1
00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:39,480
EPISODE 26

2
00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:42,480
SHEN'S MANSION

3
00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:57,680
The late aunt arranged this with my lady.

4
00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,440
A son from one family,
a daughter from another.

5
00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:02,760
Promised to be in-laws, bound forever.

6
00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:05,920
Back then, she was just past a year old.

7
00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,720
Fearing gossip, it wasn't widely known.

8
00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:11,400
Six years ago, her mother passed away.

9
00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:14,040
She went with her father to Hangzhou.

10
00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:16,120
Three years later, her father also died.

11
00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:18,960
The mourning delayed things for a while.

12
00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:21,320
Distance made communication hard.

13
00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:25,720
Plus, your family is noble and loyal.

14
00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:29,320
Her stepmother was mean and cold-hearted.

15
00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:31,440
So, they didn't send someone
to ask until now.

16
00:02:34,640 --> 00:02:37,720
This is her handwritten letter, no doubt.

17
00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:42,080
This pendant, a symbol of fortune

18
00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:44,360
with holes on the fins.

19
00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:50,080
She always wore it.

20
00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:54,360
It's a jade heirloom of the Shen family.

21
00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:59,160
When she was buried, we couldn't find it.

22
00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:01,680
This family jade

23
00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:04,400
is for Master Shen's future wife.

24
00:03:05,640 --> 00:03:06,840
Cui,

25
00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:09,960
this is for the old lady to decide.

26
00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:11,840
How dare you meddle?

27
00:03:11,920 --> 00:03:13,280
Sure.

28
00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:15,120
Such an important matter,

29
00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:18,560
I was kept in the dark.

30
00:03:18,640 --> 00:03:21,120
She was foolish to hide this from me.

31
00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:26,400
Maybe she thought I was sickly as a child.

32
00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:27,560
Never survive this old.

33
00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,600
Distance and time broke the connection,

34
00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:34,640
and the marriage was delayed.

35
00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:37,720
Don't blame me for speaking my mind.

36
00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:41,840
The old lady seems hesitant.
What's the matter?

37
00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:43,640
Naturally, she is.

38
00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:45,600
Master Shen already has a wife.

39
00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:00,240
Thanks for returning the pendant.

40
00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:03,760
Now, it's back where it belongs.

41
00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:10,920
My lady.

42
00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:14,560
My lady.

43
00:04:18,280 --> 00:04:22,880
Haode, how dare you be rude to a guest?

44
00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:25,240
You're out of line.

45
00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:34,320
Granny.

46
00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:39,280
She lost her parents.

47
00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:43,520
She has no one
and came here out of desperation.

48
00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:47,560
Maybe take her as a concubine at most.

49
00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:51,160
You are Huizhao's wife.

50
00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:56,400
I'm always on your side, you know that.

51
00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:00,640
No need to make things so awkward.

52
00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:02,160
You've lost all decorum.

53
00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:06,720
When my brother-in-law proposed,
Kangning had only one condition.

54
00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:09,520
Anyone marrying a Li family daughter

55
00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:13,240
must take one wife only. No concubines.

56
00:05:13,840 --> 00:05:16,520
How dare you say such a thing.

57
00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:17,920
If word gets out,

58
00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:22,720
they'll call you jealous and improper.

59
00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:26,400
This will make it hard

60
00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:29,040
for your sister to marry.

61
00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:30,920
Granny.

62
00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:35,520
I come from a humble background,
not a noble one.

63
00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:37,720
But I stand firm on it.

64
00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:41,280
No matter how much education I have,
I can't change my heart.

65
00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:46,120
What woman would
share her husband willingly?

66
00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:47,720
Even you, Granny,

67
00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:50,560
doesn't it pain you
to see three concubines?

68
00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:58,680
I will never allow a concubine
and back down.

69
00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:00,880
If I give in,

70
00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:04,360
it'll set a bad example
for my brothers-in-law.

71
00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:06,320
The Li family's rules will be broken.

72
00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:09,280
I'd disgrace my sisters and myself.

73
00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:13,200
Granny, punish me as you wish,

74
00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:15,880
- but I won't compromise.
- You…

75
00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:26,360
My lady,
it's not that the old lady is heartless.

76
00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:29,320
That young lady was betrothed as a child.

77
00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:30,640
Her parents are gone.

78
00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:34,800
If we don't accept her,
the Shen family will be seen

79
00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:36,000
as dishonorable.

80
00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:37,680
Calling her a concubine

81
00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:40,200
is already a compromise.

82
00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:42,720
How can you not understand?

83
00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:11,280
Enough.

84
00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:14,760
I won't deal with this anymore.

85
00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:09,760
Qingshi. Qingshi.

86
00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:15,360
My lord.

87
00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:16,720
From now on,

88
00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:19,720
without my orders,
no one is allowed into this study.

89
00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:23,680
Didn't you hear me?

90
00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:25,120
Yes.

91
00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:28,400
My lady, this…

92
00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:31,880
These are documents for official matters.

93
00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:34,160
Criminal cases go to the left.

94
00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:36,080
Population and taxes are on the right.

95
00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:38,520
Local customs go in the middle.

96
00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:41,480
Errors from both courts are in that pile.

97
00:08:41,560 --> 00:08:44,280
He marked for resubmission
after corrections.

98
00:08:46,560 --> 00:08:47,600
Sure.

99
00:08:47,680 --> 00:08:50,520
My lord, you seem fine now,

100
00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:51,600
not confused.

101
00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:53,080
But the physician said

102
00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:56,880
you still get headaches and nausea.

103
00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:00,360
Your internal injuries are serious.
If you keep pushing,

104
00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:03,760
you could faint, at best,
or lose your life, at worst.

105
00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:08,120
If I can't read the files,
have someone else handle them.

106
00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:11,120
If you refuse, I'll tell the old lady.

107
00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:13,400
I won't cover for you.

108
00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:17,480
- You…
- Qingshi, can you even handle this?

109
00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:21,200
I can read, but I can't process cases.

