The Legend of Mi Yue Episode 69 Recap, Plot

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> The Legend of Mi Yue Recap

Empress Dowager Mi Yue first summoned Su Qin, the envoy from Yan. She expressed profound gratitude to Yi Hou and Su Qin for saving her and her son while they were in Yan. Mi Yue reassured him of the long-standing friendly ties between Qin and Yan. Acknowledging King of Yan’s deep-seated enmity towards Qi following the Zi Zhi chaos, Mi Yue pledged to support Yan in attacking Qi once Qin’s internal affairs were settled.

She promised to rally other feudal lords to join the campaign, declaring firmly that she would uphold her word as long as she held power in Qin. Moved by her sincerity, Su Qin agreed to the alliance, stating that his mission for Yi Hou, to ensure the safety of Mi Yue and Prince Ji, was complete, and he would now withdraw his troops from Hangu Pass and return to Yan.

Next, Mi Yue welcomed Jin Shang, the Chu envoy, granting him a seat of honor. Jin Shang expressed his great joy at King Ying Ji’s ascension and Mi Yue’s regency, pledging Chu’s full support, as Mi Yue was originally a Chu princess. Mi Yue confessed her anxieties about Qin’s perilous internal and external situation and her need for trustworthy advisors from her homeland.

She presented Jin Shang with generous gifts for himself and presents for King Xiong and Lady Zheng Xiu of Chu. Mi Yue then proposed strengthening the interdependent relationship between Qin and Chu. She initially offered Jin Shang a high-ranking position, but he humbly declined. When Jin Shang then offered to send more Chu clan members to assist her, Mi Yue subtly steered the conversation to suggest her younger brother, Mi Rong, come to Qin.

Jin Shang enthusiastically endorsed this, praising Mi Rong's strategic and martial prowess. Mi Yue, acknowledging Jin Shang's helpfulness, promised him further rewards. Jin Shang then proposed a marriage alliance: King Ying Ji of Qin would marry a young daughter of the Chu King, and in return, a Qin princess, daughter of the late King Huiwen, would marry a Chu prince. Jin Shang further suggested Prince Lan of Chu, implying this match would secure Lady Zheng Xiu’s gratitude.

Mi Yue agreed, believing it would ease tensions between the two states. Finally, Jin Shang revealed that the Chu army required territorial compensation for their efforts, citing the Old Minister Yin’s demand for Shangyong city. Mi Yue agreed to cede Shangyong city as the Qin princess’s dowry. Jin Shang lauded her wisdom and vowed to fulfill all her instructions.

Mi Yue’s decisions to cede territory and offer reparations sparked considerable discontent among some Qin ministers, who openly voiced their humiliation and frustration at being excluded from such critical decisions. Word spread quickly about the specific concessions: Shangyong to Chu, Wu Sui to Han, five cities to Wei, and financial compensation to Yan and Zhao. General Sima attempted to downplay the severity, arguing that territorial exchanges were a common occurrence in times of shifting power.

However, Gan Mao fiercely criticized Sima’s stance, prompting Sima to retort by reminding Gan Mao of Qin’s severe military losses at Hangu Pass and challenging him to provide resources if he wished to continue fighting. Gan Mao, undeterred, reaffirmed his unwavering loyalty to Qin. Meanwhile, Mi Yue's brother, Wei Ran, found her weary and expressed his confusion and anger regarding her appeasement of the seemingly despicable Jin Shang and the marriage alliance with Chu, especially after the sacrifices made.

Mi Yue calmly explained her strategy, quoting Laozi: "What you want to seize, you must first give; what you want to destroy, you must first foster." She clarified that Chu led the five allied states, with Jin Shang being the most avaricious among them. Her aim was to "throw meat" to these individual "hungry wolves" to disperse them, intending to deal with them separately later.

She also revealed that her brother Mi Rong was essentially a hostage in Chu, making appeasement necessary to secure his return. Wei Ran expressed regret for his short-sightedness. Mi Yue then warned him to monitor Gan Mao closely, as he was actively stirring up trouble, and also voiced concerns about Chu Li Ji. At Pixiang Hall, Wei Yan and Wei Yi were anxious about their precarious situation.

Wei Yi clung to the hope that her cousin, Gongzi Wuji, would rescue them, while Wei Yan, now aware of Mi Shu’s alliance with her son Hua, still placed her hopes on Hua becoming king. A servant reported that Gongzi Wuji conveyed the Wei King’s regards for both women, which raised Wei Yi’s spirits. Mi Yue then arrived, announcing that Qin and Wei had reconciled and hostilities had ceased.

She informed Wei Yi that Gongzi Wuji had specifically requested her return to Wei. Wei Yan, desperate for news about herself, asked about her fate, but Mi Yue coldly stated that Gongzi Wuji had not mentioned her at all. Wei Yan was devastated, listing her lifelong sacrifices for Wei and her son, Hua, unable to comprehend her brother’s abandonment.

Mi Yue, with a cutting remark, informed Wei Yi that she was allowed to return precisely because she was a "menace" who would likely be used by Wei to destabilize other states, which would inadvertently benefit Qin. She advised them to cherish their remaining time together. Wei Yi attempted to console her aunt, promising to advocate for her upon her return to Wei.

