Original subtitles

[Glory]

[Episode 24]

I'm a member of the Rong family.

I can't believe you want me to be your spy.

Yang Yitang,

have you lost your mind?

Lady Yunshu,

you offered advice to me

and instructed me to expose Madam Yang as an impostor.

Have you been doing this for charity?

You're just trying to incite Old Madam Rong

to detest Lady Shanbao

so that she will be driven out.

But even without Rong Shanbao,

the Rong family still won't be yours.

Don't forget that

you still have

a shrewd sister, Yunxi.

Though she's not as favored as you,

her reputation in the tea business

far exceeds yours.

Besides, will Old Madam Rong

really pass the Rong family's business onto you?

That old fox

is just using you to suppress

Rong Shanbao's prestige.

If you truly regard

Old Madam's flattery as genuine favor,

then you're really a fool.

We used to have a mutually beneficial relationship.

If I help you now,

what benefits will I get?

I've heard that the vast wealth accumulated by

several generations of the Rong family

is stored in the Rong family's private treasury.

With your share of this substantial family property,

you can establish your own business.

Then you will no longer have to

stay by Old Madam's side

to serve her.

If I make my grandmother happy,

how would you know I can't get the family property?

Why do I have to take such risks

and attract thieves from outside?

If you refuse to be my ally,

then you'll be considered as my enemy.

Unless you want Old Madam

to see through your ambitions.

So what even if she sees through

my ambitions?

The Rong family's members admire talented people

and have always let the most capable one be the head.

Lady Yunshu, you really know

how to deceive yourself.

You clearly know that

all the younger members of the Rong family

are just whetstones for Rong Shanbao.

No matter how hard a stone is,

it can never compare with a knife,

let alone replacing it.

My Lady,

why don't we just report this to the authorities?

If someone puts a knife on my neck,

then let's just take a good look

to see who might be injured

by this knife.

[Rong Mansion]

Old Madam!

Outside...

Who are you guys?

How dare you break into my place?

Tell me!

Where is the key to the Rong family's treasury?

Grandmother.

What key?

I don't know.

Tell me! Where on earth is the key?

You wretched old hag!

I'm afraid you can't survive to spend the money you've been hoarding.

If you still refuse to tell me,

don't blame me for showing no mercy.

I'll kill your granddaughter first.

Yunshu!

Yunshu!

Who are you guys?

Who is it?

Search!

You...

Take all the valuable stuff away.

Yunshu!

Yunshu!

My Lord, bad news!

I'm perfectly fine.

What happened?

Why are you so flustered?

The Rong Mansion was robbed by bandits,

and a young lady from the Rong family is seriously injured.

Which young lady from the Rong family is it?

It's not Lady Shanbao.

It's Lady Rong Yunshu.

Lady Yunshu.

Let's go. Gather everyone here.

I need to visit the Rong Mansion personally.

You're finally here.

How did you know I would come, Mr. Yan?

The Rong family is a prominent clan in Linji.

A midnight robbery must be no small matter.

I reckoned you would certainly

come here to investigate it personally,

so I waited here for you.

What exactly is the matter

that has bothered you so much?

Something serious has happened inside.

Come with me quickly.

Repeat what you've just told me

- to her. - Step aside!

Old Madam.

Those bandits

all came out from the Hualin Courtyard's

tunnel.

They were heading straight for the Chongxi Hall

without alerting the guards in the outer courtyard.

And the guard rotation schedule

changes every two months.

It's all...

It's all personally arranged by you,

Rong Shanbao.

Grandmother...

I...

Step aside!

I'm telling you to step aside!

Step aside!

Old Madam, in a rage,

you concluded that Lady Shanbao

was the culprit after hearing just a few words.

Wasn't that a bit too hasty?

If she had truly betrayed the Rong family,

why would she reveal

the tunnel in the Hualin Courtyard?

That would only bring trouble upon herself.

Old Madam,

Lady Shanbao heard that something happened down the mountain.

Then she rushed back to the Rong Mansion overnight.

She was worried about your safety.

Without distinguishing right from wrong, you just hit her.

It's truly disheartening.

Why are you out with such serious injuries?

Yunshu!

Grandmother.

Yunshu.

- Grandmother. - You...

