Renascence Episode 14 Recap
> Renascence Recap
Han Jinyi urgently informed Ye Junqing that Yao Mowan had been placed under house arrest. The Emperor had discovered snake-luring incense in Guanju Palace and suspected Yao Mowan of trying to kill him. Yao Mowan, recalling Duan Ting Ting's earlier visit to Guanju Palace, suspected Duan Ting Ting was behind the snake-luring incense. However, to protect Duan Ting Ting, Yao Mowan claimed she knew nothing, which deepened Ye Hongyi's suspicions.
He believed she had entered the palace with the intent to murder him and enhance Ye Junqing's position, leading him to confine her to Guanju Palace. In her chambers, Consort Shu heard her maid mention a snake infestation and offered snake-repellant grass. Consort Shu dismissed it, stating it was "treachery" and suspected Yao Mowan had offended someone. Soon after, Ye Junqing, in plain clothes, snuck into her chambers.
He questioned Consort Shu about the snake incident and if she knew any details or was involved. Consort Shu, noting he sought her out just for Yao Mowan, expressed dismay that despite their upbringing as cousins, he would suspect her. She denied involvement and then, seeing his desperation, Ye Junqing implored her to use her influence and resourcefulness to save Yao Mowan.
Consort Shu retorted that she had never seen him beg before and felt he was taking advantage of her feelings for him. As Ye Junqing prepared to leave, she stopped him, agreeing to help if he promised her one thing. Later, Consort Shu went to Han Yue, who was upset with Duan Ting Ting.
Duan Ting Ting tearfully confessed she only wanted to teach Yao Mowan a small lesson and hadn't intended for the situation to escalate to the point of execution. Consort Shu confirmed their involvement and stated she wasn't there to expose them but to borrow something to save Yao Mowan. Han Yue was wary, but Consort Shu convinced her by pointing out that Yao Mowan's situation was already dire. Han Yue then reluctantly agreed.
Ye Hongyi visited Yao Mowan, apologizing for having wronged her. He revealed that he had apprehended the true culprit. Qian Mian reported that Consort Si was caught attempting to dispose of a snake-luring bell. After consulting scholars, it was determined that snake-luring incense only works when combined with a snake-luring bell. Given Consort Si's exotic tribal background, her involvement with such "sorcery" seemed plausible.
Ye Hongyi expressed his regret for Yao Mowan's distress, vowing severe punishment for anyone who dared to harm her again. To mark her entry and dispel any lingering bad luck, he announced a grand banquet for that evening. Yao Mowan expressed her gratitude. Shortly after, Consort Shu visited Yao Mowan, revealing she had orchestrated the rescue by finding Consort Si as a "scapegoat."
She advised Yao Mowan to be more cautious in the future, as one wrong step could lead to ruin. Yao Mowan thanked Consort Shu for saving her life but found it peculiar that Consort Shu would genuinely help her. Speaking to Ting Yue later, Yao Mowan acknowledged Consort Shu's ruthlessness in using a life but also found her aid surprising. She instructed Ting Yue to prepare funds for Consort Si's proper burial.
At the banquet, Ye Hongyi extended an invitation to Ye Junqing to visit the palace more often, wishing to enjoy his company. He then celebrated Yao Mowan's entry into the palace. Ye Hongyi praised Yao Mowan's dancing, remarking that it was as stunning and graceful as that of the late Empress Yao Moxin, and asked Consort Shu to accompany her on the qin. Their harmonious performance made Consort Shu, who harbored feelings for Ye Junqing, intensely jealous.
Ye Junqing then volunteered to perform a sword dance to add to the festivities. However, in the middle of his performance, he collapsed in a drunken stupor. Ye Hongyi immediately ordered his servants to take Ye Junqing to an inner hall to rest. Consort Chen approached Yao Mowan at the banquet, complimenting her graceful dance. She then offered a toast, but "accidentally" spilled wine all over Yao Mowan.
Consort Chen urged Yao Mowan to change her clothes, promising to cover for her with the Emperor. Yao Mowan sought and received permission from Ye Hongyi to leave. She was then escorted back to a room by Consort Chen's maid, Dong Qing. While Yao Mowan was changing, Ye Junqing, who had been resting in the room, emerged from behind a screen.
