The Sword and The Brocade Episode 43 Recap
> The Sword and The Brocade Recap
Xu Lingyi grappled with profound guilt over Concubine Qin's death, believing his actions of taking her and others as concubines had inadvertently led to their tragedies. Shiyi, however, comforted him, reassuring him that no one could foretell such events and urging him to ensure Concubine Qin received a proper burial, which Xu Lingyi solemnly promised to arrange. Meanwhile, Marquis Jingyuan, no longer trusting Wang Jiubao due to the information provided by Concubine Qin, decided to act preemptively to eliminate him.
All of this was within Xu Lingyi's plan; he had already warned Wang Jiubao to be on guard, anticipating Marquis Jingyuan's move. Xu Lingyi had dispatched agents to Fujian to warn Wang Jiubao and arranged for Lin Bo’s secret assistance to ensure Wang Jiubao's safety and eventual defection to the imperial court. Later, Lin Bo presented a repaired hairpin to Dongqing, though it still bore visible cracks.
He earnestly confessed that while he caused the cracks on the hairpin, the deeper cracks in his heart were caused by her. He boldly proposed marriage, promising to mend those emotional wounds for the rest of his life and vowing never to marry another woman, even contemplating becoming a monk if she refused. Dongqing, though flustered by his directness, did not explicitly accept but felt sweet joy in her heart, eventually leaving with the hairpin.
Shortly thereafter, before his departure for Fujian, Lin Bo sought out Shiyi to formally request Dongqing's hand in marriage. When Shiyi asked Dongqing directly, Dongqing, after a moment of hesitation, confirmed her willingness. Shiyi, acknowledging Dongqing’s feelings, gave her consent to the union and granted Dongqing a day's leave to properly bid farewell to Lin Bo before his journey.
Wuniang, heavily pregnant, was aware of their family's modest means, though Qian Ming took pains to shield her from the full extent of their severe financial strain as he worried about impending expenses. He instructed his servant to prioritize Wuniang’s comfort and find money without her explicit knowledge of the dire situation.
Soon after, Qian Ming encountered his friend, Qin Zhiyuan, who excitedly presented a seemingly lucrative business opportunity: an acquaintance from the south urgently required a vast quantity of embroidered goods, promising substantial profits. Qian Ming, seeing this as a solution to their financial woes, eagerly agreed to discuss it with Shiyi. Qin Zhiyuan offered to manage the logistics.
Shiyi, enthusiastic about expanding Xianling Pavilion's reach to the south and benefiting more embroiderers, proposed opening a new branch in Yuhang and recruiting local skilled embroiderers to meet the large demand, a plan Qian Ming eagerly supported. However, this seemingly beneficial endeavor was a meticulously planned trap. The Fujian Administration Commission soon reported to the capital that Xianling Pavilion was involved in smuggling with pirates, possessing both material evidence and pirate testimonies.
The Emperor, enraged, ordered Xianling Pavilion seized and a thorough investigation by the three judicial offices. Despite Xu Lingyi’s attempts to vouch for Xianling Pavilion’s integrity, Grand Secretary Chen affirmed the gravity of the case, deeming it a matter of national security that allowed no favoritism. Shuntian Prefecture Office officials arrived at the Xu mansion to arrest Shiyi, accusing Xianling Pavilion of collusion and smuggling. Shiyi, identifying herself as the owner, and Master Jian, were both taken into custody.
Xu Lingyi arrived shortly after, reassuring Shiyi of his unwavering trust and promising to protect her from any injustice, while sternly warning the officials against harming her. Shiyi felt deeply touched by Xu Lingyi's trust. Distraught, Wuniang rushed to the Xu mansion, informing them that Xianling Pavilion had been seized due to alleged collusion with pirates and smuggling.
She relayed Qian Ming's prior discovery that Qin Zhiyuan had been unusually promoted to an official position in Fujian despite lacking the necessary qualifications, leading her to suspect Marquis Jingyuan had exploited Qin Zhiyuan to ensnare Qian Ming in the scheme. Soon after, Qian Ming himself was apprehended by officials, but not before urging someone to inform Xu Lingyi at the Xu family mansion.
At the Xu mansion, Wuniang further explained that Qian Ming had confessed the seized embroideries were indeed his doing, but he maintained that Marquis Jingyuan had engineered the entire plot, using Qin Zhiyuan to deceive him. Duke Wei arrived at the Xu mansion, informing Xu Lingyi that the Ministry of Justice possessed conclusive evidence, including Xianling Pavilion's embroideries, transaction documents, seals, and the corroborating testimonies of arrested pirates, all pointing to smuggling.
He cautioned Xu Lingyi that the Emperor was now suspicious, hence the joint trial by the three judicial offices. Xu Lingyi acknowledged that Qin Zhiyuan was the crucial link, but his distant posting in Fujian, orchestrated by Marquis Jingyuan, made it difficult to locate him before the trial. Duke Wei assured Xu Lingyi that he would deploy his own contacts in Fujian to find Qin Zhiyuan and bring him to the capital, even if it meant resorting to extreme measures.