110
00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:22,840
Plus, these are urgent matters.

111
00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:24,760
They're not for servants.

112
00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:26,920
There are capable officials at Yamen.

113
00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:30,520
Judge Yuan, Clerk Wang, Magistrate Liu.

114
00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:33,240
All of them are skilled and knowledgeable.

115
00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:36,000
So, who would you like to assist you?

116
00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:39,760
These documents aren't for outsiders.
That'll ruin everything.

117
00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:41,520
Shut up. Get out.

118
00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:43,120
Sure.

119
00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:51,480
I don't remember a thing
about us recently.

120
00:09:51,560 --> 00:09:54,400
Whatever you do, it's all pointless.

121
00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:56,440
The Shen family won't keep you.

122
00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:00,200
You…

123
00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:26,480
Where is the imperial land dispute case?

124
00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:43,600
You said it needs imperial approval,
so I placed it here.

125
00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:46,720
If you're free,

126
00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:49,000
why not review the Deng case with me?

127
00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:50,200
I said I remember already.

128
00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:53,640
You remember the past,
but forgot what came after.

129
00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:58,440
How do you recall the cases,
but forget your wife?

130
00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:22,520
He was feverish just yesterday.

131
00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:24,960
He just got better today
and he's already back working.

132
00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:27,600
The old lady is worried.

133
00:11:27,680 --> 00:11:30,080
She almost called a physician
to the court to check on him.

134
00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:32,760
I had to persuade her
to let go of the idea.

135
00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:34,040
She only let me bring medicine.

136
00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:40,480
Where is he?

137
00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:43,800
My lady, he's handling the Deng case now.

138
00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:45,960
The woman was buried alive,

139
00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:47,960
clearly murdered by them. Why bother?

140
00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:50,720
My lady, you don't know.
She committed adultery.

141
00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:52,520
Her lover is confessing in court.

142
00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:54,720
What?

143
00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:58,240
I was just a laborer for the Dengs.

144
00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:03,040
His wife often sent maids
to fetch water and stoke fires.

145
00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:05,280
One time, Ah Tao fell ill.

146
00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:07,560
The lady fetched her own water.

147
00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:10,720
I pitied her and helped her often.

148
00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:12,040
Over time,

149
00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:14,280
she got pregnant by me.

150
00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:16,520
Her in-laws accidentally found out.

151
00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:17,960
She plotted with me in secret

152
00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:20,080
to fake her death in childbirth.

153
00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:22,120
We waited for the Dengs to bury her.

154
00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:25,040
At midnight, I planned to dig her out.

155
00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:28,320
Then we'd elope to her uncle in Jiangning.

156
00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:31,840
I drank for courage that night
but arrived late.

157
00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:35,400
I saw mourners at another grave
and didn't dare approach.

158
00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:38,800
Almost at dawn, I opened the coffin.

159
00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:43,320
Sadly, the air hole we left
had been blocked by soil.

160
00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:45,760
She had already suffocated.

161
00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:48,440
Master, I didn't report it earlier

162
00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:50,920
to avoid disgrace for my family.

163
00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:54,880
Now, there's no hiding it anymore.

164
00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:58,360
She secretly conceived with another man.

165
00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:00,240
She begged me to help her escape.

166
00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:03,240
I thought, two lives were at stake,

167
00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:05,000
so I let her go.

168
00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:07,040
I thought of her as dead.

169
00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:08,600
It'd be better than causing grief.

170
00:13:08,680 --> 00:13:11,960
But this fool ruined everything
while drunk.

171
00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:14,240
He caused this entire disaster.

172
00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:16,240
She died by her own doing.

173
00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:18,760
It has nothing to do with my family.

174
00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:20,840
I'm the one who should file a complaint.

175
00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:22,080
They slandered us.

176
00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:23,400
They raised a daughter

177
00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:25,440
who ruined us.

178
00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:32,080
You all have no shame!

179
00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:33,840
No shame at all.

180
00:13:34,680 --> 00:13:37,960
Mother, why did you hide this from me?

181
00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:38,960
Nonsense!

182
00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:43,360
You tormented your wife daily.
Everyone knows.

183
00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:46,200
She never dared to spend your money.

184
00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:47,640
It was all from her dowry.

185
00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:49,560
Last month, she was about to give birth.

186
00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:51,680
Suddenly, you were kind to her.

187
00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:53,680
You even sent me to fetch a midwife.

188
00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:55,960
The midwife had just stepped in

189
00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:58,200
when she screamed and died.

190
00:13:59,560 --> 00:14:01,520
You must've planned to kill her!

191
00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:04,440
You killed her.

192
00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:06,520
Now you slander her for adultery?

193
00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:09,160
My lord,

194
00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:12,840
they bully my daughter who can't speak!

195
00:14:12,920 --> 00:14:13,760
Lies!

196
00:14:14,560 --> 00:14:18,200
Yaoniu, even if Mrs. Deng helped,

197
00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:19,720
how did you fool everyone else?

198
00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:22,160
I got a prescription from a physician

199
00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:27,920
to fake death for three days. Here it is.

200
00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:32,120
You claim you had an affair with Ji,
but what proof do you have?

201
00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:34,080
Her undergarments,

202
00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:36,360
along with a love poem.

203
00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:38,000
I folded it into a charm

204
00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:39,440
and kept it.

205
00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:40,600
Ridiculous!

206
00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:45,520
If you had an affair with her,
why defend the Deng family?

207
00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:48,560
Aren't you afraid I'll charge you first?

208
00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:51,280
An affair gets a beating at most,

209
00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:53,760
but murder means death.

210
00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:57,320
I had no grudge against Deng.

211
00:14:57,400 --> 00:14:59,280
How could I let him die unjustly?

212
00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:02,840
This proves I'm an honest man.

213
00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:05,160
Please judge me leniently.

214
00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:07,720
My Lord, the adulterer confessed.

215
00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:10,000
You must bring justice for my son!

216
00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:13,160
Never.

