My Sassy Princess Episode 6 Recap
> My Sassy Princess Recap
Liu Ling awoke and felt anxious when she didn't see Shen Yan. He soon returned from scouting and offered her food. Liu Ling found it sweet and offered him some in return, but he politely declined, saying he had already eaten. Concerned for his unhealed injuries, Liu Ling suggested they remain there for a few more days, to which Shen Yan initially agreed.
However, he then indicated they should depart, citing his duties and the path back to camp being just past the nearby water. Intent on delaying their return, Liu Ling theatrically declared she felt uncomfortable and needed to bathe. She tried to provoke Shen Yan, implying his earlier boast about capturing prey was just empty talk if he couldn't even delay for her. Seeing through her attempts, Shen Yan unexpectedly offered to guard her while she bathed.
This turned the tables, forcing Liu Ling to back down, claiming she was no longer in the mood as it would confirm her guilt in delaying. Shen Yan then announced he would bathe instead, instructing her to avert her gaze as it was improper to watch. Liu Ling promised not to peek, swearing on her name.
However, as soon as he entered the water, she climbed a tree, ostensibly to "watch out for him," though Shen Yan subtly called her out from the pond, asking if her view was unclear from up high and suggesting she come down. She asked if she could, and he replied, "No." While Shen Yan was in the water, two assassins appeared at the cliff bottom, sent to confirm their demise.
Sensing their presence, Shen Yan quickly pulled Liu Ling underwater, where they held their breath. During this, Shen Yan's deep wounds caused him pain, and he became semi-conscious. Back in the cave, Liu Ling expressed deep concern for his severe injury, volunteering to find healing herbs. However, Shen Yan stopped her, asking her to stay by his side and talk to him. Liu Ling allowed Shen Yan to rest his head on her lap.
He then confessed his confusion: the longer he spent with her, the more he doubted the public's perception of her as the "wicked woman from Jiangzhou," wondering which persona—the notorious figure or the Princess Changle he now saw—was truly hers. Liu Ling, willing to reveal all, offered to tell him anything he wished to know.
Liu Ling began her story, explaining that the title "Changle" was bestowed upon her at birth by the Emperor, and for a period in her early childhood, it truly reflected her life. She recounted a joyous time swinging in the garden with her mother, Zhang Yun, eagerly awaiting her father, Liu Lishan, the Prince Guangping.
However, this happiness shattered one day when her father, Liu Lishan, returned with Lu Qian, the eldest daughter of the Lu family, whom he announced would stay at their residence for a period. From that moment, Liu Ling felt her title became a cruel irony. Servants in the mansion began to gossip, and her mother, Zhang Yun, deeply hurt, spent her days weeping.
Her mother's spirits plummeted further when her beloved childhood friends, the Xu couple, were tragically killed in a silver robbery. One day, Liu Ling found her mother crying by the lake in the backyard. Her mother spoke much, and Liu Ling, filled with anger, urged her to confront her father and drive Lu Qian away. But her mother, fearful that her father truly loved Lu Qian, demurred.
Liu Ling vividly remembered her mother's poignant smile as she told her, "Ling, in the future, you can't be as weak as me." The next day, her mother rose early and went to her father's study. Liu Ling couldn't hear their exact words but distinctly heard her father's scolding. Her mother emerged, face ashen. Liu Ling, in a fit of pique, chose to hide rather than offer comfort.
Later, when she went to find her mother, it was too late; her mother had already drowned herself in the lake. Liu Ling recalled her mother's beautiful smile, which would now never be seen again in that lake.
The servants of the mansion blamed Liu Ling for her mother's death, though Liu Ling felt her mother had been driven to it by her father and Lu Qian, with Liu Ling herself being an unwilling accomplice for not comforting her mother in her final moments. Shortly after her mother's death, Lu Qian married into the Guangping Prince's family.
That very night, Liu Ling visited her mother's tomb alone, adding a handful of fresh earth to symbolically bury the "carefree Princess Changle," and rising as the "most wicked woman in Jiangzhou." Just as Liu Ling finished this part of her story, Shen Yan detected footsteps outside the cave. He quickly covered Liu Ling's mouth, and they stealthily moved to investigate.
Shen Yan produced their last three sleeve arrows, instructing Liu Ling that if she could hit the targets, they might escape, but if not, she was to fire all three and flee as far as possible. Liu Ling immediately refused to leave him, asserting she could protect him and was willing to do anything for him, even when Shen Yan cautioned her against pushing herself. Under Shen Yan's guidance, she expertly fired the first arrow, striking one of the attackers.
The second attacker, however, was more prepared and dodged Shen Yan's sword. Grappling with his unhealed injuries, Shen Yan struggled to hold his ground, urging Liu Ling to escape. Instead, Liu Ling, with remarkable courage, retrieved sleeve arrows from the fallen attacker's corpse and, seizing an opening, fired directly into the second attacker's chest. The assassin collapsed. Overwhelmed by the brutal act, Liu Ling was momentarily terrified.
Shen Yan pulled her into an embrace, comforting her and asking why she hadn't fled. Liu Ling tearfully declared she could not bear to live without him. Outside the cave, Shen Yan prompted Liu Ling to continue her story, remarking that the "two ruffians" had interrupted the most "wicked woman in Jiangzhou" tale. Liu Ling recounted how, at the tender age of seven, she tried to stab her father, Liu Lishan, in a fit of hatred after her mother's death.
