A Dream Within A Dream Episode 12 Recap
> A Dream Within A Dream Recap
Chu Guihong believed that Li Shiliu’s identity was a mystery and that he had deliberately gotten involved in court politics. He warned Li Shiliu not to drag Song Yimeng into it. Li Shiliu responded calmly, saying he had no intention of meddling in such matters and only wanted to finish repairing the houses for the people as soon as possible.
Chu Guihong remained skeptical, believing Li Shiliu had intentionally approached Song Yimeng and agreed to assassinate Nan Heng because of her. Li Shiliu challenged Chu Guihong to a bet—whoever completed the repairs faster would win. Though reluctant, Chu Guihong agreed, knowing that if the restoration progress was insufficient, Nan Heng would hold him accountable. For now, he needed help from Canjiang Yue.
Fu Gui tried to scare Song Yimeng with a fake dagger, asking her about what a “main character” and “supporting character” meant, hoping to use the information to impress Nan Heng later. Song Yimeng saw through him and told him to go back—she had no time to discuss “plotlines” with him. Fu Gui came up with another idea, saying he could badmouth Nan Heng as shameless, but ended up being caught red-handed by Nan Heng himself.
Startled, Fu Gui was then threatened by Li Shiliu, only to be shielded by Song Yimeng. She warned Fu Gui to watch his mouth, or she would report him to Nan Heng. The Xuanjia Army and Qianyu Army competed in a strength contest, where the Xuanjia Army easily crushed the Qianyu Army, leaving Rong Hua displeased. Li Shiliu fell into deep thought, prompting Song Yimeng to assume he was being bullied by Chu Guihong.
She gifted him her “main character aura.” Confused by this repeated talk of “main” and “supporting” roles, Li Shiliu finally asked her to explain clearly—so he could help her deal with Nan Heng. Song Yimeng, however, dodged the question, saying she couldn’t reveal it yet. She didn’t want to lose Li Shiliu and hoped he would allow her to keep the secret. Some children brought pancakes to Li Shiliu to thank him for repairing their homes.
Song Yimeng asked their names, only to find they were all called “Passerby A, B, and C,” lamenting that even this seemed like it was scripted. Zhixia, after hearing Li Shiliu’s story, was increasingly convinced that he was better than Chu Guihong and encouraged Song Yimeng to break off the engagement and marry Li Shiliu instead. But Song Yimeng now only wanted to get rid of Nan Heng.
Nan Heng, unable to sleep in the middle of the night, kept thinking about Song Yimeng’s misunderstanding of him—always saying he was an ambitious villain. He summoned Fu Gui to ask for an honest opinion of himself. Fu Gui, without thinking, blurted out criticism. The next day, Nan Heng went to the Song residence and dismissed the maids so he could speak with Song Yimeng personally.
When she tried to flee, he blocked her way and asked what she really thought of him. Song Yimeng pretended to say something nice. When he asked again what “main character” and “supporting character” meant, Song Yimeng didn’t want to answer. Nan Heng had searched through countless books but found no explanation—he was desperate to know the truth. Frightened, Song Yimeng pushed him away and accused him of being too rough with women.
She tried to explain the concept of “scripted popularity,” but Nan Heng was left speechless, unable to comprehend. Feeling wronged, Nan Heng poured his heart out, begging Song Yimeng not to believe the rumors and to look at him with sincerity. Shangguan He had searched for all the renowned craftsmen but still failed to uncover the method behind the Duan Blade technique. Rong Hua, resentful toward Canjiang Yue, deliberately sabotaged the rope at a construction site.
When Li Shiliu happened to pass by, the rope snapped. Chu Guihong used this as a pretext to cause trouble for him, but Li Shiliu saved him. Afterward, Chu Guihong gave Li Shiliu medicine for his wounds, clearly beginning to see him in a new light. Shangguan He learned that Nan Heng and Chu Guihong had known each other since childhood but became enemies after the death of Chu Yuyong.
Although Nan Heng tried to explain he was not the killer, Chu Guihong remained blinded by rage and continuously opposed him afterward. The Emperor, dissatisfied with Gao Zhangyin’s growing influence, treated Nan Heng with cruelty and harshness—only Chu Yuyong had ever treated Nan Heng with genuine kindness. But on one hunting trip, while returning in the same carriage, Chu Yuyong was stabbed multiple times and died.
The Emperor blamed Nan Heng even more, publicly humiliating and beating him, then imprisoning him in the Cold Palace where he suffered abuse. No one believed Nan Heng’s explanation; he was met only with coldness and cruelty.
