Under the Microscope Episode 11 Recap
> Under the Microscope Recap
Early in the morning, Feng Biyu woke Cheng Renqing, asking about her brother, Feng Baoyu. Cheng Renqing confessed he didn't know where Feng Baoyu had gone, suggesting she ask Shuai Jiamo instead. Feng Biyu accused him of playing tricks, but Cheng Renqing dismissed it, stating he had no reason to cause trouble when he could easily level dozens of charges against Feng Baoyu if he wished.
He then assured her that Feng Baoyu was fine, having become a prominent figure in Renhua County, and would enjoy a bright future. He even playfully suggested it was time for Feng Biyu to find a good husband and settle down, which she quickly rejected. After Cheng Renqing got up, he thanked Shuai Jiamo, who was nearby, for saving him and for his care.
He then shared a philosophical thought, describing them both as "pitiable yearners" in this wavering world, constantly longing, craving, and yearning for things that remained out of reach, even comparing it to the pursuit of Zu's Ratio. Shuai Jiamo, not fully grasping the poetic sentiment, tried to explain that Zu's Ratio refers to the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, named after Zu Chongzhi.
Cheng Renqing, however, found the detailed explanation tedious and joked that Shuai Jiamo had ruined the poetic atmosphere. Before departing, Cheng Renqing offered Feng Biyu a final piece of advice: "The match is still going on, and you have yet to win." Feng Biyu later thanked Cheng Renqing for providing information that saved the lives of Feng Baoyu and Shuai Jiamo.
She offered him two fine hams in return, and when he jokingly questioned if only two were offered, she playfully suggested three would also be fine. Meanwhile, in Tongyang County, Xiao Zhi was arguing with government officials about the land remeasurement. She protested that their land, which they hadn't even finished cultivating, measuring only 4. 5 "mu", was now being registered as 5 "mu" of cultivated land, calling the measurement inaccurate.
The officials, unfazed, arrogantly dismissed her, challenging her knowledge of mathematics like Pythagorean's Theorem and the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter (Pi), and declared that their official measurements were final. They brazenly implied that for a "reparation fee," they could be more lenient with the measurements. Xiao Zhi's father, an old man, became enraged and attacked the officials with a hoe, leading to a scuffle.
Feng Baoyu arrived and intervened, warning the officials that he, a student from Renhua County, would sue them for malfeasance if they continued to abuse their authority. The officials, however, merely reiterated that the land would be reported as 5 "mu" and challenged them to take their complaints to the Tongyang County Government. After the officials left, Feng Baoyu told Xiao Zhi and her father that the Jin'an Prefecture was heading for turmoil.
He offered to take them to Magistrate Deng, whom he believed to be a reasonable man who would deliver justice. Xiao Zhi was skeptical, remarking that if any official had truly cared, farmers wouldn't have been driven to cultivate the wilderness. Her father, however, urged her to accompany Feng Baoyu, hoping she would see if fate could truly be changed in this world. He vowed that even if he had only 4.
5 "mu" of land, he would work tirelessly to yield 5 "mu" of grain. Days later, with the land remeasurement policy in effect for only seven days, four counties had already requested a suspension. Assistant Prefect Song found the rapid public outcry suspicious, suggesting to Prefect Huang that they send people to investigate the true public reaction. Prefect Huang agreed. At the county office, a notice was posted, suspending public petitions. Villagers gathered, expressing widespread anger.
They accused Revenue Office officials of unfairly inflating their land measurements by 30 percent, forcing them to pay hundreds of "jin" more in grain taxes, leaving them with no food. Others complained that officials demanded money for "Fish Scale Map Registers" and even seized their cattle if they couldn't pay. The officials responsible ignored their pleas and left, further enraging the crowd.
Feng Baoyu, observing the scene, tried to explain that while individual officials were corrupt, the land remeasurement policy itself was not inherently bad, as it aimed to uncover hidden lands and distribute taxes more fairly. However, Xiao Zhi, reflecting the crowd's sentiment, countered that every new government policy ultimately led to more taxes.
She pointed out that if the policy truly aimed for fairness, why weren't the vast lands of wealthy families like Master Liu's, reportedly over a hundred "mu", being measured? Members of the crowd then directly implicated Shuai Jiamo and Feng Baoyu, revealing that the "Silk Poll Tax" issue was instigated by them, leading to the decision to apportion the tax among eight counties based on population and land, thus requiring the remeasurement.
The crowd turned on Feng Baoyu, accusing him of causing their suffering while pretending to be concerned. Realizing the depth of the public's anger, Feng Baoyu decided to take further action. He headed to Tongyang County to seek justice from Magistrate Deng. Upon being granted an audience, Feng Baoyu explained that some officials were using the remeasurement policy to exploit the people, causing widespread resentment, and recounted how even the farmer who had sheltered him suffered from manipulated land measurements.
