Original subtitles

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

There's Lady Yulou.

So noble.

YUJUN

- Lady Yulou. - Lady Yulou.

Sorry to keep you waiting.

This is my cousin, Su Xin. His courtesy name is Zixin.

These are generals Wei Liang and Wei Qu.

Say hi to both generals.

Nice to meet you.

To make it in time for Great-aunt's 60th birthday,

I came in a hurry lest I cause trouble.

I didn't expect the Lord of Wei to send you two to receive me outside the city.

I don't deserve this.

Lady Yulou, you're too kind.

It's getting late.

Let me escort you into the city.

What a beautiful carriage.

Who's inside?

That's Lady Yulou's carriage.

The legendary Lady Yulou?

The one with the peony mark?

Lady Su of Wushan.

Her fate is exceptional. She was born noble.

No wonder the generals came to welcome her.

She really is a beauty.

So lovely.

They try to imitate you,

but they can never succeed.

So many believe in fate,

but how many understand

that nothing comes easily in this world?

Even gifts from heaven

require one's own effort.

What I have today

was not easily earned.

The foolish believe

that they can obtain your empress's fate by painting on a huadian.

But they don't know that fate is hard to change.

You've borne the destiny of the Su clan of Wushan since childhood.

Guided by great scholars,

your vision is extraordinary.

How could common women ever compare?

That's not entirely fair.

If I fail to break the Qiao-Wei alliance on this trip,

then in my husband's eyes,

I'll be no different from those common women.

Is this the place the Lord of Wei has arranged for us to stay in?

Yes.

This is the best post house in Yujun.

YUJUN POST HOUSE, WEI STATE

Lady Yulou, are you dissatisfied?

Not at all.

This place,

peaceful amidst the bustle,

is just what I wanted.

The Lord of Wei is thoughtful.

Lady Xu said you've had a long journey

and may rest here first.

No need to rush to the mansion.

This…

Didn't you say the Lord of Wei would have us stay at the mansion?

Why is it the post house instead?

It must be Lady Qiao's idea.

Gorgeous huadian!

Once you put it on, you'll meet a man in one day

get married in three days,

and find a devoted man in ten days.

ROUGE

Gentlemen,

buy one for the lady at home.

This is the hottest trend in Yujun right now.

I don't need that to win a girl's heart.

Let's go.

- Give me the most popular one. - Sure.

- How much? - Three wen.

Do you really believe what that seller says?

Xiaotao surely doesn't want something like that.

She won't like it.

Don't talk nonsense.

It's not for Xiaotao.

Can't I wear it myself?

What's wrong, Duang?

Here, take this.

This…

Why do you have one too?

Girls in Yujun now love this huadian.

After I escorted Lady Yulou,

I picked one up for you on my way back.

Why do girls like this kind of thing now?

Who says we do?

Whoever wants this cheap stuff can have it.

All right, all right.

Don't pick it up.

Okay, I won't.

I get it. You don't want it.

Why are you angry?

What do you know?

Let me ask you something.

Answer me honestly.

I heard that Lady Yulou was almost betrothed to the Wei family.

Is it true?

Yes.

Does she like it or doesn't she?

My lady,

Lady Yulou has come to pay her respects.

- Let her in. - Yes.

Ask Lady Zhu to come and meet our guest.

Yes.

Grandmother, you have a guest.

I'll take my leave.

You stay.

It's fine.

By seniority,

she should call me Great-aunt.

When she was young,

we were very close.

Sure.

Greetings, Great-aunt.

Get up.

Take a seat.

Thank you, Great-aunt.

I heard your husband is gravely ill.

I'm only celebrating a birthday,

yet you came all this way.

Great-aunt,

though I am the Lady of Bianzhou,

I'm bound by many constraints,

walking on thin ice.

I often recall my childhood

when you were always so kind to me.

This year, I missed you too much,

so I came in haste.

I only hope

I haven't disturbed your peace.

If you're here to unwind,

then stay and relax.

Thank you, Great-aunt.

This is Lady Qiao, Zhonglin's wife.

She's excellent at managing the household.

I've long heard the Lady of Wei is as radiant as the sun.

Now that I've met you,

I see that you're truly captivating.

I was caught up chatting with Great-aunt.

Sorry for neglecting you.

Please

accept my apology.

I hope we can spend more time together

so today's meeting won't be in vain.

You're too kind, Lady Yulou. I feel the same.

