The Imperial Doctress Episode 49 Recap
> The Imperial Doctress Recap
After his imperial brother's successful alliance in Datong, Qiyu joyfully shared the good news with Yunxian, assuring her that he no longer harbored ill feelings towards his brother and would compensate him generously. Yunxian, in turn, advised Qiyu against changing the Crown Prince, urging him not to let their unborn child contend for the title with the current Crown Prince Jianshen. Qiyu, after a moment of hesitation, promised Yunxian he would not change the Crown Prince.
He confessed his past error in tacitly approving harm against the Empress Dowager, expressing deep shame. He vowed to never repeat such actions, pledging to rule the country diligently with his imperial brother, ensuring a happy life for all civilians, and promising to treat his imperial brother, Yunxian, and their child well.
As the retired emperor, Zhu Qizhen, approached the capital, Qiyu prepared to personally welcome him, dismissing any concerns about his brother's accompanying troops and hailing him as a hero. Qiyu decided to visit the South Palace himself to deliver ten sets of jade pendants as a reward. However, as he was about to depart, he was suddenly seized by acute stomach pain and coughed up a large amount of blood.
Imperial physicians, led by Cheng Cunxia, initially diagnosed him with excessive toxic heat, prescribing rhinoceros horn powder and Radix Rehmanniae soup, but his condition did not improve. Yunxian, who was pregnant, arrived to check on him, but Qiyu, not wanting her to contract any illness, kept her at a distance.
Later, Physician Wan Ning privately voiced his suspicion that the Emperor's symptoms were more akin to a child who had mistakenly ingested a foreign object, leading to severe abdominal issues, vomiting, and blood in his stool. Cheng Cunxia, recalling the Empress Wang Meilin's rabbit accident involving diamond powder, confronted her. He revealed that Qiyu was not suffering from a mere digestive problem but had been poisoned by a tasteless, odorless foreign substance that caused his intestines to crumble.
Wang Meilin, realizing Qiyu had accidentally ingested the diamond powder she intended for Yunxian, initially denied any knowledge. However, when pressed by Cheng Cunxia about the Emperor's rapidly worsening condition, she confessed to sending the poison to Wan'an Palace, claiming she never meant to harm Qiyu. She explained that it was diamond powder, tested on rabbits to ascertain its slow effect, and the small amount sent to Yunxian was meant to last until her due date.
Enraged, Cheng Cunxia chastised her for plotting to kill both mother and child, warning her against concealing the truth. Yunxian later confronted Cheng Cunxia directly, noting Qiyu's significant blood loss and vomiting indicated something more serious than a digestive issue. She accused him of hiding information and urged him to reveal the truth so they could work together to save the Emperor, pointing out that waiting for his master from Nanjing for twenty days was not an option.
At this critical moment, Wang Meilin rushed in, kneeling before Yunxian and tearfully begging her to save Qiyu, reiterating the truth about the diamond powder. She admitted her intense hatred and jealousy towards Yunxian for "stealing" Qiyu and being able to bear his child, but insisted she did not want Qiyu to die. Just then, Qiyu, supported by Xiao Ma'zi, entered.
He declared her actions "retribution," recalling how he had witnessed her poisoning the former Empress Dowager and never imagined he would suffer at her hands. Wang Meilin desperately pleaded her innocence, but Qiyu remained unmoved. He immediately ordered an edict to be drafted, announcing Wang Meilin's abolishment as Empress. Out of consideration for their past, he decreed she would be exiled to a side palace.
Wang Meilin, in a fit of despair, protested fiercely, reminding him of her sacrifices, including killing her own aunt for him, and vehemently opposed his decision to make Yunxian Empress. Despite her pleas, Qiyu ordered her dragged out, and the edict was read: Empress Wang Meilin was deposed and banned from the palace, and Imperial Noble Consort Hang Yunxian, for her virtue and refinement, was conferred the title of Empress.
Qiyu then urged Yunxian to accept the position, lamenting that he had few good days left and wished to be her husband for as long as possible. Yunxian, however, firmly dismissed his fatalistic words, promising to cure him. To combat the diamond powder, Yunxian gathered all imperial physicians and medical women to brainstorm solutions. She also sent messengers to Jiangnan to find her Daoist priest mentor, hoping his unique knowledge could offer a cure.
Yunxian forgave Cheng Cunxia for his earlier misdiagnosis and urged him to atone by helping Qiyu recover blood. She herself relocated to the Imperial Faculty of Medicine to dedicate herself to finding a solution. Drawing inspiration from her Daoist mentor's story about a man poisoned with gold powder, Yunxian devised a remedy using flour soup mixed with wood shavings, believing the wood would absorb the powder and the thick soup would help it adhere.
Qiyu, though experiencing severe abdominal pain, bravely consumed the concoction, enduring the discomfort for Yunxian and their unborn child. However, his bleeding worsened daily. Amidst his worsening condition, Qiyu grew concerned about Yunxian, who appeared frail from overworking, and insisted that she and the child remain safe. Empress Dowager Wu, desperate, attempted to visit Qiyu but was intercepted by Yunxian.
The Empress Dowager launched into a furious tirade, blaming Yunxian for Qiyu's illness and accusing her of being an inauspicious omen. Yunxian calmly stood her ground, and the Empress Dowager was escorted away. Eventually, Yunxian, exhausted from her tireless efforts, fainted. Cheng Cunxia, fearing for her pregnancy, ordered her to rest for ten days. However, Yunxian, ever devoted to Qiyu's recovery, merely requested a doubled dosage of donkey hide gelatin and fructus amoni to stabilize her pregnancy.
That same day, a medical woman discovered that diamond powder absorbed oil exceptionally well. Experiments on rabbits showed that while water and other medicines were ineffective, lard successfully helped the rabbits expel the diamond powder. This breakthrough led Yunxian to suggest using sesame oil, which could both cleanse the intestines and enrich Qiyu's blood. The treatment was promptly applied to Qiyu, and to everyone's relief, he began expelling some of the diamond powder.
Liu Pingan examined Qiyu, confirming the efficacy of Yunxian's treatment, but cautioned that despite the progress, some diamond powder might still remain, and Qiyu continued to suffer from internal blood clots that would require further treatment. Though showing signs of recovery, Qiyu still feared his illness was fatal and that his days were numbered. He met with his imperial brother, Zhu Qizhen, acknowledging Zhu Qizhen's efforts and expressing gratitude.
Qiyu then announced his intention to entrust the court to Zhu Qizhen during his recovery, with Minister Yu as a counselor. He confessed to Zhu Qizhen that he had usurped the throne, driven by greed for power and reputation, which had twisted his personality and caused Zhu Qizhen immense suffering in the Oirat Clan and the South Palace. Zhu Qizhen, showing his magnanimity, accepted Qiyu's repentance, stating that the past had already been repaid.
Qiyu further revealed his desire to accumulate virtue for his unborn child, Jianji, a name he and Yunxian had chosen regardless of the child's gender. He deeply apologized to Zhu Qizhen, asking for forgiveness for all his past wrongdoings. The two brothers finally reconciled, embracing each other.
Empress Dowager Wu, however, once again burst in, hysterically protesting Qiyu's plan to abdicate, fearing for her own position and accusing Yunxian of being a "traitorous woman" who wished to harm her son and restore her "lover" to the throne. Qiyu, weary, had her escorted away. Weakened by his illness, Qiyu held Yunxian close, reminiscing about their long struggles that had finally led to good days. He asked her to promise to be with him in their next life. Yunxian gently brushed aside his melancholic words, assuring him that he would recover soon. Qiyu looked at her with deep affection, murmuring, "What you say will be how it goes."
