Legend of Zang Hai Episode 12 Recap, Plot

> Legend of Zang Hai
> Legend of Zang Hai Recap

Zhuang Zhixing went to the cemetery late at night to pay respects at his mother's grave. Zang Hai secretly followed him, intending to use a mechanical box to kill him. Suddenly, Zang Hai noticed that a highly poisonous plant called Duling Nanxing, native only to Southern Nanzhao Prefecture, was growing all over the grave. None of the other graves had this plant—only the grave of Zhuang Zhixing's birth mother. Zang Hai explained the situation to Zhuang Zhixing.

This poisonous plant did not exist in the capital, so no one would plant it there on purpose. The most likely explanation was that the seeds of Duling Nanxing were already in her body—someone had poisoned her while she was alive. Zhuang Zhixing did not believe it at all. Zang Hai suggested they exhume the body to confirm, but Zhuang Zhixing refused and attacked Zang Hai, forcibly driving him away. That night, Zhuang Zhixing tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

He recalled that when his mother was alive, Zhuang Luyin had treated him with great care and high expectations. But after her death, Zhuang Zhixing was completely neglected. The next morning, Zhuang Zhixing waited early at the door, wanting to ride with Zhuang Luyin to the ancestral rites and ask him about Duling Nanxing. Jiang Xiang grew impatient and kept rushing him.

Zhuang Zhifu made an excuse to discuss something with Zhuang Luyin on the way, making Zhuang Zhixing ride in a different carriage. Zhuang Luyin led the whole family to the cemetery for the ancestral rites. Zhuang Zhixing had secretly placed a bouquet of Duling Nanxing in a flower vase. Jiang Xiang turned pale when she saw the toxic plant. After the ceremony, Zhuang Luyin reached for some pastries.

Seeing petals from Duling Nanxing fall onto the plate, Jiang Xiang quickly stopped him, lying that there was dust on the pastries and telling him not to eat them. Zhuang Luyin didn't question her and left. Jiang Xiang was furious and interrogated the servants about the origin of the poisonous plant. None of the maids knew anything. She then ordered the bouquet thrown away.

Zhuang Zhixing asked Zhuang Luyin to visit his mother’s grave, but Zhuang Luyin made an excuse to go hunting with Zhuang Zhifu and left. Zhuang Zhixing followed behind. Surprised by this, Zhuang Luyin allowed him to join the hunt. Zhuang Zhixing lied about seeing a deer and lured Zhuang Luyin to his mother’s grave. Zhuang Luyin was furious. Zhuang Zhixing picked a bouquet of Duling Nanxing and handed it to him.

Zhuang Luyin threw it on the ground and scolded him severely. Heartbroken, Zhuang Zhixing decided to verify the cause of his mother’s death and started digging up the grave with his bare hands. Zang Hai arrived shortly after and helped him dig. Together, Zhuang Zhixing and Zang Hai unearthed the grave of Lady Shen. When Zhuang Zhixing saw that the coffin had rotted, he was devastated. Zang Hai opened it and discovered that Shen’s fingers were deformed.

Zhuang Zhixing recalled how his mother often felt weak before her death—a classic symptom of Duling Nanxing poisoning. Zang Hai concluded that someone close to Lady Shen must have poisoned her. Zhuang Zhixing clearly remembered that his mother only fell ill a year after arriving in the capital. He had stayed by her side every day until she died.

Jiang Xiang suspected that Zhuang Zhixing had placed the poisonous plant but doubted that someone so useless would know about such things. Zang Hai learned from servants in the Marquis’s residence that Lady Shen had been close with a physician before her death. From then on, Zhuang Luyin completely ignored her, and even after her death, he never visited her grave. Zhuang Zhixing cried out for justice for his mother.

Zang Hai had Gao Ming track down a maid who had been expelled from the residence, and she revealed that the rumors were spread by Jiang Xiang. At that time, Zhuang Luyin had been stripped of military power by the emperor and urgently needed the help of Jiang Xiang’s father, Jiang Jin, Minister of Rites. Without investigating, he believed Jiang Xiang’s slander and assumed that Lady Shen had an affair with the physician.

Zhuang Zhixing deduced from Zhuang Luyin’s attitude that he knew the truth about his mother’s death. Furious, he swore to avenge her. Zang Hai encouraged Zhuang Zhixing to rise up, promising to help him gain Zhuang Luyin’s trust and favor, in return for finding out from Zhuang Luyin the identity of the third enemy. Zhuang Zhixing agreed to conceal Zang Hai’s identity. The two made a pact. Zang Hai told Gao Ming the whole plan.

Gao Ming worried that Zhuang Zhixing might fail to uncover the third enemy and suggested approaching Cao Jingxian. But Cao Jingxian was deeply secluded, only appearing at the palace or staying home. Gao Ming learned that in two months, the imperial court would host a polo match on foot, and Cao Jingxian would present the award to the champion on behalf of the emperor. Zang Hai decided to use that opportunity to approach him.

Zang Hai took Zhuang Zhixing to meet Guan Feng and Shi Lei, asking them to teach Zhuang Zhixing martial arts. This was the first step in his transformation, and Zang Hai promised to build up his reputation in the capital. Shi Lei trained Zhuang Zhixing with strict discipline, and he practiced diligently. Chu Huaiming brought lavish gifts to complain about Zang Hai to Cao Jingxian and spoke badly about him. But Cao Jingxian refused to see him and only sent a eunuch to dismiss him.

Episode 11 Recap

Episode 13 Recap

Related Posts