The Princess Wei Young Episode 53 Recap
> The Princess Wei Young Recap
A minister reported to Tuoba Yu that Rouran had sent a public denunciation, accusing Tuoba Yu of patricide and fratricide to usurp the throne, and inciting other nations to attack him. Tuoba Yu scoffed, vowing to eradicate Rouran when he stormed their lands. The minister, Gao Yun, argued that Prince Yuanlie of Rouran had always respected Great Wei, suggesting a misunderstanding. He proposed releasing Prince of Gaoyang to explain the truth, ensuring Yuanlie's submission.
Tuoba Yu dismissed the idea, stating that the time for such counsel was past, and questioned how Prince of Gaoyang, in his current state, could possibly reason with traitors. He then summoned Prince of Gaoyang, Tuoba Jun, to be presented before the court. Tuoba Jun appeared disheveled and acted erratically, demanding wine and speaking of an imaginary sword, shocking the officials.
Tuoba Yu then stated that a Prince of Gaoyang in such a state could not possibly reason with traitors, nor could his safety be guaranteed without the rebels using him to cause further trouble. Li Weiyang confronted Tuoba Yu, demanding Tuoba Jun’s release, as she had already agreed to marry him. Tuoba Yu questioned whether she truly believed Tuoba Jun was insane.
To prove his point and to test Tuoba Jun’s resilience, Tuoba Yu had Tuoba Jun brought before Li Weiyang and Li Changle. Tuoba Jun continued his erratic behavior, obsessed with his imaginary sword. Tuoba Yu taunted Tuoba Jun, asking if he would endure anything to stay alive. Li Weiyang pleaded with Tuoba Yu to stop tormenting him, but Tuoba Yu remained unconvinced of Tuoba Jun's madness.
He presented a vial, revealing to Li Changle that it contained the Chiyun Household’s unique poison, which took a month to take effect, causing a person to rot and die without an antidote. Tuoba Yu then offered the poison to Tuoba Jun, pretending it was candy. Tuoba Jun happily consumed it and asked for more. Li Weiyang was horrified, accusing Tuoba Yu of being inhumane and reminding him of his broken promises.
Despite this, Tuoba Yu agreed to release Tuoba Jun immediately and promised to provide the antidote after his wedding to Li Weiyang. Li Changle, having witnessed this, realized that only one antidote for this specific Chiyun poison was known to exist, and no one living could create more. Meanwhile, Li Changru, who was heavily pregnant, appealed to Li Changle for help in seeing Tuoba Yu. She revealed her fear that if Li Weiyang became Empress, she would suffer greatly.
Li Changru asserted that she, unlike Li Changle, could potentially harm Li Weiyang, as she was carrying Tuoba Yu’s first son, which would protect her from the Emperor’s wrath. Li Changle agreed to help but warned Li Changru that she was essentially a "dead person" in the eyes of society. Shortly after, Li Changru successfully gave birth to a son who resembled Tuoba Yu.
Li Changle then orchestrated her scheme, instructing her maid Hongluo to subtly introduce the Chiyun poison into Li Weiyang’s ginger soup. Li Weiyang, unsuspecting, drank it. Li Changle then arranged for Li Changru, disguised in palace servant clothing, to enter the palace. Li Changru expressed her gratitude and newfound affinity for the imperial palace. Li Changle reminded Li Changru of her past abandonment, which she attributed solely to Li Weiyang.
To her confidante, Li Changle revealed her true intention: in a month, when Li Weiyang’s poison would take effect, Li Changru would conveniently be present, making her the perfect scapegoat. Li Changle confined Li Changru to a room, despite Li Changru's pleas to see Tuoba Yu, reiterating that she must remain hidden to avoid complications. The day of Tuoba Yu and Li Weiyang’s wedding arrived, with the grand ceremony unfolding in the Great Hall.
As Tuoba Yu was about to proclaim Li Weiyang his Empress, Tuoba Jun, accompanied by Li Minde, dramatically burst into the hall. Tuoba Jun denounced Tuoba Yu for patricide and usurpation, declaring his death day. A fierce battle erupted between Tuoba Yu's guards and Tuoba Jun's forces. Tuoba Yu realized Tuoba Jun had been feigning madness, having meticulously planned this uprising.
