Original subtitles

=The Road to Splendor=

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

=Episode 33=

There is no need for pleasantries between us.

In a way, this misfortune has turned into a blessing for you.

At least, you no longer have me as a rival.

You've repeatedly made insinuations

about my background.

But do you know

what trained courtesans like me truly went through?

There were five other girls

bought into the household with me.

When I was eight or nine,

one of them

was sold off as a servant

because she wasn't pretty enough.

Another girl was trained in dancing,

but starvation ruined her health.

She never reached adulthood.

And another

was abused by the family she was sent to,

and died after a miscarriage.

Madam,

you are not truly a wicked person.

You only wanted to earn everyone's respect.

So,

in your eyes,

the cruelest things

were nothing more than

petty tricks meant to embarrass others.

Compared with the other girls,

I was already one of the lucky ones.

Miss Fan,

on your journey,

please take care of yourself.

And I hope that one day

you can break free from this confined world.

(No wonder Madam Zhao said)

(who you are born as may matter,)

(and who you marry may matter too,)

(but what matters most)

(is who you ultimately become.)

(I hope we)

(can all find freedom someday.)

Madam,

the Young Madam Yu didn't take any gold or jewelry with her.

She only took the ten chests of manuscripts she brought as dowry.

Perhaps...

she finally understood.

From beginning to end,

all she wanted was for others to respect her.

She never cared about gold and silver.

The Yu family could never hold her back.

Since she wants freedom,

let her go.

Cairong,

sell all the gold jewelry I've saved.

Exchange them all for silver notes.

Why?

Those are your dignity when you leave the house.

Don't be foolish.

Today it is her.

But who knows...

tomorrow it won't be me?

Keep only gold-plated pieces

for appearances.

When a real crisis comes,

those ornaments

won't save my life.

Only those silver notes

are a true lifeline.

Grand Secretary Tian,

I hope you'll forgive my boldness,

but before you retire,

I'd like to ask you to submit a memorial.

Commander Zhao,

I,

after serving in office for decades,

have survived by knowing when to stay out of trouble.

Those words have been my rule.

This mess you're stepping into,

I won't get involved.

The old salt administration case

does have suspicious circumstances.

The evidence points directly to the Yu family.

If you were to speak,

instead of someone like me,

the difference in influence would be immeasurable.

All I ask is that you submit one memorial on my behalf.

I'll handle

the dirty work and the hard work that follows.

It will root out corruption

and replenish the imperial treasury.

It will benefit both the court and the people.

Of course,

I

do have my own motives.

But for you, Master Tian,

this would also allow your name

to leave a distinguished mark in history.

Commander Zhao, let me tell you,

I'm 58 years old.

In just a few years,

I'll be heading home to retire.

And you're here

trying to sell me a dream?

In this life,

the more one craves,

the harder the fall when it's lost.

Power,

you may seek it,

but never cling to it.

As for me,

I have enough.

Well,

I'm afraid I'm rather tired.

I won't keep you any longer, Commander Zhao.

Young man,

you should be on your way.

How did it go?

He doesn't crave power.

He doesn't seek wealth.

Even the chance to be remembered in history couldn't move him.

For now, I truly can't find

anything that would persuade him.

Even the Buddha

sought to save all sentient beings.

I refuse to believe that in this world

there is truly someone

who has completely severed all desires.

The Tian family...

what is it they truly seek?

Grand Secretary Tian has retired from office.

As for Madam Yu's generation,

they have little left to worry about.

But

what about when their eldest daughter comes of age?

Women cannot take the examinations or enter government service.

You certainly wouldn't want her confined to the inner chambers.

Nor would you bear to see her

spend her life tending to her in-laws and household chores.

Then in the future,

what path will she have?

How do you know

I haven't planned for her future?

Madam comes from a distinguished family.

You do not chase power,

nor covet wealth,

yet patiently

organize this gathering every month.

I believe

it is probably to

pave the way for your daughter.

So that the connections

and resources

you have built can be passed on to her.

If I could invite Grand Empress Dowager to attend in person,

then Madam's gathering

would gain even greater prestige.

And the reputation passed on to your daughter

would be all the more elevated.

Can you truly make that happen?

