Episode 12 recap: Yang Shang De pretended to be insane and refused to perform for Empress Dowager Cixi.
Huò Yuánjiǎ opened the prison door and let Li Tian Shun escape with him. Li Tian Shun was afraid of implicating Huò Yuánjiǎ but was reluctant to leave until Huò Yuánjiǎ insisted on joining him in the prison. Only then did Li Tian Shun leave the prison. Wu Xiu Zhen was wiping her tears at home when she unexpectedly found Li Tian Shun walking in. Upon learning that Huò Yuánjiǎ had saved him, she urged him to leave and hide for a few days. However, Li Tian Shun told her that Huò Yuánjiǎ told him not to hide.
Wu Xiu Zhen worried that Lord Tong would not give up and suddenly, a child ran over and told her some news. Huò Yuánjiǎ had posted a note at the city gate, confessing that he had taken Wang Wu's head. Lord Tong took the notice and went to find the legitimate leader, believing that it was not a bad thing. Since Huò Yuánjiǎ confessed voluntarily, they had an explanation to the higher authorities. The legitimate leader sighed and said that they could only handle it this way now.
Cuī Gōnggōng arrived at the old street and ran into Wang Tong Ren. Wang Tong Ren recognized him and even invited him to have a meal. Cuī Gōnggōng took out a jade tablet and asked Wang Tong Ren to help him sell it, reminding him not to mention that the item belonged to him.
Wang Tong Ren went to the Juhe Zhai with the jade tablet. Although he claimed to Li Tian Shun that it was an heirloom from his family, Li Tian Shun immediately recognized that it belonged to the Empress Dowager Cixi. Seeing that Wang Tong Ren didn't believe him, Li Tian Shun explicitly told him that he had carved that jade tablet himself.
Wang Tong Ren refused to admit it verbally but slipped away with a guilty conscience. Li Tian Shun watched his figure and loudly reminded him not to show off the jade tablet everywhere, as it could easily bring trouble upon himself. Empress Dowager Cixi summoned Rong Daren and wanted to enjoy some opera performances in the palace to dispel the bad luck brought by foreigners.
Rong Daren stood on the side, suggesting that Xiao Dezi should be the one to perform. Yang Shang De didn't expect that the foreigners were already riding on the Chinese people's necks and causing trouble, but the Empress Dowager still had the mood to listen to opera. So, he told the eunuch in charge of the imperial edict that he was ill and couldn't perform. Rong Daren suspected that Yang Shang De's illness was suspicious, so the Empress Dowager ordered Cuī Gōnggōng to go and check whether Yang Shang De's illness was genuine or fake.
Cuī Gōnggōng arrived at the old street and happened to meet Wang Tong Ren. Under his guidance, they went to Yang Shang De's house.
Yang Shang De was practicing martial arts at home when Huang He Xiang learned that Cuī Gōnggōng was a palace insider. He quickly explained to him that although Yang Shang De appeared lively, he had been driven insane by foreigners some time ago.
Upon hearing Huang He Xiang's words, Yang Shang De pretended to be insane and took a gun to attack Cuī Gōnggōng and Wang Tong Ren, who were frightened and quickly escaped. After returning to the palace, Cuī Gōnggōng reported the situation to Empress Dowager Cixi. Upon hearing Cuī Gōnggōng's report, Empress Dowager Cixi sighed and lamented the waste of such talent, wondering whether Yang Shang De's insanity was genuine or fake. Cuī Gōnggōng came up with an idea to test Yang Shang De by using excrement and urine, but he was scolded by Empress Dowager Cixi for being vulgar.
Although Yang Shang De managed to escape by pretending to be insane, he didn't want to continue the act indefinitely. Huang He Xiang reassured him that Cuī Gōnggōng and Empress Dowager Cixi were unlikely to come down and check on him. However, Yang Shang De was worried that Wang Tong Ren would inform Cuī Gōnggōng, so Li Tian Shun came up with a solution.
Li Tian Shun found Wang Tong Ren and deliberately mentioned that a eunuch had stolen Empress Dowager Cixi's jade tablet, and that the court was currently searching for him and his accomplices. Upon hearing Li Tian Shun's words, Wang Tong Ren became worried about being implicated and quickly fled.
Empress Dowager Cixi recalled the jade tablet with the auspicious phrase "Nian Nian You Yu" (abundance year after year) and instructed Cuī Gōnggōng not to let him bring it to her. Cuī Gōnggōng hesitated and informed her that the jade tablet had already disappeared and was likely taken by the foreigners. Empress Dowager Cixi then instructed Cuī Gōnggōng to find the person who had originally carved the jade tablet and have a replica made.
Pu Lan Ting and Li Tian Shun were chatting in the Juhe Zhai when Cuī Gōnggōng suddenly entered. Li Tian Shun learned that the Empress Dowager's jade tablet was missing and informed Cuī Gōnggōng that Wang Tong Ren had such a jade tablet. He boldly claimed that he had asked Wang Tong Ren about it, and Wang Tong Ren had said that it was given to him by a eunuch from the palace.
Cuī Gōnggōng, worried that Li Tian Shun would report to the authorities, went to the yamen (government office) and accused Wang Tong Ren of colluding with palace eunuchs and stealing the Empress Dowager's jade tablet. Upon hearing this, the legitimate leader and Lord Tong raided Wang Tong Ren's house. Lord Tong asked if they should issue a wanted order, but the legitimate leader scolded him and reminded him that if they were to capture Wang Tong Ren and he revealed Cuī Gōnggōng's involvement, would he dare to arrest Cuī Gōnggōng.
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