Original subtitles

[Glory]

[Episode 11]

Mr. Yan, watch your step.

Why are you so surprised?

Didn't you know Grandmother

invited me to admire the moon tonight as well?

I caught a cold yesterday.

I'm afraid of passing it to Old Madam.

Lady Yunxi, please convey my apologies to her.

I'll take my leave now.

If you leave,

how will I explain this?

In families like ours,

when have we ever decided our own marriages?

Or perhaps hold yourself so high

that you look down on me?

Lady Yunxi, you have extraordinary beauty

and exceptional talent.

How could I dare to have

even the slightest contempt for you?

Yan Bailou,

do you truly insist on having her?

Back in the mountains,

I often tried to gain enlightenment like my senior brothers.

But being naturally slow-witted,

I never gained anything.

One night,

I climbed to the mountaintop alone and sat there.

Seeing a bright star, I suddenly became enlightened.

I was overjoyed.

This star holds

extraordinary meaning for me.

Lady Yunxi, though you're as radiant as the bright moon

and as dazzling as dawn's glow,

you're ultimately not

the star that brought me enlightenment.

Forgive my rudeness.

This man speaks like a Buddhist,

but his mind is unfathomably deep.

He's not easy to control.

I'm determined to find someone understanding,

gentle, and considerate.

I don't want to marry

a monk with hair.

Tell Grandmother for me,

such an oddity

is not to my liking.

Lady Yunxi!

Even with a body of iron and steel,

can you ward off all misfortunes?

Young Master, you must be more careful next time.

Is it here or there?

It's not even swollen.

Who says it's not swollen?

Isn't this... This...

Didn't your rubbing just fix it?

Go fetch me some hot water.

Alright.

Young Master, the hot water is here.

Young Master?

♪ Who tears a strand of light from the dark night? ♪

♪ It jolts my already silent heart awake ♪

♪ The moon hangs bright, as breezes dance among stars ♪

♪ Hear the sighs for the beauty's fleeting years ♪

♪ Lost in the mortal world, it fades into twilight ♪

♪ Grass sprouts, orioles sing, longevity slips away ♪

♪ Love comes in scattered pairs, yet thoughts linger on ♪

♪ Drifting with the passing years ♪

♪ Flowers bloom and wither, the sun climbs and falls ♪

♪ True feelings are like drifting mist ♪

♪ People only know loneliness ♪

♪ Who cares about karma's twist? ♪

♪ Tides ebb and flow, the moon swells and shrinks ♪

♪ I see through, yet hold my tongue ♪

♪ Too fragile to be put into words ♪

♪ Too fragile to be put into words ♪

[Rong's Ancestral Temple]

You kept me waiting all day in vain.

Do you have nothing to say?

Do you want to marry me?

Are you having second thoughts?

You personally agreed

in front of everyone.

If you go back on your word now,

breaking your promise,

how will the Rong family

conduct business in the future?

Light the lamp.

Rong Shanbao,

I have no interest

in admiring your family's ancestral hall.

Where did you go today?

Do you know how long I've waited?

I'm asking you.

Didn't the Yang family tell you

that to enter the Rong family,

you must first control your temper

and be obedient?

Or perhaps

they sent their son here

deliberately to make enemies with us?

You should understand your position before speaking.

I've seen many ancestral halls.

What's so special about the Rong family's?

This pair of dragon and phoenix pillars

were originally two ancient trees

growing on a cliff.

They embraced each other,

interdependent for 1,000 years,

weathering countless storms,

being lush and prosperous.

Even their roots grew together as one.

Yet ignorant villagers

managed to cut them down.

Our ancestors were deeply saddened,

paid a fortune to acquire them,

transported them thousands of miles to Linji,

and sought master craftsmen of the time

to carve them into the male and female pillars.

The right pillar is female;

the left pillar is male.

They're the foundation of the Rong family.

We must come to worship on the first day of every month,

so that the descendants remember the Rong family's ancestral teachings.

