Original subtitles

[Glory]

[Episode 14]

Lady Rong, I've brought him here.

It was you who killed my granddaughter?

Lady Rong,

what makes you say that?

Mr. Bai,

Lady Yunwan was tragically

found drowned in the back garden.

The garden patrol claimed

to have seen you fleeing in panic

through the east corner gate.

Explain yourself to Lady Rong immediately.

I didn't.

Lady Rong,

it wasn't me.

Tonight...

Think carefully.

Who were you with tonight?

It was Mr. He.

It was He Xingming.

He invited me for drinks.

He said...

Lady Rong.

Mr. Bai is indeed telling the truth.

Tonight I prepared a feast

and invited him to join me.

However...

Just yesterday you loathed him to the bone

and swore to be his mortal enemy.

Yet tonight you sat with him for a drink.

Mr. He, your feelings

change rather quickly.

There was never any deep hatred between us.

Plus, Lady Yunxi mediated between us.

What grievance

couldn't be resolved?

But Mr. Bai has little tolerance for wine,

and he grew tipsy after only two cups.

I personally

escorted him back to his room.

Then I went back to my room to sleep.

I have no idea

whether he sobered up later

or where he went.

I remember now.

During the meal, Mr. Bai seemed utterly distracted,

muttering constantly that he had

certain appointment

with Lady Yunshu.

I suppose he sneaked into the rear courtyard

to meet Lady Yunshu.

Yunshu?

I had my maid Daisy take him a message,

saying I'd meet him in the garden at 9 in the evening.

I waited under the peach tree in the west garden,

but he never showed up,

so I had to go back.

The message clearly said to meet at 11 p.m.

at the southeast gate.

If there is a written note,

then where is it?

It was on me.

I kept it in my pocket.

How could it be missing?

Murder always has a motive.

Mr. Bai held no grudge

against Lady Yunwan.

Why would he harm her?

If Lady Yunwan had any enemies,

unless...

Could it be about those shoes?

Was it because of the shoes?

What shoes?

Can you explain more clearly?

Grandmother,

Yunyin suddenly remembered today

that there was a bloodstain in Mr. Yang's room.

That bloodstain turned out to be Wanwan's.

That bloodstain really was Wanwan's?

You recognized it all along?

Forgive me, Grandmother.

Wanwan was still very young

and quite simple-minded.

No one in the mansion ever stopped her from wandering around.

She must have entered that room by accident.

I was afraid that if word spread,

people would gossip about it,

so I didn't dare to speak up right away.

I quietly burned the shoes.

I suppose

that Yunwan must have seen something

she shouldn't have that night,

and that was what brought about her demise.

Could it be...

Who's there?

What are you sneaking around for?

Lady Rong.

I am Hua who manages

tea serving at Xinfang Pavilion.

I heard commotion in the garden,

so I came to see what was happening out of curiosity.

Lady Rong.

He is a servant of the mansion,

temporarily assigned to Mr. Bai

to attend to his writing needs.

How dare you deceive Lady Rong right here?

Speak the truth or receive fifty lashes!

Mercy!

I'll talk! I'll talk!

Lady Rong.

If Mr. Bai really killed someone,

it'd have nothing to do with us servants,

please don't arrest me.

He used to

curse Mr. Yang frequently,

calling him vile, shameless,

and a total bully.

He also said...

What did he say?

Sometimes he said

Miss Rong was blind in both eyes and heart

for choosing such a scoundrel.

Other times he said Mr. Yang

was unworthy of his position

and would meet with catastrophic disaster.

Mr. Yang died violently,

and Lady Yunwan was also gone.

Something Mr. Bai used to say

comes back to me now,

and I became more and more frightened.

That... That's why I came to look into things.

You're lying!

When did I ever say such things?

Well, well!

Now there's no way of denying it.

You killed Yang Dingchen,

and Wanwan accidentally discovered it,

so you simply steeled your heart

and killed her as well? Right?

If the night patrol hadn't found out,

who would have suspected that it was you?

Lady Yunshu.

I remember you personally said

that on the day Mr. Yang was killed,

you were with Mr. Bai.

Please testify for Mr. Bai.

Yunshu?

I... I...

Lady Rong.

Lady Yunshu was talking with Mr. Bai,

and I was only watching from a distance.

Later, the night breeze grew too chilly,

so I went back to get a cloak for her.

When I returned,

Mr. Bai had only just come back as well.

