Time Flies and You Are Here Episode 20 Recap
> Time Flies and You Are Here Recap
Xie Xiaoman spoke with Mingyue, who was distressed about her marriage to the abusive Zheng Hai. Mingyue confessed her uncertainty about the outcome of a divorce and lamented the unfair treatment of women. In response, Xie Xiaoman encouraged her, stating that the world treats women unfairly because they haven't fought for their own justice, suggesting they could take a chance.
Xie Xiaoman shared the story of her cousin Su Wei's grandmother, who, after losing her husband, was nearly stripped of all her property by her clan. The grandmother knelt in the snow for three days, calling for justice, which ultimately led to the tradition of female shopkeepers at Su Chang Ji in Wujiang Prefecture. Xie Xiaoman asserted that if a widow raising a daughter could achieve such a feat, they too should not fear.
Mingyue then asked Xie Xiaoman about her own plans, to which Xie Xiaoman replied that she would also fight for her own path. Xie Xiaoman confronted Zhao Xiaoqian, expressing her long-held desire to speak with him. She recounted a story about an arrogant and domineering Commandery Prince who forced a commoner lady to marry him as a concubine.
The lady merely wished to reclaim her family's land and return to her simple village life, but neither she nor her family could oppose the powerful prince. Although they married, the lady disliked her life, feeling that being with the prince was like living with a tiger, and she could not be at ease by his side. When the prince later asked her to spend their lives together, she knew his affection would be fleeting and temporary.
Most importantly, she understood that she would forever remain a concubine, perpetually inferior. Zhao Xiaoqian tried to reassure her, claiming he could resolve the situation, but Xie Xiaoman pressed him on how, asking if they could defy an imperial edict. She pointed out that even without Shen Zhaowen, there would be another, and that she could never be his first wife. She pleaded with him to let her go, dismissing his assurances as pointless.
Though Zhao Xiaoqian asked her to stay, Xie Xiaoman turned and left. Soon after, Zhao Xiaoqian confided in Shen Zhaowen, revealing he had already found someone he loved, Xie Xiaoman, who resided in his heart. He emphasized that this woman, despite not being from a noble family, or as refined or generous as Shen Zhaowen, was the best in the world. He described her spirited nature, her blushes, and her often illogical but endearing arguments.
He admitted he had tried to imagine a life without her but found it impossible, unable to live without her or to love Shen Zhaowen, for which he apologized. Meanwhile, the civil examination commenced, with the topic announced as "Discourse on the Benevolent Governance of Punishment." Zhong Ziyan, upon hearing the topic, was visibly shaken, his hand trembling as he realized it was the same as the leaked question he had seen.
During the examination, Xu Shu was apprehended for cheating. Under interrogation, he confessed that the Head of Nencao Hall had written the essay on his behalf. The examiner, comparing the handwriting on Xu Shu's paper, identified it as Zhong Ziyan's. A messenger was immediately dispatched to Prince Pu's Mansion to report that the examinee Zhong Ziyan had committed examination fraud. Minggu, worried for Zhong Ziyan, consulted a fortune teller.
The reading indicated an ominous situation based on the "Heaven and Earth Obstruction" hexagram, suggesting malevolent forces were at play while the good was precarious, leading to significant effort with little gain. The fortune teller explained that the hexagram showed the vile entering the palace while the good remained in the wild. Perplexed, Minggu pressed for a solution, and the fortune teller advised her to pay a tael of silver to "eliminate the calamity."
Despite Yan Boyang calling it a scam, Minggu bought an embroidered pouch, asserting she was paying for peace of mind. Later, after the exam, Minggu waited for Zhong Ziyan, who walked past her dejectedly. She then inadvertently discovered a paper crane he had dropped, which contained his personal profile for the examination. This led her to realize something serious had happened.
At home, she questioned her parents about the purpose of the personal profile and the consequences if it wasn't submitted. Her father explained non-submission meant either absence or trouble, and her mother bluntly suggested "cheating." Disturbed, Minggu rushed to the examination hall. Despite being told the examination was over, she insisted on seeing an official. She asked about a "Mr. Zhong" who hadn't submitted his profile.
The official confirmed that Zhong Ziyan was accused of examination fraud and banned from taking the exam ever again. Minggu tearfully pleaded with the official, insisting on Zhong Ziyan's upright character and begging for a re-investigation. Determined, Minggu tracked down Xu Shu at a brothel, accusing him of framing Zhong Ziyan and demanding he clarify the truth. Xu Shu defiantly refused, stating that since his own examination prospects were ruined, he saw no reason to help.
He bitterly remarked that noble children like Minggu could never understand the struggles of someone like him. Minggu, however, reiterated Zhong Ziyan's innocence and the devastating impact this would have on his life's efforts. She begged Xu Shu for help. Xu Shu eventually agreed, but only in exchange for 500 strings of cash. Minggu, unwavering, promised to procure the money by the next day.
When Xu Shu inquired about her relationship with Zhong Ziyan, Minggu bravely declared, "I'm in love with him." Later, forgoing her family's discussions about their business expansion, Minggu secretly took silver notes from her mother's chiffonier. Meanwhile, Teacher Liu announced a women's civil examination to find an assistant for her upcoming "Biography of Legendary Women" project, offering the top scholar a place under her tutelage.