I

will do my best to try.

I recently came across an extraordinary book,

and have brought it here for Your Majesty's appreciation.

(Dongshan Poetry Talks)

This book

was compiled by the renowned scholar Fan Kun

and is titled

Dongshan Poetry Talks.

The binding is quite elegant.

What makes this book remarkable

is that

it contains commentary from both father and daughter.

The notes in black on the left

were written by Fan Kun.

The notes in red on the right

are the insights of Fan Yake.

I happened to obtain this book

at Madam Wei's literary gathering.

After reading it carefully,

I found it truly remarkable.

Therefore,

I present it to Your Majesty.

Compared with her father,

I find that

the daughter's perspectives

are much more to my liking.

For a woman to possess such talent

is truly rare.

If Your Majesty

would be willing to bring the court ladies with you

and attend the literary gathering in the capital,

and have this grand occasion

recorded in the Imperial Daily Records,

it would encourage women to pursue learning

and add another distinguished chapter to Your Majesty's legacy.

Would that not be

a wonderful thing?

Excellent.

I've heard that

women in the Northwest

can both

ride horses and shoot arrows,

and also

work the fields

and prepare supplies for the army.

The capital

may not have the vast beauty of the Gobi Desert,

but it has its own elegance and refinement.

I came out of the palace today

because I wanted to see

how the young ladies of the capital

usually

spend their time.

Greetings, Your Majesty.

Rise.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty,

the capital

is a place where culture flourishes.

The ladies here

may not be skilled at riding horses

or archery,

but they often compose poetry and paint,

host literary gatherings,

and form poetry societies.

So,

is this

the gathering you host?

Your Majesty,

I merely

provide a place for everyone to gather.

It is only thanks to the support and kindness of the ladies here.

Very good.

Very good indeed.

Come, show me around the rest of the place.

This way, Your Majesty.

(Spring, the 7th year of Hongzhi.)

(Grand Empress Dowager left the palace to attend Madam Wei's gathering.)

(She was greatly pleased)

(and praised the event.)

Even the Grand Empress Dowager came in person.

Madam Wei certainly has quite a reputation.

Madam Zhao truly knows how to make things happen.

Rest assured.

Whatever Commander Zhao plans to do,

I'll persuade my father to step forward.

(Xie Jewelry Shop)

This pearl

is of excellent quality.

Its estimated value

is around ten thousand taels each.

Ten thousand taels?

It truly is a priceless treasure.

Such a rare find.

Who could afford to buy it at that price?

However, if

we could find another pearl

of the same quality

to make a matching pair,

its value

would increase by at least three times.

Three times?

So if anyone's household has a similar pearl,

Xie Jewelry Shop is willing to buy it for twice the market price.

Three times the value...

(Yu) So beautiful.

This...

Isn't this the box

Grand Secretary Yu sent over

when he came to apologize last time?

Could it be

that Grand Secretary Yu gave it to the owner of Xie Jewelry Shop?

Grand Secretary Yu has always prided himself on his integrity.

Who would have thought that when he makes a gift,

he would offer something so valuable.

Indeed.

(Yu Residence)

If we go out now and say it wasn't from us,

no one will believe us.

The whole capital is already talking about it.

They say the Yu family is immensely wealthy,

and that we give extravagant gifts.

That woman Fu...

she turned a fake performance into reality.

That was truly a vicious move.

She never once said

that it was a gift from the Yu family.

Yet she let the rumors spread through the streets.

Now we can't even explain ourselves.

She used the gift I gave to build her own reputation,

and turned it into a weapon against us.

This isn't a counterattack.

It's a provocation.

I warned you long ago

not to send an empty box.

This is not the time for such remarks.

Madam.

The entire capital is watching the Yu family now.

Everyone is saying how wealthy we are.

Under normal circumstances,

His Majesty would simply turn a blind eye.

But the court is in desperate need of funds right now.

What Fu did

was to put the Yu family

right in the line of fire.

And Zhao Ling...

I don't know what tricks he pulled,

but he managed to persuade Tian.

He could have simply retired with dignity.

But right before leaving,

he submitted a memorial and set me up.

He wants to establish some kind of

Salt Tax Office.

The handover alone will take half a year.

