The Legend of Mi Yue Episode 1 Recap
> The Legend of Mi Yue Recap
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In 338 B. C. , the 24th year of Duke Xiao of Qin, Shang Yang, facing accusations of rebellious intentions from Prince Fu Ying Qian and others, fled Qin. While attempting to find refuge at an inn on the Qin-Wei border, he was ironically turned away by the innkeeper. The innkeeper, fearful of being implicated under Shang Yang's own strict Collective Punishment law, refused to shelter him without a permit.
Shang Yang, lamenting that he was suffering the consequences of his own laws, revealed his identity before being captured by pursuing soldiers. Back in the Qin palace, the newly ascended King Huiwen of Qin condemned Shang Yang for his brutal and corrupt ways. When asked if he had anticipated such an end when he previously punished the King’s tutor, Shang Yang defiantly stated that the past punishment must have been too lenient.
He expressed pride that his laws were still upheld by commoners, ensuring their survival even after his death, though he regretted not seeing Qin unite all lands. King Huiwen of Qin then ordered Shang Yang to be executed by being torn by five horses and his entire tribe extinguished.
Around the same time, in the third year of King Wei of Chu, discussions in the Chu court revolved around Qin’s political instability following Shang Yang’s demise, with some like Qu Yuan suggesting Chu adopt similar reforms while Zhao Yang cautioned against them. Amidst this, the astronomer royal Tang Mei observed a celestial phenomenon from the Stargazers' Platform.
He excitedly reported to King Wei of Chu that a "supreme star" had appeared, signifying great changes in the world and the destined rise of Chu. Tang Mei predicted that a pregnant woman in the King’s harem would give birth to a supreme leader. Overjoyed, King Wei immediately summoned Yong Xiang Ling, a harem steward, to inquire about any pregnancies.
Yong Xiang Ling reported that while no principal concubines were pregnant, Xiang Shi, a lady-in-waiting serving Ju Ji, was six months along. Believing this child to be the prophesied supreme star, King Wei was ecstatic and immediately elevated Xiang Shi to a lady. The Queen, furious at this development and fearing for her son Mi Huai’s claim to the throne, began to challenge Ju Ji, under whose patronage Xiang Shi served.
She discovered that Xiang Shi’s physician was Female doctor Zhi, a skilled doctor who had studied under the renowned Qinyue, also known as Bian Que. The Queen threatened Female doctor Zhi by taking her to the hidden palace, the place for castrations, and mentioning her seven-year-old son, Jin Er. She demanded Female doctor Zhi ensure Xiang Shi had a miscarriage, vaguely promising not to blame her if "anything happens" and implying Jin Er’s safety depended on her compliance.
Female doctor Zhi, pressured and knowing the Queen’s power, brought a medicinal concoction to Xiang Shi. When Xiang Shi’s attendant, Kui Gu, noted the medicine smelled different and suggested delaying it, Female doctor Zhi insisted it be taken immediately. Just as Xiang Shi was about to drink, Ju Ji arrived, having rushed from seeing the King.
Ju Ji announced that she had secured a royal decree: all of Xiang Shi’s medicines would now be prescribed by all royal doctors and their preparation personally supervised by Yong Xiang Ling. Ju Ji then deliberately knocked over the bowl of medicine. Analyzing its contents, she revealed that the concoction contained Dan Zhu Ye, also known as Sui Gu Zi, a herb with powerful abortifacient properties.
Xiang Shi was horrified, and Ju Ji confessed that five years prior, the Queen had forced her to drink the same medicine, implying she too had suffered a miscarriage. To protect Xiang Shi, Ju Ji moved her to the main hall of Yunmeng Platform, her own residence. Three months later, as Xiang Shi’s delivery approached, the Queen orchestrated another plot. She magnanimously offered her own residence, Gao Tang Tai, for Xiang Shi’s confinement, arranging shamans to pray outside for auspiciousness.
