Episode 23 recap: Retrial of the Rulan Case in Huaizhou Prefecture.
Upon seeing this, Meng Wan knelt in front of the carriage together with others. The commoner woman, Meng Wan, accused Wu Lian, the owner of the Yanyu Embroidered Tower, of rape. Seven years ago, Lin Ru Lan accused Wu Lian of the same crime but was convicted of false accusation. Today, Meng Wan serves as a witness to prove Wu Lian's guilt. The magistrate, Lou Xianggong, upon witnessing this, ordered the carriage to return to the yamen and decided to hold the trial the next day at the hour of "si."
Before her departure, Meng Wan left a farewell letter in her room for Xu Zhi Tang to secure his future. When Xu Zhi Yang saw it, he sighed repeatedly. Coincidentally, Meng Wan returned from the city gate just at that moment. She explained that if she were to leave now, it might protect the reputation of the Xu family. Over the years, her master had treated her well, and she couldn't let her actions ruin the Xu family's reputation. Xu Zhi Yang realized that Meng Wan had made up her mind, and further persuasion would be futile. After hesitating, he picked up the pen Meng Wan had offered and signed the farewell letter.
Looking at the Xu residence where she had lived for seven years, Meng Wan felt reluctant to leave. Xu Zhi Yang, who arrived late, handed silver coins to Meng Wan, but she refused them. She believed that after a long journey, there must be a final farewell. As Meng Wan reached the front gate, she turned back to bid farewell to her master and hurriedly left. On the other side, Zhao Yu Cheng received an anonymous letter and hastily made his way to Huaizhou. The sender of the letter was well aware of the grievances between Zhao Yu Cheng and Wu Lian and promised that Zhao Yu Cheng could turn the situation around in Huaizhou Prefecture. This time, he finally arrived in Huaizhou.
Years ago, Wu Lian promised Zhao Yu Cheng that he would help him establish connections in Huaizhou Prefecture through the wife of the Duke of Ningguo. However, afterwards, Wu Lian turned his back on Zhao Yu Cheng and used the wife of the Duke of Ningguo to threaten him and drive him out of Huaizhou Prefecture. Zhao Yu Cheng was determined to seek revenge.
The envelope at the door arranged a meeting between Zhao Yu Cheng and someone. After leaving, Meng Wan temporarily stayed at Huangji Embroidery Villa. Although she knew that Tian Xiao Ling would not be safe tonight, Meng Wan still let her return to Qingshui An. As for whether Wu Lian would take action, it would be revealed tonight.
In the middle of the night, Shen Mu waited outside Qingshui An, while Feng Da followed Shi Bing from the Yanyu Embroidered Tower into the woods but lost sight of him. Shen Mu met with Feng Da outside Qingshui An but didn't discover anything unusual, which made him more anxious and increasingly suspicious. Shen Mu, who felt that something was amiss, quickly rode back to the city.
Meng Wan paced back and forth in her room, waiting for news. Just as she turned around, Wu An, dressed in black, appeared in Meng Wan's room, holding a knife. However, Meng Wan showed no signs of fear. When Wu An made a move, Shen Mu and his men arrived in time to protect Meng Wan and captured the escaping Wu An. Fortunately, Meng Wan only suffered minor injuries, and everything was left for the next day.
The news of the retrial spread throughout the streets and alleys, and people clamored to see the excitement. Gao Cheng Cheng, passing by, heard about the retrial and hesitated before deciding to join the crowd and head to the yamen. During the trial, Wu Lian was summoned to the court. The accusations made by Meng Wan and Tian Xiao Ling did not conform to the laws of the current dynasty. Following that, Lin Lang, the older brother of Lin Ru Lan, appeared and accused Wu Lian.
Wu Lian denied the claims made by Meng Wan and Lin Ru Lan. Tian Xiao Ling, who was present, saw that Wu Lian had gone too far and spoke up as a witness for Lin Ru Lan. She detailed the events that had occurred years ago to Lou Xianggong. However, Wu Lian also denied Tian Xiao Ling's testimony, claiming that she had falsely accused him for the sake of Li Chun Feng. In this situation, the testimonies of the two were not sufficient to convince the crowd.
