Resumen del episodio 18 de Faithful
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Seven years later, Meng Wan stood at Rulan's tombstone, reflecting on the words spoken by the Qingshui Nunnery's abbot. She pondered whether reopening the old case was the right choice. She feared that if innocent people lost their lives due to this pursuit, it would be her fault. Yet, she felt unwilling to abandon everything she had gained over the years simply because of past mistakes. Meng Wan gazed into the distance, deep in thought.
The recent incident involving Mrs. Zheng further distressed Meng Wan. She learned that Mrs. Zheng had swallowed many oleanders from her courtyard the previous day and was only saved by her husband's timely intervention and force-feeding of licorice water. This made Meng Wan increasingly anxious about continuing her entanglement with Wu Lian, as she worried more people would get hurt, which was not her intention.
She feared that if she, like Rulan, were to push forward alone, she might repeat Rulan's tragic fate. She was not afraid of death, but of dying without meaning, and of inadvertently pushing a victim like Tian Xiaoling, who had finally moved past her past and found a new life, back into despair. The others, the "seven righteous ones," were gathered, frustrated and awaiting news.
When news confirmed Mrs. Zheng was alive but unconscious, Ms. Huang inquired who had visited Mrs. Zheng, which drew criticism from the group. Amidst the clamor, Liu Sanniang insisted that great endeavors always require sacrifice, and Tian Xiaoling, or Master Jueming, whose testimony would easily gain public trust and create a stir, was their greatest asset and only hope. Sanniang declared that she would go to Qingshui Nunnery herself, no matter what, to bring Master Jueming down the mountain.
However, Li Chunfeng vehemently disagreed, slamming his teacup down. He denounced Sanniang's suggestion, insulting her as a "cheap woman." He stated he wouldn't allow Tian Xiaoling to suffer any further harm.
He threatened to fight anyone who dared to endanger her, proclaiming he would rather pour molten copper into his own ears to shut out the world or clang the morning bell at Qingshui Nunnery daily if Tian Xiaoling wished to live as a nun for life, than let her be harmed. He warned that any further attempts to involve Tian Xiaoling would force him to fight them with his life.
Meng Wan tried to calm them, suggesting she would first send the Falling Blossom Embroidery, a key piece of evidence, to the Yamen and seek Mr. Lou's advice. If seeking victims' testimonies proved fruitless, they would find another way. The group remained divided, with some, like Feng Da and Shen Mu, suggesting direct violent retribution against Wu Lian, each vying to be the one to kill him.
Later that day, Sanniang received an anonymous letter inviting her to the Tianshui Teahouse. Puzzled as to who knew her whereabouts, Sanniang deduced from the faint, putrefying smell on the letter that it could only be Wu Lian. She went alone to the teahouse, where Wu Lian indeed awaited her. Wu Lian revealed he knew the identities of all seven of them: Meng Wan, Liu Xin, Huang Jiaojiao, Shen Mu, Feng Da, Li Chunfeng, and Liu Sanniang herself.
He claimed to know every word they spoke and every action they took in their courtyard. Wu Lian suggested that someone among them already believed Meng Wan would fail and had pledged allegiance to him. He tried to convince Sanniang to abandon Meng Wan, recounting their morning's quarrel, including Meng Wan's indecision, Sanniang's desire to visit Qingshui Nunnery, and Li Chunfeng's angry outburst. He presented these details as proof of an inside informant.
Upon Sanniang's return to the courtyard, she faced immediate suspicion, particularly from Li Chunfeng, who had seen her meeting Wu Lian. Meng Wan informed Sanniang that the Falling Blossom Embroidery, which she intended to give to Mr. Lou, had disappeared. Sanniang coldly explained her encounter with Wu Lian, revealing his claim that one of them was a spy who had divulged all their secrets.
This revelation sparked mutual distrust, with accusations flying between Ms. Huang (suspected of prioritizing her embroidery business) and Feng Da (suspected of taking a job from Yanyu Tower). Sanniang, exasperated, called them a "rabble of disorderly people," deeming their leader indecisive and the others fools. She declared she would no longer be involved and left, deciding to return to Xunzhou City.
The group disbanded in discord, with Feng Da vowing to claim Wu Lian's life himself, while Ms. Huang worried about the consequences of having made Wu Lian an enemy. Meng Wan tried to dissuade Sanniang from leaving, but Sanniang reiterated that their endeavor was exceedingly difficult, and her departure was not unexpected. She asserted she would resolve her personal grievances with Wu Lian herself. Observing Sanniang's resolve, Meng Wan did not press further.
As Sanniang's carriage prepared to depart, Liu Xin, hidden nearby, questioned Meng Wan's inaction. Meng Wan, however, remained calm, instructing Liu Xin to secretly stake out the courtyard and identify any suspicious persons. Sanniang, after leaving, stopped her carriage and returned to the bamboo grove near the courtyard to investigate the spy herself. She unexpectedly encountered Liu Xin, who initially accused her of being the informant.
