Episode 15 recap: Qiqiao Festival, Sighing Under the Moon
Meng Wan found Wu Lian and asked him to annul his engagement with Lin Ru Lan. Wu Lian agreed, but on the condition that Meng Wan return all the embroidery skills she learned at the Yan Yu Embroidery House. Without hesitation, Meng Wan picked up the porcelain on Wu Lian's table and smashed it viciously against her own hand. She wanted to settle the score for Lin Ru Lan and reminded Wu Lian to keep his promise before leaving.
Seven years ago, Tian Xiao Ling knelt down to pray for Li Chun Feng's blessings. The news of Wu Lian taking Lin Ru Lan as a concubine spread widely, and the embroidery women discussed it with each other. However, Tian Xiao Ling didn't want to be involved in their discussions.
Meng Wan's aunt had responded and agreed to look at the marriage proposal. Meng Wan resisted her mother's desire to get married, but her mother didn't care. She only knew that after getting married, Meng Wan would have a worry-free life. Meng Wan threatened her mother, but her mother mocked her, believing that Meng Wan thought she could wander the world without getting married. Hearing those words, Meng Wan finally understood that her mother had intentionally faked illness to avoid her and had received a definite answer. Meng Wan left her meal, got up, and went to find Lin Ru Lan.
When she arrived at the Lin family's medicine shop, Meng Wan was stopped by Lin's mother at the door. Lin Ru Lan had been wanting to be alone these past few days and didn't want to see anyone, despite Meng Wan's pleas. Meng Wan, who was unwilling to give up, blocked Lin Lang at the door. Worried about her sister, Lin Lang eventually agreed to follow Meng Wan's arrangement. If they could return the betrothal gifts, the Wu family couldn't force them into the marriage. The only way to turn the tide was to find a way to return the betrothal gifts.
Meng Wan personally went to Wu Lian's room and stood in front of the plum blossom painting, waiting for Wu Lian's arrival. When she saw Wu Lian, Meng Wan immediately pointed out Ding Ru's death. However, Wu Lian insisted that Ding Ru had committed suicide by jumping into the well. Meng Wan threatened Wu Lian firmly, saying that she could go and tell Chen Zhi Fu herself that she saw Wu Lian push Ding Ru into the well. In the next moment, Meng Wan felt her breath being cut off. Wu Lian's large hand was squeezing her neck. In her dying moments, Wu Lian finally let go, and Meng Wan gasped for fresh air after being reborn.
Wu Lian turned around to wash his hands. He agreed to annul the engagement on the condition that Meng Wan return all the embroidery skills she learned at the Yan Yu Embroidery House. Before Wu Lian could finish speaking, Meng Wan immediately picked up the porcelain on Wu Lian's table and smashed it against her own hand. One hit... two hits... She wanted to settle the score for Lin Ru Lan. Blood dripped from Meng Wan's fingers onto the ground. As she turned to leave, she reminded Wu Lian to keep his promise. Wu Da Niang Zi, who was watching from a distance, witnessed everything but still couldn't understand why Lin Ru Lan refused to marry into the Wu family.
Lin Ru Lan requested permission from her mother to visit the embroidery house and retrieve her personal belongings from her chamber. Despite her mother's concerns and attempts to stop her, Lin Ru Lan couldn't be persuaded. She had Lin Lang follow her back to the Yan Yu Embroidery House. However, when they arrived at the embroidery house, they were stopped by the guards at the entrance. Even if Lin Ru Lan tried to force her way in, it was not allowed. It was only when Wu Da Niang Zi appeared and ordered the guards that Lin Ru Lan was finally allowed to enter the embroidery house.
