Original subtitles

[Episode 18]

Your Majesty, he has confessed.

It was indeed instigated by the Huxiao Gang.

Your Majesty, spare me.

Your Majesty, there is an urgent report.

Your Majesty, an urgent report from the Imperial Observatory.

There is a celestial anomaly.

Lord Xu, along with the court officials,

has been waiting for you at the observatory for quite some time.

An anomaly?

His Majesty has visited the Censorate repeatedly lately to comfort Meng Ting Hui.

Today, for her sake, he even dispatched the Divine Guard,

parading that criminal through the streets.

Such a grand gesture, isn't he being way too doting?

Rumors have long circulated

that His Majesty and she met when they were young

and now they are sovereign and subject.

I'm afraid it will eventually threaten the moral propriety.

The palace rules and ancestral precepts are all in place.

How can the imperial court of Ning become a place of inappropriate romance?

His Majesty has arrived.

Greetings, Your Majesty.

Rise.

Your Majesty,

I observed the celestial phenomena at night recently,

and found that the continuous heavy rains are linked to the celestial anomaly.

Since the beginning of the heavy rain,

I've ordered all ministries to monitor the situation in each prefecture,

and to prepare response strategies.

Your Majesty, that is not the case.

The celestial signs indicate that the disaster lies within the palace.

The Ziwei Star is dim, and the Kun position is unsettled,

showing that the palace lacks an empress, and the yin and yang are disharmonious.

Beside the Hongluan Star, an ominous star offends the sovereign.

This is a sign of great calamity.

The Hongluan Star governs marriage.

It indicates that the imperial wedding is imminent.

The ominous star portends dark and evil forces.

I fear a woman will soon wreak havoc in the inner palace.

Your Majesty, you should establish an empress and marry quickly

to comply with the celestial signs,

eliminate the flood, and stabilize the empire.

Interesting.

I never knew

that the safety of the empire and the strategy for flood control

were all written in these celestial signs.

Even my own marriage

is also decided by the stars in the sky.

Your Majesty, in just a few short days,

all seven prefectures of Ning have become waterlogged wastelands.

Since the heavy rain began,

a portrait of a fox spirit has been circulating among the people.

The common people are all saying

that Your Majesty's closeness to an evil person

has provoked the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people.

Lord Xu, amidst the current floods,

instead of focusing on reinforcing the dikes and managing disaster relief,

you use street rumors to impeach officials before me.

Aren't you afraid of being ridiculed by the world?

Your Majesty, please see clearly.

Besides this fox spirit portrait,

there is another thing that can corroborate the celestial sign.

[Spirit]

The flood across the seven prefectures has formed a heavenly script.

How could this be achieved by human effort?

Now, both the celestial signs and the flood point to Meng Ting Hui being an ominous star.

Your Majesty,

what I say is both the way of heaven and the will of the people.

Miss Meng requests an audience.

Right now, the thunder has not ceased.

Yet you are here slandering a colleague.

Aren't you afraid of divine retribution?

The celestial instrument has sensed something.

It seems the celestial signs are indeed true.

Meng Ting Hui?

Why is she here?

Meng Ting Hui,

you entered the palace without a decree. How do you answer that?

I heard that Lord Xu summoned the officials but deliberately avoided me,

so naturally, I had to come and see for myself.

Your Majesty.

The suffering of the people is all because of me.

I beg for death.

But I have one request.

If after my death,

the rain does not lessen and the flood does not recede,

please let Lord Xu and Director Lu

offer their lives as a sacrifice to the world

to atone for their crime of misleading the nation.

Lord Xu, Director Lu,

you keep saying it's for the sake of the empire.

Then do you dare to sign this life-and-death pact with me?

What immense audacity!

How dare you threaten me!

Since you believe in these celestial signs and the way of heaven,

what is there to fear?

Your Majesty, Lord Xu,

this evil woman will stop at nothing to take down the Huxiao Gang.

I heard that she even resorted to seduction to escape from the thugs this time.

Her life is worthless.

We must not fall for her cunning scheme.

The dignified female Triple First Zhuangyuan

actually committed such a disgraceful and immoral act.

Being colleagues with her is simply our greatest shame.

Your Majesty, please punish this evil woman,

so that the heavy rain may cease,

and appease the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people.

I was seeking justice and hunting criminals, only to face retaliation.

I attracted lightning to save my own life in a desperate moment.

Yet I am branded as an evil woman by you all.

