Chinese Drama 2022
The Autumn Ballad (Chinese Drama Review & Summary)
✴️✴️✴️✴️/5✴️
The Autumn Ballad poster
- Genre: Historical Costume Drama Fiction, Romance
- Release Date: 5 February 2022
- Origin: China
- Cdrama: 34 Episodes
Cast
- Bridgette Qiao Xin as Qiu Yan/Su Yiwan
- Jeremy Jones Xu as Liang Yi/Marquis Weiyan
- Wayne Liu Ruilin as Qin Xuan
- Kabby Hui as Qiu Min
- Gao Sheng as Jiang Yun
- Wang Jia Yin as Qing Dai
- Zhan Yu as Song Jin
- Zhang Yicong as Yuan Lang (Main Administrative Office
- Ma Yashu as Guo Guifei
- Jing Ru Yang as Shi Xiao Xiao
Episode 1
The drama looks good. Qiao Xin is gorgeous.
Anyway, it started with a wedding. Qiu Yan was marrying someone she does not know but she was quite willing because he was chosen by her mother.
During the wedding ceremony, the groom collapsed and died from an apparently life-threatening disease.
Qiu Yan was curious that her groom had rigor mortis instantly after death.
Anyway, though the wedding ritual was not completely finished, the paperworks were already signed and dotted so the groom’s family, the powerful He said that Qiu Yan was already married to He Feng, their dead son.
And as the tradition at that time, the wife had to be buried with the dead husband.
No matter what Qiu Yan’s father complained, General He was adamant that Qiu Yan is to be buried alive with their son. They had also started blaming Qiu Yan for jinxing He Feng to death.
Qiu Yan managed to escape from the He Mansion and go home.
But at home, the Qiu Clan had a meeting where it was decided that Qiu Yan should be returned to the He family otherwise the Qiu clan would pay for it with one thing or another.
Qiu Yan is a clever girl. She instructed her maid to paint the memorial tablet of the family matriarch who was buried alive with her husband.
So during the adult Qiu meeting, a servant came running to report of the bleeding memorial tablet.
The current matriarch shooed everyone away except for Qiu Yan who had gatecrashed the meeting.
The Qiu matriarch asked Qiu Yan what was her take on the bleeding memorial tablet.
Qiu Yan said that the old matriarch probably disagreed that Qiu Yan should be sent to her death unwillingly because Qiu Yan is a feisty girl, upon death she would come back as a vengeful spirit.
The current matriarch felt guilty of what happened to the old matriarch so she agreed not to send Qiu Yan back to the He household. Instead, they will asked the Crown Prince to intercede for them.
The Crown Prince used to be a student of the Qiu patriarch so he sent the Marquis of Wenliang to referee the dispute between the two families.
The Marquis tends to side with General He because he has something the marquis wanted but then again six years ago he saved a girl of the same age from the Qiu family. He was thinking that the girl might be the bride.
Anyway, it was decided that Qiu Yan would be sent to the nunnery instead of being buried alive.
Qiu Yan disagreed because to her becoming a nun, she might as well be dead.
So she begged her parents to send her to the palace and make her a palace servant of the noble consort.
Her little sister, Qiu Min, was upset that Qiu Yan was often indulged.
When Qiu Yan presented her embroidered gift to the noble consort, it has been replaced by a big stone.
The stone shocked the noble consort court who was celebrating her birthday.
Episode 2
The Noble Consort asked Qiu Yan why she was presenting her a stone?
Quick on her feet, Qiu Yan said that the consort is like a stone. She is strong and steadfast as a support to the monarch.
The Noble Consort was satisfied with her answer because she already knew that Qiu Yan was set up by Lord Liang.
As such the original plan was to be upheld. She was to be sent to the nunnery.
On the eve of her departure, her mother told her to run. She said that she had arranged a carriage to take her away.
She was just leaving when her sister Qiu Min turned up and made her feel guilty.
Qiu Min said that if she leaves, the family will pick up the pieces and will get all the flak.
Qiu Yan still left in the carriage but headed to the He where she presented herself. They told her that after the memorial of their son, she was going to be sent to the nunnery.
Lord Liang turned up to keep watch over her and so did Qin Xuan, who was a prince and had become a friend to Qiu Yan.
Episode 3
Qiu Yan tried to be the perfect daughter-in-law to the Hes. She was on a vigil to He Feng when Lord Liang turned up as well as Qin Xuan.
She told the Hes that Lord Liang should be sent home as it was the eve of He Feng’s funeral. She added that she heard that there are some haunting spirits at the Firewood Office of Lord Liang. If the spirits get into He Feng then he will not have eternal repose.
Being superstitious, Mr and Mrs He begged Lord Liang to leave.
Qin Xuan and Qiu Xan then worked on He Feng’s autopsy.
He Feng died of poisoning and he was still clutching a love token in his hand.
Lord Liang later asked to see Qiu Xan and queried what she found out. He knew that she had performed an autopsy because he saw the coffin lid to have been moved.
After investigation, they found out that He Feng had married a girl legally but after a while, he just left her so she killed herself.
Her father was bent on revenge and had him poisoned.
Episode 4
But the latter was all hearsay.
He Feng truly loved his first wife and was absolutely devastated when she died.
It came out that the young wife did not kill herself.
He Feng’s maid brought in guards to strangle He Feng’s wife and then left her hanging to look like suicide. Then the maid left a suicide not for He Feng to find saying that his wife found out that he will many someone chosen by his parents.
Zhou Mingli did not poison He Feng.
He Feng who was so upset with his wife’s death, took arsenic himself on his wedding day.
General He’s wife was so upset with her husband and at herself because they unwittingly drove their son to his death.
Qiu Yan and Qin Xuan and their entourage were saved from General He by Liang Yi.
To celebrate their freedom, they went to the busy marketplace which happens to be celebrating Valentine’s Day.
Qiu Yan and Lord Liang shared the last sky lantern where they wrote their wishes with their names.
As the lantern started floating up, Qiu Yan noticed that Lord Liang wrote his name as the Evil Purger, the name of her benefactor who rescued her when she was a girl from bandits.
She was falling in love with Lord Liang but it did not last because the next day, she learned that he went back on his promise to protect He Feng’s maid and father-in-law.
She went to him and asked him to explain. He said that he was using Yueling and Mr Zhou to blackmail General He. She told him that she hated him.
Aww Jeremy Tsui is so handsome.
Anyway, Lord Liang was able to sort General He and his machination was rewarded by the Noble Consort who selected potential brides for Lord Liang.
Amongst the list, Lord Liang selected Qiu Min, the spoilt little sister of Qiu Yan. Noooooo
To create misunderstanding, the scriptwriter made Qiu Min borrow Qiu Yan’s beloved folding fan.
As Qiu Yan was upset with Lord Liang, she allowed Qiu Min to have the fan.
