Episode 13 recap: Rong ErLi Qi worships Shou Xi to find the true culprit.
This was Rong Er's first time replacing Shou Xi's auntie in serving the meal. In order to save Shou Xi's auntie, Rong Er decided to do a good job with the meal so that she could see the Emperor and plead with him. Rong Er innovated by making a vegetarian roast goose dish that appeared to be meat but was actually vegetarian, and she earned the Emperor's approval. Rong Er told Puyi that Shou Xi had been severely tortured at the Ministry of Justice, with her hands disfigured, and Rong Er hoped the Emperor would order that Shou Xi's life be spared before the truth was determined.
Puyi was quite surprised to hear this, and quickly ordered someone to summon Li Qi back to the palace. Lu Qiu Tong and others were lying in wait at the agreed upon place to catch the thief, but then received a report that the Emperor had summoned Li Qi back to the palace. When Li Qi returned, they found that Shou Xi had already died in prison.
Lu Qiu Tong's group failed to catch the thief, but instead Liu Er and Li Yumei were arrested as the thieves. Rong Er did not believe that Shou Xi's auntie had died, and went to the Ministry of Justice to see the body, but was told that Shou Xi had committed suicide due to fear of punishment, and the body had already been removed from the palace.
That night, Liu Yiren led people to Shou Xi's room to remove her belongings, but Rong Hui Tai Fei stopped them and had Rong Er collect all of Shou Xi's things. Rong Er felt heartbroken and blamed herself for Shou Xi's death. Li Qi comforted her, telling her not to wallow in self-pity, and to retrieve everything that was rightfully Shou Xi's.
Liu Yiren reminded Wu Tian that Li Qi had not returned that book, and wondered what Li Qi was planning, telling him to avoid appearing at Chonghua Palace lest Rong Er discover he was the book thief. When cooking, Rong Er was distracted, constantly thinking about Shou Xi's words, and accidentally burned the porridge. Everyone urged her not to remain so deeply saddened.
Yue Ying saw all this and told Shuang Xi and Jing Yi Tai Fei. The people in the Taijiandian (Hall of Supreme Harmony) were all very happy, feeling that since Shou Xi had died, Rong Er was not up to the task, and the right to serve the meals would ultimately fall into their hands. Rong Er brought porridge to Rong Hui, and the Empress Dowager, remembering Shou Xi's companionship over the years, couldn't help but shed tears. She spoke of how Shou Xi had accompanied her for many years, and even in death was treated as a criminal, unable to have her final rites properly attended to. The Empress Dowager gave Rong Er some silver, telling her to properly handle Shou Xi's final arrangements.
The Empress Dowager said the people in the palace had very cold and indifferent feelings, and she had seen through it all long ago - she was just taking it one day at a time now. Qin Fang saw Cai Bi sitting alone in the corridor, crying. Cai Bi was heartbroken that Shou Xi had died with a stained reputation, and there was nothing she could do. Qin Fang comforted her, telling her to accept the situation, and said they would get to the bottom of the truth.
Li Qi and Rong Er left the palace to bury Shou Xi and handle her funeral rites. They both promised they would find the one who killed her and uncover the truth. Li Qi told Rong Er that Wang Gong, the eunuch from the Ministry of Justice, had entered the palace around the same time as Shou Xi, but on the day she died, he seemed very uneasy, so he might know something.
Rong Er brought some pastries to visit Wang Gong, saying Shou Xi was an old acquaintance, and hoping he could tell her the truth. But Wang Gong claimed to know nothing. Rong Er refused to give up, going to see him every day, hoping to move him, but he still wouldn't say anything. Wu Tian kept testing whether Rong Er could recognize him as the book thief that day, and found that Rong Er hadn't seen his face.
Rong Er remained deeply saddened and guilty, wishing she had been the one to die instead, often reminiscing about Shou Xi's kindness to her. Jing Yi Tai Fei had Liu Gong come, wanting to take over the meal service, but Liu Gong said the Emperor was still eating the meals from the Chonghua Palace in the North Court, but the Chonghua Palace's meals were very plain and watery, and the Emperor had grown tired of them after two days. Now that Shou Xi was gone, the only one left was the little maid Rong Er. If they truly wanted the meal service, they could directly speak to the Emperor.
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