1
00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:32,700
=The Road to Splendor=

2
00:01:32,700 --> 00:01:34,760
(Adapted from China Literature author
Zhizhi's novel of the same name)

3
00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:38,000
=Episode 24=

4
00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,800
(Virtue Blesses the Hometown)

5
00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:43,440
It's a bundle of Wangyou grass.

6
00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:45,200
Mr. Zhao

7
00:01:45,320 --> 00:01:46,760
was worried you might be anxious.

8
00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:48,840
That's why he didn't deliver it himself.

9
00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:51,400
He is still upset.

10
00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:52,280
If that's the case,

11
00:01:54,439 --> 00:01:56,159
I'll do as he said.

12
00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:57,640
I'll worry less

13
00:01:58,439 --> 00:01:59,840
and stop waiting like an idiot.

14
00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:01,280
Zheng San said

15
00:02:01,879 --> 00:02:02,799
Mr. Zhao

16
00:02:02,799 --> 00:02:04,280
has gone to find
the Seventh Young Master Fu

17
00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:05,439
to testify on his behalf.

18
00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:06,760
Miss Xie,

19
00:02:07,439 --> 00:02:08,639
please set your mind at ease.

20
00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:11,680
Tingzhuo?

21
00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:16,960
It's been so long since we last saw him.

22
00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:19,439
I wonder

23
00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:22,240
how he will view this matter.

24
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I heard from my wife

25
00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:33,680
that all these years,

26
00:02:34,879 --> 00:02:36,400
you've taken good care of Tingyun.

27
00:02:38,439 --> 00:02:39,759
I am grateful for that.

28
00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:41,759
It's not that

29
00:02:41,879 --> 00:02:43,520
I took care of her.

30
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We've stood by

31
00:02:48,039 --> 00:02:49,439
and cared for each other.

32
00:02:50,599 --> 00:02:51,080
Here.

33
00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:54,520
Mr. Zhao.

34
00:02:55,439 --> 00:02:57,759
I know why you asked to see me today.

35
00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:00,319
But my father's command
cannot be defied.

36
00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:01,800
You and Tingyun,

37
00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:03,120
I...

38
00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:06,879
I cannot help you.

39
00:03:12,199 --> 00:03:13,439
I understand your position.

40
00:03:14,439 --> 00:03:15,599
Today's meeting

41
00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:19,479
is simply for old times' sake.

42
00:03:23,039 --> 00:03:23,479
Come, let's drink.

43
00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:31,680
I was born in the Fu family,

44
00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:32,560
raised in the Fu family,

45
00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:33,719
and bound by the Fu family.

46
00:03:34,159 --> 00:03:35,560
When calamity struck Tingyun,

47
00:03:36,199 --> 00:03:38,080
she was fortunate to escape this cage.

48
00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:40,639
But what I carry on my shoulders

49
00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:43,000
are these heavy shackles.

50
00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:45,439
The weight of filial piety alone

51
00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:48,039
suffocates me.

52
00:03:49,879 --> 00:03:50,919
You can see for yourself.

53
00:03:51,759 --> 00:03:53,120
If the men of the Fu family

54
00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:55,919
have no achievements
in officialdom or scholarship,

55
00:03:57,680 --> 00:03:58,560
then reputation

56
00:04:00,319 --> 00:04:01,439
becomes even more important.

57
00:04:02,199 --> 00:04:03,159
In that case,

58
00:04:05,719 --> 00:04:06,879
I have nothing more to say.

59
00:04:08,759 --> 00:04:09,800
Is there anything

60
00:04:11,439 --> 00:04:12,520
you want me to tell her?

61
00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:23,560
This was carved to congratulate Tingyun

62
00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:25,279
on her wedding at that time.

63
00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:27,839
But she left home in such a hurry

64
00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:30,920
that she couldn't take it with her.

65
00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:34,360
Now is the perfect time

66
00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:36,199
to give it to her

67
00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:38,040
through you.

68
00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:51,120
Even if you won't help me today,

69
00:04:53,079 --> 00:04:55,519
I'll still see you as my brother-in-law.

70
00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:57,439
I hope that one day,

71
00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:00,879
when I properly marry Tingyun,

72
00:05:02,959 --> 00:05:04,199
you will come and drink with us.

73
00:05:06,399 --> 00:05:06,959
Alright.

74
00:05:09,319 --> 00:05:10,120
Seventh Young Master.

75
00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:12,360
There's something

76
00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:14,920
I'd like to pass on for her.

77
00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:17,120
Please.

78
00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:19,040
What you lose in one place,

79
00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:22,319
you gain in another.

80
00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:24,759
As long as you live

81
00:05:25,399 --> 00:05:27,040
and the fire in your heart does not die,

82
00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:28,879
whether in politics

83
00:05:32,199 --> 00:05:33,399
or in the academy,

84
00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:39,319
sooner or later,
you'll have a bright future.

85
00:05:46,199 --> 00:05:46,959
Rest assured.

86
00:05:47,879 --> 00:05:48,800
She and I

87
00:05:50,439 --> 00:05:51,879
have done nothing wrong.

88
00:05:53,319 --> 00:05:54,399
We can weather any storm.

89
00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:56,879
Fifth Master

90
00:05:58,160 --> 00:05:59,360
can't touch us.

91
00:06:01,639 --> 00:06:02,240
Good.

92
00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:04,519
Come on.

93
00:06:19,319 --> 00:06:20,759
My father's command cannot be defied.

94
00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:22,040
What happened?

95
00:06:22,399 --> 00:06:23,399
He's so drunk.

96
00:06:23,639 --> 00:06:24,480
Help him to bed.

97
00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:26,959
Get some hot water.

98
00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:27,680
Yes.

99
00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:29,519
Father...

100
00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:31,920
My father's command cannot be defied.

101
00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:35,800
Serving my in-laws

102
00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:36,959
and now a drunkard.

103
00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:39,560
Marrying a beggar

104
00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:40,879
would be better

105
00:06:40,879 --> 00:06:42,160
than a spineless coward.

106
00:06:43,079 --> 00:06:43,680
Ting...

107
00:06:44,399 --> 00:06:45,240
Tingyun.

108
00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:48,279
I want to say something to you.

109
00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:50,680
I've let you down.

110
00:06:53,079 --> 00:06:54,639
I want to help you too.

111
00:06:55,519 --> 00:06:56,839
But I cannot...

112
00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:01,600
I cannot wrong your sister-in-law.

113
00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:03,040
I...

114
00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:05,959
I cannot make my mark
in the imperial exams.

115
00:07:06,079 --> 00:07:07,199
I don't deserve it.