The Qiu girls were invited by Noble Consort but Qiu Yan was not allowed to go because Madam Qiu thinks she was too tempestuous.
Instead, the Qiu Yan was being looked over by a matchmaker.
Episode 5
Yep, Qiu Min forgot her fan and was then found by Lord Liang.
He returned it to Qiu Min who asked him for his name.
Lord Liang remembered that he told ‘her’ once that his name was on the fan. Lord Liang was rather surprised that the feisty girl had turned into a shy girl.
Whoa, the fan actually stopped Lord Liang proposing marriage to Qiu Min.
He said that he would not put through a marriage with him a girl he had rescued from the horrid of life.
This episode is so cute.
There was a matchmaking golf tournament arranged. All the Qiu girls, four of them attended and they were after Qin Xuan.
Actually, all the women were after Qin Xuan.
Qiu Yan wanted to have Qin Xuan to herself but Lord Liang was making it really impossible.
Instead of concentrating on Qiu Min, Lord Liang was focusing on keeping Qiu Yan and Qin Xuan apart. It is so cute.
Episode 6
Lord Liang wanted to know why Qiu Yan would not consider him when the odds will be better than the much-admired Qin Xuan. He also added that Qin Xuan would not inherit the title as he was not the firstborn while Lord Liang was already a marquis.
Qiu Yan said that she likes someone who actually likes her just like Qin Xuan seemed to really fancy her. He is superior compared to an old widower that the family might marry her to.
There are times that he would leave her alone and then he would interfere again just like when Qiu Yan went on a date with Qin Xuan at the opera.
Episode 7
Qiu Yan wanted Qin Xuan to confess to her but it all went wrong when his parents turned up and absolutely forbade Qin Xuan to have anything to do with the unruly Second Miss of the Qiu Family.
Qin Xuan told his family that he was joining the army so he would be worthy enough for Qiu Yan who is the only woman in his heart.
But just like Romeo and Juliet they were kept apart.
Meanwhile, the Qiu Famly was in real trouble. Firewood Office had found that the Qiu Family had counterfeit money which was gravely punishable.
The family needs 3000 to remedy the case which they don’t have.
Qiu Yan said that she will investigate the case and gets a result within three days. If she is successful, she wanted the old madam to promise that Qiu Yan can choose who ever to marry, no one to interfere.
Episode 8
Qiu Yan started investigating and the first casualty was Qiu Rong who took money from the jar.
The family questioned Qiu Rong but they went easy on him which Qiu Yan can’t so she beat him herself.
She then went out to see who was distributing the notes.
On her way out she met Qin Xuan who was waiting for her. She told him what predicament she was in.
He agreed immediately to help her find the master forger and money launderer.
The two ran on Lord Liang who put them into prison.
Qiu Min came to see Lord Liang to beg him to find her missing sister. She said that Qiu Yan had been missing for the better of the day and their father was very worried. Qiu MIn said that she would look at this as a favor.
Lord Liang said that she should remember about the favor. But he told her that if he does find Qiu Yan, she might have to stay with him to help in the investigation.
Episode 9
Lord Liang and Qiu Yan’s investigation on the money forger led them to Wanyan House, a brothel where the forger seemed to have a special attachment.
Qiu Yan had to crossdress as a mustachioed guy as they were going to a brothel.
Searching the brothel was not an easy task especially as there were many people around. But they did manage to find an underground cave running beneath the brothel which lead to the Imperial Park.
The Imperial Park is more or less the domain of the Grand Preceptor and the Hongzhen Sect.
The leader of the Hongzhen Sect was Lingzheng who had undermined the Grand Preceptor.
Lingzheng said that if Lord Liang kills the Grand Preceptor, Lingsheng will remember Lord Liang very fevourably when he becomes the Grand Preceptor.
Lord Liang declined but then Lingzheng said if Lord Liang does not do what he wanted, he will kill Qiu Yan.
Lord Liang finally agreed but asked for a night to do it.
Episode 10
Lord Liang and Qiu Yan with the Grand Preceptor had a very hectic day.
They had to blow a dam so they could swim out of the Imperial Park. It was a long swim and Qiu Yan would have drowned but Lord Liang gave her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. And then Lord Liang attached one of the Tocharian Golden Handcuffs to Qiu Yan and the other to himself so he she could keep up with him.
When they got out of the water, they found that they were in the middle of Hongzhen Sect ground. They had to evade the Hongshen army until they got trapped in a tower.
As they would not come down, Lingzheng ordered that the men put cinders and wood to light up under the wooden tower.
Luckily, Lord Liang had a waterproof 🤣🤣🤣 signal flare with him which alerted the Firewood Office army who immediately came to their rescue with Qin Xuan.
Qin Xuan immediately noticed that Lord Liang and QiuYan were in synched and closer. Then he noticed that they were attached to each other via the Tocharian Golden Handcuffs.
QiuYan said that she lost the key to unlocking it and Lord Liang said that to forcibly remove the bracelet would only cause injury. So at the Firewood Office, they cut the wire connecting the handcuffs but they had to continue wearing it as a ‘couple’ bracelets for now as they had to send for a specialist Tochian to unlock the cuff which might take two months traveling.
Episode 11 – 12
Qin Xuan was rather jealous of the couple bracelet on Qiu Yan but she told him that she has two hands why not buy their own couple bracelets? Qin Xuan was reassured with this pronouncement.
Anyway, Lord Liang’s assistant said that they may have another key for the Tocharian because they did buy two pairs.
Lord Liang told him that it was not urgent.🤗
Meanwhile, the three days are up for Qin Yan. Matriarch Qiu gathered everyone for the unveiling of the culprit.
Qin Yan presented the Jade pendant from the Qiu Family which was found at the brothel.
It was owned by the Eldest Qiu son but he was quickly eliminated because he is the laziest person ever and going to a brothel was too much hard work for him.
The Third Son was under the thumb of his wife and their monthly allowance was controlled by his wife so he would not dare go to the brothel.
The Fourth Son, who stutters when he speaks, cooperated with Qin Yan and between them, they were able to smoke out the real culprit who happens to be the most trusted housekeeper of the Qiu.
Everyone was upset when they found out that it was her. Matriarch Qiu was especially upset because she was used to the housekeeper and relied on her a great deal.
The housekeeper did it in revenge on how her beloved son was treated by the Qiu. Her son was very intelligent and Second Son pulled strings to send him to the Imperial College. But six months into the college, the son was accused of cheating during exams. No one believed his innocence at all, even Second Son ( Qiu Yan’s father).
The Second Son only realised it now that he was innocent when Qu Yan was looking at the boy’s school books. They were ripped by meticulously glued back in.
Qiu Yan commented that someone who was supposed to love reading would not rip his books. So they knew that the boy was bullied and set up. Because he was an alien being from a poor background among the sons of the elite.
