Good Bye, My Princess Episode 42 Recap
> Good Bye, My Princess Recap
Following Li Chengyin's punishment for the witchcraft incident, he demoted Lady Xu to a commoner and confined her to Serene Reflection Palace. He also confined Crown Princess Consort Xiaofeng to her residence for half a month, forbidding her from leaving. Enraged, Xiaofeng accused him of being unjust. Later, Li Chengyin confided to Shi'en that he knew Zhao Sese was the true culprit.
He explained that given Xiaofeng's naive personality, he had to punish her to protect her from Zhao Sese's vicious schemes. Though his affection for Zhao Sese had vanished, he still felt a sense of responsibility and planned to address her wrongdoings later. Meanwhile, Gao Yuming acquired some of Mingyue's childhood clothes from the Singing Jade Brothel madam, which contained a blood inscription.
Gao Yuming recognized the date mentioned, the 18th of the first month, as the death anniversary of Gu Ruhui. The character "Zheng" in the inscription led him to connect it to the rebel remnant Chen Zheng. Deducing that Mingyue was Chen Zheng's long-lost daughter, Gao Yuming grew deeply suspicious, concluding that she had deliberately approached the emperor with a premeditated plan for revenge against him. This was, in fact, a trap laid by Li Chengyin and Chai Mu.
Anticipating that the cautious Gao Yuming would rather kill an innocent than let a potential threat live, they planned to stage an assassination attempt on Mingyue during the emperor's visit to the brothel. Their goal was to make the emperor believe Gao Yuming had ordered the attack to eliminate an obstacle for his daughter, Gao Ruyi, and to bury the truth about the Chen family's massacre, thereby directing all suspicion onto him.
Elsewhere, Zhao Sese was shocked to learn that Lady Xu had committed suicide, insisting she never intended for her to die. Li Chengyin informed Xiaofeng that Lady Xu had taken her own life and left a confession taking full responsibility for the peach wood charm incident. Believing Li Chengyin to be cold-hearted, especially after seeing him seemingly smile, a furious Xiaofeng slapped him.
In truth, Li Chengyin had secretly arranged for Shi'en to escort Lady Xu safely out of the palace with money to start a new life. Before leaving, Lady Xu gave Shi'en a handkerchief for Xiaofeng, so she would know she was safe and not blame Li Chengyin. Concurrently, Chai Mu tasked Gu Jian with the "assassination," as only his skill could make the attack look real without fatally wounding Mingyue.
Gu Jian expressed concern for Mingyue's life, questioning Chai Mu if revenge was worth more than his own daughter's safety. Mingyue then appeared, declaring her unwavering willingness to make any sacrifice for their cause. After Li Chengyin gave Xiaofeng the handkerchief, proving Lady Xu was safe, her anger subsided. She then playfully bargained with her wolf fang, convincing Li Chengyin to take her to the Singing Jade Brothel.
There, they learned Mingyue was entertaining a mysterious and generous new patron, possibly a royal relative. Undeterred, Xiaofeng barged into Mingyue's chamber, only to find the emperor. She quickly explained she considered Mingyue a sister and had brought Li Chengyin to meet "the most beautiful woman in the world." Later, as Xiaofeng privately asked Mingyue if she was truly happy, Li Chengyin pulled her aside, scolding her for her bluntness.
As they bickered, fireworks lit up the sky, captivating them both. Nearby, the emperor embraced Mingyue, vowing to keep her by his side forever. Amidst this, Gu Jian launched the planned attack. The original plan was for Gu Jian to feign injuring Mingyue and take the emperor hostage, allowing Li Chengyin to heroically offer himself as a replacement. However, Xiaofeng unexpectedly stepped forward, offering herself as the hostage.
She argued that as the Princess of Xi, her death would trigger a war, guaranteeing the assassin's safe escape. To Li Chengyin's fury, Gu Jian abandoned the plan, seized Xiaofeng, and vanished. Enraged, Li Chengyin vowed to kill Gu Jian if Xiaofeng was harmed and ordered a city-wide search. The emperor, commending Xiaofeng's courage, ordered immediate medical care for the severely injured Mingyue. Suspecting Gao Yuming of orchestrating the assassination, the emperor tasked Li Chengyin with leading the investigation.
Li Chengyin then confronted Chai Mu, demanding to know why Gu Jian betrayed their plan. Despite Chai Mu's assurances, Li Chengyin declared that if Gu Jian did not return Xiaofeng safely within twenty-four hours, he would become his sworn enemy.
