Original subtitles

=The Road to Splendor=

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

=Episode 6=

I'm just gonna lie back down.

You think he's got the plague?

Looks like it.

Let's go. Let's get out of here.

(Sir,)

(were we not supposed)

(to travel together to Linchun Town?)

(The epidemic struck with terrifying force.)

(The bond we shared)

(must end here, I'm afraid.)

Have you really caught the epidemic?

Let me check.

Besides the wound he got because of you,

Mr. Zhao is in perfectly good health.

Did you scheme

to drive them away?

Officials and bandits have never shared the same fate.

Miss, think carefully.

Are you on the side of the officials,

or the bandits?

Whom will you follow?

But he can help you.

He's an Imperial Envoy.

He wields tremendous authority.

What can he do for me?

Traffic contraband?

Those who hate Jiuweijiao want you dead,

and Jiuweijiao's men seek your life too.

Hunters chase you across all the Jianghu.

Everyone is out to slay you.

The Imperial Envoy is your lifeline,

yet you push him away.

Why are you so impossibly stubborn,

deaf to all advice?

I stay guarded for good reason.

Once I help you finish this mission,

I will be of no more use to you.

What will you do with me then?

Will you merely utter a hollow word of thanks,

praising my chivalry?

Or will you stop at nothing,

and hand over all my past misdeeds,

to add another meritorious entry

to your official record?

Fair enough.

All along this journey,

I've never treated you poorly,

nor laid harsh blame on you.

If push comes to shove,

I'll tie you up,

and escort you safely to the capital.

That way you won't want to go to Linchun Town one day

and Yongning Prefecture the next.

So no extra trouble will arise.

Exactly.

Once you're tied up,

you won't stir up any trouble.

Let go of me!

Let me go.

Be gentle.

Of course,

you could choose to abandon me,

and leave with them.

But think of all the people we've met along the way,

those ravenous, ruthless refugees,

and that woman who was abandoned.

They all could trick you out of your food.

I finally found you.

Why are you here?

I've come to repay your kindness.

One must keep one's word.

I told you before,

I would serve you as your maid.

I shall not break that promise.

Wherever you go, miss,

I will follow.

She really came to repay the kindness?

Thank you, miss.

Thanks.

Thanks a lot.

Miss, what are you doing?

We're just having a tiff.

We're out in the middle of nowhere.

If we keep this up,

it'll be dangerous.

Sorry you had to see that mess.

This place isn't safe to linger.

Sen,

let's go.

Mr. Zhao,

we've got a tail.

Mr. Zhao,

it's that man

who fought us at the salt shop.

The second he laid eyes on us,

(Jiu) He's dead set on getting this token.

He's incredibly persistent.

(Jiu)

I'll lead him away.

Sen.

Let's go.

I can handle this alone.

Stay here.

Keep an eye on them.

Don't let them wander out.

Miss,

please sit down and rest a while.

Cargo fish swish tails through Dragon Gate;

Eaves mice gnaw cash, three bite marks remain;

Black bear bears down, scales sink low;

Fox paws shear silver, split fifty-fifty.

What's this?

The Snow Salt Ballad.

Jiuweijiao's trade code.

You ladies wouldn't understand.

Miss,

let me take you and run away.

I've seen through them long ago.

Those two are human traffickers.

(Jiu) They say they'll take you there,

but you're such a beautiful young lady.

Who knows where they'll sell you off to.

(The Snow Salt Ballad)

Thank you, miss.

May I know your name?

Just call me Zheng Sanniang.

Sanniang,

would you take me to Linchun Town?

I have a distant relative there,

and I can seek shelter with them.

Of course I'd love to.

That way.

Mr. Zhao.

Mr. Zhao.

Mr. Zhao.

Mr. Zhao.

They knocked me unconscious

and made off with the token.

She's a daughter of an official.

She doesn't deal in salt at all.

What would she even need that token for?

She has no use for it,

but the Imperial Envoy she's currying favor with does.

Remember,

hidden inside the token

is the Snow Salt Ballad.

