Original subtitles

[Glory]

[Episode 19]

[Xinfang Pavilion]

Tailor Chen has been waiting outside

since early morning.

After Mr. Lu finished breakfast,

he called Mr. Chen in to take measurements.

He hasn't gone out.

Did you hear that?

That Yang fellow

clearly harbors ill intent.

He's shifting the blame,

turning you against Mr. Lu

and scheming to ruin your marriage.

Such a man should be arrested

and subjected to harsh interrogation.

We were going to pay a sick visit.

There was nothing to hide.

If he followed us, let him.

With all your talk of violence,

are you trying to turn our Rong family into a nest of thugs?

Besides, Mr. Yang

is an honored guest of Grandmother.

I'll inform her about this.

How he is dealt with

will be for her to decide.

You're about to get married.

Why keep them around?

Take this chance to drive them away.

If they stay longer, there will surely be trouble.

If Grandmother insists on keeping them,

could it be that she still hasn't given up

on matching you with someone else?

I'm not the only daughter in our Rong family.

None of my sisters are married yet.

Grandmother must have her reasons.

Only Old Madam Rong

would believe his sweet talk.

He's a scheming, silver-tongued scoundrel.

Whoever marries him is bound to suffer.

Miss Rong, Old Madam Rong wants to see you.

Has this matter reached Chongxi Hall so quickly?

I'll go see Grandmother.

As for Mr. Yang,

he'll have to stay in the guest room for now.

Without my permission,

he's not allowed to wander around.

- Yes! - Yes!

[Rong's Ancestral Temple]

Grandmother.

However accomplished

you may be,

when it comes to matters of the heart,

you still fall short of Yunxi.

She knew there was a vast gap between their stations,

and their families were worlds apart.

Even with love, they could never be a proper match.

So she chose to devote herself to the family business,

never speaking of personal feelings,

and sparing no effort to amass great wealth.

How could Li's future

ever be lacking?

What a pity.

She lacked patience and endurance,

rushed to outshine you,

and mistook a mere bandit

for a bringer of fortune.

How ridiculous.

Nothing escapes you, Grandmother.

You've known about Li's true identity all along.

If you hadn't brought that child back,

I would have acknowledged her heritage myself.

The descendant of our Rong family

cannot be raised by outsiders.

Bring her back here

and raise her properly for a few years,

so she won't end up like Yunshu,

brought up by her mother

to be submissive,

timid, and meek,

lacking the bearing of a true Rong daughter.

Yunshu is naturally gentle and shy.

Though she may not be as perceptive as Yunxi,

she makes up for it with kindness, humility,

and wide knowledge,

far surpassing the mischievous Yunyin.

She is also dutiful to you, Grandmother,

always the first to pay her respects.

Enough about them.

Bao.

Have you made up your mind?

Grandmother.

I have made my decision.

And I hope for your blessing, Grandmother.

42 years ago,

I too was married here

beneath the paired pillar.

He was just like your Mr. Lu,

handsome and talented,

exceptionally intelligent,

with rare wisdom.

All who saw him

could not help but feel admiration.

That year,

I was escorting

a tea shipment for my mother.

Our boat was docked with curtains half-drawn.

He was reading by candlelight.

The reeds are lush and green.

I fell for him at first sight.

He was the only son

of an official family.

His parents threatened to kill themselves

if he married into the Rong family.

Yet he chose to elope with me.

How devoted and loyal he was.

So, despite my parents' objections,

I secretly brought him here

and we vowed to be married.

Grandmother, do you mean

my biological grandfather?

Look.

Does he

deserve to be your grandfather?

I grew up in the tea plantation.

Beyond knowing tea,

I understood little of the ways of the world or the hearts of men.

It was my first time traveling far from home.

I never suspected

why that boat would dock

right next to mine,

and why the cabin doors faced each other,

allowing me to instantly fall for

that young master reading by candlelight.

I never imagined

that people

could be so calculating against the innocent.

His entire family staged a performance,

all to deceive me

and seize the secret of tea cultivation

to rescue their failing family fortune.

While I was fighting for my life in childbirth,

he stole the precious tea seedlings

and my hand-written

tea manual,

then returned to his hometown

with his beautiful cousin.

His little scheme

couldn't fool my mother.

She lured him into a trap

and brought him before me,

to be dealt with as I pleased.

I could have killed him,

but I decided to let him go

to bear the consequences

of his own actions.

Later, he fell into disgrace,

ruined and destitute.