116
00:07:07,199 --> 00:07:08,839
If I were to enter officialdom,

117
00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:10,600
wouldn't I be following Father's path,

118
00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:13,639
climbing over the chastity arches

119
00:07:13,639 --> 00:07:14,920
of the women of the Fu family?

120
00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:17,000
But if I help you,

121
00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:21,160
then I break the Fu family's banner
of filial piety.

122
00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:23,639
What about your sister-in-law?

123
00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:25,560
She and the children,

124
00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,800
how can they ever hold their heads up?

125
00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:31,360
I can't move forward.

126
00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:34,040
I can't step back.

127
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I am so torn.

128
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Forgive me.

129
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Forgive me.

130
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Has he been

131
00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:05,120
failing the exams on purpose?

132
00:08:13,199 --> 00:08:14,399
The 6th year of the Hongzhi era,

133
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5th month, 22nd day.

134
00:08:15,959 --> 00:08:17,680
The case of the Fu family servant Li
suing her master

135
00:08:17,759 --> 00:08:19,120
is now formally convened.

136
00:08:23,839 --> 00:08:25,240
The plaintiff, servant woman Li,

137
00:08:25,439 --> 00:08:26,879
was beaten to death in court.

138
00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:27,839
I

139
00:08:27,839 --> 00:08:28,839
shall present this petition
on her behalf.

140
00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:30,639
Here is the written complaint.

141
00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:32,720
Commander Zhao,
you hold the fourth rank.

142
00:08:32,799 --> 00:08:33,480
No need to kneel.

143
00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:38,519
I, Xie,

144
00:08:38,639 --> 00:08:39,720
pay my respects to you, My Lord.

145
00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:42,639
I, Zhao Ling,

146
00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:44,679
pay my respects to you, My Lord.

147
00:08:44,879 --> 00:08:45,919
The plaintiff, Li,

148
00:08:46,159 --> 00:08:46,799
charges

149
00:08:46,799 --> 00:08:47,720
that Fu Tingyun

150
00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:49,279
eloped and disgraced the family,

151
00:08:49,519 --> 00:08:50,639
causing her grandmother's death.

152
00:08:51,159 --> 00:08:52,440
Under our dynasty's law,

153
00:08:52,799 --> 00:08:53,399
this is

154
00:08:53,519 --> 00:08:54,600
a grave crime of unfilial conduct.

155
00:08:54,919 --> 00:08:55,840
Zhao Ling,

156
00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:58,240
currently an Assistant Commander
of the Capital Guard,

157
00:08:58,559 --> 00:08:59,879
is charged with abducting
a virtuous woman

158
00:09:00,159 --> 00:09:01,320
and causing the death of her kin.

159
00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:02,279
Do the two of you

160
00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:03,679
plead guilty?

161
00:09:03,879 --> 00:09:04,840
I do not.

162
00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:05,919
I do not.

163
00:09:06,399 --> 00:09:07,559
Call the plaintiff's witness.

164
00:09:12,919 --> 00:09:13,600
My Lord.

165
00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:14,759
I am

166
00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:16,879
the son of Li's former master.

167
00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:19,240
I come from the Fu family of Huaying.

168
00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:20,519
I was once

169
00:09:20,759 --> 00:09:22,320
a fifth-rank civil official.

170
00:09:22,799 --> 00:09:23,840
Today, I come before you

171
00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:25,320
at great personal cost

172
00:09:26,159 --> 00:09:27,519
to air our family's shame.

173
00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:30,600
All because this unfilial daughter,
Fu Tingyun,

174
00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:31,879
drove her grandmother to her death

175
00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:33,519
through her defiant behavior.

176
00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:35,440
I implore you to investigate, My Lord,

177
00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:36,480
to bring this wayward daughter back,

178
00:09:36,879 --> 00:09:38,759
and punish Zhao Ling severely,

179
00:09:39,039 --> 00:09:40,320
so my mother's soul may finally rest.

180
00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:41,919
Defendant,

181
00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:43,240
do you have anything to say?

182
00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:45,799
My Lord, please hear my plea.

183
00:09:46,279 --> 00:09:48,120
When I was in the Fu family,

184
00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:50,320
I was falsely accused of adultery.

185
00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:51,919
The Fu family nearly

186
00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:53,279
executed me without trial.

187
00:09:54,639 --> 00:09:57,200
Thankfully, my mother secretly entrusted
Commander Zhao to save me.

188
00:10:00,919 --> 00:10:02,879
This jade bracelet,
an heirloom of the Xie family,

189
00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:04,240
was given to me

190
00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:05,519
by my mother as a betrothal token,

191
00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:07,039
placed into my own hands.

192
00:10:07,279 --> 00:10:08,360
After I was rescued,

193
00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:09,759
I took the surname Xie.

194
00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:11,159
If you doubt me, My Lord,

195
00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:12,360
you may inspect

196
00:10:12,519 --> 00:10:14,399
the records of the Huaying county yamen.

197
00:10:14,519 --> 00:10:16,200
They clearly show

198
00:10:16,399 --> 00:10:18,039
that I was recorded as deceased.

199
00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:19,519
If you still have doubts,

200
00:10:20,039 --> 00:10:21,159
I can call a witness,

201
00:10:21,559 --> 00:10:22,759
Hanyan, to the stand.

202
00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:26,559
She was the personal maid
of my sister-in-law, Zuo.

203
00:10:26,759 --> 00:10:28,039
She knows the inner affairs

204
00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:29,440
of the Fu family well.

205
00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:31,679
Call the defendant's witness.

206
00:10:36,799 --> 00:10:37,399
Hanyan.

207
00:10:38,279 --> 00:10:39,919
You are a former servant
of the Fu family.

208
00:10:40,159 --> 00:10:41,519
You should know what to say

209
00:10:41,519 --> 00:10:42,399
and what to leave unsaid.

210
00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:45,879
Fifth Master, you may have forgotten,

211
00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:48,559
though my former mistress held a grudge
against Ninth Young Lady,

212
00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:50,879
she resented the Fu family's coldness
even more.

213
00:10:51,639 --> 00:10:52,440
My Lord,

214
00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:54,320
I can testify

215
00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:56,440
that everything Ninth Young Lady said
is true.

216
00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:59,039
When she left the Fu family
with Commander Zhao that year,

217
00:10:59,159 --> 00:11:00,919
it was an act of survival
in desperate times.

218
00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:02,440
I saw it with my own eyes.

219
00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:04,159
Madam Zuo of the Fu family
conspired with servants

220
00:11:04,279 --> 00:11:05,679
to frame Ninth Young Lady for adultery.