217
00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:21,440
My lord, Yaoniu confessed at the court.

218
00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:25,040
Word spread, accusing Ji of infidelity.

219
00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:28,800
They say Ji framed Deng,
and Deng's riling up the clan.

220
00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:32,480
They crowd the court daily,
demanding release.

221
00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:35,080
A lover appeared out of nowhere.

222
00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:38,440
They conspired to incite chaos with kin.

223
00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:42,520
He claimed he had a fake death potion.

224
00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:44,360
Bring someone to replicate the potion now.

225
00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:46,600
He must take it himself.

226
00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:50,160
If it doesn't work,
I'll have him beaten to death.

227
00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:52,200
- Sure.
- My lord.

228
00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:58,120
The same potion has a different effect.

229
00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:00,800
Some died from it, others recovered.

230
00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:04,320
Ji Rou's frailty made her unconscious.

231
00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:05,760
It might not work for him.

232
00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:09,120
What if he denies whatever?

233
00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:11,920
What are you going to do?

234
00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:17,720
My lord, why would Yaoniu confess

235
00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:18,880
his adultery?

236
00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:22,880
Clearly, someone paid him to do it.

237
00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:29,360
Adultery with a married woman
gets 20 lashes.

238
00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:33,560
He must've been bribed
to endure such little pain.

239
00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:34,760
That's obvious.

240
00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:37,960
What's your point?

241
00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:43,000
Adultery is minor. Murder is severe.

242
00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:46,240
He claims he was the servant
of the Deng family.

243
00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:48,800
If it was him killing his master?

244
00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:50,880
What crimes does he commit?

245
00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:52,840
But he didn't kill anyone.

246
00:16:58,360 --> 00:16:59,280
What do you think?

247
00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:07,600
Let's test it.

248
00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:15,880
Bring her in.

249
00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:16,840
KAIFENG COURT

250
00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:22,800
Yaoniu, you spoke

251
00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:25,720
of a fake death potion,
which was taken by Ji.

252
00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:27,840
Yes, my lord. It's true.

253
00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:29,080
Very well, then.

254
00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:30,960
Coroner.

255
00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:33,320
My lord, I've examined the body

256
00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:35,240
and cleaned it with alcohol.

257
00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:37,320
The body shows purplish swelling.

258
00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:40,600
There are bruises
from struggling in the coffin,

259
00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:42,920
but no other external injuries.

260
00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:46,000
I must also check her mouth and throat.

261
00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:04,920
The poison is confirmed.

262
00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:07,800
Coroner,

263
00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:11,080
wasn't Ji asphyxiated in the coffin?

264
00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:14,000
My lord,
she was poisoned with arsenic first.

265
00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:16,520
The dose wasn't lethal, so she didn't die.

266
00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:19,240
But after waking up in the coffin,
she struggled to get out.

267
00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:21,120
She later suffocated.

268
00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:25,520
Yaoniu, you plotted
to murder your mistress.

269
00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:27,680
This needle proves your crime.

270
00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:30,360
If I don't use force, you won't admit it.

271
00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:32,240
Eighty strokes. Do it.

272
00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:35,640
My lord, it was fake death medicine,
not poison.

273
00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:36,920
I'm innocent!

274
00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:39,800
My lord.

275
00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:46,760
My lord!

276
00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:52,240
Since you confessed,

277
00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:55,120
I'll execute you now.

278
00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:57,720
Others would agree on this judge too.

279
00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:01,400
My lord, I didn't poison anyone.

280
00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:02,840
It's true!

281
00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:05,720
Didn't you say you had an affair with her?

282
00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:07,280
No, I didn't! No affair!

283
00:19:07,360 --> 00:19:09,640
My lord, it's Mrs. Deng!

284
00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:10,840
She bribed me to lie

285
00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:13,680
and frame her daughter-in-law.

286
00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:15,800
Silence, you wretch!

287
00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:18,840
Enduring torture
doesn't excuse framing others.

288
00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:20,680
You deserve to die for such deceit.

289
00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:23,840
The Deng family is a big name.

290
00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:28,320
Why would they ruin their own reputation?

291
00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:31,880
You must've tried to drag them down.

292
00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:33,520
Keep going.

293
00:19:34,120 --> 00:19:34,960
My lord!

294
00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:38,400
The bribe is hidden in my yard,
within a pickle jar.

295
00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:42,200
Check under the big tree behind my house.

296
00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:45,960
She promised only 20 lashes
but blamed the crime on me.

297
00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:49,440
The Deng family will die out for this!

298
00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:51,640
How dare you curse us, villain!

299
00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:53,800
Mom.

300
00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:55,880
Stop.

301
00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:01,400
My lord, it's all the Deng family's doing.

302
00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:04,960
I was taking the fall for them.

303
00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:08,480
I'll have the bribe investigated.

304
00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:12,080
Ah Tao, describe that night in detail.

305
00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:13,360
Sure.

306
00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:16,640
That night, the mistress went into labor.

307
00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:20,760
<i>I fetched the midwife</i>
<i>while Master Deng waited outside the room.</i>

308
00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:24,520
<i>Servants scrambled,</i>
<i>preparing cloth and scissors.</i>

309
00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:27,160
- <i>Then a scream came from her room.</i>
- What took you so long?

310
00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:31,880
What woman doesn't cry out
during childbirth?

311
00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:33,760
Don't twist the story to blame us.

312
00:20:34,360 --> 00:20:37,240
My daughter-in-law's care
relied on the maid.

313
00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:40,520
If she ate something poisonous,

314
00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:41,800
it wasn't our doing.

315
00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:43,720
If it was her maid killing her,

316
00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:47,240
why would you bribe Yaoniu
to take the blame?

317
00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:49,680
Still lying? The truth is uncovering.

318
00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:55,520
My lord, I remember something.

319
00:20:55,600 --> 00:20:58,320
Before childbirth,
my lady said she was hungry.

320
00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:01,600
I made rice soup,
but it was delivered by Master Deng.

