Original subtitles

=The Road to Splendor=

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

=Episode 24=

(Virtue Blesses the Hometown)

It's a bundle of Wangyou grass.

Mr. Zhao

was worried you might be anxious.

That's why he didn't deliver it himself.

He is still upset.

If that's the case,

I'll do as he said.

I'll worry less

and stop waiting like an idiot.

Zheng San said

Mr. Zhao

has gone to find the Seventh Young Master Fu

to testify on his behalf.

Miss Xie,

please set your mind at ease.

Tingzhuo?

It's been so long since we last saw him.

I wonder

how he will view this matter.

I heard from my wife

that all these years,

you've taken good care of Tingyun.

I am grateful for that.

It's not that

I took care of her.

We've stood by

and cared for each other.

Here.

Mr. Zhao.

I know why you asked to see me today.

But my father's command cannot be defied.

You and Tingyun,

I...

I cannot help you.

I understand your position.

Today's meeting

is simply for old times' sake.

Come, let's drink.

I was born in the Fu family,

raised in the Fu family,

and bound by the Fu family.

When calamity struck Tingyun,

she was fortunate to escape this cage.

But what I carry on my shoulders

are these heavy shackles.

The weight of filial piety alone

suffocates me.

You can see for yourself.

If the men of the Fu family

have no achievements in officialdom or scholarship,

then reputation

becomes even more important.

In that case,

I have nothing more to say.

Is there anything

you want me to tell her?

This was carved to congratulate Tingyun

on her wedding at that time.

But she left home in such a hurry

that she couldn't take it with her.

Now is the perfect time

to give it to her

through you.

Even if you won't help me today,

I'll still see you as my brother-in-law.

I hope that one day,

when I properly marry Tingyun,

you will come and drink with us.

Alright.

Seventh Young Master.

There's something

I'd like to pass on for her.

Please.

What you lose in one place,

you gain in another.

As long as you live

and the fire in your heart does not die,

whether in politics

or in the academy,

sooner or later, you'll have a bright future.

Rest assured.

She and I

have done nothing wrong.

We can weather any storm.

Fifth Master

can't touch us.

Good.

Come on.

My father's command cannot be defied.

What happened?

He's so drunk.

Help him to bed.

Get some hot water.

Yes.

Father...

My father's command cannot be defied.

Serving my in-laws

and now a drunkard.

Marrying a beggar

would be better

than a spineless coward.

Ting...

Tingyun.

I want to say something to you.

I've let you down.

I want to help you too.

But I cannot...

I cannot wrong your sister-in-law.

I...

I cannot make my mark in the imperial exams.

I don't deserve it.

If I were to enter officialdom,

wouldn't I be following Father's path,

climbing over the chastity arches

of the women of the Fu family?

But if I help you,

then I break the Fu family's banner of filial piety.

What about your sister-in-law?

She and the children,

how can they ever hold their heads up?

I can't move forward.

I can't step back.

I am so torn.

Forgive me.

Forgive me.

Has he been

failing the exams on purpose?

The 6th year of the Hongzhi era,

5th month, 22nd day.

The case of the Fu family servant Li suing her master

is now formally convened.

The plaintiff, servant woman Li,

was beaten to death in court.

I

shall present this petition on her behalf.

Here is the written complaint.

Commander Zhao, you hold the fourth rank.

No need to kneel.

I, Xie,

pay my respects to you, My Lord.

I, Zhao Ling,

pay my respects to you, My Lord.

The plaintiff, Li,

charges

that Fu Tingyun

eloped and disgraced the family,

causing her grandmother's death.

Under our dynasty's law,

this is

a grave crime of unfilial conduct.

Zhao Ling,

currently an Assistant Commander of the Capital Guard,

is charged with abducting a virtuous woman

and causing the death of her kin.

Do the two of you

plead guilty?

I do not.

I do not.

Call the plaintiff's witness.

My Lord.

I am

the son of Li's former master.

I come from the Fu family of Huaying.

I was once

a fifth-rank civil official.

Today, I come before you

at great personal cost

to air our family's shame.

All because this unfilial daughter, Fu Tingyun,

drove her grandmother to her death

through her defiant behavior.

