Original subtitles

=The Road to Splendor=

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

=Episode 2=

I heard your wife's elder brother

holds office in Tong County.

Would you

write me a letter

of recommendation

and have him vouch for me?

(My)

(brother-in-law?)

Would it be out of line?

This young lady

is of the Fu family.

Sir, would you read her Eight Characters?

Will she bring me good fortune

and bless me with sons?

Can she lend me support

for my imperial exams?

Without her exact hour of birth,

I cannot read your marriage compatibility.

I suspect you have not obtained her family's consent

(Zuo Junjie & Fu Tingyun) and sought this divination in secret.

(Zuo Junjie, Madam Zuo's younger brother)

(Scoundrel.)

They speak of

the Ninth Young Lady, do they not?

Mr. Zhao, please do not misunderstand.

This man is nothing but a rogue.

Tingyun

has never been betrothed to anyone.

Don't get so worked up.

Listen.

She was born

around the 18th day of the 4th month, Fifth Year of Dacheng.

On that day,

all the magnolias in our home bloomed.

Sir,

please check it for me.

This...

Forget it.

Sir, examine mine first instead.

You have a fine nose.

In years to come,

you are destined for a high official post.

Sir,

I've known since childhood

that I am bound for high office.

Someday,

once I attain high office,

I shall give you a shop.

Splendid.

Farewell.

Who are you?

How dare you

strike me!

I am Zuo, a scholar!

Take this!

I am Zuo, a scholar!

My elder sister

is the daughter-in-law of the Magistrate's elder brother!

Stop hitting me!

He's still alive.

Come.

Many thanks, Mr. Zhao,

for helping me settle the score.

Indeed.

Here.

No need for small cups.

I'll drain an entire pot.

Tingzhuo,

earlier you said something

about Tong County,

and my elder brother-in-law?

What brother-in-law?

I don't recall.

Wait a moment.

You...

From now on,

I'll be your elder brother-in-law.

Look at the Fu family,

a house full of hollow lotus roots.

How could they produce such a genuine soul?

If you ask me,

let's settle this marriage, then.

The dowry we swindle over

can serve as salt trade capital,

and we'll gain a sister-in-law to boot.

Mark my words.

We agreed we're only after money.

Don't even think about tricking her into marriage.

Look at us right now,

living hand to mouth.

We have no right to ruin

an innocent young lady.

Look at yourself.

You are no longer young,

yet still unwed.

I just fear...

I fear if I meet someone

from a household like the Fu family,

where everyone plots and schemes all day long,

weighing pros and cons in every matter,

haggling over gains and losses,

calculating how much dowry she'll bring,

and how much betrothal gifts I must offer.

Tell me,

is this a marriage,

or merely a transaction?

Is this

Ground Snow?

Look into it.

Tingyun, there you are.

What a righteous man.

Last night,

Mr. Zhao and I

thrashed that scoundrel Zuo Junjie good.

That Mr. Zhao

has a chivalrous heart.

He even stood up for you.

Grandmother,

Uncle and Aunt have been misled

for the sake of their own gain.

But what made you fall for Zhao Ling's tricks?

Just because you two fought side by side once,

you become friends?

Of course I only want you to have a good match.

Mr. Zhao

is handsome and virtuous,

and has a noble birth.

If trouble ever comes your way in the future,

he will surely keep you safe.

He's truly

an ideal husband.

What a pity you are not a woman.

If you were, you could marry him,

and it would be ideal for both sides.

Why did you bring a magnolia sapling, Ninth Young Lady?

I have taken

a fancy to you at first sight, Madam.

There are many tangled outside affairs

I cannot make sense of.

I truly have no one to turn to for advice.

What would you like to ask?

I would like to ask

about Mr. Zhao.

You're quite sharp-witted

to have come to me.

Have a seat.

Salt administration

bears heavily on people's livelihood,

and even more on military and state governance.

Officials dispatched to oversee the work

are mostly high-ranking and powerful.

