The Autumn Ballad Episode 11 Recap
> The Autumn Ballad Recap
The principal of the Main Administrative Office, Yuan Lang, arrived with an official decree, demanding to extract evidence from the Firewood Office. Though both organizations were under the emperor's command, a long-standing feud existed between Yuan Lang and Liang Yi. Three years prior, Liang Yi had discovered Yuan Lang's misdeeds during a case they both pursued, leading to Yuan Lang's demotion and banishment. Now, with Yuan Lang reinstated by His Majesty, the Main Administrative Office sought to settle old scores.
As Yuan Lang entered the Firewood Office, Liang Yi confronted him, reminding him of their past. Liang Yi engaged Yuan Lang in conversation, offering him tea and subtly taunting him, while Qiu Yan and Qin Xuan frantically searched for clues amidst the numerous boxes of confiscated items from Wanyan House.
Yuan Lang, who had been banished for three years, two months, and fifteen days, openly declared his desire to "reunite" with Liang Yi, and smashed Liang Yi's teacup as a show of his restored power. Despite Yuan Lang’s aggressive stance, Liang Yi maintained his composure, allowing Yuan Lang to eventually take all the evidence. As Yuan Lang left, he promised Liang Yi that he would settle all their past and present grievances, one by one.
Later, Qiu Yan informed Liang Yi that she had successfully deduced the sorting method of the confiscated items (by the number of strokes in the surnames), which would allow them to locate the Qiu family's belongings among the evidence Yuan Lang had taken. She then expressed her concern to Liang Yi that Yuan Lang might accuse him to His Majesty for delaying the evidence transfer. Liang Yi, however, was accustomed to such pressures.
He explained that he was merely a "whip" His Majesty used to control his officials, and that such tools, though useful, had to be frequently replaced to prevent public resentment from shifting from the whip to its owner. He implied that Yuan Lang's return was a reminder from His Majesty that Liang Yi was not the only tool at his disposal. Qin Xuan, impressed by Liang Yi's demeanor, lamented the difficulties of being an official.
Before leaving, he expressed a playful jealousy that the gold cuff Qiu Yan wore, symbolic of her daring adventure with Liang Yi, wasn't on his own hand. Qiu Yan responded by teasing him, suggesting that if men could have multiple partners, women should also be allowed to have their "feet in two boats."
Upon returning to the Qiu residence, Qiu Yan gathered her family to explain the situation regarding the fake silver notes and presented a jade pendant found at Wanyan House. First Master Qiu Xian recognized the pendant as his, but everyone was puzzled, as he was supposedly in Mount Lianyun undertaking spiritual cultivation.
Qiu Xian claimed he had lost the pendant a year prior while visiting the family and, as a spiritual man, did not value such worldly possessions, thus never reported it missing to avoid unnecessary trouble. He vehemently denied ever visiting Wanyan House, stating it would ruin his spiritual attainment to go to such an "unclean land." However, without proof of his alibi, most family members remained skeptical, though Qiu Yan suspected Third or Fourth Uncle more.
Qiu Mei, First Master's daughter, came forward with peace talismans, kneeling to beg Qiu Yan to clear her father's name. Qiu Yan told her that the innocent would prove themselves and her kneeling was unnecessary. Later that night, Song Jin applied medicine to Liang Yi's wounds. Madam Jin, Liang Yi's mother, arrived to check on her son, expressing concern for his well-being before leaving.
Song Jin mentioned that he had found records of two keys for the gold cuff and planned to search for the second one the next day. Liang Yi, however, instructed him not to rush, seemingly lost in thought about the cuff. With the three-day deadline approaching and the case making little progress, Qiu Yan and Qiu Min sought out Madam Xu for information, hoping she could identify the most likely person to have taken the jade pendant.
Madam Xu subtly suggested Fourth Master Qiu Hong, known for his dissolute lifestyle. She recounted how he had accrued over a thousand taels in debt at a bordello in Tianshui Alley six months prior, and secretly pawned over ten gold and silver artifacts from Old Madam's courtyard to repay it.
