Episode 12 recap: Gong Shang Jue accused Lady Wu Ji of being Wu Ming.
Shang Guan Qian asked Gong Yuan Zheng why he hadn't left yet and why Gong Shang Jue seemed so fascinated by the embroidered tiger. Gong Yuan Zheng replied that it was his younger brother, Langdi's, work. Gong Yuan Zheng then realized the implications and asked Shang Guan Qian how she knew about Langdi and why she could hear their conversations every time.
Gong Zi Shang celebrated Gong Zi Yu's successful breakthrough and suggested going out to have some fun. However, Gong Zi Yu understood her intentions and stated that it wasn't appropriate to leave the palace during this period. Gong Zi Shang then tried to change his statement and said that Yun Wei Shan wanted to go. Gong Zi Yu immediately agreed to the idea.
Yun Wei Shan learned that Gong Zi Yu had been eating very little for dinner, so she intentionally brought him dinner and accidentally saw the patterned cloth on his desk. Yun Wei Shan sensed his longing for his father and brothers, and she comforted Gong Zi Yu proactively. As they talked, they became more engrossed in the conversation, and eventually, Gong Zi Yu praised Yun Wei Shan using flower language. However, Yun Wei Shan's poisonous condition flared up again, and she hurriedly left. Gong Zi Yu mistakenly thought she was shy.
Shang Guan Qian arrived in the courtyard and found Gong Yuan Zheng lost in thought. She asked him why Gong Shang Jue was staring at the embroidered tiger, and Gong Yuan Zheng replied that it belonged to his younger brother. He then asked Shang Guan Qian why she knew so much and why she liked to hide in corners. It turned out that Gong Shang Jue had a younger brother whom he adored, and he personally selected the little tiger for him. Langdi, the younger brother, loved practicing martial arts and would smile happily while holding his brother's sword. Ten years ago, Langdi and Lady Ling were killed by Wu Feng.
Shang Guan Qian stopped probing and went to Gong Shang Jue's room. Mistaking a broken cup on the floor for an unattended item, she was angrily rebuked by Gong Shang Jue. Yun Wei Shan reached out her hand, and Gong Shang Jue applied medicine to her injured finger and pressed it firmly. Shang Guan Qian endured the pain and refrained from crying out, instead gently blowing on her finger, which relieved the pain. Gong Shang Jue was surprised to see this adorable side of her and pretended to be indifferent.
Gong Shang Jue instructed Shang Guan Qian to go to the medical clinic the next day, claiming that she had a fever and either was sick or poisoned. He gave her a token that would grant her unrestricted access within the palace gates. Lady Wu Ji handed Lan Fu Ren's and the old Executioner's belongings to Gong Zi Yu. He discovered a poem inside a purse, which turned out to be the secret of the Snow Family's sword technique. He understood the meaning behind it.
The ten-day deadline had arrived, and Gong Zi Yu personally came to inquire about the result. Gong Shang Jue asked if Gong Zi Yu could bear it. Gong Shang Jue accused Lady Wu Ji of being Wu Ming, but Gong Zi Yu didn't believe it and suspected that Gong Shang Jue had ulterior motives. Gong Shang Jue claimed to have found out through thorough investigations. The first suspect was Jin Yunfeng, the leader of the Huangyu guards, followed by the steward of the Elder Council. Both of them were ruled out. Jin Yunfeng, whose surname was Qian, entered the palace as a helper in the kitchen ten years ago and had been living in the valley for generations. On the other hand, Lady Wu Ji came from outside and was not a native of Gusu. She became a maid in the same year the old Executioner was attacked by Wu Feng. Gong Zi Yu still didn't believe it and asked for concrete evidence. Gong Shang Jue said that at the time of the incident, Jin Yunfeng and the steward had alibis, while Lady Wu Ji claimed she was sleeping alone in her room.
The ten-day deadline has arrived, and Gong Zi Yu has not passed the Three Realms Trial, while Gong Shang Jue must have evidence to count as a win. Shang Guan Qian asked Gong Shang Jue what had happened earlier when she heard an argument. She mentioned that there is a calming pillow in her hometown and requested to go out to buy medicinal herbs. However, Gong Shang Jue refuted her, saying that once inside the palace, one should not think about going out. Gong Shang Jue watched Shang Guan Qian leave, his eyes filled with suspicion. Gong Yuan Zheng thought that it would be difficult to obtain evidence if Lady Wu Ji no longer committed any crimes. Gong Shang Jue would rather she stop committing crimes and not have more deaths. Yun Wei Shan went to the medical clinic but was refused entry. At that moment, Shang Guan Qian showed Gong Shang Jue's token, allowing her smooth access inside.
Yun Wei Shan used stone markings to arrange a meeting with Shang Guan Qian and told her that Gong Zi Yu's identity is genuine. However, Shang Guan Qian felt resentful towards Gong Shang Jue, thinking that he had been manipulating them. Shang Guan Qian and Yun Wei Shan engaged in a fight, and Shang Guan Qian discovered that Yun Wei Shan was tormented by poison, which secretly pleased her. Yun Wei Shan proposed that if she was given the antidote, she would share the method of leaving the palace. Later, Shang Guan Qian led Yun Wei Shan back to the medical clinic to retrieve the medicinal herbs.
Meanwhile, Gong Zi Shang was practicing culinary skills in the kitchen, but the delicacies he prepared for Jin Fan turned into black cakes. Shang Guan Qian drew the hidden weapon diagram of Gong Yuan Zheng and took a small amount of poison from it. This time, she had Yun Wei Shan take it out of the palace in exchange for the antidote for the Half-Moon Fly. Shang Guan Qian praised Gong Yuan Zheng's hidden weapon as a remarkable piece, with a small needle containing a firecracker that could explode upon impact. Yun Wei Shan realized that she had misunderstood the direction of the blade and that it was not the front mountain but the back mountain. Gong Yuan Zheng learned that Yun Wei Shan and Shang Guan Qian had obtained the medicinal herbs and, based on the formula, he felt it resembled a heat-clearing and fire-reducing herbal cuisine.
Yun Wei Shan looked at Gong Zi Shang, who disliked eating her carefully made black cakes for Jin Fan. She reminisced about how she used to love going for dim sum and admiring the flower lanterns during the Lantern Festival, where she would dress up beautifully to pray for meeting her ideal man. Her romantic stories piqued Gong Zi Shang's interest. She took the initiative to suggest that Gong Zi Yu take them out of the palace to celebrate his success in the first trial. However, they were rejected by the palace guards. Upon learning that Yun Wei Shan also wanted to leave, they decided to escape through a secret passage. Gong Zi Yu held Yun Wei Shan's hand tightly as they made their way through the secret passage. Their attempt to leave the palace was discovered by two palace guards, who decided to report it to Gong Shang Jue.
The palace is destined to fail, and the strategy of solely guarding one's own territory is definitely not effective. The reasons are as follows
1. Among the existing individuals who can act as "Zhi Ren":
- "角" (Jiao) possesses a strong sense of competitiveness, arrogance, and firmly believes that they see everything clearly. Therefore, even if they are aware of the dangers and risks of external stimuli, they won't avoid them. Instead, they choose to engage with them, even keeping them close by.
- "羽" (Yu) is kind-hearted and naive. They do not agree with the policy of strictly guarding the palace and aspire for the outside world. They cannot focus their attention
2. If the palace has been secluded in one corner for too long, internal members become complacent and restless. Their thoughts become agitated, and their energy cannot be channeled externally, resulting in internal conflicts and a lack of unity among the people
3. External individuals may attempt to sow discord and create divisions among the palace members.