I don't think Shanbao is the culprit.

Shanbao has dedicated herself to the Rong family

and shown complete filial devotion to you.

The Rong family is her whole world

and even her only home.

She would never

collude with outsiders to rob our mansion.

Grandmother, there must be a mistake.

Someone else must be the accomplice inside this house.

I don't think it's Shanbao.

Now that you're so badly injured,

you're still defending her.

I brought her up.

Speaking of how ambitious she is,

no one knows it better than I do.

Precisely because she thinks of the Rong family as everything,

losing it would be unbearable for her.

A person who has never experienced defeat

simply cannot accept failure!

Rong Shanbao.

As you resented me

for stripping you of the authority to run the household,

you incited those bandits to break into our mansion.

The tunnel's existence has long been revealed.

As long as one was determined to investigate it,

the guard rotation schedule wouldn't be a secret for him.

None of these so-called pieces of evidence

can prove

that I've betrayed the Rong family.

Grandmother.

Others may suspect me.

Even you don't trust me, huh?

In your mind,

is your own granddaughter,

who you've carefully educated for 20 years,

such an ungrateful

and disloyal person?

If it's not you,

who else would have such guts

to betray the Rong family by colluding with outsiders?

Is it Yunxi,

Xiangling

or Yunshu?

You're taking revenge on me.

You want me to see with my own eyes,

without you, how chaotic

the Rong family would become.

You're deliberately seeking revenge!

Grandmother, I have never...

and will never betray the Rong family.

I won't!

Old Madam Rong.

A major robbery case happened in Linji.

As the Prefect, it is my duty to solve it.

I've dispatched men to search the whole city

so that we can capture the bandits as soon as possible.

Lady Shanbao is a woman of noble character

and always acts with integrity.

If she had wanted to compete to run the Rong family's business,

why would she risk irritating you

by helping

Madam Yang, who has no relation to her?

A person who truly has a strong desire for power

would never sacrifice himself

to help someone unrelated.

Moreover, to speak frankly,

if Lady Shanbao had wanted to take action,

wouldn't it be more efficient to eliminate the enemy completely?

You...

Old Madam, please use your wisdom and discernment.

Don't wrongly accuse an innocent person.

Grandmother, I didn't do it.

Please trust me.

Yunshu! Yunshu! Yunshu!

Yunshu!

Grandmother!

- Old Madam! - Grandmother!

Grandmother!

- Grandmother! - Grandmother!

Haven't you irritated Grandmother enough?

Do you want to irritate her

to death?

Grandmother!

Go back and wait for my news.

I promise you

I'll definitely arrest the culprit for you.

The truth of the case will be uncovered soon.

Just go back first.

If Old Madam sees you,

she'll only be even angrier,

which will make things worse instead.

Don't worry. I'll stay here.

Thank you for your concern, Lord Lu.

I hope you can arrest the real culprit soon

and clear my name.

Okay.

Within 10 days,

I will give you an answer.

Send for the doctor now!

Why are you standing there like a fool?

Bring some hot water here. Go now!

Yes!

Lady Shanbao.

You all may leave now.

Yes.

Mr. Bai.

Could you

let me talk to Yunshu for a moment?

You're awake.

It's just a minor injury.

Grandmother was just angry today.

Please don't take it to heart, Shanbao.

When Grandmother feels better,

I will definitely send someone

to inform you immediately.

Asking a tiger for its skin might make yourself get bitten instead.

Shanbao, do you know

how many steps it takes

to walk from your Qilan Garden

to Grandmother's Chongxi Hall?

I don't think you know that.

After all, you've been

pampered by everyone

since childhood.

How would you notice such trivial matters?

What are you trying to say?

From my courtyard to the Chongxi Hall,

it takes exactly 728 steps.

It took me 16 years

to finish this journey.

Shanbao.

I wonder which of us

could go farther in the future.

Bai, I'm in so much pain.

Now that just the two of us are here,

you don't need to pretend anymore.

I was watching coldly just now.

In the Chongxi Hall,

you tried so hard to defend Lady Shanbao,

which made Old Madam Rong get more suspicious instead.

Did you really do that for her own good?

Yunshu.

Where did those bandits come from?

Do you truly know nothing about it?

You're the one who's framing Lady Shanbao.