221
00:11:05,799 --> 00:11:07,879
The Old Madam Fu, for the sake
of a few chastity memorial arches,

222
00:11:07,879 --> 00:11:08,960
turned her back on family.

223
00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:11,279
Commander Zhao was entrusted
by the Fifth Madam

224
00:11:11,639 --> 00:11:13,519
to take Ninth Young Lady out of Huaying.

225
00:11:13,759 --> 00:11:15,120
That was a life-saving act.

226
00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:17,200
It was not an illicit elopement.

227
00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:25,560
(Indenture Contract)

228
00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:41,879
What time is it now?

229
00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:48,840
Oh no.

230
00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:51,080
I wonder how the trial is going.

231
00:11:56,559 --> 00:11:57,279
Mother?

232
00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:02,600
Mother.

233
00:12:07,159 --> 00:12:08,200
It was my daughter-in-law

234
00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:09,919
who dismissed the servants

235
00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:11,600
and brought me out here.

236
00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:13,240
I plan to go

237
00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:14,320
to Chengqian Prefectural Yamen

238
00:12:14,559 --> 00:12:15,840
and help your sister.

239
00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:18,759
Will you help me?

240
00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:20,480
Mother,

241
00:12:20,879 --> 00:12:22,440
are you going to confront Father
in court?

242
00:12:25,399 --> 00:12:26,120
My husband,

243
00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:28,039
I know you want to go too.

244
00:12:29,519 --> 00:12:30,600
I used to think

245
00:12:31,279 --> 00:12:32,759
you were shallow in learning,

246
00:12:32,759 --> 00:12:34,080
lacking ambition,

247
00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:35,960
and submissive to Father

248
00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:36,600
in blind filial piety,

249
00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:37,679
unable to tell right from wrong.

250
00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:40,440
But yesterday,

251
00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:42,279
when I heard your drunken ramblings,

252
00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:44,639
I realized you have your own pain too.

253
00:12:46,639 --> 00:12:48,120
If I can help you find your way,

254
00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:51,600
you would surely be
the most principled man in the world.

255
00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:53,559
What

256
00:12:54,279 --> 00:12:55,320
do you mean?

257
00:12:56,879 --> 00:12:57,840
I want to ask you.

258
00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:02,360
I don't need my husband
to rise above others.

259
00:13:03,039 --> 00:13:03,919
I only ask that he be

260
00:13:03,919 --> 00:13:05,399
an ordinary man
without great achievements,

261
00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:07,639
but with high moral character,

262
00:13:07,639 --> 00:13:08,559
and an open heart.

263
00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:09,519
Can you be that kind of man?

264
00:13:10,399 --> 00:13:11,399
If you agree,

265
00:13:11,879 --> 00:13:13,000
I promise you

266
00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:15,879
that I will never seek wealth or status.

267
00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:17,919
I will not push you to achieve.

268
00:13:17,919 --> 00:13:19,039
I will only raise our children.

269
00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:20,799
You don't need the exams anymore.

270
00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:22,559
Come back to my hometown with me.

271
00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:23,759
Work under my father

272
00:13:23,759 --> 00:13:25,000
as a modest clerk.

273
00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:25,919
Never again rely on the Fu family's

274
00:13:25,919 --> 00:13:27,360
wealth or reputation.

275
00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:29,480
We two,

276
00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:30,559
with clear consciences,

277
00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:33,519
will never again be bound
by any memorial arch.

278
00:13:35,879 --> 00:13:37,200
I will honor my mother-in-law.

279
00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:39,240
You honor your father-in-law.

280
00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:41,919
In the future,

281
00:13:42,519 --> 00:13:45,039
whether our children honor us or not,

282
00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:46,639
we will not force it.

283
00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:47,960
What do you say?

284
00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:52,399
But when you agreed to marry me,

285
00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:54,120
it was for my family's
scholarly reputation

286
00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:55,200
and status.

287
00:13:55,279 --> 00:13:55,639
I...

288
00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:58,679
Then you underestimate me.

289
00:14:00,399 --> 00:14:01,320
I married

290
00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:03,759
the man himself,

291
00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:06,399
not his birth.

292
00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:13,200
Cutting flesh to heal a parent.

293
00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:14,440
Cutting flesh to heal a parent.

294
00:14:14,639 --> 00:14:15,159
Zhuang.

295
00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:16,159
Zhuang.

296
00:14:16,519 --> 00:14:16,960
Be good.

297
00:14:18,279 --> 00:14:18,960
Go play outside.

298
00:14:19,639 --> 00:14:20,360
Let's go.

299
00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:21,000
Alright.

300
00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:37,879
My mother's coffin

301
00:14:39,759 --> 00:14:41,919
has never been returned to her homeland.

302
00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:44,840
She is buried at Phoenix Ridge
on the outskirts of the capital.

303
00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:46,679
I built a hut and observed mourning,

304
00:14:47,919 --> 00:14:50,759
eating only vegetarian food
and fasting for seven years.

305
00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:53,279
I finally waited for Zhao Ling
to return to the capital.

306
00:14:53,639 --> 00:14:55,600
I want to demand justice from him.

307
00:14:55,919 --> 00:14:57,240
But this man

308
00:14:57,240 --> 00:14:58,519
is high in rank and power,

309
00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:00,799
while I am of low standing
and weak voice.

310
00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:03,080
Yet heaven's justice is clear.

311
00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:04,799
I beg Your Lordship to see the truth.

312
00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:06,639
What do you have to say for yourself?

313
00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:09,200
I left Huaying in the 5th month

314
00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:10,120
of the 22nd year of Dacheng.

315
00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:12,840
Old Madam Fu passed away
in the 9th month of the same year.

316
00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:15,080
That is over four months apart.

317
00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:16,320
In terms of timing,

318
00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:18,320
it is hardly proof, is it?

319
00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:22,080
My mother fell ill from grief
in the 5th month.

320
00:15:23,039 --> 00:15:24,320
I have the medical records here.

321
00:15:24,919 --> 00:15:26,960
You two ungrateful, unfilial wretches.

322
00:15:27,279 --> 00:15:28,519
You drove your grandmother to her death

323
00:15:28,519 --> 00:15:29,639
(Tongue: pale red, edges reddened)
and defied your elders.

324
00:15:29,639 --> 00:15:29,960
(Liver-spleen disharmony)

325
00:15:30,039 --> 00:15:30,919
One an eloped woman,

326
00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:32,200
the other a libertine.

327
00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:34,120
He is no libertine.

328
00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:35,600
Nor is she an eloped woman.

329
00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:37,559
I can testify.

330
00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:44,159
Mother.

331
00:15:45,039 --> 00:15:45,840
Tingzhuo.

332
00:15:53,879 --> 00:15:54,840
I can testify.