Tuoba Jun, however, expressed his regret, wishing that Tuoba Yu was still his uncle and that this betrayal was not true. He affirmed his loyalty to the late emperor and refused to join Tuoba Yu. Li Weiyang then addressed the assembled officials, revealing that the late emperor had indeed left a will, but it named Tuoba Jun, Prince of Gaoyang, as his successor, not Tuoba Yu.
She further exposed Tuoba Yu as the one who framed Crown Prince Jingmu and stated that Zong Ai, Tuoba Yu's spy, had been responsible for the late emperor's death. When questioned why she had previously lied, Li Weiyang explained that Tuoba Yu had threatened the lives of her entire household, forcing her temporary submission.
She then divulged a secret passed down verbally through Wei's emperors: a hidden passage beneath the Great Hall that led outside the city, intended for use during rebellions. She declared that this secret passage was instrumental in their current success, allowing them to turn the tables. At Li Weiyang's request, Subject Gao led the other officials away, stating that the matter involved the imperial family's honor.
Tuoba Yu, trying to discredit her, argued that the dead cannot speak and she was fabricating stories to aid Tuoba Jun. Li Weiyang countered that if she sought personal gain, she would already be Empress, emphasizing her inability to betray the late emperor's will, allow a sinister ruler to govern, or let innocent lives be lost in vain.
Tuoba Jun then confronted Tuoba Yu, condemning him for harming his parents and Imperial Grandfather, and for staining his hands with family blood for personal greed. Tuoba Yu, defeated, questioned how they had orchestrated such a complex plan. A flashback revealed the truth behind Li Weiyang's "breakup" with Tuoba Jun in prison.
While seemingly insulting him and dismissing their shared past, she was subtly relaying instructions: Tuoba Jun's only path was to join Rouran, find Li Minde, and rendezvous via the secret passage beneath the Great Hall. She conveyed a message through her Seventh Aunt to Li Minde, instructing him to wait outside the passage with Prince of Gaoyang and that her wedding day to Tuoba Yu would be the day to reclaim what was theirs and eliminate the rebels.
Tuoba Jun reflected that despite her harsh words, he trusted Li Weiyang, understanding that her "insults" were actually hidden instructions for him to escape the palace and unite with Li Minde, demonstrating their unwavering connection. As Tuoba Jun and Li Weiyang prepared to claim their victory, they both suddenly succumbed to the effects of poison. Tuoba Yu, still defiant, reminded Tuoba Jun of the poison in his body, revealing he held the antidote.
He cynically offered to spare Tuoba Jun’s life in exchange for his freedom, but Tuoba Jun refused, stating Tuoba Yu could not escape justice, though he would grant him some dignity as his uncle. Tuoba Yu then reveled in his cruel plan, predicting Tuoba Jun's imminent demise and declaring that he would not die alone, adding, "Not only two persons, but three in total." Li Changle, present during the confrontation, screamed, "What have you done again? !"
in response to Tuoba Yu's ominous declaration, to which Tuoba Yu chillingly replied that she, too, was infected with the same type of poison as Tuoba Jun. Tuoba Yu then presented the sole antidote, stating explicitly that between Tuoba Jun and Li Weiyang, only one could survive. Without hesitation, Tuoba Jun selflessly pushed the antidote into Li Weiyang's mouth, ensuring she swallowed it.
He declared that he wished for her to live a better life than his, proving Tuoba Yu’s lack of understanding about true love. With a final, desperate plea to Tuoba Yu to remain silent if he ever truly loved Li Weiyang, Tuoba Jun's vision blurred. He repeatedly muttered "secret passage" as he guided Li Weiyang towards its entrance. Li Weiyang, still reeling from the events, asked if he had taken the antidote.
He playfully assured her he had and felt better, then encouraged her to remain strong. As they embraced in relief, Li Weiyang felt his hand, noticing it was cold. Tuoba Jun, having given his life for her, collapsed.