However, she secretly ordered that only Female doctor Zhi and herself be allowed to attend the birth, excluding Ju Ji and other palace staff. The Queen again pressured Female doctor Zhi, reminding her of her son Jin Er and declaring that the "opportunity has come" to fulfill her unspoken task during the birth, hinting at inducing an "obstructed labor" or "stillbirth." Ju Ji, suspecting foul play, bravely rushed into the royal court, disregarding the guards, to plead with King Wei.
She urged him to personally oversee Xiang Shi’s delivery, stressing its profound importance for Chu’s destiny and the King’s ambition to unite all lands. King Wei, swayed by Ju Ji’s impassioned plea, agreed. King Wei arrived at Gao Tang Tai amidst the birthing cries. The Queen claimed Female doctor Zhi reported obstructed labor and feared for the worst, but the King commanded them to save the supreme star at all costs. Moments later, a baby's cry echoed from within.
Female doctor Zhi emerged, announcing the birth of a princess. King Wei’s face clouded with immense disappointment. He questioned how a female infant could be the prophesied supreme star, seeing it as a deception. He angrily confronted Tang Mei, who maintained that he only interpreted the stars regardless of gender, but warned that a female supreme star could bring both fortune and disaster, and that defying heaven’s will was perilous.
Enraged by what he perceived as deception and insolence, King Wei ordered Tang Mei's eyes to be gouged out and banished him permanently from Yingdu. Seizing the moment, the Queen suggested that since the infant’s fate was uncertain, it should be left to heaven. She advised placing the baby in a bamboo basket and setting her afloat on the water. Following the Queen’s cruel decree, Xiang Shi's baby was taken away in a basket.
Distraught, Xiang Shi frantically searched the palace for her child, her cries of "my child" echoing through the gardens. She found an overturned bamboo basket by the garden pond, her heart sinking in despair. Meanwhile, King Wei and the Queen were strolling in the garden, the Queen remarking on the perceived insignificance of a female child, when they unexpectedly heard a baby’s cries.
Following the sound, Xiang Shi discovered her baby, miraculously alive, nestled among the lotus leaves near a statue of Shao Si Ming, a deity of fertility and destiny. King Wei, witnessing the infant's remarkable survival, saw it as a sign of great blessing and declared that such a child, despite being a girl, possessed remarkable fortune and should live. Gazing at the brilliant moonlight, King Wei decided to name the resilient little princess "Yue Er," meaning Moon.
Her formal name became Mi Yue. Four years passed quickly. Young Mi Yue often saw her mother, Xiang Shi, gazing wistfully towards the great hall in the south and learned that her father, King Wei, resided there. One day, Mi Yue, determined to see her father, slipped away from her chambers and tried to enter the great hall. She was stopped by stern guards, but her playful struggles and loud demands eventually caught King Wei's attention from inside.
Informed that a child was at the entrance, King Wei, curious, ordered them to let her in. Mi Yue, with her natural innocence and fearlessness, engaged King Wei in a lively conversation. She initially thought her father was a "big tiger" and playfully confirmed that a tiger’s various parts could indeed be touched.
Touched by her sincerity, Mi Yue then pleaded with King Wei to visit her lonely mother, revealing that Xiang Shi stood at her door daily, gazing towards his hall, silently longing for him. Though King Wei initially mentioned a prior dinner commitment with the Queen, he was deeply moved by Mi Yue’s words and promised to visit Xiang Shi that very night.
Before she left, King Wei shared a secret: a side door behind the main hall that Mi Yue could use to enter and exit freely, without being stopped. True to his word, King Wei visited Xiang Shi at Yunmeng Platform. Xiang Shi, surprised and unadorned, was deeply emotional, shedding tears of joy as King Wei gently admitted he had "neglected you in the past."
News of King Wei’s visit soon reached the Queen, who, informed by Dai Mao, realized with resentment that it was not the location but Xiang Shi herself, through her child Mi Yue, who had managed to reclaim the King's attention.