333
00:15:55,159 --> 00:15:56,600
When my mother-in-law
was on her deathbed,

334
00:15:56,919 --> 00:15:58,159
her mind was clear

335
00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:00,080
and she bore no resentment.

336
00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:02,639
At that time,
the Eldest Master of the Fu family

337
00:16:02,639 --> 00:16:04,759
was entangled in the Huaying salt case.

338
00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:06,399
My mother-in-law

339
00:16:06,399 --> 00:16:08,399
was worn down
by the careers of her two sons.

340
00:16:08,519 --> 00:16:09,759
That is what led to her passing.

341
00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:13,600
That gave Fifth Master the chance
to observe mourning.

342
00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:15,799
But he was unwilling
to leave the capital.

343
00:16:16,279 --> 00:16:18,120
To be ready to return to office
at any time,

344
00:16:18,559 --> 00:16:21,000
he had his mother's coffin brought back

345
00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:22,720
and built a hut to mourn.

346
00:16:23,039 --> 00:16:24,240
You are just a woman...

347
00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:25,879
My daughter has been wronged.

348
00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:28,000
She is utterly innocent.

349
00:16:28,879 --> 00:16:30,279
If you were truly filial,

350
00:16:31,279 --> 00:16:33,559
you should have returned
your mother's coffin

351
00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:36,159
to the ancestral graves in Huaying.

352
00:16:36,519 --> 00:16:37,919
You are just a woman.

353
00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:40,080
What right do you have to speak
in the Fu family?

354
00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:41,480
My Lord,

355
00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:43,759
I am the eldest son
of the fifth branch of the Fu family.

356
00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:45,879
I was brought up by my grandmother.

357
00:16:46,399 --> 00:16:47,960
I stake my life and honor

358
00:16:48,279 --> 00:16:49,240
on the truth

359
00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:50,279
of my mother's words.

360
00:16:50,799 --> 00:16:51,759
As a son,

361
00:16:53,279 --> 00:16:54,679
I cannot speak against my father.

362
00:16:55,279 --> 00:16:57,240
But I will not stand by
while my sister is wronged.

363
00:16:58,000 --> 00:16:59,200
I beg Your Lordship to see the truth.

364
00:16:59,759 --> 00:17:01,039
This case has been investigated.

365
00:17:01,279 --> 00:17:01,960
Fifth Master Fu

366
00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:03,600
falsely accused a court official.

367
00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:05,359
By law, he should be severely punished.

368
00:17:05,839 --> 00:17:07,200
But in consideration
of family grievances,

369
00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:08,279
I shall show him leniency.

370
00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:09,640
Commander Zhao

371
00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:10,440
and Miss Xie

372
00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:12,039
did not elope.

373
00:17:12,039 --> 00:17:13,039
They are cleared of all charges.

374
00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:15,839
Fine.

375
00:17:15,839 --> 00:17:16,960
You're quite something.

376
00:17:17,279 --> 00:17:18,680
We'll settle this at home.

377
00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:20,119
Mother.

378
00:17:22,039 --> 00:17:22,720
It's alright.

379
00:17:23,079 --> 00:17:24,559
I have your brother to protect me.

380
00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:29,599
Take this chance to have Zhao Ling

381
00:17:29,599 --> 00:17:30,839
come propose soon

382
00:17:31,319 --> 00:17:32,839
and make the marriage official.

383
00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:33,799
Go now.

384
00:17:36,319 --> 00:17:37,240
Go, I dare you.

385
00:17:37,759 --> 00:17:39,640
Let's see who dares to set foot
in my house!

386
00:17:46,599 --> 00:17:47,920
If you are willing,

387
00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:50,200
I will go today.

388
00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:52,480
Just say the word.

389
00:17:54,039 --> 00:17:55,559
Isn't it that you thought

390
00:17:57,279 --> 00:17:58,799
I was inconsiderate

391
00:17:59,279 --> 00:18:00,799
and unwilling to stand by you?

392
00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:05,119
Why are you still upset
about the wedding?

393
00:18:07,559 --> 00:18:08,319
Mr. Zhao,

394
00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:12,640
I am willing.

395
00:18:30,079 --> 00:18:30,680
I...

396
00:18:35,319 --> 00:18:36,880
I will go prepare the betrothal gifts.

397
00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:41,080
(Chengqian Prefectural Yamen)

398
00:18:47,360 --> 00:18:49,880
(Xie Residence)

399
00:18:57,160 --> 00:19:01,360
(Virtue Blesses the Hometown)

400
00:19:17,799 --> 00:19:18,880
All rites are prepared.

401
00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:22,640
Set out.

402
00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:09,039
I have come today

403
00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:11,039
to present the betrothal gifts.

404
00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:12,960
I have prepared
ten bolts of cloud brocade,

405
00:20:13,079 --> 00:20:14,480
two sets of gold headpieces,

406
00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:16,559
and a bushel of pearls
from the Eastern Sea.

407
00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:18,640
Please, Fifth Madam, have a look.

408
00:20:19,599 --> 00:20:21,480
I also request the Ninth Young Lady's
Eight-Character Slip

409
00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:22,960
to unite our two families.

410
00:20:30,319 --> 00:20:31,319
Commander Zhao,

411
00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:32,759
what you just said

412
00:20:32,759 --> 00:20:34,680
sounds reasonable enough.

413
00:20:35,039 --> 00:20:36,759
But let me ask you this.

414
00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:38,039
Since you know

415
00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:39,039
that marriage

416
00:20:39,279 --> 00:20:40,799
requires the parents' blessing,

417
00:20:41,279 --> 00:20:43,799
when you took Tingyun from Huaying,

418
00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:45,319
then the two of you

419
00:20:45,319 --> 00:20:47,079
were no better than an eloped woman
and a libertine.

420
00:20:47,799 --> 00:20:49,160
Was that proper?

421
00:20:53,079 --> 00:20:54,200
In urgent times, one must adapt.

422
00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:56,160
To save Ninth Young Lady from peril,

423
00:20:56,680 --> 00:20:57,960
I could not stand on ceremony.

424
00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:00,039
Standing on ceremony is not optional.

425
00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:02,680
Outside the Fu family ancestral hall

426
00:21:02,759 --> 00:21:04,920
stand three chastity memorial arches.

427
00:21:05,759 --> 00:21:06,920
You want the Eight-Character Slip?

428
00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:10,400
Not unless the ancestral hall's plaque
crashes down.

429
00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:14,519
These betrothal gifts

430
00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:18,480
were meant for Fifth Madam.

431
00:21:18,759 --> 00:21:20,480
Since Fifth Madam is unavailable...

