The Princess Wei Young Episode 50 Recap
> The Princess Wei Young Recap
During a dangerous encounter, Li Minde arrived with his men to rescue Jun Tao and Chengde, saving their lives. Meanwhile, Tuoba Yu learned that Chengde had made contact with a servant from the Manor of the Minister of Imperial Clan Affairs and feared crucial information might leak. He therefore ordered General Chiyun Nan to ensure Chengde would not survive. Following this directive, Chiyun Nan instructed Hongluo to deliver a potent poison to Li Changle.
Li Changle then visited Chengde's room under the pretense of checking on his injuries, offering to personally feed him medicine as a gesture of kindness. However, Chengde saw through her malicious intentions and cleverly feigned choking on the medicine, deliberately knocking the bowl to the floor, thus thwarting Li Changle's deadly plot. Tuoba Jun arrived shortly after, ordering everyone out and ensuring Chengde's safety by moving him to a secure location.
Chengde later presented Tuoba Jun with a clue from the informant, leading Jun Tao to exclaim that the masked assailant who injured them was Chiyun Nan. Tuoba Jun initially expressed disbelief, having thought Chiyun Nan was dead, but Jun Tao insisted she recognized him, even hearing a subordinate address him as "general." Li Weiyang then questioned why Chiyun Nan would remain and commit such acts, suggesting someone powerful was backing him.
Tuoba Jun deduced that this patron was Prince of Nan'an, Tuoba Yu, who would benefit most from the past cases, ultimately concluding that Tuoba Yu was responsible for his father's murder. Despite Tuoba Jun's immediate desire for revenge, Li Weiyang cautioned him against rash action due to their lack of concrete evidence. Tuoba Jun, still grieving his parents, was determined to act.
They devised a two-pronged strategy: first, to capture Chiyun Nan and use the clues to expose Tuoba Yu, and second, to quickly locate a crucial account book. To lure Chiyun Nan out, they decided to involve Li Changle, based on Li Weiyang's suspicion that she had previously tipped him off.
Tuoba Jun assigned Li Minde to assist him in drawing out Chiyun Nan, while Li Weiyang, accompanied by Jun Tao, was tasked with finding the account book based on the informant's lead. They opted to keep their plans from the Ninth Princess, fearing she would be torn between her kin. That evening, Tuoba Jun shared a meal with Li Changle.
During their dinner, Chengde dramatically entered and loudly announced to Tuoba Jun that while the current lead with the Minister of Imperial Clan Affairs was a dead end, there was another vital account book hidden in Ziyin Abbey outside the city. He elaborated that the book's writer was close to the abbey's abbot and that outsiders were unaware of its existence.
Tuoba Jun, playing along, emphatically instructed Chengde to retrieve the book that very night, implying harsh measures if the abbot refused. Unbeknownst to them, Li Changle overheard their entire staged conversation and immediately planned to relay the information to Chiyun Nan. Upon receiving the news from Hongluo, Chiyun Nan, desperate to prove his worth after previous failures, decided to personally lead his forces to Ziyin Abbey without consulting Prince of Nan'an.
He believed obtaining the account book would redeem him in Tuoba Yu's eyes and resolved that the book must not fall into Tuoba Jun's hands. Hongluo, expressing her devotion to Chiyun Nan, insisted on accompanying him. Later that night, Tuoba Jun, Li Minde, and Chengde arrived at Ziyin Abbey. Initially, the monks refused them entry, stating the abbot was asleep, but upon recognizing Tuoba Jun as the Prince of Gaoyang, they granted access.
Inside, Tuoba Jun spoke with the abbot, seemingly receiving a valuable item. As Tuoba Jun emerged from the abbey, holding what appeared to be the account book, Chiyun Nan and his men appeared, demanding he surrender the book and their lives. Tuoba Jun dramatically displayed the book and revealed that he knew Chiyun Nan's true identity, taunting him for not having fled when he had the chance.
Tuoba Jun then publicly accused Chiyun Nan of orchestrating the massacre at the Minister of Imperial Clan Affairs' manor under the orders of Prince of Nan'an, Tuoba Yu. He declared that Tuoba Yu had killed his royal father and eliminated the Minister's entire family to conceal his crimes, calling it a cold-blooded act of colluding with evil for power. Tuoba Jun ordered Chiyun Nan's capture, intending to bring him before the Emperor the following morning to expose the full truth.
However, before Chiyun Nan could be taken away, a cold arrow, fired by an assassin sent by Prince of Nan'an, pierced Chiyun Nan's chest, killing him instantly. Hongluo, devastated, expressed her affection for the dying Chiyun Nan. Tuoba Yu's subordinate then reported the successful elimination of Chiyun Nan's death warriors. Tuoba Yu remarked that it was Chiyun Nan's karma for repeatedly acting independently, noting that his death, though a setback, would prevent Tuoba Jun from gaining crucial evidence against him.
The next morning, Tuoba Jun brought Chiyun Nan's body before the Emperor, asserting that Chiyun Nan was the true culprit behind the massacre at the Minister of Imperial Clan Affairs' manor. He explained that Chiyun Nan had faked his death and was harbored by a powerful official within the city, acting as an assassin.