At that moment, Yunshu mentioned catching the scent of peach blossoms,

so I thought to pick

a few of the prettier flowers for her.

The walk between the peach grove and Qilan Garden

takes no more than10 minutes.

I'm afraid Yunshu's alibi

won't hold.

Yunshu?

What happened on earth?

I'm just a blind woman.

How would I know

if others lied to me?

You force me to testify,

but who can I testify for?

Lady Rong has always been fair and strict.

This is a matter of life and death.

Somebody seeks to weave wild speculation

from mere scraps of words,

passing life-and-death judgments on shadows without substance.

If this were to spread, it'd tarnish

the Rong family's reputation.

Please, Lady Rong,

to give us a few more days,

so we can find out solid evidence

We must not wrongly accuse an innocent person.

With so many witnesses and evidence,

we practically caught them red-handed.

Mr. Lu,

what more evidence do you need?

You're not in cahoots with them, are you?

You...

Enough!

Stop this arguing.

The Rong family can't pass judgment.

Had them bound and taken to the government tonight!

Yes.

During the court inquiry,

besides the suspect,

they'll certainly question everyone involved.

This servant, Hua, accused Bai Yingsheng

of killing out of hatred and jealousy, so he must go.

As for the others,

Mr. He who invited the suspect for drinks that night,

the servant Hesi who served them during the meal,

and those on duty at Qilan Garden,

Xinfang Pavilion,

and the garden,

must all go as well.

You have no right to talk here.

Grandmother,

Mr. Lu is absolutely right.

To give Yunwan justice,

everyone who should be questioned must be questioned.

Good.

Let's do as you say.

Wanwan hated being confined.

She was especially afraid of silence.

If she were locked in a room,

she'd cry, make a scene,

and refuse to eat for days.

It was my fault.

I should have kept her confined.

If I were Lady Yunwan,

I wouldn't want to survive

by being locked up like an animal.

Nobody could go against her will

and imprison her

in this small room forever.

If anyone were guilty,

those who killed and harmed her should be the guilty ones.

How could you have done anything wrong?

I know you're feeling terrible,

but this is not the time to drown in sorrow.

He Xingming and Lady Yunxi

have far greater ambitions.

Their target was never

Bai Yingsheng alone.

You must be careful.

Be very cautious.

You mean...

No thief can hide forever.

What they're truly after

will be clear in a day or two.

I wish to arrange Wanwan's funeral first.

Who told you to take a life?

When we discussed it,

didn't you nod in agreement as well?

What are you angry about now?

I only told you to scare her,

to force her to tell what she saw

in the bridal chamber.

I had my own way

to make her turn against Rong Shanbao

and reveal the true or false Tea Bone case.

Who told you to actually kill her?

Although she was simple-minded,

she was still my cousin

and a member of the Rong family.

You've broken my principles!

What principles do you have?

I resent Old Madam Rong's favoritism

and can't stand Rong Shanbao's dominance,

but I have my principles as well.

I'd never use

such despicable means

to murder

a mentally disordered child.

What nonsense about the Tea Bone.

Only people from the Rong family

care about such empty words.

How could the good reputation Rong Shanbao

built over many years in the tea business

be undone

by this counterfeit Tea Bone?

Now look what's happened.

Rong Yunwan

died under her protection.

How can she escape responsibility?

Lady Rong may not say it,

but she's furious inside.

You seem to hate her even more than I do.

You're so passionate about

these harmful and spiteful deeds.

I do hate her.

We've been at odds

since the first day we met, at fourteen.

All these years of rivalry between our families

have only made me despise her to the bone.

But everything I do

is for you.

We're meant to be a devoted couple.

Of course, I want the Rong family

to be in your hands as soon as possible.

Just wait patiently.

In the future,

there'll be many more shows for you to watch.

Yunxi,

you should get a man of gentle and kind character.

The one you've got

is a predator.

Look,

who knows how long

he's been plotting?

He even managed to buy off those

who served Bai Yingsheng.

In my life, I despise nothing more than

arrogant, ill-mannered men

who don't know their place.

No wonder Rong Shanbao didn't like him.

If he were to enter the Rong family,

he'd bring nothing but trouble,

and become the cause of our family's downfall.

If I didn't still need to use him...

However, I've noticed

that Yunyin's expression

didn't look right.

She acts tough, lacks courage,

hesitates to make decisions,

and can't dwell on weighty matters.

We must keep this from her for now.

