The Princess's Gambit Episode 15 Recap
> The Princess's Gambit Recap
Shen Zaiye instructed Zhan Lu that from now on, Jiang Taohua should be addressed as "Your Highness," and he should also keep a close watch on Meng Zhenzhen and the Meng family's actions. Meanwhile, Meng Zhenzhen had returned to the Meng residence for mourning. She cried uncontrollably upon seeing Meng Huaijin lying in his coffin, but her father, Meng Zhongyan, reprimanded her, saying her display would only invite more trouble for the family.
Meng Zhenzhen accused her father of denying her the right to grieve for her brother. Meng Zhongyan acknowledged Meng Zhenzhen's resentment but explained that sacrificing Meng Huaijin was a necessary and painful decision for the entire Meng clan. He claimed his own grief over his only heir was immense. He blamed Shen Zaiye, calling him a "cursed man," for the Meng family's current predicament, noting that their influence had waned considerably and that only family members had attended the mourning.
He stated that if Meng Zhenzhen harbored hatred, it should be directed at Shen Zaiye, who had ruthlessly targeted the Meng family despite the marital ties between Shen Zaiye and Meng Zhenzhen. Meng Zhongyan urged Meng Zhenzhen to use her position as Shen Zaiye's wife to poison him, believing she would have ample opportunity.
Meng Zhenzhen responded bitterly, asking if he had considered the consequences of failure, but Meng Zhongyan promised she could return to the Meng family if she succeeded. Yuetao, knowing Meng Zhenzhen still harbored feelings for Shen Zaiye, doubted she could go through with the poisoning. While sympathizing with Meng Zhenzhen's plight and acknowledging her lack of status in the Shen household (Shen Zaiye even took a concubine to palace banquets instead of his official wife), Yuetao expressed concern.
Hearing this, Meng Zhenzhen suddenly made a firm decision, resolving that she should be the one to "step aside" from the situation, as she felt she was caught in a difficult position. Unbeknownst to her, someone was already secretly observing Meng Zhenzhen. Shen Zaiye meticulously arranged details for Jiang Taohua's care, causing Zhan Lu to remark on the extraordinary level of attention Shen Zaiye showed for someone he considered an outsider.
Shen Zaiye corrected him, stating that Jiang Taohua was "not just anyone." Zhan Lu suggested Shen Zaiye should personally express his feelings if he cared so much, but Shen Zaiye believed Jiang Taohua was intelligent enough to understand without needing explicit words. He later placed the broken arrow that Jiang Taohua had used to shield him into a secret compartment, alongside his most cherished possessions.
Shen Zaiye prepared elaborate clothes and expensive jewelry for Jiang Taohua to wear to the palace banquet. Jiang Taohua found these items excessively precious, even surpassing those typically worn by the official wife. Zhan Lu informed Jiang Taohua that from then on, everyone in the household was to address her as "Your Highness" or "Princess Chengping," and disrespecting her would be considered disrespecting Shen Zaiye, to be dealt with by household law. Jiang Taohua was deeply moved by this.
Meanwhile, Shen Zaiye had also dispatched someone to investigate and discovered that Yuetao had secretly met with a young maid named Nanli in the palace, who was a former servant from the Heir's Residence. He ordered them to continue monitoring the situation with the palace staff. Before departing for the palace, Meng Zhenzhen specifically suggested that Shen Zaiye and Jiang Taohua ride in the same carriage, offering her own seat to Jiang Taohua, stating it would be more harmonious.
However, watching Shen Zaiye help Jiang Taohua into the carriage, Meng Zhenzhen still seemed uneasy. Inside the carriage, Jiang Taohua remarked that having Shen Zaiye's favor had already attracted much attention, and now using her status as a princess made her wonder what Shen Zaiye was planning. Shen Zaiye did not reveal his intentions but told her she would understand once they arrived at the palace.
Along the way, Jiang Taohua looked out at the lively streets through the carriage curtain, a smile playing on her lips, while Shen Zaiye also found himself gazing at her. At the palace banquet, Meng Zhongyan was seated in the back, an unprecedented position for the Right Chancellor. Courtiers, sensing the shift in power, gravitated towards the Qin family, who were now clearly the foremost noble clan, with Official Qin promoted to Minister-in-Chief.