The Second Son went to apologise to the housekeeper but she told him it was too late. Her son died because no one was prepared to believe him.
Anyway, there were more intrigues at the Qiu Family.
During her investigation, Qiu Yan found out that the Fourth Wife had a baby daughter but she had her changed to a baby boy because she knew she would be divorced or relegated to being a concubine if she could not produce a Qiu son.
Qiu Yan mistakenly confided this information to Qiu Min.
Qiu Min tattled about this despite being told by Qiu Yan to keep it secret.
Matriarch Qiu called the Fourth Wife. She gave the Fourth Wife two choices: Death or leaving quietly.
The Fourth Wife said that she was not going to die or leave. Because she knew that her secret will come out sooner or later, she had been keeping a journal. She will reveal all and there will be many revelations as the Qius have so many skeletons in the cupboard, many scandalous secrets starting with Matriarch Qiu.
The Matriarch was shocked.
Meanwhile, Lord Liang’s mother had told her son that the Noble Consort had already told the Second Son of the Qiu that Lord Liang wishes to marry Qiu Min.
Lord Liang was like ‘Oh shit’ but he said he will marry but he immediately had Qiu Yan summoned to take her shopping for the dowry for Qiu Min.
Episode 13
I have to say, I am loving this drama. At the moment, it has just the right amount of everything.
Second Madam took Qiu Yan and Qiu Min to Taiyang Temple to get their amulet.
Qin Xuan also went so he could meet up with Qiu Yan.
As it happened, Lord Liang also heard that the Qiu Sisters were at Taiyang Temple so he also went.
Qiu Yan saw her sister speaking to Qin Xuan so she gave her a chance to speak and clear her mind out.
As she was leaving them alone, she met Lord Liang.
Qiu Yan took him away so he won’t see his young fiancee meeting up with Qin Xuan.
Qiu Yan and Lord Liang ended up by a cliff where they saw the beautiful cottony clouds fairly down the sky.
Qiu Yan sincerely thanked Lord Liang for everything he had done for her including some six years ago when he saved her.
I just realised that the concubine of the Second Master of the Qiu was Qiu Yan’s biological mother. Qiu Yan got separated from them and her mother took her brother to safe but did not even look back at her.
That was the reason, Qiu Yan loved the Second Madam very much because she was really a mother to her more than the Second Madam will ever be.
Lord Liang was shocked that the girl he saved was right on his face all along. It was not Qiu Min but Qiu Yan.
Anyway, Qiu Yan happily said that as they will be family soon, there should be no misunderstanding.
Afterwards, Qiu Yan met her sister and told Qiu Min that she saw her talking to Qin Xuan. She warned her sister that should be the last time and when she has married Lord Liang, she should love and respect him with everything she has got.
Qiu Min said that she had come to terms with what she felt for Qin Xuan. She was ready to get married.
Meanwhile, before they left the temple, Second Madam had a tender moment with one of the monks. They had a jade love token and she seemed to know that they might never meet again.
When then got home, Second Madam told Qiu Yan that she will be in charge of the Second House because her sister is too weak and timid.
Qiu Yan refused. She said Second Madam had just to do it.
The wedding preparation was heating up.
Lord Liang was morose and depressed. He just made a mistake, engaged to the wrong Qiu girl.
Anyway wedding decorations were being put up at the Qiu Manor supervised by Second Madam. But she collapsed.
Physician Li was called who shooed everyone because Second Madam has a contagious terminal illness.
No one was allowed in and Qiu Yan was heartbroken not to be at her mother’s side. She got upset with Qiu Min as she hid herself in the library like a timid mouse. When she went to see the elders, she overheard that they were already planning her mother’s funeral.
This really upset her more than anything. Instead of looking for someone or something to cure her mother, they have given up totally.
Episode 14
Qiu Yan learned from her Fourth Uncle that there might be a cure to her mother’s infection. There was a traveling doctor who cured a woman who had the same infection as her mother. Uncle said that he still had the prescription. When the servant went to the apothecary, they found the dried gecko and whatever had been out of stock for ages.
Qiu Yan went to Lord Liang for help. He was told that an apothecary who used to stock what they needed was forcibly closed down and the medicine was confiscated by the Main Administrative office headed by the vengeful Yuan Lang.
Despite Lord Liang kneeling before him for the medicine, Yuan Lang ordered that he had to be whipped for the illegal drugs and it had to be witnessed by others for transparency.
Qiu Yan was begging Lord Liang not to submit to Yuan Lang but Lord Liang said that they had to think of her ailing mother.
Anyway, he was beaten by Song Jin, Lord Liang’s own assistant as wickedly ordered by Yuan Lang.
But in the end the medicine was useless as her mother had already died when Qiu Yan got home.
Qiu Yan could not comprehend how her mother died so suddenly.
She got the answer from the timid Qiu Min who told her that she saw the doctor going in and out of their mother’s room with bloodied hands but they did not wear mask.
So her mother was not contagious as they were all led to believe.
After more investigation, the doctor confessed that Second Madam was poisoned. He then confessed that it was on the behest of Grandma, the Qiu Matriarch.
It then all blow up when Qiu Yan would not allow her mother’s death to be covered up.
She was so insistent, her father slapped her soundly.
Qin Xuan and Lord Liang who were both visiting saw the slap and how the father and Matriach Qiu were trying to ignore their crime.
Episode 15
Qiu Yan was determined to lodge a complaint against her family for the death of her mother. It became a huge issue. It had repercussions on Lord Liang who was reminded that he was engaged to the other Qiu daughter.
Anyway, the case was thrown out of the court because Physician Li changed his statement. He said he only said that Matriach Qiu poisoned Second Madam because he was pressured by Lord Liang and Qiu Han so he told them what they wanted to hear.
Episode 16
Lord Liang heard that Yuan Lang was preparing something big for the Qius. Lord Liang went to the Emperor to talk about it but he was turned down so he went to the Noble Consort instead. He told her that since the Qius were getting themselves from one scandal after another, it was only right that he rescind his engagement with Qiu Min.
The Qiu Manor was raided by the Main Administrative Office and the Firewood Office. The family was arrested and the servants dismissed.
The Qiu men were taken to the Main Administrative Office for interrogation while the women were sent to the Royal Academy as servants.
The Second Son became a scapegoat and his brothers immediately abandoned him and put all the blame on him after Yuan Lang put the pressure on them.
Meanwhile, Qiu Yan’s biological mother had had enough of Qiu Yan’s snide remarks so she blurted that Second Madam was not so lily-white. She had been keeping a lover who was a monk at Taiyang Temple she visits every month.
Episode 17
Matriarch Qiu was dying.
Despite feeling aggrieved that Matriach Qiu had a hand in Second Madam’s death, Qiu Yan still felt that she had to do something to cure Matriarch Qiu.
