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=The Road to Splendor=

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

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=Episode 20=

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Come and see.

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I didn't want to disturb you,

6
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so I came without announcing.

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I'm Zhao Ling.

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Greetings, ladies.

9
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So you're Commander Zhao.

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Truly a man of striking presence

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and extraordinary bearing.

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Have you been waiting all night?

13
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You must be exhausted.

14
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Indeed.

15
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These two young lovebirds,

16
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have they had a falling out?

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♪The past brushes by
like a falling leaf♪

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♪How I wish I could stay
a little longer, but I can't♪

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♪I turn away, afraid goodbye
will fill my eyes with tears♪

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♪Etched deep within my heart,
yet buried without a word♪

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♪The warmth of your hand in mine♪

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I see.

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So it's not that Commander Zhao
doesn't understand Miss Xie.

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It's Miss Xie who's been giving him
the cold shoulder.

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No wonder.

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It seems their feelings

27
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are as strong as those between

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Young Madam and Young Lord Yu.

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Indeed.

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If a young lady makes a good match,

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she'll be welcomed everywhere she goes

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and treated with respect.

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But without her three entries
in the county records,

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how could she have found
such a fine match?

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Today,

36
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we truly witnessed quite a spectacle.

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Thank you for your hospitality.

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I'll take my leave now.

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Please wait.

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We shouldn't have to

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hold back with each other.

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Please don't fault me for being forward.

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Just now, the Old Madam

44
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came to me specifically

45
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to inquire about Miss Wu.

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Between the lines,

47
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it sounded like she planned
to bring her into Lord Wei's household.

48
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Given our friendship,

49
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I rushed over to give you the news.

50
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You'd better prepare yourself
as soon as possible.

51
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I had thought that you,
so noble and honored,

52
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with such a solid family foundation,

53
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would surely

54
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have a smooth and contented life
in the Wei family.

55
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I see now that I was too naive.

56
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Every family has its troubles.

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Yake,

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all these years,

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our family came from Yongning Prefecture
to the capital.

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Step by step.

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In the end, whether it was the woman
relying on the man

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or the man relying on the woman,

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others may not know,

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but someone as perceptive as you

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surely understands.

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You're right.

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Please get some rest

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when you get home.

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Miss Xie?

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She can't take her on.

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Her mother-in-law?
She wouldn't dare cross.

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Bottling up all that anger,

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she took it out on me.

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She even tried to hit me where it hurts.

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She thinks she can push me around.

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Right?

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Let's go home.

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(Virtue Blesses the Hometown)

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Still upset?

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Mr. Zhao.

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Do you look down on me?

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I don't look down on you.

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It's just that...

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Returning to the capital to investigate,

85
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going into danger alone,

86
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and getting hurt.

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You told me none of it.

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Do you think I am

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completely useless?

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The capital's court

91
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is a deadly game,

92
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where one wrong move
could cost you your life.

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My duty is not yet done.

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I feared dragging you into it.

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But I also know

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I can't hide this from you.

97
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You would still worry about me.

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I just wanted to protect you
a little more.

99
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But I'm not a little girl anymore.

100
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I am strong enough now.

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Strong enough to share your burdens.

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Whatever you do,

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whatever you plan,

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you should tell me first.

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Understood.

106
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I was wrong this time.

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The court is a battlefield.

108
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You must grip the sword

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and hold onto power.

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Only by standing higher

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can I keep you safe

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and ensure that no one in this world

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dares to wrong you.

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But all I want

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is to stay by your side

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and never be apart from you again.

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Where is Sen?

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How is he?

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Sen.

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Sen.

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You can't keep going on like this

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with Mr. Zhao.

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Forget it.

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In this world, loyalty and duty
rarely find their balance.

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If one day

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he could understand

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every choice I made at every turn,

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I would not be pleased,

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because that would mean

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he had walked the same road as I have

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and faced the same hardships.

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Let him be.

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Like a tree putting out shoots

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or grass bearing flowers,

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each has its own way of living.

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(Yu Residence)

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Young Madam.

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The Young Master

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still has you on his mind.

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But he remembered wrong.

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These sesame flatbreads
are covered in spices.

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I have never been able to eat them.

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Ever since he went to Ganlin Town,

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he seems to have become
a different person.

145
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Yet somehow, we've grown apart.

146
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Why is that?

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Tell me,

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do all married couples

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end up like this with time?

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As the days go by,

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they grow cold.

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Young Madam.

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Madam has sent word.

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The celebration gifts
for Young Master Ji's first birthday

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need to be inventoried.

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Along with the gift list,

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they are all to be entered
into the household accounts.

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Ms. Shu.

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Wasn't it agreed before

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that this banquet

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would be mine to arrange?

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And the celebration gifts

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would belong to
the first branch of the family?

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Madam only changed her mind

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after the banquet was over.

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If

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you have any questions,

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I suggest you ask her directly.

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It doesn't matter
whose account they're on.

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It's all for Ji's honor.

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I'll have Mozhan

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count them and send them over.

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Yes.

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Young Madam.

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I take my leave.

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Master.

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What kind of man is this Zhao Ling?

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Five years ago,

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he wasn't even a commoner.

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A mere nobody.

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He caught some luck.

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And with help from the Ninth Young Lady,

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his fate was changed.

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You have read many books.

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But you still haven't learned
to read people.

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Zhao Ling,

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five years ago,

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relied on raw courage.

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A reckless brute.

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He won the Emperor's favor

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by daring to fight and risk everything.

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Five years on,

193
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he relies on ambition.

194
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Judging by how he operates
in the capital,

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he's grown

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harder

197
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and more ruthless.

