Court Lady Episode 49 Recap, Plot

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Fu Rou left the palace to visit her parents. Outside the palace gates, Prince Zhou and Sheng Chumu remained locked in a verbal sparring match. Prince Zhou mentioned that Fu Rou had spoken to him about karma the previous night, and he found everything she said to be delightful. As Fu Rou walked through the streets, she was stopped by Lu Yingying.

Lu Yingying explained to Fu Rou that both the Duke of Cai's manor and Prince Liang's manor were no longer her homes. She asked about Prince Liang's current situation, and Fu Rou informed her that he was temporarily held captive in the palace. Fu Rou urged Lu Yingying to escape, warning her that as Prince Liang was a criminal, she, as Prince Liang's consort, would also be considered a criminal and would suffer if caught.

However, Lu Yingying steadfastly refused, declaring that as Prince Liang was suffering, she should suffer with him, upholding her vow of dying together. Fu Rou criticized Lu Yingying for always considering others and never her own worth, questioning why she would sacrifice herself. Fu Rou then offered to let Lu Yingying stay at the Fu family home for a few days. Upon their arrival, Fu Rou’s second aunt joyfully announced that Fu Yin had returned.

The aunt explained that Fu Tao had found an abandoned baby on the road and adopted him as an adopted son, bringing him and Fu Yin back before leaving again. Fu Yin, upon seeing Fu Rou, embraced her in tears, expressing her regret and relief to be home. Fu Rou, reassuring her, reminded Fu Yin of their Third Aunt's (Fu Yin's mother's) trust in her and urged her not to be reckless again.

Suddenly, Lu Yingying and Fu Yin recognized each other, startling Fu Rou who asked if they knew one another. Lu Yingying immediately questioned Fu Yin's past claims of being an orphan sold by an evil aunt. Fu Yin, in turn, confessed that Lu Qi had ordered Lu Hanxing to set fire to her family home, which resulted in her mother's death.

Lu Yingying realized that Fu Yin had killed Lu Hanxing to avenge her mother, and becoming Lu Qi's concubine and giving birth to Shan'er were also acts of revenge. Fu Rou was shocked to learn the child was not Fu Tao's adopted son but Fu Yin's own. Lu Yingying then chastised Fu Yin, declaring that people who destroy others and themselves for hatred are selfish and foolish.

She questioned whether Shan'er, when grown, should kill his father for his grandmother (Fu Yin's mother) or kill his mother for his father, lamenting that Shan'er was merely a fruit born of hatred. Overwhelmed with guilt, Fu Rou knelt before her Third Aunt's spiritual tablet, apologizing for not taking better care of Fu Yin. Lu Yingying, observing, commented that Fu Yin's mother would not be pleased with Fu Yin sacrificing her entire life for revenge.

Lu Yingying then turned to Fu Rou, asking if she believed in karma, stating her own belief in good and evil, and that even in darkness, light shines brighter. Meanwhile, at the Imperial Medical Bureau, Yan Fushui was celebrated for waking Consort Yan. Fellow imperial physicians toasted him, acknowledging his contribution and his kind words to the Emperor, which also benefited the entire bureau.

Yan Fushui revealed that the Emperor, noticing his medical affinity with Consort Yan, had granted him the surname Yan, thus he became Yan Fushui and would henceforth be the Consort's exclusive physician, replacing Imperial Physician He. News of this spread, and Consort Yan’s maids grew increasingly arrogant. One of Consort Yan’s maids, carrying imperial-bestowed jewelry, accidentally bumped into Concubine Zhen's maid, Wutong, causing the jewelry to fall. The maid attempted to punish Wutong severely.

Concubine Zhen intervened, rebuking Consort Yan’s maids for their arrogance and ordering Wutong to slap the offending maid. Lady of Treasure Li then arrived, defusing the confrontation. She admonished Consort Yan's maids for bickering instead of checking the fallen imperial gift and subtly reminded Concubine Zhen that her pregnancy made her a favored figure.

Though Concubine Zhen allowed the maids to leave, she privately expressed her fear of Consort Yan’s growing influence, worried about her own future in the palace despite her pregnancy. In the outside world, at Prince Han's pawnshop, a customer demanded an ancestral jade pendant that had been sold due to expired pawning (having been renewed three times). Officer Sun and Ma Haihu arrived, siding with the customer and demanding compensation or threatening to seal the pawnshop.

