In a Class of Her Own Episode 35 Recap
> In a Class of Her Own Recap
Wen Bin, who was in disguise as a male scholar, was being escorted when suddenly, masked figures appeared and brutally attacked the guards. Wen Bin managed to escape with Mu Xiao Man. Lei Zexin arrived, intercepting the pursuers and urging Mu Xiao Man to take Wen Bin to safety while he held off the attackers. Mu Xiao Man refused to leave, declaring they would face death together.
Faced with her stubborn loyalty, Wen Bin confessed her true identity, revealing that she was a woman. Mu Xiao Man was taken aback, realizing the depth of her mistaken affections. As the pursuers closed in, Wen Bin courageously shielded Mu Xiao Man, sustaining a severe injury. Just then, Han Shengzhi, Feng Chengjun, and Yu Lexuan arrived, and the attackers, recognizing Han Shengzhi as their young master, ceased their pursuit.
Han Shengzhi took Mu Xiao Man away, while Feng Chengjun was left to protect the injured Wen Bin. As they found a moment alone, Feng Chengjun confessed that he had overheard Wen Bin’s conversation with Gu Da Chao on the night Gu Da Chao was killed and had known her true gender ever since. He expressed concern for her safety, suggesting she leave Yun Shang Academy.
Wen Bin, frustrated by being tricked into the academy only to be told to leave, sarcastically threatened to go home and marry someone to support her family, a notion Feng Chengjun vehemently rejected. Soon after, Lei Zexin and Yu Lexuan arrived, visibly relieved that Wen Bin’s injuries were not life-threatening. However, they conveyed grim news: Han Zheng Liang had begun to issue warrants for Wen Bin and her family.
Fortunately, Lei Zexin's father, Lei Qi Ying, had already found a secure place to hide Wen Bin's mother and sister. The immediate priority was for Wen Bin to meet Master Wang to prove her innocence. Meanwhile, Mr. Ding informed Master Wang that Wen Bin was, in fact, Xue Ding Kun’s son. This revelation heightened Master Wang's interest, as he had found Wen Bin familiar from their first meeting.
He immediately instructed Lei Qi Ying to find Wen Bin and bring her to him, before Han Zheng Liang could discover her identity and potentially harm her. When Imperial Brigade guards, likely alerted by Han Zheng Liang, arrived to arrest Wen Bin, Lei Qi Ying skillfully intervened, asserting Master Wang's authority and personally escorting Wen Bin to the special envoy.
Before Master Wang, Lei Zexin bravely confessed to being the sole distributor of the banned books, wanting to clear Wen Bin’s name. His father, Lei Qi Ying, tried to interject, fearing punishment for his son, but Master Wang instead praised Lei Zexin for his honesty and loyalty. Master Wang revealed his own liberal views, stating that he never found the content of the banned books objectionable and believed many of their ideas were worth promoting.
He explained that back then, Governor Feng and Attendant Officer Han had insisted on banning the books, and as a special envoy, he lacked the authority to overturn their decision. Yu Lexuan then proposed a clever solution: since possessing banned books was a crime, Han Zheng Liang, who also secretly held them, should be held to the same standard. Wen Bin then reminded them that Principal Feng had previously taken a banned book from Han Zheng Liang’s residence.
The next day, Yu Lexuan led the scholars to Han Shengzhi's residence, ostensibly for a friendly visit. Their true objective was to search Han Zheng Liang's study for banned books. During the visit, Feng Chengjun encountered Han Xiao Man and took the opportunity to apologize for past misunderstandings, asking for her help in saving Wen Bin, which she readily agreed to.
While Han Shengzhi was away, the scholars stumbled upon and discovered a collection of banned books in Han Zheng Liang’s study. Armed with this substantial evidence, Principal Feng confronted Han Zheng Liang before Master Wang. Principal Feng argued that if Wen Bin was guilty of disseminating the banned content, then Han Zheng Liang, who possessed many such books, should face the same charges. Han Zheng Liang vehemently denied the accusation, claiming he was being framed by the scholars.
