Dowager's orders, drags her out barefoot and detains Lady Shou'an, but the people of the estate refuse to let her go.

What happens in episode 27

The Emperor visits a sick Consort Zheng and brushes off her complaints. He scolds the crown prince for chasing women and snatching commoners' daughters, and for sending Consort Zheng to make trouble. She apologizes, and he doesn't punish her for her son. At the palace, Xie Hualou now calls A Chou "sister", as Liu Shuo does. Liu Shuo was raised to treat A Chou as his own flesh and blood and make up for what their mother lost, but he can never get close to her, and he envies Lu Zhuo for melting her. When A Chou hears where the Emperor is dining, she senses something is off. Prince Fu needs to know, and Xie Hualou says she'll handle it.

A Chou nurses the sick in the ward herself, and Lu Zhuo's mother brings the women of the Duke's house to help. Even Lu Changning, who never liked her, is impressed, and Changhui tells her half the capital's ladies would love to know A Chou. The plague reaches the army, and Lu Zhuo isolates the sick in time to stop it spreading.

Prince Fu and the crown prince argue over whether the Emperor should escape the plague at the hot-spring palace. The Emperor feels unwell, takes one of his elixir pills and coughs up blood. He leaves with his consorts and names Lu Zhuo and Qi Zhongkai as his escort. After saying goodbye to Lu Zhuo, A Chou sends A Man to check on Nanny Liu. As the sick keep coming, she bars the Duke's women from the ward and works day and night at the Zhuyu estate, until she catches the spring plague herself. Before she loses consciousness, she puts Liu Ziyang and Xiao in charge, but the people will only follow her.

The crown prince seizes Nanny Liu, and under Wei Shu's pressure she agrees to inform on A Chou. Han Liao and the crown prince take it to the Empress Dowager at Changle Palace and talk her into striking now, at A Chou and Lady Shou'an both, so that it's done before the Emperor returns. A Chou calls Xiao in and gives him a task; what it is, the synopsis doesn't say.

The next day Han Liao storms the estate with the Empress Dowager's decree and drags the sick, barefoot A Chou out in front of everyone. A Man escapes and runs into Lady Shou'an. The Empress Dowager's procession arrives with Wei Shu and the crown prince, trampling the grain the villagers laid out to dry. Lu Zhuo hears A Chou is ill and rides back from the hot-spring palace. Lady Shou'an and Huo Jue shield A Chou, and Lady Shou'an tells Wei Shu she is slandering her own uncle's only child. She even kneels to beg for A Chou. The Empress Dowager enjoys seeing her bow, then has her detained too. Wei Shu proposes putting A Chou in a cangue and parading her through the streets. The crowd weeps and cries out to heaven: why do those who trample the poor live in luxury while those who work go hungry? To them A Chou is almost a goddess, and they won't let Han Liao take her.

Why it matters

With the Emperor away and Lu Zhuo at his side, A Chou's enemies finally have her alone, and Han Liao is back at the center of the attack. Lady Shou'an's arrest and the crowd's anger set up the showdown to come.

Based on the episode synopsis, summarized in our own words: TVmao (电视猫) episode synopses, cited by Baidu Baike Baidu Baike: official synopsis, episode synopses, cast and 追剧日历