Magistrate Deng acknowledged his concern, stating that he would help the farmer due to his past acquaintance with Shuai Jiamo but then dismissed Feng Baoyu, asserting that the administration of Tongyang County was none of his business. When Feng Baoyu persisted, Magistrate Deng revealed his helplessness as a transient official. He explained that local officials, who had served for generations, were far more experienced and found ways to "feign obedience" to his orders while secretly continuing their malpractices.
He further suggested that the consistent and severe bullying across Jin'an's eight counties indicated that these officials were acting under a higher authority's instruction, leaving Feng Baoyu to ponder who that could be. Afterwards, Xiao Zhi thanked Feng Baoyu for his help, though still hinting that he was the original cause of the trouble.
Feng Baoyu, lamenting his limited ability to help more people, told her he needed to go to his next destination as the case was not yet finished. Back at the prefecture, the report from the sent-out officials indicated that public reaction to the land remeasurement was generally calm, with only minor disputes, leading Prefect Huang and Inspector Liu to believe that the previous reports of widespread resentment were exaggerations by county magistrates.
Prefect Huang decided to draft an official document, ordering all counties to continue the policy and threatening severe punishment for non-compliance. Inspector Liu affirmed his support, declaring that he would jointly sign the order and impeach any magistrates who continued to be neglectful. Meanwhile, Lu Feilong, acting on instructions from Master Fan, was actively fanning the flames of public anger.
He spread rumors among the villagers, falsely claiming that Renhua County had bribed officials to shift the Silk Poll Tax burden onto other counties. He pointed out the injustice, asking why they should pay taxes for Renhua County when they themselves were struggling. He even spread gossip about Prefect Huang taking a concubine from Renhua County, further fueling suspicion.
He urged the villagers to unite and demand justice, asking them if they would rather be shackled by officials for non-payment or fight for their rights. The enraged villagers, chanting slogans like "Down with the corrupt officials! Give back our land!" and "Dismiss Huang! Execute Liu! Get Fang killed!" began marching towards Renhua County. Cheng Renqing and Feng Baoyu, hearing the commotion, discussed the situation.
Cheng Renqing explained to Feng Baoyu that this was all part of Ma Wencai's intricate plot. He theorized that Ma Wencai's sudden change of stance in court was a "retreating advance," allowing the Jin'an Prefecture to implement the remeasurement. Then, the colluding county officials, under orders from Master Fan, would deliberately cause havoc and public outrage. This resentment would then be skillfully redirected towards Prefect Huang and Inspector Liu, the key decision-makers.
Cheng Renqing warned Feng Baoyu that Shuai Jiamo was heading for grave danger, predicting that Ma Wencai's goal was to escalate the chaos to the largest possible scale. As the protesting villagers, chanting "Remeasurement kills me!" and "Apportionment kills me!" , approached Renhua County, Magistrate Fang nervously watched from the city wall alongside Prefect Huang and Inspector Liu. He panicked, realizing that his name was among those targeted by the rioters.
Prefect Huang and Inspector Liu were shocked by the sudden, large-scale insurrection, questioning why the situation had escalated despite previous assurances of calm. Just then, Ma Wencai and Assistant Prefect Song arrived. Ma Wencai immediately asserted his authority, chastising Prefect Huang and Inspector Liu for their "unscrupulous and ruthless ways" that led to the civil unrest, reminding them of his earlier warning that he would impeach them if their actions harmed the country.
He dismissed Prefect Huang's claims of rumors, stating that the turmoil in Jin'an since the policy's implementation was undeniable. Ma Wencai then revealed that he had read all the official warnings from Tongyang, Wancheng, and Lanxi magistrates urging caution, but Prefect Huang had "insisted on reinforcing the policy, shutting out all reason." He also implicated Inspector Liu, who had co-signed the orders, in the oversight.
Ma Wencai then used the analogy of cooking a fragile fish, implying that Prefect Huang and Inspector Liu had mishandled the delicate situation, causing it to fall apart. Prefect Huang furiously called Assistant Prefect Song a "traitor," but Song defended himself, arguing that Huang had always disdained his advice. Ma Wencai then informed them that he had already sent detailed reports of the situation to the Grand Coordinator Li in Fengxing and to the Capital, effectively signaling their impending downfall.
He reminded them that no local official in the dynasty had ever retained their position after a civil insurrection, suggesting they "depose themselves and await the Cabinet's final decision." Taking charge as the head of the Jinqu Armed Forces, Ma Wencai declared his intent to manage Jin'an Prefecture's defense. He asked Assistant Prefect Song for a solution to quell the unrest without resorting to violence. Song proposed addressing the root causes: the remeasurement policy and the Silk Poll Tax apportionment.
Ma Wencai swiftly ordered the withdrawal of the Jin'an Prefecture's land remeasurement policy and the reinstatement of the original Silk Poll Tax. However, he then suggested that simply reversing the policies might not be enough to appease the valiant people of Jin'an. Assistant Prefect Song, in agreement, proposed that "the perpetrator is also the best mender." Ma Wencai concurred, ordering his guards to arrest Shuai Jiamo.
He declared that Shuai Jiamo, being the instigator of the entire dispute, would be publicly executed to provide an explanation to the people and restore order. He then asked if anyone had any objections.
