Story of Yanxi Palace Episode 51 Recap
> Story of Yanxi Palace Recap
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The Empress pleaded with the Emperor, explaining that her father, Naerbu, was a foolish but devoted official. To aid disaster victims, he first tried to gather resources from wealthy locals but, being unskilled at coercion, he received little. Consequently, he sold his personal assets, including lands and a mansion granted by the Emperor, and even his ancestral home.
When unrest broke out, he hesitated to use military force, fearing harm to unarmed civilians, but the mob's violence provoked the soldiers, leading to casualties. The Empress acknowledged the Emperor's difficult position but begged him to spare her father's life, the only thing she had ever asked of him. Moved by her plea, the Emperor relented, agreeing to exile Naerbu to Ningguta instead of executing him.
Afterward, the Empress thanked Hong Zhou for his extensive efforts to clear her father’s name, acknowledging he had offended many people in the process. She then asked him to deliver warm clothing and medicine to her father for his journey to the harsh, cold land of Ningguta, as his leg had been injured and he would lack proper medical care.
She asked Hong Zhou to tell Naerbu that his daughter was undutiful for not seeing him off and to urge him to take care. Hong Zhou rushed to the prison with the Emperor's decree, but he was informed that the order of exile had arrived too late; Naerbu was already dead. The Empress later confronted the Emperor, asking if he had killed her father.
She argued that Naerbu cherished his life and would never have committed suicide, especially after being falsely accused. The Emperor insisted Naerbu had taken his own life and, having already ordered funeral arrangements, offered to let her handle them personally if she wished. The Empress, however, revealed the true cause of death: the Empress Dowager’s family was also involved in the corruption case.
To prevent her own family from being implicated in a thorough investigation, the Empress Dowager had made Naerbu a scapegoat. The Emperor, acknowledging the injustice but bound by filial piety, declared the Empress was suffering from hysteria and ordered an Imperial Physician to treat her, effectively silencing her. Zhen'er frantically searched for the Empress until Hong Zhou helped her. They searched separately, and Hong Zhou finally found the Empress atop a palace wall.
She explained she wanted to understand how the late Empress Fuca Rongyin felt when she stood there. The Empress reflected on their fates: both entered the palace and gave their hearts to their husband, but Fuca Rongyin jumped, while she, the current Empress, would not. She declared her unwillingness to accept defeat, lamenting that as Consort Xian, she failed to protect her family, and now as Empress, she still could not protect her father.
Hong Zhou expressed his deep concern and offered his unwavering support. Feigning illness, the Empress secluded herself in her palace. The Emperor, feeling guilty, tolerated her behavior. She explained to her attendant that if she did not act distraught, the court would question her filial piety, and that an occasional deviation from her disciplined behavior would make the Emperor remember her plight and fury.
The Emperor sent her an old piece of clothing as a gesture of reconciliation, but the Empress cynically acknowledged his hidden message and resolved to use the situation to her advantage. She instructed her attendant to find Hong Zhou, seeing his righteous nature as a tool she could manipulate for her own aims. Noble Lady Yu visited Wei Yingluo with the Fifth Prince, Yongqi.
She recounted how Yongqi was born jaundiced and sickly, thanking Wei Yingluo for saving his life, a sentiment Yongqi echoed with a promise of filial piety. Ming Yu, however, openly showed her disdain for Noble Lady Yu, calling her a traitor. Later, Hailancha explained to a fuming Ming Yu that Wei Yingluo was strategically getting close to Noble Lady Yu to find weaknesses in Consort Chun, as proximity to an enemy makes it easier to uncover their secrets.
This calmed Ming Yu, who then casually revealed she knew Hailancha was a month younger than her, surprising him. After her arm healed, Wei Yingluo had Ming Yu retrieve a Western music box, and the two practiced dancing. The Emperor arrived and found them playfully struggling with the steps, playfully chiding Wei Yingluo for misusing a French technician. Wei Yingluo persuaded the Emperor to dance with her, but he soon realized she was teaching him the woman's part.
Confessing he already knew how to dance, he surprised Wei Yingluo. They switched roles and danced gracefully, lifting the Emperor's spirits, which had been burdened by Naerbu's death. Later, the Emperor sought Wei Yingluo's advice on a hypothetical: what if someone was falsely accused but had to be killed for the greater good?
Wei Yingluo deduced he meant Naerbu and asserted that if the Emperor truly wanted to spare someone, he would find a way, like secretly substituting a death row inmate. She bluntly stated the Emperor never intended for Naerbu to live; the exile was merely a "dignified death."
When asked if she found him cruel, Wei Yingluo admitted she did but advised him that there are no perfect people and one must stand by their decisions without regret, which eased his conscience. Yuan Chunwang appeared in Yanxi Palace, revealing he was no longer angry with Wei Yingluo and wished to stay as her head chamberlain, which she happily accepted.
Elsewhere, Hu Po, a former servant of the late Empress Fuca, begged the current Empress for help after being sent to the Xin Zhe Ku for offending Wei Yingluo. Recognizing her, the Empress ordered that Hu Po be given lighter tasks. The Fifth Prince continued to visit Wei Yingluo, noting Ming Yu's dislike for him. When he asked Wei Yingluo about it, she answered honestly, explaining that unlike most in the palace, she doesn't lie.
This directness deepened the prince's trust in her. One day, an anxious Supervisor Li summoned Wei Yingluo to Yonghe Palace. Sensing trouble, Wei Yingluo took Yuan Chunwang with her. Upon arrival, Noble Lady Yu immediately accused her of poisoning the Fifth Prince, explaining he fell ill after eating a lotus cake at Yanxi Palace. Physician Liu confirmed the prince showed signs of aconite poisoning.
He explained that the fritillary bulb used to treat the prince's cough was incompatible with aconite, and their combined use could be fatal. The physician then stated that only Wei Yingluo would know if the cake contained wolf's bane, implicitly accusing her before the Emperor, Consort Chun, and the Empress.
