Original subtitles

[Glory]

[Episode 28]

[Linji Prefectural Office]

Didn't we agree

that you'd hold nothing back from me?

Lady Rong Shanbao,

how many more things are you still hiding from me?

Shanbao,

I'm really curious

which one of us

will end up going farther.

Did you hear our conversation

just now?

She was forced into this.

She has been looked down upon since childhood.

Now

she just wants to secure her footing

in the Rong Mansion.

Mr. Bai, do you dare to make a bet with me?

If she's willing to give up the wealth

of the Rong family for you,

then it proves

she's not completely ruthless,

and I will let bygones be bygones.

But if she abandons you,

then you shall work for me.

What do you say?

We have a message from Lady Yunxi.

It says that Jiang Yiqian has captured Li

and is forcing Lady Yunxi to do his bidding.

Tell her

to follow Jiang Yiqian's orders.

Yes.

Have you lost your mind?

You even dared to burn the Tea King Tree?

You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.

Only in this way can we make Jiang Yiqian

let down his guard completely.

Fine.

I've been running around,

working tirelessly for you.

But in the end, you won't even give me

a single word of truth.

Rong Shanbao, to you,

am I just a tool to be summoned

and dismissed at will?

Jiang Yiqian is your sworn enemy.

By eliminating him,

wasn't I also helping you?

What on earth are you even angry about?

Fine, I'm being unreasonable.

I shouldn't have worried that you would get bullied by your sisters

when you returned to the mansion.

I shouldn't have worried that Luo Deze would hold you accountable

for the ruined birthday gift.

And I certainly shouldn't have worried that getting entangled in a murder case

would ruin your reputation.

Stop the carriage!

My Lord, are you getting out?

Are you still getting out?

No, I'm not.

When this case is over,

I will give you an explanation.

Good.

I'll wait.

Fragrant pouches and sachets!

So you actually colluded with Rong Shanbao

to deceive me!

What a loyal servant indeed!

Since you've chosen to work for Rong Shanbao,

why put on this mask of mercy?

Yes, I deceived you.

But Yunshu,

you have

gone astray.

Astray?

In this vast Rong Mansion,

when Grandmother held Rong Shanbao up

as the shining moon,

did she ever stop to think

there was still a weed clinging to life in the corner?

If I don't fight, should I just wait for her charity?

I must fight!

I fight, whatever the cost!

I fight, until the very end!

I thought you would understand me.

But why would even you stand in my way?

Why would even you think

I should admit guilt?

Leave. I don't want to see you anymore.

The day I fell into the river,

the water, steeped in hatred,

surged into my lungs.

When I awoke, I swore

that I myself would shackle

the hands that had pushed me into the river.

Then you can do it now.

Yet even now, I still cherish the memory

of the quiet orchid fragrance

on the sunny day we first met.

I'm about to go to the capital for the imperial exam.

This will likely be

the last time we see each other.

Grandmother, it's time to take your medicine.

Set it down for now.

What the hell are you doing?

Let me tell you the truth.

My eyes have been healed for a long time.

All these years of biding my time

were only to seek justice for my mother.

Grandmother, you must take your medicine obediently

and stay alive

to see with your own eyes

that a maid's child

will inherit the Rong family,

and that my mother's memorial tablet

will be rightfully

placed in the Rong family ancestral hall.

Drink! I'm telling you to drink!

Mr. Yan.

Why are you being so rude?

Old Madam Rong,

wake up!

Old Madam Rong!

-How dare you break into Chongxi Hall! -Old Madam Rong!

Someone come at once!

Throw this insolent man out!

Yes, someone should be called here

to examine exactly what is in this medicine!

Mr. Yan,

I show you respect

because you're an honored guest invited by Grandmother,

but you have no right to spout nonsense

and falsely accuse me!

Please go back to pack your things now

and leave the Rong Mansion immediately.

Lady Yunshu,

Mr. Bai has cherished you deeply.

He once earnestly advised you

to leave this den of intrigue.

But you were filled with hatred,

trapped in the mire and refusing to free yourself.

