American Perspectives: Ma Zhaixing's Wedding ("The Wolf" Ep. 40)

Because there are rumors that Ma Zhaixing and Prince Bo did not behave virtuously when he took her off the battlefield, Ji Chong decides to propose marriage to nip those rumors in the bud.  Ma Zhaixing consents, and for now, any chance of a revived romance between her and Prince Bo is non-existent.  She feels no jealousy when she sees Ji Chong has "The Book Of 100 Flowers" which is a picture book of 100 of the most attractive and available women in the Jin Kingdom. This disappoints Ji Chong as he was hoping for her to be jealous.  Her lack of jealousy is indicative that she doesn't care.  (He's not wrong, or at least, she doesn't care for him "in that way").  He was hoping that the marriage would make her shift her love from Prince Bo to him.  He isn't angry with her, he's disappointed in the situation.  He knows he can't force her feelings.  He also has to accept that he can't save her.

They choose to proceed with the wedding, but it is clearly a union between friends instead of lovers.  Both look gorgeous in their wedding day red, but neither are happy.  Memories of her mock wedding with Prince Bo remain.

She knows she's marrying the wrong person, but she feels like she doesn't have a choice.  While she is shown walking to her wedding, Prince Bo is shown walking to his execution.

Prince Bo is chained up in the Yang Kingdom and ready to burn at the stake.  While waiting at the stake, he learns of Ma Zhaixing's wedding, and expresses his relief.

Ma Zhaixing is walked down the aisle.  There is no wedding crashing this time.  It's for real, even though she doesn't really want it.  Ji Chong does pause the wedding to let her know of Prince Bo's execution, as he can't keep that from her (good boy).  There is a hint of sadness on her face before her eyes turn cold, and she essentially says he got what he deserved, though she does not mean it.  The marriage proceeds and is seemingly cemented forever, but it is not consummated, and that is a key point for future episodes.

The fire is lit at Prince Bo's stake, but he does not burn.  Instead, nature interferes, lightning strikes, the 9 cypresses are struck down, and it begins to rain. Not only that, according to Yao Ji, the King's sacred sword was destroyed by lightning (she actually destroyed it herself).  Therefore, the execution is stopped, Prince Bo is demoted to slave status, and transferred to Qiannu Battallion, a prison filled with people who want to exact their revenge upon him.  Which is laying the ground work for one hell of transition to be seen in the upcoming episodes.