Resumo do episódio 13 de Faithful
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Seven years ago, Liu Xin, then a captain, lay in a prison cell when a copper coin hit him. He desperately wanted to buy medicine for his wounds, but the single coin was insufficient. Li Chunfeng, a pickpocket whom Liu Xin had previously helped, admitted he had spent all his money on pig head meat, leaving only one coin.
Despite Liu Xin's anger, Li Chunfeng persisted in asking about the Yanyu Tower, mentioning a friend who was worried about Lin Rulan's case. Liu Xin warned him that Lin Rulan would not win and advised him not to get involved, reiterating that she was destined to lose, no matter how much she struggled. Indeed, Lin Rulan's efforts proved futile, and she suffered a devastating, inexplicable defeat. Confined to her room at Lin's Pharmacy, she refused to eat.
Her brother brought her food and accused her of being impulsive. He suggested she might have developed feelings for Wu Lian and acted recklessly, then fabricated a story to avoid their parents' wrath. He believed that if she had told the truth earlier, he and their parents would have compelled Wu Lian to take responsibility, resolving the matter quietly without ruining her reputation. Lin Rulan, exhausted, asked him to leave, but he reaffirmed his concern for her before departing.
Meanwhile, Wu Lian confidently presented a new, exquisite summer gauze garment from Yanyu Tower to the Grand Duke's wife, who was delighted. She informed him that Yanyu Embroidery had been chosen for the Empress Dowager's tribute list and sternly warned him against any errors, as it concerned the court's reputation and her own recommendation. Wu Lian assured her that Yanyu Tower had never disappointed her.
Meng Wan, weakened and despairing, sent her mother away under the pretense of needing candied fruit to sweeten her bitter medicine. She then dragged herself to Zhao Yucheng's door, confronting him angrily and accusing him of betrayal. She recalled his past declarations about litigators seeking justice, now finding them deeply ironic.
Zhao Yucheng, however, callously dismissed her accusations, stating that a man pursuing great achievements must disregard minor details and that his dealings with Wu Lian were merely a matter of mutual benefit. He then cruelly suggested that her mother had always wanted her to marry him, and despite her association with Yanyu Tower, he might consider taking her as a concubine in exchange for her unintentional "help."
Meng Wan cursed him, vowing he would face retribution, but Zhao Yucheng remained unconcerned, asserting that in this world, only winners mattered. Meng Wan then sought out Lin Rulan, wanting to explain her absence from court. Before she could speak, Gao Chengcheng burst in, furiously accusing Meng Wan of betraying their agreement to testify together, calling her a coward who pushed others forward while hiding herself.
Meng Wan retorted, asking why Gao Chengcheng, who also understood Wu Lian's true nature, dared not speak up herself. Enraged, Gao Chengcheng slapped Meng Wan. Lin Rulan immediately stepped forward to protect Meng Wan, ordering Gao Chengcheng to leave. As Gao Chengcheng departed, she sneered that Lin Rulan deserved her devastating loss. Meng Wan, tearful from the pain and guilt, apologized to Lin Rulan.
Lin Rulan, however, comforted her, expressing relief that Meng Wan had not appeared in court, thereby sparing her from further humiliation. Overwhelmed by Lin Rulan's suffering, Meng Wan tightly grasped her hand and passionately proposed they leave Huaizhou Prefecture together. She envisioned them finding a peaceful place, supporting themselves through embroidery, and relying on each other, regardless of marriage. Lin Rulan initially hesitated, acknowledging that not all injustices were rectified nor all villains punished.
Meng Wan then pressed her, asking if she intended to stay and marry Wu Lian. Lin Rulan vehemently rejected the idea, stating she would rather die. Meng Wan argued that women should not be the sole bearers of blame and affirmed that wandering the world together was the life she truly desired. Moved by Meng Wan's conviction, Lin Rulan agreed, offering Meng Wan jewelry she had originally sold to hire a litigator, now to be used for their escape.
Later that night, Meng Wan's mother entered her room, relieved that Meng Wan's father was still drinking at the tavern, unaware of the medicine's scent or any "trouble" that would undoubtedly provoke his anger. Meng Wan, reflecting on her mother's plight, asked if she had ever considered divorce. Her mother became upset, explaining that for a woman, divorce meant losing all standing, abandoned by both her husband's and her own family, with nowhere to go.
She asked if Meng Wan wished such a tragic fate upon her. Meng Wan countered, suggesting they could support themselves, and that a difficult but independent life was better than living in constant fear. She then accused her mother of being weak and unable to leave her father.
Meng Wan's mother, deeply hurt, called her ungrateful and muddle-headed, recounting how she had secretly saved money to send Meng Wan to Yanyu Tower for a good marriage, only for Meng Wan to embrace such "absurd" ideas. Her mother then tearfully left the room. In the dead of night, Meng Wan and her mother lay awake in their separate rooms, lost in their thoughts. Meng Wan's father, heavily intoxicated and belligerent, stumbled back home.
