Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace Episode 2 Recap
> Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace Recap
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Hong Li waited for Qingying on the palace walls. He noticed she seemed unhappy and mistakenly thought she was upset about being a second wife. Qingying clarified that her concern was whether she should marry into the royal family, as witnessing the Empress's punishment had left her feeling scared. Hong Li understood her feelings, acknowledging the coldness and ruthlessness inherent in the palace. He vowed to protect Qingying from further suffering and promised they would face any future difficulties together.
Qingying expressed worry that Noble Consort Xi would never like her, but Hong Li reassured her, stating that the late Emperor had granted Qingying to him, and he had expressed his true desire for Qingying to his mother. He reminisced about the day he asked her to join his wife selection, recalling his anxiety until she arrived and accepted his ruyi. Hong Li then asked if Qingying was willing to be with him, to which she assented.
He told her there was no need to fear anything as long as he was by his side. On their wedding day, Qingying, as Second Madam, and Concubine Yue, were carried into Prince Bao's manor. The main wife, Fuchasi, welcomed them, presenting them with golden lotus jade bracelets, described as tributes from Annan, to symbolize their amicable relationship as sisters serving their husband. Later that night, Hong Li arrived at Qingying's chamber, playfully noting her disciplined posture.
He lifted her veil, praising her beauty, and as they held hands, they both felt as if they were dreaming. Hong Li whispered to Qingying that he had chosen her, and since being a second wife was already an unfair treatment, his first night had to be with her. However, he clarified that Fuchasi was his legal main wife, and he would love her with respect.
Meanwhile, Concubine Yue learned that Hong Li, despite having rested in the main wife's room, had not consummated the marriage and had gone to Qingying instead. Her maid suggested forming an alliance with the main wife for stability in the manor, but Concubine Yue, after calling for her pipa, believed she would not remain a mere concubine forever and hoped Hong Li would visit her soon. In her own chambers, Fuchasi also learned of Hong Li's actions.
She resolved that the more Hong Li favored Qingying, the more she needed to display the dignity of a main wife. By acting more like a main wife than anyone else, she believed Hong Li would find no fault and would eventually regard her as the best choice for his primary consort. Six years later, during the thirteenth year of Yongzheng's reign, Xiyue was promoted to Second Madam.
Fuchasi gathered the other consorts, reminding them of the bracelets she had given Xiyue and Qingying when they first entered the manor, expressing her hope that they would remain close sisters regardless of status. She also urged Qingying and Xiyue, among others, to conceive children soon. Suddenly, news arrived that Emperor Yongzheng had passed away, leaving everyone in shock. Hong Li ascended to the throne.
In Jingren Palace, the former Empress Ula-Nara Yixiu, who had been confined by the late Emperor with a decree that they would "never see each other again in life or death," was consumed by grief, unable to attend his funeral. Her maid, however, suggested that the late Emperor's death presented her only chance to leave her confinement. During a court assembly, ministers debated the proper titles for the imperial women.
Councilor Zhang Tingyu proposed that the Empress in Jingren Palace, as the Emperor's First Mother, should be honored as Imperial Mother, the Dowager Empress, while Noble Consort Xi, the Emperor's birth mother, should be titled Empress Dowager, Sage Mother. Another minister argued that since the funeral had concluded, the previous Empress should not continue to reside in Jingren Palace. Hong Li acknowledged his Royal Father's decree of never seeing the Jingren Palace Empress, which complicated her absence from the funeral.
However, he also noted that his father had never formally deposed her. He promised to consider the matter carefully. Soon after, Qingying visited Hong Li, who appeared weary, and offered him almond soup to soothe him. They shared a quiet moment, reminiscing about their time in the manor. Hong Li confided in her about the court's difficult proposal concerning her aunt's release and title.
Qingying naturally wished for her aunt's freedom and peaceful later life but acknowledged that such a national affair was not her place to comment on as his wife. Hong Li spoke of his emotional struggle between respecting his father's decree and wanting to restore her aunt's dignity for Qingying's sake. Qingying comforted him, urging him not to overly burden himself, assured him that a solution would eventually emerge.
