My Sassy Princess Episode 18 Recap
> My Sassy Princess Recap
Liu Ling discovered her dowry silk had been burned. General Mu Kun brazenly claimed the fire was accidental due to the dry weather and sun, further insulting Liu Ling by dismissing the damaged silk as mere rags. Liu Ling challenged him, noting her own silk clothes were unharmed, implying intentional destruction and disrespect to the Emperor of Wei. Prince Tuoba Lie swiftly reprimanded Mu Kun, demanding an apology and reminding him of Liu Ling's status as his crown princess.
Mu Kun begrudgingly apologized. Shen Yan advised Liu Ling not to stoop to their level. Prince Tuoba then suggested they set up camp for the Mid-Autumn Festival, offering good food, wine, and even a dance. Liu Ling agreed, and Tuoba Lie left Mu Kun in charge of the banquet, threatening him with severe consequences for any further mistakes. Liu Ling then invited Prince Tuoba for a walk, pointedly dismissing Shen Yan, the escort envoy, from accompanying them.
Meanwhile, Shen Yu, the Administrator of Nandian, met with Xu Shijin at the Flower Pavilion. Though publicly known for frequenting such places, Xu Shijin understood Shen Yu chose the bustling location for its discretion, a true hidden haven in the city. Shen Yu immediately sensed Xu Shijin's intention to leave Yejing and suggested she planned to use this meeting as a farewell.
Xu Shijin confirmed her plan to depart Yejing once her parents' grievances were cleared and Liu Ling's marriage to Shen Yan was settled. Shen Yu questioned if she wanted him to accompany her, but Xu Shijin denied it, explaining she only wished for a proper goodbye, given their shared childhood. She revealed her knowledge of how Shen Yu had persuaded her grandfather to let him secretly act as the "Ghost-face," protecting her as a Family Xu servant.
She expressed that a simple "thank you" could never repay such a deep kindness. Shen Yu then confessed his feelings, proposing that she become his wife and offering to accompany her to the ends of the earth if she would only stay for him.
Xu Shijin gently touched his face, believing he was truly asleep from drink, allowing her to do so without his realization, and explained that her position as a trusted confidante of Liu Wang, the Crown Prince, meant she couldn't turn back and risk implicating Shen Yu. Just then, a fire broke out in the pavilion.
Xu Shijin frantically tried to rouse Shen Yu, only to realize he had been feigning drunkenness when he asked if she would rather die with him than live with him. Shen Yu then carried her and bravely leaped from the burning building to safety. After landing, Xu Shijin quickly left. Ruyu, the madam of the Flower Pavilion, and her girls then approached Shen Yu.
He ensured they were safe and provided them with money from his bank earnings, knowing the pavilion was now gone, so they could start new lives. Ruyu promised to bid him a proper farewell once the arrangements were complete. Alone, Shen Yu looked up, whispering that nothing was too late if one truly desired it. That night, Prince Tuoba lit a bonfire and invited Liu Ling to dance.
Shen Yan tried to discourage her from drinking too much, but Liu Ling, keen to provoke Shen Yan, explicitly accepted Prince Tuoba's invitation, declaring her impending status as his wife. As she danced, Shen Yan remained stoic. Disappointed by his lack of a reaction, Liu Ling feigned tiredness and decided to return to her tent. Prince Tuoba, however, followed her, entering her tent without permission.
Shen Yan then appeared and confronted Prince Tuoba, demanding he leave and reminding him that Liu Ling was not yet his wife and her reputation was at stake. Prince Tuoba, defiant, was forcibly removed from the tent by Shen Yan. After Tuoba Lie's departure, Shen Yan entered Liu Ling's tent. He pulled her close and sternly told her to behave and stop provoking Prince Tuoba, explaining his duties prevented him from being with her constantly.