Meng Wan heard the commotion and approached her door, but hesitated, then silently bolted it, leaving her mother to endure his abuse alone. Her mother, through the thin paper window, saw Meng Wan's retreating figure. She seemed to want to speak but couldn't, ultimately closing her own door. The following day, Lin Rulan shared a meal with her brother.
She encouraged him to eat more and discussed his talent for medicine, urging him to revisit Dr. Lin with their father once "her matters" settled, so her issues wouldn't impede his future. She also expressed concern for their mother's worsening cough and their father's tendency to skip meals, her words carrying a tone of farewell. Her brother, worried, questioned her, but Lin Rulan simply explained she would soon be marrying and wanted to ensure their parents were cared for.
She promised to be alright. Later, Meng Wan prepared her luggage for their planned escape. Her mother began coughing violently, her ailment seemingly worsening from her father's drunken ruckus the previous night. Meng Wan, concerned, put down her bags and rushed out to get medicine for her mother. Unbeknownst to Meng Wan, this was a ruse. Her mother had intentionally feigned her illness to send Meng Wan away, then hurried to meet Lin Rulan.
She found Lin Rulan happily waiting at the city gate to meet Meng Wan, assuming their escape was still on. Meng Wan's mother immediately knelt before Lin Rulan, desperately pleading with her to convince Meng Wan to stay. She explained that outside Huaizhou Prefecture, they would be penniless refugees, forever nameless and rootless.
She tearfully confessed the full extent of Meng Wan's suffering: that Meng Wan had been pregnant with Wu Lian's child and, to save her daughter's reputation, she had given Meng Wan abortion medicine. This had tragically rendered Meng Wan likely unable to conceive again. Meng Wan's mother revealed she had arranged a marriage for her daughter with a maternal relative, where, even without children, Meng Wan could adopt and find a stable life.
She implored Lin Rulan to release Meng Wan from their promise, emphasizing that Meng Wan, in her loyalty, was not thinking of her own future. Lin Rulan, deeply moved by this revelation of Meng Wan's immense sacrifice and hardship, made a resolute decision. Looking towards Huaizhou City, she declared that she had "never been here today," effectively withdrawing from their escape plan.
When Meng Wan returned to the city gate with her mother's medicine, Lin Rulan was nowhere to be found. Meng Wan waited at their agreed meeting place through a torrential downpour, long into the night, but Lin Rulan never appeared. Driven by a profound sense of despair and the knowledge of Meng Wan's sacrifice, Lin Rulan stormed into Yanyu Tower, confronting Wu Lian. He was unrepentant, even shamelessly mocking her masculine attire.
Lin Rulan accused him of destroying countless lives, naming Zhao Mingcheng and Wang Liulang as his victims, and demanding to know how he could continue to roam free. Wu Lian dismissively referred to his victims as "ants" who foolishly tried to challenge him, finding their demise "interesting." He asserted that if Lin Rulan had simply been obedient from the start, she would not be facing her current predicament, and he enjoyed watching those who hated him prove powerless.
Lin Rulan, consumed by rage, lunged at him, but he easily restrained her, enjoying her futile struggles. She vowed that even in death, she would not let him go, to which he chillingly replied that he would not kill her; instead, she would soon learn obedience as his wife, and her rare embroidery talent would find no further use. After this harrowing encounter, Lin Rulan felt utterly desolate, as if plunged into a vortex from which she could not escape.
Back home, her spirit seemed to have been completely extinguished, leaving only an empty shell. She instructed her mother to buy bright red fabric, stating she wished to personally embroider her own wedding dress. Her mother, hesitant about the color, was told by Lin Rulan that she knew only a rightful wife could wear such a hue, but she simply wished to fulfill a personal desire.
Her mother agreed, and Lin Rulan, complaining of a headache, asked to be left alone. The next day, Meng Wan visited Lin Rulan, who was now quietly embroidering her red wedding dress. Meng Wan, still hopeful, questioned if her parents had discovered their escape plans and asked if they should find another way. Lin Rulan, however, denied ever intending to leave.
She dismissed their dream of wandering the world as a naive fantasy, questioning how two weak women could survive by embroidery alone, or protect themselves from dangers. She declared she no longer wished to take risks and resigned herself to the belief that marrying Wu Lian, who had seemingly lost interest in her, was the best course. She reasoned that Wu Lian's wife, a well-bred lady, would likely not mistreat a concubine, allowing her a peaceful, albeit constrained, life.
Lin Rulan asked Meng Wan if she did not wish for her to live a stable life. Meng Wan, heartbroken, accepted Lin Rulan's decision, saying her only wish was for Lin Rulan's happiness.
