The Sleepless Princess Episode 9 Recap
> The Sleepless Princess Recap
Su Nannan explained to Xue Yao that while ordinary women embroider mandarin ducks on their bellybands, only nobles are permitted to use phoenixes. This information troubled Xue Yao, as he recalled that the bellyband Chu Yue claimed was hers during the incident with Marquis Beize was embroidered with mandarin ducks, not a phoenix.
He asked Su Nannan if Marquis Beize had truly mistreated Chu Yue, but she replied that if he was concerned about that, there was no point in asking since it had already happened. A servant announced that the Old Lady planned to return to the Xue mansion the following day. The servant noted that the Old Lady was already unhappy due to a previous incident where she was attacked while the princess was escorting her.
To avoid further trouble, Xue Yao assigned Bai Liqi to pick up his aunt. That evening, Chu Yue waited for Xue Yao, having warmed wine for him several times. Tao Yao warned her not to drink the wine, a sleeping aid from King Shun, lest she fall asleep at the wrong time. Chu Yue retorted that she wouldn't have to worry if Xue Yao were there and decided to go find him. Just then, Xue Yao entered.
Xue Yao immediately demanded to know what happened at Marquis Beize's residence. As Chu Yue deflected, she smelled the expensive scent of Panxiang Court's "daughter incense" on him, a fragrance used by women to please their husbands. She angrily accused him of seeing another woman, citing her experience in the harem with her father's concubines. Xue Yao denied it, asserting his clear conscience, and pressed her about the bellyband.
He realized she had lied about the assault to tarnish her own reputation. A fierce argument erupted. Chu Yue called him a hypocrite for trapping her in a forced marriage and treating her poorly, admitting she made up the story to get away from him. A heartbroken Xue Yao confessed he only wanted a simple, kind wife and a peaceful life. Chu Yue countered that she wanted freedom—to sleep and to love.
Xue Yao told her she was free and left for the military camp. Meanwhile, Xu Xingchen visited the Emperor and found him in poor spirits. A eunuch explained that the Emperor had been plagued by nightmares since an assassination attempt. In his latest dream, Chu Yue’s father, the Da Guo Shi, confronted him for sacrificing Chu Yue to the birthstone prophecy. The Emperor argued he had raised Chu Yue, who showed no reaction to the long-stolen stone.
Xue Yao then appeared in the dream, vowing to avenge the Da Guo Shi and Chu Yue before attacking the Emperor. Awaking in a panic, the Emperor lunged with a sword at Xu Xingchen, injuring his hands as he blocked the blade. Once lucid, the Emperor praised Xu Xingchen’s loyalty.
The Emperor then decided to test Xu Xingchen's strategic ability, stating that with Xue Yao having relinquished military power, he would choose between Xu Xingchen and Prince Ning to command the armies. Xu Xingchen expressed humility, citing his lack of military experience, but the Emperor instructed him to write a proposal on military governance.
At the military camp, soldiers saw Xue Yao practicing martial arts all night and, seeing his foul mood, arranged for a woman from Piaoxiang Court to entertain him. Xue Yao reacted with disgust and anger, punishing the two soldiers with forty lashes each. Around the same time, Chu Yue discovered a rare flower that blooms only once a year had blossomed. Disguised as a man, she and Tao Yao went to the camp to show it to Xue Yao.
However, a guard rudely blocked her, remarking that the general was busy with a "woman flower" from Piaoxiang Court. Believing Xue Yao was with another woman, a furious Chu Yue threw the flower to the ground and left. Xue Yao's aunt, the Old Lady, returned to the mansion and immediately summoned Chu Yue. The Old Lady accused Chu Yue of using an expensive cream, Liuyun Feixue.
Chu Yue explained it was a gift from King Shun, but her aunt refused to believe her, speculating it was from a premarital lover and ordered a search. She then confined Chu Yue to the ancestral hall to reflect. Feeling wronged, Chu Yue escaped by jumping out of a window. Back at the military camp, Xue Yao found the flower Chu Yue had dropped.
Remembering her wish to watch the flowers with him, he rushed back to the mansion, only to find Chu Yue lying unconscious on the ground. He carried her inside and confronted his aunt, insisting there was a misunderstanding. With the Old Lady still determined to punish her, Xue Yao offered to take Chu Yue's place and kneel in the ancestral hall to complete the punishment.
Later, while asleep in her bed, Chu Yue had a vivid dream of Xue Yao behaving intimately with her. A voice whispered, "The spring night is short, why resist?" She awoke with a start, shouting that Xue Yao was a pervert. Just then, Xue Yao entered her room and playfully asked where the pervert was. When he confirmed it was Yin shi, Chu Yue realized it had all been a dream, which left her flustered. Xue Yao then teased her, asking who had died in her dream this time.
