Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace (Legend of Ruyi / Hou Gong Ruyi Zhuan / 如懿传)

Auntie.

Get up.

I was going to summon for you.

I'm here to tell Auntie that

His Majesty is sending you to the summer palace

to live out your days in peace.

How am I to live out my days in peace?

I won't be recorded in historical records and accepted into the ancestral hall.

I'll be buried one day as the former emperor's anonymous concubine.

I can no longer be buried with the former emperor.

It isn't so.

Auntie, as long as you remain in the summer palace quietly

you'll then be buried with honors when you pass away.

You'll be buried with the former emperor.

What price did you have to pay for such an arrangement?

His Majesty adores me.

That's why he's made such an arrangement.

Without Niuhuru's consent, will His Majesty agree to your request?

She must have also given you choices.

Between the both of us, which of us will get to live?

Did Empress Dowager also come to see you?

Qing Ying...

Come over here.

I know what you're like.

You'd certainly protect me.

You'd sacrifice your own life for the sake of my title.

But Niuhuru has always wanted me dead.

What good is your death?

Moreover, if you're dead, will your beloved Hong Li let me off?

Will he allow me to get back on my feet again?

Even if he regards me as your aunt, I am after all an empress of Great Qing.

How could I drag out my life without any status or title

and live under Niuhuru's thumb?

I have to die.

Only then will she let you live.

You can then extend the glory of the Ula-Nara clan.

Auntie...

His Majesty cares about you.

You're the only hope of the Ula-Nara clan.

You have to stay in his favor.

You must become the empress.

But, Auntie...

I've never coveted the position of the empress.

All I want is to stay forever in love with His Majesty.

Hong Li has a special place in your heart, doesn't he?

Don't you wish to be with him in life and buried with him in death?

Only by becoming his empress, can you be with him in life and death.

But Lady Fuca is a good princess consort.

She'll also be a good empress.

You're so unambitious and uncompetitive.

Why would we have a woman like you in the Ula-Nara clan?

Auntie?

Auntie, what's wrong?

Help me sit up...

What's wrong?

The poison that Niuhuru gave me doesn't affect my body but my heart.

I can only allow one Lady Ula-Nara here in the harem.

This is already the limit of my tolerance.

Qing Ying...

You have to watch me die.

You have to prove that I wasn't forced to take my own life

but that I died suddenly out of grief and rage.

No one is to be blamed for this.

But Auntie...

Empress Dowager did force you to take your life.

At the moment, neither of us is able to fight back.

You must go on living.

Don't even harbor any hatred.

Not only do you have to make Niuhuru spare your life

but even make her your stepping stone.

You must become the empress.

That's the only way to avenge me.

Even more so, that's how you can repay my kindness.

You're more fortunate than I am.

You have won over His Majesty's affection.

Don't become an abandoned wife like me.

Qing Ying...

There's already one abandoned woman in the Ula-Nara clan.

We mustn't have a second one!

Auntie?

That year...

The former emperor conferred me as his empress.

Those were the best times of my life.

I was bestowed with honor and glory.

The man I love...

He didn't leave me.

Auntie...

Auntie... Auntie...

Auntie...

When I went there, the lady of the Palace of Great Benevolence was dead.

It was Consort Qing who walked out of there.

Empress Dowager.

It was Consort Qing who walked out.

When Cheng Han went there

the lady of the Palace of Great Benevolence was dead.

Her maid Xiu Xia also killed herself.

Ula-Nara is dead.

Qing Ying can stay alive for now.

As for the lady of the Palace of Great Benevolence

are we to hush it up without a funeral?

I'll visit the emperor tomorrow to discuss this with him.

Your Majesty, once the funeral rituals end

Empress Dowager will move into the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility.

The consort dowagers will move to the Palace of Longevity and Health.

The Western Six Palaces and Eastern Six Palaces

will be tidied up for your consorts.

Your Majesty, the lady of the Palace of Great Benevolence passed away.

What?

This...

Consort Qing said so.

She reported it as sudden death.

Is it really?

Consort Qing witnessed her death.

She took poison.

Where did she get it from?

Empress Dowager visited the Palace of Great Benevolence.

Send someone to take care of Empress Dowager Ula-Nara's funeral.

It's too late tonight.

Send someone to invite Consort Qing over early in the morning.

Yes.

The lady of the Palace of Great Benevolence passed away?

How did she die?

Wang Qin stammered and mumbled. He couldn't explain it well.

He only said that His Majesty was also shocked at her sudden death.

If Wang Qin doesn't dare to talk about it

it means there's something suspicious about her death.

Whatever it is, it's good that she's dead.

If she lives, she's nothing but trouble!

It's already quite late.

You must be tired, Lang Hua.

I'll take my leave.

Lian Xin, walk Consort Yue out.

Yes.

The lady of the Palace of Great Benevolence was an empress

and should live out her days in peace.

If it weren't that her words and actions made her fall out of favor

she wouldn't have come to such an end.

It seems that it's not easy to be an empress.

How is she anything like you?

You're from a prestigious clan and you also gave birth to a prince.

Was the lady of the Palace of Great Benevolence

not also from a prestigious clan and gave birth to a prince?

It was just that the prince died young and the favored consort was in power.

That was how her position as the empress dowager was seized.

She died dejected and she won't even be recorded in history.

It was as if she was a speck of dust that never existed.

Whatever His Majesty might think

it's fine as long as you remain the empress

and our Second Prince grows up safely.

As for His Majesty...

it's inevitable that he has other favorites.

We could only hope that they won't have any princes soon.

There's nothing to fear as long as the legal first born is full-grown

before the favored consorts give birth to sons.

Your Majesty, the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility has always been

the residence of empress dowagers.

Since it's the residence of empress dowagers

it must be treated with care.

Convey my decree.

Renovate the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility

so that Empress Dowager can live out her days happily.

If it's to be renovated, none can move into the palace yet.

Empress Dowager...

She can stay at the Palace of Longevity and Health temporarily.

Empress Dowager is to stay with the consort dowagers?

This...

Wouldn't that be too crowded?

Yes. Your Majesty is filial to Empress Dowager.

I'll get this done right away.

My Lady, you've been crying all night because of Her Highness.

Now that you're going to see His Majesty, you'd have to lift your spirits up a bit.

The lady of the Palace of Great Benevolence passed away.

You've already heard?

Yes.

Qing Ying had sent someone to inform me.

She said that it was sudden death caused by concealed resentment.

Sudden death caused by concealed resentment?

How did she die so suddenly? Did she not take her own life?

Qing Ying is her niece.

She wouldn't have lied.

Whatever it is, her status in the palace is awkward.

How are you going to handle her funeral, Your Majesty?

Although she wasn't conferred an honorary title

the former emperor didn't abolish her.

She even died suddenly out of grief over my father's passing.

I intend to have her buried according to the funeral of an empress.

Since she held no honorary title

she can't be buried as an empress or be buried with the former emperor.

That's what he meant by never seeing her again in life and death.

Your Majesty, Zhang Ting Yu seeks audience.

- Send him in here. - Yes.

Zhang Ting Yu greets Your Majesty and Empress Dowager.

- What is the matter? - Your Majesty, I've heard that

the lady of Palace of Great Benevolence died a sudden death so I came to see you.

This is a matter of the harem.

Why would a veteran official interfere with it as well?

Empress Dowager, by right, officials shouldn't interfere

with the affairs of the harem.

However, whether the lady of the Palace of Great Benevolence

should be conferred a title is of interest to the state.