The King's Woman Episode 7 Recap
> The King's Woman Recap
By the peaceful riverbank, Gongsun Li stood quietly, her brow furrowed, until Jing Ke approached, and she finally smiled. With Jing Ke's duel approaching, Gongsun Li practiced sword techniques with him, using a style they had created as children, once vowing to dominate the Jianghu realm with it. Recalling those beautiful, carefree days filled them with nostalgia. A sudden rain shower forced Gongsun Li and Jing Ke to seek shelter in a nearby cave.
Gongsun Li tentatively mentioned her grandfather's dying wish, urging her not to live for the world but solely for herself. She hinted that if Jing Ke were willing to abandon his grand ideals for the world, she would live in seclusion with him. However, Jing Ke's heart was set on his duties to his country and people, and he failed to grasp the deeper meaning of Gongsun Li's words.
Seeing her Senior so close, with their separation imminent, Gongsun Li could no longer hold back and embraced him tightly from behind. Jing Ke had long harbored feelings for Gongsun Li, and now, knowing her true emotions, he was overjoyed. He confessed that she was the only one in his heart, and without her, his existence would be meaningless. The small bonfire cast a warm glow, illuminating the cave as the two lovers spent the night together.
The day of Jing Ke's departure arrived. Gongsun Li watched heartbroken as her Senior rode away, knowing that Qin soldiers were already on their way to her. She feared that this parting would be their last. She then packed her belongings and met with the Qin soldiers, boarding a soft sedan chair bound for the Qin palace.
She removed the silk scarf Jing Ke had given her from her neck, carefully placing it in her satchel, as she embarked on a path without him. The Qin palace was governed by strict rules, and Gongsun Li's bronze dagger, a cherished gift from her grandfather, was confiscated. Though she hated to part with it, she had no choice but to comply. Meanwhile, after traveling for some time, Jing Ke finally met Senior Gao Jianli in a forest in Zhaoge.
Gao Jianli sat calmly playing his zither, only glancing up at Jing Ke to discern that he was a skilled martial artist. Both men were straightforward, and their sparring match was insightful. Jing Ke, missing Gongsun Li, returned quickly after their duel. Gao Jianli had invited him to visit Qin State, but Jing Ke, eager to reunite with his junior sister, declined. He was unaware that by the time he returned, Gongsun Li had already left.
Mister Tian Guang explained the truth: Gongsun Li had gone to the Qin State to save him. The antidote for Jing Ke's poison had been obtained by Gongsun Li from Xianyang, and she had kept it a secret to protect him. Jing Ke recalled Gongsun Li's earlier words, realizing they had been laced with a sense of parting and reluctance, but he had been too focused on his duel to understand her deeper emotions at the time.
In the Qin royal palace, during a grand court assembly, Ying Zheng formally dismissed Lv Buwei from his position as regent and prime minister, a decision met with immediate agreement from his officials. Li Si, recognizing Lv Buwei's extensive influence with the Six States due to his many years in power, suggested that even in retirement, he remained a potential threat. Li Si proposed sending someone to closely monitor Lv Buwei's every move.
Agreeing with Li Si's reasoning, Ying Zheng entrusted this task to his confidant, Zhao Gao. In the harem, Grand Queen Dowager chatted with Madame Chu, her niece. Knowing Madame Chu's preference, Grand Queen Dowager had special rice, a staple of the Chu people, sent to her, lamenting that she couldn't bring the exquisite Chu cuisines for Ying Zheng to try.
Madame Chu then revealed to Grand Queen Dowager that Ying Zheng was bringing an ordinary woman from the Wey State into the palace. She spoke of Gongsun Li, a commoner from a defeated state, whom Ying Zheng had gone to great lengths to capture and bring to the harem.
This news filled Madame Chu with jealousy and Grand Queen Dowager with anger, asserting that a woman of such a lowly background from a defeated state had no right to enter the Great Qin palace. Gongsun Li was then attended by a group of palace maids for a bath and change of clothes. Resisting their attempts to control her, she held a hairpin to her neck, warning the maids to keep their distance.
As they tentatively advanced, Gongsun Li fiercely resisted but suddenly collapsed. Shortly after, she regained consciousness as a royal physician examined her pulse. Noticing the physician's troubled expression, Gongsun Li sensed that something was gravely wrong. Under her insistent questioning, the physician reluctantly revealed the truth: she was over a month pregnant. Hearing this, Gongsun Li was utterly stunned. That evening, Ying Zheng finally came to visit Gongsun Li.
Dressed in red, she sat by the bed, her emotions now calmer. She asked Ying Zheng why he was so fixated on her when he could command thousands of beautiful women from all the states. Before he could elaborate further, the royal physician arrived, having an urgent matter to report. He informed Ying Zheng that Gongsun Li was pregnant. Ying Zheng stared at Gongsun Li in disbelief, his rage escalating, and immediately ordered the child to be killed. Gongsun Li sprang up from the bed, defiantly declaring that if he wished to kill her child, he would have to kill her first.