Imperial Envoy?

Mr. Zhao,

if the Snow Salt Ballad gets out,

more people

will hunt us down.

We need to flee.

We've wandered Jianghu for years.

How could we get outwitted

by some young lady

who's never left home?

Gather our things.

Let's head

for Linchun Town.

(Linchun Station)

The Sixteenth Master travels incognito as Imperial Envoy.

Remember to keep this confidential.

I shall keep my lips sealed.

I have ordered the station to turn away all outsiders.

Please rest assured, sir.

If

there is anything I may assist with,

feel free to let me know.

Your arrangements

are perfectly well thought out.

My son, Jingxiu, is diligent.

Should the Sixteenth Master need extra hands,

he can be of service.

The autumn provincial exam draws near.

Your son boasts remarkable talent and knowledge.

A bright future awaits him for sure.

Madam, there is no need to be so hasty.

(Madam Yu?)

(Why is she here?)

Send more men to guard the station.

Keep all outsiders away.

Since I cannot avoid Madam Yu,

I shall use her

as my stepping stone.

Madam,

a young lady asks for an audience.

She claims to be Fu,

the ninth daughter of the Fu family.

Ninth Young Lady Fu?

I thought she was dead.

I thought I would never see you again.

Back when I stayed at Biyun Nunnery,

I was

always thinking of you, Madam.

Fortunately, fate did not forsake me.

I fought my way out at the cost of my life.

It seems our bond

has not yet run its course.

Back then,

there were some malicious rumors.

I never believed a word of them,

yet I was merely an outsider after all

and could do nothing to help.

Do not misunderstand me, Madam.

I have come uninvited today

not to rekindle our old bond,

but to strike a deal

with you, Madam.

I came across a piece of evidence on the road.

I thought you might find it interesting.

(The Snow Salt Ballad) This Snow Salt Ballad

records all parties shared the profits,

and holds pivotal weight in the salt corruption case.

Something this important...

Where did you get it?

It belongs...

(Jiu)

to the biggest salt smuggler in the northwest,

Jiuweijiao.

But why is it written as a ballad?

This evidence involves a lot.

If a single word leaks out,

heads will roll.

Jiuweijiao is extremely cautious,

so he encoded everything into a ballad.

But I hold the key

to decode its meaning.

Once I meet the noble lord,

I shall recite the full truth to him.

As my guarantor, Madam,

you will undoubtedly claim

the foremost merit.

If this is a bargain,

what do you seek in return?

Once you take the greatest credit,

I only ask that my name be recorded for his contribution.

Silly girl,

you shall surely share the merit.

You've traveled so far to find me,

and I'll hold you dear in my heart.

Settle here in peace.

Once the time is right,

I will present you to the noble lord.

It's like receiving a pillow right when drowsiness hits.

Who would've thought Miss Fu would stumble upon such fortune?

But I still feel

uneasy.

Indeed.

Back when we were at Huaying,

you did not save her, Madam.

Anyone in that place

would bear a grudge.

It is not about what happened in the past.

I fear what lies ahead.

After all, she is still an outsider.

There will always be a rift between us.

I must find a way

to bind her fate with ours.

Madam,

another person seeks an audience.

Calm down.

Why so flustered?

This is not your first day serving here.

Did you see a jinx?

He's forced his way in.

He goes by the name Zhao Ling.

Zhao Ling?

He is truly a jinx.

It's a matter of great importance.

We cannot let this ill-omened fellow ruin our plans.

Where is Fu Tingyun?

Zhao Ling.

You've got quite the nerve.

Do you think this is the Fu family in Huaying?

How dare you run wild here.

I have no intention of fighting.

Give me the token and the man,

and I'll walk away right now.

And if I say no?

Then I guess

we do this the hard way.

You're a bold one,

but you can't win this fight alone.

Madam Yu.

He is the leader of the Western Capital salt bandits,

Jiuweijiao.

You're actually Jiuweijiao?

I...

I have an epidemic upon me.

Stay away from me, all of you.

Don't run!

