Court Lady Episode 27 Recap, Plot

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General Cao, assigned to oversee the Empress’s outing alongside Lu Qi, was in low spirits due to Lu Qi’s haughty demeanor. His attendant warned him about drinking while on duty, but General Cao dismissively noted that Lu Qi was busy fawning over Grand Imperial Sire and the Empress, leaving him to guard a desolate area. He mused that he should have feigned illness like General Fan. Shortly after, General Cao unluckily slipped down a slope, injuring his leg.

Lu Qi’s aide reported General Cao’s inability to keep up, but Lu Qi, without concern, ordered them to leave him behind, stating they could not delay the Empress and Grand Imperial Sire. The procession departed. The Empress invited Fu Rou to share her carriage. She inquired about Fu Rou’s feelings regarding Master Su’s recent prediction, to which Fu Rou candidly expressed her unhappiness at having her fate dictated by others.

When the Empress noted Fu Rou's desire to leave the palace, Fu Rou confirmed it without hesitation. The Empress then revealed her own wish for a stable imperial family and for Fu Rou to remain in the palace to assist her, as her health was declining and the palace situation was chaotic. Fu Rou dared to ask if the Empress would have truly given her to Prince Liang if Master Su had not intervened.

The Empress admitted that she sometimes handled things imperfectly, given the need to appease all factions in the palace. As compensation for the distress caused by Prince Liang, the Empress bestowed upon Fu Rou a rare pardon token, capable of absolving one minor crime. Fu Rou graciously accepted, acknowledging its significance as she was the only one in the palace to possess such a token. As they traveled, Hong Yide and his men ambushed the imperial convoy.

Lu Qi led his soldiers to defend, but the carriages were set ablaze by flaming arrows, forcing everyone to dismount amidst thick smoke. Sheng Chumu, observing the immense smoke in the direction of Fu Rou’s procession from a distance after leaving Fengtian Temple, immediately rode to their aid. Fu Rou and the Empress sought refuge in a nearby carriage.

Prince Liang, however, prioritized Grand Imperial Sire, helping him into the carriage but initially refusing to allow the Empress and Fu Rou to join, citing that there were too many people. Only after Grand Imperial Sire insisted did the Empress get in. Prince Liang quickly drove the carriage away, pursued closely by Hong Yide’s men. Fu Rou bravely shielded the Empress during the chase. After managing to evade some pursuers, their carriage broke down.

Fortunately, Fu Rou spotted a hidden cave and quickly led them inside. Sheng Chumu joined Lu Qi in fighting off the attackers. When reinforcements arrived, Hong Yide and his men retreated. Lu Qi attempted to thank Sheng Chumu for his assistance, but Sheng Chumu immediately punched Lu Qi, accusing him of instigating Prince Liang to harass Fu Rou. The arriving soldiers separated them. Sheng Chumu then dedicated himself to finding Fu Rou, while Lu Qi interrogated a captured rebel.

The rebel divulged that the Lu family was in league with their group, revealing Lu Hanxing's complicity with Hong Yide. Moments later, Lu Hanxing covertly killed the rebel to silence him. He then rode off in pursuit of Hong Yide, only to find Hong Yide supported by an accomplice named Fushui, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Chen Ji. Fushui covered Hong Yide's escape, shooting Lu Qi in the chest with an arrow.

Deep within the cave, the group realized they had stumbled into a dead-end maze, a notoriously complex network of tunnels on Dacang Mountain where many had perished from starvation and thirst. Their attempts to retrace their steps proved futile, leaving them lost. After walking for what felt like an eternity, they found a place to rest. Soon, Prince Liang collapsed, his wound turning black, indicating a poisoned weapon.

Grand Imperial Sire, consumed by grief and rage, recalled the tragic deaths of his other children, unjustly blaming the Empress. In a fit of despair, he began to choke her. Seeing the Empress in peril, Fu Rou, disregarding Grand Imperial Sire's status, grabbed a clay pot and struck him, knocking him unconscious. Despite Prince Liang’s earlier disregard for her and the Empress, Fu Rou could not abandon him.

