Good Bye, My Princess Episode 48 Recap
> Good Bye, My Princess Recap
Following his discovery of Xiaofeng's affections for a man he believes is Gu Jian, a furious Li Chengyin seeks out Chai Mu to announce his intention to kill Gu Jian. Chai Mu is horrified, pleading with Li Chengyin by reminding him that they both share the blood of the Gu family.
Li Chengyin coldly refutes this, stating that only Li family blood flows through him and that if it weren't for sentiment, he would have no reason to kill Gu Jian, calling this notification a final act of brotherly affection. Though Chai Mu begs the future emperor not to stoop to such levels, Li Chengyin declares that the throne is "piercingly cold," and one must be colder still to sit on it.
This exchange is secretly witnessed by one of Gao Yuming's subordinates, who rushes to report it. Meanwhile, the Emperor visits Mingyue and is overjoyed to learn of her pregnancy. When she asks to leave the palace to shield their child from court intrigue, he reassures her that no one would dare harm his child and promises to grant her an official title so she can give birth within the palace.
News of the pregnancy devastates Gao Ruyi, who, after her own difficult path to conception, fears being supplanted. She rages against Mingyue, wondering what "vixen or monster" could conceive so quickly and lamenting that the Emperor will now surely favor Mingyue's child over hers. At the Eastern Palace, Li Chengyin orders Pei Zhao to mobilize three hundred Yuilin Guards, setting ambushes throughout the palace.
He commands that the security should appear lax on the outside but be airtight within, a trap clearly set for Gu Jian. Later, Mingyue visits a despondent Xiaofeng, who has grown thin from not eating. Xiaofeng recalls a previous conversation, asking Mingyue again if she can truly be happy with the Emperor. Mingyue confesses that love isn't enough and that she, too, feels anxious and desires a stable home.
When Mingyue advises Xiaofeng to try and understand Li Chengyin's burdens, Xiaofeng counters with a piercing question: would Mingyue forgive the Emperor if he were the one who murdered her family? Gu Jian goes to see Chai Mu, who urges him to flee the capital forever, reminding him that Xiaofeng is the Crown Princess and can never be his.
Gu Jian remains resolute, asserting that some things are "more important than life" and that if Xiaofeng can remember their past after jumping into the River of Oblivion, he cannot forget either. Chai Mu, in a final plea, offers Gu Jian a bowl of water to drink as if it were from the River of Oblivion, to forget everything, but Gu Jian refuses. Knowing Li Chengyin plans to kill him, he bids his foster father a final farewell.
At the same time, Gao Yuming's investigation reveals that Chai Mu is the long-lost Chen Zheng, the mastermind secretly aiding Li Chengyin, and he resolves to act immediately. After Li Chengyin dismisses Pei Zhao's attempt to intervene, he confronts Xiaofeng. Her continued pining for "Gu Xiaowu" ignites his rage and jealousy.
Consumed by his mistaken belief that Gu Xiaowu is Gu Jian, Li Chengyin takes out a whistling arrow in front of Xiaofeng, a signal he knows will summon his rival. As he predicted, Gu Jian appears. Xiaofeng desperately warns him of the ambush, but Gu Jian refuses to flee, vowing not to break his promise to her again.
Li Chengyin orders his archers to fire, and in the chaos, A'Du is wounded, causing both her and Xiaofeng to fall from the roof. Gu Jian catches Xiaofeng before rushing to save a gravely injured A'Du. As Gu Jian attempts to escape with A'Du, Li Chengyin has Xiaofeng dragged to the top of the city wall to force her to watch.
Xiaofeng begs him to stop the archers, but Li Chengyin, now consumed by bloodlust, grabs her head and makes her witness the onslaught. He relentlessly commands his men to fire volley after volley. Gu Jian shields A'Du with his own body until he is riddled with so many arrows he resembles a hedgehog. Only then does Li Chengyin call a halt to the attack. Utterly distraught, Xiaofeng scrambles down from the wall and rushes to Gu Jian's side.
In his final moments, he gives her a faint smile. Weeping, Xiaofeng puts on the hairpin he once bought for her. Gu Jian weakly raises a hand to touch her hair, but his strength fails, and he dies. Xiaofeng stays with his body, crying through the night. The next morning, Li Chengyin coldly approaches and asks if she is truly so heartbroken.
Staring at him with pure hatred, Xiaofeng confirms her sorrow, declaring that her "Gu Xiaowu is dead" and that Li Chengyin "killed him with his own hands." Enraged and still clinging to his misconception, Li Chengyin accepts her hatred, deciding it is better than being ignored.
