ep 14 spoilers ahead

14/96!

This Episode, we bid good bye to many people....
Because there are so many scene changes I will combine things for the sake of brevity

1.The Imperial Prince is visited by a eunuch, Hao Gong-Gong from the Imperial Kitchens. He is one of the four involved in the plot. This elderly man appears to abandon Clan Yin (he kills the assassin sent to kill crown prince) and urges the crown prince to effectively have his father killed so that he could be emperor. He reasons that the crown prince's position is unstable, especially given his performance at the grand assembly (Wu outshone him). He pleads with him to seize this golden chance (as much as I hate the idea of killing one's father, in this world where everyone schemes, he kind of has a point). The prince wastes precious minute arguing with the eunuch, refusing him, even arguing with Changxing who thinks he should take this chance. Ultimately he says no, and the eunuch is killed. The dying Eunuch tells him he is too soft and will meet a bad end because of this nature... he goes to save the emperor...

2.Elsewhere, the emperor quickly kills the assassin (breaks his neck!) and then casually lectures Wu for grabbing a knife with her hand (her hand is tore up). He slowly bandages it as Wu looks at the approaching brigade of soldiers (about 30) with horror. The emperor calmly tells her not to worry, that everyone must die. (This can almost be interpreted as we are going to die, so don't get upset). Just when you think they are dead, the emperor orders 'kill them all' and out of nowhere, soldiers crash into the room (are these like his secret guard?) and it turns into a blood bath. The emperor (probably used to such scenes) doesn't react but Wu is (as I would be) panicking. He makes her look into his eyes (I really like the emperor. I thought because of the age gap I would be kind of put off but I like him) and holds her gaze until the killing is dead. Afterwards, he sends her back to her room.

3.After she leaves, we learn (and this I didn't see coming) that the emperor has been on to Hongzhi for over a year and has had his own spy there. He was waiting to entrap them. He also (another surprise) believed that Cairen Wu was in on it because she spoke up for Virtuous Consort Yin. But she proved to him she was innocent when she protected him. The emperor has enough lingering feelings for Yin, and knows her well enough, that he doesn't believe she was in on this. But his Ministers do not think she should be let go. He agrees that he will only arrest her if she visits him (as in, expecting she will arrive to kill him).

4.Elsewhere, Yin is just numb as Zheng Gong Gong begs for forgiveness--they have failed, and she bitterly curses men for being arrogant and stupid, making messes and then apologizing after (this actually remains me of a quote from Cold Mountain, when Renee Zelwegger says men go out and make a storm of trouble and then stand there and say shit its raining i.e. always shocked they make a mess when its their own dumb fault). She reads a letter from her son confirming his involvement and realizes that if she wants to protect her son, she must try to kill the emperor, whom she loves.

5.The crown prince visits the emperor who thanks him for his assistance but he also points out that he knows that he was late arriving to help. The crown prince leaves, and curses himself for allowing the eunech to delay him and he hopes that his father does not believe he wanted to harm him.

6.Consor Yin is decked in her finest outfit as she visits Wu. She plans to deliver a soup to the emperor (poisoned). Wu agrees to deliver it to her (sometimes I think she is completely dumb, but then I realize that from her POV Yin is someone whom she has come to trust and believes she loves the emperor). She arrives with the soup, and the emperor remarks that she continues to surprise him and he thought someone else would be coming (he believes Wu is going to try to poison him). he tells Wu to try the soup first (his back is turned). Just before she eats it she says that Consort Yin made it just for him, and he spins around, knocking it out of her hands.

7.Wu is angry, and yells at him for destroying Yin's gift and proceeds to defend Yin, and explain how she loves him, when the emperor's servant yells it is poisoned. This shocks Wu, and the emperor says, 'you were saying about love?' (I love this guy. he has really seen it all and done it all)

8.Guards are sent to arrest Yin. But Wu finds her first, standing by the lake. She is dressed up, looking her best, but looking so sad. She asks Wu how she found her. Wu says she knows that this is her favorite place because the emperor used to bring him here (this is such a bitter sad scene). Wu wants to know how she could do it. Yin says that her life has been one giant tragedy, that she has always been walking on thin ice (being a descendant of the Sui) and that she never thought it would end like this. She tells Wu that she had no choice, that she did it to protect her son, and begs her to plead for his life to the emperor, and to tell him that he had nothing to do with any of this (I personally think he deserves what's coming to him for his selfish actions but that's just me; I'm not his mom I don't need to love him). She promises.

9.The emperor and his guards arrive, but there is only a sobbing Wu, and a beautiful pair of shoes at the lake's edge. Wu explains she only left the shoes behind (meaning she drowned herself). Wu explains that she chose to end her life here, because it held so many special memories. She relays Yin's message, and the emperor says he still owes her one (I guess this means yes).

10.Afterwards, the soldiers waiting get the signal. We go the emperor who has ordered the signal to be lit. He tells his Ministers that Zheng Gong Gong will receive a bloodless death in honor of his loyalty (to the Sui)(apparently this period is rife with this kind of chivalry in battle; a very romantic period). He orders his soldiers to not kill his son under any circumstance, and they believe he should still be punished. he says he will 'think about it'.

11.Zheng Wenxi, the tutor to Crown Prince, privately speaks to the emperor. He acknowledges that the crown prince was foolish in allowing himself to be delayed but begs the emperor to not fall for the trap of another (i.e. he would be helping his enemies if he allowed this to mar the crown princes image). The emperor says he hired the right tutor (basically).

12.In the morning, Xu Hui bandages Wu's arm. They then go to have a drink, at Wu's insistence (she has seen some stuff0 and she tells Xu hui that she only needs her and the emperor and peace, nothing else. Xu Hui says she will get it (I am beginning to think Xu Hui will some day betray her however to betray her over jealousy would be extremely petty, I think)

13.The episode ends with the emperor and Wu being visited by Consort yang, and then Consort Wei, the latter who pleads with the emperor to cancel her conferment and make her a commoner (I assume both women will try to use this incident to show their loyalty to the emperor)(they have a huge competitor in the form of Wu, who saved his life--they had to send her gifts)

-RIP Noble Consort Yin. You were a great character, with a lot of depth, and you lived such a sad life! How awful it must have been, to have your life subject to the whim of others. And she tried to hard to keep this from happening, even killing her own family (Wanyan) and even losing her beloved servant (Liu). Was it all in vain? It's just so tragic.

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