The Princess Wei Young Episode 1 Recap
> The Princess Wei Young Recap
During a severe three-day snowstorm, an auspicious sign appeared: the snow ceased and golden sunlight broke through the clouds at the moment Princess Xin'er was born. A high monk informed the King of Liang that the princess, with her precious "dragon-phoenix eyes," carried great destiny. He prophesied that like a phoenix, she must experience death before rebirth to truly soar.
Soon after, Wei soldiers arrived, demanding the King of Liang personally present a petition of surrender to the Great Wei Emperor in Ping City. For the safety of his people, the King of Liang reluctantly agreed, pledging allegiance to Great Wei and becoming a hostage, now known as the Duke of Hexi. Years later, the young princess, Xin'er, had grown into a young woman.
The Duke of Hexi was granted leave to return to his mansion in the Liang Region for his mother's birthday. Xin'er was eager to make her father and grandmother happy, as her father had been held as a hostage in Ping City for years. Meanwhile, in the Prime Minister Manor, Chiyun Rou, the Prime Minister's wife, discussed strategic ambitions with her daughter, Li Changle.
Chiyun Rou explained that ruling the Liang Region would grant the Chiyun family access to a hidden iron mine wealth discovered by her cousin, Chiyun Nan. She outlined their plan: frame the Duke of Hexi for rebellion during his visit to his mother's birthday celebration. This would allow Chiyun Nan to gain merit by "pacifying" the fabricated unrest, leading the Emperor to grant him full control of the Liang Region.
She emphasized that the success of their scheme depended on Li Minfeng employing a strategy of "starting something from nothing and covering it well." As Chiyun Nan departed, he rallied his soldiers, declaring that the "remnants of the Northern Liang Kingdom are planning to rebel" and ordering them to "kill the traitors, don't leave anyone alive!" Simultaneously, Li Minfeng escorted the Duke of Hexi back to his mansion. The Duke expressed his enduring love for his people.
Governor Ma Jun of Zhangye City welcomed him. The Duke of Hexi shared a tearful reunion with his mother and his daughter, Xin'er. Xin'er prepared to release sky lanterns for her grandmother's birthday, expressing her wish to make her father and grandmother happy. Suddenly, poisonous gas filled the air, and Wei soldiers, led by Li Minfeng, stormed the mansion, killing everyone they saw.
Li Minfeng falsely declared that the Duke of Hexi had rebelled and ordered his soldiers to "kill all the members of the Northern Liang Royal Family." The Duke of Hexi, refusing to kneel, confronted Chiyun Nan and Li Minfeng, accusing them of framing him, deceiving the Emperor, and senselessly killing innocent people. Chiyun Nan then murdered the Duke of Hexi, declaring that the Duke of Hexi "conspired to rebel" and "committed suicide for fear of punishment."
After the massacre, Chiyun Nan and Li Minfeng searched the mansion for the legendary Wei Zifu jade, which Chiyun Rou believed was only suitable for Li Changle. Chiyun Nan dismissed the jade as "just an object" and stated there's nothing he cannot obtain, while reaffirming his order to kill all Northern Liang royal family members. Xin'er, her Grandmother (the Queen Dowager), and Uncle Ming attempted to escape through a secret passage.
The Queen Dowager instructed Uncle Ming to take Xin'er and leave, emphasizing that Xin'er, as "the only bloodline of the Great Liang Royal Family," had a "duty to continue living." Xin'er was pulled away by Uncle Ming just before the Queen Dowager was killed by the Wei soldiers. Jun Tao, determined to save Xin'er, reminded the princess to remember the Queen Dowager's words and live on.
She then donned Xin'er's cloak and took the legendary Wei Zifu jade, drawing the pursuing soldiers away by declaring "You can't find the Princess!" These soldiers demanded the jade, and Jun Tao told them to "come get it yourself!" before she was killed. Fearing for his life, Governor Ma Jun wrote a letter to the Emperor, exposing the truth of Chiyun Nan's attack and accusing him of seizing land, oppressing citizens, and illegally exploiting an iron mine.
He confessed that he and the Duke of Hexi had planned to file a complaint against Chiyun Nan, but the secret was leaked, leading to the Duke's death. He implored the Emperor to "clearly discern the true loyal subjects from the evil ones." Chiyun Nan found Ma Jun hiding and murdered him, stating that he would report to the Emperor that Ma Jun "tried to pacify the uprising but was killed by the Duke of Hexi."
Meanwhile, a large number of Liang refugees, fleeing Chiyun Nan's devastation, arrived at the gates of a Wei city, pleading for entry. Prince of Nan'an ordered his archers to target the unarmed civilians, claiming they could be "Northern Liang traitors" and stating it was "better to wrongly kill everyone instead of letting one criminal go free." Prince of Gaoyang witnessed this scene.
He confronted Prince of Nan'an, arguing that these were "innocent" citizens, including children, and questioned how his uncle could "have the heart to hurt them." Despite Prince of Nan'an's insistence, Prince of Gaoyang seized the military seal from his uncle and commanded the gates to be opened, allowing the refugees to enter.