If a salt shortage

escalates into a grain famine,

could a mere local Imperial Salt Censor

shoulder such grave responsibility?

(He truly is a fraud.)

Madam,

didn't you say

you'd stay out of the Fu family's affairs?

The magnolia itself is splendid,

yet its original pot

is a burden.

I acted on impulse back then

and put her in a tough spot.

So I offered her some guidance.

How much she can take to heart

depends on her own fate.

It is also a test for her.

My Lady,

I've checked at the salt shop.

It's the finest top-grade salt,

Ground Snow.

All Ground Snow from Huaying

was confiscated by Eldest Uncle.

How could he still have any?

Aside from the Imperial Envoy,

no one else can get Ground Snow.

He is Jiuweijiao.

The eyebrow-height staff won't suit me.

I'd rather wield a blade.

You want to wield a blade again?

How many times have I told you?

When roaming the jianghu,

a few self-defense skills are all you need.

Your hands have never been stained with blood.

If you ever get the chance,

you can still choose the right path.

I heard

Feng Laosi, the salt merchant,

has bad blood with Jiuweijiao.

Why don't we turn the situation to our advantage?

We'll claim

Jiuweijiao disguised himself as the Imperial Envoy

and infiltrated the Fu family.

We'll let someone else deal with the fraud for us.

Mr. Zhao.

Miss Fu requests your presence.

She has something important to discuss.

What matter?

It's regarding arranging funds for you.

Miss Fu

also wants to contribute to the fund raising.

She hopes to ask you a few questions.

Please go ahead.

Mr. Zhao, have you ever seen

ten thousand taels of silver?

How many chests would it fill?

If two men carry one,

can they manage it?

It's those two men.

Who might these guests be?

You are the Jiuweijiao spoken of across the jianghu.

So you're nothing but a weak scholar.

Take them down!

Mr. Zhao,

we're badly outnumbered.

That's the jianghu way. Run when you must.

Only those who know when to run can survive the jianghu.

Understood.

Interesting.

After them!

Don't let him escape!

Halt!

Seize them!

I closed the window.

How did it open again?

What's this?

My Lady.

Ground Snow.

What do we do, My Lady?

He'll come to seek revenge on us.

(Ninth Young Lady, you seek a prestigious high-status marriage.)

(Yet your family lacks the virtue worthy of such standing.)

(Beware the fall from lofty hopes and empty dreams.)

Scoundrel.

My Lady,

what could he mean by this?

(Fu Residence) Will he seek revenge on us?

Whatever his intentions may be,

we only need

to capture him as soon as possible.

What

about the salt?

Report this to the authorities.

Offer a hefty reward for his capture.

Claim he attempted to swindle ten thousand taels of silver.

Understood.

Wait.

Change "attempted to swindle"

to "swindled".

(Wanted Notice) Zhao Ling and his accomplice

infiltrated the Fu Residence in Huaying

and fraudulently obtained

ten thousand taels of silver.

Anyone who reports their whereabouts

shall receive a reward of one hundred taels from the Fu family.

Whoever captures them

will be awarded one thousand taels.

(Swindled?)

A thousand taels?

That's a fortune!

Make way!

Who is Zhao Ling?

How dare he cheat the Fu family.

Never seen him before.

My Lady,

why did you change "attempted to swindle"

to "swindled"?

All under heaven hustle,

drawn by gain.

All under heaven bustle,

chasing profit.

Grandmother once said,

those wanderers of the jianghu

claim loyalty and righteousness come first.

Mr. Zhao.

Yet in the end they still

cannot escape the lure of profit.

This is

human nature.

We're all like brothers here.

Come and eat.

It's not much.

Mr. Zhao, you go first.

Bao,

when have you ever seen Mr. Zhao keep all the food to himself?

Here.

Let's eat together.

You two haven't been with me long,

so you don't know one of my rules.

Whoever prepares the meal

takes the first bite.

Only then can I eat in peace.

Go on, eat.

You poisoned the food!

Trying to run?

Mr. Zhao.

He must be punished.

