The Wolf Episode 23 Recap
> The Wolf Recap
Ma Zhaixing confronted Emperor Chu Kui, presenting a letter that accused Second Prince Chu Yougui of colluding with the Jin Kingdom and being the internal spy who orchestrated the annihilation of her family. She asserted that Chu Yougui had used similar treacherous methods before, during the Prince of Bo's mission to Qidan. Ma Zhaixing passionately implored Chu Kui to re-investigate the Ma Manor case, offering to assist with all details.
However, Chu Kui, enraged by her defiance and accusations against a prince, commanded her to be silent and strictly forbade any further investigation. He then ordered Ma Zhaixing's immediate imprisonment for spreading rumors. News of Ma Zhaixing's imprisonment quickly reached the Prince of Bo Manor. Yao Ji, who had orchestrated the entire confrontation by providing Ma Zhaixing with a forged letter, openly admitted her manipulation to the Prince of Bo.
When he threatened to expose her, Yao Ji retaliated by reminding him of the fate of Hong'er, warning that if Chu Kui discovered the truth, the entire Prince of Bo Manor and the Night Fiends would face severe consequences. Meanwhile, Chu Kui confronted the Prince of Bo, questioning his knowledge of the letter. Chu Kui expressed his regret for sparing Ma Zhaixing's life years ago, acknowledging her exceptional intelligence and strategic mind.
He revealed his plan: to order the Ma Family Army to attack the Jin Kingdom's heavily fortified Taibao Battalion. Chu Kui intended to use the Ma Family Army as a disposable force, allowing them to be decimated in battle, thus eliminating Ma Zhaixing's value and, ultimately, her life. He warned the Prince of Bo to ensure Ma Zhaixing abandoned any thought of re-investigating the case.
Back at the Prince of Bo Manor, Mo Xiao and Hai Die fretted over Ma Zhaixing, with Mo Xiao blaming himself for underestimating Yao Ji. Their despair deepened when the Prince of Bo returned, his body ravaged by a recurring illness: dark veins pulsed on his neck, and black blood seeped from his lips. Wen Yan recognized the severity of the relapse, which the Prince had been suppressing, and immediately suspected Yao Ji's involvement.
They moved him to a secret room, where Hai Die secured him with the agonizing, spiked Heart Chains. Distraught, Wen Yan confessed to the others that he valued the Prince's newfound happiness over his duties as a Night Fiend. Realizing the urgency, he sent Hai Die to the prison to reassure Ma Zhaixing, while he resolved to take the blame for everything to frame Yao Ji and protect the Prince.
Simultaneously, Ma Zhaixing, in prison, asked Hai Die to help her draft a blood letter to Chu Kui, taking sole responsibility for her actions to protect the Prince of Bo. Meanwhile, Wen Yan confessed to Chu Kui, claiming he had previously failed to kill Hong'er due to her resemblance to his deceased sister. He alleged that Yao Ji discovered this failure and blackmailed him into forging the letter to frame Ma Zhaixing.
Wen Yan also revealed that Yao Ji had used "Wolf Bone Flower" poison to trigger the Prince of Bo's illness, incapacitating him. He stated that evidence—including the bodies of Hong'er and the Duan family's old servant, a forged seal, and the poison—could be found in the Grand Diviner Palace. A skeptical Chu Kui ordered a search, and when the guards uncovered the evidence, he furiously accused Yao Ji of manipulation and had her arrested, sealing her palace.
Chu Kui then arranged a meeting between Yao Ji and Ma Zhaixing in the prison. Yao Ji confessed to Ma Zhaixing that she had orchestrated the plot to make the Prince of Bo suffer the pain of losing a loved one. She warned Ma Zhaixing to leave him, claiming their future was cursed.
After Ma Zhaixing was released, Chu Kui told her that Yao Ji, in her scheme, had stabbed the Prince of Bo to prevent him from intervening, leaving him comatose. Believing this lie, a frantic Ma Zhaixing rushed to his side. Once she was gone, Chu Kui privately reiterated that Ma Zhaixing was too clever to be kept alive and that the Prince's current state was a necessary lesson against emotional attachments.
He then received a military report confirming the location of the Taibao Battalion and finalized his resolve to send the Ma Family Army to their doom. Arriving at the Prince of Bo’s chambers, Ma Zhaixing found him pale and unconscious. She was consumed by guilt, blaming herself for his suffering, realizing Yao Ji had used her to harm him.
Vowing to remain by his side, she reflected on how he had always protected her, while she had failed him in return. As dawn broke, the Prince of Bo stirred and opened his eyes. Seeing Ma Zhaixing by his bedside, he softly called her name, reaching out to touch her hair. Ma Zhaixing, startled awake, assured him she would not leave, and a faint smile graced the Prince of Bo’s face as he awoke.
