The Autumn Ballad Episode 17 Recap
> The Autumn Ballad Recap
The Old Madam of the Qiu family became critically ill, her health rapidly deteriorating. Seeing her suffering, Qiu Yan offered Ms. Wang a valuable ebony hairpin, a keepsake from Qin Xuan, hoping it would secure medicine. Ms. Wang, however, refused the valuable item, insisting Qiu Yan keep it. Nevertheless, she agreed to fetch ginseng pills from the Royal Academy, promising to procure funds from Qin Xuan.
Qiu Yan brought the ginseng pills to the Old Madam, urging her to hold onto life, for Qiu Min's sake. The Old Madam, resigned to her fate, acknowledged the futility of the medicine, but she praised Qiu Yan for her capabilities, recalling how she had resolved the cases involving Young Master He and the fake notes. The Old Madam then observed Qiu Yan's lingering resentment, asking if she still blamed her for her mother's death.
Qiu Yan confirmed her bitterness, stating she held both the Old Madam and her father responsible. The Old Madam, recognizing Qiu Yan as the only one capable of shouldering the family's burdens, decided to reveal a long-held secret she had intended to take to her grave, warning that its disclosure could lead to the Qiu family's total execution. The Old Madam revealed that Qiu Yan's mother, Ruogu Wei, was originally named Wei.
Years ago, Ruogu Wei's father obstructed the Emperor's construction of a Taoist temple, leading to their entire family's banishment. While exiled, they were attacked by bandits, but Ruogu Wei and her younger brother miraculously escaped. Being old family friends, Old Master Qiu secretly harbored the siblings, granting them new identities. Ruogu Wei was married to the second son, Qiu Yi, while her brother, being male, was sent to Taiying Temple, later becoming Master Zhenyan.
The two jade pendants, which Qiu Yan had seen, were merely tokens of their sibling bond. Qiu Yan then questioned why her father had reacted so violently to the jade pendant. The Old Madam explained that Master Zhenyan's true identity was discovered shortly after Qiu Min's engagement was arranged. Master Zhenyan argued with his senior, pleading for secrecy, but during the dispute, both fell from a cliff and died.
This incident drew the attention of the Fengjing Prefecture, and Qiu Yi, investigating the matter, learned that Yuan Lang had taken over the case. Fearing for Ruogu Wei and the Qiu family's safety, Qiu Yi devised a plan for Ruogu Wei to feign illness and death, allowing him to secretly transport her out of the capital and away from Yuan Lang's investigation.
However, Ruogu Wei insisted on a "true death" to ensure the plan's absolute success, believing it was the only way to protect her family. Heartbroken, the Old Madam provided Ruogu Wei with red safflower, which she had confiscated from Mi, instructing her to boil it in a fatal dose. In her final moments, Ruogu Wei conversed with Qiu Yi, acknowledging his lifelong sacrifice for her.
She revealed her knowledge of his past love for a woman named Miss Xia, their childhood connection, and how fate had intervened. She understood his lingering regret, which was why he had secretly taken Madam Liu as a concubine in Yuezhou, as Madam Liu bore a resemblance to Miss Xia. Ruogu Wei then stated that she had spoiled Qiu Yan because her initial experiences upon entering the Qiu family six years prior mirrored her own.
She wished for Qiu Yan to live freely, unlike her own cautious existence. The Old Madam concluded her confession by telling Qiu Yan that her own death was insignificant, but she implored Qiu Yan not to hate her father or the Qiu family.
She then passed down the Qiu family's heirloom finger guard to Qiu Yan, entrusting her with the family's future and urging her to lead the women of the Qiu family to live on, regardless of whether Qiu Yi's name could be cleared. Qiu Yan clutched the finger guard, her resolve hardening.
Following the Old Madam's passing, Yuan Lang convened a public trial for Qiu Yi, accusing him of embezzling funds for the temple's construction, citing two hundred thousand taels found in his home and merchant Hu Wan as a witness. Yuan Lang pressed Qiu Yi to confess and implicate a mastermind, implying Qiu Yi, a mere fourth-rank official, could not have acted alone. However, Qiu Yi steadfastly maintained his innocence, denying both the embezzlement and external influence.