Mr. Zhao!

Spare my life, Mr. Zhao!

Mr. Zhao!

Mr. Zhao!

Mr. Zhao!

Do you know why

I love red-stalk greens?

Wild greens like these grew everywhere in the old days.

They were all we had to fill our bellies.

But you've only been with me a short while,

so there's no way you'd know my fondness for this dish.

But why

did you choose to poison this soup of all things?

Yuanbao,

there is a kind of person in this world

who can only share hardship,

not prosperity.

Prosperity?

All these years by your side,

I've lived in constant fear.

Where's the prosperity?

You believed that lie about the swindled silver?

I did.

I will make up

that five thousand taels to you.

Leave now.

I've stuck with you all these years

only for money.

It's a deal.

You, Chuan, and Biao

head back to Yongning Prefecture first.

Mr. Zhao,

are you staying here alone?

At first, I thought

if we lost that money,

then so be it.

But after what happened today,

I can't just let this go.

Now that the label of "swindled"

has been placed upon my shoulders,

I won't bear it for nothing.

No matter what it takes,

I will get the money back.

(I live in a humble cottage of brick and clay,)

(while that young lady dwells in rich, ornate towers.)

(I dress plainly in black robes and white socks,)

(yet she adorns herself in vibrant reds and greens.)

(I stay alone in an empty chamber,)

(but she may seek a fine match,)

(and from now on,)

(will have company every single night.)

(Aren't we all flesh and blood,)

(walking within these courtyard walls?)

(They treat me this way)

(only because I am lowly.)

(But what if)

(I hold their vital weaknesses in my grasp?)

You wretch!

Have you lost your mind?

You're a widow!

You...

What do you want?

I want Tingyun.

Grandmother,

Tingyun is old enough to marry now.

My younger brother Junjie

grew up right before our eyes.

We know him through and through.

He is diligent and eager to learn.

I beg you to grant them

your blessing for their marriage.

My sister-in-law,

what

is all this fuss about?

Tingyun

is your niece after all.

How could you bear to do this?

Well,

I speak

only for Tingyun's good.

Two match proposals have fallen through.

First you sought a second-rank official,

yet the Yu family turned you down.

Then you found a censor,

only to discover he was an impostor.

You...

Would you really let the girl

waste away her youth like this?

You...

Mother,

anyhow,

I will never consent to this marriage.

Alright,

since you refuse,

we may as well ask Tingyun's will.

She's grown up now.

For all matters,

she can make her own choices,

lest she scheme behind our backs,

and act first and report later.

Take exposing Zhao Ling's fraud for example.

If she disliked the match,

she could have spoken to her elders.

Instead, she brought outsiders to stir trouble at home,

making us a laughingstock.

Who, in this household,

holds the authority?

Still, that incident

is Zhao Ling's fault,

not Tingyun's.

Grandmother!

Grandmother.

Life as a widow is unbearable.

I can barely hold on any longer.

I need something to hope for.

If Tingyun marries into the Zuo family,

no matter how many more years I endure,

I swear

I will bring honor to the Fu family by remaining chaste.

What are you saying?

People are living beings,

yet memorial arches are lifeless stone.

Is my own daughter

worth less than a mere arch?

Sister-in-law,

our family's honor

rests on these chastity arches.

Look at Zuo.

If she causes any trouble,

it will ruin not one chastity memorial arch,

but four!

Madam Yu has arrived.

Madam Yu.

What's going on here?

Have I come at a bad time?

Madam, you've come at just the right moment.

Please take a seat.

This poor girl

dreamed last night

of her beloved late husband.

She cried bitterly.

She was just pouring out her heart to me.

Poor girl.

Stand up.

Grandmother is right.

My late husband appeared to me in a dream.

He doted on Tingyun from childhood.

He cannot bear the thought of her marrying far away.

He bade me do all I can to keep her close by.

I beg you to grant your blessing, Grandmother.

Tingyun

is the Zuo family's only choice.

We'll talk

of this later.

You may withdraw first.

