All language subtitles for CHezrb_The.Legend.of_.Rosy_.Clouds.E15_eng

[The Legend of Rosy Clouds]

[Episode 15]

Young Master Qiyan.

Why are you still here?

Care to have a couple of drinks with me?

The moonlight tonight is so beautiful,

yet I'm drinking alone.

It's truly lonely.

I can't.

If I drink too much,

how am I supposed to study?

What exactly are you so busy with

that you'd rather waste
such a beautiful night?

Young Master Qiyan,

don't you know?

Maybe I can

take the selection exam this year.

So this is what you told me

you wanted to do before?

Why make things so hard for yourself?

I...

You are the one making things hard.

Just go back, Young Master Qiyan.

What a waste of good wine.

[Juyun Gate]

I'm sure you all are already aware of

the draft proposal for
the selection exam reform.

This matter should not be delayed
any longer.

Let's

make a final statement today.

Your Excellency.

Regarding this matter,

I have said everything there is to say,

and I no longer wish to be involved.

You guys

may proceed with your statements
as you please.

Your Excellency.

What Zheng means is that

the selection exam is a matter
of the younger generation.

Us old folks

are no longer able to grasp its essence.

These matters should be left

to you younger generation to handle.

You certainly wouldn't
throw your weight around, right?

Your Excellency.

I concur.

Since the Three Elders have shown
such noble integrity,

I hope you all

won't disappoint their good intentions.

Today,

everyone may freely express
their true thoughts.

Let's begin.

The draft reform of the selection exam

shall be implemented immediately!

Today is your big day.

I will take the exam
in this women's attire.

Then this armor

suits you perfectly.

It's yours from now on.

Why did you change your minds again?

Why do you regard this exam reform

as some terrible scourge

and try to avoid it at all costs?

As the ancient saying goes,

propriety is

the principle of heaven,

the righteousness of earth,

and the conduct of the people.

If propriety is not established,

the people will lose
a clear standard for their conduct.

The profound harm it causes
would be immeasurable.

Stop, stop.

My ears are getting calluses
from hearing this.

I have already explained the pros and cons
of this exam reform

to all of you clearly.

Why are you still so stubborn?

A national selection exam

does indeed have its merits,

and its effects are visible.

However, there is one point

that I

cannot agree with.

Are you referring to the inclusion
of women in the selection exams?

Exactly.

Women serving as officials goes against
human ethics and established norms.

I'd like to ask:

if all women in the world
devote themselves

to official careers like men do,

then

who will manage

the household affairs?

And who will bear the responsibility

of continuing the family line?

Moreover,

women showing their faces
in the officialdom

will inevitably draw attention,

which would cause

the men in their families
to live in constant anxiety.

This move will bring nothing but harm.

Therefore,

as long as Your Excellency
simply crosses out

the words "regardless of gender",

restricting the selection exams
to men only,

we will have no further objections.

What if I insist on this today?

We ask Your Excellency to revise
the inclusion of women

in the selection exams. Otherwise,

we

would rather resign
and return to our hometowns.

His Excellency hereby proclaims:

Considering that our Nine Cities
are blessed with outstanding people

and abundant talent,

yet there has long been no proper path
to official service

and no hope for people to serve the state,

this is truly painful.

Out of compassion for the people,

I hereby initiate this reform.

All citizens of the Nine Cities,

regardless of status, wealth, or region,

who are deemed capable may participate.

Starting tomorrow, all citizens
of the Nine Cities—

except women—

may go to Ling'an Examination Academy
to register and collect an Exam Token.

With this token, they shall be eligible to
participate in this year's selection exam.

-Great!
-Great!

In the end, women still cannot
take the selection exam.

Fan Yun,

say whatever you want to say.

Cry or make a fuss if you want.

Just don't be hard on yourself.

Yun.

Most things in life don't go as we wish.

Maybe what feels like a huge deal today

will mean nothing

by tomorrow.

Yun.

How about I

treat you guys to Huan'e House

for a meal?

You've always loved the food there, right?

Wanna go?

Dad, Gao Ran.

I want to have some quiet time to myself

and be alone for a while.

Please go back to your rooms.

Well, it's good that you want to sleep.

Maybe when you wake up,

everything will have taken a turn
for the better,

right?

Yun,

sleep as long as you want.

You are at home. No one will bother you.

Don't think about anything.

I'll take care of everything.

I'm here for you,

alright?

Yun?

-Lord Fan Qi.
-Let me tell you...

-Come on.
-Wait...

-I...
-That's enough.

Yun, how about eating something
before you sleep?

