Dreaming Back to the Qing Dynasty Episode 39 Recap
> Dreaming Back to the Qing Dynasty Recap
Wei awoke from a recurring nightmare, where Ming Hui fiercely shouted at her, her ancient form blending with a modern image of "Sister Hui." Troubled, Wei felt their lingering feud was far from over. Yinxiang, seeing her distress, comforted her, reminding her that Ming Hui had reaped what she sowed and that their past struggles were settled.
He apologized for his recent busy schedule, which left her to overthink, and promised that once the court stabilized, he would seek Emperor Yinzhen’s permission for them to leave the capital and live a carefree life. Despite his reassurances, Wei maintained a strange feeling that her conflict with Ming Hui had not yet concluded. Seeking answers, Wei visited Ming Hui in prison. Ming Hui greeted her with disdain, prompting Wei to ask why she harbored such deep hatred.
Ming Hui explained that it stemmed from Wei’s status as the cherished legal daughter, who was always favored and taken to banquets by their father and Wei's mother, while Ming Hui, though the eldest, was a concubine’s child, often ignored. " As long as you are alive," Ming Hui declared, "I am nobody." She then justified her cousin Yuanqing’s death, calling him "insensitive and unrighteous" for regretting his plan to run away with Wei.
Ming Hui also expressed intense hatred for Wei’s mother, claiming she was treated as "inferior to the grass" while Wei was treasured. She further asserted that all those who suffered around Wei, including Yinxiang, Zhao Fengchu, Qixiang, and the Fourth Princess Consort, did so "because of you," making Wei the "chief culprit." Ming Hui then began provoking Wei, daring her to inflict punishment and calling her afraid. Wei, frustrated by her unrepentant rage, branded Ming Hui as "hopeless."
It was then that Wei noticed Ming Hui’s nausea and realized she was pregnant. Ming Hui expressed surprise that Wei was still alive after her previous attempts to kill her. She defiantly declared that she would not keep the child, wanting to die with it, believing it would only lead to a tragic life like her own.
Ming Hui further goaded Wei, telling her to kill both her and the unborn child, which would stain Wei's hands with "blood of the innocent." Wei, aghast, called Ming Hui insane for wishing death upon her own child. Ming Hui scoffed at Wei’s pity, asserting that "many people want you to die" and that even after her death, Wei "can't live a good life." Later, Wei encountered Rongyue in the palace.
Rongyue explained that the Empress Dowager had granted her and Noble Consort Nalan special permission to remain in the palace, despite the usual custom for childless concubines to enter nunneries after the late emperor’s death. When Rongyue questioned why Wei would visit someone as self-destructive as Ming Hui, Wei expressed pity, saying that Ming Hui had never truly been her own master and was always pushed by hatred, forced to do things she knew were wrong.
Rongyue advised Wei not to trouble herself over it and offered her a cup of "soothing tea" from her "aunt," Noble Consort Nalan, suggesting it would help calm her mind. Wei subsequently went to pay respects to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager offered an apology to Wei, attributing all past misunderstandings to Ming Hui’s manipulation and asking if Wei blamed her.
Wei, showing compassion, understood the Empress Dowager’s past actions, recalling Kangxi’s earlier concerns about her relationships with Yinzhen and Yinxiang. She explained that as a mother of the state, the Empress Dowager, like Kangxi as emperor, had to prioritize the empire and its people over personal feelings, which was simply "human nature." The Empress Dowager then lit some sandalwood incense, remarking that Yinzhen disliked its scent and that she hadn’t used it in a long time.
She then mysteriously told Wei, "Yuning, don't blame me," leaving Wei puzzled by her words. As the sun set, Wei walked through the Forbidden City, reflecting on her journey. She realized her initial attraction to the grand architecture had evolved; it was the people who lived within its walls that truly captivated her. She thought of Yinzhen, who, for the sake of the dynasty and his brother Yinxiang, had once considered harming her, yet treated her with respect and affection.
She thought of Yinxiang, who, despite possessing the qualities of an emperor, chose to follow Yinzhen out of loyalty and a promise, living a free and devoted life. She also thought of Yinti, "most obstinate and unruly," who, when the throne was within his grasp, chose to abandon it because "it didn't belong to him."
