Season 1 – Ep 9
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[Cathy]
Episode 9 starts off with Wang Qi Nian bringing Fan Xian and Teng Zi Jing to where Teng Zi Jing’s wife and child were safely hidden. Teng Zi Jing reunites with his family at long last after both sides thought the other was dead while Fan Xian is suspicious of Wang Qi Nian’s motivations for such actions. Both sides are testing each other as to why they are helping Teng Zi Jing’s family. It is also here that we see more of just how adept Wang Qi Nian is at qing gong. He’s extremely agile which surprises Fan Xian. More surprising is that righteous heart since it was Wang Qi Nian who changed Teng Zi JIng’s record by stating that his family is dead in order to protect them. Fan Xian now recognizes that underneath Wang Qi Nian’s joking facade, he has that kind heart that mirrors his own.
They discuss next steps given Fan Xian totally beat up Guo Bao Kun in the last episode and even announced his name. That’s not going to end well for Fan Xian. Fan Xian says he did this on purpose in order to ruin his reputation and therefore support the end of his engagement to Lin Wan’Er. At this point, Teng Zi Jing steps out and presses Fan Xian why he helps him, Teng Zi JIng. Teng Zi Jing states that the two are entirely different types of people. Fan Xian is much higher status than himself. But Fan Xian only responds that people are all equal, just like the tablet outside of the Overwatch Council states. Even if most people don’t believe it, Fan Xian adamantly believes it. With that, he heads back to the brothel where he was supposed to be spending an amorous night.
However, when he returns to the room, he notices that the door is completely closed. That is wrong since when he left, he left a tiny gap just for this purpose of seeing who might show up.
[Karen]
On the bed, he sees that Si Li Li is still lying there, but he knows that she is faking it. She wakes up and he commends her for having some type of tolerance to his drug meant to knock her out. Clearly, she’s had training and is most likely dangerous. Both are trying to understand who the other person is and they ultimately come to the agreement that he won’t ask what her background is and she won’t say he wasn’t there that night. Both of them will keep secrets.
The next morning, Fan Xian saunters out of the brothel. Li Hong Cheng meets him outside where Fan Xian talks about how he had a great night but Li Hong Cheng knows Fan Xian wasn’t actually on the boat with Si Li Li. After Fan Xian leaves, the 2nd prince shows up looking rather bemused at the departed Fan Xian since he knows that Fan Xian went to beat someone up.
Seems like news of Fan Xian beating someone up the prior night traveled fast. At the Fan manor, guards from the capital magistrate are here to basically arrest Fan Xian. And now we see the glimmers of a united family. Mistress Lin is rude to the guards who want to search the house for Fan Xian and rebuffs any requests they have to take Fan Xian away. But Fan Xian just shows up in the main hall since, as we know, he wants to get taken away. Before the guards can do anything further, the more brute force rejection comes in the form of Fan Si Zhe, Fan Xian’s little brother. He comes out holding a broom screaming that he’s a general and here to prevent these guys from doing anything to Fan Xian. It is a hilarious scene as Fan Si Zhe stands up for his brother and whacks the daylight out of these guards and kicks them out of the main hall. For this little show of might, Fan SI Zhe is acting as a Chinese opera general. It’s not explicitly stated, but you see how he steps forward and wields the broom, it’s very in line with how a Chinese opera singer would behave.
[Cathy]
It is sweet to see both Mistress Liu and Fan Si Zhe step in to help Fan Xian. Fan Si Zhe for his part says that Fan Xian is his ticket to riches so he can’t have anything happen to Fan Xian and Mistress Liu wants to help Fan Xian because he’s part of the Fan clan and they can’t lose face. Regardless of the current reasons for why they help him, it’s touching that they have his back and are so thoughtful of protecting him. Ruo Ruo later on is also shown to be figuring out a way to help Fan Xian by rallying up the ladies in the capital and telling them that Fan Xian is the author of Dream of the Red Chamber so as to raise an uproar if anything were to happen to him. She also gives Fan Si Zhe a giant pair of scissors to protect Fan Xian if needed.