Her father was furious, but Lu Qian feigned intercession, offering to take care of Liu Ling and "talk to her." Instead, Lu Qian locked Liu Ling in a dark woodshed without food or water. Liu Ling described the unbearable darkness and her constant dreams of her mother swinging and smiling, always waiting for her mother to rescue her.
Outside, the servants gossiped about Liu Ling, calling her a "dreadful troublemaker" who had "caused the Princess Consort's death and tried to kill the Prince," lamenting their constant watch over her. Liu Ling recounted how she spent an unknown period in that wretched state until, on the brink of death, her maternal grandfather, Marquis Dingbei, arrived to rescue her. He furiously condemned Lu Qian, accusing her of destroying his daughter's marriage, forcing her to suicide, and then tormenting her orphan.
Liu Ling admitted that at one point, she wished for death, but the thought of her loving grandfather reignited her desire to live. She explained that her infamous reputation as the "most wicked woman in Jiangzhou" ironically spread while she was away from Jiangzhou. Xu Shijin, she recalled, told her that Lu Qian deliberately started rumors—that "Princess Changle drove her mother to suicide at five and stabbed her father at seven"—to deflect public criticism after her grandfather took her away.
Liu Ling revealed she returned to Jiangzhou for two main reasons: she realized her hatred for the Prince Guangping's family was less than Lu Qian's hatred for her, making her "the winner" in that calculation, and she yearned to be closer to her mother's tomb. She concluded that returning to Jiangzhou was a "great decision," as it was there she met Shen Yan. Liu Ling's heartbreaking tale deeply affected Shen Yan.
She reflected on how her mother's tragic fate, stemming from her unconditional love for her father, led her to believe that love was the most "hopeless thing" in the world. Shen Yan disagreed, pointing out that Liu Ling had always treated love as a "game" and had never truly given her heart.
Liu Ling then challenged him directly: if she were to give her heart to him, would he dare to promise "faithfulness for life" and to "stay by one person forever"? Shen Yan paused, telling her he was giving her time to make up her mind, stating that if she wished to leave him, this moment was her last chance. When she asked what would happen if she didn't leave, he took her to a breathtaking suspension bridge high above.
He explained his intention for bringing her there: to illustrate that giving their hearts to each other was like their current perilous but beautiful position on the bridge. As long as they held onto each other, they could behold such magnificent sights. But if either of them were to let go, only a "doomed fate" awaited them below. Understanding his profound declaration, they sat together on the bridge and embraced in a deep kiss.
Meanwhile, in Yejing's Eastern Palace, Prince Liu Wang was seen feeding a bird. His subordinate reported that Xu Shijin, a female official, had received a letter from "Ghost Face," a master she had dispatched to assist the Liaison Office. Though the letter's contents remained unknown, it was gathered from Xu Shijin's conversation with Lord Xu that it concerned significant developments in Jiangzhou.
Despite Lord Xu's instruction for Xu Shijin to inform the Prince immediately, she had deliberately withheld the information, claiming she needed time to "think about it." Liu Wang expressed his frustration, questioning what she needed to contemplate after a failure. His subordinate explained that Xu Shijin appeared to be "waiting for a chance." Liu Wang, addressing her as "My Jin," acknowledged her intelligence and strategic thinking but issued a chilling warning.
He likened her to a "caged bird" and a mere "plaything," stating that if such a bird began to "overthink," plot against its lord, or misbehave, there would be no use in keeping it; it should be "fed to a stray cat or a dog." As they made their way back, Liu Ling, still reluctant to return to Yejing, repeatedly complained of exhaustion, feigning chest tightness and dizziness, suggesting they stay longer or that Shen Yan carry her.
She openly proposed they disappear and live in the mountains, believing their presumed death from the fall was "fate." Shen Yan firmly refused, reminding her that he was "on an order" and it was "not a game." Liu Ling then emotionally questioned if the "outside world" was more important than their life together, away from all troubles.
Shen Yan then made a profound declaration: he would not allow the woman he married to endure an "unauthorized cohabitation" or a "secret marriage." Instead, he promised to marry her with "following all the formalities," "a grand ceremony," and an announcement "to the whole world." Surprised, Liu Ling asked if he was truly going to marry her.
Despite her continued apprehension about the complexities of Yejing, Shen Yan reassured her he would "be by your side" and then gently lifted her onto his back, carrying her onwards. Liu Ling, curious about Shen Yan's reputation as the "grim King of Hell" despite his gentle demeanor, inquired about its origin. Shen Yan explained that he joined the administration of Beidian Zhengsi at the age of sixteen.
Unlike its counterpart, Nandian, Beidian specialized in "criminal interrogation and hunting," meaning every mission carried the risk of being his last, forcing him to fight for a slim chance of survival. In seven years, he had risen from a lieutenant to the commander of a thousand households. Yet, this ascent came at a heavy cost: his comrades, mentors, and even the former commander were no longer alive.
He observed that when one's heart turns cold, their face naturally reflects that grimness, thus explaining his moniker. Liu Ling disagreed, insisting that despite his cold exterior, his heart was warm, and she could feel it. She then asked why he, as the son of Duke Shen, had started from the bottom as a mere lieutenant, enduring such hardship. Shen Yan responded that he had chosen his own path, acknowledging that he lacked the innate talent of Shen Yu.
To achieve success, he knew he had to exert "more hardship than others," a principle he applied from his childhood studies and martial arts training to his career in Beidian Zhengsi. He believed in taking "step by step" progress and earning his achievements through his own efforts, which was the only way he could feel "peace in my mind."
