Original subtitles

A spear is unlike a sword or dagger.

It is eight feet in length.

If you grip the tail end, your strikes will lack force.

You must hold it at the centre.

Here, try it first.

Ever since the Cangbei Gang entered the city,

Zhang Ru has been clamoring to learn some means of self-defense.

Yet it seems only Chen Jia has caught her eye.

I trust Chen Jia on this matter.

He would not bring harm to Zhang Ru.

Are you all right?

Come now.

I must teach you how to wield a spear properly,

lest you injure yourself again.

The spear consists of

block, hold, and thrust

as the three fundamental techniques.

If you trust Chen Jia that much,

why don't we place a wager?

Let us test our judgment of people.

We shall set a deadline of half a year.

Let us see, by then, whether you emerge victorious.

Agreed.

Hold the center firmly.

A little further back.

Lower your wrist.

Block, hold, and thrust.

Block, hold, and thrust.

You are the clumsiest pupil I have ever taught.

How many other clever young ladies have you taught, then?

I have never taught any other young ladies.

This is called Threshing Wheat.

This one is Cutting Grass.

This one's called Spinning the Clothesline.

Not bad.

It is none of your concern. There are still many techniques left.

So, which young ladies have you taught before?

-I have not. -Who have you taught before?

(Blossom)

(Episode 26)

Miss Miao.

Second Young Master.

What a coincidence.

Here, wipe your sweat first.

This is already the second time you've given me a handkerchief.

What are you doing here so late at this hour?

Is this your shop?

Yes, it is.

I was just about to check on my nursery.

Would you like to come inside and take a look?

Come, this way.

Here we are.

You planted all these by yourself?

That's right.

I take advantage of the evening dew to grow some newly discovered crops.

By the way,

these are beans from the West.

It flowers above the ground.

But when the blossoms fall, its stalks bury into the soil,

where the fruit grows.

Its taste leaves a delightful fragrance on the lips.

I have heard of this before.

In the South, because it bears fruit after the flowers fall,

they call it the peanut.

So you've been to the South, Second Young Master?

I once had a music teacher

who came from a southern seaside town.

But he has since passed away.

This is the first pot of peanuts I ever grew.

I'm gifting it to you.

-I... -Just like this peanut plant,

though it grows deep underground,

surrounded by darkness,

it will one day flower and bear fruit.

Thank you.

My Lady, have some rice.

You go ahead first. I still have some accounts to settle.

Did you make all of this?

Why have you cooked so many dishes at once?

You've worked hard these past few days.

This is my way of rewarding you.

You've made so much, I won't be able to finish it all.

Wouldn't that be wasteful?

As long as you enjoy it, then it's not a waste.

If you can't eat too much at once,

I'll make smaller portions next time.

Having a bite of each dish would be enough.

I know how to make so many dishes,

and I want you to try every single one of them.

What's the rush?

We have all the time in the world.

We can try them slowly over time.

What's wrong?

It's nothing.

Here. It's for you.

Dozens of shops in the capital,

and across the thirteen provinces.

Iron mines in the north, kilns in the south.

Salt fields in the west, tea plantations in the east.

Even in remote Penghu, surrounded by mountains and waters,

there are several large ships.

You're this wealthy?

Surely you didn't think you had married a flashy but impoverished husband?

When my grandfather and mother were alive,

they were worried about me settling in a faraway place.

They feared I'd have no support in the capital,

so they secured these assets for me early on.

You've never used an extravagant carriage,

you drink no more than a small measure of wine,

and your wardrobe for the four seasons is so simple.

I was raised in the military,

therefore I've never had extravagant habits.

Since the shops under my name have been idle for a long time,

transferring them to you will make them easier for you to manage.

It's also suitable for funding Zhaowen Bookstore.

You're transferring all of it under my name?

I've even asked our family's chief shopkeeper

to help you manage them.

This way, you can be like me.

A hands-off shopkeeper.

And you won't have to worry about a thing.

Yan Tang,

why have you suddenly decided

to transfer all this property under my name?

Has something happened?

You are the lady of this household,

so it is only right that you take charge of these matters.

I've long wanted to hand over my private assets.

Now, I can finally take some time to relax.

If we could have two or three children by our side,

that would be even better.

Yes.

Shall I give you a daughter?

I'd like that.

As long as you're happy.

Lord Song has instructed us to stay put in the residence.

Don't create any unnecessary trouble.

No, I can't.

Even if the general himself came to persuade me today,

I must tell Her Ladyship everything.

Very well. Go ahead.

But be sure to decide if you'd prefer quarrying in Liaodong

or fishing in Futing.

When Lord Song expels you from the residence,

at least you'll have a destination.

Go on.

What do we do now?

He wanders off aimlessly one day,

and goes off investigating far and wide the next.