Yun?

Now that His Excellency has opened up
the selection exam,

everyone has a chance
to become an official.

Maybe

I could even get a minor post
at the Qi Residence.

I'm better at grazing horses
than those noble young heirs anyway.

I'm especially good at using the abacus.

Getting into the Commerce Bureau
to keep ledgers should be no problem.

Okay, next.

Tian Xing.

Okay. This is your Exam Token.

Your Excellency.

The reform decree for the selection exam

has been posted in Ling'an City,
and the decrees

for the outer cities are also being
urgently dispatched by fast horses.

Got it.

I heard the whole city turns out,
and the streets are packed with people—

even more lively than during the New Year.

Your Excellency, don't you want to
go out for a walk

and celebrate with the people?

You may leave now.

I want to be alone for a while.

Young Master Qiyan.

It seems

in the coming days,

your profits will skyrocket.

You have a keen eye, Young Master.

The Governor has opened up
the selection exam to everyone,

so people are no longer
restricted by their birth.

Naturally, this has given everyone

new hope.

Therefore,

they are all coming to buy books
and study hard,

all in hopes of

changing their fate
through their own efforts.

So it seems

the Governor's measures
have won public support.

Yes, indeed.

I didn't expect the Governor
to be so attuned to

the people's needs at such a young age.

Just this idea of
treating everyone equally,

bridging the gap
between commoners and nobles—

this move by the Governor

can truly be said to be unprecedented.

He really is a wise ruler.

Is that so?

Absolutely.

In that case,

how about I close down your shop

so you can take the selection exam too?

Young Master Qiyan,

I misspoke.

I-I lost my head for a moment.

Please punish me.

Enough.

You may leave.

Thank you, Young Master Qiyan.
Thank you, Young Master Qiyan.

Why are there only male customers
in the shop?

Isn't this a national selection exam?

There should be women coming to
buy books as well, shouldn't there?

Don't you know, Boss?

This year's selection exam reform
removes distinctions of

region and of nobility versus commoners,

but it does distinguish
between men and women.

Women, whether commoners or nobles,

are not eligible to take part.

Come out.

Your Excellency.

Since you're here,

why not go inside and see her?

How is Fan Yun?

She's feeling a bit low.

She'll feel better
after sleeping until tomorrow.

That's good.

Let's go.

I'll take you in to see her.

I won't go in.

It's good to know she's fine.

Let her get some rest.

Then what about you?

Did you rest well?

Have you not slept for days again?

I can't sleep.

You two are very similar in one way.

That is,

you're both considerate of
everyone around you,

but hard on yourselves.

Why put yourselves through that?

I just

don't know how to face her.

You should have told her what happened.

Even if it failed,

at least she would have been prepared.

You know Fan Yun.

No matter what she does,

she always gives her all.

It's just that

preparing for the selection exam

already exhausted her.

If the officials' disputes
had troubled her further,

I really couldn't bear it.

Besides,

what the officials opposed the most
this time

was women becoming officials.

If she had been there to lobby,

it would have only caused bigger disputes.

Not only would it have failed
to achieve the desired effect,

but it would also have easily
brought trouble upon her,

making her a target of their criticism.

So, Your Excellency didn't explain.

Even if it caused a misunderstanding
between you and Fan Yun,

you would still do it?

I had no other choice.

If she really gets mad at me,

I'll just have to accept it.

Take good care of Fan Yun.

Are you feeling better?

Thank you, Young Master Qiyan.

I'm feeling much better now.

Young Master Qiyan,

what is it that you wanted

to see me for?

What do you think of this place?

Here?

It's pretty good.

Same as before.

But that's only for now.

What's this?

Open it and take a look.

A layout map?

I plan to rebuild a West Market here.

All the shops will be
redesigned and renovated.

Once it's done,

it will be

the most bustling market in the city.

What you see on the scroll

is what it will look like in the future.

What do you think?

I think...

I think the current West Market,

though it looks messy,

has a human touch.

Every shop

tries its best to attract customers.

It's really lively.

But on your map,

it's bare and empty,

and every shop looks exactly the same.

Won't that be too dull?

Then tear it up. I'll find someone else
to redesign it.

Don't, don't.

I'm just sharing my thoughts.

These shops belong to you,
Young Master Qiyan.

So the decision's up to you.

No.

From now on,

these shops are all yours.

Mine?

This...

This...

Young Master Qiyan,

please stop joking.

I've done nothing to deserve it.

I know you won't accept gifts
for no reason.

So I want

you to be the manager here.

From now on, you'll be the Number Two

of Juyun Pavilion.