Even now, you still show no remorse.

Do you truly not fear karmic retribution?

How did you know that?

This is a private matter of our Rong family.

An outsider

like you has no right to butt in.

Mr. Yan is indeed an outsider.

As a member of the Rong family,

I can intervene, can't I?

Lady Shanbao,

you've returned.

Thank you, Mr. Yan.

I'll take care of the Rong family's

private matters.

Yunshu.

I've properly resolved the matter of the birthday gift.

Now that things have come to this,

it is time to settle accounts with you properly.

Your most unforgivable act

was confining

our sick grandmother

to control the entire family.

This is the deepest filial impiety.

What right do you have

to lecture me?

Let's not forget

that now you're still just a granddaughter

who has been expelled

from the Rong Mansion by Grandmother.

Guards.

Guards!

These two

are disturbing Grandmother's rest.

Throw both of them out!

Have you forgotten what Grandmother said?

While she's ill,

I am in charge of all the affairs of the Rong family.

Are you all deaf?

Throw them out now!

Otherwise, when Grandmother wakes up,

every one of you will be punished.

Rong Yunshu.

Yang Yitang

has already turned you in.

You conspired with him to bring trouble into our family,

which made Grandmother ill.

Now, Jiang Yiqian, the man behind him,

has also been arrested.

If you are still so stubborn and refuse to repent,

I'll have the constables take you away

and interrogate you in court.

I'm stubborn?

She was the one who was stuck in outdated ways

and brought untold harm to others.

She was the one who was obsessed with social standing

and treated my birth mother as someone

to be trampled on by all.

She was

the one who watched

her own son

die of grief,

forbade him to be buried in the family graveyard,

and even barred me from paying homage to my own parents.

To outsiders,

she is the respectable head

of the Rong family,

helping the distressed and doing good far and wide.

But to members of the Rong family,

she's nothing but a tyrant!

Rong Shanbao, you were only 13

when she forced you

to join the tea caravan on its trade routes,

nearly causing you to die far from home.

No matter how much you sacrificed for the Rong family,

the moment you showed the slightest disobedience,

you became a traitor to the Rong family,

stripped of everything

and expelled from the Rong family.

Is that fair?

You all accuse me of wanting to harm her.

But why would I need to lift a finger?

The state she's in now

is Heaven's punishment for her.

Heaven is punishing

this overbearing old tyrant,

leaving her hands paralyzed, her voice silenced,

her kin estranged and her possessions stripped away!

Your father truly loved your mother.

They were indeed a rare loving couple.

But for his personal desires,

your father abandoned the entire tea caravan.

The entire tea shipment was looted by desert bandits.

More than 10 people died or were injured.

If I had been the head of the Rong family,

I would also have needed to give the tea farmers an explanation.

In her position,

Grandmother faced many difficult choices.

When I was lost in the desert,

so thirsty that I nearly

had to drink my own blood to save myself,

I did blame her once.

But had I been in her position,

I, too, might have been

forced to do certain things.

Isn't that right,

Grandmother?

I'm not as magnanimous as you are.

Now that I cannot

seek justice for my poor mother,

what joy is there in living?

Better to just end it all.

Mr. Yan.

I...

I didn't mean to do it.

He threw himself onto the blade.

Take Lady Yunshu away at once.

Lady Yunshu.

Mr. Yan!

Lady Shanbao,

thank goodness you're alright.

Mr. Yan!

Well, well,

you work here but secretly serve someone else.

You've become a spy

for Lady Shanbao, haven't you?

Spare me, sir!

I wouldn't dare!

I would never dare to do such a thing!

I ordered you to seal off the riverbank

and spare no effort in the rescue.

You told me you couldn't

find any trace of Bai Yingsheng.

Yet he conspired with Lady Rong Shanbao

and snuck into the Provincial Governor's Office.

Jun Dai, oh Jun Dai.

How remarkably well you kept this from me.

Lady Shanbao said

Mr. Bai was reserved for other purposes

and couldn't be handed over to the authorities.

Please don't be angry, My Lord.

