Original subtitles

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=The Road to Splendor=

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

=Episode 36=

This is a restricted area.

No unauthorized entry.

(Imperial Decree) All unrelated personnel,

leave immediately.

Search!

(Grand Secretary Yu is finished.)

Mr. Zhao is back.

Mr. Zhao is back.

Don't worry, Mr. Zhao.

The entire household

is intact.

I'm back.

I'm back.

It's good to have you back.

(Yu Residence)

Did you bring it?

Give it to me.

Give it to me.

No father harms his own child.

Is this really the only way?

Do you think I want this?

Look at what has become of the world outside!

His Majesty is just waiting for a reason

to confiscate our estate

and fill the treasury.

Now is the time

to sacrifice a part to save the whole.

Give it to me.

Master,

you must keep him alive.

Please, you must keep him alive.

Madam.

Father.

I never knew you liked Guangling Melody.

I happen to have

a fragment of Ji Kang's original score.

Tomorrow,

I will get it for you.

But didn't you always disapprove

of my indulgence in music?

Why today...?

A father and son share a bond.

What you desire,

I'll give it to you.

Likewise,

what I desire,

Jingxiu,

you must do your utmost to fulfill.

(Confession)

(Your Majesty, I, Yu Jingxiu, stand guilty and await your judgment.)

Father, you can't be serious.

Every charge on this confession

is a grave one.

This means death.

And besides,

if I confess and sign,

no one will believe it.

Jingxiu,

this is only a formality.

His Majesty made his intentions clear

in court today.

He wants to fill the treasury

by confiscating our assets.

He allowed me to come home tonight

precisely for this.

Who confesses no longer matters.

As for no one believing you...

You served

as a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue.

Your duty was auditing revenue and expenditures,

particularly the salt tax.

It falls within your authority.

It is only natural.

In the end,

you still want to discard me?

Jingxiu,

I have nowhere left to turn.

I have no other choice.

If you confess,

I will do everything in my power

to save your life.

And I will leave you a foundation

to rise again.

But if I

go to prison and face punishment,

the Yu family will be finished.

Jingxiu,

you must think of the bigger picture.

No!

Jingxiu!

Where are you running?

Can you really escape?

Father.

There must be someone more suitable.

What about Yu Huaian?

Ms. Shu?

Chengxin?

He's been with me for years.

I can convince him.

You're too naive.

Yu Huaian, Ms. Shu and Chengxin.

They are all beneath us.

Now we must offer up

someone from the top

to appease the people

and uphold the Emperor's authority.

Do you understand?

I will find someone.

I will find the right person.

There's no time.

Sign it.

Father!

Don't lie to me.

You claim to love me,

but you've always treated me as a piece of meat

to be devoured.

What nonsense are you saying?

You...

You...

Didn't you want to go to Ganlin Town?

Sign the confession,

and I will send you there to keep you safe.

No.

I won't sign!

Yu Guodong,

if you do this,

aren't you afraid of breaking Mother's heart?

Father.

Father, what's wrong?

Father?

Father.

Father.

Father.

Father, I didn't mean it.

Father.

I didn't mean it.

Father.

Father.

You were forced by circumstances.

Madam, you had no other choice.

In ancient times, sons sacrificed for their parents.

They risked their lives to save them.

Young Master is well-read.

He knows what matters most.

Young Master.

Mother.

Master.

Master!

What... what happened?

What happened?

What exactly happened?

What happened? Tell me.

Speak!

Mother,

it wasn't me.

Father fell on his own.

I didn't mean it.

Mother.

How could this happen?

How could this happen?

Master.

Master!

How could this happen?

Mother.

Mother.

What's done is done.

Killing one's father is a grave crime.

Please save me, Mother.

Why couldn't it have been you?

So you had it all planned from the start.

The big fish eating the small one.

But you didn't expect

the small fish to survive.

None of you wanted me.

No...

Fan is gone.

Wu is gone too.

Father wanted to discard me,

and you went along with it.

But Mother,

I have disappointed you again.

This time,

no matter what,

you have to help me.

My Lord.

We arrived too late.

(Your Majesty, I, Yu Guodong, confess my crimes.)

(My crimes are too numerous to count. I deserve death.)

(Yu Guodong's final words.)

Suicide out of guilt?

He would actually do it?

Where are Madam Yu and Yu Jingxiu?

Search.