Matriarch Qiu, however, told her that she knew she was not long in this world but she said to Qiu Yan that she was the strongest and most capable of all the Qius. She gave the jade ring heirloom to Qiu Yan as a keepsake that she has now the responsibility to keep the family together.
Matriarch Qiu finally told the secret of the Qiu family that if it got out their clan will be wiped out.
The secret involved Second Madam.
Second Madam was from the Wei family who was judged to have committed treason so as a punishment every single member of the Weis were killed except for Second Madam and her brother.
The then young second madam and her young brother took refuge with Qiu who was a close family friend.
Second Madam married Second Son while her brother had been sent to Taiyang Temple. So the monk was not a lover but her brother.
Anyway, their secret was about to be let out because a senior monk was jealous of the brother but while the two monks were talking by the clifftop, they both fell to their death conveniently.
Second Madam who was grieving for her brother also felt guilty that her secret would come out sooner or later so she opted to kill herself. It was all her decision.
Second Son had been a good man, a husband and a father but Second Madam had always felt guilty that he had to marry her to protect her secret. She knew that he had love a Miss Xia all his life but they can’t be together. He took a concubine who looked like Miss Xia. The concubine was Qiu Yan’s biological mother.
Anyway, Qiu Yan finally reconciled with the Matriach who immediately passed away.
Her, Qiu Min, and her bio-mother had the choice job at the Royal Academy because their upkeep was being subsidised by Qin Yuan.
Feeling like she was dragging him down, Qiu Yan secretly met him at a bookshop. She told him that they were over. She was really cruel to him to be kind. She said that if she elope with him, they would live a life of a pauper. She said that she was too smart to be living that way, she continued that she purposely got to know him because she thought he could be a duke and make her his duchess. As it is they were over.
Lord Liang inveigled to meet up with Qin Yuan at the Royal Academy by pretending that he was questioning her rather violently by beating her up under closed doors. In fact, he was giving her updates on her father’s case.
Episode 18
Qiu Yan had become a handmaiden for Shi Xiao Xiao, the number one courtesan of the Royal Academy.
Shi Xiao Xiao’s most avid client is Lord Liang who instructed Shi Xiao Xiao to give a psychedelic wooden tablet to Qiu Di.
Qiu Di is being used by Yuan Lang to convict the Qiu men for treason, which meant death to all of them.
Anyway, Qiu Di lit up the little wooden tablet in a smelling urn after Shi Xiao Xao promised him that the tablet will give him some exciting dreams.
What Qiu Di got was almost instant death which source was untraceable. It was assumed that he died of asthma.
So without his key witness, Yuan Lang did not get his conviction instead the Qiu men were exiled to Gannam.
Without the men protecting them, the Qiu women had become the property of the Royal Academy. As it was, the women were indentured for life to the Royal Academy.
Qiu Yan put herself forward to become a courtesan.
Yuan Lang and Lord Liang tried to fight over her but Lord Liang won.
Lord Liang asked Qiu Yan later why did she want to become a prostitute.
Qiu Yan said her life as a decent indulged daughter of Qiu is over. Her mingling with men in the bordello might allow her to get information.
This episode is rather cute for Lord Liang and Qiu Yan. Their chemistry is off the roof.
Episode 19
More or less Lord Liang confessed that he quite like Qiu Yan. She might have kind of ignore it because she was determined to do everything so they could leave the academy.
Unfortunately, her closeness to Lord Liang made Shi Xiao Xiao jealous and while Lord Liang was away, Xiao Xiao took out her ire against the Qiu women and had them banished into the dilapidated area of the Royal Academy.
Poor Qiu Min was raped by Mr. Wang, the caretaker of the Royal Academy. Qiu Min was so heartbroken she cut her wrist and would have drowned as she fell on a huge vat of water but suddenly she developed some self-preservation and determined to live and be stronger than Qiu Yan.
Episode 20
The reason why Qiu Yan incited Shi Xiao Xiao was for the latter to get so annoyed that she banished them in the far-flung part of the Royal Academy.
The Qiu women then had five days to create a hole on the wall to escape out.
They managed it and Lord Liang’s Firewood Court helped the women. They then made it look that the boat that they used to escape sank killing all of them.
Qiu Yan decomposing body was brought to the Capital to be formally identified by Qin Xuan, who got so emotional when he saw a woman was wearing the ebony hairpin he made Qiu Yan.
The women were taking lodging at a mental institution known for aggressive inmates so the soldiers did not search the place thoroughly.
The women would have been safe but the next morning Qiu Min can’t be found.
Qiu Min left a note that she was so weakling she was a hindrance to the group so she left.
Of course, Qiu Yan had to go look for her.
Qiu Min was quite safe in the arms of Qin Xuan who got drunk and ended up having sex with a very compliant Qiu Min. All her dreams had come true.
I bet she was pregnant from her rape and she would then pass it as Qin Xuan’s child.
Meanwhile, Qiu Yan was almost arrested but Lord Liang was just in time to rescue her.
Yuan Lang came to arrest Qiu Yan but Lord Liang said that the woman with him is not Qiu Yan but a songstress who is a doppelganger of Qiu Yan.
To make a point, Lord Liang had the city magistrate summoned.
Magistrate Tong said that the songstress was definitely not Qiu Yan.
The magistrate said that Qiu Yan was officially dead and the case was close.
Anyway, Yuan Lang was not giving up without a fight and told his guards to bring the songstress to Main Administration Office.
Lord Liang told the men to stop and not to touch the songstress because she was now his concubine.
Yuan Lang knew when he was defeated, for now at least.
Episode 21
Qiu Yan and Qiu Min reunited but not for long because Qiu Min said that now she got her man and proceeded to tell Qiu Yan that she shagged Qin Xuan while he was drunk. Qiu Min pretended that she was Qiu Yan.
Qiu Yan slapped her but Qiu Min was unrepentant. And said that she was jealous.
Qiu Yan said that the slap was not becasue of Qiu Min sleeping with Qin Xuan. It was because many worked together including Lord Liang and Song Jin to get the Qiu women into safety. If Qiu Min gets caught now, everyone will be put in jeopardy.
Still, Qiu Min refused to go back with Qiu Yan. Qiu Min said that if Qiu Yan forced her to, she will tell Yuan Lang where the Qiu women were hiding.
Qiu Min said that she was now standing for herself as Qiu Yan had always nagged her about. She reminded Qiu Yan that when she needed Qiu Yan most, Qiu Yan let her down. She refused to hug Qiu Min just after their mother died and when she was frightened of thunder. So she will stand on her own. She told Qiu Yan not to let Qin Xiao that Qiu Yan was alive.
Qiu Min vitriol was overheard by Lord Liang.
Anyway, Qiu Yan knew that she can’t convince Qiu Min to go back with her so she was preparing to go back when Song JIn came hurrying in.
