The Empress of China Episode 30

episode 30 reviews ahead

30/96!

In memory of the dearly departed, gone too soon:

1.Zheng Wei/tutor/chancellor
2.Chungxin (Crown Prince's Valet/best friend/lover)-Killed by the emperor
3.Zhuang Yuanji/Minister (technically moved to death row, probably dead) called the crown prince inept
4.Commander Wu (killed to satisfy the prophecy)
5.Wang Yanan (I believe she is Xu Hui's personal attendant)-murdered by Xu Hui
6.A lot of soldiers during the rebellion

1.We open to Consort Yang speaking with her attendant. Now that Meniang is in Yeting, it is highly unlikely she will be released. Her attendant believes her search was a waste of time even though she discovered something. The Consort believes that Meniang is different, and that as long as she is alive anything is possible (I cannot tell what Yang's motive is). Her attendant reports that Meniang had a childhood friend, Li Mu (recall she once wanted to marry him) who was connected to the Li Xiaocheng rebellion. He was banished but is on his way to Chang'an.

2.Li Zhi will recover but the emperor is concerned for his health....The emperor visits Meniang and it is a continuation of their conversation only he wants to know if she told Li Zhing to kneel in the rain, she said that she told him not to bother the emperor and to protect the crown prince. The emperor must be confused if he is visiting her...elsewhere Li Mu fights free and is allowed to escape after servants from Consort Yang assist him...

3.Meanwhile, the emperor hesitates to announce the edict to depose the crown prince. Elsewhere Li Zhi bursts into Consort Yang's room and asks for her help and Consort Wei decides that Meniang needs to be killed after learning the emperor visited her. Back to Li Zhi, he and Consort Yang learn that someone, we don't know who, went into Yeting (I can only assume it is Consort Wei's people) She rushes to save her (is this part of her plot?)

4.Meniang has a nightmare that the emperor is killing her--she awakens and sees someone trying to kill her! Meanwhile, eunuchs won't let Consort Yang and the prince in. they use force, and a soldier (Li Mu?) essentially slaughters everyone. He kills everyone, saves Meniang who passes out (Is prince Wu almost killed?) (he has a ring on...)and the emperor arrives (having learned that something was happening) and Li Mu gives him Meniang...

5.Elsewhere Consort Wei is terrified her people will turn on her. Xiao Q overhears her (maybe she can do something now?) While Consort Yang meets with Li Zhe and cautions him to be careful. Meniang awakens with Xu Hui beside her. Meniang explains the emperor knew all along and somehow thought she was colluding with crown prince and she doesn't know what went wrong (she also tells her that Li Mu is in the palace).

.....Not the most interesting episode.

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