Original subtitles

BASED ON THE NOVEL "THE PRISONER OF BEAUTY" BY PENGLAI KE

Now that everything's come to light,

all you care about is Zheng Shu.

What about His Lordship's dignity?

Everyone says you love your son,

but do you really?

You want Zheng Shu to be his concubine.

You tampered with the box for her sake.

You even drugged His Lordship, all for Zheng Shu.

His Lordship is the ruler of Wei.

His marriage should serve the greater good.

The marriage alliance is taking effect,

but you keep interfering.

I'm afraid you don't want His Lordship to truly rule!

How dare you?!

You don't want Zheng Shu to leave.

Do you know His Lordship is leaving

out of shame?

In this matter, he did nothing wrong.

He's the Lord of Wei,

yet he had to inspect the canal repairs.

Did you ever consider

how far he'd have to travel and how much he'd suffer?

Even the shoes you casually gifted him were a size too small.

I noticed Zheng Shu was perfectly dressed thanks to your care,

so I know you can be thoughtful.

You just won't be thoughtful when it comes to His Lordship.

Since that's the case,

from this day forward, I alone will take care of his daily needs.

Enough!

How could you understand my care for Zhonglin?

You… Get out!

Mother, please rest well.

My lady.

YUJUN, WEI STATE

WEI MANSION, WEI STATE

Go find something fragrant for me.

We just returned from the execution ground.

We're covered in the stench of blood.

Someone doesn't like that smell.

It's better to avoid trouble.

Yes.

No need to rush, my lady.

There's no telling when His Lordship will return.

It's fine.

Just a few more stitches.

I want to finish it before he departs tomorrow.

In that case,

let me help you finish it.

No need to fuss over trifles when time is so short.

Since I've promised Mother to treat him with sincerity,

I mustn't be negligent.

How about this?

Go prepare a meal first.

If His Lordship doesn't return tonight,

choose a few of his favorites and deliver them to him.

Tell him to take care of himself.

Yes, my lady.

- What is this? - They're rose petals.

If you find it unsuitable, I'll go replace them.

No need.

Roses may have thorns,

but they're fragrant and sweet.

My lord, you're back.

I've had food prepared.

Would you like to eat with me?

Do as you see fit.

That day, I was just startled,

not afraid of you.

Why bring that up? I didn't take it to heart.

I know what kind of man you are.

Even in the most perilous moments, you never forced me.

However,

that day wasn't your fault.

Why blame yourself?

I never blamed myself.

Reconstructing the canal is indeed important.

But you had made the arrangements clear

back when we were in Panyi.

This time, it's just a formality.

You're a noble.

Normally…

I know you're eloquent.

Now, let's eat.

What's this?

I noticed your belt was getting old,

so…

You made this yourself?

I was in a rush.

It's not very good.

That's true.

This pair of mandarin ducks

looks like two ducks.

It's not that bad.

Besides, they aren't mandarin ducks.

They're phoenixes.

You can't even recognize phoenixes, yet you dare criticize me?

That's why your needlework is poor.

Who would guess these were phoenixes?

When you're bored at home,

you should improve your needlework.

Yes, my lord.

If you don't mind,

would you try the size?

It's just a belt.

There's no need to try it on.

I'll try it later.

Let's eat.

WEI MANSION

WEI MANSION

Whenever you have something on your mind,

you always ask me to keep you company.

But today,

I truly can't drink this tea.

You may skip the tea,

but I still need to trouble you for some advice.

Are you trying to ask about Her Ladyship?

How did you know?

She also came to see me a few days ago.

What did you tell her?

Since you and she are husband and wife,

you are the closest of kin.

In that case,

why scheme against each other?

Then from now on,

I will never hurt her again.

But the Qiao clan's crimes

are unforgivable.

Yes, put it here.

Hurry up there.

Put it here.

Hurry up.

That cart. Get everything done as soon as possible.

GOVERNMENT OFFICE

Hurry up. Move faster.

What's going on?

My lord, the commoners have come to see you off.

See me off?

You're personally going to inspect the canal work.

We should handle it properly

so everyone can see that you love the people.

When are you leaving? We'll see you off.

Do you want me to leave?

No.

You're going far away, so we're going to see you off.

The wine is here! The wine is here!

The wine is here! The wine is here!

The wine is here, my lord.

The wine is here.

If you're so happy,

you should

go by yourself.

My lord, I didn't say I was happy.

It's the perfect opportunity for you to get some real experience.