However, Master Wang, recognizing the undeniable evidence, shrewdly put the decision to Han Zheng Liang himself: should these books remain banned? Cornered, Han Zheng Liang had no choice but to agree to lift the ban and convene with the nobles to discuss the repealing the prohibition. This decision effectively cleared Wen Bin of all charges. Following the resolution of the immediate crisis, Master Wang summoned the Four Gentlemen of Yun Shang.
He announced that the imperial court had lifted the ban on Xue Ding Kun's teachings and was no longer pursuing the case of his alleged treason. He then inquired if any of them was Xue Ding Kun’s son. Wen Bin stepped forward and confirmed her identity. Master Wang spoke highly of Xue Ding Kun, remembering him as an ambitious, upright scholar who championed the nation and its people. Wen Bin, encouraged, asked why such a man had been executed.
Master Wang explained that while Xue Ding Kun's educational reforms had gained widespread support, the memorial he submitted to the late emperor contained words that were interpreted as treasonous, leading to his downfall. Wen Bin pleaded for the truth of her father's case to be revealed to the world, and Master Wang, having already reported the matter to the Emperor, announced that the case would become the subject of the upcoming imperial examination for the Four Gentlemen of Yun Shang.
Principal Feng expressed concerns about the difficulty of the task, but Master Wang expressed confidence in his top students. Feng Chengjun, whose father, Feng Jichang, was suspected in the case, declared his resolve to seek the truth from him, even if it meant exposing his own father. Feng Chengjun visited his father, Feng Jichang, who was under detention.
Feng Jichang was emotional, admitting that the secret had burdened him for twenty years and expressing his regret for not revealing it sooner to protect his son. He explained that Xue Ding Kun's "ten thousand words petition" advocating equal education for nobles, commoners, and women, had gained twenty wealthy families as co-signatories. However, before it could reach the Emperor, someone falsely accused them of treason.
Feng Jichang recounted how he and Han Zheng Liang intercepted Xue Ding Kun, and upon opening the memorial, found it filled with treasonous statements. He stated that Han Zheng Liang then took the memorial and submitted it to the imperial court. Feng Chengjun questioned if the memorial had been switched. Feng Jichang clarified that if it had been, it must have happened before he read it. He then denied ordering Xue Ding Kun's execution.
Feng Jichang confessed that Han Zheng Liang, leveraging his military control and influence over Yun's powerful families, had pressured him, a newcomer with weak political standing, to handle the investigation. Han Zheng Liang had even forged Feng Jichang’s official documents, leading to the tragedy. Feng Jichang revealed his hesitation at the time was due to fear of implicating more people, especially the scholars of Yun Shang.
Lei Zexin, with assistance from Gu Zhe Yuan, successfully located and apprehended Ke Shi Jun, bringing him before Master Wang. Ke Shi Jun confessed that Han Zheng Liang had coerced him to swap Xue Ding Kun's original memorial with a falsified, treasonous one, using an identical box and seal during the interception. Adding to the weight of evidence, two assassins separately confessed that Han Zheng Liang had ordered them to kill.
Gu Zhe Yuan further testified that Han Zheng Liang had instructed Commander Xu to murder Gu Da Chao, the doctor, and frame the flyer distributor. Gu Zhe Yuan also presented incriminating confessions from Han Zheng Liang's subordinates detailing his extensive corruption and bribery.
Mu Xiao Man bravely corroborated, testifying that she personally witnessed a man emerge from Han Zheng Liang's study, change into a black suit, and carry out the assassination, and that Han Zheng Liang had also attempted to silence her. Faced with overwhelming evidence from multiple sources, Han Zheng Liang finally admitted his guilt.
With the truth revealed, Master Wang dismissed Han Zheng Liang from his post and commended Feng Chengjun for his significant contributions to uncovering the facts of Xue Ding Kun's long-misjudged case. Feng Jichang was released, and acknowledging his own inaction in the past that led to the prolonged injustice, he requested Master Wang to demote him to a commoner as a public deterrent, signifying a new era where the future of Yun belongs to its young people.
