Episode 23 recap: Mei Yu Shan helped with the plan, and Xiao Dou Zi stole out of the palace.
Xiao Dou Zi's rescue plan failed, and she was confined to a room under house arrest. Nan Gong Yao was sent into exile at the border, and a year later, Xing Shi ascended the throne, reviving Shengren. Xiao Dou Zi became the Princess of the Moon Shadow, enjoying great honor and glory. However, regardless of whether Xiao Dou Zi wished it or not, she still had to learn the proper etiquette. Liu Jiao Niang was still responsible for teaching her how to walk, greet, eat, and drink tea, as she could not be careless about anything. Xiao Dou Zi was used to being lax, so she simply let Liu Jiao Niang teach her while she learned according to her old habits.
In her leisure time, Xiao Dou Zi visited the Three Godfathers in Black Dog Alley, bringing them many precious tonics and delicacies from the palace. The three men had never seen such expensive items before and were overjoyed. When the Elder Godfather asked about Xiao Dou Zi's situation in the palace, she said it was only slightly better than being imprisoned. Xing Shi constantly monitored her. When the Second Godfather returned to the room and mentioned that being a princess was better than being a crown princess, the Elder Godfather quickly stopped him from continuing, seeing that Xiao Dou Zi was unhappy.
Mei Yu Shan refused the ennobling, so the eunuchs were quite negligent, and her room even lacked a brazier in the dead of winter. When Xing Shi visited Mei Yu Shan, he scolded the eunuchs upon entering the cold room, but Mei Yu Shan still refused to forgive him and kept her distance.
Xiao Dou Zi often dreamed of Nan Gong Yao approaching her in chains, but woke to an empty space beside her. She asked Mei Yu Shan to help her escape the palace to find Nan Gong Yao, but Mei Yu Shan, still resentful of Xiao Dou Zi's previous misunderstanding, deliberately ignored her. Xiao Dou Zi apologized repeatedly and was moved to tears when she saw Mei Yu Shan folding a thousand paper cranes to pray for Nan Gong Yao.
Xiao Dou Zi asked Mei Yu Shan to create a distraction so she could slip out of the palace. Hearing Xiao Dou Zi's simple plan, Mei Yu Shan could only laugh and shake her head. They began discussing how to leave the palace, and later slept in the same bed. Mei Yu Shan asked what Xiao Dou Zi planned to do if they found Nan Gong Yao, and Xiao Dou Zi said they would celebrate their matrimony, as was the custom. Mei Yu Shan teased Xiao Dou Zi for her lack of propriety, and they chatted late into the night.
The next day, Mei Yu Shan asked her parents to come to the palace to help. When Mei Cheng Xiang passed by the city gate, he happened to run into Liu Jiao Yuan, who greeted him proactively. Mei Cheng Xiang only responded with a few perfunctory words before taking his leave. Liu Jiao Yuan's confidant mocked Mei Cheng Xiang, saying that he owed his position to his daughter's favor with the emperor, and that he might have been dismissed if not for Mei Yu Shan's standing. Now with the new emperor ascending the throne, Liu Jiao Yuan warned his subordinates to be very careful in their actions.
When Mei Cheng Xiang and his wife entered the palace, they often mistook Xiao Dou Zi for Mei Yu Shan, causing quite a few amusing incidents. Mei Yu Shan proposed taking Xiao Dou Zi out of the palace, but the couple did not dare take the risk. So Mei Yu Shan pretended to be suicidal, and Xiao Dou Zi fanned the flames beside her. For the sake of their two sons' futures, Mei Cheng Xiang and his wife had no choice but to agree.
Xing Shi discovered Xiao Dou Zi sneaking out of the palace and flew into a rage. He immediately ordered his subordinates to search everywhere. Xiao Dou Zi's three sworn fathers had already made preparations to receive her. They bought a coffin and pretended it was for the girl's funeral. At the city gate, the guards demanded to open the coffin and inspect the body. They even prepared to stab the corpse with a knife. Xiao Dou Zi jumped out of the coffin in fright, and the three sworn fathers fled with her, taking refuge in the museum.
Bai Ye led the search, deliberately letting the group go. He then produced a map and gave it to Xiao Dou Zi, telling her to use it to find Nan Gong Yao. Outside the city, Nan Gong Yao was conserving his strength and enjoying the people's support, waiting for the right moment to seize power.
Comments(Episode 23)