I implore you to investigate, My Lord,

to bring this wayward daughter back,

and punish Zhao Ling severely,

so my mother's soul may finally rest.

Defendant,

do you have anything to say?

My Lord, please hear my plea.

When I was in the Fu family,

I was falsely accused of adultery.

The Fu family nearly

executed me without trial.

Thankfully, my mother secretly entrusted Commander Zhao to save me.

This jade bracelet, an heirloom of the Xie family,

was given to me

by my mother as a betrothal token,

placed into my own hands.

After I was rescued,

I took the surname Xie.

If you doubt me, My Lord,

you may inspect

the records of the Huaying county yamen.

They clearly show

that I was recorded as deceased.

If you still have doubts,

I can call a witness,

Hanyan, to the stand.

She was the personal maid of my sister-in-law, Zuo.

She knows the inner affairs

of the Fu family well.

Call the defendant's witness.

Hanyan.

You are a former servant of the Fu family.

You should know what to say

and what to leave unsaid.

Fifth Master, you may have forgotten,

though my former mistress held a grudge against Ninth Young Lady,

she resented the Fu family's coldness even more.

My Lord,

I can testify

that everything Ninth Young Lady said is true.

When she left the Fu family with Commander Zhao that year,

it was an act of survival in desperate times.

I saw it with my own eyes.

Madam Zuo of the Fu family conspired with servants

to frame Ninth Young Lady for adultery.

The Old Madam Fu, for the sake of a few chastity memorial arches,

turned her back on family.

Commander Zhao was entrusted by the Fifth Madam

to take Ninth Young Lady out of Huaying.

That was a life-saving act.

It was not an illicit elopement.

(Indenture Contract)

What time is it now?

Oh no.

I wonder how the trial is going.

Mother?

Mother.

It was my daughter-in-law

who dismissed the servants

and brought me out here.

I plan to go

to Chengqian Prefectural Yamen

and help your sister.

Will you help me?

Mother,

are you going to confront Father in court?

My husband,

I know you want to go too.

I used to think

you were shallow in learning,

lacking ambition,

and submissive to Father

in blind filial piety,

unable to tell right from wrong.

But yesterday,

when I heard your drunken ramblings,

I realized you have your own pain too.

If I can help you find your way,

you would surely be the most principled man in the world.

What

do you mean?

I want to ask you.

I don't need my husband to rise above others.

I only ask that he be

an ordinary man without great achievements,

but with high moral character,

and an open heart.

Can you be that kind of man?

If you agree,

I promise you

that I will never seek wealth or status.

I will not push you to achieve.

I will only raise our children.

You don't need the exams anymore.

Come back to my hometown with me.

Work under my father

as a modest clerk.

Never again rely on the Fu family's

wealth or reputation.

We two,

with clear consciences,

will never again be bound by any memorial arch.

I will honor my mother-in-law.

You honor your father-in-law.

In the future,

whether our children honor us or not,

we will not force it.

What do you say?

But when you agreed to marry me,

it was for my family's scholarly reputation

and status.

I...

Then you underestimate me.

I married

the man himself,

not his birth.

Cutting flesh to heal a parent.

Cutting flesh to heal a parent.

Zhuang.

Zhuang.

Be good.

Go play outside.

Let's go.

Alright.

My mother's coffin

has never been returned to her homeland.

She is buried at Phoenix Ridge on the outskirts of the capital.

I built a hut and observed mourning,

eating only vegetarian food and fasting for seven years.

I finally waited for Zhao Ling to return to the capital.

I want to demand justice from him.

But this man

is high in rank and power,

while I am of low standing and weak voice.

Yet heaven's justice is clear.

I beg Your Lordship to see the truth.

What do you have to say for yourself?

I left Huaying in the 5th month

of the 22nd year of Dacheng.

Old Madam Fu passed away in the 9th month of the same year.

That is over four months apart.

In terms of timing,

it is hardly proof, is it?

My mother fell ill from grief in the 5th month.

I have the medical records here.

You two ungrateful, unfilial wretches.

You drove your grandmother to her death

(Tongue: pale red, edges reddened) and defied your elders.

(Liver-spleen disharmony)

One an eloped woman,

the other a libertine.

He is no libertine.

Nor is she an eloped woman.

