Story of Yanxi Palace Episode 39 Recap
> Story of Yanxi Palace Recap
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The Emperor, deeply intoxicated, expressed his long-suppressed grief over his deceased son, Yong Lian, to the Empress. The Empress realized that Yong Lian had always remained in the Emperor's heart, and as it was the anniversary of the boy's death, both were consumed by sorrow. Concerned about the Emperor catching a chill, the Empress arranged for him to stay in the east hall of Changchun Palace for the night.
Supervisor Li, aware of the Emperor's unhappiness, instructed the other eunuchs to keep their distance. Alone, the Emperor reflected on his regrets, wondering if Yong Lian would ever forgive his past neglect. Meanwhile, Er Qing, recalling the humiliation she had endured from Fu Heng, resolved to retaliate by seducing the Emperor. She bought off Hu Po, the palace maid responsible for delivering hangover soup, and disguised herself to enter the Emperor's chamber.
The eunuchs guarding the door, unaware of her true identity, allowed her in. Soon after, sounds of a woman's cries emerged from within. Supervisor Li, assuming it was merely the Emperor favoring a palace maid, did not intervene and instructed his subordinates to stay away. The next morning, the Emperor, sober and full of regret, realized he had fallen into Er Qing's trap, but it was too late to reverse what had occurred.
Finding Hu Po unusually nervous, Ming Yu suspected that the Emperor had favored a palace maid. Before she could question her further, Er Qing appeared and skillfully dispelled Ming Yu's suspicions, claiming she was merely cleaning up after the Emperor had vomited. Later, Er Qing announced her departure from the palace, citing Fu Heng's return to the capital.
Ming Yu confided her suspicion about the maid to Er Qing, who calmly pointed out that if it were true, the maid would have already sought a promotion, leading Ming Yu to dismiss her own thoughts. Er Qing returned to the Fuca mansion in high spirits. When Fu Qian visited, Er Qing discovered a portrait he had secretly painted of her. Asserting that its fate was her decision, she declared it was well-painted, tacitly allowing him to keep it.
She then told him she had finally found the best way to vent her long-held anger. The Empress, still recovering from her previous illness, endured an agonizing labor. Her pained cries echoed through Changchun Palace. Hearing the Empress's suffering, Wei Yingluo was overcome with emotion, reliving the memory of her own mother's difficult labor and subsequent death. Witnessing her distress, Fu Heng gently covered her ears, reassuring her that the Empress would survive and that tragedy would not strike again.
Though soothed, Yingluo thanked him but maintained a cool demeanor, reflecting on their complicated past. Despite the difficult labor, the Empress safely gave birth to a prince. The Emperor was overjoyed, holding his newborn son with immense happiness. Consort Xian showed little outward reaction, but Consort Chun was visibly disheartened. While she had previously devoted herself to assisting the Empress, the birth of her own child now spurred her to contend for his future.
Consort Xian observed Consort Chun's change in ambition, seeing a valuable, unwitting pawn in her own plans. The Emperor named the newborn prince Yong Cong, a name signifying a ritual jade vessel used in ancestral temples, publicly indicating his intention for the child to succeed him. Ming Yu, thrilled by the Emperor's choice of name, eagerly informed Wei Yingluo.
However, Wei Yingluo remained indifferent, lamenting that the Empress had foolishly risked her life for a child and deeming a woman's own life paramount. Seizing the opportunity, Consort Xian visited Consort Chun and subtly emphasized the Emperor's obvious intention for Yong Cong to inherit the throne. Consort Chun, looking at her own son, Yong Rong, apologized for her temper and vowed to secure the best future for him.
Consort Xian continued to fan the flames of ambition, highlighting Yong Cong's prestigious status as the legitimate son born during an auspicious rain. Provoked, Consort Chun resolved to secure her son's future, no matter the cost. Satisfied with her manipulation, Consort Xian had an old scar on her chest treated, remarking that over time, pity turns to disgust.
She mused to her confidante that she had planted a thorn in Consort Chun's heart, and when another maid overheard her, Consort Xian ruthlessly had the girl silenced to protect her scheme. Upon Fu Heng's return home, his mother happily informed him of Er Qing's pregnancy. Knowing he had never consummated their marriage, Fu Heng confronted Er Qing, demanding to know the child's father. Er Qing defiantly refused to answer directly, mocking his intelligence.
She coolly stated that he could not harm her, nor would she harm herself, because the child she carried was a royal heir with the surname Aisin Gioro. Fu Heng refused to believe the Emperor would do such a thing, but Er Qing brazenly confessed to deliberately seducing the Emperor to make Fu Heng suffer. She declared that his promotions and honors would forever be a reminder of this humiliation.
Enraged, Fu Heng called her a madwoman, to which Er Qing agreed, claiming he and Wei Yingluo had driven her to it. Resolved to contain the damage, Fu Heng ordered Er Qing confined to her room, telling his household that she suffered from a hereditary hysteria that worsened with pregnancy and forbidding anyone, including his mother, from visiting. Meanwhile, a message arrived that Wei Yingluo's father had been gravely injured.
Though Yingluo initially refused to see the man who had treated her so cruelly, the Empress persuaded her, emphasizing filial piety. This was, however, a calculated move by Consort Chun to lure Yingluo away from Changchun Palace. Shortly after Yingluo departed, a fire erupted in the Nuan Pavilion. Palace maids rushed to extinguish it, but the water in the fire-prevention jars was frozen solid. The Empress, ignoring all warnings, bravely rushed into the blazing room, desperately calling for Yong Cong.
Hailan Cha arrived and rescued them, but the infant prince had already succumbed to the smoke. Devastated by his son's death, the Emperor ordered a thorough investigation. An official reported that the fire likely started from sparks from a charcoal brazier and that the water in the jars had inexplicably frozen, despite being heated daily. Furious and unaware of Consort Chun's treachery, the Emperor concluded that the eunuchs on duty were negligent. Despite their pleas of innocence, he ordered all twelve implicated eunuchs to be executed by hanging.
