episode 4 spoilers ahead

4/96!

SO MUCH HAPPENS IN THESE EPISODES; I AM TRYING TO FOCUS ON THE KEY POINTS....

1.Our show begins with the personal servant of Noble Consort Wei delivering a set of extremely valuable pearls to the emperor's personal servant, the man in charge of helping him select a companion for the evening. He accepts the peals and will continue to create opportunities for Xiao, going so far as to lie that Xiao caught a cold while waiting for the emperor (however, the emperor is not a fool and remarks how strange it is that he remembers her)

2.While in conversation with Xu Hui, Ru Yi exposes the red dot on her arm. Here I learned that this red dot seems to signify virginity; she has not lain with the emperor yet in spite of having spent the night with him. Later, the emperor sends for Xiao Q. (who not only makes a big show in front of the other girls, but is extremely rude and provocative to Xu Hui and Ru Yi, though they do not take her bate. In fact they laugh at her--I did too. Her behavior is extremely over the top)

3.Xiao Q. successfully beds the emperor and is promoted two ranks, to Jieyou (Lady of Handsome Fairness).

4.The scene changes and our narrator tells us that the Zheng family has put a great deal of effort into raising their young daughter, Wanyan, who could be a clone of the late Empress, to act exactly like her. Her goal is to help the family, which has fallen on hard times. This is part of the Honorable Yin's plot (he is the brother of the Virtuous Consort--recall she mentioned she and her brother survived something bad). We learn here that the Emperor killed almost their entire clan (only fourteen of 164 survived!). He wants revenge.

5.Wanyan arrives in a new wave of Cairens, at the very least illustrating how common it is for women to enter the harem and how precarious the position of the members are (also makes me respect the consorts who have managed to obtain enough of the emperor's attention to rise so high). The consorts are visibly shocked to see the resemblance between Zheng and Wende, and all rise to look at her face. Consort Wei asks who her family is, and we learn her father is the Vice Chancellor of the Imperial court, Zhen Reng (I believe).

6.In a private meeting, Virtuous Consort urges her brother to let go of his hate but her brother desires revenge since the emperor essentially slaughtered their clan and left them powerless. Zheng was told her goal is seduce the emperor, but she does not know that the ulterior motive is to use her to gain power, bring Prince Qi back, and it sounds like it is implying, stage a coup...

7.Meanwhile, Xiao Q (who seems increasingly unstable, rageful, and borderline crazy) is beating on a servant who didn't prepare her juice. Ru Yi intervenes but it is Zheng Wanyan who is able to stop her. She offers to make the juice and tells Xiao Q. that a jieyou was once banished to the cold palace because her actions caused a maid to kill her self (at the very least this illustrates that Zheng is far more refined and prepared to take on the harem then Ru Yi; Xu Hui could be a good rival if she were more daring but she is not).

8.The girls work together to prepare the juice. Xu Hui, who by far seems to be the most intelligent of the girls, talks about the 'Ultimate Bliss' a Buddhist Sutra of Amitabha. Zheng Wanyan asks if such a thing as bliss exists in this world. Xui Hui admits her ultimate bliss would to simply be by the side of the one she loved (not necessarily together with them). Ru Yi echoes this sentiment, however Zheng admits that her idea of bliss would be to be happily married and to raise children.

9.Change scene to the emperor, who is told by his servant that a new Cairen has arrived who looks just like Wende. The emperor goes to see her himself, and then summons her. Ru Yi and Xu Hui do not seem to hold a grudge against Wanyan for this, but Ru Yi sadly admits out loud that being in the harem is like being a pretty silk at market: you are easily discarded, and as you grow old and wither no one wants you. Xu Hui tells her to hush, since this is bad talk. Noble Consort walks by and overhears this and I believe she echoes the same sentiment, and in fact would respect Ru Yi if she didn't 1)need to promote her niece and 2)view her as a personal rival because Ri Yi is too clever for her liking

10.Change scene, we go to Gunlu Palace (the emperor's palace) and Wanyan is bathed and dressed to look like Wende (even served by her servants and given her clothes...weird). The emperor speaks a few words to her, and then seems to be put off by her. He leaves.

11.We go to Ru Yi, who is tasked with copying the enormous Examples for Women. The emperor secretly watches her and finds her to be very amusing as she gets ink on her face (this entire scene is actually very cute). She then goes to the mirror, unaware he is standing behind it, and has an imaginary conversation with him, proclaiming she will make him fall in love with her (she also insults him, draws his face on the mirror) and then returns to her seat. He catches a glimpse of the drawing and seems startled by her attitude, but at the same time a bit taken with her. He secretly has food sent to her...

12.The following morning the emperor promotes Wanyan to Jieyou. He continues to summon her to his chambers but he does not sleep with her. One day, he speaks to a minister and discusses how odd it is that a girl should appear who resembles his late empress. He knows who her father is and believes there is more to this than just one man. The minister is tasked with investigating....

13.Xiao visits her aunt and throws a temper tantrum. Her aunt tells her that while Zheng has been visiting the emperor each night (and here I thought she would teach her a lesson, no, she is going to use her to carry out her dirty work) someone else is in his heart....

14.The scene changes to Ru Yi, and the emperor who has appeared before her....

Comments:
The show continues to be very good. A lot of things are going on. A lot of plots are afoot. I enjoy the dynamic among the women, and wonder if Ru Yi will continue to be friends with Xu Hui or if something will change this. I really respect Noble Consort, even though I do not like her, if only because she has managed to obtain a very difficult position and hold onto it for years. I wonder if Zheng will meet an unfortunate end or not...I certainly find Xiao Q amusing because she is so extreme and I kind of pity her because her entire everything hinges on her Aunt. If her Aunt chose to abandon her, she would just be another girl in the harem.

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