Fake Princess Episode 20 Recap
> Fake Princess Recap
Li Heng reflected on the limitations of book knowledge, realizing that not everything could be solved by reading. The Empress then arrived and, after dismissing the servants, informed him about the Third Princess's upcoming competition to find a husband. Li Heng admitted he hadn't heard the news, to which the Empress pressed him, reminding him that the Third Princess was the most favored princess in the Night Kingdom.
She urged him to participate, but Li Heng initially hesitated, stating his priority was the country's welfare over personal romantic affairs. The Empress, however, argued that it was crucial, warning him that if Li Che were to marry the Third Princess, his chances of defeating Li Che would become incredibly small. Li Heng, realizing the gravity of the situation, asked where he could obtain an invitation card.
The Empress revealed she had already prepared one for him, adding that his maternal grandfather had cleared all obstacles. She instructed him to focus solely on dealing with Li Che in the competition, cautioning him to be careful and not underestimate his opponent. She would await his good news in the palace. Meanwhile, Li Che was peeling an orange for Chang Le. When she described it as sour, he teasingly suggested her own mouth might be sour.
Chang Le expressed her displeasure about him participating in the Third Princess's competition, even though it was a part of their larger plan. She sternly warned him not to win, threatening to "peel his skin off" if he dared to. Li Che, amused, invited her to do so.
Chang Le called him a "rogue," to which Li Che reminded her that they had been married for so long but had not yet consummated it, and then kissed the shy Chang Le. Just then, a servant interrupted to inform Li Che that Gongsun Mo had set off, and Li Che quickly dismissed the messenger to continue his affectionate moment with Chang Le. Following their plan, Nong Ying and Gongsun Mo had already set off.
Nong Ying confirmed with Gongsun Mo that Auntie Luo and the others were safely in the carriage. She expressed concern for Gongsun Mo’s weak constitution and the cold night, implicitly criticizing Li Che for tasking him with such a journey. Gongsun Mo defended Li Che, explaining that his own presence was essential for the overall plan, as Li Che needed to avoid suspicion from Liu Sheng, who would undoubtedly investigate.
He confidently stated he had many ways to evade investigation, especially since Auntie Luo had burned her house down, making Liu Sheng’s task much harder. Nong Ying retorted that scholars like him were often hypocritical and insincere. As they rode, Gongsun Mo began to ask Nong Ying if she would consider staying with him once she regained her freedom, recalling her previous statement about leaving if no one asked her to stay.
Before he could finish, a sudden jolt from the carriage caused him to embrace Nong Ying, creating an undeniable moment of intimacy between them. He then lightheartedly accused her of orchestrating the bump. Chang Le staged a dramatic scene in front of the servants, feigning anger at Li Che for dressing in such an "ostentatious" manner for the Third Princess's competition, insisting he was supposed to be going to the palace for official matters.
Li Che corrected her, pointing out that "ostentatious" was not a word to describe a man, and admitted he was indeed heading to Yuntuo Villa for the competition. Chang Le escalated her performance, expressing outrage at the idea of him taking more wives and dramatically hitting him. Li Che acknowledged the "realness" of her acting.
She continued to lash out, calling him a "bastard," while he retorted by calling her a "crazy woman" and ordering Nong Ying to take her away and keep her confined. Gongsun Mo gathered a small group of elite martial artists from General Shen's forces for the mission. He explained that due to the need for absolute secrecy and high skill, only a few trustworthy individuals could be chosen, making them significantly outnumbered.
Despite this, he assured them they would rely on wisdom to succeed and rallied the group, emphasizing that he was counting on them. At Yuntuo Villa, the Third Princess presided over the competition, beginning with a prayer to the true god. Both Li Che and Li Heng arrived to participate. Li Heng commented on the unexpected two-man contest, subtly questioning if Li Che had anticipated this or even orchestrated it, which Li Che denied.
The Third Princess announced that the first round would be an archery contest, a highly respected skill in Night Kingdom, with each contestant having ten arrows to score. Both Li Che and Li Heng demonstrated exceptional skill, consistently hitting bullseyes. However, recalling Chang Le's earlier playful threat to "peel his skin off" if he won, Li Che deliberately underperformed on his final shot. Consequently, Li Heng scored 100 points to Li Che's 90, securing the win.
Li Heng then subtly taunted Li Che about his supposed "declining" archery skills, but Li Che merely credited Li Heng’s "improved" skills. The second round required the princes to identify which of three common Night Kingdom vegetables could be eaten raw. Li Heng deferred to Li Che, who correctly identified the tomato. With this, Li Che won the second round. The third challenge involved memorizing and accurately redrawing a map of Night Kingdom.
Li Che completed this task swiftly, winning another round. Li Heng then protested that Li Che's previous travels to Night Kingdom gave him an unfair advantage in questions pertaining to that country. Acknowledging his point, the Third Princess proposed a game of Go, famous in Pei Kingdom, as a fair alternative. She extended the match to a "five out of three" format, cunningly prolonging the competition until nightfall, which was crucial for the rescue operation.
Li Heng won the Go match, scoring ten points to Li Che's nine and a half. Just as the competition was tied, the villagers from Taoyuan Village, arranged by Li Che and disguised as soldiers, stormed the venue and took Li Che and Li Heng hostage. They declared themselves survivors of the Li Kingdom and demanded that the princes' grandfathers appear and confess for their own grandfather being killed by Pei Kingdom people during the war.