On the other side, Liu Xin entered the prison and opened up to Wu An. She couldn't understand why someone as capable as Wu An was willing to stay by Wu Lian's side. It turned out that Wu Lian had saved Wu An's life, and that's why Wu An was so devoted to him.
Liu Xin threatened him, saying that if he was willing to testify in court, he might receive a lighter punishment and have a chance to see his sister raise a family. If he refused, he would likely be exiled and never see his sister again. Thinking about his sister, Wu An eventually softened. Huang, the shopkeeper, took out the deed of Huang Embroidery Villa and handed it to Mo Mo, instructing her to sell the villa and take the embroiderers away from Huaizhou Prefecture if he encountered any trouble.
After settling everything, Huang the shopkeeper left without looking back. Shen Mu and his men directly ambushed the tea house where Zhao Yu Cheng was supposed to meet, and then they went to the yamen and subsequently searched Zhao's family courtyard. Zhao Yu Cheng, as the lawyer in the case years ago, was summoned to the front of the court and meekly admitted that he had met Wu Lian once. Wu Lian demanded that Zhao Yu Cheng deliberately lose the case for Lin Ru Lan and secretly replace the handkerchief left behind by Ding Ru before her death.
Wu Lian insisted that Zhao Yu Cheng, as Meng Wan's cousin, had ulterior motives and testified against him. Unexpectedly, Shen Mu brought the handkerchief from back then as evidence, and Zhao Yu Cheng's concubine was also brought to the court to testify. But even so, Wu Lian continued to deny and refuse to admit his guilt.
Helpless, Meng Wan had Liu Xin bring Wu An to the court. Wu An looked at Wu Lian kneeling on the ground, begging Magistrate Lou to save an innocent woman. He claimed that Meng Wan had found out about his affection for a servant girl and used it as leverage to imprison the girl in an unknown location. The crowd below began to discuss fervently. Under pressure, Tian Xiao Ling took off her clothes, revealing her shoulder with a half-blossomed plum embroidered by Wu Lian, identical to the one Wu Lian had embroidered. In an instant, public opinion shifted.
However, even with this revelation, it wasn't enough to prove Wu Lian's guilt. Meng Wan turned to the crowd and saw many familiar faces. She tried to persuade them to testify in court, but no one wavered. Gao Cheng Cheng, who had been mingling in the crowd, grew tired and left. Seeing this situation, Meng Wan knelt down and begged Magistrate Lou to place a white screen outside the door. But since there was no precedent for such a request, Magistrate Lou rejected it, and Meng Wan left the court immediately.
After watching four episodes, I made a decision. I will watch the even-numbered episodes first, and then the odd-numbered ones. This suits my taste better.
I want to see the villains get taken down first so that I can watch the earlier episodes with a calmer mindset.
Otherwise, I feel like I'll get infuriated.
Although the final episode had a perfect ending, there were still some "what ifs"... I initially thought that in the last episode, Yuan Wai would put aside past grievances and remarry Meng Wan.
After all, so many former embroidery girls who had married came forward as witnesses. After seven years of being together, Yuan Wai and Meng Wan would naturally have developed feelings for each other.
The perfect ending should have been Yuan Wai deeply touching Meng Wan's heart, and the two of them getting married again, eventually having a son and a daughter...
and then a brief explanation of the lives of the other righteous individuals... Many years later, on a certain day, the remaining six righteous individuals would gather again in Huai Prefecture...
In Meng Wan's heart, Lin Ru Lan has always been her dear sister. Even if it means offending Mr. Wu, she is willing to wholeheartedly protect her beloved sister.
Therefore, many times, Meng Wan would find a special way to keep Lin Ru Lan by her side.
It seems that as long as she does this, Wu Lian won't find an opportunity to touch Lin Ru Lan. But in the end, Meng Wan's thinking was too simplistic!
After all, there are thieves who have been stealing for a thousand years, but there's no one who has been guarding against thieves all the time!
Precaution can't completely guard against everything. Even when she lost her chastity, Lin Ru Lan still naively fantasized that Wu Lian would marry her, believing that she held a special place in his heart.
