Original subtitles

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

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.

Oh! Lady Xu!

Lady Xu has fainted!

- Grandmother! - Lady Xu has fainted!

- Grandmother. - Grandmother.

Grandmother.

- Grandmother. - Mother.

Summon a physician!

- No one here is allowed to leave. - Yes.

- Grandmother. - Mother.

Grandmother.

Are you truly okay?

Where is Shiyuan?

I've placed him and Lady Qiao under separate watch.

Grandmother.

Why do you suspect that Yan did this?

Zhonglin.

I dare not take the risk.

I understand.

You don't want Yan to suffer.

Neither do I.

Even if Yan actually did this,

I will ensure his safety.

Don't worry.

There is something

I must tell you.

Do you know

how our grudge with Bianzhou began?

It was because of my daughter, your aunt Qingyun.

The rumors say

she bore Shiyuan after sleeping with a servant,

but that's not true.

She was assaulted

by Chen Pang from Bianzhou.

Chen Pang?

Yes.

Chen Pang abducted your aunt

when she had just come of age.

Three years later,

your grandfather brought her back.

By then,

she was already carrying Shiyuan.

Are you saying

Yan is Chen Pang's son?

Yes.

After giving birth to Shiyuan,

Qingyun died in despair.

Chen Pang,

to satisfy his own lust,

took my daughter's life.

If I ever have the chance,

I will kill him myself for revenge.

But Shiyuan is Qingyun's flesh and blood.

After much thought,

I decided to claim

that his father died after marrying into our family,

and I raised him myself.

Then

does Yan know the truth?

I've deliberately kept it from him.

But now,

Shiyuan seems to have changed.

It's like he's found something out.

Shiyuan is in charge of the granary.

If there's evidence against him

and it's revealed in front of everyone,

it would mean death.

Even if he made a mistake,

his life must not be forfeited.

Zhonglin.

We must find a solution

that spares both sides.

I'm here.

Where? Hurry!

Why are you all so quiet?

I'm telling you,

whoever I catch

will have to spend the night with me.

Why are you here?

Even though

you're the one I caught today,

I won't waste my time spending the night with you.

Grandmother fainted because of you,

and you didn't even send someone to check on her.

I know full well how she is.

She was just putting on an act.

Don't try to trick me.

Then you should understand why she's doing this.

Yet

you're here drinking with tavern maids

instead of trying to clear your name.

Understand her?

She refused to inspect the seeds

because she suspected me, right?

You stationed

guards here…

because you suspect me too, right?

If I truly wanted to confine you,

would I let you enjoy yourself here with tavern maids?

We're doing this to protect you.

Protect me?

Even you believe I did it.

You'd rather believe a Qiao

than believe me.

What about you?

Do you believe me?

What did I do to upset you?

Are you planning…

to return to Bianzhou?

How did you know?

So it's true.

You've learned of your origins.

Since you know, why didn't you tell me?

We grew up together. I saw you as my real brother.

So what?

I am Chen Pang's son. I belong to Bianzhou.

I don't care who your father is.

You'll always be my cousin.

Aren't you afraid I'll covet your position?

Go ahead.

I'm the one…

who tampered with the seeds.

You wouldn't trust me anyway,

and from now on, you'll all be wary of me.

That's just your groundless guess.

What about Lady Qiao?

Why are you monitoring her letters?

Ehuang.

This plan may be clever,

but if the Lord of Wei investigates further,

it will bring disaster upon us.

This scheme was never flawless.

But what I'm betting on

is the Lord of Wei's affection for his family.

What do you mean?

Would the Lord of Wei investigate his own cousin

for an enemy's daughter?

The Lord of Wei…

may be cold,

but he's always treated family well.

If the investigation threatens his brother,

he won't continue.

His Lordship stationed soldiers here day and night.

We're not allowed to leave.

Our lady has clearly been wronged,

yet there's nothing we can do.

According to the law of Wei,

we're to be executed.

Mother.

Don't say such unlucky things.

It's not about luck.

I'm old.

I don't mind.

But you're still young and beautiful.

Mother.

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.

What's this?

Why have I never seen it before?

This…

Isn't this the bangle you prepared for Lady Xu?

It's not that one,

but the style is the same.

Why does this box look so familiar?

No need to worry about the jade bangle anymore.

I found the jade bangle.

Losing it and getting it back is indeed a blessing.

They're the same.

Even if our bangle hadn't been recovered,

we wouldn't have needed to be afraid.

That bangle was a token from His Lordship and me to Grandmother.

But this bangle is a token from His Lordship to me.