I am completely loyal to you, My Lord.

It's just that my parents and sister

still work for the Rong family.

Their fate

rests entirely in the hands of Lady Shanbao.

But I dare swear to Heaven

that apart from saving lives for good karma,

there is not a single thing

I have hidden from you, My Lord.

Do you dare swear to Heaven

that you haven't hidden anything else from me?

My Lord, you've said before

that my loyalty to Lady Shanbao

is loyalty to you.

It seems that Rong Shanbao

is still keeping far too many things from me.

Take him away.

Give him 10 lashes before bringing him back for questioning.

No, no!

Please don't!

My Lord, I'll tell you.

I'll tell you everything!

Speak.

As long as it's about Rong Shanbao,

you must not leave a single word out.

Old Madam Rong's illness

started from her ankles,

gradually spreading upward to the knees.

Within a month or two, it spread to the thigh bones.

Then it moved to the shoulders and elbows

before finally reaching the hands.

It started with numbness and itching. Then it felt like insects gnawing,

with the pain worsening through the night.

Since the illness didn't develop overnight,

it cannot be cured in a month or two.

Doctor, your words are indeed strange.

Grandmother has always been in good health.

She had a stroke because she was frightened by bandits.

But according to your words,

it sounds like a chronic illness.

If Grandmother had truly been ill,

how could she have shown no signs at all?

Yunxi, did you know of this?

So your prescription...

The prescription from Dr. Sun earlier

primarily targets excessive internal heat.

It is effective to some extent.

But Old Madam Rong's illness

is caused by chronic arthralgia.

She ought to take the Life-Prolonging Decoction instead,

which will surely work after just one dose.

Can it really be that miraculous?

Grandmother, you're awake!

-Grandmother, are you alright? -Old Madam Rong.

You're awake.

-Grandmother. -Grandmother.

How are you feeling?

Hurry.

The moment Grandmother woke up,

she kept asking to see you.

Hurry up.

Don't panic.

You stay at Xinfang Pavilion.

If Mr. Yan wakes up,

come report to me at once.

Let's go.

Grandmother, are you feeling better?

You've suffered a lot.

Grandmother, if you're no longer angry with me,

I don't feel it's suffering at all.

Where is she?

She is confined in the small courtyard behind the ancestral hall.

Once you've fully recovered, you can deal with her personally.

How is Bailou doing with his injuries?

According to the doctor,

Mr. Yan's injuries are severe,

and his life is in danger.

Whether he can pull through

depends on how he fares these next two days.

I was thinking

we should send someone to inform the Yan family immediately,

but I feared the journey would be too far

to make it in time.

Fortune favors the virtuous.

He is a fine young man,

even sacrificing himself to save you.

When you weren't at the Rong Mansion,

he still spoke well of you to me

every single day.

It was all because of him

that you and I could finally reconcile.

He is truly a blessing to our Rong family.

There are people attending to me here.

You need not stay by my side.

Go to Xinfang Pavilion

and make sure his life is saved.

Okay.

I'll go watch over him at Xinfang Pavilion right away.

Grandmother, your illness has only just taken a turn for the better.

You must not exhaust yourself with worries.

Let me help you lie down first.

No.

Go tell Bailou

that if he pulls through,

I'll

grant him a wish.

A wish?

A wish that he has long kept hidden

in his heart

and has been too hesitant to ever speak aloud.

As long as he survives,

I will make it come true for him.

[Prison]

I have urgent business to discuss with Lord Luo.

Go tell him I need to see him!

Someone come at once!

I demand to see Lord Luo!

Lord Jiang,

you're making such a fuss to see the Imperial Inspector.

What exactly do you need to report?

Through the ages,

the cycle of rise and fall never ends.

Young man,

never burn all your bridges.

Do not celebrate your victory too soon.

Lord Jiang,

you yourself handed over

Chin Hsiu Wan Hua Ku.

For a single set of books,

you persisted in targeting Madam Yang even after she had left

the Wei family.

Now the witness has confessed.

What excuses do you have left?

Shut up!

I did nothing wrong!