Lin Ru Lan stood side by side with Wu Da Niang Zi. Without hesitation, Lin Ru Lan asked Wu Da Niang Zi if she would have nightmares at night, but Wu Da Niang Zi ignored her and left. Watching Lin Ru Lan return to the embroidery building, the embroiderers whispered behind her back. Lin Ru Lan looked at everything familiar inside the room and recalled the day she came out, full of longing and hope for everything. The unfinished embroidery pattern and the linen bedsheets shattered all the memories. Lin Ru Lan took out the hairpin she cherished from before the mirror. It was a gift personally given to her by Wu Lian, but now everything was different.
Lin Ru Lan brought some of Ding Ru's belongings, burned them, and threw them into the well. Tian Xiao Ling witnessed everything while packing her things, wanting to leave quietly. However, Lin Ru Lan recognized her and kindly reminded Tian Xiao Ling to leave this place. But Tian Xiao Ling, who didn't understand everything, admired the Yanyu Embroidery Building, which was unique in the world, and was unwilling to leave. She bid farewell to Lin Ru Lan and stayed behind.
Lin Lang was absent-minded all day. Finally, she mustered up the courage to propose returning the dowry to her mother. But things had come to this point, and Lin Ru Lan's reputation in Huaizhou Prefecture was completely ruined. No decent family would be willing to let her marry into their household. Now, the best option was the only one left. At least, she could live a peaceful life without causing trouble in the future. While discussing, Lin Ru Lan appeared at the door and took the initiative to propose marriage. Lin's mother hugged her daughter tightly, tears in her eyes.
Lin Ru Lan finally agreed to meet Meng Wan. At first glance, Lin Ru Lan noticed Meng Wan's injured hand. She comforted her and asked her to sit down. Seeing Lin Ru Lan suddenly change her mind, Meng Wan felt uneasy in her heart, but she could only respect her decision. Lin Ru Lan removed Meng Wan's gauze and personally applied medicine and bandaged her wound. Meng Wan anxiously reminded Lin Ru Lan to take care of herself.
On the other side, Wu Lian elegantly fed the fish, and Wu Da Niang Zi suggested tidying up the Wutong Garden. However, Wu Lian casually mentioned a deserted room in the backyard, and Wu Da Niang Zi did not dare to say more and left. Wu Lian picked up the fish that had fallen to the ground with his bare hands.
During the Qiqiao Festival, the streets and alleys were bustling. Tian Xiao Ling happily admired the rabbit lanterns. When she turned around and saw Lin Ru Lan, the two locked eyes. Tian Xiao Ling quickened her pace, and the two passed each other. Li Chun Feng stood side by side with Tian Xiao Ling and couldn't bear to see Lin Ru Lan misunderstood. Tian Xiao Ling understood clearly that Lin Ru Lan had no future.
On the bridge, Tian Xiao Ling shyly handed over the collection of Qiao Zhizhi's previous works that she had prepared in advance. Most of his works were lost, and they were hard to find in the market. Li Chun Feng's eyes lit up as he looked at the collection. Then, Tian Xiao Ling took Li Chun Feng to a clothing store and personally picked out a new outfit for him. Seeing that it was getting late, the two hurriedly bid farewell and left.
On the other side, Meng Wan put down her own lantern with blessings for Lin Ru Lan. As Lin Ru Lan wandered around, she bumped into Shen Mu and smiled, reassuring him not to worry. After a brief and subtle conversation, the two bid farewell. Lin Ru Lan approached Meng Wan, placed her empty lantern beside her, and watched the lanterns floating farther along the river. Both of them had their own thoughts. Before parting, Lin Ru Lan took out a letter and asked Meng Wan to give it to Shen Mu on the ninth day at the hour of Xu.
Li Chun Feng brought the rabbit that Tian Xiao Ling liked and arrived at the Yanyu Embroidery Building. The two smiled at each other. Although Tian Xiao Ling liked it very much, she entrusted it to Li Chun Feng to take good care of it because such items were not allowed in the embroidery building. Watching Tian Xiao Ling's receding figure, Li Chun Feng's heart stirred with waves of emotions.