321
00:21:02,360 --> 00:21:04,480
My lord, I did deliver the soup,

322
00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:06,000
but I didn't poison her.

323
00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:10,000
Ji was near labor,
and the maid stayed close.

324
00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:11,360
Where could she buy arsenic?

325
00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:15,880
If she killed her, why report it publicly?

326
00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:19,280
Ji's death ties back to the Deng family.

327
00:21:19,360 --> 00:21:22,880
If you, the son, poisoned her,
your mother covered it up.

328
00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:24,240
That makes sense.

329
00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:25,480
Guards!

330
00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:28,720
The Deng family bribed someone
to fake witnesses.

331
00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:30,680
There must be a reason.

332
00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:33,680
Drag Deng Jingfu away. Beat him. Now!

333
00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:36,440
- My lord, I did not poison her!
- We are wronged!

334
00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:38,560
- I am wronged!
- We didn't do it!

335
00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:39,680
My son's wronged!

336
00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:40,960
I'm innocent, my lord!

337
00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:42,840
My lord.

338
00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:43,920
My lord.

339
00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:45,560
I didn't do that!

340
00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:46,640
My lord.

341
00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:49,840
My lord, I didn't kill her.

342
00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:51,680
- Don't beat him!
- My lord!

343
00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:55,360
- My lord!
- Don't beat him!

344
00:21:56,040 --> 00:21:59,400
My son's taking the exam.
What if he's crippled?

345
00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:03,760
It's me! I did it!

346
00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:06,280
All of it was my doing.

347
00:22:07,120 --> 00:22:10,680
How did you kill your daughter-in-law?
Speak now.

348
00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:12,920
My lord.

349
00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:16,680
I have no idea
where the arsenic came from.

350
00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:19,200
I did send everyone out.

351
00:22:20,360 --> 00:22:21,600
<i>While she was in labor,</i>

352
00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:24,480
<i>I used a three-inch needle</i>

353
00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:26,280
<i>and pierced her crown.</i>

354
00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:29,120
Who knew she didn't die?

355
00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:31,920
How could she survive in the coffin?

356
00:22:33,120 --> 00:22:36,280
Give me back my daughter!

357
00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:40,040
Mom, she was with a child.

358
00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:43,000
How could you do that?

359
00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:46,520
Son.

360
00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:50,200
It was all for you.

361
00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:53,800
You married beneath you.
How will you ever rise?

362
00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:57,240
If she didn't die, how could I help you

363
00:22:57,320 --> 00:22:59,200
marry into a noble family?

364
00:22:59,960 --> 00:23:03,840
It was all for your sake!

365
00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:06,920
The arsenic?
I swear I knew nothing about it.

366
00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:08,840
I swear.

367
00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:12,920
The arsenic only touched the cloth
he used to clean the needle.

368
00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:14,880
If I hadn't claimed so,

369
00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:16,960
how would Yaoniu confess?

370
00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:20,720
How else could I prove
you bribed him to take the blame?

371
00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:23,920
My lord! Please, my lord!

372
00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:26,120
She's my mother, my elder!

373
00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:29,600
She was confused, a senior acting rashly.

374
00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:32,760
Can't you lighten her sentence?

375
00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:34,640
Show her some mercy? My lord.

376
00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:37,560
Please, my lord!

377
00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:38,760
Silence!

378
00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:41,240
You, not guiding your mother,

379
00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:43,560
nor protecting your wife,

380
00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:45,800
led to this heinous crime
against humanity.

381
00:23:46,360 --> 00:23:49,040
You failed as a son,
a husband, and a father.

382
00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:50,640
Eighty strokes for you.

383
00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:54,200
Mrs. Deng craved wealth,
killing her daughter-in-law.

384
00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:56,560
She even murdered her grandson.
Such an inhuman crime.

385
00:23:56,640 --> 00:24:00,320
Two lives were lost by her hands,
then she tried to shift the blame.

386
00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:03,120
Her crime is too great
for leniency or exceptions.

387
00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:06,680
I'll petition His Majesty
for her execution by slicing.

388
00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:08,560
It'll serve as a warning for others.

389
00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:10,640
My lord!

390
00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:15,280
Mom! Mom! Mom!

391
00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:17,760
Mom.

392
00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:38,240
My lady.

393
00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:40,160
Don't lose heart.
You can't go on like this.

394
00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:43,360
That Li Haode, a mere tea seller by birth.

395
00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:45,320
She's cunning and calculating.

396
00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:49,080
She went to the court

397
00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:52,600
to serve tea and medicine,
flattering and scheming.

398
00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:56,720
She took your place as wife
and denied you a home.

399
00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:58,440
You must act now to secure your future.

400
00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:00,800
The Shen family broke the promise…

401
00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:05,600
and even took my keepsake.

402
00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:08,520
I'm alone, helpless,

403
00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:11,840
with no family to stand for me.

404
00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:13,920
What can I possibly do?

405
00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:15,560
Don't despair.

406
00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:19,600
You've mastered every art since childhood.

407
00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:22,680
Your father cherished you,
treated you like a treasure.

408
00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:24,760
How could you end up
with such a cruel stepmother

409
00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:27,320
who sold you off for a bride price?

410
00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:30,680
We traveled far and endured much.

411
00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:32,680
Now, we finally arrived at the Shen's.

412
00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:34,240
We can't let it go.

413
00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:40,680
Cui, tell me. What should I do?

414
00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:51,600
No, no, no.

415
00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:54,800
I can't do such shameful things.

416
00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:56,880
I won't.

417
00:25:58,480 --> 00:25:59,760
I can't.

418
00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:04,480
My lady, this is no time for modesty.

419
00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:07,400
Do you want to go back and suffer again?

420
00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:11,560
I don't.

421
00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:13,840
I won't.

422
00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:20,800
My lord, Fang's servant Cui is here.

423
00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:23,080
She says it's urgent
and needs to speak with you.

424
00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:24,360
Please meet her.

425
00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:31,240
Has she come yet?

