The Empress of China Episode 7

ep 7 spoilers ahead

7/96!

1.Su Mei, the Crown princess, is introduced. She appears to visit Crown Prince. A close companion to the Crown Prince, Chengxin, is in his chambers. She tries to have him sent out but the prince has him remove his clothes, showing scars. he saved him from a deadly bear attack (....wow) and thus is not someone she can dismiss. He then dismisses her.

2.We learn in the next scene that the Crown Prince used to be closer to her and then Chengxin appeared and that all changed. There is an implication that they may be lovers. She is concerned about rumors that he is gay getting around and wants another baby....the crown prince says no....

3.Meanwhile, Ru Yi is in jail. the emperor jails her because she lied. She refuses admit she lied and so the emperor finally says there is not enough evidence to convict her or to free her. Here she also learns from him that Wanyan tried to kill her, shocking her. She is sent to Yeting as punishment. this really, really sucks because here, you do laundry, which is arguably the worse job a person could have

--I pity Ru Yi but don't really get her plan; she lacks the power to go against Consort W. If she did and succeeded, it would just create a power vacuum and she would have to contend with others; maybe this is best?

4.Elsewhere, a memorial for Wanyan is held. In death she is conferred a higher title, Jieyou deren, and her father receives a 2,000 household fief, conferred 700 households, his son gets another title and a gold fan signed by the emperor

5.After this ceremony, the vice chancellor (Wanyan's dad) is met by a servant with his daughter's belongings. He expresses frustration that the culprit, Ru Yi, got free, but the man laughs and accuses him of putting on a show, that he should know Ru Yi was a scapegoat, and that this was all about gaining properties. But his father persists in his frustration (I think this was a test of his sincerity) and the man says that if he wants revenge, Master Yin can help. Even though he is not in Chang'an....

6.Meanwhile, Dai Qing is with the emperor. He tells him that he believes that Wei Zheng is a bad choice for royal tutor. But the emperor disagrees because he is honest, no nonsense, and smart. Dai Qing does not trust him because he goes to Xianwu gate every day on the anniversary of the incident (when the emperor killed his older brothers). he also doesn't trust him because he once plotted against him. But the emperor says what he can he do, since half of his court has tried to plot against him (fair point)

7.Consort Wei, meanwhile, sends a servant to meet with some girls from Yeting. She wants them to disfigure her, not kill her, and make it look like an ordinary fight. the girls gang up on Yeting (this feels like a prison fight--she has a shank!) But Ru Yi has fast reflexes and defends herself well. She beats them bad!

8.Meanwhile, Xu Hui is summoned to see the Emperor. He is playing chess, and she impresses him with her chess skills. Later she is conferred the rank of Jieyou Xu and given many gifts, much to Xiao Q's frustration who proceeds to engage in the same petty behavior

9.Ru Yi meanwhile meets a kid, who I think is a son of the crown prince. She gives him advice on fighting back his siblings who bully him.

10.Meanwhile, the crown prince is meeting with Changxi, who reports what the rumors are: apparently his servant stepped forth and made up an incident that he was drunk and killed the merchants father. He said the prince covered it up. That same man also killed himself. The prince must be careful....

11.Ru Yi needs to be ALWAYS on guard. While getting her daily rice, she is given a fancy lunchbox instead. By chance a cat happens to be there and she feeds it meet....the CAT DIES from poison.....whoever sent the food sent a note telling her to meet by the gate later.....who wants her dead? There are so many possibilities!

---I can only expect that i n this show each person will do crazy things. And I love it. Tune in for the next episode, and see who will die next--

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