The Autumn Ballad Episode 3 Recap
> The Autumn Ballad Recap
Qiu Yan went to the He Residence against her will but harbored a personal quest: to uncover the true cause of He Feng's death, determined not to be wrongly accused of jinxing him. Having meticulously prepared by learning autopsy techniques from a coroner, she enlisted Qin Xuan's help. Together, they orchestrated a chaotic scene by releasing a black cat into the mourning hall at night, creating a diversion that allowed them to secretly examine He Feng's body.
The ensuing commotion in the He Residence caught the attention of Liang Yi. Noticing him approaching, Qiu Yan quickly instructed Qin Xuan and Beixue to clean up the mourning hall. She then intercepted Liang Yi, feigning dizziness and falling into a nearby pond, pulling him in with her to delay him. Despite the Hes' attempts to brush off the incident as the work of wild cats, Liang Yi saw through Qiu Yan's act.
He refrained from exposing her publicly, choosing instead to meet her in private, convinced she had uncovered crucial information about He Feng’s death and wanted her to reveal it. During their private meeting, Qiu Yan admitted to Liang Yi that she and Qin Xuan had indeed opened He Feng's coffin. She revealed that He Feng had not died from a disease or from being jinxed, but from poisoning.
Furthermore, she found half of a copper coin pendant clutched in his hand, a clear sign of a love token, suggesting He Feng had a secret lover before their marriage. Liang Yi, already suspicious of General He’s motives for concealing the truth from the Crown Prince and Emperor, felt compelled to assist Qiu Yan. He also expressed remorse for his earlier harshness in suggesting she become a nun at Jingyun Convent, acknowledging his previous oversight and desiring to make amends.
He knew his presence in the He Residence would be too conspicuous for direct involvement, so he encouraged Qiu Yan to find evidence, be it a person or an object, on her own. With Liang Yi's tacit support, Qiu Yan focused on He Feng's personal maid, Yueying, believing she held key information about He Feng’s past.
However, when Qiu Yan sought to meet Yueying, the He family claimed the maid was deeply loyal and wished to be buried with He Feng, thus isolating herself in seclusion. Qiu Yan was immediately suspicious, noting that Yueying was confined like a prisoner rather than treated with respect, which was unusual for a loyal servant mourning her master. Qiu Yan's attempts to investigate further were quickly noticed by Chunxing, He Feng's maid.
Chunxing, seemingly loyal to the He family, confronted Qiu Yan, accusing her of being overly curious. Qiu Yan, however, cunningly claimed she was merely trying to find some of He Feng's personal items from his study to take with her to Jingyun Convent, to remember him by. While Madam He seemed to believe her, Chunxing was overtly hostile, attempting to prevent Qiu Yan from taking anything of value.
Qiu Yan eventually settled for a simple inkstone, but Chunxing's possessiveness over He Feng's belongings made Qiu Yan suspect her motives. She covertly signaled Qingdai to relay information to Liang Yi. Later, while Chunxing was out fetching tea, Qiu Yan discussed her suspicions with Liang Yi. They deduced that Yueying was likely not only He Feng's secret lover but also the one who poisoned him, with the He parents covering it up to hide the scandal.
To get to Yueying, Qiu Yan devised a plan to provoke Chunxing. After enduring insults from Qiu Yan's servant, Chunxing was deliberately slapped by Qiu Yan, who then taunted her about her impending departure to Jingyun Convent. Enraged, Chunxing secretly pawned He Feng's inkstone to get back at Qiu Yan. Qiu Yan, anticipating this, caught her red-handed with the pawn ticket, knowing Chunxing's true feelings for He Feng would prevent her from simply discarding his belongings.
Cornered and exposed, Chunxing reluctantly led Qiu Yan to Yueying. In Yueying's quarters, the maid confessed a shocking truth. She admitted to poisoning He Feng, but clarified it wasn't out of malice against Qiu Yan. Instead, she revealed He Feng’s secret marriage to a commoner named Zhao Rui, half a year prior during his studies.
He Feng and Zhao Rui had fallen deeply in love and secretly married, even drafting a marriage certificate which Zhao Rui sent to her father, Zhao Mingli. However, He Feng abandoned Zhao Rui upon his arranged marriage to Qiu Yan. Heartbroken, Zhao Rui took her own life by hanging herself. Yueying, who regularly visited Zhao Rui's grave, was approached by a Taoist priest who warned her of a vengeful spirit haunting He Feng.
Believing it was Zhao Rui, Yueying added "talisman water" from the priest to He Feng's tea on his wedding day, hoping to avert disaster, only to inadvertently poison him. Qiu Yan realized the Taoist priest was likely Zhao Mingli, seeking revenge for his daughter's death. She also learned that General He's elite soldiers were already pursuing Zhao Mingli.
Facing a desperate situation, Qiu Yan sought Liang Yi's help to escape the He Residence, emphasizing that finding Zhao Mingli and the marriage certificate was crucial to proving her innocence and revealing the true cause of He Feng's death. Liang Yi, sensing a deeper conspiracy beyond simple revenge, agreed to help. On the day of He Feng's funeral, he orchestrated a dramatic escape.
He arranged for another funeral procession to deliberately block the road, creating a chaotic standoff between the two mourning parties. Amidst the confusion, Liang Yi rescued Qiu Yan and Yueying, instructing them to run towards an archway where Qin Xuan was waiting with a carriage. Liang Yi himself turned back to feign protection for General He, planning to later rendezvous with the others. Beixue had prepared fresh clothes for their escape, and Qiu Yan urged Yueying to change.
However, when Qingdai went to check on her, Yueying had vanished. She was found in a dilapidated temple, desperately praying. Just then, Zhao Mingli entered, confronting Yueying and accusing her of being an accomplice. As Zhao Mingli was about to harm Yueying, Qiu Yan, Qingdai, and Qin Xuan arrived.
Qiu Yan mockingly informed Zhao Mingli that killing Yueying would be foolish, as it would prevent him from ever discovering the true circumstances of Zhao Rui's death, implying that Zhao Rui did not take her own life.
