Original subtitles

=The Road to Splendor=

(Adapted from China Literature author Zhizhi's novel of the same name)

=Episode 15=

Come look over here.

Wait for me!

Stop right there!

Now,

your problem is taken care of.

I wasn't seeing the bigger picture.

Before,

you were being blackmailed by Madam Zuo.

You had the reputations of Ganlin's young women to protect,

so you couldn't openly help.

As the Art of War says,

ordinary minds plan the move,

and wise minds shape the game.

I, Tingyun,

am truly impressed.

There's more over here.

(Mo Residence) I was wrong, General.

Please forgive me!

Please come out and see me!

Don't worry.

I won't go soft on her this time.

I was wrong, General!

Please forgive me!

Madam!

Madam!

Madam!

After bringing such disgrace upon us,

you have no place

in this family.

A widow is dead.

Miss Xie said

there's no point

in taking this any further.

Take this silver,

go somewhere else,

and make a decent life for yourself.

I was wrong.

Madam,

Miss Xie really knows how to work things.

Her man killed Lu Dahu

and still got promoted.

Yet General was the one punished.

Mo's been demoted from third rank to fourth.

Now my child's future

has even fewer prospects.

Eat some more.

Come sit down.

Mr. Zhao, I was wrong.

Okay?

What's for dinner?

Mr. Zhao, you've really lost weight.

Why do you care?

I'm not your father anyway,

or your brother.

You're Mr. Zhao.

Happy now?

I really was wrong, Mr. Zhao.

I won't do it again.

Again?

If you're sorry, then eat.

Mr. Zhao, you're going to choke me!

Whatever. You're still finishing it.

Got it?

Mr. Zhao, I'm sorry!

(Mother,)

(I am far away in Ganlin,)

(but all is well.)

(Has your cough)

(gotten any better?)

(I've worried about you day and night.)

(Please take good care of yourself.)

Should we tell the Ninth Young Lady

about the Old Madam's passing?

Since she's cut ties with the family,

let her stay free and far away from all this.

(Zhao Residence)

Your favorite chilled sand-rice cakes.

Zheng San bought them at the market this morning.

Just leave them there.

Sanniang,

steam two extra baskets of mixed-grain buns later.

Have Sen take them to the camp this afternoon.

For lunch,

soak the dried radish until it's soft and add a little salt.

Blanch the wild greens from the backyard and make a soup.

And

that salted fish Ms. Zhang brought yesterday...

just steam half of it.

Let's make it last.

All right.

Sanniang, don't listen to her.

She's always generous

with the men and me,

but stingy with herself.

Mr. Zhao, what are you doing back?

We live in town.

If we want something,

we can always buy it at the market.

We can eat whatever we like whenever we like.

So of course we should save

the good food for the men.

Aren't you on duty today, Mr. Zhao?

They're issuing grain today.

I left Biao to keep an eye on things at camp.

I brought a few of the men

back to Ganlin to reinforce the granary

before the sandstorms hit.

And I get

a little break out of it,

with an excuse to come home more often.

The men can tag along

and score a few hot meals too.

Hurry up, everyone!

Okay.

What are you thinking about?

You've got a big smile on your face.

Tonight,

I'm betting

we're getting cured pork.

Keep dreaming.

Let's finish early

and get home early.

You got it!

Come on!

Put your backs into it!

You got it!

Don't worry, Yucheng.

That's incredible.

You said there'd be cured pork,

and there really is!

Someone must've tipped Sanniang off.

Yeah.

What a coincidence.

Mr. Zhao,

Miss Xie saved this specially for you.

Jerky.

Hey,

the flatbread.

You've got enough for the road.

Okay.

He just left like that?

Miss Xie, what are you doing out here?

Mr. Zhao said his promotion

came with a raise,

so he had someone bring you

lotus seeds all the way from Yongning.

By the time they sprout,

he'll be home on leave.

♪The past brushes by like a falling leaf♪

♪So light, yet my steps still pause for you♪

♪Through every rise and fall, our memories remain without regret♪

I'm leaving.