What ancestral teachings?

The male and female pillars

which share the same root and origin accompany and sustain each other,

and neither can be missing.

People are like trees,

all born from nature

and return to nature.

For a family to flourish

and prosper forever,

one must find

a compatible partner,

sharing both joys and hardships, bound together in life and death.

Stop putting on an act in front of me.

The Rong family may deceive others,

but not me.

Why do women run the household?

Your grandfather is dead,

but your father is still alive.

There's also your second and third uncle.

Why don't any of them run the family?

Why do Rong's women

refuse to hold wedding ceremonies,

yet all the children bear the Rong surname?

Why was your aunt who insisted on marrying out

removed from the family registry

and forbidden to return forever?

I know where your Rong family

ancestors came from.

But since you've

been here for hundreds of years,

you shouldn't cling to those outdated rules!

I don't understand

what you're talking about.

My Rong family has adapted to local customs.

For hundreds of years, we've

followed your rules.

My third uncle has long passed.

My father and second uncle have successful official careers.

Why should they restrict themselves to being merchants?

Since it's the woman who takes a husband into the family,

naturally the children

bear the Rong surname.

As for my aunt...

Aren't there many in Linji City who defy their parents,

elope, get married,

and have been expelled from their families?

Mr. Yang,

I brought you here

to tell you:

only men who are truly

recognized by Rong women

can enter the ancestral hall.

I don't recognize you as my husband.

You will never be able to enter

the Rong's ancestral hall,

nor can you

stand by the male pillar for the wedding.

Say that again.

In your words,

even with your threats and bribes,

and all your scheming,

you're not even a concubine.

You have no status

and will gain nothing.

Fine.

But don't forget,

as long as I hold the secret,

you have to be my woman obediently.

You'll never escape this fate.

Think about it.

A secret enough to destroy the Rong family.

What will you use to shut my mouth?

My public engagement to you

was only to maintain appearances.

Once the truth is exposed,

how could your Yang family remain unscathed?

Disregarding both families' reputation and honor

for your personal feelings and grudges?

When that happens,

the first to demand your life

will surely be the Yang family.

I don't care about any of that.

In order to please the Rong family,

they forced me here by any means necessary.

Why should I

care about their lives?

I've won.

I'm here now.

So you can only be mine.

The 25th is an auspicious day,

and we'll consummate our wedding that night.

Otherwise, if I risk disgrace and make a scene,

everyone will lose face.

You're truly beautiful...

Beautiful enough to capture my heart.

[Rong Mansion]

Young Master, why don't we rest for a while?

It won't kill me.

Let's go.

Keep going.

When your leg gets better,

accompany me to offer incense at my mother's grave.

You mean your mother who was a maid?

Your grandmother despised her.

I advise you not to stir up trouble.

Our marriage

must be reported to our parents.

Even if Grandmother knows about it,

I don't think she will mind.

Mr. He, since you want to join the Rong family,

are you willing to marry me?

Alright.

Lady Yunshu,

I agreed to this engagement

only as a temporary measure.

You don't actually believe

that I, a noble son of the He family,

would marry a maid's daughter, do you?

And you want me to offer incense and pay respects with you?

Are you even worth it?

Aren't you afraid of bringing bad luck upon yourself?

Yes, this is such good news.

Let's go.

Come on.

The young master will scold us if we're late.

Who's there?

My Lady,

they're from the Yang family,

going to Qilan Garden to prepare the bridal chamber.

Though you're blind,

your mind is quite clear.

Could you not know that Yang Dingchen

is going to marry Rong Shanbao?

Don't worry.

She and I are mortal enemies,

incompatible as fire and water.

I wouldn't deign to spare her a glance.

The spring chill is biting.

Your lady is so sickly.

Take her back inside

before she collapses and blames others.

Such a burden.

Go away!

I'm perfectly fine.

My Lady.

The wind is so strong today.

How many peach blossoms

can withstand such destruction?

Go collect some peach blossom petals.

