Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace Episode 25 Recap
> Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace Recap
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As the Ghost Festival rituals were underway in the palace, Ruyi, confined to the Cold Palace, secretly lit paper offerings to commemorate her father, Naerbu. Her maid warned her about the Empress Dowager's strong aversion to such practices, fearing it could be misinterpreted as cursing. Cheng Han, an attendant of the Empress Dowager, swiftly reported Ruyi's actions, claiming she was burning paper and clashing with the Empress Dowager's sacred ritual, a grave offense.
Convinced by Cheng Han's report, the Empress Dowager rushed to the Cold Palace. Upon her arrival, Cheng Han vehemently accused Ruyi of lawless behavior, burning paper money in the forbidden Cold Palace to clash with the Empress Dowager's ritual and taint the palace with ill-fate. Ruyi's maid pointed out Cheng Han's loud display was itself against the rules of the Cold Palace. The Empress Dowager, enraged, reiterated the accusation of Ruyi cursing her.
Ruyi calmly denied burning paper money, explaining that she was transcribing the "six-syllable mantra" ("Om mani padme hum") onto paper as a filial act to pray for the Empress Dowager's "ten thousand birthdays, complete and eternal," especially knowing the Empress Dowager was holding a ritual. Her maid affirmed Ruyi's consistent devotion to the Empress Dowager.
However, Cheng Han then revealed his knowledge of it being Naerbu's seventh day after burial, making Ruyi and the Empress Dowager suspicious of his true intentions and how he acquired such information. The Empress Dowager quickly realized Cheng Han's deceit. She rebuked him for misleading her and using her to frame Ruyi, declaring that Cining Palace only housed loyal servants, not those who tricked her.
She ordered Cheng Han to be severely punished and sent to the Office of Careful Punishment for further interrogation. As the Empress Dowager prepared to leave, a commotion erupted. Imperial Concubine Ji, another inhabitant of the Cold Palace, suddenly lunged at the Empress Dowager with a knife, shouting that she had been waiting for this moment to kill her.
Ruyi, without hesitation, pushed the Empress Dowager out of harm's way, taking the initial impact herself, while guards quickly subdued Imperial Concubine Ji. Imperial Concubine Ji, revealed to be a former concubine imprisoned by the Empress Dowager, continued to hurl curses, declaring the Empress Dowager did not deserve a peaceful death. The Empress Dowager, asserting her relentless luck, ordered Fujia to "deal with her."
After the Empress Dowager departed, Ruyi reflected that Imperial Concubine Ji's desperate act might surprisingly offer her an opportunity to escape the Cold Palace. She then burned the paper money for her father, asking for his spiritual guidance to help her leave the Cold Palace sooner. Meanwhile, the Emperor learned about the incident in the Cold Palace. His attendant, Li Yu, confirmed Ruyi's brave act of rescuing the Empress Dowager.
Li Yu also explained that the news of Ruyi's father's death and the strategically placed paper money were part of an elaborate plot by the Empress to frame Ruyi for cursing the Empress Dowager. Separately, Hai Lan discovered she was approximately two months pregnant. She confided in Royal Physician Jiang, who confirmed it was a "blessed pulse."
Given the past tragic fates of Imperial Concubines Mei and Yi, Hai Lan decided to keep her pregnancy a secret for now, instructing her maid to inform the House of Respectful Affairs that she was unwell and thus unable to serve the Emperor. Despite suffering from severe morning sickness, she remained cautious, determined to evade any potential harm. She reasoned that her pregnancy was an opportunity she must grasp to rescue Ruyi from the Cold Palace.
The Empress, feigning concern, visited the Emperor at Yuanming Garden, requesting to return to the palace to personally greet the Empress Dowager. The Emperor, aware of her manipulative intentions, dismissed her sincerity but agreed to return to the palace due to pressing court matters. On the second day of the eighth lunar month, the anniversary of Noble Consort Hui and Ruyi entering the Emperor's former residence, Noble Consort Hui accompanied the Emperor.
She noticed him painting trumpet creeper vines, which she described as lowly flowers. She then discovered an old painting depicting the Emperor with Ruyi and expressed her jealousy. The Emperor, feeling the lingering sentiment and annoyed by Noble Consort Hui's reaction, ordered Li Yu to burn the painting to get rid of the "eyesore." However, Li Yu, instead of burning it, secretly entrusted the painting to Lord Lang, a painter, for safekeeping.
In the Cold Palace, Ruyi gazed at the stars, reflecting on the Emperor. She recalled his past assurances of "do not worry," a promise she now felt he had failed to uphold, leaving her with a sense of distant, lost joy from their earlier marriage. Soon after, Hai Lan, now three months pregnant with a stable fetus, finally revealed the joyous news to the Emperor.
He was immensely pleased, expressing his happiness at the prospect of more children in the palace, and promptly assigned Royal Physician Qi to personally oversee Hai Lan's care. The Empress, upon hearing of Hai Lan's pregnancy, was visibly displeased, disparaging Hai Lan's low rank and the perceived unimportance of her child. Nevertheless, she sent Hai Lan a box of donkey hide gelatin as a "gift."
Ruyi, too, received the news of Hai Lan's pregnancy from Royal Physician Jiang and expressed her great delight, urging Hai Lan to be extremely cautious. During a routine check-up, Ruyi's bracelet, a gift from the Empress when she first entered the manor, accidentally broke, releasing several small black pebbles. Royal Physician Jiang identified these as basil seeds, which, if used long-term by a woman, would prevent pregnancy.
Ruyi, having worn the bracelet for seven or eight years, immediately realized this was the reason for her inability to conceive. She remembered Hai Lan's previous revelation about the Empress and Noble Consort Hui conspiring to harm Imperial Concubine Mei and Yi's babies and to send them to the Cold Palace. Now, Ruyi fully understood the Empress's malicious intentions. Royal Physician Jiang further revealed that Noble Consort Hui's chronic illness was also suspicious.
While Royal Physician Qi's prescriptions seemed appropriate, two additional herbs were consistently added during preparation. These extra ingredients, though seemingly beneficial, actually counteracted the healing effects, trapping Noble Consort Hui in a cycle of persistent, unresolvable illness, hinting that someone else was secretly harming her. Jiang Yubin confirmed he had not spoken of this to anyone and pledged to do his utmost to restore Ruyi's health, urging her to stop wearing the bracelet, and to prepare for future needs. Ruyi, now more resolute than ever, thanked him for his honesty and urged him to fulfill his promise to help her recover.
