The Autumn Ballad Episode 2 Recap
> The Autumn Ballad Recap
Before her scheduled entry into the palace, Qiu Yan diligently worked on her needlework. Her younger sister, Qiu Min, felt a pang of jealousy, believing their mother, Madam Han, always favored Qiu Yan. On the day of the tribute presentation, noble ladies brought their daughters to meet Noble Consort Guo and present their gifts. Unexpectedly, Qiu Yan's meticulously prepared embroidered scroll was swapped for a common rock. Despite the shocking turn of events, Qiu Yan quickly composed herself.
When asked about the rock's meaning, she cleverly explained that it symbolized the Noble Consort's dignified and simple character, as well as her quiet, resilient inner self, likening it to the earth silently enduring nature's storms. Impressed by her wit, Noble Consort Guo asked what reward Qiu Yan desired. Qiu Yan expressed her wish to enter the palace to serve and learn from the Noble Consort, thereby fulfilling her father's duty to the throne.
Noble Consort Guo simply instructed her to await an imperial order. Afterward, Qiu Yan speculated to Madam Han that someone in the palace, likely allied with the He family, had deliberately switched her gift. The stolen gift was later revealed to be an intricate embroidery depicting the Lantern Festival on one side and the Noble Consort's own "Instructions For The Inner Quarters" on the other, showcasing Qiu Yan's talents in literature, needlework, and artisan skills.
Noble Consort Guo later confronted Liang Yi, revealing she knew he was responsible for swapping the gift but was nonetheless impressed by Qiu Yan's quick thinking. Liang Yi simply stated he had his reasons. Soon after, Liang Yi arrived at the Qiu Residence to deliver an edict. The Noble Consort's message praised Qiu Yan's intelligence and ambition but emphasized that a woman's chastity for her husband is a fundamental principle, akin to a man's sacrifice for his country.
To reinforce this, the Noble Consort awarded her the Songyun Cypress Plaque, urging her to preserve her chastity for her late fiancé and bring glory to her family. The Qiu family rejoiced at this "rare grace," and the Old Madam immediately decided to hold a grand three-day banquet to celebrate their family's honor. However, Qiu Yan saw the plaque not as an honor, but as a cage, extinguishing her hopes and binding her to a life of widowhood.
Qiu Yan confronted Liang Yi, correctly deducing that he had swapped her gift. She reasoned that only someone confident of the Noble Consort's favor, like Liang Yi, whose mother was the consort's former personal maid, would dare commit such an act. She accused him of interfering because her plan to enter the palace disrupted his arrangement for her to become a nun for the He family.
Liang Yi admitted to swapping the gift, not for complex reasons, but simply because he disliked her "smart-aleck" attitude. He argued that he had saved her life, so she should be content with her fate. Qiu Yan passionately countered, describing the harsh reality of Jingyun Convent, where nuns often "withered" and died before thirty. She lamented the societal double standard where she was expected to die for a man she barely knew, while men were encouraged to remarry.
Liang Yi conceded her point about fairness but warned that palace life was far more perilous, where one's life depended on the Emperor's whim. He predicted her outspoken nature would lead to her death within three days and advised her to "make an appraisal of your own capability," stating that true change comes only from strength. During the grand banquet, a despondent Qiu Yan drank alone on a raised platform.
Qin Xuan, the Prince of Duke Ying Residence, observed her from afar. A frivolous man named Meng Yu tried to harass Qiu Yan, but Qin Xuan intervened, introducing himself as a distant "cousin." He explained that his aunt was the Qiu family's First Madam, Jiang, making her daughter his cousin. Though not blood-related to Qiu Yan, he knew of her situation from the banquet gossip.
Trusting him due to their familial connection, Qiu Yan expressed her cynicism about the praise for her chastity and asked him to drink with her. She lamented that a woman wishing to live for herself was considered a sin and viewed her family's newfound honor as a "profitable deal" made by sacrificing her. When Qin Xuan asked about any unfulfilled wishes, Qiu Yan half-jokingly asked for a kiss, wanting to know what intimacy felt like before a life of celibacy.
She quickly laughed it off and told him to call her by her name, Qiu Yan. She then revealed her original name was Yan (smoke), given by her birth mother, Madam Liu, who had abandoned her in a woodshed, expecting her to die. Her name was later changed to the more auspicious character for Yan (charming) when she was brought into the main family.
Qin Xuan comforted her with a line of poetry, assuring her that even a "single plume of smoke" can rise to the heavens and that things would turn around as long as she didn't give up. After the banquet, Qiu Yan prepared to send her maid, Qingdai, away with some money, not wanting the young girl to follow her to the convent. Qingdai tearfully refused to leave.
Just then, Madam Liu arrived with a bag of silver for Qiu Yan's difficult life ahead. Moments later, Madam Han secretly hurried Qiu Yan to an unlocked gate where a carriage waited. She had arranged for Qiu Yan to escape to Taiying Temple, giving her money and supplies. Overwhelmed, Qiu Yan knelt in gratitude. As she was leaving, her sister Qiu Min intercepted her.
Qiu Min accused her of being a practiced liar and selfishly leaving without considering how their mother would face the consequences. She tearfully confessed her jealousy, feeling that Madam Han always favored Qiu Yan over her, her own biological daughter, but admitted she didn't hate her and asked her to take care of their parents in the future. That night, Qiu Yan's carriage left the city.
She felt a moment of liberation but was haunted by sadness, wondering why Qiu Min didn't hate her. The next morning, the Qiu residence was in an uproar over her disappearance. Just as the Old Madam was blaming Madam Liu and Madam Han, a messenger from the He family arrived, announcing that Qiu Yan had arrived safely at their residence.
At the He Residence, Qiu Yan, feigning repentance, explained to Madam He that the Noble Consort's edict had made her realize her folly. She claimed to have returned alone to take full responsibility and reconcile the two families. Seemingly convinced, Madam He allowed her to stay until the funeral, after which she would personally escort her to Jingyun Convent. Meanwhile, back at the Qiu Residence, Madam Han confronted Qiu Min, who admitted to speaking with Qiu Yan.
Qiu Min tearfully repeated her grievances, feeling that her mother had always favored the more clever and decisive Qiu Yan and had never truly cared for her. While keeping vigil in the mourning hall, Qiu Yan was surprised by Liang Yi's arrival. Citing official duty, he offered to stay for a few days to pay his respects, which General He accepted. Qiu Yan was certain he had ulterior motives.
Shortly after, Qin Xuan also arrived, claiming to be the deceased's former classmate from Suzhou. Liang Yi and Qin Xuan exchanged veiled, suspicious remarks. Qin Xuan then dramatically broke his writing brush, vowing to cease writing poetry in his friend's memory. When both men offered to keep vigil through the night, Qiu Yan intervened. She subtly suggested that Liang Yi, as the head of the "Firewood Office"—a place rumored to be haunted—might scare the deceased's spirit away.
Persuaded by the superstition, the He family sent Liang Yi to a guest room, leaving Qin Xuan to stay. Later that night, dozens of black cats were thrown into the residence, causing chaos in the mourning hall. Qiu Yan calmly directed the servants to chase the cats and prepare new offerings, effectively clearing the room. Once alone, she and Qin Xuan locked the doors and exchanged a knowing smile. Qin Xuan then admitted his dramatic vow to stop writing was merely a performance to win the family's trust and gain access to the hall.