In all the world,

I've only heard of the bride's family preparing the marital chamber,

never seen a man so eager to do it.

It's obvious that Lady Shanbao finds him irritating,

yet he still clings to her.

What a shameless creature.

Isn't this

what she brought upon herself?

What kind of difficulty

could possibly trouble her?

Prepare the chamber.

I...

Manzhu.

Do you people from the Yang family know proper etiquette?

Our lady's cosmetic case

is not for you to touch!

Lady Shanbao,

last night at midnight,

the spring rain came too suddenly

and flooded the newly dug

drainage ditches.

In the newly opende tea plantation on the back hill,

the tea workers neglected

to cover the sown

tea seeds with rice straw.

Let's go take a look.

You must return early tonight.

I'll be waiting to consummate our wedding with you.

Let's go.

Where is Yi?

Why didn't you report earlier?

Why are you all standing there?

Hurry up and get everything ready.

If you ruin my wedding,

I'll skin you alive!

What's this?

Why isn't Mr. He accompanying you?

Leaving you here alone.

Is he

not treating you well?

Since ancient times, the wealthy

have favored peonies.

You scholars

admire pine, bamboo, plum, and orchid.

These peach blossoms are common everywhere,

vulgar and frivolous,

so naturally they aren't appreciated.

Mr. He is proud by nature.

If he hadn't wanted to stay with the Rong family,

he would never have proposed to me.

I misunderstood.

Lady Yunshu, you don't need to

use these tactics on me.

Whatever you want me to do to help you,

I'm willing.

It's the first time

I've known what you look like.

I'm done. I have things to do.

Don't.

Mr. Yan.

Don't go.

You...

Do you expect

me to just stand by and watch my cousin

fall into the hands of that wolf?

Can't you see?

The Yang family is naturally treacherous.

There must be something fishy going on.

My cousin

doesn't want this at all.

You can't stop it.

Even if I can't, I must try!

If you go now,

you'll only cause more chaos

and add to Lady Shanbao's troubles.

Lady Shanbao has her own plans.

She won't be easily manipulated by Yang Dingchen.

Let's just wait and see.

You're such

a magnanimous person, aren't you?

Is this what people mean by

"those truly detached from love

knows neither worry nor fear"?

Sometimes I really wonder

if either you don't love my cousin,

or you're made of wood and stone!

You simply don't have a heart!

You don't need to provoke me.

Of course I feel jealousy and resentment.

But I know self-restraint

and not to hurt others.

To vent one's personal emotions

and cause endless trouble for others...

Such terrifying love

will only make you

more despicable

and annoying.

In the end,

everything you love

and long for

will slip away like sand,

never to return.

Miss, you have such good taste.

This looks so beautiful.

This suits you so well.

It's lovely.

This blue is really beautiful.

Let's go to the East Market.

Change course. Head to the dock.

Steward Lu.

Just do as I say.

Change course.

Ms. Yan,

Lady Shanbao hasn't returned yet.

Usually by this time,

Lady Shanbao should be at Chongxi Hall

having dinner with Old Madam.

How has she not returned yet?

Guanyu.

The people who followed her haven't returned either.

I've already sent someone

to the tea plantation for news.

Perhaps she's been delayed by something.

Hurry to the entrance and wait for her.

Yes.

Make way, please.

My Lady,

I was afraid the market is too crowded.

In case some careless person

bumps into you

and ruins your enjoyment,

I took the liberty

of asking the driver to take this route.

If you don't like it,

we can reach the end of this road

and still go to the East Market.

Come.

Wait.

Who said I want to go back?

My Lady.

Wait on the shore.

I...

Please.

What should we do?

He's always surrounded by people.

We can't find the right moment.

Let's go report back to His Lordship.

What made you think of taking a night cruise?

You've always been busy and hardworking.

Sometimes you should sit by the lake

to relieve your troubles and worries.

I've never had

such a peaceful state of mind.

Nor have I ever had the leisure

to sit aimlessly on a boat.

