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
00:01:35,140 --> 00:01:37,873
=Episode 30=

4
00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:39,120
What is this?

5
00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:41,359
My sworn brother,
whom I have raised for over a decade,

6
00:01:41,439 --> 00:01:42,359
and your daughter

7
00:01:42,359 --> 00:01:43,359
grew up together.

8
00:01:44,239 --> 00:01:45,359
Today, I take the liberty

9
00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:46,879
of asking you, Commander Wang,

10
00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:48,560
to agree to this match.

11
00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:50,200
Why so sudden?

12
00:01:51,959 --> 00:01:53,480
Why did you not mention it earlier?

13
00:01:53,959 --> 00:01:54,879
I...

14
00:01:56,159 --> 00:01:57,159
This lad?

15
00:01:58,760 --> 00:01:59,359
Yes.

16
00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:01,359
He looks fine to me.

17
00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:03,879
When it comes to children's marriage,

18
00:02:03,879 --> 00:02:05,120
their mother has the final say.

19
00:02:05,359 --> 00:02:05,959
Quickly,

20
00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:07,439
go and ask Madam to come here.

21
00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:09,439
Commander,

22
00:02:10,599 --> 00:02:11,879
there is one more matter

23
00:02:12,719 --> 00:02:14,199
I wish to discuss with you.

24
00:02:15,759 --> 00:02:17,560
Marriage and funerals are matters
of the inner household.

25
00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:19,319
He deliberately avoided both of us.

26
00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:20,319
What is he up to?

27
00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:22,639
Lately,

28
00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:25,159
he has grown more impatient.

29
00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:27,759
Locked in a struggle
with Grand Secretary Yu,

30
00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:29,960
he wishes Commander Wang

31
00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:32,199
to lend him support.

32
00:02:34,479 --> 00:02:35,439
Zhao Ling.

33
00:02:35,879 --> 00:02:37,000
As long as he is resolute,

34
00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:38,599
the Northwest will stand with him.

35
00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:42,159
What troubles me

36
00:02:42,599 --> 00:02:44,039
is that he used the children's marriage

37
00:02:44,159 --> 00:02:45,560
as leverage to show his resolve.

38
00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:53,000
What are you doing?

39
00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:53,639
Rise.

40
00:02:54,199 --> 00:02:55,120
the Northwest

41
00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:56,840
is Mr. Zhao's foundation.

42
00:02:56,919 --> 00:02:58,319
I cannot bear

43
00:02:58,319 --> 00:02:59,680
to see him helpless and alone.

44
00:03:00,159 --> 00:03:01,560
Please give your consent to this match.

45
00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:09,639
Rise first.

46
00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:15,439
I know,

47
00:03:16,319 --> 00:03:17,719
since coming to the capital,

48
00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:19,439
he has grown more stubborn.

49
00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:20,800
You cannot talk him out of it either.

50
00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:23,639
But for now, he and the Northwest
are joined at the hip.

51
00:03:24,439 --> 00:03:25,400
Touch one part,

52
00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:26,560
and the whole system is affected.

53
00:03:27,439 --> 00:03:27,960
You

54
00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:29,000
and I,

55
00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:31,599
let's take it one step at a time.

56
00:03:37,879 --> 00:03:39,240
When grain passes through Longxi,

57
00:03:39,439 --> 00:03:40,879
(Respectfully submitted by Li Mao)
two dou are lost from every dan.

58
00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:44,319
The soldiers escorting the grain

59
00:03:44,334 --> 00:03:45,468
(When grain passes through Longxi...)

60
00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:47,120
used their blood as ink.

61
00:03:47,439 --> 00:03:48,560
At every relay station,

62
00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:50,199
each grain sack lost two dou.

63
00:03:50,919 --> 00:03:52,639
While Li Mao oversaw grain supplies,

64
00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:54,439
he recorded these losses

65
00:03:54,439 --> 00:03:55,759
as storage wastage.

66
00:03:56,800 --> 00:03:58,159
He couldn't have pulled this off

67
00:03:58,159 --> 00:03:59,639
so seamlessly on his own.

68
00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:01,479
I have been investigating for years.

69
00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:03,120
Only then did I discover

70
00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:06,000
his close ties with the Yu faction.

71
00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:09,520
I brought all the evidence
to the capital

72
00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:11,639
in search of an opportunity

73
00:04:11,919 --> 00:04:13,400
to deliver a decisive blow.

74
00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:16,399
(Two dou are lost from every dan.)
On paper, the grain supply

75
00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:17,959
to the Northwest garrison

76
00:04:18,959 --> 00:04:21,199
appears to be 30,000 dan more
than the Ministry of War's records.

77
00:04:22,319 --> 00:04:23,519
Yet the border troops

78
00:04:25,199 --> 00:04:26,839
still go hungry.

79
00:04:26,843 --> 00:04:27,896
(When grain passes through Longxi,
two dou are lost from every dan.)

80
00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:28,920
With this evidence,

81
00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:30,639
I can prove

82
00:04:31,399 --> 00:04:33,279
that the Yu faction used
northwest storage wastage as a cover

83
00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:34,879
to commit embezzlement.

84
00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:37,120
I only hope this bloodied garment

85
00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:39,120
will see the light of day.

86
00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:43,360
Then the suffering
of the Northwest soldiers

87
00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:46,439
over all these years
will not have been in vain.

88
00:04:47,879 --> 00:04:49,680
You ask for the Northwest's stance.

89
00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:54,480
Here it is.

90
00:04:54,487 --> 00:04:55,160
(When grain passes through Longxi,
two dou are lost from every dan.)

91
00:04:56,439 --> 00:04:58,360
This is the bloodied garment
of border soldiers.

92
00:04:58,959 --> 00:05:00,319
And these are Li Mao's

93
00:05:00,519 --> 00:05:01,920
(To Lord Zhang, in Jiangqian Hutong)
letters exchanged with the Yu faction.

94
00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:03,839
They're solid evidence.

95
00:05:06,316 --> 00:05:07,237
(Grain)

96
00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:08,480
You plan to start

97
00:05:08,879 --> 00:05:10,480
with the Northwest grain storage losses.

98
00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:16,399
But if we lose,

99
00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:18,560
it will be utter ruin.

100
00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:19,680
But if we win,

101
00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:23,800
every one of you will rise.

102
00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:25,160
Grand Secretary.

103
00:05:25,639 --> 00:05:26,720
Last night, Zhao Ling

104
00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:28,560
took the case files of the Li Mao case.

105
00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:30,439
However,

106
00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:32,040
there is no solid confession.

107
00:05:32,319 --> 00:05:33,399
But the documents

108
00:05:33,399 --> 00:05:34,959
still bear Li Mao's handwriting.

109
00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:36,439
Years ago,

110
00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:38,480
we exchanged letters with him.

111
00:05:38,759 --> 00:05:39,519
Even

112
00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:41,759
Young Lord Yu was...

113
00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:47,920
Because it was years ago,

114
00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:49,560
I was careless.

115
00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:53,439
Zhao Ling reopening this old case now

116
00:05:54,319 --> 00:05:55,000
likely means

117
00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:57,399
he has already prepared his case.

118
00:05:57,720 --> 00:05:58,519
Tomorrow,

119
00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:00,240
Zhao Ling will certainly make his move.

120
00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:01,720
Grand Secretary,

121
00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:03,279
do you have a plan?

122
00:06:04,199 --> 00:06:05,639
The treasury is empty.

123
00:06:06,199 --> 00:06:07,639
His Majesty values silver over men.

124
00:06:08,759 --> 00:06:10,519
If we bring down a corrupt official

125
00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:14,040
what would that mean to His Majesty?

126
00:06:25,959 --> 00:06:27,319
Ministers, do any of you

127
00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:28,480
have a memorial to submit?

128
00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:31,560
I

129
00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:33,480
have a memorial to submit.

