A Girl Like Me Episode 14 Recap
> A Girl Like Me Recap
During a grand banquet, Prince Akeqi of Aipo, who had intended to propose to Shi Feixian, mistakenly knelt before Ban Hua. After Ban Hua corrected him, the unfazed prince declared her more beautiful and asked the Emperor for her hand in marriage instead. News of this spread quickly, with the public gossiping that Ban Hua had surpassed Shi Feixian as the most desirable noblewoman in the capital.
To add to the festivities, Prince Akeqi proposed a game he designed called "Exciting Hunting." With the foreign delegation's team needing one more player, Akeqi requested Ban Hua's participation. The Emperor agreed, ordering Ban Hua to assist the prince without holding back against the Daye team. The rules were simple: participants used dye-tipped arrows, and anyone hit was eliminated, with the last one standing declared the winner.
The Emperor and his court watched the competition's progress on a miniature map of the grounds. The game began with the Daye team's formation quickly breaking. Prince Chengqian was isolated until his teammates rescued him. His brother, Jiang Luo, was seen chasing him, which observers on the sidelines praised as a clever ruse to deceive the foreign team. However, Jiang Luo’s true intent was to eliminate the Crown Prince.
Ban Hua intervened and shot Jiang Luo, but as he was eliminated, he managed to fire a final arrow that also took Prince Chengqian out of the game. The competition came down to four players: Shi Jin, Rong Xia, Prince Akeqi, and Ban Hua. When Shi Jin confronted Ban Hua and Akeqi, he prepared to shoot the prince. Ban Hua shielded her teammate and swiftly eliminated Shi Jin. Later, Ban Hua and Rong Xia faced each other.
Rong Xia took her hand and called her "Hua'hua," explaining his flirtatious distraction was a tactic "for Daye." Playing along, Ban Hua turned the tables by pulling him into an embrace, intentionally exposing his back to Akeqi, who seized the chance to eliminate Rong Xia. With that, Prince Akeqi won the competition. Akeqi graciously credited his victory to his partnership with Ban Hua, delighting the Emperor, who awarded them both 100 taels of gold.
Though his proposal was rejected, Akeqi was so impressed by Ban Hua's character that he asked her to become his sworn sister. Ban Hua agreed, and Akeqi gifted her a golden knife as a symbol of their bond. After the banquet, feeling that Rong Xia had used a "beauty trap" on her during the game, Ban Hua had her brother, Ban Heng, sabotage Rong Xia’s carriage. Unbothered, Rong Xia politely borrowed an umbrella from her.
Shi Feixian then approached, offering Rong Xia her umbrella and a ride in her carriage, but he declined, citing the impropriety of a man and woman sharing a carriage. Heartbroken and furious, Shi Feixian returned to her room and, in a jealous rage, swept everything from her table, despairing that she couldn't compare to Ban Hua.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shi urged his son, Shi Jin, to press forward with his marriage to Ban Hua, revealing that the Grand Princess had already approved the match. He explained that the union would make it easier to search for the hidden Tiger Tally within the Ban family estate. The Emperor's health continued to decline. He confided in Rong Xia, entrusting him to assist the Crown Prince with matters of state.
Shortly after, Jiang Luo attempted to sway Rong Xia to his side by revealing a stunning secret: the Grand Princess was the true mastermind behind the massacre of the Rong family. With a famine devastating the country, Jiang Luo praised an official, Xie Chongjin, whose county had managed to increase its tax revenue. Rong Xia supported the recommendation, and the Emperor summoned Xie Chongjin to the capital for a promotion.
However, villagers soon arrived to petition the Grand Princess, accusing Xie Chongjin of embezzling the relief funds she had donated. Ban Hua overheard and immediately set off for the palace to report him. On her way, she was intercepted by Shi Jin. Concerned that Ban Hua would be drawn into dangerous court politics, he promised to report the crime on her behalf.
Just as the Emperor was commending Jiang Luo for his recommendation, Shi Jin arrived and exposed Xie Chongjin’s embezzlement. Enraged, the Emperor ordered Xie's immediate execution, but Rong Xia and the Crown Prince intervened, urging a thorough investigation. Xie Chongjin was imprisoned instead. Upon hearing the news, Xie’s father assumed Prime Minister Shi had conspired with the Ban family to frame his son.
Later, the Emperor expressed his suspicion to Rong Xia about the convenient timing of Xie Chongjin’s downfall, wondering if it was a scheme by the Shi family. Rong Xia advised that to uncover the truth, the Grand Princess's cooperation would be necessary. He also reaffirmed his commitment to help the Emperor locate the Tiger Tally, which was rumored to be hidden in the Grand Princess's residence, to prevent it from being used to rally Old General Ban's still-loyal former soldiers.