I am your fiancé.

If you refuse to tell me the truth,

then I can no longer cover for you.

I have something else to tell Old Madam.

Don't go!

Do you want to die?

I beg you! Please help me!

I beg you!

Alright.

I'm not going anywhere.

I'll stay right here.

I'll just stay here with you.

[Chongxi Hall]

The ginseng tonic is ready.

Let Old Madam have a cup of it first.

Then let her have a second cup of it after midnight.

Only when Old Madam is awake

can she have some rice congee.

Dr. Sun, please forgive my intrusion.

How is Old Madam's condition?

Old Madam is over 60 years old.

Last night, her anger affected her heart.

Fortunately, a few days ago,

she took medicine to prevent stroke,

which saved her life.

However, in the coming days,

she still needs proper care and rest.

She must not exhaust herself again.

Please.

Mr. Yan, didn't you...

hear any movements in the mansion last night?

Xinfang Pavilion is the farthest from Chongxi Hall,

with a garden between them.

Those bandits

went through the Hualin Courtyard's secret tunnel

to avoid alerting the guards in the mansion.

If someone had not discovered

the unconscious night watchman in the bushes

or summoned the outer-courtyard guards in time,

I'm afraid the entire Rong family would have been in great danger.

You're right.

These bandits came and went without leaving a trace.

They headed straight for the Chongxi Hall.

Someone inside the Rong Mansion must have colluded with them.

It couldn't possibly be Lady Shanbao.

The Rong family is the most important in her mind.

Even if everyone else betrayed the Rong family,

she never would.

That's true.

We found the traces of bandits at the foot of the tea mountain.

What happened?

My Lord.

Holding the Governor's seal, the garrison troops in Linji

are using the pretext of eliminating bandits

to completely surround the tea mountain.

Let's go! We'll talk further on the mountain.

Let's go!

Wanwan, look.

You must do it this way,

flipping them up with your thenar eminence.

My Lady!

In this way, you won't get burned easily.

At a time like this,

you still have the mood to teach her how to pan-fry tea leaves?

Rong Yunshu is even oppressing you now

and abusing her power.

If you're still my real sister,

go back to the Rong Mansion right now

and give her a good whipping.

Let's see if she still dares to disrespect her superiors again.

Yunshu is badly injured.

She can't survive if I whip her.

It would be great if she dies.

Yunxi told me everything.

She pretended to be innocent in front of Grandmother,

which made you get into great trouble.

Previously, I even thought

she had a good disposition.

It turns out that she's just

a despicable woman in sheep’s clothing.

The authority of the eldest legitimate daughter

from the First Branch of our Rong family

isn't something she can challenge!

Just see how I'll flay her alive!

I'm not being indignant for your sake,

but for our First Branch.

No matter how close sisters are,

there must still be a proper hierarchy.

The great contributions you've made

to the Rong family

can't be erased by anyone.

What's more, Mother...

Mother planned it for you for so many years

that she didn't even close her eyes when she died.

You can't give up this honorable position.

Wanwan, look.

Only in this way can you avoid getting burned.

Rong Shanbao, did you hear that or not?

Lady Shanbao!

The soldiers have surrounded the tea plantation!

Soldiers?

What soldiers?

What are they doing on our tea mountain?

Come on. Let's go out and take a look.

Lady Yunwan! Lady Yunwan!

I'll teach you. Let's continue.

Step aside, you all!

The government is handling a case!

All irrelevant people should get out of the way!

Search thoroughly!

Just find them even if you have to turn the place upside down!

This tea mountain is a den of bandits!

If we can't find anything,

you guys will be held accountable, too!

Stop it now!

Just stop it!

What are you guys doing?

Go there!

Don't destroy this! Don't destroy it!

This is all from everyone's hard work.

You can't destroy it!

It's all from everyone's hard work.

Under the order of the Governor, Lord Jiang,

we're on this mountain to capture bandits.

Anyone who dares to resist will be killed on the spot!

Stop it!

Who are you?

Which commander are you under?

You're insolent and unscrupulous.

How dare you make trouble in Rong's Plantation?

Don't try to touch anything agian!

You're openly

defying our search.

Do you want to harbor the criminals

and engage in illegal activities?

Guards! Arrest them!

