The Princess's Gambit Episode 3 Recap
> The Princess's Gambit Recap
Qingtai looked at the needle marks on Jiang Taohua's leg, feeling distressed. She saw their situation as escaping one danger only to enter another. Jiang Taohua, however, felt it was better than being under Empress Lv's eye, where she had to constantly endure for Changjue's sake. In her current position, she believed she could escape, hide, or even counterattack. Her immediate goal was to stabilize her position with Chancellor Shen so establishing herself would not be difficult.
Qingtai pointed out that the time for the nuptial rites was approaching, but there was no sign of him. Jiang Taohua deliberately sent Qingtai to find Chancellor Shen. Her message stated that if he was too busy for the nuptial rites, he didn't have to come, and they could simply inform the Court Ritualist sent by Prince Qi that things would be simplified.
Learning that Ritualist Song was present to oversee the ceremony, Chancellor Shen realized it was Jiang Taohua's maneuver and decided to go, instructing his subordinate to open the window so outside observers could see. Inside the chamber, with Ritualist Song present, Jiang Taohua suggested simplifying the ceremony, citing Chancellor Shen's busy schedule. Chancellor Shen, however, insisted that proper rituals must be followed, perhaps concerned about what Ritualist Song might report back to the palace. One custom involved eating meat.
Jiang Taohua intentionally took a piece of lean meat Chancellor Shen had reached for and offered him a large piece of fatty pork. Chancellor Shen, who usually avoids pork, was visibly startled but forced himself to eat it. Later, while performing the nuptial wine ritual, Jiang Taohua sensed something was amiss with the wine.
She took a sip, then leaned in and kissed Chancellor Shen, transferring the wine to him, stating that as it was nuptial wine, they should share it. Meanwhile, as Chancellor Shen and Jiang Taohua performed the nuptial rites, a visitor named Xue Ran arrived at the residence asking to see Chancellor Shen to fulfill a promise. He was led to a side hall to wait.
Meng Zhenzhen, seizing the opportunity, ordered her subordinate to eliminate Xue Ran and retrieve a painting titled "Sunlight over a Thousand Peaks." Instead of immediately delivering the painting to her family, Meng Zhenzhen kept it, intending to demonstrate her own importance to them. She instructed her subordinate to dispose of Xue Ran's body carefully to avoid detection.
Later, Chancellor Shen revealed he had added a substance from Nanyue, a "Truth-Spilling Gu," to the wine they shared, designed to make her reveal her true purpose. Jiang Taohua admitted her primary goal was simply to survive. However, she added that her desire to survive was so she could remain by his side, claiming to have fallen for him since their first encounter. Chancellor Shen found this explanation unconvincing.
He pulled a hairpin from her hair and forcefully threw it into a wooden pillar as a stark warning against any deceitful intentions. After Chancellor Shen departed, Zhan Lu arrived to report the death of Xue Ran. Xue Ran's body had been discovered in a mass grave. The painting was not found on his person or in the vicinity.
Zhan Lu observed that the fatal neck wound was shallow, and there were no signs of struggle, suggesting Xue Ran had been subdued before being killed. Crucially, black soil was found on the soles of Xue Ran's shoes, a soil type Chancellor Shen recognized as expensive black soil he had imported from the North for his garden. Recognizing the implication, Chancellor Shen immediately ordered the entire residence sealed, authorizing lethal force against anyone attempting to enter or leave without permission.
Zhan Lu asked how to proceed, given the unknown nature of their adversary. Chancellor Shen decided to spread the rumor that the painting, "Sunlight over a Thousand Peaks," was now in his possession, anticipating this would force the hidden culprit to reveal themselves. He mused that if this tactic yielded no results, there was likely only one person within the household capable of such composure. Meng Ping reported to Meng Zhenzhen that Chancellor Shen had acquired Xue Ran's painting.
Meng Zhenzhen learned that the residence had been sealed and that guards had been significantly increased around Chancellor Shen's study. Recognizing this as a trap set by the Chancellor, she devised a counter-plan. She intended to divert suspicion and use the situation to her advantage, specifically by orchestrating events to lead Jiang Taohua to the study to search for the painting. Meanwhile, Jiang Taohua suspected the painting might be hidden in either the study or Chancellor Shen's bedroom.
Just as she considered how difficult it would be to search, a servant arrived, informing her that Chancellor Shen wished to see her in the study. Jiang Taohua immediately recognized this summons as a trap laid by a hidden enemy aiming to frame her. However, as she herself had planned to investigate the study, she decided to play along with the setup, preparing herself for confrontation and deciding to use the opportunity to check for the painting.
