A Splendid Match Episode 23

Dealing with unjust judges

JinZhao is doing well presenting her case but the judge is claiming out of his jurisdiction. She gets his attention with Sun because this crime is local. He is still dragging feet so,she opts for the grievance drum to get her case heard. This is usually accompanied by 40 lashes unless it gets approved by a local official. The irony is that daddy Gu is in the perfect office to approve his own investigation. While he is jailed he has not been officially charged and still holds his office. So the drum is beaten and Chen is worried because they had discussed this as not being an option for her. The judge is being pressured to dismiss the case but when she brings in the body of the missing official it is something that cannot be ignored. Wang had sent his own men out to find the body, but crafty JinZhao diverted them with a fake and brought the real body to the courtroom. She also implied he was murdered and when he was saying that could not be proved until an autopsy she interrupted him again. He’s annoyed wanting to know what it is this time?😂She proclaims to the people her father was framed and offers 3000 bags of grain and 50K taels of silver to provide relief for the people. Instead of revolting they are telling the judge Gu was obviously framed and he needs to release him. While this is going on Chen and YeXian have a conversation about Zhang and Wang. The Song family bribed many and all their dealing were recorded by an old accountant with an old ledger. He recommended YeXian bring both back. This will get rid of both of their problems. YeXian and the accountant were attacked on the way back by Wang’s men and a combo of YeXian’s guards and Chen’s archers took care of them. The accountant was quite willing to cooperate after that. YeXian made me smile when the arrow buzzes by them and he notes Chen’s men in the outskirts. He and the leader exchange nods and he goes back to looking bored in his carriage.😂The crown prince tho quite young is a smart cookie and gets to the crux of things rather promptly. He is familiar with the Ji family but wants to know the connection with the Gu’s. He is made aware that JinZhao is the connection between the families. Chen intrigues Fu by asking for a meeting. Chen requests mercy for the Gu’s because he is interested in JinZhao. Fu remembers her from the spring outing and gets a sly grin at the young man in love. Chen is a master of getting the right thing done even by wicked plotting officials. When all the granary officials were in the same room he noted the degree of corruption and how under other circumstances this would be investigated even further. It had nothing to do with him being concerned for the people but the extent of the money he wasn’t seeing.😝 He doled out punishments and had Gu knocked down to 7th rank and relocated to a poor province to be better aware of what poverty felt like. Chen was removed from his duties and the rest were treated according to rank with the top officials being held most accountable. Fu and Emperor are discussing things when YeXian brings in the ledger. Wang is brought in and will now be tried for his wife accepting 3800 taels of silver. While his punishment is being considered and the crown prince not wanting his job vacant, YeXian reminds him Chen is still in prison. Fu sees things lining up too neatly but he cannot complain or he will incriminate himself. Ya gotta love the irony of Chen departing while Wang is entering. Wang really isn’t concerned because his buddy Zhang is in charge of the prison. He starts sweating a bit when he learned Zhang was also in trouble about the grain and his enemy YeXian is now in charge. The Gu men arrive home and everybody is greeted but daddy Gu. I guess his demotion didn’t put him in the same tier with the rest of the family. JinZhao was shopping and Lan at least acknowledged him, but he was the lone figure going back to the house. The scene moves to a door where only the token is honored. It is the penal colony equivalent of the mute guarded hall of the nobles. He Xian notes the chest with intel on Chen. We know he has stuff hidden about his canal days and Ye Xian knows where to find it. The scene then moves to JinZhao trying to locate Chen. She is so tentative with the whistle but then he’s there embracing her. I totally hate the hat but that shows her his rank is restored and things are settled for now. JinZhao has made progress with her family and is known by name up to the crown prince himself. Chen is paving the path for them to be married with no naysayers blocking the way. He is indeed a very clever man.

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