Dreaming Back to the Qing Dynasty Episode 9 Recap
> Dreaming Back to the Qing Dynasty Recap
On the day of the imperial selection, Wei feigned illness to avoid participation. An eunuch tried to rouse her, but Wei pretended to be gravely unwell, complaining of a headache, body aches, and nausea. Zheng Chunhua was asked to take Wei's place in the lineup, while other ladies gossiped that Wei's illness was a ploy to avoid marrying the elderly Emperor, backed by the princes. Rongyue, suspecting Wei was faking, immediately approached Noble Consort Nalan.
Rongyue stated that Wei was deceitful and urged the Noble Consort to send a physician. Noble Consort Nalan warned that if Wei was found to be without illness, she would face severe punishment for deceiving the Emperor. A physician was dispatched to examine Wei. Wei, initially confident in her acting, was startled by his arrival. Despite her insistence on being genuinely sick, the physician found her pulse "steady and normal," concluding she was "shamming" and ordering her arrest.
Just in time, Wei cried out that her hand was itching, revealing a real rash. The physician diagnosed it as a simple "rash" or "hay fever," though he found it peculiar given the palace's new provisions. Wei feigned ignorance about the cause, mentioning various potential allergens like drink, seafood, and flowers. She questioned if she could still attend the selection without disgracing the Emperor.
The physician, instead, prescribed a remedy for clearing heat and detoxifying and advised her to rest, allowing Wei to narrowly escape punishment. Later, she felt the rash itching more intensely. After the selection, Rongyue was named a noble lady, and Zheng Chunhua became a first attendant. Other ladies continued to disparage Wei for her alleged cunning. When Wei appeared, Rongyue confronted her about being out despite her illness.
Wei cleverly claimed to Rongyue that the physician had diagnosed her with "smallpox," advising her to stay away. This sent Rongyue and the other ladies fleeing in panic. Wei then met with Zheng Chunhua, who expressed concern for her. Wei confessed that her initial feigned illness was true, but the rash that saved her was genuine.
She explained that she had not entered the palace for the selection, but to find someone, and the thought of being trapped in endless conflict with other women in the palace was "depressing." Zheng Chunhua, now a first attendant, felt lost and scared about her future without Wei by her side. Wei comforted her, advising her to "take things as they come" and "follow your heart," trusting in fate. Meanwhile, Yinti joined Yinzhen at Consort De's palace.
Consort De, delighted to see both her sons, remarked on their rare joint visit outside of special occasions. Yinzhen revealed he was there on behalf of Yinxiang, requesting Consort De to accept a lady Yinxiang had "got his eye on" as a lady official. Yinti initially commented on Wei's controversial past in the palace but then surprisingly praised her "righteous" and "unaffected" character, suggesting she would thrive under Consort De's guidance.
Yinzhen echoed the sentiment, calling Wei "righteous" but "a little rash," and noting Consort De's dislike for flattery, affirming that Wei would surely please her. Consort De, amused by their unusual consensus and curious about the girl, agreed to meet her. Outside Consort De's palace, Yinzhen confronted Yinti, questioning his motives for supporting Yinxiang, suggesting it was to atone for having "deceived Mingwei" in the "Xiaoyu" incident.
Yinti countered, implying Yinzhen's involvement was a strategic move to "woo" Wei's father, Yinglu, a "hottest figure at court." Yinzhen warned Yinti to "drop ideas that you shouldn't have." Yinti, already resentful of Yinzhen's perceived favoritism towards Yinxiang, was provoked by the exchange and vowed to pursue Wei. Separately, Consort De, carrying a precious red coral bracelet bestowed by the Emperor, visited Noble Consort Nalan.
Consort De explained that both Yinzhen and Yinti had independently requested Wei to be appointed as her lady official. Noble Consort Nalan revealed that Consort Liang, Yinsi's mother, also desired Wei, which put her in a difficult position. Consort De subtly leveraged her influence, hinting that she would "think of another plan" if Noble Consort Nalan found it "hard to decide."
