Master Sheng Returns & Allegations of Adultery

Spoilers Ahead (caution this is a long review)

1)Big Madame makes the decision to have Concubine Lin arrested for 'trying to steal a man' (adultery). She waits until Concubine Lin and the man are alone in a room before sending her most trusted servants to hog tie and bind both of them. Within the manor, news spreads rapidly and upon hearing of her daughter in laws actions, Big Madame immediately 'faints' (it is an act to excuse herself from becoming involved in this matter). Big Madame's goal is to quickly sell Concubine Lin off (another example of her shortsightedness as she is not thinking of family reputation or her husband)

.2)Concubine Lin insists she is being framed. She demands that the landlord be brought in in order to prove her statements are true (maybe in this moment Big Madame realizes that her case is flimsy hence all the more reason to quickly get rid of her).

3)Ming Lan is sent to deliver the words of Old Madame: Big Madame has the authority to decide this case because it is part of her job . Elsewhere, Second Brother attempts to liberate the landlord in order to have him stand as a witness for his mother. As he attempts this, Big Madame brings in a slave seller. The slave seller is clearly uncomfortable with this transaction and does not wish to do it because she can assess this a family mess and she does not wish to anger the Master, who is not present and unaware. Big Madame exerts pressure and she reluctantly agrees.

4)Second Brother suceeds and brings the landord, who confirms that this was merely about business. However, because they never signed anything due to lack of time, Big Madame confirms they must have been 'talking poetry' (making love). Concubine Lin demands justice, and is right to do so because this time she did not commit the crime (but in the wake of all of her crimes, I am not without sympathy for the big madame however this is clearly wrong).

5)Upon learning of Big Madame's plans to sell Concubine Lin, she again sends Ming Lan out as her messenger. But first, they must intercept the loyal servants of Concubine Lin who have gone to Kaifeng precinct for justice. Ming Lan suggests they enlist GTY for aid, and he intervenes them quickly and efficiently.

6)The second message of Old Madame: a)Both Big Madame and Madame Lin are to be confined while this is investigated because they only have an allegation and no evidence b)the allegations are legitimate because it is the height of impropriety to go into an outside male's room; any person would come to this conclusion not to mention the fact that Concubine Lin went in disguise instead of making it an official visit. Unfortunately, Big Madame has one final say: she has Second Son beat his own mother (an extremely unrefined thing to do) and when he fails, she is caned.

7)Hu'aer, who has returned because word has spread that her father has been detained, has come to support her mother. She scolds her mother for her actions because it would upset their father if Concubine Lin was sold, and she may even have committed a crime in having Second Son beat his own mother (unfilial, because he raised her). But she understands her mother's long standing frustration. The conversation shifts to Hua'er's situation, and her mother is extremely upset to see she is still being mistreated by her mother in law.

8)Finally Master Sheng returns. He reports to Old Madame First but she bids him to rest first--only after he leaves does Ming Lan learn her grandmother did not ask what happened because her grandmother concluded the experience was bad, otherwise he would have reported immediately. She wanted him to rest up first.

9)Hu'er is summoned back suddenly and the tired Master Sheng thanks her for coming and promises that after this they will figure out something to help support her in her difficult situation. Concubine Lin then bursts in with her children. Second Son asks his father how his stay in the palace was and his father explains it was a great time, and he was pampered. Second Son does not pick up on this sarcasm and congratulates him, and what follows is his father blowing up at Second Son and has him dragged out, insisting he be beat to death.

10)Everyone is surprised by this, and we learn what happened in the palace. He was detained and left in a hallway, and was not allowed to leave even for the bathroom. After spending a terrifying night--of not knowing if he was to be killed or executed or tortured--the emperor arrives and has a talk with him. It seems that some of his spies heard Second Son in a drinking hall gossiping about how Prince Yan would be the new crown prince. Times are dangerous and uncertain without a crown prince (if public opinion were to back him then maybe the ministers would etc. I think is the meaning here). The thing that saves him (because the emperor is confident that he learned this at home) are Ming Lan's words from school when she discusses that the best thing to do is to trust the emperor and be a simple subject.

11)Upon hearing this, Big Madame is so horrified she causes this kind of conduct a heavenly calamity (not wrong at all) and her husband repeats this (and it is kind of funny). Big Madame wrongly decides to raise the issue of the alleged adultery, which then leads to Concubine Lin sharing news about Big Madame secretly giving out high interest loans (illegal) for her sister. (The remainder of this scene unfolding is quite funny) Master Sheng loses it on both of them, laughingly tells Molan that her mother and madame have some issues, and then asks if either one of them would follow him into exile. Then he is surrounded by women begging him for forgiveness, and he looks so miserable....

Conclusion: This was a great episode, they all, but a lot happened in this one. We clearly see that reputation means the most to Master Sheng and he is utterly taken aback by how his wife and concubine can't seem to grasp the long term importance of this but are instead focused on ruining each other's lives--but their conduct could lead to exile, fines, trials, etc.....

Read More