Wei Kejian was the real murderer!

The verdict was not a miscarriage of justice!

Madam Yang was nothing but a prostitute

the Weis hired!

You and Rong Shanbao

are conspiring together

to frame me!

I want to see the Emperor!

I want to appeal for justice!

I want to see the Emperor!

My Lord, Miss Xu requests an audience.

Miss Xu?

Xu Meiying?

Lu Jianglai, you are far from blameless yourself.

To serve your own selfish ends,

you pinned Madam Yang's death

on me!

You and those despicable people

are birds of a feather!

Lu Jianglai!

Guards! Let me out!

On his way back to the capital, Minister Xu

was seized by a sudden recurrence of his old ailment and lost consciousness.

The boat made an emergency stop at Songzhou,

but before a doctor could be summoned to treat him,

Minister Xu had passed away,

his pulses ceasing entirely.

Miss Xu is escorting his coffin back to his hometown.

She is here to inform you of his death.

When you retire and return to your hometown,

your boat will still pass through Linji.

At that time,

I will bring the finest Longjing tea

and wait for you at the dock.

Senior Lu, the Xu family is not a big family,

and I am my father's only daughter.

If I go back alone, I might be bullied by my relatives.

On his deathbed, my father

told me to seek help from you.

Senior Lu, I beg you,

for the sake of the old bonds between my father and you...

Please, don't!

Please sit down.

I'll never forget

the kindness your father bestowed on me.

I will ensure his funeral is handled properly.

Have several quiet rooms

prepared at once.

And make sure the Xu family is well settled.

Yes.

Junior Xu.

You must not let grief ravage your health.

Your own well-being must still come first.

I see that you don't look well.

Go and rest in the rear quarters first.

All other matters can be discussed later.

Jun Dai.

Miss Xu, please.

Senior Lu, forgive me

for losing control of my emotions.

I didn't bring many servants with me.

Three or four rooms will be enough.

But on my way here,

I came across a beggar on the brink of death.

I felt compassion for him,

so I brought him along.

I'm sorry for causing you undue trouble.

He is gravely ill.

Senior Lu, please

find a doctor for him.

What kind

of deep hatred

could drive someone to do

something so cruel to another?

His limbs were ruined,

his voice silenced, his sight lost.

Yet he desperately tried

to crawl all the way into Linji.

He was being teased by a group of children.

I took pity on him,

so I brought him with me.

Get a doctor for him.

Yes.

Why don't you go in?

She said, "I thought you would understand me.

But why would even you stand in my way?

Why would even you think

I should admit guilt?"

Lady Shanbao.

Was I wrong?

You two are

quite a pair.

There's something I need to tell you.

Grandmother hasn't fully recovered yet.

How could you bring her here while she's still so weak?

-You... -It was I who insisted they carry me here.

Don't blame them.

Grandmother, please go back.

I'll stay here and watch over him.

Do you think

I'm overly concerned about Bailou?

You know

that the Yan family once sent a man

to our Rong Mansion.

He was Bailou's grand-uncle.

He was the ninth son of the Yan family,

so everyone called him Ninth Young Master.

Though he was handsome,

he was too gentle and too reserved.

He was truly not much to my liking.

I seldom visited his quarters.

But in the end,

he gave his own life

to save mine.

I didn't know this.

Grandmother, you never mentioned this before.

It was a long time ago.

That year, he accompanied me on the tea caravan route.

When I got trapped in the quicksand,

I thought that was the end of my life.

I never imagined

that he would risk his own life to save me.

When I saw Bailou that day,

I felt somewhat disappointed,

because the two of them didn't look much alike.

It wasn't until I saw Bailou

step forward to shield you from the blade

that I suddenly understood

the two of them were the same

in at least one aspect.

The men of the Yan family

are ready to lay down their lives

for the women they love.

Fortunately, there are

two renowned doctors, Dr. Hou and Dr. Sun, in our mansion.

Dr. Sun

is especially skilled at treating wounds.

He will surely spare no effort

to save Mr. Yan's life.

Please don't be too distressed.

