Original subtitles

=Royal Upstart 2= (Based on "Zhenguan Foolish Son-in-Law")

=Episode 23=

(The Great Clans' Tactics)

Cheng Chuchi.

I am here, Your Majesty.

Go and notify Wei Hao personally.

First thing tomorrow morning,

he should prepare to head to the Ministry of Justice Prison.

Tell him to bring his things.

(Well...)

(Are we notifying him in advance that he's going to prison?)

Remember to tell him

that just bringing a change of clothes will do.

He doesn't need to bring too much,

but he must bring his books.

He shouldn't just play cards in there all day.

He needs to read.

If he remains so uneducated,

how can he

serve the Imperial Court in the future?

Yes, Your Majesty.

I shall head there now.

No need.

Go after you finish your shift.

Just make sure no one else finds out.

Understood.

You heard it.

The explosion outside today...

Probably everyone in the capital already knows about it.

Ning'an was so moved back in the palace that she was in tears.

This young man

really would do anything for Ning'an.

He even dared to blow up the main gates of the great clans' representatives.

Well blasted.

We must take their arrogance down a notch.

Just look.

How many merchants are left in the Great Yong?

The great clans have hoarded so much wealth.

Your Majesty,

regarding this matter,

will Hao face punishment?

If it's a civilian matter

brought into the Imperial Court,

I

could deal with it,

or I could choose not to.

However,

Wei Hao needs to stay in prison for a few days.

We also need to appease the great clans for a bit.

But if they expect severe punishment,

then they are dreaming.

The imperial decree was just issued yesterday,

and they have already started causing trouble.

Are they bullying Wei Hao,

or are they bullying me?

They even have the nerve to place their petitions for impeachment

right here on my desk?

(Wei Mansion)

Ouch, it hurts!

Aunt,

let's talk this through nicely.

Why did you blow up their main gates?

You want to scare me to death?

Didn't I tell you how powerful those great clans are?

You never learn.

So what if I blew it up?

If I didn't, would I just let them divorce my sisters,

aunts, and all women?

And now?

They'll want a divorce even more now.

And you've given them the perfect excuse.

You're more of a hindrance than a help.

I'm not talking to you.

The problem is you don't trust me at all.

If their clan leaders hadn't sent servants over

asking for ten guan to fix their main gates,

I wouldn't even have known about this.

Wasn't it a hundred guan?

They actually only asked for ten?

Since when did the clan leaders become so kind?

You...

You've made such a huge mistake.

What did the Emperor and Empress have to say?

They had Cheng Chuchi tell me.

They said if I cooperate and spend a few days in prison, it'll be fine.

Aunt, help me prepare the things

I'll need for my stay in prison.

I'm tired.

I'm going to sleep now.

What's this?

Back in prison again?

Marquis Wei,

am I seeing things?

You were just released a few days ago.

How are you back so soon?

Give me my usual room.

Let's go.

Wait,

Marquis.

What was it for this time?

You don't even know?

Didn't you hear those explosions yesterday?

I did.

Well, that...

That was my doing.

Wait, Marquis, this...

Who is he?

Why is he getting such good treatment?

He's in and out of the Ministry of Justice Prison

five times a year.

Comparing myself to him is just depressing.

Is it certain he's been locked up?

Confirmed.

Many saw the Ministry of Justice take Wei Hao away.

He's finally in.

No matter how comfortable he makes himself,

it's still the Ministry of Justice Prison.

It seems

our impeachment memorials

actually worked.

Let's see how arrogant

he can be now.

How dare he demand our clan leaders come see him!

Who does he think he is?

Good.

Locking him up is a start.

Have our officials continue to impeach him.

This time, no matter what,

we must strip him of his title.

If his title of Marquis is revoked,

I'd like to see how he expects to marry the Eldest Princess.

He's far too arrogant.

We have to redecorate the main hall.

Think of the time and money that it will cost.

More importantly,

this time,

our great clans' reputation has been ruined.

I wonder how many people

are out there laughing at us.

About the recent events in the capital,

have you all notified your clan leaders?

Of course.

Wei Hao said that if they don't come to the capital

to see him within ten days,

he'll print 100,000 books every month.

I wouldn't dare keep that quiet.

Who knows

if he's actually serious?

(Ministry of Justice Prison)

You dead fool!

Why did you blow up their main gates?

You should have just ignored them.

Our marriage is none of their business.

I couldn't do that.

They're gossiping

about our marriage.

