The Princess Wei Young Episode 39 Recap
> The Princess Wei Young Recap
Unbeknownst to Li Changle, Prince of Gaoyang's harsh punishment of Li Weiyang was a calculated effort to make her appear lowly and remove her from danger. Li Changle's maid observes that Prince of Gaoyang seems to have truly given up on Li Weiyang this time, even remarking that he misjudged her. Li Changle expresses her disinterest in further bothering Li Weiyang, now that she is a lowly maid and Prince of Gaoyang is ignoring her.
She believes it would lower her status to engage with someone so insignificant, content that Prince of Gaoyang now recognizes her sincere treatment of him and promises to treat her well in the future. Meanwhile, Li Weiyang kneels alone, making offerings to her deceased bodyguard, Jun Tao. She expresses deep regret for not protecting her, wishing Jun Tao a peaceful reincarnation and hoping she finds happiness with Uncle Ming in the next life, away from such hardships.
Tuoba Yu arrives, having heard about her caning, and expresses concern for her wounds. He states that if he were Tuoba Jun, he would have chosen to believe her. He then explicitly confesses his desire for her, explaining that he has kept rescuing her, humored her, and cheered her up because he hopes that one day, she will reciprocate his feelings and no longer reject him.
Later, Li Weiyang's maid suggests she should consider Tuoba Yu, given Prince of Gaoyang's current treatment of her. Li Weiyang firmly rejects the idea, stating such a relationship is impossible. The Ninth Princess invites Li Changle to the palace, claiming she is Ping City's top talent and asking her to identify a treasure. A servant brings out a cage containing a black cat. Li Changle confidently identifies it as a rare "Moon Shadow Blackeyed Golden Silk Tiger."
The Ninth Princess praises her, claiming the cat is a gift for the Emperor from the Western region, and encourages Li Changle, as Prince of Gaoyang's consort, to hold it. Li Changle, unsuspecting, embraces and praises the cat, marveling at its lightness. The Ninth Princess, however, laughs gleefully, revealing that it is merely a stray cat she picked up and covered in black ink.
Li Changle, humiliated and covered in ink, departs in a rage, vowing to make the Ninth Princess pay double for this humiliation. Elsewhere, Li Changru's maid informs her that Prince of Nan'an has been returning from the palace late and in an extremely good mood. Li Changru immediately assumes that Li Weiyang has quickly turned her attention to Prince of Nan'an. Later, the Empress decides to gift a newly delivered garment from the Palace Laundry Service to Madam Yue.
Madam Yue tries on the garment and promptly collapses, spitting blood, and dies. Imperial guards immediately search the laundry service. Initially, Senior Maid Tao, who washed the Empress's outfit, is suspected, but she denies culpability. The guards then discover the poison that killed Madam Yue hidden in Li Weiyang's unwashed clothing. Li Weiyang is arrested and brought before the Emperor.
Before the Emperor, Tuoba Han accuses Li Weiyang of being directed by Tuoba Yu to poison the Empress, only accidentally killing Madam Yue. He points out that the poison is from Southern Song, implying Tuoba Yu, who recently returned from Southern Song with war spoils, supplied it. Tuoba Han further accuses Tuoba Yu of being ambitious and having ulterior motives for meeting Li Weiyang privately, a palace maid, in violation of palace rules.
He even brings up the past death of Tuoba Jun's mother, implying Li Weiyang's consistent ruthlessness. Tuoba Yu vehemently denies the accusations, claiming he is being framed. Li Weiyang requests a private audience with the Emperor, stating she has something sensitive to reveal.
She boldly argues that if she truly intended to use such a tactic for her own gain, she would have targeted the Emperor directly, not the Empress, as his death would create chaos that a Liang native could exploit for greater leverage. She asserts that her clear conscience makes her fearless in stating this. The Emperor, finding her logic compelling, gives her three days to find the real killer, warning that if she fails, she will be found guilty.
After the audience, Tuoba Yu tells Li Weiyang that Madam Yue's case has inextricably linked their fates; if she cannot find the true culprit, he too will be implicated. Therefore, by protecting her, he is protecting himself. Tuoba Jun is certain that Li Weiyang is innocent. Knowing that only maids in the Palace Laundry Service handle the garments, he instructs his aide, Chengde, to thoroughly investigate the backgrounds of all the maids there, leaving no stone unturned.
Meanwhile, Li Changru suggests to Tuoba Yu that Li Weiyang should die of unknown causes, allowing them to frame her by claiming she deliberately used Tuoba Yu to achieve her revenge. Tuoba Han also devises a similar scheme, planning for Li Weiyang to commit suicide out of guilt, leaving behind a confession that implicates her. Tuoba Jun realizes that the plot is specifically aimed at Tuoba Yu, with Tuoba Han as the mastermind.
He fears Li Weiyang is in grave danger. Tuoba Yu, despite his advisors' strong objections, decides to accelerate his plan to expose Tuoba Han's conspiracies, such as attempting to assassinate Tuoba Jun or managing a private camp, in an attempt to protect Li Weiyang. His advisors warn him that rushing would jeopardize his decade-long efforts to ascend the throne, but Tuoba Yu remains resolute, prioritizing Li Weiyang's safety and stating he will ensure the case remains unsolved.
Baizhi, worried that Li Weiyang has only two days left to find the killer, sees Li Changru pass by the Palace Laundry Service. Believing Li Changru and Li Weiyang's close relationship would compel her to help, Baizhi approaches her. Li Changru assures Baizhi that she is visiting the Empress to ask her to investigate wisely and avoid framing an innocent person.
However, Baizhi notices that Li Changru is actually heading towards Lady Lu of Bright Deportment's palace, not the Empress's, which makes her suspicious. Later, as Li Weiyang delivers clothes to the noble ladies, Tuoba Jun arrives at the Palace Laundry Service. Not finding Li Weiyang, he feels an ominous premonition and orders Chengde to search every palace for her. Li Weiyang is indeed ambushed by an assailant disguised as a eunuch, who attempts to kill her.
Tuoba Jun arrives just in time, saving her life. He pretends he merely happened to pass by and heard screams, claiming he didn't realize it was her. Li Weiyang asks if he wouldn't have saved her if he had known, to which he replies cryptically. As the remaining time dwindles, Li Weiyang is given the poisoned garment to investigate.
Baizhi recalls a past incident where she suddenly felt dizzy, and Rong'er helped her back to her courtyard and gave her water. She begins to suspect that Rong'er may have stolen her key during that time, gaining access to Li Weiyang's belongings and planting an incriminating letter there.