By then,

that old fox

will be back in the countryside fishing!

I heard Grand Secretary Tian

specifically included in the regulations

that officials from the Six Ministries be assigned.

He's trying to remove all our people.

Exactly, Madam.

Don't blame me for being anxious.

Once the salt accounts are handed over,

the things we've been hiding...

Anyway,

those dirty accounts...

Zhao Ling is determined to dig them up.

And now the woman Fu

has given us

another

mess to deal with.

(Hold Fast to the Mean) I have reviewed the salt regulations

drafted by Tian.

Very good.

The key point

lies in the appointment of the Salt Tax Office officials.

Your Majesty,

I humbly offer

myself for the position

to oversee this matter.

There have been some rumors in the capital recently.

I have heard about them as well.

Minister Yu, perhaps you should settle your own accounts first

before concerning yourself with the salt administration accounts.

This matter will be handled by Minister Zhao.

I obey.

In this world,

the easiest thing to manipulate is the human heart.

Fu Tingyun wants to make the Yu family the target of everyone's anger.

Zhao Ling wants to place his own people in the Salt Tax Office.

Then perhaps we should make a move of our own.

Cut off the problem at its root.

(Yan Merchant Guild)

(Hall of Worthy Gatherings)

Mr. Jin,

if the court really establishes the Salt Tax Office,

then in the future, salt permits

will have to be purchased with money

directly from the Ministry of Revenue.

Won't that mean we'll need even stronger connections to survive?

But we have Mr. Jin.

Mr. Jin,

give us a hint.

Will our future backer

still be Zhao?

Commander Zhao has already risen in rank.

He is now a third rank official.

Mr. Jin,

are you sure you still

have influence with Commander Zhao?

Mr. Jin, just give us a straight answer.

Can we still stay in the salt business?

Yes, Mr. Jin.

Our families and dozens of workers

all depend on this for a living.

Mr. Jin!

Mr. Jin! Mr. Jin!

A distinguished guest

has invited you to Qingfeng Teahouse.

I, Jin Yuanbao, a humble commoner,

and I pay my respects to Madam Yu.

I never expected

Grand Secretary Yu himself would come.

I am deeply honored!

Mr. Jin, no need for formalities.

Please, rise.

Have a seat.

My Lord.

Have a seat.

I invited you here today

because I have a good opportunity for you.

As you know,

since the establishment

of the Salt Tax Office,

all salt permits across the realm

must now be obtained by paying silver.

If Mr. Jin is willing to testify

and expose Zhao Ling's past involvement in private salt trading,

and reveal how he colluded with merchants

and exploited salt merchants,

I guarantee

all salt permits in the entire Northwest

every share of the salt quota

will belong to you, Mr. Jin.

From this day forward,

you will become the biggest salt merchant in the Northwest.

My Lord.

This... this...

This cannot be done.

This would be a false accusation.

Falsely accusing a court official

will get me a beating.

And besides,

if the charge is official-merchant collusion,

the merchant involved will be punished as well.

Impossible.

Back in those days,

you did business with Zhao Ling.

You must have seen the Zhao family's land deeds and property records.

You must have seen his personal seal as well.

Those will serve as evidence.

They will turn this case

into an airtight case.

Then it won't be a false accusation anymore.

Second,

you won't have to bear the risk yourself.

Pick someone among your business associates

and let him take the blame.

Madam.

My Lord.

Perhaps you don't know this,

but Commander Zhao and I

are like brothers.

This matter...

Is that so?

Then why weren't you invited to his victory banquet?

Between officials and merchants,

how could there ever be true friendship?

The two of you

have long been walking different paths.

Don't worry.

If this succeeds,

Zhao Ling

will at worst be demoted and sent away.

But you...

you'll gain real wealth and tangible benefits.

I heard there's a merchant called Shopkeeper Ye.

He's privately been

complaining quite a lot to you.

Mr. Jin.

You wanted to see me?

What did you call me?

Mr. Jin.

Call me brother.

Bro Yuanbao.

Remember this.

I'll always be your Brother Yuanbao.

I called you here today

because I need your help with something.

In a few days, it's Brother Yucheng's memorial ceremony.

I had

a solid gold incense burner made.

