Renascence Episode 28 Recap
> Renascence Recap
Despite his severe injuries, Prince Su Ye Junqing received a visit from Emperor Ye Hongyi. The imperial physician reported that while the wound had been cleaned and treated, its depth and location across Ye Junqing's meridian meant he remained in critical condition. Ye Hongyi questioned the severity of the dagger wound, and the physician confirmed it was inflicted with the intent to kill.
The Emperor also inquired about Ye Junqing's shoulder injury; the physician noted it was a scald, not a sword wound, effectively concealing the true nature of the earlier staged injury. Yao Mowan, having witnessed Ye Hongyi's disregard for her life, steeled her resolve to take decisive action. She told a palace servant that Ye Junqing was stable but still in a coma.
Knowing there was no turning back, she met with Han Jinyi, explaining that their plans concerned the destiny of the Chu dynasty, as well as their own lives and Ye Junqing's. Han Jinyi pledged his unwavering loyalty. Yao Mowan then instructed him to have the coordinates from the Nine Dragons Cup, rumored to be a treasure map from the previous dynasty, located to fund their future military efforts. Han Jinyi expressed concern about Ye Hongyi's pervasive network of spies.
Yao Mowan acknowledged that the time was not yet right; while some officials harbored dissatisfaction with Ye Hongyi, many remained foolishly loyal. She outlined her plan to sow discord, recruit capable individuals, and prepare to raise the banner of war when the moment was opportune. Before Han Jinyi left, Yao Mowan asked him to take Ting Yue to see Ye Junqing, mentioning that the prince's injuries were a result of her actions, which visibly concerned Han Jinyi.
Meanwhile, Duan Ting Ting diligently cared for the injured Ye Junqing. She expressed her happiness at their constant companionship, despite having signed the divorce paper. Ye Junqing, feeling guilty for her sacrifices, offered to personally see her off if she ever wished to leave. Duan Ting Ting playfully chided him, joking about melting his "icy heart." Soon after, a butler announced the arrival of Han Jinyi and Ting Yue. Ben Lei was also present.
Han Jinyi inquired about Ye Junqing's health, prompting Ting Yue to tease Han Jinyi for sounding like a "little wife." In turn, Han Jinyi playfully mocked Ben Lei and Ting Yue about their growing affection. Ting Yue informed them she was accompanying Minister Yao Zhen Ting to the Yao Residence to pay respects to Mo Li. Ye Junqing then instructed Ben Lei to go with Ting Yue and look after the elderly Minister Yao.
As Ben Lei and Ting Yue strolled through the market, Ting Yue admired some adorable rabbits but decided against buying one. Ben Lei, eager to please, disappeared. Ting Yue waited, assuming he had gone to buy her a rabbit, but was horrified when he returned with a roasted rabbit. She scolded him for eating such a cute animal, to which Ben Lei, confused, retorted that women were strange.
Ye Junqing, in a private discussion with Han Jinyi, presented a symbolic "Book of Crimes," lamenting that while commoners and officials could be judged, no one could judge an unkind emperor. Han Jinyi cautioned Ye Junqing about the fine line between hero and traitor, warning of potential infamy. Ye Junqing explained his philosophy of "thinking thrice" when serving an emperor: considering danger, retreat, and change.
He had faced danger many times and survived, and his attempts to retreat from power had only led to imprisonment. Now, with no path for retreat, it was time for change. Han Jinyi reaffirmed his loyalty, vowing to follow Ye Junqing through life and death, as Ye Junqing declared his ambition to establish a nation based on the people's ideals. At Mo Li's grave, Yao Zhen Ting expressed regret over his official career, wishing he had remained a simple farmer.
Ting Yue delivered Yao Mowan's message that the Dou family had been eliminated and vengeance achieved. Yao Zhen Ting, however, wished Mo Li could persuade Yao Mowan in her dreams to not be so burdened by shouldering a country's responsibility. On their journey back, Yao Zhen Ting, Ting Yue, and Ben Lei encountered soldiers forcibly seizing farmland from distressed commoners. Yao Zhen Ting intervened, accusing the soldiers of using the garrison policy as a pretext to steal land.
The soldiers' leader falsely claimed the farmers had defaulted on grain loans, making their land forfeit, and branded them as "rebels" opposing national policy—a capital crime. A farmer countered that their agreement allowed delayed repayments in times of famine. Unconvinced, the soldiers left to report to their commander, Li Sui. Li Sui then fabricated a story for General Huan Heng, claiming a farmer named Wang had killed a soldier before committing suicide.
