The Princess's Gambit Episode 33 Recap
> The Princess's Gambit Recap
The imperial court was in an uproar as officials demanded an explanation from Prince Wuyin regarding the identity of the woman by his side. Prince Wuyin, however, dismissed their concerns, declaring that no matter Queen Lv’s past, she was now his only wife and the future Queen of Qi.
Jiang Taohua boldly stepped forward, denouncing Queen Lv as a vile and monstrous person who had poisoned rivals, framed the innocent, and even caused bloodshed in the borderlands, deeming her utterly unworthy of being the Queen. Infuriated by the accusations against the woman he called Hua, Prince Wuyin commanded his guards to kill Jiang Taohua.
An elder minister intervened, reminding Prince Wuyin of his earlier proclamation to marry the legitimate daughter of the Meng family, and demanding an explanation for this sudden change. Prince Wuyin retorted sharply, questioning if they also intended to seize his throne on his very first day of ascension.
Another official attempted to temper the situation, suggesting that Prince Wuyin’s attachment to Queen Lv was understandable, as she had been a palace maid who looked after him and helped him rise from a carefree noble to his current position.
Jiang Taohua countered this, exposing Queen Lv’s true nature by revealing her use of poison to control His Majesty, her role in killing the Second Prince, framing the Fourth Prince, and even causing the former Crown Prince’s downfall, implying Prince Wuyin could not have achieved all this alone. The revelation shocked the court, and many officials loudly declared their absolute objection to the marriage, condemning such heinous acts in Qi.
Enraged by their defiance, Prince Wuyin drew his sword, striking down an opposing official and demanding if they still dared to object or demand an explanation. Meanwhile, Meng Zhenzhen, carrying the family leader's seal, arrived at the palace gates, commanding Meng Zhi to open them. Meng Zhi hesitated, warning that Shen Zaiye, accompanied by Zhou Chonghu, leading the Jingji Army, had already passed the west city gate and were moments away, and opening the palace gate now would ruin everything.
Meng Zhenzhen then showed the family leader's seal, reminding Meng Zhi that it represented her father's authority. A flashback showed Meng Zhongyan, feeling uneasy about not being in the palace during the abdication ceremony and wedding, had given the seal to Meng Zhenzhen for her to use to contact Meng Zhi if needed. He also mentioned that Prince Wuyin had ordered him to Qingxiu Temple to guard the Emperor during the ceremony.
Back in the present, Meng Zhenzhen reiterated her order. However, Vice Commander Meng challenged Meng Zhi, stating that General Qi had ordered them to strengthen defenses until Prince Wuyin’s succession was complete. Meng Zhenzhen quickly ordered him to be killed, asking if anyone else dared to oppose her, and forced the palace gates open. Inside, Prince Wuyin, oblivious to the breach, demanded the continuation of the succession ceremony.
Suddenly, Shen Zaiye and Prince Qi, leading their forces, surged into the palace. Prince Wuyin quickly seized Jiang Taohua as a hostage, warning Shen Zaiye to back off. Unmoved, Shen Zaiye declared Prince Wuyin a traitor who had imprisoned the ruler and plotted usurpation, ordering his capture. He offered clemency to any of Prince Wuyin’s co-conspirators who chose to surrender, while threatening those who resisted with the execution of their entire families. Many of Prince Wuyin's soldiers immediately surrendered.
Seeing his plan crumble, Prince Wuyin and Queen Lv fled through the chaos, making their way to Chongde Palace. Within the familiar walls of Chongde Palace, Prince Wuyin revealed it was the place he had chosen for their grave, reminiscing about their childhood there when Queen Lv, whom he called Hua, would lull him to sleep and they would sing nursery rhymes together.
He spoke of how he had meticulously maintained every detail of the palace over the years, calling it the happiest place in his life. Queen Lv, however, vehemently disagreed, declaring Chongde Palace the place she hated most, where every day had been worse than death. She confessed her deep hatred for Prince Wuyin, explaining that all she ever wanted was to be a simple maid.
Instead, he had made her a public target, forced her to endure endless humiliation, ruined her plans for grand achievements after she escaped, and then audaciously dragged her back to Qi with the ridiculous dream of offering her the entire empire as a betrothal gift. Now that she had lost everything, she refused to stay by his side.
As she turned to leave, Prince Wuyin desperately pleaded with her not to abandon him, claiming she was all he had left, and ordering her to stay. Queen Lv defiantly challenged him to kill her, mockingly calling him useless. As he threw down his sword, she snatched it up and ruthlessly plunged it into his chest.
As Queen Lv turned and walked away, Prince Wuyin, in his dying moments, recalled his deep affection for her, how he, San Lang, had given her everything she desired, even turning against his own brother and willingly becoming a pawn for her. He declared that though all their dreams would now be consumed by flames, she would forever owe him for his broken heart, and then, with a final act, he pushed over a candelabra, setting Chongde Palace ablaze.