♪Carved into the rings of time♪

♪How I wish I could stay a little longer, but I can't♪

♪I turn away, afraid goodbye will fill my eyes with tears♪

♪Etched deep within my heart, yet buried without a word♪

♪The warmth of your hand in mine♪

♪Still makes us want to believe♪

♪One promise for a lifetime, echoing long after we part♪

♪I turn away, afraid no one will ever come home to me again♪

(Frontier Patrol)

♪If we can build our future together, no storm can chill my heart♪

♪The warmth of your hand in mine♪

♪Still makes us want to believe♪

♪One promise for a lifetime, echoing long after we part♪

Miss Xie,

a letter came from the capital.

(The new emperor has ascended the throne.)

(He is in urgent need of capable men.)

Ascended the throne...

In that case,

Mr. Zhao's promotion to Battalion Commander

has become more urgent than ever.

(The Capital)

(Revere Heaven and Honor the Ancestors)

(Yu Guodong, Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate)

(Revere Heaven and Honor the Ancestors)

Long live Your Majesty!

Your son

is truly an exceptional young man.

Lord Yu,

you've raised him well.

Congratulations.

Doing well in his studies

doesn't mean he'll make a good official.

(Lord Liu, Right Vice Censor-in-Chief) I hear the Ministry of Personnel

is sending officials to survey the northwest.

I say

they should take Young Lord Yu along.

He can learn how things work early on,

so when he joins one of the Six Ministries,

he'll know exactly what he's doing.

If you'll

excuse me.

An inspection tour is a very lucrative assignment.

Why aren't you interested?

I've benefited from our family's influence long enough.

From now on,

I want to make my own name at court.

Go home

and see what your mother has to say.

Your father told me today

about an inspection assignment in the northwest.

I already turned Father down today.

I don't want to...

Good.

Don't follow your father's plan.

Stay right here

and don't go anywhere.

The Emperor has only just taken the throne,

and he needs capable men around him.

You should stay

at the Hanlin Academy.

For one,

you'll have regular access to His Majesty.

And for another,

you'll be perfectly placed

to handle confidential documents

and draft imperial edicts.

Those important duties will naturally fall to someone close to the Emperor.

That's so much better

than trudging around on inspection tours.

So you absolutely must not go.

Stay in the capital, attend to your parents,

and serve before His Majesty.

That's the path you should take.

I understand

your concern, Mother.

But something Father said today

made everything clear to me.

For more than twenty years, this family has raised and protected me.

Now it's time for me to repay that debt.

The inspection may be difficult,

but it would let me

see how the people truly live

and gain real experience.

Besides,

with the Yan family fallen,

if we want to take control of the northwest salt trade

from Grand Secretary Liu's faction,

we need someone

from our own family whom we can trust.

If I go,

we can accomplish both at once.

I hope, Mother,

you'll allow me to leave.

If you've already made up your mind,

why come tell me all this?

Do as you wish.

Thank you, Mother.

I'll take my leave.

Go tell the master

that I've persuaded him to go.

Have him give the boy a few more instructions

about the family's important affairs.

Yes, Madam.

(Yu Residence)

Young Madam.

Put these away.

Young Master said not to touch them.

He said

these old books are already damaged,

which is a shame.

He spent ages arranging the order for restoring them.

If it gets mixed up,

he'll have to start all over again.

But how does any of this help his career?

Doesn't he read enough

all day at the Hanlin Academy?

Why come home

and waste time on work that isn't even his responsibility?

If you'd known Madam didn't like them,

you might not have

brought those old books home.

Had I known...

she might never have become Young Madam.

Your personal misconduct

got you demoted by Commander Wang.

You nearly lost your hereditary post altogether.

With officials coming from the capital for inspection,

you need to seize the chance

to get your old rank back.

Easy for you to say.

Getting reinstated isn't that simple.

I need merit to my name.

There's no war going on,

so where am I supposed to find

the military merit for a promotion?

There's no need to rush.

No need to rush?

I've already given you three children!

Madam Wang ordered

a formal welcome for the visiting inspectors.

I pulled a few strings

and got the assignment.

I figured it would give the Mo family

a chance to make a good impression on the officials.

As long as you don't mess it up,

there'll still be

other chances down the road.

But, my dear,

something just occurred to me.

For the welcome ceremony,

you'll need shehuo performances and yangge dances.

You're good at arranging that sort of thing.

But copying out the inspectors' roster

takes a careful hand.

You can't even read.

You know I can't read,

so get one of your men over here to help.

