The Wolf Episode 32 Recap
> The Wolf Recap
The newly crowned King of Qitan was in high spirits, drinking until his face was flushed, before his State Priest sent word that it was time to depart for the ancestry shrine on Muye Mountain for ancestral worship. As the King of Qitan left, the atmosphere in the golden tent immediately turned cold. Prince of Bo, silent throughout, observed Princess Pingyuan’s every move while quietly drinking, trying to find a weakness in her facade.
Ma Zhaixing disregarded his provocations and was about to escort Princess Pingyuan away when Prince of Bo blocked their path. He cautioned the princess not to be manipulated, deliberately drawing her attention to an old, weathered drum in the corner of the tent. Prince of Bo noted that the princess seemed frail and wondered if she could truly rally people.
Princess Pingyuan, however, affirmed her trust in the King of Jin, stating her fate would not be like that abandoned drum. Because Princess Pingyuan failed to recognize the drum, Ma Zhaixing led her and Ji Chong away, leaving Prince of Bo to suspect that someone was impersonating the princess. Back at their camp, Ji Chong recalled Prince of Bo's unusual behavior, concluding that Princess Pingyuan's identity was false and that the King of Jin had tricked them all.
To his surprise, Ma Zhaixing revealed it was part of her own risky plan. Ji Chong expressed concern that Prince of Bo had already discovered the truth, which was why he brought up the drum—an ancient heirloom given to the Qitan leader by the previous dynasty, a symbol of the Qitan King's power. A true princess from that dynasty, Ji Chong reasoned, would surely recognize it.
Ma Zhaixing admitted she knew the Princess Pingyuan was an imposter and that the King of Jin had disclosed all risks of the mission, but she chose to proceed because it was the only way to disrupt their enemies from borrowing soldiers. She explained that the woman impersonating Princess Pingyuan was Liu Xin, Princess Pingyuan's personal servant, whom the King of Jin had discovered years ago and trained for this very purpose.
Meanwhile, Youzhen praised Prince of Bo's insight, acknowledging how clever it was to expose the impostor with just a drum, while Ma Zhaixing and Ji Chong remained oblivious. However, Prince of Bo conceded that a drum alone wasn't enough to convince the King of Qitan. He needed "firm evidence." Prince of Bo remembered Chu Zhen, a painter who had served the previous dynasty and had seen Princess Pingyuan's true face. His father had spared such palace servants.
Prince of Bo ordered Mo Xiao to travel to Shenzhou, where Chu Zhen resided, and bring him back discreetly before the coronation ceremony to expose the fake princess. He dismissed Hai Die's concerns about Ma Zhaixing, confident that with Bao Na's backing, the King of Qitan would only reprimand her. Recognizing that Prince of Bo was moving to expose their scheme, Ji Chong resolved to personally intercept Mo Xiao.
To prevent Prince of Bo from noticing their own movements, Ma Zhaixing decided to distract him. She secretly entered the King of Qitan's tent, making a show of inspecting the drum. Hai Die reported Ma Zhaixing's actions to Prince of Bo, who went to investigate. He found Ma Zhaixing gently wiping dust from the drum, accusing her of being "guilty" or trying to "salvage" her plan.
Ma Zhaixing feigned innocence, claiming the princess had sent her to confirm the drum's authenticity, as its age and Prince of Bo's threats had initially obscured its identity. Prince of Bo scoffed at her "making excuses," insisting that her efforts were "futile." Ma Zhaixing then shifted to a philosophical argument, reminding him how she spared his wolf, claiming she learned mercy from Ji Chong and the King of Jin.
She believed righteousness would ultimately prevail, but ominously predicted that Jin's fate, like the previous dynasty's, would eventually be destruction at the hands of Yang. Prince of Bo furiously declared she was "out of line" and moved to restrain her. Their heated exchange was suddenly interrupted by an old Granny. Earlier, during their struggle, Prince of Bo had pulled Ma Zhaixing into his arms, and she was left holding one end of a sash while he held the other.
