The Wolf Princess Episode 13 Recap
> The Wolf Princess Recap
Despite Yan Qing's efforts to motivate Ling Long and Yourou through rigorous training, his perceived kindness quickly dissipated when Ling Long discovered he was using them as pawns to cancel his engagement with Yourou. Enraged, Ling Long glued traumatic injury plasters to Yan Qing's face, tricked him into a trash cart, and pushed him into a pond. After he emerged, she chastised him for his manipulative behavior, reminding him how it felt to be deceived by a trusted person.
Their argument escalated, resulting in Yan Qing being pushed back into the water by a hidden mechanism that Ling Long had arranged with military personnel to install. Ling Long then explicitly warned him to stop trespassing on her property, branding his behavior as that of a hooligan.
Yan Qing tried to explain his actions were to protect her from being entangled in his problematic engagement, but Ling Long, firm on respect and boundaries, threatened to expose his schemes to Yourou if he didn't leave. Soon after, Yourou arrived, interrupting the confrontation. Ling Long quickly composed herself and dismissed Yan Qing. Yourou then revealed her purpose: to seek Ling Long's help in a murder case.
Carpenter Zhang was accused of killing Accountant Li for money, a verdict supported by strong evidence. However, Yourou's Mammy Xu, who had raised her and was a long-time friend of Carpenter Zhang, firmly believed in his innocence and asked Yourou to investigate. Yourou, acknowledging Ling Long's superior investigative skills, promised to follow her instructions.
Ling Long agreed to help on two conditions: Yourou would lead the investigation, and she would shed her identity as Lady You for a less conspicuous but officially recognized role. Yourou readily accepted, swiftly acquiring an official order and a token to pose as a scholar. Ling Long, however, cautioned her that her father, General You, would likely soon learn of her covert activities. Indeed, General You, infuriated by Yourou's unauthorized investigation, summoned Yan Qing.
He tasked Yan Qing with acting as a special envoy to subtly deter Yourou, ensuring she would withdraw from the case without damaging their father-daughter relationship or her pride. General You even promised to clear Yan Qing's past transgressions and arrange his wedding to Yourou if he succeeded. Meanwhile, Ling Long and Yourou, disguised as scholars, visited Carpenter Zhang in prison.
Overjoyed, he adamantly denied killing Accountant Li, explaining that Li had summoned him to the grain store that night, leading to an argument when Li insisted he stay. Carpenter Zhang left to meet an old acquaintance but was arrested the next day, accused of murder and attempted escape. When pressed for the identity of his acquaintance, Carpenter Zhang refused, choosing potential execution over implicating an innocent party.
Their interview reached a stalemate just as Yan Qing, in his official capacity, arrived. He warned the two women to cease their interference and consider the repercussions. Realizing Yan Qing was her father's instrument, Yourou fumed, but Ling Long advised her to ignore him unless he directly obstructed their efforts. With no other safe place to stay, Ling Long suggested they reside at Carpenter Zhang's house to learn more about his character.
Yourou, unaccustomed to the dusty, cobweb-laden, and sparsely furnished home, found it a stark contrast to her pampered upbringing. She yearned for a life of freedom and adventure like Ling Long's, lamenting her lack of practical skills. Ling Long encouraged her, emphasizing that it was never too late to learn, and Yourou gradually helped with cleaning. To avoid being recognized in public, Ling Long taught Yourou to cook simple meals using the available ingredients.
Yourou surprisingly displayed a knack for cooking, finding contentment in her newfound abilities. Unseen by them, Yan Qing and Xuanyu watched from the rooftop, both displaying similar expressions of surprise at the deepening bond between Ling Long and Yourou. Though Xuanyu had not interacted much with Yourou, he was already attracted to her forthright personality. Xuanyu even suggested that Yan Qing's methods had unexpectedly brought the two women closer.
Returning to the case, Ling Long theorized that if Accountant Li had initiated the meeting with Carpenter Zhang, it weakened the robbery motive. They visited Accountant Li's widow, who initially confirmed that Li had brought the army ration account book home to secretly copy it and had indeed summoned Carpenter Zhang.
However, when Yan Qing arrived with a group of officials, the widow, fearing the exposure of her husband's illicit actions and the loss of her family's pension, immediately retracted her previous statements, reiterating that Carpenter Zhang was the killer. Yourou was furious at the widow's sudden change, but Ling Long explained the widow's difficult position, identifying the military account book as the true key to solving the murder.
Since they had no authority to access such confidential documents, Ling Long proposed that Yourou approach Yan Qing for help. Reluctantly, Yourou presented Yan Qing with a jar of expensive aged wine from Jinghong Restaurant, offering apologies and requesting his assistance in retrieving the account book. Yan Qing accepted her apology but refused to cooperate, reminding her he was dispatched to prevent her from further investigation and intended to keep the account book himself.
Enraged, Yourou smashed the wine jar and several vases in his study, venting her frustration. Once Yourou had calmed down, Ling Long shrewdly pointed out that Yan Qing possessing the account book actually played into their hands. She proposed a daring plan: Yourou would sneak into Yan Qing's study to "borrow a book."
If caught, she could feign innocence, claiming she mistakenly picked up the army ration account book, thereby shifting the blame onto Yan Qing for his negligence in handling confidential documents. That night, Ling Long stood guard while Yourou stealthily entered Yan Qing's study to retrieve the critical ledger. However, unknown to them, Yan Qing, having anticipated their maneuver, was already waiting outside the mansion gates with a pot of wine, ready for Ling Long.