They're full of it.

Don't worry.

With me here,

it's fine.

Don't you worry.

In a couple of days,

I'll have Father let you out.

It's fine.

My father-in-law said

it's only for a few days.

That's good then.

If Father won't release you,

I'll go talk to Mother.

I'll have her set things right for you.

My mother-in-law is the best to me.

For the next few days,

just stay inside.

Don't worry.

They won't be acting up for long.

Since they've crossed me,

they've finally met their match.

They might have bullied others before,

but they wouldn't dare touch me.

When I said I'd blow up their main gates,

I blew up their gates.

I even took out their living room.

It's fine.

You don't need to worry about me

or about our wedding.

I still have a trump card up my sleeve.

If they really try to force me to call it off,

I'll have them begging for mercy in no time.

(Ganlu Palace)

Your Majesty,

Wei Hao used gunpowder from the Ministry of Works

to blow up the gates of the great clans.

This matter must be severely punished.

Indeed.

Moreover,

gunpowder is a strictly controlled substance.

How did Wei Hao get his hands on it?

Get me some gunpowder.

Who offended you now?

Just go and prepare it quickly.

When the time comes, you must not tell anyone

that I gave you the finished product.

Has no one told you

that Wei Hao was the one who created this gunpowder?

The formulas currently used by the Ministry of Works

were all provided by him.

Since Wei Hao created it,

why is any of this surprising?

Besides,

why are you all making such a fuss?

This is just a common brawl,

and you brought it into the Imperial Court.

Is this appropriate?

What?

Is the Imperial Court

run by the great clans now?

The great clans have a fight, and it gets brought here?

This is a place for discussing the great affairs of the world!

I urge Your Majesty

to ignore this matter.

This

is not something that should be discussed here.

My dear ministers,

I wish to know.

If these two were common citizens

who got into a fight,

blew up each other's gates,

and destroyed their halls,

would it have reached this court?

If it isn't brought before this court,

where should they go for justice?

Are they supposed to go to the Capital Magistrate?

The Capital Magistrate has no authority over Wei Hao.

Wei Hao is a Marquis.

Furthermore,

I have heard of Wei Hao.

The man is fond of brawling.

He's made quite a name for himself in West City.

And as far as I know,

he is a habitual offender.

He is unfit to be a Marquis of the Great Yong.

Your Majesty,

you cannot

shield Wei Hao like this

just because he is your future son-in-law.

Your Majesty,

Wei Hao and the Eldest Princess are not yet married.

I believe we should not push the Eldest Princess into a pit of fire.

- Indeed. - Yes.

- Your Majesty. - It's true.

Please issue a decree to strip Wei Hao of his title.

- We beg Your Majesty to issue the decree. - We beg Your Majesty to issue the decree.

Everyone,

would you allow me to say a few words?

Wei Hao was in the wrong, and there is no disputing that.

He should apologize and make amends as required.

But you say

his title should be stripped...

To that,

I cannot agree.

First of all,

Wei Hao's rank of Lord

was earned by assisting the Eldest Princess.

His contribution to the Great Yong goes without saying.

As for being a Marquis,

that was earned by refining fine salt.

You have surely all bought this salt for your own homes.

The key is the volume.

Even commoners can afford it now.

Should such merits

be stripped away just because of a conflict

with those people?

Everyone,

if this matter

reaches the common people,

how will they judge it?

How will they discuss this situation?

Will they say the Emperor is incompetent

or that the great clans are overbearing?

Currently, among the commoners,

the reputation of the great clans is not exactly good.

Chancellor Fang, that is uncalled for.

We suggest stripping Wei Hao of his title

because his character is flawed.

He is unfit to marry the Eldest Princess,

nor can he bear the responsibilities of a Marquis.

You...

Your Majesty,

if you cannot grant us justice,

I can only resign my post and retire to my hometown.

I hope Your Majesty will grant this.

Your Majesty, please see the truth

and grant us justice.

Wei Hao is audacious.

If we do not strip him of his marquis title today to uphold the law,

others will follow suit tomorrow.

Wouldn't the court fall into chaos?

Your Majesty,

if you still insist on shielding him,

we will have no choice but to resign and return home.

We could no longer show our faces in the Imperial Court.

This...

Your Majesty,

these people are really resigning this time?

Your Majesty,

I'm afraid this won't be easy to resolve.

The attitude of the great clans is too firm.

It's not so much about Wei Hao hitting people,

but rather demanding that he call off the wedding.