I'll keep an eye on her.

I know you care deeply for Yunwan.

It'd be enough to ask the monks to chant sutras

for a few more days to help her soul find peace.

But you bathed her, combed her hair, changed her clothes,

and then even personally escorted her out,

which broke a serious taboo.

Grandmother was furious about this.

First of all,

according to our family principles,

women handle births, and men handle funerals.

No matter how close you are to someone,

funeral matters

should be handled by men.

By personally handling the funeral,

if you exposed yourself to bad luck, what could we do?

Secondly,

Yunwan's situation was already awkward.

In Linji City,

there was no such person as Lady Yunwan.

Grandmother had good reason to not hold a funeral.

But by doing this,

you've given people reasons

to gossip in front of Grandmother

and make up your faults.

I'm not afraid of gossip,

and Yunwan wouldn't object to

the Rong family presiding over the funeral.

When she was born,

I was the first to hold her.

When she passed away,

it'd be enough that I alone could see her off.

Wanwan loved bright colors.

Bring me the new outfit

I made for her in pale yellow.

Miss Rong,

we're still sisters after all.

No matter how harsh our words,

we can't let her go in our hearts.

Even if Miss Rong doesn't mention it,

we should still come and pay our respects.

How many days will she be laid out

before the burial?

Is there anything we can help with?

Though it's not proper for us to manage funerals,

we should still come and see her.

The funeral procession will begin tomorrow at 2 a.m.,

ground-breaking at 4 a.m.,

and she'll be buried at around 7:45 a.m.

That fast?

Miss Rong consulted a fortune teller about this.

Yunwan died tragically,

so she must be buried within the first seven days

and can't get into the family tomb

to avoid offending our family's ancestors.

Regarding Yunwan's funeral,

I will arrange everything personally.

Outsiders don't need to be concerned about it.

Please leave.

Outsiders?

Am I no longer part of the primary branch of the family?

Am I no longer her sister?

You're taking over all of Yunwan's funeral arrangements

and not allowing us to help at all.

How dare you be so domineering?

You are her sister?

Who do you think you're?

Miss Rong has instructed

that tomorrow at 2 a.m.,

all young ladies should stay away

to avoid getting exposed to bad luck

and offending Lady Rong's taboos.

If you don't want me to see her off, then alright!

You think I care?

You just go bury that dead girl,

and never come back!

Yunyin,

- Yunyin, wait for me! - Lady Yunyin.

Have you all heard?

The Rong family is involved in a murder case.

They all say that Miss Rong

is a fake Tea Bone.

She conspired with her lover

and killed the real Tea Bone of the Rong family.

That's nonsense!

We have all witnessed

Miss Rong's talent.

The tea she roasted by hand

once fetched astronomical prices in the capital,

and countless tea plantations

owed their thriving to her generosity.

How could that be fake?

Well, it's hard to say.

I heard from the manager of Huang's tea house

that the debate of real versus fake Tea Bone

has been going on for a long time.

At that Tea Ancestor Festival Ceremony,

two people

had a huge argument

over the real and fake Tea Bone issue.

Is that so?

Tell us more!

- Yes, tell us! - Yes!

Let me tell you slowly.

On the day of Tea Ancestor Festival Ceremony...

Sir, it's here.

My Lord.

My Lord.

That He Xingming is from a prominent family

and can't be touched lightly.

We took all the others back to the Government Office

and detain them temporarily.

As you instructed,

we've detained Bai Yingsheng separately

and put everyone else together.

We've left a spy

to see if anyone tries to coordinate their stories.

But that Hua

insists

he only overheard some casual talk

and keeps crying that he's been wronged.

These servants of noble families

are very cunning.

No matter how much they're tortured,

they act deaf and mute,

refusing to say anything.

Since I got into the Rong family

and had a informant by my side,

I've realized how formidable they are.

Though masters flaunt their status,

the servants, bound by their own alliances in the dark,

have the sharpest ears.

Few secrets in this mansion

ever slip past them.

I need to find a way

to pry open their clam-like silence.

But how?

Young Master, what are you doing?

Jun Dai.

You disappear every day around 4 p.m.

You deliver messages to Miss Rong, don't you?

You wronged me, Young Master!

How would I dare?

You're a servant of the Rong family.

Taking orders from Miss Rong

is quite reasonable.

I won't blame you.

But I need to ask you something.

Who am I

to Miss Rong?