432
00:21:20,599 --> 00:21:22,279
There is no Fifth Madam here.

433
00:21:22,279 --> 00:21:23,079
There is only

434
00:21:23,079 --> 00:21:24,759
Madam Xie.

435
00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:28,319
You bring all these gifts,

436
00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:30,200
and you think

437
00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:32,240
I should greet you with a smile?

438
00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:34,519
You look down on me?

439
00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:35,720
Listen to me.

440
00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:38,240
No matter how poor I am,

441
00:21:38,359 --> 00:21:40,519
I am still the head of the Fu family.

442
00:21:40,519 --> 00:21:41,079
Guards,

443
00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:42,519
arm yourselves.

444
00:21:42,519 --> 00:21:43,400
If he dares step inside,

445
00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:44,279
drive him out.

446
00:21:53,319 --> 00:21:54,680
I am appointed by His Majesty

447
00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:56,119
as Assistant Commander
of the Capital Guard,

448
00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:01,160
and concurrently
an Assistant Censor-in-Chief.

449
00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:03,400
Are you all planning

450
00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:05,799
to assault a court official?

451
00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:10,240
Listen carefully.

452
00:22:10,759 --> 00:22:12,400
Shut the doors in a moment.

453
00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:14,519
If he tries to force his way in,

454
00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:16,119
drive him out!

455
00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:26,640
Mr. Zhao.

456
00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:34,279
Commander Zhao.

457
00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:38,319
Madam knows you have come.

458
00:22:38,319 --> 00:22:39,400
She is deeply worried.

459
00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:41,240
She sent me to relay a message.

460
00:22:41,319 --> 00:22:42,519
She fears this may escalate.

461
00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:44,079
She asks you to bear with it for now

462
00:22:44,079 --> 00:22:45,640
and wait outside for her instructions.

463
00:22:50,279 --> 00:22:51,279
Fifth Madam,

464
00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:52,680
I, your son-in-law Zhao Ling,

465
00:22:52,799 --> 00:22:53,720
humbly await your guidance.

466
00:22:54,559 --> 00:22:55,599
My good son.

467
00:22:56,960 --> 00:22:58,359
You have my blessing

468
00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:00,680
to marry Tingyun.

469
00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:03,920
Tingyun is my own flesh and blood.

470
00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:06,519
How can I stand by while she is bullied

471
00:23:06,519 --> 00:23:07,680
and her fate is ruined?

472
00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:11,440
I have prepared another dowry for her,

473
00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:13,240
entrusted to the Xie's shop.

474
00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:15,000
On the wedding day,

475
00:23:15,319 --> 00:23:16,799
she will depart from there.

476
00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:19,000
Remember her Eight-Character Slip well.

477
00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:22,680
Yes.

478
00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:36,079
Fu Tingyun.

479
00:23:36,599 --> 00:23:37,880
Born in the fifth year of Dacheng,

480
00:23:38,359 --> 00:23:40,599
on the 18th day of the 4th month,
at the hour of Hai.

481
00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:43,599
A blessed union.

482
00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:45,960
Bound as one forever.

483
00:23:46,839 --> 00:23:48,279
A match made in heaven.

484
00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:50,559
Together through a hundred years.

485
00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:53,039
May their virtue flourish
for a thousand years,

486
00:23:53,759 --> 00:23:56,279
and their harmony last
a hundred springs.

487
00:24:07,839 --> 00:24:09,400
I swear on my life

488
00:24:09,759 --> 00:24:11,000
that I will never betray her.

489
00:24:13,599 --> 00:24:14,319
Zhao Ling!

490
00:24:14,599 --> 00:24:15,599
Someone is coming.

491
00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:16,960
Commander Zhao, you must leave now.

492
00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:20,480
Well, well, well.

493
00:24:21,279 --> 00:24:24,000
You traitor.
How dare you betray your master?

494
00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:25,440
I'll beat you to death!

495
00:24:25,839 --> 00:24:27,720
I'm sorry, Master!

496
00:24:28,079 --> 00:24:28,720
Zhao Ling!

497
00:24:28,799 --> 00:24:29,319
You...

498
00:24:29,319 --> 00:24:29,960
Zhao Ling.

499
00:24:30,599 --> 00:24:31,759
Go back.

500
00:24:32,319 --> 00:24:33,680
For the sake of his reputation,

501
00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:35,119
he won't dare harm me.

502
00:24:35,119 --> 00:24:35,960
Shut up!

503
00:24:36,279 --> 00:24:38,599
You, a fourth-rank official,
dare break the very laws you enforce.

504
00:24:38,599 --> 00:24:39,440
You disgrace your office

505
00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:40,319
by trespassing into a private residence.

506
00:24:40,319 --> 00:24:41,319
I will report this to the court.

507
00:24:41,319 --> 00:24:42,319
You'll regret it.

508
00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:43,680
And you,

509
00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:44,680
you vile woman.

510
00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:47,599
You dared to give him
her ‌Eight-Character Slip.

511
00:24:48,079 --> 00:24:49,400
I'll beat you to death!

512
00:24:50,599 --> 00:24:53,000
Do you even remember
Tingyun's birth date?

513
00:24:55,039 --> 00:24:57,000
Why should I remember
that unfilial daughter's birth date?

514
00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:58,279
If you don't know her birth date,

515
00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:00,880
you cannot produce
an ‌Eight-Character Slip.

516
00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:02,839
You only think of

517
00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:04,480
parental authority

518
00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:06,359
and using that to control Zhao Ling.

519
00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:07,920
But you forgot

520
00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:10,119
that on the children's
Eight-Character Marriage Slip,

521
00:25:10,839 --> 00:25:13,160
the most important thing
is the parents' blessing.

522
00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:16,160
What does "a parent's command"
truly mean?

523
00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:19,640
It means I bless my children
and wish them happiness,

524
00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:22,960
not that their happiness requires
my permission.

525
00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:26,039
I am her mother.

526
00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:28,680
When I give you
her ‌Eight-Character Slip,

527
00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:31,200
that is my blessing.

528
00:25:36,279 --> 00:25:37,160
Chuan, Biao.

529
00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:37,920
- Yes.
- Yes.

530
00:25:40,079 --> 00:25:40,920
Stay here.

531
00:25:41,319 --> 00:25:42,240
Protect my mother-in-law.

532
00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:42,799
- Yes!
- Yes!

533
00:26:04,280 --> 00:26:06,160
(Virtue Blesses the Hometown)

534
00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:08,160
Once Mr. Zhao gets past this hurdle,

535
00:26:09,039 --> 00:26:10,400
there will be one less obstacle

536
00:26:11,279 --> 00:26:13,039
between the two of you.