The Granny was alarmed to find them holding the green and white sashes. She explained that these sashes were for the upcoming Festival of Fire Dance and were meant to be tied by the King for all lovers. Prince of Bo, impatient, reluctantly agreed to perform the traditional ritual with Ma Zhaixing to "get this over with." Ma Zhaixing deliberately prolonged the ceremony, seeking to buy more time for Ji Chong.
After the ritual, Prince of Bo expressed his disdain for the situation and quickly left. Ma Zhaixing thanked the Granny for her assistance in stalling Prince of Bo, and the Granny admitted that while she played along to help, the sashes genuinely blessed lovers, though she conceded it was unlikely for Ma Zhaixing and Prince of Bo. Later that evening, Prince of Bo's men captured Liu Xin.
Prince of Bo brought her before Ma Zhaixing, taunting her about Liu Xin's mistake that jeopardized her plan. He then handed Ma Zhaixing a bow, commanding her to execute Liu Xin herself, promising to plea to the King of Qitan on her behalf, claiming she was merely a victim of the King of Jin's deception. Ma Zhaixing, torn and distraught, refused, begging him to spare Liu Xin, offering to take the blame herself.
Prince of Bo publicly shamed her, stating her "indecisiveness" and "soft-heartedness" were weaknesses that prevented her from achieving true revenge, reminding her of past missed opportunities to kill him and asserting that her family's blood feud would remain unavenged if she continued to be so. He ordered Hai Die to take Liu Xin away, leaving Ma Zhaixing in anguish. Prince of Bo continued to humiliate Ma Zhaixing, challenging her commitment to revenge.
Driven by a surge of hatred, anger, and indignation, Ma Zhaixing finally seized the wolf bow and aimed at Prince of Bo, declaring her intention to kill him to avenge her father and save Liu Xin. As the arrow flew towards Prince of Bo's back, Youzhen suddenly rushed forward, shielding his Third Brother and taking the arrow himself. The sudden turn of events happened in a flash.
Ma Zhaixing dropped the wolf bow and rushed to check on Youzhen's wound, but Prince of Bo violently pushed her to the ground, the tenderness and affection he once held for her vanishing instantly. Despite the chaos, Ma Zhaixing, in a fit of rage, declared to Prince of Bo that she had proven she could kill him. Meanwhile, Mo Xiao had successfully located Chu Zhen and was resting with him at an inn in Wu Town.
Unexpectedly, Ji Chong, who had been following them, burst in and forced Chu Zhen to hand over the portrait of Princess Pingyuan. Although Ji Chong made off with the painting, Mo Xiao was unconcerned, knowing that Chu Zhen could easily redraw it. As Ji Chong rode away, intent on destroying the evidence, he was stunned to discover that the princess depicted in the portrait bore an astonishing resemblance to Ma Zhaixing.
Prince of Bo had Ma Zhaixing bound and brought before the King of Qitan for judgment. Bao Na rushed to Ma Zhaixing's side, expressing concern for Youzhen and pleading with the King of Qitan, reminding him that Ma Zhaixing was her best friend and that she herself would not want to live if Ma Zhaixing died.
Furious at being tricked, the King of Qitan accused Ma Zhaixing of making him a "fool" and declared he would not spare her or Liu Xin, leaving Ma Zhaixing's fate in Prince of Bo's hands. Prince of Bo reiterated his harsh philosophy, stating that showing mercy to an enemy was cruelty to oneself, reminding Ma Zhaixing of her past failures to kill him.
Bao Na desperately interceded again, warning Prince of Bo that Youzhen would hate him if Ma Zhaixing were killed. Prince of Bo, unmoved, continued to press for Ma Zhaixing's execution, stating, "A life for another, that's only fair." Just as Prince of Bo moved to carry out the execution, Ji Chong burst in, calling for a halt. He boldly declared that the King of Qitan was about to harm the daughter of his own benefactor. He then unrolled the painting, revealing it to the astonished King of Qitan and proclaiming that Ma Zhaixing was, in fact, Princess Pingyuan's biological daughter.