Are we just supposed to let him have his way?

Given his current condition,

who knows when he might collapse outside

-and never be found again? -Stop spouting nonsense.

Who's never coming back?

-Your Ladyship. -Your Ladyship.

I've reviewed the prescriptions from Physician Lu,

and I've also checked Yan Tang's pulse.

His pulse is unusual,

but I can't pinpoint what's wrong.

There's definitely something amiss.

Do any of you know what's going on?

We have no idea, Your Ladyship.

Your Ladyship,

since Physician Lu has said there's no major issue,

then there must not be a problem.

Isn't that right, Lu Ming?

Yes, that's correct.

I wonder what kind of surprise that you're being so mysterious with.

We're almost there. Be careful.

Alright.

We're here.

-Can I open my eyes now? -Go ahead.

This is...

Have a seat.

This is the play, The Tale of the Silken Robe,

that we watched together when we first met.

In the story, Xu Ji Zu loses his mother and hates his father.

Their family ties were severed.

It was truly tragic.

So I wrote a happy ending for it.

Take a look.

But such misfortune haunted him his entire life,

leaving him restless in both soul and dreams.

Could the tragic fate set in stone in the first act

be turned around?

There's always a way.

Turn back time and start anew?

While the broken old family cannot be restored,

life isn't limited to just the first act.

Nor does one have only one family.

So I wrote Xu Ji Zu a soulmate.

They built a new family together.

A home that shields them

from every storm and hardship outside.

A priceless and unbreakable home.

Yan Tang,

let's also give each other such a home.

Those who have endured hardship

know how to cherish even more.

Two broken souls

can piece together a perfect whole.

Sir, could you start the play?

What's going on?

Shou Gu.

The life you desire

is one of serenity. Brewing tea, enjoying wine, untouched by conflict.

I once believed

I could safeguard such a peaceful life for you.

But now,

I can't do it anymore.

What I have now

is only bloodshed and hatred.

I've offended half the government and the people,

turning everything upside down.

I know.

I am willing to stay by your side,

come life or death, without regret.

This upheaval will eventually pass.

When all of this ends,

we'll

find a haven,

and open a small school.

I'll teach literature, and you'll teach martial arts.

We'll admire flowers and row boats in spring.

In autumn,

...you'll hunt to replenish food on our table.

Our children won't suffer as we have.

We'll have grandchildren, and we'll grow old together.

Shou Gu,

I know.

Your greatest wish is to live this life well.

So you can rest assured that

I will clear every obstacle for you.

But whether or not I am in your life,

you will still live well.

Without you, how could I possibly live well?

I feel a little unwell. I'll head out first.

Are you hiding something from me?

I want to hear it directly from you.

Shou Gu,

all you need to do is trust me.

What I can give you is my lifetime.

But your life is still yours to live.

As long as we're together,

your life is my life.

Why distinguish between you and me?

Shou Gu,

just believe in me.

Has the play started?

Could it be over already?

Zhao.

Shou Gu.

That's impressive, kid.

Even with a wooden sword, you can strike with such momentum.

Next year, you should use a real weapon.

But you must be careful. You should hold the sword firmly

and strike downward.

Keep practicing.

Brother, I saved a piece of peach blossom pastry for you.

Profound yet modest, like the ink revered by all.

How about naming him Song Mo?

That's perfect.

Mo.

Wonderful. Just wonderful.

The performance was brilliant.

Shame it's a tragedy, isn't it?

Not necessarily.

People love watching plays because, in them,

no matter how great the conflicts,

they always end in reconciliation.

It's life that's often harder to find satisfaction in than a play.

(The object must be drumsticks.)

(That's correct.)

You even know about historical military references?

Could you be a man disguised as a woman?

A woman is not inferior to any man.

(I dare to take a guess at the riddle of your heart.)

(Though I'm not sure if I'll get it right.)

I dare to guess at your thoughts, Young Master.

Though I'm not sure if I'll get it right.

Three years.

One year.

One year later,

my time will be up.

Wholeness

turns to fragments.

Gaining, only to lose.

Are you saying that hiding it from me isn't fragmentation,

or loss?

If your life has only one year left,

then let's be husband and wife for a year.

If a year later,

you'll truly pass away,

then regardless of whether we part or stay together now,

my future will be filled with heartbreak.

So I cannot let go.

Every moment of this year,

we shall treat each and every day as if it were a year.

One year

will be our entire lifetime.

I will not let my husband

face life and death

feeling lonely and helpless.

I was once tormented by nightmares.

There was always a woman holding a lantern, guiding me.

Later, I realised that woman was you.

You are the one I would risk my life to protect.

For this life and beyond.

♫ Look into the future ♫

The propitious Star of Happiness

has appeared after all.

We've been waiting for ages, why did you take so long?

