Episode 14 recap: Xiao Dou Zi was beaten, but Nan Gong Yao was filled with concern.
When Mei Yu Shan saw her mother, she couldn't explain the situation clearly, so she asked the lady to first help cover up for Xiao Dou Zi's identity with the Empress. The furious Empress barged into the lady's room, went straight to the bed, and pulled back the covers, only to find Mei Yu Shan weakly lying there. Seeing the Empress, Mei Yu Shan mustered the strength to get up and pay her respects, and the two onlookers heaved a sigh of relief.
After the Empress left, the two realized they couldn't explain the situation clearly, so they continued to conceal their identities. The mother took out the half-cooked greens she had specially prepared for her daughter, but Xiao Dou Zi tasted it and immediately spat it out on the floor. The mother thought her daughter had changed her taste, but based on the Empress's attitude, she could see that her daughter was not favored, so she reprimanded Mei Yu Shan for failing her father's trust and not considering the prospects of her two brothers. Mei Yu Shan said that putting all the family's expectations on the daughter was unreasonable, and Xiao Dou Zi repeatedly nodded in agreement.
After the lady left, Xiao Dou Zi was very envious of Mei Yu Shan, who had a mother to care for her when she was ill. Xiao Dou Zi had asked her three sworn fathers countless times why her own mother had abandoned her, but they had always avoided the topic. She wished she could know her own origins.
The spy sent by Bai Ye witnessed the events in the lady's room but couldn't see their faces clearly, and Bai Ye prayed that Xiao Dou Zi would not be involved.
The little sparrow, dissatisfied with Xing Shi's love for Mei Yu Shan, instigated Su Ruo Mei to accuse the Empress, claiming that the person the Crown Prince had rescued was not Mei Yu Shan but a maid. When the Empress questioned Mei Yu Shan about enticing the Crown Prince, Mei Yu Shan denied the accusation, but just then, Palace Supervisor Song presented the jade pendant found in Mei Yu Shan's room, leaving her speechless. However, Xiao Dou Zi was surprised to see the jade pendant, as she had personally given it to the mastermind behind the scenes on the day at the museum.
The little sparrow then brought out the Moon Spirit Pearl found in the lady's room to further frame them, and Xing Shi, seeing the situation escalating, hurriedly returned to the East Palace to find the Crown Prince.
Although Mei Yu Shan explained that she had not committed any illegal acts, the Empress was no longer willing to listen and directly ordered her to receive fifty lashes and then be driven out of the palace. Xiao Dou Zi knew that Mei Yu Shan could not withstand the beating, so she climbed on top of Mei Yu Shan to try to shield her. As the lashes came down, even the princes who might have wanted to intervene did not dare say a word.
Xing Shi went to the East Palace and heard from Nan Bei that the Crown Prince had gone to handle disaster relief in another location. The Crown Prince, upon learning that Xiao Dou Zi was in danger, rushed directly to the Chongwen Academy.
At the Chongwen Academy, Nan Gong Yao stated that the previous lake incident was his own deliberate act, and that Mei Yu Shan and the maid had fallen into the water trying to save him. He said the jade pendant was a reward from him, and the Moon Spirit Pearl was something he had taken after noticing the asymmetry in the eyes of a cat figurine.
The Empress knew the Crown Prince was biased in favor of Mei Yu Shan, but with everyone watching, she could not say much more. In the end, she punished Mei Yu Shan by ordering her to copy the palace rules fifty times. Mei Yu Shan kept copying until late at night, becoming so tired that she fell asleep on the floor. Nan Gong Yao brought some snacks to the Chongwen Academy to visit, and during that time, he finally held Xiao Dou Zi's hand, and both of them were very happy.
Meanwhile, Shen Yu, who was in charge of the disaster relief case, was contacted by a black-robed person. Liuqin Yuan instructed him to forcefully obtain the signatures of the three fake disaster victims and carry out their executions ahead of schedule. He also instructed his subordinates to bribe a fortune-teller and the victims, and to incite chaos when the three were about to be executed, forcing the Crown Prince to abdicate.
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