Episode 8 recap: Shen Dutou boarded the ship and entered the chaotic situation.
Xiao Shen held a knife to Wu Lian's neck, threatening him to return to the capital and confess his crimes, or else there would be no mercy. Fortunately, Liu Xin appeared just in time. The two old friends recognized each other at first glance. Liu Xin persuaded Xiao Shen to lower the knife. However, in the next moment, the knife was held against Liu Xin's neck. Xiao Shen mistakenly believed that Liu Xin, the former famous constable of Huaizhou Prefecture, had become a lackey of the Yan Yu Xiu Lou. Xiao Shen attacked Liu Xin, and in order to save his life, Liu Xin had no choice but to jump into the sea.
Seven years later, Shen Mu and his men lay in wait in the bushes outside the ship, waiting for the right moment to strike. Once all the stolen goods were loaded onto the cargo ship, they launched their attack. Shen Mu gave the order, and Deputy Head of the Imperial City Bureau, Kong Xin, led his men to surround the cabin. Shen Mu appeared right behind them. Zhao Yin, the supervisor of the Minzhou Affairs Bureau, and Wu Lian, involved in smuggling royal tribute goods for Yan Yu Xiu Lou, were caught red-handed and immediately sent to the capital for investigation. Zhao Yin and Wu Lian panicked, facing this unfamiliar face with ignorance.
Shen Mu and his men clashed with Zhao Yin's men. Taking advantage of the chaos, Zhao Yin and Wu Lian found an opportunity to escape. Wu Lian was about to jump off the ship to flee, but Shen Mu held a knife to his neck, threatening him to return to the capital and confess his crimes, or else there would be no mercy. Liu Xin, limping, appeared. The two old friends recognized each other at first glance. Liu Xin persuaded Shen Mu to lower the knife. However, in the next moment, the knife was held against Liu Xin's neck. Shen Mu mistakenly believed that Liu Xin, the former famous constable of Huaizhou Prefecture, had become a lackey of the Yan Yu Xiu Lou. Shen Mu knocked out Wu Lian and engaged in a fierce fight with Liu Xin. In order to save his life, Liu Xin had no choice but to jump into the sea.
Meng Wan and Shen Mu sat face-to-face. It had been seven years since Shen Mu, who once claimed to abandon politics and join the military, entered the officialdom. Meanwhile, Meng Wan, who initially sought justice for the Xiao Niang Zi of the Lin family, ended up becoming the culprit's advocate. For seven years, Shen Mu relentlessly pursued Wu Lian, even expending great effort and resources. Meng Wan couldn't understand why, and the only one who could explain it was Lin Ru Lan. So, the two of them reached a consensus, and Meng Wan asked Shen Mu to anchor the boat and wait for three days.
One of the servants who successfully escaped from the boat ran desperately and immediately informed the magistrate that Wu Lian had been captured. Upon receiving the news, Chen Zhi Fu rushed to the Ningguo Mansion. It was only then that the Ningguo Mansion learned of Wu Lian's involvement in smuggling activities. Fu Ren was furious, never expecting Wu Lian to engage in such activities right under their noses. Fu Ren instructed Chen Zhi Fu to leave quietly without making a scene since saving Wu Lian was the priority.
The next day, Chen Zhi Fu personally led a group of people to the boats in the lake to intimidate them. However, there was no movement whatsoever. In desperation, Chen Zhi Fu called in archers to shoot arrows into the lake. However, due to the distance, none of the arrows hit their target. To deal with the situation, Chen Zhi Fu resorted to inserting an arrow into his own body and hurried back to the yamen, claiming that the thieves had shot and killed a government official.
Zhao Yin, who was tied up in the room, kept shouting to save her life, but no one responded. Wu Lian calmly asked Zhao Yin to help him bite through the ropes to save their lives, and Zhao Yin reluctantly complied. However, as soon as Zhao Yin stood up, Shen Mu caught him in the act and securely tied up Wu Lian. Shen Mu then turned to Zhao Yin, sowing seeds of doubt and distrust between Zhao Yin and Wu Lian.
Fu Ren of the Ningguo Mansion paced anxiously in the room, feeling uneasy. The servant sent to fetch Mrs. Xu returned alone since Mrs. Xu had left in the afternoon and hadn't seen anyone. Fu Ren ordered the servant to wait until Mrs. Xu returned. Wen Yue, the servant who had been by Fu Ren's side all these days, suddenly resigned, citing personal matters. However, after several observations, no trace of Wen Yue was found at home. Fu Ren sensed that something was amiss and sneaked into Wen Yue's room to investigate. They found the incense they had previously used and the encounter they had experienced. Fu Ren suspected Wen Yue's involvement.
