Treasure at Dawn Episode 7 Recap
> Treasure at Dawn Recap
Fu Sheng and Gu Tian found themselves unjustly imprisoned, accused of Song Jingye's murder. Confined in a dark, damp cell filled with a foul stench, Gu Tian despaired, fearing they would succumb to illness or be secretly killed and framed as suicides. Fu Sheng, however, reassured him, promising to save him even if he were gravely wounded. Meanwhile, Li Zhizhuo met with Sun Siming, offering him money and freedom from servitude to leave Xichuan with his brother.
Sun Siming, shrewd and cautious, immediately suspected Li Zhizhuo intended to eliminate him en route. He firmly refused to leave, stating that his departure would surely lead to his death. Li Zhizhuo dismissed his fears, unaware his scheme had been easily seen through. Sun Siming then bluntly warned Li Zhizhuo that if he were to die, connections would inevitably be made to Li Zhizhuo, especially given his long history as Song Jingye's horse slave.
While this served as a veiled threat, it also declared his loyalty, indicating he would not leave Li Zhizhuo's side. Faced with Sun Siming's intelligence, Li Zhizhuo reluctantly allowed him to stay and, after dismissing the current carriage steward, promoted Sun Siming to the position. He praised his own discernment while disparaging Song Jingye's poor judgment, characterizing Sun Siming as a seemingly meek "quail" who could turn into a "rabid dog," but ultimately, a mere "plaything in his hands."
Later, Sun Siming brought a feast of roast chicken, vintage wine, and raw fish slices to Fu Sheng and Gu Tian in prison, explaining that he had earned a promotion to carriage steward but wasn't entirely pleased with it. Gu Tian, complaining about the quality of the food, was urged by Fu Sheng to be grateful. Recalling his earlier promise to save them, Sun Siming offered to seek help.
Fu Sheng suggested approaching Wen Jue, the Young Mistress of the Lord's Mansion, as they shared a "life-and-death bond." Sun Siming readily agreed to convey their message, pledging to go through fire and water for his benefactor. However, upon arriving at the Lord's Mansion, Sun Siming was rudely turned away by the guards, who dismissed him as a "stable hand" and "trash fish," refusing to even inform Wen Jue of his presence.
Meanwhile, Wen Jue, having learned of Fu Sheng and Gu Tian's arrest, rushed to her father, Wen Yu. At the execution grounds, Li Zhizhuo was eager to carry out the sentence, declaring Fu Sheng and Gu Tian the murderers of Chairman Song and ordering their immediate beheading. Just as the execution was about to proceed, Wen Yu arrived with Wen Jue and intervened, reprimanding Li Zhizhuo for attempting an execution without a proper trial and suggesting he had ulterior motives.
Li Zhizhuo relented and called upon a witness, Qin Shi, Song Jingye's personal guard. Qin Shi testified that he saw Fu Sheng and Gu Tian tracking Song Jingye, was then drugged at the Lin's Mansion, and subsequently, Song Jingye was found dead. He highlighted Fu Sheng's expertise in herbs as a suspicious point. The alleged murder weapon, a dagger, was then presented.
Gu Tian, furious, mumbled about the dagger causing trouble, while Li Zhizhuo challenged Wen Yu to find fault with the "solid" evidence. Suddenly, Wen Jue interjected, claiming the dagger was hers, a gift from Fu Sheng that her father had confiscated and discarded due to her disinterest in weapons. Wen Yu corroborated her story, confirming that the dagger had been in his possession and not with Fu Sheng. He stated firmly that Li Zhizhuo had arrested the wrong people.
Li Zhizhuo accused Wen Yu of trying to protect the murderers. In response, Wen Yu announced a city-wide bounty for information leading to the true killer and personally took charge of the case. He declared that since the evidence was invalid, he would absolve Fu Sheng and Gu Tian of any further recourse against Li Zhizhuo for their wrongful arrest. After their release, Wen Yu's existing illness worsened. Fu Sheng diagnosed him with only about thirty days left to live.
To spare Wen Jue distress, Fu Sheng concealed the truth from her, telling her her father was much better and sending her away. Wen Yu, however, was aware of his grim prognosis, having consulted many doctors worldwide with the same outcome. Despite his acceptance, a flicker of unwillingness remained. Fu Sheng, equally unwilling to let Wen Yu die, began practicing intricate medical procedures on a doll, hoping to find a cure.
Later, Wen Jue approached Fu Sheng, expressing her desire to learn medicine so she could save countless patients from suffering. Seeing her determination, Fu Sheng began teaching her basic pulse diagnosis, explaining how pulse rates differ for normal adults, the elderly, children, and the critically ill.
When Wen Jue attempted to verify the lessons by pressing her ear against Fu Sheng's chest to listen to his heartbeat, Fu Sheng's heart unexpectedly raced, causing him to panic and wonder if he was suffering from Palpitation. That night, his agitated mind conjured up an internal dialogue with imaginary figures: a talking duck sounding like Wen Jue and a "Wood" figure sounding like Gu Tian.
He worried he was losing his mind, concluding he was simply too deeply influenced by others, unconsciously creating these mental representations, and hoped sleep would restore his sanity. The next day, Fu Sheng brought a roasted lamb leg to Gu Tian, who was now with a group of followers, seemingly having become a small-time leader. Gu Tian complained about the cold and gamey meat. During their meal, Fu Sheng inquired about the dagger he had given Gu Tian.
They then went to an abandoned temple to question Hulu, who was present with his companions. Hulu tearfully confessed that he had followed Song Jingye to an old house to get back at him for harassing his sister. There, he was knocked unconscious, and upon waking, found Song Jingye dead beside him. Terrified, he fled, not understanding what had happened. He offered himself up to the authorities or the Chamber of Commerce, only asking that his sister be cared for.
Fu Sheng, moved by Hulu's plea to protect his sister, decided not to turn him in, concluding that Hulu, even with the dagger, was not capable of killing Song Jingye. Gu Tian then sarcastically asked Fu Sheng for an apology. Fu Sheng, still perplexed by Song Jingye's suspicious death, expressed his desire to investigate further. Gu Tian, however, was only interested in making money.
He declared that he and Fu Sheng should go their "separate ways" and stated his intention to return to Shangyi after finding a way to get some money. As Fu Sheng left, he noticed a monkey that appeared to have emerged from a painting.