Last night,

my late husband and my son

had an argument.

I did overhear

something about "turn oneself in."

I thought it was just normal affairs.

I never expected that this morning,

he would take his own life.

Yu Guodong

has been corrupt for years.

Did you and your son

truly know nothing?

He always made his own decisions.

Even I, his wife,

could barely see into his affairs.

But yesterday,

my son happened to discover something.

I...

I saw it with my own eyes last night.

My father was meeting privately with his protege.

I had...

I had intended

to persuade him to turn back.

But I never expected...

As a court official,

I could not bear

to watch a top minister

remain stubborn and harm the court.

The law has no room for personal ties.

This matter

must be handled impartially

to restore proper order.

But

he is still my father.

Loyalty and filial piety cannot both be fulfilled.

If Your Majesty does not believe me,

then let me

bear my father's punishment!

I was foolish.

I failed to notice sooner.

My son exposed his own father

and wanted to save him from ruin.

But a son's heart is not made of stone.

How could he not feel the pain?

If the court must punish someone,

Grand Empress Dowager,

please, as a mother myself,

let me

bear the punishment for my son!

Mother.

Please, Your Majesty.

Mother.

Let me be punished!

No, Mother. You must not.

Mother.

Enough.

I understand everything now.

The Emperor has always been

fair in rewarding and punishing.

He will give the Yu family

a just outcome.

I

will abide by your decree.

You may go.

Mother.

Your Majesty,

what do you think?

They were all raised on the people's blood and sweat.

There's no such thing as sacrificing kin for justice.

It's just a desperate act,

cutting off a limb to survive.

Madam Yu

is a sharp woman.

If we spare her and her son,

her money

will be given up more willingly.

If we leave her no way out,

she may just put it all

into the coffin.

Yu Guodong

is dead and can no longer speak.

Confiscate his assets

to serve as a warning.

In the future,

officials should take this as a lesson,

and let it always

serve as a reminder.

(Yu Residence)

(By the grace of Heaven,)

(the Emperor decrees:)

(Yu Guodong,)

(Yu Residence) (guilty of heinous crimes,)

(now)

(stands convicted of multiple offenses.)

(His assets are confiscated)

(and forfeited to the treasury.)

(His son, Yu Jingxiu,)

(and wife, Shu,)

(for their role in exposing the crimes,)

(are granted a pardon)

(but reduced to commoners.)

(All other servants)

(are to be banished fifteen hundred kilometers.)

(Thus decreed.)

Move out.

Now it's your turn to laugh at me.

What's in that box?

The recipe for Chastity Tonic?

It's my mother's keepsake.

I want her

to bear witness.

About the Fifth Madam's matter,

I owe you an apology.

But for other things,

we traded blow for blow.

I see no fault in my actions.

Since ancient times, the victor rules.

Now that I have lost,

I am at your mercy.

Have you come to take my life?

I like to think

I know you well.

You are not afraid of death.

What you fear

is losing that last shred of pride.

Living with nothing left

would be worse

than death itself.

Between you and me,

we're each other's teachers,

rivals,

and friends.

We never became mother-in-law and daughter-in-law,

but we turned out to be kindred spirits.

That is quite interesting.

There is a touch of loneliness

in your words.

In this world,

who is not lonely?

Have you ever thought

about what kind of person you want to become?

When I was young,

I once took you as my role model.

I thought a woman

should be like you,

running the household,

knowing when to advance and when to retreat,

and even taking charge

among men.

And then?

Then I understood.

Even you, Madam,

are nothing more

than a proxy for men's power,

an ornament

to their glory.

Today, I have come to thank you.

Thank you for shattering

my illusions back then.

You kept me from repeating your mistakes.

Your words...

If I had a child like you,

perhaps I would better understand them.

If I were your daughter,

you would still be dissatisfied with me.

Your way of thinking

and acting would be just the same.

Madam.

Madam!

Madam!

I can no longer care for you!

I cannot bear to leave you, Madam!

Take care, Madam!

This is

for Ji.

Your family assets have been seized.

Now you must care for your mother

and raise your child.

My wife sends this on behalf of Fan.

Are you here to humiliate me?

If you see kindness

as humiliation,

then yes.

I am humiliating you.

But in this world,

who has never been humiliated?

Just think of it as walking a path others have walked.

If you cannot even bear this,

you might as well

return Ji to his mother.

