Practice Daughter Episode 23 Recap
> Practice Daughter Recap
A month later, Nangong Yao was escorted into exile at the border. Xingshi ascended the throne, changing the country's name to Shengdong. Douzi was proclaimed Princess Yueying and granted numerous honors. Soldiers in the city recounted the day Xingshi broke into the palace with his troops, describing the fear of the city soldiers and Nangong Yao's immediate surrender, kneeling and kowtowing eighty-one times for his life, calling him shameless for giving up his country without a fight.
Despite her new title, Douzi found her life in the palace restrictive. She was expected to learn strict etiquette, from walking and bowing to eating and drinking, under the tutelage of a governess. Finding it hard to abandon her old habits, Douzi struggled with the rigid rules, openly wishing for more freedom.
The governess grew frustrated, warning that any failure in etiquette would be her responsibility, while Douzi mused that Mei Yushan must have also suffered greatly to achieve such elegance and politeness. During her limited free time, Douzi visited her three adoptive fathers in Black Dog Alley. She brought them many precious gifts, such as emeralds and jade, and delicious food from the palace.
The fathers were overjoyed by the treasures, marveling at items they had never seen before, and were thrilled to eat the palace cuisine. They asked about her life in the palace, and Douzi confessed it felt only slightly better than being imprisoned, lamenting that Xingshi kept her under constant watch and that she couldn't do as she pleased like she could in the alley.
Her First Father defended their simple home, but her Second Father stirred up an uncomfortable moment by remarking that being a Princess was better than being the Crown Princess. First Father quickly silenced him, reminding him of what happened between Douzi and the Crown Prince and telling him not to mention it again, seeing Douzi's discomfort. Douzi excused herself, feeling stuffy. Meanwhile, Mei Yushan had refused the title Xingshi offered her.
This resulted in her attendants being neglectful, leaving her room cold without a warmer despite the winter. Xingshi visited her, noticing the cold and scolding the attendants, ordering a warmer immediately and warning them Mei would one day be their empress and they must not neglect her. He offered to replace the staff if she wasn't satisfied.
Mei Yushan remained distant and unforgiving, refusing to accept his apology or the title, despite Xingshi's insistence that he would wait until she felt comfortable with him, acknowledging his own hastiness in the matter. Douzi often dreamt of Nangong Yao, seeing him approaching her in chains, only to wake up alone. Longing to find him, she asked Mei Yushan to help her escape the palace.
Mei initially seemed hesitant, questioning why Douzi would ask for help from someone she had accused of being Xingshi's accomplice and if she wasn't afraid Mei would betray her. Douzi apologized profusely for her previous hurtful words, explaining she said them because she saw Nangong Yao so badly injured. Seeing Mei folding paper cranes for Nangong Yao's safety, wishing him peace and smoothness, Douzi felt deeply moved and grateful, begging Mei to forgive her and help.
Mei relented, agreeing to help but warning Douzi the matter was serious. Douzi insisted Mei's help was all she needed. Douzi presented a simple escape plan involving hiding on a wall and jumping down after yelling "fire" at the gate to distract guards. Mei found the plan naive, comparing the guards' intelligence to walnuts, and suggested a better helper for getting out of the palace, noting Douzi would still need someone to pick her up.
Douzi immediately thought of her three fathers, confident they would be reliable, despite Mei's mild doubt. Douzi expressed how stifled she felt in the large, silent palace without Mei's company, finding the large bed less comforting than their old small one. Mei agreed, saying the big bed had room for two more people. Douzi then wished Nangong Yao were there. Mei told her to speak quietly due to Xingshi's spies.
They discussed Douzi's plans after finding Nangong Yao, and Douzi, not having thought far ahead, suggested having the wedding night first as she heard it was the most important thing after getting married in the outside world. Mei teased her lack of knowledge and reserve, prompting Douzi to press her for details, mentioning she'd read about it in her brother's private books. Mei refused to tell her, saying she would know when it happened.
