A Girl Like Me Episode 37 Recap
> A Girl Like Me Recap
Following his departure from Yujing, Jiang Luo's forces arrived at the gates of Yongzhou, only to discover the city was completely empty. His general reported that they had fallen into a trap. Realizing the deception, Jiang Luo immediately ordered his army to swiftly return to Yujing to counter Rong Xia, Count Cheng'an. Meanwhile, in Yujing, Xie Chongjin was informed of Jiang Luo's failed campaign.
Despite the grim news and pleas from Crown Prince Jiang Zhang's loyalists to abandon the tyrannical Jiang Luo, Xie Chongjin stubbornly refused to surrender. He dismissed their appeals, claiming they underestimated him, and ordered his soldiers to eliminate the "rebels." Amidst the ensuing chaos, Xie Chongjin seized the opportunity to escape. In the army camp, Crown Princess Suyue expressed her concerns to Crown Prince Jiang Zhang about security, noting the presence of prisoners and the unpredictable Xie Wanyu.
Just then, Xie Wanyu appeared and openly declared that she would never return to be Jiang Luo's Empress. She stated her heart belonged solely to Ban Heng and that she wished to marry into the Ban family, which she found far more appealing than royalty. Ban Huai, Ban Heng's father, happened to overhear and readily agreed to the union on his son's behalf, causing a shy Xie Wanyu to run off.
During the chaotic retreat, an official, acting on Xie Chongjin's orders, attempted to assassinate Shi Feixian. However, her grandfather, Shi Chonghai, bravely intercepted the blow, taking the fatal strike himself. As he lay dying, he expressed deep regret for having exiled Shi Feixian and asked for her forgiveness. He urged her to fulfill his dying wish: to become the Empress of Daye and elevate the Shi family to the most prominent in the land.
Though Shi Feixian cradled her grandfather and wept bitterly, she confessed that she had not yet truly forgiven him, adding a poignant complexity to her grief. Now a fugitive, Xie Chongjin was pursued by Prince Akeqi's men, along with Shi Jin and Ban Hua. Shi Jin and Xie Chongjin exchanged heated words, with Shi Jin accusing him of betraying his own sister for a woman who did not love him and foolishly choosing a traitor's path.
Cornered by Ban Hua, Xie Chongjin confessed that he needed to capture her to secure his own survival. He then lured the lone Ban Hua into a trap, where his hidden agents ambushed and captured her with a poisoned dart. On his way back to Yujing, Jiang Luo rendezvoused with Shi Feixian. She informed him of their predicament, including her grandfather's death and the siege of Yujing by Prince Akeqi's forces.
She advised Jiang Luo to return to the capital immediately, assuring him that the cunning Xie Chongjin would find a way to escape. Rong Xia eventually caught up to Xie Chongjin, who was holding Ban Hua hostage. He threatened to kill her if Rong Xia pursued him. Xie Chongjin defended his ambition to rule Daye and restore order, accusing Rong Xia of hypocrisy for poisoning the people's food.
Rong Xia refuted this, clarifying the poison was intended for rebels, not starving civilians. Xie Chongjin then revealed to Ban Hua that the dart that struck her was poisoned, but she fiercely refused his suggestion of an alliance, declaring she would rather die than betray her principles. With Ban Hua's life in his hands, Rong Xia was forced to let Xie Chongjin escape. Once in Yujing, Xie Chongjin imprisoned Ban Hua, whose condition was already deteriorating from the poison.
Shi Jin, gravely concerned for Ban Hua, sought guidance from Crown Prince Jiang Zhang. The Crown Prince admitted his lack of military expertise and deferred to Rong Xia. Prince Akeqi urged the Crown Prince to learn from General Shi Jin, as Rong Xia could not always be by his side. When Rong Xia arrived, he declared their only option was to attack the capital.