Hunted down by creditors and disfigured,

he came back to beg me for his life.

I kept him in the ancestral hall

as a warning to future generations.

As long as you're a daughter of our Rong family,

fortune hunters

will be as numerous as fish in the river.

Handsome and talented men

will be yours for the taking.

But once you indulge in romance

and forget your duty,

this is the fate that awaits you.

I have taken your words

to heart, Grandmother.

Good.

Then swear it

before our ancestors.

May the Rong family ancestors bear witness,

I, Rong Shanbao, swear today,

that in my lifetime, I shall devote myself

to the revitalization of the tea of our Rong family.

In all matters, the prosperity of our family shall come first.

May my humble efforts

contribute to something greater,

like the faint light of a firefly

adding brightness to the sun and moon.

Through countless hardships,

my resolve shall never change.

What if the man you marry

betrays the Rong family?

Tell me.

Tell me!

If Mr. Lu betrays the Rong family

in the future,

he shall be my enemy.

I will cut all ties with him,

and show no mercy.

Swear it upon yourself.

If I break even half

a word of this oath,

may my husband leave and children scatter,

my life cut short,

and may I die without a resting place.

Good.

Remember what you've said.

If you break your word someday,

the vow you made will come true.

Rest assured, My Lord.

[Minister Xu]

Once we reach the ferry,

we'll sail south

day and night,

and we should be in Linji before the end of the month.

[Xu Meiying]

[Rong Mansion]

Take this silk over there.

Align it with this one.

Be careful.

Bring it over here.

Move the flowerpot over there.

Yes.

Come on, hurry.

Be careful. This way.

Be careful.

Watch out.

Come on, quickly.

Let's go.

Come here.

You know what to do?

I understand.

You promised not to lose your temper,

and you'd better keep that promise.

You think I'd throw a fit over a mere title?

You've clearly underestimated me.

On the surface, everything seems bright,

yet like fire on oil,

it could turn

for better or worse.

What do you mean?

Lady Rong had three husbands.

Some died, some left.

Finding another is just how things are.

Fortune rises and falls.

No one stays at the top forever.

There's plenty of time ahead.

He won't be winning forever.

Lady Rong

won't allow it either.

You had a grand-uncle

who once entered the Rong household

and won the favor of Lady Rong.

But he was frail and died young,

leaving no children.

If he had lived longer,

perhaps

you might have had

some close cousins.

Did none of your elders

ever tell you of these things?

You seem

completely unaware of all this.

I've been studying tea in the mountains since childhood.

I've never heard of

these old stories.

Who's there?

Stop!

Stop right there!

Well? Do you catch him?

Young Master.

The paper is blank.

What's there to hide?

There are many ways to send messages.

If it truly were blank,

why go to all the trouble

of delivering it?

There must be something hidden within.

Mr. Yan, you always say

that Lu Fusheng is kind-hearted.

How about we make a bet?

The master is not at home. It's not appropriate to open the door.

Who's there?

We're from the Government Office.

Clerk Qing sent me to deliver a message.

That heartless man.

He hasn't been seen for over ten days,

and I thought

he'd been scared off by me,

leaving me all alone.

My apologies for the wait. Please come in.

Please come in.

He was called to go with Magistrate Wang

to inspect the fields.

He didn't have time to inform you.

Before leaving, he specifically asked us

to bring some firewood, wine, and meat,

along with pastries and fruits,

so you wouldn't be waiting in vain.

We were delayed by official matters

these past few days.

So we're late. Please don't blame us.

No worries at all.

I'm not short of

food or firewood here.

Thank you for checking in on me.

I'll call the maid to make some tea.

Have a cup of tea before you leave.

Ms. Xu! Ms. Xu!

Mrs. Qing.

Do you recognize this token?

Clerk Qing said

the Master has grown suspicious.

The item on your house beam

could cause trouble.

I'm to find it and take it away,

before it brings disaster on you.

Wait here.

Here.

That will do.

Magistrate Lang,

I've treated you well,

and this is how you repay me?

Seize him.

Miss Rong.

All young ladies have brought gifts to you,

and they're all waiting outside.

Let them in.

Yes.

Congratulations, Shanbao.

This pair of bracelets

was personally chosen by Li.

May you and Mr. Lu

be blessed by the spirits and ancestors,

and live in harmony and happiness

for all eternity.

Thank Li for me.

Hualin Courtyard is filled with riches,

yet you've never cared for them.

