My Sassy Princess Episode 20 Recap
> My Sassy Princess Recap
Liu Ling, remembering the Duke's kindness in raising and caring for her since childhood, wished for Shen Yan to now call him "Grandpa." She explained how the Duke saved her from Prince Guangping's Mansion during her hardest times, raised her, and even arranged for Xu Shijin to be her companion.
Liu Ling expressed her desire for an early marriage so the Duke could rest assured and focus on his health, acknowledging that speeding up the wedding might go against the Ministry of Rites' regulations. Shen Yan readily agreed to her request, and together they went to the Duke's residence. Upon arriving, Shen Yan and Liu Ling knelt before the Duke. He was visibly delighted and quickly helped them up.
The Duke reflected on Liu Ling's difficult upbringing, noting that outsiders often misunderstood her as unruly due to her emotional exhaustion. He entrusted Liu Ling to Shen Yan, urging him to care for, cherish, and protect her as he himself had, and never let anyone bully her. Shen Yan solemnly promised to do so, assuring the Duke he would love and protect Liu Ling intensely. Content, the Duke placed Liu Ling's hand into Shen Yan's.
After their departure, the Duke, knowing his son had a hidden stash of money, demanded that Liu Ling's uncle increase her dowry, playfully chiding him for his stinginess. Later, Liu Ling, still concerned about the Duke's health, expressed her wish to expedite the wedding, despite her worries about defying the Emperor's will. Shen Yan, understanding her apprehension, assured her he would find a way. Back at the Shen Mansion, Shen Yan explained his urgency to his mother, Mrs. Shen.
He also had a personal reason for urgency, fearing that the exposure of Liu Lishan's matter could negatively impact Liu Ling. Mrs. Shen initially resisted, believing a marriage of their prominent family should not be rushed and required elaborate preparations. However, Shen Yu stepped in, playfully teasing Shen Yan about finally securing a wife after a long wait and strategically comparing him to the Ministry of Works director's "silly son" who was marrying in three months.
Convinced by Shen Yu's clever persuasion, Mrs. Shen agreed to visit the Noble Consort in the palace to discuss moving the wedding date forward. The Noble Consort, who oversaw the harem, was pleased to grant the Shen family this favor, knowing it aligned with the Emperor's wishes. She agreed to bring the wedding forward by four months, making the wedding date two months away. This decision sent various imperial bureaus into a flurry of activity.
Xu Shijin informed Liu Ling of the accelerated schedule and urged her to oversee the wedding preparations, but Liu Ling, unmoved, declared that as long as she married Shen Yan, nothing else mattered. Meanwhile, the Duke personally supervised the creation of Liu Ling's wedding gown. He had the city's finest embroiderers recreate patterns that were Liu Ling's late mother's favorite, which her mother had always wished to embroider onto her wedding dress herself.
Deeply touched by this thoughtful gesture, Liu Ling, adorned in the meaningful gown, departed in her grand bridal sedan. Liu Ling's wedding procession was magnificent, accompanied by an exceptionally lavish dowry. Shen Yan waited at the mansion gates to greet her. As the matchmaker presented the traditional red silk, Liu Ling playfully reached for Shen Yan's hand, and he allowed it.
Inside the main hall, the couple bowed to Heaven and Earth, then to Shen Yan's parents, serving them tea as a host of relatives and friends, including Xu Shijin and Shen Yu, watched. After the ceremony, Liu Ling boldly informed her new in-laws that she was taking her husband away and left the rest to them.
Shen Yan tried to explain he would return to entertain guests after taking her to their bedroom, but Liu Ling, wanting to stay with him, playfully insisted on being carried. Amid the guests' cheers and amusement, Shen Yan swept her into his arms and carried her out. Liu Ling's spirited antics caused Mrs. Shen some embarrassment, prompting Shen Yan's father to smoothly invite everyone to be seated.
In their lavishly decorated bridal chamber, Shen Yan gently pulled Liu Ling's hand, hinting at intimacy. However, Liu Ling playfully pulled away, declaring herself to be "very demure." She recounted Xu Shijin's humorous advice: on the wedding night, the bridal candles must not be extinguished, and she must wait until they fully burned down before consummating the marriage, lest she be looked down upon by her new family. She then sat dutifully by the lit candle.
