The Princess Wei Young Episode 41 Recap
> The Princess Wei Young Recap
Prince Tuoba Jun found himself constantly working, even playing music late into the night, seemingly for Li Weiyang. Despite his efforts, he acknowledged that he could not yet surpass Tuoba Yu in power and felt he needed to excel in state affairs to gain his Imperial Grandfather's recognition. Meanwhile, Tuoba Han, summoned by the Emperor, vehemently denied conspiring to murder his nephew, Prince Tuoba Jun.
The Emperor, enraged, presented a witness, revealing that Tuoba Yu had saved several individuals involved in the hunting ground assassination attempt to use against Tuoba Han. Simultaneously, a minister reported a case of a high court official, identified as the Prince of Dongping (Tuoba Han), colluding with local authorities for personal gain and disregarding civilians' lives.
Tuoba Han, realizing Tuoba Yu’s elaborate scheme to frame him, angrily accused Tuoba Yu of deceit, attributing it to past grievances where Tuoba Han had exposed Tuoba Yu's conspiracy against the Empress. The Emperor, however, dismissed Tuoba Han's pleas, condemning his "disgraceful" attempts to shift blame and questioning how he could have such an "unworthy son." The Emperor then sought counsel on who should handle the Prince of Dongping's corruption case.
Prince of Gaoyang, Tuoba Jun, was recommended and readily accepted the task, promising an impartial trial. The Emperor then confronted Tuoba Jun, noting his lack of surprise, implying he already knew his royal uncle, the Prince of Dongping, was the assassin. Tuoba Jun admitted he and his mother had suspicions but lacked confirmation.
The Emperor reflected on the painful reality of family turning against family in the pursuit of power, regretting his own past actions that led to the Crown Prince's death. Tuoba Jun assured the Emperor that despite his uncle's crimes, he would handle the trial with consideration for their family ties, promising not to utterly destroy him. Later, Tuoba Jun's mother expressed concern for Li Weiyang, but Tuoba Jun believed Li Weiyang's intelligence would see her through any misfortunes.
Li Weiyang, recovering from her distress, resolved to find Baizhi's murderer, vowing that Baizhi would not have died in vain. She recalled Baizhi's insistence that her cabinet key never left her side, even during bathing, and realized Baizhi's dying act of pressing the key into her hand was a clue. Weiyang concluded that Li Changle must have stolen the key, murdered the Crown Princess, and then killed Baizhi to cover her tracks.
She swore that no matter Li Changle's status, she would make her pay. Caiping, a maid, brought Li Weiyang a pearl hairpin and a handkerchief, found at the murder scene, urging her to grieve but take care of her health. At the Prince of Nan'an's manor, Tuoba Yu's subordinate reported that the Prince of Dongping was still blaming his subordinates for the corruption case.
Tuoba Yu instructed him to find concrete evidence and a suitable person to testify, pushing for the censor to impeach Tuoba Han and ensure he could not return to power. Meanwhile, the Emperor, infuriated by Tuoba Han's many hidden misdeeds, including the attempted murder of the Empress, initially vowed to execute him and all involved officials. However, Tuoba Jun intervened, appealing to his Imperial Grandfather to avoid rash decisions.
The Emperor, recalling the deep regret he felt over his favorite son, the Crown Prince's, death – a death he attributed to his own unforgiving anger and suspicion – relented. He admitted he pushed his son into a corner and regretted not listening to his explanation. Understanding his Imperial Grandfather’s pain, Tuoba Jun pledged his support for any decision.
An official then announced the Emperor's decree: Tuoba Han was stripped of his title, demoted to a commoner, and confined to his manor for life. Following Tuoba Han's demotion, Li Changru celebrated at the Prince of Nan'an's manor, having prepared food and wine. She personally served Tuoba Yu, toasting him repeatedly until he became heavily intoxicated. She had also secretly placed a drug in the incense burner, leading Tuoba Yu to consummate their marriage.