No need to be so formal.

I grew up with the Lord of Wei.

You can just call me Ehuang.

You're now the Lady of Bianzhou.

I'm still young.

I dare not lose decorum.

It's only proper to address you as Lady Yulou.

You're a Qiao, even more noble than I am.

Lord Qiao's reputation for benevolence is known throughout the land.

I spoke out of turn.

Great-aunt, please forgive me.

My lady,

Lady Zhu is here.

Greetings, Mother.

Ehuang,

long time no see.

You look more and more blessed.

As expected of the Lady of Bianzhou.

You flatter me.

When we parted ways in Yujun,

I didn't expect to only see you again now.

You always treated me like your daughter.

In Bianzhou,

I often thought back to those times

and couldn't help but weep.

Back then, I had no choice.

Look at me,

chatting on and almost forgetting the main reason I came.

Great-aunt,

I heard Rongjun is suffering famine

so I brought some grain along with me

as a gift for your birthday.

I hope you won't find it unworthy.

Grain is no trivial matter.

This must be decided by Zhonglin.

He'll accept it.

They grew up together, after all.

Ehuang,

you're so thoughtful toward Zhonglin.

How touching.

This is what family means.

Enough with the chatter.

Grandmother, you must be tired.

I'll take my leave and serve you another day.

You're thoughtful.

Everyone should go rest now.

Yes.

My lady,

Lady Yulou looks much healthier than before.

Yet, she claimed she was constrained and had a hard time in Bianzhou.

She used to care for His Lordship meticulously.

I once thought she had feelings for him.

Who would've thought she'd marry the Lord of Bianzhou

just a couple of years after the Xindu incident?

She was planning for her future.

There's nothing wrong with that.

I guess she and I

just weren't fated.

I find the Lady of Wei

quite clever and capable.

You've worked hard for years.

You can finally enjoy some peace.

Peace?

That's not in my fate.

I only hope Lady Qiao lets me live a quiet life.

Why do you say that?

Just now,

I saw how much Great-aunt favored her.

I thought…

If you saw it in one day,

you can imagine how things usually are for me.

Mother is always overbearing.

Lady Qiao acts all delicate.

But she even fooled Zhonglin

into driving Chuyu out of the house.

Now, the two of them stand united.

I'm the only outsider…

in this home.

Why doesn't Zhonglin speak up for you?

He's busy.

He was fixing the Yongning Canal,

and now he's working on the canal for Rongjun.

I can't help with those things.

I just try not to add to his burdens.

Only a mother thinks this way for her son.

No one else would.

That's true.

You understand me best.

If only you could stay longer this time,

so we could have a proper talk.

You just said the Lord of Wei

was working on a canal for Rongjun.

Didn't the canal between Xindu and Panyi just get completed?

Why the rush to divert water to Rongjun?

Are there some problems?

Maybe I can help.

I heard Rongjun suffered from drought.

Yanzhou is sending wheat seeds,

so they need the canal.

What can we women do about these things?

I suggested to Lady Yulou

that she meet you at the office,

but she insisted on coming here.

It's fine.

Lady Yulou.

Long time no see.

You're now the Lord of Wei.

Do you remember?

In the past, you and Bogong and I

used to play in this very courtyard.

We were so carefree and happy.

After so many years,

this place has fallen into disrepair,

yet standing here,

it feels like just yesterday.

Yes.

It truly does.

Though I was born in Wushan,

my happiest childhood days were spent with you guys.

Now, returning to Wei

feels almost like coming home.

Indeed.

Wei can be considered your second home.

The day I arrived at the mansion,

I learned the Lady of Wei has been taking care of Great-aunt

and managing the household meticulously.

Lady Qiao is gentle and considerate,

kind and wise.

She must've put in so much effort.

Yes.

She has worked hard.

More than just hard.

It pains me to think of it.

I heard Lady Qiao was much loved at home,

never having to worry about anything,

yet she's here now,

handling so much.

Zhonglin,

here's a piece of advice.

Managing the household is hard enough.

Don't make Lady Qiao worry

about the grudges and political affairs

between the Qiao and Wei clans anymore.

BIRTHDAY BANQUET GUEST LIST

I can't stop wondering.

Why did Lady Yulou suddenly show up after all these years of absence?

Could you explain further?

She came with grain.

She must have a purpose.

I've already asked Uncle for seeds.