426
00:26:34,120 --> 00:26:36,400
The lady hasn't brought the medicine yet.

427
00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:40,600
If she comes, leave it,
but don't let her in.

428
00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:41,760
Yes.

429
00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:56,880
My lord's busy with work
and can't make it now.

430
00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:00,120
Please let me apologize on his behalf.
He won't come.

431
00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:02,320
Don't do this. She's waiting for him.

432
00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:04,880
Please inform him again.

433
00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:08,600
Say it's about his uncle's
last words and belongings.

434
00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:10,480
The lady must hand them
to the lord herself.

435
00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:12,440
Please make it happen.

436
00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:13,560
I wouldn't dare.

437
00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:14,800
No, I couldn't.

438
00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:15,920
Please don't do this.

439
00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:18,360
Well, I'll try again.

440
00:27:19,680 --> 00:27:20,760
Thank you.

441
00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:39,200
Haode, listen to me.

442
00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:48,040
Even if she's fallen,
she's still from a noble family.

443
00:27:48,120 --> 00:27:49,680
How could she stoop to such disgrace?

444
00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:52,040
I don't believe it.

445
00:27:52,120 --> 00:27:54,680
You told me to ask,
so I'm just reporting back.

446
00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:56,200
You'll see the truth soon enough.

447
00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:03,600
Yan'er, Xi'er.

448
00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:10,920
Go to the storeroom.

449
00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:12,240
What do you need?

450
00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:20,160
Just go.

451
00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:22,680
Bring Qingshi here

452
00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:25,360
and say the old lady wants to ask
about the lord's meal today.

453
00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:26,440
Nothing else.

454
00:28:27,120 --> 00:28:28,000
Sure.

455
00:28:42,560 --> 00:28:44,600
The old lady requests
to speak with my lord.

456
00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:46,920
The lord will pass by in no time.

457
00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:49,120
Where's the item she tried to pass on?

458
00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:51,720
She said

459
00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:55,160
her late father entrusted it to her care.

460
00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:58,720
It must be handed over
in person to fulfill her duty.

461
00:28:58,800 --> 00:28:59,920
Of course.

462
00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:01,320
You said

463
00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:03,760
the lord would pass by soon.

464
00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:05,000
Yes.

465
00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:07,920
Then I'll go ahead and inform her.

466
00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:15,600
<i>Don't be shy, my lady.</i>

467
00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:18,480
<i>If he steps through the door,</i>
<i>you've already won.</i>

468
00:29:18,560 --> 00:29:21,440
<i>Just cry prettily and tell your story.</i>

469
00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:22,760
<i>He won't ignore.</i>

470
00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:29,640
Where's Rui'er?

471
00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:32,080
She still hasn't brought the hot water.

472
00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:40,520
Where were you? I--

473
00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:43,560
You dress so little.
It's too cold outside.

474
00:29:43,640 --> 00:29:45,040
Wrap her up.

475
00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:51,760
That's okay.

476
00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:54,680
Your silk pick is gorgeous.

477
00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:01,840
My lord, Lady Fang insists you meet her.

478
00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:04,120
The lady says she'll go in your place.

479
00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:06,040
Nonsense.

480
00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:23,160
You're here. Then… who's inside?

481
00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:36,760
My lord, cousin arrived in a rush.

482
00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:38,680
I feared she lacked supplies.

483
00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:42,200
So, I picked fine silks
and jewelry for her.

484
00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:44,280
I sent them overnight.

485
00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:47,880
Do you care about her too?
So, that's why you're here?

486
00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:49,360
Have you delivered?

487
00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:51,920
- Yes.
- Then why haven't you left?

488
00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:07,040
Cui, as her wet nurse,

489
00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:09,880
you must guide her.

490
00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:12,320
She's young and naive,
unaware of the stakes.

491
00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:17,160
Her father trusted you to care of her.

492
00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:18,720
Is this how you advise her?

493
00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:21,120
A good daughter

494
00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:23,600
would never take such a path.

495
00:31:23,680 --> 00:31:25,920
My lord, I'd never dare.

496
00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:28,320
Cousin.

497
00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:34,720
Cousin, Cui may be foolish,
but she means well.

498
00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:38,560
Please, for my sake,
forgive her this time.

499
00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:54,640
Cousin, I traveled far seeking refuge.

500
00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:57,320
I don't want to cause trouble.

501
00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:01,080
My stepmother pushed me to the edge.

502
00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:03,040
I have no choice.

503
00:32:04,040 --> 00:32:06,000
Please tell the old lady
I mean no offense.

504
00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:08,240
I know I'm plain

505
00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:10,040
and unworthy.

506
00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:12,480
Never dream beyond my range.

507
00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:15,360
If you find me unfit,

508
00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:19,800
I'll clean the courtyard
to make it up to you.

509
00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:22,000
Just don't send me away.

510
00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:24,040
Cousin,

511
00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:26,200
don't send me away.

512
00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:28,480
I beg you, don't cast me out.

513
00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:32,200
So,

514
00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:35,440
you want to stay as a concubine?

515
00:32:41,120 --> 00:32:45,520
Serving you for life would be my fortune.

516
00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:49,920
But I fear I'd offend your wife.

517
00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:52,200
I wouldn't dare cause you trouble.

518
00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:57,000
If that's the case,
find me a place at a temple

519
00:32:57,080 --> 00:32:58,400
to live out my days.

520
00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:01,480
I'd rather shave my head and be a nun

521
00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:04,080
than fall to ruin

522
00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:06,000
and dishonor my family's name.

523
00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:12,600
When you passed the garden,
did you see an old well?

524
00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:15,360
The one sealed in the southeast corner?

525
00:33:18,800 --> 00:33:20,840
- I--
- My enemies are endless.

526
00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:24,040
I can't kill them all.

527
00:33:24,120 --> 00:33:27,360
My sister Yingying was six that year.

528
00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:30,760
Bandits held her hostage
to make me surrender.

529
00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:32,240
But I didn't.

