Joy of Life S2 – Ep 18: Fighting for Fairness

[Cathy]

Fan Xian is given the role of an Imperial Entrance exam overseer. It’s supposed to be a rewarding role but the moment he gets the role, he starts to see how dirty it is underneath. People with connections and power are all inserting individuals they already chose to place well in the exams which means that the poor students who hope to use the exam to change their fortunes and give back to the kingdom are left with the only slimmest odds. The crown prince gave his list to Fan Xian. Fan Xian is now at the Chancellor’s residence and he is giving Fan XIan a list himself.

Ironically, the Chancellor tells Fan Xian that these lists of names is a way to learn the relationship dynamics in the capital and also learn how to be a “person”. The thing is, if Fan xIan were to take these lists and follow the advice of the Chancellor of learning the ropes of the capital and learning how to use the laws to protect oneself rather than adhering to the true nature of the law, he would slowly turn into the very people who annoy him now. It takes that first step and slowly, you learn that you can’t turn back. The chancellor said that if you just be harsh for this moment and accept the unwritten rules, then his career in the future will be bright and unparalleled. But that’s the thing. At what cost? You give up the fairness of thousands of young, poor students who are trying to make a difference for what? Your own career?

[Karen]

As Fan Xian tells Wang Qi NIan out in his carriage after he leaves the Chancellor’s residence, the unfairness and actions here is just what everyone is used to. Does he want to be the one to change “what everyone is used to”. He shouts out to the world that he’s just a normal person. Why does he need to be the one to fight the fight to bring more fairness to the world? It’s not his job!

But…we know where this is going. At night, he decides to head to the place where many of the poor students are trying to squeeze in a last bit of studying. There, he sees Yang Wan Li studying outside, too poor to sit inside to pay for candlelight and too poor to pay for meat to eat. He decides to ask Yang Wan Li about why he wants to become an official. Is it for money? For fame? Yang Wan Li’s response surprises him. Yang Wan Li knows full well there is corruption abound in the capital while every day citizens go hungry. This level of unfairness must have someone to step forward to fight it. He is willing to be that person. Even if he knows it’s a dead end, then, perhaps his blood can splurt a little higher to help push the boundaries of that unfairness. These words are just what Fan Xian needed to hear to inspire him. Someone like Yang Wan Li only wants to do what’s right. Why can’t he, Fan Xian, do the same?

[Cathy]

After further words of encouragement from Chen Ping Ping who reminisced of how brightly Fan XIan’s mother shone to help change the world, even before she died, Fan Xian makes his decision. He’s going to cause some trouble. But first, he needs to find a shield. That shield is not going to be Chen Ping Ping. The shield is someone even more powerful. The Emperor himself.

That night, he sends word to the Emperor to request him to come to see the emperor. THis is kind of odd. Why not just request to see the emperor. Why send a note to make it seem like the Emperor was making the request? It’s actually quite smart because if he wants to use the Emperor as a shield, he needs to make it seem like the idea of fairness came from the Emperor. It’ll also give more credibility to Fan XIan’s actions that all of this was instigated by the Emperor, not Fan Xian. Fan Xian meets the Emperor and makes his formal request. The Emperor I would like to think is rather pleased that his son is willing to make such a ruckus in the capital and readily agrees to be Fan Xian’s shield. I’m sure he’s also secretly pleased to see that his son came with medicine for his facial injuries he sustained from the gunpowder explosion 2 episodes ago. 

News travels fast to the 2nd prince because oh hoh, we see that the Head of the Imperial Guard Gong Dian is actually allied with the 2nd prince. The fact that the Emperor summoned Fan Xian for a private chat late at night shows heavy favoritism. THis makes the second prince uneasy.

[Karen]

Not only does the 2nd prince know, the Crown prince as well. The next day, Fan Xian is making his rounds to return the various slips of paper he received. The crown prince learning that the Emperor summoned fan xian while fan xian returns the list of names means something has changed with the unspoken rules. The crown prince readily accepts that this will be a more “fair” spring imperial exam. 

The Chancellor doesn’t easily accept this change though. He sees right through Fan Xian’s actions last night. It was not the Emperor who implicitly allowed for this change, it is Fan Xian who requested the Emperor be the shield. The Chancellor doesn’t understand why Fan XIan just go with the flow. He’s going to be fighting against all the officials at court.

Fan Xian only responds with, he can’t sleep at night because it is not fair. For once, he wants to create a relatively fair opportunity for these scholars to change their destinies. If this one opportunity doesn’t even exist, what’s the point of this world then? Moved by these words, Lin Ruo Fu tears up his sheet of names and agrees to go along with Fan Xian’s endeavor.

Lin Ruo Fu instructs Fan Xian to speak with Guo Zheng the current Minister of Rites to get the details of all the processes for the exam. Guo Zheng gives Fan Xian a book of those rules but after Fan Xian leaves, we learn that Guo ZHeng is in league with the 2nd prince. There are plenty of unspoken or unwritten rules that were left out of the booklet that will sure cause FAn Xian’s downfall.

[Cathy]

Luckily, Fan Xian isn’t stupid. Right on time, the adorable Guo Bao Kun and Fan Si Zhen return to the capital. Fan Xian will bring Guo Bao Kun to speak to his father, Guo YOu Zhi, the former Minster of Rites who is now in prison, to learn the truth about what he needs to watch out for for the imperial exam. We will learn more about that next episode and also laugh at Guo You Zhi’s reactions to his son’s self proclaimed brilliance.

