The Changchun Palace team travels back in time to Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

After everyone left, only Ruyi, with her bruised and swollen face, and the Emperor, along with Yu Hu, Jin Zhong, and a few other eunuchs and maids serving the Emperor, remained in the tent.

Jinzhong waved his whisk, and two eunuchs came up carrying a box.

The box was opened, and inside was a pair of old boots.

Jinzhong reported: "Your Majesty, this chest belongs to Ling Yunche and contains all his belongings. We found the bottle of mare's bodily fluids, a box of soapberries, and a package deep inside the chest. Inside the package are these boots."

The emperor asked in bewilderment, "These boots are everyday wear, so why are they kept deep inside the trunk? Could they have some special significance?"

One of the eunuchs carrying the box knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please allow me to report. After we examined the boots, we found that the inside was embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns. The character 'cloud' is a veiled reference to Ling Yunche's name. It is likely that it was made by someone close to Ling Yunche to wish him good fortune."

At this moment, a palace maid suddenly said, "Your Majesty, isn't the name 'Ruyi' the same as the given name of Consort Xian?"

The emperor's face immediately darkened, and he slammed his hand on the armrest: "How dare you! How dare you speak of Consort Xian's maiden name!"

The young eunuch turned ashen-faced and kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "This servant deserves to die! This servant deserves to die! This servant was just a menial servant, and I truly did not know Consort Xian's name!"

Jinzhong said, "You ignorant fool! Apologize to Consort Xian now!"

The young eunuch kowtowed again in a panic, saying, "Please forgive me, Xian! Please forgive me, Xian!" He kowtowed three times in a row, then raised his hand and slapped his own face five or six times. Only then did Ruyi say, "Alright, alright, ignorance is no excuse."

The emperor then said, "Alright, for the sake of Consort Xian, I will spare you this time!"

Then, as if remembering something, she angrily said, "That lowly maid who said the pattern matched Xian's maiden name! What do you mean! Are you saying that the Ruyi cloud pattern contains the names of Xian and Ling Yunche? Ruyi and I are childhood sweethearts. How can you, a lowly maid, so easily sow discord in my trust in Ruyi!"

The palace maid scrambled to her knees and cried out, "Your Majesty, please forgive me! I was originally Zezhi, a servant in Consort Xian's palace. I heard this servant speak so casually and offended Consort Xian, so I spoke up to remind her. I had no other intention!"

The Emperor's expression softened: "So you're Ruyi's former servant. Very well, seeing your loyalty to your former master, I will forgive you."

Ruyi thought to herself that the emperor trusted her so much, and that Zezhi, even though he had already come to the emperor's presence, still thought of her wholeheartedly, showing his loyalty. She was satisfied, but for some reason, she always felt a sense of suffocation.

At this moment, the emperor seemed to suddenly remember something, and asked Jinzhong to bring the boots closer so that he could examine them carefully. He also asked Ruyi to come forward and take a look with him.

The Emperor asked in confusion, "Ruyi, these boots, though old, don't seem to be worn often. They've been kept deep in a trunk, and the embroidery is exquisitely detailed. I remember Ling Yunche is an orphan with no mother or sisters. Who embroidered these for him to cherish so much?"

Jinzhong said, "Your Majesty, should we summon Ling Yunche to answer your questions?"

The emperor waved his hand: "Summon them."

Ling Yunche was dragged in by Cherdenzab with his head hanging low. Blood dripped down where he passed, leaving a bloody trail.

Jinzhong and Jinbao each supported him on one side, barely managing to keep him kneeling.

Seeing Ling Yunche beaten beyond recognition, with almost no unscathed flesh on his body, Ruyi felt a pang of heartache and said in a trembling voice, "Ling Yunche..."

The emperor felt nauseous and, suppressing the urge to vomit, said, "Jinzhong, ask him."

Jinzhong flicked his whisk and asked, "Ling Yunche, the Emperor is asking you, who gave you these boots?"

Ling Yunche barely managed to raise his eyes and look at Ruyi.

The Emperor roared, "You dog of a servant, making baseless accusations! Consort Xian is a palace concubine and my childhood sweetheart. We share such deep affection and loyalty. How could she send such a private item as boots to a man like you? You'd better give me an explanation!"

