The Princess's Gambit Episode 8 Recap
> The Princess's Gambit Recap
Prince Wugou ordered every cabinet opened, ensuring no one could hide. At this moment, Wuyin and Wuhen arrived, laughing as they exposed Prince Wugou's identity and involvement with the gambling house. Knowing they were formidable opponents, Prince Wugou stopped the search and instead ordered the gambling house burned down. Shen Zaiye understood this was to destroy evidence, but with two princes as witnesses, he believed Prince Wugou might be quiet for a while.
Meng Zhongyan, the Right Chancellor and Meng Huaijin's father, was furious upon learning of Prince Wugou's actions. He beat Meng Huaijin, blaming him for not stopping Prince Wugou. Prince Wugou, feeling protective of Meng Huaijin, knelt and begged Meng Zhongyan to beat him instead. Meng Zhongyan stopped but sternly admonished Prince Wugou, warning that his reckless behavior nearly caused a disaster that could implicate the entire Meng family.
He reminded Prince Wugou that his position as heir was not secure, especially with potential rivals like the Qin and Duan families and the favored Consort Lan possibly bearing more sons. To mitigate the damage and prevent the incident from being fully exposed, Meng Zhongyan instructed Meng Huaijin to compile a list of the nobles and officials with records at the gambling house.
He planned to visit them with Meng Huaijin to ensure they were also implicated, forcing them to support Prince Wugou. Meanwhile, Wuhen had already submitted a memorandum to the King detailing Prince Wugou's mistakes, the large quantity of counterfeit money, and a list of names. The King recognized this as Wuhen's calculated move against Prince Wugou, clearly planned over a long period.
He debated whether to pursue a full investigation, acknowledging the potential for political upheaval involving nearly half the court. Shen Zaiye advised against further investigation, suggesting that Prince Wugou would likely become more cautious after this incident and that uncovering the full scope would only lead to continued power struggles even if officials were punished. The King agreed to cease the public investigation, giving Prince Wugou only a light reprimand.
However, Shen Zaiye knew that the Meng family had suffered a significant blow to their network and had incurred the King's suspicion, weakening Prince Wugou's position. He also noted that the King ordered the Meng family to compensate for the losses caused by the counterfeit money. Shen Zaiye decided to wait for Meng Zhongyan to reach a dead end. Jiang Taohua proactively completed the "Sunlight over a Thousand Peaks" painting and gave it to Shen Zaiye.
Shen Zaiye questioned if she had hidden anything in the painting, but Jiang Taohua stated that Qingtai's life depended on it and she would not jeopardize her safety. Shen Zaiye found her cunning and remained cautious. In reality, the painting Jiang Taohua gave to Empress Lv was incomplete. She hoped to use Shen Zaiye to uncover the painting's true purpose, thereby understanding Empress Lv's intentions and securing a way to rescue Changjue.
Jiang Taohua went to Yang Wanqing, sharing information but claiming she had only seen half of the painting. She whispered details about the gambling house into Yang Wanqing's ear. Coincidentally, Prince Wugou, who was in a building opposite, spotted the peach blossom mark on Jiang Taohua's arm, the same mark as the woman he gambled with. He immediately ordered his guards to investigate.
However, when he revealed Jiang Taohua's arm, the mark was gone, as she had just taken the antidote which made it disappear. Prince Wugou was stunned. Jiang Taohua quickly slapped him across the face, accusing him of publicly humiliating a minister's concubine. While he was still reeling, Jiang Taohua escaped with Qingtai. However, her voice struck Prince Wugou, confirming she was the woman from the gambling house that night. He instantly ordered his men to pursue them.
Jiang Taohua instructed Qingtai to return and send a message while she fled towards the mountains. The pursuers chased Jiang Taohua into a bamboo forest. Qingtai found Shen Zaiye and knelt, begging him to save Jiang Taohua, but Shen Zaiye remained still, confident that Jiang Taohua's intelligence would allow her to escape. As the pursuers closed in, Jiang Taohua, reflecting on her intricate plans that had led to this desperate situation, knew she had to survive for Changjue.
Just as she prepared to flee, she slipped and nearly fell but was pulled into the embrace of the arriving Shen Zaiye. Shen Zaiye led Jiang Taohua, evading their pursuers by moving through the dense forest until night fell. They hid in a cave as the pursuers searched nearby. Jiang Taohua noticed a snake approaching Shen Zaiye and tried to warn him, but he silenced her, allowing the snake to bite him, though it was not poisonous.
After the pursuers moved on, Jiang Taohua asked if he had come specifically to save her. Shen Zaiye denied it, claiming he needed her alive to verify the painting's authenticity for the counterfeit money investigation. When she felt cold, he draped his outer robe over her, again claiming it was only to avoid the trouble of carrying her out if she fell ill. They built a fire in the cave. Suddenly, they heard wild wolves outside.
Shen Zaiye secured the cave entrance and stood guard outside with his sword, protecting Jiang Taohua. Seeing this, Jiang Taohua smiled, realizing that the painting alone wouldn't compel the Left Chancellor to risk his life for her. The next morning, Jiang Taohua woke up leaning against Shen Zaiye's shoulder, both feeling a bit awkward. As they left, they left marks on the bamboo in the forest to guide anyone searching for them.
They soon met a young girl named Lian digging for bamboo shoots. Jiang Taohua offered her earrings in exchange for food at her home. Lian took the earrings and tried to leave, but Shen Zaiye stopped her, scolding her for trying to trick them. Jiang Taohua intervened, persuading Lian to trust them and take them home. Lian's Granny took a liking to Shen Zaiye, remarking how much he resembled Lian's brother, which Lian disputed, claiming her brother was much handsomer.
At Lian's house, Jiang Taohua and Shen Zaiye cleaned their wounds and changed into simple clothes. Lian's Granny killed a chicken for them to eat, which made Lian cry because it was their only chicken relied on for eggs. Jiang Taohua gave her chicken leg to Lian, who ate it and was so delighted by the taste that she immediately stopped crying and vowed to earn money in the future to buy more chickens.
Later, Lian saw a peddler selling goods and wanted some malt sugar but had no money. Jiang Taohua used her bracelet to buy candy, making the peddler happy. He even gave them some change, which Shen Zaiye noticed was counterfeit money. Shen Zaiye discreetly followed the peddler, surprised to find that counterfeit money was circulating even in this remote village.
That evening, Shen Zaiye discussed the strange aspects of the village with Jiang Taohua – the absence of young men, with only elderly people and children present, and the widespread use of counterfeit money. He decided they should stay for a few days to understand the situation better. He asked Jiang Taohua to talk to the villagers to gather information, as they might be less wary of her, while he pursued more critical matters. Jiang Taohua felt a sense of security, hoping that from now on, she would no longer be oppressed.
