Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace Episode 7 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
Second Class Attendant Mei departed without bowing to the Empress, prompting Sulian to point out her breach of etiquette. Mei Daying, however, roughly pushed Sulian, causing an injury to her hand. The Empress, though displeased, did not openly reprimand Mei Daying due to the Emperor's favor. Noble Consort Hui, worried about the Emperor's possible blame for the previous day's incident where she had slapped Mei Daying, complained to the Empress.
She called Mei Daying frivolous and willful, suggesting she needed to be properly disciplined before she became too arrogant. The Empress reminded Noble Consort Hui that Mei Daying had already been punished and advised her to observe harmony among imperial concubines. She suggested waiting until the Emperor's ardor for Mei Daying cooled before attempting to teach her a lesson. Noble Consort Hui accepted the advice but remained concerned about the visible injury to Mei Daying's face.
The Empress then instructed Sulian to fetch ointment from the Imperial Hospital and deliver it to Mei Daying on Noble Consort Hui's behalf, as well as to treat her own injured hand. Meanwhile, Ruyi escorted Mei Daying back to her palace. A'Ruo, Ruyi's maid, noticed that Mei Daying was using hongluo charcoal, which was typically reserved for higher-ranking concubines. Ruyi observed a plaque in the palace, bestowed by the Emperor, bearing the inscription "Appearance Manifests Virtue and Caution."
Mei Daying admitted she didn't understand the meaning, so Ruyi explained it meant a woman should be kind, cautious, and uphold virtue. Mei Daying then expressed her desire to live independently of others' judgment, hinting at the frequent mockery she faced due to her humble origins. Just then, Sulian arrived with the ointment. Suspecting foul play, Mei Daying asked Ruyi to inspect the medicine for harmful substances. Ruyi confirmed it was standard Imperial Hospital swelling-reducing ointment.
Mei Daying reluctantly accepted the medicine after Sulian conveyed the Empress's implicit warning: she should not mention the previous incident to the Emperor, as doing so would implicate herself as well. Later, Noble Consort Hui spotted Ruyi's eunuch, Sanbao, sneaking out of her palace's back door. She ordered Shuangxi to investigate, who soon reported that Sanbao had been secretly delivering charcoal to First Class Attendant Hai. In her own palace, First Class Attendant Hai was immersed in reading.
Her maid, Yexin, urged her to visit Noble Consort Hui, who was unwell, to avoid further trouble, and lamented the poor quality and scarcity of their provisions, including charcoal. First Class Attendant Hai went to visit Noble Consort Hui, who was with Noble Lady Jia. Noble Consort Hui, already in a foul mood, accused First Class Attendant Hai of portraying herself as pitiful to Ruyi and others. She dismissed First Class Attendant Hai from her presence.
After First Class Attendant Hai left, Noble Lady Jia maliciously suggested that First Class Attendant Hai was deliberately stealing Noble Consort Hui's charcoal to worsen her cold, even implying First Class Attendant Hai harbored sinister intentions against her superior and deserved severe punishment. Outside the Empress's palace, Eunuch Wang Qin arrived to invite the Empress to dinner with the Emperor.
The Empress subtly reminded Wang Qin of the vacant Chief Eunuch position at Yangxin Palace, a clear hint to his ambitions. Wang Qin acknowledged her words. The Empress then asked Lianxin to see Wang Qin out. Wang Qin made inappropriate advances toward Lianxin, who rebuffed him and later complained about his persistent harassment to Sulian. Back in Yanxi Palace, First Class Attendant Hai sent Ruyi a pair of finely crafted squirrel fur hand warmers, embroidered with Ruyi's favorite green plums.
Ruyi was touched by the thoughtful gift, knowing First Class Attendant Hai's meager allowance. Soon after, Sanbao rushed in with alarming news: Noble Consort Hui was accusing First Class Attendant Hai of stealing her hongluo charcoal, claiming it caused her illness. Noble Consort Hui's maids found some irregularities in the charcoal ashes in First Class Attendant Hai's room, leading Noble Consort Hui to accuse First Class Attendant Hai of stealing her hongluo charcoal, and was about to torture her.
