Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace Episode 31 Recap
> Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace Recap
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On the 49th day after A'Rou's death, Noble Consort Hui was disturbed by the calls of divine crows, recalling how Consort Xian had been startled on A'Rou's 35th day, and suddenly felt a chill. That night, Noble Consort Hui was jolted awake, hearing A'Rou's voice calling her name, "Gao Xiyue, you killed me. I carried your crime. You're the one who should die. Bring me your life."
Terrified, Noble Consort Hui believed A'Rou resented her for taking the blame for the cinnabar. She dispatched her maid Xingxuan to fetch talisman papers from a shaman to repress the ghost. Noble Consort Hui remained deeply unsettled, often hearing A'Rou's voice even during meals. A royal physician found only "confusion from being startled" with no other symptoms, prescribing a soothing medicine and advising continued mugwort baths and wine for Noble Consort Hui's chilly feet.
Rumors of a haunting in Xianfu Palace spread throughout the Forbidden City, disturbing the Empress, who worried about the Emperor's reaction. She ordered Zhao Yitai to decree that anyone mentioning ghosts in Xianfu Palace would be flogged thirty times. Consort Jia, however, remarked that if Noble Consort Hui were to reveal anything, it should be the Empress who was scared.
The Empress, accompanied by Consort Jia and Princess Jingse, visited Noble Consort Hui, but Jingse was frightened by the talismans plastered everywhere. Moxin, Noble Consort Hui’s maid, even requested the Empress and Consort Jia to look into a basin of water, claiming it was to prevent any "filthy things" from attaching to them. The Empress dismissed this as absurd, stating no one else in Xianfu Palace had seen A'Rou.
Noble Consort Hui, in her disoriented state, then directly accused the Empress, revealing details of framing Consort Xian, the fire in the Cold Palace, the altered food, and even the white arsenic poisoning. She insisted she acted on the Empress's behalf and that A'Rou had taken the blame for both of them. Consort Jia quickly intervened, slapping Noble Consort Hui and condemning her for slandering the Empress.
After the Empress left, Consort Jia discussed with Suolian the need to make Noble Consort Hui truly mad so that no one would believe her accusations. Consort Xian also visited Noble Consort Hui, bringing Buddhist scriptures from Anhua Hall's master monk for solace. While in the courtyard, she overheard Princess Jingse excitedly asking Shuangxi about a "trick with the snakes." Consort Xian grew suspicious and instructed Sanbao to investigate Shuangxi.
Meanwhile, the Internal Affairs Bureau delivered calming incense to Xianfu Palace, hoping it would help Noble Consort Hui sleep. Upon his return to the palace, the Emperor was intercepted by Consort Xian, who wished to speak with him. After their conversation, the Emperor sent Li Yu to inform the Empress that he would have dinner later and ordered Shuangxi, Noble Consort Hui's eunuch, to be brought to him. Shuangxi was taken away despite his protests of innocence.
Under interrogation and flogging, Shuangxi confessed to placing poisonous snakes in the Cold Palace and admitting that Noble Consort Hui had bribed Eunuch Ma to tamper with Consort Xian's food. However, he did not confess to any involvement with white arsenic. Unsatisfied, the Emperor ordered Yuhu to personally oversee Shuangxi's continued interrogation to ensure nothing was missed.
Hearing that Shuangxi had been taken, Noble Consort Hui wished to plead with the Emperor, but as night fell, her fear of A'Rou's ghost kept her confined to her palace. That night, the Emperor stayed at Changchun Palace with the Empress. He dismissed talk of ghosts, believing instead that guilt was the cause of Noble Consort Hui's distress. He questioned why Consort Xian had recovered quickly from a similar scare, while Noble Consort Hui remained bedridden.
He announced Consort Jia's upcoming promotion to Consort, citing her merit in bearing his first son after ascension and timing it with the Yu clan's visit to court. The next morning, Noble Consort Hui went to see the Emperor. Li Yu, acting on the Emperor's orders, told her that Shuangxi had stolen a jade tag belonging to the late Emperor and confessed everything, emphasizing that nothing was linked to Noble Consort Hui.
When Noble Consort Hui pressed to know what Shuangxi had confessed, Li Yu vaguely replied, "What he did. That's what he confessed." Overwhelmed with fear, Noble Consort Hui collapsed, begging for the Emperor's forgiveness before fainting. The Emperor then issued an order to imprison Noble Consort Hui in Xianfu Palace, forbidding anyone from helping her leave. Consort Xian brought the Emperor apricot nectar and lotus seed soup.
Reviewing Shuangxi's confession, Consort Xian noted the peculiar omission of the snake incident in Jingyang Palace, while he admitted to the one in the Cold Palace. She suggested that Noble Consort Hui, though ruthless, lacked the shrewdness for such elaborate schemes and relied on the Empress. The Emperor, however, refused to believe his "official wife" was involved, fearing harem unrest if he investigated her.
He decided to confine Noble Consort Hui to Xianfu Palace to "die on her own," and would no longer allow imperial physicians to treat her. However, to outsiders, no official punishment would be declared, as her father, Lord Gao Bin, remained a valuable asset in court. Despite this, Consort Xian expressed her lingering dissatisfaction, feeling that her past suffering remained unavenged.
Later, she confided in Soxin that Jiang Yubin had intentionally replaced Noble Consort Hui's therapeutic mugwort with Artemisia absinthium, a hallucinogenic herb, causing her constant visions and driving her mad—a punishment she deserved for her sins. Consort Xian visited Ling Yunche at Kunning Palace, informing him that his request had been granted: Wei Yanwan would continue working in the flower house but only needed to deliver flowers, sparing her the hardship of planting.
Consort Xian also promised to arrange their marriage in a few years, bringing a grateful smile to Ling Yunche's face. Consort Xian then went to visit Hailan, bringing her Jiang Yubin's new "Jade Cream" for stretch marks. Hailan expressed anxiety about the Emperor potentially seeing her body, especially after Eunuch Xu arrived to announce that the Emperor had chosen her for the night.
Ashamed of her post-childbirth body, Hailan hesitated to see him, confessing she was "too ashamed to see him." The Emperor, upon seeing her stretch marks, simply said, "It's okay. Let's talk again after you have recovered," and allowed her to decline his summons. The next day, Hailan told Consort Xian that she no longer wished to serve the Emperor and that her only priority was Consort Xian and Yongqi's well-being.
Amidst a heavy rain, Consort Xian carried Yongqi to Changchun Palace to greet the Empress. On the way, she encountered Ling Yunche, who was escorting Wei Yanwan as she delivered flowers. Wei Yanwan, attempting to avoid Consort Xian, was stopped by Ling Yunche to pay respects. Consort Xian noted Wei Yanwan's beauty, and Soxin remarked on her slight resemblance to Consort Xian. Wei Yanwan humbly dismissed the comparison.
Consort Xian, also heading to Changchun Palace, invited Wei Yanwan to accompany them, as Wei Yanwan was delivering a rare "Yao Huang peony" to the Empress for the first time. Inside Changchun Palace, after Wei Yanwan presented the peony, Consort Jia pointed out that the delicate yellow flowers embroidered on Consort Xian's clothing also resembled the "Yao Huang" peony.
