The Princess's Gambit Episode 27 Recap
> The Princess's Gambit Recap
Shen Zaiye instructed Zhan Lu to keep a close watch on Qingfeng, Prince Wuyin's trusted aide, and apprehend him for questioning regarding Prince Wuhen's death. Zhan Lu reported that Qingfeng's footprints matched those found at the scene. He explained that Wuyin's residence had custom-made clothing, and linked Prince Wuhen's death to Prince Wuyin, suggesting Qingfeng, as Wuyin's confidant, needed to be interrogated.
In prison, Zhan Lu interrogated Qingfeng, pressing him about being seen at Chunyue Pavilion the night Prince Wuhen died and alleging that Prince Wuyin ordered him to kill Wuhen after Meng Huairui left. Qingfeng desperately denied involvement, claiming he was innocent and that Wuhen died after running into something himself. However, during the interrogation, Qingfeng died, appearing to have fatally injured himself.
Zhan Lu expressed regret for his failure, but Shen Zaiye dismissed it, noting that Qingfeng's death was known only to them and Prince Wuyin remained unaware. Meanwhile, Meng Zhenzhen visited Meng Huairui in prison with her people. He pleaded with her to save him, claiming innocence and mentioning his elderly parents. She assured him she would care for his elderly parents as members of the Meng clan, then ordered his execution.
Meng Zhongyan sought an audience with the King, taking responsibility for his grandson Meng Huairui's actions and requesting to resign as chief examiner and retire from his post. The King took his official seal, pointing out this was the second time in a year he had offered to resign and questioned his ability to hold his position.
The King acknowledged the Meng family's significant power and influence over the court and succession, stating that his resignation or not was insignificant to their current power. However, he warned Meng Zhongyan of the severe consequences if the Meng family lost its status, implying other families would move against them. The King then placed the seal on the ground, leaving Meng Zhongyan to decide his fate. Prince Wuyin confronted Shen Zaiye about Qingfeng's arrest.
Shen Zaiye confirmed it, citing Qingfeng's presence at Chunyue Pavilion and footprints at the death scene. Shen Zaiye claimed Qingfeng had confessed incriminating details that would be presented to the King, potentially exposing Wuyin's alleged role in his brother's death and attempt to frame Prince Wuxia. Shen Zaiye's condition for not pursuing the matter further was for Wuyin to voluntarily withdraw from the imperial exam selection. Wuyin was surprised Shen Zaiye didn't demand Jiang Taohua's antidote.
Shen Zaiye retorted that Wuyin lacked the means to genuinely cure Taohua anyway and suggested he stick to tasks within his ability. Prince Wuyin then went to the King, who was debating how to handle the chief examiner role now that Prince Wuxia had been cleared and reinstated, potentially leading to two chief examiners. Wuyin offered to withdraw from the exam, explaining he only stepped in temporarily and that Prince Wuxia was more capable and respected, deserving the position alone.
The King praised Wuyin's seeming lack of ambition and accepted his withdrawal, expressing satisfaction. As Wuyin left, Zhan Lu informed him that Qingfeng's body had been returned to his residence, mentioning Shen Zaiye had chosen a fine coffin and expressed regret. Realizing Shen Zaiye had orchestrated Qingfeng's death and secured the information regardless of the exam withdrawal, Wuyin felt manipulated and his animosity towards Shen Zaiye intensified. Prince Wuxia returned to the Examination Hall and found Shen Zaiye arranging documents.
Shen Zaiye explained he was preparing the site as the supervisor and checking for anything suspicious to prevent cheating. Prince Wuxia bowed deeply, expressing his profound gratitude to Shen Zaiye for saving his life. Jiang Taohua and Xiang Qingying arrived. Qingying reminded Wuxia that Taohua was the one who had been most instrumental in helping him. Prince Wuxia greeted Taohua warmly, expressing relief at her being safe. Taohua then asked Shen Zaiye for his help in investigating Empress Lv.
She had overheard Prince Wuyin call Lv "Ah Hua" and noticed he greatly valued her bracelet, suggesting a mysterious connection. Given that Prince Wuyin had never left Qi after moving to Shunjing Residence and Empress Lv was established in the Beiyuan court when Taohua was young, Taohua speculated Lv might have been a former resident of the Qi palace.
Shen Zaiye confirmed he had previously investigated Empress Lv but found her background before entering the Beiyuan palace to be unclear, possibly fabricated, and agreed to have a trusted aide continue the investigation during the exam period while he supervised. Taohua thanked him and departed, planning to contact him after the exams. Watching Taohua and Shen Zaiye's interaction, Xiang Qingying felt saddened by their seemingly purely professional dynamic, observing that they seemed to only deal with business.
She chided Prince Wuxia for not thinking enough about how to repay Shen Zaiye, questioning his conscience. Prince Wuxia replied that the best way to show his gratitude was to focus on his responsibilities and perform well in the upcoming exam.
Addressing the exam candidates, Prince Wuxia announced strict searches to prevent cheating and stated that, due to the previous leak, he had obtained special permission from the King to personally set the exam questions on the spot to ensure fairness. This scene was observed by Prince Wuyin from a distance, intensifying his anger.
He recalled Empress Lv's past criticisms, where she admonished him for being too soft with his brother and stressed that power struggles are ruthless, demanding he act first or be controlled. Remembering her words, Prince Wuyin silently vowed to "Ah Hua" that he would not disappoint her again. Shen Zaiye visited the memorial tablets of the Xie clan.
