Good Bye, My Princess Episode 41 Recap
> Good Bye, My Princess Recap
Li Chengyin lay unconscious, and Xiaofeng sat by his bed, holding his hand tightly. She murmured that the people of the Central Plains were particular about naming children and wondered about the meaning of "Chengyin." Just then, Li Chengyin opened his eyes. With a hoarse yet gentle voice, he explained that the character "Yin" was used because the dynasty's founder was originally from Yin State, a place from which the imperial line rose.
Xiaofeng's eyes widened in surprise, then filled with tears of joy as she excitedly called for an imperial physician. The next morning, Li Chengyin awoke to find Zhao Sese by his side. It was Xiaofeng who had arranged for Zhao Sese to stay and keep him company. Soon after, the Emperor arrived. He informed Li Chengyin that A'Du had identified Rongshuang, a close servant of the Empress, as the assassin.
Enduring his pain, Li Chengyin took out his personal jade pendant, the other half of which had been given to him by Mingyuan. He revealed to the Emperor that Mingyuan had told him on her deathbed that the Empress was responsible for his biological mother's death. The Emperor, enraged, went to the imperial prison to interrogate Rongshuang. When Rongshuang learned Li Chengyin had regained consciousness, she was terrified, knowing her deception could no longer be maintained.
She initially claimed innocence, then falsely confessed that she intended to kill the Crown Princess Consort, whom she accused of being barbaric and disrespectful. However, the Emperor pressed her, asking if the Empress had instigated her. Rongshuang insisted the Empress was not involved, urging the Emperor to believe his wife of thirty years. Not long after, the Emperor arrived at Zhang Meiniang’s palace, demanding to know if she had poisoned his beloved Pure Consort.
Zhang Meiniang vehemently denied it, but the Emperor was convinced she was a ruthless woman and refused to hear her pleas. He accused her of being a poisonous snake by his side and of trying to kill Li Chengyin after killing his mother. He then declared that he had always believed her ploys were for self-preservation, but never imagined she was so deranged as to try to kill her own adopted son.
Despite her denials and claims of love for Chengyin, the Emperor scornfully dismissed her pleas. He then told her that for the sake of their thirty years of marriage, he would spare her life but would abolish her empress title, a decree he would announce the next day. Zhang Meiniang desperately pleaded, pointing out that the Chancellery would not promulgate the edict quickly and her uncle, Prime Minister Gao, would not remain indifferent.
The Emperor coldly retorted that Prime Minister Gao would now side with Lady of Handsome Fairness Gao, who was pregnant and would soon be made Noble Consort, rather than his niece who had not given birth to a prince. He condemned Zhang Meiniang for harming his beloved woman and his son, stating that she had brought this upon herself and was now abandoned by her relatives and even her palace maids who had been caned to death.
The Emperor gave her two choices: either her palace would be sealed, and she would be imprisoned for life with only deaf and mute servants, or she could choose another fate. Zhang Meiniang then knelt, tearfully asking if, in all their years together, he had ever truly loved her, even for a moment, knowing his heart belonged to Pure Consort Gu. The Emperor coldly stated she knew the answer in her heart and then left her alone in the palace.
A decree was issued, formally stripping Empress Zhang of her title for resentment, disrupting the harem, and failing to nurture other children. She was to be confined to a side palace, never to leave until her death. That evening, under a bleak moonlight, Li Chengyin stood outside Zhang Meiniang’s palace. The former mother and son were separated by a large door.
Zhang Meiniang spoke of her years of raising him and her affections, saying she had placed all her heart and expectations on him, truly wanting him to become a wise ruler. Li Chengyin calmly acknowledged her care but stated that the love and happiness she provided should have come from his biological mother, whose life she took. He expressed his deep regret that she had tried to assassinate him, wishing she had truly treated him as her son.
He felt he was merely a pawn in her schemes to secure her own position and retain the Emperor's affection, and that his life meant nothing to her. Li Chengyin then knelt outside the palace and bowed three times, telling her that with the stab she inflicted, he had returned half a life to her, and they were now cleared of all debts. He declared that their bond as mother and son was now severed.