Sanniang quickly clarified her intentions, explaining she believed someone was eavesdropping and came to find them, and they agreed to work together, Sanniang watching the west and Liu Xin the east. Soon, Sanniang spotted a young woman acting furtively. Following her, Sanniang overheard a conversation in a nearby hut, confirming the woman was indeed a spy who hated Meng Wan and wished to use Wu Lian to eliminate her.
Sanniang also learned of Wu Lian's upcoming trip to the capital for a banquet the next day, hoping to secure "300,000" backing, which he believed would mark the end for Meng Wan and her allies and secure greater prosperity for the Yanyu Tower. Sanniang relayed this crucial information to Meng Wan, who had come looking for her after Liu Xin reported Sanniang's return. Despite the new intelligence, Sanniang maintained her decision to leave.
Before her final departure, she handed Meng Wan a small parcel, containing a pair of new shoes, asking her to give them to Liu Xin. Returning to Xunzhou City, Sanniang found comfort in the familiar Peacock Garden and her devoted master, Yuan Mei. While discussing the capital, Sanniang realized that Wu Lian's "300,000" likely referred to the Imperial Guard, which was rumored to number 800,000 but actually had around 300,000 soldiers.
Troubled, she asked Yuan Mei if she should go to the capital, acknowledging she might not return. Yuan Mei encouraged her to follow her heart, promising that if she didn't come back, he would ride his peacock to the heavens to find her. Sanniang then closed the Peacock Garden, sent everyone away, paid her respects to Yuan Mei, and set off for the capital, stating she must go not only for him, but for herself.
Meanwhile, Wu Lian arrived in the capital and immediately proceeded to the Dali Court to meet Junior Minister Wang. In the capital, Sanniang sought out her old friend Luo Qiong, a pipa player from the Shihua House, who was rumored to have connections in the military. Sanniang, with a sense of urgency, explained that many lives depended on her entering the Imperial Guard camp that night.
Luo Qiong, despite her initial protests of not knowing anyone in the Imperial Guard, agreed to help, leveraging her familiarity with courtesans who regularly entertained at military banquets. With Luo Qiong's assistance, Sanniang infiltrated the Imperial Guard camp disguised as a pipa player. She learned that Commander Xie was hosting a banquet for Director Yan of the Embroidery Office. Shortly after, Wu Lian arrived. Sanniang, pretending to play the pipa, subtly slipped away and eavesdropped from outside.
She overheard Wu Lian blackmailing Director Yan and Commander Xie. He reminded them of their shared involvement in the smuggling trade, which had led to Zhao Yin's imprisonment. Wu Lian demanded that Director Yan resign from the Embroidery Office the next morning and recommend him as his successor. He also wanted to manage the upcoming Embroidery Convention, promising in return to silence Zhao Yin and guarantee their future without worries.
Wu Lian revealed he had already secured official status through hereditary appointment and gained support from various parties, only needing a title and a strong qualification. He emphasized that the Embroidery Office, though seemingly lacking real power, was the highest aspiration for embroiderers like him.
When Commander Xie tried to assert his authority, Wu Lian threatened to expose their complicity by sending a book of accounts to the Censorate if he didn't walk out of the camp alive, ensuring they would "accompany him to death." A soldier discovered Sanniang eavesdropping, forcing her to flee. She quickly wrote down the critical information and entrusted the letter to Luo Qiong, instructing her to escape by water to Huaizhou and deliver it to Meng Wan immediately.
Sanniang, declaring her life was not in immediate danger, then drew a sword and created a diversion to allow Luo Qiong to get away. Sanniang was soon surrounded and captured by Wu Lian and Commander Xie. Wu Lian, recalling their earlier encounter in Huaizhou, mockingly offered to take her back to the Yanyu Tower to teach her more needle techniques.
Sanniang retorted that she would rather take him to the underworld, then lunged at him with her sword, but she was quickly subdued by the guards. Luo Qiong, escaping, coincidentally ran into Liu Xin, who recognized her from Huaizhou. She delivered the letter to him as instructed, recounting Sanniang's capture. Liu Xin hurried back to Meng Wan, who reread the letter multiple times, deep in thought.
Liu Xin, anxious about Sanniang's fate, urged action, but Meng Wan insisted they must rescue Sanniang strategically, as confronting 300,000 Imperial Guard soldiers directly was impossible. She reiterated the need to understand Wu Lian's true intentions, pondering why he would relentlessly pursue the seemingly minor position of Director of the Embroidery Office.
Liu Xin then informed her of his observations in the capital: he had followed Wu Lian to the Dali Court, where he met Junior Minister Wang, who was in charge of the Right Court. Meng Wan, piecing together the information—Wu Lian's relentless pursuit of the seemingly minor position of Director of the Embroidery Office and his connection to the Dali Court's Right Court, which specialized in criminal cases involving capital officials—realized Wu Lian's true objective with a cunning plan.
