Fake Princess Episode 7 Recap
> Fake Princess Recap
Lord Zhu informed Imperial Noble Concubine Wang that he saw her son, Seventh Prince Li Lv, holding a portrait of his daughter, Zhu Yan. Believing this to be a sign of mutual affection, Imperial Noble Concubine Wang happily agreed with Lord Zhu to promptly arrange a match between Li Lv and Zhu Yan. Li Che asked Nong Ying about Yuyao's whereabouts.
After some hesitation, Nong Ying admitted that Yuyao was secretly cooking a meal for Li Che, wanting to surprise him. When Li Che found Yuyao, her hair was already singed from the cooking attempt. She offered him two dishes—fried dried tofu with chili and honey roast chicken—which Li Che found unappetizing despite her efforts, playfully noting the "roast" chicken was indeed very "roasted." Yuyao was discouraged, but Li Che gently reassured her.
He then carefully trimmed and styled her burnt hair, explaining he merely covered the damaged parts. He encouraged her to continue practicing her culinary skills, expressing his anticipation for her delicious meals in the future, before leaving. Yuyao, having decided to try embroidery, asked Nong Ying for lessons. Nong Ying declined, suggesting instead that Yuyao seek guidance from Zhu Yan, highlighting their hidden closeness.
Meanwhile, Li Che, eager to buy Yuyao a gift, enlisted Gongsun Mo to discreetly ascertain Yuyao's preferences from Nong Ying. Gongsun Mo reluctantly approached Nong Ying, who, in jest, initially claimed Yuyao favored items like knives, mechanisms, and gunpowder. When Gongsun Mo dismissed this as a joke, Nong Ying then described Yuyao as a talented woman who appreciated poetry and painting, a response that Gongsun Mo readily accepted. Yuyao visited Zhu Yan, seeking lessons in embroidery.
During their session, Yuyao stumbled upon a western telescope that Zhu Yan had kept hidden among her embroidery supplies. Recognizing it as the one she had previously lent to the Fifth Prince, Yuyao took it back from Zhu Yan, who explained she found it at the Lantern Festival. Yuyao expressed frustration that Li Heng didn't cherish the item.
Yuyao then decided against the complex mandarin duck embroidery, opting instead for a simpler "twinned trunks" pattern, hoping it would symbolize her and Li Che's bond. She then openly discussed her relationship with Li Che, attributing their togetherness to destiny despite their families' opposing views, a sentiment Zhu Yan found deeply resonant.
When Yuyao questioned if destiny truly binds two people, Zhu Yan affirmed that while destiny plays a role, the most crucial element is the shared hearts and belief of the two individuals. Li Che and Gongsun Mo visited an art shop. After selecting various pieces, Li Che felt something was still lacking for his intended gift. He then noticed an uncarved Hetian Jade and decided to take it, confident he had a clever plan for it.
Zhu Yan presented Yuyao with a generous quantity of silk threads for her embroidery. Yuyao then asked Zhu Yan to keep their intimate conversation about love and destiny a secret. Later, Gongsun Mo noticed the Fifth Prince sending a letter to Nong Ying. His curiosity piqued, he discovered it was an apology from Li Heng for losing the western telescope Yuyao had lent him.
Upon receiving the same apology, Yuyao mischievously instructed Nong Ying to demand 200,000 taels of gold as compensation, claiming it was a precious gift for her maid and she would use the money for her family. However, Nong Ying, instead, informed Li Heng that Zhu Yan had found the telescope and returned it to Yuyao, thus absolving him of blame and revealing that Zhu Yan had not, in fact, discarded it.
Seventh Prince Li Lv arrived at Li Heng's residence seeking refuge from his mother, Imperial Noble Concubine Wang, though he wouldn't elaborate on the reason. Meanwhile, while embroidering, Zhu Yan found herself contemplating Yuyao's earlier words about the power of shared hearts, realizing she harbored her own hesitant feelings for Li Heng.
Wanting to continue her embroidery lessons to create a surprise for Li Che, Yuyao planned another visit to Zhu Yan and instructed Nong Ying to keep her whereabouts a secret from Li Che. Elsewhere, Li Che worked tirelessly through the night to carve the Hetian Jade.
He defended his choice of material to Gongsun Mo, asserting that only unique items would appeal to "my Yuyao," a phrase he used repeatedly, much to Gongsun Mo's amusement and teasing about Li Che's obvious affection. Li Che, needing to go to Dali Court, left his carefully chosen gifts with Nong Ying, instructing her to convey their details to Yuyao and to keep one particular item sealed until his return.
Meanwhile, Imperial Noble Concubine Wang arrived at Li Heng's residence, having tracked down Li Lv. Li Heng, seizing the chance to see Zhu Yan, encouraged Imperial Noble Concubine Wang's plan to pressure Li Lv into a meeting with Zhu Yan. Despite Li Lv's protests that Zhu Yan was merely a friend, both Imperial Noble Concubine Wang and Li Heng pushed for the arrangement. At the meeting, the parents misinterpreted Li Lv's actions as affection for Zhu Yan.
To create an opportunity for Li Heng and Zhu Yan, Li Lv suggested a boat ride. Once on the boat, Li Lv, after a brief exchange with Li Heng who was disguised as the boatman, dramatically jumped into the river, leaving Zhu Yan and Li Heng to their private moment.
Once alone on the boat, Li Heng poured out his heart to Zhu Yan, recalling their various past encounters and the Lantern Festival as proof of their destiny, questioning why she hadn't discarded the telescope despite her earlier harsh words. Overwhelmed, Zhu Yan retreated briefly before asking Li Heng if he truly believed in fate. When he affirmed his belief, she proposed a test: if their boat docked itself before sunset, she would trust in their shared destiny.
Meanwhile, Li Che arrived to deliver his gifts to Yuyao, realizing he had forgotten a chessboard to accompany the carved Hetian Jade, which he had transformed into a slingshot. Yuyao, delighted with the unique gift, was already happily using the chess pieces as ammunition. Seeing her joy, Li Che joined her, and they gleefully played with the slingshot. As sunset approached, the boat gently drifted to shore on its own, fulfilling Zhu Yan's condition.
Accepting their fate, Zhu Yan passionately declared her desire to live by her own heart with Li Heng, unconcerned with external judgment, and sealed her confession with a kiss, leaving Li Heng overjoyed. Yuyao spent the entire night embroidering, pricking her hands and even neglecting her favorite pastries. Nong Ying, after an unsuccessful attempt to convince her to rest, eventually went to bed. Upon completing the sachet, Yuyao decided to hide it in Li Che's study as a surprise.
While looking for a hiding spot, she stumbled upon a secret letter. The letter, penned by General Shen, addressed Li Che and discussed Yuyao, whom he deemed intelligent and capable of foiling their plans. General Shen suggested that since Yuyao was known to be deeply devoted to her former lover, Duan (who was likely killed by Liu Sheng), Li Che should try to deceive her into true love. He theorized that if Li Che could deceive her into true love, Yuyao might be swayed to betray the Liu family and become a valuable asset against Liu Sheng.