If His Lordship accepts her grain now,

it'll be an embarrassment to Yanzhou.

I know Rongjun is in drought,

and Yanzhou offering seeds was Lady Qiao's way

of easing the tension between the two clans.

Still, we can't rule out the ill intent of the Qiao clan.

This time, I came

not just to celebrate Great-aunt's birthday,

but also to do my part to help Wei.

I brought grain to help Rongjun through the drought.

This batch of grain is not from Wushan

or Bianzhou.

It's simply a gift from me personally.

Please don't feel pressured.

If Yanzhou and Wei join hands to open the canal in Rongjun,

they'll be surrounding Bianzhou.

How can Bianzhou stand by and watch?

That's why Chen Xiang sent Lady Yulou as a mediator

to stop Wei from building the canal in Rongjun.

The canal work is a political matter.

Now that you are the Lady of Bianzhou,

it's no longer appropriate for us to discuss politics.

Therefore, I can't accept your grain.

Rongjun's drought has drawn support from many prefectures.

Besides,

I can't betray

the Qiao-Wei alliance.

I see.

I didn't consider it thoroughly.

I'll take my leave.

Zhonglin.

Wei Liang

humiliated me

with such a cheap gift.

Stop laughing.

My lady,

Lady Yulou and His Lordship were almost betrothed.

So what?

So what? Well…

We just got rid of Zheng Shu,

and now Lady Yulou shows up.

How are you supposed to live in peace?

If I spend every day dwelling on his old flings,

then life will truly become unlivable.

Anyway,

I heard that Lady Yulou

asked to see His Lordship.

Who knows what it'll be like when old lovers reunite?

After Bogong passed away,

I married the Lord of Bianzhou.

Do you still resent me for it?

I was just a girl back then.

It wasn't what I wanted.

I was forced into it.

Let's not speak of the past anymore.

Now…

I only wish you

endless good fortune.

My lord.

My lord.

Oh, you like this kind of thing?

In that case,

I'll take you to the streets later and buy you more in other styles.

You're busy with affairs of state.

How could I trouble you with my concerns?

Besides,

I've hated flashy things like this since I was a child.

Help His Lordship change.

No need.

You may leave.

- Yes. - Yes.

What happened?

The Lord of Wei rejected free grain?

He's distancing himself from me

because I'm the Lady of Bianzhou.

The Qiao clan of Yanzhou sends wheat seeds

to celebrate Lady Xu's birthday.

GRAIN

If the Lord of Wei is wary of you,

Ehuang,

how will you make your next move?

If I can't act freely,

then Lady Qiao, as the daughter of his enemy,

is in an even worse position.

The Lord of Wei remembers the past

and holds grudges.

When my betrothal was on the table,

if the Qiao clan hadn't broken their word,

and if tragedy hadn't struck the Wei clan,

Bogong wouldn't have…

The Su clan wouldn't have sent me to Bianzhou.

I've never forgotten that grudge.

The Lord of Wei wouldn't forget either.

In that case,

Ehuang,

what should we do now?

The canal is for the seeds,

and the Lord of Wei rejected my grain because of the seeds.

If something happens to the seeds…

Don't forget.

We still have one hidden piece to play.

GRANARY, QIAO

GRAIN

Then I'll trouble you, Mr. Wei.

There's no need for such formality.

I should be the one thanking Yanzhou for aiding Rongjun.

It's what we should do.

Mr. Wei, the wheat has been weighed. Please take a look.

Make sure it's well-guarded.

Yes.

As expected of someone from Wei Mansion.

If she had better clothes,

her bearing and looks would match any noble lady.

What a pity.

To help you, I must do this.

I didn't mean to offend you.

I'm new to Yujun and not yet familiar with the area.

May I ask you

for directions?

Where do you want to go?

Do you know the way to Wei Mansion?

Wei Mansion?

- You're going to see the Lord of Wei? - Yes.

Who are you?

Ma'am,

this gentleman is the young master of the Su clan of Wushan.

He came to offer birthday wishes to Lady Xu.

Oh, you're a noble guest.

I'm Su Xin.

My courtesy name is Zixin.

You look so lovely.

Which heartless husband

would let you labor out here alone?

The route to the mansion isn't far, but it is a bit tricky.

If you don't mind,

I'll go home and get changed

and then guide you there.

I would love that.

Here.

Take this umbrella.

Thank you, sir.