She retrieved two detoxifying pills given to her by Daoist Master Yuan Zhimiao of Fengtian Temple, known as the Elixir Immortal, and administered one to Prince Liang. When Grand Imperial Sire awoke, he remained visibly displeased with the Empress. Fu Rou tactfully informed him that it was the Empress who had reminded her about Daoist Master Yuan's potent antidote, which had significantly improved Prince Liang’s condition, his blood now no longer blackened.

This information helped Grand Imperial Sire regain his composure, and the Empress subtly offered him a way to save face by downplaying his previous actions as an accident due to his anxiety. Later, after Fu Rou painstakingly collected some water, Prince Liang, still weak, aggressively demanded it, brandishing his sword. The Empress, concerned for his recovery, instructed Fu Rou to give him the water. Though reluctant, Fu Rou complied.

Grand Imperial Sire, showing a flicker of conscience, insisted Prince Liang leave a sip for the Empress. However, the Empress, prioritizing the group's survival, offered the last remaining water to Fu Rou, recognizing that Fu Rou's strength and ingenuity were their best hope for finding a way out. She also gave Fu Rou her luminous pearl from the Emperor to provide light and to mark the path on a piece of cloth.

Meanwhile, Consort Yan, upon hearing the alarming news of the Empress’s disappearance, was fervently burning incense and praying when the Emperor arrived. Consort Yan attempted to comfort him, but the Emperor was consumed by self-reproach, regretting his indecisiveness in the matter of Fu Rou and Prince Zhou, which had led to the Empress’s ill-fated visit to Fengtian Temple. Consort Yan, feeling guilty for her part in Prince Zhou’s desire for Fu Rou, shared his sentiments.

The Emperor then inquired about Prince Zhou, and his aide reported that Prince Zhou, upon learning of the Empress's plight, had immediately rushed to Dacang Mountain to search for her. However, learning that the Crown Prince was merely praying instead of actively searching, the Emperor grew angry, questioning his son's filial piety and his suitability as the heir to the throne. Consort Yan advised caution in such grave matters, and the Emperor acknowledged her wisdom.

Fu Rou, navigating the treacherous cave with the luminous pearl, eventually discovered an exit. As she emerged, she encountered a large tiger. While fleeing for her life, she inadvertently dropped the map she had meticulously drawn. Hearing Sheng Chumu's distant calls for her, she attempted to respond but was suddenly knocked unconscious and carried away by Yan Zifang.

Sheng Chumu, following his intuition and finding Fu Rou’s lost map, successfully located Grand Imperial Sire, the Empress, and Prince Liang within the cave. Upon realizing Fu Rou was not with them, he earnestly requested permission to remain and continue searching for her. Fu Rou awoke to find Yan Zifang, expressing surprise at his presence.

She soon learned that he had known about Hong Yide's presence in Chang'an but had chosen not to report it to the authorities, rationalizing that he was not responsible for the city's public order and was merely curious about their movements. Fu Rou, disheartened by his indifference to the potential harm to ordinary citizens, questioned his conscience.

Yan Zifang retorted, asking if he could ever do anything right in her eyes and if her conscience would be clear being with Sheng Chumu. He declared that he could only protect those he loved. Fu Rou urged him to be an upstanding man, but he dismissed her words. He later revealed that his maid, Hainu, had changed her clothes and discarded her old, torn ones.

Meanwhile, Sheng Chumu and Prince Zhou, still searching for Fu Rou, tragically discovered a piece of her bloodied clothing near tiger tracks. They were terrified, fearing she had fallen victim to the beast. Back at the Lu residence, Lu Qi was being tended to. Imperial Physician Zhang reported that while his external injuries were minor, a significant blood clot in his brain left him in a coma, with an uncertain prognosis for recovery.

Fu Yin, distraught, felt his forehead and called for the maid Moli. During this brief moment, Lu Hanxing slipped into Lu Qi's room. Fu Yin, later discussing Lu Qi's condition with a servant, recalled rumors of a "pearl life-saving pill" from "blue-eyed people" a thousand li away, supposedly capable of dissolving intracranial blood clots, and contemplated seeking this distant remedy.

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