Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace Episode 63 Recap
> Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace Recap
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The Emperor encountered Princess Hengchuo and immediately ordered his carriage to stop. Though he warmly greeted her, remarking on their long separation and urging her to forgo formalities, Hengchuo maintained a respectful distance. She asserted that their relationship as Emperor and subject took precedence over their sibling bond. After she performed the required bows, the Emperor produced a golden cage, reminding her it was a gift she had given him for her pet katydids before her marriage.
Hengchuo, however, coldly denied any memory of the item, remarking, "Why would one want to play with an insect cage. . . when one is locked up in a cage to begin with?" She then excused herself, citing the late hour. The Emperor suggested she move to Cining Palace, as the Empress Dowager was concerned about her.
Hengchuo agreed to go once she had given birth, promising to atone for her filial piety, and adding that she hoped the Emperor would do the same. As Hengchuo departed, the Emperor sadly acknowledged that his sister would never forgive him. Still confined, Lady Jin expressed her longing for her children—Yongcheng, Yongxuan, and Yongxin—and wondered how much longer the Emperor would keep her imprisoned.
Her maid comforted her, reminding her of the Yu Clan's contributions to the Dzungaria campaign and assuring her that the Emperor would consider them. The Emperor, having recently pacified Dzungaria and ordered the redrawing of the map to include its territories, discussed a sensitive matter with Ruyi. He acknowledged the Yu Clan's significant contributions to the war effort and stated that if Lady Jin remained confined during the upcoming celebrations, it might cause discontent and criticism from her clan.
He therefore proposed to end her daily whipping punishment and restore her title of Noble Consort, solely to preserve the Yu Clan's dignity. Although displeased, Ruyi deferred to the Emperor, acknowledging the supremacy of state affairs. The Emperor apologized to Ruyi for the difficult situation. With her title restored, Noble Consort Jia was delighted when the Emperor also permitted her son, Yongcheng, to visit Qixing Palace.
Upon seeing Yongcheng, she expressed her immense joy and quickly brought up two crucial matters. She first discussed his marriage, revealing that she had already identified a suitable candidate: a descendant of Prince Yi. Lady Jin believed this match would provide strong support for Yongcheng. The second matter, she explained, was even more significant.
The Yu Clan envoy had recently suggested to the Emperor that since Empress Xiaoxian's two sons died young and the Emperor was fond of Yongcheng, he should be adopted as Empress Xiaoxian's son to ensure someone could present offerings at her altar. Yongcheng was deeply uneasy with this suggestion, calling it "terribly inappropriate" and urged his mother to proceed with caution. He reminded her that Ruyi also had the Twelfth Prince.
Lady Jin, however, dismissed his concerns, insisting that Empress Xiaoxian was the primary Empress, superior to Ruyi, and that Yongcheng's only flaw was not being born from Empress Xiaoxian. The Emperor had earlier consulted Fuheng, Empress Xiaoxian's brother, about this proposal, and Fuheng confirmed his sister's fondness for Yongcheng but stated she never expressed a desire to adopt him. During the concubines' morning greetings to Ruyi, Noble Consort Jia became the target of their scorn.
Yanwan warned her by citing Emperor Shengzu's eighth and ninth sons, who were stripped of their titles for fighting over the throne. Noble Consort Jia, however, defiantly boasted of her sons' auspicious ranks, noting that Emperor Taizong was an Eighth Prince, the Late Emperor was a Fourth Prince, and the current Emperor was also a Fourth Prince, implying her sons had inherited imperial luck. Ruyi chastised her for her inappropriate remarks, reminding her to guard her tongue.
Shortly after dismissing the concubines, Ruyi suddenly felt dizzy and nearly collapsed, saved only by Rongpei's quick action. The Emperor, informed of Ruyi's faintness, rushed to her side. The Imperial Physician confirmed Ruyi was two months pregnant, much to the Emperor's delight. He ordered the physician to ensure the Empress and the Imperial fetus were well cared for.
Hailan then informed the Emperor that Noble Consort Jia's insolent words, which had offended both the ancestors and the Emperor, were what caused Ruyi's emotional distress. The Emperor, deeply angered, summoned all the concubines. He announced Ruyi's pregnancy, which everyone congratulated. He then turned to Noble Consort Jia, stating his desire to further celebrate by arranging Yongcheng's marriage.
When Noble Consort Jia eagerly proposed the daughter of Prince Yi's second daughter, calling her "the child of a phoenix and the grandchild of a dragon" and a perfect match for Yongcheng, the Emperor's anger erupted. He condemned her for her brazen ambition and for exploiting Yongcheng's auspicious "eight" and "four" ranks.
He further recalled the Yu Clan envoy's suggestion for Yongcheng to become Empress Xiaoxian's adopted son, accusing Noble Consort Jia and her clan of harboring ill intentions and implicitly reminding her of the Mulan Hunting Preserve incident where Yongcheng was suspected of harming the Emperor. Noble Consort Jia vehemently denied any wrongdoing, instead tearfully accusing Ruyi and Hailan of harming her children, specifically Yongcheng and Yongxuan.
