Episode 17 recap: Lin Ru Lan's Marriage at Yanyu Xiu Lou
Lin Lang, with a solemn expression on his face, carries Lin Ru Lan, dressed in red, and escorts her into the sedan chair. They nod to each other as a final farewell. Meng Wan stands on the other side of the river, witnessing it all. Through the floating curtains, Lin Ru Lan sees the bustling crowd, her eyes filled with determination. She is determined to make Wu Lian pay the price he deserves.
Seven years ago, Lin Ru Lan's mother personally dressed her up in a red bridal gown and bid her farewell. The sedan chair from the Wu family has arrived. Lin Ru Lan says goodbye to her father and older brother. Lin Lang, with a solemn expression on his face, carries Lin Ru Lan, followed by Lin's mother and father, and escorts her into the sedan chair. They nod to each other as a final farewell. Meng Wan stands on the other side of the river, witnessing it all, watching the sedan chair move away. Lin Lang is already in tears, and through the floating curtains, Lin Ru Lan sees the bustling crowd, her eyes filled with even more determination. She is determined to make Wu Lian pay the price he deserves.
At Yanyu Xiu Lou, Wu Da Niang Zi takes charge and helps arrange Lin Ru Lan's bridal chamber. Although Wu Lian doesn't care much about Lin Ru Lan, Wu Da Niang Zi still can't bear to see her suffer and helps with the preparations.
Even the maids and servants in the Wu household don't want to see Lin Ru Lan. Until late at night, there is no sign of Wu Lian in the room. Lin Ru Lan hides her hairpin and gets up to leave the room. She goes to the kitchen, intending to cook some food herself and bring it to Wu Lian. However, even the kitchen staff look down on Lin Ru Lan, the low-ranking concubine, and ask her to figure it out on her own. The mother-in-law, unable to bear it, offers Lin Ru Lan some rice wine dumplings she had made in excess. Lin Ru Lan accepts the food gratefully, treating it like a precious gift, and thanks her mother-in-law.
In the blink of an eye, Lin Ru Lan takes the food and arrives at Wu Lian's study. Upon seeing Lin Ru Lan's sudden visit, Wu Lian shows his displeasure. Lin Ru Lan silently presents the rice wine dumplings to Wu Lian. Unable to contain his disdain, Wu Lian mocks her. Lin Ru Lan apologizes meekly, and Wu Lian dismisses her with an indifferent expression. Wu Lian had only taken a sip of the rice wine dumplings when Lin Ru Lan, who failed to achieve her purpose, sadly leaves, looking back three times before departing.
Lin Ru Lan played the sheng at the entrance, catching Wu Lian's attention. Tearfully, she invited Wu Lian to join her in overlooking the bustling city lights. This time, Lin Ru Lan finally got her wish and followed closely behind Wu Lian.
Following Lin Ru Lan's instructions, Meng Wan delivered the letter to Shen Mu on time. Reading the words "My life is in danger, please come to Yanyu Xiu Lou quickly," Shen Mu wasted no time and brought Meng Wan to Yanyu Xiu Lou.
On top of the city tower, Lin Ru Lan revealed her true face and ambition, but Wu Lian found it ridiculous that women like them would dare to challenge him. Lin Ru Lan tried to provoke Wu Lian with her words, and Wu Lian, as expected, grabbed her by the neck and approached step by step. As they heard the shouts from outside to open the door, Lin Ru Lan took off the hairpin from her head, attempting to assassinate Wu Lian. However, Wu Lian grabbed her wrist, and in an instant, Lin Ru Lan plunged the hairpin into her own neck. Tears in her eyes, she told Wu Lian that she would not surrender. Wu Lian was shocked, his eyes wide open, with the hairpin lodged deeper in her neck and blood splattered all over him.
Placing the hairpin in Wu Lian's hand, Lin Ru Lan jumped off the building to her death. Shen Mu, who had just arrived, witnessed Lin Ru Lan falling in front of him, dressed in red with open eyes but no breath. Acting according to his duty, Shen Mu rushed upstairs to apprehend the culprit. Meng Wan followed closely behind, arriving late, unable to believe what had transpired. Remembering their shared memories as if they were just yesterday, but now separated by life and death, Meng Wan held Lin Ru Lan in her arms and closed her eyes. Thunder and rain filled the sky, as if expressing the injustice of the heavens.