However, a heartbroken Wei Yan, realizing her own family had abandoned her due to her age and perceived uselessness, rejected her niece's words as another empty promise. She continued to cling to the solitary hope that her son, Hua, would one day become king and rescue her. News of the five allied states withdrawing their troops surprised an unnamed Gongzi, who acknowledged Mi Yue's remarkable cunning.

His aide relayed that Gan Mao intended to exploit Mi Yue's territorial cessions as a pretext to rally support, forcing her to relinquish power and retreat to the inner palace, thereby handing control to the young King Ji, whom they deemed easier to manipulate. The aide listed the specific cessions: Shangyong to Chu, Wu Sui to Han, five cities to Wei, and monetary compensation to Yan and Zhao. The Gongzi, however, viewed these as minor, customary exchanges between states.

The aide explained that the real sentiment among ministers was discontent with constantly bowing to a "self-opinionated and willful" woman. During court, Gan Mao publicly accused Mi Yue of "humiliating the country" and "misleading the people" with her cessions, demanding her resignation and the return of power to King Ji. Other ministers echoed his calls.

Mi Yue, however, produced Gan Mao's own secretly drafted treaty, revealing that his terms for peace would have sacrificed nearly all of Qin, leaving only Xianyang. She fiercely rebuked him for his incompetence during the crisis, his lack of morality, and his shameless opportunism, ordering him to be expelled. Gan Mao, refusing to be forcibly removed, dramatically resigned, warning that her disrespect for officials would leave the court devoid of talent.

Despite pleas from other ministers, Mi Yue remained firm, dismissing Gan Mao as a "three-generation festering sore" in the court. She then made a solemn oath before the gods to quell internal strife, reclaim lost territories, and restore Qin's glory, challenging any minister who believed they could govern better to step forward. Otherwise, she commanded them to cease their gossiping and adjourned the court.

Outside the court, other ministers appealed to Chu Li Ji for intervention, but he urged them to return home, promising to make appeals to the Empress Dowager. Later, Gan Mao sought out Chu Li Ji, pointedly referring to himself as "no longer a prime minister" after his resignation. Chu Li Ji, however, maintained a respectful demeanor, still addressing him as "Gan Xiang" and revealing he was writing to Mi Yue to advocate for his retention.

Gan Mao, however, called Mi Yue a "calamity star" for Qin, even criticizing her for allowing foreign guards in her palace, a matter Chu Li Ji dismissed as outside Gan Mao's purview. Gan Mao then declared it was either Mi Yue or him, asserting his ability to govern better.

He proposed an ambitious plan: abandon the new policies, reinstate old laws, and appease the rebellious princes by permanently granting them their occupied lands as hereditary fiefdoms, abolishing counties, and reverting to the Zhou dynasty feudal system. He pledged to personally secure the princes' surrender under these terms. Chu Li Ji vehemently rejected this proposal, arguing it would splinter Qin into fragments, betraying the sacrifices of past kings and soldiers.

Gan Mao retorted that the relationship between rulers and ministers was transactional, and sometimes kings should cede certain powers to ministers to secure their families' interests. Chu Li Ji countered that Qin had sacrificed immensely for Shang Yang's new policies, and undoing them would negate all progress and eliminate Qin's strategic advantages.

Gan Mao dismissed Qin's supposed advantage, arguing that the repeated allied attacks on Hangu Pass demonstrated a collective fear and resentment of Qin's "heretical" new system, which had disrupted the regional balance of power. He believed that reverting to traditional feudalism would earn acceptance from other states and placate Qin's own nobles, leading to long-term stability. When questioned about his support, Gan Mao confidently claimed more backing than Mi Yue currently commanded in the Xuan Hall.

He further disparaged both Shang Yang and Mi Yue, accusing them of prioritizing personal glory or power over the lives of Qin's people, and asserted that his supporters, the generations of Qin natives who had bled for the land, were the true arbiters of Qin's destiny. Chu Li Ji, in turn, challenged Gan Mao's sincerity, pointing out that Gan Mao himself was not a native Qin but a Chu, implying self-interest.

He then firmly dismissed Gan Mao, stating that Qin's strength came from its meritocratic system, which embraced foreign talents like Baili Xi, Jian Shu, Shang Yang, Gongsun Yan, and Zhang Yi, not from relying on old hereditary nobles. He credited Mi Yue's regency with providing a glimmer of hope amidst Qin's crises, concluding that Gan Mao no longer had a place in Qin's future. Embittered, Gan Mao departed, warning Chu Li Ji that he would one day regret his decision.

Noticing the significantly reduced number of officials at the next morning court, Mi Yue inquired about the absences. When informed that many courtiers had claimed illness and taken leave, she sardonically remarked on the sudden "epidemic" in Xianyang. She instructed Chu Li Ji to dispatch imperial physicians to treat them, suggesting that many suffered from an "incurable heart disease."

She then declared that since they were unable to perform their duties due to illness, they should remain at home and need not return to the Xuan Hall, effectively dismissing them from their posts. Her remaining loyal ministers praised her decisive action.

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