I don't trust anyone else to handle it.

You're young and quick on your feet.

Go to Yuzhou for me

and bring it back.

Solid gold?

You're really willing to spend that much?

It's for Brother Yucheng.

He's one of our own.

Don't worry.

I'll make it in time.

Before the wedding,

I'll definitely be back.

Good.

Leave it to me.

I may have no parents,

but luckily I have brothers like you.

Every one of you treats me better than the last.

Mr. Zhao was asking about you the other day.

He said you hadn't stopped by in a long time.

I've been busy.

The salt reform is about to begin.

Things are still uncertain.

I don't want to trouble Mr. Zhao.

I'll be going then.

Yuanbao.

Go on.

Take care.

Honorable Magistrate,

I, Jin Yuanbao, a humble commoner,

hereby accuse

Zhao Ling, General Zhaoyong,

of colluding with merchants,

engaging in illegal salt trading,

and forcing salt merchants

to pay him profits and bribes.

All

financial transactions

property records and land deeds

bear his personal seal!

Your Majesty,

Since the salt reform was implemented on a trial basis in Anzhou,

it has brought in an additional two hundred thousand taels for the treasury.

These are the reports

and account records submitted by the local officials,

along with their reports of success.

(Memorial: Report on the Success of the New Salt Reform in Anzhou)

(Report on Salt Official Zhao Ling's Deception, Embezzlement and Bribery)

(Report on Impeiral Salt Inspector Shen Congsi's Death While in Office)

Your handling of affairs, Grand Secretary,

has greatly pleased me.

Your Majesty,

I have another matter to report.

A salt merchant has come forward

to accuse Zhao Ling

not only of colluding with merchants,

but also of coercing them into paying bribes.

More than that,

this man

was once a salt smuggler.

Yet

he concealed his past,

infiltrated the army,

and deceived the throne.

We now have

land deeds and property records bearing Zhao Ling's personal seal as evidence.

Please examine them, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty,

a high-ranking official of the court

has actually falsified his identity.

This is a grave crime of deceiving the throne.

The question is, was he truly capable of hiding this so well,

that he deceived everyone,

or

did someone

deliberately shield and enable him?

I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly.

Your Majesty,

the new salt policy has only been tested in Anzhou,

yet it has already generated two hundred thousand taels in revenue.

If implemented nationwide,

it could bring in millions.

And yet now,

the person in charge of the salt administration

is a former salt smuggler who deceived the throne.

How can the people trust such a policy?

And how can this new salt reform

be carried forward?

Your Majesty,

I believe

the salt reform should be suspended

and this case thoroughly investigated.

A temporary loss of treasury revenue

is a minor matter,

but the integrity of the court

must be upheld.

The salt reform concerns the foundation of the state.

How can it be abandoned because of one man?

Issue my decree.

The affairs of salt administration

shall temporarily be placed under the Ministry of Revenue.

Zhao Ling

is to be suspended from office and imprisoned.

Investigate!

Conduct a full and thorough investigation!

Your Majesty, please reconsider.

A wise decision, Your Majesty!

Search!

(Xie Residence)

(Xie Residence)

My Lord.

I beg you, My Lord,

to show us some mercy.

The lady in this residence

is an old acquaintance of our young master.

Please, My Lord,

spare her some hardship.

I cannot.

Young Lord Yu,

it is not that I refuse your kindness,

but

regarding the confiscation of the Zhao estate,

your father

has already given us instructions beforehand.

As for this money you offer,

I

dare not accept it.

Move!

Stay down!

Get down! Down!

Get down now!

Down!

Madam,

we've already sent word to Madam Wang.

Why hasn't she arrived yet?

Don't panic.

Just stall them until they get here.

At least we'll be safe for now.

Down!

Get down!

Spare us!

Come here.

Sanniang!

Parasites feeding off the court!

Spare me the act of loyalty between master and servant!

Do you know the salt you consume every day

was bought with the Zhao couple's dirty money?

How dare you slander us!

You haven't even investigated,

yet you call us parasites!

Our lady's

family is the Xie family of Jiangnan.

She has every right to her own family assets!

Exactly!

That's right!

This case has not yet been decided.

