Dreaming Back to the Qing Dynasty Episode 38 Recap
> Dreaming Back to the Qing Dynasty Recap
Yinti had Wei brought to a woodshed, explaining that Ming Hui intended to harm her and he had intervened to save her. Wei questioned if he had kidnapped her, to which Yinti responded by expressing deep regret for having deceived her in the past and asked for her trust once more. He instructed her to remain safely hidden and not venture outside, hinting that "everything would end soon."
Wei wondered if Yinti intended to use her to threaten Yinxiang or if he might be considering relinquishing his claim to the throne. Yinti's army was prepared for battle. Meanwhile, Yinzhen shared his somber thoughts with Yinxiang, lamenting that once the conflict began, his ties with Yinti and their mother would be severed.
Yinxiang sought to comfort him, emphasizing that their struggle was not for the throne itself, but to uphold a promise made to their father and to defend justice and the natural order. Despite Yinzhen's lack of confidence, Yinxiang reminded him of Wei's past bravery in challenging imperial authority for justice, noting that she had succeeded with Yinzhen's backing. He then questioned how Yinzhen could doubt that similar support was now behind him, reaffirming his unwavering loyalty.
Yinsi and his allies confronted Yinzhen and Yinxiang in the great hall, urging Yinzhen to surrender. Yinxiang, however, reiterated his unwavering commitment to Yinzhen. Unexpectedly, Yinti intervened, commanding his soldiers to lay down their weapons. He declared his intention to obey the late Emperor's posthumous edict, recognizing Yinzhen as the new emperor and returning his military tally. This stunning reversal left Yinsi bewildered. Yinti then revealed to Yinsi that there were more important things than contending for the throne.
A previous conversation between Yinti and Yinxiang revealed the reasons for Yinti's change of heart. Yinxiang had shared his fundamental belief in Yinzhen, stemming from a past act of kindness. Yinti then confessed that he had long been aware of Ming Hui's deceptive schemes but had chosen to delude himself. He acknowledged Wei's wisdom that a lie is a choice, and he had made the wrong one.
While he still desired the throne, he understood it was not rightfully his, just as Wei was not his. He insisted that the battle must proceed to ensure Yinzhen's legitimate ascension, but extracted a promise from Yinxiang to protect Yinsi and the other princes. Yinxiang agreed to this condition. With the conflict averted, Yinzhen solemnly vowed to uphold his father's legacy for the benefit of the Qing Dynasty and its people.
Eunuch Li then formally announced the late Emperor's edict, confirming Yinzhen's succession to the throne. Following the momentous declaration, Yinxiang went to retrieve Wei, telling her that "everything was over" and it was time to "go home." Ming Hui, dressed in anticipation of victory, eagerly awaited Yinti's return. However, Yinti entered with a solemn expression and merely embraced her. She pressed him about the outcome, to which he simply replied, "Lost."
She lamented that after all her tireless efforts to place him on the throne, he had ultimately forfeited it, making their shared ambition a "joke." Yinti attempted to persuade her to flee, warning that it would soon be too late, but Ming Hui refused, declaring she had nothing left and nowhere to go. At that moment, Yinxiang and Wei arrived with imperial guards to apprehend Ming Hui. Yinzhen formally ascended the throne, beginning his reign as Emperor Yongzheng.
Ming Hui was summoned before him, with Yinti, Yinxiang, and Wei also present. Yinzhen, now the Emperor, accused Ming Hui of numerous grave offenses, including disregarding human life, disrupting state affairs, tampering with the posthumous edict, and murdering the late Emperor. While Ming Hui was willing to concede to other charges, she adamantly denied having murdered the late Emperor.
At Wei's prompting, Ming Hui reluctantly revealed that on the day of his death, the late Emperor Kangxi had summoned her with the intention of executing her. Kangxi had meticulously recounted her extensive list of misdeeds, from manipulating the Crown Prince and involving Yinti in talismanic magic and scapegoating Yinxiang, to forcing Yinti's marriage, instigating the First Prince's suicide, and creating rumors about Yinzhen and Yinxiang's consort.
He admitted to having long observed her manipulative nature, tolerating her schemes among the concubines, but declared that her interference in the princes' struggle, inciting them to fight each other, was unforgivable, and thus, he could no longer allow her to live. Ming Hui, attempting to avert her fate, reminded Kangxi of Yinti's military power, but Kangxi dismissed her plea. He revealed his knowledge of Yinti's troop movements, scoffing at the idea that Yinti would challenge him over a woman.
More chillingly, he asserted that her execution would be carried out discreetly, ensuring Yinti would never learn of her demise. Desperate, Ming Hui then claimed her actions stemmed solely from profound love for Yinti and jealousy of Wei, begging for her life. Kangxi, however, remained unmoved, stating her numerous crimes warranted death and that the poison was prepared. Ming Hui recounted that as Kangxi prepared to administer the poison, she argued fiercely, verbally provoking him further.
This led to his sudden collapse and coughing blood. In a moment of panic, she had tried to offer him medicine and called for a physician, but he died before help could arrive. Upon discovering the imperial edict, she was stunned to find it named Yinzhen, not Yinti, as successor, and admitted to altering it, though she claimed only to have exploited "human selfish motive," denying any direct murder.
Yinzhen, enraged, cut short her defense, declaring her fate to be "her own fault." His imperial decree condemned Ming Hui for her many transgressions, including the murder of the late Emperor and tampering with the edict, stripping her of her title and ordering her execution. Ming Hui defiantly protested her innocence, claiming lack of evidence, but Yinzhen proclaimed himself the ultimate "evidence" and "justice," asserting his will to execute her regardless of dissenting opinions.
As guards led her away, Ming Hui expressed her profound regret at having misjudged Yinzhen and Yinxiang's deep fraternal bond, and, most painfully, Yinti's enduring affection for Wei. Yinti, visibly distressed, reaffirmed his principle that he would not take what was not rightfully his. Yinti visited Ming Hui in prison. She met him with hostility, questioning his motives and defiantly admitting to murdering his father, asking if he was satisfied.
Yinti chastised her for her unrepentant nature, accusing her of self-deception and misplaced cleverness, asserting that she had been a pawn in the Forbidden City's treacherous games. He confessed that ever since their marriage, he had feared her ambition and tried to protect her, but she had never heeded his warnings. Ming Hui, however, expressed her regret for misjudging him, believing he would fiercely pursue the throne, and blamed Wei for his perceived betrayal.
Yinti then revealed the depth of his affection by asking why he had married her, forgiven her repeatedly, and always covered for her. A moment of realization dawned on Ming Hui, but Yinti declared it was "too late" and departed, stating he could not forgive his father's murderer. Ming Hui was left alone, crying out his name in anguish. After his ascension, Emperor Yinzhen visited his mother, Consort De, who was now Empress Dowager.
He informed her that Ming Hui was solely responsible for the late Emperor's death and the tampering of the edict, confirming Ming Hui's impending execution. The Empress Dowager responded with a chilling detachment, dismissing the matter and advising Yinzhen against frequent visits. Yinzhen then directly asked her why she harbored a desire to kill Wei. Her demeanor shifted, and she countered by questioning if he, as the ruler of the world, could truly relinquish the woman he loved.
Yinzhen resolutely affirmed that he could, but the Empress Dowager warned him against self-deception, reminding him that his words as Emperor were absolute and irreversible, and that he was now the sovereign for all people. Yinzhen maintained his stance, promising to never go back on his word.