He told Lord Liang and Qiu Yan that Yuan Lang had sent wedding presents at Liang Mansion, so Lord Liang’s mother knew of his concubine.
This means that Qiu Yan can’t just disappear. Lord Liang took her home to see his mother.
His mother loved having a new daughter-in-law. She assured Yiwan/QiuYan that she will not discriminate against Siwan despite being an entertainer and having a lowly background. She told Siwan that she herself was just a maid of the Noble Consort before she married a marquis.
Mother-in-law went to work or rather ordered her retinue of servants to transform Lord Liang’s study to be the new couple’s room.
She was so excited that Lord Liang had to tell his mother to go to bed. So cute.
Mother-in-law is already counting grandchildren in her head.
Meanwhile, Qiu Min was applying all her seductive skill on Qin Xiao who was still resisting but Qiu Min told him that Qiu Yan was watching from the sky and wanting Qin Xiao to look after her sister.
Episode 22
Qiu Yan and Lord Liang are enjoying pretending to be a couple too much.
Meanwhile, Qiu Min was heartbroken because Qin Xuan was much too much into Qiu Yan that he was repelling her overtures. She confessed that she fell in love with him at first sight and she loved him more than Qiu Yan had ever done.
This only repulsed Qin Xuan thinking that Qiu Yan was dead.
Episode 23
It was the wedding banquet of Lord Liang and Yiwan which were attended by the gossipy nobles.
They were discussing what was trending in the Capital that Lord Liang’s concubine was really Qiu Yan who was now pretending to be the songstress Yiwan.
Yuan Lang initiated the gossip and now inciting the guests by asking too many questions and evidence that Yiwan was not Qiu Yan.
Thank goodness Qiu Yan and Lord Liang was always a few steps ahead of Yuan Lang.
Yiwan was asked to play guzheng and sing. She was prepared to have lessons from Shi Xiao Xiao.
Yuan Lang brought in someone who personally knew Yiwan.
Again, Qiu Yan actually had someone she knew who regards her well.
Then Yuan Lang said that he had that Yiwan had a scar on her back. He even brought a tincture that could detect fakery.
Lord Liang was not prepared for this and did everything to stop Yiwan from showing her back.
Lord Liang’s mother turned up and said that she will examine Yiwan’s back and that Yiwan is a fake she will turn her in.
So Marquesa with her lady in waiting who was a spy for Yuan Lang looked at Yiwan’s back and found the scar.
Yuan Lang walked out in defeat.
Meanwhile, Lord Liang was aghast and annoyed that Qiu Yan had scarred herself. He was so annoyed.
Qiu Yan said that she did not tell him but she knew it would be asked so she did it.
He was still so annoyed with her but she was teasing him when they came face to face with a stupified Qin Xuan.
Qin Xuan could not believe his eyes. Qiu Yan is alive.
He could not say anything much as the banquet was in progress.
Qin Xuan got so very drunk. Despite being drunk, he said to Qiu Yan before he left that the greatest news in the world was her being alive.
Qiu Yan saw her sister in the carriage which came to take Qin Xuan back.
When they were alone, Lord Liang dragged Qiu Yan with his medical kit to see to her back wound. He was raging that she hurt her back.
Qiu Yan said that it justified the end.
Anyway, the next day as can be expected, a sober Qin Xuan turned up to confront Lord Liang.
Qin Xuan wanted to know why Qin Yan ended up married to him.
Lord Liang admitted that he likes Qin Yan. When did it start? He does not know.
Qin Xuan was full of hatred with Lord Liang but then Lord Liang said that if he was really true to Qiu Yan, why did he sleep with Qiu Min.
Qin Xuan was shocked that Lord Liang knew. And he was absolutely gutted when he found out that Qiu Yan also knew.
They ended up having a fight when Qin Xuan was insisting to seeing Qiu Yan to explain what happened but Lord Liang won’t let him.
A shocked Qin Xuan ended up stabbing Lord Liang on the shoulder. Qin Xuan asked why he did not try to evade.
Lord Liang said that he was willing to give his life for Qiu Yan.
Awww
Episode 24
I have been totally loving this drama but this episode is on the boring side.
Qiu Min finally left Qin Xuan as she was not getting any loving from him.
On his part, he did feel guilty that Qiu Min left because Qiu Yan would know that he can’t even look after Qiu Min for her.
I was a little bothered that it took Qiu Min to get back to the sanitarium alone without any hindrance. 🤣🤣🤣
Anyway, the plotting of Yuan Lang’s downfall continues.
Qiu Yan mentioned to Lord Liang that Shi Xiao Xiao likes him.
Deep down he knew this.
Lord Liang went to the Royal Academy to ask Shi Xiao Xiao do find out something for him. He told her that after they had completed this new mission, he will come back to the Royal Academy to buy her freedom so she could lead a peaceful and normal life.
Shi Xiao Xiao said that she will continue to be a spy for the Firewood Court. She will continue to stay at the Royal Academy because it is the only home she knew.
Lord Liang and Qiu Yan got intel from Shi Xiao Xiao who wined and dined the Imperial commander about the latest order of the Emperor.
Apparently, the Imperial preceptor will pinpoint the exact location of a pearl fairy that the Emperor was looking for in order to advance his cultivation.
Lord Liang and Qiu Yan went to the sanitarium to recruit from the Qiu women to play the role of the fairy.
The one who practiced it got cold feet.
Qiu Min volunteered but they all categorically turned her down because she was deemed weak and meek.
Episode 25
Qiu Mei was to be the fairy but during the morning that was to leave, wily Qiu Min offered her a drink.
Qiu Min said that she was going with her for moral support.
They were not halfway yet when Qiu Min developed a stomach ache. Qiu Min volunteered immediately and became the fairy.
She was taken to the palace and met the Emperor who was agog to hear what she had to say.
Qiu Min said that while they were scaping by the lake, their boat capsized but she was rescued by a lady who told her the good fortune of the Emperor.
The Emperor was buying it and in his delight, he ordered that he will be pardoning the sinners and prisoners, including the Qiu men.
Lord Liang was excited to tell this good news to Qiu Yan but when he got home she was not there. He heard that she received a letter and then hurried out.
Lord Liang threatened his mother’s made who was a spy of Yuan Lang. So she told him Yuan Lang’s hideout.
He was just in time to rescue Qiu Yan. He was on the point of killing Yuan Lang but Song Ji stopped him because Yuan Lang was an officer of the court and killing him was suicide.
Qiu Yan told Lord Liang that she had to rescue Qingdai and Xiyu that was why she went to Yuan Lang.
Latter on he had to tend to her crashed fingers. She confessed that she was ready for Yuan Lang. She pilfered a poison pill from Lord Liang’s stash so that if Yuan Lang got frisky or murderous she could kill herself with the pill she had already put in her mouth.
