Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace Episode 69 Recap
> Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace Recap
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- 33
- 34
- 35
- 36
- 37
- 38
- 39
- 40
- 41
- 42
- 43
- 44
- 45
- 46
- 47
- 48
- 49
- 50
- 51
- 52
- 53
- 54
- 55
- 56
- 57
- 58
- 59
- 60
- 61
- 62
- 63
- 64
- 65
- 66
- 67
- 68
- 69
- 70
- 71
- 72
- 73
- 74
- 75
- 76
- 77
- 78
- 79
- 80
- 81
- 82
- 83
- 84
- 85
- 86
- 87
Consort Ying questioned Second-Class Attendant Wei about her presence near the Imperial Garden. Chunchan, Second-Class Attendant Wei's maid, explained that her mistress longed to see her daughter, the Seventh Princess, who was being raised by Consort Ying, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. Consort Ying retorted that it was nap time and too windy for the Seventh Princess to be outside. Feigning disorientation, Second-Class Attendant Wei claimed she couldn't distinguish day from night due to missing her child.
The Emperor mentioned that Consort Ying had named the Seventh Princess "Jingyuan" and praised Consort Ying's noble background and child-rearing skills. Second-Class Attendant Wei, tearfully admitting her shortcomings, thanked the Emperor for Consort Ying's care for Jingyuan, then desperately pleaded with him to allow her to conceive another child. Consort Ying reminded the Emperor of their dinner arrangements and urged him to leave. Despite Second-Class Attendant Wei's continued pleas for pity, the Emperor departed with Consort Ying.
Following the Emperor's command, Jinzhong released Wangchan, allowing him to resume serving Second-Class Attendant Wei. Desperate, Second-Class Attendant Wei sought help from Princess Hejing (Jingse), thanking her for intervening on her behalf and saving her from the Office of Careful Punishment. Second-Class Attendant Wei then falsely claimed that her mother's actions, leading to the Thirteenth Prince Yongjing's death, were an act of muddle-headed revenge for the Empress's harsh treatment of her.
She added that her past service to Empress Xiaoxian was the reason the Empress targeted her and that with her daughter now with Consort Ying, she feared for her own life. She then implored Princess Hejing to persuade the Emperor to show her pity and grant her another child, someone to depend on. Soon after, the Emperor received memorials from the Khorchin tribe, appealing for leniency for Second-Class Attendant Wei due to her saving Qingyou.
He discussed the matter with Ruyi, suggesting he wished to pardon her. The Emperor explained that neither Wangchan nor Second-Class Attendant Wei confessed under torture, and further interrogation would only yield a forced confession. He expressed his belief that Wei Yanwan, whom he had personally trained since she was a palace maid, could not be so evil as to murder his children or frame her own mother.
He stressed the importance of the Khorchin tribe's stability to his empire and her role in strengthening Manchu-Mongol relations. Ruyi, however, was distraught, lamenting that she was constantly asked to prioritize the "big picture" while enduring the loss of her children, Yongjing and Jingsi, whom she suspected Wei Yanwan had harmed. The Emperor, in turn, emphasized his dual role as a father and emperor, and Ruyi's as a mother and empress of the nation.
Despite this, Ruyi asked if he truly believed Wei Yanwan was incapable of such evil, to which the Emperor reaffirmed his trust, chilling Ruyi's heart. Later, Princess Hejing also pleaded for Second-Class Attendant Wei, highlighting that Wei Yanwan was unaware of her mother's actions while pregnant and had already suffered enough. She dismissed the evidence against Wei Yanwan as circumstantial.
When the Emperor reminded her of Second-Class Attendant Wei's involvement in Yongjing's death, Princess Hejing argued that the same person would not harm one of his children and then save another, suggesting Wei Yanwan’s good nature was influenced by the Emperor and that her mother's crassness was not shared. She further underscored Second-Class Attendant Wei's crucial role in saving Qingyou, the sole legitimate heir of the Khorchin prince, and thus the future of the tribe.
The Emperor reminded Ruyi of Empress Xiaoxian's wisdom in prioritizing the greater good by marrying Princess Hejing to Mongolia. Princess Hejing used this to argue that Ruyi should also show understanding. That night, the Emperor, originally intending to summon Imperial Concubine Wan, unexpectedly changed his mind and called for Second-Class Attendant Wei instead. Four months passed, and Royal Physician Jiang finally announced Second-Class Attendant Wei's pregnancy to Ruyi and Consort Yu (Hailan).
Consort Yu (Hailan) expressed her indignation, noting Wei Yanwan's excessive caution and that her health had plummeted after heavily bleeding during the Seventh Princess's birth and enduring punishment and torture after labor. She admitted that the Emperor's leniency and her pregnancy were due to Princess Hejing's intervention and her backing from the Khorchin tribe.
Both Ruyi and Consort Yu (Hailan) acknowledged that they could only endure the situation for the sake of the "big picture" and await an opportune moment for revenge, though Ruyi found it unbearable to let go of the deaths of Yongjing and Jingsi. Soon after, Second-Class Attendant Wei gave birth to a prince. An eunuch announced the news to the Emperor. The Emperor named him Fourteenth Prince Yonglu.
Princess Hejing immediately advocated for Second-Class Attendant Wei, questioning if the "San Xi" ceremony would be held according to her current low rank, fearing it would be an insult to her in-laws. The Emperor, acquiescing, promoted Second-Class Attendant Wei to Noble Lady Ling. Princess Hejing then urged the Emperor to visit Noble Lady Ling and her son, but the Emperor refused.