Qiu Yan dispatched servants to monitor Qiu Hong, but they inadvertently discovered Fourth Madam Mi behaving strangely, leaving the residence without her maid and heading towards the west of the city. Qiu Yan and Qingdai followed Mi to Heming Building, a theater, where they learned she frequented a specific private room. She would sit there drinking tea, neither applauding nor tipping, always looking out at a nearby wonton stall, never actually watching the plays.
Qiu Yan noticed the wonton vendors, despite their simple attire, dressed their daughter in luxurious clothes. This, coupled with Fourth Madam Mi's tender gaze towards the girl, made Qiu Yan suspicious. After Mi left, Qiu Yan approached the vendors, who denied any relation to Mi, but confirmed their daughter shared the exact birthdate as Qiu Di, Mi's son.
This clue sparked a memory for Qiu Yan: Madam Han had once confided a secret about Fourth Master Qiu Hong's favoritism towards Madam Kou, his concubine, and his near-divorce of Mi due to her inability to bear a son. This led Qiu Yan to suspect that Qiu Di might not be Mi's biological child. Qingdai then located the old midwife who delivered Mi's baby.
Though the midwife was disoriented, her fragmented words confirmed the identity swap of Qiu Di and the wonton vendor's daughter. Qiu Min, upon learning the truth, wanted to expose Fourth Madam Mi, but Qiu Yan firmly refused, warning of the dire consequences, including possible drowning, if such a scandal became public. Qiu Yan expressed admiration for Mi's courage and ingenuity in seeking self-preservation and resolved to help her keep the secret, strictly cautioning Qiu Min against leaking any information.
On the final night of the deadline, Qiu Yan, with no other options, gathered the entire Qiu family. She first presented evidence clearing First Master Qiu Xian. She explained that he was severely allergic to strong scents and certain herbs, such as those used in Wanyan House's incense, which would have caused him to faint immediately upon entering. She proved his allergy by referencing the madder he used in his peace talismans instead of cinnabar.
Next, she cleared Fourth Master Qiu Hong, acknowledging his past misdeeds of debt and pawning family valuables. However, she demonstrated that on the night in question, Qiu Hong had been bedridden with illness, proving he could not have gone to Wanyan House. With these two cleared, suspicion narrowed to Third Uncle Qiu Ning. Initially, Qiu Ning vehemently denied any involvement, even threatening to leave the family with his wife, Qian.
Qiu Yan sternly warned him that if he left, no one could protect him, and the imperial court's investigation into the fake silver notes would lead the Firewood Office to question him, with far more severe consequences. Terrified, Qiu Ning collapsed and confessed to having gone to Wanyan House to exchange the jade pendant for fake silver notes. However, he claimed the fake notes had mysteriously disappeared from his room shortly after.
He then revealed that Wanyan House provided a special, colorless, and odorless potion that would react with the fake notes, turning the paper blue and leaving a blue stain on anyone's skin who had touched the notes, lasting for half a month. Qiu Yan asked Madam Xu to retrieve the potion from Third Uncle's room.
As Madam Xu returned with the potion, she attempted to pour it out, but was caught in the act, thus exposing herself as the true culprit. Qiu Yan then revealed that Madam Xu was the one who had exchanged the fake notes. She explained that Madam Xu had attempted to frame Fourth Master and Fourth Madam, but her excessive eagerness to deflect blame and her constant efforts to steer the investigation away from herself had actually raised Qiu Yan's suspicions.
Qiu Yan further revealed that she had known Third Uncle was innocent all along. His wife, Qian, managed all of his finances, making it impossible for him to use fake notes in the family accounts without her knowledge. Therefore, any fake notes he had must have been part of his personal stash. She concluded by stating that Third Uncle had cooperated with her to expose the real thief.
