The Imperial Doctress Episode 7 Recap
> The Imperial Doctress Recap
The Empress sought His Majesty, but learned he had left the palace since the afternoon. Concerned, she ordered Cao Jixiang to find Wang Zhen or, failing that, himself. Meanwhile, Zisu informed Hang Gang that Yunxian had been in low spirits and refused to eat, staying indoors to pray daily and becoming quite thin. Yunxian's mother had also tried to persuade her to eat, but to no avail.
Hang Gang, dismissive, threatened Yunxian with family punishment if she continued to refuse food. Later, Zheng Qi unexpectedly appeared at Yunxian's residence. Zisu, surprised, questioned his presence. Zheng Qi, referring to Yunxian as "nosy Miss," wondered why she wasn't celebrating being out of trouble. Zisu explained that Yunxian was far from happy, still reeling from the injustice of Aunt Luo's death and unable to seek justice against Governor Xu Shirang, who outranked her father.
Zheng Qi, frustrated, exclaimed that he went through so much trouble to help Yunxian escape her previous predicament, only for her to remain despondent. Despite Zisu's plea for discretion about his involvement, Zheng Qi declared he would be a "good Samaritan all the way," instructing Zisu to pack Yunxian's belongings and await his signal for someone to pick her up. He then advised Zisu to stay with Yunxian, fearing she might do something drastic.
Zisu, suspicious, asked Zheng Qi why he was so concerned and if he had taken a liking to her young Miss, especially after he had even managed to get Wang Zhen, a powerful eunuch, to intervene in Yunxian's trial. Zheng Qi scoffed at the idea, calling Zisu and Yunxian a "pair" for being too compassionate and nosy, respectively.
He claimed he only returned to apologize for abandoning Yunxian previously, but then playfully suggested he wouldn't mind if Yunxian had taken a liking to him, with Zisu as an accompanying servant. Zisu, annoyed, ended the conversation, while Zheng Qi, alone, wondered if he truly liked "her."
Meanwhile, Prince Qiyu was with his mother, who urged him to be tolerant with Empress Dowager Sun, mentioning that Wang Meilin (Princess Anhe) was treating him well and that an alliance with Duke Wang (Wang Zhen) would ensure his claim to the throne. Qiyu expressed his discomfort with such talk. Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside. Men, demanding money from a previous owner, began to break down the manor's doors.
Qiyu's mother ordered her men to protect Qiyu and move him to the western part of the manor, while she stayed behind. During the escape, Qiyu feigned an old injury and was seemingly captured. However, the apparent captor was none other than the Emperor. The Emperor playfully asked Qiyu why he always found him in difficult situations. Qiyu, overjoyed, recognized his brother and reaffirmed his loyalty, stating he only wanted to be a prince.
The Emperor, teasingly, suggested that if Qiyu had followed Empress Dowager Sun's path, he might be on the throne himself. Qiyu swore he never harbored such thoughts, reminding the Emperor of his past life-saving act where the Emperor jumped into Taiyechi. The Emperor dismissed the seriousness, explaining he was only joking and wouldn't have gone to such lengths to save him if he doubted him.
He then praised Qiyu for his cleverness in using a royal silk braid to transmit information, specifically a "pipa" knot that only Qiyu, the Empress, and their teacher remembered. Qiyu admitted it was a gamble, hoping Wang Meilin would encounter an old friend in the palace who recognized the knot. The Emperor clarified that it was his own Empress who had discovered the message from Wang Meilin, whom he had seen.
Qiyu then asked if the recent commotion and his "capture" were orchestrated by the Emperor, which the Emperor confirmed was a ruse to speak with him. Qiyu expressed concern that the Emperor's delay in rescuing him directly suggested he feared another plot. The Emperor admitted this was true, revealing that Wang Zhen had informed him of Empress Dowager Sun's intent to depose him, a fact he initially couldn't believe.
He confessed his desire to confront her, but acknowledged her control over military and financial powers. The Emperor then instructed Qiyu to continue feigning compliance with Empress Dowager Sun, effectively planting a "saboteur" within her camp. Qiyu readily agreed to help. Qiyu then asked why the Emperor and Empress Dowager, who seemed harmonious during his last visit, were now at odds.
The Emperor shockingly revealed that only after the death of Yang Pu did he learn his birth mother was poisoned by Empress Dowager Sun to secure her own position. He recounted how he, as a child, believed Noble Consort Sun to be kind for taking him in, unaware of her true, power-hungry nature. He credits Wang Zhen for uncovering his mother's last words, which revealed the truth.
