Dreaming Back to the Qing Dynasty Episode 22 Recap
> Dreaming Back to the Qing Dynasty Recap
During a banquet, Yinxiang humiliated Yin'e by challenging him to a drinking contest. Yin'e had earlier spoken ill of Yinxiang's late wife, Wei, calling her sharp-tongued and arrogant, and stating that nobody cared she was gone. Yinxiang, enraged by these words, aggressively poured alcohol for Yin'e and made him drink to excess, causing him to collapse. Yinxiang then declared that the remaining half-jar of alcohol was his to enjoy alone, mocking Yin'e's low alcohol tolerance.
Afterward, Yinxiang sat by a bonfire in the snow, drinking in solitude. His brother, Yinti, approached him, unable to accept Yinxiang's dejected state. Yinti confronted Yinxiang, asking how long he would behave like this. He remarked that Yinxiang could deceive everyone but him, observing that the Yinxiang he knew had never been so battered, and that with Wei's death, Yinxiang himself seemed to have died. Meanwhile, Wei, longing for Yinxiang, gazed out at the heavy snowfall and remembered their promise.
She suddenly realized that the jade ring, a cherished relic from Yinxiang's mother that he had given her, was missing. Desperate to find this last tangible connection to Yinxiang, Wei, despite her frail health, frantically searched in the snow. Her servant tried to stop her, warning her about the heavy snow, but Wei was resolute, believing the ring must be nearby.
Yinzhen arrived and found her in the snow, demanding to know what she was doing and if she sought death. Wei tearfully explained that her jade ring was gone, having been in her sleeve. Yinzhen promised to send people to find it and urged her to return inside to rest, expressing his frustration, asking if she had to torture him like this and risk her life, making everyone who cared about her worry day and night.
Later, Yinzhen ordered everyone to search the entire residence until the jade ring was found. Wei then approached Yinzhen, asking him for another favor: to help her return to Yinxiang, the person who meant the world to her. Yinzhen acknowledged her desire but insisted that she needed to recover fully first, promising to make the best arrangements for her and asking her to trust him before escorting her back to her room.
At court, the Governor of Shandong submitted memorials about the rampant banditry in the region, requesting imperial troops. Yinxiang volunteered to lead the expedition, detailing his familiarity with Shandong and the suitability of his elite troops from Sichuan and Guizhou, who excelled in mountain warfare. Yinsi also offered to go, but the Emperor noted his strength in governance but lack of military experience.
Yinti then stepped forward, offering to assist Yinsi, believing that their combined civil and military strengths would guarantee victory. The Emperor agreed, entrusting Yinsi with the mission and Yinti as his auxiliary, promising handsome rewards for their triumph. After the court session, Yinsi and the other princes celebrated their success, with Yinsi thanking Ming Hui for her accurate foresight, calling her their "female strategist."
Ming Hui explained her reasoning: the Emperor would not send Yinxiang on the expedition, feeling regretful towards him after having recently ordered the Thirteenth Princess Consort's death. Additionally, Yinxiang's emotional instability after his wife's death made him unsuitable for such a dangerous and important mission. She concluded that the opportunity therefore belonged to them.
While some of the princes were eager to proclaim their victory over Yinxiang, Ming Hui cautioned that Yinxiang was no longer merely grieving; his spirit had returned, and his willingness to contend for the expedition showed he was still a force to be reckoned with and their biggest obstacle. This worried the others, prompting them to ask Yinti what to do about Yinxiang. Yinti, to protect his brother, declared that Ming Hui underestimated Yinxiang's deep love for Wei.
He stated that while Ming Hui understood everything else, she failed to grasp the depth of emotion, asserting that Yinxiang's love for Wei was profound and that Ming Hui could only see his superficial return to strength, not his inner turmoil. He assured them that in his current state, Yinxiang posed no real threat. Yinsi then invited Ming Hui to accompany them on the expedition to continue offering her counsel.
Ming Hui agreed, but Yinti immediately interjected, declaring that if she went, he would not. He forced Yinsi to choose between them. That night, Ming Hui entered Yinti's room while he was bathing. She taunted him, asking if he feared her more than tigers, to which he replied that she was indeed scarier than any tiger. Ming Hui then claimed that he was responsible for her transformation.
