Stand By Me Episode 27 Recap
> Stand By Me Recap
Chou Ziliang captured Cheng Ruoyu, declaring he would "teach her properly" and turn her into an "obedient, well-behaved, sensible niece." Cheng Xi attempted to intervene, stating she could handle it herself, but Chou Ziliang dismissed her and had guards escort Cheng Xi and her attendants away. Chou Ziliang also referred to Cheng Ruoyu as a "little troublemaker." Meanwhile, Yan Zhi arrived at the palace, bringing Liu Misha.
Overjoyed to see Liu Misha safe, Qi Yan reassured her, stating that "everything will be fine" now that he was there. Yan Zhi then delivered the "bad news": Cheng Ruoyu, Qi Yan's loyal swordbearer, had sacrificed herself to rescue Liu Misha. Upon hearing this, Qi Yan, moved, immediately set out to rescue Cheng Ruoyu from the Chou Mansion.
Chou Ziliang confronted Cheng Ruoyu, telling her he had initially found her interesting but her loyalty to Qi Yan had repeatedly thwarted his plans, making her a "hindrance." Cheng Ruoyu, defiant, asked for death, but Chou Ziliang scoffed, stating that death was too easy and would be a "favor." He pressed her to reveal the plots between her, Cheng Xi, and Qi Yan, especially questioning why Cheng Xi chose that specific moment to betray Qi Yan without consequences.
When Cheng Ruoyu remained silent, Chou Ziliang ordered the Right Official to administer the "Bone-crushing Punishment," lamenting that such a talented martial artist would have her skills crippled. As Cheng Ruoyu was dragged away, Cheng Xi, feigning indifference, stated she didn't dare feel sorry, claiming Cheng Ruoyu deserved punishment for opposing Chou Ziliang. She then reiterated that she and Cheng Ruoyu had not hidden anything from him, urging him to judge fairly.
Still suspicious, Chou Ziliang told Cheng Xi that her sincerity would be revealed through testing. Cheng Xi, sensing his distrust, offered to leave Heng'an permanently, reminding him of her service in returning Liu Misha and Prince An. Chou Ziliang refused, saying she was too "outstanding" to let go. Just then, Qi Yan, ignoring warnings about his injuries, arrived at Chou Mansion with his guards. Chou Ziliang sarcastically greeted him, asking why he wasn't recuperating in the palace.
He then ordered Cheng Xi to kill Qi Yan right then and there to prove her loyalty. Caught between a rock and a hard place, Cheng Xi wondered if her own life would be forfeit if Qi Yan survived. Qi Yan, who had kicked Right Official aside to enter the main hall, went straight to Cheng Ruoyu, reassuring her, "I am here. It's alright now."
Chou Ziliang reiterated his command for Cheng Xi to kill Qi Yan, and she reluctantly followed. Chou Ziliang, accusing Cheng Ruoyu of trespassing and assassination, challenged Qi Yan, asking if he was there to protect her. Cheng Xi supported Chou Ziliang, asserting that even a prince is subject to the law. Qi Yan declared he had sent Cheng Ruoyu to apprehend Cheng Xi, whom he labeled a "traitor," referencing her past action of wounding him.
Cheng Xi defended herself by stating that her previous actions of disciplining Cheng Ruoyu were known to Chou Ziliang and reported to the Six Bureaus. Qi Yan then announced the matter was settled and ordered Cheng Ruoyu to be taken back to the palace. However, Cheng Xi blocked their way, accusing Cheng Ruoyu of killing three Ziyi Bureau members.
She had Li Rong bring in the bodies as proof, and Ziyi Bureau guards pointed to Cheng Ruoyu as the killer, displaying a sword allegedly taken from the bodies. Cheng Ruoyu denied it, but Cheng Xi, coldly rejecting Cheng Ruoyu's use of "Auntie," insisted on justice. Qi Yan reassured Cheng Ruoyu. Both Chou Ziliang and Cheng Xi demanded Cheng Ruoyu be tried by the Dali Temple, where the punishment for killing three people was "death penalty, immediate execution."
In a shocking move, Cheng Ruoyu then announced she was pregnant with Qi Yan's child. Chou Ziliang was stunned, questioning how this was possible and whose child it was. Cheng Ruoyu boldly claimed it was "His Majesty’s," leveraging the Xing Law that postponed execution for pregnant women until 100 days after childbirth. The entire dramatic scene was orchestrated by Yan Zhi. She had laid out her plan to Cheng Ruoyu beforehand.
Cheng Ruoyu's mission was to infiltrate Chou Mansion and distract Cheng Xi while Yan Xiu rescued Liu Misha. Yan Zhi warned Cheng Ruoyu of two dangers: Cheng Xi's attack and Chou Ziliang's inevitable wrath, but assured her that after Liu Misha was delivered to Qi Yan, he would come to rescue Cheng Ruoyu. As a "charm for protection," Yan Zhi suggested Cheng Ruoyu declare herself pregnant, explaining the Daxing law that postponed execution for pregnant women.
Cheng Ruoyu initially expressed concern that being pregnant with the emperor's child might make Chou Ziliang more determined to harm her. Yan Zhi countered by asking if Cheng Ruoyu wanted to save Qi Yan and resolve the issue of Prince An's appointment, to which Cheng Ruoyu readily agreed. Yan Zhi then further instructed Cheng Ruoyu that if Chou Ziliang still tried to kill her, she should reveal Cheng Xi's true intentions.
