Cry Me A River of Stars Episode 1 Recap
> Cry Me A River of Stars Recap
Eighteen years ago, Midland was suddenly attacked by Azureland, nearly leading to its downfall. General Tao Zhong of Midland died fighting on the battlefield, an event witnessed by his eight-year-old son, Tao Junran. After growing up, Tao Junran led an elite army to conquer Azureland. However, remnant Azurelander forces managed to sneak into Cloud County of Midland via its waterways, aiming to rebuild their power. Consequently, Tao Junran was ordered to Cloud County to apprehend these fleeing Azurelanders.
Cloud County was a vibrant "city that never sleeps" on the water, renowned for its pleasure boats. Among its prominent figures was Lian Qi, the county's wealthiest man, known as Lord Lotus. He built his empire from scratch, attracting countless matchmakers to his mansion. Yet, he was deeply enamored with A Fan, a poor fisher girl. A Fan was beautiful but came from a humble background, raised by a "fool" and never knowing her mother.
A peculiar trait about her was that she had been unable to shed tears since birth, leading some to suspect she had bewitched Lian Qi. Tao Junran, along with Cao Qing, uncovered evidence that Lian Qi was smuggling weapons. They immediately dispatched troops to search the area. During the search, Cao Qing confronted the suspects, identifying Azurelanders by their blue tears and warning that those who resisted would be killed.
Meanwhile, Lian Qi was publicly declaring his feelings for A Fan, creating a sensation. The local county magistrate, implicated in bribery from Lian Qi, confessed that a merchant boat was scheduled to depart Lake Ping that night, likely carrying the remaining weapons. Tao Junran ordered all water and land routes in Cloud County to be sealed to intercept the vessel.
Lian Qi had presented A Fan with a box of "fabricated tael," specially customized with the words "love" and "Fan" carved in a long-lost water language, promising to take her back to their "real home." A Fan, though not seeing Lian Qi as her type, considered the possibility, noting the tael was enough to support her and her father for years. She was puzzled when her "fool dad" surprisingly read the engraved words.
However, the very next day, the Dragon & Phoenix Pleasure Boat, owned by Lian Qi, caught fire. Lian Qi and a dance-hostess named Ruby were found burned to death in bed on the Phoenix boat. Tao Junran took personal charge of the investigation. He immediately seized all of Lian Qi's assets and continued the efforts to apprehend the hidden Azurelanders.
The former county magistrate, Li Wei, was dismissed for covering up Lian Qi's activities, and Tao Junran assumed the role of acting county magistrate. During this time, A Fan was accused by a woman of being Lian Qi's lover and having received a mysterious box from him. Tao Junran had A Fan arrested and brought to the dungeon on South Island for interrogation, along with her "fool dad."
During her interrogation, A Fan vehemently denied being an Azurelander and insisted she was an ordinary citizen. She clarified that she and Lian Qi had only become friends the night he died, asserting that his real lover had arrived later. She maintained she had never shed blue tears and, in fact, was unable to cry since childhood, even carrying an eye drop bottle for situations requiring tears.
When questioned about her relationship with Lian Qi, she explained that while he had given her the engraved fabricated tael, she had always refused his invitations for dinners or boat trips because she felt inadequate for someone of his status. She expressed sadness over his death but felt she had no right to grieve him. Tao Junran, despite finding no direct evidence linking A Fan to the case, believed her to be cunning yet flawless.
He ordered her release on bail, set at 100 tael, due to her "emotional connection" with Lian Qi. As A Fan and her father were penniless, Cao Qing, on Tao Junran's orders, confiscated all their meager belongings, including their fishing nets. A Fan protested that without her fishing nets, she would starve, but Cao Qing simply advised her to address her concerns with Tao Junran directly.
Tao Junran instructed Cao Qing to hold onto A Fan's confiscated possessions, predicting that her desperation would eventually expose her true motives. Cao Qing, who had been lurking in Cloud County for years, expressed a desire to return but was informed by Tao Junran that no one could leave until the Azurelander case was fully resolved. Left with nothing, A Fan was forced to dive into the dangerous Dragon Lake to catch Fortune Turtles to sell.
She could hold her breath underwater for half an hour. At the market, she tried to sell a seemingly "half-dead" Fortune Turtle, exaggerating its importance by claiming it brought favorable weather to Cloud County and was merely exhausted from its prayers. Tao Junran, observing her, bought the turtle for 300 tael, instructing his men to "keep it" rather than prepare it for cooking. With her newfound money, A Fan sought out Wen Qi to buy a boat.
She explained her desire to stop fishing, which was too tiring, and provide a better life for her father. She purchased the burned Dragon Boat section of Lian Qi's former Dragon & Phoenix Pleasure Boat for 200 tael, leaving her with 100 tael. She told her father that the boat's past did not define its future and that with renovations, it would become a good vessel.
Meanwhile, Cao Qing reported back to Tao Junran that despite their efforts to seal all water and land routes, Lian Qi's caravan and the remaining weapons were still missing. Tao Junran remained convinced that they were still hidden within Cloud County. He continued to monitor A Fan, who was now living on her newly acquired boat, still suspicious of her connection to the Azurelanders.
