Original subtitles

Translation and Timing carefully crafted by the Mei Daxia Team at Viki

The Story of Ming Lan

Episode 40

In here, there are farmlands,

houses, shops, storefronts, and...

There's one farmstead that's my favorite.

It's just in the outskirts of our capital, around six hundred mu of fertile farmlands. (T/N 1 mu = 1/15 hectare)

The person in-charge is Nanny Cui's husband.

This person is quite honest.

He'll be going with you when you get married off.

Beside this farmstead, there's a small mountain forest.

It's not huge, but the fengshui is very good. (T/N literally "wind-water" - Chinese geomancy, to orient buildings

Two years ago, I bought it together with the farmstead.

I asked old man Cui to find a few able men

to manage it and plant a few fruit trees.

Why are you in a daze?

Do you still remember the farmstead affairs that I've taught you?

I do.

In using people, trust is important. I must frequently inspect.

No matter how honest a servant is, there must be an able person supervising him.

As time goes by, it can't be helped for them to develop improper desires,

but you also mustn't suspect them overly much for it will disappoint them.

Grandmother, must I inform the He Family?

What's there to talk about?

We never really promised them that you're going to be married to them.

No need for you to be bothered by this matter.

I'll just go and talk to them.

The He Family, other than Old Madam He,

don't bother seeing any of them.

Now no one is going to hinder them from being good people.

Let them happily go help their relatives.

It's not as if it's them or no one else. Let everyone know

that the daughters of our Sheng Family can easily be married off.

There will always be someone wanting to have them.

Yes.

Let's not talk about that anymore. Come, let me count your dowry again.

Enough already, randmother. No need already. They're enough.

Father even had Big Madam prepare me one too, with the same level as Fifth Sister.

Those twenty plus chests that Gu Tingye had people send over

have already been included on to the list of my dowry according to your instructions.

With so much stuff, it's already enough.

What is enough?

Do you think you'll have a good life with that huge Gu Family?

Above you, there's a mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, the wives of his brothers.

Below you, the steward maidservant and other female attendants. Who among them is easy to handle?

When you get in, you surely will be using your money.

Everyone knows what my status is here. I don't really need to make appearances.

I'll just do what should be done. I'll just live meticulously counting my days.

But Grandmother, you're already old.

You must keep some money with you.

I did keep some with me.

No need for you to worry.

Isn't it because you are marrying into a higher status family, hence, we must prepare more dowry?

Grandmother, think about

Eldest Sister's previous situation in the Yuan Family.

Did she not have money?

Did she live well?

It shows that money can't buy doting and respect.

You're talking childishly.

The Gu Family isn't easy to deal with.

Especially that stepmother of his, that Big Madam Qin.

Gu Tingye has already told me the situation of his Gu Family.

Before, I only had a general idea about it.

After hearing the details, it really made my hair stand up. (T/N really horrifying)

I then thought about whether it's already too late to cancel the wedding.

You're afraid?

A little.

Thinking how he schemed just to marry you, I'm sure he won't let you starve.

I'm not afraid that he'll treat me badly.

I'm afraid that he'll treat me too well. I don't have the fortune to accept such treatment.

Nonsense! Who told you that you don't have that?

Although you lost your birth mother when you were little, you have me backing you up.

Now you're going to marry a good husband with an indomitable spirit.

Your good days are about to start, so don't say such depressing words.

I can't bear to part with you.

Tomorrow,

you're going to get married.

You must happily leave the gates of this house.

Grandmother, I can't bear to part with you.

I hate to part with you as well.

Once you leave, you can still come back anytime.

Once you have set a footing in the Gu Family, you can come back to visit me anytime.

What great winds and waves have I not seen?

Get on the horse!

[ The bride-welcoming procession of the Gu-Sheng marriage ]

My dear ancestors, please hear me.

I'm getting married today, but I dare not act arbitrarily.

I will continue to light incense for all of you the whole year round.

Please tell the deities to pity me.

A man and woman getting married is the nature of things.

Hope we both will be auspicious and full of celebration.

Hope there are no disasters or difficulties, and we'll be safe for hundreds of years.

Like a fish in the water, let us be more sweet than honey.

You can't! You can't!

You can't!

We have to test Commander Gu!

- Right! - What test?

Let me go first. Second Gu, you're great at martial arts and military tactics.

If yours and the enemy's army are both ten thousand in number,

and you meet on a flat plain, how are you going to win?

Husband of Sheng's Fourth Miss, with such a measly number of troops,

no need for Second Young Master Gu to personally come out.

I'll be the vanguard.

May I ask...

This plain is in the southern part of the country or on the northern borders?

