Episode 12 recap: Rong Er found out that Li Qi was her savior.
Puyi opened his wallet and discovered the jade pendant inside, realizing that it was the same jade pendant that Li Qi had been wearing for a long time. It was then that Rong Er realized the person who had rescued her before was Li Qi. The Emperor asked why Li Qi's jade pendant was in Rong Er's possession, and Li Qi said he didn't know. Puyi teased them, saying he knew but they didn't, leaving both of them in an awkward situation.
Afterwards, Li Qi said that he had already known about the jade pendant when he found it, but since Rong Er valued it so much, he didn't know how to tell her. He told Rong Er not to feel uncomfortable, and that she could still call him "Lixiaolianlian" (Ugly Face Li) if she wanted to. Rong Er thanked Li Qi for saving her life twice and wanted to return the jade pendant to him, but Li Qi said since Rong Er had found it and treasured it so much, he would give the pendant to her.
Aunt Shou Xi told Rong Er the story of chicken broth with silver sprouts, explaining that the Emperor's birth mother died from opium addiction, and that it took courage for her to take her own life. But Shou Xi told Rong Er not to do the same no matter what she went through, as it would be disrespectful to her parents and ancestors. Rong Er mentioned that she had seen Grandpa Sun acting suspiciously around the slop bucket at Chonghua Palace at night, and Shou Xi said she had seen it too, believing Sun Yiren was a scoundrel and deciding to observe the situation closely, as there must be some conspiracy.
Grandpa Sun found Wu Tian and asked if Shou Xi and Rong Er had mentioned him, and Wu Tian said they hadn't. But since both Shou Xi and Rong Er had seen him, he would rather kill them mistakenly than let them go, and so he planned to eliminate the two of them.
Sun Yiren planted the precious Western clock in the slop bucket in a plot to frame Aunt Shou Xi for stealing palace treasures. He had her arrested and taken to the Shenxingsi (Careful Punishment Bureau). Li Qi pleaded for her, saying she was a servant of the Empress Dowager Rong Hui, so they couldn't just take her away, fearing the Empress Dowager would blame them. Lord Shaoying said the Emperor had ordered strict punishment, so even if the Empress Dowager blamed them, there was nothing they could do. Li Qi had no choice but to have Aunt Shou Xi arrested and sent to the Shenxingsi.
Sun Yiren slandered Aunt Shou Xi again and had her house searched, where they found the missing recipe book from the Wenyuan Pavilion. Sun Yiren used this as an opportunity to torture Shou Xi, forcing her to confess to stealing the treasures. The Empress Dowager told the Emperor that she had been with Shou Xi for many years and completely trusted her character - there was no way Shou Xi could be the thief. Li Qi also said the person who killed Lord Shen must have been highly skilled, and it couldn't possibly be Aunt Shou Xi. The Empress Dowager pleaded with the Emperor to uncover the truth, and Puyi ordered Li Qi to investigate.
Rong Er tried to visit Shou Xi at the Shenxingsi, but visitation was not allowed. Qin Fang from the Shenxingsi also arrived, and Rong Er asked if there were any clues and when Shou Xi could be released. Qin Fang said Shou Xi had no knowledge of the treasure in the slop bucket, but she refused to speak about the recipe book. Rong Er was very anxious and said the book was something she had found, and they should arrest her instead. Qin Fang warned Rong Er not to say such things, as it could cost her life.
Seeing the injured and battered Shou Xi in the Shenxingsi, Rong Er was deeply saddened and wanted to explain to the Emperor that the book was hers. But Shou Xi urgently warned her not to, as it would not save her and she could be accused of lying to the Emperor, which would be an even greater crime. Shou Xi said if she couldn't get out, she hoped Rong Er would take care of the Empress Dowager in her place.
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