Ehuang, I've got her.

Chuyu was beaten by her in-laws?

Hurry and bring her here. I need to ask about it.

But Lady Xu said she wasn't allowed in the house.

Bring her to the outer courtyard.

Just don't let Lady Xu find out.

You…

I'm going now.

Where is Mother going so early?

My lady.

My lady.

The guest list is ready.

No need to consult Lady Zhu.

My lady.

Here are ritual records of birthday banquets in Yujun,

family genealogy, guest list records,

and family gathering records.

They're all for your reference.

Thank you.

Can I take these back with me?

Of course. But there's no need to carry them.

His Lordship said you could use the study.

If you need any books or records, just ask me.

His Lordship prepared these?

Yes.

GUEST LIST

What does he mean by this?

Maybe he's afraid I'll ruin the banquet and embarrass him.

Or maybe he genuinely cares about you.

Chuyu.

Let me look.

Aunt,

please save me.

Come on, get up.

What happened to your face?

Get up now.

They accused me of being indecent with another man

but the truth is that gambler squandered my dowry

and wanted more money from you.

Aunt,

the marriage Lady Xu arranged for me

has caused me great hardship.

My life hasn't been easy either.

If it weren't for Lady Qiao,

you would have had everything you wanted.

It looks like

to make this work,

we need Lady Qiao to slip up

so you can have the upper hand.

Mother supports her now.

What can I do?

There might be a way,

but it depends on you.

GRANARY

Greetings, Mr. Wei.

Anything unusual regarding the granary today?

All is as usual,

please rest assured.

GRANARY

Ehuang, it's done.

A grand birthday celebration

needs to be livelier.

I've heard

that Lady Yulou is gifted in music.

Would I be lucky enough

to enjoy a performance today?

The Lord of Wei has heard me sing.

You may ask him.

Shiyuan,

Lady Yulou is noble now.

She's no longer someone

you can joke with like before.

I only hoped

her singing might entertain you

on this special day.

How do you plan to entertain me yourself?

Shiyuan,

why not perform a sword dance?

I can sing along.

What do you think?

That'll be wonderful.

It'll be great.

Sounds good.

The graceful grass

Stands alone yet captivating

My longing for it

Twists into the night

The graceful grass

Carries my distant yearning

My honest husband

Truly worries me

Bravo!

How beautiful!

Beautiful!

Mr. Wei is truly charming.

You're hiding such talent.

If you were on the battlefield,

you'd be a mighty warrior for sure.

Indeed.

Your voice is like that of a goddess.

Thank you, Great-aunt.

Grandmother,

may you live long with endless blessings

and everlasting health and peace.

Mother, you must be in high spirits today.

Shiyuan performed,

Lady Qiao gave a thoughtful gift,

and I heard that Yanzhou also sent a generous gift.

Grandmother has seen it.

Yanzhou sent winter wheat seeds.

Just seeds?

Winter wheat is the foundation of Yanzhou's prosperity.

Giving this shows great sincerity.

It's the best birthday gift I could receive.

It's just winter wheat.

Is it really that special?

You didn't seem interested in this before.

Zhonglin, what are you doing?

I…

Want to use the restroom?

Go on then.

This child…

Mother, I mean no offense.

I'm just curious.

Since we're all here,

why not have Lady Qiao bring out the seeds

for everyone to see?

Right?

- Yes. - Great.

Let's see them.

We want to see what winter wheat is like.

Grandmother. Mother.

These are the wheat seeds from Yanzhou.

Please have a look.

This winter wheat is an improved strain.

It's planted in the autumn equinox

and harvested in the fifth month of the next year.

It's perfect for easing food shortages in early summer.

But winter wheat has always been exclusive to Yanzhou.

Yanzhou produces and sells it,

but never gives away seeds.

This time,

on Grandmother's birthday,

Yanzhou shares them

in the hope

of standing together with Wei through thick and thin.

What's that smell?

Could it be mold?

Yes.

How dare you?!

I want to ask you today.

What exactly is your family up to?

Fourteen years ago,

you broke your word on the battlefield

and caused enough misery to our family.

How dare you present these rotten seeds as a gift?

Take them away!

Mother,

I personally inspected

these seeds.

Every single one was carefully selected.

This concerns an alliance between our families

and the lives of our people.

The Qiao clan would never treat it lightly.

From what I see,

each grain is full and intact.

They're not rotten.

