The Imperial Doctress Episode 28 Recap
> The Imperial Doctress Recap
Duke Wang Wang Ying, in his treachery to frame General Hang Gang, secretly colluded with the Oirat clan, resulting in the tragic deaths of many Ming soldiers. Upon receiving secret intelligence, the Emperor was enraged and intended to execute Duke Wang immediately, declaring he would cut him into pieces. However, Wang Zhen advised His Majesty to publicly expose Duke Wang's crimes at the upcoming court meeting.
This way, Duke Wang could be punished legitimately before all officials, and the opportunity could be seized to weaken the Empress Dowager's influence. Meanwhile, Grand Preceptor Ye Xian of the Oirat clan, aided by a strategist who knew the Ming military personally, planned a night attack on Taiyuan. Despite the Ming Lead General Deng Yan's reputation and cannons, Ye Xian was confident he would not dare to engage, as he possessed evidence of Deng's private coin factory.
After promising his soldiers the city's wealth, the Oirat army successfully attacked Taiyuan City. General Deng Yan was defeated, and Taiyuan fell. Ye Xian observed that the Ming dynasty, from its officials to its soldiers, was utterly corrupt, which was why the Mongols could emerge victorious. He ordered the killing of all bureaucrats who surrendered or fled, while sparing those who fought bravely. His brother inquired if this was also why General Hang Gang, who fought valiantly, had been spared.
At the imperial court, the Emperor intended to expose Duke Wang's treachery. Duke Wang, however, had already made preparations, having colluded with officials from the Ministry of Revenue. The Empress Dowager immediately intervened, questioning the evidence as merely a letter without a witness, and protested the Emperor's swift judgment against a high-ranking official. The Emperor reminded her of her own quick judgment of Hang Gang based on rumors.
Duke Wang then cleverly argued that the treasures he received from the Mongols were bribes he had firmly rejected, and he had even stored them in the national treasury, claiming it was an Oirat scheme to sow discord. An official from the Ministry of Revenue corroborated Duke Wang's story.
Duke Wang further tried to manipulate the situation, referencing his daughter Wang Meilin's marriage to Prince Cheng, an arrangement made by the previous Emperor, and stating he had no grudge against the Hang family, questioning why he would harm General Hang Gang. He even suggested that his daughter had proposed bringing Miss Hang into the palace with the rites of a Noble Consort.
He subtly implied the Emperor was swayed by his feelings for Miss Hang and should not convict an important subject over a girl. Other ministers echoed these sentiments, urging the Emperor not to fall for the Oirat's alienation scheme. Amidst this tense debate, urgent news arrived that General Deng Yan had lost Taiyuan City, which was now only a thousand miles from the capital.
The grim situation caused the Emperor to declare his decision to personally lead the army to kill Ye Xian. This was met with strong objections from the ministers, who pleaded with him not to risk his imperial safety. The Emperor, refusing to be dissuaded, had a protesting minister removed. The Empress Dowager also confronted him, calling his decision "crazy."
The Emperor retorted that she, in her governance, had appointed useless generals, and now tried to prevent him from taking action during a crisis. He accused her of personal motives for delaying the handover of the Military Seal. He declared his resolve, warning that anyone who tried to stop him was a traitor. The Empress arrived, also attempting to dissuade him.
The Emperor showed her the Military Seal he had finally obtained, boasting that Wang Ying would also provide one million in military funds. He credited Wang Zhen for his decisive action. He reassured the Empress that he had made arrangements for her safety, sending her to the South Palace with Imperial Guards, and appointing Qi Yu as temporary regent to oversee the capital. He promised to win the war as a gift for their unborn son.
The Empress wished him victory but advised him to listen more to generals like Fan and not solely trust Wang Zhen, who lacked military experience. The Emperor acknowledged her concerns and then expressed his desire to bid farewell to Yunxian before his departure. The Emperor visited Yunxian, informing her of his impending departure to personally lead the troops.
He shared the good news that the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Revenue had regained their full authority, and promised to save her father and depose Wang Meilin as revenge for her. Yunxian expressed her hope for his swift victory and asked him to treat her father well upon his return. The Emperor entrusted her with the care of the Empress and her own safety while he was away, mentioning Qiyu would be in the palace.
He noticed Yunxian's pale complexion, but she insisted she was fine. On the day of the Emperor's departure, the Empress, still deeply worried for his safety, scanned the crowd but did not see Yunxian. Dingxiang reported that Physician Hang had "suddenly fallen and hurt her leg," unable to attend, and had sent others from Changshou Hall in her stead. Suspicious, the Empress immediately sent Dingxiang back to check on Yunxian, fearing something had truly happened. Indeed, something terrible had happened.
