Episode 14 recap: Pei Yan's Scheme to Expose His Clan
In Episode 14, Pei Zifang learns that Wei Zhao and Pei Yan are investigating the western granary and an abandoned temple in the west. Fearing exposure, he sends Pei Ying to eliminate the starving villagers. Pei Ying, along with Zhao Da and his gang, arrives at the temple, worried about being recognized and wearing a mask for concealment. Zhao Da and his crew brutally attack the villagers. Jiang Ci, terrified, hides but is ultimately captured. She tries to leverage Wei Zhao's name to pressure He Yonglin, but Pei Ying dismisses her. In a desperate move, Jiang Ci reveals the luminous command token Wei Zhao gave her and quickly manages to free her hands.
The Luminous Command is an independent authority outside the main government offices that answers only to Emperor Xie Che. Knowing Wei Zhao's ruthless nature, Pei Ying orders Zhao Da to kill Jiang Ci to silence her. However, Jiang Ci manages to escape just in time but is caught by Pei Ying.
Wei Zhao and Pei Yan arrive just in time to subdue the thugs and rescue Jiang Ci, but they accidentally fall into a well. Wei Zhao clings desperately to the rope and calls for help from Yi Fei, who successfully pulls them out.
Pei Ying removes his mask and asks Pei Yan for help, but Pei Yan ignores him, focusing instead on Jiang Ci's well-being. Jiang Ci takes back the Luminous Command token and thanks Wei Zhao, deciding to keep it as a prize from their previous bet. Curious, Pei Yan asks how Wei Zhao found Jiang Ci, but he invents a cover story instead of mentioning the night orchid she left behind.
Pei Yan discovers that the eight granaries are linked to their Pei family and vows not to let it slide. Concerned that He Zhenwen might exploit the situation to falsify accounts, Wei Zhao decides to head to the governor's office immediately to check the ledger of the Minting Department. Since Pei Yan cannot make a direct appearance, Wei Zhao asks Jiang Ci to accompany him and requests Yi Fei to bring the granary ledgers along.
Wei Zhao supervises the auditing officials personally and uncovers that the granaries lent out a total of four million taels. Originally, the Minting Department had a deficit of over three million, but in the past two months, it has surprisingly shown a surplus of several hundred thousand taels. Wei Zhao suspects that the Minting Department borrowed money from the granaries to cover its losses. When questioned, He Zhenwen feigns ignorance and shifts the blame onto other officials.
Wei Zhao instructs Jiang Ci to summon a girl from the Zui Hong Lou to testify. She lists the crimes committed by He Zhenwen and his son against the starving villagers. He Zhenwen insists that those at the temple were not villagers but violent mobs threatening the populace. Jiang Ci exposes He Zhenwen's lies, prompting Wei Zhao to call in Pei Ying, who confirms that the massacre of the villagers was orchestrated by He Zhenwen.
He Zhenwen tries to deflect all blame onto Pei Zifang, claiming that he was responsible for poor oversight. He accuses the Pei family of monopolizing power in Nanling, leading to financial strain. To cover the shortfall, Pei Zifang allegedly used funds from the eight granaries and sold old rice as new.
Pei Yan declared on the spot that he would thoroughly investigate the matter and would not shield the Pei family. He promised Wei Zhao a clear answer within three days.
Jiang Ci asked Cui Liang to help the girl with her illness, and Pei Yan readily agreed. That night, Pei Yan hosted a banquet for the clan members at his home, publicly apologizing to them. Pei Zifang was eager to know how Pei Yan would handle the arms case, but Pei Yan did not give a clear answer and instead urged them to keep drinking.
The girl from Zui Hong Lou had contracted a venereal disease, and Cui Liang prescribed her medication. Jiang Ci personally prepared the medicine for her and also brought ointment for Wei Zhao's injuries. She applied the medicine on him herself, and Wei Zhao felt a warm sense of gratitude. As Jiang Ci looked at Wei Zhao's handsome face, she couldn't help but feel compassion for him.
Jiang Ci wanted to help the starving villagers, but she felt powerless. She remembered how she and her sister had been treated as mere beggars, beaten and scolded, living a life worse than that of animals, which still filled her with resentment. Pei Yan expressed his gratitude to Pei Zifang for his strong support back in the day, which had led to his current status. The more he spoke, the more emotional he became, drinking heavily. He pretended to be drunk, acting foolishly in front of Pei Zifang, claiming that the Pei family would reconsider who to send to court for official positions. Pei Zifang and the clan members heard him clearly.
Pei Yan intentionally leaked this information to encourage the Pei family members to expose each other's wrongdoings. He would rather let the Pei family be accused of corruption than allow Emperor Xie Che to doubt their loyalty. As expected, the Pei family members began to reveal each other's secrets, bringing up old grievances, which made Wei Zhao regard Pei Yan with newfound respect.
Pei Zifang realized they had fallen into Pei Yan's trap and angrily confronted him. In a fit of rage, Pei Yan dismissed him and ordered guards to keep watch over his house, forbidding anyone from coming or going.
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