Episode 35 Recap - In a Class of Her Own (2020)

Episode 35 recap

In which all is revealed 

Just as Xue Wen Xi is about to be killed, Miss Mu comes to the rescue in black with some very stylish moves. Lei Ze Xin also arrives to lend his aid, telling the girls to run, while he holds off the rest of the assassins. 

Miss Mu declares movingly that she will live and die with "Wen Bin" but Xue Wen Xi confesses that she is actually a girl and unworthy of Miss Mu's devotion. Miss Mu feels like a fool and in a moment of distraction does not see an assassin - Xue Wen Xi does, and uses her body to shield Miss Mu from the assassin's sword.  Feng Cheng Jun rushes to the scene with Han Sheng Zhi. Feng Cheng Jun carries the wounded Xue Wen Xi away and Han Sheng Zhi rescues Miss Mu. Lei Ze Xin and Yu Le Xuan try and find the others, and realise that Miss Mu is the other pamphlet distributor. 

Ep 35: TLC

Meanwhile Feng Cheng Jun tends to Xue Wen Xi's wounds. 

He holds her in his arms and when she wakes, she is embarrassed. 

But Feng Cheng Jun tells her he has known her secret for some time. 

He apologizes for putting her in danger and says she ought to leave the Academy, for her safety. 

She is exasperated - "Sure, I'll go home and find someone to marry." He says he forbids it. She asks him "who are you to me?" (🐼: Yes, Feng Cheng Jun, answer the question). 

He smiles.💕

Lei Ze Xin and Yu Le Xuan arrive. Yu Le Xuan (🐼: the stirrer) notes that the two look so sweet together that he feels a bit lonely. But on a more serious note, Lord Han is after Wen Bin's family. Commander Lei has found a place for them to hide so the priority is to get "Wen Bin" before Master Wang so they can prove her innocence. 

Teacher Ding tells Master Wang that "Wen Bin" is the son of Xue Ding Kun. They are worried as to Wen Bin's whereabouts, concerned that Lord Han will find "him" first. 

Lord Han's guards come to capture "Wen Bin", but luckily Commander Lei and Feng Cheng Jun arrive in the nick of time. The Quartet see Master Wang, who wonders how to prove Wen Bin's innocence. Lei Ze Xin confesses that it was he who distributed the banned texts, while Commander Lei tries to shush him. But Master Wang says he should be proud of having such a loyal and upright son. He says that he has never thought there was anything wrong with the content of the banned texts, but that back then, Lord Han and others had sought to have the texts banned...

Yu Le Xuan says that since the texts are banned, it must mean that they can't be in the possession of people. Yet, the banned book that he had gotten Xue Wen Xi to deliver to Feng Cheng Jun (🐼:back in episode 1) was sourced from the Han manor. So Lord Han himself is also guilty of possessing forbidden texts. Nothing wrong with searching Han manor, under the pretext of a visit from classmates, right? (🐼:Yu Le Xuan is such a thinker!) 

They go to Han manor. When inside, Miss Han speaks with Feng Cheng Jun. She again thanks him for his honesty...and asks if he now has someone he loves. He nods. She wishes them the best.

Meanwhile, Master Wang is holding court. Commander Gu, although wounded, did not die. He testifies that the man in black was certainly not as short of stature as "Wen Bin", and also had a scar on his right hand. But Lord Han says that even if "Wen Bin" is not the assassin, he was still the distributor of the forbidden pamphlets and should be punished. 

Principal Feng and Teacher Ding come forward and say, yes, serious crime indeed - but Lord Han is equally guilty of it - the scholars found a large collection of forbidden texts at his residence. Lord Han tries to say that he only kept it as evidence but Teacher Ding and Principal Feng add fuel to the flames, saying if "Wen Bin" is to be punished, so too should Lord Han.

Master Wang notes that the forbidden texts have some valuable content and questions whether they should remain banned. Lord Mo and Master Wang say that it is Lord Han's call as to whether the texts remain banned - with little choice in the matter, Lord Han concedes.  And because the texts are no longer forbidden, "Wen Bin" is also free. 

She comes back (mutters to Feng Cheng Jun to act natural) and turns to hug the other boys. Yu Le Xuan opens his arms but Lei Ze Xin shoves him aside saying it's his turn first. Feng Cheng Jun looks a tad left out (🐼:Haha!😆)

Ep 35: Reunion hugs!

The Quartet see Master Wang together, and he tells them the ban has been officially lifted, as has the previous condemnation of Xue Ding Kun. He tells Xue Wen Xi that her father was an upright, brave, and visionary man. He had placed a memorial before the Emperor with such ideas, but somehow the memorial that was sent contained different, treasonous material, leading to his imprisonment and death. Xue Wen Xi asks Master Wang to clear her father's name and that of his students. Master Wang tells them that the Emperor has decreed that the Yuanshang Quartet investigate the truth of the matter as their imperial examination.  

The Quartet investigate. Feng Cheng Jun says he will question his father while Lei Ze Xin decides to tackle the elusive Kei Shi Jun. 

Feng Cheng Jun kneels before his father and asks for the truth regarding Xue Ding Kun's case, saying he will take all responsibility if his father did do wrong. Governor Feng says it has been 20 years, and has troubled him for that long. He tells him that Xue Ding Kun's ten thousand word text was one seeking equality of education for all, rich and poor, male and female alike. It was to be submitted as a memorial to the Emperor. But someone alleged that it was treasonous, and Lord Han and Governor Feng intercepted the memorial. When they opened it, it was indeed treasonous. Lord Han took the memorial away and submitted it to the court. But it wasn't Governor Feng who ordered Xue Ding Kun's execution - Lord Han had forged his signature and seal and ordered the death...

Meanwhile Lei Ze Xin tries to find the mysterious Kei Shi Jun. Unexpectedly, Commander Gu comes and thanks Lei Ze Xin for rescuing him and hands him the right address.

Matters come to a head as Master Wang presides over the court. Kei Shi Jun confesses that back then, Lord Han had gotten him to switch the box holding the memorial by threatening him with the lives of his family.  Two assassins also confess that Lord Han had instructed them to do the killings. Commander Gu and Miss Mu enter. The former testifies that Lord Han got Commander Xu to kill Gu Da Cho and others to implicate the man in black. Miss Mu then testifies that she saw the assassin leaving Lord Han's manor. Commander Gu also says that Lord Han tried to kill him because he knows the secret behind the ledger. 

In the face of the insurmountable proof, Lord Han admits his guilt. 

Governor Feng is freed. Master Wang says his good name is restored but Governor Feng says he holds some responsibility for not acting more decisively in the past over the Xue Ding Jun's case and seeks to be demoted to a commoner. And he is super proud of his son for seeking the truth with integrity.

Ep 35: Father and son 💛

The Quartet triumph! Looking at them with a smile, Master Wang remarks that the future belongs to the young people. 

Thoughts

🐼: Was it just me or did that episode feel almost anti-climatic? Lord Han just confessed?? Sure, the proof was fairly insurmountable by that stage, but I though he would have masterminded something more evil and held them all to hostage or something... one more episode to go!