530
00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:34,080
She died

531
00:33:34,840 --> 00:33:36,360
in my arms.

532
00:33:37,760 --> 00:33:38,600
After that,

533
00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:42,320
my mother fell ill and mad.

534
00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:44,240
One night, a year later,

535
00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:46,120
she disappeared.

536
00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:48,480
We found her shoes

537
00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:51,160
by that well.

538
00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:55,760
Aunt…

539
00:33:57,080 --> 00:33:58,680
So, that's how she died.

540
00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:02,440
Before Haode married into the Shen family,

541
00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:04,840
she was just a teahouse owner's daughter.

542
00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:07,400
She was carefree

543
00:34:08,240 --> 00:34:09,680
and lived a simple life.

544
00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:13,520
The day before you arrived,
she almost died.

545
00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:15,040
A gang of bandits nearly killed her.

546
00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:18,360
She was terrified but stayed strong.

547
00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:21,800
She saved Granny from the slaughter.

548
00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:24,920
Once you join the Shen family,

549
00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:29,320
uncertainties like death
await you in the future.

550
00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:31,360
Will your life end in bloodshed
or in that well?

551
00:34:32,120 --> 00:34:35,320
My wife lives like this is the last day
in the world.

552
00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:39,120
There is no room to care for a concubine.

553
00:34:40,200 --> 00:34:41,760
No one cares if she lives or dies.

554
00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:47,800
Cousin, you're joking, right?

555
00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:48,880
What?

556
00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:52,000
Do you want to try?

557
00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:54,160
Good.

558
00:34:54,240 --> 00:34:56,840
The dowry my mother brought
from your family Fang,

559
00:34:56,920 --> 00:34:58,360
I will give half of it to you.

560
00:34:58,440 --> 00:35:01,560
With it, you will marry well.

561
00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:05,840
Don't listen to that foolish servant.

562
00:35:05,920 --> 00:35:08,720
She'll ruin your life. Remember that.

563
00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:13,120
You're guests here.
You shouldn't bother the hostess.

564
00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:17,320
Anyone who forgets their manners
will be punished.

565
00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:20,760
Don't blame me for not showing mercy.

566
00:35:21,640 --> 00:35:23,160
I'll send you back home tomorrow.

567
00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:27,560
Cui,

568
00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:31,120
you're old and confused,
and it's your first time.

569
00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:35,000
I'll give you ten lashes
on behalf of her dad.

570
00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:37,280
No more mistakes.

571
00:35:37,360 --> 00:35:39,680
There won't be a next time.

572
00:35:41,880 --> 00:35:46,000
STEADFAST AND CONSIDERATE PATH

573
00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:58,080
My lady.

574
00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:03,760
SHEN'S MANSION

575
00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:13,560
What's going on?

576
00:36:14,560 --> 00:36:18,040
The Lord says he is busy in the office
and need to stay out for a while.

577
00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:25,960
No need.

578
00:36:26,760 --> 00:36:28,920
Tell him this is the Shen's mansion.

579
00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:31,640
If anyone should avoid,
it should be me, the outsider.

580
00:36:31,720 --> 00:36:32,920
Tell him not to worry.

581
00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:34,560
I won't bother him again.

582
00:36:36,280 --> 00:36:37,600
I want to divorce my husband.

583
00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:47,200
My lord, will we still move?

584
00:36:49,160 --> 00:36:50,360
Put it back.

585
00:36:51,920 --> 00:36:53,960
What are you waiting for? Put it back.

586
00:37:00,720 --> 00:37:02,120
HOUSEHOLD AND MARRIAGE DEPARTMENT

587
00:37:26,360 --> 00:37:29,160
His Majesty sent Mr. Du here for training.

588
00:37:29,240 --> 00:37:32,600
You'll serve for a year or more
before receiving a higher position,

589
00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:35,440
but you need to focus on the case.

590
00:37:35,520 --> 00:37:39,400
If there are any mistakes,
I won't show leniency.

591
00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:41,000
My lord,

592
00:37:41,640 --> 00:37:43,960
has anything gone wrong with the files?

593
00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:47,480
Not yet.

594
00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:48,880
Then it's fine.

595
00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:54,400
Though our ranks differ,

596
00:37:54,480 --> 00:37:57,200
we know each other,
and we are married to the Li sisters.

597
00:37:57,840 --> 00:37:59,240
Now that we're alone,

598
00:38:01,920 --> 00:38:03,760
we should talk like relatives.

599
00:38:04,680 --> 00:38:06,320
Why are you getting colder?

600
00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:10,920
No wonder you've been alone
without a single friend for years.

601
00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:12,640
Seems you've made many enemies instead.

602
00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:16,320
Why beat around the bush?
Just say it plainly.

603
00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:19,480
Haode left, saying she wants a divorce.

604
00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:22,680
This is the dowry list
she brought when she married.

605
00:38:23,520 --> 00:38:25,480
Please return it just as it is.

606
00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:29,320
Understood.

607
00:38:29,960 --> 00:38:32,280
- What did you say?
- I said, understood.

608
00:38:33,200 --> 00:38:34,280
Understood what?

609
00:38:34,360 --> 00:38:37,600
The Li family isn't a noble one,
but with me as her brother-in-law,

610
00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:40,440
it won't be hard for her
to find a good match.

611
00:38:40,520 --> 00:38:41,600
But she only wanted you.

612
00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:43,240
I don't understand.

613
00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:45,600
You are elder, cold-tempered,
and stubborn.

614
00:38:46,200 --> 00:38:49,120
After your marriage,
she's faced many troubles.

615
00:38:49,720 --> 00:38:51,120
She nearly lost her life.

616
00:38:51,720 --> 00:38:54,200
Why are you staring at me?
You're not divorced yet.

617
00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:56,600
I'm your brother-in-law.
What's wrong with saying this?

618
00:38:57,800 --> 00:39:00,200
All my fault for matchmaking
and causing trouble.

619
00:39:00,280 --> 00:39:02,360
Now my wife has kicked me out.

