My Sassy Princess Episode 11 Recap
> My Sassy Princess Recap
Liu Ling, despite refraining from seeing Shen Yan, daily dispatched Ling Bi to send him food, hoping he would recover his health. However, Shen Yan, angered by Liu Ling's distant attitude, refused to eat the meals. Ling Bi insisted that Liu Ling had gone to great lengths for him, even visiting imperial physicians for a special prescription and personally spending hours preparing the soup.
She revealed Liu Ling had not eaten all day due to worry and had never shown such deep care for anyone else, pleading with Shen Yan not to hold a grudge against the princess despite her occasional childish and willful behavior. Shen Yan, though outwardly unmoved, seemed to harbor some concern. Meanwhile, a group of officials, including Lord Liu of the Ministry of Punishments, confronted Lu Mingshan.
They accused him of causing their current troubles by offending Princess Changle, which they believed led Shen Yan to openly target the Lu family out of jealousy. Lu Mingshan, in coordination with Lord Liu, had already prepared a joint complaint to the Crown Prince, accusing Shen Yan of abusing his power. Lord Lu commended Lu Mingshan's improved tactics.
Lord Lu then chastised Lu Qian, recalling her past leniency in sparing Liu Ling, which he believed had now led to Shen Yan's continuous attacks on their family. He accused Liu Ling of causing trouble by first sending Xu Shijin to the Eastern Palace and now colluding with Shen Yan, making them rivals of the Lu family. Lu Qian expressed her anxiety about the old Jiangzhou case being revealed.
Lord Lu dismissed her worries, assuring her that Shen Yan was nothing to fear. He revealed their plan to not only publicly accuse Shen Yan in court but also to set a trap within the Lu mansion, anticipating Shen Yan's next attempt to search for the Kun jade left by Yun Yi. That night, Shen Yan entered the Lu mansion. A vigilant Lu Mingshan confronted him, questioning his presence at such an hour, even for a search.
Shen Yan claimed he had knocked without response and entered to ensure no unforeseen events had occurred, given the Lu family's involvement in the Yue Ling case. Shen Yan then warned Lu Mingshan to remain cautious, implying his next visit wouldn't be as simple as a mere inspection. Afterward, Lu Mingshan's subordinate confirmed he had followed orders by extinguishing the candles during Shen Yan's visit, confirming Shen Yan had taken the bait and the stage was set for their ambush.
Concurrently, Xu Shijin visited Shen Yu at the Nandian Administration, seeking his assistance. Shen Yu, in a playful mood, reminisced about their childhood together, playfully teasing Xu Shijin for her quick change of demeanor. As they delved into old documents for information, Xu Shijin discovered details about Lu He, a renowned descendant of Gongshu from the north, famed for his intricate mechanisms.
She found records of a remarkable treasure box of mechanism, an exquisite item with gunpowder hidden within its walls, designed to self-destruct if not opened by the Qian and Kun jade. Xu Shijin realized these jade pieces were the keys. Shen Yu implied that the Kun jade was retrieved from Yun Yi. Xu Shijin then speculated if Lu He and Lu Lianshan were related, to which Shen Yu corrected her, revealing they were master and disciple.
Shen Yu further disclosed that Lu Lianshan, a master of mechanism and Lu He's only disciple, was known for creating secret rooms. Years ago, the Lu family had recruited him as a follower, and the Emperor himself intended to bring him into the palace. However, shortly after the imperial edict was issued, Lu Lianshan suddenly died from a rapid illness, which occurred four years before the Jiangzhou case.
Shen Yu then emphasized that the true challenge was not Lu Lianshan's death, but rather deciphering how Yun Yi acquired the treasure box and where he hid it. Xu Shijin noted Shen Yu's unchanged "know-it-all" attitude, to which he replied that he remained in place, waiting for her to return. Xu Shijin then left, thanking him for his insights.
In a later discussion, Ling Bi interrupted Shen Yan and Luo Fan, who were reviewing Shen Yu's progress on the Jiangzhou case. Ling Bi conveyed that Shen Yu had made progress but found certain aspects "fishy" and advised Shen Yan to delay his planned entry into the Lu mansion to steal the jade. Shen Yan instructed Luo Fan to pressure Shen Yu daily for an update.