Xie Xiaoman was the first to volunteer, followed by Shen Zhaowen, and many other women eagerly joined. At lunch, Shen Zhaowen approached Zhao Xiaoqian, seeking his guidance for the upcoming women's examination, which caused Xie Xiaoman to leave in irritation before finishing her meal. Li Su, learning of Xie Xiaoman's participation, offered to help her prepare, suggesting they study together. Later, while studying, Xie Xiaoman encountered Shen Zhaowen and Zhao Xiaoqian already there.
Shen Zhaowen graciously invited Xie Xiaoman to join them, but Xie Xiaoman politely declined, stating she had other plans. Zhao Xiaoqian, however, remarked on Xie Xiaoman's impoliteness for refusing Shen Zhaowen's kindness. Just then, Li Su arrived, and Xie Xiaoman left with him to study elsewhere, which visibly annoyed Zhao Xiaoqian. Li Su, noticing the lingering tension, inquired about Xie Xiaoman's relationship with Zhao Xiaoqian.
Xie Xiaoman revealed their plans for a divorce and was simply awaiting the letter of annulment. She reasoned that Zhao Xiaoqian's impending departure from Wujiang Prefecture might be a blessing in disguise for her. Li Su promised to give her a special gift after the women's examination. Upon returning to her room, Xie Xiaoman discovered her books were missing.
Her aide, Deng Xin'er, informed her that Zhu Momo had taken them earlier that afternoon, claiming it was by Zhao Xiaoqian's orders. Enraged, Xie Xiaoman immediately confronted Zhao Xiaoqian. Zhao Xiaoqian, who had been drinking with Zhong Ziyan (whose aide noted his unusual melancholy after the civil examination), admitted he had indeed given her books to Shen Zhaowen because Shen Zhaowen, his fiancée, had wanted them.
He asserted that he would do anything for his fiancée and questioned why Xie Xiaoman, who was supposedly indifferent to him, should care. When Xie Xiaoman accepted his explanation and tried to leave, Zhao Xiaoqian stopped her, declaring that the Commandery Prince's mansion was not a place she could come and go from as she pleased. He commanded her to help him change and then demanded she serve him in bed that night, reminding her she was still his concubine.
Xie Xiaoman fiercely resisted, screaming that her sole motivation for participating in the women's examination was to leave him. Zhao Xiaoqian, angered, accused her of toying with his feelings, saying she enjoyed seeing him repeatedly beg for her attention. Xie Xiaoman retorted, questioning why he would bother her when he had Shen Zhaowen, with whom he shared a history, equal social standing, and an engagement.
Zhao Xiaoqian then adamantly declared that even if he married Shen Zhaowen, he would never permit Xie Xiaoman to leave him, threatening to turn Wujiang Prefecture upside down if she tried to take a single step out of his mansion. Overwhelmed, Xie Xiaoman slapped him across the face and retreated to her room, where she broke down in tears. Zhao Xiaoqian, standing outside her room, listened to her cries, his own heart heavy with sorrow.
Elsewhere, Zhong Ziyan drowned his sorrows in alcohol, drinking himself into a stupor. The women's civil examination for Teacher Liu's biography project commenced with the topic "Discourse on Princess Consort Ming's Diplomatic Mission." Shen Zhaowen began by extolling Princess Consort Ming Zhaojun's selfless act of volunteering to marry Huhanye, ending centuries of conflict and bringing sixty years of peace and prosperity to the border regions.
Shen Zhaowen presented Princess Consort Ming as a paragon of virtue for her deep understanding of justice and her sacrifice for the people. Xie Xiaoman then rose to challenge this view. While acknowledging Princess Consort Ming's posthumous praise, Xie Xiaoman argued that her actions were merely a consequence of circumstance. Citing "Book of Later Han," she pointed out that Zhaojun had spent years in the palace without ever meeting the Emperor, accumulating bitterness.
Thus, Xie Xiaoman asserted that Princess Consort Ming, weary of living like a caged bird, chose the opportunity to leave the confines of the deep palace, even if it meant being three thousand miles from her homeland. Shen Zhaowen immediately countered, criticizing Xie Xiaoman for presumptuously reinterpreting a revered act of national sacrifice, questioning how such an interpretation could diminish a woman's sacrifice for her country and people.
Xie Xiaoman retorted that while Princess Consort Ming's departure was praised, in her view, the Han people had betrayed her by forcing her to sacrifice her happiness and control over her own destiny. Yet, through her strong will and tenacity, she coincidentally saved the nation.
Shen Zhaowen then questioned if it wasn't a great sacrifice for Princess Consort Ming, a delicate woman, to marry a foreign man she had never met, to spend her life with him, and to be buried in the desert, unable to return home. She further pressed Xie Xiaoman, asking if, as Xie Xiaoman claimed, Princess Consort Ming left because she was tired of a caged life, why were there so many songs of grievance about her?
Shen Zhaowen concluded by asking if moving from the palace to Xiongnu wasn't simply moving from one cage to another. Before Xie Xiaoman could fully respond, Zhao Xiaoqian intervened, reciting a poem that spoke of everlasting spring, sleepless willows, and dreams that remain distant, anchored in Yuyangli Village.