At this moment, I sincerely feel that if it weren't for Meng Wan's protection, if Meng Wan had directly told Lin Ru Lan everything, Lin Ru Lan wouldn't have accepted such an outcome all at once.
Li Chun Feng and Tian Xiao Ling can be considered as having an ambiguous romantic relationship. Although, in the eyes of others, they might think that Li Chun Feng lacks scholarly achievements and doesn't match up with Tian Xiao Ling.
Tian Xiao Ling comes from an academic family, a family of scholars. This is obviously incongruent with Li Chun Feng, who has no official title or achievements.
If they want others to marry Tian Xiao Ling to Li Chun Feng, then Li Chun Feng probably needs to make more efforts.
As long as both of their hearts only have each other, no matter how long they have to wait, Li Chun Feng is willing in his heart. Because Tian Xiao Ling will only have herself in her heart, no one else can replace her, it's just a matter of time.
Tian Xiao Ling's parents love their daughter so much, how could they harm her? In the end, they won't be able to resist.
In the future, if they live a good life together, Wang Xiao Ling will be very happy.
Li Chun Feng truly loves Tian Xiao Ling! Even though Tian Xiao Ling has been missing for so many years, Li Chun Feng has never stopped trying to protect her.
Even if in the eyes of others, it was Li Chun Feng who did something excessive that caused Tian Xiao Ling's physical and mental setbacks.
However, Li Chun Feng knows in his heart that he didn't do any of those things. As long as he keeps waiting, there will eventually come a day when Tian Xiao Ling returns.
Even if his house is dilapidated, he is unwilling to move away. Because he knows that if he moves away, there's a chance that his beloved might come back and not find him, and that would be so heartbreaking.
Even if there's only a one-in-a-million chance, Li Chun Feng is willing to stay in that rundown little house, waiting for the one he loves to accompany him.
Wu Lian, in his childhood, was once a victim, trapped within a troubled family.
It was precisely because of everyone's prejudice that they considered it shameful for Wu Lian to learn embroidery.
But now, Wu Lian seems more like someone who once troubled themselves.
He places great importance on a woman's chastity, believing that if his wife loses her chastity, it is a betrayal against him.
To view this woman with the same discrimination as an ordinary person is undoubtedly using the same method of hurting oneself by using others to inflict harm on his own Niang Zi.
Gradually, Wu Lian transformed from a victim to someone who inflicts harm. He perpetuates this cycle of harm, causing more and more souls to become twisted and leading society towards darkness.
In fact, all children have their own areas of expertise, and you cannot predict whether they will succeed in the future. No one has ever said that only academic achievements deserve respect!
When Wu Lian was young, the shadow of his family was quite significant.
Even though he has grown up now, the shadow in his heart has never disappeared. He strives to use his present to change everything he has experienced in the past.
In reality, Wu Lian's behavior reflects deep insecurity.
He wants to seek validation from others in his own way, hoping to stand on a higher ground and demonstrate his worth in a different way.
If, when he was younger, people had fewer prejudices and treated this ordinary child better, perhaps Wu Lian wouldn't have developed such extreme ideas.
He would be able to face society better and showcase his true value.
The methods of educating children in ancient times are ultimately different from ours today.
I feel that although Li Chun Feng has stolen quite a lot of things, deep down in his heart, he is prepared to repay them.
A small notebook records how much money Li Chun Feng owes to each person and how much he has taken from them.
If someone has no intention of repaying, there would be no need to keep track of these trivial matters so meticulously. Li Chun Feng actually knows what he wants.
By recording all those small details, when he has money, he can quickly repay the debts he owed before.
Li Chun Feng's little notebook truly contains a lot of things. It holds records of his thefts, debts he owes, and the companions who have walked alongside him in his life.
The little notebook in Li Chun Feng's hands is more like a condensed reflection of his life.
In this world, the most difficult thing is actually finding someone who loves me as much as I love them. If it weren't for the desire for revenge against Wu Lian, Meng Wan could have had a happy life.
We can clearly see that even without the involvement of others, Meng Wan would have developed deep feelings for Xu Yuanwai.
How could anyone resist being moved by a husband who silently supports them from behind?