In his drunken state, he mistook the encounter for a dream, asking Yao Mowan why she wouldn't leave his thoughts. Yao Mowan, realizing he was heavily intoxicated, asked him what he was doing there. Ye Junqing questioned why their lives had taken such a turn, asking if she had a hidden purpose. Yao Mowan, in turn, told him to pretend she was dead, which he vehemently refused. She attempted to calm him down.
Consort Chen's maid, Dong Qing, returned to the banquet and falsely reported to Ye Hongyi that Yao Mowan had disappeared after being taken to her room. Informed that Ye Junqing was also resting in Pingle Palace, Ye Hongyi, already suspicious, became furious. He led his soldiers to Pingle Palace, ordering them to break down the locked door. Inside, they found Yao Mowan lying unconscious with an injury to her forehead.
Just before the Emperor's arrival, Yao Mowan, realizing they were trapped and the doors were locked, deduced it was a scheme to frame her and Ye Junqing. Ye Junqing had urged her to blame him, claiming he, in his drunken state, had made advances. However, Yao Mowan refused to let him bear the burden alone. Recalling a secret passage in Pingle Palace from its renovation, she quickly used it to help Ye Junqing escape, then intentionally injured her own forehead.
As Ye Hongyi discovered her, Ye Junqing reappeared, claiming he had gone out for a walk to sober up and expressing relief that he hadn't been there when Yao Mowan was found, which would have led to an embarrassing misunderstanding. Ye Hongyi, now convinced this was a deliberate setup, suspected someone was trying to frame both Yao Mowan and Ye Junqing.
When Yao Mowan regained consciousness, she tearfully told Ye Hongyi that she had been knocked out by the maid as soon as she entered the room, remembering nothing else. Ye Hongyi, feeling pity, vowed she would never suffer injustice again and personally escorted her back to Guanju Palace. This turn of events significantly eased his suspicion towards both Yao Mowan and Ye Junqing. Back in his room, Ye Junqing was still tormented by Yao Mowan's earlier words.
He took a sachet from a box, reflecting on how Yao Mowan knew about the secret passage in Pingle Palace, which he had thought only a few knew about from its renovation. Meanwhile, Consort Shu approached Ye Junqing, pointedly noting his pain at seeing the woman he loved in the Emperor's arms, and reminded him of the promise he had made to her. After Ye Hongyi left Guanju Palace, Han Jinyi visited Yao Mowan.
He told her that Ye Junqing had anticipated her difficult life in the palace. Han Jinyi presented her with a jade flute, explaining that Ye Junqing had arranged for a hidden guard named Yin Xue, who was skilled in stealth and would appear whenever the flute was played. Upon blowing the flute, Yin Xue appeared, pledging her absolute loyalty to Yao Mowan. Astonished, Yao Mowan asked Yin Xue to disappear, which she promptly did.
Yao Mowan expressed her gratitude to Han Jinyi for this incredible assistance. Ling Feng reported to Ye Junqing that a significant quantity of gunpowder had gone missing from the army, including both ready-made explosives and raw materials like cinnabar and saltpeter. He explained that while the court had previously banned military gunpowder production, the Emperor had recently reinstated it due to ongoing conflicts. Ling Feng noted that under Ye Junqing's previous command, there had never been any such discrepancies.
However, since Governor Dou Shiming recently assumed control of the munitions reserve, this "big fiasco" had occurred. Ye Junqing, exasperated, recognized Dou Shiming's name once again. Ling Feng clarified that while this particular batch was not large, the cumulative amount from previous small, irregular losses was substantial and concerning. Ye Junqing expressed deep worry about the unknown destination and purpose of such a large quantity of black gunpowder.
He feared that reporting it to the Emperor would inadvertently implicate their loyal military brothers, playing directly into Dou Shiming's strategy to eliminate rivals within the army. Ben Lei cautioned Ye Junqing against interfering in military affairs, warning that it would only invite slander. However, Ling Feng reminded Ye Junqing of their comrades who longed for his return and whose fates depended on resolving this issue. Ye Junqing, realizing the urgency, decided he could not hesitate.