So what if you can't take
the selection exam?

With your abilities,

you can succeed in
anything you want to do anywhere.

You want a chance—

and I'll give you that chance.

I...

Every shop,

backyard,

and delivery route

will be redesigned and renovated.

Scenes of disorder and filth

will never appear again.

Hurry up.

Sorry, sorry.

The frost was heavy last night.

We students didn't sleep until morning.

We'll leave right away.

We didn't mean to disturb you.

We'll just pack up and leave.

We're really sorry.

Wait.

Are you

all students?

I am ashamed.

We are all students from Gao City Academy,

here to take the selection exam.

Who would have thought that
there would be so many candidates

preparing for the exam in Ling'an

that the inns in the city

are in short supply,

and they've actually
raised their prices arbitrarily.

Even the cheapest inns in the city

now cost 10 taels of silver.

Ten...

We all come from poor families

and are short on money,

so we ended up sleeping on the street.

Please forgive us for making a fool
of ourselves in front of you, Miss.

Have you been like this every day

for the past few days?

Yes.

We have to hit the road,

so we'll take our leave first.

Let's go.

Young Master Qiyan,

is this how you merchants make your money?

When demand exceeds supply,

prices naturally rise.

That's just how things work.

I won't stand in others' way
of making a profit.

I appreciate your kindness,

but I, Fan Yun, am not capable enough

to take on such an important role.

You'd better find someone else.

I'll take my leave.

Fan Yun!

Fan Yun!

Governor.

Why do you want to see me

in such a hurry?

Governor.

I have something to report
to Your Excellency.

Y... "Your Excellency"?

I'm not used to you

addressing me like that.

It's been so long
since I left the Qi Residence.

I should at least have some
proper etiquette, right?

That's not important.

I really have something

important to tell you.

The inns are exploiting the situation
by raising prices arbitrarily.

Many students from humble backgrounds
who came for the exam

can't afford to stay in the inns,

so they have no choice but
to sleep on the streets.

If that's true,

it must be thoroughly investigated.

Governor.

I think

it's not just the inns.

Candidates are affected in terms of food,
clothing, shelter, and transportation.

All these other areas
should also be carefully investigated.

You're right, Fan Yun.

If that's the case,

please handle it all together, Governor.

Then,

do you have anything else to say to me?

Yes.

I can't handle

all these things by myself,

so I asked Gao Ran and the others to help.

They should be here

by now.

Nothing else?

Well...

Nothing else.

Your Excellency.

We're back from the investigation.

All restaurants are only offering
"designated set meals,"

claiming it saves time and effort,

but in fact the quality of dishes
has been reduced

while prices are effectively increased.

Those peddlers selling fake exam questions

are posing as private school teachers,

scamming as many as they can.

And the stationery shops selling
brushes, ink, paper, inkstones,

and even books,

have all raised their prices
by 7 or 8 times.

Across the cities, both river
and land transport are overloaded.

Ox carts, horse carriages—
all kinds of transport capacity is tight.

In order to get to Ling'an
on time for the exam,

the candidates have almost spent
all their travel expenses.

That's right.

Ox carts, horse carriages,
and donkey carts

are all crammed together—
utter chaos.

The scholars are being badly crushed
in the overcrowded conditions.

It was truly miserable.

This is outrageous.

I never thought the selection exam
would become

a means to oppress the common people.

Governor, your original intention

was not like this at all.

If this goes on,

you'll only lose the people's support.

Governor.

I actually have a solution.

Lord Jiang Shu of the Commerce Bureau,
hear my order.

Yes, Your Excellency.

The selection exam is approaching.

This initiative

is to recruit talents
from across the Nine Cities

and is of utmost importance.

On top of that, this year's selection exam

is very different from those of the past.

The number of participants, scale,

and the geographical scope

are all unprecedented.

To ensure the smooth conduct
of this selection exam,

I hereby

issue the following decrees.

First,

items related to the selection exam,
such as books, brushes,

ink, paper, and inkstones

must be strictly prohibited from
price gouging.

[Zhonghe Restaurant]

Furthermore, there must be tight regulation
of so-called "pre-exam guidance"

that actually amounts to
selling leaked exam papers.

[Qingchengzhai Stationery Shop]

If any form of exorbitant pricing
is discovered,

it should be severly punished.

Second,

to facilitate candidates traveling from
various regions to take the exam,

special selection exam transport services
will be established.

All candidates, upon presenting
their selection Exam Tokens,

may ride for free and proceed directly

to the examination academy for the exam.

