Royal Feast Episode 14 Recap
> Royal Feast Recap
After the passing of Emperor Yongle, Zhu Gaochi ascended to the throne as the Emperor of Daming in August of the 22nd year of Yongle. He established Crown Princess Zhang as the Empress and canonized Guo as the Imperial Concubine. Emperor Zhu Gaochi also named his grandson, Zhu Zhanji, as the Crown Prince, and Hu Shi as the Crown Princess. The Crown Princess had been suffering from a persistent cough after days of crying during mourning.
Hu Si Shan, head of the Si Shan Bureau, specifically assigned Yao Zijin to prepare a medicinal diet for her. Yao Zijin diligently prepared a fragrant lotus leaf porridge with osmanthus and taro puree, explaining its lung-nourishing and digestive benefits. The Crown Princess praised the meal as light and delicious, requesting a similar portion be sent to the Crown Prince. At this moment, Hu Si Shan abruptly entered, warning the Crown Princess to be wary of outsiders.
She then accused Yao Zijin of aiding Zhuang Fei's escape from the palace before her burial. To substantiate her claims, Hu Si Shan presented Ajin, a maid from Yongning Palace. Initially hesitant, Ajin was threatened by Hu Si Shan before confirming that Yao Zijin had given Zhuang Fei a jade pendant, which allowed her to pass safely through Bei'an Gate.
Hu Si Shan then revealed that it was a phoenix pendant, exclusively meant for the Empress, rumored to have been personally carved by the late Emperor Yongle. His consort, Empress Renxiao, always kept it with her and entrusted it to Emperor Yongle on her deathbed, specifically for his future grandson's wife. The Bei'an Gate guard, General Chen Lao, had been promised silence but needed to keep the pendant as proof upon its return.
The Crown Princess's expression changed dramatically, and she demanded to know Yao Zijin's true identity. Meanwhile, Emperor Zhu Gaochi issued several new decrees, including the exemption of household salt and grain taxes and the pardon of fugitives, allowing them to return to their hometowns and be exempt from labor for two years. Crown Prince Zhu Zhanji approached his father, expressing his support for other new policies like ceasing imperial procurements in distant regions, which were beneficial to the people.
However, he strongly urged Emperor Zhu Gaochi to reconsider moving the capital back to Nanjing. Zhu Gaochi grew angry, suspecting Zhu Zhanji of spying on his actions, as he had only just begun repairs on the Nanjing Imperial City. He justified his intention to move the capital by citing the exhausting transport of grain from the south to the north and the constant disturbances caused by Arutai at the borders.
He also argued that Nanjing was the capital established by Emperor Taizu, making the move a return to ancestral tradition. Zhu Zhanji countered that Beijing was the "land of the dragon's rise" and strategically important, emphasizing that Emperor Yongle had moved the capital there precisely to guard the Daming empire. He warned that hastily abandoning Beijing would undo his grandfather's painstaking efforts.
Zhu Zhanji further criticized his father for pardoning those Emperor Yongle intended to punish and for systematically altering his grandfather's policies, acting completely contrary to them. He defiantly asserted that Emperor Yongle loved him because he was the only one who truly understood his grandfather's ambitions, which his father, in his pursuit of being merely a benevolent ruler, failed to grasp. He argued that benevolence alone could not govern the empire if its greatest internal threat remained.
When Zhu Gaochi angrily demanded to know this threat, Zhu Zhanji unequivocally declared it to be "vassals." Enraged, Emperor Zhu Gaochi threw something and ordered his son to leave. Shortly after, General Chen Lao, the guard of Bei'an Gate, sent a jade pendant to Zhu Zhanji, who immediately recognized its significance and stood up. At the Crown Princess's palace, Yao Zijin remained silent about her identity.
Hu Si Shan then exposed Yao Zijin as Sun Shi, the original principal consort the late Emperor Yongle had chosen for Zhu Zhanji. She revealed that Sun Shi, at the age of ten, was introduced into the palace by Mrs. Peng Chengbo and raised by the current Empress Zhang. Six months later, Sun Shi fell ill and was sent to Yongcheng to recover, awaiting her marriage.
However, Emperor Yongle, in accordance with heavenly will, changed his decision and made Hu Shi the principal consort instead. Hu Si Shan claimed that Sun Shi was narrow-minded and fell gravely ill upon hearing this. The late Emperor was greatly displeased upon learning of her illness, and thereafter no one dared to mention her.
Hu Si Shan then incited the Crown Princess, accusing Yao Zijin (Sun Shi) of intentionally concealing her identity to infiltrate the palace with ulterior motives, stating that such a threat should be eliminated. Yao Zijin was visibly shocked by Hu Si Shan's true colors. Despite claiming a fondness for Yao Zijin, Hu Si Shan declared that Yao Zijin's continued existence threatened the Hu family's fate, making her death unavoidable.
The Crown Princess attempted to intervene, but Hu Si Shan, brandishing an ox horn, moved to cut Yao Zijin's throat, intending to frame it as a suicide by poisoning. Just in time, Zhu Zhanji, having received the phoenix pendant from General Chen Lao and understanding its implications, rushed to the scene and carried the unconscious Yao Zijin away.
Upon regaining consciousness, Zhu Zhanji confronted Yao Zijin, knowing that "Yao" was not her true surname and that even her given name might be false. He reminded her that they had met when she was ten, admitting he had forgotten her due to the passage of time and her changed identity. Yao Zijin, now revealed as Sun Shi, explained that Mrs. Peng Chengbo had selected her at a young age to be groomed as Zhu Zhanji's future consort.
Her biological mother, a proud woman from a humble background in the music industry, painstakingly taught her various skills, from arts to equestrianism, so that she could cater to all of Zhu Zhanji's preferences. She endured strict discipline, fearing physical punishment if she failed to excel.