Yuan Lang then brought in Qiu Yi's three brothers—Qiu Hong, Qiu Xian, and Qiu Ning—who had been coerced into giving false confessions. To Yuan Lang's astonishment, the brothers recanted their statements, asserting they had been tortured in prison. They publicly declared their unity with Qiu Yi, recognizing their shared plight.
Enraged by their unexpected solidarity, Yuan Lang, noting how the family had been at odds during the fake silver note incident, redirected his focus, recalling a family member who claimed not to belong to the Qiu family during the raid. He then specifically targeted Qiu Di, the son of Fourth Madam Mi. Later, Ms. Wang sent Qiu Yan to deliver clothes to a young lady in the forecourt.
There, Qiu Yan unexpectedly encountered Liang Yi engaged in an intimate drinking session with an unidentified woman. Ms. Wang later informed Qiu Yan that the woman was Shi Xiaoxiao, the most renowned courtesan of the Royal Academy, noting that even she treated her with deference. Shortly after, Liang Yi stormed into the backyard, publicly accusing Qiu Yan of planting needles in Shi Xiaoxiao's clothes, fabricating a reason to drag her to the woodshed for a private conversation.
Qiu Yan, playing along, verbally sparred with him, calling him a "shameless scoundrel" while Liang Yi remarked on her vigor. Once in the relative privacy of the woodshed, Qiu Yan revealed her understanding that their staged fight was a performance orchestrated for Yuan Lang, and that Liang Yi's prior order for the Qiu women to perform labor was a calculated move to safeguard their purity and make it appear that he had genuinely turned against the Qiu family.
Liang Yi confirmed her deductions. He disclosed that Qiu Yi's official charge was embezzling funds for the temple's construction, with Hu Wan as a key witness. Qiu Yan vehemently denied her father's guilt. Liang Yi then divulged that the impeachment was initiated by Lin Changzhi, the Minister of Works, who was closely associated with Hu Wan, and had recently acquired a sum of money identical to that found in Qiu Yi's home.
Qiu Yan quickly deduced that Lin Changzhi had embezzled the funds and conspired with Yuan Lang and Hu Wan to frame her father. Liang Yi confirmed that Lin Changzhi was a mere facade, with Yuan Lang being the true mastermind, whose ultimate goal was to politically isolate Liang Yi by preventing his marriage into the Qiu family.
Qiu Yan also deduced that Liang Yi had intentionally allowed her and Qiu Min to flee the Second Chamber during the raid, providing Yuan Lang a pretext to accuse Liang Yi of favoritism, which Liang Yi confirmed. He added that during the trial, Yuan Lang had repeatedly tried to coerce Qiu Yi into implicating Liang Yi, but Qiu Yi, understanding the gravity, had only confessed to embezzlement to protect Liang Yi.
Liang Yi apologized for the hardship inflicted on Qiu Yan's family, stating that Yuan Lang's pre-emptive actions necessitated extreme caution on his part. Qiu Min, having heard their conversation, rushed in, begging Liang Yi to release Qiu Yan. Qiu Yan restrained her, insisting they not beg such a person. During the exchange, Qiu Yan deftly located a key on Liang Yi's person and used it to unlock her golden cuffs, surprising him.
As Ms. Wang and Mr. Wang approached, attempting to intervene, Liang Yi dramatically warned Qiu Yan, threatening severe consequences if she crossed him again, before departing. Qiu Min, now aware of the true circumstances, asked if Liang Yi could save their father. Qiu Yan explained that Liang Yi's prior cancellation of their engagement was a calculated move to avoid Yuan Lang's suspicion, making immediate direct assistance impossible.
Qiu Yan then tearfully confessed to Qiu Min that she had been mistaken about their mother's death, now realizing she had died of illness and that she had wrongly blamed her father and the Old Madam. Qiu Min, relieved, embraced her sister.