As the Chongde Palace burned fiercely, Shen Zaiye and Jiang Taohua arrived. Jiang Taohua expressed her bitter disappointment that the woman she had hated for over a decade—the one responsible for her mother’s death, Changjue’s being trapped in the military, and her own exile—had died at someone else’s hands. The hatred lingered, yet there was no one left to hate, a feeling she believed Shen Zaiye couldn't understand. Shen Zaiye, however, replied that he soon would.
News of the fire and a prince's death quickly spread throughout the palace. Xiang Qingying, upon hearing the devastating news, rushed towards the burning palace, distraught and fearing it was Prince Wuxia. Just then, Prince Wuxia appeared, injured but alive. Seeing his bleeding hand, Xiang Qingying burst into tears, lamenting how helpless and isolated she felt when she woke up alone with no news of him.
Prince Wuxia comforted Xiang Qingying, promising he would never push her away again and would keep her by his side forever. He confessed that when he was saving the Emperor at Qingxiu Temple, he was initially relieved she hadn't come due to the dangers. But when he himself faced imminent death, his greatest regret was the thought of dying without seeing her one last time.
It was then he vowed to never push her away again, finally admitting that he had fallen for her. Xiang Qingying, though still tearful, playfully accepted his apology, warning him against any future betrayal. Later, Prince Wuxia was summoned by Prince Qi but was received by Consort Lan. Consort Lan informed him that His Majesty was resting but had asked her to welcome him.
She updated him on the Emperor's health, noting that his addiction to certain pills had lessened, though his body remained weak. Consort Lan then subtly hinted at her influential family background, suggesting that if she were to have a son, his lineage would be beyond reproach, implying a future adoption. Prince Wuxia, sensing the underlying meaning, politely excused himself, stating he needed to prepare the Emperor's medicine.
At his parents’ graves, Shen Zaiye, accompanied by Jiang Taohua, vowed to his deceased parents that he would first take Jiang Taohua to Beiyuan to find an antidote for her deteriorating condition, as she might not have much time left. He promised that upon his return, he would immediately reopen the witchcraft case to clear the Xie family’s name.
Prince Wuxia soon arrived, and Shen Zaiye informed him of his plan to depart for Beiyuan with Jiang Taohua the next day, reiterating his commitment to return and seek justice for Prince Wuxia’s mother, Consort Shu, and the Xie family. Prince Wuxia then revealed Consort Lan’s veiled intentions, explaining that the Emperor planned to have him adopted under Consort Lan’s name, which would effectively erase his birth mother, Consort Shu, from all historical records.
Shen Zaiye understood that the Emperor aimed to secure a respectable lineage for Prince Wuxia as a potential heir, thus making the retrial of the witchcraft case even more urgent. Despite Prince Wuxia’s offer to handle matters while Shen Zaiye traveled with Jiang Taohua, Shen Zaiye insisted that the die was cast and there was no turning back, promising to ensure Jiang Taohua’s well-being. The two brothers in arms pledged to work together to bring the truth to light.
Simultaneously, soldiers under Shen Zaiye's command stormed the Meng Residence, confiscating their assets and preparing the family for exile. Shen Zaiye approached Meng Zhenzhen, offering a way to spare the women and children from the harsh fate of exile. He then proceeded to the imperial prison to confront Meng Zhongyan.
Shen Zaiye revealed his true identity as Xie Jing'an, the son of Xie Guanyu, whose entire family was slaughtered due to Meng Zhongyan's orchestration of the witchcraft case and his confiscation of Xie Guanyu's confession letter. Meng Zhongyan admitted his guilt but scoffed, believing the case to be set in stone after eighteen years and expressing regret only that he hadn't eliminated Shen Zaiye when he had the chance.
Shen Zaiye then informed Meng Zhongyan that his daughter, Meng Zhenzhen, had opened the palace gates for them, a merit that could potentially offset the Meng family's crimes and spare the women and children from execution, leaving their punishment for him to decide. Shocked and disbelieving, Meng Zhongyan furiously demanded to see Meng Zhenzhen, who had been waiting outside the prison cell. Meng Zhongyan angrily accused her of ruining all his efforts.
Meng Zhenzhen, in turn, revealed the devastating truth that Prince Wuyin was marrying Queen Lv of Beiyuan, not her, and that she herself had almost been killed by a maid sent by Wuyin. She questioned her father’s judgment, asking why he believed Wuyin would allow him to command the Imperial Guards instead of sending him to guard the Emperor at Qingxiu Temple, and lamented the current dire state of the Meng family.
Meng Zhenzhen passionately pleaded with her father to write a confession for the sake of the Meng family’s future, reminding him that their ancestors had started from nothing and that the women and children would live on, ensuring the family’s survival. Vowing to protect the Meng clan at all costs, she persuaded him. Meng Zhongyan, after writing his confession, committed suicide within his prison cell.
