The Legend of Mi Yue Episode 22 Recap
> The Legend of Mi Yue Recap
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- 33
- 34
- 35
- 36
- 37
- 38
- 39
- 40
- 41
- 42
- 43
- 44
- 45
- 46
- 47
- 48
- 49
- 50
- 51
- 52
- 53
- 54
- 55
- 56
- 57
- 58
- 59
- 60
- 61
- 62
- 63
- 64
- 65
- 66
- 67
- 68
- 69
- 70
- 71
- 72
- 73
- 74
- 75
- 76
- 77
- 78
- 79
- 80
- 81
Mi Yue encountered King of Qin's eldest daughter, Meng Ying, in the stables. Meng Ying, recognizing Mi Yue by her attire and knowledge of the palace's residents, expressed her admiration for Mi Yue's riding skills. Mi Yue, in turn, correctly identified Meng Ying. The two bonded over their shared passion for horseback riding. Meng Ying spoke highly of her father, the King of Qin, as the most heroic ruler. Mi Yue, however, merely stated her respect for him.
Meng Ying questioned if Mi Yue didn't wish to become one of the King's women, to which Mi Yue replied that her heart was already taken by a man from Chu, and her presence in the palace was for revenge, not to serve the King. Messengers from Chu had repeatedly demanded the 600 li of Shangyu territory, claiming a promise made by the King of Qin during his proposal in Ying.
After the King's continuous rejections, Chu formed an alliance with Qi, signaling potential military action against Qin. During a court assembly, General Sima expressed concern that a joint attack from Qi and Chu would be difficult for Qin to handle, even with its full strength. Gong Sun Yan, however, strongly advocated for a military response, offering to lead the troops to teach Chu a lesson.
Chu Li Zi countered, arguing that despite the Shang Yang reforms, Qin's foundation remained weak, and years of continuous warfare had depleted manpower and agricultural resources. He proposed a period of recuperation before engaging in further conflict. Zhang Yi then boldly spoke up, criticizing the idea of immediate war, especially after the recent marriage between the King of Qin and the Chu princess Mi Shu. He asserted that wit was far more effective than brute force.
When pressed by the King to elaborate, Zhang Yi volunteered to travel to Chu alone, promising to dissolve the Qi-Chu alliance without Qin needing to deploy a single soldier. Gong Sun Yan scoffed at Zhang Yi's audacious claim, accusing him of merely speaking glibly. Zhang Yi challenged Gong Sun Yan to a bet: the loser would strip naked and crawl three times around the King's main hall.
Gong Sun Yan accepted, and with various officials as witnesses, the King of Qin granted Zhang Yi permission to undertake the mission. Zhang Yi confirmed he would depart the following day. Mi Shu meticulously decorated the Jiao Feng hall in the style of Chu, earning the King of Qin's praise for her unique taste and creation of an elegant, vibrant space within the otherwise austere Qin palace.
The King encouraged her to invite other concubines to celebrate the new hall and hoped she would soon bear him a legitimate son. He also clarified that as the Queen, all his children, including Gongzi Hua, were now considered hers. The King then presented a pan pipe, found on the battlefield, which Mi Shu immediately recognized as Mi Yue's. The King returned it to Mi Shu, stating that returning lost items was always good.
Mi Shu explained that Mi Yue preferred the quiet Hui courtyard over moving into the Jiao Feng hall, noting her sister's stubborn nature. The King cautioned Mi Shu, reminding her that as the palace's mistress, she should not let her sister's "troublesome" temperament cause issues in the future. Later, while Mi Yue and Mi Shu strolled in the garden, Mi Yue noticed a maid from Wei delivering items to Wei Yan, whose companion spoke disparagingly about the new Queen.
Mi Yue's Aunt Kui immediately recognized her, claiming she would know the cook who poisoned Mi Shu at the Wu Guan inn, even after a year, seeing her height and face. Observing Mi Shu's group, the Wei maid and her companion quickly departed. The maid, identified as Shen-er, then sought an audience with Wei Yan. Shen-er revealed she was the twin sister of Sang-er, the former cook who had attempted to poison Mi Shu.
She explained that she had taken the opportunity to visit Wei Yan when Wei Wang sent her to deliver gifts. Wei Yan noted the sisters' striking resemblance and expressed concern for Sang-er, whom she had instructed to flee back to Wei after the Wu Guan incident was exposed. She told Shen-er to return to Wei immediately after delivering the gifts and to avoid drawing attention.
Mi Yue, overjoyed by the return of her panpipes, quickly shared her sighting of the "cook" with Mi Shu, asserting that the woman currently at Pixiang Hall, delivering gifts to Wei Yan, was the very person who had poisoned Mi Shu at Wu Guan. She urged Mi Shu to immediately use chamberlains to surround Pixiang Hall and arrest the cook to uncover the mastermind behind the assassination attempt.