In fact, for Rulan, exposing Wu Lian is no longer a matter of winning or losing. It is the first strike that awakens the self-indulgent and victimized young girls, and the first sharp knife to counter the shameless and arrogant powerful figures.
After the first failed court appearance, Rulan's mindset has clearly changed. She has shifted from seeking justice for herself to exposing Wu Lian's wrongdoing. She has moved from being immersed in her own pain of being deceived to actively extending a helping hand to others in need.
Even when falsely accused of colluding with bandits, she does not back down. It's because she firmly believes in her heart that justice and truth should be upheld, and that everyone, regardless of who they are, should receive fair assistance.
Miss Gao and the embroiderers use the excuse of protecting the reputation of those who have entered the embroidery building to provide false testimony for Wu Lian. Is seeking justice for all the harmed individuals wrong?
Should we allow more ignorant young girls to fall into the abyss just because others have suffered great losses? Whether it's for your own reputation, so-called "admiration," or being coerced by power, by becoming accomplices to the tiger without distinguishing between good and evil, you will ultimately contribute to the demise of future victims!
The main reason why Meng Wan doesn't act recklessly like Lin Ru Lan is that she sees through the essence of the world. She is well aware that, no matter how hard two people try, they cannot change it.
Meng Wan grew up in an unhappy family.
She genuinely wanted to change the miserable state of her family, but after numerous efforts, she realized her powerlessness. Therefore, Meng Wan had long understood that the reality of society is not fair just because you work hard.
Compared to Lin Ru Lan, Meng Wan is more aware of her own limitations and how small she is. It is highly possible that fighting against the system would only bring harm to those around her and shatter her reputation completely.
Lin Ru Lan grew up under the love and care of her parents and older brother. She naively believes that as long as she works hard, justice will come to her. Lin Ru Lan believes in the law and is willing to trust that government officials have a conscience.
She thinks that presenting evidence will bring about justice.
On the other hand, Meng Wan is almost disappointed with this world. She is more inclined to believe that she can change some things with her own abilities, but cannot achieve a complete transformation.
Lin Ru Lan oversimplifies everything and is unaware of the dangers of society. The education Lin Ru Lan received teaches us that we should not spoil children and shield them from the harsh realities of society.
Meng Wan's mother appears to be somewhat self-righteous, imposing her own ideas onto her daughter. She doesn't understand the importance of respecting her daughter's thoughts.
In her mind, women should rely on their husbands. Whatever the husband says, the woman should follow. If the woman is divorced and returns home, then she has no support.
In her mother's perspective, she has never considered that women can rely on their own abilities to support themselves. She believes that as long as Meng Wan leaves Huai Prefecture and her family, she won't be able to live a good life.
However, in Meng Wan's mind, she has already learned a skill at the Yan Yu Embroidery Pavilion that can sustain her livelihood. Even if she leaves Huai Prefecture and the judgmental gazes of those people, she can live a better life.
Meng Wan's mindset is clearly more progressive than her mother's. The conversations between Meng Wan and her mother resemble those between people from different generations.
Meng Wan has gradually started to learn how to fight against society, while her mother has long been poisoned by the idea that a woman's world revolves around her husband, giving up any possibility of resistance.
If Meng Wan's mother had asked for Meng Wan's opinion before doing those things, perhaps it wouldn't have resulted in Meng Wan ultimately going against her mother's wishes.
Wu Lian carries the burden of numerous women's lives and should have repaid it all long ago!
Wu Lian is well aware of the impact of his actions on the hearts of these girls, which has even led to the loss of many lives.
In reality, Wu Lian harbors a great sense of luck regarding his deeds! He believes that even if these women speak up, not many people would believe them. Moreover, in order to protect their own reputation, they wouldn't dare to publicly expose the fact that they were mistreated.
It is precisely because of the discrimination against women and the demands for their purity in that era that gave Wu Lian an opportunity to exploit, allowing him to shamelessly engage in those despicable acts.
This society has provided a protective shield for Wu Lian's behavior, making it extremely courageous for anyone to expose everything to the public.