From a distance, Wu Da Niang Zi looked at Lin Ru Lan's lifeless body and began to doubt if she had truly made a mistake.
Shen Mu took Wu Lian away without permission and immediately faced criticism from Chen Zhi Fu. Chen Zhi Fu exclaimed that Shen Mu was confused for arresting someone without authorization. Shen Mu had no idea where he went wrong, but Chen Zhi Fu didn't care about a single life. He believed that finding a random excuse to appease a concubine was enough. The towering tree of Wu Lian could not be moved, or else it would be difficult to explain to the wife of the Duke of Ningguo. Chen Zhi Fu looked at the stubborn Shen Mu and helplessly dismissed him.
The news of Lin Ru Lan's death quickly reached the ears of the wife of the Duke of Ningguo. Last night, when the constables brought Wu Lian back to the yamen, some commoners witnessed it. Now, the rumor has already spread in the city. At present, the priority is to find a way to protect Wu Lian. Wu Lian is truly a source of worry early in the morning.
Shen Mu contemplated every detail of Lin Ru Lan's actions, turned around, and went to find Chen Zhi Fu to report. However, he was informed that the case had already been taken on, with the reason being that Lin Ru Lan had attempted to harm Wu Lian, while Wu Lian's actions were merely in self-defense. Shen Mu wanted to fight for justice, but he was driven away by Chen Zhi Fu. Unwilling to accept this, Shen Mu decided to go and find the constable Zhao Gang who had accompanied him that day.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Gang had no intention of seeing Shen Mu. After some effort, Shen Mu finally found Zhao Gang, who was drinking. However, he received a response indicating that Zhao Gang only wanted to focus on his duties and didn't want to get involved. Through Shen Mu's persuasion and his own conscience, the two eventually reached a consensus over a drink.
Immediately after, Shen Mu found Meng Wan and explained the details of the letter and the situation. Meng Wan recalled the change in Lin Ru Lan's attitude and couldn't help but feel regret, regretting that she hadn't discovered it earlier or opened the letter sooner. However, what exactly happened that night was probably only known by Lin Ru Lan and Wu Lian.
The next day, the courtroom drum sounded again, and this time Shen Mu stood up for justice. Whenever the courtroom drum sounded, there had to be a response to a case. Unexpectedly, Chen Zhi Fu ordered his subordinates to close the gates and conduct a private trial. Shen Mu reported everything truthfully to Chen Zhi Fu, but Zhao Gang, who stood in the courtroom, escaped on the spot, claiming he hadn't seen anything clearly. Chen Zhi Fu hastily concluded the case and left the courtroom without giving Shen Mu a chance to speak.
Shen Mu, who couldn't understand, chased after Zhao Gang to ask for an explanation. He was afraid that his brother and his family would be implicated. After persuading him, Shen Mu took the initiative to apologize, and the matter was resolved. Shen Mu witnessed with his own eyes the release of Wu Lian, who was innocent. Wu Lian's triumphant expression made Shen Mu feel ashamed and embarrassed. He resigned from his official position and left without looking back.
After returning from Yan Yu Xiu Lou, Meng Wan slept for two whole days and nights. When she woke up, she stared at the letter left by Lin Ru Lan and fell into deep thought. The letter contained the recipe for chestnut cake, which Meng Wan loved to eat. In the past, when Meng Wan was in despair due to Wu Lian's misconduct, just at the last moment, Lin Ru Lan knocked on the door and brought warm chestnut cakes, saving her life.
In episode 13, I just felt that Meng Wan had a really tough time and had been living for others all along.
Rulan is very brave but lacks intelligence. She acts impulsively, and I don't quite understand why she wanted to commit suicide. If she could leave with Meng Wan, why couldn't she leave on her own or move the entire family? Previously, when the engagement was called off, didn't the whole family move as well?
The wife of the Duke of Ningguo, as Wu Lian's protector, can truly be said to be devoted and responsible!
There is a certain bond between the two. Many people say that women are more nostalgic than men, and that is exactly the case with the wife of the Duke of Ningguo.
When she first arrived in Huaizhou Prefecture, she wasn't familiar with the surroundings, but Wu Lian came into her life and gave her hope of returning to the capital city.
Throughout these years, Wu Lian has actually become a kind of expectation for the wife of the Duke of Ningguo.
