Episode 24 recap: The righteous people held up their lamps and shattered Chang'an.
Although Wu Lian had the upper hand, everyone remained undaunted and determined to make Wu Lian pay the price. News of Wu Lian's unpunished status, just like seven years ago, reached the ears of Zhang Rong Er. On the other hand, an emissary from the palace arrived to read an imperial edict: Regarding the matter of Wu Lian in Huai Prefecture, although the wife of the Duke of Ningguo, Lady Chen, was deceived by wicked individuals, she recognized her mistake, promptly informed the imperial family of the truth, and balanced her merits and faults. The wife of the Duke of Ningguo was instructed to be cautious in her words and actions in the future, to avoid repeating her mistakes.
Upon receiving the imperial edict, the wife of the Duke of Ningguo found it suspicious. How could the Empress Dowager be aware of this matter? Prior to this, Meng Wan had presented the Huai gold embroidered gift to the Empress Dowager and had a private meeting with the wife of the Duke of Ningguo. Knowing that the wife of the Duke of Ningguo didn't want to see her, Meng Wan had no choice but to implement this plan. Meng Wan reminded the wife of the Duke of Ningguo that Wu Lian would surely try to implicate the Duke's household to save himself. Therefore, the wife of the Duke of Ningguo should take the upper hand and expose his crimes to redeem herself. However, the wife of the Duke of Ningguo did not affirm Meng Wan's idea, and Meng Wan left after leaving the Huai gold embroidered gift.
Nowadays, news has spread in the capital that the Empress Dowager is quite satisfied with the Huai gold embroidery, implying that a new embroidery pavilion will be established in Huai Prefecture. The imperial decree stated that the emperor was deeply angered by the case of Wu Lian in Huai Prefecture and ordered Lou Ming Zhang, the judicial officer of the Eastern Route of Huainan, to handle the case on-site. This case must be thoroughly investigated to maintain justice and fairness in the world. The decree must be strictly followed.
Late at night, Meng Wan noticed that Tian Xiao Ling's room was still lit. She knocked on the door and entered. The case of Wu Lian was still unresolved, and everyone was restless. Tian Xiao Ling confided in Meng Wan, admitting that Li Chun Feng was right. Over the past seven years, she had been deceiving herself, hiding under the name Jue Ming, refusing to acknowledge that she was Tian Xiao Ling. She thought that by doing so, she could lock away all the things that happened to Tian Xiao Ling and avoid facing them. But in the end, she lacked the courage to confront and let go.
Tian Xiao Ling still harbored resentment over Li Chun Feng's death, but after a few words of persuasion from Meng Wan, she came to a realization. The next day, the yamen received an anonymous letter from the people of Huai Prefecture. The letter was written by the women who had been harmed by Wu Lian or their relatives, and many people from Huai Prefecture came to the yamen to petition for a reopening of the case.
It turned out that all of this was planned by Meng Wan. Ever since Wu Lian managed to obtain the position of the head of the Wenxiu Academy through the Zhang family's connections, Meng Wan had made preparations. She sewed the letters onto the Huai gold embroidery and presented it to the Empress Dowager, taking a gamble. The outcome was uncertain, but she had to take a risk.
Following that, Meng Wan, accompanied by the magistrate and numerous officials, arrived at the Misty Rain Embroidery Pavilion and summoned Mo Mo and the maidservants for questioning. Wu Lian learned of this but was not afraid. After all, their contracts were in her hands, and she was not afraid that they would say anything wrong. She didn't pay much attention to the judicial officer.
In the front courtyard, Chen Mo Mo was the first to admit Wu Lian's crimes, followed by one revelation after another exposing Wu Lian's shameless actions. Wu Lian appeared, glaring fiercely at Mo Mo and the maidservants who were speaking against her. Following the magistrate, Wu Lian was subdued and taken to the yamen.
As for the embroidery girls and Mo Mo, Meng Wan has obtained their contracts of indenture from Zhang Rong Er. From now on, they are free to go wherever they want. If they have no place to go, they can go to Huangji Embroidery House, where they will find a place. When Wu Lian stepped out of the gate, people from the capital sent documents and official seals. Wu Lian proudly accepted them, flaunting his power in front of Lou Xianggong.