Look how tearful you are.

How can you receive guests?

No need to trouble yourselves.

It seems I truly came at an awkward hour.

I shall speak my piece and take my leave.

Earlier,

I had servants move the bed

to the west wing.

Yet Jingxiu could not rest easy there.

So I thought to myself,

"I ought to shift the bed

back to the east wing instead."

Old Madam Fu,

Fifth Madam Fu,

do you understand

what lies in my heart?

Madam Yu.

Your family is a noble house.

You could find any daughter-in-law you wish.

Tingyun has a headstrong temper,

and shows no respect to her elders.

Only my younger brother would take her without disdain.

Are you out of your mind?

A fine young lady attracts suitors from a hundred homes.

Ninth Young Lady is blessed with both virtue and wisdom,

fit to bring peace and prosperity to any household.

I hold genuine affection for her.

Old Madam Fu,

Fifth Madam Fu,

if you see fit to consent,

send word to me at your earliest convenience.

I will send a letter to the capital straight away

to settle this marriage proposal.

Very well.

Farewell.

Madam Yu.

Madam Yu.

Madam...

Mother,

please help me.

Mother.

- Mother, please help me. - Someone.

Drag this vile woman to the ancestral hall,

and leave her there to fend for herself.

Mother!

Mother!

Mother, please help me.

Move!

Mother!

I renounce

the fourth memorial arch.

(This betrothal to the Yu family)

(shall secure)

(our family's future.)

Hurry up.

Move.

Seal everything off completely.

My Lady,

it's pouring rain.

What brings you to such a place?

You ought to head back, My Lady.

This foul, unholy place is no fit spot for you.

Please return at once.

Well...

When I first married into this household,

I only cared for the eighty taels of betrothal silver

and three taels of monthly stipend.

I truly thought

being a widow was well worth it.

Yet by the third year,

I could bear it no longer.

I begged to dissolve the marriage,

to return to my home.

(Fu Family Academy) Grandmother then sent servants

to fetch my younger brother to keep me company.

She enrolled him in the clan school,

promising him a bright future.

So I thought it was a fair trade.

But my brother

was never cut out for studying.

By the fifth year,

it was clear he would never pass the imperial exams.

Regret gnawed at me again.

Then Grandmother made me another vow.

Every year at the Flower Goddess Festival,

I would preside over the rituals.

She said it would let me stand in the limelight

to ease my loneliness.

How foolish I was.

I actually believed her words.

I actually thought I had a place in this family.

But in this family,

not a single soul truly holds me in regard.

If they did,

why would they begrudge my brother

a Fu young lady?

Zuo.

You once held me on your lap and played with me.

But as your temper grew bitter and twisted,

you came to loathe me more and more.

I am not the cause of all your suffering.

Why must you fixate your hatred on me?

Through endless lonely nights,

ten years of my youth,

all I earned

was nothing but praise for the Fu family's pure moral code.

So when your marriage was being arranged,

they added a generous entry

to your dowry inventory.

They used my betrothal

to smooth the path for your match,

then leveraged your marriage

to further the Fu family's rise in the bureaucracy.

Do you truly believe Grandmother

plans for you out of genuine care?

She only coaxes you

into blind obedience.

Don't believe a word she says.

Old Madam has always doted on you most.

She speaks such words

only to grieve your heart.

It was so close, just a hair's breadth away.

That cursed Madam Yu.

It was only barely out of my grasp.

Yet that old hag seized the opportunity in the end.

We are cut from the same cloth.

Why do you bloom like a magnolia on the branch,

while I am but mud beneath your feet?

Hurry!

Stop her!

Hold her back!

Have you lost your wits?

Crazy woman!

Let go of me!

Let me go.

Are you all right?

What a loyal hound you are.

So eager to defend your lady.

Has she fulfilled your wish,

matching you up with Fu Tingzhuo?

How are you any different from my brother?

Do you truly think

that meekly obeying every order,

letting others manipulate you,

will earn you a share of the spoils?

