Resumen del episodio 22 de The Company
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Zhao Wanli arrived at his usual tavern, only to find that Bi Zhi and Su Beilu had bought out his favorite Nv'er Hong liquor. Annoyed to see them again, Zhao Wanli demanded his usual drink, but the proprietress confirmed there was none left for him. Bi Zhi, with a subtle smile, offered Zhao Wanli free reign of the liquor in exchange for answers to a few questions. Zhao Wanli quickly deduced they sought information about the Autumn Twilight Painting.
Although he initially refused, threatening not to drink, Su Beilu warned that they would remove all the liquor that night, and he would never taste it again. The proprietress confirmed it was a cherished family recipe, and they had indeed purchased the entire stock. Succumbing to his craving, Zhao Wanli reluctantly agreed, but set a condition: one pot of liquor for each question, and they had to match his drinking pace to prevent any tricks once he was drunk.
Bi Zhi agreed. For the first question, Bi Zhi inquired why Zhao Wanli copied so many Autumn Twilight Paintings. Zhao Wanli proudly claimed to be the original artist, but Su Beilu corrected him, stating the masterpiece was by Gu Zhiqian. Zhao Wanli then declared Gu Zhiqian his greatest confidant, even though, as Su Beilu pointed out, they lived a century apart. Zhao Wanli dismissed the objection as "another question" and demanded another round.
After more drinks, he explained that he and Gu Zhiqian shared a similar fate and deep understanding, particularly regarding the challenging path of imperial examinations. He emphasized that true kindred spirits were rare, and having one confidant like Gu was enough. As the drinking continued, Bi Zhi pressed Zhao Wanli about the painting's location. A very inebriated Zhao Wanli declared it was "in his heart" and asserted they would never find it. He then drifted off, murmuring Gu Zhiqian's name.
Su Beilu, frustrated, wanted him to resume talking, but Bi Zhi decided to escort the drunken Zhao Wanli home. As he was being moved, Zhao Wanli clutched the Autumn Twilight Painting, affectionately calling it "Liangzhu Silk." Su Beilu, inspecting it, openly doubted its artistic merit. Despite Zhao Wanli's condition, Bi Zhi and Su Beilu tried to buy the painting, offering any price and all the remaining liquor.
Zhao Wanli, however, vehemently refused, proclaiming the Autumn Twilight Painting was his life and he would die before selling it, even threatening violence. Bi Zhi, realizing their attempts were futile, apologized for the misunderstanding, and they left, with Zhao Wanli cursing their "scoundrel" behavior. Alone, Zhao Wanli comforted himself, assuring the painting of its safety.
Realizing they couldn't acquire the Autumn Twilight Painting from Zhao Wanli directly, especially after he recognized them, Bi Zhi and Su Beilu decided to return to their own time. After a night's rest, Bi Zhi resolved to journey into the past to find Gu Zhiqian. They traveled to the Gu Residence one hundred years prior.
The once-illustrious Gu Residence now appeared dilapidated, a far cry from its former glory, prompting Su Beilu to wonder if they had arrived in the wrong era. Inside, they found Gu Zhiqian sleeping, looking unkempt and destitute. Nearby, a vibrant, seemingly finished Autumn Twilight Painting lay. While Bi Zhi admired its grandeur, the completed painting only deepened the mystery: why was Zhao Wanli's copy only half-finished?
Believing that every effect must have a cause, Bi Zhi and Su Beilu decided to travel further back in time, to twelve years earlier. In that era, the Gu family flourished. On Gu Zhiqian's birthday, he was by the river with his poetry friends, enjoying performances by dancers, including the beautiful courtesan Weiwei. His friends lamented his focus on landscapes over beauties, but Gu Zhiqian defended his art, equating it with nature and superior to forced studies or arranged marriages.
Unbeknownst to him, back at the Gu Residence, his mother was hosting a grand banquet, subtly arranging for him to choose a bride from prominent families like the Lin, Wang, and Shen. When Madam Gu noticed his absence, attributing it to his studies, Master Gu burst in, furious. He revealed Gu Zhiqian had been sending his servant to attend classes, instead wasting his time on idle pleasures and gossip, branding him "useless" and "lazy."
Madam Gu tried to calm her husband, reminding him of their esteemed guests and the occasion. Suddenly, a servant announced Gu Zhiqian was missing. Master Gu, enraged, rushed to the lake where Gu Zhiqian was trying to escape. During his evasion, Gu Zhiqian accidentally caused Weiwei to fall into the water. Without hesitation, he jumped in to rescue her. Weiwei thanked him, and he apologized for her fall, promising to formally visit her to express his gratitude.