The Emperor, through Gongsun Zhengqing, explained that his father had passed away more than two decades ago. The "kidnappers" then demanded the princes' maternal grandfathers instead. With no other option, the Emperor ordered Liu Sheng and General Shen to go to the scene, despite a courtier's warning about General Shen's long seclusion.
The kidnappers then stipulated that only Liu Sheng and General Shen were allowed to enter the small room where the princes were held, threatening the princes' lives if anyone else accompanied them. Liu Sheng, after receiving news from his son that Li Che was kidnapped at Yuntuo Villa and the Emperor had summoned him, expressed concern about the sudden appearance of Li Kingdom’s people and who might have tipped them off.
He also inquired about Chang Le, only to be reassured by his son that she was likely still fuming from a recent argument with Li Che about the competition and confined to her residence. Relieved, Liu Sheng ordered his son to secure the dungeon guards before secretly heading to Yuntuo Villa with him. As they departed, Brother Qin signaled the start of their operation. Chang Le, Brother Qin, Nong Ying, and their team launched an assault on Liu Sheng’s mansion.
Nong Ying, diverting guards, handed Chang Le a map as they entered the "Twelve Palaces" dungeon. Inside, Chang Le located the "general control mechanism" indicated on the map. Nong Ying recalled that Liu Sheng's men had previously moved prisoners from the kitchen (northwest) to the study (northeast), a distance of over 200 meters, allowing Chang Le to deduce that the prisoners were likely in the "Ox Palace," which corresponded to Yin earth.
Despite her fears of triggering powerful, inescapable traps, Chang Le skillfully solved the mechanism. The dungeon's confusing, identical corridors presented a challenge, but Chang Le used the map to navigate. They successfully located Auntie Luo, Uncle, Shitou, and Shuang (Auntie Luo's daughter). A joyful reunion ensued, with Shitou affectionately calling Chang Le "sister." Chang Le, convinced that anyone tortured by Liu Sheng must be a good person, also freed a mysterious old man from his cell.
Amidst a fierce battle, the group escaped the mansion. Nong Ying urged Chang Le to protect Auntie Luo while she went to assist Brother Qin. Outside, the group regrouped, with Brother Qin noting they had lost some men. Auntie Luo and Shuang shared an emotional reunion. Recognizing the urgency, Chang Le wanted to rush back, but Nong Ying reminded her that as Liu Yuyao, she couldn't simply ride a horse quickly without arousing suspicion.
Feeling weary from the long wait, the Emperor dismissed the other officials, keeping only his palace guards and Gongsun Mo. As dawn broke, Liu Sheng and General Shen finally arrived at Yuntuo Villa. After paying their respects, the Emperor, with a touch of sarcasm, noted how long "their grandsons" (Li Che and Li Heng) had been made to wait.
General Shen humbly stated that his presence was due to concern for his maternal grandson's safety, having been long imprisoned and without troops. Gongsun Mo offered to interpret the Li Kingdom's language, as his father was unwell, which the Emperor accepted. Gongsun Mo conveyed the kidnappers' demand for only Liu Sheng and General Shen to enter the small room where the princes were held, threatening the princes' lives if more people accompanied them.
Liu Sheng, worried about the number of kidnappers and potential weapons, expressed fear despite his age. General Shen, however, advised him that "precaution averts perils" before they entered. Inside the room, the "kidnappers" immediately retreated, revealing the true nature of the trap. General Shen, with a swift move, stabbed Liu Sheng. Li Heng loudly accused Shen Ao of daring to murder a high-ranking official in front of the Emperor.
Li Heng, now understanding the premeditated nature of the events, held a dagger to Li Che, while General Shen pressed a blade to Liu Sheng, creating a tense standoff. General Shen boasted about his unmissable darts, to which Li Heng warned him against accidentally harming his own maternal grandson, Li Che. At this critical moment, Chang Le arrived, sensing something amiss, and rushed into the room. She immediately punched Liu Sheng's wound, further injuring him.
She confronted Li Heng for threatening her husband, Li Che, and General Shen for harming Liu Sheng, whom she considered her grandfather (as Liu Yuyao). She warned Li Heng that if he wanted Shitou and the others to live, he should cooperate. Li Heng, defiant, claimed not to be afraid. General Shen then called Chang Le "grandson's wife" and instructed her to watch over Liu Sheng.
Li Heng further challenged Chang Le, questioning if she would really harm her grandfather for her husband. Chang Le demanded Li Heng release Li Che, to which Li Heng retorted that Chang Le should release his (Li Heng's) maternal grandfather, Liu Sheng. General Shen then assured Li Heng he would not harm Li Che and asked Li Heng if he was ready to fight. Eventually, the Emperor entered, relieved to see his sons alive.
He immediately ordered a doctor for the wounded Liu Sheng. General Shen then fabricated a story for the Emperor, claiming that he and Liu Sheng had bravely fought off the Li Kingdom kidnappers, and Liu Sheng was heroically wounded while saving Li Che. He added that the kidnappers had fled through a back window. The Emperor promptly ordered his men to pursue the fleeing "kidnappers."
Both Li Che and Li Heng publicly thanked Liu Sheng for their safety, and Li Heng also praised General Shen's impressive strength. The Emperor offered rewards to both Liu Sheng and General Shen, but General Shen declined, stating that after years under house arrest, rewards held no meaning for him, and he hadn't come for them.
Li Heng offered to personally escort his maternal grandfather (Liu Sheng) home, but the Emperor, concluding that everyone had been sufficiently "scared," dismissed them all, instructing them to return to their residences and rest.