Today is your wedding day,

I can offer nothing grand,

only this set of glass tea cups,

as my gift of congratulation.

No wonder the poem says,

"Colored like cold ice;

Nothing obscures its clarity."

They're so crystal clear

that you can see your reflection in them.

They're even better than the ones

Grandmother received last year.

Today is a good day,

so Grandmother showed you mercy and gave you the day off.

Don't cause any trouble.

This is the first autumn tea from the plantation.

I picked and processed it myself,

as a congratulatory gift for you, Shanbao.

It's good to see you show such sincere remorse

and specially pick autumn tea as an offering.

Grandmother would be pleased to know this.

Xiu Qiong.

Take this to Chongxi Hall

and invite Grandmother to taste it.

No.

This tea... this tea can't be drunk.

I accidentally scorched it.

I'll go back and make a fresh batch.

It can't be drunk?

What a pity.

I had thought of how you've been

working diligently in the tea plantation,

and intended to persuade Grandmother

to let you return home sooner.

Since your tea-making skills

aren't quite there yet,

you'd better stay there

and practice for another two years.

What? Two years?

Are you trying to kill me?

Yunyin, you've been so careless.

How did this happen?

Your heart is black to the core.

Who'd ever marry you?

That precious Lu of yours

is only lusting after your looks and coveting power.

But he'll regret it bitterly someday!

And all you bootlickers,

prattling on about "a perfect match"

and "a match made in heaven."

In my eyes,

they're completely mismatched.

The fighting and betrayal

are yet to come!

Yunshu.

What have you brought?

Let me see.

I strung these fortune beads myself.

They'll bring you good luck, Shanbao.

May bad omens never come true,

and only the good ones do.

Those who spread rumors and cause trouble

will eventually face

their own karma.

Thank you for your skillful handiwork, Yunshu.

Your gift couldn't be more timely.

It's only early autumn.

These socks are far too thick.

I'll roast in them.

There's no need to go to all this trouble.

Change them.

That won't do.

Young Master, after

paying respects to ancestors in the ancestral hall today,

you'll officially be the Rong family's eldest son-in-law.

Our wedding customs differ from those of others.

There are no red ribbons or cross-cup wine.

The young ladies will gather in the bridal chamber

to celebrate the auspicious day.

If they catch the groom,

they'll certainly make mischief.

Young Master, you must sneak into the room in the dark,

without being seen.

Walking barefoot would be the safest way.

What happens if they

catch me?

If they take you away,

even Miss Rong won't be able to get you back.

Where is Jun Dai?

I sent him to check the tea room.

Why hasn't he returned yet?

These are the gifts presented by

the various households in the city, as well as by the Rong family's

tea shops and estates.

Miss Rong informed us beforehand,

and we know you prefer simplicity

and dislike extravagance.

So the gifts are mostly scholarly items,

antiques, calligraphy and paintings.

Miss Rong ordered them all brought here

for your inspection, Mr. Lu.

I misspoke.

I should address you as Young Master.

After you've seen them, Young Master,

please select the ones you like to display,

and the rest will be stored in the storeroom.

Just these will do.

Yes.

Young Master!

Well, Jun Dai.

Today I need to serve tea to Lady Rong.

I sent you to check the tea room,

yet you return at this late hour?

If it weren't such an auspicious day,

you'd certainly get a beating.

Please calm down, Young Master.

I've carefully checked everything.

And the tea is ready.

Young Master.

Last night, Lord Lang

left the government office with two of his confidants

and hasn't returned since.

Oh no.

He must have not

taken my advice

and has gone to fetch that ledger himself,

only to fall right into their trap.

Mr. Lu,

where are you heading?

Someone has sent

a secret letter for you.

Heating it over the flame

reveals its contents.

You came to this mansion

for this person's whereabouts, right?

I don't know anything about any secret letter.

Don't worry. I'm not deceiving you.

I went to see it myself

and it really gave me quite a shock.

If I call out loudly,

you'll be in serious trouble.

I advise you

not to act rashly.

What exactly do you want?

Earlier,

I heard something outside about

someone having gone missing.

Now you're in a bind.

Between saving a life and the wedding at the ancestral hall,

you can only choose one.

[Rong's Ancestral Temple]

Young Master.

Young Master.

You must not miss the auspicious hour.

I cannot let Madam Yang

be taken by anyone else.

Go tell Lady Shanbao.

I've got

a life-or-death case.

