A Girl Like Me Episode 21 Recap
> A Girl Like Me Recap
Rong Xia, accompanying officials from the Court of Judicial Review, arrived at the Shi family mansion, presenting Shi Feixian's Southern Pearl as evidence for the investigation. Shi Chonghai repeatedly tried to obstruct them, with Shi Jin adding that having a lady's personal item inspected would severely damage her reputation. Ultimately, Shi Feixian stepped forward, confirmed the Southern Pearl was indeed hers, and agreed to appear before the Court the following day.
Meanwhile, Ban Huai, sporting a bandaged head wound, went to His Majesty, tearfully declaring the position of Prime Minister was too dangerous for him. He suggested the post be given to Count Xie instead, so someone else would be targeted. His Majesty, infuriated that someone dared to orchestrate an assassination attempt in the capital, immediately ordered Liu Banshan, the Minister of Judicial Review, to thoroughly investigate the matter and bring the culprit to justice.
At the Court of Judicial Review, Shi Feixian confirmed the Southern Pearl belonged to her, stating she had lost it days ago in the west grove. She clarified it was a pearl from her embroidered shoes and that she had gone to the grove to meet Count Cheng’an, presenting an invitation letter as proof.
When asked how she knew the letter was from Count Cheng’an despite lacking a signature, she claimed to recognize his handwriting from her extensive collection of his calligraphy. Ban Hua, after examining the letter, also confirmed the handwriting appeared to be Rong Xia’s. Rong Xia vehemently denied writing the letter.
Despite his protests and Ban Hua’s fierce defense of him against Shi Jin, Liu Banshan, in accordance with His Majesty's order for a thorough investigation, announced that both Shi Feixian and Count Cheng’an would be detained for further inquiry. News of the detention quickly spread, leading to rampant gossip that greatly annoyed Ban Hua. Jiang Luo, anxious to rescue Shi Feixian, was restrained by Xie Chongjin. It was revealed that Xie Chongjin was the mastermind behind the entire scheme.
He confessed to Jiang Luo that he had deliberately orchestrated the attack on Ban Huai and fabricated the letter, aiming to sow discord between the Ban and Shi families while simultaneously implicating Rong Xia. He advised Jiang Luo against impulsive actions that might raise His Majesty's suspicion. Upon returning home, Ban Hua felt something was amiss. She went to the prison to visit Rong Xia, assuring him she now believed him.
Together, they analyzed the motives of the true perpetrator, concluding that the assassin hirer and letter forger were likely the same person, whose objective was to create conflict between the Ban and Shi families and also to estrange Rong Xia from Ban Hua. Rong Xia urged Ban Hua to prioritize her own safety and that of her father. Separately, Xie Wanyu prepared dishes for Ban Heng and delivered them, hoping to intercede on Shi Feixian's behalf.
Ban Heng found Xie Wanyu foolish for pleading for Shi Feixian, given Shi Feixian's complicated relationship with Jiang Luo. Xie Wanyu explained that for her, a husband was merely an identity, but Shi Feixian was her dearest friend. Jiang Luo, seeking to help Shi Feixian, suggested to the Crown Prince that he visit Ban Huai to offer condolences. The Crown Prince dispatched Crown Princess Suyue to the Ban family, expecting a warm reception.
Instead, Suyue was met with a closed door, as the Ban family refused her gifts, stating that accepting them would imply a truce before the truth was uncovered. Undeterred, the Crown Princess ordered her attendants to force their way into the Ban residence with the gifts. Though the Crown Princess claimed to be there to apologize on her "sister's" behalf, her demeanor lacked sincerity.
She asserted the gifts were from Chengqian Palace, yet every word revolved around the Shi family's innocence. Adopting a haughty air, she reminded Ban Hua that "Daye is no longer what it used to be." Ban Hua, unafraid, accused her of attempting to coerce them into dropping the charges before the investigation was complete.
She declared that no one—not the Crown Princess, the Crown Prince, nor Prime Minister Shi—could sway them until the truth of her father's attack came to light. Infuriated, Suyue demanded Ban Hua kneel. Ban Hua retorted that Suyue should be the one kneeling—at the ancestral temple of her grandmother, Grand Princess Royal Dening—and told the Crown Princess to return to her palace instead of throwing her weight around.
Humiliated, Suyue smashed a valuable kettle and stormed back to the Crown Prince, demanding he punish Ban Hua. The Crown Prince, seeking harmony, hesitated to reprimand Ban Hua. Suyue pressed him, arguing that his weakness would undermine his authority and that if the Shi family fell, he would "lose the kingdom." A servant reported these exact words to His Majesty. Enraged, His Majesty thundered that the Crown Prince's position was conferred by him, not dependent on the Shi family.
He condemned Suyue as a woman unfit to be Empress. Soon after, the Crown Prince, unaware of His Majesty's fury, approached his father to plead for Shi Feixian's release. This further incensed His Majesty, who slapped his son, lamenting the Crown Prince's cowardice and despairing over entrusting the kingdom to such a successor. Overwhelmed, His Majesty collapsed. The imperial physician diagnosed him with symptoms of a stroke, and the Empress ordered the diagnosis kept secret.
In prison, Xie Wanyu visited Shi Feixian, who remained steadfast in her belief that Count Cheng’an had written the letter. She expressed her unwavering commitment, believing the prison was the closest she could be to him and reaffirming that she had already burned her bridges for this romance. Meanwhile, Du Jiu visited Rong Xia in prison.
Rong Xia, having deduced that Xie Chongjin was the mastermind, speculated that the imprisoned assassin was now in danger and dispatched Du Jiu to investigate. Just as Rong Xia predicted, Shi Jin forced his way into the celestial prison, aggressively confronting the assassin about framing his sister. The assassin stubbornly maintained that Shi Feixian had hired him, daring Shi Jin to kill him. Simultaneously, Ban Hua brought a calligraphy shop owner to the Court of Judicial Review.
The owner confirmed that Count Cheng’an had never purchased anything from him, thus clearing Rong Xia of suspicion regarding the letter's authorship. Suddenly, a killer from Fude House, disguised as an official, poisoned the imprisoned assassin and framed Shi Jin for the murder before escaping. When Du Jiu and Ban Hua arrived at the prison, they found the original assassin dead.
Upon realizing the involvement of Fude House, a notorious and expensive assassin organization, Ban Hua and Rong Xia pondered how Xie Chongjin, an ordinary official, could be connected to such a group. Impatient, Ban Hua declared her intention to capture Xie Chongjin and interrogate him directly. Rong Xia cautioned her, but Ban Hua confidently asserted that she would take Xie Chongjin by surprise.