When you first came to the Rong family,

Miss Rong used to ask

about your whereabouts,

who you met each day,

and what you talked about, Young Master.

As time went on, she asked less frequently.

But since the past month,

Miss Rong

has often summoned me again.

She only asks whether you applies your medicine on time,

if your old injuries have healed,

if the meals are to your taste,

and if you sleep peacefully.

Nothing else.

With Miss Rong caring so deeply,

your position is clear without asking.

As long as I have any sense at all,

I wouldn't dare speak out of turn.

Is that so?

Do you have some task

for me to carry out, Young Master?

I do have something to ask you to do,

but it involves a murder case.

Who I've met recently,

what I've said,

and the tasks I've asked you to do,

none of these

can be known by Miss Rong.

Do you dare to take this order?

I've been serving by your side

and have long recognized your exceptional intelligence

and formidable skills, Young Master.

You're destined for greatness.

My little tricks

can't escape your keen eye.

I come from humble origins,

and in the Rong family,

I'm nothing but a lowly servant.

If you honor me with your recognition,

I'd be willing to serve you loyally

and also secure a better future for myself.

Come, stand up.

Sit.

This...

When I tell you to sit, you just sit.

This time, you're not watching me

on behalf of your Miss Rong anymore?

But you and Miss Rong

will be family sooner or later.

So my loyalty to you

is loyalty to Miss Rong as well.

From now on,

I won't speak what shouldn't be spoken,

won't ask what shouldn't be asked,

and will act solely on your orders, Young Master.

Good.

I order you to spend a few days in prison.

We've been locked up here for two days.

When will My Lord hear our case?

He's coming!

Lord Cai!

Lord Cai, we are innocent people

who work honestly for our masters.

Please don't wrongfully condemn us.

What's going on here?

Aren't you the one who follows

Mr. Lu around?

How did you end up in here too?

Your backside is beaten to a pulp.

How pitiful.

What has lord been asking about?

Yes, exactly.

How the hell would I know?

I was thrown in here for no reasons.

They questioned me today,

and tomorrow it will be your turn.

None of you grasshoppers come autumn will escape their fate.

Just wait.

It's sunset already,

but the meal hasn't been delivered yet.

Are you trying to starve my Young Master?

Well, you...

We're cooking. Yes, we're.

I'll bring it to you shortly.

I have other duties to attend to.

Let go!

- Shixin. - Don’t go.

Let him go.

Young Master.

Go. Leave.

I have something here.

Take this for now.

Xinfang Pavilion is short-staffed.

It's causing some inconvenience.

Steward Cheng has already arranged for new,

capable personnel to be transferred.

I sincerely ask for Mr. Yan's understanding and forgiveness.

Not a problem.

I just hope Lord Lang

can uncover the truth soon.

Young Master, don't be fooled by him.

He personally brought you food,

clearly acting as if he's the host.

What kind intentions could he possibly have?

As for this food box

with golden phoenix and peony patterns,

I've seen it before.

It belongs to Hualin Courtyard.

Miss Rong was worried that he might be starving,

so she sent someone to bring him food.

He deliberately came to you,

just to show off.

You knew this and still accepted it?

Yes.

Young Master, after you finish eating,

you can return the food box to Hualin Courtyard yourself.

Miss Rong has just lost her dear family,

so she must be heartbroken.

Young Master, please go comfort her.

We can then put some pressure on him,

making him lose both the battle and the war.

You have such sharp eyes

and such a clear mind.

How come you didn't notice

someone is missing from his side?

Weren't all the servants

from Xinfang Pavilion taken away?

When will they release us?

Bring the prisoner.

Someone's coming.

Get up.

Lord wants to question you.

The wounds on my backside haven't healed yet.

Why me again?

I've already told you everything.

Can you release me after the interrogation?

Release you?

This is a serious murder case.

Until the real culprit is caught,

Lord can't close the case.

If this drags on for a year or more,

even our lord will be impeached.

By then,

all of you

will just rot in here.

Have mercy, My Lord!

Have mercy, My Lord!

We don't know anything!

My Lord!

My Lord!

We've been wronged, My Lord!

Do you want to get out?

Remember the amount I mentioned yesterday?

What do you mean by that?

Even if you were to weigh me on the scale

and stick a selling tag on me,

I still couldn't scrape together twenty taels.

Look at how stingy you are.

I won't take your money for nothing.