Meng Zhenzhen voluntarily joined her father at his table, while Shen Zaiye kept Jiang Taohua seated beside him. As tea was served, Shen Zaiye noticed a maid trembling nervously while offering tea to Jiang Taohua. He deliberately stalled, preventing anyone from drinking immediately. He then presented His Majesty with a collection of special glazed cups that would turn cloudy upon contact with poison.
Consort Lan expressed admiration for the cups, and His Majesty, pleased, ordered that all tea cups for the banquet be replaced with these glazed ones before anyone drank. Meng Zhongyan observed Meng Zhenzhen's panicked reaction and realized she had acted. Before the maid could pour tea again, he intervened, feigning reconciliation with Shen Zaiye and proposing they toast and let go of past grievances. Shen Zaiye insisted the maid pour the tea, but she was visibly flustered.
Meng Zhongyan stepped forward to take the teapot and pour it himself, but suddenly clutched his chest, pretending to suffer an ailment, and dropped the teapot, spilling its contents. Seeing this, Jiang Taohua cleverly feigned a sudden collapse and fainted. His Majesty immediately ordered an investigation. It was discovered that the tea cup in front of Jiang Taohua contained poison. His Majesty questioned the maid on the spot.
The maid quickly confessed that Meng Zhenzhen had instigated her, providing the poison. Meng Zhenzhen then stepped forward and admitted her actions were driven solely by jealousy over Shen Zaiye's singular favor towards Jiang Taohua. His Majesty rebuked Meng Zhenzhen for her viciousness. Meng Zhongyan hastily pleaded for mercy, offering to resign from his position as Right Chancellor in exchange for his daughter's life.
Shen Zaiye and Jiang Taohua both spoke in Meng Zhenzhen's favor, but Shen Zaiye proposed divorce from Meng Zhenzhen. He also stated he would dismiss his two concubines, Lady Qin and Lady Duan, to prevent similar domestic disputes in the future and maintain harmony, especially with Beiyuan concerning Princess Chengping. His Majesty reluctantly agreed, though he ordered the maid who administered the poison to be caned to death. After the banquet, Meng Zhongyan expressed self-reproach for having pressured Meng Zhenzhen.
He told her that Meng Huaijin had thought of her in his final moments and that from now on, they would rely on each other. He felt that trading his position for her safety was well worth it. In truth, Meng Zhongyan recognized that his power was already significantly diminished and that His Majesty now regarded him with suspicion, evident from his unfavorable seating at the banquet.
Offering his resignation was a tactical retreat, potentially preserving some future leverage for the Meng family. Meng Zhenzhen waited outside to thank Shen Zaiye and Jiang Taohua. Shen Zaiye commented that the separation would be better for both of them, ending a marriage of pretense. Jiang Taohua, however, understood that Meng Zhenzhen's actions at the banquet were a deliberate move to shed the constraints placed upon her, making herself a "discarded piece" to avoid further manipulation by her family.
Meng Zhenzhen expressed envy for Jiang Taohua, lamenting that they might have been friends if not for the burdens of their respective statuses. She felt that Jiang Taohua was free to follow her heart and do as she wished, unlike herself who constantly had to prioritize family interests. She admitted that today, she had made a selfish choice, prioritizing herself over her family.
Meng Zhenzhen believed that she, Shen Zaiye, and Jiang Taohua were all rational individuals who weighed benefits and made decisions based on logic rather than emotion. She wished Jiang Taohua better luck than she had found in her own situation. Watching Meng Zhenzhen depart, Jiang Taohua murmured to herself that she was not truly free either, merely another version of the constrained Meng Zhenzhen in this foreign land of Qi.
From a short distance away, Shen Zaiye watched Jiang Taohua, appearing thoughtful. He then left on his own, instructing Zhan Lu to escort Jiang Taohua back to the residence. Jiang Taohua, however, declined to return immediately, opting to walk alone. Unbeknownst to them, both Jiang Taohua and Shen Zaiye found themselves walking towards a bridge. As they stood there, bursts of iron water flowers suddenly illuminated the night sky. They watched the spectacle in silent contemplation, standing together at the bridge's edge.