Just now as I stood here,

I was thinking about

how to put that filthy creature

in a sack with a large stone

and sink him right here in the lake.

So you want to rid the people of evil?

Would you like me to be a helper?

If I were to kill someone,

would you bury the body?

Yes.

It's kind of you to repay kindness,

but I'm not

a bandit who robs and plunders.

What bodies would I need you to bury?

I'm so worried

precisely because you're not.

There are

men in this world

with sinister intentions

who will pursue you by any means.

If you're tough in speech but soft-hearted

and show mercy,

I'm afraid you'll suffer greatly.

For example, the one staying in your room.

Lady Shanbao, are you really going to marry him?

Why do you ask?

Don't you know?

And if I did know, what then?

Does

this outsider of

unknown origin

not deserve the Rong household?

I never meant that.

Although I don't remember

where I come from,

I've sneaked in your family's library

which is famous

throughout Jiangnan.

Classics, history, military, agriculture, divination...

I've read 9,000 of the 10,000 volumes.

It seems I must have

studied diligently in my past.

Perhaps I even held an official title.

Just now, as our boat passed,

I easily identified errors in the flute playing,

showing I'm versed in music too.

Many have come to the Rong Mansion seeking marriage,

but where can you find another

who excels in flute, chess, calligraphy, and painting,

skilled in both civil and martial arts,

willing to share your burdens

and even give his life for you?

By rights,

I should leave the Rong family immediately

and return to propose after finding my identity.

But I fear...

I fear when I return,

you'll already belong to someone else.

Lu Fusheng.

I'm well-read and good at business.

I can even grasp well

the ways of the world and human hearts,

but the one thing I can't figure out

is your heart.

Why are you kind one moment, distant the next,

sometimes changing your attitude?

It's so unpredictable.

But since I've set my heart on you

and made up my mind,

whether it leads to success or failure,

even if I end up

utterly defeated

and empty-handed,

I'll accept it.

♪ Flowers bloom and wither, the sun climbs and falls ♪

♪ True feelings are like drifting mist ♪

♪ People only know loneliness ♪

♪ Who cares about karma's twist? ♪

♪ Tides ebb and flow, the moon swells and shrinks ♪

Don't waste your effort.

♪ I see through, yet hold my tongue ♪

Serving the Rong family

♪ Too fragile to be put into words ♪

or even risking your life for it

will bring you generous rewards.

But if you marry a Rong's woman,

perhaps one day

your intelligence and decisiveness

will turn into scheming.

Even someone fair and tolerant

can develop jealousy and hatred.

Once you provoke your wife's disgust,

you'll be mercilessly expelled from the Rong family.

Just like my grandfather

and my cousins' grandfathers.

Does Rong Shanbao

have several grandfathers?

You know nothing about the Rong family,

nor do you understand me.

Being my husband

is the most difficult job in the world.

Lu Fusheng,

let's just be friends.

I don't want to be your friend,

Lady Shanbao,

I want to marry you.

♪ Flowers bloom and wither, the sun climbs and falls ♪

♪ True feelings are like drifting mist ♪

Look.

It's so beautiful.

It looks gorgeous. So pretty.

♪ People only know loneliness ♪

So beautiful.

♪ Who cares about karma's twist? ♪

It's amazing.

Look, look.

♪ Tides ebb and flow, the moon swells and shrinks ♪

This color is lovely.

It's so beautiful.

♪ I see through, yet hold my tongue ♪

I'll bring you here again.

♪ Too fragile to be put into words ♪

We should make a wish.

Yes.

Yes, make a wish now.

♪ Too fragile to be put into words ♪

I should go back.

♪ Get caught in a heavy, wild snowfall ♪

♪ Watch magpies fluttering past my eyes ♪

♪ It's tormenting itself all alone ♪

♪ Unable to find any peers for a get-together ♪

♪ Wait for a perfectly full moon ♪

♪ Yet every slice of it seems incomplete ♪

♪ Is it because my prayers are too presumptuous? ♪

♪ Or do I lack a bit of the sacrificial blood? ♪

Lady Shanbao, you're finally...