The manager, aware of Prince Han’s current disfavor, was in a bind. Ma Haihu even offered to "lend" money in exchange for the pawnshop’s property. Just as things escalated, Ma Hainiu, who once received kindness from Princess Consort Han, stepped forward and paid the compensation. Ma Haihu pulled her aside, questioning her interference and accusing her of meddling.

Ma Hainiu, in turn, berated Ma Haihu for taking advantage of Prince Han's misfortune and for his bullying ways after gaining status, stating it was no wonder Lian Yan'er had left him. Enraged, Ma Haihu slapped Ma Hainiu. Unaware of Ma Haihu’s ongoing struggles, Lian Yan'er, having heard of his promotion, sought him out.

She expressed her desire to stop being a spy for Duke of Lu State manor, feeling guilty over Sheng Chujun’s death, and wished to marry Ma Haihu for a peaceful life. Overjoyed, Ma Haihu readily agreed, promising to make her a handmade token of love for their betrothal the next day. As Ma Haihu left, excitedly planning the token, Yan Zifang emerged and informed Lian Yan'er that someone wished to see her before she "washed her hands" of her past.

Yan Zifang led Lian Yan'er to meet Fushui. After dismissing Yan Zifang, Fushui interrogated Lian Yan'er about her past intelligence, accusing her of being used by Sheng Chumu, which had led to their plan failing and Prince Han escaping a calamity. He revealed that Sheng Chumu's subordinate had followed her, which was why he had caught him.

Despite Lian Yan'er’s pleas that she no longer wished to be a spy and their plan had already succeeded, Fushui, determined to eliminate any weaknesses, poisoned her. In her dying breath, Lian Yan'er implored Yan Zifang not to tell Ma Haihu, as she didn't want him to be sad.

Yan Zifang was deeply disturbed by Fushui's callous act, questioning his ruthlessness, to which Fushui replied that love was merely selfish and greedy, and he would kill anyone who interfered with his plans, even someone the Emperor loved. Meanwhile, the Emperor visited Dowager Consort Wang. He expressed gratitude for her role in maintaining harmony in the harem.

Dowager Consort Wang, however, suggested she had her shortcomings, citing Concubine Xi's plight in the Cold Palace where she was fed spoiled, cold food. She subtly advised the Emperor not to show excessive favoritism towards Consort Yan. Heeding her words, the Emperor immediately ordered Consort Yan’s two eunuchs to be beaten as a warning. He declared that anyone who dared to bully other imperial consorts in Consort Yan's name would be executed.

Consort Yan, fearing reprisal, quickly demoted the two eunuchs to lowly servants and sent a message to the Emperor expressing her remorse for her lax management. Later, Fu Rou visited Prince Liang in prison. She conveyed that Lu Yingying was worried about him and explained that Lu Yingying had been tricked, not betrayed him. Prince Liang, consumed by hatred, refused to believe her, calling Fu Rou and Lu Yingying conspirators.

He demanded that if Lu Yingying truly hadn't betrayed him, she should join him in prison and hell. Fu Rou revealed that Lu Yingying had already turned herself in and was being held with other criminal women. She explained that Lu Yingying's actions were to save his heart, to show him that the world contained more than just betrayal and suffering, but also truth and trust.

Prince Liang still scoffed, claiming he wouldn't believe it unless he saw Lu Yingying suffering with his own eyes. As he became agitated, accusing everyone of wanting him dead, he violently grabbed Fu Rou, who managed to break free. Soon after, the Emperor ordered Prince Liang to be granted death in prison. Prince Liang, instead of resisting, wrote a letter of apology before drinking the poisonous wine. The Emperor, after reading the letter, summoned Lu Yingying.

He informed her that while the letter appeared to be an apology, half of it was, in fact, a bitter accusation against her, even blaming her for allegedly disrespecting and angering his mother, Grand Consort Su, to illness. Lu Yingying tried to defend herself, but the Emperor dismissed her explanation, stating that Prince Liang would not use his dying words to falsely accuse her.

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