Resumen del episodio 4 de Faithful
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Seven years later, Liu Xin, now known as Cripple Liu, completed his prison sentence. He was reluctant to leave a gambling table but was urged by others that Prefect Chen was waiting for him. Prefect Chen met Liu Xin outside, expressing his hope that Liu Xin wouldn't hold a grudge against him for the past. He claimed he couldn't protect Liu Xin seven years ago because Liu Xin had offended someone formidable.
Liu Xin, holding a pearl hairpin he had taken from the table, assured Prefect Chen that he bore no resentment for the events of seven years prior. Prefect Chen then revealed that he had arranged for Counselor Yang to clear Liu Xin's household registration and provide him with a new name, along with a comparable position at the Yamen in Xunzhou, suggesting they leave Huaizhou that very night.
Liu Xin politely declined, stating he had "unfinished business" in Huaizhou and wanted to "meet old friends and catch up." Prefect Chen warned him against seeking revenge, asserting that Liu Xin and his associates could not win against their powerful adversary. Liu Xin brushed off the warning, claiming he had lost contact with his old friends from prison. He departed, promising to share a drink with Prefect Chen another time, who urged him to get his leg treated.
Liu Xin began his meticulous preparations. He confirmed that Officer Tu's family was hosting a feast that night, to which Wu Lian had been invited. He learned Wu Lian would depart at approximately 6 p. m. by sedan, taking Wuyang Road. Ensuring his weapons—swords, spears, sabers, and halberds—were ready, he instructed his men to gather around 4 p. m. His explicit order was not to kill Wu Lian but to aim for his left leg.
That evening, Liu Xin intercepted Wu Lian's sedan on Wuyang Road. His men, recognizing the danger, urged him to flee. Prefect Chen appeared, attempting to dissuade Liu Xin, claiming the sedan was empty and Wu Lian had taken an alternate route, offering Liu Xin a chance to walk away. Liu Xin, however, accused Prefect Chen of tipping off Wu Lian and reiterated his unwavering resolve to avenge his broken leg and imprisonment.
Unexpectedly, Wu Lian emerged from the sedan, chastising Prefect Chen for the poor security in Huaizhou Prefecture and insisting that the "culprit" should not be let go. Despite Prefect Chen's reminder of their prior agreement to allow Liu Xin a way out, Wu Lian rejected it. Liu Xin lunged at Wu Lian, targeting his left leg, but was blocked by Wu Lian's skilled bodyguard.
Just as Liu Xin was in peril, a mysterious figure launched stones from a distance, hitting Wu Lian's guards and enabling Liu Xin to escape. As he fled, an arrow with a note "South City Post" landed nearby, guiding him to the designated location. Upon arriving at the South City Post, Liu Xin was astonished to see the person waiting for him.
Meanwhile, Wu Lian questioned Prefect Chen, insinuating that Liu Xin's escape was deliberate and demanding an investigation into the mysterious archer. Prefect Chen denied complicity, emphasizing Liu Xin's long imprisonment and lack of connections in the yamen, and stated that Wu Lian could report the matter to Mrs. Ning himself if he wished. Days later, Mrs. Ning suffered from a persistent headache that no medicine could cure.
Her maid suggested it might be a malevolent spirit, given the Lv family's recent exorcism next door. That night, Mrs. Ning was startled by a shadow outside her room and, terrified, decided to visit a temple the next morning. At the temple, Liu Xin, disguised as the fortune teller Hu, approached her, claiming to see "severely bad luck" on her face and noting her restless sleep.
He introduced himself as a fortune teller and warned her to "be careful of sharp objects today," charging one tael of silver per question. Mrs. Ning, finding him inauspicious, had him dismissed. Later that day, back in her mansion, she was reviewing an embroidery pattern from Yanyu Tower for the Empress Dowager's birthday when she accidentally pricked her finger with a hidden needle. Remembering the fortune teller's ominous warning, she immediately sent for him.
Liu Xin, after accepting payment of one tael of silver per question, inquired about her persistent headache, the strange shadows she saw at night, and a withered plant in her bedroom's southwest corner. Mrs. Ning confirmed all these details, amazed by his apparent insight. Liu Xin then instructed her to remove the withered plant, claiming it would alleviate her headache, and charged her for this advice.
To completely resolve her headache, he insisted he needed to survey her entire mansion, to which Mrs. Ning readily agreed. During his "inspection," Liu Xin gave several peculiar instructions: moving a chamber pot from a restroom to the kitchen and preserving its contents for 49 days, replacing all her ornamental flowers with "Shidoulan orchids" (known for their unpleasant scent resembling a dead mouse), and advising her to eat "pickled mandarin fish and moldy amaranth stalks" instead of pastries.
Mrs. Ning, bewildered by these demands, asked for an explanation. Liu Xin gravely revealed that he had calculated her birth chart and discovered an "evil spirit" lurking around her. He explained that this individual had brought her ten years of good fortune, but that period was now ending, ushering in a decade of misfortunes, starting with minor ailments and escalating to life-threatening dangers.