As long as Wu Lian continues to embroider, remains safe, and continues to receive the Empress Dowager's favor, there will come a day when she will return to the capital city and reach the pinnacle of power.
Only by breaking the wife of the Duke of Ningguo's illusion, only by breaking everything, can we better punish Wu Lian.
Brother, in ancient times, there was a system of having multiple wives and concubines. You must be aware of that, right? It doesn't seem like those women were willing participants.
Wu Lian always gave them the impression that he liked them, deceived them, and then forced them onto the bed.
Even if some of them were unwilling, would he dare to shout out loudly and let everyone know?
They were all around 15 years old, and some were even young ladies from respectable families who were sent in.
Nowadays, many girls lack sexual education knowledge, let alone in ancient times. In a male-dominated society, how many women had access to knowledge?
Don't say that this drama lacks positive energy.
It's just that you only see the power struggles. Lin Ru Lan is a victim. Do you have the courage and bravery that she possesses? If you were Lin Ru Lan, would you be like the other embroidery girls, either enduring in silence or letting the matter go, risking being pushed to death?
It took seven years for the female lead and a few other righteous individuals to bring justice to Wu Lian, the villain. Have you seen the power of unity and perseverance during these years?
Wu Lian's crimes include seducing young girls, assaulting Liu Xin, killing his own maidservant, and engaging in smuggling.
Each and every one of these incidents. I don't expect you to sympathize with the victims, but you're also blaming them. Do you have even a shred of sympathy and compassion? You're the kind of person who, when someone is injured, would pour salt onto their wounds.
After reading the comments section, I feel that this world is frightening. In reality, the pure kindness and bravery of the two female leads surpass that of most people, yet they are still criticized.
If she did this or that, how could she possibly... Some even argue that this is not the "victim-blaming" theory, but rather an attempt to prevent more people from making foolish mistakes and falling victim.
All the victims in the drama are naive young girls, who would be considered minors in today's context. Liu San Niang also mentioned that Wu Lian specifically targets these inexperienced girls because they dare not resist, and society demands their compliance (entering the embroidery tower is all for the sake of marrying well).
In such an environment, they need to be shrewd in worldly matters and have the courage to resist authority in order to have a chance (only a chance) to escape the clutches, just like Liu San Niang did.
However, these conditions are not valid since they would never anticipate such evil people in the world before the incidents occur.
Instead, after being victimized, she will search for reasons in her heart, deceiving herself to continue believing in the beauty of the world and maintaining inner stability.
Those who say "half-pushed and half-willing" are either foolish or wicked! When Rulan learns of Wu Lian's true nature, she overcomes numerous obstacles not only to seek justice for herself but also because she cannot bear to see so many people being harmed and knows that more will suffer in the future.
Having watched up to episode thirteen, seeing her persistence for so long, one cannot help but admire her courage and resilience (I believe this is a tenacious character that exists only in TV dramas, approaching perfection).
However, the people around her, including her relatives, believe that she persists in the appeal out of infatuation with an evil person, and many in the comments section think the same way, which is absurd to witness.
Perhaps this is the significance of the TV drama, but it also reflects a sense of insignificance... sigh!
After watching it, I was already immersed in Rulan's state of mind. There's a profound sense of powerlessness. She, who is the most straightforward and innocent person, was deceived and even lost her virginity because of Wu Lian.
Just the thought of Rulan cautiously saying, "Sir, have you been avoiding me lately?" when she was being neglected breaks my heart. What she thought was a mutual and harmonious relationship turned out to be nothing more than a game played by Wu Lian.
To be accused and publicly subjected to a physical examination, facing numerous difficulties, it's truly heart-wrenching! Wu Lian is truly the scum of all scum. This is the first time Qiao has played such a despicable male villain.
Meng Wan's family can truly be described as extremely terrible. If it weren't for the presence of Lin Ru Lan, Meng Wan probably wouldn't have been able to hold on.
Although her mother often claimed to be good to her, when it came down to it, she wouldn't consider things from Meng Wan's perspective.
She only did what she thought was right and what she believed would benefit her daughter.
As for Meng Wan's father, who is Lin Ru Lan's father, he is even worse. He's always been a drunkard, and his sense of responsibility towards the family is practically nonexistent.
