Renascence Episode 17 Recap
> Renascence Recap
As heavy rain poured down, Yao Mowan knelt in the Imperial Garden, drenched. Ye Junqing approached, offering her an umbrella, but she refused it. From afar, Consort Shu, also known as Wang Qin Ruo, observed this interaction with a heavy heart. She recalled her childhood, where her strict father frequently scolded her and inflicted corporal punishment, determined to mold her into a refined lady fit to be a concubine.
Young Ye Junqing, her cousin, had comforted her during those times, catching fireflies to cheer her up and telling her she was the most beautiful. From that moment, Ye Junqing became the sole occupant of her heart. Consort Shu lamented that despite their deep connection, they were torn apart by the Emperor, forced into roles as concubine and official.
Now, seeing Ye Junqing enchanted by Yao Mowan and seemingly forgetting their shared history, Consort Shu declared she would wait no longer and that Ye Junqing must honor his past promises. She penned a passionate love letter to Ye Junqing and entrusted her maid, Cai Die, to deliver it to the Prince's residence. Meanwhile, Han Jinyi reported to Ye Junqing that most of the deceased from recent incidents were linked to the Zi Xuan Association.
Although this organization operated discreetly, making it difficult to identify the mastermind, Ye Junqing urged Han Jinyi to continue his thorough investigation. Later, Han Jinyi visited Guanju Palace, noting Yao Mowan's thinner appearance and the reduced number of servants, which she dismissed as normal palace adjustments. He then presented her with a letter he had intercepted from a black-clad figure outside Pingle Palace.
Yao Mowan identified it as a love letter from Consort Shu to Ye Junqing, expressing concern that such a discovery would severely worsen Ye Junqing's already difficult position. Han Jinyi remarked that Consort Shu, usually composed, tended to lose all reason when it came to Ye Junqing. Consort Shu, having received no word from Ye Junqing, grew impatient. She resolved to visit him personally at Pingle Palace and remind him of his promises.
Upon arriving, Consort Shu confronted Ye Junqing, questioning why he had disregarded her letter. Ye Junqing denied any knowledge of it and advised her to leave. Consort Shu accused him of being untrustworthy, confessed her long-standing love, and pleaded for him to take her away from the deep palace.
Reminding her of their respective statuses as an official and an imperial concubine, Ye Junqing firmly stated that he harbored no inappropriate feelings for her, having always viewed her as a sister. He also refuted her claim that he had designs on Yao Mowan. Consort Shu then invoked a past promise: that if she helped save Yao Mowan, he would grant her any request, even his life. She now demanded he take her away.
Ye Junqing reiterated his willingness to sacrifice his life for her but refused this specific request. Feigning resignation, she had Cai Die pour two cups of wine as a "farewell." Challenging his trust in her, she prompted him to drink, and Ye Junqing drank the wine without hesitation. Yin Xue quickly rushed to inform Yao Mowan about Consort Shu's visit. Instructing Ting Yue to safeguard Consort Shu's letter, Yao Mowan hurried to Pingle Palace.
There, they found Ye Junqing, disoriented by an aphrodisiac in the wine, embracing Consort Shu while mistaking her for Yao Mowan. Yin Xue promptly intervened, knocking them both unconscious. She identified the substance in the wine, worrying that its unreleased power could endanger Ye Junqing's life.
Yao Mowan, noticing that only Ye Junqing had been poisoned, instructed Yin Xue to return Consort Shu to her chambers and deliver her love letter to Prince Dun’s residence, ensuring her father would see it. Upon receiving the letter, Prince Dun ordered his servants to request Consort Shu’s return home the next morning, fabricating a story about his wife's critical illness. Left alone with the unconscious Ye Junqing, Yao Mowan removed her outer garments.
When Ye Junqing awoke, he found himself in nightclothes with Yao Mowan beside him and, realizing he had been drugged, assumed they had been intimate. To alleviate his guilt, Yao Mowan reassured him that nothing had happened, suggesting the drug's effect had passed. Internally, Yao Mowan questioned why Ye Junqing, despite caring for her, would rather lie to himself than acknowledge his true feelings.
Consort Shu awoke in her own bed, instantly deducing that Yao Mowan had ruined her plan and vowing revenge. Soon after, she was informed that the Emperor had approved her return to Prince Dun’s residence due to her mother's reported illness. Meanwhile, Ye Junqing was lost in thought, gazing at a sachet Yao Mowan had given him when Han Jinyi arrived. After jokingly misinterpreting the situation, Ye Junqing instructed him to thoroughly investigate the Zi Xuan Association's accounts.
At the palace, Yao Su Luan, now overseeing the harem's affairs, convened a meeting of the concubines to discuss the upcoming Mid-Year Banquet, distributing funds to win their favor. She explained an unwritten rule: the concubine with the most outstanding attire would be favored by the Emperor that night. Later, Yao Mowan discussed with Ting Yue her idea to stand out by wearing a replica of the late Empress Yao Moxin's famous Nine-Colored Phoenix Hairpin.
Yao Su Luan's maid overheard this. Knowing that wearing Yao Moxin's item would infuriate Emperor Ye Hongyi, Yao Su Luan secretly acquired the design from the Imperial Household Department, commissioned a replica, and had it delivered to Ting Yue, plotting for Yao Mowan's public humiliation. Princess Chang Feng, also known as Duan Ting Ting, prepared to return to Southland. Reluctant to leave, she visited Ye Junqing to say farewell.
He explained that he rejected her only to spare her the pain of unrequited love, a feeling he knew well. Understanding his unwavering devotion to Yao Mowan, she accepted his decision, and they shared a final hug before her departure from Chu. Just as she left, Han Jinyi arrived. After teasing Ye Junqing, he reported on his investigation: he had found a secret room at the Zi Xuan Association containing their account books.
The books revealed that despite claiming to trade medicinal herbs, the association's cash flow was hundreds of times greater than their bank records indicated. Ye Junqing concluded that it was a hub for the Dou family to launder money from the illegal gunpowder trade, and that the owner, Mr. Wang, was a mere pawn of Dou Shiming. At the Mid-Year Banquet, Yao Mowan appeared in a striking red dress, adorned with the Nine-Colored Phoenix Hairpin.
Emperor Ye Hongyi immediately recognized it as Yao Moxin's and flew into a rage, deeming Yao Mowan unworthy of wearing it. Yao Mowan feigned ignorance and begged for pardon. Yao Su Luan stepped in, pretending to be shocked while subtly interceding. Unmoved, the Emperor punished Yao Mowan by ordering her to be confined to Guanju Palace.
After the Emperor's departure, Yao Su Luan coldly reflected that a replacement would always remain a replacement, and any attempt to usurp the position of another would only lead to ruin.
