The Imperial Doctress Episode 33 Recap
> The Imperial Doctress Recap
Ye Xian released Emperor Yingzong, Zhu Qizhen, from the dungeon and allowed Yunxian to attend to his health. Yunxian returned to the prisoner camp with Zhu Qizhen, intending to rally the captured Ming soldiers to seek an opportunity to escape back to Beijing. However, the soldiers, upon learning Yunxian was a woman, were highly resistant to her presence.
Despite acknowledging her vital role in saving their lives and caring for them, they were determined to keep Zhu Qizhen away from her. Zhu Qizhen confronted their prejudices, asking if they had forgotten all her efforts just because she was a woman. He defended Yunxian fiercely, citing historical female heroes like She Taijun, Mu Guoying, Hua Mulan, Liang Hongyui, and even Empress Ma, dismissing the idea that women were unlucky.
He declared Yunxian to be the person he trusted most and asserted that anyone wishing to follow him must respect her. He then promised to find a way to lead them all back. Yunxian was deeply touched by his unwavering support for her aspirations as a female physician.
She confided in him her own fears of not seeing her father and grandmother again, to which he reaffirmed his promise to take her home so they could watch fireworks together once more. Later, the soldiers, having reflected on Zhu Qizhen's words and hearing stories of Yunxian's past deeds, apologized for their behavior. They accepted her as a valued "life sister" and doctor, with newfound determination to return to Ming Country.
Meanwhile, Chen Shisan approached Ye Xian, cautioning him about the "dangerous woman" close to Zhu Qizhen. Yunxian recognized Chen Shisan’s voice and rushed out to confront him, expressing profound hatred. Chen Shisan, in turn, gloated about his past schemes, admitting to sabotaging Ming’s supplies with fake medicines and low-quality grains, further fueling Yunxian's fury. Chen Shisan then fabricated accusations to Ye Xian, claiming Yunxian's treatment of Tuobuhua was suspicious and could leave lasting harm.
He also falsely implicated Yunxian as an agent of the Eastern Depot’s Wang Zhen, urging Ye Xian to eliminate her. Ye Xian, though only half-convinced, decided to distance Yunxian from Tuobuhua. Facing Ye Xian's suspicions, Yunxian showed no fear, boldly critiquing his shortsightedness for relying on a traitor like Chen Shisan, whose history of betrayal, she warned, would inevitably extend to Ye Xian himself.
Tuobuhua vehemently defended Yunxian to Ye Xian, revealing Chen Shisan's true villainy, including his role in her grandfather's death and his plagiarism. Ye Xian explained he was merely having Yunxian assist in the prisoner camp due to a supposed disease outbreak and promised to bring her back after an investigation. He also expressed concern for Tuobuhua’s loneliness and promised she would be the most respected woman in Oirat after the conquest of Ming.
Tuobuhua then, somewhat shyly, let slip her desire to marry, sparking Ye Xian’s delight and curiosity about her suitor. By the river, Tuobuhua encountered Zhu Qizhen, who inquired about Yunxian. His attention was drawn to a sachet Yunxian had given Tuobuhua. Noticing his interest, Tuobuhua, with a blush, offered the sachet to him. Ye Xian and the Oirat Khan clashed over the decision to invade Beijing.
The Khan expressed reservations, citing their numerical disadvantage of only 5,000 troops and the potential for losing everything. Ye Xian, however, insisted that Zhu Qizhen served as their crucial trump card. When the Khan hesitated to affix his seal to the invasion decree, Ye Xian forcibly made him do so. Afterward, Ye Xian fumed privately about the Khan's timidness and his own frustration at being subservient due to his lack of "golden bloodline."
Later, Ye Xian's subordinates reported that multiple Han physicians had re-examined Tuobuhua and confirmed she was in perfect health, completely absolving Yunxian of any wrongdoing. They also presented evidence exposing Chen Shisan's deceitful past and true colors. Realizing Yunxian's innocence and Chen Shisan's treachery, Ye Xian sought out Yunxian. He found her tending to Oirat civilians, offering medical consultations to anyone in need. Ye Xian approached, feigning a cough and asking her to treat him.
Yunxian diagnosed his chronic cough, noting its worsening in the early hours, past instances of coughing blood after arguments and heavy drinking, and recent blood streaks in his sputum. Through pulse and tongue diagnosis, combined with her understanding of medical principles and observations of current events, Yunxian accurately deduced that Ye Xian had recently had a heated argument with the Oirat Khan. She explained that Chinese Medicine reveals a person's true state, as the face, tongue, and pulse never lie.
Yunxian advised him to avoid being overly headstrong and to share his burdens, suggesting calming foods like lotus seeds or mung beans when angered. As a token of gratitude for her consultation, Ye Xian decreed that the Ming prisoners be allowed to write letters to their families. Following this, he ordered Chen Shisan's tent to be relocated outside the camp, forbidding his return without explicit command. Ye Xian often reflected on Yunxian's unique insights and spirited nature.
Unbeknownst to Ye Xian, the Oirat Khan conspired to humiliate Zhu Qizhen. While Ye Xian was away inspecting troops, the Khan secretly invited Zhu Qizhen to a banquet. He presented a maid disguised as Zhu Qizhen for the purpose of mockery, subjecting her to humiliation as if she were the Emperor. Zhu Qizhen, however, calmly responded to the direct insults leveled against him, gaining the upper hand in words and demeanor.
The Khan then demanded Zhu Qizhen kneel and declare surrender, but the Emperor steadfastly refused, asserting his status as the Son of Heaven and warning the Khan of Ye Xian's potential wrath should he be harmed. At this critical juncture, Yunxian was brought into the tent. She had been deceived into coming by a maid named Na Ren, under the guise of Tuobuhua's invitation to try on new robes in a secluded tent.
Realizing the deception, Yunxian, dressed in the requested Han robes, had subtly tried to enlist Na Ren's help to alert Tuobuhua. Upon seeing Zhu Qizhen being threatened, Yunxian, identifying herself as a Ming female official, calmly bowed to His Majesty, making her allegiance clear. She then defiantly threatened to take her own life if the Ming Emperor was further insulted, vowing to appeal to the heavens with her death.