I'll be back right after.

Tell her to wait for me.

Young Master!

See?

I told you so.

What are you waiting for?

How humiliating!

It has always been

the women of our Rong family who choose others.

Since when have we allowed

anyone to trample over us?

That Lu Fusheng ought to

be dragged here

and have his legs broken!

Miss Rong.

Mr. Lu left the Rong family

with many attendants waiting for him outside.

Where did he go?

The messenger said

he headed toward South Tower Lane.

Wanwan.

Be careful.

Wanwan, be careful.

Mrs. Liang.

Go. Hurry!

Mrs. Wei.

You can hide for now but not forever.

Until this case is closed,

you'll be hiding and living in fear.

What's the point?

Everything must come to an end.

Please.

Shanbao!

♪ The moonlight chases its way up to the mountain peak ♪

♪ I lift my head and see the faint trace of spring snow on your brow ♪

♪ Years of being buried in paperwork and official business ♪

♪ Who makes the kite snap its string? ♪

♪ Fate must intend for us to be bound together ♪

Lord Lu?

Lord Lu.

♪ That's why so many challenges are set ♪

♪ I can never get enough of looking ♪

I was sent by Miss Rong

to bring Lady Yunwan back home.

♪ At this charming and enchanting smiling face ♪

She's also a witness.

You can't take her away.

Our Lady Yunwan is ill,

and her mind is like that of a young child.

♪ I cross mountains and rivers to rush to your presence ♪

Miss Rong specially chose

a quiet courtyard for her recovery.

But

someone interfered along the way,

♪ We face each other, tears streaming down, yet unable to speak ♪

causing today's mess.

In court,

the Rong family will send someone to respond.

But today

♪ Afraid that the dream is just a sham, frightening away the pair of swallows ♪

I must bring her back myself.

How dare you!

♪ Can we, in this lifetime, share the moon's beauty from afar? ♪

I only want Madam Yang.

Steward Cheng, you may act as you see fit.

I won't go!

♪ The myriad stars in the sky can't fully convey our endless affection ♪

Mrs. Liang, I don't want to leave!

Don't leave me, Mrs. Liang!

Lady Yunwan, forgive me.

Mrs. Liang! Mrs. Liang!

♪ The wind wafts in countless thoughts of longing ♪

Don't hurt her!

Mrs. Liang!

Mrs. Liang!

♪ Love exists among mountains and rivers. Who says it couldn't be fully achieved? ♪

Mrs. Liang!

♪ Every single day with you feels like our very first encounter ♪

I don't want to leave!

Lord Lu!

The Minister is waiting for you at the county office.

There's no hurry.

Before I see him,

there's an urgent matter I must attend to.

[Linji Prefectural Office]

Have I seen a ghost in broad daylight?

Old Master! Old Master!

A ghost, Old Master!

Old Master!

As you commanded, Young Master,

I took the person out during the chaos.

My Lord.

You can't come in.

You can't.

My Lord!

You really can't go in, My Lord!

That's good, My Lord.

Who are you?

Lord Xu.

Long time no see.

How dare you

break into my office!

As Imperial Inspector, I have toured

the counties on behalf of the Emperor.

Everywhere I go, all local officials show me respect.

When my sedan arrives,

even provincial governors must kneel

in the rain to welcome me.

Until I speak,

they remain kneeling in mud,

not daring to stand up.

If I wish to enter your office,

why would I need to force my way in?

Inspector Lu died in the river,

and his death notice was sent to the capital.

Who are you?

Do you know that impersonating an imperial envoy

is a capital offense?

I anticipated your failing eyesight,

fearing you might not recognize me.

So I had hidden my official robe and seal

in the wall behind the kitchen stove,

and just retrieved them.

My Lord, spare the chatter,

or it'll be a wasted effort.

Jun Dai.

I ran into Clerk Qing on the street

a few days ago and invited him home.

We had a pleasant conversation.

I'd wanted to keep him longer,

but knowing how much you value him

and cannot bear to be without him even for a day,

I've personally returned him to you.

My Lord! Save me!

Help me! My Lord!

I've brought your valued talent back to you.

How do you intend to repay me for it?

Guards!

Lu Jianglai,

you're too arrogant for your own good.

How dare you, Xu Song!

In broad daylight, you surround

an Imperial Inspector with soldiers.

Are you staging a rebellion?

Lord Lu, you wouldn't act this brazenly

without someone to back you up.

Bring them in.