130
00:06:34,399 --> 00:06:35,480
What is it?

131
00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:38,199
I beg Your Majesty to allow me

132
00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:42,360
to resign and return home.

133
00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:56,759
Your Majesty,

134
00:06:57,319 --> 00:06:58,839
Grand Secretary Yu is in his prime

135
00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:00,160
and a pillar of the state.

136
00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:02,879
He is also a key minister
overseeing the salt reform.

137
00:07:04,439 --> 00:07:06,160
To bring up retirement now

138
00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:09,160
seems rather unusual.

139
00:07:10,519 --> 00:07:11,360
Minister Yu,

140
00:07:11,879 --> 00:07:12,959
what do you mean by this?

141
00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:15,600
I am ashamed,

142
00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:20,120
for I have failed to teach my son.

143
00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:22,319
My son, Jingxiu,

144
00:07:22,319 --> 00:07:23,120
back then,

145
00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:25,439
when he was studying in Huaying County,

146
00:07:26,399 --> 00:07:28,800
had a secret exchange with the daughter

147
00:07:29,199 --> 00:07:30,839
of his tutor, Miss Fan.

148
00:07:31,959 --> 00:07:33,279
To stop my wife

149
00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:34,959
from negotiating a match
with the Fu family,

150
00:07:35,519 --> 00:07:37,759
he did something reckless.

151
00:07:37,759 --> 00:07:38,879
He conspired with a scholar

152
00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:42,040
to ruin the reputation

153
00:07:42,759 --> 00:07:44,800
of the Ninth Young Lady Fu,

154
00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:46,360
who is now Commander Zhao's wife.

155
00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:53,279
There was actually such a case?

156
00:07:54,199 --> 00:07:54,720
This is

157
00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:56,759
my first time hearing about this.

158
00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:02,040
To extricate himself,

159
00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:04,160
he would even sacrifice his own son.

160
00:08:04,519 --> 00:08:06,600
Grand Secretary Yu is discarding
Young Lord Yu now,

161
00:08:07,199 --> 00:08:08,639
I suspect, to avoid

162
00:08:08,839 --> 00:08:10,160
the charge of embezzling

163
00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:11,920
military provisions under the guise
of storage losses.

164
00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:14,759
And what do you mean by that,
Minister Zhao?

165
00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:17,279
Li Mao embezzled

166
00:08:17,439 --> 00:08:18,680
northwest military grain
under the same guise.

167
00:08:20,519 --> 00:08:22,240
We have solid evidence in hand.

168
00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:25,120
Grand Secretary Yu cannot escape
his involvement in this.

169
00:08:25,839 --> 00:08:27,600
By acting first today,

170
00:08:28,399 --> 00:08:30,120
he is trying to muddy

171
00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:32,360
the waters and confuse the issue.

172
00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:33,960
I beg

173
00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:35,120
Your Majesty to see the truth.

174
00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:36,480
Northwest military provisions

175
00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:38,480
have always been tied to the salt trade.

176
00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:39,879
During the period in question,

177
00:08:39,879 --> 00:08:41,759
Grand Secretary Yu was in charge.

178
00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:42,559
I

179
00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:44,320
have the bloodied garment
of border soldiers,

180
00:08:44,639 --> 00:08:45,639
as well as Li Mao's

181
00:08:45,639 --> 00:08:46,519
letters

182
00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:49,519
to the implicated officials.

183
00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:50,480
Present them.

184
00:08:53,759 --> 00:08:54,480
Your Majesty,

185
00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:55,840
a bloodied garment,

186
00:08:56,039 --> 00:08:57,159
(To Lord Zhang, in Jiangqian Hutong)
a few letters,

187
00:08:57,279 --> 00:08:59,000
all are of dubious origin.

188
00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:00,799
This is clearly a frame-up.

189
00:09:01,039 --> 00:09:01,919
In my view,

190
00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:03,000
Commander Zhao

191
00:09:03,279 --> 00:09:04,240
is simply trying

192
00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:05,759
to settle a personal score.

193
00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:06,799
Grand Secretary Yu

194
00:09:06,799 --> 00:09:07,840
is as clean as can be.

195
00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:09,000
How dare you

196
00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:10,399
put personal grudges above the state?

197
00:09:10,399 --> 00:09:11,759
I beg Your Majesty to see the truth.

198
00:09:11,759 --> 00:09:12,720
I beg Your Majesty to see the truth.

199
00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:14,480
I beg Your Majesty to see the truth.

200
00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:15,759
Your Majesty,

201
00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:17,440
the bloodied garment

202
00:09:18,399 --> 00:09:20,159
belongs to northwest soldiers.

203
00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:23,399
Then would Commander Wang know of this?

204
00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:29,120
I beg Your Majesty to investigate.

205
00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:30,480
I beg Your Majesty to investigate.

206
00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:32,240
Years of war on the border,

207
00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:33,320
and yet our soldiers

208
00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:35,000
cannot even fill their stomachs.

209
00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:36,679
I beg Your Majesty to see the truth.

210
00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:38,320
Commander Zhao, everyone knows you came

211
00:09:38,399 --> 00:09:39,799
from the Northwest army.

212
00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:40,919
You are simply

213
00:09:40,919 --> 00:09:42,919
protecting your own people.

214
00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:43,960
In my view,

215
00:09:44,279 --> 00:09:46,480
you just want to bring down
Grand Secretary Yu

216
00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:47,919
and obstruct the salt reform.

217
00:09:48,799 --> 00:09:49,480
Huchen.

218
00:09:52,039 --> 00:09:54,240
I beg Your Majesty to see the truth.

219
00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:56,519
I beg Your Majesty to see the truth.

220
00:09:56,720 --> 00:09:58,000
Grand Secretary Yu is innocent.

221
00:09:58,000 --> 00:09:59,440
I beg Your Majesty to see the truth.

222
00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:01,200
I beg Your Majesty to see the truth.

223
00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:03,399
I beg Your Majesty to see the truth.

224
00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:06,240
Minister Yu.

225
00:10:06,519 --> 00:10:07,159
Yes, Your Majesty.

226
00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:08,360
Not you.

227
00:10:21,879 --> 00:10:22,639
Yes, Your Majesty.

228
00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:35,639
Minister Yu,

229
00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:37,879
do you have anything to say?

230
00:10:43,879 --> 00:10:44,679
You'd better

231
00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:46,759
think carefully

232
00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:48,320
before you speak.

233
00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:02,679
Every word Grand Secretary Yu said...

234
00:11:06,639 --> 00:11:08,200
is true!

235
00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:12,519
Though I once slandered Madam Zhao,

236
00:11:13,759 --> 00:11:15,440
during my inspection in Ganlin,

237
00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:17,120
I came to admire her.

238
00:11:17,759 --> 00:11:19,399
So I earned Commander Zhao's enmity.

239
00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:21,679
Ever since he arrived in the capital,

240
00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:25,480
Commander Zhao
has treated me as his enemy.

241
00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:27,480
Grand Secretary Yu

242
00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:31,000
has been dragged into this
because of me.

243
00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:32,759
I am

244
00:11:36,159 --> 00:11:37,559
unworthy of being a minister,

245
00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:48,919
and unworthy of being a son.

246
00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:52,480
I

247
00:11:56,679 --> 00:11:58,360
wish to resign my post

248
00:12:03,039 --> 00:12:04,519
and await Your Majesty's judgment.

249
00:12:11,039 --> 00:12:12,320
I beg Your Majesty

250
00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:15,240
not to investigate Li Mao's letters.

251
00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:20,440
Because of my personal feelings,

252
00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:24,000
every single one

253
00:12:26,639 --> 00:12:28,039
mentions Madam Zhao.

254
00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:30,879
She is already married.

255
00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:34,720
I should not ruin her reputation again.

