Queen Dugu Episode 19 Recap, Plot

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Banruo was distraught upon learning she was pregnant, immediately confiding in her maid Chunshi that she and Yuwen Yu had never consummated their marriage. Chunshi suggested the doctor might have made a mistake and urged Banruo to calm down, proposing they get a second opinion. After another doctor confirmed the pregnancy, Banruo secretly instructed Chunshi not to let anyone know, but she also declared that this news was a disaster, not a blessing.

Overwhelmed, Banruo decided she could not keep the baby, instructing Chunshi to procure safflowers, recalling her mother's mention of their use for abortion. Chunshi questioned her lady’s willingness to harm her own flesh and blood, but Banruo insisted, lamenting that if Yuwen Yu, the Prince of Ningdu, were to discover the truth, it would be an unbearable insult to him. She felt the baby had arrived at the wrong time and had no fate with her.

Meanwhile, Jialuo returned to Jiciyuan, where she was warmly welcomed by the villagers and the guards who had rallied for her. She expressed her gratitude for their support. The villagers proposed to keep their defense force, formally naming themselves the Jici Army, an idea Jialuo readily approved. While observing their training, Jialuo discreetly inquired with Auntie Zhou about remedies for pregnant women, wishing to gather health-boosting items for her elder sister.

Auntie Zhou shared knowledge about beneficial herbs like red dates, lily, and atractylodes, but strongly warned against safflower and motherwort, explaining that these could endanger a pregnancy if consumed prematurely and were only to be used during childbirth if the fetus was stuck. She advised Jialuo to remember their distinct smell and taste.

Back at Banruo's residence, Chunshi prepared safflower juice, opting not to cook the herbs to avoid drawing attention, as a vendor had told her raw juice was most effective. Just as the juice was ready, Jialuo burst in, cheerfully carrying a basket of tonics for her sister and her future nephew. Noticing Banruo’s pale face, Jialuo initially thought she was ill, until she caught the distinctive scent of safflower. She was alarmed, suspecting Banruo's intentions.

When pressed, Banruo tearfully confessed the truth: she had sacrificed herself to Yuwen Hu for Jialuo's safety, leading to this pregnancy. Jialuo wept, overwhelmed with guilt and sorrow. Chunshi tried to console Banruo, reminding her of the Dugu Reigns prophecy and arguing that if the baby was a prince or princess, killing it would lead to lifelong regret. She proposed a plan to hire an imperial doctor to falsify the baby's age, thus concealing its true paternity from Yuwen Yu.

Jialuo knelt, pleading with her sister to spare the innocent child. Banruo, still plagued by guilt towards Yuwen Yu, initially refused, but Chunshi passionately argued against abortion, highlighting its dangers to the mother and emphasizing that achieving great power often required unconventional means, referencing the Dugu Reigns prophecy again. She also pointed out that Yuwen Hu’s failure to protect Jialuo led to Banruo’s situation, suggesting that this unexpected child might be a divine opportunity.

After much persuasion, Banruo reluctantly agreed to keep the child. As Jialuo left, her maid Dongqu, having shrewdly pieced things together, affirmed that the child must be Yuwen Hu's. Jialuo expressed her profound sadness, feeling torn between her guilt towards Yuwen Yu and her desire to protect her sister and the innocent baby. Dongqu advised Jialuo not to dwell on the father's identity, emphasizing that the child would be her nephew regardless.

She urged Jialuo to focus on becoming stronger to protect her loved ones in an unfair world. Meanwhile, Mantuo and Li Bing arrived at his grand ducal mansion in Longxi. Li Bing doted on Mantuo, giving her full authority over the backyard. Mantuo, eager to assert her new position, generously rewarded the servants. However, Feng, the former manager and now one of Li Bing's concubines, flattered Mantuo while subtly undermining her.

Feng presented Mantuo with extensive household records, then proceeded to ask complex questions about daily provisions, knowing Mantuo was unfamiliar with such details. Mantuo, unable to manage the accounts, deferred these tasks back to Feng. Feng then introduced Mantuo to a line of other concubines, totaling six Ladies and four maid-concubines. Mantuo was aghast, especially when Feng revealed she herself was a Lady, having been a personal maid to Li Bing's late wife before being elevated by her.

Later, enraged by Li Bing's deception, Mantuo vented her fury in her room, smashing objects. Qiuci attempted to calm her, but then Lady Jin's young son burst into the room while playing, revealing to Mantuo that Li Bing had even more children. That evening, Qiuci confirmed that Li Bing had Prince Li Cheng, two other sons, and two daughters, with Feng’s daughter being Li Bing’s favorite.

Mantuo, feeling betrayed and indignant, vowed to herself that as the Prime Minister’s daughter, she would not be bullied by these concubines. The next day, as Mantuo was about to visit the ancestral temple, Feng subtly reminded Li Bing that she had been busy tending to him last night, implying he had stayed with her. Feng then orchestrated a situation at the temple, insisting that Mantuo, as the second wife, must kneel and bow to the late Duchess.

Despite Mantuo’s proud nature and her appeals to Li Bing, he subtly urged her to comply for the sake of etiquette. Humiliated, Mantuo performed the kowtow. Back in her room, Mantuo tearfully confronted Li Bing, accusing him of loving his concubines more than her and demanding he banish them all, especially Feng and Lady Jin. She even pushed him. Li Bing, his face hardening, abruptly left the room.

Mantuo broke down, lamenting her fate and longing for Yang Jian, who always comforted her when she cried. Qiuci tried to explain that pushing Li Bing was unwise, but Mantuo felt utterly alone and bullied. Elsewhere, Yang Jian stood lost in thought, still troubled by his broken engagement. His father, Yang Zhong, noticed his son's melancholy and advised him to focus on honing his martial skills and strengthening their family.

Yang Zhong also lamented the two centuries of chaos, reiterating his belief that true wisdom lay in commanding military power far from the imperial court, and cautioned against harboring resentment towards the Dugu family. He then recounted how Zhao Gui had falsely accused Jialuo of keeping private troops, leading to Jialuo's imprisonment and Dugu Xin's suspension, causing Jialuo much suffering, and noted that Dugu Xin's misfortune came from venturing into the treacherous capital against his advice.

Yang Zhong urged Yang Jian to overcome his emotional entanglement with women if he ever hoped to achieve great things. Yang Jian promised to heed his father's counsel. Meanwhile, Banruo informed Yuwen Yu that she was pregnant, strategically claiming to be only one month along. Yuwen Yu was overjoyed, like a child, and instantly showered Banruo with doting attention, even fearing to touch her lest it destabilize the pregnancy. He excitedly rushed to spread the good news.

The news of Banruo's pregnancy sent ripples through the court, reaching Emperor Yuwen Jue, who furiously berated his own concubines for their inability to conceive. Jialuo also comforted her sister, urging her to protect the child well. Zhao Gui, seeing an opportunity, fueled Yuwen Jue's paranoia, suggesting that Dugu Xin intended to use Banruo's child to elevate Yuwen Yu to the throne, and urged immediate action against the Dugu family.

However, Yuwen Jue, wary of confronting Yuwen Hu, chose instead to seek out new palace beauties in hopes of conceiving an heir himself. Unaware of the truth, Yuwen Hu also heard the news of Banruo's pregnancy and mistakenly believed the child to be Yuwen Yu's, recalling Banruo's subsequent coldness after their encounter and surmising she had slept with Yuwen Yu right after him.

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