Ultimately, it is agreed that only if Guo Bao Kun arrives at court will Fan Xian appear there. Well, cue Guo Bao Kun who, poor guy, is wrapped up as a mummy because apparently his injuries from the night before were so bad he can’t move any part of his body. He even can’t even really speak hahahahaha. Geez Fan Xian. What did you do to this poor guy. He Zong Wei gets permission from Guo Bao Kun’s father to basically act as Guo Bao Kun’s lawyer. They want to destroy Fan Xian.
Guo Bao Kun agrees to go to court and Fan Xian arrives as well. News of this little court battle travels fast to court which is more or less what Fan Xian I think was expecting. Guo Bao Kun is aligned with the Crown Prince which brings court politics into the fray. He has to help those that support him.
[Karen]
At the Capital Court, the judge Mei Zhi Li calls for order and starts the trial. Fan Xian puts on a whole show of ignorance stating that if all the staff were knocked out and Guo Bao Kun’s head was covered, how would he know it was Fan Xian that beat him up. In front of He Zong Wei, now Guo Bao Kun’s lawyer, Fan Xian is able to skillfully deflect involvement in the night before. He plays everyone like a fool stating things like why on earth would I announce myself as Guo Bao Kun’s attacker while also covering his face and why would I recite my own poem when beating someone up.
When it finally comes to where exactly Fan xian was the night before, he was able to bring out his alibi that he was at a brothel and he has witnesses including son of Prince Li Hong Cheng and the courtesan Si Li Li.
Shortly after, they arrive and both Li Hong Cheng and Si LI Li corroborate the fact that Fan XIan WAS indeed at the brothel the night before. Funny thing since both of them know he WASN”T there but are willing to go along with Fan Xian’s story.
[cathy]
Given that there are witnesses, the judge Mei Zhi Li is ready to allow Fan Xian to leave but the trial heats up with the arrival of the Crown Prince. In the first meeting between Fan xian and the Crown Prince, both individuals size each other up before the Crown Prince is invited to sit at the head of the room. The Crown Prince actually grabs a stool to sit at the side of the table because, as he states, Mei Zhi Li is the judge at this court.
Though the Crown Prince is rather respectful to Mei Zhi Li and shown as a little comical with his staff, we see how demeaning he can be with his words about Si Li Li. He believes that while Li Hong Cheng can be believed since he is a member of the royal family, Si Li Li is of low birth and cannot be trusted. He shouts at Mei Zhi Li for not doing his job well and for believing in the likes of Si Li Li which causes Mei Zhi Li to use torture devices on Si Li Li. This view is in direct conflict with Fan Xian’s view that all humans are equal. He would never think that just because Si Li Li is a courtesan she is less than the likes of Li Hong Cheng.
[Karen]
A torture device is fitted onto Si Li Li’s hands but before the punishment can start, the 2nd prince arrives to join the fray. He saunters up to the head of the room as well and sandwiches Mei Zhi Li in watching this trial unfold. Man do I feel bad for Mei ZHi Li. He definitely did not expect this trial to attract so much attention. Now, the Crown Prince is eager to see Si Li Li’s face punishment to overturn her testimony. Fan Xian is about to tell the truth but is stopped by Si Li Li herself who throws herself at him to warn him to not tell the truth. She is lying for her own personal reasons.
Sadly, she is subjected to the torture device but even through the pain, she denies that Fan Xian ever left the boat. However, her testimony is not the Crown Prince’s only trump card. After seeing that Si Li Li wasn’t going to change her tune, he calls for another person to be brought forth. That person is none other than Teng Zi Jing. Seems like Fan Xian’s activities with Teng Zi Jing were well tracked and the fact that Teng Zi Jing is alive and well raises bigger questions for Fan Xian. Teng Zi Jing originally is a member of the Overwatch Council, which reports to the Emperor. Now that Fan Xian is employing Teng Zi Jing means he is lying to the Emperor, a very serious crime. The situation is looking dire for Fan Xian and now it’s not only about beating up Guo Bao Kun. Teng Zi Jing’s life is also in danger.