I'm still young, my lord.

I've never handled a task on my own. I'm not good enough for this.

Go through it once and you'll grow.

It's settled then.

Yes.

Want to go too?

- No. - We're mature enough.

That's right.

My lord, Her Ladyship sent this belt and some dessert

for you to eat on the road.

I'll take the belt.

Take this. Eat it on the way.

My lord, Her Ladyship prepared it for you.

Why don't you come with me?

You take it. I'll go home for a warm meal.

Bye.

Go as instructed.

It means His Lordship values you and wants to train you.

Go on.

Wait for me to return.

Do your best.

I'm starving.

Let's eat together.

Chunniang, set another place at the table.

Yes.

Was the food I sent not to your liking?

It's not that.

I've sent Wei Duo to supervise the canal repairs.

He took the dessert to eat on the journey.

It seems your cold is already cured.

Just stay home and rest.

Don't rush around and exhaust yourself.

You're the most thoughtful

and smooth-tongued

in the entire household.

You flatter me, my lord.

By the way,

Grandmother's birthday is coming up soon.

Mother has handled it every year,

but she can't do it this time.

You should handle it.

DANJUN, BIANZHOU

SU EHUANG LADY OF BIANZHOU

CHEN XIANG GOVERNOR OF BIANZHOU

How could you stand by and watch

the Qiao clan's flag rise over Boya?

You even lost Xiaogang too.

You were once a famed general,

yet you lost to a mere groom.

How humiliating!

My lord,

I failed in my duty.

Please punish me.

Darling, don't get upset. It's not good for your health.

Right now, we need capable people.

Why not

set this matter aside for now

and give him a chance to redeem himself?

Thank you, my lord.

Thank you, my lady.

Here.

Now that Wei and Yanzhou have formed an alliance,

this won't be easy.

Since Li Su died in battle,

Bianzhou has lacked good generals.

Our forces can't match Wei's strength.

We shouldn't engage them head-on for now.

You're wise, my lady.

I've carried an empress's fate since birth.

A seer once said

I'd marry the ruler of the Central Plains.

Naturally, I must be able to assist him.

You are remarkable.

It's me who's not good enough

to be your husband.

How could you be so pessimistic?

Though I've married you,

I haven't had any children.

I was thinking

that if we could adopt a child

who's both talented and handsome

and have you raise him,

it might ease your burdens sooner.

That doesn't matter.

I have Uncle's support now.

Xiang.

Uncle.

Greetings, my lord.

Darling.

Are you feeling better now?

I've sent people to other places in search of physicians skilled in treating coughs.

CHEN PANG PREFECT OF DANJUN

They should arrive soon.

Uncle,

with my wife caring for me,

you don't need to worry too much.

Ever since Lady Su married you,

Bianzhou has suffered defeat after defeat,

and our influence is fading by the day.

Now, even you have fallen ill.

I must ask.

Lady Su, is your forehead mark

meant to bring fortune to Bianzhou, or disaster?

You make a fair point.

SU ZIXIN SU EHUANG'S COUSIN

Ehuang.

Has the governor agreed to the adoption?

It's still under discussion.

But the envoy from Wushan mentioned this specifically.

So what?

Did he refuse?

He's seriously ill.

What if…

Nothing will happen to him.

What we should worry about now is Chen Pang.

Though he's my husband's uncle,

he's never respected me

and keeps challenging my empress's fate.

Keep an eye on Lady Su.

If she shows any sign of disloyalty to Bianzhou,

report to me at once.

Yes.

My lady,

we can't mess up Lady Xu's birthday banquet.

But we don't know a thing about it.

What do we do?

We may not know,

but there are those who do.

My lady,

the banquet arrangements

have mostly followed your instructions.

There are a few small issues though.

Do you want them done differently this year?

Go away.

Don't bother me.

Put the preparations on hold.

You may go.

Yes. I'll take my leave.

It took me a long time

to figure out just a fraction of Mother's preferences.

She's new here.

How can she know better than me?

Fine.

Let her handle it

so she can get a taste of the hardship I once endured.

My lady, there's no need to fret.

She's only been here a short while.

She definitely doesn't know much.

Let her take charge.

If anything goes wrong, it won't be our fault.

We'll get to relax.

Here, have some tea.

Greetings, Mother.

You've served Grandmother for years.

Surely, no one knows her preferences better than you.

Of course.

I've just joined the family and know very little.

So, I'd like to learn from you.