Meanwhile, the new Empress Dowager, Noble Consort Xi (Niuhuru), was informed of Zhang Tingyu's proposal to elevate the Jingren Palace Empress. She viewed Zhang Tingyu's adherence to old traditions as a deliberate attempt to undermine her authority and weaken the imperial harem's influence. Deciding against direct confrontation for now, she chose to observe the Emperor's inclinations and assess the support for the Jingren Palace Empress. Later, Qingying prepared a ham and chicken soup for the Empress Dowager.
However, the Empress Dowager severely criticized the dish, likening it to a minor flavor upstaging the main attraction, thus ruining the taste. She angrily ordered all the dishes removed, having lost her appetite. Qingying knelt on the ground, holding the still-hot soup, enduring the public humiliation until the Empress Dowager finally allowed her to rise. Qingying’s hands were red and swollen from the heat.
Hearing of Qingying's suffering, Hong Li immediately dispatched burn medicine to her chambers, instructing her not to be sad. Qingying's maid, A'ruo, expressed her concern and suggested that Hong Li's affection for Qingying might lead to her becoming a noble consort or imperial noble consort, which would prevent the Empress Dowager from bullying her. Qingying cautioned A'ruo against speaking so casually about the Empress Dowager and advised her to be more tactful. Qingying then visited her aunt in Jingren Palace.
The Empress Ula-Nara asked when Hong Li would release her and grant her the title of Imperial Mother and Empress Dowager, declaring her intent to live in Cining Palace and continue her rivalry with the new Empress Dowager. Qingying expressed worry about her aunt's relentless desire for conflict.
The Empress Ula-Nara insisted that only by becoming the Imperial Mother and Empress Dowager could she be reunited with the late Emperor in life and death, and therefore, she must fight for this status. Taking her aunt's words to heart, Qingying went to Hong Li, proposing that her aunt be allowed to reside in a temporary imperial residence, respectfully attended as an Empress Dowager, even if without an immediate official title.
This arrangement, she reasoned, would satisfy those who upheld traditional etiquette, while the fact of her aunt leaving the Forbidden City without a formal title would appease those against her elevation. Furthermore, Qingying pointed out that two feuding Empress Dowagers within the Forbidden City would lead to endless conflict, disrupting the peace of the imperial harem and affecting Hong Li's governance. Moving her aunt away from the Empress Dowager would thus be a beneficial solution.
Upon learning that Hong Li had secretly begun preparing a temporary imperial residence suitable for an Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager Niuhuru was furious, calling the idea "absurd." She suspected Qingying of instigating this plan, believing that Qingying was manipulating the young Emperor to elevate her aunt, even if in a different location. She immediately summoned Qingying. Qingying openly admitted to visiting her aunt and suggesting the temporary imperial residence to Hong Li.
The Empress Dowager angrily accused Qingying of relying on Hong Li's affection to challenge her. She declared that if Qingying wanted her aunt to live, then Qingying herself must disappear. Producing a bottle of poison, she commanded Qingying to commit suicide after the late Emperor's mourning ceremony, stating that only one Ula-Nara could be left alive. Qingying, realizing the Empress Dowager's resolve, asked if her sacrifice would ensure her aunt's wish to be buried alongside the late Emperor.
The Empress Dowager agreed, promising that if the former Empress lived docilely in retirement in Shengjing Palace, she would be permitted co-burial, though without the official title. She sternly warned Qingying that if Hong Li ever learned of their conversation, her aunt's life would also be forfeit. Qingying understood and accepted the terms before taking her leave. Qingying then visited Hong Li in the Yangxin Palace.
Hong Li informed her that, in consideration of the Empress Dowager's sentiments, the arrangements for her aunt's relocation would proceed slowly, and she would be moved to the old Shengjing Palace. He added that her aunt would lack only the official title. Qingying expressed her sorrow for her aunt's fate and implored Hong Li to show her pity and prevent her from suffering in Shengjing.
Hong Li reassured her, promising to visit her aunt with Qingying whenever he traveled to Shengjing and to ensure regular care from his servants. They then reminisced about their first meeting, when they first saw each other, Hong Li saying how his heart was broken then. He reaffirmed his deep love for Qingying, declaring that their bond was unique, despite her not being the main wife. Qingying, visibly moved, knelt before him.
She solemnly stated that if she were unable to greet him daily in the future, she would forever pray for his royal health and success in all his endeavors. Hong Li, concerned by her actions, quickly told her to rise, expressing his understanding of her profound feelings for her aunt's plight. He emphasized that he, too, pitied her aunt's lifelong lament for a title.
