The Princess's Gambit Episode 9 Recap
> The Princess's Gambit Recap
When Jiang Taohua woke up, she found that Shen Zaiye had already chopped a large pile of firewood. Xiaolian was about to bring him a towel to wipe his sweat, but upon seeing Jiang Taohua, she hurriedly handed the towel to her, asking her to do it instead. Jiang Taohua stood before Shen Zaiye, so nervous and unsure of what to do that she froze. Shen Zaiye simply took the towel and wiped his own sweat, sparing her the embarrassment.
During the meal, Shen Zaiye suggested staying for a few more days. Xiaolian complained that he was going back on his word, saying they had agreed to stay just one day. Xiaolian’s grandmother liked Shen Zaiye and immediately agreed. Shen Zaiye promised to do all the farmwork in the household starting today. He helped the family reclaim some wild fields, while Xiaolian, worried they might have other motives, insisted on keeping a close eye on the two of them.
While resting, Jiang Taohua sighed that the current pastoral life was quite peaceful, but Shen Zaiye remarked that not everyone could be so fortunate. Jiang Taohua responded that it was enough to preserve a piece of peace in the heart. At that moment, in Shen Zaiye’s eyes, Jiang Taohua seemed sincere rather than pretending, and he wished she wasn’t the Princess of Beiyuan.
Zhan Lu forbade Xiang Qingying from going out and ordered people to keep watch, but Xiang Qingying climbed over the wall and escaped, just in time to run into Mu Wuxia. Upon hearing that Shen Zaiye and Jiang Taohua had been gone for two days, Mu Wuxia worried that something bad had happened after Jiang Taohua slapped the heir and insisted on helping her search. Although he didn’t know martial arts, he believed his mind was sharp.
While Shen Zaiye was looking for something, a half-finished Sunlight over a Thousand Peaks painting drawn by Jiang Taohua accidentally fell out. Infuriated, he stormed off to confront her but overheard Jiang Taohua saying she was preparing bamboo shoots for his meal. Though he stopped in his tracks, he reminded himself not to trust Jiang Taohua again and regretted risking his life to save her. Shen Zaiye angrily went to dig the fields.
Jiang Taohua was puzzled and, after Xiaolian reminded her, decided to go coax him. In her heart, she feared another woman might take Shen Zaiye from her. However, Shen Zaiye responded coldly, and Jiang Taohua was annoyed at how quickly his mood could change. Although Xiang Qingying prided herself on being a heroine, she was naïve and innocent.
While searching for Shen Zaiye with Mu Wuxia, she described him as handsome, refined, and kind-hearted—all traits Mu Wuxia believed did not fit Shen Zaiye at all. At this rate, they would never find him. During a meal, a woman asked for help. Xiang Qingying rushed to assist her despite Mu Wuxia’s warning and ended up being robbed of all her belongings, even her clothes, and was forced to wear rags.
Just as Mu Wuxia scolded her for acting without thinking, she became angry and walked off, only to then discover marks Shen Zaiye had left behind. The two resumed their search. While chatting with the villagers, Jiang Taohua subtly inquired why there were no men in the village and learned it was due to Shen Zaiye. They used to live elsewhere and farm their own land until one day, officials came and confiscated it, suppressing them.
They managed to escape thanks to someone’s help. Later, they learned the court nobles coveted their land and labeled them rebels. Xiaolian’s grandmother wept, saying even Xiaolian’s brother had gone missing, and they were all deeply worried. In truth, Jiang Taohua didn’t believe the story and teased Shen Zaiye for having enemies everywhere. Shen Zaiye stubbornly admitted it was his doing and insisted those people were weak and deserved to be dealt with.
This sparked a heated argument between them, which Xiaolian overheard, realizing the man before her was Shen Zaiye. The next day, Xiaolian offered to take Jiang Taohua and Shen Zaiye to town. Shen Zaiye sensed something was off and silently followed. Once in town, Jiang Taohua also noticed Xiaolian’s strange, uncharacteristically quiet behavior. Shen Zaiye became aware of multiple people lying in ambush. Xiaolian, unable to bear harming Jiang Taohua, suddenly told her to run, revealing the trap.
Thanks to this warning, they escaped safely. On the way back, Shen Zaiye angrily questioned Xiaolian about luring them to town. Xiaolian directly exposed Shen Zaiye’s identity, accusing him of being the notorious J Prime Minister. Shen Zaiye glared at her fiercely, demanding she reveal everything she knew, or else—before he could finish, Xiaolian burst into tears. Jiang Taohua quickly pulled her into her arms, and Shen Zaiye, feeling awkward, stopped pressing her.
Jiang Taohua comforted Xiaolian and asked about her brother. Years ago, someone came to recruit workers in the village. Her brother joined, despite her objections, hoping to support the family. He promised to send money and letters, and although silver arrived every month, she never received a single letter. So, Xiaolian was certain something had happened to him. Xiaolian confessed she had wanted revenge, but although Shen Zaiye was cruel, Jiang Taohua was kind.
She couldn’t bring herself to hurt her. Jiang Taohua comforted her, saying she believed the J Prime Minister could help rescue her brother. But Shen Zaiye showed no intention of helping. Watching Jiang Taohua protect Xiaolian, he warned her that one day she would be held back by the girl. Xiang Qingying and Mu Wuxia reached the mountain and happened to meet Xiaolian’s grandmother carrying goods. The two offered to help, earning the old woman’s gratitude.
She told them about Shen Zaiye and Jiang Taohua and offered to take them to see the pair. When Jiang Taohua and Shen Zaiye returned, they were surprised to see extra bowls and chopsticks. Shen Zaiye instinctively grabbed a stick, suspecting enemies, but he unintentionally shielded Jiang Taohua behind him. Xiang Qingying and Mu Wuxia then appeared behind them, also surprising the two. Xiaolian noticed that Mu Wuxia and Shen Zaiye looked somewhat alike.
Mu Wuxia kept asking about Jiang Taohua but paid no attention to Shen Zaiye. Xiang Qingying, upset at his bias, objected, but Mu Wuxia thought Shen Zaiye was too cunning to need his concern. When Xiang Qingying spoke rudely, Shen Zaiye scolded her, saying their statuses were different and she should not offend Mu Wuxia. In retaliation, Xiang Qingying splashed water on Jiang Taohua, saying since Mu Wuxia cared for her, it wasn’t a crime and might provoke him.
Jiang Taohua wasn’t someone to be bullied—she immediately splashed water back at Shen Zaiye. Thus, Xiang Qingying splashed Jiang Taohua, Jiang Taohua splashed Shen Zaiye, and Mu Wuxia hurried to shield Jiang Taohua with his own body. Shen Zaiye got up and left. Jiang Taohua thought he was angry and quickly went to catch up. Mu Wuxia and Xiang Qingying sensed something was off and asked Xiaolian what had happened. Xiaolian said Jiang Taohua and Shen Zaiye might be worried about the matters in the village lately.