Xiaotao,

grind some ink.

Yes.

Send off this family letter.

Sure.

The seed incident

can be seen as a state affair or a family affair.

But Wei Dian is using it to incite trouble.

My lord,

have you decided whether to investigate it?

If not, Lady Wei will be found guilty.

But if we investigate, and it involves Mr. Wei,

can His Lordship kill his cousin?

My lord,

this is a family letter from Lady Wei to Yanzhou.

Please review it.

She's sending letters at a time like this?

Confiscate it.

Yes.

Wait.

Bring it to me.

I know this puts you in a tough spot.

No matter what you choose,

I won't blame you.

My lord,

shall I still send this letter to Yanzhou?

No need.

This letter is full of nonsense,

rambling and incoherent.

Yes.

I'm heading out.

No need to follow me.

My lord.

There's a lead about what you asked me to check.

Someone did visit the granary,

but there's no official record.

Good.

This must be

thoroughly investigated.

Yes.

Why was it returned?

Even letters can't be sent now?

Wait

for my return tomorrow.

Don't panic.

His Lordship has his plans.

Six dan.

Two dan.

One dan.

My lord.

Based on today's results,

a total of 24 sacks of wheat seed

weighs 21 dan.

Before entering the granary,

it was 24 dan.

The weight doesn't match.

So the Qiao clan didn't do this.

This proves the seeds were tampered with in Yujun.

If so, Mr. Wei should be held responsible.

Will His Lordship sacrifice family for justice?

His Lordship is fair and impartial.

He'd even sacrifice kin to uncover the truth.

Everyone, you're right.

The weight of the seeds

doesn't match before and after storage.

Whoever guarded the granary can't escape blame.

We should punish Wei Yan swiftly

to appease the public.

- Right. - Right.

Shao,

are you trying

to cover up for him?

Lady Qiao is innocent,

but I believe Yan is too.

This matter is riddled with suspicion.

We must continue to investigate.

Until the truth is found,

no one

is allowed to leave Yujun.

His Lordship is taking it seriously.

Could someone else have orchestrated this?

No matter what, none of us can leave Yujun now.

Where did things go wrong?

So Lady Qiao really is innocent.

What did you say?

His Lordship is going to investigate this?

Ehuang, don't worry.

I've taken care of Zheng Shu.

There won't be any evidence

against you.

How did you know His Lordship would return today?

He told my lady himself.

When faced with this situation,

most would rush to defend themselves.

But you're the one

comforting me,

telling me not to worry.

At Grandmother's birthday banquet,

you spoke up for me.

That means you have faith in me.

So even if this had ended up being blamed on me,

it would have been because you had no choice.

I didn't want to make things hard for you.

I've ordered

a full investigation.

So,

it'll be some time before I return.

Sure.

My lord, everything is packed.

Then let's go.

Darling, wait.

My lord,

please send off this family letter for me.

You haven't told me

how you knew His Lordship would return today.

He told me himself.

What kind of riddles are you two playing at?

Are you saying

that Zheng Shu secretly entered the granary before?

She went multiple times.

It was very suspicious.

Wei Duo has gone to look for her.

My lord!

I went to Zheng Shu's husband's home,

and I found out

Zheng Shu died suddenly last night.

Zheng Shu is dead.

Yan could not possibly be the culprit.

There must be a bigger mastermind behind this.

Pass down my order.

Continue the investigation.

- Yes. - Yes.

Sir.

There's something I wish to ask you.

Please, go ahead.

At home,

how do you address your wife?

I call her

"Dear."

Understood.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TRUST, MY LORD. I'LL REMEMBER IT ALWAYS.

"My lord"?

Who's that?

Sir, it's the Lady of Bianzhou.

Did you hear?

Lady Wei didn't tamper with the seeds.

Luckily, His Lordship is wise,

so she wasn't wrongly accused.

No wonder the investigation is so strict and we can't leave the city freely.

We have to catch the real culprit and clear Her Ladyship's name.

Maybe the mastermind

is hiding among these people.

They could be waiting for a chance to slip out.

The investigation is necessary.

- Ehuang. - The innocent can't be wronged.

What should we do now?

Why are you panicking?

If they had found the real culprit,

they wouldn't need to check everyone here.

Lady Yulou, do you need to leave now?

General Wei Liang,

Great-aunt's birthday banquet has ended.

My husband is gravely ill.

I must return to Bianzhou at once to care for him.

Please allow us to pass quickly.

His Lordship has ordered

that until the seed case is solved,

no banquet guests are allowed to leave Yujun.

