The Princess's Gambit Episode 12 Recap
> The Princess's Gambit Recap
Prince Wugou was determined that Shen Zaiye and his concubine, Jiang Taohua, would not return from the spring hunt alive. At the hunting grounds, Xiang Qingying arrived with Mu Wuxia. Xiang Qingying expressed gratitude towards Jiang Taohua. Mu Wuxia, however, held reservations about Shen Zaiye, feeling he couldn't overcome his own internal conflict regarding the man's methods.
Prince Wuyin greeted Jiang Taohua, noting he felt a connection and inviting her to share three drinks with him at the upcoming Flowing Cups Banquet. Before Jiang Taohua could reply, Shen Zaiye declined on her behalf, saying she needed to return to their tent to change and rest. Deeply troubled by his error that led to Granny's death, Mu Wuxia sat despondent in his tent.
Xiang Qingying tried to lift his spirits by suggesting they play pitch-pot, but he was unresponsive, only going through the motions. He admitted he admired Shen Zaiye's foresight but disagreed with his approach due to his own upbringing. Xiang Qingying encouraged him, comparing their different stances in pitch-pot to different methods aimed at the same target. Her words helped Mu Wuxia gain clarity. When he next met Shen Zaiye, he had made up his mind.
He told Shen Zaiye he would send people to protect the villagers of Tianshui and the evidence, and deliver everything directly to the governor of the capital. He explained that this office, independent of factions since the Qin Dynasty, could report directly to the throne. Shen Zaiye recalled how his own earlier teachings had deeply influenced Mu Wuxia. Mu Wuxia stated that the law itself was not flawed, but rather those who enforced it corruptly.
Shen Zaiye felt a sense of satisfaction that Mu Wuxia had remained true to his core beliefs. Mu Wuxia felt liberated after their talk, expressing hope that a future era of prosperity would reflect his ideals, based on a universally respected legal system followed by everyone, ensuring peace. Shen Zaiye and Jiang Taohua discussed their strategy.
Shen Zaiye noted that despite thorough preparations, Prince Wugou likely couldn't make everything completely flawless given the vast area of the hunting grounds and limited time. If there was a weakness, they would find it. He had already sent Zhan Lu to investigate secretly. They planned to use the upcoming banquet as an opportunity to slip away and search for clues. At the Flowing Cups Banquet, Prince Qi sat with Consort Lan and proposed a poetry game based on flowers.
Shen Zaiye was toasted repeatedly and appeared intoxicated. Prince Wugou intentionally spoke to Shen Zaiye, challenging him regarding the hunt and saying he wouldn't hold back. Seeing the time was right, Shen Zaiye quietly prompted Jiang Taohua. Jiang Taohua playfully asked Shen Zaiye to feed her wine. Shen Zaiye, pretending to be unsteady, spilled wine on her clothes.
Using this as an excuse, they announced they needed to change and left the banquet separately to investigate the location they had previously marked. They found evidence of mining, discovering silver ore. They realized it was an actual silver mine, an activity punishable by death, and were astonished by Prince Wugou's audacity, attributing it to the backing of the Meng family. Unbeknownst to them, this was a deliberate trap set by Prince Wugou and Meng Huaijin.
Suddenly, water flooded the area, a long-dry hot spring reactivated, aiming to drown them. Prince Wugou and Meng Huaijin planned to report later that the two had drowned after drunkenly falling into the water. As the water rose, Jiang Taohua and Shen Zaiye tried to escape, but Jiang Taohua's leg became trapped. Shen Zaiye left her momentarily, leading her to feel a surge of fear and disappointment, thinking he had abandoned her to save himself.
However, he quickly returned with a piece of wood to pry the stone off her leg and free her. Meanwhile, Prince Wugou and Meng Huaijin sealed the opening above, preventing them from climbing out. Zhan Lu watched these actions from the shadows and went to investigate after Prince Wugou and Meng Huaijin departed. The water level continued to climb. Jiang Taohua grew weak, but expressed regret at potentially dying before avenging Granny.
Shen Zaiye was surprised she was still thinking of others when facing death. He helped her stay afloat, ensuring she could keep her head above the water. Jiang Taohua remarked that if they died there, at least they would share a grave, a form of destined bond, and surprisingly found the thought acceptable. Back at the camp, Prince Qi was agitated, ordering guards to find something he had lost.
Prince Wugou arrived and offered help, expressing surprise when Shen Zaiye suddenly reappeared. Shen Zaiye calmly returned to Prince Qi's chess game, producing the missing chess piece. Prince Wugou grew uneasy. His anxiety increased when he saw Jiang Taohua walking by with a bundle. He followed her, aggressively entering Consort Lan's tent and demanding to see the contents of her bundle, suspecting they had found something in the mine. The bundle only contained clothes.
Consort Lan then entered and slapped Prince Wugou across the face, revealing it was her tent and Jiang Taohua was there simply to bring her a change of clothes after spilling wine on her dress. Prince Qi arrived upon hearing the commotion and scolded Prince Wugou. Meng Huaijin pleaded on Prince Wugou's behalf. Consort Lan decided not to pursue the matter further. Prince Qi ordered Prince Wugou whipped ten times as punishment for his improper conduct.
Mu Wuyin then entered, asking Prince Qi about the prize for the next day's hunt, and left the tent with him. Jiang Taohua felt a sense of relief seeing Prince Wugou receive the whipping, viewing it as a first step in avenging Granny. Shen Zaiye agreed that Prince Wugou would eventually pay for his actions. Noticing Jiang Taohua was injured, Shen Zaiye carried her back to their tent, drawing the attention of onlookers.
Qingtai was upset that Jiang Taohua was hurt and felt Shen Zaiye hadn't protected her well enough. Jiang Taohua, however, insisted she would have died without Shen Zaiye's help. She also saw their close call in the silver mine as valuable, revealing why Empress Lv considered the area important – it could provide enough wealth to raise troops. Jiang Taohua decided she needed to form a strong alliance with Shen Zaiye.
She understood that to earn his complete trust and form this alliance, she would need to offer him a significant act of allegiance, a "pay first." Prince Wugou was furious about being tricked and whipped, resenting Prince Qi's lack of fatherly concern and the public humiliation. He also blamed Meng Huaijin for not ensuring the plan was foolproof.
Meng Huaijin applied medicine to Prince Wugou's wounds and analyzed the situation, explaining that the discovery of a manually created opening at the top of the mine indicated someone had helped Shen Zaiye and Jiang Taohua escape, suggesting they had anticipated the trap. Meng Huaijin acknowledged their cunning but assured Prince Wugou that his current arrangements would resolve the situation favorably if Prince Wugou followed his guidance, which calmed Prince Wugou's temper.
Shen Zaiye and Jiang Taohua studied maps by lamplight, searching for where the numerous miners might be hidden. They reasoned that such a large group, hastily moved, couldn't be far and likely remained close to the hunting grounds. Jiang Taohua identified a specific location she felt certain about. As they leaned over the maps, they found themselves very close to each other, causing a moment of awkwardness before they pulled back.
Shen Zaiye stated he would find a way to rescue the miners. Jiang Taohua volunteered to create a distraction to buy him time, urging him to proceed with the rescue. Shen Zaiye brought Jiang Taohua medicine for her injured leg. That night, he prepared a pallet on the floor next to her bed. Jiang Taohua glanced at him, his back turned to her, and quietly told him to be careful the next day. Shen Zaiye didn't reply but slightly opened his eyes.