He could not believe how stupid she was. He told her that if she was dead, all their plotting will come to naught. He then added that she was his missus already, she is Madam Su.
They then became both bashful.
Anyway, the women were given back the Qiu Mansion and were back.
Qin Xuan came with a carriageful of provisions.
Qiu Yan and Qiu Min had a talk. Qiu Yan said that Qiu Min did good but she poisoned Qiu Mei.
She doesn’t know her anymore as Qiu Min was unrepentant.
Qiu Min and Qin Xuan watched Qiu Yan leave with Lord Liang.
Qiu Min asked Qin Xuan when he was going to make an honest woman of her. He did not reply.
Episode 26
The Emperor’s eunuch intercepted a letter of Yuan Lang to be read at morning court. It was about a confession of Mr Wang from the Royal Academy that he had sexual relations with Qiu Min already before she became the Fairy.
This would mean that Qiu Min is a fake fairy because fairies are meant to be virginal. Anyway, the eunuch gave Lord Liang to come up with a solution within three days as he can only hold the issue for that length of time.
This started a ridiculous and hilarious turn of events.
Lord Liang asked the Noble Consort to allow him to marry Qiu Min. He was granted his wish but then Si Yan turned up saying that she followed Qiu Min to a resto/motel where she met up with a gentleman.
Siyan said she could prove it. They all went and the Noble Consort saw the post-coital state of the bed with fresh blood on it and with the half-dressed Qiu Min and Qin Xuan.
Lord Liang and Qin Xuan pretended to fight and then Qiu Min and Qiu Yan started hair-pulling so it was complete mayhem.
The Noble Consort immediately said that she was taking back her words allowing the marriage between Qiu Min and Lord Liang.
They got their result, Qiu Min was ‘devirginised’ after she had been made a fairy, not before.
Episode 27
Finally, the Eunuch presented Yuan Lang’s report to the Emperor.
The Emperor was quite savvy about the kind of reports that Yuan Lang submits to the court. He commented that what troubles Yuan Lang moaning about now as he opened the script which shocked him to bits.
Yuan Lang was reporting that the fairy was no longer a virgin having had an immoral relationship with Mr Wang at the Royal Academy.
This meant that the Fairy was a fake and the pearl had not been truly blessed for the Emperor.
The Emperor and Qiu Min brought in the court.
Qiu Min said that Yuan Lang was partly right, she is no longer a virgin. But she was until yesterday when she slept with Qin Xuan.
Qin Xuan was brought in and he confirmed that he was the one who had Qiu MIn first.
Yuan Lang said that Qin Xuan was lying for Qiu Min as they were cousins.
Qin Xuan said that he was not lying and that they have a witness.
The Noble Consort Gao was brought in and confirmed that she caught the couple yesterday in flagrante delicto and she personally saw the fresh blood on the bedsheet.
Yuan Lang knew he lost again and asked for forgiveness.
He was forgiven by the Emperor but told him not to be so overly enthusiastic reporting next time. He had to investigate thoroughly first.
Meanwhile, the Noble Consort request for the Emperor to grant a marriage between Qin Xuan and Qiu Min.
Qin Min can’t help the smile on her face but Qin Xuan was like “F**k”
Anyway, his parents were shocked and surprised to learn he was engaged but came to terms with it as the marriage was granted by the Emperor.
The Qins went to talk about marriage and bring wedding gifts to the Qiu. They also said that they had paid the penalty for the Qiu men so they can not come home freely.
Qiu Yan was also at the Qiu Mansion wanting to find out if it was true that the Wang guy got to Qiu Min’s hymen first.
Qiu Min confirmed it that she was abused but she had no one to turn to as Qiu Yan told her to learn to deal with every nasty thing in the world so she could survive.
To make her point more that she was now super strong on her own two legs, she said that she drugged Qin Xuan with aphrodisiac so he ended up sleeping with her.
Qiu Yan was so shocked but not as thunderstruck as Qin Xuan who overheard the conversation.
An appalled Qiu Yan left Qiu Min.
Meanwhile, Qin Xuan confronted Qiu Min with what he heard. He told her that she disgust him but he will still marry her but in name only. He will me joining the Ministry of War to get away.
The Qiu women were on their best finery waiting for the Qiu men.
There was a happy welcome but it turned heartbreaking when the last carriage that turned up carried the coffin of Qiu Yi, father of Qiu Yan, Qiu Min, and Qiu Rong.
Qi Yi died from heatstroke on their way home.
Episode 28
Lord Liang was shot by a poisoned arrow by a deluded daughter of someone Lord Liang had investigated for corruption.
Qiu Yan who was with Lord Liang sucked the poison off his chest and then put him in a cart and pulled him all the way to Liang Mansion.
The doctor said that Lord Liang was gravely ill but not in critical condition thanks to Qiu Yan sucking most of the poison immediately.
Qiu Yan held a vigil next to Lord Liang and made all her promises that she will stay with him forever as his wife.
Next morning, Lord Liang woke up and told Qiu Yan that he heard every word she said and will hold her to it.
They are just the cutest. Their chemistry is off the roof greatly helped by the background music (see below)
Anyway, Qiu Yan helped him in his recovery which was protracted as he was enjoying himself so much being catered to by Qiu Yan.
But he had to get better sooner or later. They are so cute.
Lord Liang was in the Firewood Court when Madame Liu, Qiu Yan’s mother came to see him ask him to give Qiu Yan embroidered slippers for her birthday.
Lord Liang said to Madame Liu to give the give to Qiu Yan herself but Madame Liu declined and reminded Lord Liang that she has a rather tempestuous relationship with her daughter.
Lord Liang understood and promised to give the slippers to the birthday girl.
Lord Liang asked Song Jin what birthday gift to give Qiu Yan.
Song Jin had only one recommendation. A confession.
So on Qiu Yan’s birthday, he gave her the slippers which surprised Qiu Yan because her mother had told her once that there was no point in celebrating as she was only inconsequential.
Lord Liang promised her that they are going to celebrate her birthday every year in her lifetime.
He then gave her his gift. A detective book which was written by her. She was so happy about her gift from him.
This gave Lord Liang confidence to confess. He created a romantic setting on bringing her to the rooftop.
Before he could began, she said she had something to tell him.
No! Don’t let her speak first, just confess already! Go on, go on.
I told you so.
Qiu Yan said that she was really happy about the book and it gave her the push to pursue her dream and passion to find her own story.
She was leaving and she was so happy that she is now Si Yiwan, she is free, unconstraint by family values.
She then asked what he was going to tell her.
He said that he was glad she was having a happy birthday.
He then went to his villa and cried his eyes out because he was powerless to stop her from leaving.
I told you so, you shouldn’t let her speak first.😭😭😭
Episode 29
Lord Liang gave Qiu Yan carte blanche to leave any time. To make it easier for both of them, he moved out to the Firewood Court. But he was angsty about Qiu Yan leaving.