Qiyu was stunned, questioning if there was a misunderstanding, but the Emperor vehemently denied it, having personally visited his mother's tomb and found it all black. He expressed his rage at having called her mother for over a decade. While he initially desired to kill her, the Empress persuaded him to consider her years of raising him.
He had planned to simply confine her to the cold palace after he assumed full power, but her relentless pursuit of power and recent audacious schemes left him no choice but to act. Cao Jixiang then reported that everything was prepared, and the Emperor informed Qiyu that a subordinate, who had been given a slow-acting poison from the Eastern Depot, would now serve Qiyu and act as his contact to the Eastern Depot.
Qiyu expressed discomfort with the Eastern Depot, but the Emperor defended Wang Zhen, claiming any past harm was a misunderstanding and promising to punish Wang Zhen severely for his previous actions against Qiyu. The Emperor then circled back to Wang Meilin, noting that her willingness to braid her royal silk ribbon for Qiyu suggested an "unordinary" relationship, as the Eastern Depot had tracked her carriage when she delivered food to Qiyu. He directly asked if Qiyu was "enchanted by her."
Qiyu quickly denied it, expressing guilt for merely asking her to tie her sash and dismissing Duke Wang (Wang Zhen) as the Empress Dowager's "lap dog." When pressed, Qiyu almost revealed his true feelings, blurting out that he already had someone in his heart, but changed the subject to concerns about Empress Dowager Sun's other potential schemes and advised the Emperor to monitor the Ministry of Defense and Bureau of Astronomy.
The Emperor assured him that Yu Dongyang had already been given secret instructions. Still persistent, the Emperor pressed Qiyu to reveal the identity of his "beauty," offering to help him, but Qiyu, still unwilling to name Yunxian, deflected. Cao Jixiang then reported Wang Zhen's readiness, and Qiyu questioned the Emperor's sole reliance on Wang Zhen, but the Emperor retorted that he had no one else he could trust, momentarily forgetting other loyal officials.
Qiyu, now in the Empress Dowager's presence, acknowledged her past foolishness. She declared she didn't truly wish harm upon the Emperor, but found his reckless behavior unbearable and detrimental to the kingdom. Feigning compliance as instructed by the Emperor, Qiyu sought her guidance, expressing his youth and uncertainty. Empress Dowager Sun then revealed her plan: a compilation of eighteen charges against the Emperor, to be presented by officials on a chosen date.
She anticipated the Emperor's volatile reaction, expecting him to behead some officials, which would plunge the kingdom into chaos, creating an opportunity for Qiyu to stage a rebellion with Duke Zhang Fu's central army. Qiyu, after examining the charges, argued that they were trivial matters. Staging a rebellion based on such slight grievances would lead to accusations of usurpation, and the common people would never accept him as Emperor.
Despite a eunuch's interjection that the winner would be king regardless, Qiyu stressed the Emperor's youth, his upbringing by the Empress Dowager, and his inherent filial piety, suggesting that with time and support, he would mature. He warned that a rushed removal of the Emperor would lead to public and bureaucratic dissent. Empress Dowager Sun admitted she hadn't considered these implications, though she expressed frustration at the Emperor's continued recklessness, blaming Wang Zhen's instigations.
Qiyu offered to mediate, leveraging his lifelong bond and knowledge of the Emperor's filial piety towards her. He emphasized that his counsel, even if it led to imprisonment, was for the future of the Zhu family. Despite the eunuch's continued urging for Qiyu to seize the throne, Empress Dowager Sun stopped him, acknowledging Qiyu's words and stating she would "think a bit more" on the matter, dismissing Qiyu and Wang Meilin.
Later, Qiyu reflected on his "double agent" role, hoping to prevent bloodshed by convincing both sides to compromise. He noted that the Emperor had already informed the Eastern Depot of his true intentions, meaning Wang Zhen's people would no longer trouble him. In the Hang manor, Yunxian was still in mourning, rejecting social invitations and telling Zisu to report her as sick.
Yunxian's mother and Zisu then informed her that Abbess Jingci of Yongqing Convent had invited her to meditate there, sending a personal letter to Hang Gang that secured his permission for Yunxian to leave the house. Yunxian initially resisted, wanting to stay home, but her mother persuaded her, emphasizing the Abbess's high moral standing, her rare invitation, and the learning opportunities at the convent.
