Original subtitles

[Youthful Glory]

[Episode 2]

Greetings, Your Majesty.

You may rise.

I thought I misheard.

It truly is you.

A seat.

Your Highness, please drink.

Blades crossed and blood spilled as we fought side by side;

I upheld my honor with no thought of fame or glory.

I offer this wine,

to honor the fallen

Dingbei Army soldiers in Dongzhou.

Today is the Lantern Festival.

My dear ministers, please don't stand on ceremony.

[Shu Jingran, son of the Right Chancellor of Xian]

Now that the Prince of Dingbei returns in triumph,

it perfectly fulfills what I just wished for.

A double blessing indeed.

Rong...

I've long heard of Prince of Dingbei

being brave and skilled in battle.

He has rendered great service to Xian.

I, Liang Rong'er,

wish to offer a piece titled "Waters and Clouds of Xiaoxiang"

in honor of His Highness.

[Miss Liang Rong'er of Duke of Ling's Mansion]

I'm unworthy, please pardon the clumsiness.

If you know you're unworthy, then don't perform.

If it were me,

I'd find a hole to crawl into,

and never show my face again.

Why aren't you back to your seat?

Prince of Dingbei speaks rightly.

My daughter overestimated herself,

and offended Your Highness.

Once I return,

I shall strictly discipline her.

Duke of Ling's Mansion needs discipline,

and not just this one person.

Tan,

is the Prince of Dingbei

the worm inside your belly or what?

I wish he were.

Your Majesties,

the Prince of Dingbei grew up in the palace,

a reading companion to Your Majesty.

What heavenly music has he not heard?

Liang Rong'er's zither skills

are truly unrefined.

However,

a top zither player from the capital

is also here today.

Your Highness might as well listen.

Ming Tan of Marquis of Jing'an's Mansion

was taught by a famed master, with superb skills,

Known throughout the capital

as the best in zither playing.

Why not have her play a tune

for Your Highness,

so we might share in the delight

and feast our ears.

Fengzhao's suggestion is quite good.

Then let Miss Ming

play us a tune,

to celebrate the Lantern Festival,

and the victorious return of the Prince of Dingbei.

I thank Your Majesty for your favor.

But as I entered the palace today,

I brought no zither,

nor did I compose a celebratory piece.

To play without preparation

may disturb the sacred presence

and sully the Prince's ears.

In a palace this vast,

surely a good zither can be found.

If you find it lacking,

I'll have someone fetch

the Empress Dowager's Jiaowei zither.

I did not return to the capital

to hear

these indulgent melodies.

Your Majesty,

on this return to the capital,

I brought someone along.

I wish for Your Majesty to see him.

Summon.

Summon.

Minmin.

What's wrong?

It's a corpse!

This...

This Prince of Dingbei is even more

arrogant than the rumors say.

More than that,

I heard he is violent,

cold-blooded and ruthless.

If any family's daughter

were to marry into his household,

the rest of the capital's

ladies should

thank her.

[Imperial Censor of Xian, Chang Yunfu]

Prince of Dingbei, you...

What is the meaning of this?

Since Your Majesty and the ministers have matters to discuss,

I shall take the ladies and excuse myself.

The Prince of Dingbei

brings a corpse to court at the slightest disagreement.

Truly no sense of decorum.

They say he is a God of War.

I think he's more like the King of Hell.

Liang Rong'er was just unlucky today,

desperately trying to get attention,

only to end up humiliated.

Rong'er, don't cry.

The Prince of Dingbei was just stirring trouble

and used the moment to make a move.

Your Grace, may I ask

why the Prince of Dingbei

targets the Liang family?

Did something happen to your household?

Nothing happened.

They say the Prince of Dingbei

always had a strange temper.

My Rong'er

simply ran into him

at the wrong moment.

A strange temper?

But he didn't trouble others.

Exactly.

Just now Miss Ming refused to play,

the Prince of Dingbei said nothing.

Why did he

specifically go after Liang Rong'er?

I say he's targeting

Duke of Ling's Mansion.

Could it be the Duke

did something

against the Dingbei Army?

If that's the case, then why

didn't the Prince of Dingbei hold us accountable just now?

Let's go.

Let's go.

Ming Tan, don't believe

these idle rumors.

The Prince of Dingbei returned to the capital

for his own reasons.

Matters of court

are not for us

to speculate on.

Rest assured, Your Grace.

If the Duke of Ling's Mansion is clean,

you can sleep peacefully.

Exactly.