Shen Yan, amused, retrieved a brand new, very tall candle and lit it, teasingly presenting it as the "true" red candle. Faced with the daunting prospect of waiting until dawn, Liu Ling grew impatient as Shen Yan leisurely began to read. Finally, unable to bear it, Liu Ling confronted him, accusing him of cheating. Shen Yan pulled her onto his lap and used his book to extinguish the candle. He then teased her about not calling him "husband" yet.
She suggested "Nerd," to which he retorted with "Crazy girl." Outside the room, Ling Bi and another attendant, hearing the sudden silence, surmised the couple had finally settled down after a boisterous night and decided to wait until morning to offer them breakfast. Meanwhile, Xu Shijin carefully escorted her grandfather, Mr. Xu, who was suffering from a headache after drinking heavily, to his room to rest before returning to help manage the guests.
Shen Yu then entered Mr. Xu's room, confirming that Crown Prince Liu Wang was indeed planning to act against Xu Shijin. Mr. Xu, worried for Xu Shijin's safety, asked if they should arrange for her to leave the city that very night. Shen Yu, however, insisted on sticking to their pre-arranged plan, explaining that Xu Shijin's stubborn personality meant she would only cooperate with a more drastic approach. Reluctantly, Mr. Xu agreed.
The next morning, as Mr. Xu saw Xu Shijin off from the residence, a eunuch, Lord Li, arrived from the Eastern Palace to summon Xu Shijin. Shortly after, news spread that Xu Shijin had poisoned Liu Wang's tea. Shen Yu rushed to the Shen Mansion, frantically informing Shen Yan that a carriage from the Eastern Palace had taken Xu Shijin away.
Shen Yan, accompanied by Liu Ling, immediately went to the Eastern Palace under the pretense of paying their post-wedding respects to the royal family. There, Liu Wang publicly accused Xu Shijin of attempting to poison him. Shen Yan intervened, asserting Xu Shijin's innocence and proposing to personally escort her to the Beidian Administration for interrogation, thus ensuring her temporary safety from Liu Wang's immediate wrath.
Back at the Shen Mansion, Liu Ling anxiously awaited news of Xu Shijin from Shen Yan. He returned to confirm Xu Shijin was in prison, under the Supreme Court's watch, which would restrict Liu Wang's actions. He explained that Xu Shijin had been ordered to prepare tea for a farewell gathering, using her own utensils, but someone had tampered with them.
Shen Yan deduced that Liu Wang himself was likely behind the framing, and that Xu Shijin, understanding the futility of resistance and fearing that attempting to rescue her would endanger more lives, had chosen to confess and sign the indictment to cut off all hope of rescue. Distraught, Liu Ling was shocked by Xu Shijin's confession. Shen Yu declared his intention to break her out of prison and help her escape.
Liu Ling, realizing Shen Yan and Shen Yu had planned this behind her back, expressed deep concern about the heavily guarded prison and the challenge of escaping the capital. Shen Yan reassured her that Shen Yu had made all the necessary arrangements. Shen Yu then revealed his full strategy: once the time was right, he had a method for Xu Shijin to fake her death to escape persecution.
Everything was ready, but he needed Liu Ling's help to openly escort Xu Shijin out of the city after the prison break. In the Eastern Palace, Liu Wang, angered by Xu Shijin's steadfast refusal to beg for mercy, ordered Lord Li to swiftly deliver poisoned wine to her in prison. As Xu Shijin, resigned to her fate, reached for the poisoned cup, a figure wearing the Ghost's mask suddenly appeared, assaulting Lord Li and the guards.
Xu Shijin urged her rescuer to leave, but the masked figure removed his disguise, revealing Shen Yu. He declared that with her stubborn nature, he knew she wouldn't leave willingly, and vowed that if she refused to go with him, he would die there by her side. Xu Shijin, moved by his desperate resolve, finally agreed to accompany him.
