The Princess's Gambit Episode 22 Recap
> The Princess's Gambit Recap
Jiang Taohua discovered Empress Lv's personal effects inside Prince Wuyin's secret chamber, leading her to question if they shared a hidden relationship. Finding that Qingtai was not present in the chamber, she worried about her maid's whereabouts. At the Meng Residence, Meng Zhenzhen visited her late brother Meng Huaijin's memorial. She received alarming news that Meng Huairui was to be adopted as the heir apparent because an essay he submitted had been highly praised by His Majesty.
Furthermore, Meng Huairui was set to take over Meng Huaijin's marriage arrangement with the Li family, with a betrothal ceremony planned shortly after the adoption. Meng Zhenzhen was distressed, recalling how her brother had knelt for three days to gain their father's approval for his marriage to Li Hanyue. Believing Meng Huairui had stolen the credit for the essay and was a deceitful man who would ultimately ruin the Meng family, she resolved to prevent the marriage from happening.
Later, while in Mu Wuyin's residence, Jiang Taohua, pretending to be bored with her chamber, ventured towards the kitchen area despite an attendant's caution. She became deliberately picky about the prepared meals, citing various issues with different dishes. This led to her demanding to watch the cooks herself to ensure the food was safe to eat.
In the kitchen, she spoke with a cook named Xia Lian, who mentioned having lived in Beiyuan and knowing how to prepare its cuisine, which pleased Jiang Taohua. When asking about Xia Lian's cooking locations, she learned that Xia Lian sometimes cooks in Prince Wuyin's annex. Jiang Taohua was surprised, having never heard of this annex, and immediately wondered if Qingtai might be held captive there.
As the adoption ceremony for Meng Huairui was about to be finalized with Meng Zhongyan's signature, Meng Zhenzhen dramatically interrupted the proceedings. She argued that Meng Huairui was unworthy and had not authored the praised essay. Admitting her past detachment from the family, she now pledged to live or die with the Mengs and serve their father, asserting she could accomplish what her brother Meng Huaijin could.
Meng Zhenzhen then analyzed the political landscape, explaining why supporting Prince Wuxia or Prince Wuhen would be detrimental to the Meng family. She proposed siding with Prince Wuyin, believing his apparent disinterest in politics hid a calculated hesitation that the Mengs could leverage. Meng Zhongyan found her analysis sound but questioned her capacity for the ruthlessness needed to support a future emperor.
Meng Zhenzhen knelt and vowed that from that day forward, anyone who blocked the Meng family would be eliminated without mercy, declaring her hands had previously been stained with blood. Impressed, Meng Zhongyan halted the ceremony, promising to reconsider the succession, and presented her with Liu Bao, a skilled assassin he had secretly trained, instructing Liu Bao to obey her commands.
Emerging from her meeting with her father, Meng Zhenzhen was confronted by Meng Huairui, who angrily demanded why she had ruined his plans. With Li Hanyue also present, Meng Zhenzhen reassured Li Hanyue that she would prevent her marriage to Meng Huairui for her and her brother's sake.
She then turned to Meng Huairui, sternly warning him to stay away from the Li family and demanding he confess his plagiarism as soon as possible, threatening to take his head if he failed to do so. Their father, Meng Zhongyan, overheard this exchange and seemed pleased with Meng Zhenzhen's assertiveness. At Shen Zaiye's residence, his aide reported that Imperial Physician Bai advised Princess Chengping should return home for recovery, noting that Zhengchun Boudoir was still ready for her.
However, Shen Zaiye stated that Zengtu had not yet returned with the antidote and he could not risk Jiang Taohua's life again, recounting how she had faced danger multiple times and nearly died. He prioritized her safety above all else. Meng Zhenzhen sought out Prince Wuyin at Qinfang Tea House, stating she would now handle the Meng family's affairs. She proposed they play a game of weiqi, suggesting that if she won, Wuyin should listen to her counsel.
Meanwhile, the Emperor, suffering from a headache and angered by pervasive spies, received a pill sent by Mu Wuyin. Upon taking it, he felt refreshed and praised Mu Wuyin's efficacy. Learning from a eunuch that a woman resembling Princess Chengping had been seen in Wuyin's residence, the Emperor, curious about who Wuyin was keeping, ordered the woman to be brought before him. The game of weiqi between Meng Zhenzhen and Mu Wuyin concluded.
Just as Meng Zhenzhen prepared to deliver her strategic advice, a servant arrived with urgent news for Mu Wuyin. He abruptly excused himself, leaving Meng Zhenzhen frustrated that her effort seemed to have been in vain. Receiving the urgent news, Mu Wuyin returned to his residence and learned that the Emperor had summoned the woman residing there and she was already on her way to the palace.
While unable to stop the Emperor's messenger, he instructed his servant to have the carriage take a lengthy detour through the city and quickly find a woman who resembled her, planning to swap them before they reached the palace gate. Hearing reports of the unfolding events, Meng Zhenzhen learned that the woman summoned by the Emperor from Mu Wuyin's residence resembled Princess Chengping and that Wuyin intended to replace her with a look-alike.
Combined with information that Shen Zaiye had recently visited Mu Wuyin specifically asking to see the woman resembling Princess Chengping, Meng Zhenzhen suspected that Jiang Taohua had faked her death and decided to find a way to confirm her suspicion. Separately, Shen Zaiye received news that Princess Chengping's carriage had been intercepted and taken by others to the Chengnan Cremation Parlor, causing him to rush out immediately.
Inside a carriage, a woman, questioning where she was being taken, was suddenly knocked unconscious. She was later seen at the Chengnan Cremation Parlor, where bodies were being disposed of. Shen Zaiye arrived frantically searching the area. He spotted a covered body with a peach blossom visible nearby. Approaching with trembling hands, Shen Zaiye seemingly recognized something that hinted at the identity of the person beneath the covering.