We are merely cooperating with the investigation,

not convicted criminals.

Since there is no imperial decree declaring us guilty,

you officers should stop making things difficult for us.

Even these clothes were bought with the people's money.

Take it off!

What are you doing?

What are you doing?

Don't touch our lady!

How can you be so cruel?

You're trying to ruin my young madam's reputation!

How dare you!

Sanniang!

Madam!

Stop!

I advise you all to act according to the law.

If you intend to take advantage of this situation and bully these women,

you'll have to get through us first!

Confiscating the estate is one thing.

Did His Majesty ever decree

that you could harass the women of the household?

Ransack and rob their home?

Did he ever order you

to strip women in public?

Exactly!

Who gave you the right?

And you!

If your mother

knew what you've been doing out here,

bullying women like this,

she'd crawl out of her grave to stop you.

You...

What!

You all look like decent men,

but you behave like animals,

doing such filthy things.

If you have the courage, go fight the enemy at the frontier.

Don't show off your power here.

What kind of men are you?

Exactly!

What kind of men are you?

Enough!

Follow the proper procedure.

Madam Zhao,

remove your jewelry

and come with us.

The remaining servants

will be detained according to the law

pending further orders.

Madam.

It's alright.

Let's go.

Sanniang.

Madam.

Madam.

Madam.

Are you alright?

Thank you, Madam,

and all of you sisters,

for coming to my aid in my darkest hour.

Don't say that.

No worries.

Leave everything here to us.

All of you are under temporary contracts,

so you should not have been dragged into this.

The trouble we face today

was caused by Mr. Zhao and me,

and we have put you all in this position.

But rest assured,

as long as no verdict has been issued,

no one can sell you off at will.

For now,

you may have to endure some hardship,

but when the truth comes to light,

you will all receive

the justice you deserve.

Madam, please don't say that.

For all these years,

we have followed you and Mr. Zhao,

and you have treated us like family.

You have never spoken a harsh word to us.

Our monthly wages

have never been short by even a penny.

Today, I failed you.

I could not share your burdens

or clear your name.

But we will never betray you!

We will wait for you to return!

We won't leave!

Yes!

That's right, Madam.

Yes!

Madam.

We'll wait for you and Mr. Zhao

to have your names cleared

and return safely.

We'll wait for you!

We await your return!

We'll wait for you!

(Xie Residence)

It has begun to snow.

It's snowing.

There must be an injustice here.

Indeed.

(Sealed by the Northern Bureau of the Imperial Guard)

Mr. Zhao.

Someone asked me to inform you that

your wife has also been taken into custody.

The offerings,

spirit money,

and Yucheng's favorite Pear Blossom White wine...

Everything is ready.

Look.

Why has it been sealed?

Don't look. Let's go.

(Xie Residence)

Madam.

Sen is here.

Madam.

What exactly happened?

It was Jin Yuanbao. He submitted a memorial to the court,

accusing Zhao Ling of three major crimes.

First,

colluding with Chief Merchant Ye to sell illicit salt.

Second,

forcing salt merchants to hand over half of their profits

as so-called "tea money."

Third,

he dug up Zhao Ling's past before he joined the army,

claiming that he had once dealt in illicit salt.

He also presented

land deeds bearing Zhao Ling's private seal as evidence.

With truth and lies mixed together,

it will be difficult to refute.

Impossible!

Brother Yuanbao was the one who sent me to Yuzhou

to pick up the offerings for Brother Yucheng's memorial rite.

That's why I left the capital.

How could he betray Mr. Zhao?

Sen.

People change.

This staff

was repaired for you by Commander Zhao himself.

He originally planned to give it to you

at your wedding.

But sadly, he is now behind bars.

You should keep it

for now.

Madam.

Can you save Mr. Zhao?

I will repay your kindness for the rest of my life.

Get up.

Our lord is doing everything he can to help him.

If the worst comes to pass,

the Wang family will do everything in our power to protect you.

Your marriage

will not be affected.

How did it come to this?

Yu...

Yu...

Mr. Jin.

Sorry to keep you waiting.

Where is the Grand Secretary?

Where is he?

My Lord is tied up with official matters.

He simply cannot spare the time.

Whatever you need,

you may tell me instead.

