A Girl Like Me Episode 8 Recap
> A Girl Like Me Recap
Inside the palace, Ban Hua dramatically fell in front of the Emperor. Just as Jiang Luo entered, she accused him of brutally striking her. Showing her bruised wrist, Ban Hua feigned a pitiful demeanor, declaring she had never been beaten so cruelly. Jiang Luo vehemently denied touching her, insisting she had thrown herself to the ground. However, the Emperor, exasperated by Jiang Luo's recent misconduct and previous embarrassment during the autumn hunt, chose to believe Ban Hua.
Even when Ban Hua feigned a confession of initiating the conflict, Rong Xia subtly reinforced the Emperor's perception by cautioning Ban Hua against arguing with someone of Jiang Luo's noble status, implicitly framing Jiang Luo as the aggressor. Convinced of Jiang Luo's poor character, the Emperor ordered him to return to his study and copy "The Book of Rites" five hundred times, forbidding him from leaving until it was finished.
Jiang Luo protested, questioning his father's affection, before being escorted away by Wang De. Rong Xia then returned Ban Hua's hairpin, acknowledging her cunning. Ban Hua playfully admitted that he was too clever to be fooled. Rong Xia advised her to control her temper when dealing with Prince Luo, suggesting there were more thoughtful ways to handle such situations, but Ban Hua casually dismissed this, stating she was too lazy to think of other methods.
Rong Xia expressed admiration for her, contrasting her supportive family with his own upbringing, where he learned to face everything alone. He revealed he was even trying to communicate with his cat, Huahua, a habit he began after a previous conversation with Ban Hua. She offered her support should he ever need someone to talk to, and they confirmed their renewed friendship, with Rong Xia promising to accept her future guidance. Furious about his punishment, Jiang Luo cursed Ban Hua.
His mother, the Empress, arrived and admonished him for causing further trouble, especially with Princess Royal's birthday banquet approaching, given the prior disgrace of the autumn hunt. When Jiang Luo disdainfully referred to Princess Royal as "a dying old woman," his mother sharply rebuked him for his insolence. Later, a eunuch suggested Jiang Luo find allies to remove obstacles for him, reminding him that the court was dominated by the Crown Prince's and Ban Family's supporters.
Jiang Luo confidently declared his reliance on the Xie Family. Meanwhile, Eunuch Zhang visited Count Xie, announcing that the Imperial Board of Astronomy had consulted the horoscopes of Prince Luo and Xie Wanyu, confirming their union would be highly auspicious. Count Xie was overjoyed and generously gifted Eunuch Zhang, soliciting his future support. At the same time, Xie Chongjin assured his father via letter that Prince Luo had no alternative but to marry his sister.
In the Xie household, Count Xie berated his daughter, Xie Wanyu, for her passion for cooking, scorning her preference for culinary pursuits over becoming a Princess Consort. Inside the Xie Mansion, Xie Wanyu tearfully lamented her ruined dish and her lack of freedom, contrasting her constrained life with Ban Hua’s uninhibited spirit despite numerous broken engagements. Her brother, Xie Qilin, comforted her, explaining the inherent lack of personal control within noble families, where marriages were often transactional.
He shared his own past experience of breaking an engagement, which led to him losing an eye and their family home being vandalized, and suggested that marrying a "wild" woman like Ban Hua would have resulted in an even more miserable life. He encouraged his sister to focus on the advantages of marrying a prince, assuring her of a higher status than Ban Hua.
While Xie Wanyu admitted her desire for a higher status than Ban Hua, she insisted she disliked her, a sentiment she claimed was shared by all noblewomen. Frustrated by her repeated failures to verify if Jiang Luo was the mysterious "man in black," Ban Hua and her maids discussed her latest attempt. She had been thwarted by Jiang Luo wearing two layers of undergarments, and Rong Xia’s arrival had cut short her opportunity.
Ban Hua declared her resolve to strip Jiang Luo at the upcoming birthday banquet, even if he were wrapped in a quilt. Later, while shopping for dinnerware, Xie Wanyu set her heart on a beautiful, reserved plate. She offered the shop owner double the price, but he refused, explaining that the buyer was someone he dared not offend.