You know, in this Government Office,

from top to bottom,

the jailers, the guards,

the advisors, the clerks,

who doesn't need to be bribed?

How could we release

a living person

as if they're just nothing randomly?

You must be joking.

We haven't killed or committed arson.

If lord can't find evidence,

he'll have to release us sooner or later.

Do you know what kind of place this Government Office is?

Keeping interrogating

and being locked up for three to five months

happen all the time.

All witnesses must be registered.

Once it's written clearly,

even if God himself came,

we wouldn't dare release you randomly.

Are you coming or not?

Come, take that one away.

- My Lord, I’m wronged. - Get up.

My Lord! I'm innocent! My Lord!

Officer,

I have 20 taels.

Please let me out.

What are you shouting for?

How many times have I told you

to be more prudent?

Yet you're still so blatant.

If this matter

gets to lord's ears,

you'll be in huge trouble.

Next month is Master's birthday banquet.

The money for the opera troupe

hasn't been settled yet.

The small lake in the back garden

still needs a Lake Tai Rock.

Aren't we just

showing our loyalty?

Officer,

I really have the money.

Please let me go.

Important witness,

40 taels.

Do you have 20 taels on you?

If I give them my whole year's income,

what can I take home

to support my mother and siblings?

What can my family eat?

No, I don't have that.

Even if they lock me up forever, I won't have it.

Come here.

Come closer.

I have something important to tell you.

Come here.

Do you want to get out?

Yes.

What's happening?

What are you doing?

Will this method really work?

The situation has become so serious

that the Rong family keeps pressuring us to release them.

If we still don't have any solid evidence,

even in front of the Prefect,

I won't be able to explain myself.

Don't worry.

This is an urgent matter.

How can I not be anxious?

Your explanation is ambiguous.

I really don't know

how you plan to catch them.

This tea is too astringent and bitter,

which is not good.

Are you even

listening to me?

Young Master.

I've caught them all!

You really caught them?

Bring them in.

Kneel!

My Lord, I have successfully completed the mission.

Young Master, you ordered me

to work with these officers

to set up a trap.

Sure enough, this Hua took the bait.

He voluntarily offered 20 taels

to escape from the Government Office quickly.

A low-ranking servant in the Rong family

working hard for a whole year

would earn no more than 20 taels.

After food, clothing, and daily expenses,

there's barely anything left.

Especially for these young servants

who often gather to drink and gamble,

they don't have much money at all.

The government can't afford

to keep so many idle people.

They'd release them sooner or later.

If he is so anxious to offer 20 taels,

he must have something to hide and is desperate to escape.

Look at the wound on his neck.

Was it done by Hesi?

My Lord, this scoundrel

smashed a water jug

and hid the pieces in his hand,

being determined to kill people.

Hua.

Others already want to take your life.

Are you still going to remain obstinate?

Speak up.

Where did you get the money from?

Talk!

I'll confess.

Lady Yunwan has been sent away.

You should feel more at ease now, Miss.

Let's go back and drink the calming soup,

and then rest early.

You need to take care of yourself too.

Miss Rong! Miss Rong!

You can't just tie me up like this!

I need to see Miss Rong!

Miss Rong!

Miss Rong!

Please spare me!

Please have mercy!

That night...

That night...

The kitchen's maids were arguing.

Xiu Qiong said she wanted to take a look,

so she asked me to watch over things for just a moment.

But somehow,

Lady Yunwan suddenly became very agitated.

She spilled the bird's nest soup,

and her clothes got all wet.

I intended to find clean clothes

to help her get changed.

Miss.

I was taken in by the Madam

who found me on the street.

Since I was six years old,

I've been by your side.

Please consider

all these years I've cared for you

and spare me.

Have mercy on me!

Have mercy on me!

Xiu Qiong.

Xiu Qiong,

please plead for me.

Miss.

It was Xiu Qiong who left her duty that day.

I'm taking the blame for her.

Miss,

it truly wasn't my fault!

Miss,

please consider

all these years of shared sentiment...

Shared sentiment?

Miss is the master, and you are the servant.

What kind of "shared sentiment" do you have with Miss?

If it weren't for Madam and Miss

who took you in back then,

your entire family would have starved to death.

Forgetting to repay

such a profound life-saving grace is bad enough,

but you've stirred up trouble recklessly, shown yourself to be narrow-minded,

acted with duplicity, and betrayed trust.

Every single instance of this,

Miss has witnessed with her own eyes.