When Mrs. Ning pressed for the identity of this "evil spirit," Liu Xin initially hesitated, citing fears of karmic retribution. However, after Mrs. Ning offered more money, he agreed to provide a birth chart (year of ren-xu, month of ren-zi, day of ding-mao, hour of ji-wei) which she could use to identify the "traitor" among her close associates. Later, Meng Wan tried to reason with Mrs. Ning, cautioning her against believing the fortune teller's "alien" advice and trusting a stranger.
Mrs. Ning, however, confidently asserted her unerring judgment of people. Soon after, Wu Lian arrived, seeking an audience to apologize for the embroidery needle incident. Mrs. Ning, already suspicious, pressed him for his complete birth chart. As Wu Lian confirmed the year of ren-xu, month of ren-zi, day of ding-mao, and hour of ji-wei, Mrs. Ning's expression changed, recalling the fortune teller's dire predictions about a period of misfortune following ten years of luck.
She abruptly dismissed Wu Lian, telling him not to return for a few days. Confused, Wu Lian left and encountered Steward Su of Ning Mansion, who was carrying a list of birth dates. Steward Su explained that Mrs. Ning, convinced by a fortune teller of an "evil spirit" in the mansion, was collecting everyone's birth information to find this entity.
When Wu Lian asked about the fortune teller, Steward Su described him as having a limp leg, a detail that immediately made Wu Lian realize it was Liu Xin. Back with Mrs. Ning, Meng Wan subtly fanned the flames of doubt by mentioning widespread rumors that the Ning Mansion's standing in the capital was solely dependent on Wu Lian's Yanyu Embroidery.
Enraged by this suggestion, Mrs. Ning passionately defended her own accomplishments, highlighting how she, as the widowed Mrs. Ning, had maintained her family's influence for eleven years by leveraging Wu Lian's skill to gain favor with the Empress Dowager. She claimed it was her own "ability to recognize talent and value" that truly mattered. Meng Wan further flattered her, suggesting Mrs. Ning could easily find other talented individuals.
Though Mrs. Ning acknowledged Meng Wan's well-intentioned advice, she stated she needed time to deliberate. The following night, Meng Wan met Liu Xin at a teahouse. She reported that the "seed" of doubt had been planted in Mrs. Ning’s mind, but it would require time to mature. Liu Xin suggested pressing the advantage and immediately eliminating Wu Lian's powerful backing. Meng Wan, however, cautioned against impulsiveness, reminding him of her earlier intervention.
A flashback revealed the surprise at South City Post: Meng Wan had personally shot the arrows that aided Liu Xin's escape and had hired individuals from the Cao Gang to further assist him. When Liu Xin asked how she knew he would be in trouble, Meng Wan explained that, given his resolute character, she anticipated he would not easily abandon his quest for revenge after seven years of imprisonment and his broken leg.
Liu Xin then recalled her previous animosity towards him. Meng Wan clarified her current trust in him stemmed from his continued possession of Lin Rulan's pearl hairpin, a symbol of their shared, unresolved past. She stated that while she would not have trusted "Captain Liu" seven years ago, she was willing to trust "Cripple Liu" now, as his continued wearing of the hairpin indicated a "common enemy."
Back in the present, Liu Xin challenged Meng Wan about her "different goals," arguing that her arrows should have targeted Wu Lian directly. Meng Wan distinguished their motivations: Liu Xin sought revenge for his broken leg, while her ultimate aim was to secure "true justice for Rulan," who had died without it. She warned Liu Xin about the formidable influence of the Ning Mansion backing Wu Lian, stressing the need for long-term strategic planning rather than reckless action.
Impressed by Meng Wan’s foresight, Liu Xin agreed to join her, provided he would personally deal with Wu Lian's left leg. With their alliance sealed, Meng Wan, citing her restricted mobility as a "deeply cloistered woman," tasked Liu Xin with their next critical mission: to seek out Liu Sanniang. Meng Wan described Liu Sanniang as a top courtesan renowned for her talent and beauty, residing in the Peacock Garden in Xunzhou, and believed she could be a valuable ally.
Upon arriving in Xunzhou, Liu Xin gathered information about Liu Sanniang from locals at a teahouse. He learned that Sanniang, originally from Huaizhou, was a former embroiderer who had studied under Wu Lian at Yanyu Tower and still possessed exceptional embroidery skills, but had become a treasured courtesan to noble young masters seven years prior, and later a prominent courtesan. Ignoring their condescending remarks about his attire, Liu Xin learned the Peacock Garden was located southeast of the teahouse.
He proceeded to scale the garden wall and, upon falling, literally collided with Liu Sanniang. Without preamble, he asked her if she remembered a woman named Rulan from Huaizhou Prefecture, who had lived seven years ago.