Since you are determined to brand me an evil woman,

then I shall show you

exactly what it means to wreak havoc and defy the heavens.

Miss Meng.

This is pure sin!

An ominous star causing chaos, the reincarnation of a fox spirit!

Lord Xu,

the ominous star is not in the sky but in people's hearts.

I come from a humble background,

yet I know that power should be used for the people.

Lord Xu, you hold the rosewood cane bestowed by the late emperor,

yet you only know how to form cliques and attack dissenters.

I ask you,

at this very moment,

have you ever thought of the flood victims in the seven prefectures of Ning?

The suffering of the people is all because of you!

Your Majesty, are you just going to let Meng Ting Hui

act recklessly and bewitch your heart?

Don't use His Majesty to pressure me!

Meng Ting Hui,

the Imperial Observatory is not a place for you to resort to violence.

Your Majesty, do you also think I am wrong?

Right or wrong,

the people of the world and I will wait and see!

Your Majesty, Meng Ting Hui has acted recklessly,

causing a disturbance at the Imperial Observatory.

If you continue to indulge her,

you will surely face criticism from the world.

In my opinion,

the top priority now is to establish an empress without delay,

so as to stabilize the hearts of the people.

Your Majesty, please establish Wen Ruo Mei as the empress.

Your Majesty, please prioritize the realm and the state.

You keep talking about the will of heaven.

Is this really the will of heaven,

or the will of men?

The Right Chancellor requests an audience.

Greetings, Your Majesty.

Following your decree, I have urged all ministries to deal with the floods.

The first batch of water carts has been delivered to the prefectures.

Although I hold the position of Right Chancellor,

I came from the Ministry of Works and am familiar with flood control.

I am willing to inspect the prefectures on your behalf to reassure the people.

Effective immediately,

all prefectures must fully support the Right Chancellor

in disaster relief and governance.

On behalf of the disaster victims, I thank Your Majesty for your grace.

Your Majesty, regarding the matter of establishing Wen Ruo Mei as empress,

please make a decision today.

When the disaster subsides and the people rest in peace,

I will naturally issue the decree.

But before that, if anyone

dares to attack court officials

and disrupt disaster relief with celestial rumors,

they will be executed on the spot for harming the empire.

The heavy rain has lasted over a month.

Rivers have overflowed.

Fields and homes are submerged.

I, Meng Ting Hui, present the Ten Strategies for Pacifying the People.

May Your Majesty see clearly.

First, prevent plague.

Set up 100 medicine tents.

Second, manage the refugees.

Provide work as relief.

Third, stabilize farming.

Select high ground to set up granaries.

Meng,

you suffered such a great grievance. Why didn't you tell me?

If Zhao Cai and Jin Bao hadn't sent me a message...

You have no idea how upset I was the whole way here!

I wish I could hack those two beasts to pieces!

It's all right now.

I'm fine now, aren't I?

How can you be fine?

From Shazhou to the capital,

people were talking about you all along the way.

I can't imagine how you endured it alone.

I shouldn't have gone back to Shazhou.

I should have stayed with you.

Fu Zhi.

All right.

Stop crying.

What about those two beasts? Are they dead?

They were executed by His Majesty.

I wish I could dig them up and cut them to pieces.

Just let my father see.

What's the big deal about digging up a corpse?

Alright.

You went back to Shazhou.

How is your father?

He just tricked me into going back,

and forced me to marry.

I've realized

that you are the only one who has ever been good to me.

But this time, I failed to protect you.

This stupid spring flood.

It happens every year, though this year it was more severe.

Why should you take the blame?

What celestial warnings?

What nursery rhymes and prophecies?

Killing by seduction?

That was clearly that old fool Xu Ting's doing.

I didn't expect even you to know about it.

Since this matter has spread so quickly,

I suppose it has spread throughout the entire Ning Empire.

Don't take it to heart.

I don't believe a single word of those absurd rumors.

His Majesty surely won't believe them either.

Meng, tell me the truth.

Do you have feelings

for His Majesty?

How could I?

Before, seeing you two so close, I thought...

It's good that you don't.

The imperial palace is governed by strict ancestral precepts and etiquette.

A single misstep can cost you your life.

Moreover, His Majesty is taking concubines before appointing an empress.

In the future, the inner palace will be full of scheming and intrigue.

Such a life is not suitable for you.

In my eyes,

you deserve the very best in the world.

[Blood Moon Society]

Master,

this joint venture with Ling Yun Fei to sell Eternity Pills

has yielded a first installment of 30,000 taels.