But Your Grace's eagerness to explain

makes it seem

like protesting too much.

Mother...

This...

Your Majesty,

the battle in Dongzhou was fraught with peril.

If not for the Dingbei Army's

sacrifice,

the Beihe army would have marched into Xian.

with their swords pointed at Ganzhou.

In this battle, some court officials

secretly colluded with northern bandits,

and plotted to rob the final batch

of military supplies for the Dingbei Army.

I returned to investigate this matter.

On the way, I encountered

repeated obstruction from the county constable of the capital region.

Even so,

this should have been investigated by the Supreme Court.

Why did you

privately take his life?

When I went to seize that Sheriff Wu,

he had already been silenced.

You should ask,

why the real culprit

took bribes and perverted the law,

why he murdered to cover his crimes,

why, for selfish gain,

he placed the safety of hundreds of thousands

of Dingbei Army soldiers at risk.

Duke of Ling.

H-h-here!

I'm present.

Do you know why?

Y-Your Highness,

you must be joking.

I have never

met that Sheriff Wu,

nor have I ever participated

in any military supply escort duties.

How could I possibly

know anything about this matter?

[Marquis of Cheng'en, Gu Jinzhong]

Marquis of Cheng'en.

Your Majesty, such a treacherous traitor

has emerged under the jurisdiction

of the Capital Prefecture.

I, along with the county magistrates of capital region,

cannot shirk responsibility.

I will thoroughly investigate this matter

and cleanse the prefecture office,

ensuring that no criminal exploits the system again.

Indeed, Your Majesty.

The Prince of Dingbei

implied that the murderer

of Sheriff Wu is also the one

who blocked your entry into the capital

and the mastermind behind the looting of military supplies.

With Your Majesty's discernment,

I was ambushed by Haiyou Sect assassins

on my way back to the capital.

How could a mere sheriff

of the capital region have the audacity

to collude with Haiyou Sect?

Besides, the delays and deficits in Dingbei Army's military pay

have gone on for years,

it's not the doing of a single man.

I wished to uncover the truth,

so I returned to the capital

without imperial orders.

I have long been stationed on the frontier,

and have grown accustomed to bluntness.

Forgive me for disrupting your pleasure.

You all are

virtuous officials serving the nation and its people.

I trust you will understand.

Once I have resolved this case,

the mastermind must apologize to you all,

and I shall offer his head

to appease the fallen souls of the Dingbei Army

who died in Dongzhou.

[Rende Gate]

Xu.

Quick.

When did you return?

Why didn't you inform any of us?

Yes, even if it's a surprise return,

you didn't

have to keep it from us too.

By the way, Xu,

what are your plans now that you're back in the capital?

How long will you stay?

The Dingbei Army is leaderless,

he likely can't stay long.

But the looting of military supplies,

what really happened there?

Military payroll and supply transport

involve complex entanglements.

Xu, you returned

to the capital without an edict,

Trying to get to the bottom of this

may not be a task completed overnight.

Lu.

You've just been promoted

to Deputy Commander of the Palace Guards, haven't you?

You're stationed up north,

yet your intel is quite up-to-date.

Are you on duty tonight?

On duty for what?

You only come back once in many years.

Tonight the four of us

must drink

heartily together!

Well said!

I'll fetch Yu at once

to prepare fine wine and food.

A gathering is a must,

But while you're at it,

lend me a few men.

You're going to move against Duke of Ling?

Why so panicked?

Anyone with eyes

can see something's off.

I...

To catch the thief, one must find the loot.

As long as Jiang Xu doesn't have the silver,

you'll be safe.

Even if Wu You

hinted something before his death,

it won't change anything.

But the stolen silver

has already ended up

in Prince of Dingbei's hands.

What did you say?

I only discovered it

was gone from the manor yesterday.

Such a serious matter,

why didn't you say so sooner?

I warned you

not to dabble in embezzlement again.

But your greed was insatiable.

Now you face the consequences.

Chancellor, you must

show my Liang family a way out.

Jiang Xu won't rest

until he gets what he wants.

Whatever Sheriff Wu may

have uncovered

could only implicate you and the Marquis of Cheng'en.

At most, I can only protect one of you.

Duke of Ling is just the beginning.

[Zhenxiang Gate]

It's merely killing the chicken to scare the monkeys.

No need to use a butcher's knife on a chicken.

Now that you've returned to the capital,

those old foxes will certainly

keep a close eye on you.

It's inconvenient to employ too many men.

Whatever you need,

just say the word.