BANQUET PROCEDURES

What do you want to learn from me?

You're clever-tongued

and good with words and deeds.

What could I possibly teach you?

I'm someone meticulous.

Mother,

the reason the banquet was entrusted to me

was that His Lordship feared it'd tire you out.

If the banquet goes poorly,

Grandmother won't be pleased and none of us will be at ease.

At least you know your place.

Besides, many members of the clan will attend.

If things aren't arranged properly,

it'll bring shame to His Lordship's name.

That won't do.

Exactly.

So, I'd be grateful if you could tell me

the usual procedures from past years.

I'll be sure to tell His Lordship and Grandmother

it's thanks to your guidance.

If things go well,

you'll be praised for teaching me well.

If they don't,

I'll shoulder the blame myself.

Here.

Then follow this.

Don't give those clan members any reason to look down on us.

And also,

make sure that man doesn't steal Zhonglin's thunder.

That man.

That man?

That would be His Lordship's cousin,

Mr. Wei.

They say he's the illegitimate son of His Lordship's aunt and a servant.

Though his birth is dubious,

he bears the surname of the late lord.

Lady Xu adores him.

He only established his residence in later years.

I heard from Wei Liang

that Mr. Wei's been traveling nonstop these years.

He only sends gifts back during holidays.

He didn't even make it back for your wedding.

So I should call him "Cousin" like my husband does.

What kind of man is he?

Mr. Wei has been wild from a young age,

always carousing in taverns and brothels.

Rumor has it that half the women here have ties with him.

If he returns to Yujun,

the men here had better watch out.

No wonder.

The women on the streets

have been wearing heavier makeup lately.

Mr. Wei, what new fancy things have you brought this time?

Just the things you love.

Mr. Wei, come and join us!

Get the drinks and dishes ready. I'll be there soon.

- Don't forget! - Yes!

They say he doesn't just flirt outside.

He's got a harem at home too.

He's a total playboy.

Luckily, he rarely stays at the mansion.

Out of ten days, he'll spend seven in brothels and taverns,

and only three at home.

Two sprouts from the same field,

two men from the same house.

Luckily, His Lordship isn't like him.

He's truly different.

Forget it. Let's not gossip.

The less we deal with him, the less trouble we'll have.

Let's just focus on preparing the banquet.

Yes.

GOVERNMENT OFFICE

He's back. He's back.

Mr. Wei.

Lady Xu sent us to welcome you home.

Greetings, Mr. Wei.

Welcome back.

WEI YAN WEI SHAO'S COUSIN

You haven't changed a bit in these three years.

What miracle elixir did you take?

Mr. Wei, please don't tease me.

Lady Xu's waiting for you.

It's my fault for keeping her waiting.

I'll go in right away to apologize.

Yes, I'll go inform Lady Xu now.

Mother,

something must be holding Shiyuan up.

No use getting anxious.

He came back for my birthday.

If you can't wait, you're free to go.

Grandmother.

Grandmother.

Your unfilial grandson is back.

Greetings, Grandmother.

Hurry, hurry. Get up.

Let me take a look at you.

You've gotten thinner

and more worn out.

Many young ladies say I'm as handsome as ever,

yet I can't win your favor.

You must've seen many charming young men while I was away these past three years.

Still the same smooth talker.

The same smooth talker.

Smooth talker.

How is your health?

Everything's good.

Greetings, Aunt.

Zhonglin,

how have you been?

Everything is fine.

I heard you married an extremely pretty wife.

Why didn't you bring her to meet me?

Shiyuan is talking nonsense again.

Lady Qiao's been busy preparing Grandmother's birthday banquet.

I'll bring her to greet you later.

Good thing you mentioned the banquet.

Come.

I've brought gifts for all our relatives.

These are for you.

Wait.

I've also got something for you two.

Here.

This is for you.

This one's for you.

Thank you, Grandmother.

Open them.

This is a pair of rough jade

given to me by your grandfather when I married him.

Today,

I'm passing them on to you two.

- Thank you, Grandmother. - Thank you.

It's a precious gift.

Keep it well.

- Mother just dotes on Shiyuan. - We will.

Even Zhonglin benefits from it.

Shiyuan, while you were away,

your grandmother didn't even give away a stone,

let alone rough jade, right?

I'm in a good mood today.

Don't push it.

Have a seat.

All right.

Make sure all gifts from the states and prefectures are recorded properly.

Every item must be matched with the sender.

No mistakes are allowed.

Rest assured, we will, my lady.

