Marvelous Women Episode 17 Recap
> Marvelous Women Recap
Shu Fang refuses to continue her marriage with Ren Rufeng, speaking harshly and stating she doesn't want him to be mocked by others, especially since everyone in the household knows she made the wedding attire. Ren Rufeng, heartbroken, tries to persuade her but she refuses, throwing down the wedding attire/fabric before leaving. Shen Cuixi and Wei Lianggong overhear their conversation.
Shu Fang brings tea to them, then kneels before Shen Cuixi, confessing her true feelings for Ren Rufeng but reiterating her fear of him being mocked due to household gossip. Shen Cuixi blames herself for harming Shu Fang and wants to talk to Ren Rufeng, but Shu Fang refuses. Ren Rufeng, still wanting to do something for Shu Fang, later approaches Shen Cuixi, asking her to have Wei Lianggong give Shu Fang a proper status.
Shen Cuixi sternly tells him not to meddle in Shu Fang's affairs, as she is a strong-willed girl. Wei Lianggong seems unconcerned, believing their marriage is not urgent and might improve with time, as fate connects everyone. Wei Lianggong paints Shen Cuixi, remarking that he would have colored it before, but now understands simplicity is best. Wei Lianggong's body grows increasingly weak; Shu Fang brings him medicine and witnesses him coughing violently, even coughing up blood.
Wei Lianggong asks Shu Fang not to tell Shen Cuixi to avoid worrying her. Meanwhile, Ding Rong blames Qiao'er's death on Shen Cuixi and kneels at the entrance of the Weaving Bureau, begging Li Zhao for help and swearing to help Li Zhao deal with Shen Cuixi and destroy Qingyue Workshop. Ding Rong still doesn't acknowledge his own fault, claiming Shen Cuixi misled Qiao'er, otherwise Qiao'er wouldn't have died with two lives due to travel.
Li Zhao publicly refuses and orders Ding Rong to be driven out, but secretly instructs Liu Shiye to follow Ding Rong. Ding Rong, distraught, walks the streets and is coincidentally encountered by Ren Rufeng. Ren Rufeng, full of anger from being rejected by Shu Fang and attributing the disruption of his marriage to Ding Rong, violently beats Ding Rong to vent his frustration. Liu Shiye witnesses this.
Later, Zeng Baoqin plays chess with Li Zhao, noting that the street rumors about Shen Cuixi and Wei Lianggong are attributed to Li Zhao, who merely smiles without comment. She then deliberately brings up the imperial court sending people to investigate the accounts of grain transport and river works.
Zeng Baoqin uses her own and her family's tragic experiences – how the Zeng family fell, her father died, and her current difficult life – to warn Li Zhao that official careers are volatile and one cannot act freely, advising him to take some benefits and stop early to ensure safety. Li Zhao pretends ignorance but later reveals his mounting anxiety. Zeng Baoqin muses that an official career can truly transform a person.
She decides to find Shen Cuixi, worried Li Zhao will continue his misguided actions to Shen Cuixi's detriment, believing that if Li Zhao gets truly anxious, he will expose himself. Zeng Baoqin meets Shen Cuixi, acknowledging that Li Zhao's attempt to use Ding Rong to incriminate Shen Cuixi failed, but he won't give up.
She explains that the court gazettes she brought are a way to counter Li Zhao, revealing that Li Zhao, who took office without staff or funds, has caused great turmoil. Shen Cuixi thanks Zeng Baoqin for her dedication, and Zeng Baoqin states she is doing it for Wei Lianggong. Zeng Baoqin analyzes that Li Zhao, not originally greedy, is now so focused on accumulating wealth for a reason, with clues in the gazettes.
The gazettes record Li Zhao's misdeeds: misappropriating grain transport funds, manipulating raw silk prices, forcing weavers into bankruptcy, and then taking over their workshops for the Weaving Bureau. This intricate chain of events means any small error could lead to Li Zhao's demise. While the Weaving Bureau seems to lack real power, it is the Emperor's eyes and ears stationed in Jiangnan, with all petitions directly reaching the capital.
Grain transport payments have been increasing annually, causing immense suffering and widespread discontent in Jiangnan. Li Zhao increased these payments to fill deficits after Shen Cuixi, collaborating with several large weaving families, established a general accounting office that year to stabilize silk prices, leaving Li Zhao's raw silk unsold. This led Li Zhao to target Shen Cuixi, but the general accounting office not only survived, but Shen Cuixi also restored double-sided kesi to revive the Ren family.
Li Zhao could only increase payments to fill his deficits, explaining why he is now in disarray and becoming increasingly unscrupulous in his actions. Li Zhao has received a letter from the capital ordering him to make up for a large deficit within six months, a sum too large to easily fill. Zeng Baoqin deduces that Li Zhao's deficit must be growing, and clearing it through the grain transport yamen would expose his illicit activities.
This presents them with an opportunity to counterattack. Zeng Baoqin suggests writing an anonymous letter to the Ministry of Revenue, believing that exposing the grain transport issue would leave Li Zhao too preoccupied to bother Shen Cuixi and Wei Lianggong. Shen Cuixi considers this too risky and believes it would be more effective to report him when they have both the person and the evidence.
She proposes another method: since Li Zhao's raw silk will eventually have to be sold, exposing himself, and the Ministry of Revenue is due to audit deficits in a few months, they should arrange for the prefectural yamen to send patrols. She uses the excuse of having found Zhang Biao's whereabouts to persuade Cao Wenbin to deploy soldiers for patrolling, and Cao Wenbin, eager to catch Zhang Biao quickly, immediately agrees.
Seeking to fill his financial deficit, Li Zhao takes Ding Rong to his raw silk warehouse, claiming he found a suitable buyer to sell the silk to Nanyang and needs a contact person. Ding Rong is scared, knowing violating the ban on maritime trade is a death sentence. Li Zhao reminds Ding Rong that he is hated by everyone in Suzhou and has no other way out. Ding Rong agrees, pledging loyalty.
Li Zhao promises Ding Rong wealth and power if he handles this job well, even suggesting he could eventually control the Ren family, making Ding Rong more eager. Li Zhao decides to fully entrust this task to Ding Rong. That night, Ding Rong goes to the dock to trade with river bandits for the first time; the transaction is completed smoothly, though he is terrified. The next day, Liu Shiye verifies the money and accounts, and Li Zhao is satisfied. During the second transaction with river bandits, officials from the prefectural yamen come to patrol. Ding Rong quickly hides under some cloth and escapes capture, avoiding arrest.