She produced a blade and reminded him of an incident in their childhood when they encountered a tiger in the mountains. A flashback showed a young Yinti, injured, urging a terrified Ming Hui to pick up the blade and stab the tiger to save them both. Ming Hui, in a panicked frenzy, repeatedly stabbed the animal until Yinti told her it was dead. Later, Ming Hui ate the tiger meat, finding it the most delicious thing she had ever tasted.
Yinti expressed regret for making her stab it, but Ming Hui thanked him, saying that the experience taught her the pleasure of fighting and defeating a stronger force in a world governed by the law of the jungle. It made her realize she no longer wanted to be an abused concubine's daughter living in others' shadows, and instead wanted to claim her own destiny.
She proposed that their combined ambition and cunning could help them conquer the world, asking him to cooperate as they had in the past. Yinti, however, refused her offer and simply told her to conduct herself well. Meanwhile, Yinxiang was consumed by grief, spending his days immersed in official duties in an attempt to forget his pain. His maid, Qixiang, observed him neglecting food and sleep, constantly making trotting horse lanterns.
She realized that despite his outward appearance of recovery, Yinxiang had truly lost his soul and was merely an empty shell, constantly missing Wei. On Yinzhen's birthday, Qixiang visited his mansion, bypassing his consorts who were diligently preparing a banquet for him. She found Yinzhen in his study and directly asked when Wei could return to Yinxiang, explaining Yinxiang's deteriorating condition. She revealed that his surface-level recovery was a pretense, and he was suffering deeply, barely clinging to life.
Qixiang pleaded with Yinzhen, stating that only Wei could save him and that his life was in Yinzhen's hands. Yinzhen responded that Wei was not yet fully recovered and needed more time, but offered no specific timeline for her return. Later that evening, Yinzhen left his own birthday banquet, much to the dismay of his consorts, claiming urgent business and stating he might not return that night. His senior consort angrily ordered the prepared feast to be discarded.
Yinzhen went to Wei's secluded residence, bringing palace prescriptions and white honey from Wula to help her recovery. Wei realized it was his birthday and invited him to stay and celebrate with her, offering to toast him with tea. During their meal, after Wei toasted his health, success, and the realization of his ambitions, Yinzhen, slightly tipsy, questioned if she truly couldn't feel his desires or if she was feigning ignorance.
Wei tried to distract him by presenting a steamed rice cake as a birthday cake. Yinzhen then confessed his feelings, pleading with her not to leave him and admitting he never wanted to be just her "fourth brother." He spoke of how everything had returned to its starting point, giving them a chance for a new beginning and for him to reclaim what he had lost. He declared he would not let her go easily this time.
Wei struggled against him, then slapped him. Yinzhen apologized but asserted he did not regret his feelings, which he was painfully aware of, even if she hated him. Wei firmly rejected him, stating that she could not accept his love, then or now, because her heart belonged only to Yinxiang. She told him to leave. Alone, Wei reflected on Yinzhen's intense and unwavering feelings for her, realizing that her continued presence would only stir his emotions.
Fearing that Yinzhen, despite being a gentleman, might lose control again and lead to irreversible consequences, Wei resolved to escape and return to the capital. The next morning, Yinzhen fell ill with a cold, requiring a doctor from town to fetch specialized medicine. Wei seized this opportunity and secretly accompanied the doctor's carriage to the town. There, she approached an escort agency, asking if they traveled to the capital.
She offered a valuable bracelet and her services, promising to help with cooking and not to cause any trouble, in exchange for a ride. The escort agreed. As the escort caravan prepared to depart, Yinzhen's guards arrived to search all carriages bound for the capital. Wei quickly hid herself inside a large crate. Yinzhen personally oversaw the search. Although his men reported no suspicious women, Yinzhen ordered them to specifically search the boxes.
He paused before the crate Wei was hidden in, a moment of silent recognition passing between them. He then abruptly called off the search and ordered his troops to withdraw. Afterward, he commanded an elite troop to secretly escort the entire caravan safely into the capital. As Wei traveled, she found the jade ring, which Yinzhen had subtly left for her, and she tearfully offered her silent gratitude to him.
