The Sleepless Princess Episode 21 Recap
> The Sleepless Princess Recap
Following their agreement to divorce, Chu Yue was summoned by the Emperor. He claimed that her late father, the Grand Master, had visited him in a dream, stating that Chu Yue was suffering and should be brought back to the palace. In the dream, the Grand Master also revealed that Chu Yue shared his ability to predict the future. The Emperor used this as a pretext to probe whether she possessed this talent without her birthstone.
Wary of implicating those who had long helped her conceal the stone's true location, Chu Yue feigned ignorance, arguing that if she had such powers, she wouldn't have been nearly killed by an assassin. Though seemingly accepting her denial, the Emperor insisted she drink a bowl of bird's nest soup, a tribute from Xizhao, before she left. Despite her reluctance, Chu Yue was pressured by both the Emperor and a maid and consumed the soup.
Upon returning to Jinque Palace, Chu Yue felt an overwhelming drowsiness. She asked an old nanny about the late General Xue Mu, who confirmed the well-known story of his heroic death in a fire while saving the former emperor's ancestral tablets. As her sleepiness intensified, Chu Yue fought to stay awake, trying everything from hanging by her hair to using onions to sting her eyes.
Her final attempt, smelling year-old fermented eggs, ended with the jar shattering and filling the palace with a foul stench. As the maids cleaned the mess, Xue Yao and Luo Ji arrived. Seeing Chu Yue on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion, Xue Yao embraced her. A nanny explained that according to the Grand Master's prophecy, it was permissible for Chu Yue to fall asleep during the forbidden period as long as Xue Yao was present.
Xue Yao then decided to stay the night, watching over her as she finally slept. The next morning, Chu Yue awoke feeling as though she had been drugged. She recalled the bird's nest soup and suspected the Emperor knew the birthstone was inside her and was testing her. Resolved to maintain her secret, she composed herself just as Concubine Su arrived.
Chu Yue pretended to be studying texts on female virtues, but the concubine was there to arrange her marriage to the 73-year-old General Tu, who was seeking his thirteenth concubine. Chu Yue cleverly deferred, stating that such a major decision required the Emperor's approval, privately believing he wouldn't let her remarry if he wanted the birthstone.
She then subtly taunted Concubine Su, suggesting that if the Emperor proved fickle, they could one day be "sisters" in the households of old generals. Meanwhile, to avoid a series of arranged dates, Su Nannan lied to her father, claiming she was in love with Luo Ji. Her father, however, was furious, deeming Luo Ji unworthy and threatening to have him reassigned to the border as a common soldier if he ever approached his daughter again.
Indignant over Concubine Su's cruel plan for Chu Yue, Xu Xingchen gathered a selection of elite young men for her to meet, determined that she not give up on finding a worthy husband. News of Chu Yue's search for a suitor quickly reached Xue Yao, who rushed to the palace. He found her apathetically interviewing a line of men, with Xu Xingchen comically pointing out a flaw in each one.
Xu Xingchen then proposed himself, highlighting their matched status and childhood bond. Amused, Chu Yue dismissed his offer and explained her real reason for the interviews was to test the Emperor's intentions. Xue Yao, who had been watching from outside, forced his way past a guard and confronted them. A heated argument erupted between him and Xu Xingchen, who declared that Xue Yao was no longer her husband and had no right to interfere. The confrontation escalated until Xue Yao grabbed Chu Yue, and she was forced to shout at them to stop fighting.
