Character Relationship Map: Execution in Autumn

Characters

• Pei Gang (played by Ou Wei) — supporting
• Prison Chief (played by Ko Hsiang-Ting) — supporting
• The Grandmother (played by Fu Pi-Hui) — supporting
• County Magistrate (played by Tsui Fu-Sheng) — supporting
• Pei Hsun (played by Han Su) — supporting
• 2nd Lord (played by Wong Yu) — minor
• Prison Guard (played by Wang Fei) — minor

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• The Grandmother → Pei Hsun (Family Organizer) — Their roles are linked through the family's desperate response to Pei Gang's sentence.

  The family appeal depends on Pei Hsun helping raise money while The Grandmother coordinates efforts to preserve Pei Gang's life and the family line.

• Pei Gang → Prison Guard (Power Escape Petitioner) — Pei Gang seeks freedom from the guard but remains subject to the guard's authority.

  Pei Gang begs the Prison Guard to release him and promises to change his life, but the guard refuses.

• Prison Chief → Pei Gang (Professional Custodian) — The Prison Chief controls the conditions of Pei Gang's confinement.

  Pei Gang is held in the prison, and the Prison Chief initially refuses the grandmother's request before reluctantly agreeing to turn a blind eye.

• The Grandmother → Prison Chief (Power Negotiator) — She pressures the prison authority to make an exceptional arrangement for Pei Gang.

  The Grandmother asks the Prison Chief to allow a girl into the prison for the sake of preserving Pei Gang's family line.

• County Magistrate → Pei Gang (Power Sentencing Authority) — The County Magistrate's judgment places Pei Gang under an impending death sentence.

  Pei Gang has been sentenced to death after confessing to killing several people, and the County Magistrate's judgment appears to leave little hope.

• The Grandmother → Pei Gang (Family Grandmother) — She is Pei Gang's devoted grandmother and his strongest familial protector.

  The Grandmother arrives in distress after Pei Gang is beaten and promises to save his life. She continues suffering and acting on his behalf throughou...

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Pei Hsun → Pei Gang (Alliance Expected Supporter) — Pei Hsun contributes to the family's attempted intervention on Pei Gang's behalf.

  Pei Hsun is expected to help raise money for the appeal intended to save Pei Gang.

• 2nd Lord → Pei Hsun (Alliance Family Collaborator) — They are connected through the family's joint effort to finance the appeal.

  2nd Lord's appeal plan expects Pei Hsun to help raise money while family fields and other resources are used.

• The Grandmother → 2nd Lord (Alliance Appeal Ally) — They cooperate in an increasingly desperate campaign to save Pei Gang.

  The Grandmother and 2nd Lord decide together to appeal through contacts in the capital after the execution is postponed.

• 2nd Lord → Pei Gang (Alliance Advocate) — He uses family resources and political connections to support Pei Gang's appeal.

  2nd Lord promises to sell family fields and use his connections at court to pursue an appeal for Pei Gang.

• The Grandmother → County Magistrate (Conflict Appeal Seeker) — She opposes the legal outcome by trying to overturn or delay Pei Gang's execution.

  After the death sentence, The Grandmother seeks ways to appeal the judgment through contacts in the capital.

Story Analysis

A condemned prisoner's final year exposes the cost of family devotion, failed appeals, and unavoidable death.

Plot Progression

1. The Condemned Return — Pei Gang is dragged back to prison after an escape attempt and beaten for resisting confinement. The Grandmother arrives and declares that she will save him.
2. A Sentence Delayed — Pei Gang's confession and death sentence are explained, but the passed autumn equinox postpones the execution. The family gains time to seek an appeal.
3. The Cost Of Hope — The Grandmother, 2nd Lord, and Pei Hsun pursue an appeal through capital connections and fundraising. Their plans consume family resources without producing a clear result.
4. A Cruel Family Plan — After the appeal fails, The Grandmother tries to preserve the family line through an arrangement inside the prison. Pei Gang rejects it but recognizes the sacrifice behind it.
5. Alone Before Judgment — Pei Gang begs the Prison Guard for release and learns of the guard's lost son. The Grandmother's death leaves him facing execution without her protection.