Meng Wan hung up lanterns as usual, with each lantern bearing a hidden meaning. In fact, she wasn't just hanging lanterns; she was setting a trap for Wu Lian. Rumors of Wu Lian's arrest in the capital for committing crimes quickly spread throughout the city, reaching every street and alley. As Meng Wan watched the carriages coming towards her, she was filled with joy.
Personally, I feel that The wife of the Duke of Ningguo is defending Wu Lian because of the exquisite embroidery, Yanyu Embroidered Works. In the eyes of The wife of the Duke of Ningguo, Yanyu Embroidered Works is incredibly precious and represents an unparalleled level of craftsmanship. She doesn't want this art form to be tarnished. In her view, someone capable of creating such embroidery, like Wu Lian, must also be pure and untainted. That's why she goes to great lengths to protect Wu Lian.
Everyone knows that behind the Yanyu Embroidered Building is The wife of the Duke of Ningguo. That's why she would rather see Wu Lian die innocently than let Wu Lian face the blame and shift the attention to herself by committing a real crime.
It's really terrifying. Most of the comments in the bullet screen either blame the female lead or blame the second female lead. They are both victims, but they made different choices based on their different personalities. I think it's understandable that the female lead doesn't speak up, as it aligns with her character, and it's also understandable that the second female lead doesn't understand the female lead's silence, as it aligns with her character.
For those who blame the second female lead for blaming the female lead, imagine if your friend knew someone around you was a bad person but didn't tell you, and then you got harmed. Wouldn't you be angry?
Moreover, the second female lead, upon finding out, continuously expressed her hatred towards the villain.
She scolded him and reported him to the authorities. How is it that, in some people's mouths, it becomes solely blaming the female lead?
In any case, we don't have the right to blame these victims for their choices. We're living in modern times after all.
This kind of storyline still involves a lot of blaming women.
I have to say, this drama is pretty good. It portrays the hidden rules of the workplace, but Wu Lian is indeed too handsome. Just compare him to those old, ugly, and greasy men in real life who solely rely on their power to exert pressure.
Besides his good looks, Wu Lian can easily captivate young girls.
On the other hand, if we look at the present, when a woman hits a man, the man is even more powerless to resist compared to what's depicted in the drama.
If we say that in the drama, Wu Lian can do whatever he wants because he has a powerful backing, then in today's society with its emphasis on women's rights, women have an even more powerful backing to oppress men without restraint.
Which is more significant?
History is just a cycle repeating itself!
Wu Lian is undoubtedly shameless and despicable. But are those embroidery women truly innocent victims?
Can an adult be easily deceived without any personal issues?
They were well aware that Wu Lian was a married man, yet they allowed themselves to be easily deceived and compromised their virtue. In their subconscious, they accepted it as a transaction of mutual consent. The subsequent resentment stems from the belief that they had given but did not receive what they desired, leading to lingering psychological distress.
Actions may not always have immediate consequences, but consequences are always preceded by actions. Those who are pitiable often bear some blame!
Having watched three episodes, I feel that most characters in this drama lack positive qualities and instead exhibit negative ones. They focus on manipulating others, which is not suitable for children.
Please note that these are purely my personal opinions. Please don't take offense!
It's widely known that he has a wife. Just because someone treats you well, does it mean it's true love? Let's not forget that when Rulan discovered the connection between Meng Wan and Wu, she didn't believe it at first.
This is merely her discontent with Wu's abundance of fish in his pond. If it's truly for the sake of justice, how could she turn a blind eye to the truth?
The general idea of this drama is clear to me. It revolves around a naive girl who falls for a scumbag who deceives her into sleeping with him. Later, she discovers that it was all a lie and he never had genuine feelings for her, nor did he intend to marry her.
Filled with bitterness and anger, she decides to sue the man, causing many innocent people to suffer on her behalf! What a ridiculous situation! No one forced her to sleep with that man, and he didn't deceive her out of a single penny.
If that man had married her and made her a concubine, would she still have so many complaints? In modern times, people criticize those who casually sleep around, let alone in an era where marriages were often arranged, and couples didn't even meet before getting married!
If she didn't want to sleep with him, she could have simply refused. It doesn't seem like the scumbag forced himself on her, right?