- My lord. - My lord.

Have you picked a birthday gift for Grandmother?

I've been looking, but haven't found the right one.

Take a look at this.

It's rough jade.

It was a treasure of Grandmother's, but she gave it to me today.

It wouldn't be proper for me to keep it,

so find a skilled artisan to make it into an accessory.

We'll give it back to her as a birthday gift.

I've never seen rough jade before,

but this looks pure and translucent.

It's surely fine material.

How about a jade bangle?

Grandmother would definitely love it.

I'll leave it to you.

Thank you for solving my problem.

When did I solve your problem?

I'm doing this to please Grandmother. Don't get the wrong idea.

I have other matters to attend to. I'm leaving.

Why such a strong denial?

Hello, sir.

Hi, Miss Xiaotao.

I have a big order for you today.

Make a bangle for our lady.

Greetings, my lady.

Wow.

Such fine quality.

I was lucky to see this once when I was still an apprentice.

See?

You really haven't seen much of the world.

My lady, are you keeping it or giving it as a gift?

What style do you want?

It's a gift for an elder at home.

Please carve a blessing bangle

featuring the dragon and phoenix.

I'll have to give it some thought.

Be careful. Don't drop it.

Be careful.

I told you not to drop it.

I'm terribly sorry. Please forgive me, my lady.

All right. Check if the crack affects the pattern.

The pattern Your Ladyship wants is delicate.

A crack this big won't do.

How could you do that?

That guy should be blamed too. How could he ride in the street right now?

What a waste.

It's really my fault.

I'm sorry.

Please allow me

to make it up to you.

Come inside and fix it then.

You're kind not to mind, but I can't let it slide.

Let me see.

It's top-quality jade.

It'll be a pity to waste such fine material.

Let me think.

Since it's a gift for an elder,

the lotus Buddha design, while not as intricate as the dragon and phoenix,

carries a meaning of blessing.

It might make up for it.

Looks good.

Sir, please take care.

Watch it closely. Don't drop it again.

Be careful this time.

Thanks for the advice, sir.

No problem.

I just happen to have a new hairpin ready that needs to go with a high-hair bun.

If you want to thank me,

please try it on.

You're stunning.

This hairpin

would suit you perfectly.

Do you think it would suit me?

If the lady isn't interested,

I won't insist.

Mr. Wei, goodbye.

Wei?

Which Wei?

How many Weis are there in Yujun?

That was Mr. Wei?

A real rake.

I heard that as soon as he arrived in Yujun,

he took many concubines.

WEI YAN'S MANSION, WEI STATE

Mr. Wei is kind and easy to get along with.

But when you serve him at the mansion, you must be extra careful.

This isn't a tavern.

He doesn't like flashy or vulgar things,

so you need to pay attention to your clothes and makeup.

- Understand? - Mr. Wei is back.

Mr. Wei is back.

Mr. Wei is back.

Take them to their rooms. I'll go greet Mr. Wei.

Yes.

Please follow me.

LANYUN, SINGER

Let's go.

What's this?

My lady.

Isn't this an orchid from Yanzhou?

Yes.

Mr. Wei brought gifts for all his relatives.

Knowing that you've been in Yujun for a while

and might feel homesick,

he had someone pick out three pots of orchids for you

when passing through Yanzhou.

Unfortunately, two pots died on the bumpy road,

and only this last one remains,

so I'm here to present it to you.

Please pass on my gratitude to him.

Yes.

It looks like he picked it carefully.

Such a plant is rare

even in the whole of Yanzhou.

The flowers are nice,

but he's not so great.

Many rich young masters have strange quirks.

A man like His Lordship is rare.

Find a good gardener to care for it.

All right.

WEI MANSION, WEI STATE

Okay, I'll record it later.

Then I'll take my leave.

Done. Go then.

Aunt sent a pair of white jade bangles.

Let me put them here.

Among so many birthday gifts,

our bangle is the most beautiful.

Of course.

Don't talk nonsense.

The gifts from the states are all excellent,

but our rough jade was truly precious,

so the bangle we made is even more exquisite.

It's obvious that His Lordship wants to gain favor for you

in front of Lady Xu.

He just wants to please Grandmother.

Are all the gifts for the birthday here?

Yes, right here.

Her Ladyship is here.

- Put the gifts on the shelf… - Her Ladyship?

Lady Qiao is here?

I'm Zhonglin's cousin.

Sorry for the trouble today.