[cathy]
At the last moment, Eunuch Hou, the Emperor’s Head Eunuch, arrives and presents an imperial oral edict from the Emperor stating that he knows that Teng Zi Jing is alive and has other plans so it isn’t a deceitful act and orders the princes to go home.
With this one edict, Fan Xian is absolved of pretty much all crimes and wrong doing. A rather interesting and abrupt development to this trial that actually shows quite a bit about both the Crown Prince’s capabilities as well as the Emperor. They are more dangerous than we may think at the moment.
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Let’s move onto some pop culture and history!
So we talked a little bit as to how funny the scene with Fan Si Zhe was as he was brandishing the broom to the guards. The word he uses to describe himself is 俺.
[Karen]
俺 also means me but only as it refers to when I’m talking to someone else. We typically don’t see it used in writing to reference myself. This word is typically spoken in northern parts of China, especially in the Dong Bei provinces. If we look at the character itself, the left radical is a person and the right is 奄. In ancient times, Yan meant to close a door. So put those two together, the person who closes the door. Or closing my door. I’m the owner of my house so 俺 came to represent me. This phrase began to pop up during the Song Dynasty, around 900 years ago and has been used since then.
In folk culture, it’s typically brawny men from the north who use the word 俺. A common trope would be the general from the north falling in love with the beautiful maiden from the south. The man would say something along the lines of 别担心，有俺在，俺保护你. Or don’t worry, I’m here, I’ll protect you. The An replaces the Wo. It just sounds more rough and deep. Haha. There’s the stereotype that men from northern china are just bigger so that’s why we also have this trope. In the drama, Fan Si Zhe’s like – I will go smite you! But using An and that’s why Fan Xian responds with – yes general! That all plays into this trope.
[Cathy]
Ok next – let’s talk about the Capital magistrate Mei Zhi li. He’s title is 京都府尹. Think of it as the equivalent of the mayor of Beijing. 府尹 as a title / office was first established during the Northern Song Dynasty, so 10-12 century CE. The post was typically filled by a scholar official. The post was below that of a minister but above a deputy minister.
Way back during the Han Dynasty, there were posts called 京兆尹 and the official was in charge of the capital affairs. By the time of the Tang Dynasty, there were different cities who had 府尹s. By the time of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the post was called 应天 or 顺天府. In the drama, we also have 大理寺, which we’ll get to later but that is the Court of Judicature. That post is higher than the capital magistrate of 京都府尹. The head of the court of Judicature is a 正三品 but the capital magistrate is slightly lower with 从三品 or lower third rank. Regardless – a 3rd ranked position was very high already and hence why Mei Zhi Li had a decent amount of clout, but in the face of two princes, he was definitely out classed.
[Karen]
Lastly, let’s discuss the torture that Si Li Li was submitted to in this episode. The form of torture in Chinese is called 拶刑 zǎn. It was a form of torture typically used on women. The fingers are individually placed between two pieces of wood that are tied together with rope. The torturer, well you need two, pulls the ropes on both sides to squeeze the fingers. The pain on the fingers, which typically ends in broken fingers, would amount to a confession. This form of torture has been around for thousands of years including the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. I don’t know if this form of torture was around during the Han Dynasty but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was. In Chinese dramas, we typically see this as the form of torture on women, so much so that it has become a trope too.
[Cathy]
Lastly, let’s move on to book differences!
The book takes a much more serious approach to the assault and subsequent trial of Guo Bao Kun. It takes all of 2 very short chapters and kind of just ends. The Princes aren’t duking it out with each other. Teng Zi Jing doesn’t get captured and Si Li Li does not get tortured. The drama chooses to really focus on the relationship between Fan Xian and Teng Zi Jing to set up the events in the next few episodes. There’s a lot more undercurrents at play right now in the drama that don’t really surface until much later in the book. The key similarity though is that the book clearly calls out that Guo Bao Kun is bandaged like a mummy and that’s what we got in the drama!