Lord Lang!

My Lord!

Save me, My Lord!

My Lord!

Lu Jianglai, you...

My Lord!

You hurt my man first.

I'm merely returning the favor.

Our accounts

will be settled another day.

Farewell.

My Lord.

Are you letting them go just like that?

Get lost!

Useless!

Prepare my sedan chair. I'm going to the Governor's office.

Yes.

See if he's gone!

My hand hurts.

[Rong Mansion]

Miss Rong.

To get Madam Yang out of the residence,

you even faked Lady Yunwan's death.

That was sheer recklessness.

Old Madam Rong is still furious

and probably refuses to see you.

Ms. Yan, please convey my words to Grandmother.

If she wishes me to kneel and reflect on my faults,

I would not normally dare disobey.

However, a storm is brewing

and the Rong family will face turmoil.

I have important matters to attend to,

and must hurry back to handle them.

After the court matter is settled,

I'll come back to beg her forgiveness.

So this is the bet you wanted to make with me?

I've told you already.

Lu Fusheng is a court spy.

He infiltrated the Rong family with ulterior motives,

yet you refused to believe me.

You thought I slandered him

out of jealousy.

Now

you've seen everything with your own eyes.

For a single secret letter,

he abandoned Shanbao without a second thought.

It shows that he never had an ounce of genuine feeling.

It was all pretense.

And you treated him

as a trusted friend,

helping him at every turn.

I'm afraid, in his eyes,

you are nothing more than a fool.

If you truly had your doubts,

you should have spoken to Miss Rong privately,

so she could have been prepared.

Instead, you let her be abandoned

in full view of everyone.

How is she

supposed to face the Rong family?

And how could she

not be heartbroken?

She trampled on my heart,

and you still want me to care about her feelings?

Let her feel the pain.

Only when she's deeply hurt will she understand,

cut ties with that deceiver

and turn against him.

I'm from the Yang family!

Let me out!

Open the door!

I order you to open the door immediately!

I need to see Miss Rong!

Open the door.

Miss Rong.

I came here as a guest.

Is this how your Rong family

treats guests?

What law have I broken

that you must imprison me?

You are utterly heartless.

We all know perfectly well

why you came here.

Spare me the pretense.

Go back and tell your father

that Madam Yang has been taken by the officials.

Miss Rong.

You should give

our Yang family an explanation.

Explanation?

I never

pushed my own sister into a living hell,

and ruined her entire life

just to curry favor with the Wei family.

I never stood by

and watched my closest kin suffer torment

for the sake of the immense profits

the Wei family promised.

And I certainly never

tried to take possession of the Wei family's tea plantation

by accusing my brother-in-law of killing his wife.

It was clearly your Rong family

who harbored a criminal first.

When our Yang family found no trace of her,

only then did we accuse Wei Kejian of murdering her.

Now that the truth has come to light

and my family faces utter ruin.

How can your Rong family

stay out of this matter?

Father.

Our Rong family sheltered

a pitiful woman who had been beaten by her husband

and mother-in-law, causing her to miscarry.

She was bedridden

for three months and barely survived.

She committed no murder

and no crime of any kind.

How can you call her a criminal?

Even if this were brought before the court,

she would appear as a witness, not an accused.

And you want to shift the blame

for false accusation onto others?

Where

is there such a bargain?

You...

Father.

[Lu Yu, the Sage of Tea]

I never imagined that people

could be so calculating against the innocent.

His entire family staged a performance,

all to deceive me

and seize the secret of tea cultivation

to rescue their failing family fortune.

While I was fighting for my life in childbirth,

he stole the precious tea seedlings

and my hand-written tea manuel.

Lu Yu was a tea scholar of the Tang dynasty

and the author of The Classic of Tea.

Tea farmers and merchants of the Tang Dynasty

regarded him as the patron saint of tea industry.

Some tea merchants

display his statue

in their shops.

When business was good,

they would offer flowers and fruits.

When business was poor,

they would pour hot water over his statue.

His figurines were even

sold together with

tea sets,

much like tea pets.

If you ask why did tea merchants

of Tang-dynasty behave this way?

It was because

The Classic of Tea

had propelled the tea industry into prominence.

As the poet Mei Yaochen once wrote,

"Since Lu Yu came into the world,

people have learned to appreciate spring tea."

In a sense,

it was Lu Yu who transformed tea

from a local product into a luxury item,

enabling tea farmers and merchants alike to amass wealth.