You're talking nonsense!

The Rong Mansion was robbed.

In this world, no victim

would harbor the bandits.

You know this is Rong's Plantation,

but you still dare to barge in here.

Do you have ulterior motives?

Arrest them!

Yi.

I'd like to see which of you dares.

Just see what's beneath your feet.

Those tea leaves beneath your feet

are the top-grade

Cold Dew Tea Leaves that will be delivered

to the capital in seven days.

They're only harvested three days before

and four days after the Cold Dew Day.

The harvest is only conducted during these seven days each year.

In the entire world,

they're only grown on this mountain.

Even one liang of them is extremely valuable.

When the imperial family punishes people for this,

can your head

and the lives of your entire family

be kept safe?

Destroying imperial tea leaves is an unforgivable crime.

There must be someone taking responsibility for this crime.

Are you guys willing to share the responsibility with him?

I didn't know these were imperial tea leaves!

I was just following orders to take action!

Please let us go!

I'm begging you!

My Lord, we're not bandits!

My Lord!

We're not bandits!

My Lord!

The Rong family has always been patriotic and loyal to the monarch.

We once donated several million taels of platinum

for the border warfare

and even tirelessly helped to transport military provisions.

Everyone in the imperial court admired and respected us.

The late Emperor bestowed the title

of Madam Anguo on my grandmother.

She can submit confidential memorials directly to His Majesty.

What an honor that is!

The Rong family's loyalty

has long been recognized by His Majesty's great insight.

Are the bandits hiding in the tea plantation or not?

Did you see that clearly or not?

The Provincial Governor is here!

I'm Zhang Zhong. Greetings, Your Excellency.

A gang of notorious bandits has entered the city.

They robbed innocent households. Their crimes are unforgivable.

As the official in charge of this region,

I have a heavy responsibility.

I will not allow the bandits to get rampant

and disturb the peace of our citizens.

When I find out

who secretly helped these bandits escape,

I will treat him as an accomplice.

Zhang Zhong, search this place now!

Search!

Shanbao.

We can't let them act so absurdly!

Since we have nothing to hide,

what is there they cannot search?

Let them search as they wish.

I also want to see

what Lord Jiang can possibly find.

Over here! Quickly! Search! Hurry!

Over there!

Take it away!

- Yes! - Yes!

My Lord, we found it.

Shanbao, well...

Shanbao.

This is Grandmother's treasured item.

Take her away!

Wait!

Rong Shanbao.

I even vouched for you

in front of

the Provincial Governor.

I can't believe you didn't even know

your own tea plantation had become

the place of hiding stolen goods.

How could you be so muddle-headed?

Lord Lu, you are mistaken about that.

I was expelled from the Rong family by my grandmother,

which has long been known to all.

While my grandmother was ill,

by using the secret tunnel in the Hualin Courtyard

to collude with bandits from outside,

firstly, this person could increase his personal wealth,

and secondly, he could warn my grandmother

to make her realize

that the household cannot be without a person in charge,

so she would summon me back sooner.

Rong Shanbao!

I suppose if you search further,

you'll find even more evidence against me.

As people say, when someone wants to condemn you, he can always find a reason.

If Lord Jiang insists that I'm guilty,

whether I admit it or not

just doesn't matter.

Alright. If you admit it,

that would be good for everyone.

Guards!

Guards!

Arrest Rong Shanbao immediately!

Lord Lu, what do you mean by doing this?

My Lord, please calm down.

My Lord, you've sent so many soldiers here today

to search the entire mountain.

Are you trying to find the bandits here?

Don't pretend you don't know the answer.

May I ask

what the value of this item is?

It's worth 300 taels at least.

What about this one?

It's worth no less than 1,000 taels.

My Lord.

According to our dynasty's laws,

if a robbery case occurs in a region

and the stolen silver exceeds 5,000 taels,

it counts as a major case that must be

reported to the Ministry of Justice and His Majesty.

All officials of prefectures and counties,

including myself

and even you, My Lord,

will be held accountable for negligence on precautions.

With the slightest incaution,

we would face impeachment from the imperial censors.

What would you suggest, Lord Lu?

If Lady Rong Shanbao is put into prison to wait for her conviction,

and you personally conduct the interrogation,

everyone in Linji will feel insecure,

which will definitely cause panic all over the city.