Despite A'Ruo's protests, Ruyi immediately rushed to Xianfu Palace, understanding that with the Empress occupied, she was the only one in a position to help First Class Attendant Hai. Upon arriving at Xianfu Palace, Ruyi found First Class Attendant Hai kneeling in the snow, desperately denying the theft. First Class Attendant Hai's maid, Xiangyun, under pressure, testified that First Class Attendant Hai had instructed her to steal the charcoal, driven by envy of Noble Consort Hui's favored status.
Ruyi refuted the accusation, pointing out that Noble Consort Hui's charcoal supply—an estimated eighty jin (approximately 40 kg) for ten days—was too large to be hidden in First Class Attendant Hai's small room, and that mere charcoal ashes and a maid's testimony were insufficient evidence. First Class Attendant Hai then collapsed in the snow. Noble Consort Hui ordered Shuangxi to search First Class Attendant Hai's residence and commanded her maids to strip First Class Attendant Hai for a body search.
Ruyi vehemently objected, calling it a humiliating act. Angered by Ruyi's interference, Noble Consort Hui ordered Ruyi to kneel in the snow alongside First Class Attendant Hai. To spare Ruyi further suffering and humiliation, First Class Attendant Hai, though innocent, confessed to stealing the charcoal. Outside Xianfu Palace, Suoxin, Ruyi's maid, desperately tried to get Wang Qin to inform the Emperor of the unfolding situation, but he refused, citing Noble Consort Hui's authority and her illness.
Li Yu, witnessing Suoxin's plight, discreetly offered to convey the message to the Emperor. Shortly after, the Emperor and Empress arrived. The Emperor immediately ordered Ruyi and First Class Attendant Hai, both soaked and shivering, to change into warm clothes inside First Class Attendant Hai's chambers. Noble Consort Hui then tearfully recounted her version of events to the Emperor, accusing First Class Attendant Hai of theft and Ruyi of causing a scene.
The Emperor then revealed that he had, in fact, instructed Ruyi to discreetly provide hongluo charcoal to First Class Attendant Hai from Ruyi's own allocation, to avoid attracting attention. He rebuked Ruyi for her inflexibility, criticizing her for not revealing this truth to diffuse the situation, though Ruyi explained she had kept it secret to prevent further complications. Still insistent on punishment, Noble Consort Hui demanded justice for the "theft" and Ruyi's "disrespect."
To appease Noble Consort Hui, the Emperor made a decisive judgment. He summoned Xiangyun, First Class Attendant Hai's maid, who had "confessed." The Emperor condemned her loose tongue and ordered her to be beaten to death with rods, publicly declaring that this was a lesson for anyone in the palace who dared to instigate conflicts or harm their superiors.
Furthermore, the Emperor penalized Noble Consort Hui by ordering her to recuperate for three months, during which she would be forbidden from accompanying him. Recognizing that First Class Attendant Hai could not remain in Xianfu Palace, the Emperor ordered her relocation to Yanxi Palace to live with Ruyi, instructing Ruyi to guide First Class Attendant Hai to prevent future trouble.
Back in Yanxi Palace, Imperial Physician Xu examined First Class Attendant Hai, noting her extreme weakness and severe injuries to the "yongquan" acupressure points on her feet, stating that while her exposure to the cold wind was severe, it was not as critical as her foot injuries. He prescribed a nerve-calming medicine to help her sleep, but First Class Attendant Hai still experienced a night of restless nightmares.
Ruyi's maid, A'Ruo, expressed her indignation at Noble Consort Hui's actions and urged Ruyi to employ schemes to regain the Emperor's favor and avoid future injustices, highlighting Ruyi's noble lineage compared to Noble Consort Hui. Ruyi, however, calmly stated that she did not focus on immediate gains but on the long-term consequences of reckless actions, believing Noble Consort Hui's rash behavior had already cost her the Emperor's full favor.
Ruyi then praised Suoxin for her keen observation and thoughtful nature, contrasting her with A'Ruo's impulsiveness, and asked Suoxin to be her watchful "extra pair of eyes." Suoxin pledged her unwavering loyalty and service.
