Wonderful Fate Episode 14 Recap
> Wonderful Fate Recap
Imperial physicians informed Tai Hou that while Yun Yi's wound had been sewn up, he was suffering from a persistent high fever. They assured her they were trying to cool him down. Tai Hou, furious, threatened them with death if anything happened to Yun Yi. She inquired about using a thousand-year ginseng, but an imperial physician advised against it, explaining that Yun Yi's condition, characterized by a "fire of deficiency type," made nourishing remedies unsuitable.
Ruan Qing then entered, feigning distress and claiming responsibility for Yun Yi's injuries, saying she was naive to believe a "lowly maid" and that she wouldn't want to live if Yun Yi didn't recover. Tai Hou curtly told her it was not the time for such pronouncements.
Li Fuzhu, remembering her cold medicine from the modern world, tried to reach Yun Yi, insisting that his condition was a traumatic infection requiring modern medication, not just cooling measures, which she feared would worsen his state. Tai Hou, however, reprimanded Li Fuzhu for her usual recklessness and forbade her from interfering with matters concerning the Emperor's safety.
Although a weak Yun Yi attempted to permit Li Fuzhu to try, Tai Hou firmly refused, declaring that His Majesty's life was not to be trifled with. Guards forcibly removed Li Fuzhu despite her desperate pleas to save Yun Yi, and Tai Hou ordered strict surveillance to prevent her from approaching him. Outside, Hong Yi knelt under the sun, consumed by guilt for failing to protect Yun Yi.
A servant urged him to eat, reminding him that Yun Yi would need his protection upon recovery. Another servant offered to stand vigil with Hong Yi. Meanwhile, Yun Li arrived, inquiring about Yun Yi, but guards, citing Tai Hou’s orders, denied him entry. To create a diversion, Yun Li feigned severe chest pain, prompting the guards to call for imperial physicians. Capitalizing on the ensuing chaos, Li Fuzhu sneaked into Yun Yi’s room.
She tenderly encouraged him to recover and administered the cold medicine. When Tai Hou unexpectedly entered, Li Fuzhu quickly hid beneath Yun Yi’s quilt. Believing she was alone with her son, Tai Hou spoke candidly, expressing her profound love for Yun Yi. She revealed her awareness that Yun Yi had previously imprisoned Li Fuzhu not as punishment, but as a means to protect her from the State Preceptor's wrath after the Ruan Qing incident.
Li Fuzhu, hidden, was deeply touched and finally understood Yun Yi’s actions. Soon after, an imperial physician announced that Yun Yi’s fever had broken and he would awaken around midnight. Tai Hou, believing the physicians were solely responsible for the recovery, generously rewarded them. Later, Ruan Qing visited Li Fuzhu, offering a seemingly sincere apology for past misunderstandings and proposing they "bury the hatchet." Li Fuzhu, believing in Ruan Qing's sincerity, accepted.
Ruan Qing then asked Tai Hou for permission to stay and care for Yun Yi. However, Ruan Qing’s true nature was soon revealed when she was seen harshly scolding her maid, Bi'er, for failing to kill Lan Er and leaving behind evidence of setting fire to the Imperial Garden. Bi'er desperately pleaded for her life, mentioning her family.
Ruan Qing, with chilling indifference, promised to "take care" of Bi'er's parents and brothers and even grant her brother an official post if the maid took the blame, all to facilitate her becoming empress. After Bi'er reluctantly agreed, Ruan Qing coldly ordered the entire family to be killed, so Bi'er would not be lonely in the afterlife. Subsequently, Ruan Qing sent Li Fuzhu away to freshen up, then positioned herself by Yun Yi’s bedside.
When Yun Yi awoke and asked if she had been with him, Ruan Qing affirmed it, reinforcing his mistaken belief that she had been his devoted caregiver. An urgent report arrived detailing a crisis in the canal construction; impassable hard rocks had halted progress, and there was no way to go around them. Li Fuzhu suggested using gunpowder, but Yun Yi informed her such a substance did not exist in their era.
When she then proposed gradual digging, Yun Yi explained there was no time due to mounting public resentment. He revealed that the State Preceptor had cut off food supplies the previous day, making the situation critical and threatening civil unrest. Li Fuzhu recalled her teacher mentioning how Li Bing and his son had overcome a similar problem without gunpowder, and she promised Yun Yi she would find a solution within a day.
Ruan Qing later conversed with Tai Hou, feigning ignorance of the State Preceptor's actions but offering to write to him. She then casually mentioned a thousand-year ginseng gifted to Tai Hou by the Imperial Censor, expressing a fondness for it. When Tai Hou offered it to her, Ruan Qing "innocently" brought up rumors that Chef Xue of the Imperial Kitchen had privately used it. This implied a severe lapse in Tai Hou’s governance, enraging her.
Li Fuzhu, meanwhile, was consumed with trying to remember the ancient method for clearing the rocks. Lan Er tried to inform her about Chef Xue's predicament, but Li Fuzhu was too preoccupied. When Lan Er finally broke the news of Chef Xue's arrest, Li Fuzhu rushed to Tai Hou, taking full responsibility for the ginseng incident and claiming she had forced Chef Xue to give it to her.
Tai Hou, however, was unswayed, listing Chef Xue's other alleged crimes of deception and theft, declaring his execution necessary to uphold palace rules. Tai Hou sternly warned Li Fuzhu to focus on the canal project, stating that if she failed to resolve the crisis, she would be the first to be sacrificed to appease public anger and preserve the Yun Lai dynasty. Distraught, Li Fuzhu realized her only recourse was to seek Ruan Qing's help to save Chef Xue.
Yun Li humbly knelt before the State Preceptor, implicitly pleading for the country. The State Preceptor responded with a cryptic parable about a dog barking at a tiger, then kneeling for mercy, implying that once caught, there was no escape, thereby coldly rejecting Yun Li's intercession and hinting at his own formidable power. Later, Yun Yi visited Ruan Qing, initially attempting to appear nonchalant.
They discussed the canal crisis, and Ruan Qing, while agreeing to persuade her father to restore food supplies, insisted that the root of the public's anger lay in Li Fuzhu's failed project. She demanded that Li Fuzhu be executed to quell unrest and protect the country's foundation. Yun Yi tried to also plead for Chef Xue, citing his loyalty and the importance of integrity. However, Ruan Qing reiterated that beheading Chef Xue was necessary to display these principles.
Yun Yi lamented his inability to protect anyone, to which Ruan Qing chillingly replied that he could, however, save "this dragon robe," referring to his imperial power. Li Fuzhu, nearby, overheard this devastating conversation, crushed by Ruan Qing's ruthlessness and Yun Yi’s apparent willingness to sacrifice her. Li Fuzhu visited Chef Xue in prison, who, despite his predicament, reassured her not to worry. He urged her to focus on the canal project, emphasizing its importance for the people.
When Lan Er prompted Li Fuzhu to plead with Yun Yi again, Chef Xue stopped her, stating, "Everyone has his fate." He reiterated that it didn't matter and tried to ask for one final favor before being led away, his words cut short.