The next morning, Tuoba Yu awoke, looked at Li Changru with disdain, quickly gathered his clothes, and stumbled out of the room without a word. Li Weiyang expressed her profound sadness over Baizhi's death, lamenting the absence of Jun Tao and Baizhi, who had always been her companions. She confronted Tuoba Jun, asserting her certainty that Li Changle was the killer and she would make her pay.
Tuoba Jun tried to calm her, stating his men had investigated and found that Li Changle was not the murderer. Weiyang dismissed his claim, accusing Li Changle of bribing witnesses. When Weiyang declared her intention to seek an imperial trial, Tuoba Jun stopped her, explaining that in the Emperor's eyes, Baizhi was merely a palace maid, and pressing the matter would only infuriate His Majesty, potentially endangering Li Weiyang's life.
Li Weiyang retorted that Baizhi was her sister and family, not a "nobody," and vowed to kill Li Changle herself if the Emperor would not act. Tuoba Jun restrained her, questioning her rationality and reminding her that her death would render Baizhi's sacrifice meaningless. Li Weiyang, still suspicious, asked why he cared, given he had once suspected her of murdering the Crown Princess.
Tuoba Jun simply stated that as they were once friends, he did not wish to see her die in vain. Later, Tuoba Yu’s mother discussed the many vacant positions in the imperial court following Tuoba Han’s downfall. She noted that most newly appointed officials were talented scholars without strong affiliations, cautioning Tuoba Yu about Tuoba Jun's increasing favor with the Emperor and the presence of many of Crown Prince Jingmu's old aides.
Tuoba Yu later reflected on Tuoba Jun’s unexpected capability in bringing down Tuoba Han. He pondered Tuoba Jun's perceived disadvantages due to his marriage to the declining Chiyun family and Li Weiyang's reputation as the Crown Princess's murderer, yet acknowledged Tuoba Jun's crucial advantage in having the Emperor's trust and affection—something Tuoba Yu himself had long struggled to gain. Meanwhile, Tuoba Jun reviewed a list of newly appointed officials.
He declined to privately meet with them, stating he desired not loyal followers but rather officials genuinely devoted to serving the government and its citizens. He viewed any attempts by others to sway them as a test of their integrity. He also seemed preoccupied with thoughts of his father, the Crown Prince, hinting at a belief that his death was not as straightforward as it seemed.
To prevent further incidents like the poisoned needles, Li Weiyang instituted new, rigorous rules for the Palace Laundry Service. Each noble lady's garments would be assigned to a specific person, responsible for them from delivery to return, bearing full responsibility for any mishaps. She explained that this was to ensure they would no longer be exploited as tools by others. Later, Li Weiyang met Tuoba Jun, who commented on her newfound proficiency as a supervising palace maid.
He pressed her about her relationship with Tuoba Yu, warning her against trusting him too much. Li Weiyang retorted by questioning who she should trust, including him, and reminded him of his past aversion to being embroiled in the power struggle. Li Changru visited Li Weiyang, expressing relief to see her livelier but subtly encouraging her to be wary of their "First Sister," Li Changle.
During their conversation, Li Weiyang noticed the unique embroidered flower on Qiu Rong's handkerchief, which Qiu Rong explained was a design from her hometown that she embroidered on all her handkerchiefs. Li Weiyang, recognizing the pattern, asked to borrow it. She then realized the handkerchief found at Baizhi's murder scene was identical to Qiu Rong's.
Questioning the junior eunuch who found it, she learned it had been discovered at a specific spot along with a pearl hairpin after Baizhi's death, and he had never seen it there before. Connecting these details, and recalling Tuoba Jun’s assertion that Li Changle was not the killer, Li Weiyang deduced that the handkerchief belonged to the actual murderer. The presence of a bloodstain on it suggested the killer had been injured. As she mentally reconstructed the scene, she suddenly understood: it was Li Changru.
