Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace Episode 44 Recap
> Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace Recap
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Before this episode, Grand Master Anji was in the palace for prayers. Ai'er, a palace maid, found his disciple, Anduo, and thanked him for his past help. Feeling mistreated in Qixiang Palace, Ai'er asked Anduo for his prayer beads to find peace, and Anduo granted her request. Noble Consort Jia, noticing a change in the ice-delivery maid, learned Ai'er was frequenting Anhua Hall for prayers. Jia, resentful of Ruyi's promotion to Imperial Noble Consort and perceiving Anji's "flattery," became suspicious.
Her maid, Zhen Shu, suggested that Anji and Ruyi, a man and a woman, might be engaging in improper activities. During a prayer session, Ruyi nearly fell, and Grand Master Anji steadied her, which the Emperor noted. Anji later presented Ruyi with prayer incense and suggested she wear "Seven Treasures" beads for peace. These actions were observed by Pure Consort's maid.
The Emperor, aware of many palace maids going to Anhua Hall, ordered Anji to be sent out of the palace soon after completing his prayers to avoid suspicion, despite his status as a monk. Meanwhile, Ruyi, seeing the affection between Imperial Physician Jiang and Suoxin, decided to arrange their marriage after the Empress Dowager Fuxian's mourning period. One night, an assassin trespassed into Yikun Palace. A white-robed figure was seen fleeing, prompting Ruyi to report to the Emperor.
Ruyi found it suspicious that the imperial guards arrived so quickly, despite their patrol schedule not being at that time. The next day, the Emperor, conversing with Noble Consort Jia in Qixiang Palace, summoned Ruyi. Noble Consort Jia accused Ruyi of frequenting Anhua Hall, contrasting it with her own modest approach of only sending scriptures. She implied that Anji favored Ruyi, giving her prayer incense and the "Seven Treasures" bead bracelet as a token of affection.
Ruyi denied receiving a bracelet. Noble Consort Jia then brought forth Zhen Shu, who claimed to have seen Ruyi and Anji in intimate conversation, with Anji personally placing a bracelet on Ruyi's wrist as a love token. Noble Consort Jia also presented a golden red-plum note and a love letter with handwriting resembling Ruyi's, which she claimed were found by guards chasing the assassin. Ruyi vehemently denied writing the letter.
The Emperor, despite Ruyi's denial, grew suspicious, questioning Anji's whereabouts during the assassin incident. Noble Consort Jia insinuated that Anji, despite being secluded, could have easily leaped from his second-story room. The Emperor promised a thorough investigation. Noble Consort Jia then suggested interrogating Suoxin in the Office of Careful Punishment, as Suoxin's name was mentioned in the letter. The Emperor, however, dismissed this, ordering Ruyi back to her palace.
The Empress Dowager, supporting the Emperor's cautious handling due to Anji's foreign origin, ordered a search of all palaces for misconduct, particularly in Anhua Hall, and noted that the Emperor was protecting Ruyi. Ruyi, feeling wronged, asked Li Yu to investigate the incriminating items. Later, Fu Jia led a search in Noble Consort Jia's palace and found prayer beads on Ai'er. Ai'er confessed they were given by Anduo.
The Empress Dowager ordered Ai'er to be publicly whipped a hundred times as a warning. Noble Consort Jia, realizing the Emperor wouldn't easily punish Ruyi, decided to escalate the scandal. During her public execution, Ai'er, encouraged by a jailer, loudly accused the Imperial Noble Consort of an illicit affair, questioning why she was punished for merely receiving a bead bracelet while Ruyi, who allegedly had a liaison, was not.
The Emperor was furious upon learning that Ai'er had publicly accused Ruyi, the Imperial Noble Consort, of having a liaison with Grand Master Anji. He deemed it ridiculous for a palace maid to make such a public outburst, calling it a grave lack of manners. Li Yu reported that Ai'er, a petty chore maid in the Ice Bureau, had no significant background and her family was gone, making it seem unlikely she was instigated by personal connections.
The Emperor declared that the matter, now widely rumored, must be openly investigated to put an official end to the whispers. While material evidence had been gathered, only Suoxin, Ruyi's close attendant, remained as a witness who could testify to Ruyi's innocence. The Empress Dowager warned the Emperor that torturing Suoxin would endanger her life and cautioned him to consider the implications, as Ruyi was someone he deeply cared about.