That won't do.

To copy the roster,

you don't just need to be literate.

You need excellent handwriting too.

Upside down.

That's what I'm saying.

The men in my camp are a rough bunch.

They're no good at delicate work like this.

So...

you'll have to ask Miss Xie.

Ask her?

(Zhao Residence)

Why is it so unbearably hot today?

Just knock, Madam.

Don't rush me.

Just knock, Madam.

Can't you see I'm burning up?

I'm drenched in sweat.

Let me cool off first.

Madam.

Stop meddling.

Madam,

do you need something?

No.

Nothing in particular.

I was just looking around.

Just looking.

(Visiting Inspectors)

I heard you're in charge

of welcoming the visiting inspectors.

I was wondering

if there's anything I can help with.

Now that you mention it,

there is one thing.

I've

seen a thing or two,

and I'm

pretty thorough when I do things.

I know how to handle myself

in most situations.

But my handwriting

is nothing to brag about.

You're well educated,

and you have beautiful handwriting.

This is the inspectors' roster.

Could you

make a few copies for me?

Since you're asking,

of course

I'll be happy to help.

I knew I could count on you.

Here, here.

I'll carry that for you.

Have some sense.

Take it.

Honestly,

what good are men?

All they do is pick on you.

I heard this year's top scholar is among the inspectors.

(Yu Jingxiu, Compiler of the Hanlin Academy)

You've seen a lot of the world.

Have you ever met a top scholar?

(Yu Jingxiu, Junior Sixth Rank, Compiler of the Hanlin Academy)

The court sends inspectors

to evaluate military officers

on conduct, diligence, ability, and performance.

As long as I pass the inspection,

once my military merit is reported to the court,

I'll become a junior fifth-rank deputy battalion commander.

From junior fifth to senior fifth,

the path gets much easier.

But the merit for those warhorses

was reported nearly six months ago,

and the court still hasn't responded.

Jin Yuanbao sent word.

After Yu Jingxiu became the top scholar,

he entered the Hanlin Academy

and became a compiler.

What does it have to do with an inspection?

His showing up in Ganlin Town now

probably means he's up to no good.

You've never dealt with him.

Back in Huaying,

he hid his true intentions well.

He's not someone to underestimate.

Doesn't matter.

Whatever he throws at us, we'll deal with it.

I'd like to see

what he's really up to.

(Ganlin Town)

Young Master.

All this fanfare

must be for the top scholar,

you.

Too noisy.

Find a quieter way around.

What's going on?

Looks like

a cart up ahead got stuck.

One more time.

The cart's stuck?

Come on.

Let's help.

All right.

Thank you.

Together.

One, two, three.

Here we go.

Thank you, sir.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Want to wash your hands?

Here.

How you doing?

It's you.

Let's go.

Lord Liu,

this is only part of our grain reserve.

More

will be brought in later.

Very good.

Supplies may be scarce,

but they're well managed.

My Lords,

this is

the list of officers up for promotion.

The officer in charge of military supplies

is surnamed Zhao.

He's been credited with merit as well.

Please review the records.

(Zhao Ling, Company Commander, Ganlin Left Garrison)

Commander Zhao...

(Zhao Ling, Company Commander) what is he like?

My Lord,

his name is Zhao Ling.

His fiancee is Miss Xie.

The two of them

are quite well known in Ganlin.

Commander Zhao

has been in the army less than a year,

yet he's already risen

from a senior seventh-rank banner commander

to a junior fifth-rank deputy battalion commander.

A rise that fast

is certainly unusual.

Young Lord Yu,

his record lays it all out clearly.

Commander Zhao

first solved the army's salt shortage,

then captured dozens of fine warhorses.

Those are hardly

ordinary accomplishments.

Indeed.

Speaking of salt...

To be frank, Commander Wang,

my family comes from Yongning Prefecture.

There's a notorious salt smuggler there

known as Jiuweijiao.

His real name

is also Zhao Ling.

He just happens to share Commander Zhao's name

and hometown.

Perhaps it's simply a coincidence.

There's something you may not know, Young Lord Yu.

When Commander Zhao

enlisted,

he carried an imperial letter of introduction.

With His Majesty himself

vouching for him,

even if he did have

some connection

to that salt smuggler,

surely it wouldn't matter.