Soon after, Qin Xuan arranged to meet Qiu Yan, offering to pay her way out of the Royal Academy and take her, Qiu Min, and Madam Liu to Yuezhou to open a bookhouse, promising a life free from suffering. Qiu Yan, remembering the Old Madam's dying wishes, firmly rejected his proposal. She delivered a calculatedly harsh rejection, asserting that she had only approached him to become the lady of the Duke Ying Residence, a prospect now impossible.
She mockingly dismissed his offer of a lowly merchant's life, stating that the Royal Academy, filled with powerful individuals, offered her the chance to find a wealthy patron and live a life of luxury as a pampered concubine. Qin Xuan refused to believe her, seeing through her words and arguing that if she truly felt nothing, she wouldn't have agreed to meet him.
Qiu Yan vehemently dismissed his sentiments as self-infatuation, coldly declaring their relationship over and claiming she had never felt true love for him. Mr. Wang, surprised by Qiu Yan's rejection of a patron, commended her "rectitude" but warned her of harsher treatment from Ms. Wang. Indeed, Qiu Yan's standing diminished.
Mr. Wang reassigned her and others from washing clothes to the arduous task of cleaning toilet buckets, much to the glee of Qiu Ying, who had previously been assigned this chore. When Ms. Wang complained about a newly cleaned bucket still reeking, she berated Qiu Yan. However, Qiu Yan, observing traces of blood in Ms. Wang's personal bucket, cleverly deduced that the Ms. Wang suffered from hemorrhoids.
She feigned knowledge of a folk remedy, claiming she had applied it to the bucket to allow Ms. Wang to absorb its medicinal vapors daily. Impressed by Qiu Yan's perceptiveness and apparent thoughtfulness, Ms. Wang immediately reassigned her to serve the young ladies in the forecourt, much to Qiu Ying's dismay. Qiu Min, surprised by Qiu Yan's purported medical knowledge, watched as Qiu Yan admitted she had fabricated the remedy, knowing Ms. Wang wouldn't verify it.
Madam Liu, also now confined to the Royal Academy, remarked on Qiu Yan's cleverness and expressed hope that she would secure a favorable match. Qiu Yan advised her to be content and avoid trouble. In the forecourt, Qiu Yan began serving Shi Xiaoxiao, who initially mistook her for Ms. Wang attempting to coerce her into meeting Baron Zhang. Qiu Yan delicately praised Shi Xiaoxiao's refinement, dismissing the baron as insignificant.
When Shi Xiaoxiao mused about being a "floating weed," Qiu Yan shrewdly pointed out that if she truly drifted, she wouldn't risk displeasing Ms. Wang by refusing such encounters. Recognizing Qiu Yan's astuteness and principled demeanor, Shi Xiaoxiao was pleased and decided to keep Qiu Yan by her side, entrusting her with the management of her affairs.
Meanwhile, Qin Xuan sought out Liang Yi, apologizing for his previous rude behavior following Qiu Yan and Qiu Min's arrest, acknowledging Liang Yi's difficult position. He pressed Liang Yi for information on Qiu Yi's case, asking about the charges and their severity. Liang Yi, however, refused to disclose details, citing the imperial nature of the investigation. Qin Xuan pleaded with him, explaining that Qiu Yan had ended their relationship to protect him.
He confessed his desire to rescue her from the Royal Academy, even suggesting Liang Yi use the Firewood Office's might to "bust her out." Liang Yi sternly rebuked Qin Xuan, reminding him that the family was arrested by imperial order and that any attempt to "bust them out" would lead to Qin Xuan's own arrest. Qin Xuan, frustrated, accused Liang Yi of caring only for his position, denouncing him as cold, selfish, and unfeeling, before formally severing their friendship.
Liang Yi simply congratulated Qin Xuan on finally seeing his "true nature." Later, Liang Yi's subordinate questioned why he had not explained his actions to Qin Xuan. Liang Yi revealed that the situation was a dangerous game between him and Yuan Lang, where Yuan Lang's moves were lethal. He stated that Qin Xuan's ignorance was crucial for his safety.
Liang Yi explained that the only way to save the Qiu family was to directly defeat Yuan Lang, acknowledging that Qiu Min and Qiu Yan would have to endure hardship in the interim. He expressed confidence that Qiu Yan, in particular, could navigate these difficult circumstances.
