Episode 22 recap: The worldly attachments were resolved as one descended the mountain.
Unable to tolerate the damage to her daughter Qingyu's reputation, Madam Zhang reluctantly agreed to Wu Lian's request. Zhang Rong Er, who couldn't bear it any longer, proposed a divorce. Unexpectedly, Madam Zhang agreed to her daughter's request this time and boarded the carriage prepared by Wu Lian to go to the capital. Before leaving, Madam Zhang found Zhang Rong Er and asked if the things that happened at Yan Yu Xiu Lou were true. After receiving confirmation from Rong Er, Madam Zhang felt helpless and blamed herself for causing harm to her daughter. The mother and daughter hugged each other and cried bitterly.
Zhang Rong Er bid farewell to her mother and boarded Wu Lian's carriage. Under Wu Lian's gaze, she headed to the capital. However, it was merely a transaction for their respective interests. Several days later, Madam Zhang received a letter from the capital, confirming that the matter had been settled. Zhang Rong Er requested the divorce letter from Wu Lian but was informed that it would be delivered to Huai Prefecture by the Ministry of Personnel in three days. After obtaining the official document, securing her position in the capital, they could discuss the divorce letter. Zhang Rong Er looked at Wu Lian's repulsive face with extreme disgust.
Huang, the shopkeeper, looked at the announcement that Wu Lian had become the official historian of Wen Xiu Yuan, unable to comprehend the situation. Regardless, Huang's store was likely to suffer. Although the empress dowager's birthday gift had been prepared, it was delayed according to Meng Wan's instructions. Liu Xin witnessed Zhang Rong Er packing her belongings and leaving Yan Yu Xiu Lou to return to her family.
The husband went to the capital for an official position, while the wife returned to her family. There must be something fishy going on. Liu Xin, Meng Wan, and Huang intercepted Zhang Rong Er's whereabouts, and they directly took her to the nearby Qing Shui An. Meng Wan already suspected that Wu Lian was able to buy an official position and become the official historian of Wen Xiu Yuan due to the support of the Zhang family. Zhang Rong Er looked at Tian Xiao Ling in the distance, tears in her eyes, and tried to escape, but Meng Wan pulled her back, inviting her to join in the redemption of their past sins and spare herself.
Zhang Rong Er wiped away her tears. She had recorded all the expenses of the front and back yards of the embroidery courtyard, except for one large account book. There was another small account book that contained all the dirty dealings with Wu Lian, from paying for the pregnant embroideress's Dai Fu to buying abortion pills, to hushing up the troublemaking embroideress's relatives, to bribing local officials, including the bribery for buying the official position of Wen Xiu Yuan. All these transactions were recorded in that book, and it was placed in a niche in the side courtyard.
Wu An, standing at a distance, heard every conversation clearly. Li Chun Feng, who had been hiding at home for several days and knew nothing about the situation, encountered Zhu Gong Zi on his way to Yan Yu Xiu Lou. Confused, Li Chun Feng stopped Zhu Gong Zi and inquired, only to learn that Wu Lian had already been recognized as the new official historian of Wen Xiu Yuan in the capital and was hosting a grand banquet today.
Sensing that something was amiss, Li Chun Feng arrived at Yan Yu Xiu Lou and coincidentally ran into Wu An hurrying out, who called for Wu Lian and handed over a yellow account book. Watching Wu Lian flipping through the book and nodding in satisfaction, then returning it to Wu An, Li Chun Feng followed closely behind.
Upon receiving Wu Lian's invitation, Meng Wan decided to personally visit Yan Yu Xiu Lou. On the surface, she accepted Wu Lian's invitation, but in reality, she went to search for the hidden account book. Liu Xin, waiting at the back door, witnessed the guards being called away and slipped into Yan Yu Xiu Lou, knowing that something big was about to happen.
Li Chun Feng witnessed Wu An returning the ledger to its original place and successfully obtained the ledger by climbing through the window. Before Li Chun Feng, who was still examining the ledger, could leave, Wu An and his men stormed in and trapped him inside the house. After a brutal beating, Li Chun Feng was left battered and lying on the ground. Wu Lian demanded that Li Chun Feng hand over the ledger. As Li Chun Feng stood up, holding a small knife, intending to assassinate Wu Lian, he was stabbed directly in the heart by Wu An from behind. As he struggled in his dying moments, Li Chun Feng clung to the ledger in his arms. He was subjected to another round of beatings.
Meng Wan appeared in time and called off the others. In front of Meng Wan, Wu Lian personally burned the ledger and then continued to beat Li Chun Feng, disregarding Meng Wan's protection. Liu Xin appeared in the nick of time and held a knife to Wu Lian's neck, threatening him. Only then were the three able to escape.
Supporting each other, limping and hobbling, Meng Wan took the injured individuals into Li Chun Feng's dilapidated room. Li Chun Feng, who was slumped on the ground, coughed up blood and listened to the name "Tian Xiao Ling" from Meng Wan's mouth. He forcibly opened his eyes, pointed towards the study, and mumbled about the flower lanterns. Meng Wan went into the study and brought a flower lantern in front of Li Chun Feng. With hands covered in blood, Li Chun Feng gently touched the lantern, instructing Meng Wan to tell Tian Xiao Ling that he would come to find her on the Qiqiao Festival tomorrow. After giving his final instructions, Li Chun Feng smiled and fell to the ground, carrying a sense of regret.
Liu Xin and Meng Wan stood silently, unable to utter a word, enduring their heartache as tears silently flowed. On the Qiqiao Festival, Tian Xiao Ling was praying when she heard a knock on the door. Upon opening the door, she was greeted by a sight of hanging rabbit lanterns, just like the scene from years ago. Following closely behind were Meng Wan, Liu Xin, Shen Mu, Feng Da, and the shopkeeper Huang, carrying the blood-stained rabbit lantern. This was all prepared by Li Chun Feng for Tian Xiao Ling. Tian Xiao Ling looked at Meng Wan in disbelief, and Liu Xin handed her the letter left by Li Chun Feng. As Tian Xiao Ling read the letter, she laughed and cried at the same time.
Dropping the letter, she rushed back to Qing Shui An, wailing throughout the night. The others remained in Li Chun Feng's study, waiting for Tian Xiao Ling's appearance. Despite the noon hour passing, there was still no sign of Tian Xiao Ling. Instead, they received an invitation from Lou Xianggong to gather at Zui Xian Lou.
Lou Xianggong would be returning to the capital the next day, bidding farewell to everyone. The following day, Lou Xianggong, accompanied by his wife, packed their belongings and boarded the carriage, preparing to return to the capital. From a distance, Meng Wan witnessed the approaching carriage and went forward to stop it. However, before that, Tian Xiao Ling, a commoner, knelt on the ground and accused Wu Lian of defiling her.
The script is still decent, and most of the actors are good. The one who left a deep impression is Lin Ru Lan, who previously played Little Butterfly. She performed well here, and both Wu Lian and the actor playing the limping character did a good job.
The reason for Huang the Shopkeeper's inclusion felt a bit forced. The biggest flaw is Wu Qian. She couldn't handle this role well. From the beginning, her portrayal lacked depth, and even after seven years of endurance and planning, her performance remained the same.
The character had no ups and downs, and her acting skills were lacking. It's a pity for this drama.
Do you know why Wu Lian repeatedly takes away other women's virginity? It's because his wife's first time was taken by another man. This left a sinister shadow in his heart, and he desires to take away other men's wives' first times as well.
It's a twisted mentality, seeking to deflower as many women as possible.