The Rong and Yan families have been bound by marriage for generations,

maintaining a long-standing alliance.

Now, the Yan family is thriving

in the Shu region.

Last year,

they shipped 20,000 bales of tea

via the Guanmaosong Ancient Road.

They sent their son

to our Rong family.

Their intention to strengthen the alliance is obvious.

I also intend to open up

a new tea trade route for our family.

As long as Bailou

pulls through,

you two shall marry.

My mind is made up.

Fushan Temple is really well-known for making wishes come true.

Tomorrow,

go draw a fortune stick for Bailou.

Yes.

[Fushan Temple]

Slow down.

In his later years, my father devoted himself to Buddhist practice,

often visiting temples to listen to sutras.

Fushan Temple is the most eminent monastery in Jiangnan,

holding scripture lectures each month.

I intend to place

a memorial tablet here in his honor,

fulfilling his lifelong wish.

However, the abbot, Master Xuhui,

is a revered monk of our time.

It's not easy to meet him.

So I have to trouble you to take time out

of your busy schedule to accompany me.

There is no need for such formality between us.

The kindness Minister Xu bestowed on me was immeasurable.

Even if I were to sacrifice myself, I couldn't repay a fraction of it.

Being able to do something for him now is a privilege.

I don't deserve such thanks.

This is what Grandmother

wanted me to see?

Lady Shanbao.

That Miss Xu

was Minister Xu's beloved daughter.

After Minister Xu passed away,

she came to seek refuge with Lord Lu.

She was settled in the rear quarters of the Government Office.

These days, word has spread all over the city.

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

They say...

Say what?

♪ Laughing innocently, I find my spirit broken ♪

They say that Lord Lu is such a brilliant young man

with an excellent reputation as an official

that countless noble families in town have been

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

eager to marry their daughters to him.

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

Yet Lord Lu has remained unmoved,

turning every single one of them down politely.

♪ Intertwined with you ♪

Now it seems

that he has been waiting for this Miss Xu.

♪ No longer fret over who loves more ♪

Everyone says Miss Xu

is Lord Lu's fiancée,

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

and that they will be married soon.

♪ Drink a cup filled with bold passion ♪

Grandmother is still ill,

yet she goes to such trouble.

♪ Sing a line about lovebirds and butterflies ♪

Let's go.

♪ Put an end to all karmic ties and sins ♪

Senior Lu.

[Rong Mansion]

That oath-breaking scoundrel!

You not only saved his life,

but also defied Grandmother

and gave up the Rong family's vast fortune for him.

If he had even a shred of conscience,

he ought to lay down his life

to repay your kindness.

Yet he openly walked arm in arm with another woman,

clearly having an affair behind your back.

He's unfaithful and shameless!

Why did you come back?

You should tear off his hypocritical mask

and give him the punishment he deserves!

What nonsense are you speaking?

Lord Lu has been appointed as Prefect of Linji.

He has even brought down Jiang Yiqian

who has always been domineering.

He clearly has the Emperor's favor

and a brilliant future.

As long as he treats tea farmers well

and respects the tea trade,

our Rong family should not only avoid offending him

but also maintain good relations with him.

What kind of talk is this?

Do you really intend to cast him aside?

Fine!

Then let him pursue his political career.

You focus on being the Tea King.

A disloyal man like him

is not worthy of being your husband.

A clean break is the best.

It prevents future trouble

that would bring disgrace to our family.

Lady Shanbao, my young master has woken up.

I've made you worry about me, Old Madam Rong.

How can I possibly be at ease?

Do not stand on ceremony.

From now on, don't call me Old Madam Rong.

Just call me Grandmother.

Since I came to Linji,

Old Madam Rong, you have shown me such care and kindness,

which makes it only right

to call you Grandmother.

Young Master.

Young Master, please stop talking now.

It is all right.

I'm not that delicate.

It's merely a superficial wound.

I'll recover soon.

Bailou.

You've been with our Rong family for so long now.

I have watched

your every word and action closely.

You are gentle and refined,

and your conduct is always measured and proper.

