Episode 17 recap: Rong ErLi Qi, the lovers, eventually became cellmates.
Rong Er was released to make soup to save the Emperor, while Li Qi entered the Ministry of Justice to replace her. When Rong Er found out, she was deeply moved. Rong Er went to see Rong Hui Tai Fei (the Empress Dowager) with handcuffs and shackles. The Empress Dowager ordered the eunuchs to remove them, but they said Rong Er was still a convict and did not grant the removal. Rong Er urgently asked the Empress Dowager about the soup she had drunk, and after hearing the description, Rong Er obtained the meal record from Qing Er to carefully analyze the ingredients.
The imperial physicians were treating the Emperor, who had developed a choking condition. However, the Emperor continued to vomit and could not take the medicine. The Empress urgently summoned Rong Er to treat the Emperor. When Rong Er arrived at the Emperor's bedchamber, she removed his handcuffs and shackles out of respect.
Rong Er examined the Emperor's condition and presented a bowl of soup, saying the Emperor would recover gradually after drinking it and taking the physicians' medicine. After completing the treatment, Rong Er returned to the Ministry of Justice. Li Qi saw Rong Er return and anxiously asked, and Rong Er said she had failed to cure the Emperor and would be beheaded. Li Qi comforted her, saying not to give up until the very end, and that even if they were to be executed, he would have no regrets. Rong Er was deeply moved.
However, the Emperor's illness relapsed after meeting with the representatives of the Nationalist government. The physicians said the final medicine was not their own concoction, and the Empress suspected it was made by Rong Er. She ordered the severe torture of Rong Er and Li Qi to see if they had plotted to harm the Emperor. Rong Er was forced to confess but refused to do so.
Qing Er told Rong Hui Tai Fei that in order not to implicate Rong Er and Li Qi's families, she requested to leave the palace to inform their closest relatives to flee quickly.
The two families heard about Rong Er and Li Qi's situation and went to discuss it with Lu Qiu Tong. Lu Qiu Tong said that Rong Er and Li Qi were imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice because of the Emperor's illness, so they would need to find a way to cure the Emperor's illness first.
Coincidentally, Jing Yi's father had a friend who was a medical expert who had studied abroad for many years, and might be able to treat the Emperor's illness. Lu Qiu Tong and the others requested him to enter the palace to treat the Emperor. The doctor examined the Emperor and said the Emperor's condition was recovering, and Rong Er's previous prescription had been appropriate, as the vomiting was due to indigestion. As the Emperor's condition improved, he said he wanted to release Rong Er, but Jing Yi Tai Fei did not allow it, feeling the Emperor's rewards and punishments were unclear. Rong Hui Tai Fei told Jing Yi Tai Fei to be lenient, and proposed that Rong Er be allowed to leave the palace, and the Emperor had someone give Rong Er some silver to properly send her out of the palace.
When Rong Er learned that the Emperor wanted to send her out of the palace, she was very puzzled, as she had not yet found the murderer of Shou Xi. Rong Er was unwilling to leave the palace and planned to go ask the Emperor for an explanation. Liu the eunuch knew the Emperor wanted to send Rong Er out of the palace, and felt that even if she left, Rong Er would still investigate, so this Rong Er could not be kept. He ordered someone to knock Rong Er unconscious and take her out of the palace. Qing Er saw Rong Er's clothes and belongings were gone and thought she had already left the palace, but did not understand why Rong Er would leave without saying goodbye. Rong Hui Tai Fei said as long as Rong Er left the palace safely, that was fine.
Outside the Wu Tian Palace, Wu Tian saw the little eunuch Xiao Quan next to Sun the eunuch. Xiao Quan said Sun had him knock Rong Er unconscious and then kill her, dumping the body in a pond. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Wu Tian killed Xiao Quan.
Jing Yi Tai Fei reported to the Emperor that the lost palace treasures were all secretly sold outside by Li Qi, and said Qin Fang had informed on him. The Emperor did not believe it, and had Qin Fang state the truth in front of him. Qin Fang said Li Qi, taking advantage of his status, oppressed the other guards, and secretly stole and sold the treasures outside, even killing his own family members, and he dared not speak up. The Emperor still did not believe it, so he had Shao Ying search the guards' quarters.
Comments(Episode 17)