537
00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:20,079
Sanniang,

538
00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:23,920
when you and Zheng San got married,

539
00:26:26,079 --> 00:26:27,319
were you ever afraid?

540
00:26:29,319 --> 00:26:31,440
Why would I be afraid of that big oaf?

541
00:26:31,720 --> 00:26:32,799
If he's not afraid of me,

542
00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:34,200
he should count himself lucky.

543
00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:38,599
I keep thinking,

544
00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:42,839
am I being too headstrong?

545
00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:45,960
Why is it that since returning
to the capital,

546
00:26:46,799 --> 00:26:48,720
I keep finding myself arguing

547
00:26:49,039 --> 00:26:50,519
with Mr. Zhao over things?

548
00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:53,039
Don't overthink it.

549
00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:55,440
Let's go inside.

550
00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:02,460
(Virtue Blesses the Hometown)

551
00:27:10,120 --> 00:27:11,400
(Virtue Blesses the Hometown)

552
00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:33,519
♪Once a bird in a cage,
longing for the boundless sky♪

553
00:27:33,519 --> 00:27:34,119
Tingyun.

554
00:27:35,360 --> 00:27:40,960
♪To break through a thousand barriers
and cast off a life of illusion♪

555
00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:47,440
♪Though I rack my brain with care,
fate still sways me here and there♪

556
00:27:48,120 --> 00:27:53,800
♪Deep in the night, dreams stretch long,
silent and forlorn♪

557
00:27:54,640 --> 00:28:00,240
♪Once a bird among the clouds,
now fallen into the mortal world♪

558
00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:02,319
Fifth Madam said,

559
00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:04,200
parental command

560
00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:07,160
is to bless their children to live well,

561
00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:10,480
not to allow them to live well.

562
00:28:11,759 --> 00:28:12,839
Fifth Master is harsh.

563
00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:14,519
I'm a little worried

564
00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:16,920
about Fifth Madam's future.

565
00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:22,880
His only claim to standing now

566
00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:26,400
is the word "filial piety."

567
00:28:27,559 --> 00:28:29,240
If I cut off his retreat,

568
00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:32,319
then Mother should be able

569
00:28:33,640 --> 00:28:35,079
to live a better life.

570
00:28:37,319 --> 00:28:39,359
So I must tear down his grass hut.

571
00:28:41,519 --> 00:28:43,680
Mother said something wise today.

572
00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:45,839
True filial piety

573
00:28:48,119 --> 00:28:49,680
would be to return Grandmother's coffin

574
00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:51,839
to Huaying.

575
00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:57,800
♪Let this fleeting world carry me
through a life adrift♪

576
00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:03,240
♪With wit and strategy,
I enter this game without regret♪

577
00:29:04,560 --> 00:29:07,000
♪Though each move is forced upon me♪

578
00:29:08,039 --> 00:29:08,720
Does it hurt?

579
00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:17,480
♪I crave no clarity
from outside my soul♪

580
00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:22,440
♪I seek nothing beyond myself♪

581
00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:26,240
♪I crave no clarity
from outside my soul♪

582
00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:27,200
(Yu Residence)
Madam Yu,

583
00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:29,839
that unfilial daughter of mine

584
00:29:29,839 --> 00:29:30,839
won't let go of the grave relocation.

585
00:29:31,240 --> 00:29:32,759
If I truly return the coffin
to my hometown,

586
00:29:32,759 --> 00:29:33,079
I...

587
00:29:33,160 --> 00:29:35,440
What standing would I have left
in the capital?

588
00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:37,319
Fifth Master, please calm down.

589
00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:38,720
I actually think

590
00:29:39,759 --> 00:29:41,039
this might be an opportunity.

591
00:29:42,839 --> 00:29:43,880
Young Madam Yu.

592
00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:46,799
Thanks to your brilliant idea,

593
00:29:47,279 --> 00:29:49,319
we've completely offended
the Wei family.

594
00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:50,680
The plan failed.

595
00:29:51,799 --> 00:29:52,480
Don't you

596
00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:54,119
owe us

597
00:29:54,119 --> 00:29:55,559
a clear explanation?

598
00:29:56,480 --> 00:29:57,799
Madam Wu, you jest.

599
00:29:57,920 --> 00:29:59,119
Aren't these things

600
00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:00,680
what you wanted to do as well?

601
00:30:01,119 --> 00:30:02,119
After all,

602
00:30:02,119 --> 00:30:03,799
it was your idea.

603
00:30:09,319 --> 00:30:10,079
How about this?

604
00:30:10,599 --> 00:30:11,599
You do me a favor.

605
00:30:13,359 --> 00:30:14,759
I'll be sure to help you.

606
00:30:16,279 --> 00:30:17,079
What do you mean?

607
00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:18,920
I recall

608
00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:20,400
you are an Anzhou merchant.

609
00:30:21,599 --> 00:30:23,440
The silks and stationery

610
00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:24,640
you supply to the Xie shop,

611
00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:26,680
surely you could mix in
some inferior goods

612
00:30:27,039 --> 00:30:28,240
without much trouble?

613
00:30:28,559 --> 00:30:30,799
You want to ruin the Xie shop's
reputation.

614
00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:38,039
You want to use my hand as your blade

615
00:30:39,359 --> 00:30:41,119
to settle your grudge against Miss Xie.

616
00:30:42,119 --> 00:30:44,200
But if things go wrong,

617
00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:45,119
who takes the blame?

618
00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:47,319
I will protect you when the time comes.

619
00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:48,960
Rest assured.

620
00:30:50,079 --> 00:30:52,240
I am deeply favored by Madam Yu now.

621
00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:54,519
Her heart

622
00:30:55,759 --> 00:30:57,319
is with me as well.

623
00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:00,680
Young Madam, you don't actually believe

624
00:31:01,039 --> 00:31:03,160
that with one word,

625
00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:05,319
I should run errands for you

626
00:31:05,319 --> 00:31:06,599
and be grateful for the honor?

627
00:31:07,359 --> 00:31:08,920
I see clearly now.

628
00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:10,920
You've climbed high.

629
00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:13,519
You haven't learned the arts
of a high-born lady,

630
00:31:13,839 --> 00:31:15,440
but you've certainly picked up

631
00:31:15,720 --> 00:31:17,640
the airs of one.

632
00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:19,559
How dare you speak
to Young Madam like that?

633
00:31:24,079 --> 00:31:25,720
Everyone has

634
00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:26,680
their own ways.

635
00:31:27,039 --> 00:31:29,319
If I had no tricks of my own,

636
00:31:29,480 --> 00:31:31,119
I wouldn't have come to the capital

637
00:31:31,119 --> 00:31:32,519
alone to make a show of myself.