Though many young men came to the Rong Mansion,

but only you

have remained free from strife,

open-hearted and upright,

without a trace of resentment or envy.

You truly have

a remarkable character.

I have been testing you for quite some time.

Only you can shoulder such great responsibility

and are worthy of marrying our Rong family's

future head.

Bao.

Shanbao.

Don't forget

what you've promised me.

Mr. Yan, Grandmother is right.

You need to recover soon

so that our Rong family can prepare for the wedding.

The case about Jiang Yiqian

has been sent to the Ministry of Justice.

With Imperial Inspector Luo's testimony,

the charges are irrefutable.

Those wrongfully imprisoned magistrates

will be released soon.

Everyone praises your righteous courage

and decisive action.

You should be happy.

Why do you wear such a worried look?

There's still one case

that remains unsolved.

Yang Yitang has been interrogated repeatedly.

If he did not commit the murder out of hatred,

then who drove Madam Yang

to her death?

I thought

you were troubled due to Miss Xu.

Haven't you noticed it?

Noticed what?

Have some tea.

Though the Xu family is small,

Minister Xu was an upright official

and deeply revered by local people.

When Miss Xu goes back,

there surely will be people she can rely on.

Minister Xu

asked his beloved daughter to come to you.

He clearly intended to betroth his daughter to you.

Miss Xu is beautiful and intelligent,

skilled in both calligraphy and painting.

Though from a noble family, she's humble,

gentle and well-mannered.

Such a fine woman

is the dream of countless men.

If she marries you,

she'll surely be a virtuous wife

and understanding companion.

Someone just loves to make things difficult for themselves.

Fine, I'll say no more.

Since you don't want to marry her,

you must make yourself perfectly clear.

Don't leave any room for misunderstanding.

I know.

My Lord, Miss Xu requests an audience.

Minister Xu has just passed away.

She is still in the depths of grief.

If you're going to refuse the marriage,

you must do it tactfully.

Don't put the young lady in an awkward position.

Tell her to come in.

Yes.

Senior Lu, Mr. Lang.

Here's some fresh tea. Take your time.

I'll take my leave now.

No, you stay.

I'd like you to be here while we talk.

Junior Xu, you've come at the perfect time.

I was just about to look for you.

Have a seat.

In the rear quarters, the clerks, the constables

and the visitors are all men.

Aside from the old cook in the kitchen,

there is not a single woman here.

Junior Xu,

you are an unmarried young lady.

Staying here would be highly improper

and would inevitably harm your reputation.

Minister Xu asked me to take care of you.

Then I am like your own brother.

If I fail to do my utmost,

that will be unforgivable.

If you are unwilling to return to your hometown,

then I will find you another

peaceful residence in Linji.

You can move there in three days.

Once your mourning period is over,

I will find you

a virtuous and talented

husband from a family of equal standing.

Only thus can I live up to Minister Xu's trust.

Senior Lu, I get

what you're saying.

Please continue your conversation.

I'll take my leave now.

Wait.

Senior Lu asked you to stay here.

It's to stop any gossip before it starts.

He doesn't regard you as an outsider,

so you don't have to be so eager to leave.

My father is gone.

And there is no elder in the family to make decisions for me.

So there are certain matters

that I can decide for myself.

Senior Lu, since you're willing

to speak frankly with me,

then I will also speak plainly.

Some of my words may offend you.

Do you refuse to marry me

because you intend to become a live-in son-in-law

of the Rong family?

You're really well-informed.

I've heard the talk

going around the streets.

When my father was alive, he used to tell me

that all talented men

are inevitably arrogant

and unsociable.

Such people can hardly

succeed in official circles.

He had many students.

But only you, Senior Lu,

were most valued by him,

because you have unwavering determination

and great ambition,

take on responsibility without flinching in crisis,

know when to be principled and when to adapt,

and hold a heart of true benevolence.

Given time,

you will surely assist the Emperor

in achieving national rejuvenation

and ushering in a prosperous era.

Among all the promising talents at court,

you were the only one

my father spoke so highly of.