You rascal, you lied to me.

Xiuchun Blade?

The Imperial Guards?

(I planned to find him once this matter was settled,)

(yet he forced his way in uninvited.)

Jiuweijiao has a notorious reputation.

The Sixteenth Master holds an exalted status.

We cannot afford the slightest mishap.

We must silence him without delay to be safe.

Have you forgotten how many men I have at my back?

If any harm befalls me today,

none of you will escape unscathed.

Come to think of it,

you've got a point there.

Right,

killing one is far less satisfying than wiping out the whole gang.

Lock him up for now.

Take him away.

Yes, sir.

Take him away.

Go.

No.

I must see the noble lord at once.

Tell me,

where are your men?

If I tell you where they are,

will you set me free?

Jiuweijiao,

don't try to trick me.

You're in no position to bargain.

Tell me!

I'll talk.

My men

are hot on my trail.

If I'm not wrong,

they're already on their way to rescue me.

They're only

a short distance away.

You can't miss Sen.

He's

in his mid-thirties.

Mr. Feng,

Zhao Ling's gang must be nearby.

Search.

He bears a blade scar on his left cheek.

Four moles mark his right cheek.

They're extremely tough foes.

Armed with plenty of weapons.

Let's go.

You'd better take more men with you.

How do I know you're telling the truth?

I have survived the Jianghu,

all thanks to the Snow Salt Ballad.

I'll tell you the first four lines.

If they can match them,

they're surely my men.

When will you introduce me

to the noble lord?

Don't rush.

I will introduce you,

but first I'll secure you a proper station.

I wish to lend you a hand.

Such a lovely magnolia

faded to mud.

What a pity it is.

How can I bear to see it?

Why not

become Jingxiu's concubine?

We could pick up our old bond again.

All the wealth and glory you once knew,

fine silks and delicacies shall remain yours.

You'll once more be that radiant noble lady.

Why are you humiliating me like this?

I hold you in high regard,

so I plan this path for you.

Aren't you craving merit?

If we stand united as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law,

we can seize all these immense rewards.

Wouldn't that be perfect?

You just don't want benefits falling into outsiders' hands, Madam.

With this bond between us,

later on,

you'll have me firmly under your thumb.

I've checked the almanac.

Today is an auspicious day for weddings.

Why not

settle the matter tonight?

Tomorrow at dawn,

I'll take you to meet the noble lord.

As you know,

our family has few heirs.

Jingxiu carries on both branches.

Any children you bear later

will have to be adopted by the main branch.

What exactly do you mean, Madam?

I've picked a maiden for you recently.

With her by your side,

she can share the burden of bearing heirs.

You may set your mind at ease.

You've thought of everything, Madam.

But there's no rush for this.

We can talk it over another time.

Listen to me.

Let Jingxiu take her as his concubine.

His studies exhaust him.

She may accompany him on the road.

Could it be

you cannot bear her presence?

Of course not.

It's just that

along this journey,

I've seen no clever maidens.

I wonder who's blessed enough

to win your favor, Madam.

She is no ordinary maiden.

You know her too.

The Magnolia from the Huaying.

Tingyun?

Wasn't she dead?

Not only was she alive,

but she came to seek refuge with me.

Seeing her all alone and destitute,

I wished to grant her a way to survive.

The contract bears witness.

She's Zuo Junjie's wife.

Look at you,

still sulking, aren't you?

I want you to set your mind at ease.

That's why I leave this to you.

The Yu family upholds strict rules.

Wives outrank concubines.

What have you to fear?

Tonight,

take this wine to Jingxiu's chambers.

Miss Fan,

the Yu family has strict rules.

A mother-in-law always outranks a daughter-in-law.

You must obey the Madam in all things.

Last time, the Madam

only wished to borrow a chest of manuscripts from you.

Such a trivial matter,

yet you failed to see it done.

Mr. Zhao.

Mr. Zhao.

You've truly fallen under their thumb.

See? You can't do without me.

I've fetched Chuan

and Biao and the others.

I thought you headed for the capital?