That's harmful for your reputation as an official.

Why not let me investigate the case?

Whether she's hiding stolen goods or being falsely accused,

we'd better find the bandits first

before deciding on the conviction.

Alright.

Lord Lu, since you're volunteering,

then this case

will be entrusted to you.

However,

if an official is assigned to handle a case

and fails to

arrest the bandits within 10 days,

he'll be sentenced to 40 lashes and be dismissed from his post.

Lord Lu,

can you bear this consequence?

I won't let you down, My Lord.

Guards!

Take all the stolen goods back to the County Office, too!

Lady Rong Shanbao.

Everything in the prison is simple and crude,

but this is kind of a good cell.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Please stay in this cell.

It's fine.

If you need anything...

Rong Shanbao!

- What exactly are you trying to do? - My Lord!

As the presiding judge, you must avoid any suspicion.

Get out of my way!

I just don't understand.

You knew someone had tampered with the tea plantation,

but you didn't even say a word to defend yourself.

Do you have any idea

what a prison is like?

Do you think it's like the backyard of your Rong Mansion?

If you had been sent to the Provincial Governor's Office,

how could Jiang Yiqian possibly let you

get out alive?

He thinks of the Rong family

as a thorn in his flesh

and has long wanted to deal with you.

Aren't you quite capable?

Answer me!

Please calm down, My Lord.

Rong Shanbao!

Are you deaf or mute?

Aren't you here for me, My Lord?

Lord Lu, you're upright, impartial,

resourceful and decisive.

You redressed the injustice in the Wei family's case.

There are few officials as righteous as you in this world.

I believe you can distinguish right from wrong,

bringing justice for an innocent person

like me.

My Lord! My Lord!

It's easy to invite the devil in, but it's hard to make him leave.

Lord Jiang.

You've asked for this trouble yourself.

You can't blame me.

Grandmother refuses to see us?

We're here to visit her while she's sick.

Why would Grandmother avoid seeing us?

My dear sisters, you're here.

Yunshu.

Do you know the officials found the stolen goods

in the tea plantation,

falsely accused Lady Shanbao of being the ringleader

and took her away?

This matter concerns the century-old reputation of the Rong family.

It's extremely serious.

Just let me in now.

I need to report it to Grandmother.

Xiangling.

You know Grandmother's temper.

She hates those who are blinded by affections,

unfilial, rebellious and disloyal.

A person with all those traits

can never return to the Rong family.

The lessons learnt from the past are still so vivid in our mind.

Others may be too foolish to understand the situation.

Do you also not understand, Xiangling?

You...

Yunshu.

We are all Grandmother's granddaughters

and should take care of her while she's sick.

How could we let you bear this burden alone?

Besides, your own wound hasn't healed yet.

If you exhaust yourself,

it'll be harder for your injury to heal.

Yes, indeed.

Yunshu, you're such a delicate person,

but you still protected Grandmother from the knife attack.

Your filial piety can even move Heaven and Earth.

No one can take that merit away from you.

Just go back to recuperate and don't worry.

We sisters can take turns to look after Grandmother,

which is the proper way.

It's just a minor injury and is nothing serious.

I know you all are concerned about Grandmother.

She will appreciate your filial devotion.

But Grandmother is being sick now.

She's not only unable to walk normally as usual

but also incapable of speaking properly.

Grandmother is a woman

of indomitable will.

She would never want anyone to see her

moving her limbs clumsily.

If you all insist on barging in,

which might irritate Grandmother,

I can't bear the consequences.

I insist on going in.

What can you do about it?

Get lost!

Tell them all to get lost!

Did you all hear that?

Please leave now.

Look! How authoritative

Lady Yunshu is today.

Is she still

your sweet and fragile fiancée

who's as delicate as dodder?

She's strong-willed

with formidable tactics.

How would she still need anyone's protection?

How long

will you keep deceiving yourself?

This is a safety amulet

I got for Grandmother.

Being placed under her pillow,

it can calm her spirit and ward off evil.

People say in the capital,

there's an imperial physician surnamed Hou,

whose ancestral wind-drawing decoction

has miraculous effects on calming the liver and dispelling wind.

I've already asked someone to invite him here.