As for the private mine in Wanshan, [Account Book]

it was sealed off due to Shen Zhi Shu's investigation.

To avoid affecting the overall plan, I have found another way,

and ordered 300 weapons on the black market in Beijian.

The transaction can be completed in seven days.

It will not affect any of the Blood Moon Society's operations.

Master, on this return to the old territory of Zhongwan in Qingzhou,

we found that floods have been frequent recently.

To protect the fertile fields upstream, the Ning officials

bombed the dikes to release the floodwater.

The Wannu Camp, where Zhongwan refugees live, was half submerged.

Bodies were floating on the water.

The youngest was only three years old.

Many of our clansmen could only chew tree bark to stave off hunger.

Some even fought with wild dogs for food.

To save a mouthful of food for their grandchildren,

many elders starved to death.

Master, the people of Zhongwan are suffering now.

Should the money be used to buy weapons as originally planned,

or to buy food and medicine to settle them?

The arms trade is a razor's-edge business.

If we renege now,

who would dare do business with us in the future?

But weapons can wait, human lives cannot.

We have endured for ten years.

We cannot let it all be ruined by a few starving old and weak people.

On the day we restore the empire,

I will surely make those Ning officials pay with their blood.

Master,

the survival of the people is what makes our vengeance a debt of blood.

If even this bloodline is severed,

what use are weapons alone?

The great cause of restoration cannot afford softness.

The starving women and children will just incite public anger,

helping the Blood Moon Society recruit loyal followers.

Although I sealed off the private mine,

they seemed to realize I was tailing them and suddenly turned back.

After buying spices and timber at the border market,

there was no further unusual activity.

Their sudden change of route

might be because Situ Xue secretly passed on a message.

I thought the same, so I played along,

pretending not to notice their abnormality,

and even deliberately changed my route to go to Shazhou.

In fact, I had dispatched men secretly to observe them covertly.

And they actually discovered this.

Blood Moon Society?

It seems Situ Xue and Huiyin House were just a cover.

They are secretly working for the Blood Moon Society.

The Blood Moon Society

might be the one behind the arms trade in Shazhou.

Since that's the case,

they bought a massive amount of arms in Shazhou,

and when thwarted, turned to illegal mining.

Just what are they scheming to do?

Do you remember I once mentioned to you

that after the fall of the Zhongwan royal family,

a mysterious force disappeared without a trace?

The Blood Moon Society might be connected to them.

Could they be trying to restore their empire?

No wonder the Xiyan flower symbolizes revenge.

So they have been secretly plotting restoration all along.

Your Majesty, should we seal off Huiyin House immediately?

No.

The Blood Moon Society has not yet revealed its full extent.

Closing the net now would only cut off some claws.

Keep monitoring Huiyin House.

Follow the lead of Situ Xue,

and you will surely root out the mastermind behind the Blood Moon Society.

Yes.

Your Majesty, I have reported everything.

You should also grant me some clarity.

On the way back with me,

Miss Yan cried her eyes out.

Miss Meng has already suffered injustice.

Yet the Imperial Observatory still spouts nonsense about celestial signs.

Even Lord Xu took the opportunity to attack her.

Even I feel that Miss Meng is truly pitiful.

Then perhaps, you could reassign Miss Meng to another position.

If she were willing to give up, she wouldn't be Meng Ting Hui.

Her pursuit of the Huxiao Gang

is no longer driven by personal vendetta,

but for the people of the Ning Empire.

I hope that now, in addition to the old Zhongwan case,

you will also take up a post in the Censorate

and protect her.

Your Majesty, you treat Miss Meng

far more carefully than I had imagined.

Are you still taking Minister Wen's daughter as a consort?

Miss, this is the Rain Bell I made.

Even on a rainy day, you can see a rainbow.

It is a good omen.

Soon, the rain will stop and the sky will clear.

People say that exquisite workmanship is just empty words,

but today, you have proven it true.

I haven't seen you smile in a long time.

You look beautiful when you smile.

At this moment, even the rainbow in the sky

pales in comparison to you.

Don't flatter me anymore.

Miss,

no matter how great the storms in this world,

they will eventually cease one day.

I cannot cease the storms,

but I can harness the momentum of the storm.

This is a small gadget I always keep.

I give it to you for self-defense.

If I encounter real danger,

how can this small gadget be enough?

After following you for so long, I have also improved.

I have long devised a foolproof plan for you.

This is a sleeve arrow.