I came here because

of the Zhao family's situation.

The Grand Secretary promised me

at most,

it would only be

exile to the border.

How did it end up becoming

imprisonment and confiscation of his entire estate?

Some things

are like this tea.

Once swallowed,

can it ever be brought back up?

Mr. Jin.

The tea has gone cold.

My Lord.

Sen is here.

Yucheng's offerings...

For the memorial rite, are all prepared?

Why did you lie to me?

What did I lie to you about?

You deliberately sent me to Yuzhou.

Tell me!

Why did you betray Mr. Zhao?

What are you talking about? Betray Mr. Zhao?

Who filled your head with that nonsense?

I'm not a child anymore!

I'm eighteen now!

Why do you always keep me in the dark

whenever something happens to you?

Why?

Mr. Zhao stood in the way of too many people.

Even if I hadn't reported him,

someone else would have.

If someone else can claim this fortune,

why can't it be mine?

So it was money after all.

What else is there to live for?

If not for money, then what?

If you had ever had to rely on yourself

to survive even a single day in this world,

you would never ask such a question!

Ever since Mr. Zhao came to the capital,

has he ever truly treated me, Jin Yuanbao, like a brother?

He humiliated me in front of his own men.

He...

Sen, what are you doing?

Withdraw the complaint!

I went to see Grand Secretary Yu.

But he refused to see me.

When I was useful,

they treated me like I mattered.

But when they no longer needed me,

who ever saw me as a person?

Every single one of them is the same.

Sen, open your eyes and see clearly.

People prey on each other.

That's the world we live in!

I sent you to Yuzhou

because I still cared about our brotherhood.

If it weren't for me, Jin Yuanbao,

you'd be rotting in prison with Mr. Zhao right now.

Ever since we were kids,

you all made me train with a staff instead of a blade.

You said it was because you didn't want me to get blood on my hands.

So I only trained with a staff.

But even a staff...

can still kill.

I've already done everything I could, in good conscience!

You can't ask anything more of me!

Brother Yuanbao.

I truly thought

we'd be brothers for life.

Sen.

Sen.

Sen.

Let me see.

Thank goodness.

Thank goodness you didn't do anything foolish.

Mr. Zhao found me between three trees.

Brother Yuanbao said,

"Let's call him Sen."

Mr. Zhao wasn't the only one who raised me.

They said

that after I came into their lives,

the brothers became less ruthless.

Even though they dealt in illicit salt,

they never became mere thugs.

Jin Yuanbao...

If back then,

you had accepted your place,

and simply stayed

in Huaying,

as a shopkeeper,

you wouldn't have ended up like this today...

losing an ear,

losing a whole group of brothers,

and now,

you still have to

fight for this wretched life of yours.

Grand Secretary Yu

was right.

In this world,

you either devour others,

or...

you let yourself be devoured.

I...

I did nothing wrong.

Please, do me this favor.

Just give you the time it takes for one incense stick to burn.

Make it quick.

Madam Zhao!

Sister, I must say,

you're surprisingly generous today.

You've fallen into such a predicament,

yet you still have the heart to joke around?

It's nothing.

I've survived worse than this.

Why would I fear this?

These

are from Madam Wang.

She sent clothes and money for you.

She specifically asked us to tell you

that she will take good care of Sen.

She wants you to

take care of yourself.

Listen to me.

If it comes down to it,

put everything

on Commander Zhao.

He loves you so much.

He would never blame you.

As women,

no matter what happens,

we can never give up on ourselves.

You have to survive.

He cares for me.

Then I have to care for him too.

Don't worry, sisters.

I know what I'm doing.

What a miserable place this is.

It's not even as good as Gannin.

If only we were all still in Gannin.

General Mo wouldn't have died.

General Zhao's estate wouldn't have been confiscated.

Nothing would have changed.

Yes.

But in this world,

there's no going back.

(Next Episode)

Mr. Zhao...

He's gone.

She...

She's really all right?

Some people fight their way up,

while others

fear being replaced.

What matters most right now

is that we find out

what Zhao Ling has really been up to.

If you try to stir up more trouble,

I'm afraid the final outcome

will be far worse than just drinking this bowl of chastity soup.

♪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♪