256
00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:46,919
I am

257
00:12:48,799 --> 00:12:49,480
willing

258
00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:52,480
to die

259
00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:56,320
to beg Your Majesty for mercy!

260
00:12:58,799 --> 00:12:59,559
Young Lord Yu!

261
00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:00,360
You must not!

262
00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:01,440
You must not, Young Lord Yu!

263
00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:02,200
Young Lord Yu!

264
00:13:03,639 --> 00:13:04,440
Jingxiu!

265
00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:06,039
You must not!

266
00:13:06,679 --> 00:13:07,519
Jingxiu!

267
00:13:08,399 --> 00:13:08,919
Enough.

268
00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:13,159
You all must

269
00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:15,480
have nothing better to do.

270
00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:17,440
Here

271
00:13:17,519 --> 00:13:18,960
is the imperial court!

272
00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:26,600
Court dismissed.

273
00:13:26,879 --> 00:13:28,480
Court dismissed.

274
00:13:28,759 --> 00:13:30,879
We bid Your Majesty farewell.

275
00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:42,399
I, Yu Guodong,

276
00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:45,639
have failed to teach my son.

277
00:13:45,879 --> 00:13:47,559
I caused harm

278
00:13:47,639 --> 00:13:48,840
to the reputation of Madam Zhao,

279
00:13:49,159 --> 00:13:51,159
the manager of Xie's shop.

280
00:13:51,279 --> 00:13:52,960
I came to offer my apologies.

281
00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:54,480
Unbelievable.

282
00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:56,840
A Grand Secretary apologizes
to a common woman.

283
00:13:56,840 --> 00:13:58,600
What an honor for her.

284
00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:00,360
Do you know who Madam Zhao

285
00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:01,559
really is?

286
00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:03,000
She made a top scholar

287
00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:04,120
pine for her for years.

288
00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:05,559
Let's go take a look.

289
00:14:05,563 --> 00:14:06,463
(Xie Jewelry Shop)

290
00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:07,519
With such sincerity,

291
00:14:07,519 --> 00:14:08,799
if she still refuses,

292
00:14:08,879 --> 00:14:10,320
she would be too unreasonable.

293
00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:11,159
Isn't that why they say

294
00:14:11,159 --> 00:14:12,600
she is a jinx to her parents?

295
00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:14,720
They just got married.

296
00:14:15,039 --> 00:14:15,879
I bet

297
00:14:15,879 --> 00:14:17,480
their marriage is unhappy.

298
00:14:19,759 --> 00:14:20,480
She's coming out.

299
00:14:20,588 --> 00:14:23,321
There she is.

300
00:14:36,519 --> 00:14:37,759
Back in Huaying,

301
00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:39,799
my son was out of line.

302
00:14:39,799 --> 00:14:42,000
I am here to offer my apologies

303
00:14:42,759 --> 00:14:44,159
and I hope

304
00:14:44,159 --> 00:14:45,960
you will accept this small gift.

305
00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:49,159
Your presence here

306
00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:51,240
honors this humble shop.

307
00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:52,759
I welcome you with open arms.

308
00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:04,740
(Xie Jewelry Shop)

309
00:15:08,227 --> 00:15:09,800
(Yu)

310
00:15:13,519 --> 00:15:14,799
Ninth Young Lady Fu,

311
00:15:15,679 --> 00:15:18,200
if you had married my son,

312
00:15:18,759 --> 00:15:19,799
today

313
00:15:19,879 --> 00:15:22,159
you would be addressing me as Father.

314
00:15:25,519 --> 00:15:27,559
My wife often mentions

315
00:15:27,759 --> 00:15:29,200
how sharp you are.

316
00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:31,399
She also regrets
that she couldn't prevail over our son

317
00:15:31,679 --> 00:15:33,399
and bring you into the family.

318
00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:36,279
I dare not aim so high.

319
00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:37,519
Now,

320
00:15:38,759 --> 00:15:40,159
I am already married to Zhao Ling.

321
00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:44,639
Indeed.

322
00:15:45,279 --> 00:15:47,799
We should have been close as family.

323
00:15:47,799 --> 00:15:49,200
But Zhao Ling

324
00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:50,120
is hot-headed,

325
00:15:50,279 --> 00:15:51,399
not as steady as you.

326
00:15:52,679 --> 00:15:54,440
After all his struggle to gain

327
00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:55,840
his current position,

328
00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:57,039
he insists

329
00:15:57,240 --> 00:15:58,639
on fighting to the death

330
00:15:58,639 --> 00:16:00,919
over a woman.

331
00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:03,279
Madam Zhao,

332
00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:04,960
could you

333
00:16:05,799 --> 00:16:07,600
perhaps talk some sense into him?

334
00:16:11,559 --> 00:16:13,559
You have already exhausted yourself

335
00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:15,159
at court today.

336
00:16:15,519 --> 00:16:16,440
At this moment,

337
00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:18,279
there is no need to waste more breath

338
00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:20,720
repeating the same old lines.

339
00:16:21,799 --> 00:16:23,519
Everything Zhao Ling does

340
00:16:23,519 --> 00:16:25,360
is to ease His Majesty's burden.

341
00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:28,039
He is rooting out corruption.

342
00:16:28,519 --> 00:16:30,279
How does that become

343
00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:32,279
a fight over a woman in your telling?

344
00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:44,840
Let me ask you.

345
00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:46,759
Do you know what corruption truly is?

346
00:16:47,799 --> 00:16:48,759
Madam Zhao,

347
00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:50,240
when a man

348
00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:52,600
uses certain means to obtain

349
00:16:53,639 --> 00:16:55,399
wealth and power

350
00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:56,960
that are already within his reach,

351
00:16:57,519 --> 00:16:58,639
that is not corruption.

352
00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:01,879
But when a man exhausts every means

353
00:17:01,879 --> 00:17:02,759
to obtain

354
00:17:03,039 --> 00:17:03,480
wealth and power,

355
00:17:03,799 --> 00:17:05,440
which

356
00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:07,400
he does not deserve,

357
00:17:08,319 --> 00:17:10,839
that is corruption.

358
00:17:21,559 --> 00:17:23,039
Think it over.

359
00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:25,480
Between Zhao Ling and me,

360
00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:27,960
who is the more corrupt one?

361
00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:32,480
It is better to settle this amicably

362
00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:35,160
than to face mutual destruction.

363
00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:42,039
An egg

364
00:17:42,759 --> 00:17:44,640
crashing against a stone

365
00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:47,680
will only break itself.

366
00:17:49,319 --> 00:17:50,279
Besides,

367
00:17:51,359 --> 00:17:52,920
given what you have already gained,

368
00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:54,920
you should not be making an issue
of this.

369
00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:55,960
Otherwise,

370
00:17:56,400 --> 00:17:58,720
you too would be guilty of corruption.

371
00:17:59,279 --> 00:18:00,799
A Grand Secretary
of the Grand Secretariat

372
00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:02,559
is quite a rhetorician.

373
00:18:03,759 --> 00:18:05,119
But it is sophistry.

374
00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:10,319
In today's affair,

375
00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:12,839
since I am not your blood relative,

376
00:18:12,839 --> 00:18:14,000
it does not matter to me.

377
00:18:16,039 --> 00:18:17,880
But you and Yu Jingxiu

378
00:18:18,519 --> 00:18:20,039
are bound by flesh and blood.

379
00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:22,440
In front of the whole world,

380
00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:23,880
you exposed his shortcomings.

381
00:18:24,599 --> 00:18:26,039
What about his dignity?

382
00:18:26,799 --> 00:18:29,160
You certainly have a sharp tongue.

383
00:18:39,799 --> 00:18:40,880
Move aside.

384
00:18:49,599 --> 00:18:50,759
Did he give you any trouble?

385
00:18:55,799 --> 00:18:57,559
The whole capital knows

386
00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:00,480
about the affair between Madam Zhao
and Young Lord Yu.