Douzi threatened to ask Nangong Yao to teach her, leading Mei to remind her about the "Moral Instruction for Women" and the importance of being reserved. Mei confessed she was also tired of being the cautious Mei Yushan, bound by rules and elders' teachings, always suppressing herself. She promised Douzi she would no longer be wronged and expressed envy for Douzi's freedom to pursue her desires and express herself openly.
Mei declared she would no longer lecture Douzi and would always be there to help her whenever needed. The next day, Mei Yushan summoned her parents to the palace to help. On the way, Mei's father, Grand Chancellor Mei, encountered Liu Jiao Yuan. Liu Jiao Yuan greeted him, but Grand Chancellor Mei responded briefly before quickly departing.
Liu Jiao Yuan's subordinate mocked Grand Chancellor Mei, suggesting his official position was only secure now because his daughter was favored by the new emperor, as former ministers assisting the Crown Prince had been dismissed. Liu Jiao Yuan cautioned his subordinate to be careful in their words and actions under the new reign. Inside the palace, Mei's parents were easily confused between Mei Yushan and Douzi, repeatedly mistaking one for the other.
Mei Yushan proposed taking Douzi out of the palace, but her parents were terrified, believing helping would lead to their own deaths. Mei reminded them of their desire to see their sons promoted. When they hesitated, Mei Yushan dramatically pretended to attempt suicide with scissors, declaring she would die if they wouldn't help her.
Douzi, playing along, added fuel to the fire, highlighting the dire consequences for the family, including the brothers being unable to become officials or find wives if Mei died. Faced with this pressure and Mei's performance, Grand Chancellor Mei and his wife were convinced and reluctantly agreed to help, promising to discuss it.
When Xingshi discovered Douzi's disappearance, he was furious and immediately ordered a palace-wide search, including the residence of Mei Yushan, but her attendant quickly shifted responsibility by saying the Princess hadn't returned after visiting Mei. Meanwhile, Douzi's three adoptive fathers had prepared for her escape, buying a coffin to feign a funeral procession. At the city gate, guards stopped them for a routine check.
Despite their pleas and a bribe, the guards insisted on opening the coffin and even prepared to stab the body to ensure death. Terrified, Douzi jumped out of the coffin, yelling. The three fathers fled with her, running into the Museum. Bai Ye arrived with soldiers to search the Museum. However, he deliberately allowed them to escape, telling them they could come out as the garden had been neglected and was dusty.
Douzi asked if he was there to arrest her, but Bai Ye said he would not. He told her he knew she was looking for Nangong Yao and revealed he was waiting outside the city. Bai Ye gave Douzi a map to help her find him.
When Douzi asked if he was truly willing to let her go, Bai Ye admitted it was not what he "wanted", but he was no longer blinded by his feelings and was genuinely happy for the two people he cared about most to be together. As more soldiers approached, Bai Ye urged Douzi to leave through the back door, assuring her he could handle the situation and explain to the officials by saying they escaped him.
The fathers initially hesitated to leave him, offering to stay and distract the guards, but Bai Ye insisted they go quickly. Outside the city, Nangong Yao was gathering support, preparing to reclaim power. His forces from Jixi were assembling, and he discussed the dire state of the country under Xingshi's rule, where loyal officials were dismissed as his henchmen, and innocent civilians were left homeless and forced into banditry.
He was also focused on dealing with the Heifeng Gang, the last remaining hostile group of bandits, stating that taking them down would be a great relief for him and the local civilians. He agreed to meet the Heifeng Gang's chief to demonstrate his sincerity. Following the map, Douzi found herself lost near Shidian Village, contemplating the names of the roads, including one called "Huangquan Road," which made her question if Bai Ye was trying to get her killed.
Having left in a hurry without money, she considered resorting to stealing again, her old habit. However, she witnessed others fighting over and stealing goods. Later, she found a dropped bag of money and, seeing a diagnosis for a fatal illness written on it, realized it was life-saving funds and decided she must find the owner to return it, despite the chaos around her.
Observing the scene and the people's struggles, she noted the insecurity of the area and the general disorder due to the Emperor's inaction. She decided it was getting dark and unsafe and headed somewhere to spend the night.