(Yu Residence)

Yu Guodong has been brought down.

I am greatly pleased.

I hereby confer upon Zhao Ling the honorary Third‑Rank General Zhaoyi

and bestow an imperial patent,

along with a new residence.

Your Majesty, please consider this carefully.

I beg your forgiveness,

but I cannot accept.

You refuse my rewards,

and now you wish to resign?

Do you think I have no one else

to serve me in this court?

Your Majesty, please calm yourself.

I was once nothing but an outlaw.

By Your Majesty's boundless grace,

I was elevated to the court.

But the court is a place

where one treads on thin ice.

I have struggled to navigate

and often felt inadequate.

At times, I was drawn into conflicts

that harmed the very people I wished to protect.

I never had grand ambitions.

All I have ever wanted

is

to be with the one I love,

watching the days pass

and growing old in peace.

There are many worthy ministers

who can serve as wise counselors.

They will understand the affairs of state

and help build a prosperous era.

I

humbly

ask for Your Majesty's grace.

Please grant me permission

to retire from service

and fulfill this one wish.

You may step out.

All right.

Your heart is not in this.

No matter how I try to keep you,

it would be in vain.

I thank Your Majesty for your grace.

You may go.

Madam Wei, how did you win again?

How do you win every round?

Exactly.

Go and prepare.

Yes.

I feel like switching seats with you.

It's not about the seat.

Madam,

Master has returned.

He even changed into fresh clothes.

Let's stop here.

It's getting late.

Then

shall we meet another day?

Sure.

Another day.

This lady here,

are you

waiting for your husband?

I wonder,

how was your luck today?

Luck in gambling means less luck in love.

I kept winning today.

What do you think?

Come on.

Sit here.

Good.

Come on.

Let me

rub it for you.

Were you the one

who helped me with the recent matter?

Who doesn't know

about the things you've been doing?

But

I already had Father

pull your name list

out of the pile.

Really?

Move.

Madam,

you are too good to me.

Then you know what to do from now on?

I'll be good and listen to you.

(Xianji Salt Shop)

Fine salt, twenty copper coins per catty.

Come again.

Sure.

Sir,

has the salt reform

really been settled?

The court gazette

came down yesterday.

From now on, the salt

will no longer be controlled by one family alone.

Alright.

Fine salt, twenty copper coins

per catty.

Just a while ago,

fine salt was seventy or eighty copper coins per catty.

(Xianji Salt Shop) Now,

you can buy it for twenty.

With the Yu family's fall,

and the salt administration cleansed,

our lives

are getting better.

Indeed.

(Double Happiness)

Thank you for your hospitality, Commander Wang.

Thank you, Commander Wang.

Come on.

I'm glad you could come.

Go on home now.

Alright.

Let's go.

Easy.

My dear,

do you remember the persimmon tree

planted in the backyard after we married?

Of course I do.

You once said to learn

from the persimmon.

The more it endures the frost,

the sweeter it becomes.

Wrong,

I was wrong.

Look at the persimmon.

When fully ripe, it falls to the ground.

It never clings to the branch.

So

the persimmon's worth is not in its sweetness,

but in its falling.

To fall and to rise again

is nature's way.

This is to you

and a broad state of mind.

To you, Madam.

When the Yu family fell, everyone scattered.

I haven't heard

what happened to that Young Madam Yu.

Could she have

quietly died in some well?

I heard,

before the Yu family fell,

she was sent off to the estate.

Even if she hasn't been punished,

she's probably

out there working the fields.

Wasn't she the one who compiled

the Dongshan Poetry Talks,

the talented Fan Yake?

That's her.

That book you mentioned

people only bought it to prop up a table

when the Yu family was powerful.

That's not right.

Fan Yake may have married into the Yu family,

but she came from Huaying.

She is the daughter of the great scholar Fan Kun.

She excels in painting,

capturing flowers and plants with such life,

and her poetry is exquisite.

What does her talent

have to do with the Yu family?

This person

looks familiar.

Could she be

Fan?

My Lady,

the new shipment of brocade has arrived.

They're waiting for you to check and shelve it.

I never imagined

I would ever live

a life like this.

With leisure,

and with money.

Let's go.

(Spirit Tablet of My Late Brother Yang Yucheng)

(Spirit Tablet of the Late Mother Yang)

(Spirit Tablet of My Late Brother Zhou Ruixiang)

- Mr. Jin. - Mr. Jin.

