My Sassy Princess Episode 10 Recap
> My Sassy Princess Recap
His Royal Highness, Duke Dingbei, furiously rebuked his son for allowing Yue Ling, a dangerous individual, into their home without his knowledge, particularly when she had caused trouble for him and Liu Ling. His son, Liu Ling's uncle and the Young Duke, admitted his mistake and explained that he had already sent Yue Ling away, but His Royal Highness stated it was too late.
He then learned from his son that Liu Ling had been taken away by Shen Yan, the commander of one of the fourteen armies, leaving His Royal Highness with a complex expression. Still heartbroken over the loss of her beloved pet, Shen Oink, Liu Ling was taken by Shen Yan to a mountain for stargazing. As a consolation, Shen Yan showed her a sky full of meteors.
Liu Ling's mood improved, and she smiled, but then remarked on how fleeting beautiful things are. Shen Yan revealed that Yue Ling had intentionally caused her miscarriage and Shen Oink's death, confirming Liu Ling's earlier suspicions about her manipulative nature. He then told Liu Ling that he understood she felt wronged for being left alone at Duke Dingbei’s Mansion for the sake of his reputation.
Shen Yan encouraged her to cherish the beautiful moments and let go of her sadness and anxiety. Liu Ling, however, questioned if his affection for her would also be as fleeting as the meteors. Meanwhile, Yu Guan, an official, visited Lord Lu to request war funds for the Crown Prince. Lord Lu complained about his son-in-law's constant demands, having just provided hundreds of thousands of taels the previous month.
Yu Guan explained the high cost of forging the fire arrow machine and the urgency due to the intensifying rumors surrounding the old Jiangzhou case, emphasizing that the machine was a crucial contingency. Lord Lu reluctantly agreed to provide the funds. His daughter, Lu Qian, comforted him, assuring him that once their plans with the Crown Prince succeeded, the money would be insignificant.
Shen Yan later met his older brother, Shen Yu, who had been investigating the origin of the jade pattern Shen Yan asked him to look into. Shen Yu informed him that the carving technique was intricate and confirmed the jade was not from the Central Plains, possibly originating from the north.
Shen Yu then warned Shen Yan about Princess Changle, relaying their mother's concerns about her "taking life easily" and not being a "virtuous lady," but Shen Yan dismissed his brother's advice. Shen Yan revealed his intention to provoke the powerful Lu family, stating he had secured the Crown Prince's approval to do so.
His immediate priority was to retrieve the Kun jade, which the Lu family possessed, as he believed they had killed Yun Yi and thought there was no evidence. Shen Yu cautioned Shen Yan about the Lu family's deep roots in the central government and the potential trouble they could cause, but Shen Yan maintained he had a plan. Later, Shen Yu went to the Flower Pavilion to drink and enjoy music.
While going upstairs, he overheard Lu Mingshan in a private room, drowning his sorrows. Lu Qian, his aunt, was speaking to him, instructing him not to regret killing Yue Ling, implying it was his grandfather's order to eliminate a "lowly maid" who would have brought ridicule upon him and hindered his future as the head of the family. Lu Mingshan confirmed he understood. Soon after, Yue Ling's body was discovered in the river.
Shen Yan examined the body, discerning that she had been suffocated before being thrown into the water, not drowned as widely believed by the public who wrongly attributed her death to a miscarriage caused by Liu Ling. Seizing this opportunity to pressure the Lu family, Shen Yan led the Jinlin Guard to raid the Lu Mansion.
They took Lord Lu, Lu Mingshan, and the butler for investigation, also summoning other officials associated with the Lu family to the administration of Beidian. At the administration of Beidian, Lord Lu confronted Shen Yan about the extensive investigation. Shen Yan declared he was investigating Yue Ling’s murder.
Lu Mingshan brazenly accused Liu Ling of causing Yue Ling’s supposed suicide through her harassment, alleging that Shen Yan was using his authority to exact personal revenge for Liu Ling, unfairly implicating the Lu family and other officials. Shen Yan dismissed their complaints and continued his rigorous questioning. Back at Duke Dingbei’s Mansion, during dinner, His Royal Highness expressed his strong disapproval of Liu Ling's association with Shen Yan.