Qian Ming’s wife, Wuniang, present during this discussion, tearfully blamed herself and her husband for falling into the trap, but Xu Lingyi firmly reassured her that he would secure their release. The Xu family, particularly Xu Lingyi's mother, grew deeply worried about Shiyi's safety and potential suffering in prison.
Xu Lingyi attempted to visit Shiyi, but Ministry of Justice official Li barred him, citing Xu Lingyi's involvement in the case and urging him to reconsider, though Xu Lingyi insisted on impartial judgment. Inside the prison, Shiyi, realizing the magnitude of the conspiracy against her and the Xu family, urged Master Jian to claim sole responsibility for the business deal, insisting Master Jian knew nothing.
During her interrogation, Shiyi steadfastly denied any involvement in smuggling, maintaining she conducted legitimate transactions and that Xu Lingyi was entirely uninvolved. Despite officials presenting physical evidence and pirate testimonies, Shiyi insisted she was framed, challenging their attempts to implicate Xu Lingyi. Marquis Jingyuan then arrived, pressing the official to secure a conviction against Xu Lingyi.
He questioned how a mere woman could orchestrate such a large smuggling operation, subtly suggesting Xu Lingyi as the true mastermind, and warned against the Emperor showing leniency to Xu Lingyi in the future. The official promised his full cooperation. Master Jian was then brought in. Shiyi tried to shield her, reiterating Master Jian's innocence. However, Master Jian, determined to protect Shiyi whom she regarded as family, took all the blame, even under severe torture.
She insisted she handled the deal alone with legitimate merchants and that neither Xu Lingyi nor Shiyi were involved, despite the officials' skepticism regarding her ability to contact pirates. Master Jian urged Shiyi to live and continue the embroidery tradition, causing Shiyi to plead with her to endure. As rumors of Xianling Pavilion’s seizure and Shiyi’s arrest for smuggling spread, Amber grew anxious to gather information. However, she was intercepted and brought back by Young Madam Ou’s people.
Young Madam Ou confronted Amber, demanding to know if her own husband, Ou Lixing, had been killed by Lin Shixian (Ou Yanxing) and Xu Lingyi. Fortunately, Lin Shixian was alerted to Amber's capture. He rushed to the firewood room where Amber was being held and, asserting his future authority within the Ou family, rescued her from Young Madam Ou’s grasp, warning her people not to harm Amber again.
Amber tearfully implored Lin Shixian to rescue Shiyi, firmly believing her to be framed, possibly by Lin Shixian's own father, Marquis Jingyuan. Lin Shixian, acknowledging the daunting challenge posed by the seemingly irrefutable evidence, promised to find a solution and vowed that if his father truly orchestrated the plot, he would not stand idly by while Shiyi faced a death sentence.
Xu Lingyi sought an audience with Grand Secretary Chen, asserting that the case was a meticulously orchestrated frame-up designed to incriminate the Xu family through Xianling Pavilion. Grand Secretary Chen acknowledged the seemingly irrefutable evidence but confessed the difficulty in swaying the Emperor and officials without compelling counter-evidence. Despite his personal belief in Xu Lingyi’s integrity, he urged Xu Lingyi to be pragmatic.
Xu Lingyi pleaded for more time, vowing to uncover the conspiracy's flaws and exonerate Shiyi and Xianling Pavilion. Grand Secretary Chen then shifted the discussion to the larger political landscape, highlighting the Emperor’s increasing desire to lift the sea ban due to rampant piracy and Xu Lingyi’s crucial role in this initiative. He warned that Shiyi’s conviction would inevitably implicate Xu Lingyi, jeopardizing his ability to spearhead the sea ban.
To resolve this, Grand Secretary Chen presented Xu Lingyi with a memorial for divorce, instructing him to submit it at the joint trial. By publicly divorcing Shiyi and attributing sole responsibility for the smuggling to her, Xu Lingyi could absolve the Xu family and ensure the smooth progression of the sea ban, a move Grand Secretary Chen implied was also the Emperor's subtle wish.
Torn between his wife and his duty to the state, Xu Lingyi expressed deep reluctance, fearing he would become a betrayer. Grand Secretary Chen reiterated the importance of sacrificing the lesser for the greater good, urging him not to let years of effort go to waste.
As this dilemma unfolded, Zhaoying arrived with critical updates: Warden Jiang reported that Master Jian had been severely tortured, likely leading to a forced confession, but Shiyi remained safe, spared from torture due to Warden Jiang's discreet assistance. Xu Lingyi immediately ordered medicine for Master Jian. Furthermore, Zhaoying revealed that while their agents in Fujian had located Qin Zhiyuan, he had been found dead upon their arrival, confirming Marquis Jingyuan's meticulous and ruthless pre-emptive planning.
