Episode 12 recap: Rescue Yang Ying with good will.
Shen Tu arrived, and the spy saw the body of Ru Yi and thought the plan was completed. She informed her superiors that she had completed the mission. Li Wang (Yang Ying) was startled, and she then told her superiors that Amber might have died. The superiors felt a bit of loss as they had invested so much in training the secret guards, and it was a pity to lose them.
The superiors felt that something was amiss; it could be a ruse by the other side to deceive them. They decided to report to Jia Ling for further instructions and instructed the spy to keep a close eye on Li Wang. They believed that Li Wang was not to be underestimated and wanted to ensure nothing went wrong. Shen Tu Chi left, and the spy felt that Li Wang seemed a bit cunning and needed to be cautious.
Yang Ying faced the provocation from the other side and eagerly accepted the challenge. Lord Du was a bit worried about Yang Ying but couldn't say much when he saw her determination to participate. Qian Zhao was afraid that something might happen to Yang Ying and quickly followed her. Shen Tu Chi was desperate to defeat Yang Ying, but she felt he was not trustworthy. The people were angry at Yang Ying, and they threw vegetables at her, causing chaos.
Shen Tu Chi also got injured and saw everyone protecting Yang Ying, which made her feel uneasy. Ning Yuan Zhou arrived at the scene and felt that their actions were not in line with reality, lacking the proper etiquette between two countries. He believed they should be punished according to military law.
The brothers were also moved and felt it was their own fault. Ning Yuan Zhou interceded for them and took their punishment upon himself, which made them feel uneasy. Ning Yuan Zhou, as the commander, felt responsible for their mistakes. He took off his clothes and punished himself. Yang Ying couldn't bear to watch and wanted to stop him, but Ru Yi stopped her, feeling that Ning Yuan Zhou's actions were appropriate. As the commander, he should set an example for the brothers. If they were wrong, they were wrong. Ru Yi personally administered the flogging to Ning Yuan Zhou and let those people know that they should carefully consider the appropriateness of their actions before acting. After that, she handed the whip to Yang Ying to execute further punishment.
Yang Ying was reluctant, but she had no choice but to follow through. Yuan Lu was very worried about Ning Yuan Zhou's injuries, and Ru Yi herself wasn't entirely comfortable with what had happened. Qian Zhao saw that Ru Yi's concern for Ning Yuan Zhou and the others was genuine and wanted Ru Yi to inflict a few blows on him, but Ru Yi felt it was unnecessary.
When Ru Yi saw Ning Yuan Zhou wake up, she finally felt relieved. However, she still couldn't fully trust Ning Yuan Zhou and felt insecure. She also hadn't figured out how to face Qian Zhao and the others. Ning Yuan Zhou voluntarily told Ru Yi that he was willing to have a child with her. Ru Yi was stunned to hear that Ning Yuan Zhou agreed to have a child with her. Ning Yuan Zhou felt that they had suffered enough, and they could consider having a child after everything was over.
Ru Yi felt that Ning Yuan Zhou was once again using a delaying tactic. Ning Yuan Zhou knew that Ru Yi was genuinely concerned about him, and although he appeared heavily injured on the surface, he didn't have any internal injuries.
Ru Yi admits that she refrained from taking action against Ning Yuan Zhou because she found him pleasing to the eye. Ru Yi understands Ning Yuan Zhou's position, and he knows that only Ru Yi understands him. Their feelings for each other suddenly intensify, and Ru Yi feels that they can slowly develop their relationship. Yang Ying is very worried and wants to go see Ru Yi, but Yuan Lu understands the implication and advises Yang Ying not to disturb Ru Yi.
Ning Yuan Zhou is afraid that others will misunderstand his relationship with Ru Yi. However, Ru Yi doesn't think there is anything to misunderstand, and she finds it amusing that Ning Yuan Zhou feels embarrassed. Ning Yuan Zhou is captivated by Ru Yi's appearance.
To protect Yang Ying, Ning Yuan Zhou proposes that they form two pairs and go to An Guo to rescue the emperor. The brothers finally reconcile, and Ru Yi is very grateful to Yuan Lu for her help. Ning Yuan Zhou wants to sit next to Ru Yi, and Yang Ying is happy to make room for them.
