Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace Episode 81 Recap
> Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace Recap
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Empress Ruyi ordered Sanbao to immediately lock up Noble Consort Ling, stating that Noble Consort Ling had disregarded proper etiquette, messed up the Imperial Harem, and failed in her duty of assisting to manage the Six Palaces. Furthermore, she caused His Majesty to lust for women, making him tired and tarnishing his reputation.
Noble Consort Ling defiantly declared that she was a Noble Consort personally conferred by His Majesty, to which Ruyi countered that she was the Empress personally conferred by His Majesty. Just then, Jinbao arrived to report to Ruyi that His Majesty had slept in Shouqing Hall for half a day before returning to the boat. Shui Linglong was on the boat, accompanied by her six sisters.
Jinbao noted that Shui Linglong came from a brothel, and though she only sold her talent and not her body, her background was indecent, and the other women were likely the same. He found the situation highly inappropriate. Ruyi, realizing that Jinzhong was accompanying them on the boat and that this whole affair was orchestrated by Noble Consort Ling, was furious. She immediately ordered Noble Consort Ling to be strangled.
Noble Consort Ling, terrified, protested, claiming Ruyi was being despotic and framing her due to jealousy. Ruyi sternly rebuked her, stating that disturbing the order in the palace and corrupting the laws of the Imperial court were both capital offenses. She accused Noble Consort Ling of scheming against her, forcing Ling Yunche to his death, causing Yongji's illness, and disturbing state affairs.
She concluded by sending Jinbao to inform His Majesty that she intended to implement palace rules and execute Noble Consort Ling to preserve the Emperor's good reputation. Noble Consort Ling's attendant, Chunchan, begged Ruyi for mercy, but Ruyi asked if she was admitting Noble Consort Ling's crimes on her behalf. Jinbao then interjected, suggesting that the most pressing matter was to make His Majesty distance himself from the brothel women.
As for Noble Consort Ling, he thought it more appropriate to simply lock her up and await the decisions of His Majesty and the Empress Dowager. Ruyi agreed to postpone the execution, but warned Noble Consort Ling that her life was less valuable than His Majesty's good name. As Ruyi prepared to go to the Emperor’s dragon boat, Noble Consort Ling quickly ordered Wangchan to find Princess Hejing.
Chunchan conveyed Noble Consort Ling's message to Princess Hejing's attendant, claiming Ruyi was trying to execute Noble Consort Ling for colluding with outside relations to endanger the Imperial Family, and urged Princess Hejing to intervene to prevent Ruyi from becoming unrivaled. Princess Hejing, while acknowledging Noble Consort Ling deserved to die, decided to go for the sake of her Imperial Father. Ruyi, ignoring Sanbao's warning that His Majesty would be angered, proceeded to the dragon boat.
There, she found His Majesty surrounded by Shui Linglong and her six sisters. She ordered Rongpei to take the women away and instructed Rongpei and Sanbao to deal with Jinzhong for his dereliction of duty. His Majesty was enraged by Ruyi's interruption, stating that he had spent most of his life strictly adhering to rules and regulations in the palace.
He had only momentarily found interest in an external woman who was "fragrant and full of vitality," and felt Ruyi had embarrassed them both and caused him to lose face. Ruyi defended her actions, explaining that she came for His Majesty's face and reputation.
She pointed out that Shui Linglong's clothes were embroidered with forbidden dragon patterns, and she flaunted daffodil foil on her hand, causing rumors to spread throughout the city about His Majesty taking pleasure with brothel women while cruising the lakes, tarnishing his reputation. As the Empress, Ruyi earnestly pleaded with His Majesty to care for his body and cherish his reputation. His Majesty, in turn, angrily commanded Ruyi as the Son of Heaven not to contradict him.
He criticized her as overbearing, saying she was neither as virtuous as Empress Xiaoxian nor as gently submissive as Noble Consort Ling. Ruyi observed that His Majesty had often compared her to Empress Xiaoxian, and she was tired of arguing the point. She then pointed out that Noble Consort Ling acted treacherously and colluded with Jinzhong to seduce His Majesty into worldly indulgences, completely disregarding his reputation, yet His Majesty still found her gentle and submissive.
The Emperor responded that Noble Consort Ling understood his thoughts and pleased him, while Ruyi only spoiled his fun, and he intended to commend and handsomely reward Noble Consort Ling. Ruyi, looking at the Emperor, felt a profound sense of disappointment, realizing the person before her was no longer the man she once knew. Meanwhile, Rongpei escorted Shui Linglong and her sisters back to the shore.
She sent them to a nearby nunnery to pray for His Majesty, warning them that if they refused, they would die. Shui Linglong protested that they were performers, not prostitutes, but Rongpei insisted they had damaged the royal health and implicated the royal reputation, and that sparing their lives was already the Empress's mercy.