Third,

this time, Huan'e House

voluntarily opens its accommodations
free of charge to candidates.

Candidates only need to present
their Exam Tokens, and may bring

at most one accompanying person
to stay with them.

If conditions permit,

candidates may also bring
their own ingredients.

Restaurants and inns

should all open their kitchens for free,

ensuring proper living conditions
for candidates,

so they can perform

at their best in the exam.

I accept the order.

Are you

still upset?

I'm not.

Still refusing to tell me the truth.

You know,

if there's anything making you feel upset,

or anything you want to let out—

if you want to curse the Governor

or just have a good cry—

I'll be here with you.

What does that mean, shaking your head?

Actually, I just feel like

I've been

running toward a mountain peak
all this time,

sprinting forward without stopping.

But as I kept running,

someone suddenly told me

that the peak was gone.

So I just

lost my goal all of a sudden,

and I just feel a bit

empty inside, that's all.

And I also believe

that the Governor

must have already done his best.

So why should I blame him?

Wait.

I think

I've just thought of something incredible.

What is it?

I know how to cheer you up.

You should go back to
being the Governor's wife.

-Right.
-Wait...

What are you even talking about?

You used to smile a lot
back at the Qi Residence.

But now that

you can't take the selection exam,

this is the only way out.

It's easy to go from rags to riches,

but hard to go from riches to rags.

Your house is too shabby,

especially that table.

If I were you,

I wouldn't want to stay here either.

What do you think?

My proposal is not bad, right?

Come and take a look.

Why are there so many people
gathered over there?

Let's go check it out.

The stories of the Nine Noble Families
are known to all.

You must be tired of hearing about them.

Today, I will tell you something new.

This story

begins 13 years ago, when the princes
fought for the throne.

-Great!
-Great!

Thirteen years ago,

after the late Governor passed away,

his sons vied for succession.

The Nine Cities, which had finally
enjoyed a few years of peace,

were once again plunged into

-It's the Governor.
-the chaos of war.

Bravo! Bravo!

The late governor's most favored

and most outstanding
Second Young Master Qi,

was framed

and assassinated on the way into exile.

His fate was unknown,

and the odds were against him.

Meanwhile, those elder brothers
who coveted the throne

fought each other fiercely,

all suffering heavy losses.

In the end, it was the weakest

and most incompetent youngest son,

Qi Zheng—whom no one
had ever thought much of—

who ended up benefiting from the chaos

and became the new ruler
of the Nine Cities.

But Qi Zheng

wasn't necessarily that majestic.

Even the secret guard unit personally
established by the late governor

didn't swear allegiance to him.

He was truly

isolated and helpless,

trudging forward alone.

Although

Qi Zheng was fortunate enough

to become the new governor,

a fool dressed in splendid robes

can never truly become
gold or silver at his core.

Moreover, he

was arrogant and self-important,

so it was inevitable

that he would be jointly suppressed
by Lord Lyu and Lord Zheng.

The "beatings" were like stir-frying
bamboo shoot with pork—

refreshing and satisfying.

Right at this time,

the appearance of a woman

changed everything.

She and the Governor

met under a phoenix tree.

She took the Governor on incognito visits

to empathize with the suffering
of the common people,

and she encouraged him

to fulfill the duties of his position

and govern accordingly,

and even in the face of
countless hardships,

to keep his head held high
and strive forward.

It was precisely because of
this woman's encouragement

that Qi Zheng

truly gained confidence and took up
the responsibilities of the governor,

striving to become
a ruler of the Nine Cities

who governed with the people's welfare
at heart—

a wise and benevolent sovereign.

As for this woman—

she was the governor's wife,

his trusted confidant,

his sword and shield,

always by his side in support.

Yet she herself

was never able

to realize her own dream.

This is where today's story ends.

To be continued.

Bravo! Bravo!

Well performed! Bravo!

♪ If women are akin to blossoms ♪

♪ Can they be cherished tenderly? ♪

♪ For whom do they hide tears silently? ♪

♪ How could one bear to lay blame? ♪

♪ Time runs wild with reckless haste ♪

♪ Never mind that
fate dyes pureness crimson red ♪

♪ For whom does ♪

Alright, you've finished
listening to the story, right?

♪ This phoenix flower bloom? ♪

You can all disperse now.

♪ Love fills my years,
and my heart remains true ♪

♪ Let all worldly longing fade away ♪

♪ Fall deep within a single dream ♪

♪ Wait till a breath of wind arrives ♪

She may never know

how deeply the governor

wished to help her realize her ambitions.

But the road ahead was
long and full of obstacles,

and the governor may have ultimately
let her down.