In fact, Xu Yuanwai knows everything, but he doesn't look at Meng Wan with suspicion like others do. Instead, he silently supports everything Meng Wan does from behind the scenes.
It's not until Wu Lian wants to reveal everything that we come to know that Xu Yuanwai has been quietly supporting his wife all along.
If it weren't for Wu Lian, things might have been simpler, and there wouldn't have been so many complications.
Having such a considerate husband truly makes one feel that being with him would bring great happiness, without having to worry about anything else.
Although Xu Yuanwai's role in the entire drama is not extensive, as a man who supports his wife's career, he is already more successful than most men.
There are never any forever friends, only forever interests. The wife of Duke Ningguo was able to maintain such a long-lasting partnership with Wu Lian primarily because Wu Lian could help her please the Empress Dowager.
If Wu Lian didn't have this ability, the wife of Duke Ningguo would have probably abandoned him long ago, let alone talk about future glory and wealth.
When Wu Lian faced trouble, the wife of Duke Ningguo did consider helping him make a comeback.
However, that was only after Wu Lian's downfall, when it could have jeopardized her own interests, rather than out of a desire to protect Wu Lian himself.
But when Meng Wan made it clear that the wife of Duke Ningguo's efforts to shield Wu Lian would ultimately be futile, and that it could even drag her down, the wife of Duke Ningguo weighed her options and ultimately chose to give up.
In the hearts of the elite, no one surpasses their own interests in importance, regardless of who they are.
Former Liu San Niang would have been very happy if it weren't for Wu Lian. When she was at the Yan Yu Embroidery Pavilion, she was just an ordinary person, diligently learning the common embroidery skills, hoping to make a decent living after leaving.
Little did she know that Wu Lian had long planned everything. Wu Lian's harm to others was always hidden in the shadows. Although Liu San Niang managed to protect her chastity, she never anticipated the depths of human depravity.
It's not that if Liu San Niang chose to give up, others would spare the people she cared about. It's not that if Liu San Niang chose to no longer care, she could live a peaceful life.
Even if Liu San Niang had moved to another place, escaping from Huai Prefecture, in the eyes of others, she would still be seen as an unrestrained person.
The tragic ending she faces now is a result of her own actions.
In Wu Lian's mind, although Liu San Niang escaped his persecution, she couldn't escape the persecution of others. She ultimately became a woman tainted by others.
In the eyes of those villains, they would deem Liu San Niang's struggles as meaningless.
Tian Xiao Ling's eventual retreat to the nunnery had its traces, as everything does.
Her inner world was inherently detached from worldly matters. When Lin Ru Lan was being gossiped about by others, Tian Xiao Ling didn't want to engage too much with those people.
She believed that the words spoken by others were simply causing harm to Lin Ru Lan. They didn't know the full story, so what right did they have to pass judgment?
From this incident, we can see that Tian Xiao Ling is quite different from other girls.
Even after being mistreated by Wu Lian, Tian Xiao Ling didn't choose to confide in others extensively because she knew they wouldn't be able to understand her pain.
Tian Xiao Ling's decision to go to the nunnery was also a way for her to find peace. She didn't want to deal with the chaos of the world anymore.
In ancient times, where reputation was so important, for men, losing their reputation at most meant having a notorious name. But for women, it was almost like ruining their entire future.
With both parties aware of this condition, Wu Lian deceived so many women.
After being coerced and deceived, these women have to endure the risk of being scorned by society and bringing shame to their families if they seek justice. The chances of success are so slim.
That's what makes Wu Lian despicable.
He takes advantage of the fact that women dare not make a big fuss, and even if they do, there are people supporting him from behind.
In fact, Tian Xiao Ling is just like the past Lin Ru Lan. If Meng Wan had told Lin Ru Lan about the situation earlier, Lan would not have believed that her respected teacher could be such a morally corrupt person.
Deep down, Tian Xiao Ling also did not want to believe that her mentor could be such a morally corrupt person.
Whether it was the former Tian Xiao Ling or the previous Lin Ru Lan, they both faced the world with utmost kindness.
If no one had harmed them, they would have had a very good life and brought warmth to those around them.
It is precisely because they were raised under the care of their parents from a young age that they did not know how cruel the world could be.
