Episode 39 recap: The Prince's Scheme
In Episode 39, the shadow guards of Cui Xing Zhou have received word that the Prince plans to rise against the throne during the Mid-Autumn Festival. If the defenses around the capital are breached, the consequences will be dire. Liu Mian Tang and Cui Xing Zhou are predicting the Prince's attack strategy, and it seems a fierce battle is imminent in the capital.
The Emperor is also aware of the Prince's plans. He has long wanted to confront the Prince in a decisive battle, but amidst the chaos, he fears for the safety of the Empress. Secretly, he writes a divination to ensure that the shadow guards protect her at all costs and sends her to a remote temple on the night of the festival to pray for blessings. The Empress, intelligent and perceptive, notices the Emperor's preoccupation with affairs of state and his troubled expression, especially now that he is sending her away from the palace for prayers.
When the Empress's gift to Sun Yun Er is refused, Liu Mian Tang, who is having tea with the Empress, overhears Sun Yun Er's maid boastfully claiming that the favored concubine desires the recently gifted headpiece. Shi Xue Ji looks troubled, as this headpiece is the only one in the palace and belongs solely to her. Noticing this, Liu Mian Tang subtly suggests that they should help Sun Yun Er.
The Empress then gifts her sole set of phoenix jewelry to Sun Yun Er, who eagerly wears it and flamboyantly heads to the palace where the Emperor is reviewing memorials. The Emperor, weighed down by various worries, is not impressed by Sun Yun Er's ostentatious appearance and instructs her to remove the jewelry.
Sun Yun Er has never been so harshly reprimanded. Feeling wronged, she pleads for the Emperor's mercy, mentioning that it is her birthday and hoping he will celebrate with her. The Emperor remains unmoved and insists that the palace servants remove her jewels immediately. Feeling slighted, Sun Yun Er, filled with indignation, takes off all her jewelry and leaves in a huff.
Determined to return to the Prince's side for a while to put pressure on the Emperor, hoping he might recall some old feelings for the Prince, Sun Yun Er is shocked to find the Prince avoiding her. He does not allow her to return, which infuriates her further. Just as she is about to leave, one of her maids receives a gift from the Prince's consort. Surprised, Sun Yun Er opens it to find a jade bracelet and cautiously discovers a hidden note and a pouch of powder beneath it.
The Prince is aware of Sun Yun Er’s fall from grace, but he is preoccupied with planning his cavalry's rebellion for the Mid-Autumn Festival, hoping that everything remains calm in the meantime.
Sun Yun Er received a pouch of poison powder, mistakenly believing it to be a message from the Prince. Feeling disheartened and now emboldened by support, she decided to test a small amount of the powder. The following day, during the Emperor's banquet, she began to carry out her plan.
At the imperial banquet, the Empress Dowager was present and witnessed the Empress and Emperor drink from the same cup before the Empress suddenly vomited blood and collapsed. The Dowager immediately ordered the palace gates to be sealed. Experienced in such crises, she calmly instructed the royal physician to detoxify both the Emperor and the Empress, while palace servants were dispatched to inspect the cups. It was soon discovered that only the Emperor's and Empress's cups contained poison.
The physician confirmed that someone had ground blackwood vines into powder and heated it, intensifying its potency. The Dowager demanded to know who was responsible for the banquet. A palace servant from the kitchen revealed that the poisoned wine jug had come from Liu Mian Tang, as she was the only one who had ever crafted such porcelain.
Upon hearing this, Sun Yun Er quickly shifted the blame onto Liu Mian Tang, claiming that the Emperor had old feelings for her and was deliberately trying to harm the Empress out of jealousy. The Dowager, not easily fooled, interrogated Liu Mian Tang and then summoned the physician again. He explained that this poison would turn the fingers yellow if even a small amount touched the skin, and that it couldn't be washed away with soap.
The Dowager immediately ordered water to be poured for everyone present to test. As a result, Sun Yun Er was completely exposed. The physician then reported that Shi Xue Ji was dead, and Sun Yun Er was dragged away with a mocking smile.
Upon hearing that the Empress was dead and the Emperor was also poisoned, which would lead to his demise in a few days, the Prince felt a surge of relief, abandoning his initial rebellion plans. Instead, he prepared to seize the throne once the Emperor passed away.
The Prince cautiously instructed his subordinates to gather information about Cui Xing Zhou, thinking he had fled to Qingzhou for reinforcements out of fear.
Comments(Episode 39)