Rongpei then forcefully removed the dragon-patterned clothing from Shui Linglong and ordered her to remove the daffodil foil from her hand, deeming them unsuitable for a nunnery. As Jinzhong tried to sneak away, Rongpei stopped him and announced Ruyi's edict: Jinzhong, for deceiving His Majesty and acting against the law, was to be immediately executed. As guards moved to seize him, Jinzhong desperately cried out for Noble Consort Ling to save him.
Noble Consort Ling arrived, followed by Princess Hejing, and ordered the guards to stop. Princess Hejing also intervened, suggesting they postpone dealing with Jinzhong for now and lock him up until clarification could be sought. Back on the dragon boat, His Majesty accused Ruyi of being unhappy and rebellious in recent years, and of looking at him with coldness. He questioned whether her indifference stemmed from having Ling Yunche in her heart or from his death.
Ruyi affirmed that her devotion was solely to him, but lamented that he was no longer the Fourth Elder Brother Hongli she knew. She expressed that their deep affection had been exhausted by His Majesty's suspicion and mutual weariness. The Emperor retorted by asking if Ruyi was still the "Qingying" he once knew, saying his Qingying would not be like her, treating him like a stranger.
Ruyi agreed that Qingying was long gone and expressed her weariness of being the Empress. Ruyi then criticized the Emperor, recalling that even when Empress Xiaoxian was alive and impeccable, His Majesty was still unsatisfied with her, yet after her death, he showed deep affection and longed for her in every possible way, questioning the sincerity of his feelings and suggesting he only wanted others to see him as profound.
Ruyi continued, asking which woman in the palace could truly feel at ease by His Majesty's side. She mentioned Consort Shu, who truly admired His Majesty, but he secretly prevented her pregnancy, leading to the Tenth Prince's premature death and Consort Shu's despair.
She also brought up Noble Consort Chun, whom His Majesty suspected over a single pearl flower, an obsession which later, along with his infatuation for Concubine Rong (Han Xiangjian), led to the deaths of Yongzhang and Noble Consort Chun. Ruyi stated that despite accompanying His Majesty and never having ulterior motives, he constantly suspected her and Ling Yunche of having an affair, tormenting Ling Yunche and humiliating her without any trust.
She concluded that all this stemmed from His Majesty's own deep-seated suspicions, and she was tired of professing her innocence. Ruyi further accused His Majesty of being stubborn, selfish, hypocritical, and extremely suspicious. Enraged, His Majesty struck Ruyi, knocking her to the ground. He threatened to depose her for despising her superior and neglecting her duties. Ruyi, however, expressed her indifference, stating she was tired and weary of being Empress and no longer wished to endure it.
Ruyi then removed her hairpin and took a knife, cutting off her hair. She held up her severed hair and told His Majesty that they had once tied their hair together as husband and wife, but now she cut her hair as an offering for "Qingying and Hongli, who are long gone." His Majesty stared at her, calling her mad. Ruyi ignored everyone and walked out of the dragon boat.
Noble Consort Ling and Princess Hejing arrived shortly after, finding the severed hair on the ground. They were astonished, as Manchu custom dictated cutting hair only during periods of great mourning, making Ruyi's act a heinous and immoral one while the Emperor was still alive. His Majesty then decreed that Ruyi was unfit for the heavy responsibility of the central palace.
He ordered Fulongan to escort her back to the palace for treatment the next morning and confined her to Yikun Palace without his consent. He also promoted Noble Consort Ling to Imperial Noble Consort, giving her authority to manage the Six Palaces. On her way back to the palace, Ruyi was met by Concubine Ying and Concubine Rong. She advised them to take care of themselves and not be implicated with her.
Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager confronted His Majesty, questioning why he had suddenly sent the Empress back to the palace, knowing it would cause speculation. His Majesty explained Ruyi's "insane" act of cutting her hair, stating he would depose her if she continued such disorderly behavior. The Empress Dowager believed Ruyi must have had a reason for her actions and subtly chastised His Majesty for his own conduct, mentioning his night cruising.
She then advised His Majesty against deposing the Empress, reminding him of the inauspicious precedent of Emperor Shunzhi and warning that he would surely regret such a decision later, realizing his deep affection for Ruyi when it was already too late. Noble Consort Ling went to see Jinzhong, who was thrilled to learn of her promotion to Imperial Noble Consort, managing the Six Palaces. He promised to help her ascend to the Empress's throne.
However, Noble Consort Ling's attendant, Wangchan, then strangled Jinzhong on Noble Consort Ling's orders. Jinzhong, in his dying breaths, accused Noble Consort Ling of being ungrateful and foretold her wretched end. Noble Consort Ling dismissed his words and ordered Wangchan to spread the news that Jinzhong was solely responsible for His Majesty's involvement with the brothel women, and that she had impartially executed him.
Upon Ruyi's return to the palace, Hailan (Consort Yu) waited at the entrance of Yikun Palace to greet her. Ruyi, however, did not stop her sedan chair, choosing to proceed directly into the palace, wanting to avoid implicating Hailan.