Zhang Meiniang wept hysterically, calling out to him, acknowledging her selfish reasons for wronging his mother but insisting she had truly loved him as her own son for many years. Realizing she had lost everything, she despaired and used a silk sash to end her life. When the Emperor learned of Zhang Meiniang’s death, he showed no sadness. Instead, he went to the former residence of Pure Consort Gu and lingered there. Meanwhile, Li Chengyin cried sorrowfully.
Xiaofeng did not allow his servants to disturb him, understanding he needed to grieve alone. With Zhang Meiniang’s downfall, Zhao Sese was reinstated as a Related Lady of Excellence. She was overjoyed, believing that nothing could now stand in the way of her and Li Chengyin's love, unaware that Li Chengyin's heart belonged to someone else. Li Chengyin visited A'Du, bringing a lingzhi mushroom, a gift from the Emperor, which was highly effective for internal injuries.
He took the opportunity to speak with Xiaofeng, acknowledging that he owed A'Du half his life because of her injuries. A'Du conveyed her thanks and forgiveness. However, Xiaofeng consistently evaded his affections, leaving Li Chengyin bewildered as to what she was escaping. Xiaofeng candidly explained that their connection, forged through extraordinary shared experiences like crossing a shaky bridge, where hearts raced and hands held, was not true love.
She admitted that while she was the Crown Princess Consort, he loved someone else. She emphasized that as the Crown Prince, he could have numerous consorts in the future, but she desired a unique and exclusive love, something he could not provide. The Grand Empress Dowager summoned Xiaofeng and Zhao Sese, instructing them to support Li Chengyin in his duties.
She announced that Luoxi's wedding was on the ninth day of the next month and tasked Xiaofeng, as the mistress of the Eastern Palace and a friend of Luoxi, with assisting Consort Hui in organizing a lively but not extravagant wedding. Luoxi and Pei Zhao’s wedding soon took place. That night, Yongning and Xiaofeng stood on the city wall, conversing. Yongning expressed her unwillingness to let Luoxi go, noting that she was the only unmarried princess left.
She admitted to being both envious and not envious of Luoxi, envious of marrying her beloved, but unsure of their future happiness, as Pei Zhao's feelings did not seem as deep as Luoxi's. Xiaofeng reassured her, suggesting that perhaps seeing her beloved daily was the greatest happiness.
Yongning sighed, lamenting that royal princesses, despite their luxuries, had no control over their marriages, and she herself had never known love, wondering about her own destiny of marrying far away for a political alliance. Xiaofeng later visited Lady of Precious Bevy Xu. Lady of Precious Bevy Xu honestly told Xiaofeng that Li Chengyin did not care for her and her own heart was not in the palace.
Meanwhile, Zhao Sese, upon learning of Xiaofeng's visit to Lady of Precious Bevy Xu, mistakenly believed Xiaofeng was trying to ally with her to suppress her, and she harbored resentment. Unbeknownst to her, Li Chengyin had already decided to send Lady of Precious Bevy Xu out of the palace to live an ordinary life.
However, trouble arose when a peach wood talisman, an item of witchcraft with Zhao Sese's birth specifics written on it, was discovered under Lady of Precious Bevy Xu's bed. This was a grave offense. Li Chengyin commanded that Lady of Precious Bevy Xu be confined and demoted to a commoner. Xiaofeng, who pleaded for Lady of Precious Bevy Xu, was ordered to confine herself to her residence to reflect on her actions.
When Yongniang first informed Xiaofeng, she dismissed it as a minor matter, but Yongniang cautioned her that witchcraft was forbidden and could lead to execution. Xiaofeng suggested letting Li Chengyin handle it to avoid alarming the Emperor, believing it was likely a prank and that Lady of Precious Bevy Xu was innocent. Li Chengyin arrived and accused Lady of Precious Bevy Xu of daring to cross the line and harm someone he loved, despite his pity for her situation.
Xiaofeng defended Lady of Precious Bevy Xu, insisting the matter was not yet investigated and offering to involve the Emperor and the Court of Judicial Review if Li Chengyin refused to investigate. Li Chengyin, dismissing her, declared Lady of Precious Bevy Xu's demotion and confinement to the Serene Reflection Hall. He then confined Xiaofeng to Bearing Graces Hall for half a month, prohibiting her from leaving.