But sometimes my father also worried

that your early success

would arouse envy and resentment.

The slightest misstep

could put your life in peril.

What exactly are you trying to say?

The Rong family is a powerful local clan,

with overwhelming influence.

For others, marrying into the Rong family as a son-in-law

would surely be a shortcut to instant prosperity.

But if you marry Miss Rong,

people will inevitably criticize

that you let your personal feelings cloud your judgment in the Wei case.

More importantly,

the Emperor trusts you so much.

Sooner or later, you will leave Linji.

For the sake of a single woman,

would you truly be willing to confine yourself to this tiny corner

and abandon the grand aspirations you vowed to pursue

when you first entered officialdom?

Miss Xu, you...

Mr. Lang, Senior Lu, please don't misunderstand me.

It is true that my father intended

to entrust my future to Senior Lu.

But a marriage between a man and a woman

must be blessed by the will of Heaven.

If it's not my destined match,

I have no desire to force it.

Senior Lu, I said these words,

only because I don't want to see

you fail to fulfill your ambitions in the future

and regret it for the rest of your life.

Junior Xu, I have already...

Senior Lu, you should think it through yourself

and make your own decision.

However, I came today

for another urgent matter.

It's about the beggar

who came with me.

What's wrong with that beggar?

Please follow me, both of you.

-Young Master! -Young Master!

-Young Master! -Young Master!

What's wrong?

Young Master, what's wrong?

-Please get up, Young Master! -Young Master!

Young Master!

My Lord.

Help him up quickly.

Yes.

Come on, Young Master.

Young Master.

I can see that you originally had a handsome face

and noble bearing.

You don't seem like an ordinary beggar.

I am Lu Jianglai, the Prefect of Linji.

If you have suffered an injustice,

you can tell me everything.

There's no hurry.

Can you write?

Bring paper and brush.

Yes.

But his tendons in both hands and feet have been severed.

How can he possibly write?

He can hold the brush with his mouth.

We must at least give it a try.

That makes sense.

What is he writing?

It's completely illegible.

Take your time.

Don't rush.

Stay calm.

I know you have grievances to express.

However, even 3 years may not be enough for a child to learn to write well.

You're using your mouth instead of your hands.

That must be much harder.

Take your time.

You can practice it slowly.

I'll wait here

until you make it.

Lord Lu's word is his bond.

He never breaks his promise.

Rest assured.

I know

that you've suffered greatly,

carrying immense bitterness in your heart.

Write it down.

Only by writing it down

can Lord Lu begin to seek justice for you.

[The Evolution Theory of Tea Culture]

Here's some fresh tea. Take your time.

I'll take my leave now.

No, you stay.

I'd like you to be here while we talk.

Chinese tea culture has a history spanning thousands of years.

[Tea has become an essential part of daily life]

According to legend, Shennong discovered tea leaves

while sampling hundreds of herbs.

Gu Yanwu deduced

that after the Qin Dynasty unified China, the custom of tea drinking

spread beyond the Bashu region

and entered the Central Plains.

By the Wei, Jin, and Southern-Northern dynasties,

it had evolved into a nationwide practice.

In the Tang Dynasty, Lu Yu's The Classic of Tea

completed the framework of classical tea studies.

Tea became a life art

for scholars and intellectuals.

The concept of unity between Zen and tea

began to gain popularity.

In the Song Dynasty, the practices of diancha and doucha prevailed.

Tea drinking became integrated with other aspects of daily life,

its forms and content

growing more complete and diverse.

The emerging class of scholars

played a vital role in this evolution.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, loose tea rose to prominence.

The tea brewing method was simplified.

Through maritime trade, tea made its way

to the rest of the world.

Industrialization in modern times

gave birth to new forms such as tea bags,

while the traditional tea ceremony experienced a revival.

Today,

tea culture has integrated concepts of health

and scientific innovation,

achieving diverse and global development.

It has transcended

its role as a practical beverage to become a cultural symbol

bridging different times and places,

embodying the thousand-year advancement

of both material life and spiritual pursuits.