Don't delude yourself.

In the Fu family's eyes...

Watch your tongue!

You're merely another Zuo Junjie.

Even your father,

a renowned great scholar,

has served the Fu family for over a decade,

yet he is no more than an extra entry

added to her dowry inventory.

Yake.

Drag her away.

My Lady,

Miss Fan,

please hurry back to your chambers.

- Let go! - Get up.

Don't leave.

Don't go.

Drag her inside at once!

Shut the door!

Nail it firmly shut!

Hurry, let's go.

A big world

brings all kinds of people.

Madam Zuo should remember

where her brother comes from.

He only stands thanks to the family's support.

Yet he acts as if he belongs here,

reaching far above his station for the Ninth Young Lady.

(Above his station?)

(I brought two pots of narcissus today.)

(When you see him,)

(you could give him one.)

Where is she?

She was here just a moment ago.

Tell me,

was Moxiang just insulting Zuo Junjie,

or was it me?

The Ninth Young Lady went too far.

You even took a hit from that hairpin for her, Miss,

yet she did nothing for you.

She must think I am unworthy too.

Everyone calls me another Zuo Junjie.

Even she sees me the same way.

Mr. Yu, you work far too hard.

Madam will grow worried if you stay any later.

It is fine.

I was fully engrossed in discussion with Master Fan.

Words flowed freely,

and I had to speak my mind.

Where did this potted flower come from?

I reckon no one wants it.

I find it quite elegant.

Most plants grow in soil,

yet this one thrives in water.

It holds an air of pure, refined charm.

Fetch a new vessel,

and bring it back to tend to.

Understood.

Wait.

What are you doing?

Mr. Yu,

Madam specially sent for servants from the Fu family

to move the bed back to the east.

It was moved from east to west,

then west back to east again.

I cannot even decide where my own bed shall be placed.

Yake,

are you all right?

I never gave your daffodils

to Tingzhuo.

You know Grandmother's temper.

She values family honor and tradition above all else.

I feared if I acted rashly,

it would only backfire.

You've misread me, Tingyun.

That was never my intention.

Your family has shown me kindness for years.

That pot of daffodils

was merely a small token of thanks.

I give such gifts to more than just Seventh Young Master,

let alone to express secret feelings through flowers.

(Fu Family Academy) Master Fan,

I have a question,

but I cannot seem to find an answer.

May I ask for your guidance?

What is it?

It is often said

that filial piety stands foremost among all virtues.

As a son,

one ought to heed all his mother's instructions.

Yet suppose

there is a matter

on which the son wishes to go against his mother's will.

Does that make him unfilial?

(Fan Kun, a Renowned Scholar) It depends

on the matter in question.

If trivial,

it is not worth dwelling on.

It is...

the important matter of marriage.

Suppose the bride Mother chooses

is not to the son's liking, what then?

Yake.

Suppose in the future

the husband I pick for you

fails to win your heart,

what would you do?

Who have you chosen for me?

I'm merely speaking hypothetically.

A student came to consult me on this question.

The answer is plain to see.

Empress Lv forced her son Emperor Hui of Han

to wed her niece Zhang Yan.

Afterwards, the Emperor doted solely on a palace maid

and passed away young from melancholy.

Emperor Hui bore no dislike toward Zhang Yan herself.

He merely resented his mother.

No wonder.

His question was never about marriage,

but about filial piety.

I wonder which young master

would share

such private matters with an outsider.

Who else could it be?

There is only one young man

whose marriage is being discussed.

Could it be Mr. Yu?

Tingyun curries favor with Madam Yu,

yet shuns Mr. Yu.

(Fu Family Academy)

Master Fan?

I grew them without much thought.

No need to examine them so closely, Young Master.

Forgive my rudeness, Miss.

No matter.

I came to bring Father his meal.

I shall leave after setting it down.

Are you fond of flowers, Young Master?

Not exactly.

It was merely a coincidence.

I picked up a pot the other day.

It's grown the very same way.

Could this flower belong to Miss Fan?

