Practice Daughter Episode 10 Recap
> Practice Daughter Recap
Mei Yushan secretly returned to the Eastern Palace alone and disguised herself as a palace maid. She snuck into the Crown Prince Nangong Yao's room, searching everywhere for the Moon Spirit Pearl. Accidentally stepping on a mechanism, several hidden arrows shot out. Mei Yushan cried out for help. Nangong Yao, who was just outside dealing with a eunuch's complaint, heard her shouts and rushed into the room.
He pulled Mei Yushan down from where she was clinging to a pillar, calming her down. Startled, Mei Yushan was shaken. Nangong Yao immediately ordered a palace maid to summon the Grand Tutor and specifically instructed them not to mention Mei Yushan's unauthorized entry into the Eastern Palace. The Grand Tutor was summoned to the Eastern Palace late at night and complained as he walked about being pulled out of his warm bed.
Douzi came to the Eastern Palace looking for Mei Yushan. Seeing the Grand Tutor had also just arrived, she stepped forward to respectfully ask for his help in assisting Mei Yushan. Her sincere attitude and appropriate language impressed the Grand Tutor, who praised her as being much better than those at Chongwen Academy. Guard Xing Shi was patrolling the Eastern Palace when he saw Douzi waiting outside.
He approached and asked her how she had been all these years, but Douzi seemed uncertain how to answer. She helped the palace maids carry firewood towards the Crown Prince's room. Guard Xing Shi commented that she looked like an old acquaintance and apologized for startling her. The Grand Tutor brewed herbal medicine, and Mei Yushan soon woke up.
Seeing that the Grand Tutor had not only brewed medicine but also roasted a grasshopper, she immediately sat up, snatched it, and ate it. The Grand Tutor relaxed, completely losing the solemn demeanor he had in the classroom, and listened as Mei Yushan described various folk foods she had eaten, including cicadas, pupae, grasshoppers, snakes, toads, and even unborn chickens. He was surprised but also intrigued by her adventurous diet.
Douzi requested permission to take Mei Yushan back to the Guixiu Pavilion. However, Nangong Yao stated that Mei Yushan was still unwell and could not leave, adding that if others found out about her unauthorized entry into the Eastern Palace and injury, it would cause trouble. He also took the opportunity to ask Douzi why Mei Yushan seemed like a completely different person before and after the treasure appraisal event. Douzi hesitated, struggling to answer.
Just then, Mei Yushan suddenly appeared in the main hall, having apparently recovered quickly. She signaled to Douzi to stay in the Eastern Palace for the night. Nangong Yao acknowledged that Mei Yushan's recovery was rapid, crediting the Grand Tutor. Douzi offered to stay and care for Mei Yushan, and Nangong Yao agreed, noting that Douzi knew her better.
He pressed Douzi again about Mei Yushan's change, but Mei Yushan cut in, claiming they were discussing secrets, like holding a rabbit. She complained about the hidden weapons in the palace, joking that Nangong Yao's name should be "Nangong Kill." Nangong Yao playfully offered to hold the "rabbit" again, but Mei Yushan clutched her head, claiming a severe headache and needing to rest in the palace overnight. Nangong Yao accepted this, noting the late hour.
From outside, Xing Shi overheard Nangong Yao questioning Douzi, leading him to suspect Nangong Yao also sensed something was amiss. This further solidified Xing Shi's conviction that Douzi was the little princess he was sworn to protect. He recalled a past event where his father sacrificed his life to buy time for Xing Shi to take the little princess to safety. His father, mortally wounded, urged him to protect the princess.
Now, Xing Shi felt he was finally fulfilling his father's dying wish. Later that night, after Douzi had gone to her room and extinguished her lamp, Mei Yushan quietly left the room. She sneaked into Nangong Yao's bedroom to search again, eventually even searching him while he was asleep. Nangong Yao suddenly woke up and pinned Mei Yushan down on the bed.
Caught, Mei Yushan had no choice but to tell him about the body swap that occurred during the lunar eclipse due to the Moon Spirit Pearl. Initially, Nangong Yao did not believe such an absurd story. Mei Yushan insisted the pearl could save lives and belonged to the Mei family, but Nangong Yao countered that the pearl was an artifact of Shengdong and possessing it was treason, suggesting the Mei family might be colluding with enemies.
When Mei Yushan denied her family's involvement and reaffirmed the swap, Nangong Yao demanded proof that she was who she claimed to be. Mei Yushan demonstrated a theft skill by picking up a sachet from across the room using only her fingers. Seeing this "thieving skill," Nangong Yao was astonished but began to believe her, admitting that she had indeed been like a different person since entering the palace. He confirmed her real name was Douzi.
Douzi expressed her relief that he finally believed her, sharing her frustrations with the strict rules and expectations of being the Grand Chancellor's daughter, including the difficulty of attending school with her lack of education. Nangong Yao then made a startling statement, saying he should have recognized her sooner because her eyes were identical to those of Empress Li. Douzi was confused by this.
Nangong Yao dismissed it as perhaps drunken rambling for now but stated she would believe him one day. Douzi told him to stop talking nonsense and threatened to report him if he continued. Meanwhile, Xing Shi found Douzi alone outside the hall. He approached her, expressing concern and asking why she was up so late. However, believing he had malicious intentions, Douzi secretly knocked him out from behind and tied him up.
When Xing Shi woke up, he explained to Douzi his conclusion about her identity and the hardships she must have endured surviving alone all these years, promising to protect her from then on. Douzi found his words strange and asked who he was, but she told him not to mention his theory again. The next morning, Mei Yushan asked Douzi if she remembered what her biological mother looked like.
Douzi explained that she had no memory of her birth parents, as her three fathers told her she was abandoned as a baby in a wooden box. She recounted having several women she called "mother" throughout her life based on who cared for her (Mother Zhu the wet nurse, Mother Chen her father's lover, Mrs. Zhang who shared roasted chicken feet). She expressed more concern for her three fathers.
Mei Yushan, feeling better thanks to the Grand Tutor's medicine, advised Douzi not to attend school that day to avoid questions about her injury. She promised Douzi that if they ever switched back, she would protect her and would treat her like a sister, offering her a place in the Mei residence where her parents would treat her well. Douzi was hesitant, mentioning her desire to travel and her worry for her fathers.
Separately, Douzi's three fathers, who had infiltrated the refugee camp, hoped to find an opportunity to see Douzi but found none. They planned to sneak out of the camp that night. Their conversation was overheard by a supervisor. The supervisor immediately reported to a steward who was a trusted subordinate of Liu Qinyuan.
Since the Relief Organization case had led to the punishment of Liu Qinyuan's allies under Nangong Yao's orders, the steward saw the discovery of fake refugees as an opportunity to retaliate against Nangong Yao.