Though the seeds aren't rotten,

they're floating.

They're cooked!

Cooked!

They're cooked!

How could they be cooked?

They're truly cooked.

Cooked seeds?

How can cooked seeds be planted?

Let me see.

It's hard to tell if they're raw seeds.

If the people plant them

and they don't sprout,

they'll blame themselves for not tending the fields properly.

Then they'll miss the planting season,

and the famine will be even worse than this year.

People live on food.

Everyone, they must hate us deeply.

Exactly.

What were they thinking?

Seeds that won't grow.

What a malicious scheme.

It looks like Yanzhou's seeds are here

to cause havoc.

We demand an explanation today.

What's going on?

- The seeds are the foundation of a state. - We need an explanation.

Everyone says Yanzhou's seeds are the best.

If they send us duds,

the farmers will suffer.

If the seeds are steamed and dried,

it'll be hard to tell if they're cooked

without careful examination.

We can test them

to find out.

Look. Some are floating.

Look, look.

They're cooked.

That's right.

They're all cooked.

The seeds are all cooked.

That can't be.

My lady, I swear I didn't know.

Grandmother.

Everyone.

My uncle may be foolish,

but this is serious.

He would never risk

the lives of Wei's people.

There must be a misunderstanding.

A misunderstanding?

Good thing there's no war now.

Grain is extremely important in wars.

How would we feed the soldiers and the people without grain?

- The Qiao clan is so vile. - Indeed.

- There will be famine every year. - My lady, what should we do?

Shall I go beg His Lordship?

He might not help us.

It's a plot against our people.

We must get to the bottom of this today.

- We demand an explanation. - We need an answer.

Her Ladyship has always been cautious here

just like me.

How can you gang up on a woman?

How can a lady of the inner chambers

get involved in political affairs?

In my opinion,

it was Qiao Yue who did this.

Grandmother,

perhaps someone plotted to frame us.

Please look into it fairly.

Look into it?

The truth is right before us. Stop trying to deny it.

They might not be seeds from Yanzhou.

They're definitely from Yanzhou.

- Stop denying it. - Exactly.

Yanzhou's envoy presented them.

They must be from Yanzhou.

How wicked.

You tried to use steamed seeds to fool the people!

What are you up to?

This is Grandmother's birthday banquet,

not a place for shouting.

Silence!

Shao, they're all cooked.

I already know.

In that case, punish Lady Wei now.

At Grandmother's birthday banquet,

what a surprise to see a mystery

instead of a puppet show.

Clearly,

someone wants to disgrace our family.

What mystery?

Lady Qiao clearly plotted this.

With bad seeds,

she wants our people to starve.

She ignores the people's suffering.

She's pure evil.

Why are you laughing?

I'm laughing

because I'd believe you

if you told me Lady Qiao wanted to poison my whole family…

but I'd never believe

she'd harm the people.

Get up.

Grandmother,

back in Xindu,

Lady Qiao risked her reputation

to help me win back the people's trust.

The people of Xindu volunteered for labor.

Then in Panyi,

she risked her life

to fight off the Liangya army with me.

Afterward,

using her identity as a Qiao,

she persuaded local experts to help repair the canal.

The Yongning Canal

was revived after 14 years

because of her.

All of you here

drink from your cups,

yet forget who made it possible.

If she wants to harm the people,

she doesn't need to go this far.

She just needs to refuse to help me with the canal.

Therefore,

this must be a setup.

Before entering Yujun,

the seeds must've been weighed.

Dried seeds

are lighter than the raw ones.

So if there was a switch,

we'll know by weighing them.

Guards!

- Yes! - Yes!

Weigh the seeds.

The lady and the lord are of one heart.

She wouldn't betray him.

But if the seeds weren't tampered with before storage,

then the problem lies after.

May I ask

who manages the granary?

Could it be

that someone else is plotting against His Lordship?

According to Lady Yulou,

if it wasn't Lady Qiao,

then it must be Wei Yan.

How interesting.

My lord.

Should we continue with the weighing?

Shao,

if neither Lady Qiao nor Wei Yan is behind this,

you owe us an explanation.

- Exactly. - Yes.

- We must have an answer. - Yes.

How can our people be treated this way?

My lord,

one is your wife and the other is your cousin.

Who will you choose?

Mr. Wei is just His Lordship's cousin, it's not like he's his brother.

You mustn't show favoritism.