Take a look at this.

Mr. Jin.

Here you go.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Take care.

Why is Mr. Jin limping?

In the seventh year of Hongzhi, a corrupt official was brought down.

Have you heard of it?

Mr. Jin beat the Dengwen Drum.

He sacrificed a leg,

but he did right by his brothers.

His salt is quite good.

Congratulations, Madam Mo.

Madam Mo.

Madam Mo, congratulations.

Congratulations.

Congrats on your son's success.

I'm so happy.

Congratulations.

Congrats.

Congratulations.

Thank you, everyone.

I always knew

the Mo family

would produce a scholar.

Congratulations.

Congratulations.

Congratulations to Young Master Mo.

Why are you crying over good news?

I'm happy.

Alright.

It's great news.

(Zhengxue Academy)

Master!

Master!

I passed!

Master.

Master.

I passed too!

We all passed!

Good.

Good.

Remember what I have taught you.

As officials,

you must be incorruptible and just,

and love the people as your own.

Do not be blinded by wealth

and lose sight of your true purpose.

Heaven

has opened countless paths for us.

Choose wisely.

Thank you, Master, for your guidance.

Master.

You see?

I am not

without talent for learning.

I just didn't like the imperial exams.

I think

teaching is good.

Yes.

Our master

is the best.

Senior brother,

congratulations on passing.

We should thank Master Fu.

(Letter-Writing Service)

Need a letter written?

Sir,

need a letter written?

I heard

you were a top scholar.

So

do you still charge

just three copper coins per letter?

He's the son of a convicted official.

It's generous enough

that he gets any business.

Yes.

I write and copy

at the market rate,

three copper coins per letter,

no matter how long.

Ji,

look,

this is the character for top scholar.

Study hard,

and one day, like your father,

you will top all three exams

and bring honor to the family.

Listen to me.

No matter what happens,

no matter when,

you must never lose your spirit.

Do you remember?

Remember?

The old lady looks good.

Yes.

She teaches her grandson every day.

She wants him to be a top scholar.

But her family ran afoul of the law.

For generations to come, none of them can sit for the exams.

Is that true?

Greetings, ladies.

Stop staring.

Let's go.

Jingxiu, you're back.

Mother.

Come here.

Jingxiu,

I have found a match for you.

Though the family is not prominent,

the Ninth Young Lady Fu

is one I favor.

Listen to your mother.

A virtuous woman blesses three generations.

In marriage,

choose virtue.

I will do as you say.

And you must remember too.

When you grow up,

your father will find you a good match.

A virtuous woman blesses three generations.

In marriage,

choose virtue.

Be like your father...

I will do as you say.

You will top all three exams

and bring honor to the family.

I will do as you say.

When he grows up,

he must also find a good match.

A virtuous woman blesses three generations.

In marriage,

choose virtue.

The wise delight in water, the virtuous delight in mountains.

The wise are active,

the virtuous are still.

The wise find joy,

the virtuous live long.

(I never expected)

(that she could now settle her mind)

(in this remote place as an instructor.)

(From Miss Fan)

(to Young Madam Yu)

(to now Ms. Fan, the instructor.)

(Perhaps)

(this is who she truly is.)

Mother,

where is this?

This is where

I used to teach.

And where your father

made his name.

Teach me to read and write, Mother.

One day, I'll make my mark too,

and be remembered.

You, what do you want to be when you grow up?

I want to be like you, Father,

a general, a high official.

Come on.

Careful.

Becoming a regional commander is good.

But the three of us,

living freely,

is also good.

To transcend the world, you must first enter it.

You, when you grow up,

if you can be like your mother,

with a mind of her own,

even if you're not in the history books,

you'll still be a remarkable woman.

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

♪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♪

Hold on tight.

Hold steady.

Sit tight, You.

Okay.

Let's go.

Father, higher!

Higher!

Alright.

♪Inviting frost to my temples, veiling the face of bygone days.♪

♪Bearing wings through stormy tides, wash away stain of false accusation♪

♪May all common folk share one roof, every lantern rest in peace♪

♪Let this humble name carry me through a life adrift♪

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

♪Though each move is forced upon me♪

♪May it buy the world one moment's peace from the storm♪

♪I crave no clarity♪

♪From outside my soul♪

(The End)

♪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♪

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