Yao Zijin recounted how her mother, a person who never accepted her fate, tragically took her own life by hanging to ensure her daughter’s untainted reputation as a Grandson's wife, knowing her own low status as a musician would tarnish the Sun family's name. Yao Zijin expressed her profound regret for never calling her mother "mom" due to their social standing, despite their close relationship.
She lamented that her mother's immense sacrifice became meaningless when Zhu Zhanji eventually married someone else. She then revealed that her foster mother, Xu Shi, who deeply sympathized with her biological mother and treated Yao Zijin as her own daughter, was now gravely ill. Xu Shi, clinging to life, wished to see Yao Zijin grandly married. When the news of Zhu Zhanji's actual marriage reached them, Xu Shi secretly sent Yao Zijin into the palace.
Yao Zijin confessed that her main motivation for coming to the palace was to personally see the woman who had taken her place and to ask Zhu Zhanji directly what she had done wrong. Hearing her painful story, Zhu Zhanji embraced her, promising that from that moment on, no one would ever harm her again.
Following Yao Zijin's plea for clemency, Zhu Zhanji decided not to severely punish Hu Si Shan, instead ordering her to reflect on her actions, warning of severe consequences if she reoffended. However, Hu Si Shan continued to scheme. She warned the Crown Princess to be extremely cautious of Yao Zijin, whom she explicitly identified as Sun Shi.
Hu Si Shan emphasized that imperial concubines in the harem relied solely on the Emperor's favor and advised the Crown Princess to firmly control Zhu Zhanji's affections. She criticized the Crown Princess for her momentary softness, reminding her that her husband's affections were paramount and that Sun Shi's history would only evoke pity and guilt from the Crown Prince.
Elsewhere, Emperor Zhu Gaochi, upon ascending the throne, immediately began reviewing records gathered by the Royal Guards concerning the East Palace during Emperor Yongle's reign. You Yifan was summoned and, with cunning diplomacy, praised Emperor Zhu Gaochi's benevolence and magnanimity. He recounted how, even when Zhu Gaochi was Crown Prince and subjected to slander that sought to alienate him from his father, he remained broad-minded and only concerned himself with filial duty.
You Yifan then asserted that, as a loyal subject, he too only reported what he personally observed, claiming that any falsehoods would lead to self-punishment. Impressed by You Yifan's eloquent defense, Emperor Zhu Gaochi promoted him to Commander of the Royal Guards, trusting him not to betray his faith. A subordinate later reported to Zhu Zhanji that Yao Zijin refused to accept the phoenix pendant, which Zhu Zhanji understood indicated her lingering resentment.
Meanwhile, Hu Si Shan arranged for Yao Zijin to be transferred to the Si Chi Si, a more humble position responsible for minor duties like grain, firewood, and charcoal, boasting that she only agreed after much pleading from the Si Chi Si director. Yin Ziping expressed her sadness at Yao Zijin's demotion. Suddenly, Meng Ziyun arrived, reinstated to her original position as Shangshi by imperial decree.
Her first act was to ensure Yao Zijin remained in the Food Bureau, specifically within the Si Shan Si. Yin Ziping was overjoyed at the prospect of having two Shangshi adults, believing it would provide them with better support. A conversation between Hu Si Shan and Master Jing revealed their prior illicit dealings, which had led to a decline in the quality of ingredients in the Food Bureau.
Hu Si Shan reminded Master Jing that he had promised her full authority over the Food Bureau. Master Jing claimed he was merely following imperial orders regarding Meng Shangshi's reinstatement. Hu Si Shan then subtly threatened Master Jing, implying she had enough evidence of their financial transactions while she was in charge of the Food Bureau to implicate him should Meng Shangshi initiate an investigation.
Separately, Wang Si admonished Hu Si Shan (addressed as A Wei), reminding her of her past principles and questioning how she could compromise her integrity by dealing with the avaricious Master Jing simply to secure her promotion. Hu Si Shan, in turn, accepted the blame, stating she would bear any consequences alone. Zhu Zhanji, visiting Yao Zijin, expressed his desire to make her his imperial concubine.
Yao Zijin adamantly refused, kneeling before him and pleading with him to withdraw his offer. She declared that if he did not, she would choose to become a nun or die. Zhu Zhanji gently helped her up, asking what it would take for her to not hate him.
Yao Zijin initially remained silent, but when pressed by Zhu Zhanji, she tearfully confessed that it was all a lie, and she harbored deep hatred for him, the imperial palace, and everyone who had brought her misfortune. Later, as Yao Zijin fed cats outside Zhu Zhanji's palace, You Yifan approached her.
He commented on a cat eating Zhu Zhanji's inkstone, to which Yao Zijin retorted that as the emperor was observing mourning rites, the Crown Prince should not be an exception. You Yifan observed that she had cleverly helped Zhuang Fei achieve her wish and used the Crown Prince's influence to navigate her own difficulties.
However, he found her decision to reveal her true identity and alienate the Crown Prince, especially after achieving a significant victory, to be a foolish act of self-sabotage, one that effectively pushed Zhu Zhanji back towards the Crown Princess (Hu Shi). Yao Zijin challenged You Yifan, questioning who dared him to monitor the East Palace. You Yifan openly admitted his ambition to rise in rank, stating he needed to understand the Crown Prince to gain his favor.
Noticing that Yao Zijin also harbored many secrets, You Yifan proposed an alliance between them. Yao Zijin declined, joking that she was not suited for the work of the Royal Guards. You Yifan then warned her that her enemies were formidable, and she might lose her life before she even found stable footing. He urged her to seriously consider his offer, awaiting her response.
