To @agdr03, @Fern, @Flying Tool, and @HEHarry

I’m skipping Ep 15, part 2 for now – which was going to be about Ji Zheng and Tian Qi anyway — and go on to Episode 16.

Two things I like about this episode:

a) Tian Qi’s and Ji Heng’s competing interests, secrets and egos were reasonably balanced against each other, so that their conflict didn’t appear contrived, and

b) Ji Heng had to grovel. lol.

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We knew from a previous episode that Ji Heng wanted to force Sun Congrui to pay more taxes to make up for the deficit when he lowers the taxes of the poor. His bargaining chip was Sun Congrui’s son who’d been involved in many nefarious activities, one of which was harassing and slandering Tian Qi. As the provincial governor, Ji Heng had the discretion to pardon Sun Congrui’s son in exchange for Sun Congrui’s agreement to pay more taxes.

But of course, Tian Qi didn’t know this Ji Heng’s overriding objective here.

On the other hand, Tian Qi always wanted to take revenge on Sun Congrui for falsely accusing her father, and sending her parents to death. She wanted to use Sun Congrui’s son to expose the Sun family’s involvement in crime. For her, rectifying the malicious rumors the son spread about her and Ji Zheng was only secondary to her life mission of getting justice for her beloved parents.

She was hoping that Ji Heng, whom she greatly admired, would side with her in her fight against Sun Congrui. But Ji Heng didn’t know of Tian Qi’s tragic past and her revenge plot.

Thus, when Tian Qi spoke against Sun Congrui, Ji Heng thought she was merely being antagonistic and querulous because of her latent dislike for the man.

Sun: Oh… so the doctor is the man? Then he must be the Marquis Marvel’s man. Two big men who bullied my son together. Such behavior. General, shouldn’t you discipline them?
TQ: (indignant) My lord, even though I’m a nobody, I also have integrity. What’s more, this issue concerns Marquis Marvel. If this is going to go to court, I’ll also make it clear.
Sun: You!
JH: (stepping in) In addition, in this petition from many locals, are complaints from people accusing your son of harassing women, preying on ordinary people, and putting on gang fights. What’s more, he blocked my carriage on the street, trying to embarrass me. If I report all this to the court, I don’t know what His Majesty would say.

Both his priority and strategy were evident here. He was going to leverage the son Sun Fan to solve a pressing political problem. It was very unfortunate that he hadn’t discovered yet that Tian Qi was his long-lost childhood friend.  Had he known her real identity, he would have devised a better solution which would champion both Tian Qi’s and the people’s causes.

Sun: (backing down) General. You and I are both ministers in the court. You’ve always been reasonable. So on this thing –
TQ: (interrupting) My lord, it won’t be reasonable to forgive such a person.
Sun: You!
JH: (angrily, because she was going to upset his plans) Tian Qi. Shut up. (then turning to Sun) Master Sun, in recent years, there are many natural disasters and crop failures. I’m planning to make a plea for reducing common taxes while increasing taxes on the rich. I hope you won’t go against it. Be sympathetic to people’s needs.
Sun: If it’s for the people, I should obey your orders. But what about my son?
JH: He’s young. He deserves a second chance.
Sun: Thank you, General.

There! Ji Heng got what he wanted. He was able to convince Sun Congrui to pay more taxes in exchange for his son’s release without charges. However, in terms of love and relationship, this is a pyrrhic victory for him. He won the battle against Sun Congrui, but he lost the war to win Tian Qi’s trust.

On their way out, Tian Qi reasoned with him to change his mind.

TQ: My lord. You just let them get away with it?
JH: At this point, we should consider overall interests. Never act rashly.
TQ: I understand that we should consider overall interests. But letting off the Sun family? Isn’t it fair for the people? Isn’t it bureaucratism?

I agree with Tian Qi here. She was calling out Ji Heng for his realpolitik. He was very pragmatic with his dealing with Sun Congrui. He compromised to get what he wanted and to give what Sun Congrui wanted. In his pursuit of the national interests, he sacrificed other considerations, including Tian Qi’s grievances against the Sun family.