Recognizing Consort De's power and Consort Liang's disfavor with the Emperor, Noble Consort Nalan conceded, hoping to "do Consort De a favor" and gain a good word from her to the Emperor. Wei was then assigned to the Palace of Eternal Spring as Consort De's lady official. She was curious about who orchestrated her placement but the eunuch claimed ignorance. Later that night, Yinxiang secretly entered her room, startling her.
Wei realized he had written the note telling her to fake illness and that her rash was caused by his application of "juice of lacquer tree" to the note. She chided him for his dangerous scheme but conceded it had saved her. Yinxiang, expecting gratitude, was met with Wei's concern about the impropriety of their clandestine meeting. Before leaving, Yinxiang boldly declared that she would "definitely" be his woman.
Wei's duties in the Pavilion of Concentrated Fragrance involved maintaining precious artifacts. As she handled the treasures, she recalled a dream of viewing them with an unknown companion, still unable to identify that person. Soon after, Yinti sneaked into the room to apologize to Wei for past actions and held her hand, but Yinxiang's timely arrival interrupted them, forcing Yinti to leave.
Wei expressed her lingering anger towards Yinti and, when Yinxiang once again claimed her as his woman, declared that all princes were "not good men," except for Yinzhen, whom she considered an "exception." Later, during a meal at Consort De's palace, Yinzhen presented her with southern bird's nest. Yinti arrived without a gift, but Consort De showed clear favoritism towards him, serving him his favorite "fish face meat" and reminiscing about his childhood.
She later lit Yinti's preferred "sandalwood" incense, despite Yinzhen's known discomfort with the scent. Yinzhen, unable to tolerate it, excused himself to cough outside, a detail Wei noticed. Wei, concerned for Yinzhen, brought him pear soup to alleviate his cough. She asked why he didn't request Consort De to change the incense. Yinzhen dismissed it as a minor issue, prioritizing Consort De's happiness. To learn more, Wei used a "hand mask" to bond with Armo, Consort De's attendant.
Armo revealed that Consort De's cough was an "old illness," but then clarified that Yinzhen was the one who suffered from a cough as a baby. Consort De had personally "boiled fish mint" for him, but he was taken away before recovery due1 to the palace rule that "princes can't be raised by their own mothers." Armo added that the mention of fish mint still caused Consort De pain.
Wei realized that fish mint, known to "cure lung pain and cough," might also mend the "relationship between a mother and her son." She consulted medical books, finding that fish mint "grows on the marshes as well as shady places in valleys." Determined, Wei sought Yinxiang's help. She asked him to arrange a private trip for her and Yinzhen to the imperial wood. Yinxiang initially refused, expressing concern for Yinzhen's safety and playfully suggesting jealousy.
Wei, however, clarified her true purpose: "to repair Fourth Prince's relationship with Consort De." Convinced by her sincerity, Yinxiang agreed to help. Disguised as a palace guard, Wei rode with Yinzhen to the imperial wood. They searched for fish mint for hours, and as dusk fell, Yinzhen wished to return, but Wei stubbornly refused to leave without finding it, prepared to stay overnight.
Yinzhen was annoyed by her initial deception about the purpose of their search, feeling that any effort was futile, but he couldn't bring himself to leave Wei and remained with her. Wei accidentally fell into the water but successfully found the fish mint. With night fully descended, they were forced to spend the night outdoors. Wei apologized for her recklessness, and Yinzhen, admitting he would have left if truly angry, suggested they rest until morning.
During their conversation, Wei mistakenly asked Yinzhen if he liked Jixiang fruit and Ruyi cake, which Yinzhen clarified were Yinxiang's favorites, saying Yinxiang "always likes joking." Yinzhen asked why Wei was inquiring about his preferences, to which she vaguely replied "no.. . nothing." Later, a wolf howl startled Wei awake, and in fear, she instinctively moved closer to Yinzhen to sleep. Yinzhen, pleased, misinterpreted her actions as a sign of affection.