Lady Yulou,

please cooperate with us.

Zheng Chuyu,

why did you act on your own?

You've even dragged me into this!

My lady!

- Have you found her? - We did.

Bring her to me. I need to question her.

She's been found,

but she can't answer any questions.

Zheng Shu…

What happened?

She's dead.

Dead?

How did she die?

How?

They say she drowned in the river while doing laundry.

Drowned?

No. It's impossible.

Chuyu was good at swimming.

She couldn't have drowned.

Someone…

Someone must've wanted her dead.

Who killed her?

You need to be more careful.

If you keep acting recklessly,

one day, you'll end up hurting the ones close to you.

My lady.

What's wrong?

Is it my fault

that she died?

It's my fault.

I caused it.

My lady, don't say that.

Whether

Zheng Chuyu drowned

or was murdered,

it's already done.

From now on,

we must be careful.

Sure.

Besides,

now that Chuyu is dead,

there's no proof anymore.

His Lordship won't trace it back to us.

Who's there?

Coming.

Lady Yulou.

My lady, Lady Yulou is here to see you.

Lady Zhu,

I heard Great-aunt is ill.

I didn't want to disturb her rest,

so I came to ask you instead.

Usually,

Mother loves Shiyuan the most.

But Zhonglin is defiant

and insists on uncovering the truth.

What do you think we should do?

Don't blame the Lord of Wei.

In my view,

he's the one suffering most right now.

The seed case is serious.

You only see him being scolded by Great-aunt,

but not the pressure from all the factions in Wei.

If Shiyuan really did this,

the Lord of Wei would have to kill him.

Right now,

he must be eager to find out.

Yes.

I'm just like you,

hoping this case can be resolved as soon as possible.

Actually,

who the mastermind is

doesn't really matter.

As long as it's not Shiyuan,

the Lord of Wei

can breathe easy.

PEACE AND PROSPERITY

Shao.

How's the investigation going?

If there are still no leads,

then let me and the clansmen leave the city.

- Yes. - We've been here for days.

I've found that someone

repeatedly entered the granary.

That person was Zheng Shu, who'd been serving my mother.

In that case, bring her here.

We'll find out the truth

with interrogation.

Unfortunately,

Zheng Shu

suddenly died last night.

She's dead?

So now she's dead and there's no proof?

Zhonglin,

this isn't like you.

You can't brush this off.

If you do,

every criminal in Wei will use a corpse to plead innocence in the future.

- That's right. - Right.

He's got a point.

I can testify.

Everything Zhonglin said

is true.

Zheng Shu…

served by my side for years.

She was like a daughter to me.

Because of the family feud,

I wanted to get rid of Lady Qiao,

so I worked with Chuyu

to steam the wheat seeds

and frame the Qiao clan.

Shiyuan

knew nothing of this.

That's the truth then.

But Lady Zhu,

you can't clear Mr. Wei with just a few words.

Don't forget.

We have laws here.

No need to rush, General.

After Chuyu got married,

she was not allowed to visit me freely.

Each time she came,

I had someone escort her to the side chamber.

If you don't believe me, go investigate.

Everyone, please think about it.

Who was it at the birthday banquet

that insisted

on inspecting the seeds?

It was Lady Zhu.

This was a fight among women.

It doesn't concern Mr. Wei.

In that case, it's not a political affair but a domestic one.

Yes.

Since it involves His Lordship's mother, she can't be judged by law.

Lady Xu should be the one to punish her.

- That's right. - Yes.

My lord,

this is the best option to protect both Lady Wei and Mr. Wei.

Please decide.

Open the city gates.

Let the clan members return home.

- Good. - We can leave now.

Take my mother to the north chamber

and let Grandmother decide her punishment.

My lady,

take care.

I used to think you were just slow-witted.

I never imagined you were so venomous.

Please calm your anger, Mother.

Mother,

believe it or not,

I did swap the seeds

as instructed by Zheng Shu,

but I knew nothing about her steaming them.

I know you didn't steam the seeds

because you're not smart enough to think of such a plan.

You're too dumb.

Even if you want to plot like others,

your schemes are half-baked.

From now on,

go to the ancestral hall.

Kneel and reflect.

Copy the scriptures a hundred times.

It'll serve as a warning to others.

My lady.

My lady.

Zhonglin.

Though I am now the Lady of Bianzhou,

there are things

I've never forgotten.

I once

spent my childhood here.

When my betrothal was on the table,

the elders chose your elder brother.

Sadly,

I wasn't lucky enough to marry him.

Now, all I have…

to remember him by

is this jade pendant.

