A Girl Like Me Episode 33 Recap
> A Girl Like Me Recap
Ban Hua led her soldiers out of the capital, only for Rong Xia to arrive, proclaiming he had been appointed Military Advisor by His Majesty to accompany her. Unwilling to engage with him, Ban Hua placed him under Commander Wang's charge, instructing that all communications from the Advisor must go through Wang. Later, Rong Xia privately informed Ban Hua that Jiang Luo had no intention of letting her return from the campaign.
He revealed that the late emperor, foreseeing Jiang Luo's potential actions, had entrusted him with a critical Tiger Tally, advising him to protect everyone's lives should the government change. Rong Xia explained that Jiang Luo wanted to make an example of the Ban family, and Minister Shi also sought the Tiger Tally. Therefore, the army given to Ban Hua, composed of criminals, was meant to disgrace her rather than fight, which was why Rong Xia felt compelled to follow.
Soon after, the soldiers discovered their grain supplies were insufficient for even three days. Commander Wang was instructed to check all supplies and ensure no one went hungry. Meanwhile, Shi Jin urged his sister, Shi Feixian, to advise His Majesty that quelling the rebellion was a serious matter. Shi Feixian initially dismissed his concerns, but Shi Jin detailed that Ban Hua's army was composed of criminals with less than 30% usable supplies and weapons.
Although Shi Feixian was unconcerned about Rong Xia joining the army, her expression shifted when Shi Jin warned that if the rebels grew stronger, the capital itself would be in grave danger. In the camp, unruly soldiers gambled openly, feeling abandoned by the Emperor. Ban Hua confronted them for defying military discipline, but they argued that a woman was unreliable and they were better off fending for themselves.
Ban Hua challenged them to a high-stakes gamble with their lives on the line. She defeated the first challenger, Ma Laosan, in a strength contest by using her wits, not brute force. The next challenger, Zhang Meng, also lost to her skill with a whip. Despite their defeat, Zhang Meng and other soldiers still refused to obey a woman.
Ban Hua sternly rebuked them, revealing her knowledge of their pasts: Zhang Meng had killed bandits who murdered his mother, while others had committed crimes for their female relatives. She questioned their disdain for women, asserting they had no right to look down on them. She then shared that she had learned martial arts and strategy from her grandfather, General Ban, and promised that if they followed her, they would return safely with honor.
Convinced, Zhang Meng and the others pledged their loyalty, and Ban Hua appointed Zhang Meng as vanguard. Ban Hua later acknowledged to Rong Xia that his provision of the soldiers' dossiers had been instrumental. She accepted him as her Military Advisor, but stated their relationship must remain professional on the battlefield, as she, the General, was responsible for everyone's lives. Back in the capital, Shi Feixian was furious to learn that Jiang Luo had gone to the Empress's Palace.
Inside, Jiang Luo ordered Empress Xie Wanyu to disrobe. Xie Wanyu defiantly retorted that he should seek out someone willing to comply and questioned his manhood, suggesting he give her title to Shi Feixian if he preferred. Enraged, Jiang Luo mocked her resolve, sneering that one woman would rather die than surrender, while another toyed with him. The army's grain shortage became a pressing issue.
Ban Hua led a group of soldiers, including Zhang Meng, to find edible wild herbs in the forest, as her grandfather had taught her. They were ambushed by rebels, and Zhang Meng was captured. The rebel leader, Zhao Zhong, demanded Ban Hua accompany him to Zhongzhou, telling her to have her army bring grain for an exchange. Ban Hua agreed, intending to scout the rebels' true strength.
Meanwhile, Du Jiu, secretly protecting the Ban family on Rong Xia's orders, was discovered by the entire family. He reported that Rong Xia had sent only one letter instructing him to protect them, with no news of the battle, and warned that Minister Shi's faction was watching them. In Zhongzhou, Ban Hua observed that the locals treated the rebels with familiarity, calling Zhao Zhong "Boss" and relying on him for food he'd reclaimed from the "damn emperor."
Zhao Zhong, a former Qizhou official whom she recognized, treated her with respect. Meanwhile, Rong Xia, hearing of her capture, devised a rescue. He ordered half the grain guards to retreat and the soldiers to feign fatigue, deducing the rebels would have to come for the grain. Ban Hua proposed to Zhao Zhong that she lead his men to "steal" grain from her own camp, offering to be tied up to prove her sincerity.
They arrived at the military granary to find it seemingly unguarded. As Zhao Zhong's men moved the grain, Rong Xia's forces, led by Zhang Meng, ambushed them and rescued Ban Hua. After a tense reunion where Ban Hua chided him for the delay, she declared Zhao Zhong was not an evil man and the "rebels" were merely starving commoners. Refusing to attack the city, she proposed using their military grain to aid the people.
Rong Xia revealed he had been safeguarding the treasures she and her brother had buried, which could be used to supplement their supplies. Witnessing her compassion, the captured Zhao Zhong surrendered and agreed to become her vice-general to assist in relief efforts. In the capital, Minister Shi Chonghai deceptively suggested to Jiang Luo that bringing the Ban family to the palace would ease Ban Hua's worries and ensure her loyalty. Jiang Luo agreed.
Aware of Xie Wanyu's affection for Ban Heng, Shi Feixian confronted the Empress with an ornament found on Ban Heng, hinting at an affair. She then warned that her grandfather was heading to the Ban residence, urging Xie Wanyu to act if she cared for Ban Heng. As Minister Shi's men arrived to arrest the Ban family, they had already begun to flee, aided by a plan orchestrated by Shi Jin and Wang Qu.
Shi Jin confronted his grandfather, pleading with him to spare the family, but Minister Shi dismissed him. Later, Minister Shi falsely reported to Jiang Luo that the Ban family had died in a fire. Minister Xie Chongjin then proposed they conceal the truth from Ban Hua and ambush both her and Rong Xia upon their return to the capital. Jiang Luo agreed, cynically calling it an act of "reuniting" the family.
Believing the lie, Xie Wanyu wept heartbrokenly before the charred remains of the Ban mansion. In Zhongzhou, Ban Hua and Zhao Zhong entered the city to distribute grain to the jubilant commoners. Ban Hua had also arranged for Akeqi to send sweet potatoes. Rong Xia noted her direct contact with Akeqi and suggested that as Military Advisor, he should handle future communications with Aipo State. The two shared a scarce baked sweet potato.
A letter from Wang Qu arrived, confirming that Jiang Luo had indeed tried to capture the Ban family, but Wang Qu and Shi Jin's scheme had successfully rescued them. The letter assured them the family was safe in a hidden cottage, advising caution. Ban Hua was relieved, expressing a faint hope that Jiang Luo might yet see reason and address the famine.
