Good Bye, My Princess Episode 18 Recap
> Good Bye, My Princess Recap
Following an incident where Ninth Princess Xiaofeng was poisoned, Li Yan publicly accused Chan'er, a maidservant from Prince Yu's household, of attempting to assassinate the Crown Prince. The poisoned soup was originally intended for the Crown Prince, who confirmed he had given it to Xiaofeng. Li Yan then accused Prince Yu, Li Chengyin, of being the mastermind behind the plot.
In a calculated display of magnanimity, the Crown Prince, Li Chengye, defended his fifth brother, asserting that Prince Yu would never commit such a treacherous act. Nevertheless, the Emperor ordered Ceng Xian to lead troops to seal and search Prince Yu's manor, and to inform Prime Minister Gao of the situation. At the Court of Judicial Review, Chan'er endured brutal torture but initially claimed sole responsibility, citing personal resentment against the Crown Prince for a past punishment.
This was part of a ruse; internally, she resolved to withstand the torture for three days before confessing, believing this would make her testimony more credible. As a secret agent of the Crown Prince, she felt it was an honor to serve him and was confident her family would be cared for after her death. Meanwhile, Zhao Sese tried to visit the besieged Prince Yu, but her brother, Zhao Shixuan, forcefully stopped her.
He warned that with the Shenwu Army surrounding the manor, any involvement from their family could lead to ruin. As Xiaofeng's condition worsened, her maid A'Du recalled seeing Chan'er speaking privately with the Crown Prince, Li Chengye, realizing he was the true culprit. She went to the Eastern Palace to beg him for the antidote.
However, the Crown Prince and Li Yan mockingly dismissed her, with the Crown Prince tauntingly telling her that since Prince Yu was the accused poisoner, she should seek the antidote from him. With soldiers discovering planted evidence—a vial of poison—in Prince Yu's study, the case against him seemed sealed. Seeing the Crown Prince's cruel indifference, a desperate A'Du sought help from Gu Jian.
He identified the poison as "Blood Thorns," a rare toxin from the Western Regions, for which it was too late to concoct an antidote. Instead, he opted to use his internal energy to expel the poison from Xiaofeng's body. After instructing A'Du to guard the door, Gu Jian undertook the arduous process, eventually saving Xiaofeng's life. As A'Du escorted a weakened Gu Jian out, she saw him cough up blood and instinctively called his name, revealing she was not mute.
Gu Jian was stunned. A'Du tearfully explained that feigning muteness was the only way she could remain by Xiaofeng's side and protect the secrets of her forgotten past. With no other family, Xiaofeng was everything to her.
A flashback revealed the extent of Gu Jian's own frailty; a doctor had previously warned him that injuries sustained from a fall from a cliff had left his body as fragile as a bottle of poison, and that any significant exertion of his internal energy could prove fatal. Healing Xiaofeng had drained him, leaving him profoundly weak. In the imperial court, Ceng Xian reported that Chan'er had confessed, implicating Prince Yu in the plot to kill the Crown Prince.
The Emperor ordered Prince Yu's arrest. Prime Minister Gao and other officials defended Prince Yu, citing his kind nature and questioning the validity of a coerced confession. Li Yan countered their pleas, raising suspicion about Prince Yu by reminding the court that when he and the late Crown Prince Li Chengji went to the Western Border, only Prince Yu returned alive.
The current Crown Prince, Li Chengye, strategically intervened, "defending" Prince Yu to appear benevolent while simultaneously allowing the accusation to hang in the air. The Emperor then punished Li Yan for his outburst. During a private interrogation, the Emperor pressured Prince Yu to confess, citing the "irrefutable evidence." Prince Yu staunchly denied the charges, arguing the evidence was suspiciously convenient and that he would never use his own maid for such a plot.
The Emperor then questioned him about the death of the former Crown Prince, Li Chengji. Stunned by the accusation, Prince Yu realized the depth of the conspiracy against him and asked his father who truly benefited from these events. He then had a vision of his deceased brother, who warned him that in the palace, truth is irrelevant and allies are fickle in the face of power. News arrived that Xiaofeng had awakened.
The Emperor visited her, but no one could explain her miraculous recovery, as A'Du remained silent. Later, a eunuch reported to the Emperor that A'Du had knelt at the Eastern Palace all night, hinting at a connection. Meanwhile, Prince Yu's mother, Zhang Meiniang, pleaded with the Emperor for her son's safety. The Emperor reassured her that he would not be too harsh, given that many ministers had already spoken in Prince Yu's defense.