Upon reaching the resting place, Ru Yi discovers that the water is suspicious, but Yang Ying doesn't believe that the emperor would harm them. Ning Yuan Zhou tells Yang Ying that the emperor may not be in good condition but can still stabilize the people's hearts. Yang Ying wants to rescue the emperor and stabilize the people's hearts. Li Tong Guang informs the emperor that he was attacked on the way but fulfilled his mission.
The emperor pretends to be happy, and Li Tong Guang understands his intention and pretends to be weak. Chu Yue doesn't want to marry Li Tong Guang, but her father disagrees. He finds Chu Yue, and she finds Li Tong Guang infuriating. They confront each other, and Li Tong Guang knows that Chu Yue looks down on him.
I believe the female lead has a stronger intellect! The male lead spent a longer time with the princess in the early stages, but he didn't contribute much to her growth. Ren Ru Yi is the one who truly used both kindness and authority to educate the princess.
She was able to discover that the princess was being abused by Lady Ming and the real motives behind her impersonating the prince (because she had a lover who was a guard). Ning Yuan Zhou might have awakened the princess to some extent in terms of righteousness, but he didn't address the root issues the princess had.
Ren Ru Yi provided guidance in all aspects of behavior and actions and revealed the political situation of the Wuguo Kingdom.
The portrayal of the female lead during the whipping scene is delicately done. Firstly, she steps forward to take on the role that nobody wants—to be the "villain"—but in reality, she is the one who can best take care of the male lead.
Secondly, the words she speaks are what the male lead wants to say, but she has a more objective standpoint. She can truly shock everyone from an objective perspective, making them reflect on the idea that being too kind-hearted can sometimes harm their entire team.
Thirdly, she delivers impactful blows that hit the mark without causing serious harm, achieving the purpose of both warning and protecting the male lead. Additionally, the plot is designed to pause every three strikes in order to give the male lead a breather.
I absolutely adore the female lead in this scene.
In addition to his martial prowess and strategizing, the screenwriter has showcased an extraordinary level of leadership in Ning Yuan Zhou's character. True leadership goes beyond personal abilities; it lies in the ability to inspire and unite the potential of a team, as well as maintaining composure and wisdom in the face of challenges.
Among the main cast, Qian Zhao is meticulous and strategic, while Ruyi possesses formidable combat skills. However, when it comes to leadership, Ning Yuan Zhou is unparalleled. It's no wonder that Zhang Song's subordinates said, "As long as we kidnap the princess and have 100,000 taels of gold in hand, he can easily find a place to recruit soldiers and horses and become a powerful force." By the 12th episode, I finally understand the meaning behind this statement.
There isn't a single wasted line in this drama.
The highlight of episode 12 is Ning Yuan Zhou self-punishing with whipping and Ruyi's return. The narrative efficiency is impressive! And the princess, from the very beginning, she was able to handle things like facing intimidation formations and horse racing invitations (even the horse riding element was foreshadowed earlier).
On one hand, it reflects the princess's character growth and her gradual development of coping abilities from her initial timidity. On the other hand, it confirms Ren Ru Yi's irreplaceability within the entire team.
Besides her own contributions, she possesses the ability to provide both spiritual and professional training for the princess.
I don't think Ren Ruyi has a love-oriented mindset. I have seen examples like this around me. She didn't receive much love from her family since childhood. Her younger sister had poor health, so her family paid a lot of attention to her sister.
She was deprived of love, but apart from her personality, she excelled in every aspect, whether it was academics or various interest classes. Everyone finds it difficult to approach her, but if you show her a little kindness, she becomes overwhelmed and wants to repay you in some way.
The female lead considers Empress Zhao Jie's words as the dying wish of a person who was good to her, and perhaps in her heart, it was a wish for the female lead to fulfill on her behalf.
That's why she keeps pursuing the main goal of having children. Later, when she meets the male lead, he cares for her, she eavesdrops on his conversations, and he shows various forms of concern for her.
For someone who already lacks love, it's really easy to be swayed.
Please note that Ning Yuan Zhou has no right to make mistakes or retreat. On one side are his brothers from the Liu Dao Tang, and on the other side is Ren Ru Yi. For the sake of both parties, Ning Yuan Zhou relies on a sense of responsibility despite getting injured.
As the leader of the Liu Dao Tang, he understands the unrelenting enmity between his brothers and the Zhu Yi Wei, and he understands the sorrow and anger they feel when their lives are separated from their loved ones... But at the same time, he sees the helplessness in Ruyi's situation, and he sees the genuine dedication she has put into the mission behind her cold exterior.