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

"As I stroll past the Imperial Garden in my leisure time..."

"I stumbled upon memories we shared and I was overwhelmed with sorrow."

"I think of you whenever I see the scenery and objects."

"I find it too sorrowful to utter a word."

This is the poem His Majesty wrote to commemorate Empress Xiaoxian

when he was here in the Gardens of Perfect Clarity.

His Majesty...

He thinks constantly of Empress Xiaoxian.

One day when I'm gone...

will His Majesty also think of me?

My lady, why would you say something so inauspicious?

You're still very frail.

You can't stand staying up all night.

Consort Shu.

You have to take care of your health.

There's not much I can do for Your Majesty.

Give it back to me.

Give it back to me!

You're still young.

You'll conceive again.

I know that I'm too frail to conceive easily.

I've been taking medicine for years.

I finally managed to give birth to 10th Prince.

But I still couldn't keep him with me.

I have let Your Majesty down.

It's our child who was unfortunate.

Don't always blame yourself.

I couldn't keep our child with us.

I won't be able to repay you for your lifetime of graciousness.

All I can do...

is transcribe your imperial poems into books.

One day... if I really leave with our child...

Your Majesty can then remember me by looking at my handwriting.

Don't say such things.

The imperial physicians prescribed some medication to soothe your nerves.

I'll feed it to you.

Consort Shu... when you've recovered, we'll make a fresh start.

Your Majesty.

Give her the prescription.

Consort Shu must take her medicine regularly.

I'll keep her company more often in my spare time.

Yes. Your Majesty really cares deeply for my mistress.

Your Highness is in a good mood today.

Take a look.

You've already strolled over to the Springtime in Wuling.

Consort Shu... I can only feel more at ease if she gets better.

Will His Majesty really come here?

Eunuch Jin Zhong said that recently

after His Majesty is done handling state affairs

he often strolls over to gardens that are further away.

He was here yesterday and said that the scenery was nice.

I'll sing here.

This place is quite far away and no one is around.

If His Majesty can hear me singing, it will be even better.

It's good to walk around more often in the latter stage of pregnancy.

You'll give birth more quickly.

10th Prince just passed away and His Majesty is grieving.

Who is still singing such songs here?

That sounds like Consort Ling.

Your Highness, I've heard that Consort Ling recently hired a mentor

to teach her Kun opera and a few songs.

It's no wonder.

Rong Pei, go and have a look.

Whoever it is, those who sing songs of joyful lyrics and demoralizing tunes

during 10th Prince's mourning period

will kneel before his memorial tablet for a day and a night as punishment.

Yes.

Madam Rong!

The empress has decreed.

Whoever sings songs of joyful lyrics and demoralizing tunes

during 10th Prince's mourning period

will kneel before his memorial tablet for a day and a night.

My lady, don't be angry.

It's not worthwhile to make yourself sick with anger.

Who could have known the empress would overhear you instead of His Majesty?

I, a servant, guarded an empty home with my life.

Eunuch Jin Zhong?

Jin Zhong.

What kind of information did you feed Lan Cui?

The empress overheard me singing songs.

I'm punished to kneel before 10th Prince's memorial tablet.

If I don't do so, you won't even think of me, will you?

You fed Lan Cui the wrong information on purpose.

Since Ling Yun Che returned

you've almost forgotten about me, haven't you?

Do you doubt me that much?

I no longer have Ling Yun Che on my mind.

Really?

If you don't believe me, I can make a oath.

Don't...

Look at this hand of yours. How soft it is.

It will be such a shame if no one dotes on you.

The empress is like the full moon that can only begin to wane.

You're the flower that's about to bloom.

Don't bother consoling me. You're not one who has to kneel.

So what if you have to kneel?

At the moment, she's still the favorite.

You should just put up with it.

Otherwise, what can you possibly accomplish?

Jin Zhong.

I can only depend on you now.

Don't.

You wish to count on me? I'm hoping to count on you.

You said that you have me on your mind.

I do have you on my mind.

But I am just a servant.

You have to keep climbing up the ranks with all your might.

Then I can give you a boost by having you step on my shoulders

to climb up and get on steady footing.

But how do I climb up the ranks?

But now...

I can't climb up.

If you can't do so now, you have to observe the current situation.

10th Prince just passed away.

His Majesty feels particularly bad for Consort Shu.

He visits her whenever he can.

The empress has always been close to her as well.

Once Consort Shu pulls through...

there won't be any chance for you in the future.

What am I to do?

Consort Shu is too frail to withstand one single blow.

Haven't you always kept her on your mind as well?

Don't let your efforts go to waste.

This isn't your child.

What are you doing here?

Yi Huan, you're here to cry for 10th Prince.

I'm here to cry for my own child.

What child do you have?

You're upset about 10th Prince. You can't even care for your health.

But you're still better off than I am.

At least, that child grew within you and got to be born into this world.

You had cried with him.

You had seen him smile.

But where is my child?

Your child?

Exactly.

At least... 10th Prince had lived in this world for once.

But I've hoped and hoped...

I've hoped so badly that my eyes went blank.

Yet my child simply won't come to me.

My child can neither come into my belly...

nor into this world.

Do you know why?

Why?

This smell of this medicine... don't you know it so well, Yi Huan?

This is...

Why would you have my fertility medicine?

I was so dumb.

It was also because of my yearning.

I yearned to have a child of my own.

Therefore, I had the dregs of your medicine brought back to me.

I had the same prescription filled and drank it in secret.

You also had it?

Exactly.

I took it even more diligently than you did

and yet I haven't conceived.

You stopped taking it for quite a while then

but ended up conceiving a child.

Yi Huan, don't you find that strange?

What's strange about that?

The fertility medicine didn't help us with conceiving a child.

How is that not strange?

So I sent someone out of the palace

with the prescription and the dregs of the medicine only to find out...

What did you find out?

Didn't the empress tell you what was in it?

The empress rarely drank any fertility medicine.

What can she possibly tell me?

Fine.

I'll tell you.

What we had been drinking for years was never a fertility medicine.

It's a contraceptive.

- I don't believe that. - You don't?

Yi Huan, look.

Is there any mistake in this prescription?

This was written by some renowned doctors in the capital.

There can be no mistake.

[This is a prescription for a contraceptive.]

10th Prince...

Poor child.

It can't be... No, it can't be!

It can't be! It's a lie!

Yong Cheng.

You've done a good job with the few tasks I entrusted you lately.

I'm very pleased.

- I should do my best work for Father. - Yes.

Consort Shu!

Consort Shu, what are you doing?

Your Majesty!

What brings you here?

I have some questions for you.

You're both dismissed.

- Yes. - Father, I take my leave.

Your Majesty, you've treated me so kindly.

Were you really sincere?

Why would you suddenly ask me that?

What exactly was in that fertility medicine

you bestowed to me for years?

The Imperial Academy of Medicine surely prescribed a fertility medicine.

Then why... why did I find out that it wasn't a fertility medicine