Under the repeated threats from Wang Meilin, who had threatened the lives of General Hang Gang, Yunxian's grandmother, and the Empress herself, Yunxian was forced to attempt suicide to protect them. Wang Meilin's letter demanded she pretend to have accidentally taken the wrong medicine, leading to her "unexpected death" so the Emperor would not dwell on her. As Yunxian prepared to take poison, silently saying goodbye to her loved ones, Dingxiang burst in and stopped her.
Yunxian, distraught, revealed Wang Meilin's threats. Shortly after, the Empress arrived, chastising Yunxian for being so foolish. The Empress recounted how Wang Meilin had already tried to harm her grandmother and had caused her own miscarriage. She declared she would not allow Wang Meilin to harm Yunxian or her family. The Empress then proposed a daring plan: for Yunxian to feign her death in a way that would not arouse suspicion from the Wang family, ensuring everyone's safety.
Yunxian agreed to the plan. Upon hearing the news of Physician Hang's sudden passing, Qiyu was devastated. Consort Li informed him that Yunxian had "died of snake poisoning," supposedly while trying to extract the gallbladder from a coral snake for the ailing Old Madam Tan. Overwhelmed with grief, Qiyu rushed to Yunxian's residence, calling out her name. Dingxiang confirmed that Yunxian was gone. Qiyu, unable to comprehend, collapsed, spitting blood.
An Imperial Physician was summoned, who explained that the blood-spitting was a release of internal pressure and ultimately a good sign, urging Qiyu to remain calm as he was now responsible for governing the capital in the Emperor's absence. In a carriage, Yunxian was revived from her feigned death by her Teacher, Liu Ping'an. He confirmed they were an hour away from catching up with the army.
He explained that the Empress had orchestrated this plan for Yunxian to join the expedition as a military physician, and revealed that the "Fake Death Medicine" was a potent Himalayan mandrake or Jimson weed from India. Liu Ping'an handed Yunxian a book of military medicines, sternly reminding her of the immense responsibility of an army physician and warning her to cast aside any cowardice or sentimentality on the battlefield.
He instructed her to surpass the other army physicians from Huimin Apothecary. As the army marched, heavy rain began to fall. Many new recruits, lacking bamboo hats and proper gear, quickly developed colds. During a rest stop, chaos erupted as a sick soldier was denied medicine by a military physician, who cited limited supplies due to the hasty departure. The other soldiers complained about the lack of both hats and medicine. Yunxian, stepping forward, quickly diffused the tension.
She asked for ginger and brown sugar from the kitchen and brewed a warming concoction, which instantly relieved the soldiers' colds. Soon, a crowd gathered, eagerly seeking her effective "medicine." During an inspection of the camp with General Fan, the Emperor was overjoyed to discover Yunxian distributing medicine. He praised her for her quick action, then asked her why she was there.
Yunxian explained that she and the Empress were worried about him, and her Teacher wanted her to gain more medical experience, pleading with him not to send her back. The Emperor, feeling a surge of imperial power on the battlefield, declared he couldn't bear to send her away. Yunxian then candidly pointed out that the army's medical supplies were insufficient, and without her intervention, the situation would have worsened.
Acknowledging her concerns, the Emperor ordered his eunuch, Xiao Shun'zi, to investigate the Medical Ward's doctors and medicine supply. General Fan reported that only 50 doctors had been sent, and wound medicines were severely lacking, blaming the Ministry of Defense for the oversight due to the hasty deployment. Furious, the Emperor ordered the head doctor to be whipped. Yunxian suggested sending a letter to Supervisor Liu for more doctors and purchasing medicines from towns along the way.
The Emperor agreed and, deciding to entrust the task to someone he "trusted," assigned Wang Zhen to procure the medicines, dismissing Yunxian's offer to go herself due to safety concerns. Wang Zhen, seeing this as a lucrative opportunity, was delighted. An official approached him, recommending a relative in XuanFu who dealt in medicine.
Wang Zhen, pleased by the prospect of "smart people" to profit from military supplies, accepted a bribe and readily agreed to purchase from the relative, intending to buy inferior goods at a high price. On the battlefield, the Emperor observed the enemy lines. General Fan identified the opposing commander as Boyantiemuer, Ye Xian's brother and a renowned Oirat general.
When Boyantiemuer challenged the Ming Emperor to face him, the Emperor, despite General Fan's urgent pleas against the danger and potential trickery, felt compelled to raise the morale of his country. Recalling that even Ye Xian, the Grand Preceptor, led from the front, he dismissed General Fan's concerns about the Empress and the Little Prince, promising to return safely, and rode out to meet the enemy.
