My Sassy Princess Episode 14 Recap
> My Sassy Princess Recap
Outside a cave, Hu Xiao discovered the stone door was open. After a cautious probe, he led his men inside. Lu He had deliberately opened it, intending for the Lu family's men to clash with Xu Shijin and the Ghost, who were allied with Shen Yan. Hu Xiao indeed found Xu Shijin and the Ghost. The Ghost protected Xu Shijin, bravely fending off the attackers, but he struggled under the assault of numerous assassins.
Years ago, Lu Lianshan had entrusted the box of Qian and Kun jade to Lu He, along with a handwritten letter. In the letter, Lu Lianshan explained that he had risked his life to steal official silver from the Jiangzhou treasury. He instructed Lu He that if he returned alive, it meant he had evaded his pursuers, and they could then retrieve the silver, change their names, and live a life of wealth and freedom.
If he did not return, Lu He was to use the Qian and Kun jade to open the box and claim the silver for himself. Lu Lianshan had expressly warned Lu He not to seek revenge or get involved in the conflicts between the government and the Lu family. Yet, Shen Yan claimed Lu Lianshan had sent him to demand the box for revenge.
Lu He confirmed the box was in his possession but stated there was only one, to be given to the survivor. Shen Yan then argued that while Lu He could refuse the Jinlin Guard or the Lu family, he could not refuse Lady-in-waiting Xu, as Lu Lianshan was responsible for her parents' unjust deaths. Lu He confirmed that Lady-in-waiting Xu was indeed the daughter of the Xu couple who were wrongly implicated and died in the Jiangzhou case.
Although Lu He acknowledged Lu Lianshan's wrongdoing, he ultimately decided to let Shen Yan save Xu Shijin, especially upon learning of her danger. Shen Yan and the Ghost then joined forces. Despite the Ghost being injured, their cooperation was seamless; they eliminated all the assassins, including the formidable Hu Xiao. Xu Shijin met with Lu He and knelt, pleading for the box.
She explained it was the only evidence to prove the Lu family was behind the Jiangzhou case and the sole means to clear her parents' names. Lu He, understanding Xu Shijin's pain from losing her parents, expressed deep guilt for his disciple's actions. He handed her the box, hoping its contents would help her clear the Xu family's name. To return to Yejing as quickly as possible, the three traveled day and night.
When Xu Shijin began to feel unwell, Shen Yan suggested she give him the box so she could walk at a slower pace with the Ghost. Xu Shijin, however, declined, concerned that her prolonged absence from the capital, already a month long, might arouse suspicion from the Crown Prince, and mentioned her eagerness to return to Liu Ling. As she mounted her horse, she felt dizzy, and the Ghost quickly steadied her.
Elsewhere, Qin Ning, who had assisted Liu Ling, accepted Liu Ling's invitation to stay at Dingbei Duke Mansion, finding Liu Ling's straightforward and bold nature appealing. At the mansion, Qin Ning encountered Yang Ye and immediately recognized him as Yuan Zhelin, her "Brother Hong," whom she had searched for relentlessly across the martial world for over three years. Overwhelmed with emotion, Qin Ning confronted him, expressing her pain at his silence, then slapped him and drew her sword.
After their intense confrontation, Liu Ling led Qin Ning inside, where Qin Ning recounted her story. Yuan Zhelin, the leader of the foremost assassin sect, had pledged his love to Qin Ning three years prior and promised to retire to live a secluded life with her. To sever ties with his sect, Yuan Zhelin was tasked with challenging the masters of the four righteous sects.
Qin Ning had faithfully awaited his return, hearing that he had defeated the masters, but he vanished without a trace. Liu Ling recounted rescuing Yuan Zhelin, explaining that he was severely injured from his battle, ended up in Jiangzhou, and was brought to the Duke's Mansion to recover and repay her kindness. Qin Ning lamented his silence despite her desperate, sleepless search. Liu Ling countered that Qin Ning's constant travels might have made it impossible for him to reach her.
Qin Ning dismissed this as an excuse and vowed revenge. Liu Ling then pointed out that Yuan Zhelin had deliberately held back during their fight and would likely give his life if asked. She wisely advised Qin Ning to focus on getting Yuan Zhelin to stop repaying Liu Ling's kindness so they could finally be together, rather than pursuing revenge.
Qin Ning was "enlightened" by Liu Ling's words, realizing she could make Yuan Zhelin indebted to her by repaying Liu Ling's favor on his behalf, thus binding him to her forever. In Yejing, Guangping Prince Liu Lishan arrived and demanded a substantial sum of five million taels for military expenses from Lord Lu.
Lord Lu was distressed by the exorbitant demand, but Liu Lishan threatened him, reminding him of the Jiangzhou treasury silver case and how Lord Lu had coerced him into marrying Lu Qian by using that very silver as leverage. Liu Lishan warned Lord Lu that if their grand plan failed, the crime of treason would lead to the execution of their entire nine generations.
Left with no choice, Lord Lu reluctantly agreed, despite his profound regret, asking for time to raise the considerable sum. Meanwhile, representatives from Yigu, a small border state, arrived in Wei for an audience. Crown Prince Liu Wang received Tuoba Lie, the Crown Prince of Yigu, who formally requested to marry a Wei princess. This request, though veiled as a means of fostering relations, carried a provocative undertone that made it difficult to immediately refuse.
The Crown Prince decided to stall, assigning Lu Mingshan to accompany Tuoba Lie. Lu Mingshan, who had a good relationship with Tuoba Lie, cunningly suggested that the Yigu Crown Prince should actively choose a Wei princess instead of waiting for a decree. Around this time, news of Hu Xiao's death and the box of Qian and Kun jade falling into Shen Yan's hands reached Lu Mingshan.
Incensed and seeking retaliation against Shen Yan, Lu Mingshan resolved to use Liu Ling as his instrument of revenge. Lu Mingshan then escorted Tuoba Lie to the Dingbei Duke Mansion. Duke Dingbei, Liu Ling's maternal grandfather, received Tuoba Lie coldly and bluntly asked him to leave. As Lu Mingshan and Tuoba Lie were departing, they witnessed Liu Ling preparing to jump into a lake.
This was part of Qin Ning's elaborate plan to "repay Yuan Zhelin's kindness" by orchestrating a fake drowning so she could "save" Liu Ling and thus put Yuan Zhelin in her debt. Before Liu Ling could hit the water, Tuoba Lie swiftly moved and brought her ashore. Liu Ling, annoyed by the unexpected intervention, stormed off.
Intrigued by Liu Ling, Tuoba Lie was then encouraged by Lu Mingshan to seek an imperial edict from the Emperor for a marriage alliance, using the current strength of Yigu's army and the Wei Emperor's aversion to war as leverage. Soon after, an imperial edict arrived, bestowing upon Liu Ling the title of Princess Anhe, citing her noble character and intelligence, and ordering her to marry Tuoba Lie.
Liu Ling, horrified by the decree, immediately sought an audience with the Emperor. Duke Dingbei accompanied her. However, the Emperor, recuperating in his palace, refused to see either of them, and an eunuch warned them against forcing their way in, explaining the Emperor's difficult position regarding the marriage and the potential severe consequences of angering him. Duke Dingbei, however, refused to give up, stating Liu Ling was his only granddaughter and had suffered enough. Liu Ling, seeing her grandfather's resolve, tried to take the blame solely upon herself, asking him to return, but he remained steadfast by her side.