Ling Yunche opened his mouth, but before he could speak, blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. His voice seemed to become weak and he said intermittently, "These boots... were indeed given to me by Consort Xian when she left the Cold Palace. But I had no private relationship with Consort Xian. Please see the truth, Your Majesty."

Ruyi said, "Your Majesty, I and Hailan were trapped in a fire back then, but fortunately we were rescued by Ling Yunche. Your Majesty knows about this. Hailan made a pair of boots herself to express our gratitude to Lord Ling on our behalf." (Most of the dialogue is quoted from the original drama)

The emperor asked, "Is it Hailan?"

Ruyi said, “If Your Majesty does not believe me, you may summon Hailan to ask. Your Majesty’s handkerchief was embroidered by me, while the pattern on these boots was embroidered by Hailan. If Your Majesty does not mind the effort, you may take that handkerchief and compare the stitches.”

The Emperor said, “How could I not believe you? But this matter concerns the harem and your reputation. It’s better to let Hailan prove your innocence than to let this matter reach the Empress and cause some misunderstanding. Yuhu, go and get the handkerchief that Consort Xian embroidered for me.”

Yu Hu bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the handkerchief embroidered by Consort Xian is an old item from many years ago. Your Majesty cherishes it and often takes it out to wipe it, so it has long been worn out. The handkerchiefs Your Majesty wears now are all spun and sewn by the Empress herself from the silkworm cocoons from the silkworm-raising ceremony in the past."

The Emperor sighed: "The Empress is thoughtful, but her embroidery skills are not as exquisite as Ruyi's. Well then, let's take two pieces of cloth and have Ruyi and Hailan embroider on them respectively, so that we can compare them."

He then ordered someone to summon Hailan.

Hailan had been beaten with fifty strokes of the cane a few days ago and was unable to get up; she was dragged in as well.

But as soon as she heard that she had to prove Ruyi's innocence, she immediately perked up, knelt on the ground, and embroidered a Ruyi cloud pattern with Ruyi.

Yu Hu compared them and said, "These auspicious cloud patterns are indeed not Xian Ying's stitches."

At this moment, Zezhi suddenly sprang up, stepped forward, and slapped Hailan across the face. Then she knelt down and said, "Your Majesty! Hailan, as a deposed concubine, has been having an affair with a man outside the palace, which has tarnished Xian's reputation. Although I have served her, as Xian's maid, I have only been loyal to Xian. How can I allow Hailan to ruin Xian's reputation!"

Ruyi and Hailan were stunned, yet they had no way to refute it.

Ruyi could only say, "Your Majesty, Hailan was just confused for a moment. Please don't misunderstand Ling Yunche's loyalty to you because of this!"

The emperor seized the opportunity and said to Zezhi, "Hmm, you are indeed loyal to Consort Xian! Then tell me, what should we do to restore Consort Xian's reputation?"

Zezhi said, “Your Majesty, this matter all started because of the boots made by Hailan. Even if Consort Xian and Ling Yunche are innocent, Consort Xian’s reputation is still bad because her maid has been having an affair with a man outside the palace. But now that it has been proven that the boots were not made by Consort Xian, as long as no one else can prove that the boots were made by Hailan, this matter will be easily resolved.”

The emperor asked with amusement, "Oh? The embroidery stitches match perfectly, so how can it be impossible to prove?"

Zezhi said, "As long as we cripple Hailan's hands and cut off her tongue, so that she can no longer hold a needle or thread and can no longer speak, this matter will be impossible to verify."

Hailan's pupils dilated, her face filled with disbelief: "Zezhi, you!"

Ze Zhi said loudly, "Hailan may suffer, but it's all for Xian's sake! What, Hailan, are you unwilling to make a sacrifice for Xian's sake?"

Hailan was speechless.

Ruyi pondered, "It's just a pity about Hailan's hands..."

The Emperor patted her hand, seemingly to comfort her: "Ruyi, I know you two are very close. Actually, I also think that Zezhi's method was too hasty and lacked compassion. In fact, if we just gave Hailan some medicine to calm her down, why cut her tongue? As for her hand, we only need to sever the meridians between her right thumb and forefinger. That way, Hailan's hand can still move. She just won't be able to do delicate things like embroidery, but she can still do some rough work. It's not like she can't serve you."