Soon after, Imperial guards arrived at Yikun Palace to take Suoxin. Li Yu had previously whispered to Suoxin that the incriminating items had nothing "off" about them but were merely confined as the Emperor was upset. Suoxin bravely declared her willingness to go to the Office of Careful Punishment to prove Ruyi's innocence. Before she was led away, Ruyi promised to investigate the matter swiftly and bring her out.
With Suoxin gone, Ruyi was confined to Yikun Palace, as per the Empress Dowager's order for momos to serve her, effectively restricting her movements. On the Emperor's birthday, he remained troubled by Ruyi's predicament. As Li Yu helped him dress, Li Yu reported that Suoxin was indeed in the Office of Careful Punishment.
The guards on duty that night all claimed to have seen someone resembling Grand Master Anji leaving Yikun Palace, but Suoxin was the only one who had not confessed. Realizing that Suoxin was the sole person who could clear Ruyi's name, the Emperor, despite his inner conflict, ordered that torture be used on her. Li Yu, hearing this, was visibly alarmed for Suoxin's safety. At the birthday banquet in Chonghua Palace, many consorts noticed Ruyi's absence.
Imperial Concubine Shu expressed her disbelief in the rumors, stating she didn't believe Ruyi could be involved in a liaison. Pure Consort advised her against mentioning Ruyi to avoid upsetting the Emperor. Hailan, worried about Ruyi and Suoxin, confided that the Emperor had forbidden her and Yongqi from visiting Ruyi and that she was anxious about Suoxin's fate under interrogation. Meanwhile, Ruyi, in her confinement, had prepared some of the Emperor's favorite snacks and a hand-written "Birthday" character.
She asked Jingqi Momo to deliver them to the banquet, specifically to Hailan, as she could not attend herself. The momo initially hesitated, citing the palace rules against items leaving Yikun Palace, but Ruyi insisted it was her heartfelt wish to express her sentiment. The momo delivered the gifts to Hailan. On the box, Hailan noticed two lines of poetry: "Zither and flute playing in harmony. Peaches and plums welcome spring with a smile."
Intrigued, she tore open the note and opened the box. As she inspected the pastries, she broke open a large confectionery peach and discovered a bead bracelet hidden inside. Realizing the significance, she immediately sent for Guard Ling Yunche.
At the banquet, the Empress Dowager tried to reassure the Emperor, reminding him that Grand Master Anji was a cultivated man who should not be recklessly implicated, and if there was any ill intent, it was merely one person's fault, not a widespread issue. Noble Consort Jia, currently managing the six palaces, interjected, explaining her measures to guard Anhua Hall and prevent mixing with temple people.
The Empress Dowager chastised Noble Consort Jia for repeatedly interrupting her conversation with the Emperor. Hailan then returned to the banquet, and Ling Yunche exchanged a knowing glance with Li Yu before they met outside. Ling Yunche explained that he and Hailan had devised a plan to save Ruyi and Suoxin, but as they were "not fitting" for the task, he needed Li Yu's help.
He handed the rosary found in the peach to Li Yu, who agreed to undertake the risky endeavor for Ruyi and Suoxin. Li Yu instructed Ling Yunche to tell Hailan to delay the Emperor from returning to Yangxin Hall until he completed his mission. Feigning an escort for the slightly tipsy Empress Dowager, Li Yu left the banquet.
The Empress Dowager, in turn, told Li Yu that the Emperor also seemed to have drunk quite a bit and urged him to return to the Emperor's side quickly. Back at the banquet, the Emperor, feeling tired, announced his intention to return to Yangxin Hall. Noble Consort Jia tried to retain him, as did Hailan, who suggested he rest a while.
Yongqi, following Hailan's subtle cue, also pleaded with his Imperial Father to stay and watch the dance to its conclusion, expressing his filial devotion. Hailan then presented Ruyi's personally made white jade cream cakes to the Emperor, mentioning Ruyi's well wishes. The Emperor saw the "Birthday" character placed on the cake. A realization dawned on him, but he still insisted on returning to Yangxin Hall. Hailan discreetly signaled Ling Yunche to follow the Emperor.
Meanwhile, Li Yu arrived at Yangxin Hall, where he located the hidden bead bracelet the Emperor had stored. He intended to swap the original bead bracelet with the one Ling Yunche had given him. In his haste, the bag holding the new bracelet proved difficult to open, and just as the Emperor's carriage approached the hall, the bag slipped and fell beneath a cabinet, out of reach.