He explained that while he appreciated Wei Yanwan saving Qingyou and could promote her, he, as Yongjing's father and the Empress's husband, could not completely disregard their feelings, especially since Noble Lady Ling's mother was implicated in Yongjing's death. With the empire prosperous and its borders peaceful, except for the stirrings of the Han tribe, the Emperor began preparations for the maiden selection.
Eunuchs reported the pacification of the Yu Clan and Dzungaria, and the Han tribe's offer of a white nephrite tribute to express friendship. The Emperor considered it a meager offering but acknowledged its significance for consolidating the border tribes. Meanwhile, Noble Lady Ling, after giving birth to the Ninth Princess Jingyun, was promoted to Imperial Concubine Ling.
Despite this, she remained unsatisfied, lamenting that the Emperor still sent both Yonglu and Jingyun to be raised by the Consorts Dowager at Shoukang Palace, and she rarely saw them or the Emperor. Imperial Concubine Ling vowed to endure her hardship until she could have her children by her side, acknowledging that she felt she was walking on thin ice. When the maiden selection commenced, the Empress Dowager urged the Emperor to review the list.
The Emperor noted the Khorchin tribe had sent Princess E'yinzhu. Remembering Princess Hejing's repeated mentions of her and the importance of Manchu-Mongol alliances, the Emperor immediately titled Lady Borjigit (E'yinzhu) as Imperial Concubine Yu, granting her a high rank upon entering the palace, and instructed Ruyi to arrange the new concubines' residences. Ruyi met the new concubines, including Noble Lady Rui, First-Class Attendant Bai, and Imperial Concubine Yu, encouraging them to serve the Emperor and help the imperial family flourish.
Imperial Concubine Ling, though resentful, outwardly flattered Imperial Concubine Yu, inviting her to Princess Hejing’s palace for milk tea. Pure Imperial Noble Consort Chun later informed Ruyi that Imperial Concubine Yu, despite being nearly thirty, was an expert in coquetry and had garnered the Emperor's favor, having served him the most that month. Li Yu, standing outside the Emperor's chambers, could hear the Emperor's playful remarks and giggles with Imperial Concubine Yu.
Consort Yu (Hailan) also told Ruyi she heard rumors that Imperial Concubine Yu was frivolous and had even pinched the Emperor's nose during her first night with him, a rumor Ruyi found plausible given the Emperor's pampering. Ruyi remarked that Jaisang'gendun, Imperial Concubine Yu's father, had kept his daughter by his side until she was thirty, suggesting she was now "of great use."
Imperial Concubine Yu, while the Emperor was asleep, secretly read memorials from various regions to understand his thoughts. She then penned a secret letter, instructing her maid, Duoyan, to have a sweeping eunuch deliver it quickly to the Khorchin tribe's prince and her father, to ensure they were well-prepared for their discussions with the Emperor. She consistently charmed the Emperor and, leveraging her close proximity, gained access to many official documents.
While speaking with Duoyan, Imperial Concubine Yu openly expressed her ambition to become Empress, citing her Borjigit clan's legacy of producing empresses for the Qing Dynasty and dismissing Ruyi as an aging, disfavored "step-empress." Later, as Ruyi and Consort Yu (Hailan) were conversing, they overheard Imperial Concubine Yu boastfully declaring her intention to become Empress, citing her Borjigit clan's legacy of producing empresses and dismissing Ruyi as an aging, disfavored "step-empress."
Consort Yu (Hailan) was enraged and wished to punish her immediately, but Ruyi calmly observed that a mere punishment wouldn't extinguish Imperial Concubine Yu's soaring ambition. Ruyi then discussed Fifth Prince Yongqi's marriage with the Emperor. The Emperor selected Ortai's granddaughter, Lady Sirin-Gioro, as Yongqi's primary consort, explaining it was a magnanimous gesture to console Ortai's clan and encourage his family's continued service to the court. Ruyi agreed with his thoughtful decision.
Meanwhile, Imperial Concubine Ling met Tian Yun'er, Granny Tian's daughter. Tian Yun'er expressed gratitude for Imperial Concubine Ling's past help to her mother and her continued care. Imperial Concubine Ling then maliciously twisted the truth, accusing Ruyi of forcing Granny Tian to her death in the Office of Careful Punishment over the Thirteenth Prince's demise, despite Granny Tian being Ruyi's savior during the birth of the Fifth Princess.
She further claimed Ruyi and Consort Yu's nephew later caused the death of Tian Yun'er's younger brother. Enraged and distraught, Tian Yun'er begged for a way to avenge her family. Imperial Concubine Ling suggested that since Ruyi and Consort Yu (Hailan) were untouchable, Tian Yun'er should target the Fifth Prince Yongqi, Ruyi's adopted son and Consort Yu (Hailan)'s biological son, who was their greatest hope for future power.
Fifth Prince Yongqi, having successfully completed a task for the Emperor, noticed a new, suspicious-looking sweeping eunuch in the Hall of Mental Cultivation acting furtively. Sensing something amiss, he ordered his own attendant, Xiao Leizi, to investigate the eunuch's background. Soon after, the Emperor discussed filling vacant consort positions with Ruyi.
He suggested Imperial Concubine Yu, praising her passion and noble lineage, acknowledging that her promotion to consort was also a gesture of honor to the Khorchin tribe and to strengthen the Manchu-Mongol alliance through Princess Hejing. Ruyi agreed to arrange a dignified and impressive conferment ceremony for Imperial Concubine Yu. The Emperor then decided to simultaneously confer Yongqi with the title of Beile, which Ruyi also accepted. As the night drew late, the Emperor, after telling Ruyi to rest, revealed he had chosen Imperial Concubine Yu's name tag and would visit her at Yonghe Palace.