Chancellor,

I have always been loyal to you.

You must not

abandon the Liang family.

I...

If I meant to abandon you,

why would I leave you with

the Marquis of Jing'an, your talisman of survival?

Even if Prince of Dingbei acts,

he would first need to assess the Ming family's position.

Were it not for your Liang family's

marital ties with the Ming family,

even I couldn't

protect you today.

Much thanks to you, Chancellor,

for planning ahead

on our behalf.

Your son's marriage to Ming Tan

must not fall through.

Otherwise, you'd best pray for your own survival.

Understood.

I'll ensure this union is secured.

Lady Su...

My Lord.

Have the betrothal gifts all been prepared?

This time,

there must be no mishaps.

Rest assured.

We spared

no expense this time.

Lady Su already

reviewed the gift list that day.

There are no mistakes.

That's good to hear.

No matter what,

Ming Tan must marry into our Liang family.

My Lord.

At today's palace banquet,

Prince of Dingbei deliberately targeted us.

Everyone could see it.

Ming Tan will surely grow suspicious.

If she digs further

and uncovers the truth about Zhu'er…

Zhu'er remaining in our Mansion

is a constant risk.

We must think of a way

to eliminate this hidden danger.

My Lord, strangely enough,

Prince of Dingbei took all

the silver from our secret chamber,

yet said nothing

in front of the emperor.

He is wary

because of our marital ties with the Ming family.

He's merely holding back for now.

If Zixuan and Ming Tan's

marriage is confirmed,

we'll have the Ming

family's backing,

and Prince of Dingbei will hesitate

to act rashly.

Precisely.

To avoid unforeseen changes,

Ming Tan must marry in as soon as possible.

[Melodies and Fluttering Grace]

[Heir of Duke of Ping's Mansion, Zhang Huaiyu]

Never expected the Liang family to stoop so low.

They'll eventually realize

I did it on purpose,

deliberately making things difficult.

So what?

I can't stand

Mrs. Li's hypocritical face.

Pretending nothing's wrong on the surface

while hiding Zhu'er to mislead others.

The Liang family can truly act.

Every one of them is a born performer.

Fortunately, I saw through them early

and pulled back just in time.

Tan, what exactly did you discover

at the Liang's Mansion that day?

What did you find?

Huan...

What's wrong?

Sit.

What's wrong?

The Liang family is suspected of

embezzling government silver.

Embezzling government silver?

Keep your voice down!

Quiet down!

They actually dared to hide government silver?

I saw it with my own eyes, how could it be false?

But the silver

has since vanished.

Whether it's Zhu'er or the silver,

I haven't found solid proof.

But I'm certain

the reason the Liang family is in such a rush to deliver the betrothal gifts

is to drag the Ming family into this,

using my father's status

to escape blame.

That sly old fox, Duke of Ling,

he's truly devious.

This marriage must be

called off, immediately.

Being anxious won't help.

Canceling an engagement

must be done with caution and planning.

Sit.

As long as Zhu'er is still in the capital,

there's still hope.

At the palace banquet,

Prince of Dingbei publicly challenged the Liang family.

Did he uncover something?

If we can ride this wave

and use Prince of Dingbei's momentum...

It's not impossible.

But Prince of Dingbei is unpredictable.

He respects no one and is hard to read.

Asking him for help

would be like reaching for the stars.

True.

Calling off the engagement is hard enough.

Doing so without harming my reputation

is even harder.

Once the engagement is finally broken,

how should I act

to show my honor and resolve?

I remember when the fifth daughter of the Li family's

engagement was broken,

she went to her fiancé's house and cut her hair in protest.

The third daughter of the Fang family

hanged herself with a white silk ribbon.

No need to go that far.

This young lady...

Which family is she from?

So interesting.

They should be from the Marquis of Jing'an's Mansion

and the Duke of Chang's Mansion.

Marriages between noble families

have always been about benefits first.

This young lady seems to understand that well.

Xu,

is Duke of Ling truly

the main culprit behind the embezzlement?

He is indeed guilty of embezzlement,

but he's not the mastermind.

Xu targeted him

to set an example.

You just didn't expect

the Ming family would be caught in the crossfire, did you?

So the reason you haven't acted against Duke of Ling

is because of the Liang-Ming marriage?

And what of it?

It's just an engagement contract.

Even if they do get married,

there are still ways to sever ties.

You think a marriage

can be undone that easily?

It's far more complicated than that.

Never mind anything else.

Even just the girl's reputation

will be damaged for sure.