♪ The biting cold wind makes me stumble as I run ♪

♪ Laughing innocently, I find my spirit broken ♪

♪ Just like this, I'm drunk in a spring night ♪

♪ Just like this, I'm lost in enduring hardships ♪

♪ Intertwined with you ♪

♪ No longer fret over who loves more ♪

Lady Shanbao.

♪ Gradually rid myself of the snakes and scorpions in my heart ♪

♪ Drink a cup filled with bold passion ♪

♪ Sing a line about lovebirds and butterflies ♪

♪ Put an end to all karmic ties and sins ♪

My Lady.

Lady Shanbao told you to look after Lady Yunwan.

That's your duty.

Go now.

I...

I...

Lady Shanbao,

why are you here?

I suddenly remembered you painting on the boat earlier,

evasively hiding it,

unwilling to let me see.

You must have a secret.

I had to come and ask.

My feelings

have already been honestly shared with you.

There's nothing I can't tell you.

If you want to see it,

here it is.

What do you

keep my portrait for?

There are already plenty

offering poems and paintings around you.

My attention hardly matters.

I keep it for company

on this lonely moonlit night.

You...

Lady Shanbao.

Wait,

I...

Tonight,

what... what are you...

On this lonely moonlit night, a portrait has no feelings.

Even if you burn three incense sticks daily

and pray devoutly every day,

a paper figure will never come to life.

I've come to keep you company tonight

and comfort your lonely heart.

What do you say?

I dare not accept your kindness.

Why?

Were all your words on the boat

just lies?

All those words I spoke on the boat tonight

came from the bottom of my heart.

But with no matchmaker and no marriage pledge

settled between us,

I dare not overstep even slightly

to offend you.

As long as both of us are willing,

what's wrong with overstepping?

After all, matchmakers can be changed,

engagements can be broken,

couples can divorce,

and lovers can grow apart.

Nothing remains constant forever.

As long as we love each other

and our hearts are connected,

let the bright moon above be our witness,

the magnolia tree at the door our matchmaker,

the passing spring breeze our officiant,

and the frost on the ground our guests.

What's wrong with becoming

husband and wife tonight?

But...

I don't even know where I come from.

Aren't you afraid?

What if I'm a desperate outlaw?

What if I've killed officials?

What if I have enemies everywhere?

What if...

What if I'm not a good person?

I've chosen the person before me,

at this moment,

in this place.

As for what you did before

or where you came from,

I don't care.

As long as you never deceive,

cheat,

or hide things from me,

that's enough.

Then...

when you speak of becoming husband and wife,

do you mean just with me,

or with that Yang fellow as well?

Even the sight of him

disgusts me.

How could I ever marry him?

Then if you become

husband and wife with me,

is it for one night,

one month,

or a lifetime?

Well...

[Milk Tea]

You've always been busy and hardworking.

You should occasionally sit by the lake

to relieve your worries and sorrows.

[Invented in ancient times, the milk tea isn't just a modern dating essential.]

According to "The Family History of Marquis Ye",

the milk tea in the Tang Dynasty

contained milk curds and was sprinkled with Sichuan pepper,

with a salty and spicy kick.

The poet Li Bi used "glazed eyes"

[Poem by Li Bi from Tang Dynasty]

to describe the wonderful effect

of milk curds mixed with tea foam.

Later, northwestern herdsmen

used brick tea with cow or sheep milk,

adding salt or butter

to make salty milk tea,

cutting greasiness and warding off cold.

It became an essential drink

in high-altitude cold regions,

and could be considered

the earliest dietary fiber supplement.

Later, when tea was introduced to Europe,

the British added milk and sugar,

creating sweet English milk tea.

Today,

milk tea blends Eastern and Western cultures,

becoming a fashionable beverage

popular worldwide.