It won't hurt your hand when worn daily,

and it's not easily noticed.

Colorful marbles.

Throwing darts.

Wait, there's more...

Yin Qing,

thank you.

Miss,

as long as I am here, I will definitely keep you safe.

Who dares to break into the Censorate?

Greetings, Your Majesty.

Rise.

Your Majesty, this is...

Greetings, Miss Meng!

When the Censorate was first established, no dedicated personnel were assigned.

It was my oversight.

These are 12 light cavalrymen I personally selected.

They are all highly skilled in martial arts.

From now on, they will serve in the Censorate,

and are at your disposal.

Miss Meng, name your new subordinates.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

From today onward,

you shall be the Light Cavalry of Censorate.

Silent as shadows, swift as the wind.

Blades unseen,

a single strike to kill.

Thank you, Miss Meng, for granting us a name.

We will swear loyalty to the Censorate

and to Miss Meng unto death!

[Censorate]

I have summoned an imperial physician for you.

He will be here soon.

This rain has truly not stopped.

Your Majesty, aren't you afraid of me, the evil woman?

When have I ever said I believed such nonsense?

Your Ten Strategies for Pacifying the People

has been fully implemented by Lord Gu.

Flood control has shown results.

That day, you dared to wield a sword.

Aren't you afraid Lord Xu would charge you with treason?

The Huxiao Gang and its protector have not yet been rooted out.

I will not allow you

to jeopardize the chance to avenge yourself over a mere bronze plate.

I am not afraid of impeachment.

Someone has to do the hard things.

Whether it's celestial signs or insults,

they all aim to destroy my reputation.

But I do not care.

While they stand at the observatory pointing fingers at the realm,

I shall tear the celestial scripture to shreds

and let them see

that the so-called divine punishment is nothing but a man-made lie.

They used the celestial signs as a pretext to attack you,

merely to express their dissatisfaction with my new policies.

Sorry for putting you through this.

But I have never believed in any celestial signs.

I believe in you.

I don't feel wronged.

You use me as a sword to eliminate the court's long-standing ills.

It is my honor.

Whether it is the gang or the protector,

I will definitely get to the bottom of it.

In the future, I'll only act more ruthlessly and decisively.

What Your Majesty cannot do, I will do.

I know you will not give in easily.

Besides the Light Cavalry,

I will transfer Di Nian and Shen Zhi Shu into the Censorate

to assist you in thoroughly investigating the Huxiao Gang.

I will also fully support your actions.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

After the composite sketch was posted,

the Censorate received many important leads.

I will surely follow these clues to find their hiding place,

and capture them all in one fell swoop.

We will do it together.

Your Majesty, you brought the Light Cavalry here today.

It will surely invite criticism again tomorrow.

The court officials have already said

that I am excessively favored.

You should return early.

Otherwise, another storm of blood and gore will surely be brought tomorrow.

Sometimes, I do wonder,

what exactly is the relationship between us?

Mutual exploitation.

Mutual need.

As monarch and minister.

Not even friends?

Of course, we are friends.

Long have we awaited.

There is none like this in the world.

There is none like this in the world.

Your Majesty,

the sky has cleared.

Good.

Very well.

The floodwaters have receded in all prefectures.

The disaster victims have been properly settled.

The farmland has not suffered major damage.

Your Majesty, you're wise indeed.

Even the heavens are moved by your benevolence

and have specially cleared the sky for the Ning Empire.

Look at this rainbow. It is a sign of auspiciousness.

It brings to mind a passage from the ancient texts.

The ways of nature are constant. They exist not for a sage-emperor,

nor do they perish for a tyrant.

However, this time, if I had not overruled all objections

and adopted Meng Ting Hui's plan,

even with Lord Gu's experienced statecraft,

it would have been difficult to withstand the once-in-a-century flood.

Miss Meng indeed made indispensable contributions.

Even the veteran officials of the Ministry of Works

are praising her Ten Strategies for Pacifying the People.

When Lord Gu returns to court, I will hold a victory banquet.

Not a single one deserving reward shall be missed.

Your...

- Forget it. - Just say what you have to say.

Your Majesty,

there have been unsavory rumors in and out of court these days.

- About Meng Ting Hui? - No.

About you.

They say that day,

when Wen Ruo Mei served you at the hot spring,

she expressed her affection to you,

and you favored her on a whim that very night,

and promised to confer her as a consort once the flood subsided.

Your Majesty,

such rumors have come up strangely.

I fear they are not groundless.