Believing the story, Huan Heng reported Yao Zhen Ting to Emperor Ye Hongyi. The Emperor, already enraged by a petition critical of his rule, was furious at Yao Zhen Ting for supposedly inciting "rebels" during a famine that had depleted the national treasury. Yao Zhen Ting knelt, attempting to explain that unscrupulous individuals were exploiting the garrison policy to seize private land and kill innocents, requesting to investigate further.
However, Ye Hongyi rejected his plea and assigned the case to Ye Junqing and Huan Heng. Ye Junqing immediately recognized the Emperor's "trap": successfully suppressing the commoners would brand him as an oppressor, while failing to do so would provide Ye Hongyi with grounds for his conviction.
His aide, Ben Lei, who had witnessed the incident, confirmed that the army had indeed invaded the land and the farmers had merely sought the return of their rightful property, with no killing involved. Yin Xue, on behalf of Yao Mowan, arrived to deliver a crucial message: the true key to resolving the situation lay not in discrediting Li Sui's lies, but in uncovering the actual cause of the soldier's death.
Ye Junqing promptly dispatched Ben Lei to the mortuary to investigate the deaths. He then visited the General's mansion, where the commoners, led by Wang's mother who vehemently declared her son's innocence, had gathered to demand justice. Ye Junqing addressed them, assuring them that he understood their plight and promised a thorough investigation to clear their names, learning from them that their loan contracts were made directly with the local village chief, not the military.
To quell the public outcry, Ye Junqing proposed to Huan Heng that they conduct a public trial at the General's Mansion, to which Huan Heng agreed. During the trial, Li Sui accused Wang and the other farmers of being ringleaders who refused to repay loans and resisted land reclamation, claiming Wang had killed a soldier and thus deserved to die. Wang's mother passionately pleaded her son's innocence.
Ye Junqing questioned Li Sui about the soldier's killing, asking if the stab was from the front or back. Li Sui asserted it was a front stab. Ye Junqing then had the soldier's corpse brought forward. Upon examining the body, Ye Junqing pointed out that the wound indicated a stab from the back, directly contradicting Li Sui's testimony. Cornered, Li Sui feebly claimed he "might have been mistaken."
Ye Junqing then exposed Li Sui's deception, presenting two sets of contracts: one between the farmers and the village chief, which clearly stated that grain loans could be repaid later in famine years, and another between Li Sui and the village chief, conspicuously lacking this clause. Ye Junqing concluded that Li Sui had colluded with the village chief to defraud the farmers for personal gain.
In his attempt to suppress the resulting unrest, Li Sui had accidentally killed one of his own soldiers and then tried to frame the farmers. Enraged by Li Sui's corruption and deceit, Huan Heng drew his sword and executed him on the spot. Acknowledging his error in judgment, Huan Heng ceded full authority over the aftermath to Ye Junqing, who ordered the immediate release of all detained commoners and the return of their farmland, earning him the people's widespread respect.
In the palace, Yao Su Luan (Consort Li) learned that the Emperor was spending time with Consort Chen (Huan Cai'er). She cynically observed that in the palace, "power is more important than love." Noticing the unusual reconciliation between General Huan and Minister Yao, she suspected Yao Mowan was secretly building her influence, further solidified by her newfound alliance with Consort Chen.
Yao Su Luan bitterly reflected on the uselessness of "love" and resolved to "break one of Yao Mowan's wings" by targeting Huan Cai'er. She instructed her eunuch, Xiao Xing Zi, to have Imperial Guard Huangfu Junxiu transcribe a specific poem, falsely claiming it was for a secret admirer.
Unaware of the scheme, Consort Chen happily told Yao Mowan that the Emperor had promised to let her leave the palace soon, then rushed to the Imperial Garden, believing Huangfu Junxiu had sent her the poem as an invitation. Yao Mowan, alerted by a eunuch burning wormwood who mentioned the Emperor and Consort Li were also in the Imperial Garden, realized it was a trap and hurried to warn Consort Chen.
There, Consort Chen showed Huangfu Junxiu the poem, but he denied sending it, explaining a eunuch had requested it. Yao Mowan tried to pull Consort Chen away, but just then, Emperor Ye Hongyi and Yao Su Luan appeared. Yao Su Luan feigned surprise, then subtly accused Yao Mowan of orchestrating the illicit meeting. Huangfu Junxiu attempted to take full responsibility, but Yao Su Luan insinuated Yao Mowan was the true mastermind.
Consort Chen, distraught, confessed her fault and begged the Emperor to spare Huangfu Junxiu. Surprisingly, after glancing at the acrostic poem Huangfu Junxiu held, the Emperor abruptly declared the matter closed, ordering everyone to return to their palaces.