Tuoba Jun linked this massacre to Prince Jingmu's case, stating that the Minister of Imperial Clan Affairs possessed an account book that would exonerate the late Prince Jingmu, who had been framed for corruption. He earnestly requested the Emperor to reinvestigate Prince Jingmu's case. Prince of Nan'an, Tuoba Yu, immediately interjected, questioning Tuoba Jun's secretive conduct and lack of tangible evidence beyond a mere corpse, implying that Tuoba Jun was acting out of personal sentiment for Li Weiyang.
The Emperor pressed Tuoba Jun for the account book, but Tuoba Jun admitted he did not yet possess it. Tuoba Yu seized the opportunity to denounce Tuoba Jun's immaturity and emotional decision-making in court matters. Tuoba Jun retorted fiercely, accusing Tuoba Yu of being the mastermind behind the massacre and Prince Jingmu's death, and of ambushing Chiyun Nan to destroy evidence. He asserted that while he currently lacked definitive proof, Tuoba Yu's crimes would eventually be exposed.
The Emperor, infuriated by their public bickering and mutual accusations, chastised them for disgracing the imperial family. Seeing this, Tuoba Yu feigned innocence and magnanimity, requesting that the Emperor grant Tuoba Jun three more days to find evidence to prove his accusations. The Emperor, despite his anger, agreed, warning Tuoba Jun of severe consequences should he fail. Tuoba Jun accepted the three-day ultimatum.
Separately, the Emperor, troubled by the infighting among his descendants since Prince Jingmu's demise, deliberated on the succession. He sought counsel from Zong Ai, the Central Standing Attendant, asking who among his descendants was most suitable to inherit the throne. Zong Ai cautiously suggested that Prince of Nan'an, Tuoba Yu, possessed a temperament more aligned with the Emperor's own, describing him as resolute, determined, and decisive.
In contrast, the Emperor observed that while Prince of Gaoyang, Tuoba Jun, had once been orderly and he had high hopes for him, he now seemed too immature, overly emotionally involved in his decisions, and not impartial enough. Meanwhile, Tuoba Yu discussed his strategy with his subordinate. He was pleased that the Emperor seemed to favor him for the succession, viewing Tuoba Jun as immature and emotional.
Tuoba Yu planned to leverage the three-day deadline given to Tuoba Jun; he believed that when Tuoba Jun inevitably failed to produce evidence, it would further infuriate the Emperor and solidify his own position for the throne, especially as Tuoba Jun's attempts to protect Li Weiyang would be seen as an emotional distraction. Upon returning to his residence, Tuoba Jun confronted Li Changle, no longer needing to maintain pretenses.
Li Changle accused him of repeatedly using her and hurting her feelings. Tuoba Jun retaliated by directly accusing her of his mother's murder, stating that such a grievance was irreconcilable. Li Changle vehemently denied it, attempting to shift the blame onto Li Weiyang, while defiantly asserting her position as Tuoba Jun's legal wife and daring him to kill her, claiming he had no evidence against her.
Ignoring her pleas and curses, Tuoba Jun ordered his guards to place Li Changle under strict house arrest, prohibiting anyone from entering or exiting. Li Changle, in a fit of rage, cursed Tuoba Jun, wishing him perpetual inability to be with Li Weiyang and predicting their separation by death. Tuoba Jun and Li Weiyang later visited a memorial tree, where they expressed their commitment to each other and their families.
Tuoba Jun laid to rest the spirits of his royal grandmother and father, stating that the culprits of their murders had been dealt with and he had found someone worthy to spend his life with. Li Weiyang similarly told her parents' spirits that she had found the person who harmed them, and she would seek justice while continuing to walk her path with Tuoba Jun. Understanding Tuoba Yu's likely retaliatory actions, Tuoba Jun strategized with his allies.
They discussed a new clue related to a 'stone' from the informant, believing it held the key to the crucial account book. Tuoba Jun assigned Li Minde to work with imperial court officials, while Chengde and Jun Tao were tasked with closely monitoring Prince of Nan'an's residence to anticipate and counter any malicious schemes. In the imperial court, urged by Tuoba Jun, several ministers began to speak out.
They argued that there were anomalies in Prince Jingmu's corruption case and that, given his benevolent character, he could not have committed such acts. They appealed to the Emperor to reopen the case and restore Prince Jingmu's innocence. Despite initial opposition from some officials who feared destabilizing the court, Tuoba Jun passionately intervened. He reminded the Emperor of his father's unwavering trust and the injustice he suffered, asking if the Emperor could truly ignore his father's wrongful treatment.
After much deliberation, the Emperor made his decision, decreeing the reopening of Prince Jingmu's case. Following the court session, Tuoba Jun confronted Tuoba Yu, directly asking if the day's events were his doing. Tuoba Jun asserted that Tuoba Yu could not control the Emperor, whose heart still harbored the painful memory of his father's death. He accused Tuoba Yu of being afraid that the truth of his deeds would be exposed.
Tuoba Yu, reflecting on his own difficult past as the son of a criminal concubine, dismissed Tuoba Jun's challenge, claiming that his journey had been one of overcoming innumerable trials and that he was not easily intimidated. Tuoba Jun countered, stating that it was not a challenge but a punishment, confidently declaring that he would not lose and that Tuoba Yu's end was approaching within the three-day deadline.
