The Imperial Doctress Episode 34 Recap
> The Imperial Doctress Recap
Ah Ga Duo, the Waila Khan, invited Yunxian to his tent under the guise of Princess Tuobuhua, intending to humiliate Zhu Qizhen. When Yunxian arrived, Ah Ga Duo revealed his true intentions, explicitly stating his desire to make Zhu Qizhen kneel and surrender. As he forcibly offered wine to Yunxian, Zhu Qizhen intervened, offering to kneel himself if Ah Ga Duo would release Yunxian. However, Yunxian defiantly refused, declaring that Zhu Qizhen represented the Ming Dynasty and must not kneel.
She grabbed a dagger from a nearby guard, threatening to take her own life and petition the heavens to curse Ah Ga Duo if he dared to insult the Ming Emperor. Before Yunxian could harm herself, Ye Xian dramatically arrived, swiftly disarming her and announcing to everyone that Yunxian was his woman. He warned that any disrespect towards her would be considered an affront to him.
After confronting Ah Ga Duo for his ill-conceived feast, Ye Xian decided to punish the Khan by restricting his movement and reducing his supplies, only allowing him out if he paid 3,000 taels of gold as soldier's pay and provisions. Ye Xian then ordered a "Han Er Duo," a royal tent similar to Tuobuhua's, to be built for Yunxian, complete with servants, to ensure she received princess-like treatment.
He explained to his subordinate Meng Duo that he had been alerted by Naren about Chen Shisan's plan to send Yunxian back to Ming and Ah Ga Duo's impending actions, and his intervention was to prevent Ah Ga Duo from harming her.
When Meng Duo questioned his growing affection for Yunxian, Ye Xian boldly declared that this woman must be his, and he was curious to see the expressions on Zhu Qizhen and Zhu Qiyu's faces when they learned she belonged to him. Chen Shisan, seizing an opportunity, spoke to Ye Xian, alleging that Yunxian had an impure relationship with Zhu Qizhen, frequently visiting his palace for long hours and accompanying him on military expeditions. This fueled Ye Xian's jealousy.
Meanwhile, Zhu Qizhen, anxious about Yunxian, attempted to sneak out of his quarters. He encountered a guard named Ji Kan, who, after some hesitation, revealed that Yunxian was safe and being treated like a princess in her new tent. Desperate to see her, Zhu Qizhen pleaded with Tuobuhua, reminding her of Yunxian's friendship. Despite her initial reservations about defying her brother, Tuobuhua eventually agreed to take Zhu Qizhen to Yunxian.
In her new tent, Yunxian was confronted by Ye Xian, who brazenly propositioned her to become his woman. Yunxian rebuffed him, reminding him of her past kindness in saving his life. As Ye Xian tried to overpower her, Yunxian revealed she had coated her hands with nettle. When he grabbed her, his face and hands began to sting. Undeterred, Ye Xian found Yunxian's resourcefulness intriguing, yet he vowed she would pay for her actions.
Moments later, Tuobuhua brought Zhu Qizhen to Yunxian's tent. Zhu Qizhen embraced a distraught Yunxian, comforting her and promising to protect her reputation upon their return to Ming, even if it meant killing those who spoke ill of her. However, their reunion was cut short when Ye Xian burst in.
Furious to find Zhu Qizhen with Yunxian, Ye Xian shockingly revealed that Zhu Qizhen had been abolished by the Empress Dowager a month ago, and his younger brother, Zhu Qiyu, was now the Emperor of Ming, ruling under the reign title Jing Tai, making Zhu Qizhen a mere "retired Emperor." The news sent Zhu Qizhen into a state of shock and rage, causing him to vomit blood and collapse.
Ye Xian then ordered Zhu Qizhen to be returned to prison and whipped thirty times in front of the Ming prisoners. Yunxian desperately tried to save Zhu Qizhen, dismissing the Mongolian doctors sent by Ye Xian and administering treatment herself through the night. Despite her efforts, Zhu Qizhen remained unresponsive. Tuobuhua, witnessing his fading life, disregarded Yunxian's reluctance and insisted on an ancient Mongolian method: placing the unconscious Zhu Qizhen into the belly of a freshly slaughtered cow.
Yunxian, though skeptical, joined Tuobuhua and Xiao Shunzi in kneeling and praying to the heavens for Zhu Qizhen's recovery. Miraculously, Zhu Qizhen stirred and woke up. However, Zhu Qizhen was consumed by despair, refusing to eat or drink, believing he had lost everything and no longer wished to live. Yunxian tried to encourage him, reminding him that Zhu Qiyu's emperorship was temporary and he had a duty to return to Ming.
Ye Xian, observing Zhu Qizhen's profound despondency and fearing he might die, decided to use the "former Emperor" as a living shield. He quickly ordered his army to prepare for an immediate assault on Beijing, planning to take Zhu Qizhen as a hostage in the name of reclaiming his throne. Despite Zhu Qizhen's fragile state, Ye Xian forced him into a carriage to accompany the advancing army, with Yunxian also joining to care for him.
Ye Xian instructed Meng Duo to assign twenty additional men to ensure their safety. News of the Waila army's approach reached Beijing, prompting ministers in the Ming court to propose moving the capital south to Nanjing. Emperor Zhu Qiyu, however, angrily forbade any talk of abandoning Beijing. He declared his unwavering determination to fight Ye Xian to the death, rallying his ministers and pledging to defend the capital at all costs.
He ordered Yu Dongyang to immediately muster and command soldiers from all battalions, threatening to execute anyone who showed cowardice. Zhu Qiyu further revealed that he had already moved troops and horses from other provinces and recruited 200,000 voluntary soldiers with private funds, all set to arrive the next day. He also approved the release of imprisoned soldiers to atone for their crimes by defending the capital.
Meanwhile, in the carriage, Yunxian pleaded with Zhu Qizhen to open his eyes and see the suffering around him, urging him to shake off his despair and act for the sake of Ming. It was only when Zhu Qizhen witnessed the brutal slaughter of innocent Ming civilians by Waila soldiers that a spark of determination returned to his eyes.