620
00:39:03,160 --> 00:39:05,000
My stuff's all at the door.

621
00:39:05,640 --> 00:39:08,680
What's wrong with me speaking?
What's wrong?

622
00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:22,640
Wealth is easy, but true love is rare.

623
00:39:22,720 --> 00:39:25,320
Where else is there a fool like her?

624
00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:26,400
Risked her life for you.

625
00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:29,080
Come home and apologize now.

626
00:39:29,160 --> 00:39:30,920
Let's pretend this never happened.
Come on.

627
00:39:35,680 --> 00:39:37,520
DOWRY LIST

628
00:39:39,200 --> 00:39:40,840
I'll have her dowry prepared.

629
00:39:40,920 --> 00:39:43,760
Documentations for estates, lands,
tenants, and shops,

630
00:39:44,440 --> 00:39:45,400
all will be sent back.

631
00:39:47,560 --> 00:39:50,160
What crime did she commit to deserve this?

632
00:39:50,240 --> 00:39:51,880
Others don't know, but you should.

633
00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:55,440
When you accused your father,
you faced death.

634
00:39:56,120 --> 00:39:57,400
What did you do?

635
00:39:57,480 --> 00:40:00,320
Cut ties with Shouhua.

636
00:40:01,080 --> 00:40:02,160
Why?

637
00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:05,000
Hope she will live
safely and peacefully after.

638
00:40:05,560 --> 00:40:07,920
She risked her life for me.
I owe her that much.

639
00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:10,480
If I don't stop now,
how is that love for her?

640
00:40:12,360 --> 00:40:15,680
Did you even ask her? Did you ask--

641
00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:17,360
Even if she agrees, I can't accept it.

642
00:40:20,800 --> 00:40:22,440
Do you know how my mother

643
00:40:23,400 --> 00:40:25,320
looked at me before she died?

644
00:40:26,920 --> 00:40:28,280
She blamed me for being cold

645
00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:33,000
and herself for failing Yingying.

646
00:40:34,160 --> 00:40:36,080
She drove herself to death.

647
00:40:37,360 --> 00:40:39,040
I don't want to see

648
00:40:39,640 --> 00:40:40,880
that same pain

649
00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:44,840
in Haode's face.

650
00:40:47,040 --> 00:40:48,800
I can't take it.

651
00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:50,680
Not even for a moment.

652
00:41:13,120 --> 00:41:16,160
Haode, you're determined to divorce?

653
00:41:17,680 --> 00:41:20,840
He's cold, unkind, and careless.

654
00:41:20,920 --> 00:41:21,880
Let them split.

655
00:41:22,920 --> 00:41:26,560
Your brother-in-law said
he knows two eligible men.

656
00:41:26,640 --> 00:41:27,800
Both are still single.

657
00:41:29,120 --> 00:41:32,000
Either way, I won this bet.

658
00:41:32,640 --> 00:41:34,280
Come on. Call me big sis.

659
00:41:36,680 --> 00:41:38,640
- Why hit me?
- For being cheeky.

660
00:41:41,120 --> 00:41:44,480
You were wrong from the start,

661
00:41:44,560 --> 00:41:46,560
putting him on a pedestal.

662
00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:49,600
Men need sweet talks,
but not blind submission.

663
00:41:50,200 --> 00:41:52,760
You let him have his way,
with no care for you.

664
00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:55,160
And now a few fields are all you get?

665
00:41:55,240 --> 00:41:57,000
You didn't marry for money, right?

666
00:41:58,760 --> 00:42:00,840
So, don't settle for this.

667
00:42:01,440 --> 00:42:02,680
Then, what do you want?

668
00:42:02,760 --> 00:42:05,200
Mr. Shen cares for her too.

669
00:42:05,720 --> 00:42:07,040
The temple incident, remember?

670
00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:10,000
Haode, what do you think?

671
00:42:12,120 --> 00:42:15,080
Marriage isn't just a few days.

672
00:42:15,160 --> 00:42:18,280
You work together through it all.
That's a good couple.

673
00:42:18,360 --> 00:42:22,400
He says it's for me,
but it's always his decision.

674
00:42:22,480 --> 00:42:25,280
He treats me like a child,

675
00:42:26,120 --> 00:42:28,520
at his beck and call.

676
00:42:29,160 --> 00:42:30,560
- But I--
- Still can't let go?

677
00:42:33,520 --> 00:42:34,960
She's still young.

678
00:42:35,040 --> 00:42:37,280
Even if she goes back,

679
00:42:37,360 --> 00:42:40,400
she'll just flatter the Shen family,
hoping to keep peace.

680
00:42:40,480 --> 00:42:44,680
Once things are good, he'll change again.

681
00:42:45,360 --> 00:42:48,440
Being submissive is no long-term solution.

682
00:42:51,040 --> 00:42:53,840
So, do you have a plan?

683
00:42:54,560 --> 00:42:58,480
We do have an idea. But you might
be sorry for him to use it.

684
00:42:58,560 --> 00:42:59,720
You won't be able to endure.

685
00:43:01,440 --> 00:43:03,880
Kangning, tell me.

686
00:43:05,040 --> 00:43:08,360
Sweet talks first,

687
00:43:08,920 --> 00:43:10,680
and then taking control by punishments.

688
00:43:11,560 --> 00:43:15,120
You have to punish him hard
for him to remember the lessons.

689
00:43:19,600 --> 00:43:21,400
Fine silks and satin,

690
00:43:22,320 --> 00:43:24,040
bring them over here.

691
00:43:25,760 --> 00:43:28,480
Where are you taking that?
No sense of order?

692
00:43:28,560 --> 00:43:29,440
Put it down.

693
00:43:31,680 --> 00:43:32,560
Young master,

694
00:43:33,480 --> 00:43:36,160
these are the betrothal gifts
sent to the Li family.

695
00:43:37,120 --> 00:43:39,480
This chest holds fine silks.

696
00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:42,000
That one, seasonal flowers.

