Story of Yanxi Palace Episode 32 Recap
> Story of Yanxi Palace Recap
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Noble Consort Gao proudly presented the "Fire Flowers" performance, a birthday gift for the Empress Dowager, and invited the Emperor to watch. Consort Xian also arrived, stating she accompanied the Emperor to witness the spectacular show. Noble Consort Gao, annoyed by Consort Xian's presence, exchanged sharp words with her. As the performance unfolded, dazzling sparks illuminated the night, reminiscent of the copper smelting described in Li Bai's poetry.
Impressed, Noble Consort Gao declared her intention to build a stage right there to personally choreograph a dance amidst the flying flowers, certain it would delight the Empress Dowager. Despite warnings about the proximity to the fiery display, she insisted, resulting in her being severely burned when the sparks were released. Consort Xian, acting quickly, shielded the Emperor and sustained minor burns herself. Following the incident, the Emperor ordered a thorough search for an assassin, suspecting a deliberate attack.
Hailancha intercepted Yuan Chunwang, who was transporting a manure cart, and insisted on inspecting it, but found nothing suspicious. He continued his investigation to Wei Yingluo's residence, yet uncovered no evidence there either. Meanwhile, Noble Consort Gao suffered excruciating pain from her burns and vehemently refused treatment, fearing the scars it would leave. The Emperor, exasperated by her vanity, ordered her attendants to hold her down so Physician Ye could apply medicine, emphasizing that her life was paramount.
Upon examining the wound, Physician Ye made a grim discovery: Noble Consort Gao had not been burned by molten iron, but by "golden fluid," a malicious mixture of feces designed to cause severe infection. Yuan Chunwang, observing the situation, suspected Wei Yingluo's connection to the blacksmith who attacked Noble Consort Gao. He cautioned her, deducing her involvement was not only for revenge on behalf of the Empress but also to seek justice for the innocent craftsmen.
Wei Yingluo, however, fiercely denied any association and curtly told him to mind his own business. In contrast to Noble Consort Gao's loud complaints, Consort Xian's quiet endurance of her minor burns and her selfless act of protecting the Emperor deeply moved him. The Emperor informed Consort Xian about the "golden fluid" used in the attack, explaining its purpose was to cause repeated, untreatable infections.
Consort Xian listened, her composure masking her inner satisfaction, as everything unfolded according to her design. Noble Consort Gao's wounds worsened rapidly. Physician Ye, despite his best efforts, was unable to stop the infection, stating that her condition was now critical and incurable. He informed her attendants that she had only ten days to a month to live.
Seizing the opportunity, Consort Xian visited Noble Consort Gao and cruelly described her decaying flesh, revealing that even if she survived, her back would be covered in large, black scars. Noble Consort Gao, whose identity was tied to her beauty, was utterly devastated and vowed revenge. However, Consort Xian, now in a position of power, confessed everything.
She revealed that while the original attacker, likely helped by Wei Yingluo, had intended only to scar Noble Consort Gao, she herself had added the "golden fluid" to the molten iron, ensuring the wounds would fester and become fatal. Consort Xian then unleashed years of pent-up hatred, reminding Noble Consort Gao of past humiliations, such as trampling on her dignity over jewelry and implicating her father in a bribery scheme that led to her family's ruin.
Confident in her status as the Emperor's savior, she taunted that any accusation from Noble Consort Gao would be dismissed and only deepen the Emperor's disdain for her. Crushed by Consort Xian's revelations, Noble Consort Gao lost all her former arrogance. She understood that her illness was terminal and that even if she survived, she would be disfigured and despised by the Emperor. Such a fate was unbearable for a woman who lived by her beauty and pride.
Declaring she would rather be hated by everyone than disliked by the Emperor alone, she requested to see him one last time. Despite the Emperor's reassurances that she would recover, Noble Consort Gao insisted on performing one final dance for him, wishing that he would remember her at her most beautiful. As she danced gracefully, she collapsed into his arms.
She tearfully confessed her long-held belief that his affection was always distant and guarded due to her father's powerful position, and that she had merely feigned foolishness to put him at ease. Her final wish was for her mother to be honorably interred in the ancestral tomb. The Emperor, moved by her plea, promised to grant it. Noble Consort Gao's father, Lord Gao, rushed to the palace but was refused a visit.
Instead, Noble Consort Gao donned her most exquisite attire, sang her favorite opera, and took her own life with a white silk sash. For her, a beautiful, tragic death was preferable to a lingering, disfigured existence. Lord Gao arrived only to find her lifeless body. Upon learning of her suicide, the Emperor was overcome with remorse, realizing her arrogant behavior had been a pretense.
Overwhelmed by guilt, he posthumously elevated her title to Imperial Noble Consort and ordered an elaborate funeral. Meanwhile, Consort Xian, having achieved her revenge, allowed a subtle smile of satisfaction to grace her lips, reflecting the endless cycle of retribution within the Imperial Harem.