How'd you get stuck here?

Luckily we weren't far off.

Otherwise,

you two would've died here.

Chuan and Biao,

you take the men

and wait outside first.

Sen, come with me.

I'd like to see

what tricks the Ninth Young Lady

is really playing.

Mr. Zhao,

the guards here

are not as tough as you said.

I sent half the guards away.

How?

The Snow Salt Ballad has sixteen lines, right?

As for its first four lines,

every salt gang member knows them well.

Who's there?

Cargo fish swish tails through Dragon Gate.

Eaves mice gnaw cash, three bite marks remain.

Good, you've arrived.

We've all been waiting.

Where's Zhao Ling?

How dare you possess restricted weapons?

Listen up.

Jiuweijiao sold all of you to me.

Seize them all.

(Qixia Chamber)

Tingyun,

I never imagined

we'd meet again under such circumstances.

For a moment,

I'm not sure whether to address you as Miss Fu

or Miss Xie.

I know

you resent me,

but what could I do?

After tonight,

we'll be living side by side again.

Mr. Yu favors plain, subtle styles.

I've specially picked out fabrics

with patterns to his liking for you.

Aren't these the fabrics you used to wear?

These are the bolts

we picked out together back then.

I gave them all to you.

Now I hand them back to you.

Isn't this perfect for you?

Strange indeed.

What did you do to anger her so?

That she'd plant me right beside you

to make sure you never live in peace.

Peace? It's not about peace.

It's just taking a concubine.

Miss Fan will always be the main wife.

But there might be a way

to spare me from becoming a concubine.

Spare you from being a concubine?

There's an honored guest

staying in your east courtyard, right?

He seems to carry an even loftier station.

His entourage consists of men traveling afar

and they lack a gentle lady

to ease their weariness and lighten their cares.

This is my chance.

I doubt you'll ever gain access

to that noble lord.

That's right.

But you have the Yu family backing you.

Surely you could lead me there.

Madam Yu sends maids

to wait on the noble guest's baths every single day.

Miss Fan slipped some silver to arrange it.

You're the one going tonight.

It's infuriating

she has to suffer the consequences of your deeds.

Don't worry.

She is far too clever.

She will find a way to clear her own name.

Your Highness,

news has come from the city.

All our men

have been slain.

How corrupt he is.

How dare they flaunt such reckless audacity.

Yongning Prefecture is the seat of government after all.

Its officials are all in cahoots,

leaving no gaps for infiltration.

We must find a fresh recruit

who's trustworthy and unknown locally

to act as our informant

and help us gather evidence.

A total stranger with no ties here.

Also need courage, wit, and integrity,

and earn our complete trust.

Where can we find such a person?

-Halt! -Halt!

We've come to bring the noble lord

foot-washing water.

It's you.

You...

How did you find your way here?

I have matters to discuss with my benefactor in person.

I beg you, sir, to pass word to him.

Miss,

if you have business,

come back tomorrow.

It's late at night.

Leave at once.

Shut the gate.

You!

Stop right there.

What are you doing?

Miss,

it's not too late to turn back now

and mend your ways.

Do not commit an irreversible mistake.

Cargo fish swish tails through Dragon Gate;

Eaves mice gnaw cash, three bite marks remain;

Black bear bears down, scales sink low;

Fox paws shear silver, split fifty-fifty.

Take her away.

West winds carry salt across dry plateaus far;

Nine winding gullies twist around East Gate's scar;

Seek the secret trails where contraband salt marches;

Three lines within the frame, moon creeps above the arch.

Hold on.

What is being chanted outside?

The Snow Salt Ballad.

Within Western Capital's borders,

it lays bare all corrupt dealings between officials and merchants.

My fiance is Jiuweijiao, a salt merchant of Western Capital.

He taught me this ballad.

Though Mr. Zhao traffics in contraband salt,

in Huaying County,

he dissolved a hundred thousand catties of salt and distributed it

among the common folk.

He knows right from wrong,

a gallant man of sound judgment.