However, her sharp criticism made Ji Heng defensive. Remember: he was already nursing a grudge against her because, earlier, she refused to side with him in the matter of Ji Zheng’s brides. He wanted her to decide on Ji Zheng’s bride, but she pointed out that  it was none of her business. She foiled Ji Heng’s plan to separate her from Ji Zheng through marriage.

To make matters worse, Tian Qi also made Ji Heng look like a bully. After she’d spoken her mind about the brides, she told him, “Punish me if you want (but) that’s my answer.” He snapped back, “Who said I’m going to punish you. In your eyes, am I just a bully?”

Thus, in a span of a hour, she had (mis)characterized him as an unfeeling brother, a bully, an unfair leader and a defender of a corrupt family. She pricked his ego so he naturally felt resentful and indignant. In his mind, he wasn’t at all a bad guy. But in her eyes, he was the bad guy.

Annoyed with her, he struck back in the only way he knew how…he pulled rank.

JH: In what capacity are you talking to me? You’re a doctor. The doctor’s duty is saving people, not interfering in politics. It’s none of your business. Do you know I can convict you by the national law?

Remember: he resented that she thought him a bully. He was letting her know that he wasn’t a bully. As her employer, he had the prerogative to punish her for insubordination.

TQ: Of course I know who I am. I only spoke the truth. Letting the Sun family off, won’t it…won’t it make people disappointed?

Did you notice that she mentioned “people” twice as if she was speaking on behalf of the other people? I don’t think she was talking about a group of anonymous people here. I believe she was referring to herself. She couldn’t tell Ji Heng straight that his decision to let the Sun family go wasn’t fair to HER, and disappointed HER.

JH: Speaking of the truth, the first time you and Zheng ran into Sun Fan. The second time, you and I ran into Sun Fan. What a coincidence. Don’t you think? Also, the look on your face when seeing Sun Congrui today, are you hiding something from me?

This argument is called “Tu quoque” which in Latin means “you also!” It can also be named as “what-about-ism.” Ji Heng was arguing that if SHE thought he was bad, then what about her? She was just as bad for keeping secrets from him.

To me, it was obvious that Ji Heng was hurt by her criticisms, so he tried to defend himself by pointing out her hypocrisy.

TQ: (gasping) I…I dare not.

The second that he saw her averted her eyes, he knew she was lying. Her body language confirmed his suspicions that she was hiding something.

Her answer was Ji Heng’s trigger. Later in a conversation with Mr. Sheng, he would admit that he got mad, not so much because of her dishonesty, but because she didn’t approach him when she was obviously in trouble. He was upset that he only belatedly found out about her trouble. He had to observe her reaction to Sun Congrui and review her encounters with the son Sun Fan to make sense of her situation.

The realization that she didn’t ask for his help angered him and he overreacted.

JH: (looking at her intently) On your knees. Do you really think I’m a person you can easily deceive? Or do you think I’ll never kill you no matter what you say?
TQ: I dare not. If your lordship think I am wrong, please punish me.

She paused here. I think she felt cornered so she admitted to hating the Sun family. However, she only said a partial truth. She still withheld the real truth why she hated Sun Congrui. But as I said before, Ji Heng’s decision to side with Sun Congrui cost him to lose Tian Qi’s full trust.

TQ: I did it on purpose. That guy humiliated me many times. And he made you believe that I misled the Marquis Marvel. I hate him. I hate his father more as he didn’t teach him well. That’s why I want your lordship to punish him.

There. She admitted that she wanted HIM to avenge her. But it must have pained her to realize that she couldn’t really depend on him to avenge her parents’ death.

You see, if he wouldn’t fight for her in such a small matter as restoring her reputation, then how could she ask him to help her remedy an even greater injustice like her parents’ murder?

