Good Bye, My Princess Episode 43 Recap
> Good Bye, My Princess Recap
Following the abduction, the masked man, Gu Jian, took Xiaofeng to a house in the outskirts and gave her food. While eating, Xiaofeng boasted of her powerful connections, including her father the King of Xi State, her father-in-law the Emperor, and her husband, Crown Prince Li Chengyin, warning the kidnapper of the severe consequences.
She then pretended to soften, asking him to deliver a personal item to Li Chengyin as her dying wish, but it was a ruse to use a hidden substance on him. Gu Jian, anticipating her move, overpowered her and threw her into a nearby lake, diving in to rescue her only after she began to sink. His goal was not to harm her but to shock her into remembering their shared past. In the palace, the kidnapping caused widespread turmoil.
A frantic Li Chengyin questioned A'Du about the history between Xiaofeng and Gu Jian. Gao Yuming was perplexed as to who had preempted his own assassination plot against Mingyue, ordering his sister, Imperial Consort Gao, to monitor the Emperor and Mingyue closely. Pei Zhao returned home to a concerned Luoxi, but remained cold and distant towards her.
While Yongniang prayed for Xiaofeng's safe return, Zhao Sese attempted to visit Li Chengyin but was turned away by Shi'en, leaving her furious at the blatant rejection. After Gu Jian pulled Xiaofeng from the water, she awoke from a nightmare. He offered her ginger soup, and she seized the opportunity to rip off his mask, recognizing him as the assassin from the palace. She angrily accused him of using her as part of a grand conspiracy to assassinate the Emperor.
Gu Jian denied it, insisting he only ever wanted to protect her and that Li Chengyin was the one who truly meant her harm. He described the Crown Prince as a cunning, manipulative man unfit for her, but Xiaofeng was left confused. At the same time, an enraged Li Chengyin confronted Chai Mu, demanding to know what secrets Chai Mu and Gu Jian were hiding about their connection to Xiaofeng.
When Xiaofeng refused to believe his warnings, Gu Jian produced a whistling arrow, trying to jog her memory of their time in Xi State, where he would always come to her aid whenever she used it. The attempt backfired; Xiaofeng was struck by a severe headache and fainted, leaving Gu Jian in a panic. Meanwhile, Mingyue’s condition stabilized under the Emperor's devoted care. He declared his intention to formally marry her and make her an imperial consort.
This only strengthened Gao Yuming’s resolve to eliminate her, deciding to wait until the Emperor’s affection waned before striking. Imperial Consort Gao visited Mingyue, bringing a tonic with ill intent, but a wary Emperor dismissed her and warned Mingyue not to consume food from anyone else. Gu Jian risked returning to the capital for supplies, where A'Du spotted and chased him, but he escaped.
Meanwhile, Li Chengyin reported to the Emperor that a ruffian named Sun Er, a distant nephew of a steward in Prime Minister Gao’s manor, had been inquiring about Mingyue. This immediately made the Emperor suspect Gao Yuming's involvement. Believing the assassin was no ordinary criminal, the Emperor then voiced his suspicion that Xiaofeng herself might be connected to her kidnapper.
Li Chengyin fiercely defended her as too simple-minded for such a plot, but the Emperor, unconvinced, ordered a city-wide manhunt to capture the assassin alive. Returning to the safe house, Gu Jian discovered that Xiaofeng was gone. She had fled and gotten lost in the surrounding forest. In her delirium, she saw a vision of a man who called himself Gu Xiaowu. When she asked if they knew each other, the vision replied, "Of course. I am your Gu Xiaowu," stirring a flicker of a forgotten memory.
