Good Bye, My Princess Episode 3 Recap
> Good Bye, My Princess Recap
Surprised to see Li Chengyin again, Xiaofeng excitedly asked what was written on the cloth he had left for her. He avoided the question, instead inquiring about her identity. Xiaofeng proudly declared herself the Ninth Princess of Xi State, daughter of the Xi State King, whose mother was the daughter of the Danchi Khan, and who was the granddaughter of the renowned Khan Tömür.
Li Chengyin, introducing himself as Gu Xiaowu from the Central Plains, claimed to be the son of a tea plantation owner and cunningly remarked that if she were to harm him, Xi State would lose its supply of fine tea. He feigned surprise that the "best woman" Gu Jian had spoken of was indeed the Ninth Princess, prompting Xiaofeng to call him a "slick-talking rogue." Unbeknownst to Xiaofeng, Gu Jian was listening nearby, shaking his head in resignation.
Li Chengyin promised to help Xiaofeng avoid a distant marriage to the Central Plains if she could read the characters on the cloth. Frustrated by her illiteracy in Central Plains writing, Xiaofeng returned to the palace. With the deadline for the marriage alliance fast approaching, Xiaofeng's mother, the Queen, decided to send her to Danchi to hide, trusting Khan Tömür to protect her.
Delighted, Xiaofeng asked if her teacher, Gu Jian, could accompany her, stating her unwavering trust in him to always protect her. The Queen, though initially hesitant about people from the Central Plains, ultimately consented to Xiaofeng's heartfelt plea. The following day, General Gao and Prince Lidun inquired about the Ninth Princess's marriage alliance. Suddenly, a servant announced that Consort Ming Yuan's condition had worsened. The king, Qu Wencheng, rushed to her side, finding Ming Yuan on her deathbed.
Ming Yuan expressed her final wish to be buried at Sky Span Mountain and to see peace at the border. Qu Wencheng, heartbroken, promised to fulfill her desires before she peacefully passed away. Due to Ming Yuan's passing, a palace decree announced a 49-day mourning period, during which weddings were forbidden, thus postponing the Ninth Princess's marriage.
Meanwhile, Gu Jian introduced Li Chengyin, whom he called his distant cousin Gu Xiaowu, a tea trader familiar with the Western Border, as an additional escort for their journey to Danchi. Xiaofeng, initially skeptical of Gu Xiaowu's weak appearance, was quickly won over by his playful banter. During their journey, Xiaofeng expressed her sorrow over Ming Yuan's death, sharing her desire to live freely with someone she loves, unlike Ming Yuan who lived isolated in a foreign land.
Sensing Xiaofeng's affection for Gu Jian, Li Chengyin offered to test Gu Jian's feelings for her in exchange for access to the rare treasures in Khan Tömür's tent. Xiaofeng, naive to his true intentions, agreed to help him obtain an item or two, but would not allow him into the tent himself. Later, Li Chengyin orchestrated a scene where Xiaofeng fed him while observing Gu Jian's reactions, but he reported that Gu Jian showed no interest.
Li Chengyin's attendant, Pei Zhao, warned him not to be distracted by playing with Xiaofeng. Li Chengyin, however, insisted that gaining Xiaofeng's trust was crucial for their mission to find Khan Tömür's tent. Still seeking validation, Xiaofeng pressed Gu Xiaowu about Gu Jian's thoughts. Gu Xiaowu lied, claiming Gu Jian had said Xiaofeng was "capricious and loved to fool around, not gentle or pretty," unlike Central Plains girls.
Devastated, Xiaofeng confronted Gu Jian, who affirmed his affection for her as his disciple but unequivocally stated he had no other romantic feelings, feigning a tease about his own lack of humor. Heartbroken, Xiaofeng ran away in tears. Separately, Batuer, a Danchi warrior, was captured by Pei Zhao and brought before Prince Lidun and General Gao.
Prince Lidun accused Batuer of participating in the massacre of Haizhou City and using it as a cover to assassinate the Li Empire's Crown Prince, an act he suggested was orchestrated by Khan Tömür. Batuer vehemently denied killing the Crown Prince, admitting only to the city massacre. He defiantly declared his disdain for Central Plains people, vowing that the Danchi cavalry would one day flatten the Li Empire. Enraged, Prince Lidun ordered Batuer to be imprisoned for interrogation.
As the journey continued, Xiaofeng and Li Chengyin had a playful dispute at a river, causing their horses to run off. Gu Jian observed them from a distance with a complex expression. Suddenly, Shuobo General Yuange and his men surrounded them, demanding Xiaofeng, claiming she was a runaway slave. Li Chengyin attempted to mislead them by asserting they were tea merchants, but Xiaofeng defiantly revealed her identity and scorned the Shuobo King's trickery. A fierce fight ensued.
Gu Jian bravely stayed behind to fend off the Shuobo soldiers, instructing Li Chengyin to take Xiaofeng and meet at Gongyue City. As Li Chengyin and Xiaofeng fled, they heard the approach of more soldiers and were forced to jump into a lake. Xiaofeng, unable to swim, struggled until Li Chengyin gave her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
Upon surfacing, a disoriented Xiaofeng angrily accused him of kissing her, while Li Chengyin retorted that he was merely giving her air and had no desire to kiss a woman whose heart belonged to another. Back in Xi State, Qu Wencheng discovered Xiaofeng's disappearance. The Queen confessed that she had sent Xiaofeng to Danchi for her safety, asserting her priority as a mother over her role as Queen.
Qu Wencheng was enraged, furious that she had risked their daughter's life and pushed him to a desperate path, given the impending war between the Li Empire and Danchi. He immediately issued a decree, activating the spy network and offering a reward of one hundred gold ingots for the Ninth Princess's return. Xiaofeng and Li Chengyin eventually reached Gongyue City. Without money due to their lost belongings, they were unable to stay at an inn.
To their shock, they discovered wanted posters plastered around the city, bearing Xiaofeng's image with a paltry reward of one hundred gold ingots, which Xiaofeng found insulting. They found refuge in a dilapidated house, where Li Chengyin realized his highly important jade pendant was missing. Xiaofeng, oblivious to its true significance, was confused by his intense distress. Meanwhile, having been brutally tortured, Batuer was brought before Prince Lidun again.
He remained defiant, continuing to deny Danchi's involvement in the Crown Prince's death. With the interrogation yielding no confession, General Gao suggested that Batuer be sent to Shangjing for the Emperor's judgment, a proposal Prince Lidun accepted. Back at their hiding place, Xiaofeng, suspecting Li Chengyin's jade pendant had fallen into the lake during their escape, decided to go back and retrieve it herself. Unable to swim well, she soon struggled and lost consciousness in the water.