Liu Ling explained that Shen Yan had helped her with a difficult situation, but her grandfather adamantly forbade her from seeing him or marrying him, regardless of her personal feelings. Liu Ling feigned illness and left the table. Her uncle, however, argued that a marriage with Shen Yan would benefit the Duke Dingbei’s family, given Shen Yan’s favored position with the Emperor and Crown Prince and his role in the administration of Beidian.
His Royal Highness countered that Shen Yan's dangerous position in the Jinlin Guard, which was akin to "licking blood from the tip of a knife," made him an unsuitable match, fearing it would make Liu Ling a "widow-to-be." Unwilling to directly hurt Liu Ling's feelings, His Royal Highness decided to make his son deliver the unwelcome news to Liu Ling. After a day of intense questioning at the administration of Beidian, Shen Yan allowed the officials to return home.
The officials, who had been influenced by Lu Mingshan, continued to openly criticize Shen Yan, accusing him of using his public office for private revenge. Liu Ling's aunt suggested enlisting Xu Shijin, Liu Ling's close friend, to persuade Liu Ling. Xu Shijin agreed, instructing Liu Ling's uncle to summon Shen Yan later, claiming Liu Ling had an urgent matter. Xu Shijin's true intention, however, was to help Liu Ling herself.
Having learned that Shen Yan's mother planned to visit Hong Luo Temple to pray for her sons' marriages, Xu Shijin took Liu Ling there ahead of time. Liu Ling sought a marriage lot, but the result was an unlucky draw. Soon after, Shen Yan's mother appeared and confronted Liu Ling, accusing her of being "flashy" and causing trouble, and implored her to "let go of Yan."
Xu Shijin defended Liu Ling, hinting that Yue Ling's death was part of a larger plot against Liu Ling. At the Flower Pavilion, Lu Mingshan and Lord Liu's conversation plotting to eliminate the Crown Prince's key allies, including Shen Yan, was reported to Shen Yu by singing girls. Shen Yu found their audacity amusing, remarking on how mere "ants" dared to have such world-shaking ambitions. Liu Ling realized Xu Shijin had deliberately led her to meet Shen Yan's mother.
Xu Shijin explained that such confrontations were inevitable. Liu Ling confessed her deep, unreserved love for Shen Yan, but admitted her fear stemming from her parents' past wrongdoing, stating it was a hurdle she couldn't overcome. Consequently, she lacked the confidence to commit to a lifelong future with Shen Yan. Shen Yan, who had arrived, overheard this conversation. As Liu Ling noticed him and tried to follow, Xu Shijin held her back.
Xu Shijin warned Liu Ling that the Shen family lacked the deep-rooted influence of the Liu and Lu families. She cautioned that if Shen Yan became entangled in their conflicts because of Liu Ling, his life would be in grave danger. Understanding Xu Shijin's concern for Shen Yan's safety, Liu Ling watched him leave with tears in her eyes. That night, both Shen Yan and Liu Ling were restless and unable to sleep. Ling Bi tried to comfort Liu Ling.
Liu Ling decided to test the depth of her feelings by intentionally avoiding Shen Yan, hoping that if she missed him enough to cry, it would prove her love. Meanwhile, Shen Yan woke early, rallied his Jinlin Guard, and led them to raid the Lu Mansion again. They forced entry and began to search, despite Lu Mingshan's protests and accusations of Shen Yan's malicious intent.
Shen Yan, undeterred, declared that if they didn't find what they were looking for this time, they would return, confident that he would eventually uncover what Lu Mingshan was trying to hide. Separately, the Ghost delivered a clue about the jade to Xu Shijin, indicating that the Southern Administration of Justice was the only place to find further information. Despite the difficulties this presented, Xu Shijin resolved to personally visit Shen Yu at the Southern Administration of Justice to clear her parents' names.
