Dreaming Back to the Qing Dynasty Episode 33 Recap
> Dreaming Back to the Qing Dynasty Recap
Ming Hui deliberately sought out Madam Nian, who was still fuming over the recent scandals involving Wei. Madam Nian expressed her disdain for hypocritical people and her inability to socialize with those she detested. Ming Hui empathized, suggesting that as princess consorts, they should not endure such humiliation. She subtly revealed that Yinzhen was not the only prince captivated by Wei, hinting at Yinti's affections as well, claiming she had encountered the same problem.
Madam Nian's anger intensified as she lamented that Wei was restless and constantly sowing discord among the princes, recalling that Yinzhen had even created artworks for Wei and refused to part with them. Ming Hui then pretended to wish she could teach Wei a lesson but regretfully noted that Consort De had ceased the investigation to maintain palace harmony. Madam Nian, outraged that Wei faced no repercussions, believed this would only embolden Wei further.
Ming Hui seized the opportunity to incite Madam Nian, asking if she would passively bear the humiliation and watch Wei run wild. Fuelled by rage, Madam Nian declared her intent to teach Wei a lesson. Rongyue, having witnessed Ming Hui and Madam Nian conversing conspiratorially, later warned Wei to be cautious, explaining that Ming Hui often used others to carry out her schemes and advising Wei to guard against anything coming from Yinzhen's mansion.
However, Wei remained cold towards Rongyue, dismissing the warning and stating her affairs were none of Rongyue's concern. Soon after, Yinzhen's mansion sent pastries to Yinxiang's residence, specifically for Wei. Shun'er and Qixiang were delighted, interpreting this as a gesture of peace initiated by Consort De's directive for harmony. However, Wei was deeply introspective, pondering her purpose and the reason for her presence in this era. Lacking an appetite, she offered the pastries to Shun'er and Qixiang.
Shun'er eagerly took a bite, but just then, Su Min, another of Yinzhen's wives, rushed in, exclaiming that the pastries were poisoned. Madam Nian had earlier confided in Su Min that she had laced Wei's pastries, wanting to see if Wei would dare report it.
Although Su Min arrived too late to prevent Shun'er from consuming some, a physician quickly confirmed that it was a non-fatal poison, causing only temporary chest congestion, vomiting, and weakness, and that Shun'er would recover in a few days. Enraged by the attack on Shun'er, Wei stormed to Yinzhen's mansion to confront Madam Nian. The Fourth Princess Consort attempted to de-escalate the situation, urging calm.
Madam Nian defiantly admitted to the poisoning, framing it as a mere warning to keep Wei away from Yinzhen and dismissing Shun'er's suffering as insignificant. Wei countered that a servant's life was still valuable and condemned Madam Nian's vicious intent. Madam Nian, in turn, lashed out, accusing Wei of continuously entangling Yinzhen, pointing to Wei's portrait in his study as proof, and calling Wei the "source of all misfortunes" who was "restless, running circles around the princes."
Wei denied the accusations, calling them slander. The Fourth Princess Consort sternly reminded Madam Nian of Consort De's earlier instructions, emphasizing that plotting to harm someone was unacceptable. She declared that Consort De would administer appropriate punishment and Wei, seeking justice, agreed to accept her decision. Yinxiang was infuriated by Madam Nian's lenient punishment—being confined to her residence for reflection—believing her family connections to Nian Gengyao shielded her.
He saw Yinzhen's lingering affection for Wei as the true cause of the repeated harm to Wei and resolved to confront his brother. Meanwhile, Yinzhen was already admonishing Madam Nian for her actions. Defiant, Madam Nian accused Yinzhen of valuing Wei more than his actual wives and threatening to divorce her for Wei's sake. Yinxiang overheard this, deepening his distress.
He confronted Yinzhen, demanding an honest answer about his feelings for Wei and bringing up Yinzhen's past act of concealing Wei when Yinxiang believed her to be dead. Yinzhen admitted that he still had feelings for Wei, stating, "My feelings for her still linger."
However, he insisted that since Wei had returned to Yinxiang's side, he had respected their bond and maintained a proper distance, pledging to "protect you quietly" and having "refrained, followed the rules, and behaved myself in every way." Understanding Yinzhen's confession, Yinxiang, though saddened, left in disappointment.