Song Jin told him what would happen if she just leave without saying goodbye as she can’t find him?
Lord Liang realise his mistake and run back home but Qiu Yan was gone. He went to look for her everywhere but she was gone.
He sat down by the Northern Gate waiting for her to turn up but she never did.
He went back home and lo and behold she was there.
He could not help himself, he took her in his arms and kissed the life out of her. Not really because she can still talk and talk and talk.🤣🤣🤣
This scene gave me the giggles because Lord Liang/Jeremy Tsui’s eyes were glazing. She just talked and talked.
Anyway, what follows was the cutest sweetest romantic interaction between the two. As sweet as honey but it has to end.
It was time …
OMG, their simple parting at the Northen Gate made me cry like a baby.
Qiu Yan boarded the carriage arranged for her by Lord Liang. Inside was Qing Dai to accompany her.
Lord Liang really arranged everything for her.
Lord Liang then had a mini-breakdown. Seeing her, seeing them together everywhere. Cry cry cry under the background of Willingness below.
Meanwhile, Qin Xuan had officially joined the Ministry of War. On his first day, Qiu Min was there like a mother hen with his lunch and drinks but he was unmoved.
Seeing that she was not getting a reaction, she told him that Qiu Yan was gone. She left Lord Liang. She then said that as she had told Qin Xuan, Qiu Yan was too self-centered to choose anyone other than herself.
Qin Xuan told her that he will make a name for himself so that Qiu Yan will hear of him from anywhere she was.
This is my favourite drama for this first quarter of 2022. It was such as surprise. It is not one of those S+ dramas but the script and the acting and chemisty were spot on.
Episode 30
Song Jin sacrificed himself for Lord Liang. This is so sad. Anyway, Lord Liang fell into a trap. He was told by Mr Ding that he has something to say to him regarding Lord Liang’s father’s death.
When he got to Mr Ding’s house, Lord Liang found him dead, and before he could investigate with Song Jin, Yuan Lang and his men had surrounded them.
Yuan Lang said that Lord Liang killed Mr Ding because of some secret about his father.
Lord Liang and Song Jin managed to run out but Song Jin in the end had to lock out Lord Liang so he could get away while Song Jin fought off the men chasing them.
Poor Song Jin got stabbed numerous times.
Yao Gai, helped to hide Lord Liang as he had become a most wanted man. His mansion had been closed off with his mother and servants held under house arrest.
Seriously activating my tear ducts when Lord Liang finally realised that Song Jin was not there next to him anymore.
Meanwhile, Qiu Yan was now traveling with Qingdai. They were in Northern Liang when they heard that Lord Liang had fallen from grace.
So she returned and had a happy but sad reunion at the same time.
He told her about his father. Lord Liang said that the only way to find out what happened was to examine his father’s body so he will have to exhume him.
He then gave a karate chop on Qiu Yan’s neck.
When she woke up, she was being driven away by QinXuan to safety.
Episode 31
Qin Xuan returned home rather late. Qiu Min was there waiting and started moaning that he was with Qiu Yan again.
She castigated him for not accepting that Qiu Yan was too self-centered and prone to use anyone for her own benefit. Qiu Yan seduced Qin Xuan when it was convenient for her.
Qin Xuan had had enough of moany Qiu Min and told her that he was so sick of her copying Qiu Yan and yet she was just a poor imitation and also reminded her that she seduced him as well and drugged him.
Meanwhile, Su Xiao Xiao found Lord Liang’s hideout and went to seek him out to tell him that Madam Jin was in a pretty bad way, their household was being given rotten food not even fit for a pig.
Lord Liang got ready with Qiu Yan who returned to him and Gao Yai to return with Xiao Xiao to the Capital to rescue his mother.
But Xiao Xiao had a change of heart. She confessed to Lord Liang that what she told them was all a lie. Madam Jin was fine. It was Yuan Lang’s order to entice Lord Liang back in whatever way.
She told him that he and Qiu Yan should leave immediately because Yuan Lang and his soldiers will attack and burn the cottage that night.
Lord Liang, Qiu Yan, Gao Yai and Xiao Xiao left when they noticed a gang of Northern Liang.
Xiao Xiao used a drugged needle on Lord Liang to keep asleep for a couple of hours while she and Gao Yei will try to destruct the Northern Liang men.
Qiu Yan begged the two not to leave because it would be a suicide mission but Xiao Xiao whispered that she will not be able to live and die with Lord Liang but she will always be in his mind. She also said that she realised that even if she ended up with Lord Liang, he would only be thinking of QiuYan which will never do as she is a jealous person.
Yuan Lang and his troop later found the bodies of Gao Yei and Xiao Xiao. He was particularly upset about Xiao Xiao as he felt guilty sending her to Liang Yi.
When Lord Liang finally came to, Qiu Yan told him about the fate of Gao Yei and Xiao Xiao.
Lord Liang became very upset because Xiao Xiao had been a loyal informer to Firewood Court. She used to tell him information from her songs. He said that he got all the intel but can never remember what song she sang. He just used her through and through.
Meanwhile, the Eunuch came to see Lord Liang at their not so secret hideaway. He said that Noble Consort Gao was in the vicinity and would like to have a word with him.
Lord Liang was at first going to refuse having found out that the Noble Consort was central to his mother’s death, but the Eunuch showed him a jade bracelet that belonged to Madam Jin, his mother.
They found the Noble Consort and she freely admitted that she poisoned Lord Liang’s father because he started researching about her origin which was being a daughter of a Northern Liang merchant.
Northern Liang was an enemy to Dozhou so the Noble Consort had no choice but kill the Marquis (Lord Liang’s father).
They realised that aside from Yuan Lang and the Noble Consort, there is a third party wanting Lord Liang dead.
The Noble Consort made a deal with Lord Liang, he had to investigate what was going on and protect the Crown Prince and when he had completed the tasks, she will kill herself.
Episode 32
Lord Liang and Qiu Yan surrendered themselves at Main Administrative Office and then confessed everything about the Noble Consort and Northern Liang.
They appealed to his patriotism, which worked so he agreed to work with Lord Liang in smoking out Northern Liang insurgents.
However, Lord Liang said they had to start with the Main Administrative office as there is a Northern Liang spy in place. After investigation, it was found that it was Jiang Yun, Yuan Lang’s second in command.
Jiang Yun was tortured to confess but his confession was part of his plot. The hideout he gave had the Northern Liang men ready and waiting and would have overpowered Lord Liang, Qin Xuan and Yuan Lang if the palace guards did not turn up.
Jiang Yun escaped from his tether and killed everyone who came in sight until he found Qiu Yan. They fought and Qiu Yan eventually killed him. Qu Min who witnessed it was no help at all. She put down and abandon the sword she picked up.