If this were to happen in the present day, more women would probably dare to speak up, and Lin Ru Lan wouldn't appear so helpless and isolated.
Although Wu Lian did not directly kill these women, it is because of his actions that such outcomes have occurred. He should be held accountable for his behavior!
Carrying the weight of so many lives, can he truly sleep peacefully?
Perhaps apprehending him earlier would have granted his soul some relief.
Meng Wan understands the importance of self-reflection. She knows that her own abilities are too weak, which is why she doesn't directly choose to confront Wu Lian, but instead plans slowly and strategically.
Meng Wan's chosen approach is to trap everyone within her scheme, making them all follow her plan whether they like it or not.
The wife of the Duke of Ningguo helps Meng Wan not out of genuine willingness but because, in this situation, she has no choice but to choose Meng Wan.
Because even if she chose Wu Lian at this point, it would be futile and would only lead to her own downfall.
The wife of the Duke of Ningguo is well aware of her predicament and understands that if she doesn't choose Meng Wan in this situation, she would also become a casualty.
Meng Wan chooses to unite with Liu Xin, Li Chun Feng, and others to regain past justice.
Meng Wan has a clear understanding of how each person thinks and knows how to manipulate their desires.
Meng Wan will never believe that those bad people within the court will simply stand on her side for no reason, but she can bind them to her through their own self-interest.
By placing herself within the realm of strategy, Meng Wan obtains everything she desires.
Feng Da is actually a reckless man. If he feels the need to repay a favor, he will do so without hesitation. As the second-in-command of the Black Wind Gang, he doesn't understand how to handle relationships between ordinary people.
As a bandit, he only knows how to act according to his own desires. If someone shows him kindness, he believes he must repay that kindness. If anyone tries to harm those who have shown him kindness, he will undoubtedly confront them.
Even after many years, Feng Da will not forget the debt he owes to Lin Ru Lan. As long as Meng Wan finds Feng Da, he will lend a helping hand. Compared to Wu Lian, Feng Da's temperament is more straightforward.
He will do what he believes is right and actively prevent any definite wrongs. Interacting with Feng Da doesn't require a lot of complexity. If you speak in convoluted terms, Feng Da may not even understand what you're talking about.
If you want Feng Da to do something, simply tell him directly what he should do. Although Feng Da may be a rough man, he is a man of integrity, earning great admiration.
It's no wonder Lou Ming Zhang dares to be friends with Feng Da, even though they have only known each other for a short time.
Formerly, Lin Ru Lan believed that no matter what she did, her loved ones would stand by her side. She dared to do so much because she had faith that her family would always be her backing, allowing her to bravely forge ahead.
When her brother asked if she framed Wu Lian, her heart sank in despair! If even her own family didn't believe her, would anyone else truly trust her?
When her innocence seemed irreparable, and she saw Wu Lian getting away with it, Lin Ru Lan couldn't allow such a thing to happen.
However, relying solely on her own strength and trying to make others believe her became an almost impossible task.
When Lin Ru Lan donned the red wedding dress, she no longer expected to come back alive.
She only hoped to use her power to make Wu Lian pay the price.
Lin Ru Lan, who lost the support of her family, undoubtedly became weak and powerless!
In reality, I once encountered a girl who possessed a strong sense of self-protection. She never attended company gatherings or went out with anyone. She carried a knife and pepper spray in her bag, among other precautions.
She even refused to drink water bought by her colleagues.
What's even more cautious is that, in order to verify that her husband was a gentleman, she remained chaste before marriage and took a long time to be intimate after tying the knot.
She never engaged in conversations with men other than her partner and had only me as her friend due to social anxiety.
Her awareness of self-defense was incredibly high. In her own words, she had watched too many legal dramas and police shows, which made her subconsciously think three steps ahead with every move.
She would even imagine any possible risks on her way to work or how to avoid certain situations.
