The Sleepless Princess Episode 26 Recap
> The Sleepless Princess Recap
Following the imperial decree announcing his marriage to Na Xi, Chu Yue looked at Xue Yao with despair and ran off. As Xue Yao attempted to follow, Na Xi intercepted him to discuss the arrangement. Xue Yao pushed her aside and rushed to Chu Yue, who confronted him, demanding to know his relationship with Na Xi.
Xue Yao explained that Na Xi had been his prisoner of war, a fact he had kept from Chu Yue to prevent misunderstandings and to protect Na Xi's reputation, now that she was an Infanta. He reassured Chu Yue that he had no other ties to Na Xi and that if he were to marry, Chu Yue would be his only bride. Believing his words were futile against the Emperor's decree, Chu Yue expressed her dejection.
Xue Yao vowed to petition the Emperor to revoke the order. Chu Yue worriedly suggested that Na Xi, as the Infanta of Xizhao, could provide Xue Yao a political fallback should he face trouble over his late brother's case. However, Xue Yao firmly stated that Chu Yue was his only fallback. He declared that if he were ever exiled, she would be the only one he would take with him, and with her, he would have no fear.
Reminding her that they had already been separated once by their divorce, he promised it would not happen again, and Chu Yue affirmed her trust in him. The next day, Xue Yao sought an audience with the Emperor but was turned away by Eunuch Gao, who stated the marriage was decided. Prince Ning also arrived, angrily questioning why Xue Yao was chosen over a royal.
The Emperor chastised Prince Ning for his foolishness, explaining the marriage was a pragmatic political maneuver to manage the difficult nation of Xizhao. He warned that if the alliance failed and war reignited, no one could bear the responsibility. The Emperor then ordered the protesting Prince Ning to be grounded in his residence. Later, Xizhao envoys, led by Duoertu, visited Xue Yao to discuss wedding details. Xue Yao declared the matter was still debatable.
Duoertu admitted that while the envoys were not in favor of the union, the Infanta herself desired Xue Yao, leaving him no choice. After presenting wedding cakes as a sign of the settled affair, Duoertu spotted a totem on Xue Yao's desk and accused him of sending the assassin who had previously eavesdropped near their residence. Xue Yao vehemently denied the accusation, and his subordinate, Luo Ji, escorted the envoys out.
Chu Yue and Xingchen returned to the prison, where Chu Yue felt a strong intuition that an old man there was Uncle Liao, her biological father's former servant, also known as the Great Master. The book he gave her contained his handwriting and reacted to her birthstone. They agreed their priority was to rescue him, and Xingchen promised to find a safe place for him.
Before they parted, Xingchen asked if she would give up on Xue Yao if he married Na Xi. Chu Yue steadfastly refused, declaring her faith in Xue Yao's promise to prevent the marriage. Returning to Jinque Palace, Chu Yue found it filled with wedding gifts from the Emperor for Na Xi. Declining Na Xi's offer to share them, Chu Yue asked if she truly wanted the marriage.
Na Xi confirmed Xue Yao was her heart's desire and recounted their shared past. During Xue Yao's campaign in Xizhao, she was captured, but he protected her by issuing an order against harming women and children. Later, when his army's supplies were low, she guided him through the desert, where they were attacked by wolves. She claimed the scar on her arm was from an injury she sustained while protecting him.
Na Xi feigned reluctance to reveal this, stating she didn't want to hurt Chu Yue, her only friend. Chu Yue was dismayed that Xue Yao had hidden these significant events from her. Disturbed, Chu Yue sought out Xue Yao for clarification. She found him and Bai Liqi pursuing an assassin. Na Xi also arrived, insisting on joining the chase despite her guard Luo Ji's attempt to stop her.
The assassin's leader created a diversion while his subordinate escaped to report to their master. In the ensuing chaos, Na Xi sustained a minor eye injury. Xue Yao immediately rushed to her side, holding her solicitously. Chu Yue witnessed this seemingly intimate moment and, heartbroken, fled the scene. The injured assassin, Tangben, escaped to his mysterious master. The master, feigning sympathy, stated that Tangben knew too many secrets before killing him with a sword and cutting out his heart.
An envoy advised Na Xi to leave the palace for her safety, but she refused, noting that Xue Yao visited her at Jinque Palace more often than he saw the Emperor. She concluded that an imperial decree was not enough to make Xue Yao marry her willingly; she needed to make Chu Yue give up on him completely. Na Xi then approached Chu Yue, pretending she would ask the Emperor to annul the marriage.
She undermined Chu Yue's confidence, remarking that she and Xue Yao were now in the "past tense" and that Chu Yue could never love him as fiercely as she did. Na Xi then asked for the bell on Chu Yue's ankle, explaining it was a tool given by Xizhao nobles to their slaves to track them.
Claiming to have been Xue Yao's sole slave and friend at the time, Na Xi's story led Chu Yue to misinterpret the bell as a token of their special bond. Despite Na Xi's request, Chu Yue refused to relinquish the bell, asserting that since Xue Yao gave it to her, only he could remove it. Xue Yao reviewed an autopsy report confirming the man with the missing heart was Tangben, Head of the Qingyun Tribe.
Bai Liqi speculated that the person who rescued Tangben was the true mastermind. Xue Yao, however, was more concerned about the rare and potent poison used, realizing their enemy's true intentions were now exposed. Xingchen showed Chu Yue the wedding invitations, complaining that Xue Yao had not kept his promise to annul the marriage. Chu Yue maintained her faith, but Xingchen urged her to seek answers directly.
Chu Yue hesitated, feeling she lacked the standing after their divorce and was reliant on Na Xi's permission to move freely. Meanwhile, Xue Yao's grandmother vehemently confronted him, declaring her staunch opposition to the marriage. She demanded he see the Emperor at once, but Xue Yao calmly told his aunt he had his own plan. His grandmother furiously warned him that the spirits of the Xue ancestors would never forgive him if the "Xizhao girl" married into their family.