Escorted towards the study but left alone outside the door, Jiang Taohua entered the room. Inside, she observed the various paintings displayed. She noted that while the brushwork on each was different, implying multiple forgeries, they all bore Xue Ran's seal. She decided to commit the paintings to memory, planning to copy and examine them more closely later. As she reached for a brush, she inadvertently activated a hidden mechanism, causing a secret compartment in the wall to open.
Just as she was about to look inside, Chancellor Shen suddenly appeared, startling her into quickly closing the compartment. Chancellor Shen clearly saw that the secret compartment had been disturbed but did not directly accuse Jiang Taohua. Instead, he challenged her to prove her innocence by identifying the servant who had led her to the study. Jiang Taohua hesitated, worried about making enemies.
Chancellor Shen intensified the pressure, stating that if she couldn't clear her name, suspicion would remain on her. He chillingly suggested that even if she were to die suddenly, it would not diminish his power or position as Left Chancellor, rendering any hidden motives on her part irrelevant. Realizing the seriousness of her situation, Jiang Taohua agreed to attempt to identify the servant from a line-up. The servants were assembled, their appearances seemingly altered or similar, making identification difficult.
Jiang Taohua asked each man to lift his right foot. She then identified one servant based on the wear pattern on his shoes. She explained that while his left shoe showed normal outer wear, his right shoe had significant inner wear, indicative of him favoring his inner ankle due to a past injury to the outer part of his right ankle. This, she noted, was consistent with how people's walking patterns remain constant despite disguise.
She recalled he had recently injured his foot and that she had tended to him. To confirm, she suggested checking the muddy path she had taken to the study for matching footprints, as it had rained recently. Before he could be taken for further interrogation, the servant panicked and took poison, dying instantly. Chancellor Shen expressed frustration that she had not revealed her suspicions earlier.
Jiang Taohua claimed she had been bluffing the servant and didn't truly know it was him until he reacted. Chancellor Shen, unconvinced, questioned why someone as observant as her would follow a suspicious person into the restricted study unless she had other intentions. Jiang Taohua feigned excitement at being summoned by him, claiming she was overwhelmed and didn't think clearly. Chancellor Shen, finding the conversation unproductive, left. The following morning, Chancellor Shen visited Meng Zhenzhen.
He remarked on her apparent restful sleep despite the previous night's commotion in the residence, finding it enviable. He then mentioned that the servant involved in the incident at the study was named Meng Ping, who worked at the gatehouse. He subtly questioned her loyalty, stating that individuals found to be disloyal would face severe punishment, asking her how she would handle such a situation as she managed the household.
As he drank tea, he pointedly noted that after all these years, she still preferred the tea sent by the Right Chancellor from Laojunshan. After Chancellor Shen departed, Meng Zhenzhen realized he harbored suspicions about her. She immediately instructed her subordinate, Yuetao, to send the painting, "Sunlight over a Thousand Peaks," out of the residence as quickly as possible, fearing that any delay would lead to complications.
Chancellor Shen, in turn, ordered his men to closely monitor Meng Zhenzhen's every move. Later, Chancellor Shen sent a selection of Northern-style dishes to Jiang Taohua, ostensibly as a reward for her role in identifying the servant Meng Ping and to ease her homesickness. When the food arrived, Jiang Taohua instinctively asked Qingtai for a silver needle to test for poison, but then dismissed the idea, noting that Chancellor Shen had simpler ways to eliminate her if he wished.
Shen Zaiye soon arrived himself, confirming the dishes were compensation for her fright during the study incident and a reward for her cleverness. He commented on her cautious and meticulous nature, unusual for a princess from the capital, suggesting it stemmed from being constantly scrutinized as a legitimate princess. Chancellor Shen then informed Jiang Taohua that she would accompany him to Prince Wugou's banquet, to be held at the deer park the following day.
Jiang Taohua expressed surprise, noting that Meng Zhenzhen, as the madam, would traditionally attend. Chancellor Shen stated that he preferred to bring Jiang Taohua because, as a princess, her conduct was naturally more refined and cautious, and her meticulous nature made her more suitable for the occasion. He ended the discussion, telling her simply to prepare.
The plot description reveals that Chancellor Shen's underlying motive for taking Jiang Taohua to the banquet was that he had realized she had tampered with the secret compartment in his study, a location containing something he highly valued. Although he didn't reveal this to her, he decided to use Prince Wugou's banquet as an opportunity to eliminate her, orchestrating events so that the prince would be responsible for her demise.
Zhan Lu, concerned, asked Chancellor Shen how he would explain to his "master" if the princess, who had only recently married into the household, were harmed. Chancellor Shen replied that since the action would be taken by the prince, he would have no need to offer any explanation himself.