Weren't you supposed to watch the play with us?

The play is already halfway through now.

I used to always say you two were foolish back at the estate.

It seems

the biggest fool is me.

Eat up.

Alright.

Does this friendship of ours

not compare to love between a man and a woman?

What is wrong with you?

I've never seen you acting like this before.

What love? What friendship?

Have you developed feelings for Shou Gu?

Do tell.

I don't have time for that.

Managing the state, governing the land, and bringing order to the people

still require my swift decisions and efforts.

But if Mantis Song

hurts Dou Zhao in the future,

Come hell or high water,

I will take Dou Zhao with me.

This play is so boring.

Can you even watch it?

What a strange one.

Don't mind him. Let's watch the play.

Greetings, Your Grace.

The superior has instructed me to bring you something.

In the past, Duke Jing of Qi willingly pretended to be a bull

and let himself be led to amuse his youngest son.

How dare you use the story of serving-the-people ox

to threaten me with Han!

This is preposterous!

Please calm down, Your Grace.

Take care not to harm your precious health.

The superior wishes for Your Grace

to keep your mouth permanently shut.

Fine.

I will act

as your ox this time.

My Lord, Your Ladyship,

this maid was lurking suspiciously near the back gate of Yizhi Hall.

We caught her.

My Lord, please spare me.

I am no villain.

After Madam passed away,

the duke dismissed me back to my hometown.

I only returned to the residence to ask for some travel expenses.

Madam?

You were Li Yao Niang's maid?

If you were Li Yao Niang's maid,

where were you when she died?

That night, Second Young Master came to see her.

I was called away and wasn't serving in the courtyard.

I don't know what they talked about.

The next morning,

Madam Li had hung herself.

Are you saying

that the night before Li Yao Niang died, Song Han went to see her?

How could you even lose a cat?

Where has it gone to?

I've sent all the servants in the residence to search for it.

Hurry up and find it!

Without that wretched creature, how am I supposed to eat?

Yes, sir.

I've heard from the maids at Xixiang Courtyard

that Song Han has a habit of

feeding his cat before every meal.

Now it seems

this matter isn't as simple as feeding a cat.

I'll handle this matter.

You stay out of it.

Xing Shuang, I've told you...

Brother.

Has your cat wandered into Yizhi Hall again, Han?

Yes.

It's mischievous like that.

I heard you haven't eaten all day.

Few would lose their appetite

over a mere cat.

After raising it for a while,

you can't help but grow attached.

Besides, I've not had much of an appetite today.

Is there anything you want to tell me

about my mother's death?

Brother.

What are you talking about?

I don't know anything.

I'll give you one last chance.

Do you?

I don't.

Brother.

Brother.

I truly don't know anything, Brother.

I'll ask you one more time.

Is there anything you'd like to say about my mother's death?

I really don't know. who poisoned Mother.

I've never said Mother was poisoned.

I don't want to see another lie in your confession.

This is your last chance,

and the last time we'll ever meet.

Brother, please stop.

Brother.

If you won't believe me,

then I can only prove my innocence in death.

My Lord.

Brother, it really has nothing to do with me.

It was Father.

That day, Father told me to deliver medicine to Mother.

I didn't think twice about it and brought it to her.

I only learned after her death that

what I had given her

was all poison.

I was terrified Father would poison me too,

so I used the cat to test for poison.

I didn't tell you because

I feared this family

would fall apart.

Escort Second Young Master back.

Yes.

Yan Tang!

Yan Tang.

Yan Tang.

Your pulse is highly irregular.

Could it be that the toxin has reached your organs?

I'll summon Physician Lu immediately.

I'm fine. There's no need for a fuss.

It's just heart palpitations.

By the way, while reviewing the accounts from Xixiang Courtyard,

I noticed discrepancies in the inner courtyard's records.

I had Mr. Chen take my token

and inquire at our usual suppliers.

It turns out

that when your mother's gravely ill,

the residence repeatedly purchased large quantities of licorice.

Each time, the amount was excessive.

This confirms the earlier theory

that Mother's worsening condition was indeed caused by licorice.

Qi Xia going mad

must have had something to do with Mother's death.

If Qi Xia regains her senses,

she may reveal the full truth.

What do you plan to do with Song Han?

Perhaps I've misjudged him.

He's merely a frightened child.

(Father, how could you do such a thing?)

(She's my mother.)

(She's not your mother at all.)

(Together with Shu Yao, we three are the real family.)

(If it weren't for them,)

(I wouldn't have been an illegitimate child.)

(I am my mother's son,)

(not Li Yao Niang's.)

Li Yao Niang isn't worthy.

Han, but I am...

Madam Li, mind your words.

This path as Second Young Master of Duke's Residence

was both your choice.

Mother, drink your medicine.

(I could have been a loyal and filial son a good brother.)