Qi Zheng.

You didn't let me down.

Then do you blame me?

Of course not.

How could reform

ever be achieved overnight?

It definitely has to be done step by step.

Besides,

Governor, you've done a great job already.

At least now,

those commoner students

finally have a path to
rise through the ranks.

That proves

all your efforts up to this point

haven't been in vain.

As for me,

I...

do feel a bit upset.

But

I still have you

by my side, don't I?

That's even more reason
why we shouldn't give up.

I can't give up—

and you certainly can't either.

If even we ourselves

believe that women
cannot serve as officials,

then who else would believe otherwise?

So, Fan Yun,

I hope

you can give me some time

and let me try again,

okay?

Okay.

This is bad!

Something happened outside!

What exactly is going on?

I was walking when I suddenly
got knocked down,

and my Exam Token disappeared.

He was even more unfortunate.

His Exam Token got snatched,

and he was beaten up like this.

Who is so brazen

as to openly snatch Exam Tokens

and disrupt the selection exam?

Here.

Wait for me a moment.

I'll go get another medicine for you.

Use this.

This is a secret ointment
from my hometown.

You can try it.

Really?

Thank you.

Here.

Bear with it for a moment.

Done.

After you go back,

make sure to get some good rest.

Okay.

Thank you, Miss.

Thank you, Sir.

Let's go.

Young Healer,

are you

hurt anywhere?

I'm okay.

I've long admired you, Teacher.

I, Tian Xing, pay my respects.

Young Healer,

do you always talk

in such a bookish way?

And,

how did you know that I was...

My companion said

you are a female teacher.

You're no less capable than any man.

Not only did you set up a private school
for commoner students,

but you also teach them
literature and propriety

with remarkable literary talent.

I've heard

you also once taught the governor.

You are said to be the best teacher
in the entire Nine Cities.

I'm flattered. Truly flattered.

By the way,

I haven't asked you

what your name is.

I am Tian Xing,

and I also want to take you as my teacher.

Tian Xing...

Please

just keep calling me Young Healer.

Alright,

Young Healer.

Then let me officially
introduce myself too.

My name is Fan Yun.

If there's a chance,

we can exchange knowledge
and learn from each other.

Young Healer.

I still have some things to attend to.

Let's have tea and talk next time.

Take care, Teacher.

You mean

the ones who stole the Exam Tokens

are an organization
called the Shadow Slay League?

Yes.

The Shadow Slay League used to be
a band of bandits roaming the mountains.

They specialize in robbing

merchant caravans
transporting goods across cities,

and they all have high bounties
on their heads.

So it seems someone is trying to hire
the Shadow Slay League

to sabotage the selection exam.

That's also what I guessed.

I see.

Hu Die,

now all the candidates

are temporarily staying at Huan'e House.

Since something like this happened,

we must strengthen precautions.

You are so strong!

This is weird.

You were alone in this room,

so why did you lock the door?

Look,

is it red from the bump?

Blow on it for me.

Why is there

a scent of face powder in this room?

Face powder?

I don't smell it.

Maybe it's yours.

Nonsense.

I didn't put on any face powder today.

I know!

It's Hu Die's scent.

Could it be

that

you two...

You two are...

Absolutely impossible.

Absolutely impossible!

Why so nervous?

Still denying it?

Then what's this?

Are you jealous?

I...

What nonsense are you talking about?

I think you must have
knocked yourself stupid

from that bump just now.

I won't tease you anymore.

This handkerchief

indeed belongs to Hu Die.

But don't you want to know

what she came to see me for?

I don't.

That won't do.

You must know.

Come out.

What?

You're saying the real owner
behind Huan'e House

is actually the Governor?

-Yes.
-Hu Die.

Have the accounting office calculate
how much commission she earned

from bringing gullible customers

to spend at Huan'e House,

and have her return it immediately.

Then...

What's wrong with you?

Why are you digging up old debts now?

Our top priority right now

should be standing united
against outsiders, shouldn't it?

Why should I stand united with you?

It's not like you're my wife or something.

I...

Hu Die just said

that it was an organization
called the Shadow Slay League

who stole the Exam Tokens.

We should work together to deal with them.

Don't you agree, Hu Die?

When did Hu Die leave?

How about this?

I'll

come up with a plan

to help you catch the thieves,

and we'll use that

to offset the commission.

How does that sound?

You already had this planned out,
didn't you?

This is exactly
what you came to Huan'e House for.

Go ahead then.

Let's see if your plan

is worth the money.

Don't worry about it.

Just leave it to me.