Good Bye, My Princess Episode 2 Recap
> Good Bye, My Princess Recap
Elder Prince Zhong, a royal family member of the Li Empire, reported to the Emperor that the Danchi people were warmongers who had audaciously assassinated the Crown Prince, urging a swift, head-on strike to avoid future trouble. Right Prime Minister Gao Yuming, however, questioned Danchi's motives, suggesting there must be an underlying reason for an act that would bring harm and no benefit to their own state.
Angered, the Emperor commanded Li Chengye to immediately lead soldiers to the Protectorate General Office of the Western Border to thoroughly investigate the Crown Prince's assassination. He then ordered Li Chengyin to lead an envoy to Xi State, emphasizing the critical importance of marrying the Xi State princess into the Eastern Palace to ensure stability and peace, even after the Crown Prince's death.
Li Chengyin, the Fifth Prince of the Li Empire, arrived in Xi State and, as ordered by his imperial father, presented a marriage alliance letter to King Qu Wencheng. The King expressed his long-cherished wish for a marriage alliance and lasting good relations between their two nations, following the example of Princess Mingyuan.
Just as discussions were proceeding, Prince Lidun, nephew of the Shuobo King, burst into the State Affairs Hall, loudly complaining about being kept waiting for seven days and questioning Xi State's hospitality. Xi State's eldest prince, Qu Tianze, suggested Li Chengyin step aside while the state affairs were handled. Li Chengyin, however, used the opportunity to request a visit to his Aunt Mingyuan, having heard she was unwell. King Qu Wencheng readily agreed, sending a servant to accompany him.
In the State Affairs Hall, Gao Xian, representing the Li Empire, argued that their marriage alliance letter was presented first, establishing a "first come, first served" policy. Prince Lidun countered, asserting that sincerity was paramount and offered ten years of tribute as a betrothal gift from Shuobo State for the Ninth Princess. At that moment, a maidservant, claiming to be the Ninth Princess's personal maid A'Du, entered to test the envoys' sincerity.
She presented what she called "the blood of the five evils," describing it as a potent brew distilled from red bats, poisonous lizards, blood toads, vipers, and centipedes. She challenged the envoys to drink it to prove their courage and sincerity. Both Gao Xian and Prince Lidun refused, accusing her of attempting murder or being cowardly.
The maid then scoffed at their timidity, drank the cup herself, and revealed it was merely thick grape juice, declaring that the Ninth Princess could not marry a coward. Infuriated, Prince Lidun and Gao Xian complained to King Qu Wencheng. The King ordered the maid to be dragged away and locked up, then apologized to the envoys, promising a decision on the marriage alliance in three days.
Later, in her room, Xiaofeng was revealed to be the Ninth Princess and the one who had disguised herself. She examined a cloth strip left by Li Chengyin, recognizing only a few characters that she guessed meant "meet in three days," and worried about his injuries. Meanwhile, Li Chengyin visited Princess Mingyuan, who welcomed him warmly, noting his resemblance to his mother.
Mingyuan led him to a secret room where Chai Mu was waiting and revealed a long-hidden truth: his mother, Gu Yuyao, was from a noble family. His uncle, General Gu Ruhui, was framed by the then Left Prime Minister Gao Yuming, who falsely accused him of colluding with the enemy and attempting revolt. The Emperor ordered Gao to investigate, but Gao falsified the royal decree, leading an army to massacre the entire Gu family.
On that same night, Li Chengyin was born. The Empress, barren and jealous of Consort Gu's favor with the Emperor, felt her position threatened. She feigned sisterly affection while secretly adding slow-acting poison to Consort Gu's medicine. Upon discovering the scheme, Consort Gu, knowing her death was inevitable, pleaded with the Emperor to entrust Li Chengyin to the Empress to safeguard his life.
This revelation, along with a flashback to his childhood, caused Li Chengyin immense grief and anger, realizing he had spent years unknowingly treating his mother's killer as his own. He swore to avenge his mother and the Gu family. Mingyuan then revealed that Chai Mu had saved the last remaining bloodline of the Gu clan—Gu Jian, General Gu Ruhui's only son, and thus Li Chengyin's cousin. Gu Jian acknowledged their kinship.
Concurrently, Heshi, a foremost warrior of Danchi, reported to Khan Tömür, the Danchi King, that the Central Plains had dispatched troops to the border. Khan Tömür ordered Yi Moyan to lead 30,000 elite soldiers to establish a camp a hundred miles from the Protectorate General Office of the Western Border and observe the situation. In the Protectorate General Office, Li Chengye, now addressed as Prince Xuande, met with Li Chengyin.
Li Yan, Elder Prince Zhong's son, was also present, reporting that the Crown Prince's coffin had been sent back to the capital. Tasked by Li Chengye to recount the assassination as the sole survivor, Li Chengyin described highly skilled assassins in Danchi clothing. He confirmed that the weapons and wounds matched those used by the Danchi army. General Gao Xian expressed doubts, pointing out that Danchi had no clear motive for the assassination.
Li Yan countered by reminding him of Danchi's recent looting of Haizhou City. Later, in a private meeting, Gao Xian suggested to Li Chengye that if they could definitively link the assassination to Danchi, it would provide justification to attack and destroy them, earning great military merit for Li Chengye. Gao Xian revealed that Danchi's weak point was Khan Tömür's royal tent, a core location that was mobile and hard to find. Finding it would enable a decisive blow.
Li Chengye promised Gao Xian a generous reward if he succeeded. Li Chengyin decided to volunteer for the perilous mission of finding the royal tent. Chai Mu, concerned for his safety, instructed Gu Jian to protect him, viewing the mission as an opportunity for Li Chengyin to secure the position of Crown Prince. Chai Mu then proposed recruiting Xiaofeng, the Ninth Princess of Xi State and Khan Tömür's granddaughter, believing her help would be a significant advantage.
Gu Jian vehemently opposed using Xiaofeng, arguing that it would put her in an impossible position when the Central Plains attacked Danchi. Chai Mu sternly reminded Gu Jian of his duty as the sole Gu heir to avenge his family, questioning if he would betray their memory for a woman. He instructed Gu Jian, as Xiaofeng's trusted teacher, to introduce her to Li Chengyin and persuade her to lead them to Khan Tömür's tent.
Meanwhile, Xiaofeng found her teacher, Gu Jian, and proposed they feign an engagement to get her out of the political marriage. Gu Jian refused. Upset, Xiaofeng accused him of looking down on her. He explained that he felt unworthy, burdened by a mission of revenge and unwilling to drag her into his world of hatred. Gu Jian then told Xiaofeng he had found the best man in the world for her. Though skeptical, she followed him and came face to face with Li Chengyin. They both recognized each other instantly, exclaiming, "It's you!"
