Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace Episode 34 Recap
> Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace Recap
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Upon seeing the Emperor covered in scabies, the Empress was overcome with emotion and shed tears. The Empress Dowager reprimanded her, reminding her that as the head of the six palaces, crying was both useless and inauspicious, especially when the Emperor's illness was not severe. She then suggested that other concubines take turns caring for the Emperor, exempting Noble Consort Chun, who was in early pregnancy, and Consort Jia, who was raising a prince.
The Empress Dowager specifically mentioned Imperial Concubine Mei, Imperial Concubine Shu, Consort Yu, First Attendant Qing, and First Attendant Wan as potential caregivers, instructing the Empress to thoughtfully make the arrangements. However, the Empress insisted on caring for the Emperor alone, emphasizing the contagious nature of his illness and her fear that it could spread uncontrollably among the other concubines. Impressed by her devotion, the Empress Dowager agreed to her request, offering to send help if she became too exhausted.
The Empress then instructed Li Yu to forbid any other concubines from entering Yangxin Hall to prevent the spread of the illness, and she assigned the daily affairs of the palace to Consort Jia. Being alone with the Emperor, the Empress found a sense of quiet calm.
Meanwhile, Noble Consort Xian, Ruyi, who was still recovering from her own illness, attempted to visit the Emperor but was informed that only the Empress was permitted to be by his side due to the contagious illness. Ruyi acknowledged the Empress's thoughtful precaution. Elsewhere, the other concubines gathered in Noble Consort Chun's palace, outwardly expressing their concern for the Emperor's health but inwardly eager to gain favor by serving him.
None, however, dared to be the first to approach the Empress with their request, continuously pushing Consort Jia to speak on their behalf. Imperial Concubine Shu, Yihuan, found their insincere discussions unbearable and quietly excused herself. She went to Anhua Hall, believing that earnest prayers for the Emperor's recovery would be more beneficial than their shallow efforts.
Despite heavy rain and warnings from her maid, Yihuan personally hung prayer banners in her garden, a personal act of devotion for the Emperor's well-being. When the Emperor finally awoke, he mistook the Empress for Noble Consort Xian, asking her to go and rest. Li Yu gently corrected him, clarifying that it was the Empress who had tirelessly cared for him since Noble Consort Xian fell ill.
The Emperor then suggested the Empress rest and requested Imperial Concubine Shu, Yihuan, to come attend to him. The Empress steadfastly refused to leave, asserting her duty as his legal wife to remain by his side during his illness. At that moment, Sulian arrived with porridge the Empress had spent hours preparing. The Empress personally fed the Emperor, and touched by her dedication, he allowed her to stay.
Later, Yihuan again sought to visit the Emperor, but the Empress, citing the lingering contagiousness of his illness and Yihuan's youthful beauty, refused her entry, suggesting that any harm to Yihuan's looks would prevent her from serving the Emperor in the future. Disappointed, Yihuan offered lucky pouches she had personally made and blessed, asking the Empress to deliver them.
The Empress politely declined, advising Yihuan to deliver them herself later when the Emperor was fully recovered, as it would be more meaningful. News of the Empress's pregnancy soon spread throughout the palace, causing dismay among the other concubines. Consort Jia and Noble Consort Chun, reflecting on how infrequently they had seen the Emperor since his recovery—only the Empress, Noble Consort Xian, and Imperial Concubine Shu seemed to be by his side—felt their hopes dim.
Noble Consort Chun lamented that even if she bore another son, the Emperor's focus would now be entirely on the Empress's legitimate heir. Ruyi suggested Yihuan visit the Empress to offer congratulations, but Yihuan confessed her dislike for the Empress and her reluctance to offer false felicitations. Ruyi gently cautioned her to keep such sentiments to herself.
Yihuan confided in Ruyi about her own struggle to conceive, mentioning that despite Imperial Physician Qi's diagnosis of her weak constitution, the Emperor consistently sent prenatal medicine after each night she spent with him. She expressed frustration that after years of drinking it, she still had no child, attributing it to her fragile health. Ruyi comforted her, reminding her that the Empress herself had consumed prenatal medicine for many years before finally conceiving.
It was later revealed that the Emperor even had Eunuch Jin Bao oversee Yihuan drinking her medicine, raising suspicions in Yihuan about its true purpose. In Changchun Palace, utmost caution surrounded the Empress's pregnancy. Imperial Physician Qi confirmed a high probability (eighty to ninety percent) of a male heir, delighting the Empress. However, he also noted the Empress's weakened state due to her age, prolonged grief over the late Crown Prince Danhui, and recent exhaustion from nursing the Emperor.