Liu Ling retorted, highlighting his many responsibilities to the king and common people, and expressed her deep unhappiness that he was sending her away for marriage without telling her anything. She tearfully admitted she would have simply married if he hadn't come to Jiangzhou to confess his feelings. Shen Yan then kissed her, explaining that Yigu had long intended to invade Wei, and this marriage was a test of their resolve.
He revealed his plan to hasten the conflict to end the marriage and promised that if his plan failed, he would abandon everything to elope with her. Reassured, Liu Ling found peace, and Shen Yan tenderly kissed her forehead. The next morning, as they prepared to depart, Prince Tuoba made his arrangements. Suddenly, several distraught individuals rushed into the camp, calling for the princess.
Liu Ling learned they were Wei citizens who had been abducted and enslaved by Yigu bandits years ago. Seizing the opportunity, Liu Ling demanded a delay in their journey to investigate, urging Prince Tuoba to personally retrieve other enslaved Wei citizens from various Yigu tribes as a show of sincerity for the proposed "eternal harmony" between their nations.
Prince Tuoba, unable to refuse without offending Wei, retreated to his tent in a furious rage, confiding to Mu Kun that Liu Ling seemed to be intentionally stalling because she didn't want to marry him. Mu Kun suggested simply taking her by force, but Tuoba Lie cautioned patience. Meanwhile, Lu Mingshan, realizing his family's downfall was imminent, sought an audience with Crown Prince Liu Wang.
He confessed to Liu Wang that his own grandfather, Duke Lu, was the mastermind behind the Jiangzhou silver robbery case, and that he had only just learned this after overhearing Prince Guangping and his grandfather arguing. Lu Mingshan offered to forsake evil and help Liu Wang eliminate the corrupt officials. Liu Wang listened thoughtfully, neither accepting nor rejecting the offer, but instructed Lu Mingshan to continue his duties until called upon.
Armed with this crucial update and to cooperate with Xu Shijin, Shen Yu entered the court. Liu Wang was already reviewing Shen Yu's report, which claimed that the Xu family's eldest son and daughter-in-law had not committed suicide but were victims of a plot orchestrated by the head of the Lu family. Xu Gong, Xu Shijin’s grandfather, then stepped forward, pleading with Liu Wang to clear his family's name in the Jiangzhou case.
When asked to respond, Duke Lu dismissed the accusations as baseless fabrication, asserting that Shen Yu, "fooled by the charm of beauty," was fabricating stories and slandering loyal officials due to his past engagement to Xu Shijin and collusion with her. Shen Yu was then summoned to present his evidence. He revealed a special artifact, the box of Qian and Kun jade, obtained by Shen Yan from Xuanwu Town.
Shen Yu explained that the box was a masterpiece by the renowned Lu He, containing a self-destruct mechanism if opened forcibly without its key. He revealed the name 'Lu Lianshan', written in blood by Yun Yi before his death, as Lu He's disciple. Shen Yu deduced that Lu Lianshan, under Duke Lu's instruction, faked his death, changed his name to Yun Yi, and became a retainer of the Xu family to frame them.
Duke Lu vehemently denied these claims, accusing Shen Yu of fabricating stories and slandering loyal officials due to being "fooled by the charm of beauty" and colluding with Xu Shijin. Shen Yu, undeterred, revealed the "ironclad evidence" was hidden within the notebook found inside the box.
He explained how Yun Yi had encoded the names of six corrupt officials within the text using a complex system involving disguised locations, specific page numbers aligning with the "Heavenly Stems" numerology, and subtle "mistakes" in the text linked to the "Earthly Fiends" numbers.
Shen Yu stated that he had brought these six high-ranking officials to the Administration of Nandian the previous day, where they confessed their crimes and collectively implicated Duke Lu as the true mastermind behind the Jiangzhou case. Furthermore, they revealed that the stolen silver had been hidden in Yigu, explaining why the Jinlin Guard could never find it within Wei. With this overwhelming evidence, Shen Yu stood firm against Duke Lu's desperate accusations.