How will she ever

find a proper match again?

It's not that hard.

Right now, there are three

eligible bachelors ready for the choosing.

Just depends on which one of you approve.

Xu, since when

did you start joking like this?

Indeed, quite the bold joke.

This world really is unjust.

It's always the man's fault,

yet it's the woman

who suffers the shame.

Exactly.

Tan, even if you manage

to break off the Liang engagement today,

your godfather will still arrange

another marriage for you,

either to this powerful family

or that noble house.

You can't escape it.

And who's to say

that your next match won't be

worse than Liang Zixuan?

Don't worry.

After all this,

I won't let anyone

control my marriage again.

Rather than a blind or forced marriage,

I'll choose my own husband.

That's a fine idea.

Come to think of it,

there are still a few men

in the capital

worthy of you.

Take the Right Chancellor's second son.

Graceful, talented,

of noble character and great promise.

I heard, given his talent and looks,

he's likely to be

the top scorer in this year's exams.

But he's far above me.

When it comes to choosing a husband,

I have my own criteria.

Let me help you think it through.

Family background and appearance go without saying.

But he must also have ambition and a solid career.

No idlers,

no drifters.

That's the bare minimum.

He must be upright in character,

loyal in love,

principled and dependable.

Never the type to curry

favor or abandon morals.

Absolutely essential.

He must also be unafraid of power,

righteous and outspoken.

If hardship ever befalls me or the Ming family,

he must stand by our side,

face it with us.

If that's the standard, then in the entire capital,

no, in all of Xian,

only one man fits.

Who?

Prince

of

Dingbei.

Him?

That's impossible.

Right,

highly unlikely.

But think about it.

He's a decorated general.

He has both a bright future

and strong ideals.

His actions at the palace banquet

show he fears no power

and speaks his mind.

As for his background and appearance,

there's nothing lacking.

He checks all your boxes.

His background and appearance?

How can you be so sure?

He knew he was going to court,

yet didn't even change his shoes,

walked into the hall

caked in mud.

That Prince of Dingbei is either reckless and rude,

or dead broke.

And the way he conducts himself...

Far too wild and aggressive.

You can't expect

everyone to be like you,

polished and flawless in every detail.

But his character is truly questionable.

If he really had a grudge against Duke of Ling,

why drag innocent women into it,

publicly humiliating Liang Rong'er?

Wasn't that satisfying?

You looked

rather pleased yourself.

Of course

it was immensely satisfying.

Exactly!

Prince of Dingbei came

and avenged you at once.

So maybe, the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Jing'an

and our kingdom's war god, Prince of Dingbei,

aren't so incompatible after all.

But that only proves

he's arrogant and reckless,

blantly disrespectful.

I'd never want to be like Liang Rong'er,

publicly mocked by him.

Losing face is one thing.

But if I ever

angered him,

I might lose my life,

maybe even die with regrets,

my soul unable to rest.

It's not as scary as you say.

Anyway,

he is certainly not a suitable match for me.

That's too harsh.

How is it that our Xu

is suddenly crude and arrogant,

and unworthy to be her husband?

We can't just let that slide.

I...

I... She...

Not being her match

is actually a blessing for me.

If I were to marry such a woman,

I'd truly be blind.

Looks like the flower parade is starting.

Let's go take a look.

Let's go.

I'll go check it out.

Go.

Your Grace,

the young lady from the Ming family

went to South Yuhe Street

together with the lady from the Duke of Chang's Mansion.

I've asked

the Ming household servants.

They said the two young ladies

had arranged early in the day

to go watch the lanterns.

Go watch the lanterns?

She still has the leisure for lantern viewing?

You may go.

Yes, Your Grace.

If the Ming family

has no room left to maneuver,

then this marriage

will be a done deal.

Tan, look.

[Melodies and Fluttering Grace]

So beautiful.

[Ruyi Flower Shop]

Where is the young lady?

[Ruyi Flower Shop]

Xu, if you want to arrest someone,

why not use the Jinyun Guards?

I happen to be returning them to you.

I've managed them for years now,

and frankly, I can't afford it anymore.

Just looking at me won't change anything.

All these years,

you've brought home so many orphans,

and dumped them all on me.

Bieyu Mansion is practically

a secret base for Jinyun Guards now.

Leaving them with me is fine,

but you can't expect me

to pay for everything.

Now even with Bieyu Mansion

and Wentao Pavilion combined,

the profits can't cover their costs.

I seem to recall

you were more than willing to take this on at first.