Later, she mentioned that her dream was to become a police officer. She cared about every detail and every little thing, and even people would trigger her endless associations.
Now, she has achieved her dream.
Meng Wan and Lin Ru Lan are both individuals who dare to confront fate, but they have different approaches to fighting against it. Meng Wan clearly understands how society operates and the numerous demands it places on women.
She doesn't simply rely on others to help her and, after witnessing what happened to Lin Ru Lan, she has come to realize that if she doesn't scheme and calculate, she will have no choice but to swallow her grievances.
On the other hand, Lin Ru Lan chooses to directly confront Wu Lian. In her eyes, as long as she presents evidence, the magistrate will undoubtedly stand by her side. However, in reality, even if Lin Ru Lan presents evidence in court and presents her case well, the magistrate will not straightforwardly convict Wu Lian.
Instead, he will choose to help cover it up to please the wife of the Duke of Ningguo.
The relationships within the imperial court are chaotic and complex, something that these young women couldn't have anticipated.
Meng Wan appears to be more composed in handling such situations. Before taking any action, Meng Wan always considers self-preservation and protecting her own life.
On the other hand, Lin Ru Lan is solely focused on seeking justice, even if it means sacrificing everything.
If it weren't for Lin Ru Lan's death, perhaps the present-day Meng Wan wouldn't have been determined to confront Wu Lian.
It is because of Lin Ru Lan's previous resistance that we have the current Meng Wan.
In the present context, Wu Lian is someone who knows how to exploit legal loopholes. Although he is involved in selling tribute goods, he manipulates the quality of the embroidery from small details. Wu Lian is well aware that the royal selection process for tribute goods involves strict screening.
If the embroidery he produces is not chosen as tribute goods, it will end up in the market.
By making certain alterations to those small details in his embroidery, he ensures that it doesn't meet the standards of tribute goods. However, as someone who is unfamiliar with the craft, it is difficult to discern these changes.
When these items are sold abroad, people there are unaware of our country's culture and the differences between auspicious patterns. It becomes even more unlikely for them to notice the distinctions in the Yan Yu embroidery...
Wu Lian's years of involvement in smuggling and illicit trade clearly indicate that he always keeps an escape route for himself and is reluctant to trust Zhao Yin.
Wu Lian possesses a clear understanding of the law and knows how to exploit legal loopholes. Since the embroidery doesn't meet the requirements for tribute goods, he believes it is reasonable to sell it to anyone.
Although Zhao Yin is an official responsible for managing foreign trade, he is also a member of the common people.
There is no rule prohibiting him from purchasing these embroidered goods! If one truly wants to convict Wu Lian through a smuggling case, it would require cross-referencing price lists and accounts and finding the authentic records.
That would be a monumental task!
Wu Lian's mind is actually somewhat perverted. In his eyes, his wife had once been defiled by her cousin, so she is impure. If others can treat their wives that way, and he couldn't have his wife's virginity, then he would take the virginity of other girls.
In Wu Lian's mind, his wife is not pure. He is unwilling to touch his own wife. In fact, Wu Lian enjoys the process of bullying other women and relishes in the fact that he has taken away someone else's innocence.
In Wu Lian's eyes, once he has touched these girls, they become impure. Changing the silk bed sheets to rough cloth signifies that these girls are no longer worthy of the silk sheets. If the silk sheets were still used by these girls, it would be unworthy.
In reality, throughout this entire process, the dirtiest person is Wu Lian himself. He abuses his power, disrespects others, defiles them, and fails to cherish his own life... Such a person is the least deserving of respect from others!
Embroidering the names of the girls he once mistreated onto a plum blossom pattern, one can't help but wonder if it's a commemoration of his crimes or an exhibition of his accomplishments. Such thoughts are truly terrifying!
Wu Lian dares to commit crimes with impunity because he has a powerful backing. The biggest support behind Wu Lian is The wife of the Duke of Ningguo. As soon as The wife of the Duke of Ningguo arrived in Huaizhou, Wu Lian positioned himself by her side and provided her with various forms of assistance.
