The Princess Wei Young Episode 8 Recap
> The Princess Wei Young Recap
Following his recommendation to the Imperial Guard, Li Minde was reluctant to take the post. However, to ease his mother's worries about his future, he promised both her and Li Weiyang that he would apply himself. Weiyang encouraged him, noting that it was a position with boundless prospects that many desired. Minde accepted the role for his mother's sake and, acknowledging Weiyang's point, playfully warned her not to pat his head.
In the garden, Li Changle confronted Li Weiyang, remarking on her stroll amidst "wildflowers," a subtle jab at Weiyang's rural upbringing. Weiyang retorted that even wildflowers, though unadmired, bloom the earliest and endure the longest. Changle then questioned Weiyang's relationship with the Prince of Gaoyang. Weiyang dismissed it as a few chance encounters, but Changle, hinting at her own admiration for the prince, warned her to understand her status and not bring trouble to the Li household.
Weiyang challenged her, questioning if the warning was for the family or for Changle herself, and asserted that if her own status was lowly, then Changle, sharing the same father, could be no more noble. As their argument escalated, Li Minfeng intervened. Soon after, a scout delivered a portrait of the Northern Liang princess.
Eager to compare herself, Changle moved to see it, but a tense Weiyang tried to snatch the scroll, claiming she also wished to see the princess's appearance. Minfeng secured the drawing, telling the sisters it was not a toy and adding that the princess, however beautiful, could not compare to Changle. Later, Changle confided in Minfeng that the Prince of Gaoyang was hers and asked for his help in keeping other women away. Minfeng assured her he would handle it.
To establish an informant near Weiyang, Li Minfeng targeted Ziyan. He approached her under the pretense of having lost a fan, feigned affection, and offered her a choice: remain a lowly maid by Weiyang's side or come to his side and become a proper mistress. Despite Ziyan's initial reluctance, citing Weiyang's kindness, Minfeng swayed her by questioning if Weiyang truly valued her and promising a better life.
He instructed her to meet him in his room at midnight, successfully securing her as his spy. Meanwhile, Weiyang infiltrated Li Minfeng's study and intentionally splattered ink on a portrait of herself as the Northern Liang princess. As Minfeng discovered the defaced portrait, a masked figure entered, creating a diversion. Weiyang recognized the sword tassel and realized the assailant was her loyal attendant, Jun Tao, whom she believed had died.
Jun Tao's goal was to assassinate Minfeng, a traitor responsible for the massacre of their people. After Minfeng pursued the attacker, Weiyang secretly brought the injured Jun Tao to her room. They shared an emotional reunion, with Jun Tao expressing relief that her "Princess" was alive. Weiyang revealed her new identity as the Prime Minister's daughter and confessed her internal struggle between her grandmother's wish for her to live peacefully and the pain of seeing her enemies thrive.
Their reunion was cut short when Minfeng and his men returned to search for the assassin. Weiyang quickly hid Jun Tao on a ceiling beam. After an initial search yielded nothing, Minfeng started to leave, but a drop of Jun Tao's blood fell onto Ziyan's hand. Ziyan discreetly signaled Minfeng, who immediately returned and demanded a thorough search. Thinking fast, Weiyang had Jun Tao take her hostage, warning Minfeng that harming the Prime Minister's daughter would tarnish the family's reputation.
Reluctantly, Minfeng allowed Jun Tao to escape. Enraged, he ordered the maids Baizhi and Ziyan to be flogged for their negligence. Weiyang shielded them, arguing that if guards couldn't stop the assassin, two maids certainly couldn't. She forced Minfeng to relent by threatening to report him to their father. Ziyan was visibly moved by Weiyang's selfless act. Later, the Seventh Concubine visited Weiyang.
She was ill with a cold, but the First Madam had refused to call a physician for her. Weiyang immediately sent for one and vowed to improve her mother's living conditions. While holding her daughter's hand, the Seventh Concubine noticed a red birthmark on her arm—a mark the real Weiyang did not have at birth—and grew suspicious about her identity. Simultaneously, the Wei Empire was grappling with a devastating flood that had left 100,000 people as refugees.
In the palace, the Emperor, dismayed by the lack of effective solutions, decreed that anyone who could propose a viable disaster relief plan would be heavily rewarded. At the Prime Minister's Manor, Prince of Nan'an feigned indifference to the crisis while speaking with Li Minfeng but was privately distressed by the commoners' suffering. Minfeng introduced his sisters—Changle, Changxi, and Changru—to the prince.
Desiring to strengthen her family's influence, the First Madam encouraged Changxi to get close to the Prince of Nan'an in hopes of becoming his secondary consort, a prospect Changxi eagerly embraced. Under the guise of visiting a Taoist temple to pray for her mother, Weiyang went to meet Jun Tao. Ziyan relayed this information to Li Minfeng, who dispatched assassins after her.
At the temple's porridge stall, Weiyang encountered a riot among refugees who believed "Li Farmstead" was stealing their relief grain. Amidst the chaos, the assassins attacked. Tuoba Jun appeared and rescued her once again. Despite his help, Weiyang remained cold, even accusing him of faking an arm injury to gain her sympathy. Frustrated by her distant behavior, Tuoba Jun questioned why she had changed so much, but Weiyang retorted, asking if he truly knew her at all.
After ensuring her safety, he ordered his guard to protect her from a distance. Meanwhile, a suspicious Li Changle also arrived at the temple, determined to uncover what Weiyang was plotting.
