episode 15 spoilers ahead

15/96!

1.Noble Consort Wei's theatrics are just enough to let the audience know that she is clearly playing her game but genuine enough that the emperor cannot dismiss it (in my opinion). Consort Yang almost rolls her eyes as Wei essentially demands that she be demoted to commoner and her title conferred because she has been in the harem for ten years and failed to give the emperor a child. In addition to this, she chooses to confess to all of her recent crimes: she admits she wrongly accused Consort Yang of pushing the now deceased Able Consort Liu; she confesses to falsely accusing Cairen Wu of Wanyan's death (I cannot tell if her goal is to be in the limelight since Consort Yin, though dead, is in the limelight, or if she thinks her crimes so pale in comparison to Yin the emperor will overlook them or if she is taking advantage of some golden opportunity--I don't know)

2.Instead of giving his answer, he chooses to listen to the Hoborable Zhangsun's request (I really like the emperor nothing seems to shock him or unsettle him). This minister requests that the harem leave since this is a matter of state. Cairen Wu pleads that they be allowed to stay, since the matter pertains to Consort Yin. The Emperor agrees since it is both a matter of state and family (Wei even intercedes and agrees with Wu). Here comes another display: Consort Yang and Wei, hand in hand, kneel before the emperor, looking like sisters as they plead for Yin's son to be left alive (this is clearly to curry favor with the emperor).

3.The emperor announces he is responsibility for things coming to this since he was the one who separated mother and son for so many years. He will keep the incident quiet and give Consort Yin a proper burial.

4.Afterwards, Consort Wei and Yang are returning. Consort Wei warns her to be wary of Cairen Wu but Consort Yang dismisses this (making it clear in doing so that she is not going to dispose of Wu anytime soon). This annoys Consort Wei, but a messenger arrives and tells her that the emperor understands she had it hard running the harem and is willing to overlook any past slip-ups and he will be visiting her that night. Wei throws this in Yan's face and says that even if his eye wanders, he always comes back to her and it is true love (or more like putting out a fire).

5.Elsewhere, the Emperor talks to Fuji about the crown prince, and they acknowledge that even though he took a while to arrive, he ultimately chose to help him. We learn Prince Qi still has not been found.

6.That night, Cairen Wu requests an audience with the emperor and will not be turned away. (She wears a pink dress and red cape, almost like a bride....AND her hair is down...)She asks for a request, and begs that the emperor not kill the prince because she could not live with failing the request of a dying mother.

7.The emperor turns down the request, saying it is impossible. We learn that Prince Qi has already died, killed by none other than his Uncle, Hongzhi. It seems that when the imperial troops had him surrounded, he received the edict pardoning him. As he was reading it (happily, like a kid) Hongzhi killed him. Hongzhi wanted to kill something that was the emperor's, so he killed his son and then himself (he was going to die anyways). The emperor tells Wu that he so rarely saw his son that he could not even tell her how he looked and could not remember his face.

8.Wu moves closer and discusses that when she was little, she used to think her father hated her since he ignored her when she suffered, but it was his way of making her strong. She suggests that the emperor thought to make him strong. The emperor denies this and says he banished his son and ignored him because he was an accident (he was not supposed to be born). Any son born from Yin would be a threat because of the Sui blood in his veins; he ignored him and kept him away from court to protect him. Only it backfired. We also learn more backstory about the Yin clan: that Consort Yin's father was a general for the Sui, that he killed one of the emperor's brothers and desecrated the graves of his family, so he killed him. (Violence begets violence). Wu holds him/comforts him.

9.We go to Xiao Q who is with her Aunt, who encourages her to not give up and patiently wait as they plot, that now is there time since Yin is gone. She gives her a 'unicorn pill' which should increase her chances of pregnancy. Xiao leaves, and Wei angrily destroys some things. She is extremely unhappy with the new obstacle of Cairen Wu.

10.Xu Hui makes a friend in a eunuch, Lin Gong, and he intimates that it is interesting that Cairen Wu is rising faster even though they are friends...(I am certain that Xu Hui will betray her)

11.Elsewhere, a recluse is meeting with the astronomer. The former is his master, a Taoist, who cautions him about trying to use astronomy to meddle in state affairs. But the astronomer tells him that he is using his talent for the good of the state, and leaves. His teacher sighs and mumbles that he is not enlightened...

12.Wu awakens in the emperor's bed (I guess she has finally slept with him). Later, a eunuch summons him (the emperor is cute; he tells a EUNECH to not look at her). He meets with the astronomer who tells him he must kill every person , male and female, with the surname of Wu. (Wu herself is secretly listening to this). The emperor is told this is related to the calamity and Venus. The man says that the calamity says that a woman named Wu will take over the Tang dynasty some day (this had to be made up). The emperor refuses to hear it, tells him you don't run a state like this, and forbids him from telling anyone anything.

Of course, he can't keep a secret.

13.Consort Wei (yup) is able to pay someone to tell her the omen. She is positively radiant as she learns this. Elsewhere, Consort Wu has nightmares that the emperor will kill her....

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