In the entire Huaying,

only she grows flowers

in water.

If you take a fancy to it,

you may take it.

Tend to it well.

Miss,

Narcissus is your given name.

Greetings, Madam Yu.

At the Flower Goddess Festival,

I am grateful for your kindness, Madam.

You gifted me a smooth jade bracelet.

I have no worthy repayment to offer.

I stitched an aromatic sachet with care.

Please forgive

this humble offering, Madam.

I've heard you excel at gardening.

I invited you here today

to seek your advice.

Where is the best place

to grow narcissus?

Narcissus...

Narcissus dislikes prolonged sunlight.

The water must stay clean.

Otherwise its roots will rot.

Truly, the water must remain pure.

Just as one's heart ought to stay untainted.

May you be like this narcissus,

blooming gracefully, never seeking praise.

Miss Fan,

what do you think?

Narcissus is delicate and fussy.

I fear it does not suit the Yu family.

You had better take it back,

and tend to it yourself.

The jade bracelet I gave you is fine quality.

You need not trouble yourself with gifts in return.

By the time

you find a rare trinket as this,

my son will likely have passed the imperial exam.

Madam Yu lacks the insight to see its worth.

She fails to see all the care you put into this sachet.

Tell me.

Tingyun's hairpin stirs wicks often,

yet it never tarnishes.

Mine, though, has faded like this.

True gold fears no fire.

The Ninth Young Lady

must wear a golden hairpin.

Indeed.

Silver is inherently lesser than gold.

No wonder Madam Zuo laments the unfairness of this world.

Tingyun is a golden hairpin by birth,

while I am only silver.

Without elevating my station through marriage,

I shall never earn

genuine respect from others.

There will be a poetry gathering in a few days.

Old Madam Fu and I have come to an agreement.

You shall meet Ninth Young Lady there.

You must present this poem then,

and claim the top prize.

Two champions shall form a match.

It would be a lovely tale to tell.

Mr. Zhao.

It's me.

What are you doing here?

Didn't I order you to be sent off?

How could I leave you all alone?

So I slipped back.

Who's really worried about who?

How old am I?

And how old are you?

Enough of this.

Just finish this one errand.

There will be an event here shortly,

a poetry gathering.

Where's the censer?

Over there.

Bring it over.

Don't let go, My Lady.

When Mr. Yu draws near,

waft the incense scent toward him.

Greetings, Madam Yu and Old Madam Fu.

Once you enter today's poetry gathering,

all blossoms will pale in comparison.

Not to mention Mr. Yu,

even the finest noble households

would be fortunate to have you.

Enough of your flattery.

Insolent! Where are you from?

Have you no sense?

Let it be.

Stay quiet.

I've come to strike a deal

with you, Ninth Young Lady.

My Lady.

Your family owes me ten thousand taels for the salt trade.

Would you do me a kindness

and gather the sum for me?

Weren't you so powerful before?

Take me if you must.

My lady and I share a deep bond.

She would never abandon me.

She will surely pay the ransom for me.

She is merely a maid.

She's not worth such a sum.

My Lady.

Leave me here.

Send her to gather the money.

Quit playing tricks on me.

I want those silver notes right now.

At once.

Yuwei.

I shall go raise the funds at once.

But there is one request.

I beg you, sir, do not make a commotion.

My lady

is in talks of a marriage match.

If anyone finds her alone in a room with an unrelated man,

her entire life will be ruined.

It all depends on how quickly you can get the money.

(Next Episode)

My Lady,

Old Madam Fu

will let us leave safely, right?

If the charge of adultery sticks to me,

the three chastity memorial arches standing before the Fu Residence

will all crumble.

This concerns the Fu family's reputation.

It won't be that simple.

All ancestors awarded chastity arches,

along with widows maintaining their chastity now,

have come to demand an explanation.

As for Ninth Young Lady's disgrace,

a decision must be made at once.

(Eight-Character Slip) What

becomes of this girl

is entirely up to you, Madam.

♪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♪