Episode 9 recap: The Survival Rules in the Palace.
After Ling Zhi was injured, Mu Xuan Jue had been by her side helping to take care of her. Ling Zhi was in some pain, so Mu Xuan Jue told her to cry out if it hurt, and gently blew on her to help reduce the pain in her wound. Ling Zhi said she was fine, but Mu Xuan Jue told her that even though the wound was not serious, she still needed to rest and recuperate properly.
Mu Xuan Jue told Ling Zhi that the palace was even more complicated than she imagined, so no matter what, she had to be very careful. He then instructed his subordinate to make sure that his actions were reported to the Empress Dowager's ears, as Mu Xuan Jue likely wanted to make the Empress Dowager think that he was using Ling Zhi's beauty to his advantage.
When the Empress Dowager learned of this, she also had an eunuch investigate Ling Zhi's background, as it seemed Mu Xuan Jue had genuine feelings for this woman. Meanwhile, Ling Zhi's brother was still being held in the dungeon, and they wanted to use the Ling clan to serve their own interests.
The next morning, Ling Zhi saw the maids all kneeling on the ground apologizing to her. Mu Xuan Jue had said they should all be executed for ignoring Ling Zhi's plight. Mu Xuan Jue then held Ling Zhi and told her that from now on, she needed to learn the rules of survival in the palace, as being soft-hearted was the biggest weakness. Ling Zhi wanted to punish them herself, so Mu Xuan Jue gave her a sword. Ling Zhi then cut the maids' arms one by one, leaving them with scars. Mu Xuan Jue was guiding her hand the whole time.
Ling Zhi also appointed one of the maids as her personal attendant, as this was a task Mu Xuan Jue had given her. She even stopped the governess from punishing another maid. Mu Xuan Jue just wanted Ling Zhi to learn how to protect herself in the palace and survive until the day she could remember him.
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