He and Ben Lei then concealed themselves to observe a gunpowder shipment leaving the military camp. Ye Junqing astutely noticed that the wheel tracks of the last cart were significantly deeper than the others, indicating it carried a heavier load and was likely the suspicious one. He decided to follow it to uncover its origin, method of transport, and ultimate destination.
Consort Chen confessed to Huangfu Jun Xiu her deep guilt over framing Yao Mowan and the subsequent execution of her maid, Dong Qing. Huangfu Jun Xiu advised her to simply feign ignorance. However, Yao Mowan then appeared, confronting Consort Chen and Huangfu Jun Xiu about their secret rendezvous, questioning their blatant disregard for the Emperor. She pressed Consort Chen to explain why she had tried to harm her, despite their supposed sisterly bond.
Huangfu Jun Xiu immediately took full responsibility, but Yao Mowan scoffed, warning him that he couldn't protect Consort Chen indefinitely and that a more brutal fate awaited her if she didn't reveal the truth. Huangfu Jun Xiu then protested that Yao Mowan would never betray them. He explained that Yao Su Luan had blackmailed Consort Chen with his sword ornament, which she had found after one of their secret meetings.
Yao Mowan realized that Yao Su Luan had cleverly exploited Consort Chen's vulnerability. She understood that if Yao Su Luan could use such methods against her, she would not hesitate to use even crueler tactics against Consort Chen to silence her. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Yao Mowan sought to protect Consort Chen and decided to turn the tables on Yao Su Luan.
To counteract Yao Su Luan's manipulation, Yao Mowan instructed Ting Yue to spread rumors throughout the palace that she and Consort Chen were now close friends. Upon hearing this, Yao Su Luan was furious. Her maid suggested that Yao Mowan and Consort Chen might be conspiring. Yao Su Luan, asserting that in the palace there were no permanent enemies or friends, sought out Consort Shu, believing she also harbored hatred for Yao Mowan.
Yao Su Luan presented Consort Shu with Huangfu Jun Xiu's sword ornament as proof of Consort Chen's illicit affair with him, implying that Yao Mowan was secretly facilitating their relationship and acting as the mastermind. Claiming her own feud with Yao Mowan prevented her from directly reporting it to the Emperor, Yao Su Luan attempted to manipulate Consort Shu into exposing the affair. Consort Shu, recognizing Yao Su Luan's intent to use her, questioned her motive.
Yao Su Luan countered that Yao Mowan was their common enemy, and by working together, they both stood to gain. Consort Shu accepted the sword ornament. The next day, as Ye Hongyi and Yao Su Luan were playing chess in a pavilion, Consort Shu arrived, bringing the sword ornament. Coincidentally, Yao Mowan arrived shortly after with some cooling soup for the Emperor.
Yao Mowan feigned curiosity about the sword ornament, prompting Consort Shu to reveal that it belonged to Huangfu Jun Xiu. Yao Mowan then fabricated a story: she and Consort Chen had been strolling in the Imperial Garden when a rabid dog attacked them. Huangfu Jun Xiu heroically intervened to protect them, and it was during this incident that he supposedly lost the sword ornament. Ting Yue then interjected, confirming she had seen that very dog in Consort Li's palace.
Ye Hongyi, recalling previous warnings to Yao Su Luan about her pet, became enraged, sternly reprimanding her for failing to control her "beast" that was terrorizing the palace. Yao Su Luan vehemently denied her dog, Xiao Qi, would ever bite, protesting that Yao Mowan's account was false and pleading with Consort Shu to corroborate her story.
However, Consort Shu, now aligned with Yao Mowan, confirmed Yao Mowan's version of events, stating she had witnessed the dog attack and subsequently found the sword ornament, which she was presenting to the Emperor to commend Huangfu Jun Xiu's bravery. Realizing she had been betrayed, Yao Su Luan angrily accused Yao Mowan and Consort Shu of conspiring against her. Ye Hongyi, however, dismissed her accusations, his trust in Yao Mowan evident.
In her agitation, Yao Su Luan grabbed Yao Mowan's hand, prompting Ye Hongyi to notice injuries on Yao Mowan's hand. Infuriated, he rebuked Yao Su Luan and ordered her to get rid of her pet within three days.