Mi Shu, however, hesitated, citing the grave implications of searching a concubine's palace and arresting a visiting relative without the King's explicit decree. She feared acting rashly without irrefutable proof, reminding Mi Yue that such an action, especially given Mi Yue's status as a dowry maid, would hold Mi Shu responsible and could provoke the King's displeasure.
Mi Yue, fueled by a desire for justice for both Mi Shu and Zi Xie, pressed on, warning Mi Shu against indulging their enemies. Seeing Mi Shu's reluctance and noticing Shen-er attempting to leave the palace, Mi Yue, with Mi Shu's hesitant agreement, decided to report the matter directly to the King of Qin herself. At the court, Mi Yue, accompanied by Aunt Kui and the captured maid, presented her accusation to the King of Qin.
Wei Yan vehemently denied any involvement, claiming the maid was merely a messenger from Wei Wang and accusing Mi Yue of slandering her. Mi Yue insisted that the maid was the cook who poisoned Mi Shu in Wu Guan and implied Wei Yan was the mastermind, citing the maid's close ties to Wei Yan and her sudden disappearance before Mi Shu's arrival. The maid tried to clarify that she was Shen-er, Sang-er's sister, but her words were dismissed.
Wei Yan, however, maintained that Sang-er had left to care for sick parents, a story corroborated by her staff. Mi Yue retorted that Wei Yan was "calculating" and easily found an excuse. As the argument intensified, Mi Shu arrived, and the King asked her to arbitrate.
Mi Shu confirmed her poisoning in Wu Guan but stated she couldn't identify the attacker, nor could she conclusively link Wei Yan to the crime, expressing doubt that a "sister" in the palace would inflict such harm. Mi Yue criticized Mi Shu's perceived leniency and urged her to recognize Wei Yan's schemes. When asked for proof, Mi Yue presented Aunt Kui, who testified she had bitten the poisoner's left hand, leaving an imprint.
However, the Grand Supervisor, upon inspection, found no scar on Shen-er's hand. Mi Yue, disbelieving, checked herself but also found nothing. Enraged, the King accused Mi Yue of making trouble out of nothing and turning his harem upside down. Despite Mi Shu's plea for leniency, the King punished Mi Yue by ordering her to clean the garden paths for ten days as a deterrent to others. Mi Yue began her punishment of sweeping the garden paths.
Mi Shu, feeling guilty that Mi Yue was punished for her sake, prepared green bean soup to send to her, but her Aunt Kui cautioned against spoiling Mi Yue, suggesting her unruly nature caused trouble. Meanwhile, Guo Meiren, still harboring resentment for a previous month-long grounding, encouraged a pregnant Fan Shaoshi and other concubines to join her in watching Mi Yue work, describing it as a "rare sight."
Guo Meiren mocked Mi Yue for her lowly task, asserting that Mi Yue must regret her actions. Mi Yue retorted that she never regretted her actions and implied that Guo Meiren was being used as a pawn. When Guo Meiren, enraged, ordered her maid to slap Mi Yue, Mi Shu arrived, stopping the maid and forcing Guo Meiren to kneel. Mi Shu chastised Guo Meiren for disrespecting her authority and trying to punish her dowry maid.
Despite Guo Meiren's claim of unintentional remarks, Mi Shu, supported by her Aunt Kui, ordered Guo Meiren to slap herself twenty times, loudly and clearly, for her provocative words. As Guo Meiren reluctantly began her self-punishment, Lady Ying, the King's elder sister, intervened, urging Mi Shu to be more benevolent as the Queen and to show mercy to Guo Meiren, who had served the King for many years. Respecting Lady Ying, Mi Shu ceased the punishment.
During the commotion, the pregnant Fan Shaoshi stumbled down the stairs, experiencing severe abdominal pain that signaled imminent labor. She was rushed to her chambers, and a physician was summoned. Soon, she successfully gave birth to a prince. Elsewhere, humiliated by Mi Shu, Guo Meiren complained to Wei Yan, expressing despair and threatening to commit suicide if the King did not intervene on her behalf.
Wei Yan, seeing an opportunity, recounted how a previous concubine, Lady Tang, had gained the King's sympathy and protection after faking a suicide attempt. She suggested Guo Meiren feign hanging herself, ensuring her maid was present to "save" her, to draw the King's attention and undermine Mi Shu's authority. Guo Meiren readily agreed to the scheme.
The King of Qin, informed of Fan Shaoshi's premature labor caused by her fall down the stairs during the garden incident, angrily blamed Mi Shu. His fury intensified when a servant reported that Guo Meiren, unable to bear the humiliation from the Queen's punishment, had hanged herself. The King admonished Mi Shu, expressing his profound disappointment in her actions, which he believed directly led to both Fan Shaoshi's distress and Guo Meiren's suicide.
He then stormed off, leaving Mi Shu devastated. Overwhelmed by grief and stress, Mi Shu fainted. As Mi Shu lay unconscious, Mi Yue quickly summoned the imperial doctor. During the examination, the doctor made a surprising discovery: Mi Shu was pregnant.