She ran away but Qiu Yan found her and told her that the men were in danger as the assassins were waiting for them at the place where Jiang Yun’s told them the hideout was.
Anyway, after the three men were rescued by the palace guard, they started to think about who might be the mastermind of it all. It must be pretty close to the Emperor. Their suspects were the Grand Preceptor, Eunuch Liu, or Imperial Commander Yan.
They got to the Imperial Commander Yan first who became pissed off because he was nowhere where they said he was supposed to have been. He was out doing soldier duties with his guards and he had no time to be sending a pigeon mail.
So then moved on to the next suspect, the Grand Preceptor. They raced to the palace when they heard that the Emperor was going to be at the Grand Chemist with the Grand Preceptor and Eunuch Liu.
Episode 33
They were too late, the Emperor had been poisoned and had died and so was the Grand Preceptor.
But Eunuch Liu disappeared and can’t be found despite an extensive search.
Anyway, Qiu Min came to see Qin Xuan who treats her like she was a bug as she was bugging him all the time.
He told her to go home but she said she can take him to a place where Eunuch Liu might be hiding.
The place was the sealed known hide out of men from Northern Liang. They notice that the seal had been tampered with.
They went in quietly but they found Lord Liang and Qiu Yan instead.
Qiu Min said sulkily but resignedly that of course, Qiu Yan would have guessed about this place.
Qiu Yan and Lord Liang said that they had already searched the whole place but the eunuch was not around.
Qiu Min, however, was convinced that the eunuch is somewhere in the place, after a more diligent search, Lord Liang found a hidden door going underground.
Qiu Yan, Lord Liang, Qin Xuan, and Qiu Min went down and found the eunuch amidst a pile of wine in earthenware jars.
He invited them to drink and asked if he wanted to hear his story. Apparently, he was still young when came to the Capital from Northern Liang. He used everything and anyone to help him get into the palace and after careful networking, he was able to make the Grand Preceptor recommend him to be the main eunuch for the Emperor.
He found out about the Noble Consort ties to Northern Liang when Marquis Weizhou(father of Lord Liang) submitted the memorandum and indenture certificate of the Noble Consort to the Emperor but of couse the eunuch got there first and took the certificate and then strategically dropped the memorandum where the consort could find it. She burnt the memo and then had Marquis Weizhou killed.
After his confession, he laughed and said he had prepared something and arrows started shooting off the wall and Qiu Yan would have been hit but Qiu Min stood in front of her and got hit instead.
Qin Xuan carried her and finally realised that the annoying girl was the girl for him. He carried her through the town to his cottage. He stayed in vigil holding her hands. Qiu Yan and Lord Liang stayed with them as well.
When Qiu Min woke up, Qin Xuan was still holding her hand.
Meanwhile, Lord Liang went to see the Noble Consort who said that after the coronation, the Crown Prince will issue an edict that Lord Liang was innocent of everything.
Lord Liang asked the Consort about her promise.
Later on the consort hanged herself
Meanwhile, Yuan Lang wanted to speak with Lord Liang.
Episode 34
Yuan Lang informed Lord Liang that the new Emperor wanted him to resume his job at the Firewood Court but Lord Liang said that he decided not too because it would be unfair to the new Emperor to have an official with a tarnished reputation. In fact, he said that he would like to abolish Firewood Court altogether and all worries and crimes should be handled by one agency.
Lord Liang then went with Qiu Yan to say goodbye to her family as she and Lord Liang had decided to travel the world to find stories as they aspire to be crime writers.
Qiu Yan was warmly received by her grateful family. Then she saw that her mother was not amongst the well wishers, so she went to look for Madame Qiu, to the very end Qiu Yan could not forgive how her biological mother treated her badly in favour of her brother Qiu Rong.
Madame Qiu asked if Qiu Yan could call her mother for once, Qiu Yan would not instead just bowed to her.
Her next destination was Qiu Min. They had a tete a tete where Qiu Min said that after being on death’s door she grasped many things. She said that she will not be running after Qin Xuan anymore because she realised that he was not the person she loved most in the world.
It was actually Qiu Yan that she loved most, she love Qiu Yan the moment she came to their house and wanted to be sisters with her.
Qiu Yan rebuffed her adoration.
She did not know when the love turned into jealousy, so she was always measuring her actions in terms of what Qiu Yan would do, even her relationship with Qin Xuan was a competiton against Qiu Yan.
They forgave one another and Qiu Yan said that she will be going away for a long time and Qiu Min must look after herself as they hugged each other fondly.
Then last stop, Qiu Yan told Lord Liang that she will have a last place to go to and won’t be long. Lord Liang doesn’t have to go with her.
As Lord Liang was rather busy himself, he told Qiu Yan to be careful and not to get into any trouble but she did.
She was going to Fengzian Court to hand in her evidence but she was abducted by men of Yuan Lang.
Yuan Lang said that he knew she stole the evidence from his office.
Qiu Yan admitted it because the evidence would clear her father’s name.
Then Yuan Lang said that if she insists on doing it when he will also reveal who the real killer of Lord Liang’s father is.
Qiu Yan was defeated.
She went to visit Madam Jin who was packing her things to move.
Madam Jin became distressed when Qiu Yan said that she knew who killed Lord Liang’s father, it was Madam Jin.
Madam Jin was shocked but admitted freely that she did it willingly to save the Noble Consort from being found out. She said that they were like sisters and enter the palace at the same time and the same age.
Madam Jin then started spewing blood because she had already taken poison.
Meanwhile, Lord Liang had been exonerated by the crimes lodged against him by the Emperor but as he was involved in so many shenanigans, he was stripped of his ranks and title.
When he got home, he found his mother laid in bed, dead. There was a letter from Qiu Yan saying that she poisoned Madam Jin because she could not forgive Lord Liang from causing so much pain and trouble to the Qiu family.
She did this of course so that Lord Liang would not find out and be upset that his own mother killed his father.
Anyway a few years,
Viewers are blindsided by a presence of a young boy with Qiu Yan. Has Qiu Yan become a single mother?
Nope, Qiu Yan is back in the Capital and seemed to have found her story because she was at the bookstore to have her work published.
The editor/store owner said that he was quite busy reading through many manuscript, he then pointed to a bestseller written by the Evil Purger called The Autumn Ballad.
Qiu Yan bought a copy immediately and then left her own manuscript with her name attached.
She left with the boy who she was childminding and gave him back to his grateful mother.
Qiu Yan then went to the mountains to read her book but she saw from a distance a familiar figure.
It was Lord Liang who came from the publisher and saw her name on a paper on top of a manuscript, he quickly skimmed the papers and knew that his Qiu Yan is back.
He went to look for her until he found her.
A few metres between them they looked at each other lovingly and then they started wagging their couple bracelets which fated them the moment Lord Liang put the shackles on their arms.
Really enjoyed this drama.
The End