I can testify.

Mother.

Tingzhuo.

I can testify.

When my mother-in-law was on her deathbed,

her mind was clear

and she bore no resentment.

At that time, the Eldest Master of the Fu family

was entangled in the Huaying salt case.

My mother-in-law

was worn down by the careers of her two sons.

That is what led to her passing.

That gave Fifth Master the chance to observe mourning.

But he was unwilling to leave the capital.

To be ready to return to office at any time,

he had his mother's coffin brought back

and built a hut to mourn.

You are just a woman...

My daughter has been wronged.

She is utterly innocent.

If you were truly filial,

you should have returned your mother's coffin

to the ancestral graves in Huaying.

You are just a woman.

What right do you have to speak in the Fu family?

My Lord,

I am the eldest son of the fifth branch of the Fu family.

I was brought up by my grandmother.

I stake my life and honor

on the truth

of my mother's words.

As a son,

I cannot speak against my father.

But I will not stand by while my sister is wronged.

I beg Your Lordship to see the truth.

This case has been investigated.

Fifth Master Fu

falsely accused a court official.

By law, he should be severely punished.

But in consideration of family grievances,

I shall show him leniency.

Commander Zhao

and Miss Xie

did not elope.

They are cleared of all charges.

Fine.

You're quite something.

We'll settle this at home.

Mother.

It's alright.

I have your brother to protect me.

Take this chance to have Zhao Ling

come propose soon

and make the marriage official.

Go now.

Go, I dare you.

Let's see who dares to set foot in my house!

If you are willing,

I will go today.

Just say the word.

Isn't it that you thought

I was inconsiderate

and unwilling to stand by you?

Why are you still upset about the wedding?

Mr. Zhao,

I am willing.

I...

I will go prepare the betrothal gifts.

(Chengqian Prefectural Yamen)

(Xie Residence)

(Virtue Blesses the Hometown)

All rites are prepared.

Set out.

I have come today

to present the betrothal gifts.

I have prepared ten bolts of cloud brocade,

two sets of gold headpieces,

and a bushel of pearls from the Eastern Sea.

Please, Fifth Madam, have a look.

I also request the Ninth Young Lady's Eight-Character Slip

to unite our two families.

Commander Zhao,

what you just said

sounds reasonable enough.

But let me ask you this.

Since you know

that marriage

requires the parents' blessing,

when you took Tingyun from Huaying,

then the two of you

were no better than an eloped woman and a libertine.

Was that proper?

In urgent times, one must adapt.

To save Ninth Young Lady from peril,

I could not stand on ceremony.

Standing on ceremony is not optional.

Outside the Fu family ancestral hall

stand three chastity memorial arches.

You want the Eight-Character Slip?

Not unless the ancestral hall's plaque crashes down.

These betrothal gifts

were meant for Fifth Madam.

Since Fifth Madam is unavailable...

There is no Fifth Madam here.

There is only

Madam Xie.

You bring all these gifts,

and you think

I should greet you with a smile?

You look down on me?

Listen to me.

No matter how poor I am,

I am still the head of the Fu family.

Guards,

arm yourselves.

If he dares step inside,

drive him out.

I am appointed by His Majesty

as Assistant Commander of the Capital Guard,

and concurrently an Assistant Censor-in-Chief.

Are you all planning

to assault a court official?

Listen carefully.

Shut the doors in a moment.

If he tries to force his way in,

drive him out!

Mr. Zhao.

Commander Zhao.

Madam knows you have come.

She is deeply worried.

She sent me to relay a message.

She fears this may escalate.

She asks you to bear with it for now

and wait outside for her instructions.

Fifth Madam,

I, your son-in-law Zhao Ling,

humbly await your guidance.

My good son.

You have my blessing

to marry Tingyun.

Tingyun is my own flesh and blood.

How can I stand by while she is bullied

and her fate is ruined?

I have prepared another dowry for her,

entrusted to the Xie's shop.

On the wedding day,

she will depart from there.

Remember her Eight-Character Slip well.

Yes.

Fu Tingyun.

Born in the fifth year of Dacheng,

on the 18th day of the 4th month, at the hour of Hai.

A blessed union.

Bound as one forever.

A match made in heaven.