He will arrive in Linji soon.

I'll come here to greet her again tomorrow.

Yunshu, thanks for your hard work.

Bye, Yunxi.

Yunshu, you're so smart

and quick-witted,

being the most outstanding one among all the sisters.

I always knew you would achieve a position like this today.

Don't worry.

I'm not on their side.

Currently, you've been

staying by Grandmother's side every day.

There are so many trivial matters that you can hardly attend to everything.

I may not have other skills,

but I'm qutie good at handling household affairs.

If there's anything bothering you,

just tell me, Yunshu.

I won't refuse to help.

I know you care about me, Yun'e.

Thank you for that.

I'll come talk to you again tonight.

You usually don't like

this fence-sitter.

In the past, she could side with Yunxi,

and now she can defect to me.

Doesn't this show

the trend of popular sentiment in the mansion?

After all, now I am

Grandmother's most trusted granddaughter.

Come with me.

Shixin.

From today onwards,

help me keep an eye on

Lady Yunshu's every movement.

Young Master, are you suspecting her?

Lady Shanbao is not in the mansion.

I have to help her guard against

those with ill intentions.

Lady Yunshu's behavior is suspicious.

We must be wary of her.

It hurts.

Why are you confining Old Madam?

Grandmother refuses to see outsiders.

How can a younger member like me dissuade her?

As your fiancée,

I've just escaped death,

and despite my illness, I have to deal with all the affairs,

but you've shown no concern

and are blaming me instead.

Bai, go back and think carefully.

If you still don't understand,

don't come to see me again.

Rumor has it that

back then, Old Madam

asked Third Master Rong to escort the tea products.

As soon as the tea caravan left the city,

Old Madam drove your mother away immediately,

causing her to freeze to death in severe winter

in the Mountain God Temple.

There was even no simple coffin for her burial.

When Third Master Rong got the news,

he rushed back desperately

and rode three horses to death,

but he still couldn't make it for his wife's funeral.

He resented Old Madam so deeply

that he built a hut beside his wife's grave to live there

and spent his days drinking.

He passed away in despair within three years.

You hate Old Madam

for having belittled and mistreated you since childhood.

You intend to seize control of the Rong family.

It was you who framed Rong Shanbao.

Those bandits were also...

Shut up!

It was really you.

That's just some gossip on the street.

Don't take it seriously.

Bai.

You promised to help me,

but now you're suspicious of me in every way.

I'm so disappointed in you.

If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have done that back then.

Yunshu.

I was planning to go to the capital for the examination next month,

but now it looks like I need to leave earlier.

Just leave with me

in three days.

What did you say?

Despite your silver tongue

and solemn promises,

I have eyes and can judge for myself.

I cannot stand by,

watching you sink deeper into this mire.

Either you come with me to the capital,

and then we can put everything behind us,

or I will expose everything

you've done

one by one in front of the people.

Bai Yingsheng, I hate you!

Just hate me as you wish.

See you in three days.

[Provincial Governor's Office]

My Lord, we've searched the entire tea mountain.

Except for some stolen goods,

we still haven't found

any traces of the bandits.

Scribe Liu.

My Lord.

You've worked for me for so many years.

Tell me.

In my report to His Majesty,

what crime should I charge Lu Jianglai with?

Here's my answer, My Lord.

Rong Shanbao is the main culprit in this case,

and the stolen goods have been found, too.

However, the newly appointed Prefect of Linji, Lu Jianglai,

has a personal relationship with her and deliberately shields her.

My Lord, in this report,

you should accuse him of perverting the law for personal favor

and betraying His Majesty's trust.

My Lord, no wonder that day,

you allowed him to leave so easily.

This is already

irrefutable evidence of his crime.

My Lord, you're so wise.

You just said

you didn't see

any traces of the bandits on the mountain.

In my opinion,

that shouldn't be the case.

I am foolish, sir.

Probably,

our search wasn't thorough enough.

There are thousands of tea farmers on this tea mountain.

Hiding among them

would be extremely easy.

Please let me go check it out again.

I will definitely capture the bandits.

Go now.

Yes!

I'm leaving.

Go!

Behave yourself! Go over there!

Don't arrest me!

On what grounds can you do this?

Go now!

