Episode Summary
Jiang Taohua wakes with amnesia and is tricked by Mu Wuyin into believing they are engaged.The episode concludes with the arrival of a Beiyuan envoy and a mysterious veiled woman who captures Mu Wuyin's full attention.
Spoiler Alert
The Princess's Gambit Episode 20: A New Game Begins
After her near-death experience, Jiang Taohua awakens, much to the relief of her loyal maid, Qingtai. However, the relief is short-lived as Jiang Taohua seems to be suffering from amnesia, her memory hazy with only fragmented images of her past, including a vision of Mu Wuyin playing music on a rooftop.
Seizing the opportunity, Mu Wuyin steps in. After dismissing the doctor and Qingtai, he confronts Jiang Taohua. He claims that he is the one she was meant to marry in a political alliance and that he spent a fortune to save her life.To ensure his deception holds, Mu Wuyin threatens Qingtai into silence, using the antidote for Jiang Taohua's poison as leverage. He commands Qingtai to serve Jiang Taohua her meals and then immediately hide herself away, never revealing the truth. Qingtai, remembering her mistress's own prior instructions to take her to Mu Wuyin if her plans failed, reluctantly agrees.
Under Mu Wuyin's roof, Jiang Taohua is given a new name, "Meng'er." Though she senses a strange change in Qingtai's behavior, she knows there must be a hidden reason. The plot thickens when Mu Wuyin receives a visit request from his rival, Shen Zaiye. Before the meeting, Mu Wuyin manipulates Jiang Taohua further, accusing her of dallying with another man, which he claims is the reason for their delayed wedding. He plants the name "Shen Zaiye" in her mind as an enemy to be hated. Reacting to fragmented memories of her time with Shen Zaiye, Jiang Taohua kneels and vows to tear the man to pieces if she ever sees him again.
When Shen Zaiye arrives, he makes it clear he is there for Jiang Taohua. Mu Wuyin summons her, but she refuses to come out immediately, claiming fatigue. Shen Zaiye, surprisingly patient, agrees to wait and sits down for tea, remaining in the residence for the entire day.
As night falls, Jiang Taohua finally appears before him. She introduces herself as Meng'er and pretends not to recognize him. Shen Zaiye is visibly stunned and heartbroken.
When Mu Wuyin leaves them alone for a moment, Jiang Taohua coldly warns Shen Zaiye to stay away, informing him of her supposed engagement. She discards the protective talisman he once gave her. As she turns to leave, a flood of memories—fragments of their tumultuous past—overwhelms her. She tearfully tells him that she is from Beiyuan and has never wished to harm anyone, despite being repeatedly framed.
Mu Wuyin returns to find Shen Zaiye looking humbled and defeated before Jiang Taohua, a sight that makes him inwardly scoff at the man he once considered a formidable rival. Shen Zaiye quietly picks up the discarded talisman from the floor and departs. As he leaves, Jiang Taohua is struck by a profound and inexplicable sadness, feeling his pain as if it were her own.
Later, Shen Zaiye connects the dots: Jiang Taohua is cured while his other poisoned agents are not. He deduces that Mu Wuyin must possess the antidote and orders his trusted subordinate, Zhan Lu, to investigate secretly.
The episode ends with a new development: an envoy from Beiyuan, led by Wang Yuanqi, arrives in the Daqi Kingdom, only to be aggressively searched by Zhan Lu's men. Mu Wuyin witnesses the scene, angered by Shen Zaiye's disrespect toward the envoy. Just then, a woman's voice calls out to him from behind. He turns, and though her face is obscured by a thin veil, his eyes light up with intense emotion.