Zhonglin will introduce me later, and then I'll formally greet you.

You must be Mr. Wei.

I haven't thanked you for the orchids yet.

It's nothing.

Don't mention it.

Well,

I'll just

leave this…

I'll just leave this…

here.

Make sure to take it when you leave.

Grandmother's birthday banquet is a big event.

Everyone here must be checked.

If anything happens, you'll be held responsible.

Understood. Thanks for the reminder.

Let's go.

- What's wrong? - The box for the bangle is missing.

I just put it here a moment ago.

Where did you put it?

Did you put it away and forget?

I put it right here.

Keep looking.

Maybe you put it somewhere else.

I just put it right there.

Did you find it?

No.

The bangle is gone. This is definitely our fault.

Please punish us, my lady.

But everyone who went in and out today was carefully checked.

No one could've hidden anything.

I even checked the bangle myself.

After that, Mr. Wei came in.

Did you search Mr. Wei

and everyone who came after?

Yes, we searched them all.

Mr. Wei even told us not to slack off.

My lady, please believe us.

We would never be negligent.

Enough, stop talking.

This is the last thing we want to see.

My lady,

this was a birthday gift prepared by His Lordship for Lady Xu.

If it's blamed on us,

what will we do?

Maybe

we should keep quiet for a while.

Losing it is already a fault.

If we lie about it, it will only make things worse.

I didn't do my job well.

Please punish me.

What's going on?

Get up and explain.

What's wrong?

The bangle for Grandmother

is missing.

What happened?

The storeroom was checked thoroughly.

No one took it out without permission.

The guards were on duty at the door.

No one left with it.

But the bangle is missing.

Everyone in the mansion now knows you are going to give Grandmother a bangle,

yet it's missing at this moment.

If Grandmother is disappointed,

it's all my fault.

Please punish me.

It's not so serious.

Don't worry. The storeroom is guarded.

It couldn't have gone missing.

Tomorrow, we'll search more carefully.

Besides, so what if it's lost?

Don't dwell on it.

Oh, I have something to do at the office.

I need to go out.

Did His Lordship just scold you?

Why does he look so unconcerned?

Cousin.

What's going on? Why the panic?

Give me the rough jade you got from Grandmother.

Don't you have one yourself?

I do,

but I had someone make it into a bangle.

I wanted to give it to Grandmother as a gift,

but I lost it.

Lost it?

Who was responsible?

Lady Qiao.

She's the Lady of Wei,

yet she can't handle such a small thing?

No, she's normally careful,

but this time…

It was really an accident.

Now, you're just covering for her.

Listen to me.

Do you know how important this is?

Enough, just give it to me. I need it now.

Hurry.

Wait.

You're taking my jade

to make a bangle and fix Lady Qiao's mistake,

so we need to recalculate the accounts.

Close kin don't keep score,

right?

No, no. Look.

You're taking my jade to make a bangle, so I won't get it back.

Lady Qiao said the bangle might not be lost.

When we find it, we'll return it.

This must be investigated seriously.

Go ahead.

JADE ARTIFACTS

Who's there?

How strange.

How could things go missing in our own house?

Was there a thief?

Lady Qiao, are you here?

Cousin.

Please forgive me for coming uninvited.

I heard that Zhonglin's precious bangle was lost yesterday.

I happened to be at the storeroom too,

so I wanted to help you search.

Thanks a lot, cousin.

Lady Qiao, don't worry.

This mansion is heavily guarded.

Such an important item can't get lost.

Maybe it was

accidentally left somewhere.

Lady Qiao, take a look. Is this the bangle?

This is it.

Where did you find it?

In that ceramic jar over there.

See? I told you it wouldn't be lost.

Maybe someone bumped it off.

The rough jade used to make this was top quality,

and it was a gift from Grandmother.

If I'd lost this through carelessness, I'd have felt terribly guilty.

Thank you

for your help today.

No problem.

The rough jade

was a gift from Grandfather to Grandmother when she married him.

It really is precious material.

Grandmother gave it to Zhonglin, so you can imagine the meaning behind it.

From now on, you must be extra careful and not make any more mistakes.

You're right.

The rough jade

is truly a rare treasure.

Even in Yujun,

it's unique.

That means

you must have recognized it

at the jewelry shop that day

and figured out who I was.

You really are clever.

If you knew who I was,

why still pretend in front of me?

They say the twin belles of Yanzhou are stunning.

I just wanted to see for myself…

and judge for myself.

What can you do to me?