Yunxian reluctantly agreed, learning from Zisu that Abbess Jingci had royal connections, with her title granted by a previous Emperor and her convent's plaque personally inscribed by the deceased Grand Empress. Upon arriving at Yongqing Convent, Abbess Jingci warmly welcomed Yunxian, arranging for her to stay in the south wing and offering flexibility with vegetarian meals, suggesting she could even have non-vegetarian food discreetly. When Yunxian asked how she could help during her meditation, the Abbess hinted at other duties.
Later, Yuan Tong led Yunxian to the backyard, which was filled with patients. Yunxian was shocked by their condition. Yuan Tong explained that the convent sheltered indigent patients with severe illnesses beyond their capacity to cure. The Abbess, aware of Yunxian's guilt over Aunt Luo and Madam Xu, hoped Yunxian would use her medical skills. Yunxian, however, refused, still haunted by her past failures and convinced she "killed people."
Yuan Tong relayed the Abbess's message: while she wouldn't force Yunxian, if these patients died due to her refusal, wouldn't she feel guilty? A small girl then approached Yunxian, asking if she was a doctor there to save her and her grandmother.
Yunxian, overwhelmed, broke down, flashing back to a memory of her father's disapproval ("If I knew earlier, I shouldn't have taught you medicine from the very start") and the Abbess's challenging words ("If these sick people become terminally ill because you refuse to help, then when that time comes, won't you feel guilty?" ). Just then, Zheng Qi appeared, chastising Yunxian for losing her courage.
He mocked her previous pronouncements of justice, calling her a coward for shrinking from a "small matter." Yunxian retorted that two deaths were not a small matter and she was guilty, fearing to harm others further. Zheng Qi challenged her, warning that if more people died, she would cry herself to death. As Yunxian tried to leave, wanting to go home, Zheng Qi stopped her, accusing her of lacking guts and compassion.
He dragged her to witness the suffering patients, comparing her inaction to a sick child who, despite her own condition, still tried to help. Zheng Qi declared he wanted no association with someone who would watch people die without helping, then turned to leave. Yunxian desperately called him back. A little girl offered Yunxian a candy, telling her it would make the pain go away, triggering a poignant memory of Yunxian offering candy to her dying brother.
This moment pierced through her guilt, and she resolved to help. Yunxian, now invigorated, began treating the patients, diligently covering wounds and prescribing medicine. Zisu noted Yunxian's change of heart, and Yunxian responded that she simply could not refuse to save dying people. Abbess Jingci observed her work, acknowledging her kindness. The next day, Yunxian sought out Zheng Qi.
She thanked him, admitting his harsh words had jolted her into clarity and that the Abbess's guidance had been orchestrated by him. Zheng Qi, feigning indifference, brushed it off as a mere convenience and an apology for abandoning her previously. Yunxian chided him for always pretending not to care, then acknowledged his kind nature despite his poor temper.
Zheng Qi playfully asked if she intended to "give herself to him" as in a drama, prompting Yunxian to scold him for his nonsense. Yunxian then directly asked if he had also helped her during her court case. Zheng Qi initially denied it, but Yunxian, having deduced it, pressed him. He then questioned if Zisu or the Abbess had betrayed his secret, expressing frustration that "not a single mouth is closed."
Yunxian revealed her reasoning: the Abbess, who rarely intervened in worldly affairs and was known to be connected to the royal family, had gone to great lengths to bring Yunxian to the convent, and Wang Zhen's timely intervention in the court case seemed too convenient given Zheng Qi was the Abbess's nephew. Zheng Qi admitted she was smart but obstinate.
Yunxian, however, affirmed her new resolve to heal more people to atone for her past mistakes, vowing to avenge Aunt Luo's death. Zheng Qi offered to deal with Xu Shirang himself, but Yunxian refused, warning him that despite his family's wealth, he was still a lower rank than Xu Shirang, and getting involved would necessitate relying on Wang Zhen, an imperial official.
Yunxian cautioned against associating too closely with court officials, especially those from the Eastern Depot, criticizing their terrible reputation, bloodshed, and the Emperor's indulgence of them. She questioned why the Emperor relied on them so much and suggested that this was why Empress Dowager Sun could not rest easy and continued to rule from behind the curtain. She expressed fear that the Emperor's direct rule would lead to chaos.
Zheng Qi, sarcastically, branded the Emperor "fatuous" and a "bastard" based on her comments, then disparaged her profession, claiming that practicing medicine and randomly writing prescriptions had given her a bad reputation in the capital, so much so that even brothel girls would look down on her.
Yunxian glared at him, and Zheng Qi, annoyed, retorted that he had helped her only for her to mess with him, advising her, as a young lady who didn't understand palace matters, not to spout nonsense. He then walked away, regretting his inability to control his mouth.