Girls raised in such a family naturally have a certain sense of inferiority. However, when Lin Ru Lan appeared, she greatly restored Meng Wan's self-esteem.
It's not an exaggeration to say that Lin Ru Lan is the guiding light in Meng Wan's heart, while Wu Lian extinguished that light.
At the moment of Lin Ru Lan's death, all I could think about was her parents. Did they believe her? Did they believe that she was a victim and not the kind of person who would do anything to climb the social ladder? The man I married, though not irredeemable, always presented himself as an honest and upright person in front of everyone else.
However, towards me, he was cold-blooded and ruthless, inflicting endless harm. Even though he left me physically and emotionally scarred, he could play the victim so well that even my parents believed it was me being unreasonable and mistreating him.
In truth, I despised myself for lacking the determination Lin Ru Lan had...
When Meng Wan held Lin Ru Lan's lifeless body, her heart was undoubtedly filled with turmoil. If only she had realized her intentions earlier, she could have discovered that Lin Ru Lan harbored thoughts of ending her own life and could have stopped all of this from happening.
At that moment, Meng Wan might have been angry, questioning why Lin Ru Lan was so foolish to believe that by sacrificing herself, she could bring down Wu Lian.
Behind Wu Lian, there were so many powerful forces at play, capable of causing widespread repercussions.
How could those people stand by and let Wu Lian suffer?
In that moment, Meng Wan probably also wondered if she had been more resolute earlier, if she hadn't believed that Lin Ru Lan had resigned herself to her fate, perhaps everything could have been different.
But now, it was all too late!
Why are there comments blaming the girls themselves and adding to the harm instead of offering support? Ru Lan was only about 15 years old in ancient times. It was truly difficult for her to escape the manipulation of Wu Lian, especially as a sheltered young lady who had no knowledge of the dark side of society.
In this whole ordeal, Wu Lian is the villain, extremely guilty, responsible for ruining the lives of so many girls.
Meng Wan was also a victim and had no choice but to endure the wickedness of Wu Lian.
He is the main culprit. For those who claim that Ru Lan is also at fault, please wake up. No one becomes instantly wise and knowledgeable about all the truths and dark aspects of society the moment they emerge from seclusion.
Please do not impose the blame on the victims. Only by standing united can we defeat despicable and vile individuals like Wu Lian in the harsh realities of society.
Shen Mu's decision to intervene in Lin Ru Lan's affairs after so many years is actually driven by a sense of guilt he feels towards her. Despite witnessing everything firsthand and having Wu Lian thrown into prison, he still succumbed to the pressure from high-ranking officials and released Wu Lian back home, which dealt a severe blow to Shen Mu's sense of justice.
In this incident, Lin Ru Lan lost her life. She was a vibrant person one moment, and the next moment, she became a lifeless body.
This had a profound impact on Shen Mu. It was precisely because of this incident that he was able to make a more direct choice to join the military camp and pursue his own future.
In such a closed environment, with only one person of the opposite sex! They instill in you only what he wants you to see and know! It's actually very terrifying. Being a girl in her early teens, you're already naive and ignorant. It's a challenging task for an adult with much more life experience to deceive someone!
In the fabricated environment he creates, with psychological manipulation, it's difficult to resist being deceived!
Mo Mo in the yamen actually represents many women in real life. In that era, women already lived a difficult life, but when a woman is oppressed, others wouldn't come forward to defend her.
Other women are afraid that if they stand up for someone else, they will be implicated themselves. In that era, behaviors like Mo Mo's, who would humiliate Lin Ru Lan in order to secure a slightly better life and prove themselves as equals to other men, seemed normal.
Everything that Lin Ru Lan experienced is incredibly tragic, merely a microcosm of the miserable fate of women in that era.
The magistrate, after the incident, never considers seeking justice for others. Rather, his main concern is how to extricate himself from the situation, how to distance himself from Wu Lian, and how to avoid offending the wife of the Duke of Ningguo.
In the eyes of the high-ranking magistrate, Lin Ru Lan is merely a concubine whose actions have disrupted his relationship with the powerful and privileged. It is deemed unworthy to prioritize such a matter over his own interests.
To them, the death of a concubine is inconsequential!
Human life holds little significance in their eyes.
If this incident can leave a favorable impression in front of influential and powerful individuals, it is considered far more valuable than a single life.