387
00:19:01,119 --> 00:19:03,119
Young Lord Yu is a top scholar.

388
00:19:03,319 --> 00:19:04,119
Do you think

389
00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:06,039
Madam Zhao might change her mind?

390
00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:08,119
If you ask me,

391
00:19:08,119 --> 00:19:09,880
with things this bad between them,

392
00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:11,519
how will they ever get by?

393
00:19:11,519 --> 00:19:12,039
Exactly.

394
00:19:12,599 --> 00:19:13,559
Don't you all agree?

395
00:19:16,359 --> 00:19:17,880
Since you are all so interested

396
00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:18,920
in my family affairs,

397
00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:22,920
allow me to make this clear.

398
00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:25,480
I crawled my way out

399
00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:26,240
of mountains of corpses.

400
00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:29,000
I aimed to clear my wife's name.

401
00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:32,160
And so, not a speck of mud

402
00:19:32,559 --> 00:19:34,440
will ever touch my feet.

403
00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:38,880
Nor will I tolerate any gossip
in my ears.

404
00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:46,279
If anyone dares
to spread rumors again...

405
00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:53,598
(Xie Jewelry Shop)

406
00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:54,559
Move aside.

407
00:19:54,559 --> 00:19:55,200
Move aside.

408
00:19:59,580 --> 00:20:00,580
(Yu)

409
00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:02,599
He is quite meticulous.

410
00:20:03,559 --> 00:20:04,799
Knowing full well it is a performance,

411
00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:07,960
he leaves no loose ends.

412
00:20:08,680 --> 00:20:09,960
I told you long ago,

413
00:20:11,279 --> 00:20:12,200
a power struggle

414
00:20:13,519 --> 00:20:14,839
is not achieved overnight.

415
00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:26,880
The one thing Madam Zhao has over you

416
00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:28,519
is that she shows no emotion,

417
00:20:28,599 --> 00:20:29,839
does not care about face,

418
00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:31,759
and fears no shame.

419
00:20:31,759 --> 00:20:33,039
She can stand firm

420
00:20:33,039 --> 00:20:34,720
and hold her own in any exchange.

421
00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:38,240
So Father, you think
she is a fine woman, too?

422
00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:41,519
Someone like that

423
00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:43,200
either becomes your wife

424
00:20:43,279 --> 00:20:44,559
or dies in Ganlin.

425
00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:46,839
But you?

426
00:20:47,759 --> 00:20:48,599
Back then,

427
00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:50,000
how did you let her go?

428
00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:51,480
If not her,

429
00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:55,279
I would have been the one

430
00:20:55,279 --> 00:20:56,319
to die in Ganlin.

431
00:20:58,799 --> 00:20:59,559
Father,

432
00:21:00,039 --> 00:21:01,640
for the sake of your own career,

433
00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:04,519
you trampled a woman's reputation
in public.

434
00:21:05,279 --> 00:21:06,720
You even pretended to apologize

435
00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:08,240
while spreading rumors about her and me!

436
00:21:08,799 --> 00:21:10,400
You are a Grand Secretary.

437
00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:12,440
How could you do something

438
00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:13,680
so devoid of decency?

439
00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:14,640
How dare you!

440
00:21:28,319 --> 00:21:30,680
You did well at court today.

441
00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:32,240
Though you were reluctant,

442
00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:33,880
you still saw the performance through.

443
00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:35,359
You showed good sense.

444
00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:37,599
Stay home and rest for two years.

445
00:21:37,599 --> 00:21:38,880
Once the storm passes,

446
00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:40,160
I will

447
00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:41,519
restore you to office

448
00:21:41,519 --> 00:21:43,440
with ease.

449
00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:45,480
With ease?

450
00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:49,759
Father,

451
00:21:51,799 --> 00:21:53,680
have you ever considered

452
00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:56,839
that I am

453
00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:00,240
already thinking of death?

454
00:22:10,839 --> 00:22:11,799
Jingxiu,

455
00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:14,680
when a man truly wishes to die,

456
00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:16,440
no one can stop him.

457
00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:18,319
But you

458
00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:21,240
have long been soft to the core.

459
00:22:21,319 --> 00:22:24,160
Do not put on a brave front before me.

460
00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:28,480
The salt reform is imminent.

461
00:22:28,519 --> 00:22:31,279
Using the Northwest grain shortage,
Zhao Ling

462
00:22:31,279 --> 00:22:32,440
is closing in.

463
00:22:32,759 --> 00:22:34,960
I had no choice but to make

464
00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:36,440
a small sacrifice to save
the bigger one.

465
00:22:37,319 --> 00:22:39,160
Do not join the chorus

466
00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:40,720
in criticizing me.

467
00:22:41,319 --> 00:22:43,200
A moment of humiliation is nothing.

468
00:22:44,519 --> 00:22:45,720
But you,

469
00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:47,920
losing composure and failing to see
the bigger picture,

470
00:22:48,039 --> 00:22:49,240
disrupted my plan.

471
00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:50,920
That is what will make you
a laughingstock!

472
00:22:55,839 --> 00:22:56,400
Someone!

473
00:22:57,519 --> 00:22:59,359
Escort Young Master back.

474
00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:01,160
Tell Fan to keep an eye on him.

475
00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:03,960
Young Master.

476
00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:14,640
Father.

477
00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:18,599
I used to think

478
00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:22,960
I was a puppet controlled by Mother.

479
00:23:25,519 --> 00:23:26,680
Now I see

480
00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:31,039
the strings behind the scenes

481
00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:35,519
have always been held by you.

482
00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:46,519
Let me see

483
00:23:46,519 --> 00:23:47,640
how Ji's handwriting

484
00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:48,599
looks.

485
00:23:49,319 --> 00:23:49,960
Like this.

486
00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:50,400
Come on.

487
00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:50,960
Ji,

488
00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:52,000
come on, write.

489
00:23:52,759 --> 00:23:53,440
Look,

490
00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:55,519
though Ji is still so young,

491
00:23:55,519 --> 00:23:56,920
he can already hold a brush.

492
00:23:57,319 --> 00:23:58,440
That shows

493
00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:00,000
he has a love for writing.

494
00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:01,759
When Jingxiu was this age,

495
00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:03,319
I was the one who first taught him.

496
00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:05,400
After Ji

497
00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:07,240
spends a couple more years by my side,

498
00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:08,720
I will send him to Fan Kun.

499
00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:11,200
He will be another top scholar.

500
00:24:11,559 --> 00:24:12,279
Ji.

501
00:24:12,279 --> 00:24:12,799
Ji.

502
00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:14,359
Take the brush.

503
00:24:14,359 --> 00:24:14,680
Quick.

504
00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:16,599
Show Grandmother.

505
00:24:27,839 --> 00:24:29,640
You handed Ji over to Mother?

506
00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:31,319
You are not raising him yourself?

507
00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:35,440
Is this how a mother behaves?

508
00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:37,960
How strange.

509
00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:41,240
You never asked about Ji before.

510
00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:43,359
Why come and make a scene today?

511
00:24:44,119 --> 00:24:45,160
I used to think

512
00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:47,559
that no one in this house

513
00:24:47,559 --> 00:24:48,680
ever took me seriously.

514
00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:50,480
But now I see

515
00:24:52,799 --> 00:24:54,720
they don't take you seriously either.

516
00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:57,680
We are both pawns, used and discarded.

517
00:24:58,519 --> 00:25:00,160
So don't make things harder for us.

518
00:25:01,799 --> 00:25:04,160
You know what it is like to be a puppet.

519
00:25:07,359 --> 00:25:08,559
How could you...

520
00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:09,720
How could you

521
00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:11,440
hand your own child over like that?

522
00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:12,240
Yu Jingxiu!