His father, witnessing the rescue, was enraged, berating him for saving a mere dancer. This incident, however, sparked a deep connection between Gu Zhiqian and Weiwei. Some time later, Master Gu confided in Madam Gu that he had to return to court urgently for matters with the consort. He expressed anxiety over the political turmoil and the consort's declining health, stressing that only Gu Zhiqian's success in the imperial exams could secure their family's future.
Later, Gu Zhiqian, at the lake, was engrossed in painting Weiwei when a servant brought devastating news: Master Gu had suddenly died of an illness while traveling to the capital. Gu Zhiqian rushed home to a family in mourning. His mother, heartbroken, warned him that his father's death might have been politically motivated and that the family had lost its pillar. She implored him to protect their vulnerable family. Gu Zhiqian, understanding the gravity, vowed to act.
He sought out his father's old friends, Master Lin and his aunt in the Zhao family, but was met with excuses and rejections. Visiting a pleasure quarter, hoping to find his poetry friends, he instead overheard them mocking his failed scholarly attempts, dismissing his poems as "nonsense," and gossiping about his failed marriage proposals and the likely confiscation of the Gu family's assets. He felt the bitter sting of societal coldness.
Weiwei, learning of the Gu family's misfortunes, found Gu Zhiqian by the lake. He lamented that although he intended to finish her portrait, "the painting isn't done, yet people and matters have changed." Weiwei urged him to care for his health. Gu Zhiqian confided how "overnight, people's hearts have changed," contrasting it with his pampered past. Weiwei, though uneducated, offered wisdom, stating that even calm rivers face storms.
She revealed her weariness of her life in the pleasure quarters, having saved enough money to redeem herself, and wished to serve and stay by his side through any hardship. Deeply moved, Gu Zhiqian promised to bring her back to his residence as soon as possible. Filled with hope, Gu Zhiqian returned home, only to find the Gu Residence in ruins. A notice declared: "The entire family was executed as a warning.
Their property was confiscated to supplement the national treasury." In a tragic twist, his mother had heroically sacrificed her life to secure his reprieve from the emperor. Later, Madam Lizhu delivered a painting to Weiwei, along with the heartbreaking news that the Gu family had been executed, and Gu Zhiqian was the sole survivor. Madam Lizhu conveyed that they were "not meant to be" and urged Weiwei to stop waiting.
Weiwei also received a note with a message of farewell, urging her not to worry. In the years that followed, Gu Zhiqian dedicated himself to studying for the imperial examinations, hoping to restore his family's honor. However, he repeatedly failed, each failure deepening his despair. One day, heavily bearded and despondent, he returned to the pleasure quarter, seeking Weiwei. Madam Lizhu cruelly informed him that Weiwei had died long ago, having drowned herself after being abandoned.
Overwhelmed by grief, rage, and profound regret, Gu Zhiqian's spirit broke, leaving him utterly despondent. Returning to his decaying residence, his heart was filled with desolation. He gathered his unfinished paintings, contemplating selling them. As he wept, he noticed a wild goose inexplicably appearing on the Autumn Twilight Painting – a detail he had never painted. Startled, he wondered about this mysterious event. It was then that Bi Zhi and Su Beilu entered his home.
They apologized for their intrusion, stating the door was open. Gu Zhiqian, now identifying himself as "Scholar," asked their purpose. They claimed to have heard of his artistic talent and wished to commission a painting. Gu Zhiqian humbly dismissed their praise, stating most of his works were sold, but flatly refused to part with the Autumn Twilight Painting, regardless of price, and asked them to leave so he could study. Bi Zhi, recognizing his scholarly ambition, wished him success.
As they departed, Gu Zhiqian stopped them, asking if they were scholars traveling from afar to take the imperial exam in Gusu City. When they confirmed this, he generously offered them lodging in his humble abode to study together, sparing them the hardships of travel. Bi Zhi gratefully accepted. Bi Zhi and Su Beilu, now disguised as scholars, settled into the Gu Residence. The next morning, Gu Zhiqian woke them early for a rigorous study session.
Su Beilu found the ancient texts tedious, but Gu Zhiqian became increasingly emotional, relating Guan Zhong's story to his own misfortunes and lamenting the rarity of "true friends of talent." He dismissed concerns for his tearful state and continued reciting poetry about the value of books, seemingly consumed by his studies.
Later that night, Su Beilu complained to Bi Zhi about the intense studying, joking he hadn't studied this hard even before graduating and feared becoming as obsessed as Gu Zhiqian. He went to sleep, closing the window to avoid Gu Zhiqian's notice. Bi Zhi, examining Gu Zhiqian's paintings, noted their "liveliness and energy," concluding he was once a vibrant, free-spirited individual, and pondered what could have caused such a profound change in him.
