Royal Feast Episode 13 Recap
> Royal Feast Recap
Zhu Zhanji, deeply concerned about the Emperor's fragile health, earnestly expressed his hope to relieve the Emperor of the burden of the northern expedition, offering to lead the campaign himself. He confessed that he once held a grudge against Xia Yuanji and tried to find evidence of his wrongdoing, only to discover Xia was an honest official living in poverty. Zhanji now admitted that Xia's fate was trivial compared to the Emperor's well-being.
The Emperor, touched by Zhu Zhanji's sincerity, explained that his repeated expeditions to the north were only possible because Zhu Zhanji remained in Beijing, safeguarding Daming's future. He declared his resolve to secure a prosperous era for generations, even if it meant sacrificing his own aging body to protect the people from the relentless invasions of Arutai, regardless of any posthumous criticism. Zhu Zhanji admired the Emperor's courage, comparing his far-sightedness to that of an eagle.
The Emperor, amused by the flattery, urged him to complete his assigned tasks and promised a hunting trip together upon his victorious return. In April of the 22nd year of Yongle, Emperor Zhu Di led his troops on his fifth northern expedition, leaving Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi to supervise the country. By June, the Ming army reached the Dalan Namur River, causing Arutai to flee. Facing dwindling supplies, Zhu Di ordered a return.
In July, the imperial retinue arrived at Yumuchuan. Zhu Zhanji had already been secretly dispatched back to Beijing to gather provisions. Shortly thereafter, world-shaking news followed: the Emperor had passed away. Upon his brief return to the capital, Zhu Zhanji confronted Yao Zijin, questioning why she had not sought him out. Feigning professional decorum, Yao Zijin presented him with a dish of braised rabbit meat, noting it was prepared by Hu Sishan of the Food Bureau.
Infuriated, Zhu Zhanji pulled her close, chastising her for what he believed was the callous cooking of a rabbit he had sent her as a gift, and for her delayed replies to his letters. Yao Zijin clarified that the rabbit she served was a different one, as his gift had escaped. Admitting she had missed him, their conversation was abruptly interrupted by the devastating news of the Emperor's sudden death.
Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi was overcome with grief, collapsing in anguish as Consort Guo cried beside him. The Crown Princess, however, maintained her composure, immediately ordering the news to be kept strictly confidential until Zhu Zhanji could escort the Emperor's coffin back to Beijing and began making swift arrangements to manage the crisis.
Zhu Zhanji, having traveled to Kaiping to meet the procession, mourned his grandfather, holding the Emperor's old bow and lamenting that their promised hunting trip would never materialize. Later, a register was presented to the new Emperor, Zhu Gaochi, detailing the concubines designated for martyrdom. The Crown Princess explained that according to the ancestral system established by Emperor Taizu, concubines who had not borne children were to be buried with the deceased emperor.
She stated that sixteen concubines were to be martyred that day, instructing that their families be treated with preferential care and highlighting Zhuang Fei, who had served the late Emperor for a considerable period. As Yao Zijin and Yin Ziping attempted to visit Zhuang Fei, palace guards allowed them entry, citing the custom of letting the condemned eat their fill. Yao Zijin offered Zhuang Fei a bowl of walnut cheese, which Zhuang Fei declared tasted different from her mother's.
She tearfully pleaded with Yao Zijin and Yin Ziping for help to leave the palace, not to escape, but just to see her mother one last time. Moved by her plea, Yao Zijin offered to help. She gave Zhuang Fei her jade pendant and a cover story about verifying a food supply discrepancy for the Food Bureau to get past the guards.
Yao Zijin warned Zhuang Fei that if she did not return by sunset, all three of their lives—including Yin Ziping's—would be forfeit. Zhuang Fei desperately promised to return and successfully navigated the initial checkpoints. Back in the palace, Yin Ziping, consumed by anxiety, questioned Yao Zijin's decision to risk so much for Zhuang Fei, whom she considered a "useless" person in her current predicament.
She doubted Zhuang Fei could pass the heavily guarded Bei'an Gate and urged Yao Zijin to abandon their risky plan to save herself, believing Zhuang Fei would never return. While waiting, Yao Zijin re-examined the ingredients for the walnut cheese, realizing the Food Bureau had been using substandard ingredients, a problem Wang Sishan had resisted. As the sun began to set and Zhuang Fei had not returned, Yin Ziping grew frantic.
She urged Yao Zijin to flee alone, confessing that years ago, she, not her brother, was the one responsible for the incident that led to the death of Yao Zijin's entire family. Believing she owed Yao Zijin a life, she was prepared to stay and face the consequences. Yao Zijin steadfastly refused to abandon her. Just as guards arrived and forcefully broke down the door, Zhuang Fei appeared, fully composed and impeccably dressed.
Yao Zijin, troubled by Zhuang Fei's earlier comment, connected it to her own recent experience of a favorite snack tasting bland. Realizing the Food Bureau had used inferior ingredients, she prepared a fresh batch of walnut cheese with the proper high-quality Liaoxian Mianwalnut and Lingbao red jujube. Upon tasting it, Zhuang Fei broke into tears, confirming it had the exact flavor of the cheese her mother used to make.
She apologized for deceiving Yao Zijin, admitting she never intended to return. Her sedan bearers had fled in fear, forcing her to carry her mother while desperately seeking shelter from their relatives, all of whom turned her away. Ultimately, her feet became too injured to go on, preventing her escape. Emperor Zhu Gaochi arrived to bid her farewell. Zhuang Fei tearfully pleaded with him to honor his promise to care for her mother.
Consort Guo was visibly distressed by the scene of Zhuang Fei taking her own life. Meng Ziyun firmly reminded the distraught consort that martyrdom was an unchangeable ancestral system, adding that as the daughter of a meritorious official, she was exempt, and the Emperor was in good health. As Meng Ziyun led a trembling Consort Guo away, Yin Ziping, distraught, urged Yao Zijin to escape the palace, highlighting the constant threat of death.
Yao Zijin, however, declared that escaping was not the solution. She asserted that the ancestral system itself was flawed and could be rectified, emphasizing that with human effort and companionship, a way out could always be found. Following these events, Hu Sishan secretly ordered an investigation into Yao Zijin's movements.
Soon after, Zhuang Fei's maid was apprehended and confessed that Yao Zijin had given Zhuang Fei a jade pendant to help her pass through Bei'an Gate, providing a drawing of its shape.