Zezhi immediately knelt down: "Your Majesty is wise and benevolent, this servant is ashamed!"

Although Ruyi sensed something was amiss, the Emperor's words were all for her sake, even his handling of Hailan was for her convenience in serving him in the future, so she didn't say anything more, but simply asked, "Then, Your Majesty, Ling Yunche..."

Zezhi said, "Xian, no, my lady! Things have come to this point, and for your sake, even if it means incurring your resentment, this is the only option I can take! Your Majesty! I beg you to have Ling Yunche castrated and sent to the inner palace to serve Xian as a eunuch! This will allow Ling Yunche to atone for his sins and provide an explanation to the outside world! And how can someone who isn't even a man be suspected of having any entanglement with a concubine? In that case, Ling Yunche and Xian will be together day and night, but nothing can happen between them, thus proclaiming to everyone in the harem that they have no private feelings for each other!"

Ruyi was shocked and her eyes filled with tears.

Ling Yunche was also trembling and unable to speak.

At this moment, Jinzhong said, "Your Majesty, actually, just now, Guard Cherdenzabu was in a fit of rage. He not only beat Ling Yunche, but also had someone bring him a whole bottle of mare's bodily fluids and forced him to drink it. The imperial physician said that this stuff is extracted from mares and purified. It is an extremely yin and soft substance. In addition, when Guard Cherdenzabu beat him, he inevitably touched that area. I'm afraid Ling Yunche is now... just like this servant."

The Emperor inwardly admired Cherdenzab's shrewdness despite his rough exterior, and said calmly, "Is that so? Ling Yunche's failure to report the truth led to Yonglian's illness. If something had really happened to Yonglian at that time, wouldn't the Second Princess Consort have been widowed at such a young age? Cherdenzab is clearly trying to make Ling Yunche's future wife live a life of widowhood in order to vent his hatred."

Then he turned to Ruyi and said, "Ruyi, you said that you have no children, so you treat all children equally. I suppose you also love Yonglian. Besides, if it weren't for Yonglian's desperate protection and the Second Prince Consort's timely shooting of that wild horse, I would have been in grave danger. You are deeply devoted to me, and Yonglian and his wife saved me. You must also feel sorry for their plight, right? You are also the most benevolent person, so you must understand Cherdenzab's love for his daughter, right? I completely trust you. However, since Ling Yunche is already crippled, it doesn't matter whether that thing is there or not. Cutting it off will completely protect your reputation. You should understand, right?"

His words had put Ruyi in a difficult position, leaving her speechless. But the thought that Ling Yunche would no longer be considered a man filled her with sadness, and she pouted and cried silently.

A complex mix of emotions welled up within the Emperor: on one hand, Ruyi's reaction made him feel betrayed and angry; on the other hand, he was overjoyed that he could finally deliver a heavy blow to Ruyi and Hailan.

He twirled the prayer beads in his hand, suppressed his emotions, and said calmly, "Since that's the case, let's do as Zezhi says. There's no need to find a special knife maker; let the people who geld horses in the hunting grounds handle it. Zezhi is very loyal, so I'll entrust this matter entirely to you. There's no need to tell the Empress yet. After it's done, I'll reward you with three hundred taels of silver."

Jinzhong flicked his whisk, and two eunuchs came over and dragged the limp Hailan away.

Ling Yunche seemed to have calmed down at this moment, and prostrated himself, saying, "Consort Xian, please do not be sad for this servant. If this action can protect Consort Xian, this servant is willing to do so. This servant also begs Your Majesty not to make things difficult for you."

He was being dragged out as he spoke.

Zezhi withdrew and ordered someone to find the gelding man: "Find the least skilled one and have him bring the dullest knife. As for medicine, it's hard to find any in this hunting grounds right now, so have him bring the medicine for the horses!"

He then ordered his men to drag Hailan to a secluded little tent and get the matter done quickly.

A muffled groan escaped, sounding like it came from someone whose mouth had been gagged.

Before long, a eunuch came out and said, "Aunt Zezhi, the matter has been handled according to the Emperor's orders."