Together through a hundred years.

May their virtue flourish for a thousand years,

and their harmony last a hundred springs.

I swear on my life

that I will never betray her.

Zhao Ling!

Someone is coming.

Commander Zhao, you must leave now.

Well, well, well.

You traitor. How dare you betray your master?

I'll beat you to death!

I'm sorry, Master!

Zhao Ling!

You...

Zhao Ling.

Go back.

For the sake of his reputation,

he won't dare harm me.

Shut up!

You, a fourth-rank official, dare break the very laws you enforce.

You disgrace your office

by trespassing into a private residence.

I will report this to the court.

You'll regret it.

And you,

you vile woman.

You dared to give him her ‌Eight-Character Slip.

I'll beat you to death!

Do you even remember Tingyun's birth date?

Why should I remember that unfilial daughter's birth date?

If you don't know her birth date,

you cannot produce an ‌Eight-Character Slip.

You only think of

parental authority

and using that to control Zhao Ling.

But you forgot

that on the children's Eight-Character Marriage Slip,

the most important thing is the parents' blessing.

What does "a parent's command" truly mean?

It means I bless my children and wish them happiness,

not that their happiness requires my permission.

I am her mother.

When I give you her ‌Eight-Character Slip,

that is my blessing.

Chuan, Biao.

- Yes. - Yes.

Stay here.

Protect my mother-in-law.

- Yes! - Yes!

(Virtue Blesses the Hometown)

Once Mr. Zhao gets past this hurdle,

there will be one less obstacle

between the two of you.

Sanniang,

when you and Zheng San got married,

were you ever afraid?

Why would I be afraid of that big oaf?

If he's not afraid of me,

he should count himself lucky.

I keep thinking,

am I being too headstrong?

Why is it that since returning to the capital,

I keep finding myself arguing

with Mr. Zhao over things?

Don't overthink it.

Let's go inside.

(Virtue Blesses the Hometown)

(Virtue Blesses the Hometown)

♪Once a bird in a cage, longing for the boundless sky♪

Tingyun.

♪To break through a thousand barriers and cast off a life of illusion♪

♪Though I rack my brain with care, fate still sways me here and there♪

♪Deep in the night, dreams stretch long, silent and forlorn♪

♪Once a bird among the clouds, now fallen into the mortal world♪

Fifth Madam said,

parental command

is to bless their children to live well,

not to allow them to live well.

Fifth Master is harsh.

I'm a little worried

about Fifth Madam's future.

His only claim to standing now

is the word "filial piety."

If I cut off his retreat,

then Mother should be able

to live a better life.

So I must tear down his grass hut.

Mother said something wise today.

True filial piety

would be to return Grandmother's coffin

to Huaying.

♪Let this fleeting world carry me through a life adrift♪

♪With wit and strategy, I enter this game without regret♪

♪Though each move is forced upon me♪

Does it hurt?

♪I crave no clarity from outside my soul♪

♪I seek nothing beyond myself♪

♪I crave no clarity from outside my soul♪

(Yu Residence) Madam Yu,

that unfilial daughter of mine

won't let go of the grave relocation.

If I truly return the coffin to my hometown,

I...

What standing would I have left in the capital?

Fifth Master, please calm down.

I actually think

this might be an opportunity.

Young Madam Yu.

Thanks to your brilliant idea,

we've completely offended the Wei family.

The plan failed.

Don't you

owe us

a clear explanation?

Madam Wu, you jest.

Aren't these things

what you wanted to do as well?

After all,

it was your idea.

How about this?

You do me a favor.

I'll be sure to help you.

What do you mean?

I recall

you are an Anzhou merchant.

The silks and stationery

you supply to the Xie shop,

surely you could mix in some inferior goods

without much trouble?

You want to ruin the Xie shop's reputation.

You want to use my hand as your blade

to settle your grudge against Miss Xie.

But if things go wrong,

who takes the blame?

I will protect you when the time comes.

Rest assured.

I am deeply favored by Madam Yu now.

Her heart

is with me as well.

Young Madam, you don't actually believe

that with one word,

I should run errands for you

and be grateful for the honor?

I see clearly now.

You've climbed high.

You haven't learned the arts of a high-born lady,

but you've certainly picked up

the airs of one.