Bianzhou is far away.

You should set out soon.

Take care, my lord.

Take care.

YUJUN

My lord,

what's the song Lady Yulou just sang?

It's "Wan Lan" from the Book of Songs.

It speaks of childhood companions

pretending not to know each other after growing up.

Ehuang,

don't be sad.

Why would I be?

In a few days,

I'll return

and be Lady Yulou again.

What's there to be sad about?

Besides,

though we failed on this trip,

we made it back safely.

I should be happy.

Lady Yulou, please wait.

Please don't return

to Yujun again.

Why?

Though you and the Weis share a bond,

it can't endure further strain.

Now that you are the Lady of Bianzhou,

your interests oppose the Weis.

I don't know what your purpose was this time.

But though Grandmother said nothing, she surely wasn't pleased.

I can't bear for her to be reminded of unhappy memories.

So,

it's better if we don't meet again.

Shiyuan,

do you really think you're a Wei now?

Thank you for your concern.

But perhaps you should worry more

about whether you can truly

find peace staying here.

Yan!

I know you're here.

You don't have to see me,

but Grandmother is still waiting for you to greet her.

Yan!

Young Master,

the Weis are good at deception.

You must not go soft again.

You carry the blood of the Chen clan of Bianzhou.

Lord Chen thinks of you day and night,

longing for your return to aid him.

With your talents,

will you really bury your ambition

and resign yourself to a lifetime of submission here?

The Weis know your true identity.

They're suspicious of you

and even risked your life to protect Lady Qiao.

Why not come back with me to Bianzhou now?

My lord,

are you still worried about Yan?

He's the one

most hurt by this.

I saw Grandmother today.

She misses him deeply too.

Chen Pang of Bianzhou

is bound to acknowledge him.

If we continue to keep the truth from him,

he may leave for good.

It's true.

I've gone to see him many times, but he keeps avoiding me.

I don't want to force him.

My lord,

my situation here is much like his.

I'm willing to talk to him on your behalf.

If you trust me,

leave this to me.

What's this?

Since you've decided to build the canal,

I wanted to help

because I've studied some hydraulics.

The route for the canal concerns labor and cost

so it's critical.

I've reviewed many materials and made some notes.

I hope they'll be useful.

Tell me about it.

My lord, look at these mountains.

This is the terrain of northern Rongjun.

I've read many materials.

This part is much higher than Xindu.

So if the canal starts here and runs that way,

it'll take a lot of manpower and resources.

But…

Come here. I can't see it from here.

Come on.

What are these on the sides?

They're valleys, which means there are mountains.

If we dig a canal through carelessly,

we risk disaster.

But if we follow the valleys…

Good. Good.

Very good.

Good. Good.

Since Grandmother's birthday,

she's been weighed down with worry.

And you keep avoiding His Lordship.

I had no other choice

but to disturb you today.

I used to think our situations here

were alike.

As it turns out, I overestimated myself.

You're one of them.

I'm an outsider.

Is family

decided

by blood alone?

Even you know it.

When I first came to Yujun,

no one saw me as the Lady of Wei.

They only thought of me

as a foe's daughter.

I was uneasy.

But now, I've earned His Lordship's trust

and Grandmother's affection.

Why do you think that is?

Because you're a Wei now.

If you admit you're not a Qiao,

Zhonglin and Grandmother won't give you a hard time.

You're wrong again.

If I denied my Qiao blood,

His Lordship wouldn't treat me well.

He'd look down on me.

I am the Lady of Wei,

so I'd never do anything to harm Wei.

But I was born in Yanzhou.

I'll never betray my homeland either.

I've never hidden my concern for Yanzhou's people from His Lordship.

Only with such honesty between us

can we truly trust one another.

You speak so beautifully.

Only when I see myself as a Wei

can His Lordship see me as one of his own.

It's the same with you.

I see myself as a Wei,

but the Weis treat me…

as a discarded pawn.

You think you're discarded

and no one cares about you,

but Grandmother

has fallen ill because of you.

She has always been in good health.

Yet she fainted when she heard

His Lordship would reopen the case

and might punish you.

How is she now?

Did the physicians see her?

Don't worry. It's nothing serious.

But she's still bedridden.

I daresay

she didn't tell you

not because she feared trouble,

but because she feared that her most beloved grandson

would hold a grudge

and refuse to see her.

Grandmother…

Grandmother.

Grandmother?

Shiyuan.

I understand now.

I'm glad that you're fine.

I'll take my leave.

Shiyuan.

Are you never…

going to see me again?