In the Name of Blossom Episode 2 Recap
> In the Name of Blossom Recap
A visitor arrived at He Weifang's clinic, seeking the physician. As Lv Gengchun prepared to attend to him, she recognized the visitor as her own father. Mr. Lv expressed strong disapproval of Lv Gengchun practicing medicine and opening a clinic, telling He Weifang that she had encouraged his daughter and almost ruined Lv Gengchun's reputation. He firmly believed that for women, lack of talent was a virtue and marriage was paramount.
He Weifang and Lv Gengchun defended her passion for healing and helping others, noting her talent had been praised by a Master Doctor. They argued that forcing her into a conventional marriage would cause her lifelong pain. Mr. Lv remained firm, insisting that marriage was the correct path for a woman and accusing He Weifang of indulging Lv Gengchun's "mischief" and pushing her into a "pit of fire." He demanded that He Weifang leave and never see Lv Gengchun again.
Overhearing, Lv Gengchun declared that running the clinic and practicing medicine were her own ideas, having nothing to do with others. A servant reported that Lv Gengchun had smashed betrothal gifts sent by the Hu family. Mr. Lv questioned how his once gentle and obedient daughter had changed so much. Lv Gengchun stated this was her true nature and she had only pretended before to avoid upsetting him. She refused a blind marriage, asserting her desire to continue practicing medicine.
When her father called her pursuit a disgrace to feminine virtue and said respectable families would look down on her, she retorted that a man who would despise her for being a female physician was not worth marrying. Mr. Lv accused her of uttering wild words and dishonoring her deceased mother.
Lv Gengchun tearfully asked about her mother's virtue and happiness, pointing out that just because her father deemed her public appearance a disgrace to family values, she was confined and died in melancholy. She accused him of burying her mother's life and attempting to bury hers as well.
He Weifang intervened, defending Lv Gengchun's skill and the respect she earned, questioning why Lv Gengchun couldn't pursue what she loved just because she was a woman, like He Weifang pursued her career in flowers, calling such a restriction tyrannical. Mr. Lv asked Lv Gengchun if having friends and confidence meant she no longer needed her family. He gave her an ultimatum: stay and be his daughter or leave to pursue her path of medicine.
When she asked if she could have both, he said no and declared that the Lv family did not have an unfilial daughter like her from then on. Lv Gengchun sadly recalled how her father once disliked dandelions but allowed her to plant them because she liked them, unaware she saw them as medicine for him; now, like scattered dandelions, they were separated.
He Weifang comforted Lv Gengchun, suggesting she stay at the Fragrance Garden for a few days to give her father time to reconsider, believing he couldn't bear to disown her permanently. Qin Liulang enjoyed spending time with He Weifang and often followed her like a younger sibling. Jiang Zhangyang noticed Qin Liulang's small tricks and tried to guide him.
When planning an outing to the dock, Jiang Zhangyang suggested Qin Liulang ride a horse with Chuan Yu, noting He Weifang didn't ride horses. Qin Liulang, wanting to share a carriage with He Weifang, complained to her that Jiang Zhangyang, the Floral Envoy, wouldn't let him on the carriage, suggesting Jiang Zhangyang thought he was too sickly and feared he would fall from a horse.
Jiang Zhangyang confronted Qin Liulang, stating that while arguing or joking was fine, falsely accusing him of endangering his life was wrong and not the behavior of a true gentleman. He told Qin Liulang that if he wanted to share the carriage, he should just ask directly instead of lying and slandering others. Qin Liulang admitted he was wrong. He Weifang prompted him to apologize to his "brother-in-law," Jiang Zhangyang. Qin Liulang apologized and promised not to do it again.
Jiang Zhangyang accepted the apology and even offered for Qin Liulang to ride in the carriage with them anyway, saying it was the right thing to do as a brother-in-law. However, Qin Liulang declined and decided not to go to the dock that day. He Weifang and Jiang Zhangyang departed. As they rode, He Weifang commented on Qin Liulang's sensitive nature and little tricks, believing he could be changed with careful instruction.
Jiang Zhangyang called Qin Liulang her "good brother" and agreed to be more patient and teach carefully. Later, He Weifang went to the dock for a business meeting with the person who was described as the "bowman" in a letter. Upon entering the boat, she found Liu Chang inside, who prevented her from leaving. He Weifang, surprised, attempted to leave, stating her husband was waiting onshore and would cause a scene if she didn't return.
Liu Chang explained he knew her temperament and believed she would jump into the river to escape otherwise. He invited her to sit and discuss business over tea. He reminisced about his recent achievements in expanding the river channel and building the pier, claiming he thought of her when designating the pier for official and civilian use, leading to merchant prosperity and public convenience. He offered her tax exemption and priority rights for her goods transported there.