Soon after, Lord Lu led a group of officials to the Eastern Palace, accusing Shen Yan and the Jinlin Guard of arrogance and misconduct. They forced the Crown Prince to demote Shen Yan, threatening to approach the Emperor's temporary palace if their demands were not met. The Crown Prince, angered by being coerced, reluctantly ordered Shen Yan's demotion.
Shen Yan was then assigned to the Ministry of Punishments as a minor official to investigate old, unsolved cases, which Lord Liu presented to him as a challenge. Meanwhile, at Liu Ling's residence, her maternal grandfather expressed concern that she was harming herself emotionally due to Shen Yan, contrasting her current behavior with her past indifference. Liu Ling reassured him she was not angry with him but needed to thoroughly understand and clarify matters before she could face Shen Yan.
Her grandfather, dismissive of Shen Yan, suggested finding her a more suitable husband from the capital's aristocratic young men. Liu Ling, however, insisted on choosing her own husband, asserting that if she could not genuinely love a man as good as Shen Yan, she would never be able to commit to anyone. Shortly after, Liu Ling's uncle arrived with the news of Shen Yan's demotion. Liu Ling, deeply concerned, immediately decided to seek Xu Shijin's assistance.
She instructed Ling Bi to continue sending Shen Yan his meals and medicines, including a ginseng soup for his stomach ailment, ensuring he would not starve. At the Nandian Administration, Shen Yu expressed his annoyance at Liu Ling's presence, calling her a "tail" and making sarcastic remarks about the voluminous, dusty old files.
Liu Ling defended her presence, explaining her anxiety over Shen Yan's plight and the need for more eyes to search the mountain of documents, comparing it to finding a needle in a haystack. She brushed off Shen Yu's complaints for his brother's sake. As they sifted through the archives, Liu Ling's casual remark about "the living and the dead" concerning Yun Yi and Lu Lianshan sparked a breakthrough for Shen Yu.
He deduced that Yun Yi's true identity was Lu Lianshan. He explained that Yun Yi's presence in Yejing began in the 28th year of Dawei, while Lu Lianshan had suddenly died in the 27th year. Considering the vast amount of stolen silver from the Jiangzhou case, it would require an extremely secure hiding place, which Lu Lianshan, a master of mechanisms, was uniquely skilled at creating.
Shen Yu concluded that Lu Lianshan had faked his death, likely at the Lu family's behest, then assumed the identity of Yun Yi and entered the Xu family as a servant to Xu Shijin's father. Four years later, the Jiangzhou case occurred, with Yun Yi escaping. Xu Shijin then surmised that the treasure box containing the evidence was most likely hidden in Xuanwu Town, where Lu He, Lu Lianshan's master, resided.
To definitively confirm Yun Yi's identity, Shen Yu, Xu Shijin, and Liu Ling journeyed to Lu Lianshan's tomb under the cover of night. Shen Yu questioned why the two ladies accompanied him, to which Liu Ling playfully retorted that she did not want Xu Shijin and Shen Yu to be alone, adding that extra hands were useful for digging. Upon opening the coffin, Liu Ling initially assumed the presence of a body meant Lu Lianshan was truly dead.
However, Xu Shijin examined the corpse's right leg. She recalled that Yun Yi (Lu Lianshan) had once accidentally broken his right leg while on a mission for her family. Even after healing, such an injury would leave regenerated traces or a slightly rougher bone surface. Since the corpse's leg was perfectly smooth and intact, Xu Shijin conclusively stated that the body was not Lu Lianshan's, thereby confirming that Yun Yi was indeed Lu Lianshan.
With Yun Yi's true identity verified, Xu Shijin declared that solving the Jiangzhou case and bringing down the Lu family was imminent. Liu Ling inquired about Shen Yan's fate, and Xu Shijin assured her that the Eastern Palace would only trust the Jinlin Guard with the Jiangzhou case, implying Shen Yan would soon be entrusted with an important mission.
Shen Yu was then tasked with restoring the tomb to its original state to prevent the Lu family from being alerted, to which he playfully complained about the burden of being capable.
