The Princess's Gambit Episode 23 Recap
> The Princess's Gambit Recap
Shen Zaiye, hands trembling, lifted the tattered mat and finally let out a breath of relief when he saw it wasn't Jiang Taohua underneath. At that moment, Jiang Taohua regained consciousness and spotted a figure in black not far away. As she was about to leave, she was noticed.
Jiang Taohua tried to persuade the assailant to let her go, but he showed no sign of relenting and was about to strike when Shen Zaiye’s flying sword intervened just in time, saving her. The masked man fled in a panic. Unable to control his emotions, Shen Zaiye rushed over and embraced Jiang Taohua tightly, as though she would vanish the moment he let go. All he could do was thank the heavens that she was alive.
Jiang Taohua, however, suddenly recalled the intimate night she once shared with Shen Zaiye and hurriedly pushed him away in a panic. The black-clad men sent by Meng Zhenzhen, after testing the situation, confirmed that Shen Zaiye had risked everything to rescue Jiang Taohua, proving she was indeed alive. They still couldn't understand why she had stayed in Mu Wuyin’s residence for so long.
Although Jiang Taohua was grateful to Shen Zaiye for saving her, she insisted on returning to Mu Wuyin’s manor to investigate the relationship between Lv Yuanhua and Mu Wuyin. Shen Zaiye noticed the poison in her body acting up and had no choice but to send her back. Secretly, he vowed to find the antidote and a way to rescue Jiang Changjue, so Jiang Taohua would no longer be under anyone’s control.
Upon returning, the poison in Jiang Taohua flared up. Mu Wuyin came to visit, claiming to have brought a doctor to treat her. Jiang Taohua deliberately requested that he keep her survival a secret and expressed her deep concern for Jiang Changjue. She said she would sacrifice everything for him. Realizing that Jiang Taohua could still be used, Mu Wuyin gave her the antidote and revealed that he was the true master behind Lan Boutique.
He intended to rebuild it and would need Jiang Taohua when the time came. The deathsworn guards sent by Shen Zaiye were ambushed by Lv Yuanhua’s people during their retreat. To avoid exposing their identities, they all committed suicide. Upon receiving the news, Shen Zaiye arranged compensation for their families and warned against contacting Jiang Taohua again, afraid of bringing her further trouble. Still having not seen Qingtai, Jiang Taohua grew anxious.
She recalled a servant once accidentally mentioning that Mu Wuyin had another residence. She fabricated an excuse about offering prayers to leave the manor and used the opportunity to say she needed to buy new clothes. While trying on clothes, she escaped through a window and evaded her pursuers. Predicting they would report to Mu Wuyin, she secretly followed them to his other residence. There, she witnessed Lv Yuanhua and Mu Wuyin scolding and beating Qingtai.
Heartbroken at the sight, Jiang Taohua deliberately set fire to the woodshed. Fearing exposure, Lv Yuanhua and Mu Wuyin left immediately and ordered Qingtai to be killed. Qingtai was stabbed and thrown into the lotus pond. Jiang Taohua, witnessing this, jumped in to save her but fainted due to exhaustion. Fortunately, Shen Zaiye had assigned people to watch over Jiang Taohua and arrived just in time to bring her and Qingtai back to his manor.
As Shen Zaiye performed emergency resuscitation on Jiang Taohua, she suddenly recovered her memories—all the past events between her and Shen Zaiye came rushing back. She couldn’t believe the history they shared. When she woke, her first concern was Qingtai. Zhan Lu stood anxiously by, pleading with the physician to save Qingtai, and when he saw her in pain, he couldn't help but urge the doctor to be gentler.
To avoid exposing her recovery, Jiang Taohua had no choice but to return to Mu Wuyin’s manor. She dared not reveal her memory had returned, afraid Shen Zaiye would try to keep her with him, making it impossible to get close to Mu Wuyin again. Shen Zaiye watched her departing figure, filled with helplessness and sorrow. The next day, Shen Zaiye and Mu Wuxia were summoned before King Qi to review Meng Huairui’s policy essay.
Both noticed it bore a striking resemblance to Li Jiaohan’s and suspected plagiarism. Shen Zaiye did not expose it directly but pointed out its flaws, suggesting that Meng Huairui revise it before being rewarded. King Qi agreed with his suggestion. Afterward, Meng Huairui went to see Meng Zhongyan but encountered Meng Zhenzhen instead. She harshly exposed his plagiarism and warned him to clean up the matter immediately or face severe consequences.
She told him that henceforth, whatever he did, he would follow her lead. Though furious, Meng Huairui was intimidated and reluctantly agreed. Shen Zaiye and Zhan Lu went to find Li Jiaohan, only to discover him hanging dead in his room. Upon inspection, it was clear he had not hanged himself voluntarily; there were signs of struggle.
Shen Zaiye mourned the loss of Li Jiaohan’s talent and was reminded of his own childhood—how his father, Xie Guanyu, had once petitioned King Qi to reopen the imperial examination system so poor students could serve the country. At that time, Meng Zhongyan had opposed the idea, and King Qi did not approve it either. Xie Guanyu had been deeply saddened but vowed to fight for a path forward for poor scholars.
Thinking of this, Shen Zaiye swore to use Li Jiaohan’s death to push for the restoration of the imperial exams. The next day, Li Jiaohan’s body was found hanging from an archway in the street, with a policy essay pinned to it. All the students believed he had died for a cause—to win a future for the poor. Enraged, they shouted in unison for the abolition of hereditary privilege and the reinstatement of the examination system. Shen Zaiye, standing behind the crowd, looked at Li Jiaohan’s body and silently hoped that his spirit could see how his death had bought a future for poor scholars.