That's right! Is it in the south or north?

Is our army made up of cavalry or foot soldiers?

That's right!

Are the enemies from the Wanyan Clan? Yelü Clan? Of the Li of Western Xia? (T/N two tribes of Liao; Tangut)

Right! Indeed!

Give a reply, Young Lord Liang! Beyond the flat land,

is it flat plain or mountains and rivers?

Is there water and trees in the river?

Right! Are there trees?

Answer! Answer!

Today is such an auspicious day! I've long heard that Commander Gu has outstanding literary skills.

Why not make a poem to hasten the bride in dressing herself up? If we find it good,

you can then enter to welcome your bride.

Right!

Okay. Make a poem.

Second Young Master, in terms of making poems, we from Yuzhou can't help you.

You must do it yourself.

Come! It's not hard to rush the bride from her preparations.

- What's hard is if your Sixth Miss will refuse to come out! - Indeed!

I'll make a poem to try to hurry her.

Willing to ride the golden carriage, but afraid of the eastern winds.

Pushing apart the clouds to see the moon, getting drunk as the cup is emptied.

Good! Good!

Willing to ride the golden carriage, but afraid of the eastern winds.

Pushing apart the clouds to see the moon, getting drunk as the cup is emptied.

Miss, stop drinking cold wine.

And then?

"With fairy-like beauty, you are shy to the point of being nauseous.

The cool white porcelain inadvertently reveals a small blush of red."

After reciting that, the husband of Fourth Miss then gave him an enthusiastic approval.

How did he know?

But what do those lines mean?

It means that our Miss should get into the palanquin already.

However, she's still afraid of this and that, and refusing to go out.

He asks that our Miss take a few mouthfuls of cold wine to muster courage.

Once the cup is empty, she's bolder,

and her face also flushed. You don't even need to use any more rouge.

I think your husband has already completely seen through you, Sixth Miss!

Stop dilly-dallying. Quickly set out now.

No matter how much you delay it, you won't be able to stay here anymore.

Xiaotao, go watch by the door and guide the new groom over here.

Don't let the men of our house make things too difficult for him.

Commander Gu, you have such great literary talent. If you abandon being a military officer and join the scholarly ranks instead, you surely will—

Hey! Second Gu is a rare talented commander.

While the borders haven't been reclaimed, how can he abandon being a military man?

Indeed! Right!

From now on, the Commander-in-chief must call me an older brother-in-law.

I then must test him to make things difficult for him!

- Right. Right! - Oh, stop it already!

Your City Guard Office is also under our command!

It's time to give out the red envelopes! Everyone gets a share!

Giving out red envelopes!

Red envelopes! Red envelopes!

There are spies within

with wavering will.

There are strong enemies outside

who are sly and cunning.

The city walls have lost their defense.

Just have to deal with the futile efforts.

Second Young Master, the husbands of the other misses also did their best to hinder him.

Even if they didn't achieve victorious merit, they did exert some efforts. But you didn't join in stopping him earlier.

A few days ago, the husband of your Sixth Miss gifted me

a painting of Cold Snow on the Wu River by Gao Keming. (T/N Another of the master painters, Northern Song)

Then you still dare to describe the husbands of the other misses as being "spies with wavering will"?

I'd already accepted the painting, so I shouldn't stop him any further.

What's that got to do with me describing them as such?

Xiaotao. You must remember this.

In dealing with people, you must clearly discern right from wrong.

Second Young Master is really...

Father-in-law, please accept tea from me.

From now on, the two of you should respect and love each other.

Help each other through difficult times until you grow old together.

Have abundant offspring.

Speak cautiously and be a good model to your children.

I understand.

Mother-in-law, please drink this tea that I offer.

From now on, you must be benevolent, cautious,

discuss everything with your husband, and go through tribulations hand in hand.

I understand.

May Mother-in-law be at ease.

Okay already. Go now. Go now.

The bride is going out now!

Ming!

Be well...

Be well...

Go now.

Lower the jian yu! (T/N "shoulder carriage" made specifically for bridal processions)

[ The bride-welcoming procession of the Gu-Sheng marriage ]

Raise the carriage!

Translation and Timing carefully crafted by the Mei Daxia Team at Viki

Miss, don't destroy your make-up from crying. Please wipe your tears.

Miss, don't be afraid. Today, you'll be married.

After three days, you'll be allowed to return home. You can see Old Madam then.

Miss must be having a stomachache from starving, that's why she's crying.

Miss, I brought a basket of fruits.

There's something to eat there.

If you're hungry, just tell me. Don't endure it.

Cousin, let's quickly go back.