Zhao Ling.

The inspector came all this way,

and yours is the only name he circled.

Do you have some history

with Young Lord Yu?

I'm an uneducated soldier.

I have no ties

to officials from the capital.

I can choose not to ask about your past.

But the inspector has flagged your record.

If you can't get past this yourself,

there's nothing I can do for you.

Commander Zhao.

Thank you for the water earlier.

No need to thank me, Young Lord Yu.

Had I known it was you,

I wouldn't have offered.

Commander Zhao,

that imperial letter may fool the army,

but it doesn't fool me.

Does His Majesty know

that you and Miss Fu

aren't the respectable couple you claim to be,

but a pair of lovers

who ran away together in disgrace?

How did you manage to deceive His Majesty

into vouching for you

and getting you into the army?

That's deceiving the Emperor.

Watch your words, Young Lord Yu.

My fiancee

comes from a respectable family.

Our marriage

was approved by our elders.

You're deliberately slandering her

by claiming she's

Miss Fu.

Do you have any proof?

I'm afraid if I produce the proof,

it'll ruin Miss Fu's reputation,

and then you won't dare admit who she is.

After all, she and I

once met as a prospective match with our elders present.

She was certainly beautiful.

But

her character was beneath contempt.

I wanted nothing to do with her.

You know exactly

what you did.

And you still have the nerve to smear her name?

If it wasn't Zuo Junjie,

then it was Zhao Junjie.

Either way, she still ran off with a man.

So the accusation wasn't far off.

Assaulting an imperial official?

Do you ever want to return to the capital?

You're a beast in fine clothes.

Ganlin Town is like a swamp.

You have to walk over corpses to carve a path forward.

Ten lifetimes won't be enough to get ahead.

Coincidentally,

you've run right into me.

Want to turn things around?

That's a bit difficult.

Commander Zhao.

Commander Wang gave orders.

In three days,

Young Lord Yu will inspect the stables.

He wants you

to prepare in advance

for the inspection.

Understood.

Keep moving!

Keep up, girls!

Stop fooling around.

Hurry up!

Come on! A sandstorm's coming. Hurry!

The wind's picking up!

Come on!

- Hurry up! - Let's go!

Go!

Come on!

Don't fall behind!

(Ganlin Town is like a swamp.)

(You have to walk over corpses to carve a path forward.)

(Ten lifetimes won't be enough to get ahead.)

If Ganlin is a swamp, as you say,

then you can sink in it yourself.

Yucheng.

Yes?

Find someone discreet.

Have him loosen two nails in the stable roof.

A sandstorm is coming.

It'll all look like an act of nature.

(Advisory Hall)

Young Lord Yu, welcome.

Forgive me for not greeting you sooner.

Young Lord Yu.

Advisor Li, you're a fourth-rank official.

Why are you bowing

to a sixth-rank official like me?

You're inspecting the frontier on your father's behalf.

Your word

carries Lord Yu's authority.

Since you understand how this works,

I'll get straight to the point.

I've heard

you have three offenses to your name.

First,

you withheld military funds,

leaving the troops short on supplies

and even without salt.

Second,

you seized civilian farmland,

prompting over a hundred people to file a joint petition.

Third,

you had an illicit affair with a widow.

Young Lord Yu, I...

This...

But you also have three achievements.

You built frontier fortifications

and put down unrest among displaced villagers.

After the Yan family in Yongning fell,

you took over the northwest salt trade.

And the books

have been kept remarkably clean.

My Lord,

if my little operation

is worth your attention,

then

I'm willing to hand over the entire northwest salt operation

to you

without taking a share for myself.

The Yu family can protect you.

I ask only one thing.

This arrangement

must remain discreet.

Understood.

One more thing.

I hear

a man who enlisted

here in Ganlin this year is named

Zhao Ling.

Zhao Ling?

Yes, that's right.

Zhao Ling has accomplished

something remarkable these past six months.

He captured thirty fine warhorses.

It's one of the greatest feats

Ganlin has ever seen.

Perhaps they weren't warhorses at all,

but

civilian horses?

Surely you jest, Young Lord Yu.

If they were civilian horses,

that wouldn't be merit.

It would be a capital offense.

Commander Zhao is an honorable man.

Thank you for pointing that out, Young Lord Yu.

