The Palace (2013) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Liuli was driven by ambition to escape her lowly servant status. Despite her close friendship with Chenxiang, she chose to pursue power and status by becoming Yinxiang's di fu jin (official wife), even if it meant betraying her closest friend.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the palace, Liuli's desire for prominence was evident in her conversations with Chenxiang about wanting a better life.

• liuli betrayal
• yinxiang wife
• palace ambition
• chenxiang friend

Chenxiang remained at Liuli's side to protect Chunshou, the loyal eunuch who had been kind to her. Liuli threatened Chunshou, so Chenxiang endured the humiliation of serving her former friend to keep him safe.

Foreshadowing: Chenxiang's deep loyalty to those who helped her survival was established early when she formed quiet alliances with Liuli and Chunshou.

• chenxiang servant
• liuli service
• chunshou protection
• palace loyalty

When Yinxiang was blinded during the hunt, Chenxiang visited him daily to maintain his hope and routine. However, she never revealed her true identity, so Yinxiang naturally assumed the visitor was his wife Liuli.

Foreshadowing: The Fourth Prince had warned that Yinxiang's blindness made him vulnerable to palace threats, necessitating secrecy.

• yinxiang blind
• chenxiang visits
• liuli mistaken
• palace secrecy

When the Fourth Prince told Yinxiang that Liuli had been involved with the Ninth Prince, Yinxiang's trust was shattered. Chenxiang chose to stop visiting to avoid adding to the confusion and pain, as her presence would have complicated the situation further.

Foreshadowing: The Fourth Prince's revelation came during a tense period when palace intrigue was at its peak.

• chenxiang leaves
• yinxiang trust
• liuli affair ninth prince
• palace confrontation

After the Fourth Prince became the Yongzheng Emperor, he ordered the Imperial Doctors to restore Yinxiang's vision. The doctors successfully returned his sight, though Yinxiang remained unaware that Chenxiang had been his secret visitor.

Foreshadowing: The Yongzheng Emperor's rise to power brought significant changes to the palace, including this act of mercy toward his brother.

• yinxiang vision
• imperial doctors
• yongzheng emperor
• sight restored

The Emperor believed Yinxiang still had work to do within the palace walls. Keeping the truth hidden ensured Yinxiang remained focused on his palace duties and destiny rather than being distracted by the full truth about his visitor.

Foreshadowing: The Emperor's strategic nature was evident throughout his rise to power, manipulating situations to serve his goals.

• yongzheng secret
• chenxiang identity
• yinxiang truth
• emperor manipulation

Liuli was exposed for her affair with the Ninth Prince and attempted to escape the palace with money and a horse. Yinxiang discovered her plan, and the Emperor ordered her shot with arrows, ending her schemes.

Foreshadowing: Liuli's secret affair with Yuntang was discovered earlier by Chenxiang, planting the seeds for her ultimate downfall.

• liuli death
• escape palace
• arrows
• ninth prince affair

In the Qing Dynasty, palace servants could leave once they turned 25 years old. As a generous farewell gift, the Emperor gave Chenxiang 100 golden taels, providing her wealth to start a new life outside the palace walls.

Foreshadowing: This tradition was established early in Chenxiang's palace life, as the narrative mentions her age and the coming-of-age milestone.

• 100 taels
• chenxiang leaves
• age 25
• palace servant freedom

That forgotten section was where Chenxiang and Yinxiang first met years earlier. When Chenxiang visited it before departing, Yinxiang was waiting there, their shared memory brought them full circle and led to his realization that she was his true visitor.

Foreshadowing: Their first meeting in that abandoned area established an emotional connection that endured throughout the story.

• abandoned palace
• first meeting
• yinxiang waits
• reunion location

When Yinxiang waited at the abandoned palace area where they first met, he finally understood the truth, that the woman who had visited him daily during his blindness was Chenxiang, not Liuli. He declared his love and promised they would never be separated again.

Foreshadowing: The emotional weight of their years apart built toward this moment of recognition in a place meaningful to their shared history.

• yinxiang realizes
• chenxiang visitor
• love declaration
• final reunion