JH: Listen. I’ll do nothing to the Sun family. The Sun family humiliated you. You just bear it. Do you really think I’ll punish the Sun family for a little doctor?

Ouch. She realized her mistake in expecting too much from him.

I can’t help remembering what he told her in the previous episode. Back then, he told her that she was his man. His words: “If someone bullies you, remember that you’re my man, and I’m your shield.”

She had looked so happy when she heard his promise to be her shield.

Ha. Her shield, indeed.

JH: (continuing) Dr. Tian is becoming arrogant because of my favor. I’ll punish him by kneeling to reflect on himself. Without my permission, he can never get up.
TQ: I’ll accept the punishment.

I thought that she was cool when she said this. She’d told him that if he thought that she’d done something wrong, she’d take the punishment. He answered that she’d become audacious since she knew he supported her.  She had her pride.

In a later conversation with his steward Mr. Sheng, he would admit that he overreacted. He asked, “Is it too much?” Mr. Sheng reassured him that he had the prerogative as her boss to correct her. However, he expressed self-doubt, telling Mr. Sheng, “Think carefully. Sun Fan slandered Tian Qi and Zheng. Tian Qi can’t do anything to him. He wants Sun Fan punished with my hand. That’s reasonable. But what makes me angry is that he got in trouble, he didn’t tell me in the first place. But I punished him like that. It’s true that I did a little over.”

Note: I think the better translations for “did a little over” were “overreacted” and “went a bit too far.”

And since this is drama at its finest (hahaha), the storm came at night and soaked her to the bones. Only then did he come to relieve her from his punishment.

I’m posting the clip here.

 

Of course, he quickly felt guilty when he saw all drenched. Her fainting added to the whole angsty moment of the drama.

Then, when I saw the bowls of food he had ordered for her,

part of me wanted her to throw them back at him.

But part of me also knew that if she had thrown the bowls at him, it would have been game over then.

He wouldn’t have grovelled anymore and I do so love a good grovel.

As it turned out, her version of a silent treatment was more effective.

She was fanning him to sleep, when she stopped to recall what Ji Zheng had told her at their last meeting. Ji Zheng wanted her to leave the Ji Manor and work for him instead as his steward. He said he couldn’t protect her should his brother discovered her cross-dressing as a man.

Ji Heng noticed her deep in thought and began talking to her. He sat up in bed and unconsciously she backed away as if to avoid him. She hadn’t done that before.

JH: What are you thinking? You looked so absorbed.
TQ: Nothing.
JH: You used to mention a lot of ways to cure insomnia? Why don’t you mention it now?

He was attempting to converse with her and he wanted her to respond to his overtures. But she remained bowing, and she wouldn’t look at him. He didn’t like it. Remember, he was upset at the suggestion that he was bullying her. Her cowering made him look like he was indeed bullying her.

TQ: I didn’t think carefully. I used some untested methods on my lord’s precious body. It’s disrespect.

He also didn’t like her subdued answer. He wanted her to talk to him freely, without inhibition, like before. Her change in behavior proved what he feared. She was wary of him.

JH: Keep fanning. After I fall asleep, go back to your room to sleep. Don’t sleep on the couch.
TQ: Yes.

Her brief answer angered him, too. But he couldn’t do anything to make her talk to him. He lay back down on the bed and pouted.

This whole scene showed him that he was correct in his understanding of Tian Qi’s state of mind. Although Mr. Sheng had told him that Dr. Tian would come to understand her punishment, he knew that it just wasn’t so.

JH: …It’s true that I did a bit overboard.
Mr. Sheng: My lord, Dr. Tian is your subordinate. His first consideration should be you. Not others. Your punishment is to make him understand the rules. I believe Dr. Tian will understand it.
JH: (with disbelief) Really?  These days he serves me with extreme caution,
fearing of making mistake. Not daring to say one word. It makes me uncomfortable.

I say that he felt more than mere discomfort. I say he knew he needed to grovel to get back the old Tian Qi.