Recently, Miss Rong has been busy with funeral arrangements,

so she had no time to deal with you.

But for what you've done behind her back,

even a hundred deaths would not be enough.

Save yourself some dignity.

Take her away.

Miss, I was wrong, and I understand now.

Miss!

It was Lady Yunxi!

Get up.

Lady Yunxi asked me

to take Lady Yunwan to the back garden.

Miss! Miss!

Mr. Bai finds me clumsy

and rarely asks me to serve him.

So I usually work in the back courtyard,

doing some cleaning chores.

That day before dawn,

I happened to see

Hesi, who always served Mr. He,

secretly burning something.

Before I could ask him anything,

he became very nervous.

He even gave me two taels,

and asked me to keep quiet about it.

I found it more and more suspicious,

so I secretly went back to the courtyard.

I saw with my own eyes

that he hurriedly buried the half-burned bloody clothes

under a grape tree.

Later I found out

that Mr. Yang had been murdered.

After that, Mr. He approached me,

gave me fifty taels,

and asked me to say those things.

I was just greedy for a moment.

I didn't mean to harm anyone.

Please be merciful, My Lord.

Those fifty taels

were the price of your conscience.

The taels you received was ill-gotten from the start.

Your guilty conscience made you desperate to get out of prison.

Hesi, who was afraid that you'd spill the truth,

couldn't bear the risk and decided to kill you.

Hesi,

if you don't name the mastermind behind this,

you'll be charged

as the murderer of Yang Dingchen.

Can you touch your neck and ask yourself

if you can bear the punishment of beheading?

It was my Young Master.

Miss, Mr. He is outside requesting to see you.

Let him in.

Yes.

Miss Rong,

I have something urgent to tell you.

It'd be better if we speak in private.

My Young Master ordered me

to burn the bloodstained clothes.

I only burned half of them

because I feared he might kill me afterward.

I wanted to keep some evidence for myself,

so I buried the remaining pieces

under a tree.

I'll head back to Rong Mansion first.

Gather your men and follow me later.

What's the rush?

Take him through the back door.

Keep it discreet.

Yes, My Lord. Don't worry.

Gather my men immediately.

I'm heading to the Rong Mansion to seize the criminal!

During the ceremony,

the incident with the genuine and counterfeit Tea Bone

has stirred considerable talk among the common folk.

You should have kept

a close eye on Rong Yunwan.

How could you let her

fall into the murderer's hands so easily?

Unless you had already grown wary of her

and secretly wished her dead.

You deliberately turned a blind eye,

and that was your calculated negligence.

He Xingming!

You're angry?

That's understandable.

Since ancient times, people die for wealth

and birds die for food.

My two half-brothers

hate me too.

They hate me to death.

Moreover, she is the real one,

and you are fake.

How can one mountain accommodate two tigers?

If one doesn't look out for themselves, heaven and earth'll destroy them.

Our Rong family is different from your He family.

The bond between our sisters

is not for you to judge rashly.

Judge rashly?

She was your own flesh-and-blood sister,

born from the same womb as you.

When she died,

you hastily buried her,

not even placing her

in the Rong family cemetery.

Doesn't this show

how guilty you feel?

As for that Yang,

he must have

something bad about you

and forced you to give in,

while trying to form a marriage alliance.

This way,

all the secrets

can be covered up neatly.

Isn't that right?

Rong Shanbao.

You're afraid!

Shut up!

Rong Shanbao.

Rong Shanbao.

If you're willing to stoop to Yang Dingchen,

why can't you

humble yourself and beg me?

As long as you beg me,

all those rumors outside

will be dealt with

within three days.

I won't let you worry about anything.

Your Rong family and my He family

would become one from now on.

All the tea plantations in the south

would be in our hands,

and that sea route too.

Get out!

I've been calculating every move,

and planning meticulously,

but it's all for you!

For me?

You're doing it for profit.

Rong Shanbao.

You know the Rong and He families

have been enemies for years.

You hate me, despise me,

and suspect me.

I know full well

that I shouldn't and can't do this,

but I came anyway.

The first year

when I saw you on the tea route,

I secretly followed you for a long time.

I secretly swore to myself

that I would make

all the mortal enemies in your life

rot in the desert.

But when I saw with my own eyes

you killing bandits and vipers,

and your beautiful hands were covered in blood,

I was happier for you

than I've ever been for my own success.