Should we strengthen palace patrols to guard against unforeseen events?

Even if they are groundless,

they still damage His Majesty's imperial dignity.

You have the nerve to say that?

Lord Xu is truly impatient.

He thinks he can force me to submit with some rumors.

Since the flood has receded, I will issue the decree today.

Your Majesty, you agreed?

Of course.

Today, I will give him a satisfactory answer.

Your Majesty, you are wise.

[Censorate]

Miss, everyone is here.

We can begin to compile the clues on Ling Yun Fei.

Didn't His Majesty say he would come today?

Today is the lucky day His Majesty picked to officially betroth the Wen woman.

How could he get away?

Is His Majesty really going to marry Wen Ruo Mei?

What does Wen Ruo Mei look like?

Enough.

His Majesty taking a consort is a state affair.

Our case must also be handled promptly.

The Huxiao Gang was established only five years ago,

yet it has not only infiltrated local forces,

but also deeply colluded with officials in the capital.

Ling Yun Fei is so young,

yet he has such methods.

Could it be related to his background?

I have looked into it.

Ling Yun Fei's real mother was a courtesan.

He lived a hard life with his mother since childhood.

His father is unknown.

It is said he was a scoundrel who abandoned his wife and child.

We previously suspected Wanxiang Pavilion.

Why didn't you say it earlier?

Since Ling Yun Fei's mother was a courtesan,

could there really be a close connection

between Wanxiang Pavilion and Ling Yun Fei?

Another thing.

Wanxiang Pavilion released a miraculous drug called the Eternity Pill lately.

It is said to enhance pleasure and cure ailments,

causing rapid addiction that is hard to quit.

But it is expensive and hard to find.

It has now become a refined hobby among wealthy merchants.

I have verified it.

The Eternity Pill

was exactly leaked out from Xiang Ning, the top courtesan of Wanxiang Pavilion.

It is extremely scarce on the market.

There are actually many people who, in order to obtain an Eternity Pill,

would not hesitate to sell their daughters to Wanxiang Pavilion.

Miss, locals report

seeing a suspected Ling Yun Fei frequenting Wanxiang Pavilion lately.

The Eternity Pill is most likely a Huxiao Gang business.

I suggest we start with the top courtesan,

and follow the clues to find Ling Yun Fei.

It seems we must go to Wanxiang Pavilion.

Miss, I will go with you.

If you have any news in the future, tell me immediately.

Such an elegant place is beneath your dignity.

If you inadvertently fall into its charms, it will only lead you astray.

I am the more suitable person to go.

I've taken enough detours in my life to be considered experienced.

More people mean more variables.

This time, I will go alone.

[Xu Mansion]

You unfilial son!

The moment you step out of this estate today,

you will no longer be my son!

- When it rained, you didn't let me see her, - My lord.

calling her an evil woman.

Now that the sky is clear, which means she is no longer an evil woman.

Why can't I go see her?

I'm going anyway!

Seize him!

My lord.

You can't stop me!

Meng Ting Hui, I'm coming for you!

My lord, please calm down.

Ze is merely young and impulsive.

He acted foolishly in a moment of weakness.

You spoiled him rotten,

and now he is completely out of control!

Yes, yes. It's all my fault.

Please calm down.

Greetings, Your Majesty.

My lady, it's spread everywhere outside.

They say His Majesty has personally promised

that once the disaster subsides, he will issue the imperial decree

to welcome you into the palace and confer you as a consort.

Let's practice again.

You clumsy idiot!

If you ruin my face, how many lives do you have to pay for it?

My lady, please calm your anger. It was my poor eyesight.

I deserve to be beaten.

With your lack of perception,

how can you serve me in the palace in the future?

If you are still this clumsy before His Majesty,

won't you make me a laughingstock?

My lady, you're right.

I will surely learn the rules well.

Enough, I'm tired.

I'll take a rest.

My lady, this is Dong'e gelatin soup,

slow-cooked with the finest Dong'e donkey-hide gelatin.

They say it not only nourishes your vitality,

but also makes you absolutely radiant.

- Such a good thing, I need this every day. - Yes.

Mei. Mei!

Quick. Quick.

Receive the imperial decree now.

Father, the imperial edict is here!

Father, is His Majesty granting me a marriage?

Don't talk nonsense! Maybe His Majesty

is granting some rare treasures to your father.

Nonsense.

Read the decree.

I observe that Xu Run Ze, son of Lord Xu Ting, the Left Chancellor...

