Fake Princess Episode 5 Recap
> Fake Princess Recap
In public view, Chang Le found it hard to decline and reluctantly played the zither for Zhu Yan. As Chang Le played, Liu's Prime Minister finally relaxed, and everyone praised the harmonious blend of Chang Le's zither and Zhu Yan's dance. Li Che complimented Chang Le's zither skills, while Li Heng was more captivated by Zhu Yan. The Emperor was greatly impressed by their coordinated performance, calling them "perfect for each other."
Liu Yuyao's mother approached Chang Le again, pulling her away and offering her a new pair of shoes she had made. Chang Le cleverly handled the situation. The Crown Prince was annoyed by Chang Le being showered with praise, especially when the Seventh Prince encouraged everyone to take Chang Le as their master. Left with no choice, Li Che drank on her behalf.
Meanwhile, Nong Ying gave Gongsun Mo a headache medicine, an ancestral family secret, and told him she had been watching him, which made Gongsun Mo blush. Other young masters surrounded Zhu Yan with compliments. Li Heng wanted to invite her for a drink, but Zhu Yan, remembering her father's previous lesson, deliberately kept her distance, causing Li Heng to feel deeply disappointed by her cold attitude. Li Che drank heavily and became somewhat out of control.
Gongsun Mo was about to find him some sober-up medicine, only to discover it was already gone. Just as he turned away, Li Che pulled Chang Le into a carriage, insisting on taking her to his "real home." Li Che drove away the carriage driver, leaving Chang Le to take the reins. She eventually brought Li Che to the village he referred to as his "real home," where she learned that Li Che also went by the name Wan'an.
Separately, the Empress interrogated the criminal Wang Dongjie. He accused Li Che and Liu Yuyao of beating him. Upon confirming that Wang Dongjie was indeed a rapist, the Empress, in a fit of rage, sent him back to prison and resolved to discipline Liu Yuyao, her niece, herself. The next day, a sober Li Che had no recollection of his drunken antics. Chang Le found his behavior, particularly swearing brotherhood with a rooster, utterly ridiculous.
Embarrassed that Chang Le knew all his embarrassing details, Li Che planned to leave quickly before Auntie Luo and the others woke up. Chang Le asked Li Che why he called Taoyuan Village his home. Li Che explained that the people living there were from the Li Nation, the foreign state that had previously attacked them. His mother, Empress Shen, rescued them after returning victorious from war and settled them in the village.
His mother taught him that all lives should be respected regardless of their origin. Her wish was for him to become a powerful and benevolent emperor, ensuring peace and preventing future wars. Chang Le used Li Che's drunken misbehavior as leverage, demanding an hour of freedom outside the palace daily. Li Che was puzzled as to why he brought Chang Le to Taoyuan Village, a place he hadn't even revealed to Gongsun Mo.
He inwardly cautioned himself to be wary of Liu Yuyao, reminding himself that she was still a member of the Liu family. Upon returning to the Crown Prince's Residence, Nong Ying informed Chang Le of the Empress's invitation for a reunion. Li Che knew the invitation was a pretext, most likely concerning Wang Dongjie's case. Chang Le, thinking she only had two more months left in her impersonation, decided to accept the invitation fearlessly.
The Seventh Prince gifted Zhu Yan's calligraphy and paintings to Li Heng, who was overjoyed. Chang Le chatted with the Empress, who mentioned Jingren Palace and Empress Shen. Chang Le, seemingly disregarding the Empress's current status, defended Li Che at every turn. The Empress had prepared ginseng, intending to give it to Liu Yuyao for her health.
Chang Le tried to leave early but was stopped by the Empress, who then offered ginseng and a western telescope, which made Chang Le suspicious. Touching the ginseng box, she sensed something amiss. Soon after, Ling'er falsely accused the Crown Princess of stealing the telescope. Chang Le readily allowed the Empress to search her, but no telescope was found. Seeing that the accusation failed, the Empress immediately tried to smooth things over, reminding Chang Le that they were family.
However, Chang Le, in front of the Empress, demanded to have Ling'er, the Empress's personal maid. She then gifted the telescope to Nong Ying. This power play left the Empress fuming but helpless, having lost both face and a valuable item. Li Che stared at Chang Le for a long time. Chang Le mistakenly thought she had revealed a flaw, but Li Che suddenly embraced her and spun her around, telling her how gratifying today's events were.
Chang Le demanded a reward of good food and drink. Meanwhile, Li Heng sought the western telescope from the Empress, who chastised him for being distracted by trivial things and informed him she had already given it to Liu Yuyao. At the Crown Prince's Residence, Ling'er was being ordered around by Nong Ying. Li Heng arrived, asking to borrow the western telescope. Chang Le told him that Nong Ying refused to lend it.
As Li Heng prepared to ask Nong Ying himself, Gongsun Mo volunteered to do so. Nong Ying, still in a bad mood, flatly refused. Gongsun Mo persisted, eventually leading Nong Ying to ask him to read to her. Gongsun Mo's scholarly demeanor deeply attracted Nong Ying, reminding her of her father, and seeing his serious reading brought tears to her eyes. She then handed the western telescope to Gongsun Mo.
Li Che assured Chang Le that she would always enjoy good food and drink with him. After their hearty meal, the two planned a stroll. However, Chang Le's feet were sore from the ill-fitting new shoes her mother had made, which she hadn't changed since visiting Taoyuan Village and the Empress. Seeing her discomfort, Li Che carefully applied medicine to her feet. Curious, Chang Le asked about Li Che's relationship with his mother.
He shared that his mother was like any other, even crying from period pain. She taught him that even the strongest women needed care, and wished for him to be a gentle and considerate husband after marriage. Chang Le was touched by his tenderness, momentarily wishing the three-month period would last longer, but then quickly remembered her urgent need to rescue Shitou and the others.