If it weren't for Wu Lian's exquisite embroidered goods contributed every year, The wife of the Duke of Ningguo would have long been forgotten by the influential families in the capital city, let alone maintaining her current status.
If Wu Lian were to fall from power, The wife of the Duke of Ningguo would no longer have suitable gifts to please the Empress Dowager, and she would struggle to maintain her current position.
From this perspective, the Ningguo Mansion and Wu Lian are interdependent.
They rise and fall together. Even if it means preserving her own position, The wife of the Duke of Ningguo would go to great lengths to protect Wu Lian.
Another backing behind Wu Lian is Zhao Yin. Zhao Yin holds the key to the customs and wields real power.
Zhao Yin and Wu Lian collaborate in smuggling operations, reaping enormous profits but also facing substantial risks.
From a certain perspective, Wu Lian holds the secrets of Zhao Yin, and therefore Zhao Yin must protect him.
If Wu Lian were ever exposed, he would undoubtedly implicate Zhao Yin and drag him down with him.
It is precisely because Wu Lian is aware of his powerful backing that he dares to engage in illegal activities and commit crimes without fear of consequences.
Liu Xin, when collaborating with Meng Wan, initially had the sole intention of seeking revenge... However, gradually, he also developed a sense of justice for those girls.
Many years ago, Liu Xin was actually a member of the forces of evil.
In Liu Xin's mind, as long as he could gain benefits, there was nothing too excessive that he wouldn't do. After all, everyone around him was doing it, so why couldn't he? He was just going with the flow. Liu Xin was well aware that he couldn't change the world, so attaching himself to a more powerful force became the only thing he could do.
Only by aligning himself with a strong force could he protect himself! But when he was treated as a scapegoat, thrown into prison, and had his leg broken, his perspective changed! Liu Xin knew that he was acting as an accomplice to a tiger, but he believed that the tiger wouldn't harm those on the same side.
However, a tiger is called a tiger because when it goes mad, it doesn't care about anyone else and only cares about saving itself. After many years, being able to seek revenge for himself and bring justice to the innocent, why wouldn't he do it?
Are those people who claim that girls have no shame really paying attention to the drama? Wu Lian was the one who seduced those courtesans. At that time, they were just 15 years old after their coming-of-age ceremony.
How young is 15? They initially held admiration for Wu Lian as their embroidery teacher, and coupled with his deliberate seduction, they thought they had found an ideal love, only to be deceived by him.
But it's not their fault. As a teacher in the brothel, Wu Lian should have had some moral boundaries and never intentionally approached those young girls.
Doesn't he understand the principle of being a role model?
Which girl actively seduced him? Moreover, those girls resisted and fought back after discovering his true nature! Before So Lan, someone tried to report Wu Lian, but with officials protecting each other, nothing came of it.
So Lan tried various methods, but none of them succeeded!
After being defiled, Meng Wan also returned home. However, her mother told her to endure any injustice she faced. Wu Lian had complete control, so what could they do?
Isn't it true that So Lan paid with her life for this?
Those who believe that the second female lead was willing and shouldn't have reported it are truly laughable. It's one thing to have conservative thinking in ancient times, but even in modern times, such backward thinking is unacceptable.
Do you know why the second female lead wanted to investigate and see so many rooms with changed bed sheets? It's because she wanted to confirm if there were many people being harmed—those who were deceived willingly and those who were forced and ended up committing suicide.
But batches of people were brought in without knowing the truth. If you don't expose him, innocent people will continue to be harmed. How many lives and families will be ruined?
Harsh as it may sound, if those villains aren't apprehended, the next victim could be you or your loved ones.
The people in the yamen are corrupt. Just imagine, if the courts today no longer focused on the law but on personal matters, many people would end up like Lin Ru Lan. We should be grateful that we live in this era.