And Wen Ruo Mei, daughter of Minister Wen Tao,

are of a similar age and share noble virtues.

Both are the finest of their generation and make a truly matchless couple.

To bless this match made in heaven...

I hereby decree their union.

Wen Ruo Mei shall be betrothed to Xu Run Ze.

May they be bound for a lifetime.

Let an auspicious day be chosen for their wedding.

Let an auspicious day be chosen for their wedding.

Xu Run Ze?

Is he the foolish son of the Xu family

who drooled at 7,

wet the bed at 10, and still recited "People are pigs"

instead of "People are born kind" at 13?

Lord Xu, receive the decree.

Is the decree written incorrectly?

My daughter is pure-hearted and wise.

She has always admired His Majesty.

She is not a match for Mr. Xu.

Minister Wen,

are you defying the decree?

No, no.

How would I?

I don't want to marry that foolish woman!

Mother, I won't marry her!

If I marry her, I'd rather go to the temple and become a monk!

My lord, are you really making Ze marry Wen Ruo Mei?

Father, say something!

- Say something, Father! - You must stand up for Ze!

Father, go beg His Majesty now!

- Have him retract his order! - Nonsense.

An imperial decree is no child's play!

It's all your fault! You insisted I enter the palace to seduce favor.

So His Majesty is toying with me now.

- My Empress dream! - Mei!

My lady. My lady!

My lady, please slow down!

[Shen Mansion]

Master Zhi Shu, there is a young lady outside seeking an audience.

I'm not in the mood to see anyone today. Make an excuse for me.

But she says she is Ms. Yan from Bofeng House.

Mr. Shen, you certainly put on great official airs.

I wondered who it was.

So it's Ms. Yan.

What is it? Have you received a new batch of grape wine,

or has Bofeng House developed new dishes

that warrants your personal visit?

After the Alcohol Monopoly Decree,

government-run alcohol has monopolized the market.

Bofeng House's Shaosanbai wine is about to run out.

Mr. Shen, you are in charge of this matter,

so you should be aware.

The new decree from the court is to rectify market order.

Ms. Yan, your Bofeng House is a prominent target.

You should set an example.

The official winery cannot provide the flavor I want.

Mr. Shen, you have tasted the most authentic Shaosanbai wine,

and personally praised it,

saying it's fierce as the wind beyond the frontier,

and mellow as the affections of old friends.

How could the rigid rules of official winery ever compare?

You wouldn't have the heart to cut off the flavor of my homeland, right?

Ms. Yan, you are so agitated.

Are you seeking a favor from me?

I am reasoning with the Envoy of Customs.

Bofeng House has several dozen employees,

and all the master craftsmen who followed me from Shazhou to the capital.

I cannot let them lose their livelihoods.

Take a good look.

With joint guarantees from three agencies, authorized merchants

can maintain their original purchasing channels.

Your special permit was delivered three days ago.

So you deliberately didn't have it sent to me,

and were waiting for me to come?

Yes.

Every time you came to see me,

it was either for business negotiations,

or to plead for others.

Yan Fu Zhi,

when will you come for me only just once?

Mr. Shen,

has anyone ever told you

that you are very good-looking?

Especially the eyes of yours,

they look at everyone with such deep affection.

It's just that I only like your face,

but I don't trust you.

Don't trust me for what?

I simply cannot believe that Mr. Shen, surrounded by noble ladies of the capital,

would truly be willing to forsake such a life of dazzling splendor,

to pledge a lifelong devotion

to a merchant's daughter like me.

Even less do I believe

that I would ever give up the endless sea of handsome men in my future,

just to be tied to a single tree like you.

This deal is not worth it.

I'll take the permit. Thank you.

How do you know I'm not sincere?

Mr. Shen, your past romantic affairs are well known to everyone,

and you are quite adept at charming girls.

Shen Zhi Shu,

if you're just playing around, I am willing to play along,

but if you are sincere,

then show me your sincerity.

What if I cut off all other romantic ties?

Then clean up all your mess

before you come to ask me again.

The guests who usually come here

are either wealthy but ugly,

utterly tasteless,

or handsome but penniless,

with empty pockets.

It's rare to meet a gentleman like you today, who's both wealthy and handsome.

I don't believe it.

I've heard that your suitors are all wealthy and powerful.

Even the famous leader of Huxiao Gang

is completely entranced by you,

always coming to show his support.

The court offered a reward of 10,000 taels for that villain's capture.

If I knew him, I would have been rich already.