He explained that her pregnancy timing was not ideal and her fetus was unstable, necessitating mugwort burning to prevent a miscarriage. The Empress's mother, Lady Fuca, insisted that Imperial Physician Qi inform the Emperor of the risks and perform the mugwort treatment in his presence. Her aim was for the Emperor to witness the Empress's suffering firsthand, thereby increasing his appreciation for both the Empress and their child, who represented the future of the Fuca clan.
The Empress, in turn, vowed to protect the child at all costs, determined not to disappoint the Emperor or her family. Consort Jia grew increasingly anxious, fearing that a legitimate son born to the Empress would threaten her own status and that of her Fourth Prince. Her maid suggested she try to conceive again.
Later, as the Emperor was on his way to Changchun Palace to check on the Empress's unstable fetus, he was captivated by the sound of a northern zither emanating from Qixiang Palace and ended up spending the night there with Consort Jia. As Imperial Physician Qi performed the mugwort treatment, news arrived that Noble Consort Chun had given birth to a princess, bringing the Empress some relief.
Simultaneously, Consort Jia was found to be two months pregnant, and the Empress sent her gifts. Princess Hejing visited the Empress, bringing a painting she had made. Seeing only herself and the Empress in the picture, the Empress remarked that it would be even better with a prince. Princess Hejing, however, expressed her desire to only be with her mother.
The Empress gently admonished her, reminding her that as she was about to become an older sister, she shouldn't be petty and should get along well with Noble Consort Chun's Fourth Princess. Princess Hejing responded that she was a legitimate child, different from concubine-born princesses, and that if the Empress's current pregnancy was another princess, then she would be the same as herself. The Empress quickly reprimanded her, adamantly stating that this pregnancy would definitely be a prince.
Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager (the Emperor's mother) voiced her bewilderment over Yihuan's inability to conceive, suspecting that the Emperor might be manipulating her prenatal medicine. Fu Jia confirmed that the Emperor indeed sent Yihuan "prenatal medicine" after her nights with him, but that the medicine seemed suspicious. The Empress Dowager pondered if the Emperor was wary of Yihuan's Yehe-nara lineage, or perhaps even of herself.
In the third lunar month of Qianlong's eleventh year, Noble Consort Xian, Ruyi, performed the crucial Silkworm God Ceremony in place of the pregnant Empress. This greatly displeased the Empress, even though Sulian reassured her that the safe birth of a royal prince would overshadow this perceived slight. The other concubines discussed how Ruyi, despite her lack of children, was chosen over Noble Consort Chun, who had several children and an adopted son.
This highlighted Ruyi's favored position with the Emperor. Consort Jia, now six months pregnant, felt her own pregnancy was undervalued compared to the Empress's, and she resolved to find a way to make the Emperor prioritize her and her child. Later, while the Empress Dowager led the concubines in prayer at Anhua Hall for rain, and the Emperor performed rituals at the Altar of Heaven to end a severe drought, the Empress went into premature labor.
She had been experiencing intense abdominal pains since noon. Imperial Physician Qi confirmed signs of the fetus descending and an impending early birth at only eight lunar months. The labor was difficult, as the baby lacked the strength to emerge on its own. Sulian wanted to alert the Emperor and Empress Dowager, but the Empress, not wanting to disturb their crucial prayers for the empire, forbade it.
Princess Hejing, trying to enter the birthing chamber, was stopped due to the blood. Finally, news arrived that the Empress had given birth to a prince. At that very moment, heavy rain began to fall, breaking the capital's long drought. Everyone heralded the new prince as exceptionally blessed. The Empress Dowager immediately went to see the new mother and child.
The Emperor, overjoyed, named his seventh son Yongcong, a name signifying a ritual vessel used for praying to the fields and embodying the hope of inheriting the imperial legacy. For Yongcong's full moon celebration, the Empress Dowager bestowed a long-life lock that had been gifted to the late Emperor by Emperor Shengzu on his own full moon. The Emperor, deeply cherishing Yongcong, also granted a general amnesty to the entire empire in celebration.
However, despite the joyous occasion, the other concubines privately observed that Yongcong appeared weak and lacked vitality, unlike most one-month-old infants who sleep soundly. Consort Jia recounted an incident where a nanny's accidental clang of a bell had startled Yongcong, causing him to cry all night, further indicating his fragility. The Emperor, however, doted on Yongcong, proclaiming him his only legitimate son and the smartest of all his princes, to which the Empress subtly advised caution against speaking too soon. It was evident that since Yongcong's birth, the Emperor had not visited any of his other princes or princesses, his attention completely absorbed by his cherished legitimate son.
