The Imperial Doctress Episode 39 Recap
> The Imperial Doctress Recap
As Zhu Qizhen and Yunxian, along with a group of Ming soldiers, attempted to flee their Oirat captors, Meng Duo and his soldiers surrounded them. Zhu Qizhen, to protect his men, offered to commit suicide if any of them were harmed. He and Yunxian were then taken captive, while the other soldiers were led away. Meanwhile, in the Ming capital, Qiyu awoke from a dream where he saw Yunxian running from him, always just out of reach.
Xiaomazi rushed in to deliver the devastating news that Empress Wang Meilin had suffered a miscarriage. Qiyu immediately went to console Wang Meilin, reassuring her that she was still young and would have other opportunities. After Qiyu left, Wang Meilin confessed to her father, Duke Wang, questioning if her earlier false oath, made to distance herself from the alleged harm to Yunxian, had caused the tragic loss of her unborn child.
Duke Wang dismissed her preposterous thoughts and sternly instructed her to prevent such things from happening again. He then personally ordered Cheng Cunxia, a senior imperial physician, to ensure Empress Wang Meilin’s full recovery using only the finest medicinal ingredients. Back in Oirat territory, Ye Xian was furious at Zhu Qizhen’s escape attempt. During an interrogation, Zhu Qizhen spat in Ye Xian’s face, pushing Ye Xian to a fit of rage. He ordered Zhu Qizhen to be dismembered by horses.
Tuobuhua desperately tried to intervene, first claiming she was pregnant with Zhu Qizhen’s child, a lie Ye Xian quickly saw through, as he hadn't seen Zhu Qizhen in two months. As Zhu Qizhen was agonizingly pulled by the horses, Tuobuhua begged Yunxian to speak up. Yunxian, tied and helpless, defiantly told Ye Xian that if he killed Zhu Qizhen, she would die with him, and the Ming Dynasty would avenge their deaths by trampling the Oirats.
She then changed her tone, claiming she had convinced Zhu Qizhen to stay as she believed Ye Xian had changed, but now regretted her foolishness for implicating Ming. Her passionate words, along with her demand for Zhu Qizhen’s release, finally moved Ye Xian. He halted the brutal torture, apologized for his impulsiveness, and released Zhu Qizhen. Seeing Yunxian still weeping, Ye Xian, in an attempt to comfort her, promised to grant her any wish if she would only stop crying.
He expected her to ask for Zhu Qizhen’s complete release to Beijing. Instead, Yunxian asked for the immediate release of all captured Ming soldiers who had followed her, so they wouldn't know of her impending sacrifice. She then subtly implied her willingness to marry Ye Xian. Overjoyed, Ye Xian readily agreed to her demands and was ecstatic about their upcoming union. He immediately ordered elaborate preparations for their wedding to be held during the Hundred Moon Festival.
Tuobuhua, however, was outraged. She confronted Yunxian, accusing her of being a manipulative Han vixen, putting on tantrums and tears to bewilder her brother. Tuobuhua accused Yunxian of having a secret romantic relationship with Zhu Qizhen and being shameless for agreeing to marry Ye Xian while loving another man, especially when Tuobuhua herself was fond of Zhu Qizhen. Yunxian slapped Tuobuhua. She admitted to deceiving Ye Xian to save Zhu Qizhen but vehemently denied any romantic involvement.
She explained that her relationship with Zhu Qizhen was like family, forged through shared life-and-death experiences. She reiterated that Zhu Qizhen was Qiyu's elder brother, Empress Qian’s husband, and the Emperor of Ming, and she had promised Empress Qian to protect him. To save him, she was willing to sacrifice anything, including her reputation and integrity, even if it meant marrying Ye Xian. Unconvinced, Tuobuhua retorted that Yunxian simply didn't understand her own heart.
Meanwhile, Tuobuhua frequently visited Zhu Qizhen, who was recovering from his injuries, carefully tended to by Tuobuhua herself, though he often called out Yunxian’s name in his delirium. Tuobuhua tried to cheer him up, asking why he was so cold when she was good to him. She even proposed that he marry her to prevent the marriage between Yunxian and Ye Xian, suggesting it could make Ming and Oirat in-laws.
Zhu Qizhen gently rebuffed her, stating they were not fated, and he only saw her as a little sister. He admitted to initially using her but promised not to anymore. Infuriated, Tuobuhua continued to badmouth Yunxian, leading Zhu Qizhen to slap her for disrespecting Yunxian. Zhu Qizhen, though struggling, affirmed his commitment to live well, remembering Yunxian’s sacrifice for him.
Seven days before the White Moon Festival, Ye Xian brought Yunxian to a public ceremony where a shaman was invited to bless their union. Many in the crowd grumbled, calling Yunxian a "witch" and opposing the marriage. The shaman, claiming divine possession, then declared Yunxian a demon and a Ming spy, warning that Oirat would suffer a plague if Ye Xian married her.
To prove her pronouncements, the shaman immersed her hand into a supposedly boiling pot of oil without harm. The crowd, swayed by the shaman, began to shout for Yunxian’s death. Ye Xian, though, stood by Yunxian, instructing his guard Erduo to kill anyone who dared call her a demon. Yunxian stepped forward to expose the shaman’s trick. She bravely immersed her own hands into the same pot, also without harm.
She revealed that the pot contained sandy water with a film of oil, not truly hot oil, a simple trick often used by charlatan doctors. To further demonstrate the shaman’s charlatanism, Yunxian produced a flammable powder, which she used for treating skin conditions, and ignited it, showcasing genuine medical knowledge versus the shaman’s deception. The crowd, now convinced, cheered for Yunxian, hailing her as "Master Tan," while Ye Xian’s uncle looked on with a worried expression.
As Yunxian continued to treat patients, a woman discreetly delivered a message to her. She later learned that Zhu Qizhen was recovering well and there was a plan to help him escape.
Yunxian bid a heartfelt farewell to the departing Ming captive soldiers, instructing one of them, Brother Li, that if she had not returned to Ming by summer, he should inform her family that she had passed away, explaining that the Oirats would force her to marry Ye Xian to humiliate Ming. While she was seeing off the Ming soldiers, a man offered her kumiss. Meng Duo, ever vigilant, intercepted the drink, detecting a bitter almond smell—a potent poison.
He quickly apprehended the man. Upon investigation, Meng Duo reported to Ye Xian that the assassination attempt was orchestrated by his own uncle. Meng Duo reminded Ye Xian that Yunxian was marrying him out of necessity to save Zhu Qizhen, not out of genuine affection. Ye Xian, however, admitted he was fully aware of Yunxian’s true intentions but was willing to be deceived, even hoping she would "deceive him for an entire lifetime."
He confessed his deep love for her, recounting how her tears had melted his heart. To ensure Yunxian stayed by his side permanently, Ye Xian revealed his plan to release Zhu Qizhen once the Ming ambassador arrived, believing that this would remove any lingering hope Yunxian held for returning to Ming with him.
Meng Duo understood Ye Xian's shrewd strategy: the released Ming troops would report Zhu Qizhen’s pitiful condition, forcing the Ming court to reclaim him, thus severing Yunxian’s ties to him. Ye Xian also permitted Tuobuhua to continue caring for Zhu Qizhen, hinting at a broader political strategy involving the Ming Crown Prince. He assured Meng Duo he would speak with Master Tuduo and ordered heightened security around Yunxian's quarters to prevent any further incidents before the wedding.