I happen

to know a few horse ranchers.

I'll ask whether

any of them have lost good horses in the past six months.

And if they all insist

that Zhao Ling stole their horses,

then it won't be some legendary military feat.

It'll mean Zhao Ling

murdered civilians and claimed false military credit...

a capital offense.

Plant these civilian horseshoes in the stable,

and Zhao Ling will be finished.

For something this simple,

I can have someone take care of it.

There's no need for you to do it yourself.

I hear

there's a sandstorm coming today.

Advisor Li and everyone in the army keep saying

Zhao Ling has achieved

some extraordinary feat.

I was born into the Yu family of Yongning.

My father holds high office.

I studied for more than a decade

to place first in the imperial examination

and earn His Majesty's favor,

yet I'm still only a junior sixth-rank Hanlin compiler.

And Zhao Ling?

He was a nobody.

He's been in Ganlin for less than a year,

and he's already risen to junior fifth rank.

I'd like to see for myself

just what kind

of extraordinary feat he supposedly pulled off.

(Horse Garrison)

Young Lord Yu.

Commander Zhao sent men

to take inventory a few days ago.

But with a sandstorm coming today,

all the horses must be moved underground for shelter.

I'm afraid you won't be able to inspect them today.

That's fine.

I'll wait here until the storm passes.

Go tell Commander Zhao

I'll conduct a preliminary inspection today.

Another day,

I'll return with the other officials for a full inspection.

Yes, sir.

Hide them well.

Yes.

Why is the storm here so soon?

Miss Xie, slow down!

Miss Xie, slow down!

Miss Xie.

I think someone's in the stable.

I'll go check.

Sanniang,

go get help.

Wait, Miss Xie!

You?

What are you doing here?

Why did you save me?

Do you know what really happened back in Huaying...?

Shut your mouth.

Push!

Push!

Mr. Zhao!

What are you doing here?

Miss Xie!

She came to get the bamboo slips.

The stable collapsed,

and she went inside to save someone!

Hurry!

Go check on her!

No.

Mr. Zhao!

Why did you really save me?

I'd even help a stray dog

if I found it hurt by the roadside.

Besides, I need you alive

to sign that written confession.

Does that confession really mean that much to you?

One wrong move today,

and you could've died here too.

Dying alongside someone you hate...

was that worth it?

Tingyun.

Tingyun!

Tingyun!

Tingyun!

Mr. Zhao!

Mr. Zhao!

Tingyun!

Mr. Zhao.

Are you all right?

I'm fine.

The storm just passed.

You...

Go home and wait for me.

I'll be back soon.

Sanniang.

Miss Xie, are you hurt?

Let's go home.

Come on.

Let's get you home.

Ganlin's military stables

have always been built like a fortress.

Funny how they collapsed the moment I arrived.

Can you look her in the eye

and swear to Heaven

that you had nothing to do with this?

Can you swear

you didn't tamper with it?

You came all the way here in a sandstorm

just to plant this

and frame me!

She was born a lady of a noble house.

Now she wears rough clothes and eats plain food,

her hands scarred from hard labor,

no different from the farm women of Ganlin.

I have only one question.

Why

would you let a jewel like her be buried in the dust?

(Next Episode)

Tingyun.

I want to ask you something.

When we're married someday,

what kind of couple do you hope we'll be?

♪The past brushes by like a falling leaf♪

♪So light, yet my steps still pause for you♪

♪Through every rise and fall, our memories remain without regret♪

♪Carved into the rings of time♪

♪How I wish I could stay a little longer, but I can't♪

♪I turn away, afraid goodbye will fill my eyes with tears♪

♪Etched deep within my heart, yet buried without a word♪

♪The warmth of your hand in mine♪

♪Still makes us want to believe♪

♪One promise for a lifetime, echoing long after we part♪

♪For one fleeting moment, I found you in the crowd♪

♪Without a word, you lit up half my life♪

♪In silence, a love too deep for words♪

♪Kept close within my heart♪

♪From now on, no one else is worth waiting for♪

♪I turn away, afraid no one will ever come home to me again♪

♪If we can build our future together, no storm can chill my heart♪

♪The warmth of your hand in mine♪

♪Still makes us want to believe♪

♪One promise for a lifetime, echoing long after we part♪