He Weifang declined the offer, stating she could not accept such special treatment and wished to be treated the same as other merchants. Liu Chang remarked that she was still the same He Weifang, while he was changed, now patient in pursuing his goals and the people he sought. He expressed a desire for "long-lasting companionship" and hoped to break river ice with her for tea the following year.
He Weifang reminded him of her marriage and that his words, such as "abducting concubines and neglecting husbandly virtues," could invite trouble if heard by Prince Ning, his patron. She told him he had not progressed but instead indulged in delusion, emphasizing that they were unrelated and his willful actions would only harm others and himself. She asked him to dock the boat if there was nothing further to discuss.
Liu Chang stated they had a long future ahead before complying and docking the boat. As He Weifang disembarked, she encountered Jiang Zhangyang, who had been waiting nearby, having noticed guards posted and tips being given, sensing something amiss. He teasingly asked if she was having a secret meeting with Liu Chang. She denied any secrecy or impropriety in their relationship, stating it was purely for business. Jiang Zhangyang noted she hadn't presented gifts, indicating the discussion didn't go well.
He then presented her with a mother-of-pearl bracelet he found at the market, describing its ability to reflect light and illuminate at night, playfully suggesting it would help her tend flowers after dark. He Weifang commented that it was like an affordable and portable "night pearl" for the common people, recognizing it as a potential business opportunity.
Jiang Zhangyang joked that all she thinks about is business and implied the encounter on the boat was an unpleasant, "sour" experience like eating unripe fruit. Later, Liu Chang's wife, Lady Li, was informed by her servant about Liu Chang's activities that day, including his unusual act of eating many cherries, a fruit he typically disliked.
Lady Li was surprised by his sudden change in taste and instructed her servant to discreetly question others who were with Liu Chang to understand the reason. One day, a group of people arrived at He Weifang's clinic carrying the body of a woman, identified as Mrs. Wu, who they claimed died after taking Yunbin Pill from Qingshuzhai. They tearfully accused the clinic of selling harmful or fake medicine and demanded justice.
Lv Gengchun defended the clinic, asserting that hundreds of Yunbin Pills had been sold without incident and that based on Mrs. Wu's pulse, her constitution was suitable for the pill, suggesting another cause for her death. A man among the accusers dismissed Lv Gengchun as a woman easily misled by He Weifang. The crowd turned hostile, calling He Weifang the harmful scoundrel.
He Weifang calmly stated that the pills in her clinic were absolutely safe and offered proof: every batch was sampled and stored, and she possessed the sealed sample box from the day Mrs. Wu purchased the pill, which she would hand over sealed to the authorities for inspection, proving the pills' innocence. Some in the crowd were swayed, agreeing an investigation was needed.
However, the man countered that poor medical skill or misdiagnosis could still lead to death, even with good medicine. A coroner's report was produced, stating Mrs. Wu had a weak stomach, was severely injured, and died from food consumption. The accusers insisted the pill was the culprit, as her diet had been normal except for taking the Yunbin Pill.
As they continued to demand justice, Lv Gengchun tried to intervene, attempting to handle the pill and calling it "harmful life-taking medicine" in the chaos. Officials arrived and forcibly restrained He Weifang and Lv Gengchun, arresting them despite their protests that this matter had nothing to do with Qingshuzhai and they had the wrong person. Later, in prison, He Weifang comforted a tearful Lv Gengchun, who was injured. Lv Gengchun confirmed her injuries were from He Weifang protecting her.
He Weifang apologized for involving her but stated the disaster was a deliberate frame-up, not caused by their practice, and that someone behind Cao Yu Ying and the bribed county magistrate was involved. Lv Gengchun worried if her father had heard about this and if he was concerned. He Weifang noted that despite their earlier conflict, Lv Gengchun's first thought in distress was of the person she cared about most, her father.
Mr. Lv then visited them in prison, having bribed his way in. Seeing Lv Gengchun's injuries, he blamed He Weifang and her business, insisting that if Lv Gengchun had stayed home to marry, she wouldn't have suffered. While expressing immense gratitude to He Weifang for protecting his daughter, he maintained that women doing business ultimately caused trouble. Lv Gengchun defended her medical practice, stating it wasn't worthless despite his view and pleading for his trust.
Mr. Lv prioritized rescuing them over validating her practice, expressing doubt they could prove innocence in their condition and repeating that a woman practicing medicine would constantly encounter disputes. Standing firm, Lv Gengchun offered to be disowned if he remained convinced her practice caused the disaster and dishonored the family.
