Episode 11 recap: Yang Shang De pretended to be crazy and refused to perform for Empress Dowager Cixi.
Huoyuanjia opened the prison door and let Li Tian Shun escape with him. Li Tian Shun was afraid of implicating Huoyuanjia but was unwilling to leave until Huoyuanjia insisted on staying with him in the prison. Only then did Li Tian Shun leave the prison. Wu Xiu Zhen was at home wiping her tears when she unexpectedly saw Li Tian Shun entering. Upon learning that Huoyuanjia had saved him, she asked him to leave and hide for a few days. However, Li Tian Shun told her that Huoyuanjia had instructed him not to hide.
Wu Xiu Zhen was worried that Tong Daren wouldn't let the matter rest. Suddenly, Xiaohanzi ran over and told her some news: Huoyuanjia had posted a notice at the city gate admitting that he had taken Wang Wu's head. Tong Daren took the notice and went to find Zhengtong Ling, believing that it was not a bad thing. Since Huoyuanjia had voluntarily confessed, they could explain it to their superiors. Zhengtong Ling sighed and said that they could only do it that way now.
Cuigonggong arrived at the old street and encountered Wang Tong Ren face to face. Wang Tong Ren recognized him and invited him to have a meal. Cuigonggong took out a jade pendant and asked Wang Tong Ren to sell it for him, instructing him not to reveal that it belonged to him.
Wang Tong Ren went to Juhua Zhai with the jade pendant. Although he claimed to Li Tian Shun that it was a family heirloom, Li Tian Shun immediately recognized that the jade pendant belonged to Empress Dowager Cixi. Seeing that Wang Tong Ren didn't believe him, Li Tian Shun explicitly told him that he had carved the jade pendant himself.
Wang Tong Ren refused to admit it and left feeling guilty. Li Tian Shun watched his back and loudly warned him not to flaunt the jade pendant everywhere, as it could easily bring trouble upon himself. Empress Dowager Cixi called Rong Daren and wanted to perform in the palace for a few days to dispel the bad luck brought by the foreigners.
Rong Daren hesitated and suggested that Xiao Dezi should perform instead. Yang Shang De didn't expect that the foreigners were exploiting the Chinese people and yet the Empress Dowager still had the mood to listen to a performance. He informed the eunuch in charge that he was ill and unable to perform. Rong Daren thought that Yang Shang De's illness was suspicious, so the Empress Dowager ordered Cuigonggong to investigate whether Yang Shang De's illness was genuine or fake.
Cuigonggong went to the old street and coincidentally met Wang Tong Ren, who led him to Yang Shang De's house.
Yang Shang De was practicing martial arts at home when Huang He Xiang learned that Cuigonggong was a person from the palace. He hurriedly explained to him that although Yang Shang De appeared lively and energetic, he had been driven crazy by the foreigners recently.
Upon hearing Huang He Xiang's words, Yang Shang De pretended to be insane and took a weapon to attack Cuigonggong and Wang Tong Ren. The two of them were frightened and quickly fled. After returning to the palace, Cuigonggong reported the situation to Empress Dowager Cixi. Upon hearing Cuigonggong's report, Empress Dowager Cixi sighed and lamented the wasted talent, wondering whether Yang Shang De was truly insane or faking it. Cuigonggong came up with an idea to test Yang Shang De by using excrement and urine, but Empress Dowager Cixi scolded him for being vulgar.
Although Yang Shang De escaped unscathed by pretending to be crazy, he didn't want to continue the charade indefinitely. Huang He Xiang comforted him, saying that Cuigonggong and Empress Dowager Cixi were unlikely to come and check on him. However, Yang Shang De was worried that Wang Tong Ren would inform Cuigonggong, so Li Tian Shun came up with a plan.
Li Tian Shun found Wang Tong Ren and proactively mentioned that a eunuch had stolen Empress Dowager Cixi's jade pendant, and the court was currently searching for him. Wang Tong Ren, upon hearing Li Tian Shun's words, became worried that he might be implicated and quickly fled.
Empress Dowager Cixi remembered the jade pendant that symbolized surplus every year and didn't want Cuigonggong to bring it to her. However, Cuigonggong reluctantly explained that the jade pendant had gone missing and was likely taken by the foreigners. Empress Dowager Cixi then instructed Cuigonggong to find the person who had originally carved the jade pendant and have an identical one made.
Pu Lan Ting and Li Tian Shun were having a casual conversation in Juhua Zhai when Cuigonggong suddenly walked in. Upon learning that Empress Dowager Cixi's jade pendant was missing, Li Tian Shun told Cuigonggong that Wang Tong Ren had such a jade pendant and confidently stated that he had asked Wang Tong Ren, who claimed it was given to him by a eunuch from the palace.
Cuigonggong, fearing that Li Tian Shun would report him, voluntarily went to the yamen and accused Wang Tong Ren of colluding with the palace eunuchs and stealing Empress Dowager Cixi's jade pendant. Upon hearing this, Zhengtong Ling and Tong Daren took the opportunity to search Wang Tong Ren's home. Tong Daren asked Zhengtong Ling if they should issue a wanted order, but Zhengtong Ling scolded him and reminded him that if they truly caught Wang Tong Ren and he revealed Cuigonggong's involvement, would he dare to arrest Cuigonggong.
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