The Imperial Envoy aims to clean up Western Capital's salt administration.

Wait.

This is his perfect chance to forsake darkness for justice.

I'm begging you.

Please spare his life.

My husband and I shall serve you with utter devotion,

atone for his crimes with meritorious deeds.

Have you seen the roads lined with starving corpses

along your journey?

Mr. Zhao is branded an outlaw,

yet he is a good man at heart.

If those who yearn to walk the righteous path

are left with no way to survive,

no matter how many cases you investigate,

the common people will still starve

and shiver in tattered rags.

Good men will keep being driven to banditry.

Please, calm your anger.

This is my fault for mismanaging my household.

Some reckless maid turned up out of nowhere

and disturbed your peace.

Take her away.

I beg for an audience!

(Sixteenth Master) Do not give her a hard time.

Greetings, Your Highness.

It is you.

Back at Puji Temple that day,

I saw you had remarkable wit,

sharp and quick-minded.

Come inside with me.

Recite that ballad you sang earlier

once more.

Madam.

Madam.

Fu Tingyun has quite the nerve.

Madam.

What if

we run away first?

Let me think for a moment.

You've got quite a lot of courage.

What makes you think

I'd spare you a chance?

I wager

you are an upright official.

Surely you seek to root out

those corrupt boat fish and eaves mice,

black bears and foxes

to purge the Nine Ravines,

rather than hunt down

a helpless little mouse, a salt smuggler

with nowhere to turn.

We are in urgent need of informants.

You're bold and resourceful,

and your fiance knows all the salt routes.

You would be perfect for the job.

I wonder

if you can speak for Jiuweijiao.

I will surely persuade him.

(Though Mr. Zhao traffics contraband salt,)

(in Huaying County,)

(he dissolved a hundred thousand catties of salt and distributed it)

(among the common folk.)

(He knows right from wrong,)

(a gallant man of sound judgment.)

(If those who yearn to walk the righteous path)

(are left with no way to survive,)

(no matter how many cases you investigate,)

(the common people will still starve,)

(and shiver in tattered rags.)

Ninth Young Lady, you came bearing a blade.

Is there something you wish to say?

I knew you'd come walking to your grave,

so I've come to spare your life.

Do I not owe this wretched state

entirely to your doing, Ninth Young Lady?

If I so desired,

I could end your life right here.

Mr. Zhao, you have yet to grasp the current tide of affairs,

so I shall spell it out once more.

You

have two choices: follow me,

aid the Imperial Envoy to solve crimes and earn merit,

or

face certain death.

I can grant you that end this instant.

Ninth Young Lady,

you've picked the wrong foe to vent your rage on,

taking it all out on me, have you not?

Save your glib words for someone else.

You yearn to walk the righteous path,

sick of a world where power crushes the weak.

But empty brute force

will only leave you at the mercy of tyrants,

dragging you deeper into the mire.

As you said yourself,

they're all cut from the same cloth.

But mark my words,

the Envoy is unlike any official you've known.

He is the Crown Prince of the realm.

The Crown

Prince?

No wonder there are Imperial Guards and hand cannons.

This game is beyond me.

I take my leave.

Zhao Ling, wait!

Can you truly resign yourself

to being a pawn on their gambling table forever?

Pretending to be Jiuweijiao is no great feat.

With your talent,

you could hold the game's reins,

place your own bets,

and achieve more than he ever could.

Ninth Young Lady, you're full of schemes,

fully capable of handling all this alone.

Why drag me into this mess?

Unmarried women

can't navigate official social circles.

I need a man by my side.

(Next Episode)

You possess loyal courage,

and Miss Xie is full of stratagems.

If this case is solved,

I shall bestow great rewards.

I wish to take over Jiuweijiao's enterprises.

You are his most trusted subordinate.

No one but you

can help me.

I utterly detest the Ninth Young Lady,

as you well know.

Why must you choose her

to stand before me and irk my eyes?

Do you loathe her, or loathe my decision?

If you wish to sit at my table,

either obey my will,

or

take your leave.

♪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♪