Yet, now, I'm restless every day,

surrounded by danger.

(Mother, don't drink it.)

(Don't drink it! I don't know anything.)

(You love me the most.)

(No matter what I do wrong, you'd never blame me.)

It will be the same this time,

(won't it?)

You're right, Second Young Master.

I was too short-sighted.

I'm not an illegitimate child.

I am Duke of Ying's Residence's

Second Young Master.

Miss Miao, Second Young Master hasn't eaten for days now.

He still throws away medicine and chases away people.

Miss Miao, perhaps it's better if you return.

Get out.

This is a snowflake biscuit.

It's made with top-grade white flour, steamed to perfection.

Butter is poured over it for flavour.

A bite is soft, sweet, and fragrant.

This one is a savory pastry.

Made with two catties of white flour,

half a catty of sesame oil,

and two taels of salt.

The crust is crispy and aromatic, baked thin.

One bite is spicy and delicious.

This is a taro cake.

It's made from taro paste mixed with glutinous rice flour,

stuffed with sweet red bean paste. It's absolutely delicious.

If you don't like it,

I've got many more pastries.

There are chive pancakes, white crispy pancakes, and sugar fritters.

I'm sure there's one you'll like.

Have a look.

Eat slowly. Don't choke.

This medicine is too bitter.

So I won't drink it with you.

The Emperor, by the Grace of Heaven, decrees that

Song Mo, for your meritorious service in solving a case,

you have greatly pleased me.

You are hereby promoted to Commander of the Imperial Guards.

You are granted the privilege to carry a sword into the palace

and are exempt from kneeling in my presence.

So decreed.

Thank you, Your Majesty, for your boundless grace.

The Emperor has issued a second decree.

You may read it yourself, My Lord.

Your Excellency, this way, please.

What's wrong?

Song Yi Chun submitted a memorial,

confessing to abuse of power and harming the innocent.

He has passed away in prison,

succumbing to a grave illness.

Han is still young.

Losing both parents in such a short time

must be unbearable for him.

He's not the only one to have lost both parents.

During my last meeting with Song Yi Chun,

I've severed all ties of father and son with him.

From now on,

I have only a deceased mother,

but no deceased father.

Once the funeral is over,

this matter will be put to rest.

What do you plan to do about Han?

Song Yi Chun wronged my mother.

Han was a victim after all.

Let him continue living in Xixiang Courtyard.

Like dew on morning fine,

the bitter days have passed.

Han,

I cannot accompany you much longer.

From now on, you must tread

the path in this world on your own.

I shall give you one piece of advice.

Stay away from the imperial court.

Live as an ordinary man.

If being an ordinary man is so good,

why must you insist on being the Duke of Ying?

You ruined yourself completely,

but why deprive me of the chance to rise?

Son,

I'm only doing this for your own good.

When have you ever done right by me?

If it weren't for you insisting on telling me the truth about my parentage,

would our family have ended up broken and ruined?

It's all thanks to you that I have such a miserable fate.

You...

Father! Father!

What's wrong, Father?

-Father. -The medicine.

The medicine.

Father, your life has been mediocre in achievements,

and you've died a fitting death.

I shall accomplish for you,

your unfulfilled aspirations.

(Ancestral Hall of the Songs)

The Emperor, by the Grace of Heaven, decrees that

the former Duke of Ying, Song Yi Chun,

be stripped of his title due to crimes.

With his death, his sins are forgiven.

His eldest son, Song Mo, being virtuous and loyal,

is commended with respect.

Together with his wife, Dou Zhao, they were granted

the titles of Duke of Ying and Duchess of Ying.

Greetings, Duke and Duchess of Ying!

Greetings, Duke and Duchess of Ying!

Yan Tang,

the entire household will now rely on you,

the Duke of Ying.

Don't be so formal.

We've seen this child grow up.

How could he not care for us?

Aunt,

I don't think we were ever that close before, were we?

Niece-in-law,

I specially had some new clothes made for you.

See if you like them.

Now that the ceremony is over,

the Duchess still has important matters to attend to.

We shall take our leave now.

Third Aunt,

I apologize to all of you on behalf of my sister-in-law.

Brother was just granted the title of Duke.

He must have many matters in the household to handle.

Who does Dou Zhao think she is?

How arrogant!

Does she even realize how she's become Duchess of Ying?

It's all because Song Mo forced his father to death in prison.

Alright, stop talking.

We wouldn't have good days ahead

thanks to this couple.

If Song Mo isn't eliminated,

he will remain a threat.

What cannot be done in court

will be done within the household.

This is snow mushroom from Liaodong. One grows every 300 years.

It can bring the dead back to life.

Duchess of Ying, you have a pure heart and noble spirit.

If she cannot be an ally,

then she can only become an enemy.