The Princess Wei Young Episode 11 Recap
> The Princess Wei Young Recap
Li Weiyoung advised the Emperor to execute officials who embezzled over 100 taels from the relief fund and to simultaneously select new talented individuals to fill government posts. The Emperor adopted her proposals, expressing regret that Prime Minister Li had not brought Li Weiyoung to him sooner. He praised Prime Minister Li for raising such a capable daughter and entrusted him with overseeing the selection of new officials.
Realizing Li Minfeng and Li Changle had deceived him by falsely taking credit for the disaster relief plan, the Emperor ordered them to be taken to prison. In a desperate attempt to evade punishment, Li Minfeng blamed Ziyan, claiming she had misled him, while Li Changle tried to dismiss the incident as a misunderstanding. Weiyoung intervened with a feigned plea for leniency, which subtly highlighted the Chiyun Army's influence.
She noted that the people believed it was the Chiyun Army, not the Emperor's forces, who had secured the empire. This veiled challenge to imperial authority enraged the Emperor, who retorted that the army was his, not the Chiyun family's. Incensed by their audacity, the Emperor declared he would personally discipline the Prime Minister's son, stripping Li Minfeng of his official duties and ordering him to be publicly caned 100 times.
For her plagiarism, Li Changle was sentenced to copy the disaster relief plan one hundred times. Intending to reward Li Weiyoung, the Emperor conferred upon her the title of Princess of Anping County and bestowed upon her a great deal of gold and silver. Weiyoung humbly offered to donate the rewards to the displaced citizens, and while the Emperor insisted she accept them, he praised her for her kindness.
Weiyoung then requested a title for her birth mother, who currently held none. The Emperor agreed, conferring upon her mother the title of a third-ranked Lady of Virtue. Privately, Weiyoung was relieved, feeling that with her mother’s new status, no one would dare humiliate her again. As Weiyoung departed, Tuoba Jun intercepted her in the garden.
He expressed his admiration for her impressive performance and then questioned why she had not met him at the city outskirts, where he had waited for days after leaving her a letter. Weiyoung was genuinely surprised, stating she had never received it. Relieved that the misunderstanding was cleared, Tuoba Jun was bewildered when Weiyoung maintained her distant demeanor, explaining that their differing statuses meant they were fated to be worlds apart.
His attendant, Chengde, advised him to abandon the pursuit, bluntly pointing out that despite Tuoba Jun's title as the imperial eldest grandson, his actual power was not as secure as that of the Princes of Dongping and Nan'an, suggesting a girl from an aristocratic family like Weiyoung might not reciprocate his feelings.
Reeling from his public caning, a furious Li Minfeng, along with Li Changle, blamed Li Weiyoung for their predicament, especially for her bold remarks about the Chiyun family's influence that angered the Emperor. They implored their mother, Chiyun Rou, to take action, but she advised them to be patient. She explained that with Li Weiyoung newly titled Princess of Anping County, she was basking in the Emperor's favor, and they must wait for the right moment to act.
Consumed by anger, Li Minfeng declared he did not care about being reinstated; he simply wanted Li Weiyoung dead. Accompanied by Baizhi, Li Weiyoung went to see Ziyan. Ziyan asked if Weiyoung had seen through her deception from the beginning and had therefore provided a fake plan. Weiyoung confirmed this, explaining that she had detected the distinct scent of medicinal wine on Ziyan—a scent she had previously associated with Li Minfeng.
Despite her betrayal, Weiyoung offered to ask the Old Madam to let Ziyan leave the manor, stating that while she could no longer consider her a sister, she did not wish to see her die. Shortly after, Chiyun Rou arrived and ordered Ziyan to be beaten to death. Weiyoung tried to intervene, asserting her right to decide the punishment for her own servant. Chiyun Rou dismissively reminded Weiyoung that her new title gave her no real authority within the residence.
As guards dragged Ziyan away, she desperately revealed that she was pregnant with Li Minfeng’s child. Both Weiyoung and the Old Madam pleaded for Ziyan’s life. Unmoved, Chiyun Rou called the child a disgrace. The Old Madam firmly interjected, stating that as the Princess of Anping County, Weiyoung had every right to speak. She then chastised Chiyun Rou for her son’s behavior and asserted her own authority as the true head of the Li household.
Prime Minister Li took control, ordering Ziyan to be confined to her room and forbidding anyone from harming her without his consent. Ziyan was later moved to Li Minfeng’s Qingyun Courtyard. Tuoba Jun officially arrived at the Prime Minister Manor to announce the Emperor’s decree. The Old Madam proudly praised Weiyoung, but Tuoba Jun was hurt by her continued coldness.
On his way back to the palace, he lamented to Chengde that he had wasted his affections on someone who did not care for him. Meanwhile, Weiyoung reflected privately, admitting to herself that she cared deeply for Tuoba Jun and had even devised the relief plan partly for his sake. She felt pained that he likely saw her as ungrateful and wished they had never met to spare herself the heartache.
Instigated by Chiyun Rou, Prime Minister Li attempted to confiscate the gifts bestowed upon Weiyoung by the Emperor to add to the family's assets. The Old Madam confronted her son, criticizing his leniency towards his wife and his prejudice against Weiyoung. She asserted that Weiyoung, though born to a concubine, was in no way inferior to Changle, as it was Weiyoung who had saved the family from their predicament.
She reiterated her disapproval of Changle marrying into the imperial family, fearing her arrogance would bring ruin upon them all. Moved by his mother’s counsel, Prime Minister Li agreed to return the rewards to Weiyoung. With the Prime Minister’s consent, Weiyoung’s mother, the new Lady of Virtue, moved into Weiyoung's Junlan Courtyard. Weiyoung gifted her mother a beautiful bracelet, but her mother expressed concern that Weiyoung’s rising profile would make them a greater target for the powerful Chiyun family.
Weiyoung reassured her, promising to protect them both. Later, Li Minde brought Weiyoung a gift of high-quality calming incense, having heard she often struggled with sleep. His mother commented on their shared sincere hearts, noting how they both remained honest despite the hardships they had endured. Shortly thereafter, Weiyoung was summoned to meet someone. To her shock, she found Ziyan, looking frail and distressed, who confessed that she had brought her suffering upon herself.