Don't move!

On what grounds can you do this?

I'm innocent!

That's right! On what grounds can you arrest us?

Except for tea leaves,

how could there be bandits on the mountain?

On what grounds can you arrest people arbitrarily?

If you keep nagging, you'll be arrested, too.

Let's go!

What crimes have we committed?

- Why are you arresting me? - Hurry up!

Go!

We're honest people.

Please release us now!

Go!

Miss Xiu Qiong.

Most of them

have traveled far from their hometowns

to make a living here.

They know nothing except growing tea leaves!

Most of them

have never even left the tea mountain.

How could they possibly be bandits?

Miss Xiu Qiong,

please find a way to save them!

But now, even Lady Shanbao

is in prison herself,

being unable to get rid of the trouble.

I'm just a lowly maid.

What solutions can I possibly have?

Tell me!

I'm not a bandit!

You're asking for a beating!

Officer, I'm really not a bandit!

Where are you from?

I'm talking to you!

I'm...

I'm from the mountain.

My elder sister came to work for Lady Shanbao,

so I came with her, too.

Lady Shanbao taught us how to process tea leaves

and gave us food.

There are no free meals in this world.

You're saying Lady Rong Shanbao

taught you guys how to process tea leaves

and hired martial artists

to teach you fighting skills.

What exactly was her purpose?

Lady Shanbao said

by learning some martial arts skills,

in the future...

in the future, while following tea caravans outside,

we would get triple the wages.

How come I don't believe that?

She kept private guards in the tea plantation.

She must be plotting something.

Tell me! Were you the one

who robbed the Rong Mansion?

No.

Not you, huh?

Then tell me who it was.

Was it him?

Or him?

I'm innocent!

Or him?

If it was not him,

then it must be you!

It was him.

What a coward.

Boy, you're kind of honest.

It's just that you're a bit inarticulate.

Take him away.

Teach him how to speak properly.

Go!

My Lord.

The evidence of keep private soldiers...

Idiot!

If the Provincial Governor says there is such evidence,

then there must be some.

As for those bandits who are hiding somewhere...

Aren't these all of them?

Yes.

[Rong Mansion]

- My Lady! - My Lady!

I'm Lady Yunyin from the Rong Mansion.

I need to see Grandmother.

How dare you stop me?

Step aside!

We're just following orders to do this.

Please understand this, Lady Yunyin.

Don't make things difficult for us.

Following orders? Whose orders?

When did the Rong family

get a new master?

All of you, get out of my way!

Who's making such noise outside the mansion?

So it's you, Yunyin?

Yun'e, I need to see Grandmother.

Help me inform her now.

Have you forgotten

what you did previously?

I'm afraid Grandmother doesn't want to see you.

There are orders from the Chongxi Hall.

Grandmother needs to stay indoors and rest quietly.

She won't see any external visitors.

What are you waiting for?

Come on.

Rong Yun'e, how dare you!

I am also Grandmother's granddaughter.

Insolent servants!

Who allowed you to touch me?

Evne Grandmother's once favorite granddaughter

is imprisoned now,

but she hasn't

asked about her at all.

Times have changed, and everything is different now.

Only your own sister

still lets you maintain your bad temper.

Nowadays, who else would have time for you?

Close the door.

Grandmother!

Are you going to ignore Shanbao too?

Shanbao has been framed!

Grandmother!

Grandmother!

[Grandmaster of Tea]

Wanwan, look.

You must do it this way,

flipping them up with your thenar eminence.

In this way, you won't get burned easily.

Grandmasters of Tea in the Ming Dynasty weren't scholars.

They were teahouse waiters

who were proficient in tea arts.

They were commonly found in teahouses

and scholarly gatherings.

Grandmasters of Tea excelled at

evaluating tea, selecting water and controlling the boiling state.

They were especially adept at brewing loose tea.

They could match different tea varieties

with appropriate purple-clay teapots or blue-and-white cups.

Grandmasters of Tea were not only skilled in tea arts

but also refined in speech and manner.

While brewing tea,

they could even turn it into a performance.

Teahouses flourished in the Ming Dynasty.

Grandmasters of Tea earned handsome incomes.

They were both service providers

and inheritors of tea traditions,

known as the prototypes of modern tea artists.