The Sleepless Princess Episode 27 Recap
> The Sleepless Princess Recap
Infanta Naxi arrived at the Xue mansion, hoping to secure her place as Xue Yao’s future wife. However, Old Lady Xue openly favored Chu Yue, putting her and Xue Yao’s hands together and asking him to take Chu Yue and Xingchen for a stroll. When Naxi tried to join, the Old Lady kept her by her side.
Naxi attempted to assert her claim by reminding everyone that she and Xue Yao were to be married and had matters to discuss, but Xue Yao dismissed her. The Old Lady bluntly called Naxi presumptuous, much to her chagrin. Later, Old Lady Xue expressed deep gratitude to Chu Yue for caring for her during her coma and urged her to return to the Xue mansion.
Though Chu Yue felt it was too late, the Old Lady encouraged her to fight for her happiness, reminding her of her past boldness and warning her not to be deceived by Naxi. Naxi confronted Xue Yao, accusing Chu Yue of deliberately provoking them. In turn, Xue Yao questioned if Naxi was unscrupulously interfering to prevent the Emperor from granting him an audience. Meanwhile, Chu Yue asked her brother, Xingchen, for a way to reconcile with Xue Yao.
Xingchen suggested eloping, then revealed his own unique "Imperial Warrants," which, unlike the Emperor's version that serves as a get-out-of-jail-free card, allowed him to withdraw money from any of his numerous businesses across Nansang. Xue Yao sternly told Naxi he would never marry her, stating he only wanted Chu Yue, even if she wasn't perfect. Naxi, feeling her "use value" was gone now that the war was over, accused him of trying to forget their past.
Xue Yao rebuked her for deceiving herself, reminding her that she and her brother, born to a female slave, had used him to gain power and secure her current position as a respected Infanta. Hurt, Naxi showed him a scar on her hand as proof of her devotion. Just then, Chu Yue witnessed the gesture and sadly walked away. Naxi then declared to Xue Yao that his status as the "Emperor's son-in-law of Xizhao" was an unchangeable fact.
Heartbroken, Chu Yue drank heavily in her chambers. Naxi arrived and apologized for her intimate behavior with Xue Yao, claiming they couldn't control themselves. Chu Yue, however, blamed herself for being unable to stop thinking about him and vowed to no longer interfere. Later, Chu Yue sought out Dong Shi for a hangover remedy, as her final transformation was approaching.
She asked for a medicine that could induce a long sleep, intending to use it on Naxi to heal her injury while she was unconscious. She also asked Dong Shi about an old man named Liao, who had given her half of a book that might contain her cure. Dong Shi didn't know him but offered to help decipher the book.
With the medicine, Chu Yue returned to Naxi and drugged her wine, apologizing that this was the only way she could attempt to heal her. Meanwhile, Xue Yao planned to use the Imperial Warrant, a powerful heirloom granted to his ancestors, to annul his forced marriage. Despite his advisor Bai Liqi's warnings about its significance as a "get-out-of-jail-free card," Xue Yao was resolute.
He knelt before the Emperor, arguing that marrying a woman from Xizhao, where his forefathers died fighting, would be a betrayal to his family and country. The Emperor was enraged, accusing Xue Yao of using the heirloom to defy him and cost Nansang face. He reminded Xue Yao of the state's financial difficulties and the need for peace, but ultimately refused the request. Xue Yao went to see Chu Yue, but she was cold and distant.
She confronted him about his past with Naxi in the desert, and though Xue Yao reiterated he would never marry Naxi, Chu Yue declared their relationship would be "heartless and unjust" to their friend and benefactor. Accusing him of lying about trying to break the engagement, she expressed her inner turmoil by first claiming their shared bell as a symbol of their fate, then handing it back to him, telling him to "return it to its original owner."
Xue Yao left, heartbroken. Later, Bai Liqi revealed the truth to Chu Yue. In a twist, he called Xue Yao the "unfaithful, unfilial, unkind, and unjust" one for having used the family's precious Imperial Warrant in a last-ditch effort to annul the marriage, only to be rebuked by the Emperor after kneeling for hours. Realizing the depth of Xue Yao's sacrifice, Chu Yue's resolve crumbled.
Disguised as a maid, Chu Yue found a somber Xue Yao and embraced him, tearfully proposing they elope. When Xue Yao asked what she meant, she clarified, "I want to be with you, openly and honorably." Understanding that the Emperor would not yield, Xue Yao suggested they act preemptively.
To avoid a royal scandal from her clandestine visit, he proposed she become his wife before the Emperor discovered her presence, allowing him to use the Imperial Warrant to protect her life. They sealed their lifelong commitment by signing and fingerprinting a written vow. With a shared laugh, Xue Yao urged her to sleep, reminding her of the many tasks awaiting them the next day.
