Resumo do episódio 22 de Marvelous Women
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The Ren family buzzed with preparations for the grand wedding of Ren Rufeng and Shu Fang. Their wedding boat circled Suzhou Lake multiple times, garnering widespread congratulations as everyone in Suzhou knew of their impending marriage. However, as the wedding procession returned to the Ren mansion, Prefect Cao Wenbin's officials intercepted them. They arrested Ren Rufeng, slandering him with a trumped-up charge of colluding with pirates to hire a killer to murder Ren Xuetang.
Shu Fang, still in her wedding attire, rushed back to the Ren mansion to deliver the devastating news to Shen Cuixi. Zeng Baoqin immediately suspected Cao Wenbin, noting the peculiar timing of the arrest despite wedding invitations having been sent three days prior to prominent Suzhou families. She believed it was a trap set specifically for Shen Cuixi.
Shen Cuixi decided to confront Cao Wenbin directly, but he refused to see her, making it clear he intended to distance himself from the Ren family. In prison, Ren Rufeng endured brutal torture as Cao Wenbin tried to force a confession, fabricating a shocking accusation that Ren Rufeng had committed incest with his sister-in-law, Shen Cuixi, and together they had murdered Ren Xuetang. Ren Rufeng vehemently refused to admit to such heinous crimes.
Shen Cuixi tirelessly sought help from other officials, but they all avoided her, reflecting the harsh reality that "when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter." Faced with mounting pressure, Shen Cuixi convened the managers of Qingyue Workshop, intending to liquidate the entire family business. Long-serving managers were reluctant, but Shen Cuixi promised that if the Ren family survived this calamity, they would be the first she invited back.
Meanwhile, Shu Fang, now the Second Mistress, began to assert herself, disciplining unruly servants and demonstrating a determined spirit. She also comforted her Aunt-grandmother, who, fearing Shu Fang would be implicated, suggested the marriage be called off. Shu Fang refused, expressing confidence in Shen Cuixi to resolve the crisis. Zeng Baoqin also attempted to help, trying to bribe jailers (unsuccessfully, due to the serious nature of the charges) and gathering information from courtesans who had connections with officials.
Li Zhao, upon learning that Ren Rufeng was accused of murdering Ren Xuetang through a conspiracy with Shen Cuixi, confronted Cao Wenbin. He worried that forcing Shen Cuixi to public trial would humiliate her to the point of suicide, thus preventing him from obtaining the Ren family's double-sided Kesi secret techniques. Cao Wenbin, however, believed Shen Cuixi would not easily take her own life, as the Ren family would never push her to such an extreme.
Still concerned, Li Zhao dispatched Ding Rong to relay an offer to Shen Cuixi: if she handed over the double-sided Kesi techniques, Li Zhao would ensure Ren Rufeng's survival and prevent Shen Cuixi from having to appear in court. Ding Rong delivered the message to Shen Cuixi, also informing her that she was implicated in Ren Rufeng's alleged murder case and would soon be summoned for trial.
Shen Cuixi, convinced of Ren Rufeng's innocence, replied through Ding Rong that she would deliver all twelve double-sided Kesi techniques if Ren Rufeng was released unharmed within three days. Ding Rong argued that sacrificing the family's secret skills was not worth it just to save Ren Rufeng, but Shen Cuixi maintained that no amount of wealth could compare to a human life.
Chen Xiaohong, overhearing this, was deeply moved by Shen Cuixi's "great righteousness," yet tearfully begged Shen Cuixi to abandon the Ren family, arguing she had no true relation to them or Ren Rufeng. Aunt-grandmother, touched by Shen Cuixi's resolve, later advised her to flee, having learned that Cao Wenbin's true target was Shen Cuixi and that a public trial would be a "death trap" for her.
Shen Cuixi, however, refused to leave, stating that having Ren Xiushan meant she was part of the Ren family and would not abandon them. That night, Zeng Baoqin, having learned of the "death trap," drugged Shen Cuixi's wine and arranged for Ru Yi to transport her away by boat under the cover of darkness. Chen Xiaohong and Shu Fang remained to deal with Cao Wenbin's clerk, Shao Shiye.
However, after the effects of the sedative wore off, Shen Cuixi awoke and forced the boatman to turn back to the Ren mansion (or, as another account states, she jumped into the lake and swam back). She appeared, still soaking wet, before Shao Shiye, agreeing to attend court the following day. Shu Fang, greatly worried, cried, but Shen Cuixi calmly instructed her on the composure required of a family matriarch.
She explained that if she were to leave, Ren Rufeng would surely die, and the Ren family was now in a position of "no retreat, no escape." She advised Shu Fang to find a calming activity to steady her heart. In a fleeting moment, Shen Cuixi saw the figure of Wei Lianggong in the courtyard.
Ren Xiushan, having woken up crying from a dream, expressed his unwavering belief that his uncle was innocent and that his mother would surely clear his name, recalling Wei Lianggong's teaching to form one's own judgment rather than blindly following popular opinion.