If Grandmother He learns that you came here,

she will be unhappy.

Grandmother and Old Madam Sheng have decades of friendship.

They won't turn hostile against each other for a marriage talk that wasn't publicized.

As old friends, they will still see other in the future.

Moreover, as long as you don't tell her, she won't know.

I won't say it. I definitely won't say it.

In a few days, I'm going to Yungui to buy some medicinal ingredients.

In passing, I will be visiting some famous doctors.

I will linger there for a while.

I'm afraid I will be gone for two or three years.

You should just follow my mother

and return to our old manor in Baishitan.

I... Can't I go with you?

Yungui has tall mountains and deep rivers. The travel is quite dangerous.

I fear that I will have to brave the wind and dew. (T/N idiom meaning be exposed to the elements - rough it)

How can you handle that?

Bow to the parents!

Old Geng, this is my first time seeing people bowing

to two memorial tablets and one live person during a wedding.

Isn't this telling everyone

that Second Brother Gu has a different mother?

Surprisingly, Big Madam Qin agreed to it.

I heard that from the start,

this Big Madam was unwilling.

Afterward, I don't know what method Second Gu used

to force her to agree.

That Big Madam Qin has quite beautiful eyes and graceful eyebrows.

She looks amicable.

Shut up. You think she's amicable?

Which side are you on?

Of course it's Second Master Gu's.

Offering of tea!

[ Memorial Tablets of Lady Bai (second wife) and Marquis of Ningyuan, parents of the groom ]

Sister-in-law, quickly put down the fan!

Second Brother has great fortune!

Great auspicious blessings! Still harmonious together after a hundred years!

Hope that luxuriant growth in this wonderful atmosphere will grow and not scatter.

What you see in the painting hall during the morning is spring breeze! (T/N well-wishes and nuts, many offspring)

Wishing you great fortune and to be united forever!

For all eternity, your hair is tied together for the rest of your life.

Wishing you great blessings and fortune!

Okay! Okay!

The nuptial drink, for you two to have a good relationship forever.

Okay.

Bottoms up.

I drank it all.

You really drank all of it! Good! Good!

Groom and bride, I wish you two great blessings.

Thank you. Thank you. Go and get your reward.

Good!

Good!

Okay already! Okay already!

Hurry! Hurry! Now that you're done here,

- quickly go out and offer toasts. - Right!

- Today, we must get you drunk! - Let's go, Second Brother!

- Come! Come! - You think I'm afraid of you?

- Let's go! Hurry! Hurry! Won't stop until drunk! - Go!

Move! Move! Won't stop until drunk!

Miss, don't touch those. If people from the Gu family see it,

you'll get laughed at.

Danju, I'm so hungry. Quickly get me something to eat.

Xiaotao already went to get something.

Miss, just wait for a while longer.

Thanks. Thanks.

Okay.

- Come. Come. - Second Brother.

- Thanks. Thanks. - Congratulations!

Thanks.

Eldest Brother! Excuse me.

Eldest Brother.

You're returning to your room already?

Let me offer you a toast as respect.

Because of my health, I don't drink wine.

You know that.

- Shitou! - Yes!

Young Master.

This is er chen wan. It promotes body fluid production and can quench one's thirst. Let's use this to replace wine. (T/N TCM "two herb cure" for damp and phlegm/cough)

Eldest Brother, at least preserve my dignity.

Of else, with so many people around, I'll get laughed at.

This is a wedding granted by the Emperor and there are so many people from the palace assigned here to organize it for you.

With such glory and splendor, who would dare laugh at you?

That is indeed the case,

but I can't forget how devoted you were to give me lessons as I grew up.

Without you and Big Madam,

how could there be the person I am today?

You had better just drink this.

Thank you, Eldest Brother.

Fourth Uncle and Fifth Uncle, come, let's drink.

Here. Let me offer you a toast out of respect.

Who is it?

Rongjie?

What's wrong? Why are you laughing?

Do I look very ugly right now?

You're that Big Sister who fell into the water that time. It was my father who saved you.

It's not "Sister". You should call me "Auntie".

Wait. You should call me "Mother" now.

I have a mother! You're not my mother!

Then... call me Big Madam for now then.

Rong'er, why are you still not asleep at this late hour?

Someone told me that once Father marries a bride,

he won't want me anymore. I came to see

what the bride looks like.

Who told you that?

Nanny Xiang who serves by Grandmother Qin side said so.

She said that once you have children, Father won't care about me anymore.

What are you holding?

Let me see.

Hence, you came here to scare me

and draw a beard on my face?

I'm planning to draw a turtle.

Are you still it drawing now?

