The Sleepless Princess Episode 8 Recap
> The Sleepless Princess Recap
Xue Yao confronted Chu Yue with a bellyband, demanding to know if Beizehou had assaulted her. Chu Yue avoided a direct answer, stating that if he truly cared, he wouldn't need to ask, as "it has already happened." She suggested that if he could not accept her, they should inform the Emperor and arrange for a divorce. Infuriated, Xue Yao reminded her that "the whole world knows you are my wife."
Despite his anger, Chu Yue seemed indifferent, telling Tao Yao that she could finally leave the Xue mansion. Tao Yao tried to interject, revealing that the bellyband was not even Chu Yue's. Determined to avenge Chu Yue, Xue Yao intended to kill Beizehou. Bai Liqi urged him to reconsider, warning that such a rash act would implicate the Xue family and undo the painstaking efforts of Xue Yao's late father.
Xue Yao argued that if he could not protect his own family, then the Xue family, despite their high position, would be nothing more than a common, scheming clan. Seeing Xue Yao's unwavering resolve, Bai Liqi offered to undertake the task himself, taking full responsibility should anything go awry. Meanwhile, Xu Xingchen had already apprehended Beizehou and subjected him to harsh interrogation.
Beizehou explained that he had overheard Xu Xingchen and Princess Chu Yue discussing their escape plans in Fanlou and had merely intended to play along, as Chu Yue was supposedly destined to marry him. Xu Xingchen then produced a token, revealing that years ago, he was the benefactor who had saved Beizehou's family from ruin by helping them sell goods to Nansang. Recognizing Xu Xingchen, Beizehou swore that nothing improper had occurred between him and the princess.
He claimed the bellyband was a "bad idea from my servant," intended solely to provoke Xue Yao. Xu Xingchen’s subordinate noted that even if Beizehou had done nothing, the incident had successfully created a rift between Xue Yao and Chu Yue, which served Xu Xingchen's goal of helping the princess leave the Xue mansion. Convinced, Xu Xingchen decided to exile Beizehou to a desolate, disease-ridden island in the South Sea.
Beizehou protested that it was a death sentence, but Xu Xingchen threatened to plunge his family back into the ruin they faced three years prior if he refused. Terrified, Beizehou agreed to depart that very night. Xue Yao and Bai Liqi arrived at Beizehou's mansion to find it ransacked. Xue Yao immediately suspected it was the work of Xu Xingchen. Bai Liqi spotted someone observing them from outside, whom he believed to be a palace assassin.
Xue Yao, however, instructed him not to pursue, deciding to wait for the person to reveal themselves again, as he had more pressing matters to attend to. Elsewhere, a mysterious figure scrutinized a fragmented copy of the "Law of Life and Death," a text left behind by the Da Guo Shi. The figure lamented that the ancient text lacked the crucial methods for controlling the Birthstone, a divine stone believed to bring people back to life.
It was said that any alteration to the future predicted by the Birthstone would cause it to emit a colorless light, which would scatter and induce hallucinations, making people perceive others as transforming into animals. A subordinate reported Princess Chu Yue's abduction and subsequent rescue. The mysterious figure decided against immediate action, concluding that the incident would only lead to increased vigilance from the Xue family.
Instead, they planned to locate the missing half of the manuscript, believed to be with an old man surnamed Liao who had fled to Panyu County in Nansang. The figure was assured that their clan members would capture Princess Chu Yue and retrieve the book before the full moon night. Chu Yue and Tao Yao looked through a book, discussing potential destinations like the "desert scenery" or a "Jiangnan Town" for when Chu Yue would finally leave the Xue mansion.
Chu Yue was confident that once Xue Yao divorced her, she would regain her freedom, as her father, the Emperor, would surely disown a daughter with a ruined reputation, leaving her free to travel. Later, Xue Yao returned and found Chu Yue had fallen asleep. He draped a blanket over her, then gently lifted her into bed. He sat beside her as she slept peacefully and leaned down to kiss her.
The next morning, Tao Yao discovered Chu Yue had slept past the "taboo time" but was surprised to learn that Chu Yue had not dreamed at all, experiencing her first full night's sleep in years. Chu Yue wondered if it was because Xue Yao had been there. She later found Xue Yao in the courtyard planting a "Lirenhua."
Xue Yao explained that this unique flower blooms only once a year, its leaves falling as the flowers bloom, ensuring that "flowers and leaves never meet." He shared that he usually missed its blooming season due to his military duties but was finally able to witness it this year. Chu Yue found the flower "too lonely" but asked if she could watch it bloom with him.
She then pressed him about what he had done the previous night, observing that he had blushed. Meanwhile, Xue Yao continued to investigate his brother Xue Mu's death. He inquired about a gift Xue Mu had purchased, an item called "Liuyunfeixue," trying to identify its intended recipient. He learned from the Old Madam that items sold by Panxiang Court came with a blessing note containing the recipient's name.
However, these notes were held by the Master of Panxiang Pavilion and were difficult for outsiders to obtain. Determined, Xue Yao planned a visit to Panxiang Court the next day. Later, Chu Yue approached Xue Yao while he was working. She deliberately spilled some osmanthus-scented wine from Xu Xingchen, feigning dizziness to gain entry to his workspace. Once inside, she boldly asked him to "sleep with me tonight." A stunned Bai Liqi immediately excused himself.
Chu Yue explained that she believed he was the reason she had slept soundly without a single dream. Convinced he had used an acupuncture technique on her, she insisted that he teach her that very night. Xue Yao, however, remained reserved and cited his busy schedule. Hearing rumors that Princess Chu Yue had been dishonored, Su Nannan saw an opportunity. She had her father, Master Su, invite Xue Yao to their residence for "important business."
Following a cunning plan, she positioned herself in a bath, visible behind a screen, in the bedroom where Xue Yao was led. When Xue Yao arrived, Su Nannan called out and asked him to retrieve a pink bellyband from the screen. She then lectured him on the symbolism of bellyband embroidery: "ordinary women's bellybands are embroidered with mandarin ducks, while only noblewomen use phoenixes." Pointedly adding that "the princess's bellyband was seen by others," she implied her own purity.
This caused Xue Yao to recall that the bellyband he believed was Chu Yue's bore the embroidery of mandarin ducks, not a phoenix, leading him to question her true status as a princess.