523
00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:15,799
Your own father

524
00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:19,400
told the court that you and I
plotted behind the scenes.

525
00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:21,799
And it is not you who is humiliated.

526
00:25:22,519 --> 00:25:24,759
I will be mocked by the entire world.

527
00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:27,759
Did you spare even a single thought

528
00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:30,480
for my pain?

529
00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:36,839
You thought of Fu Tingyun first.

530
00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:40,359
Then yourself.

531
00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:41,920
And then,

532
00:25:45,279 --> 00:25:46,480
Ji.

533
00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:50,359
What about me?

534
00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:53,559
Did you ever think of me?

535
00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:06,279
Fine.

536
00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:10,440
I will no longer care about dignity.

537
00:26:12,359 --> 00:26:14,720
At least I will have you to regret it
with me.

538
00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:18,359
Have you lost your mind?

539
00:26:21,519 --> 00:26:22,480
All these years,

540
00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:26,759
I often looked inward.

541
00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:29,720
I fought so hard for this marriage.

542
00:26:31,599 --> 00:26:32,920
And yet I failed to nurture it.

543
00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:37,880
We grew apart.

544
00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:41,279
But only today

545
00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:48,960
have I finally put my heart at rest.

546
00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:50,920
Now, we are

547
00:26:51,839 --> 00:26:53,680
truly husband and wife.

548
00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:03,119
Since we cannot stand each other,

549
00:27:05,799 --> 00:27:06,759
from now on,

550
00:27:06,759 --> 00:27:08,240
let Concubine Wu keep you company.

551
00:27:24,359 --> 00:27:25,440
I will have people

552
00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:26,599
talk about what happened back then

553
00:27:26,599 --> 00:27:28,000
more

554
00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:28,839
and for longer.

555
00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:30,880
Jingxiu is still young at heart.

556
00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:33,200
He does not understand your concerns.

557
00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:35,240
In time,

558
00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:36,279
he will come around.

559
00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:41,519
These romantic scandals,

560
00:27:41,519 --> 00:27:43,119
these affairs of the past,

561
00:27:43,279 --> 00:27:45,559
can only distract for so long.

562
00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:47,240
We need a way

563
00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:49,039
to extricate ourselves completely,

564
00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:52,519
so we can settle the accounts
involving the Northwest storage losses.

565
00:27:58,363 --> 00:28:00,467
(Fengman Pavilion)

566
00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:01,799
(Donation Ledger for Military Supplies)
General Mo.

567
00:28:04,039 --> 00:28:05,160
What do you mean by this?

568
00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:07,680
After the salt reform,

569
00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:09,480
frontier farming will suffer.

570
00:28:10,039 --> 00:28:11,640
Silver alone cannot buy grain.

571
00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:12,960
Naturally, that is a concern.

572
00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:13,880
I,

573
00:28:14,039 --> 00:28:15,480
on behalf of the An merchants,

574
00:28:15,519 --> 00:28:16,680
wish to make a donation

575
00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:18,119
to support the border troops,

576
00:28:18,119 --> 00:28:19,160
as a small token of our regard.

577
00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:25,559
If you would just help facilitate this,

578
00:28:25,799 --> 00:28:26,720
in the future,

579
00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:29,039
and keep the Northwestfrom obstructing
the salt reform in the future,

580
00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:30,480
An merchants

581
00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:32,960
are willing to make such donations
every year.

582
00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:37,799
That sounds nice.

583
00:28:37,870 --> 00:28:38,983
(Donation Ledger for Military Supplies)

584
00:28:39,119 --> 00:28:39,960
But this is

585
00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:41,400
bribery.

586
00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:42,599
You can't put it that way.

587
00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:44,400
Madam Wu

588
00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:45,759
is donating voluntarily.

589
00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:47,319
Her sincerity is commendable.

590
00:28:47,599 --> 00:28:48,440
This grain

591
00:28:48,799 --> 00:28:50,920
could ease the Northwest's urgent need.

592
00:28:57,799 --> 00:28:59,839
And in your records of military merit,

593
00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:01,480
you could get a mark of credit.

594
00:29:01,480 --> 00:29:02,519
Give it a rest.

595
00:29:02,759 --> 00:29:04,519
Where did you learn this stuff?

596
00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:06,759
Wait a minute.

597
00:29:07,519 --> 00:29:08,279
Mo.

598
00:29:08,559 --> 00:29:09,319
Stop right there.

599
00:29:09,559 --> 00:29:10,519
Don't be so ungrateful.

600
00:29:11,359 --> 00:29:12,599
What are you doing?

601
00:29:13,519 --> 00:29:14,920
The capital is not like the Northwest.

602
00:29:15,279 --> 00:29:16,440
Opportunities for promotion

603
00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:17,400
come and go in a flash.

604
00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:21,839
How do you think Zhao Ling rose so fast?

605
00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:23,799
Every step he took

606
00:29:23,799 --> 00:29:25,000
was seizing every opening he could.

607
00:29:26,820 --> 00:29:28,100
(Mo Yi)

608
00:29:37,060 --> 00:29:37,916
(Mo Yi)

609
00:29:38,023 --> 00:29:38,816
(Donation Ledger for Military Supplies)

610
00:29:39,050 --> 00:29:39,529
(Mo Yi)

611
00:29:39,530 --> 00:29:41,142
(Declarant: Wu Youde)

612
00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:44,200
I never expected

613
00:29:44,359 --> 00:29:45,920
you had such skill.

614
00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:47,279
A smooth salt reform

615
00:29:47,359 --> 00:29:48,319
helps me,

616
00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:50,799
and also removes a problem for you,
Madam.

617
00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:52,200
I only ask that, in return

618
00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:53,599
for my contributions,

619
00:29:53,599 --> 00:29:54,680
you show us favor.

620
00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:55,880
Let An merchants

621
00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:57,640
settle here as humble traders in peace.

622
00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:06,640
I ask for only one thing.

623
00:30:07,559 --> 00:30:09,240
Half of the Anzhou salt permits.

624
00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:14,799
Half of the share?

625
00:30:15,279 --> 00:30:17,039
That would make you the sole power.

626
00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:22,119
But this gift

627
00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:24,599
does warm my heart.

628
00:30:24,599 --> 00:30:25,720
We are all family here.

629
00:30:25,920 --> 00:30:27,480
It is only right to help each other.

630
00:30:27,839 --> 00:30:30,240
Grand Secretary Yu is helping
His Majesty with a great undertaking.

631
00:30:30,799 --> 00:30:32,599
Though I have no great ability,

632
00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:34,160
the An merchants

633
00:30:34,279 --> 00:30:36,480
can surely serve you well in the future.

634
00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:37,960
Whenever you need

635
00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:39,599
a tool at hand,

636
00:30:39,599 --> 00:30:40,880
please remember me.

637
00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:47,559
Ms. Shu.

638
00:30:49,720 --> 00:30:50,480
Madam.

639
00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:51,960
Later,

640
00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:53,039
take Madam Wu

641
00:30:53,039 --> 00:30:54,880
to see Concubine Wu before she leaves.

642
00:30:55,563 --> 00:30:57,075
(Donation Ledger for Military Supplies)

643
00:30:57,119 --> 00:30:58,200
Rest assured, Madam.

644
00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:03,000
Thank you, Madam.

645
00:31:07,279 --> 00:31:08,440
Sorry to trouble you

646
00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:10,599
to see me off

647
00:31:10,599 --> 00:31:11,640
at such a late hour.

648
00:31:12,279 --> 00:31:13,680
You are too kind, Madam Wu.

649
00:31:13,839 --> 00:31:15,559
You are not the same as before.

650
00:31:15,720 --> 00:31:17,519
You used to be a guest here.

651
00:31:17,519 --> 00:31:18,319
Now,

652
00:31:18,319 --> 00:31:19,559
you are family.