Wei felt fortunate to have been a "spectator" in this historical drama, observing their joys, sorrows, and dreams, understanding that their stories were expressions of "human nature" transcending eras. The time came for Ming Hui’s execution, with Yinti assigned to supervise. Ming Hui questioned Yinzhen’s motive, believing he wanted Yinti to bear the "notoriety of killing your wife," while gaining a reputation for benevolence himself.
Yinzhen, however, had a different purpose in mind, which he explained to Yinti in a flashback: if he personally supervised the execution, Ming Hui would surely die. He left the decision to Yinti, not out of clemency for Ming Hui, but as a gesture for his brother. He acknowledged their past conflicts and Yinti's strength, noting that Yinti could have been emperor if he had truly fought for it, but Yinti had chosen not to pursue what was not his.
Ming Hui remained full of hatred and misconstrued Yinzhen’s gesture as a "good scheme." Yinti, deeply saddened, asked why she couldn't see "any sincerity," to which Ming Hui responded by recalling her past sufferings and desire for death. Yinzhen reiterated that Ming Hui’s fate rested with Yinti. With a heavy heart, Yinti finally gave the command to execute. Just as the executioner prepared to strike, Yinzhen, Yinxiang, and Wei arrived, stopping the proceedings.
Wei immediately pleaded with Yinzhen, declaring her belief that Ming Hui had not murdered Kangxi and revealing Ming Hui’s pregnancy with Yinti’s child. Ming Hui, however, denied both claims, insisting she killed Kangxi and rejected Wei’s "fake sympathy." Wei countered that while Ming Hui "deserves to die," her unborn child did not, and she shouldn't make Yinti a "man who kills his wife and child."
Yinti was stunned and devastated, realizing Ming Hui had intended for him to carry such a burden and that her sincerity towards him was nonexistent. Yinzhen expressed his confusion as to why Wei and Yinxiang, who had been most harmed by Ming Hui, would plead for her. Yinxiang explained that hatred had blinded Ming Hui, and that forgiving her was a way for them to find their own peace. Yinzhen once more deferred Ming Hui’s final decision to Yinti.
Yet, Ming Hui remained unrepentant, blaming Wei for ruining her life and taking everything from her. Suddenly, Wei coughed up blood and collapsed. A flashback then revealed the sinister plot: Noble Consort Nalan had begged the Empress Dowager to spare her and Rongyue from the nunnery. The Empress Dowager agreed on the condition that Noble Consort Nalan eliminate Wei.
Noble Consort Nalan had given Rongyue the "soothing tea" to poison Wei, and the Empress Dowager's sandalwood incense further activated the toxins. The imperial doctor confirmed that Wei had been poisoned by two combined substances, each harmless alone but fatal together, declaring her "incurable" and "beyond saving." Enraged, Yinzhen immediately suspected Ming Hui and vowed to kill her.
Wei, struggling with her last breaths, stopped him, pleading that he not kill Ming Hui, urging him "not to plant any more evil seeds" and to let their "grudges be over." Yinzhen solemnly promised to grant her wish. Later that night, under an apricot tree, Wei shared a tearful farewell with Yinxiang. She recalled how that very tree had given her the courage to confess her feelings for him.
Fading, she hinted she might not live to see the apricot blossoms next spring. Yinxiang, heartbroken, refused to accept her words, reminding her of their dreams of a carefree life together. He told her that every day with her was joyful, and that meeting her was fate’s greatest surprise. They promised to be together "in next life and all lives."
Wei asked Yinxiang to promise to live on, to which he smiled and agreed, assuring her everything would be "as you want." Wei then whispered that she was "going home" and would wait for him to find her. As apricot petals fell around them, Wei passed away in Yinxiang's arms. Wei then suddenly awoke in her familiar modern home. Her "trotting horse lantern" was missing.
She questioned if her time with Yinxiang had been merely a dream, but found it impossible to believe, as his "appearance and your words are real." She searched for Yinxiang online, finding historical records of Prince Yi Heshuo, his life summarized in a few "cold characters" that detailed his actions but not his reasons. There was no trace of her in history, which she considered perhaps the "best result."
Back in the Qing Dynasty, after Wei’s death, Yinxiang decided to resign from his position in court, choosing to live a carefree life as he had promised Wei, always waiting for her. In the modern Forbidden City, Wei wandered, thinking of Yinxiang. They walked the same ancient land, separated by time, never to meet again, yet their love transcended the ages.
