Ni Chang Episode 39 Recap
> Ni Chang Recap
Princess Lanzhao mourned deeply for Xie Feng, who had used the name Wuyi. She recalled wanting to show him the beautiful scenery of Lanzhao, but he was now gone, having only just reunited with his family. Liu Zixuan comforted her, promising they would avenge Xie Feng. Ouyang Ziyu agreed, stating that Yuan Daocheng's retribution was long overdue. Later, officers from Dali Temple arrived at Yuan Daocheng's residence, demanding he accompany them for questioning.
They informed him that he was accused of neglecting human life and deceiving the emperor. At Dali Temple, Yuan Daocheng was shocked to see Xie Xiaoni, using the name Ni Chang, appear as the plaintiff. It is revealed that after she and Xie Feng fell from the cliff, Ouyang Ziyu and his men found her, and she recovered after a few days.
Ni Chang accused Yuan Daocheng of using her as a hostage to threaten Prince Luo, tricking her out of Ruiyuan, and then forcing her to jump off a cliff. She further detailed how, four years prior, Yuan Daocheng colluded with the cloth merchant Su Gongming to frame the Xie family, leading to her family's destruction. Yuan Daocheng denied all accusations.
Ni Chang then revealed her true identity as Xie Xiaoni, explaining that her parents were murdered during their exile on Yuan Daocheng's orders. She stated that Yuan Daocheng, fearing exposure, eliminated Su Gongming and his subordinate Gao Xuan, then forced her and her brother to jump off the cliff. She survived, but her brother died saving her. Ouyang Ziyu, also present, accused Yuan Daocheng of years of collusion with merchants, corruption, embezzlement, and murder, stating his crimes were countless.
Yuan Daocheng continued to deny everything, shifting blame onto the deceased Gao Xuan. Ouyang Ziyu then called the witness Fu San, Gao Xuan's nephew, who testified that he personally witnessed Yuan Daocheng drug and murder his uncle. He explained that he remained in hiding until Prince Luo found him. Yuan Daocheng dismissed Fu San as an unreliable scoundrel paid to fabricate lies. At that moment, Su Wenyu stepped forward to testify.
He presented order forms that Yuan Daocheng had him process, revealing that he had kept all the original copies as evidence of Yuan Daocheng's illicit dealings. Su Wenyu explained that after being knocked unconscious, he was found by Xie Xiaoni and Ouyang Ziyu. Together, they devised a plan for him to feign obedience to Yuan Daocheng, even staging an incident at Xiangcaotang, to gain his trust and gather evidence.
Su Wenyu then presented his father's will, which proved that the Xie family's case was orchestrated by Yuan Daocheng, who had instructed Su Gongming to replace the imperial pearl powder with fakes. Xiao Hua, the Su family's steward, corroborated this, adding that Yuan Daocheng also ordered Su Gongming to ambush the exiled Xie family. Furious, Yuan Daocheng reminded Su Wenyu that he was also complicit, but Su Wenyu declared he was willing to accept the consequences.
Lord He ordered Yuan Daocheng to be imprisoned, and Xie Xiaoni requested Lord He to petition the Emperor to clear her family's name. Su Wenyu then confessed to killing Shen Lan, the bandit Ni Chang was falsely accused of murdering. He explained that Shen Lan was one of the assassins sent to kill the Xie family and had been blackmailing the Su family ever since.
One night, Su Wenyu found Shen Lan drunk and killed him with the scissors Ni Chang had dropped, inadvertently implicating her. Xie Xiaoni tried to stop his confession, but Su Wenyu insisted on taking responsibility. Lord He, considering Su Wenyu's repentance and his crucial testimony, ruled that his meritorious service outweighed his crime. Su Wenyu was imprisoned, his property confiscated, with a sentence to be pronounced later.
Ouyang Ziyu remarked that Su Wenyu's confession was unexpected, but his evidence was crucial. Feeling that Su Wenyu had genuinely helped her, Xie Xiaoni asked Ouyang Ziyu to arrange a private meeting. During their visit, she thanked him for his role in clearing her family's name. Su Wenyu expressed deep remorse, stating that he didn't regret killing Shen Lan, as it brought him peace, but his true, unforgivable sin was allowing her to suffer in prison due to his inaction.
He accepted his fate as retribution and urged her to leave. The final verdicts were delivered: Yuan Daocheng was sentenced to be executed after autumn, while Su Wenyu was exiled to the northern regions for ten years, forbidden to return to the capital. The Xie family's name was officially cleared and their status as tribute merchants reinstated.
In a tearful reunion before the trial, the severely injured Xie Feng, who had cushioned her sister's fall from the cliff, had a final conversation with Xie Xiaoni. She revealed she had disguised herself as a man named Wuyi to watch over her from afar, hiding her identity to keep her safe. Xie Xiaoni tearfully embraced her, promising never to leave her again. Xie Feng, finally able to be her elder sister, entrusted her with restoring the Xie family's glory.
She then took Ouyang Ziyu's hand, thanked him for his kindness, and placed Xie Xiaoni's hand in his, entrusting her sister to his care before passing away. At her memorial, Ouyang Ziyu vowed to protect Xie Xiaoni for life. With justice served, Xie Xiaoni, accompanied by Ouyang Ziyu, returned to the Xie residence and placed the spirit tablets of her parents and Xie Feng in the ancestral hall, finally bringing them home.
Yan Wenxiu visited Yuan Daocheng in prison, gloating over his downfall. Yuan Daocheng retorted, calling her a discarded daughter of the Yan family and an abandoned wife of the Su family, warning that Ouyang Ziyu and Xie Xiaoni would not spare her. He proposed a plan to help her permanently eliminate Xie Xiaoni if she helped him escape. Feeling she had no other choice, Yan Wenxiu agreed.
While Liu Zixuan and Princess Lanzhao were strolling in the city, a commotion was staged. In the chaos, the Princess was knocked unconscious and abducted. Liu Zixuan's frantic pursuit was in vain. Later, a letter was delivered to Ouyang Ziyu and Xie Xiaoni, demanding they bring Yuan Daocheng to the ferry in Nanjiao for an exchange. Xie Xiaoni recognized Yan Wenxiu's handwriting. Ouyang Ziyu sent a secret report to the Emperor and went to calm the distraught Liu Zixuan.
At the prison, Liu Zixuan furiously punched Yuan Daocheng. Ouyang Ziyu conveyed the Emperor's order to prioritize the Princess's safety and proceeded to take Yuan Daocheng out. Back at the residence, Xie Xiaoni insisted on accompanying them, arguing that she understood Yan Wenxiu best. At the ferry, as the exchange took place, Yuan Daocheng betrayed them all, suddenly seizing Princess Lanzhao as a new hostage.