Mr. Lv expressed frustration at her stubbornness but He Weifang appealed to him, questioning if he could bear for Lv Gengchun to bear the burden of a murder charge and remain unresolved. She pointed out the magistrate's actions (no public trial, private punishment, forcing confession) hinted at a frame-up and that only by clarifying these issues could Lv Gengchun be truly exonerated.
Reflecting in her cell, looking at the glowing mother-of-pearl bracelet, He Weifang wondered if Jiang Zhangyang was indeed the first person she thought of in trouble. Jiang Zhangyang arrived at the prison with ease, noting the contrast with how Lv Gengchun's father had to bribe his way in earlier, acknowledging Jiang Zhangyang's status as Floral Envoy. He immediately questioned who ordered their torture, stating they dared ignore his dignity.
He Weifang implied it could only be "that person" in Chang'an capable of such a crime. Jiang Zhangyang offered to take her away, but she refused, determined to stay and clear her name and Lv Gengchun's with dignity and innocence. She argued that leaving now would make her appear guilty, a profiteer relying on official power.
She stated someone was pressuring the magistrate, preventing impartial handling, and she needed irrefutable evidence to reveal the truth to the city and the person behind the plot. Jiang Zhangyang agreed to support her, asking about her plan and offering help. He Weifang stated she had already planned the investigation and asked him to convey a message for her. Following He Weifang's instructions conveyed via Consort Shu, Jiang Zhangyang arranged for a female physician to examine Mrs. Wu's body.
The female physician concluded that Mrs. Wu, who had recently given birth, did not have a weak stomach but had consumed a large amount of toxic cold foods when needing nourishment, leading to continuous bleeding and death. She noted that male coroners might overlook such specific ailments in female corpses, explaining why the county coroner missed it. Jiang Zhangyang understood He Weifang's foresight. Zhu Fu, acting on He Weifang's plan, reported his investigation findings to Jiang Zhangyang.
Mrs. Wu was Cao Yu Ying's hidden concubine in Dingzi Alley. Cao Yu Ying, lacking medical knowledge, had sought advice on postpartum diet five days earlier and subsequently bought cold items forbidden for women who had just given birth. Witnesses in Dingzi Alley saw him deliver crabs and bezoar to Mrs. Wu's residence the day before her death.
Zhu Fu had collected testimony from all parties, a pharmacy receipt for the cold items, and food scraps from Mrs. Wu's kitchen, expressing confidence the evidence would exonerate He Weifang in court the next day. To ensure no future issues, Jiang Zhangyang decided he needed to meet with someone else. He visited Prince Ning's mansion and met with Lady Li.
He mentioned his concubine's recent framing and imprisonment, adding he had coincidentally found an item missing from the mansion and came to return it. Lady Li interpreted his presence as demanding justice for the past incident where He Weifang caused her to fall from a horse, stating she had already been merciful by not killing He Weifang then.
Jiang Zhangyang reminded Lady Li that she had married her beloved Liu Chang, Prince Ning had sought justice for her, and Liu Chang had been promoted to Deputy Transport Officer, suggesting everyone was satisfied. He questioned why she was still pursuing his concubine. Lady Li claimed the heart-wrenching pain she suffered could not be compensated.
Jiang Zhangyang countered that if she insisted on regretting her past move, he would not hesitate to cause a scene before the Emperor, potentially jeopardizing Liu Chang's position. He proposed they consider their respective injuries – her fall and He Weifang's severe injuries in prison – as an exchange and put the matter entirely behind them.
He suggested they maintain good relations with Prince Ning, but Lady Li and Liu Chang should minimize contact with him and He Weifang to avoid triggering distress, emphasizing that marital harmony was now most important for her. Lady Li agreed. Jiang Zhangyang warned her to cherish the recovered item, hinting that negligence could lead to its loss again.
Lady Li inquired about letting He Weifang go, commenting that Jiang Zhangyang cherished Lady He greatly, and since He Weifang had no interest in Liu Chang, Liu Chang had no opportunities. She then asked about Cao Yu Ying, and Jiang Zhangyang assured her that Cao Yu Ying had family who would ensure he bore his punishment without speaking carelessly, confirming everything would be handled properly without Liu Chang being informed. An official publicly announced the resolution.
Cao Yu Ying was found guilty of poisoning a civilian woman and framing others, with conclusive evidence, and sentenced to execution after autumn. He Weifang and Lv Gengchun were declared innocent and ordered to be released immediately. A crowd outside Qingshuzhai cheered, while Mrs. Wu's relatives cried out in grief, demanding justice from Cao Yu Ying.
