Lu Zhuo is coughing up blood again, the family wants the marriage saved, and Wei Rao would like to leave it. Several people are very invested in the idea that this marriage is lucky for his health. The lucky-marriage logic is a bit much. A wife should not also have to function as a prescription.
Fourth Aunt tries to understand why Wei Rao wants a divorce when Lu Zhuo has treated her well. Wei Rao insists they should separate. Lu Zhuo, hurt and angry, eventually tells her to leave. Whatever else is happening between them, it is possible for him to help her get out of the marriage and still be a jerk about it. Those are not mutually exclusive qualifications.
His mother confronts him when he takes the blame for the breakdown and claims he looked down on Wei Rao. Her response includes several slaps. Honestly, the woman has made her position known.
A grave, a new address, and a plan
Before going to her estate, Wei Rao visits Jun Dai’s grave. It’s a tender pause before she begins establishing herself in a new place and a new role as a landholder.
At the estate, she makes arrangements for the family who raised her: her mother and siblings are to go to Suzhou, with an apprenticeship for her brother and a tutor for her sister. The separation has a sting. Building a life as Wei Rao means making decisions about the people who knew her as A-Chou, not simply putting on a better wardrobe and calling the matter settled.
She names the estate Zhuyu. When local farmers seek protection from nobles demanding an enormous share of their harvests, she opens her gates despite warnings. The title Lu Zhuo reminded her came with responsibility is starting to have a very practical meaning.
A peaceful new household, briefly
Han Liao arrives to serve at the estate. General Qi appears too, and the two men promptly begin posturing in front of her. Lu Zhuo observes the situation from a distance. If Wei Rao thought divorce would mean fewer people taking an interest in her affairs, the neighborhood appears to have formed a queue.
Wei Rao says she never wants to marry again. But will her elders actually leave her alone to make that choice? It’s a useful distinction: freedom from this marriage isn’t necessarily the same thing as freedom from everyone else’s plans for her.
The family calls again
News arrives that Old Lady Wei is gravely ill, and Wei Rao returns to her bedside. The older woman expresses regret, especially for her treatment of Lady Li. The family gathering also brings cousin Wei Shu into the picture as another disagreement begins around Wei Rao.
Episode 18 gives Wei Rao a new address, a household to organize and the beginnings of authority exercised on her own terms. It also makes clear how many people still have opinions about those terms.