653
00:31:20,160 --> 00:31:21,480
Ms. Shu, you're too kind.

654
00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:23,200
My niece

655
00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:24,119
is still young.

656
00:31:24,599 --> 00:31:25,599
From now on,

657
00:31:25,599 --> 00:31:27,160
she will need your care

658
00:31:27,319 --> 00:31:29,400
within the household.

659
00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:30,720
No need for such formalities.

660
00:31:30,799 --> 00:31:32,319
It is no trouble at all.

661
00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:44,680
What a piece of work Madam Yu is.

662
00:32:16,279 --> 00:32:18,200
If she held herself with dignity,

663
00:32:18,759 --> 00:32:20,519
I would hold her in higher regard.

664
00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:22,839
Perhaps I may let her stay longer.

665
00:32:23,799 --> 00:32:24,839
But she said

666
00:32:25,119 --> 00:32:26,960
she was a handy tool.

667
00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:29,480
How could I not make full use of her?

668
00:32:30,279 --> 00:32:31,960
Right now, Master is worried

669
00:32:31,960 --> 00:32:34,160
about how to extricate himself
from the Northwest storage losses.

670
00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:35,480
And by chance,

671
00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:37,119
she comes up with this donation scheme,

672
00:32:37,119 --> 00:32:38,640
so cleverly named.

673
00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:40,960
Why not shift the blame

674
00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:42,680
onto the Northwest?

675
00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:43,839
That way,

676
00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:46,319
Master's predicament will be solved.

677
00:32:55,519 --> 00:32:56,559
Have you heard of that?

678
00:32:57,119 --> 00:32:58,880
Madam Wu from Anzhou

679
00:32:59,119 --> 00:33:00,200
suddenly passed away

680
00:33:00,440 --> 00:33:01,480
last night.

681
00:33:01,497 --> 00:33:01,936
What?

682
00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:03,519
Dead?

683
00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:05,640
Really?

684
00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:09,480
Wasn't she fine just yesterday?

685
00:33:09,519 --> 00:33:10,880
How did she die so suddenly?

686
00:33:11,480 --> 00:33:13,160
They say she was stabbed

687
00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:14,480
several times.

688
00:33:15,217 --> 00:33:15,810
Oh my.

689
00:33:15,839 --> 00:33:16,599
You see,

690
00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:17,599
she hadn't even been here

691
00:33:17,599 --> 00:33:18,880
very long.

692
00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:20,680
How did she make so many enemies?

693
00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:21,640
How frightening.

694
00:33:22,559 --> 00:33:23,839
He who plays with fire

695
00:33:23,960 --> 00:33:25,279
gets burned.

696
00:33:26,039 --> 00:33:28,160
She was bound to pay
for all her shady dealings

697
00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:29,480
behind the scenes.

698
00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:31,880
Thank heavens justice prevails.

699
00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:32,599
Indeed.

700
00:33:32,599 --> 00:33:33,720
To think

701
00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:35,960
the salt reform
was right around the corner,

702
00:33:36,160 --> 00:33:37,880
and she never lived to see it,

703
00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:39,920
only to end up wrapped in a straw mat
and carted away.

704
00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:40,880
Madam Wu

705
00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:42,319
was one of the wealthiest An merchants.

706
00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:43,480
With her gone,

707
00:33:43,559 --> 00:33:44,359
will things settle

708
00:33:44,359 --> 00:33:45,400
in the south?

709
00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:48,160
Such a tragedy.

710
00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:49,440
Ladies,

711
00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:50,960
I have some urgent business.

712
00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:51,839
I must take my leave.

713
00:33:56,960 --> 00:33:57,640
Your Majesty.

714
00:33:58,759 --> 00:34:01,200
In examining the cause
of Madam Wu's death,

715
00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:02,319
(Mo Yi)
I found this.

716
00:34:02,599 --> 00:34:03,240
It is a detailed record

717
00:34:03,480 --> 00:34:06,200
of her donations to the Northwest.

718
00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:08,639
Donations to support the troops.

719
00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:10,239
That is a good thing.

720
00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:12,119
What is suspicious about it?

721
00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:15,920
Your Majesty, please see the truth.

722
00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:17,800
This was not a charitable donation.

723
00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:20,320
It is hard evidence
of a northwestern official

724
00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:21,880
demanding bribes.

725
00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:23,599
Back then,

726
00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:25,920
they devoured grain
under the guise of storage losses.

727
00:34:26,199 --> 00:34:26,920
And now,

728
00:34:27,039 --> 00:34:29,360
they fill the gap
under the guise of donations.

729
00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:32,679
Quite the masterstroke of deception.

730
00:34:32,679 --> 00:34:33,280
Your Majesty,

731
00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:35,119
Your Majesty,

732
00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:36,800
I did not demand any bribe.

733
00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:39,159
Your Majesty.

734
00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:40,320
General Mo

735
00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:42,519
would never do such things.

736
00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:43,519
Grand Secretary Yu,

737
00:34:43,599 --> 00:34:45,639
how can you frame a loyal official?

738
00:34:47,199 --> 00:34:48,119
Commander Wang,

739
00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:49,480
the paper is here.

740
00:34:49,679 --> 00:34:50,599
And this list

741
00:34:50,679 --> 00:34:52,519
bears General Mo's signature,
doesn't it?

742
00:34:53,119 --> 00:34:53,719
Your Majesty,

743
00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:54,719
this...

744
00:34:57,840 --> 00:34:59,440
Yes, I signed it.

745
00:34:59,719 --> 00:35:01,840
But it is not what they claim it to be.

746
00:35:01,920 --> 00:35:03,440
I beg Your Majesty to see the truth.

747
00:35:05,880 --> 00:35:06,559
Your Majesty,

748
00:35:06,960 --> 00:35:08,360
such a large sum of silver

749
00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:10,639
cannot be the doing of General Mo alone.

750
00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:13,000
I always wondered

751
00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:15,360
why the storage losses
had been abnormal for so many years,

752
00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:17,280
yet Commander Wang
had never reported it.

753
00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:18,639
Now I see

754
00:35:19,239 --> 00:35:21,679
there are signs of embezzlement.

755
00:35:21,679 --> 00:35:22,119
You...

756
00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:23,440
Your Majesty,

757
00:35:23,599 --> 00:35:25,199
I request severe punishment for Mo Yi.

758
00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:25,920
Your Majesty,

759
00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:27,800
execution is the only way
to calm the public!

760
00:35:28,119 --> 00:35:29,599
Your Majesty, I second that!

761
00:35:29,599 --> 00:35:30,480
I second that!

762
00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:31,599
I second that!

763
00:35:32,519 --> 00:35:34,199
(Donation Ledger for Military Supplies)
Northwest deficits,

764
00:35:34,519 --> 00:35:35,960
donation-linked murder.

765
00:35:37,159 --> 00:35:39,000
I want solid evidence,

766
00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:41,239
not bickering in court.

767
00:35:44,800 --> 00:35:45,960
At worst,
we can retire to the countryside.

768
00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:48,880
My family still has plenty of land.

769
00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:50,760
Then

770
00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:52,159
we can live a quiet life,

771
00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:53,559
free from all this trouble.

772
00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:57,159
But what if we can't?

773
00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:02,239
I'm worried Mo Yi's case
won't be cleared.

774
00:36:02,679 --> 00:36:04,159
He would never kill anyone.

775
00:36:04,559 --> 00:36:06,440
The truth will come out eventually.

776
00:36:06,719 --> 00:36:07,480
Would they

777
00:36:07,679 --> 00:36:08,719
just frame him?

778
00:36:10,119 --> 00:36:11,920
Grand Secretary Yu is pressing hard,

779
00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:15,119
trying to drag
the entire northwest army down.

