Episode Summary
Shen Zaiye follows Jiang Taohua to Luocheng, where she has a tearful reunion with her long-lost brother, Jiang Changjue. Their meeting is ambushed, revealing a deadly trap set by Empress Lü. They soon uncover an even more sinister plot by Lü Yuanhua to destroy the entire city with saltpeter. While Mu Wuxia argues with a local general over saving civilians, Shen Zaiye chooses to stay and help Jiang Taohua, ultimately realizing that the beautiful sky lanterns being released are the signal for the city's destruction.
Spoiler Alert
"The Princess's Gambit" Episode 29: A City of Traps
The intricate web of plots tightens in Luocheng City as multiple players converge with conflicting agendas. Shen Zaiye, hot on the heels of Jiang Taohua, finally arrives in the city, just as she reunites with her loyal companions, Zhan Lu and Qingtai.
Meanwhile, a strategic disagreement brews between the newly arrived Mu Wuxia and General Dong Lang. Mu Wuxia, eager to rescue the city's trapped civilians from marauding bandits, is frustrated by Dong Lang's narrow focus on merely repelling the enemy without regard for the people's safety. When Mu Wuxia suggests he learn from Shen Zaiye's methods, Dong Lang scoffs, claiming Mu Wuxia knows nothing of real warfare.Undeterred, Mu Wuxia decides to take matters into his own hands, believing the lives of the people are far more important than his own career.
Unseen, Lü Yuanhua lurks in the shadows, meticulously tracking Jiang Taohua's every move. At the same time, Qingtai informs Jiang Taohua that she has seen her brother, Jiang Changjue, leading them to believe he never escaped the city but is hiding somewhere within it. While Qingtai thinks Shen Zaiye's arrival is a blessing, Jiang Taohua is adamant about not letting him risk his life for her.Her plan is simple: find her brother and get out. Shortly after she and Qingtai depart, Shen Zaiye locates Zhan Lu by following a secret marker he left behind.
Jiang Taohua's search leads her to the former Imperial Censor, Liu Jian'an, who confesses that he has been sheltering Jiang Changjue. Overjoyed, Jiang Taohua eagerly awaits the reunion. The siblings, Jiang Taohua and a now grown-up Jiang Changjue, finally meet in a tearful embrace, sharing their long-held fears and sorrows.
The tender moment is violently shattered by an arrow attack. Shen Zaiye and Zhan Lu arrive in the nick of time, deflecting the projectile with a swift throw of a sword. Jiang Taohua tosses a bow to Shen Zaiye, who expertly uses it to drive back their assailants.Unfazed, Shen Zaiye calmly admits he was already aware of the plot.
As they attempt to flee the city, they notice suspicious night soil carriers. After knocking one out, they discover the cart is filled not with waste, but with saltpeter—the key ingredient for gunpowder. They realize with horror that Lü Yuanhua plans to blow up the entire city, and she must be nearby to oversee her devastating plan. Jiang Taohua begs Shen Zaiye to leave, insisting the people of Luocheng are citizens of Beiyuan and not his responsibility, but he refuses, vowing to stay and help avert the catastrophe.
Their efforts to warn the authorities are futile. Jiang Changjue approaches an official, Deng Xiao, about the saltpeter plot, but is dismissed as a liar trying to drag him down.
While searching for the explosives, Shen Zaiye and Jiang Taohua discover a stash on the second floor of a building. An assassin ambushes them, targeting Shen Zaiye. Though Shen Zaiye captures him, the assassin commits suicide before he can be interrogated, leaving Shen Zaiye with a minor wound he brushes off.
In another part of the city, a tense reunion occurs between Mu Wuhen and Lü Yuanhua. He wishes to spend the Sky Lantern Festival with her, but she dismisses him as a distraction. Hurt, Mu Wuhen accuses her of never caring for him. He reveals that their grand plan is in place, lacking only a signal. He reaches for her hand, but she pulls away.
As Xiang Qingying releases a sky lantern with a wish for a happy life with Mu Wuxia, Shen Zaiye and Jiang Taohua take down another operative planting explosives. Jiang Taohua astutely notes the man was staring at the sky, as if waiting for something. In a moment of clarity, Shen Zaiye understands: the sky lanterns are the signal.