I like you. Father asked me

if it's okay that he marries you.

I said, "Sure!"

Your father indeed racked his brains hard just to trick me.

He even cleared the way for me in connecting with his own daughter.

Big Madam, I'm hungry.

I have these. Come.

And these. All are yours.

Old Geng, don't go!

I must drink with you today until you fall flat on the ground from drunkenness!

Let your wife beat you up when you go back to your house!

Young Master, General Geng has left already.

Quickly put down his hat. We're going to your marriage room now.

- Shouldn't we be going this way? - No! No! Young Master!

That way is towards the kitchen! We're going to your marriage chamber. This way. This way.

Really?

Never thought those scholarly officials are so good when it comes to drinking.

Even an old military general like Old Geng can't beat them.

- So dangerous. So dangerous. - Young Master, lower your voice.

If your bride hears it, she'll laugh at you.

She long knows what kind of person I am.

In terms of pretending to be dumb and in a daze,

we're almost the same. We are a match made in heaven.

Young Master, please.

Wife, I pay my respects to you.

Why are you still pretending? What appearance of yours have I not seen?

This woman should only be present in the heavens. It would be rare to see one in this mortal world.

Lower your voice. Don't wake the child up.

Rong'er can really eat and sleep.

She usually sleeps right after having a full meal, that even if there is thunder, she won't wake up.

You're hungry? Why didn't you ask the servants to deliver you food?

I did. But I hadn't eaten more than a few when your daughter came.

I must take care of the child first, right?

If everything's been eaten, you could just ask them to deliver some more.

This is the Marquis House. If the bride keeps asking for food in the middle of the night, won't I get laughed at?

You're my wife. Who dares to laugh at you?

But... the food here in the Marquis House isn't that tasty.

Where's my outer robe?

Later, tell someone to take Rong'er away.

Let her stay and sleep in her room.

Who am I calling? You call them yourself.

You're going out?

What? You can't bear for me to leave?

You don't want me to go out?

Go.

Remove your headdress. Doesn't your neck feel tired?

These are the dishes you ordered. They're freshly cooked and still hot.

Okay. Put it on my tab.

Second Young Master, oh, wrong, General Gu. You haven't been here for quite a long time.

Aren't you going to sit for a while and have some drinks?

I won't anymore. My wife is still waiting for her food.

Young Master, on your wedding night, you went out to buy food for your wife.

Aren't you afraid that people will laugh at you?

Just let them know then. I exactly want everyone to know

that my wife can have whatever she wants.

Aren't you afraid that people will think that Sixth Miss is a tigress?

Tigress? Have you seen such a beautiful tigress?

At such a young age, how come you know so many fake schools of thought?

Sixth Miss herself doesn't mind.

If this gets out, won't the whole of Bianjing think that I'm a tigress?

Was the headdress too heavy?

I've just told Shitou

that you don't mind false reputations like that.

But in an instant, you have proved me wrong.

I indeed don't mind, but you didn't have to deliberately do it.

Goat meat and bread soup.

Crab. Duck claws.

Come, quickly taste them.

What is this?

Guess.

- Quickly eat. - This is soft cheese.

Is it delicious?

While in front of your own husband, stop being so demure.

I fear that I might get used to it.

Your marrying me isn't climbing up a branch.

It's aggrieving you.

I still have a son named Chang'er, who I haven't found yet.

I told you this, right?

I know.

When I was proposing marriage, your grandmother really dug up the roots and asked for the facts about it.

I repeatedly guaranteed her

that I won't let an illegitimate son surpass a legitimate son. Only then did she give her permission.

To care for another person's children as one's own is indeed hard.

Don't blame my grandmother.

Of course, I won't.

But I don't want to hide it from you.

Chang'er is my son. Even if I have to go to the ends of the world,

I must find him.

You should.

Now that we are married, we have to be honest with each other.

I also know that placing Rong'er

by your side will surely make you uncomfortable.

This is just normal human behavior. However, if you really feel so, you must tell me.

A child is the flesh and blood of parents.

Being a legitimate or an illegitimate child shouldn't affect that.

If you refused to acknowledge these two children just to cover up your past,

that is what's scarier.

We both have the same experience.

Now, I'm someone's stepmother.

I will never let Rong'er walk the same path that I did.

Wife, I thank you on behalf of my two children.

From now on, if they are unfilial to you,

I surely will cruelly punish them.

If my father was like you, how great will that have been?

I just knew that marrying you was the right thing to do.

It's late. We still have a major thing to do.

Then...

Then... I...

I'll go change first.

Why change?

That illegitimate daughter just peacefully married into our house.

When we see the newlywed couple tomorrow,

that scene will be a good one to view.

