The Princess Wei Young Episode 20 Recap
> The Princess Wei Young Recap
Li Xiaoran, the Prime Minister, was suffering from persistent headaches. His wife, Chiyun Rou, the First Madam, requested Imperial Physician Shen to examine him, who diagnosed his condition as merely excessive fatigue and advised rest. Soon after, alarming news arrived: Lady Zhou, the Third Madam, had contracted an epidemic illness, and simultaneously, a subordinate reported that her son, Li Minde, the Second Young Master, had been attacked on his way back, fallen into a river, and his fate was unknown.
Chiyun Rou, speaking with cold determination to her daughter Li Changle, revealed her true intentions. She sought revenge because Lady Zhou had conspired with Li Weiyang to frame her older son, Li Minfeng, leading to his death in exile. Chiyun Rou declared that both Lady Zhou and Li Minde must die. Chiyun Rou then advised Li Changle to show more concern for her ailing father to regain his favor, as he had recently criticized her.
Li Changle brought Eight Treasures Soup to Li Xiaoran, hoping to improve his health. Chiyun Rou later visited Lady Zhou, feigning sympathy, but cruelly informed the gravely ill woman about Li Minde's presumed death, urging her to endure to see him for the last time. This devastating news caused Lady Zhou’s condition to worsen considerably. Li Weiyang, upon arriving, was horrified by Chiyun Rou's callousness, confronting her about her actions.
Chiyun Rou, unrepentant, merely expressed surprise at Lady Zhou's sudden defiance after years of obedience. Meanwhile, Changru's maid, Rong'er, lauded her mistress as the most intelligent and manipulative, capable of controlling everyone without their knowledge. Rong'er revealed that Changru had secretly informed Lady Zhou, enabling Ziyan's rescue. Changru admitted to Rong'er that she was never kind-hearted and was surprised by Li Weiyang's sincerity towards her, wondering how Li Weiyang would react if she discovered Changru's true intentions.
Rong'er urged Changru to remain focused on her ultimate goal: marrying the Prince of Nan'an. Changru affirmed her resolve, believing that the greater the conflict between the First and Third Households, the more stable the Second Household's position would become, thereby making her worthy of the Prince. Li Weiyang confided that her primary purpose for entering the Prime Minister's Manor was to eliminate Li Minfeng.
She lamented that the kind-hearted Lady Zhou and Li Minde had been innocently drawn into the conflict because of her, expressing profound guilt. Overwhelmed with sorrow and anger, Li Weiyang vowed that night to make Chiyun Rou face the consequences of her own malice. She concluded that both Lady Zhou's sudden illness and Li Minde's attack were orchestrated by Chiyun Rou. Li Xiaoran's health deteriorated further, marked by chest tightness and an alarmingly pale complexion.
Imperial Physician Shen diagnosed him with horsetail poisoning. Li Xiaoran recalled regularly drinking the Eight Treasures Soup delivered by Li Changle. The physician found horsetail in the soup’s ingredients. Li Changle nervously claimed Changxi had given her the soup. Changxi, in turn, explained that she had received the medicine for a facial scar, and Li Changle had forcibly taken some from her. Lady Wen, the Second Madam, suggested searching their courtyard if Li Xiaoran doubted Changxi.
The Eight Treasures Soup found in Changxi's possession was indeed free of horsetail. As Chiyun Rou attempted to defend Li Changle, Li Weiyang produced a small wooden doll with Li Xiaoran's birthdate pinned to it. She explained that Baizhi, her maid, had seen someone secretly burying it under a tree near the courtyard entrance, revealing it as a setup. The intent was to frame Li Weiyang for witchcraft, accusing her of cursing her father, if he fell gravely ill.
Lady Wen then suggested that Chiyun Rou's previous symptoms, which were similar to Li Xiaoran's, might also have been caused by horsetail poisoning, rather than a demonic possession as previously believed. Chiyun Rou and Li Changle vehemently accused Li Weiyang of framing them. Li Weiyang countered that if Chiyun Rou had indeed been poisoned and was now recovering, she must have been taking an antidote. She proposed searching Chiyun Rou's residence.
A search was conducted, and remnants of the antidote were indeed found in Chiyun Rou's courtyard. Confronted with undeniable evidence, Chiyun Rou and Li Changle could no longer deny their involvement. In a desperate attempt to prove her innocence, Li Changle declared she would die. Jun Tao, Li Weiyang's maid, called her bluff, presenting a sword and remarking that Changle's claim was merely a pretense.
However, Li Changle suddenly turned the sword on Li Weiyang but accidentally stabbed Li Xiaoran instead. Enraged by his daughter's actions, Li Xiaoran ordered Li Changle to be dragged away and banished from the manor, strictly forbidding her return without his consent. Overcome with fury and despair, Chiyun Rou collapsed. Li Xiaoran then declared that Chiyun Rou was gravely ill and required peaceful recuperation, with no one permitted to visit her.
Li Weiyang informed Lady Zhou of Chiyun Rou's downfall, bringing a moment of comfort to the ailing woman. Lady Zhou shared a recent dream about Li Minde, alternating between his childhood innocence and a vision of him covered in wounds and blood. Li Weiyang reassured her that dreams are often the opposite of reality and that Li Minde would surely return safely.
Lady Zhou, sensing her impending death, pleaded with Li Weiyang to care for Li Minde in her absence, explaining that he would be distraught and likely seek futile revenge against the powerful Chiyun family. She only wished for Li Minde to live safely, and Li Weiyang promised to fulfill her dying wish. Li Changle, once a pampered young lady, found herself exiled to a squalid countryside dwelling.
The unfamiliar, muddy surroundings, coupled with the presence of rats and cockroaches, terrified her and her maid, reducing them to tears. The local workers treated her harshly, forcing her to change into rough clothes and reminding her that she was no longer in the Prime Minister's manor. She was left to endure the harsh realities of a life she never imagined.
