The Princess Royal Episode 22 Recap, Plot

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In the grand hall, Li Rong publicly revealed Lin Feibai's pendant, which caused Xie Lanqing to look surprised and ask about its origin. Before Lin Feibai could respond, Li Rong mentioned Xie Lanqing's past with the Jianghu woman Lin Xia. Back then, they fell in love, but due to family obstacles, they couldn't be together. Lin Xia left while pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy, naming him Lin Feibai.

Later, under family arrangements, Xie Lanqing married a daughter from a prestigious family and found Lin Xia. However, Lin Xia did not accept Xie Lanqing and did not want to become a concubine, which would make her child live under the Xie family's shadow. So, Xie Lanqing didn't force her and instead provided protection by establishing the Qixing Hall.

At Li Rong's strong insistence, the emperor ordered someone to fetch a water bowl for Xie Lanqing and Lin Feibai to perform a blood test to confirm their father-son relationship. As expected, their blood mixed, confirming the relationship. Lin Feibai was a bit dazed, but Xie Lanqing panicked and accused Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan of conspiring with assassins and bribing the eunuch to frame him, hoping the emperor would see the truth.

However, the evidence was conclusive, and the emperor did not believe Xie Lanqing. He ordered Pei Wenxuan to handle the case. Unexpectedly, Pei Wenxuan recommended Pei Liming, the Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice, to be the chief examiner of the case. Logically, Su Rongqing, the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice, was a more suitable candidate. The emperor glanced at Su Rongqing, who immediately stood up and agreed.

After the examiner was decided, Xie Lanqing looked extremely distressed, tried to argue for himself, but was forcibly dragged out by the guards amid his wails. Once Lin Feibai left, the emperor looked tired and ordered everyone to leave, except Pei Wenxuan, to give him some instructions. Su Rongqing walked out of the hall with Li Rong, asking her about her insistence on establishing the Supervisory Office.

Li Rong replied that it was for justice, but Su Rongqing stated that although there were pests among the noble families, they were still the foundation of Daxia. If the foundation was shaken due to a few pests, it could reignite the flames of war, making it difficult to preserve national stability and justice. Li Rong was silent upon hearing this. Su Rongqing then expressed his concern for her relationship with Pei Wenxuan, hoping her marriage would be pure and without regrets. Just then, Pei Wenxuan came out of the hall. Su Rongqing respectfully bid farewell to Li Rong, which once again aroused Pei Wenxuan's jealousy, prompting him to say some affectionate words to Li Rong.

Later, Li Rong visited Lin Feibai in prison, seeking some information from him. Lin Feibai stated that his mother never mentioned Xie Lanqing, but she held onto the jade pendant until her death, regretting not seeing its owner. Because his mother mentioned owing Xie Lanqing three things, Lin Feibai chose to help him despite knowing it would bring disaster to Qixing Hall. Li Rong felt a heavy heart upon hearing this and revealed her intention to cooperate with Lin Feibai again to protect his life. Before leaving, Shangguan Ya left a box of leaf cards to slightly alleviate Lin Feibai's boredom.

Meanwhile, Pei Wenxuan dealt with his uncle Pei Liming outside. Both understood that Xie Lanqing would soon step down from his position as the Minister of Justice. Whoever handled the case would likely succeed him. Pei Liming had been waiting in the Right Assistant Minister position for nearly ten years, finally seeing the opportunity, but it wasn't given by the Pei family’s favored Pei Lixian, but by Pei Wenxuan, who had often been undermined by the family. Although Pei Liming remained outwardly calm, he had already made plans in his mind.

The three of them left the Ministry of Justice and walked to the bridge. Shangguan Ya returned home first, leaving Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan alone. Li Rong curiously asked Pei Wenxuan what he saw before he died. Pei Wenxuan recalled seeing himself and Li Rong on this street in the previous life, planning to watch fireworks together, a wish that was never fulfilled. Now, Li Rong solemnly stated that if they promised to watch fireworks again, either they shouldn’t make the promise or they must keep it for life. After speaking, they made a pinky swear to seal the promise.

As the New Year approached, Li Rong handled the Qin case, the military fund case, and Xie Lanqing’s case together, inviting the Censorate, the Ministry of Justice, and the Supervisory Office to hold a joint trial in the court. Pei Liming listed Xie Lanqing’s various crimes. Given Xie Lanqing's service over two reigns, his merits and demerits were balanced, and he was ultimately sentenced to exile. The other two cases were closed at Li Rong’s request, and the emperor approved on the spot.

Just as Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan were about to leave, Su Rongqing suddenly called out to Li Rong, stating that Xie Lanqing wanted to see her. On the way to the Ministry of Justice, the three of them shared a carriage. Pei Wenxuan deliberately claimed a teacup was chipped and insisted on sharing a cup with Li Rong, showing off their affection in front of Su Rongqing. Li Rong saw through Pei Wenxuan’s little scheme but did not expose him, letting him have his way.

The once powerful Xie Lanqing was now in a wretched state, but he didn't care and urgently sought confirmation from Li Rong about Lin Feibai’s identity. As Xie Lanqing said, he came from a prestigious family and, in his youth, mistakenly believed that he could protect both of them with his own strength. However, the family’s rules did not allow him to marry a woman from Jianghu freely, as it would bring disgrace to the family.

Li Rong revealed to Xie Lanqing the clues Su Rongqing had found in the previous life, which caught Su Rongqing's attention, finally realizing that Li Rong had also been reborn. To test this, Su Rongqing deliberately mentioned things he had said to Li Rong before, shocking her and causing Pei Wenxuan to sense something amiss. That night, Su Rongqing watched Li Rong leave with Pei Wenxuan, puzzled why she would choose Pei Wenxuan despite having memories of their previous life. But since both were reborn, Su Rongqing vowed to win Li Rong back no matter what.

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