Different Princess Episode 22 Recap
> Different Princess Recap
Duke was still anxiously waiting for Lin Xiyao, his daughter, to return home, having already prepared her room. He worried she might still resent him and not wish to come back. His servant tried to comfort him, suggesting she was merely busy. To his delight, Lin Xiyao eventually arrived and apologized for her lateness. The Duke was overjoyed, welcomed her home, and offered her her favorite small wontons.
Lin Xiyao accepted him as her father, understanding that past events were not his intentional fault. Ji Yun had earlier investigated a mysterious totem and had a drawing of it. Upon seeing the intricate design, he was stunned, realizing it was identical to a tattoo he had seen on his mother, the Empress. His subordinate noticed his reaction and asked if he had found something.
Ji Yun knew the totem represented a Fuyu life and death pact and was concerned about its implications for his mother. Ji Chu was interrogating Du Hui, who confessed that twenty years ago, he, a talented official in Fuyu, fell in love with a wealthy young lady but couldn't be with her due to their differing social statuses.
Ji Chu quickly pieced together the story, revealing that the young lady was the Third Princess of Fuyu, now the Empress Hua Yunni, and Du Hui had resigned his post to follow her to Liang as a secretary. Ji Chu suggested that Du Hui's deep love for the Empress led him to be her willing pawn in the murder of Ji Feng. Du Hui vehemently denied this.
Just as Hua Qingge arrived, Du Hui, seeing the Empress's niece, requested her to deliver a message to an old friend. As he began to speak of something from fifteen years ago, a fire suddenly erupted around him, and Ji Chu recognized the smell of phosphorus powder. Despite the guards' efforts, Du Hui died by self-immolation. Earlier, Ji Yun had discovered an ornament on Du Hui's body that was identical to one worn by his mother.
This, combined with the Red Luan Constellation Sign totem, which he knew signified a life and death pact in Fuyu, intensified his suspicions. He confronted his mother, the Empress, demanding the truth about her relationship with Du Hui. He revealed that he had seen Du Hui buy the ornament at a Mid-Autumn Festival Fair and deduced that she and Du Hui were in love before her marriage to his father.
The Empress admitted to having the totem and confirmed that Du Hui had stayed in the East Office for years under her orders, initially as her subordinate, but later taking on a new role after Ji Chu assumed control. Ji Yun then asked if she had ordered Du Hui to kill Ji Feng. Overwhelmed, Ji Yun questioned the Empress's past teachings about kindness and sibling affection, recalling a time she punished him for fighting over a pastry with Ji Feng.
He felt that all her lessons now seemed false, believing she had ultimately harmed them all. After Du Hui's dramatic death, Hua Qingge expressed surprise that Ji Chu didn't ask her about her visit. Ji Chu, however, assured her of his trust.
Hua Qingge then recounted how Du Hui had asked her to deliver a message to an old friend, stating he would have no regrets and was about to speak of something from fifteen years ago when the fire erupted. Shortly after, a guard was apprehended outside the jail, having used a bronze mirror to ignite the phosphorus powder on Du Hui. The guard confessed, claiming long-standing animosity towards Du Hui.
Ji Chu, however, found the confession suspicious, noting Du Hui's good reputation within the East Office. He concluded that the murderer's testimony was fabricated, and someone powerful intended to silence Du Hui to quickly close the case of Ji Feng, and sought to identify who would be most eager to do so. In her chambers, the Empress was looking through her old dowry items, specifically a hairpin that was a token of her love with Du Hui.
Just as she was about to destroy it, Hua Qingge arrived to visit her aunt. Hua Qingge revealed that she had secretly visited Du Hui in prison, where he shared stories and asked her to deliver a message to an old friend. Hua Qingge subtly tried to gauge her aunt's reaction, asking if the Empress, also from Fuyu, knew anything about Du Hui's past or was curious about his dying words.
However, the Empress remained composed and claimed no knowledge or interest. Disheartened by her aunt's cold indifference, Hua Qingge left, remarking to herself that the Empress showed no curiosity about Du Hui's final words. Ji Chu found Hua Qingge visibly upset about the Empress's lack of interest in Du Hui's message. He explained that the palace environment was complex, where even a small detail could unravel years of meticulous planning, and that dismantling powerful forces would take time.
Hua Qingge then directly asked Ji Chu if he was hiding anything from her, to which he playfully responded that it wouldn't be him without a secret. He also asked why she always seemed to know his plans in advance, and when she stammered, he told her to reveal it when she was ready. Hua Qingge reaffirmed her trust in him.
Noticing her still observing him, Ji Chu teased her, suggesting that if she kept looking at him, he would assume she had fallen for him. Hua Qingge, flustered, quickly ran off. Lin Xiyao was preparing to return to the East Office when she discovered her belongings being moved back to the Duke's residence. Her father, the Duke, had ordered it, explaining that he worried about her working among corpses and attracting criticism.
He expressed his desire for her to stay by his side, especially as he was getting older, and to marry well, fulfilling her deceased mother's wish. Lin Xiyao reluctantly agreed to temporarily stop working at the East Office but expressed her reluctance to marry. The Duke, however, insisted he would find her the best match.
The Duke then visited Ji Chu, proposing a marriage alliance by offering his daughter, Lin Xiyao, to be Ji Chu's wife, which would bring the powerful Dingguo Army under Ji Chu's influence. He argued that while the Crown Prince would become Emperor, Ji Chu's ambition and strategies made him a more promising match. Hua Qingge, hidden nearby, overheard the conversation and worried if Ji Chu would accept, realizing such a marriage would displace her as Princess Consort.
Ji Chu, however, politely declined the Duke's offer, stating he already had a Princess Consort. The Duke, angered by the refusal, left. Ji Chu then called out Hua Qingge, who admitted to eavesdropping and questioned why he would forfeit such a beneficial alliance. Ji Chu simply replied that he would never do anything to hurt her. Hua Qingge, flustered and touched, ran off.