All these years,

I haven't seen you give up.

I've worked hard, asked for nothing.

Tan.

Look.

They're here.

Tan, let's go down

and release lanterns, shall we?

Sure.

Tan.

It really is you.

Then this must be

Minmin.

Who are you calling me that?

Young Master Liang. How did you recognize me?

The matchmaker

sent a portrait not long ago.

You were painted so vividly.

Besides,

you're like a shining pearl,

even with a veil,

your charm is unmistakable.

How could I not recognize you?

Suxin must be worried,

since she can't find us.

Young Master Liang, we won't be joining you.

Why is Zhang Ji from our household here too?

Thief! Stop right there!

Stop! Don't run!

Stop! Stop!

Catch the thief!

Was this your doing too?

Catch the thief!

No.

Don't run!

Excuse me! Excuse me!

Excuse me.

You've got the wrong person!

Don't move!

You've got the wrong person!

You've got the wrong person!

You got the wrong person!

I'm innocent!

Don't run! Stop!

Move!

Make way!

Make way!

Catching one person is this difficult?

What, have they all been eating for free?

Zhang Ji is Duke of Ling's trusted man,

not someone to take lightly.

With so many people here tonight,

it's no easy task to arrest someone.

Save the wine for another day.

What's going on?

-Tan. -Minmin.

Tan, I'm here to save you!

-Someone help! - Someone help!

I won't let you go!

Do you want her to die?

Make way!

Move aside! Move aside!

Miss Minmin!

Suxin, thank goodness you're here.

Send all those who can swim

into the water to search.

Also, get two guards

to hold back Liang Zixuan.

He must not approach Tan.

And send more people

to keep the crowd back.

No one must find out

that it was Tan who fell in.

Understood.

Who are you?

Take him away.

Interrogate him thoroughly.

Yes, sir.

Let go of me!

Let go!

Help!

Help!

You again?

If this girl really is from a noble family,

by saving her, my Li family is in for fortune.

No outsiders allowed near.

Miss Minmin, what should we do now?

Tan,

please, you must be okay.

Xu,

I heard you brought a girl home.

Truly the sun has risen in the west.

If only you cared half as much about

your studies as you do about drama,

the Duke of Ping

wouldn't be sighing every day.

What use is fame and rank to me?

Even if I ranked first in the exams,

I wouldn't earn as much as I do now.

Sir, the girl caught a chill in the water.

I'll go make her some ginger tea.

She fell in?

Don't tell me it was the Ming family's young lady.

I heard someone fell in

by the docks.

I rushed over to see the commotion.

Found out

it was the Duke of Chang's daughter.

She was in a hurry to save her.

Thought maybe

it was the Ming family's daughter who fell in.

Oh, and Liang Zixuan was there too.

He didn't listen to anyone,

just jumped in to save her.

Seeing how determined he was,

those who knew said it was urgent.

But to outsiders,

it may seem premeditated.

A woman soaked

and carried out by a man in front of a crowd,

what's left of her reputation?

You think Liang Zixuan

did this on purpose?

The Ming and Liang families have long had a betrothal.

This move

forces the Ming family's hand.

The Liang family's intentions are crystal clear.

But they'll never

get this marriage.

Send this hairpin to the Ming household.

Say their young lady

has already returned home.

Have someone go to the docks

and smooth things over.

Miss Minmin!

Miss Minmin!

Miss Minmin!

Lyu'e?

Miss Minmin.

Miss Minmin.

Why are you still here?

My lady made glutinous rice balls herself

and is waiting for you at the mansion to try them.

What did she say?

My Lady has grown weary from waiting at home.

We'd best hurry back.

It was the heir of Duke of Ling's Mansion

who fell into the water.

Young Master, slow down.

Young Master.

Yes,

Young Master Liang fell into the water.

I happened to pass by

and saw it myself.

I'm sending people to save him now.

Silence.

[Bieyu Mansion]

This is the place.

Let's go.

Mr. Wang,

Miss Ming, you've woken up.

You...

Who are you?

No need to worry, Miss Ming.

I am Zhang Huaiyu.

You saved me?

I'm not that capable.

Here.

He's the one who saved you.

You again?

Again?

You two know each other?

-We do not. -We do not.

Miss Ming,

you were in danger of drowning just now.

Had it not been for

Xu's quick rescue,

you might

not have kept your reputation.

Then I thank you.

Miss Ming.

Why are you in such a rush to leave?

Won't you stay and rest a little longer?