780
00:36:16,119 --> 00:36:17,199
My dear,

781
00:36:18,400 --> 00:36:20,239
if it comes to the worst,

782
00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:22,760
I will have to admit

783
00:36:22,760 --> 00:36:24,559
that I once dealt in illicit salt
in Ganlin Town.

784
00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:27,840
Otherwise,
His Majesty will never believe

785
00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:29,559
why the storage losses
had been abnormal for years

786
00:36:29,559 --> 00:36:31,639
yet I never reported them.

787
00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:35,760
Good grief,

788
00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:38,239
it seems one misstep is never forgiven.

789
00:36:39,480 --> 00:36:41,239
You only did it to steady the troops.

790
00:36:41,679 --> 00:36:44,119
Why must a single stain follow you
for life?

791
00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:49,559
My Lord.

792
00:36:50,519 --> 00:36:51,559
This is a wrongful case.

793
00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:52,480
We must...

794
00:36:54,039 --> 00:36:55,639
We must have both witnesses
and evidence.

795
00:36:56,519 --> 00:36:57,960
Do not extract a confession
under torture.

796
00:37:26,480 --> 00:37:28,039
Please talk to your sister-in-law.

797
00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:30,760
Tell her not to worry about me.

798
00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:53,639
Tingyun,

799
00:37:54,199 --> 00:37:55,440
you've always been sharp.

800
00:37:56,239 --> 00:37:57,639
Help me think of a way

801
00:37:58,360 --> 00:37:59,920
to save Mo Yi.

802
00:38:01,280 --> 00:38:03,599
You can speak
to the Grand Empress Dowager.

803
00:38:04,440 --> 00:38:05,599
And Commander Zhao

804
00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:08,280
is a favored minister of His Majesty.

805
00:38:10,400 --> 00:38:11,840
There must be a way.

806
00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:17,880
I was a fool, blinded by my own greed.

807
00:38:19,639 --> 00:38:21,519
I pushed him to seek merit too eagerly,

808
00:38:22,119 --> 00:38:23,679
so he caved to the Wu merchant woman

809
00:38:23,679 --> 00:38:24,920
and walked into this donation mess.

810
00:38:25,480 --> 00:38:26,199
Mo Yi

811
00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:29,400
may be a bit rash,

812
00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:30,800
but he is not foolish,

813
00:38:31,119 --> 00:38:31,920
nor is he stupid.

814
00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:33,960
He would never take a life for nothing.

815
00:38:33,960 --> 00:38:35,800
Tingyun, please help me.

816
00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:37,840
Save Mo Yi.

817
00:38:37,840 --> 00:38:38,840
Please rise.

818
00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:41,519
Do not panic.

819
00:38:41,679 --> 00:38:43,159
Do not lose your composure.

820
00:38:43,880 --> 00:38:45,719
Wherever I can be of help,

821
00:38:45,719 --> 00:38:47,239
I will not stand by.

822
00:38:51,360 --> 00:38:52,400
For the donations,

823
00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:53,519
we must prove

824
00:38:53,880 --> 00:38:55,880
that Madam Wu proposed it herself,

825
00:38:56,320 --> 00:38:58,119
not that General Mo forced her.

826
00:38:59,679 --> 00:39:00,280
Right.

827
00:39:04,480 --> 00:39:06,239
There may be someone who can help.

828
00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:10,719
The capital is truly dangerous.

829
00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:12,960
She was fine just a moment ago.

830
00:39:13,199 --> 00:39:14,199
The next moment...

831
00:39:16,039 --> 00:39:17,760
My aunt was so shrewd.

832
00:39:18,760 --> 00:39:20,239
How could she die so suddenly?

833
00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:21,519
Do not worry, My Lady.

834
00:39:21,599 --> 00:39:22,880
Madam Wu's death

835
00:39:22,880 --> 00:39:25,159
means one less thing to worry about.

836
00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:26,760
For now, you have the Yu family

837
00:39:26,920 --> 00:39:28,519
as your shelter.

838
00:39:28,719 --> 00:39:30,360
Just put on a proper front.

839
00:39:37,559 --> 00:39:39,159
I fear things are not that simple.

840
00:39:41,119 --> 00:39:42,199
What exactly

841
00:39:42,920 --> 00:39:44,440
is hidden beneath all this?

842
00:39:48,360 --> 00:39:49,159
(In the future,)

843
00:39:49,559 --> 00:39:50,480
(learn more.)

844
00:40:02,119 --> 00:40:04,239
My aunt left this with me before.

845
00:40:04,440 --> 00:40:05,559
Could her sudden death

846
00:40:05,639 --> 00:40:06,960
have something to do with this?

847
00:40:08,323 --> 00:40:09,136
(Zheng, Court of Judicature)

848
00:40:09,149 --> 00:40:09,876
(Shen, Ministry of Rites)

849
00:40:09,876 --> 00:40:10,520
(Song, Court of Banquets)

850
00:40:12,559 --> 00:40:14,159
I need someone to look at this.

851
00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:15,960
Madam Zhao would surely know best.

852
00:40:16,159 --> 00:40:16,960
But

853
00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:18,440
there are maids watching the door.

854
00:40:18,559 --> 00:40:19,880
And we have to get past Ms. Shu.

855
00:40:20,519 --> 00:40:22,320
How can we reach Madam Zhao?

856
00:40:26,797 --> 00:40:28,520
(Rosy in the Evening Glow)

857
00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:31,679
Aunt...

858
00:40:33,360 --> 00:40:35,239
I never had the chance
to repay the kindness.

859
00:40:35,679 --> 00:40:37,760
Why did she have to leave me so soon?

860
00:40:42,239 --> 00:40:43,280
Please restrain your grief.

861
00:40:43,599 --> 00:40:44,960
The dead cannot return.

862
00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:46,440
Do not grieve yourself ill.

863
00:40:46,440 --> 00:40:48,679
My aunt always treated me
like her own daughter.

864
00:40:49,400 --> 00:40:50,639
Now that she is gone,

865
00:40:50,960 --> 00:40:52,960
I cannot even see her off properly.

866
00:40:53,119 --> 00:40:54,480
Your aunt's funeral rites

867
00:40:54,719 --> 00:40:56,719
will be handled by the Wu family.

868
00:40:57,360 --> 00:40:58,639
But because it involves a murder case,

869
00:40:59,360 --> 00:41:00,719
the funeral cannot proceed for now.

870
00:41:02,719 --> 00:41:03,599
Madam,

871
00:41:03,800 --> 00:41:05,159
would you allow me to leave the house?

872
00:41:06,159 --> 00:41:08,599
I wish to hold
a seven-day Dharma service for her

873
00:41:08,920 --> 00:41:10,039
to guide her spirit.

874
00:41:14,239 --> 00:41:15,280
Draw three hundred taels

875
00:41:15,280 --> 00:41:17,320
from the accounts for Concubine Wu.

876
00:41:17,679 --> 00:41:18,360
Yes.

877
00:41:18,559 --> 00:41:20,239
When you go to Tanshui Temple,

878
00:41:20,239 --> 00:41:21,480
take several maids with you.

879
00:41:21,679 --> 00:41:23,039
Be careful not to be disturbed.

880
00:41:23,159 --> 00:41:24,159
Yes, Madam.

881
00:41:27,440 --> 00:41:28,159
Concubine Wu,

882
00:41:28,679 --> 00:41:31,239
you are doing this to honor your aunt.

883
00:41:31,480 --> 00:41:32,480
Thank you, Ms. Shu.

884
00:41:33,800 --> 00:41:34,760
Madam, please wait.

885
00:41:34,960 --> 00:41:36,039
The Buddha guides the destined.

886
00:41:36,360 --> 00:41:37,920
Since you are so devoted
to filial piety,

887
00:41:38,039 --> 00:41:39,440
the abbot invites you for a chat,

888
00:41:39,639 --> 00:41:40,559
to form a good connection.

889
00:41:46,920 --> 00:41:47,800
This is a sacred place.