Outside, Noble Lady Ling was kneeling, pleading for Ruyi's release and for the Emperor to deliver justice, convinced Ruyi was framed. The Emperor, however, ignored her. While she knelt, Li Yu frantically retrieved the fallen bag, managed to open it, and quickly swapped the bracelets. He emerged from the hall just as the Emperor arrived, explaining that he had returned to fetch a blanket, fearing the Emperor might catch a chill.
The Emperor held up the "Birthday" character from Ruyi's cake. He realized Ruyi had deliberately imitated his penmanship, subtly conveying that if she could imitate his writing, then someone else could imitate hers, implying she was framed by forged handwriting. Li Yu affirmed Ruyi's message was a plea against injustice. The Emperor then inquired about Suoxin's condition, learning she still had not confessed despite the torture.
He acknowledged that torturing Suoxin would hurt Ruyi, but maintained it was necessary to prove Ruyi's innocence. With the swapped evidence in hand, the Emperor proceeded to Yikun Palace. Noble Lady Ling was still kneeling outside the hall. Li Yu told her the Emperor had understood her intentions and advised her to return.
On her way back, she explained her actions to her maids: with Pure Consort having lost influence and Noble Consort Jia gaining power, and Ruyi's path to Empress seemingly blocked by the scandal, Noble Consort Jia was the most likely candidate for Empress. However, Noble Consort Jia had always been unaccommodating towards her. If Ruyi were to be exonerated, she might remember Noble Lady Ling's kindness in helping her during a difficult time.
She believed Ruyi, after years in the palace, would not allow herself to be pushed to the brink. In the Office of Careful Punishment, Suoxin endured severe torture, but she steadfastly maintained Ruyi's innocence. The torturers threatened to break her leg if she didn't confess, but Suoxin defiantly accused them of coercing a confession due to insufficient evidence.
The Emperor arrived at Yikun Palace, where he presented the material evidence found by Noble Consort Jia, explaining that the torture of Suoxin was for Ruyi's clear reputation. Ruyi argued that she didn't want to harm Suoxin for her own innocence, asserting that her reputation was important, but so was Suoxin's life, and she vehemently opposed torturing her attendant.
The Emperor, however, asserted that he was punishing Suoxin to prove to the entire harem that Ruyi was innocent, linking Ruyi's clear name to his own reputation. As the Emperor was about to leave, Ruyi noticed something amiss with the "Seven Treasures" bead bracelet. She explained that the traditional "Seven Treasures" consist of gold, silver, beeswax, coral, giant clam shell, pearl, and "red agate".
However, the bracelet presented as evidence was made of "carnelian", a different stone with similar color but distinct properties. She stressed that a truly cultivated person would never confuse the two, making it impossible for the bracelet to have come from Grand Master Anji.
Li Yu then added that if the Grand Master was innocent, the accusation of exchanging love tokens must be a false one fabricated by an outsider—specifically, a "foreign woman who doesn't know Buddhist cultivation," given that the women of the Manchu, Mongolian, and Han descents in the harem would not make such a mistake.
The Emperor, taking this new information seriously, commanded Li Yu to visit Qixiang Palace the next day, instruct everyone to write the names of the "Seven Treasures" using both hands, and bring anyone whose handwriting resembled Ruyi's to him immediately. He also ordered Li Yu to deliver a carnelian ornament from the Internal Affairs Department to Noble Consort Jia. Ruyi then inquired about Suoxin's fate, and the Emperor promised her release once the investigation was thoroughly concluded.
Back in her palace, Hailan was relieved to confirm the Emperor had visited Yikun Palace, indicating their plan was in motion. Her maid asked how she had known to look for the bracelet in the confectionery peach. Hailan explained her deduction from the note: "Zither and flute playing in harmony."
She recalled Ruyi's past words about the zither's beauty lying not in its strings but its hollow wood, and that a flute was also a hollow instrument, leading her to suspect the peach might be hollow. As for understanding Ruyi's intention to swap the bracelets, Hailan explained that the "Seven Treasures" bracelet Ruyi sent contained carnelian instead of red agate. This improper bracelet, combined with the last two words of the note, "spring" and "play," formed a word riddle.
In their past games, "spring" and "play" as riddles would lead to the answer "steal the sky and change the sun," a clear message from Ruyi to swap the incriminating bracelet with the one she had sent. Hailan understood Ruyi's intentions, knowing that only Li Yu could execute such a delicate exchange, while the rest depended on Ruyi herself to clear her name.