Later, Ming Hui, while attending to Consort De, strategically tried to excuse Madam Nian's poisoning attempt by portraying her as a straightforward woman who simply couldn't endure the perceived humiliation and acted on impulse. Ming Hui then fueled Consort De's existing dislike for Wei by revealing Madam Nian's claim that Yinzhen had never stopped loving Wei, implying that even if Wei was cleared of wrongdoing in this incident, Yinzhen's unresolved feelings would inevitably lead to future troubles.
To further her manipulation, Ming Hui invoked the historical precedent of the late emperor's profound love for an Imperial Noble Consort, subtly suggesting that such powerful emotions could have unpredictable and far-reaching consequences, potentially disrupting the stability of the imperial family. Consort De subsequently approached Kangxi, expressing her concern that a woman causing discord among the princes could destabilize the empire.
She warned that if a future ruler became entangled in emotional struggles rather than wisely governing, it would be detrimental to the Qing Dynasty. Kangxi, taking her words to heart, summoned Wei. Wei immediately took full responsibility for the recent disturbances, declaring herself the cause. Kangxi, seemingly pleased with her candor, posed a hypothetical question: if given the chance to choose her husband now, would she still pick Yinxiang, or would she choose Yinzhen?
Without hesitation, Wei affirmed her unwavering devotion to Yinxiang, stating that her heart belonged solely to him, even at the cost of her life, and that she would make the same choice if a blade were at his neck, explaining it as "human nature." Unknown to Wei, Yinzhen was secretly listening behind a curtain. Kangxi had orchestrated this entire scene to compel Yinzhen to relinquish his personal attachments and focus on matters of state.
After Wei's departure, Kangxi expressed his disappointment in Yinzhen, who then vowed to abandon all personal desires and dedicate himself to serving the Qing Dynasty. Wei, however, remained perplexed by Kangxi's question, believing he already knew her answer and that her public declaration was intended for another's ears. She voiced her anxieties to Yinxiang, wondering if her presence was irrevocably altering history and questioning her true purpose in this world.
If finding love with Yinxiang was her sole objective, she wondered why she couldn't simply enjoy her life as Thirteenth Princess Consort instead of being continually drawn into the "nine princes' fight for the throne." She felt an underlying mission awaited her, believing that only by completing it could she escape the constant turmoil.
Yinxiang, ever supportive, dismissed her worries about changing history and reassured her that her presence had only brought good into his life, vowing to stand by her no matter what her mission entailed. Meanwhile, Ming Hui's plot to sow distrust in Kangxi towards Yinxiang and Yinzhen had not yet fully succeeded, but she continued to patiently await a more opportune moment.
Her patience was rewarded when, during a morning court session, Kangxi announced a decisive victory in suppressing the rebellion and declared that upon his return, Yinti would be honored with the title of Great General Prince. At the subsequent palace banquet celebrating Yinti's victory, a lingering awkwardness remained between Yinxiang and Yinzhen.
Yinxiang initiated a conversation, and Yinzhen confessed that he had truly let go of his feelings for Wei, symbolizing this by burning her portrait, which he had kept hidden. He expressed his hope that Yinxiang and Wei would no longer hold any ill will. Yinxiang, true to his "big heart" as Yinzhen often described him, reciprocated, and the brothers reconciled.
Yinxiang later attempted to persuade Kangxi of Wei's innocence, explaining that she was being "framed" and used as a "target" by someone manipulating events from behind the scenes. However, Kangxi dismissed his words, interpreting them as a husband's natural defense of his wife. Wei, contemplating the constant turmoil she found herself in, began to realize that all the questions about her purpose and the escalating conflicts seemed to be intrinsically linked to Ming Hui.
She conjectured that the key to unraveling these mysteries and fulfilling her true purpose lay in resolving her complex relationship with Ming Hui, a person who had a similar counterpart in her own time, causing endless entanglement in both eras.
Despite having lost all of Mingwei's memories upon her arrival, making it impossible to understand Ming Hui's animosity, Yinxiang offered to accompany her to her ancestral home, the Yinglu mansion, believing they might find answers there about her past with Ming Hui. He reassured her that together, they could overcome any obstacle.