I reckon

if Your Majesty uses this

to make a deal with the great clans,

they surely

won't pursue Wei Hao for blowing up the gate either.

It's quite obvious, isn't it?

Yes.

And Wei Hao was also...

Why did he give the great clans such leverage against him?

It's not about giving leverage.

Even if Wei Hao hadn't blown up the gate,

those great clans would have found another excuse.

What are we to do?

Just pushing it back and forth like this

isn't a solution.

Your Majesty,

the great clans have united

to overturn Your Majesty's imperial decree of marriage.

This matter

is difficult to handle.

(The difficulty lies in the fact that current scholars)

(are mostly offspring of the great clans.)

(If we wanted to replace those officials,)

(it would be very hard.)

Your Majesty,

if all else fails, just withdraw the imperial decree.

I

will consider it further.

Don't worry.

Your father will find a way.

His Majesty has arrived!

How did the discussions go today?

Is this matter behind us now?

Must the great clans insist on not letting Wei Hao go?

It's not Wei Hao they won't let go of.

It's me they won't let go of.

Girl,

I have to be honest with you.

I didn't expect

the great clans' attitude to be so determined this time.

Those officials from the great clans

have seized upon Wei Hao

and won't back down.

It's very likely

that I will indeed

withdraw the imperial decree for your marriage.

What?

Girl,

your mother and I

like Wei Hao very much.

We also hope

he can become our son-in-law.

Otherwise,

we wouldn't have let him keep calling us "Father-in-law" and "Mother-in-law."

But the great clans have a prior agreement

not to intermarry with the Imperial Family.

So, regarding your marriage this time,

the great clans are opposed.

My ministers and I

have been arguing with those ministers.

But it's no use.

If I continue to refuse to withdraw the imperial decree,

those officials

will resign en masse.

At that point,

we will face a situation

where there's no one left to serve the court.

Father,

I'm not willing to accept this.

I don't know why...

Before, it seemed like

I didn't like Wei the Fool all that much.

But now that I know

I can't marry him,

I'm just...

I'm just so heartbroken.

It's my fault for being useless.

Even as the Emperor,

I can't even protect my daughter's happiness.

Wei Hao must have a way.

He must have a way.

Father, I need to go to the Ministry of Justice Prison.

What could he do?

Wei Hao will have a solution.

He told me before

that no one can stop

us from being together.

Everything will be fine.

Forget it.

Don't go.

It's no use.

That brat

can be unreliable when he speaks.

Just let her go.

Go and ask Wei Hao.

♪Everyone says I'm a big silly fool♪

♪When things happen, I only know how to count on my fingers♪

♪They shake their heads and say I'm pitiful♪

♪Sigh and walk away♪

♪Little do they know, I am sharp and bright♪

♪With a heart like a mirror, I understand the world's♪

♪Colors and darkness♪

♪But I keep my edge hidden♪

♪The day I become famous is just around the corner♪

♪In the hotpot restaurant, skewers boil in the broth♪

♪People come and go, with few worries or troubles♪

♪The clacking of the abacus rings out♪

♪See me differently. Who dares to challenge me?♪

♪The world mistakes me♪

♪For an ignorant and stubborn fool♪

♪As the storm approaches♪

♪I just shrug and watch with a smile♪

♪This foolish image is convenient♪

♪I use it as a protective shield♪

♪Navigating with ease, I attract♪

♪A lucky star to accompany me♪

♪In a peaceful golden age♪

♪I hold my lady's hand to watch the world♪

♪Pouring youth and fireworks♪

♪Into a precious glazed cup♪

♪Having experienced life's changes♪

♪And tasted its highs and lows♪

♪My wish has finally come true♪

♪To stay by your side♪

♪In this fleeting world♪

♪We are free and happy♪

♪From a nobody♪

♪To someone now famous♪

♪Ordinary people laugh at me♪

♪But I laugh at how they cannot see through it all♪

♪Let others plot and scheme♪

♪I will keep my heart unchanged♪

♪In this vast world♪

♪I find my own leisurely freedom♪

♪The world is bustling, and things constantly change♪

♪Everything ends eventually♪

♪All that remains before my eyes♪

♪Is this street wandering, still tinged with pity♪

♪No matter how time flies♪

♪Even if the falling snow♪

♪Dyes the hair at our temples white♪

♪All I want now♪

♪Is to pray for my lady's peace and safety♪

♪Year after year♪