Episode 11 recap: Ming Wu Ji helped Gong Zi Yu clarify the rumors surrounding his birth, ensuring his innocence and clearing his lineage.
Gong Zi Yu lingered outside Yun Wei Shan's door for a long time but left sadly. Yun Wei Shan saw the ice lotus in the box and burst into tears. She thought about Gong Zi Yu's words, which made her heart ache even more. Gong Zi Yu mistakenly believed that Yun Wei Shan, like Lady Wu Ji, desired freedom and that he could let her leave if she wanted. Lady Wu Ji remembered that when Lady Wu Ji was alive, she casually mentioned missing her, and the Zhi Ren ordered someone to bring her into the palace. Lady Wu Ji told her that she could leave the palace if she wanted, but she chose to stay by Lady Wu Ji's side.
Xue Zhong Zi and Xue Gong Zi personally taught Gong Zi Yu the Xue family's knife techniques, which consisted of three moves: Xin Xue (Fresh Snow), Shuang Dong (Frost), and Da Han (Great Cold). After watching the demonstration, Gong Zi Yu nervously swallowed and lacked confidence in his ability to master them but promised to put in his best effort. Before leaving, Gong Zi Yu gave pastries to Xue Zhong Zi as a gesture of gratitude. Xue Zhong Zi reciprocated by providing him with annotations and optimizations for the Gong family's knife techniques, hoping that Gong Zi Yu would keep the original copy safe.
Gong Zi Yu bid farewell and returned to the front mountain but didn't find Yun Wei Shan. He learned that she had gone to Lady Wu Ji after stealing the medical records but was denied entry. Upon hearing that Gong Zi Yu had returned, Yun Wei Shan congratulated him. He wished to talk to her about everything that had happened in the past few days, and although he had unlocked the physical lock, he couldn't unlock the lock in his heart. He couldn't understand why she and Lady Wu Ji had acted that way. Did she also yearn for the outside world like Lady Wu Ji did? Did Gong Shang Jue promise her something? If he could, he would also grant her freedom. Yun Wei Shan sadly asked if he believed she had betrayed him but hoped that he could trust her once again. Summoning her courage, Yun Wei Shan opened the door to her room and found an ice lotus at the entrance.
Yun Wei Shan observed that even though he was originally a Red Jade Guard, he willingly became a Green Jade Guard for Gong Zi Yu. She had no regrets staying by his side. Since she took on this mission, she was ready to face any challenges without hesitation. Gong Zi Yu, who had harbored resentment before, now realized that the misunderstanding had been resolved, but she had already passed away. Lady Wu Ji entered the room and recalled her early days entering the palace. It was at the insistence of the former Zhi Ren, who considered Lady Wu Ji's longing for her, that Lady Wu Ji was allowed to accompany her into the palace. At that time, Lady Wu Ji had distanced herself from Gong Zi Yu to avoid rumors.
Lady Wu Ji was brought to the Zhi Ren Hall as a witness, where Gong Shang Jue made false claims about Gong Zi Yu's parentage. In response, she swore to the heavens that Gong Zi Yu was the biological child of Gong Hong Yu and Lan Fu Ren. She explained that she had been taking care of him since Lady Wu Ji's suspicion arose, as her health was fragile at the time. A few days ago, Gong Shang Jue had inquired about Gong Zi Yu's parentage, but due to his status, he had to compromise and wait until today to clarify it with the elders.
Gong Shang Jue handed over medical records that clearly documented Lan Fu Ren's pregnancy before entering the palace, as well as the full-term delivery. However, when Yun Wei Shan examined the medical records, she claimed that they were not Lan Fu Ren's, and Gong Yuan Zheng immediately refuted her statement, mentioning that there was only one copy of the medical records in the medical clinic. Gong Shang Jue argued that the medical records had seals and handwriting that proved their authenticity. To clear her name, the Lady Wu Ji requested a search for Lan Fu Ren's medical records in the medical clinic.
Jin Fan asked Yun Wei Shan why she didn't leave when the door was already open and Gong Zi Yu had specifically come to escort her out. They couldn't find Lady Ling's medical records in the clinic. To differentiate between Lady Ling and Lan Fu Ren's medical records, they had drawn a flower on the cover of Lady Ling's records. The Lady Wu Ji claimed that the medical records in Gong Shang Jue's possession belonged to his mother, Lady Ling, and the consistent handwriting suggested that they were written by the same physician. Gong Shang Jue realized he had fallen into a trap. The Lady Wu Ji pleaded with the three elders not to let Gong Zi Yu be wronged any further and requested proof.
As Yun Wei Shan approached the palace gate, Gong Zi Yu rushed over and tightly embraced her. Gong Zi Yu personally escorted Yun Wei Shan back to the Yu Palace, where Gong Zi Shang apologized to her. It was revealed that there had been a plan between Yun Wei Shan and the Lady Wu Ji, and the reason for keeping it a secret from Gong Zi Yu was due to concerns about his impulsive nature. The Lady Wu Ji explained that Lan Fu Ren had been deeply obsessed in the past. When Gong Hong Yu first met Lan Fu Ren in Jiangnan, she had been in love with a poor scholar. However, when Gong Hong Yu selected his wives, he unexpectedly found Lan Fu Ren among them. To make her happy, he specifically brought the Lady Wu Ji into the palace. The former Zhi Ren, in an attempt to please Lan Fu Ren, personally cultivated orchids, but he was not skilled at expressing himself, which led to a growing rift between them. Soon after, Gong Zi Yu was born, and rumors spread that he was not Gong Hong Yu's biological son. Lan Fu Ren, who had been depressed for a long time, eventually died from her condition. After Lan Fu Ren's death, Gong Hong Yu married the Lady Wu Ji as a secondary wife to take care of Gong Zi Yu. In reality, his parents were not indifferent to him. They believed Gong Zi Yu to be weak and timid, so they changed their approach from doting on him to being strict, hoping that he would eventually become independent and able to protect himself.
Why is it that Gong Zi Yu, despite his long history of debauchery, still has so many people supporting him? They change the rules, appoint him as the leader of the palace, and everyone dotes on him.
On the other hand, Gong Shang Jiao has always been diligent and responsible for the palace's affairs, facing various dangers. He possesses both intelligence and capability, yet in the end, everyone turns against him.
Except for his younger brother and Qian Qian, my heart aches so much for Gong Shang Jiao. He truly feels lonely, and it breaks my heart. Is it all because one is the protagonist with a halo, and the other is the perpetual second male lead lurking in the shadows?
I hope in unseen places, he can find true happiness.