890
00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:49,719
Everyone else, please wait here.

891
00:41:56,239 --> 00:41:57,159
Ms. Shu,

892
00:41:57,559 --> 00:41:59,119
please wait here a moment.

893
00:41:59,400 --> 00:42:00,239
Let me

894
00:42:00,239 --> 00:42:01,920
see my aunt off one last time.

895
00:42:03,320 --> 00:42:03,960
Go on.

896
00:42:23,360 --> 00:42:23,920
Madam.

897
00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:31,320
Madam Zhao.

898
00:42:36,039 --> 00:42:37,360
You and I

899
00:42:37,679 --> 00:42:39,239
truly share a deep connection.

900
00:42:39,679 --> 00:42:41,039
You have always been sharp.

901
00:42:41,199 --> 00:42:42,280
Since you are here,

902
00:42:42,480 --> 00:42:43,639
no matter what,

903
00:42:43,719 --> 00:42:45,599
I had to meet you.

904
00:42:46,639 --> 00:42:48,159
I was right.

905
00:42:49,159 --> 00:42:50,360
You wanted to see me.

906
00:42:54,119 --> 00:42:55,039
My aunt...

907
00:42:55,039 --> 00:42:56,480
Please accept my condolences.

908
00:42:58,719 --> 00:43:00,280
The dead have passed.

909
00:43:02,360 --> 00:43:03,320
The living

910
00:43:04,360 --> 00:43:06,599
must find their own way forward.

911
00:43:07,280 --> 00:43:08,719
Madam Zhao, is there a way

912
00:43:09,320 --> 00:43:10,559
for me to escape this cage?

913
00:43:11,480 --> 00:43:12,840
Everything she was in charge of

914
00:43:13,280 --> 00:43:14,960
now falls to you to handle.

915
00:43:16,360 --> 00:43:17,280
For example,

916
00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:19,599
the donations to the Northwest.

917
00:43:22,519 --> 00:43:23,960
If you are willing to help

918
00:43:24,159 --> 00:43:25,360
and tell the truth,

919
00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:28,159
I can help you
obtain a new household register.

920
00:43:28,840 --> 00:43:29,719
Then

921
00:43:30,320 --> 00:43:32,039
you'll be completely free.

922
00:43:34,480 --> 00:43:35,880
But my indenture contract

923
00:43:36,119 --> 00:43:37,679
is still in Madam Yu's hands.

924
00:43:38,360 --> 00:43:39,800
Can this new register you speak of

925
00:43:40,280 --> 00:43:41,519
really be obtained

926
00:43:41,599 --> 00:43:42,679
just like that?

927
00:43:46,840 --> 00:43:47,679
Back then,

928
00:43:49,199 --> 00:43:51,679
I was just the "late" Ninth Young Lady
of the Fu family, so to speak.

929
00:43:51,840 --> 00:43:53,360
I was reborn

930
00:43:53,440 --> 00:43:54,719
as Xie Tingyun

931
00:43:55,599 --> 00:43:58,039
because I contributed
to a case in Yongning

932
00:43:58,280 --> 00:43:59,559
and was granted a new identity
by His Majesty.

933
00:44:01,639 --> 00:44:03,480
Who is to say that this turn of events

934
00:44:03,800 --> 00:44:05,159
is not your opportunity?

935
00:44:06,239 --> 00:44:08,159
So that you too may earn merit

936
00:44:08,280 --> 00:44:09,400
before His Majesty

937
00:44:09,719 --> 00:44:11,000
and find a way out.

938
00:44:11,400 --> 00:44:13,039
You are a sharp woman, Concubine Wu.

939
00:44:13,400 --> 00:44:14,920
You went to all this trouble

940
00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:16,480
to come to Tanshui Temple today

941
00:44:17,320 --> 00:44:19,280
precisely because
you are hedging your bets.

942
00:44:19,760 --> 00:44:21,400
If the Yu family should fall,

943
00:44:21,400 --> 00:44:22,920
you would have a way out.

944
00:44:23,480 --> 00:44:24,360
Did you truly regard

945
00:44:25,039 --> 00:44:26,480
Madam Wu

946
00:44:26,679 --> 00:44:28,519
as your own aunt?

947
00:44:33,320 --> 00:44:34,840
There is indeed something

948
00:44:35,920 --> 00:44:36,719
that may be

949
00:44:37,400 --> 00:44:38,400
of use.

950
00:44:39,400 --> 00:44:40,639
The Xie's shop will be waiting.

951
00:44:41,320 --> 00:44:42,559
I hope you will act soon

952
00:44:43,039 --> 00:44:44,480
and not miss this chance.

953
00:44:50,629 --> 00:44:53,236
(Next Episode)

954
00:44:53,800 --> 00:44:55,199
They silenced her!

955
00:44:55,199 --> 00:44:57,400
I beg Your Majesty
to investigate the Northwest!

956
00:44:57,400 --> 00:44:58,320
The An merchants' move

957
00:44:58,760 --> 00:45:00,199
must have been instigated by someone.

958
00:45:00,679 --> 00:45:01,599
(the Northwest)

959
00:45:02,480 --> 00:45:03,719
(can't afford to be dragged into this.)

960
00:45:04,480 --> 00:45:06,760
(Those you wish to kill, you must kill.)

961
00:45:07,519 --> 00:45:10,280
(Those you don't wish to kill,
you must kill too.)

962
00:45:11,039 --> 00:45:12,480
But I fear that one day,

963
00:45:12,960 --> 00:45:14,480
I will become Madam Yu,

964
00:45:14,559 --> 00:45:16,360
and you will become Grand Secretary Yu.

965
00:45:16,880 --> 00:45:17,639
Are you

966
00:45:18,159 --> 00:45:19,199
my man,

967
00:45:20,320 --> 00:45:22,039
or the Northwest's?

968
00:45:36,440 --> 00:45:40,760
♪The past brushes by
like a falling leaf♪

969
00:45:44,360 --> 00:45:48,720
♪So light, yet my steps still pause
for you♪

970
00:45:50,840 --> 00:45:55,480
♪Through every rise and fall,
our memories remain without regret♪

971
00:45:55,720 --> 00:45:58,520
♪Carved into the rings of time♪

972
00:45:59,680 --> 00:46:04,320
♪How I wish I could stay
a little longer, but I can't♪

973
00:46:07,520 --> 00:46:14,360
♪I turn away, afraid goodbye will fill
my eyes with tears♪

974
00:46:15,240 --> 00:46:21,760
♪Etched deep within my heart,
yet buried without a word♪

975
00:46:22,720 --> 00:46:26,160
♪The warmth of your hand in mine♪

976
00:46:26,680 --> 00:46:30,880
♪Still makes us want to believe♪

977
00:46:31,160 --> 00:46:36,840
♪One promise for a lifetime,
echoing long after we part♪

978
00:46:48,960 --> 00:46:52,840
♪For one fleeting moment, I found you
in the crowd♪

979
00:46:56,760 --> 00:47:00,760
♪Without a word, you lit up
half my life♪

980
00:47:02,480 --> 00:47:07,160
♪In silence, a love too deep for words♪

981
00:47:07,480 --> 00:47:10,160
♪Kept close within my heart♪

982
00:47:11,240 --> 00:47:16,080
♪From now on, no one else
is worth waiting for♪

983
00:47:19,600 --> 00:47:26,520
♪I turn away, afraid no one
will ever come home to me again♪

984
00:47:27,400 --> 00:47:33,880
♪If we can build our future together,
no storm can chill my heart♪

985
00:47:34,760 --> 00:47:38,280
♪The warmth of your hand in mine♪

986
00:47:38,720 --> 00:47:43,080
♪Still makes us want to believe♪

987
00:47:43,280 --> 00:47:49,000
♪One promise for a lifetime,
echoing long after we part♪