638
00:31:33,359 --> 00:31:34,240
Young Madam.

639
00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:35,400
You rely on the Yu family.

640
00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:36,400
Why don't you guess

641
00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:37,920
who I can rely on?

642
00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:41,880
Farewell.

643
00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:51,000
Madam.

644
00:31:51,599 --> 00:31:53,039
Madam Wu is here to see you.

645
00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:54,279
Send her away.

646
00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:56,400
Too many eyes and ears.

647
00:31:56,839 --> 00:31:58,559
These distant relatives

648
00:31:58,559 --> 00:31:59,799
always come to bother us.

649
00:32:01,160 --> 00:32:01,920
Madam.

650
00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:02,680
- She...
- Madam Wu.

651
00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:03,319
You cannot go in.

652
00:32:03,319 --> 00:32:03,839
Madam Wu.

653
00:32:03,839 --> 00:32:04,319
Madam Wu.

654
00:32:04,319 --> 00:32:04,880
Madam.

655
00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:11,200
Madam Yu.

656
00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:12,519
Madam Wu.

657
00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:13,759
How have you been lately?

658
00:32:14,039 --> 00:32:15,240
I appreciate your concern.

659
00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:16,480
I have managed to settle in for now.

660
00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:18,039
However,

661
00:32:18,279 --> 00:32:19,480
does your daughter-in-law

662
00:32:20,160 --> 00:32:21,720
truly take me for some poor relative

663
00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:23,799
who came to sponge off you?

664
00:32:32,079 --> 00:32:33,759
I suppose I was too humble,

665
00:32:34,359 --> 00:32:35,480
and made a fool of myself.

666
00:32:36,279 --> 00:32:36,640
No...

667
00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:43,680
The world

668
00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:44,720
is full of all kinds of people.

669
00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:46,039
Each has their own way of life,

670
00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:48,039
each hides their own cards.

671
00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:49,680
Take Madam Wei, for example.

672
00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:51,319
She relies on her own family,
not her in-laws.

673
00:32:51,759 --> 00:32:53,079
And Miss Xie

674
00:32:53,319 --> 00:32:55,160
relies on experience and courage.

675
00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:56,440
You, Madam,

676
00:32:56,440 --> 00:32:57,440
have mastered

677
00:32:57,440 --> 00:32:59,319
the skill of strategic planning.

678
00:33:00,039 --> 00:33:02,519
Even the Young Madam,
though less experienced,

679
00:33:02,519 --> 00:33:03,880
has the Yu family behind her.

680
00:33:05,559 --> 00:33:07,359
I have no great learning,

681
00:33:07,720 --> 00:33:08,759
and my husband

682
00:33:08,759 --> 00:33:10,000
is only a merchant.

683
00:33:10,279 --> 00:33:11,559
But I do benefit

684
00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:13,960
from a bit of ancestral grace.

685
00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:19,720
Three generations back,

686
00:33:20,119 --> 00:33:21,640
my great-grandmother had the fortune

687
00:33:21,759 --> 00:33:24,119
to be a wet nurse to a noble personage.

688
00:33:25,759 --> 00:33:27,359
Who might that be?

689
00:33:27,599 --> 00:33:29,079
She sits in the palace.

690
00:33:29,079 --> 00:33:30,240
The Grand Empress Dowager.

691
00:33:37,359 --> 00:33:39,079
Our dynasty rules by filial piety.

692
00:33:39,799 --> 00:33:42,200
The Grand Empress Dowager values
filial piety above all.

693
00:33:42,799 --> 00:33:44,799
In gratitude
for my great-grandmother's care,

694
00:33:44,799 --> 00:33:47,039
she invites our entire family
to celebrate each year.

695
00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:47,799
And so,

696
00:33:48,079 --> 00:33:50,359
with her birthday banquet approaching,

697
00:33:51,119 --> 00:33:53,720
every notable figure in the capital

698
00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:55,400
will be in attendance.

699
00:33:57,920 --> 00:33:59,119
Sometimes,

700
00:33:59,119 --> 00:34:01,319
just a few words with a noble person

701
00:34:01,759 --> 00:34:03,480
(Invitation to the Longevity Banquet)
can be extremely useful.

702
00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:09,400
My daughter-in-law

703
00:34:09,559 --> 00:34:11,000
has always been rather thoughtless.

704
00:34:11,079 --> 00:34:12,000
Madam Wu,

705
00:34:12,199 --> 00:34:13,920
please don't hold it
against the younger generation.

706
00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:15,400
We are still relatives.

707
00:34:16,199 --> 00:34:16,800
Please.

708
00:34:22,400 --> 00:34:23,840
But after all,

709
00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:25,239
we are only distant relatives.

710
00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:28,000
I traveled a long way to bring my niece

711
00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:29,559
to the capital,

712
00:34:29,639 --> 00:34:30,519
all

713
00:34:30,760 --> 00:34:33,519
for the sake of family ties.

714
00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:37,760
Madam Wu,

715
00:34:37,760 --> 00:34:39,239
you wish to find a good match

716
00:34:39,400 --> 00:34:40,760
for your niece.

717
00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:42,320
I understand.

718
00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:47,079
Then thank you, Madam.

719
00:35:01,240 --> 00:35:04,640
(Rosy in the Evening Glow)

720
00:35:06,920 --> 00:35:09,000
Isn't this just what I needed?

721
00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:10,480
What perfect timing.

722
00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:13,840
This time, I will teach
the Ninth Young Lady a proper lesson.

723
00:35:14,639 --> 00:35:16,360
For a family like ours,

724
00:35:16,639 --> 00:35:18,840
having good information is essential.

725
00:35:26,079 --> 00:35:27,119
In three days,

726
00:35:27,119 --> 00:35:28,400
my grandmother's birthday banquet
will be held.

727
00:35:28,480 --> 00:35:29,320
By then,

728
00:35:29,320 --> 00:35:31,360
Huchen, you and Miss Xie
will also attend.

729
00:35:32,079 --> 00:35:33,039
I hereby

730
00:35:33,039 --> 00:35:34,440
congratulate you

731
00:35:34,599 --> 00:35:36,000
on the happy occasion ahead.

732
00:35:36,719 --> 00:35:38,280
Now that you have parental consent,

733
00:35:38,519 --> 00:35:40,280
a proper matchmaker is also important.

734
00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:41,719
When the time comes,

735
00:35:41,719 --> 00:35:42,639
I will personally

736
00:35:42,719 --> 00:35:43,800
add my blessing.

737
00:35:44,559 --> 00:35:45,719
His Majesty personally...