Whatever your reason

for saving me today,

let's all agree

to act as if this never happened.

There's no need to mention it again.

I have not spoken

of yesterday's events to anyone.

I hope you will also

avoid harming innocents

and dragging me into your affairs.

We are even now,

and need not meet again.

Next time you fall into water,

try to choose a deserted place.

That way,

you won't run into anyone at all.

What happened

between you two yesterday?

This gentleman

looks rather familiar.

Just a friendly reminder,

don't associate

with shady people.

Better to cut ties early

than to suffer for it later.

Where is this place?

Miss Ming,

I forgot to introduce it.

This is the most

elegant and

bustling place

in all of the capital,

Bieyu Mansion.

Should you have free time in the future,

you are most welcome to visit.

Shuiying.

[Shuiying from the Bieyu Mansion]

This is Miss Shuiying,

one of Bieyu Mansion's own.

She was the one who took care of you earlier.

Thank you.

Miss Ming,

you fainted earlier from exhaustion.

Just rest now.

If you need anything,

tell Miss Shuiying.

Miss Ming,

please drink the ginger tea first.

Sir, there's movement at the Liang family.

The Liang family?

Good, good, good.

How could Tan be in such a place?

You must have heard wrong.

That person brought her Zhaoshui hairpin

and told me the story.

I didn't believe it at first,

but once I went to South Yuhe Street,

I realized it

was true.

Let's find Tan first.

Yes, My Lady.

Young lady,

is there anything I can help you with?

No need. I'm looking for someone.

Well...

Young lady. Who are you looking for?

I can help.

No need.

Young lady, I...

You what?

I said no need!

Also,

why are you waving that fan around in the freezing cold?

Pretentious.

Young lady.

Move.

Stop right there.

You...

Wh-what are you doing?

Are you going to use that fan like an axe

and chop me up?

Aren't you looking for someone?

I know.

If you want to find her,

apologize to me first.

Apologize?

No apology,

but a fist ready.

Lead the way.

I...

Tan!

Tan!

Where is she?

Strange, she was just here...

She...

She...

Where...

Where did she go?

Sir, according to Zhang Ji's confession,

the Duke of Ling's corruption

is closely tied to Zhu'er's father.

[Jinyun Guard, Zhuiying]

But the Duchess of Ling

has already sent Zhu'er

out of the capital overnight.

She's heading south.

Hold on.

Why are you investigating Zhu'er?

Why dig into the Duke of Ling's Mansion's affairs?

Who are you,

and what are your intentions?

If you want to live, don't meddle.

Don't ask what you shouldn't.

Don't get involved where you shouldn't.

If I really stayed out

of the Liang family's business,

I wouldn't live long.

My fiancé, Liang Zixuan,

has been having a secret affair with Zhu'er,

and she's pregnant.

Once she leaves the capital,

there will be no proof,

and I won't be able to break off the engagement.

I... I can see

you don't seem like a

cold-blooded villain.

Otherwise, you wouldn't have saved me earlier.

I don't care why you're

investigating the Duke of Ling,

but the enemy of my enemy is my ally.

We're more or less

in the same boat.

You wouldn't really

stand by and let an innocent like me

suffer lifelong misery

because of the Liang family, would you?

You care about reputation,

but I've only one horse.

It's improper for men and women to travel together.

Can't take you with me.

What did you say?

I told you to seal the engagement,

not to get any improper ideas.

Everything was going as planned,

and we could've moved the wedding date forward.

I never expected

Ming Tan can swim.

You still dare make excuses?

Luckily, Tan is safe.

If anything had happened to her,

your whole Liang family would've followed her to the grave.

Please, Chancellor, don't be angry.

I acted rashly, misunderstood the situation,

and let my wife's temper

cause this mess.

The betrothal will be renewed in just a few days.

Why stir up more trouble now,

using Tan's reputation as a wager?

What exactly are you so anxious about?

It's...

It's Zixuan...

He got my wife's niece

pregnant.

Chancellor, I truly

had no idea about this before.

But I've already sent her away.

Just when everything is about to fall into place,

you keep stirring up trouble.

Do you find the position of Deputy Envoy to the Privy Council

not prestigious enough?

Or do you think

Tan is too good for your Liang family,

and must marry

that useless son of yours?

Please, Chancellor, don't be angry.

My wife has already promised Zhu'er

to a steward

on a country estate in Lizhou.

She won't show her face in the capital again.

And how can you guarantee

she won't resurface someday

and cause trouble?

I...

I...

Make her disappear.