Hailan immediately swore a terrible oath, invoking a horrible death and eternal damnation upon herself if she had ever harmed Noble Consort Jia's children. She then challenged Noble Consort Jia to make a similar oath, demanding she swear on her clan's glory and her children's lives that she had not harmed Empress Xiaoxian and her sons, Ruyi, the Fifth Princess, the Sixth Princess, Hailan and Yongqi, Imperial Noble Consort Huixian, Imperial Concubine Mei, Imperial Concubine Yi, and A'Ruo.
Noble Consort Jia stammered, unable to take the oath, prompting Yanwan to declare her guilt. When the Emperor demanded she swear, Noble Consort Jia weakly offered to accept divine retribution. Dissatisfied, Hailan pressed her to explicitly swear that if she were guilty, the Yu Clan would face annihilation and she and her children would suffer wretched deaths. Enraged by this, Noble Consort Jia cursed Hailan for invoking her clan.
The Emperor, in a fit of fury, kicked Noble Consort Jia to the ground, accusing her of murdering Imperial heirs and plunging the harem into chaos. He declared that Yongcheng would never inherit the throne. He then decreed that Yongcheng would be conferred the title of Beile (Prince of Third Rank) and marry the daughter of Prince Yi's second daughter as his primary consort, thus granting Noble Consort Jia her long-desired marriage for her son.
However, he immediately followed this by stating that, from that day forth, Yongcheng would be adopted into the lineage of Prince Lü, no longer recognized as his own son, a "disloyal ingrate." Noble Consort Jia herself was stripped of her title, deposed as a commoner, and condemned to imprisonment in Qixing Palace until her death, with the Emperor vowing never to see her again.
Noble Consort Jia was dragged back to Qixing Palace, while Yongcheng, desperately calling for his mother, was forcibly restrained by guards and prevented from entering. From inside, Noble Consort Jia cried out to the Emperor, pleading with him not to abandon Yongcheng.
Yongcheng, outside, tried to comfort her, but she seemed consumed by her own thoughts, lamenting that she couldn't be confined there because she had promised "His Highness" (of the Yu Clan) that Yongcheng would become the crown prince, and she couldn't disappoint him. Hearing this, Yongcheng was filled with rage and despair.
He shouted, questioning why she was still focused on "His Highness" even in her current state, and accused her of living her entire life for that man, making him feel utterly insignificant to her. Inside, Noble Consort Jia frantically denied it, calling out for her son to return. Later that night, Yongqi sat alone in the courtyard.
Hailan joined him, acknowledging that he had heard about the Emperor's thunderous anger and Yongcheng's exclusion from the line of succession, noting that "the evil one brings upon oneself is the hardest to bear." She warned Yongqi that with the Third Prince out of favor and the Fourth Prince adopted out, all eyes were now on him. Yongqi then inquired about Ruyi's new pregnancy, asking if it was a boy or a girl.
Hailan grew visibly displeased, reminding him that the Central Palace already had a legitimate heir in Yongji, and the gender of this new child was irrelevant. She explained that his Eldest, Third, and Fourth Elder Brothers had all incurred the Emperor's wrath because they coveted the position of Crown Prince.
To ensure their mother-son safety, Hailan urged Yongqi to avoid the mistakes of the Fourth Prince and his mother, and to strictly maintain the role of a loyal subject, free from any unwarranted imperial ambitions, whether towards the Emperor or Yongji. Yongqi expressed dismay at the idea of being merely a subject after their arduous efforts in raising him.
Hailan clarified her intentions: she wanted him to shine as the Emperor's distinguished son, but also to be content in a subordinate role to ensure his safety, peace, and loyalty to his Imperial Mother. Only by understanding this, she stressed, could their lives be truly preserved. Yongqi promised to heed her counsel. With Ruyi now five months pregnant, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau director sought an audience with the Emperor.
He reported observing an auspicious purple glow from the Emperor Star, declaring Ruyi's unborn child to be an auspicious heir, noble beyond measure. The Emperor, pleased, promised a handsome reward if the prediction proved true. Later, the Empress Dowager informed the Emperor that Yongcheng and his primary consort were coming to pay their respects following his recent wedding. The Emperor, however, adamantly refused to see them, citing state affairs and Ruyi's pregnancy as excuses.
He reiterated that Yongcheng was no longer his son, but rather a descendant of Prince Lü, and could only pay respects to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager, in turn, decided not to meet them either, opting to send wedding gifts instead.
Yongcheng and his consort arrived at Jiashe Gate, but his primary consort flatly refused to visit Noble Consort Jia, whom she disparagingly called a "commoner of the Yu Clan," blaming her for Yongcheng's current predicament and stating she wouldn't become a "laughing-stock." Yongcheng, realizing he couldn't enter without the Emperor's permission and uncertain what to say to his mother, left with his consort. Meanwhile, the Yu Clan continued to send portraits of maidens to the Emperor.
Upon Li Yu's report that this was the fourth such occasion and Ruyi's suggestion that repeatedly refusing them might not be wise, the Emperor chose one, Lady Song, from the portraits. He conferred upon her the rank of Noble Lady but immediately ordered her to reside in Yuanming Yuan, prohibiting her from living within the Forbidden City.
