Different Princess Episode 10 Recap
> Different Princess Recap
News quickly spread that Liu Xiang had died. Upon hearing this, Hua Qingge rushed out of her room and followed Ji Chu to the East Office to investigate. A guard reported that about an hour earlier, he heard Miss Liu screaming from inside her cell. When he rushed in, he found her dead, but there was no culprit present.
The guard also showed them Adamantine Talismans sent by Prince Qi's Residence that night, which were believed to suppress demonic auras and had been pasted in the cell. Hua Qingge was distraught to see Liu Xiang's body, remembering her aspirations to become a chef and her budding relationship with Ji Feng, and she internally blamed Ji Chu for destroying her future. She observed that Liu Xiang's hands and legs were tied, ruling out suicide.
The guard also pointed out a Vajra Weapon, also from Prince Qi's Residence, which was said to defeat evil. Ji Chu questioned the guard about other exits in the prison, and the guard explained that the cell, known as the "Iron Box," was a sealed room with only one entrance, specifically designed for unusual criminals with unbreakable walls and windows. This confirmed it was a locked-room murder, making it impossible for anyone to enter, kill Liu Xiang, and escape undetected.
Neither Ji Chu nor the guard had any idea who the killer could be. Ji Chu then questioned Hua Qingge directly, asking who she thought killed Liu Xiang. Hua Qingge believed Ji Chu was responsible for Liu Xiang's death and felt a pang of guilt for failing to protect her, but she kept her thoughts to herself. Ji Chu pressed her, reminding her of her eloquence when defending Ji Yun, implying her silence now was suspicious.
Hua Qingge responded by saying she dared not speak much in the presence of Prince Lv. Meanwhile, Ji Feng, traumatized by seeing Liu Xiang's transformation, awoke from a nightmare, screaming about demons and refusing to marry Liu Xiang. His mother, Imperial Consort Wei, comforted him, promising to find a way to break off the engagement and protect him.
Ji Feng expressed his distress, asking if Imperial Consort Xian was also a demon and if she would seek revenge on him because their uncle had killed her. Imperial Consort Wei affirmed that Imperial Consort Xian was a demon and reassured Ji Feng that any revenge would be directed at her and his uncle, not him.
Ji Feng lamented that he wished everyone could get along, to which Imperial Consort Wei reflected on the inherent tragedy of royal life, filled with luxury yet constant apprehension. Before leaving, she urged Ji Feng not to be afraid, promising to handle everything. Hua Qingge, convinced that the locked-room scenario was a deception, believed Ji Chu had used a secret passage to send someone to kill Liu Xiang.
Meanwhile, Lin Xiyao conducted an autopsy, reporting that Liu Xiang died from excessive bleeding caused by a sharp instrument piercing her chest and rupturing her cardiac artery, approximately two hours prior. Lin Xiyao explained that Liu Xiang's sudden transformation at the engagement banquet, followed by her return to normal, could be attributed to a special medication that caused temporary physical changes. However, Lin Xiyao added that no poison or such medication was detected in Liu Xiang's blood.
This puzzled Hua Qingge, who knew from her novel that such poisons should be easily detectable, leading her to realize that this reality deviated from her fictional world. She suspected Ji Chu was feigning ignorance, having orchestrated the poisoning and murder to frame Ji Feng. A guard then presented a theory, citing a rumor that the Vajra Weapon from Zhendao Temple could kill demons.
He speculated that if Liu Xiang was indeed a demon, the Vajra Weapon from Prince Qi's Residence could have killed her. Ji Chu used this to his advantage, pointing out that in a locked room where no one else could enter, the presence of Prince Qi's Vajra Weapon in the victim's chest strongly implicated Prince Qi as the culprit.
Ji Chu then ordered Li Yi to inform the Liu family of Liu Xiang's death and to name Prince Qi as the main suspect. Hua Qingge realized Ji Chu's true motive was to target the Wei family, who supported Prince Qi. Ji Chu then ordered Liu Xiang's body to be moved to the mortuary and heavily guarded.
Hua Qingge attempted to avoid returning to the Prince Lv Residence by offering to go with Lin Xiyao to her home, but Ji Chu expressly forbade it. Hua Qingge knew that since Ji Chu had confirmed her true identity, returning to his residence would be walking into a trap. Meanwhile, guards openly gossiped about Hua Qingge being Prince Lv's consort and the "thief" who had previously trespassed.
Ji Chu ordered Xiao Yan to bring the three men who were on duty that night for individual questioning. The first guard reported that during their watch, only Xiu, Liu Xiang's personal maid, had visited. She presented an identity tablet and delivered a box of pastries. The guard believed Liu Xiang had eaten them, as he overheard Xiu urging her to and knew they were her favorite.
Hua Qingge wondered if Ji Chu suspected the pastries had somehow masked the poison. Ji Chu then questioned Hua Qingge directly about whether Liu Xiang ate the pastries, accusing her of playing dumb. Hua Qingge, feigning fear, attributed her apprehension to Ji Chu's fearsome reputation and rumors about his cruel practices in the Southern Border. Ji Chu challenged her, noting she grew up in Fuyu and hadn't visited the Southern Border or Liang before, questioning how she knew such rumors.
Hua Qingge maintained that she was not the Hua Qingge he believed her to be. Xiao Yan, having reviewed Hua Qingge's dossier, confirmed that the real Princess Hua Qingge had indeed studied martial arts from a young age. The second guard was brought in and immediately pleaded for his life, fearing Ji Chu would behead him and turn his skull into a wine glass.
Under pressure, he reported that he couldn't be certain if Liu Xiang ate the pastries, as she remained silent throughout Xiu's visit. He added that he was the one who entered her cell later to paste the talismans and had found her asleep. The third man, Commander Chang, then testified. He was the first to rush into Liu Xiang's cell after hearing her scream, "Stay away." He found the room in complete darkness.
Once another guard lit a candle, they discovered Liu Xiang's body. Commander Chang, recalling the cell was a locked room, expressed his confusion as to how anyone could have entered or left, and speculated that Liu Xiang's own "demonic influence" might have caused her to hallucinate, leading to her death by the Vajra Weapon.
Ji Chu dismissed him, instructing Xiao Yan to prepare for their return to the residence for the night, as they would meet the Emperor the following day. Liu Xiang's father was devastated by her death, mourning deeply and vowing to seek justice for his daughter. Later that night, Gong Yeqi delivered a package of pastries to Liu Xiang's father on Ji Chu's behalf, stating that Ji Chu wanted him to examine them.
This was followed by a flashback scene of Liu Xiang happily preparing food for her father before her engagement, discussing her willingness to marry Prince Qi to further her cooking skills. Later, Liu Er reported to Liu Xiang's father that Xiu, who had delivered the pastries to Liu Xiang, had not returned. Later, a princess arrived at the Prince Lv Residence.
When informed that Ji Chu was in the palace, she stated she wasn't there for him but for her "sister-in-law." She declined the steward's offer to lead her to Anxiang Hall, where the Princess Consort resided, choosing instead to go to the pavilion and asking him to send Hua Qingge to meet her there. Her maid questioned why she was looking for someone nicknamed "Player of White Stones," given he hadn't visited lately. The princess clarified that she simply enjoyed the pavilion's scenery and decided to visit Hua Qingge. Hua Qingge then met the princess at the pavilion.