According to the imperial decree, if an official commits a crime, they must be sent to the capital for trial. By doing so, Wu Lian challenged Lou Xianggong, indicating that this case couldn't be resolved in Huaizhou Prefecture. Lou Xianggong ordered forcefully to take Wu Lian away. Three days later, it was proven beyond doubt that Wu Lian had violated women in Yan Yu Embroidery Tower, engaged in the illegal trade of embroidery, bribed officials, and killed Li Chun Feng. He was sentenced to thirty cane strikes, exile to the northwest three thousand miles away, and a lifelong ban on amnesty.
The imperial edict stated that this case had a severe and irreparable impact and required a heavy sentence. Finally, the unjust grievances were redressed. Scenes of Lin Ru Lan, Liu San Niang, and Li Chun Feng's deaths flashed through. Justice prevailed, and today the revenge for those victimized women was finally obtained. Their surviving relatives and close friends could finally put an end to their anger and grudges. Blood debts were finally repaid. Moreover, it made those with malicious intentions and evil plots, regardless of their high positions, extensive knowledge, or ordinary status, realize that evildoers would eventually face justice, and those harboring illusions of luck would eventually be caught. Good and evil will always have consequences.
With everything settled, as they looked at the last hanging lantern, everyone had to go their separate ways. Huang, the shopkeeper, continued to run Huangji Embroidery House. Tian Xiao Ling decided not to return to Qing Shui An and live a good life from now on. Meng Wan would find a beautiful place to settle down and live an ordinary life.
They raised their cups to toast their deceased friends and relatives. Chen Zhiyuan, the prefect of Huaizhou Prefecture, who had failed in handling the case and neglected his duties as a local official, was demoted to become the magistrate of Qingyuan County, and he had to leave immediately. Meng Wan went to the prison to see Wu Lian. The current Wu Lian was in a miserable state, even his once proud hands were disabled. But even so, he showed no remorse.
In a daze, Wu Lian saw Xiao Niang, who advised him not to embroider plum blossoms anymore. It seemed that at that moment, he felt regret. Before Meng Wan could step out of the prison, Wu Lian committed suicide by swallowing needles and passed away.
Wu Lian's upbringing and life experiences shaped such a psychologically twisted demon. In fact, this also serves as a reminder that everyone should possess a kind heart in order to create a compassionate environment and prevent the emergence of demons like Wu Lian who harm others, thus preventing more people from becoming victims!
Some people attribute Wu Lian's depravity to his tragic childhood and being deceived by his wife, but I want to say that there is no direct causal relationship. His actions are his own choices.
Usually, the reasons for choosing to do evil are either pure perversity and wickedness or a calculated assessment that reveals no significant cost or consequences.
In his story, when he was young, he was a cheerful young boy with dreams.
It is evident that he wasn't inherently evil but rather made the choice to do evil.
Such misconduct could have been prevented through strict laws and moral restraints.
If people didn't view women's chastity as their shackles and if society punished the wrongdoers instead of attacking the victims, these incidents could have been greatly reduced.
Evil people don't have labels on their foreheads. It is necessary to protect oneself, but it may not always be effective. Stop blaming and shaming the victims, don't let the perpetrators hide in plain sight, and don't attempt to find reasons for their actions.
Make the perpetrators and any potential evildoers aware of the cost and consequences so that we can save ourselves and countless others.
Wu Qian is perfect for this role, portraying the character's hidden resilience and heartfelt pain for Meng Wan. Born into a family with an alcoholic father and a weak mother, she had to rely on her own efforts to survive.
The death of her best friend gave her courage, making her realize that if she continued to endure silently, she would spend her whole life in a dark corner. For seven years, she endured setbacks, carefully planned her moves, and gathered information about people related to her best friend and those involved in the case.
Her perseverance and ability to bide her time are admirable. In the end, Meng Wan brought the truth to light for her best friend and found her own brightness.