Though the Crown Prince expressed reservations due to Ban Hua's captivity, Rong Xia reasoned that she was Jiang Luo's sole bargaining chip and would not be easily sacrificed. As they deliberated, a report arrived confirming Shi Chonghai's death. Later, Shi Feixian confronted Xie Chongjin, accusing him of orchestrating her grandfather's death and her attempted assassination. Xie Chongjin denied the accusations, attributing Shi Chonghai's death to the rebels and dismissing her claims as "persecutory delusions."
He then threatened to expose Shi Jin's cooperation with the rebels if she reported him, reminding her of their pact to either succeed together or be destroyed together. Shortly after, Jiang Luo angrily questioned Xie Chongjin's competence after his repeated failures. Shi Feixian intervened, pleading on Xie Chongjin's behalf. She falsely claimed that Ban Hua and Rong Xia had taken her brother hostage, forcing Xie Chongjin's hand, but praised his bravery in capturing Ban Hua.
Convinced by her plea, Jiang Luo pardoned Xie Chongjin, who in turn promised a strategy to eliminate Ban Hua, Rong Xia, and Crown Prince Jiang Zhang all at once. Elsewhere, Ban Heng forbade a worried Xie Wanyu from risking her life by returning to the palace to help rescue Ban Hua. He reminded her that she only wanted to be with him, not be an empress, and they shared a light-hearted moment solidifying her promise to stay safe.
Meanwhile, Shi Jin and Suyue reflected on the Shi family's tragic downfall. While Suyue lamented their fate, Shi Jin expressed contentment with their current simple, unburdened life. Suyue questioned what he would do about Shi Feixian if they reclaimed the capital, reminding him that their sister's transformation was a result of their grandfather's choices. Xie Wanyu confronted her brother, Xie Chongjin, accusing him of planning to kill Ban Hua and Rong Xia.
He insisted it was their only path to survival. She warned that even if they succeeded, the Xie family would become the emperor's next target. Dismissing her concerns, he told her to go home. Unyielding, Xie Wanyu demanded to see Ban Hua and was horrified to find her in a cell, spitting up dark, poisoned blood.
At the palace, Jiang Luo presented Shi Feixian with an Empress's ceremonial robe, promising to divorce Xie Wanyu and make her Empress if Rong Xia surrendered. He also offered to let her decide Xie Chongjin's fate. As Ban Hua's condition worsened, news of the battle reached Jiang Luo.
His general reported heavy losses and that the Northeast garrison, led by General Song, had defied orders to intervene, citing a secret edict from the late Emperor forbidding their involvement in succession disputes. With Rong Xia and Prince Akeqi's forces at the city gates, a desperate Jiang Luo was reminded of Xie Chongjin's final plan.
He sent a messenger to Rong Xia with an ultimatum: surrender Crown Prince Jiang Zhang by noon the next day, or Ban Hua would be executed. Shi Feixian visited Ban Hua in prison, mocking her predicament. Fueled by resentment, she vented about her lifelong struggle for recognition compared to Ban Hua. To repay a past kindness, however, Shi Feixian offered Ban Hua a final wish. Ban Hua requested her cherished white-fur coat, wishing to wear it one last time.
Though scoffing, Shi Feixian agreed. Xie Chongjin delivered the coat and led Ban Hua to the city wall tower. From below, Rong Xia's forces accused Jiang Luo of usurping the throne, while Jiang Luo's loyalists denounced them as rebels. The chaos was interrupted by the arrival of Crown Prince Jiang Zhang, who asserted his legitimate claim. Xie Chongjin taunted Rong Xia, questioning if he truly valued Ban Hua's life, and posed an agonizing choice: the empire or Ban Hua.
Standing on the tower, Ban Hua reminded Rong Xia of her recurring dream of being shot and killed in that very white-fur coat. As Xie Chongjin began counting down from three, he warned Rong Xia that a master archer had a clear shot, demanding his surrender. Ban Hua shouted for Rong Xia not to give in. The Crown Prince then pleaded with Rong Xia to choose the greater good and not repeat the mistake that allowed Jiang Luo's tyrannical rise. As Xie Chongjin shouted "three," Rong Xia, with a heart-wrenching expression, raised his bow and fired an arrow.