Cheng Ruoyu continued her accusations, claiming her earlier silence was out of gratitude, but now, fearing for her child, she had to speak. She revealed she had initially followed Cheng Xi's command to approach Qi Yan to bear a child, with Cheng Xi promising to help her son ascend to the throne. However, Cheng Xi suddenly betrayed her, bringing Prince An and Liu Misha to Chou Ziliang to ensure Prince An was named Crown Prince.
Cheng Ruoyu then declared Cheng Xi's true intention was to sow discord between Qi Yan and Chou Ziliang, so that when both were weakened, Cheng Xi could seize power and become empress. She specifically accused Cheng Xi of using Xia Ziyuan to impersonate Liu Misha to kill Wang Lin, then escaping with the real Liu Misha.
She further alleged that Cheng Xi planned to leverage Zhenwu's eighty thousand elite soldiers, along with the Ziyi Bureau, to assassinate Chou Ziliang, Qi Yan, and Prince An during the Crown Prince's enthronement ceremony, thereby paving her own way to become empress.
Chou Ziliang, whose trust in Cheng Xi was already shaken, listened intently as Cheng Ruoyu challenged Cheng Xi's denials by urging him to investigate three specific claims: the sudden illness of Prince An, the alleged movement of Zhenwu's troops, and whether a trap with gunpowder was hidden beneath the steps of Danfeng Gate, where the enthronement ceremony was to be held. Chou Ziliang immediately dispatched men to verify these points.
Soon after, his men returned, reporting that while Prince An's illness and Zhenwu's troop movements were still unconfirmed, they had discovered a nearly completed mechanism with gunpowder under Danfeng Gate. With this damning evidence, Chou Ziliang demanded to know what else Cheng Xi had to say. In a desperate attempt to salvage her situation, Cheng Xi exposed Cheng Ruoyu's lie, declaring that she was "not pregnant at all" and had lied. Chou Ziliang immediately ordered an examination to verify this.
As dawn broke, Yan Zhi, having spent a sleepless night, looked out at the rising sun, reciting a poem, clearly excited and hopeful for her elaborate plan to succeed. Meanwhile, Qi Yan, after settling Cheng Ruoyu, sent for Cheng Huaizhi, Cheng Ruoyu's uncle and Cheng Xi's older brother, instructing him to bring the Imperial Household Department's daily records to legitimize Cheng Ruoyu's alleged pregnancy.
Though Qi Yan expressed concern to Cheng Ruoyu about her ability to pass the physical inspection, Cheng Ruoyu already had a plan in motion. Cheng Ruoyu's preparations for the physical examination were meticulous. Yan Zhi had foreseen that Chou Ziliang would likely summon imperial physicians, including the highly trusted Elder Shen, to check her pulse.
Knowing Elder Shen could not be bribed, Yan Zhi instructed Cheng Ruoyu, a martial artist with excellent body control, to learn from Yan Xiu how to manipulate her pulse to mimic a pregnancy. Yan Zhi also planned to replace any midwife Chou Ziliang hired with one of her own. True to predictions, Chou Ziliang summoned court physicians, Elder Shen, and the renowned midwife Cui Niang.
After finalizing these arrangements, Yan Zhi dispatched Yan Xiu to sow discord between Yuan Xing and Shi Yuan to dismantle the Shen Cai Army, while she personally went to oversee Cheng Ruoyu's examination. Cheng Huaizhi arrived with the imperial daily records, showing that "Maid Cheng Ruoyu stayed overnight at Zhaohua Palace to attend His Majesty" on the seventh day of the fifth month.
Cheng Xi denounced this as fake, but Cheng Huaizhi insisted it was authentic, supported by palace staff, and argued that Cheng Ruoyu was not officially a Sword Bearer at that time, so it wasn't dereliction of duty. Cheng Xi then openly accused Cheng Huaizhi of siding with Cheng Ruoyu, to which Cheng Huaizhi, exasperated, pointed out Cheng Xi's own wrongdoings. An imperial physician then confirmed Cheng Ruoyu's pregnancy of "over two months."
Cheng Xi again cried foul, accusing the physicians of being bribed. Chou Ziliang, seeking a definitive answer, then summoned both the highly respected Elder Shen and the renowned midwife Cui Niang. Elder Shen, after examining Cheng Ruoyu and noting she had endured the "Bone-crushing Punishment," gave her medicine. Cheng Ruoyu, using the technique Yan Xiu taught her, manipulated her pulse.
Upon re-examining, Elder Shen declared a "smooth and slippery pulse" indicative of pregnancy, but noted it resembled a four-month pregnancy, which didn't align with the two-month timeframe from the records. He suggested the injuries might cause pulse irregularities and recommended an internal examination by Cui Niang for accuracy. Chou Ziliang warned Cui Niang of severe consequences if she failed the examination.
As Cui Niang prepared for the internal examination, Cheng Xi attempted to enter the room, but Qi Yan firmly refused her presence. To allay suspicions, Yan Zhi offered to supervise the examination herself, assuring everyone she wouldn't take sides. However, before she could enter, her assistant informed her that their plan to swap the midwife had failed; the person now inside was the real Cui Niang. Realizing this new challenge, Yan Zhi, with Chou Ziliang's approval, entered to personally oversee the critical examination.