738
00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:47,039
I,

739
00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:49,199
thank Your Majesty
for your immense grace.

740
00:36:09,639 --> 00:36:10,400
Mr. Zhao.

741
00:36:14,960 --> 00:36:16,559
Your banquet outfit
for the Grand Empress Dowager

742
00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:17,960
is ready for you.

743
00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:19,719
See if you like it.

744
00:36:55,960 --> 00:36:56,800
What do you think?

745
00:37:09,639 --> 00:37:10,920
Is it proper?

746
00:37:13,280 --> 00:37:15,079
I still think you looked better
in your wedding attire.

747
00:37:30,040 --> 00:37:33,200
(Virtue Blesses the Hometown)

748
00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:01,599
Greetings,

749
00:38:01,599 --> 00:38:03,079
Your Majesty.

750
00:38:03,679 --> 00:38:05,119
May Your Majesty

751
00:38:05,119 --> 00:38:07,199
live long and prosper.

752
00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:08,320
(Grand Empress Dowager)
Rise.

753
00:38:09,519 --> 00:38:10,880
Thank you, Your Majesty.

754
00:38:13,199 --> 00:38:14,360
Come to think of it,

755
00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:16,519
your great-grandmother once

756
00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:19,320
nursed me for three days.

757
00:38:19,559 --> 00:38:21,079
That bond,

758
00:38:21,480 --> 00:38:23,079
I have not forgotten.

759
00:38:25,239 --> 00:38:26,800
Your Majesty is too kind.

760
00:38:27,039 --> 00:38:29,320
That my great-grandmother had the honor
to serve you for those days

761
00:38:29,440 --> 00:38:31,360
was a blessing earned
over many lifetimes.

762
00:38:31,800 --> 00:38:33,199
Even the ancestral graves were blessed.

763
00:38:36,679 --> 00:38:38,440
Were it not for your grace,

764
00:38:38,679 --> 00:38:39,400
I

765
00:38:39,480 --> 00:38:41,280
would never have enjoyed such fortune.

766
00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:44,280
Rise.

767
00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:45,800
Thank you, Your Majesty.

768
00:38:48,199 --> 00:38:49,679
These days,

769
00:38:49,760 --> 00:38:52,239
people who remember old bonds like you

770
00:38:52,239 --> 00:38:53,360
are rare.

771
00:38:54,400 --> 00:38:56,079
You have traveled far and wide

772
00:38:56,199 --> 00:38:57,599
and seen many things.

773
00:38:57,840 --> 00:38:59,199
Tell me,

774
00:38:59,920 --> 00:39:00,880
what news

775
00:39:00,880 --> 00:39:02,960
is there from beyond these walls?

776
00:39:03,639 --> 00:39:04,480
Recently,

777
00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:06,639
there is something quite curious.

778
00:39:08,280 --> 00:39:10,039
A young lady by the name of Xie

779
00:39:10,280 --> 00:39:12,400
wants to relocate the grave
of Old Madam Fu.

780
00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:15,400
This Miss Xie...

781
00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:17,840
Why would she move a Fu family grave?

782
00:39:18,519 --> 00:39:20,840
This matter is tied to a case

783
00:39:21,159 --> 00:39:22,280
that was just heard

784
00:39:22,280 --> 00:39:23,440
at the Chengqian Prefecture.

785
00:39:28,760 --> 00:39:31,360
=Next Episode=

786
00:39:31,840 --> 00:39:32,840
(I)

787
00:39:33,079 --> 00:39:35,280
(pledge the fortune of this life
and the next)

788
00:39:35,599 --> 00:39:37,159
(in exchange for my daughter Tingyun's)

789
00:39:37,239 --> 00:39:38,679
(marital bliss)

790
00:39:38,679 --> 00:39:40,119
(and a life free of hardship.)

791
00:39:40,760 --> 00:39:43,320
You want your mother
to attend your wedding?

792
00:39:43,400 --> 00:39:44,679
In your dreams!

793
00:39:45,079 --> 00:39:46,800
You will not see your mother!

794
00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:47,639
And I said so!

795
00:39:47,639 --> 00:39:48,719
You won't see her!

796
00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:49,560
(Fu Residence)

797
00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:51,559
Zhao Ling!

798
00:39:52,079 --> 00:39:52,800
You bandit.

799
00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:53,760
You wastrel!

800
00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:55,000
As a fourth-rank official,

801
00:39:55,639 --> 00:39:56,360
you...

802
00:39:56,360 --> 00:39:57,400
break the law you serve.

803
00:39:57,400 --> 00:39:58,559
If you dare take one more step,

804
00:39:59,119 --> 00:40:00,039
I'll shoot you!

805
00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:01,119
Come on!

806
00:40:14,921 --> 00:40:19,241
♪The past brushes by
like a falling leaf♪

807
00:40:22,841 --> 00:40:27,201
♪So light, yet my steps still pause
for you♪

808
00:40:29,321 --> 00:40:33,961
♪Through every rise and fall,
our memories remain without regret♪

809
00:40:34,201 --> 00:40:37,001
♪Carved into the rings of time♪

810
00:40:38,161 --> 00:40:42,801
♪How I wish I could stay
a little longer, but I can't♪

811
00:40:46,001 --> 00:40:52,841
♪I turn away, afraid goodbye will fill
my eyes with tears♪

812
00:40:53,721 --> 00:41:00,241
♪Etched deep within my heart,
yet buried without a word♪

813
00:41:01,201 --> 00:41:04,641
♪The warmth of your hand in mine♪

814
00:41:05,161 --> 00:41:09,361
♪Still makes us want to believe♪

815
00:41:09,641 --> 00:41:15,321
♪One promise for a lifetime,
echoing long after we part♪

816
00:41:27,441 --> 00:41:31,321
♪For one fleeting moment, I found you
in the crowd♪

817
00:41:35,241 --> 00:41:39,241
♪Without a word, you lit up
half my life♪

818
00:41:40,961 --> 00:41:45,641
♪In silence, a love too deep for words♪

819
00:41:45,961 --> 00:41:48,641
♪Kept close within my heart♪

820
00:41:49,721 --> 00:41:54,561
♪From now on, no one else
is worth waiting for♪

821
00:41:58,081 --> 00:42:05,001
♪I turn away, afraid no one
will ever come home to me again♪

822
00:42:05,881 --> 00:42:12,361
♪If we can build our future together,
no storm can chill my heart♪

823
00:42:13,241 --> 00:42:16,761
♪The warmth of your hand in mine♪

824
00:42:17,201 --> 00:42:21,561
♪Still makes us want to believe♪

825
00:42:21,761 --> 00:42:27,481
♪One promise for a lifetime,
echoing long after we part♪