They were unable to take preventive measures against the things that happened in a timely manner.
We can only say that justice came a little late!
The wife of the Duke of Ningguo can be considered as Wu Lian's enabler, but she failed to instill the right values in him. Wu Lian's upbringing during childhood resulted in certain twisted thoughts within him.
He doesn't understand how to repay others with kindness.
He only knows that he was once subjected to disdainful looks, and now he wants to pass on that same kind of resentment to others.
In the past, Wu Lian didn't have much power, so the consequences of his wrongdoings were not as severe.
But now that he has acquired power, he can decide the life and death of others.
Everything becomes terrifying, as if any slight misfortune could cost someone their life.
The wife of the Duke of Ningguo's indulgence towards Wu Lian has caused so many people to suffer. If it weren't for the support of the wife of the Duke of Ningguo behind the scenes, when others presented evidence of Wu Lian's wrongdoing, the magistrate could have directly sentenced him!
Furthermore, without the support of the wife of the Duke of Ningguo, Wu Lian wouldn't have been able to maintain such a high reputation. People wouldn't have believed that he could never do anything wrong, creating an impression that Lan and others fell for him out of admiration.
Regardless, the wife of the Duke of Ningguo cannot escape involvement in this matter. She has fueled Wu Lian's arrogance, provided him with an umbrella of protection, and helped him evade legal consequences.
The relationship between the wife of the Duke of Ningguo and Meng Wan is particularly reminiscent of best friends. Whenever the wife of the Duke of Ningguo encounters difficulties or things she doesn't understand, she calls upon Meng Wan, slowly listening to her opinions, seeking practical solutions from her.
This is because Meng Wan consistently offers her insights at the right time, which gives the wife of the Duke of Ningguo the confidence to trust Meng Wan again and again.
As a woman, when there are certain matters that the wife of the Duke of Ningguo feels uncomfortable discussing with Wu Lian, she can have a direct conversation with Meng Wan.
Dialogue between two women tends to flow more smoothly. Although Wu Lian has known the wife of the Duke of Ningguo for quite some time, he is, after all, a man, and it is impossible to discuss all matters of the inner chambers with him.
Therefore, in this aspect, Meng Wan holds a certain advantage. And when Meng Wan deceives herself, it deeply saddens the wife of the Duke of Ningguo even more because she feels that her best friend has betrayed her.
When Liu San Niang testified for Lin Ru Lan, she had already considered the potential consequences. She knew that it could lead to retaliation and a significant change in her own fate, but she still did it.
Whether it's Ru Lan, Liu San Niang, Tian Xiao Ling, or Meng Wan, they can all be considered remarkable women. They strive to fight for their own destinies and advocate for their rights in this chaotic society.
Although they don't know what the future holds, they understand that if they don't take action, it will only allow the wicked to become even more brazen and prevent any chance of changing their own fate.
While Wu Lian may commit such deeds once, they, the women, continue to stand up against injustice, time and time again.
In ancient times, these women didn't possess significant power, yet they fought for their own destinies and genuinely sought to change the seemingly unchangeable reality.
Just from this perspective alone, these women are deserving of admiration.
Men and women have vastly different perspectives, and it seems that all men view women in the same way. Men go out every day, indulging in extramarital affairs, while hoping for virtuous and morally upright women at home, speaking of benevolence, righteousness, and morality, yet engaging with women they look down upon outside.
It's truly ironic.
On the other hand, women often feel that they are the ultimate destination for men. Who is at fault, the men or the women? If women were as heartless as men in this matter, where would these ironies come from?
So, who is truly more noble than the other?
Wu Lian actually doesn't understand the need to appreciate all the people around him. He has always been disdainful of his wife, but it is his wife who has consistently defended and supported him, never abandoning him.
The best person is clearly right beside him, yet Wu Lian looks down on his wife because of so-called issues of chastity.
Even when questioned by the victims multiple times, Wu Da Niang Zi never revealed Wu Lian's secret and never betrayed him.
If only Wu Lian could recognize the goodness of his own Niang Zi, perhaps he would understand that he was never fighting alone, but rather had someone who had been supporting him all along.