A Prime Minister's Disguise Episode 1 Recap
> A Prime Minister's Disguise Recap
Former rebel commander Huo Jingheng clashed with Prime Minister Yue's forces on the battlefield. It was actually Prime Minister Yue who had first arranged a surprise cavalry attack on Huo Jingheng. Huo Jingheng truly admired the prime minister—he believed Yue was a rare talent in governing the country. If Yue were willing to surrender, Huo would still appoint him as prime minister once Da Ning was reestablished.
Although King Ning was foolish and incompetent, Prime Minister Yue had his own reasons for standing his ground. Yue Chi, the prime minister, would only fight to the death and would never surrender. Yue Chi deliberately sought defeat on the battlefield because his family was being held hostage by King Ning. The public only knew that Yue Chi had died in battle and had been posthumously honored as Prince Anle by the new emperor.
His sister Yue Ling'er was granted the title of Consort Yue, and the emperor decreed she should enter the palace to serve at his side. Yue Ling'er was actually willing to enter the palace because she was obsessed with looks and had heard the new emperor was both handsome and well-built. Despite knowing about the palace's backstabbing schemes, she still hoped to use her status as a consort to protect the Yue family.
However, Yue Chi worried his sister would be bullied, so he disguised himself and decided to enter the palace in her place. Once he confirmed it was safe, he would switch back with her. Yue Chi’s journey to the palace was rough. He rode in a shabby sedan chair, swaying the entire way. Once he arrived, he began vomiting from the exhausting trip. He was only attended by a single maid named Xiaoyue.
Yue Chi was furious—not only was his sister being dishonored with such poor treatment, but she was also being neglected. He decided to confront Huo Jingheng. Xiaoyue stopped him, explaining that by the emperor’s order, Yue Chi was not allowed to leave Fengluan Palace. On top of that, he was assigned the task of memorizing the twelve palace rules, which filled an entire table with books. Yue Chi was devastated.
Knowing he wouldn’t finish reading them, he began scheming to get the emperor to come to him instead. Consort Hui came to Fengluan Palace with a group of other concubines. The emperor had never shown interest in women, but now that he had specially conferred the title of consort on Yue Chi’s sister, Consort Hui feared she might lose favor and her status be threatened. She decided to strike first.
As she entered the palace, intending to make things difficult for Yue Chi, the emperor unexpectedly appeared. True to his nature, he showed no interest in women, and upon seeing Yue Chi, had no suspicions whatsoever. He stayed only briefly before leaving, arranging for Consort Hui and the others to accompany Yue Chi around the palace. That night, Yue Chi received a pigeon message from Yue Ling'er.
She was worried about her brother, afraid he was suffering in the palace—after all, he had once been defeated by the emperor and now had to humble himself. Yue Chi swore to win the emperor’s favor and become empress one day. He kept a close eye on the emperor and discovered that he was actually quite diligent in state affairs.
Yue Chi eavesdropped on a conversation between the emperor and his guard and learned that in recent years, the emperor had been trying to protect Ling'er. Knowing she was an orphan from the previous dynasty, the emperor understood her hardships. To better protect and care for her, he brought her into the palace. Yue Chi was unexpectedly touched by this.
When Yue Chi returned to Fengluan Palace intending to write to Ling'er, he discovered that she had already arrived in disguise as a maid. As a maid from the Yue household visiting her mistress in the palace, her presence was not suspicious, but Yue Chi was still worried they would be discovered. Yue Chi told Ling'er that Huo Jingheng seemed trustworthy, and Ling'er expressed her willingness to become his empress.
Seeing his sister’s determination, Yue Chi decided to help her compete for the empress position. Playing to Huo Jingheng’s interests, Yue Chi “bribed” the eunuch to deliver a dagger to the emperor. As expected, the emperor, who loved weapons and novelties, immediately came to Fengluan Palace. For several days, he was captivated by the various weapons Yue Chi shared—precious items from Yue Chi's private collection—all of which Huo Jingheng liked and even accepted as gifts.
Yue Chi was distressed; he had only been trying to be polite and hadn’t expected Huo Jingheng to take them seriously. Consort Hui’s father and brother had died on the battlefield because of Yue Chi, so she regarded the Yue family as her enemies. She swore before her family's memorial tablets that she would one day avenge them.
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