How dare you speak to Young Madam like that?

Everyone has

their own ways.

If I had no tricks of my own,

I wouldn't have come to the capital

alone to make a show of myself.

Young Madam.

You rely on the Yu family.

Why don't you guess

who I can rely on?

Farewell.

Madam.

Madam Wu is here to see you.

Send her away.

Too many eyes and ears.

These distant relatives

always come to bother us.

Madam.

- She... - Madam Wu.

You cannot go in.

Madam Wu.

Madam Wu.

Madam.

Madam Yu.

Madam Wu.

How have you been lately?

I appreciate your concern.

I have managed to settle in for now.

However,

does your daughter-in-law

truly take me for some poor relative

who came to sponge off you?

I suppose I was too humble,

and made a fool of myself.

No...

The world

is full of all kinds of people.

Each has their own way of life,

each hides their own cards.

Take Madam Wei, for example.

She relies on her own family, not her in-laws.

And Miss Xie

relies on experience and courage.

You, Madam,

have mastered

the skill of strategic planning.

Even the Young Madam, though less experienced,

has the Yu family behind her.

I have no great learning,

and my husband

is only a merchant.

But I do benefit

from a bit of ancestral grace.

Three generations back,

my great-grandmother had the fortune

to be a wet nurse to a noble personage.

Who might that be?

She sits in the palace.

The Grand Empress Dowager.

Our dynasty rules by filial piety.

The Grand Empress Dowager values filial piety above all.

In gratitude for my great-grandmother's care,

she invites our entire family to celebrate each year.

And so,

with her birthday banquet approaching,

every notable figure in the capital

will be in attendance.

Sometimes,

just a few words with a noble person

(Invitation to the Longevity Banquet) can be extremely useful.

My daughter-in-law

has always been rather thoughtless.

Madam Wu,

please don't hold it against the younger generation.

We are still relatives.

Please.

But after all,

we are only distant relatives.

I traveled a long way to bring my niece

to the capital,

all

for the sake of family ties.

Madam Wu,

you wish to find a good match

for your niece.

I understand.

Then thank you, Madam.

(Rosy in the Evening Glow)

Isn't this just what I needed?

What perfect timing.

This time, I will teach the Ninth Young Lady a proper lesson.

For a family like ours,

having good information is essential.

In three days,

my grandmother's birthday banquet will be held.

By then,

Huchen, you and Miss Xie will also attend.

I hereby

congratulate you

on the happy occasion ahead.

Now that you have parental consent,

a proper matchmaker is also important.

When the time comes,

I will personally

add my blessing.

His Majesty personally...

I,

thank Your Majesty for your immense grace.

Mr. Zhao.

Your banquet outfit for the Grand Empress Dowager

is ready for you.

See if you like it.

What do you think?

Is it proper?

I still think you looked better in your wedding attire.

(Virtue Blesses the Hometown)

Greetings,

Your Majesty.

May Your Majesty

live long and prosper.

(Grand Empress Dowager) Rise.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Come to think of it,

your great-grandmother once

nursed me for three days.

That bond,

I have not forgotten.

Your Majesty is too kind.

That my great-grandmother had the honor to serve you for those days

was a blessing earned over many lifetimes.

Even the ancestral graves were blessed.

Were it not for your grace,

I

would never have enjoyed such fortune.

Rise.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

These days,

people who remember old bonds like you

are rare.

You have traveled far and wide

and seen many things.

Tell me,

what news

is there from beyond these walls?

Recently,

there is something quite curious.

A young lady by the name of Xie

wants to relocate the grave of Old Madam Fu.

This Miss Xie...

Why would she move a Fu family grave?

This matter is tied to a case

that was just heard

at the Chengqian Prefecture.

=Next Episode=

(I)

(pledge the fortune of this life and the next)

(in exchange for my daughter Tingyun's)

(marital bliss)

(and a life free of hardship.)

You want your mother to attend your wedding?

In your dreams!

You will not see your mother!

And I said so!

You won't see her!

(Fu Residence)

Zhao Ling!

You bandit.

You wastrel!

As a fourth-rank official,

you...

break the law you serve.

If you dare take one more step,

I'll shoot you!

Come on!

♪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♪