He told his deceased father that the Examination Hall his father had fought to protect was now successful, opening opportunities for humble scholars and ending the dominance of noble families, thus fulfilling his father's wish. He promised to clear the Xie clan's name in the future. Inside the Examination Hall, Prince Wuxia was grading papers.
Xiang Qingying played the qin outside, drawing the attention of Zhan Lu, who ordered her to leave as her music was disturbing the peace during grading. Qingying defiantly told Zhan Lu he had no right to listen as the music was for Wuxia. Wuxia called out to her, explaining that playing music was inappropriate during the grading period and would disturb others. Qingying expressed that she missed him and wanted to help him relax while he worked hard.
Wuxia suggested they play a piece together instead. Happily agreeing, Qingying passed her qin through the bars, and they played a duet. Shen Zaiye witnessed the scene from afar with a slight smile. Shen Zaiye received an update on the investigation into Empress Lv from a trusted contact. He learned she was from the palace and that when Prince Wuyin was a child, he had a maid named Ah Hua.
After the sudden death of Prince Wuyin's beloved sister, Princess Jinrong, Wuyin became withdrawn and did not allow palace staff near him, except for this maid named Ah Hua, who seemed to have a unique ability to comfort him. However, this maid named Ah Hua later mysteriously disappeared, and all records about her in the Imperial Clan Court were missing. Prince Wuyin quickly learned that Shen Zaiye was investigating "Ah Hua."
He grew angry, suspecting Jiang Taohua might be the source of the leak. He had Taohua brought to him, noting she seemed to have remembered things she shouldn't have. Taohua feigned innocence, stating her and her brother's lives were in his hands and she would never betray him even if she remembered things. Wuyin commented on her beauty and threatened to disfigure her face to see if Shen Zaiye would still care for her.
Taohua insisted her only concern was her and Changjue's safety, not Shen Zaiye's feelings. Wuyin did not physically harm her but cut a strand of her hair, warning her to understand her worth and ensure Shen Zaiye did not interfere. He believed that as long as he controlled Changjue and the source of the antidote, Jiang Taohua would remain under his thumb and a vulnerability for Shen Zaiye.
Jiang Taohua visited Shen Zaiye, asking him to cease his investigation into Empress Lv to avoid alerting her, assuring him that Prince Wuyin currently trusted her. She then asked if he had received letters from Qingtai, explaining she had sent Qingtai to Xingzhou in Beiyuan to find her brother, Changjue, and was worried as there had been no news for over a month. She noted that if Qingtai sent letters, they could only be sent to Shen Zaiye's residence.
Shen Zaiye agreed to receive any letters but asked about the nature of Qingtai's mission, stating he needed to be prepared if it involved danger or illegal activities. Taohua clarified she only sent her to find Changjue, and finding him was not Shen Zaiye's concern. Shen Zaiye mentioned finding a letter Changjue wrote to her and putting it back, hinting that she knew where to look if she remembered the secret compartment Qingtai had mentioned.
He also told her that Imperial Physician Bai was working on a permanent antidote for the Jiangtao Pill, which would eventually free her from its control. Taohua thanked him. When he asked how she would thank him, she noted his high status and wealth. He suggested they share a meal without hidden agendas, something they had never done. He ordered ingredients, deciding to cook himself, including shrimp.
Taohua declined to cook with him, citing her dislike of the smell of oil and smoke, and said she would wait. As Shen Zaiye went to the kitchen, Taohua watched him leave and looked at falling peach blossoms, reflecting on the transient nature of things and concluding that she shouldn't harbor unrealistic hopes. She decided that pushing Shen Zaiye out of the dangerous situation was the best way to repay his kindness.
When Shen Zaiye returned with the food, he found that Jiang Taohua had left. Shen Zaiye immediately ordered Zhan Lu to travel to Xingzhou in Beiyuan to find Qingtai and Changjue, emphasizing their importance to Jiang Taohua and the need for their safety, stating they must not be harmed. Zhan Lu expressed doubt that Taohua would be grateful for Shen Zaiye's efforts, but Shen Zaiye stated he did not require her gratitude. Zhan Lu immediately departed.
Meanwhile, Imperial Physician Bai showed Shen Zaiye his progress on the Jiangtao Pill antidote. He explained that the monthly dose was an "attack poison with poison" method. He had tried using acupuncture to draw out the poison and supplementing with tonics. One test subject had survived for over a month, but Imperial Physician Bai noted this method only delayed the poison's effects, and he still needed to find the root of the poison.
Shen Zaiye was troubled, recalling telling Taohua about the antidote research and fearing he had given her hope that might lead to disappointment. With the imperial exams complete and only awaiting the King's final decree, Shen Zaiye informed a subordinate that he planned to travel to Beiyuan. He had requested leave from the King and transferred his duties temporarily to the Ministry of Personnel.
He explained that his trip was to search for the antidote for Jiang Taohua and to investigate Empress Lv further, suspecting her hand in the recent exam troubles and anticipating her retaliation after experiencing a significant setback. He instructed the subordinate to watch over Prince Wuxia while he was away and be constantly vigilant. Shen Zaiye vowed to personally bring back the cure from Beiyuan for Taohua.