Within the county yamen, the prefect contemplates many things when making judgments. If he were to truly take action against Wu Lian, he would undoubtedly offend the wife of the Duke of Ningguo, putting his own official career in great danger.
No one knows if they will be stabbed in the back the next second! If the prefect rejects Lin Ru Lan's plea, he can curry favor with the wife of the Duke of Ningguo, and she would see the prefect as her ally, providing necessary assistance when needed.
If the evidence is insufficient, the prefect would never choose to help Lin Ru Lan, no matter how pitiful her situation may be.
To offend a person of high status and power for the sake of an ordinary individual, the prefect would never be able to reach his current position if he were to do such a thing.
Nowadays, there is a greater emphasis on the importance of the law. Many judicial processes in daily life are conducted openly, and the process of appeal has become more convenient compared to before, reducing the possibility of wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice.
Wu Lian had been doing so many bad deeds, relying on the power behind him, and now he is facing the consequences of his actions.
Although Wu Lian didn't directly kill those girls, in the old society where girls were held to high standards, his actions undoubtedly snuffed out their chances of survival.
After losing their chastity, those girls were more concerned about how to avoid being discovered and how to regain their footing in a judgmental society.
From Meng Wan's account, we can learn that over the years, there were people who committed suicide by jumping into wells, swallowing embroidered needles, or hanging themselves in their chambers.
They were undoubtedly struggling against their tragic fate.
Those women knew that after losing their chastity, they would inevitably face criticism from others.
If their actions were discovered, they would likely be labeled as shameless individuals.
The girls couldn't bear the consequences that would follow and could only choose to leave this world to express their resistance against their fate.
Wu Lian was well aware of the potential consequences of his actions, even the loss of lives, yet he still proceeded!
Wu Lian carries the burden of countless lives on his shoulders, and perhaps it is time for him to face the retribution that is long overdue!
Retribution will come, but its time has not yet arrived!
Lin Ru Lan's death was not only deliberately manipulated by Wu Lian behind the scenes to influence public opinion, but it also reflected the criticism that women face from society.
Wu Lian was well aware of how difficult it is for women to survive peacefully in this world.
Wu Lian also knew that if Lin Ru Lan wanted to bring him down, she would have to go through various steps and overcome numerous obstacles.
On this long and arduous path, Wu Lian created multiple interferences, making it easy for people to perceive Lin Ru Lan as the one at fault, merely trying to hold him accountable.
By directing all the evidence in that direction, it became effortless for everyone to believe that Lin Ru Lan was an untrustworthy person.
Whether in the past or present, when judging a woman, people always tend to involve her personal life and relationships.
It seems that in everyone's mind, a woman should distance herself from men they don't like and can't fully dedicate herself to her career.
In this world, there is deep prejudice against women.
It is precisely because of this prevailing mindset that Lin Ru Lan's tragedy unfolded.
The women in the Yanyu Embroidered Tower actually reflect the tragic state of women in society at that time. Using chastity as a criterion to judge whether a woman is virtuous is fundamentally flawed.
Physically, men were undoubtedly stronger than women. When men attempted to force women, even if the girls in the chambers resisted, it would be of little use. It would only delay the inevitable, but the ultimate outcome was predictable.
Before entering the Yanyu Embroidered Tower, all women would have their family background thoroughly investigated. Wu Lian would be well aware of these women's vulnerabilities.
When he couldn't achieve his goals through coercion, he would resort to threatening their weaknesses.
At that point, the women had no choice but to comply obediently. Some say that if a woman screams for help while being alone with a man, someone will surely come to her aid.
But the reality is different. They were trapped within the Yanyu Embroidered Tower, where an invisible and powerful force held sway, respected by the girls around them.
If Wu Lian simply claimed that a woman had seduced him, most people would be willing to believe him.
Under various constraints, Wu Lian's schemes repeatedly succeeded, and one woman after another lost their chastity, yet dared not speak up.