After Xie Wanyu asserted her identity as the future Princess Consort, Ban Heng appeared, revealing himself as the one who had reserved the plate. Citing the principle that a gentleman should be kind to ladies, he relinquished the plate. Surprised, Xie Wanyu purchased it and remarked that "not all Bans are bad." Concurrently, Ban Huai was admiring a painting reserved by Rong Xia. Rong Xia graciously offered it to Ban Huai as a gift for Princess Royal’s birthday.
Impressed, Ban Huai lauded Rong Xia and enthusiastically invited him to drink at Wangyue Tower. Knowing the Emperor’s true intentions, Princess Royal allowed Physician Wang, who had been dispatched to examine her, into her mansion. Before the examination, Madam Chang subtly added something to the Princess Royal's tea. After checking her pulse, Physician Wang pronounced it stable and normal, prescribing only a tonic.
Later, Ban Hua and her mother visited and proposed that their entire family move into the Princess Royal’s mansion to assist with the banquet preparations. Though initially hesitant, the Princess Royal could not refuse when Ban Hua pointed out that the imperial physician had just declared her well, and she reluctantly agreed. That evening, a visibly drunk Ban Huai and Rong Xia stumbled back to the Ban Mansion.
Rong Xia drunkenly referred to Ban Huai as "Uncle Ban," claiming their fathers were childhood friends. As Ban Hua chastised them, Rong Xia’s subordinate, Du Jiu, revealed a significant discovery: a potent drug found within Princess Royal’s mansion. Du Jiu deduced that she was suffering from a severe, long-term illness and had been using this medication to conceal her condition from imperial physicians.
Wang Qu, Rong Xia’s associate, suggested they disseminate news of Princess Royal’s grave illness to incite conflict between the Ban and Shi families, creating an opportunity to search for the missing Tiger Tally in the chaos. Rong Xia, heavily intoxicated, dismissed the idea of spreading rumors, mumbling that informing the Emperor would be a more prudent approach to avoid suspicion.
He was too drunk to formulate a concrete strategy, but his drunken rambling about a time Ban Hua saved an old homeless woman led his subordinates to interpret it as a hint that they could use a similar ruse to infiltrate the mansion. During banquet preparations, Ban Hua and Rong Xia clashed over the decor; she insisted on lavish, sparkling designs, while he advocated for simplicity and thrift.
After they argued to a stalemate, Ban Hua compromised on all other details but adamantly insisted on including Longjing Cake. Rong Xia deemed it too extravagant and refused, causing Ban Hua to storm off. The steward then revealed to Rong Xia that the cake held significant sentimental value, as it was the token of love between Princess Royal and the late General Ban Senior, prompting a thoughtful reaction from Rong Xia.
Jiang Luo, initially dismissive of the banquet, changed his mind after his eunuch informed him that Ban Hua herself had arranged for someone to copy "The Book of Rites" on his behalf. Deciding to attend, he sent carefully selected gifts to Xie Wanyu. At the time, Xie Wanyu was with Shi Feixian, admiring her embroidery and confiding her mixed feelings about Ban Hua.
When Jiang Luo’s eunuch arrived, he explained that the Prince feared the Xie family’s birthday tribute might not be grand enough and wished to subsidize their efforts. Offended by this gesture, Xie Wanyu rejected the gifts, stating that her family did not require his financial assistance and concluding that the Prince was indeed unreliable. That night, Ban Hua awoke in fright from a dream of Princess Royal’s mourning hall.
She immediately sought comfort from her grandmother, tearfully asking to sleep beside her. The following day, Princess Royal confronted Rong Xia, questioning why the Emperor had specifically chosen him to arrange her banquet and noting the growing rumors about his chemistry with Ban Hua. She directly challenged his motives for approaching the Ban family. Unfazed, Rong Xia countered by invoking the memory of General Ban Senior’s death over a decade prior and asked the Princess Royal if she remembered "what happened then."