That’s the episode recap for episode 18. Let me just say that we have to understand that we all want to stop corruption and create, as Fan Xian states, relative fairness. An opportunity to change one’s fortune. But guess what. Fan Xian is only able to do so because he has the most powerful connections in the world. He can just go see the Emperor, the Crown Prince and the Chancellor and they’ll just go along with what he says. Isn’t that a form of corruption or nepotism as well? But I guess, he’s doing it for good. I like that he knows he can’t do it alone and that there NEEDs to be powerful people supporting him. Just like what he said to Deng Zi Yue in the past. So many powerful people are his backstop which is what allows him to behave the way he does. I can’t help but tie this to other dramas where the main character isn’t as connected. No matter how much they try, they can’t change the game like Fan Xian can. 

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[Karen]

Let’s move onto history! There’s a mix of historical and pop culture references in today’s episode.

The first topic is the idiom 沉疴积弊. Fan Xian says this when talking to Wang Qi Nian about the systemic issues of corruption for the imperial entrance exams. 

If we break down the idiom, the first two words 沉疴 means “chronic or stubborn illness”. The last two 积弊 mean “accumulated wrongs.”. If you put that together, then this phrase refers to systemic ills. 

Now the historical idiom is actually 沉疴宿疾 with 宿疾 focusing more on illnesses but the drama chose 沉疴积弊 instead. The idiom was recorded only in the late Qing and early Republic of China texts around 1906 to describe political, administrative, or institutional systemic issues. It’s also worth noting that in using this idiom, one is acknowledging that it will be difficult to fix. 

[Cathy[

Next up is the poem that Shi Chan Li recites while he is washing the dishes in the back of the restaurant all by his lonesome. The lines he recites are

思君令人老，岁月忽已晚。

弃捐勿复道，努力加餐饭

Here’s my translation – missing you has made me grow old. The years have passed and it is now the twilight years. There’s many words that I won’t say, please make sure to eat well.

These lines originate from the poem 行行重Chong行行 which was compiled in the Nineteen Old Poems. The poems themselves are believed to have been written during the later Eastern Han Dynasty, so 3rd Century CE. However, the exact date is difficult to verify. The poem was compiled into the Nineteen Old Poems during the Southern Dynasty in the 6th Century CE. The whole poem seems to be set during the final turbulent years of the Eastern Han Dynasty before it all devolves into the Three Kingdoms era and expresses a woman’s deep longing for her husband who has traveled far away. The last 4 lines which Shi Chan Li recites are the last 4 lines of the poem. It’s interesting that the drama chose for him to recite a poem about a woman longing for her husband. The only connection MIGHT be the last line which is 努力加餐饭 or please make sure to eat well. Food is important no matter what you’re facing.

Next up is the spinning top that the young General Qin is playing while waiting for Fan Xian. In Chinese the spinning top is called Tuo Luo 陀螺. The chinese have had a version of the spinning top for thousands of years. The earliest appearance in historical texts is in the Northern Wei, where it was called “dule” (独乐). by the Song dynasty, there already existed a small toy similar to today’s hand-spun tops called 千千. They were made of ivory. Each was a disc roughly four inches in diameter with a metal needle inserted in the center as its axis. It was a pastime for palace maids and other nobles.

The term Tuo Luo first appeared during the Ming Dynasty where there a 17th century work include a folk rhyme 杨柳儿青，放空钟；杨柳儿活，抽陀螺；杨柳儿死，踢毽子. This translates to “When the willows are green, we play the empty bell; When the willows are alive, we spin tops; When the willows die, we kick shuttlecocks”. This shows that during the Ming Dynasty, the word “tuoluo” was already in common use and a widespread children’s toy in the Capital. The rhyme also suggests that many traditional folk games were seasonal, with spinning tops being a popular spring activity.

Nowadays, the spinning tops can be made of wood, plastic or metal. It was a popular pastime for children and adults in the villages. The use of the string to whip the spinning top allows it to spin longer but there are different varieties of spinning tops in China. I remember seeing older men playing with these spinning tops when we went to visit Beijing as a kid and young teen but I haven’t seen them around much.

[Karen]

The last topic that I’d like to discuss is actually a pop culture reference and it’s called 背锅 or literally carrying a wok on your back. When Chen Ping Ping offers to take the fall for Fan Xian to right the injustices of corruption for the imperial entrance exams, Fan Xian responds with nope – I won’t let you carry this wok on your back. I’ve got other shields or 挡箭牌. 

“背锅” or carrying the wok on your back originally abbreviates “背黑锅” carrying the black wok on your back. This modern phrase means  taking the blame on behalf of someone else. In the past 10-15 years, this phrase became popular in video games where, after a team loses, when one player is blamed for most or all of the responsibility of the loss, rightly or wrongly, he / she is the one who carries the black pot. 

A player who repeatedly gets blamed is called a “背锅侠” (“blame-carrying hero”). Forcing teammates to take responsibility after a loss is called “甩锅” (“passing the wok,” i.e., shifting blame). The phrase “这个锅我不背” (“I’m not carrying this wok”) means that I REFUSE to be blamed, although in many cases, resistance is futile and one ends up carrying it anyway. In Joy of Life, Chen Ping Ping is like what wok? Haha. This phrase is pretty commonly used in online lingo today.

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[Cathy]

Let’s conclude with book differences! It will be pretty brief because well, none of this happened in the book! Like I said for the previous episode, Fan Xian doesn’t become a proponent of opportunities until during and after the exam. He only engages with the young scholars during the exam and after.

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