How is it good?

What daughter-in-law didn't suffer some hardships

and get lectured when meeting her mother-in-law for the first time?

Tomorrow, Big Madam can put out the bearing of a mother-in-law.

For a noble family like us, when a wife is married into our family,

we must treat her amicably.

Her family is also of lower status.

We mustn't scare her after saying a few words.

Forget it.

Yes, I said too much.

Put in more strength.

What is that?

These are the assets that my maternal grandfather left me.

Look.

A farmstead like this can earn one thousand plus taels in a year.

If it's a salt shop, there will be more.

Too bad, most of these assets are outside the capital.

There are also some in the capital, but not that many.

I technically also have a share with the ones from the Gu Family,

but Big Madam and Eldest Brother have seized them.

I also am too lazy to fight them for it. I only have these left.

I'm entrusting them all to you.

What's wrong?

These are the dowry items my grandmother gave me.

I initially thought that these were already abundant.

But compared to yours...

I'm from a small and not so wealthy family.

I fear that I'm unable to manage these huge assets of yours.

Even if you can't, you must.

Who was born to be good at managing these?

With you being so smart, don't tell me that you can't learn to do it.

Then... I'll give it a try. If I can't—

Even if you can't, you have to bear it.

I risked my life just to obtain these.

I must entrust them to you.

Risked your life?

You think that one risks his life only on battlefields?

Isn't it the same at home?

This... is the last will that I made when I went to

pay respect to my Bai ancestors in Yangzhou.

Are you saying that it was the Bai family who attempted to assassinate you?

Right.

If not because I changed into my servant's clothes,

my corpse would be rotting somewhere unknown now.

When I survived that ordeal,

I wrote a last will when I got home.

That is a good idea.

If you have a heir, it will be useless for the Bai family to kill you.

But you didn't write anything.

Isn't that so?

At the time, I didn't have any dependable person worthy for me to entrust my assets to.

Hence, I could only seal a blank paper like that.

And then, I spread the news

that I had an heir already.

That made the Bai Family end any coveting ideas.

This is indeed better than having a real heir,

so that he won't be in danger if the Bai family learns who he is.

Even so, the Bai family didn't stop bribing the people around me.

They kept wanting to know who the heir is.

When I returned to the capital, although a lot of our old servants have been changed,

it can't be helped for spies from the Bai family successfully infiltrating our manor.

In this manor, other than Nanny Chang, Shitou, and you,

I don't have any other people I can trust.

You really have lived a hard life.

This is heaven's will.

Letting two people with hard lives like us become husband and wife.

As long as the two of us have the same heart and morality,

no matter how huge the storms that will come to us in the future, we can survive it together.

I, Gu Tingye, swear to the heavens

that if I disappoint Minglan in this life,

I will lose my official post and noble title, and never get a chance to make a comeback.

I...

I...

I don't know what oath to make

to be worthy of the great trust you're giving me.

Come.

You don't need to make any oaths.

If in the future, you indeed would leave me,

it must be I who have wronged you and hurt your heart.

Let's store these things first.

This... Why the need to tidy them up?

The bed is so huge.

You think there's still not enough space for us to roll around?

The most important thing for tonight has not be done yet.

If it's not done well, it will be ominous.

Translation and Timing carefully crafted by the Mei Daxia Team at Viki

T/N In the following song, "Don't You Know, Don't You Know?", Lines 5 to the end are the poem by Li Qingzhao, a famous female poet of the Song Dynasty, the poem is titled "Spring Ends".

♫ One morning, a flower opened and approached a willow tree, beautifully fragrant and mistaking him for her lord ♫

♫ Even if drinking in water in the morning, red clouds have half a day of sunshine, the wind and rain do not affect them completely ♫

♫ In the palace, you are constantly brave and growing thin, from on high, your cold tears of distress flow ♫

♫ Brocade letters delivered to me dismiss me, only suddenly to recall me, not for many years can I see you other than stealthily♫

♫ Last night, gusty winds and rain during my deep slumber did not spoil the wine's lingering effect ♫

♫ When I asked someone, they rolled the blind up and told me that all the crab-apple trees are as before. ♫

♫ Don't you know, don't you know, there must be flourishing leaves and fallen flowers? ♫

♫ Last night, gusty winds and rain during my deep slumber did not spoil the wine's lingering effect♫

♫ When I asked someone, they rolled the blind up and told me that all the crab-apple trees are as before. ♫

♫ Don't you know, don't you know, there must be flourishing leaves and fallen flowers? ♫

♫ Don't you know, don't you know, there must be flourishing leaves and fallen flowers? ♫