All these years,

you've saved countless tea plantations,

and become a deity in the hearts of tea farmers.

Yet in this family,

you're always misunderstood and framed.

It breaks my heart.

It truly breaks my heart.

I can be your shield.

I can be

the blade in your hand.

I'll shelter you from wind and rain.

I'll charge into battle.

Even if it means killing someone,

I will do it for you.

I can do anything.

If Miss Rong

truly believed your words,

it'd be like keeping a venomous snake,

and she'd have to constantly guard against

you turning on her.

Lu Fusheng, what are you saying?

Miss Rong, Hesi has confessed.

Mr. Yang was killed by Mr. He.

He even revealed where he buried the bloodstained clothes.

You killed Yang Dingchen?

Stop!

Tell them all to leave.

Leave.

Everyone out.

You go out too.

Mr. He.

You're the heir to the Huqiu Tea of the He family.

Why would you ruin your future

by plotting to kill Yang Dingchen?

Since I was little, there's never been anything

I wanted that I didn't eventually get.

If you won't be with me,

I'd rather see you shattered to pieces

than give anyone else the slightest chance with you.

That night, I snuck into the bridal chamber.

He was already dying from illness.

I merely hastened his journey

by sending him to paradise sooner to spare him suffering.

He was supposed to thank me.

Then why did you kill Rong Yunwan?

Yang Dingchen just wouldn't stop pestering me.

So utterly annoying!

He died. So what?

It was supposed to be completely undetectable,

but who knew your foolish sister

would burst in.

Sister.

Sister.

Sister.

Sister.

Lady Yunwan? Lady Yunwan?

Lady Yunwan?

Someone's there!

Sister!

- Mummy! - Lady Yunwan!

Lady Yunwan, where are you?

How did you end up here?

Someone's here! There's blood!

This is not a place

for Lady Yunwan to wander.

If we're discovered,

I'll be scolded.

Hurry!

Let's go.

I didn't know if she

had seen my face clearly.

To prevent her from ruining things later,

I naturally had to eliminate this threat.

Shanbo.

These two people,

one was a rogue who clung to you,

the other was a hindrance in your way,

and I eliminated them both.

Haven't I treated you well?

I'd rather sever ties with marriage forever

than bind myself to a man

who schemes murder

and harbors treachery in his heart.

Then let's die together.

Wait!

Don't you want to know

what Yang Dingchen has

against me?

The Rong family's treasure

is hidden in this room, my room.

Yang Dingchen

somehow found out about it

and used it to blackmail me,

forcing me to marry him,

or he'd tell Grandmother.

There's a passage in that cellar

that leads to the south pier of Linji.

I can take you to the pier,

if you spare my life.

So Miss Rong is afraid of dying as well.

How could there be any passage in this room?

Aren't you just stalling for time?

Though Miss Rong is favored by Lady Rong,

the Rong family

has more than one daughter.

To stop others from getting their hands on the family fortune,

Miss Rong

naturally needs to plan ahead.

She guards a mountain of gold,

so what's hiding a few treasures?

But Mr. He,

you must decide quickly.

If you delay any longer,

once the government's officials arrive,

even God won't be able to save you.

I wouldn't risk my own life.

Turn the base of that lamp three times to the right,

and you'll know I'm telling the truth.

Mr. He,

opening this mechanism

is your only chance of survival.

With Miss Rong as company,

even if you lead me to death,

I won't be lonely on my way even to the underworld.

Open the mechanism!

Quick! Go in and arrest the killer.

Open it! Hurry!

[Purple Clay Teapot]

Purple Clay Teapots are a unique form

[This pot before us also holds key insights.]

of handcrafted ceramic tea ware originating from China.

They're made from the purple clay

for which Yixing in Jiangsu Province is famous.

Originating in the Ming Dynasty and flourishing in the Qing Dynasty,

they are known for their subdued colors and non-glossy texture.

Purple Clay Teapots

have a double-pore structure,

with excellent breathability.

They preserve the aroma of tea to the fullest extent.

They're renowned for retaining the tea flavor

and preventing discoloration when storing tea.

Their bodies also incorporate calligraphy

and seal carving, reflecting scholarly elegance.

The teapot crafting techniques pioneered by Ming Dynasty masters,

including Gong Chun and Shi Dabin,

have been

passed down to this day.

Purple Clay Teapots are not just practical tea vessels,

but also treasured works of art

among scholars and refined individuals.

They're honored as the finest teaware in the world.