697
00:43:45,160 --> 00:43:46,480
Jewelry is in that box.

698
00:43:46,560 --> 00:43:49,600
Outside, there's wine and tea cakes.

699
00:43:50,120 --> 00:43:52,240
The Li family returned everything.

700
00:43:52,880 --> 00:43:54,560
The old lady refused to store them.

701
00:43:54,640 --> 00:43:57,520
She insisted on sending them here

702
00:43:57,600 --> 00:44:00,040
for you to handle.

703
00:44:10,560 --> 00:44:12,240
My lord, push.

704
00:44:21,000 --> 00:44:22,080
Come here, hurry.

705
00:45:21,720 --> 00:45:23,880
Are you looking for me?

706
00:45:28,200 --> 00:45:29,480
Aren't you divorcing me?

707
00:45:30,840 --> 00:45:33,840
I was, but my mother said,

708
00:45:33,920 --> 00:45:36,400
money gifted can't be returned.

709
00:45:37,400 --> 00:45:40,840
But she gave you her precious daughter.

710
00:45:41,440 --> 00:45:43,520
She hopes you'll cherish her,
protect her well.

711
00:45:44,040 --> 00:45:46,760
If you lose her again,
you'll regret it forever.

712
00:45:46,840 --> 00:45:49,040
Knowing the surrounding danger,

713
00:45:49,640 --> 00:45:51,760
you still recklessly rush in.

714
00:45:52,440 --> 00:45:54,280
I don't know what to do with you.

715
00:45:54,880 --> 00:45:57,040
People say like attracts like.

716
00:45:57,640 --> 00:45:59,040
You're stubborn.

717
00:45:59,120 --> 00:46:01,200
So am I.

718
00:46:01,920 --> 00:46:04,120
Luckily, it's a perfect match.

719
00:46:04,720 --> 00:46:07,040
But true love is rare.

720
00:46:07,760 --> 00:46:09,400
Now, we're at an impasse.

721
00:46:10,040 --> 00:46:12,640
Let's see who yields first.

722
00:46:13,760 --> 00:46:14,800
Li Haode.

723
00:46:17,920 --> 00:46:20,640
I know what you fear. I swear this to you.

724
00:46:21,560 --> 00:46:24,360
I'll protect myself

725
00:46:25,200 --> 00:46:26,320
and live safely.

726
00:46:27,160 --> 00:46:29,000
But nothing's certain in life.

727
00:46:29,080 --> 00:46:30,720
How can you guarantee

728
00:46:31,360 --> 00:46:33,360
leaving here will bring me happiness?

729
00:46:35,000 --> 00:46:37,880
You've given me lands to remarry.

730
00:46:37,960 --> 00:46:40,800
But how many suitors are sincere?

731
00:46:40,880 --> 00:46:43,040
What if I trust the wrong man?

732
00:46:43,960 --> 00:46:46,360
These money-filled cases today could be

733
00:46:46,880 --> 00:46:48,200
my coffin where I suffocated.

734
00:46:48,280 --> 00:46:49,520
Don't say that.

735
00:46:51,800 --> 00:46:54,120
The safety and peace
even you couldn't grant me.

736
00:46:55,920 --> 00:46:57,280
How can I trust others?

737
00:47:00,840 --> 00:47:02,680
I don't want to force you to be strong

738
00:47:04,360 --> 00:47:06,320
or fear becoming a widow.

739
00:47:16,600 --> 00:47:17,640
I understand.

740
00:47:19,200 --> 00:47:23,440
So, my love for you,
I'll only give you half.

741
00:47:24,080 --> 00:47:27,320
From now on, we'll be respectful,

742
00:47:27,400 --> 00:47:28,640
not intimate.

743
00:47:29,760 --> 00:47:32,400
We'll keep our distance
and greet each other kindly.

744
00:47:33,520 --> 00:47:35,640
I am here to greet you when you come home.

745
00:47:35,720 --> 00:47:37,200
If we divorce again in the future,

746
00:47:37,280 --> 00:47:39,560
I won't be in too much grief.

747
00:47:40,520 --> 00:47:42,360
What if I can't accompany you the end?

748
00:47:42,440 --> 00:47:46,080
If you die before me,
I won't live in mourning,

749
00:47:46,720 --> 00:47:48,520
cold and alone forever.

750
00:47:49,080 --> 00:47:51,480
I won't let you worry about me
even in the afterlife.

751
00:47:52,240 --> 00:47:55,320
I'll mourn three years and then remarry.

752
00:47:55,960 --> 00:47:57,280
Three years is too long.

753
00:47:58,240 --> 00:48:00,920
Then one year.

754
00:48:04,480 --> 00:48:05,320
Three months?

755
00:48:09,720 --> 00:48:10,880
Let's settle there.

756
00:48:12,520 --> 00:48:14,000
Will you let me stay then?

757
00:48:15,760 --> 00:48:16,920
You won't regret it?

758
00:48:36,160 --> 00:48:39,440
The study's a mess.
I'll call someone to clean it.

759
00:48:40,240 --> 00:48:41,880
- But I--
- Qingshi, Qingshi.

760
00:48:45,160 --> 00:48:46,280
Yes, my lady.

761
00:48:46,960 --> 00:48:50,360
Take these boxes away. Don't disturb him.

762
00:48:51,000 --> 00:48:53,480
Right away, my lady.

763
00:48:58,600 --> 00:48:59,760
I haven't eaten yet.

764
00:48:59,840 --> 00:49:02,320
My stomach's empty.

765
00:49:02,400 --> 00:49:03,680
I'll leave you to read.

766
00:49:04,280 --> 00:49:06,800
Enjoy your reading. I'll take my leave.

767
00:49:22,120 --> 00:49:23,480
Quick, quick, come in.

768
00:49:23,560 --> 00:49:25,480
Take all these out.

769
00:49:26,040 --> 00:49:27,520
These ones here. Hurry up.

770
00:52:02,280 --> 00:52:05,480
Subtitle translation by: Yi Yang