198
00:13:32,841 --> 00:13:34,160
But I wonder

199
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why he keeps attacking our family
so relentlessly?

200
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I have been unfilial.

201
00:13:45,721 --> 00:13:46,601
There is something

202
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I have hidden from you and Mother.

203
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Back in Huaying,

204
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I was the one who instructed Zuo

205
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and her brother

206
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(Framing Fu for lost virtue)

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to slander the Ninth Young Lady.

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What about the written confession?

209
00:14:07,121 --> 00:14:08,560
It was burned in Ganlin.

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00:14:13,081 --> 00:14:14,441
At the first-year banquet,

211
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I crossed words with her.

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00:14:16,721 --> 00:14:17,721
Even then, I felt

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00:14:17,721 --> 00:14:19,361
there was something off in her gaze.

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00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:21,560
I have been shrewd all my life,

215
00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:23,001
but because of you,

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I showed my unease in front of her.

217
00:14:29,081 --> 00:14:30,800
Since it's come to this,

218
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from now on, our two families

219
00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:36,040
will fight until one of us falls.

220
00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:40,721
Since it's already a fight to the death,

221
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then there is room to maneuver.

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00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:46,241
A wildfire, if smothered,

223
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is but a spark.

224
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But if you let it spread,

225
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it will burn the sky.

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00:14:58,961 --> 00:15:00,400
Your Majesty, please hear this.

227
00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:02,241
The treasury has been depleted

228
00:15:02,321 --> 00:15:03,361
for some time now.

229
00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:05,601
The corruption
in the salt administration

230
00:15:05,601 --> 00:15:07,001
is deeply troubling.

231
00:15:07,481 --> 00:15:08,680
Arresting corrupt officials

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00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:09,760
and clearing the salt routes

233
00:15:10,001 --> 00:15:11,721
is only boiling water
to stop it from steaming.

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00:15:11,721 --> 00:15:13,160
It treats the symptoms, not the root.

235
00:15:13,481 --> 00:15:14,481
In my view,

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to truly uproot

237
00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:17,920
the long-standing ills
of the salt administration,

238
00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:19,520
the urgent task

239
00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:22,800
is to reform the salt laws.

240
00:15:27,001 --> 00:15:27,841
I propose

241
00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:29,361
that the salt laws

242
00:15:30,121 --> 00:15:32,081
be changed from exchange
to silver payment.

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00:15:32,321 --> 00:15:34,520
The old system of salt merchants
delivering grain to the border

244
00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:36,241
in exchange for salt permits

245
00:15:36,241 --> 00:15:37,800
should be replaced
with direct silver payments.

246
00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:39,121
This will simplify procedures,

247
00:15:39,241 --> 00:15:40,481
lower costs,

248
00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:43,121
and reduce opportunities for corruption.

249
00:15:47,745 --> 00:15:50,300
(Qianqing Palace)

250
00:15:51,961 --> 00:15:53,001
Grand Secretary Tian.

251
00:15:53,601 --> 00:15:55,680
The salt laws left by our forebears

252
00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:57,721
are the very foundation of the state.

253
00:15:58,040 --> 00:15:59,400
Military pay across the realm,

254
00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:00,640
the lifeline of the salt merchants,

255
00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:02,721
all depend on this system.

256
00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:04,640
How could we tamper with it so casually?

257
00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:07,040
Reasonable.

258
00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:08,880
Salt administration

259
00:16:09,121 --> 00:16:10,441
affects the nation's foundation.

260
00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:13,361
It must be considered carefully.

261
00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:15,081
Grand Secretary.

262
00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:16,481
In the time of the founding emperor,

263
00:16:16,841 --> 00:16:18,760
the salt tax could support
a million troops.

264
00:16:19,441 --> 00:16:20,441
Now,

265
00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:22,520
it cannot even feed
three hundred thousand border soldiers.

266
00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:24,601
Clearly, reforming the salt laws

267
00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:26,841
is imperative.

268
00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:31,081
With the border under pressure,

269
00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:32,920
though the salt administration

270
00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:34,241
has established rules,

271
00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:37,040
we must adapt when change is needed.

272
00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:38,400
Grand Secretary Tian.

273
00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:39,400
This thunderbolt out of the blue...

274
00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:41,121
Surely you knew nothing of it?

275
00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:43,081
Whoever shoulders this matter

276
00:16:43,081 --> 00:16:45,160
will become the enemy of every official
at court.

277
00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:47,201
I

278
00:16:47,201 --> 00:16:48,481
didn't hear

279
00:16:48,481 --> 00:16:49,601
a thing about it.

280
00:16:49,601 --> 00:16:50,321
Gentlemen,

281
00:16:50,321 --> 00:16:51,601
go ask him

282
00:16:51,601 --> 00:16:52,560
yourselves.

283
00:16:53,721 --> 00:16:54,481
Grand Secretary Tian.

284
00:16:54,481 --> 00:16:55,081
Grand Secretary.

285
00:16:57,001 --> 00:16:57,920
He's

286
00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:00,081
like a weather vane.

287
00:17:01,241 --> 00:17:02,201
How did someone like him

288
00:17:02,201 --> 00:17:03,601
ever get into the Grand Secretariat?

289
00:17:03,721 --> 00:17:05,441
How he got in doesn't matter.

290
00:17:05,441 --> 00:17:06,560
The fact that he survived in there

291
00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:07,800
is a skill in itself.

292
00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:09,441
He clearly

293
00:17:09,721 --> 00:17:11,520
doesn't want to get involved
in this matter.

294
00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:13,360
This is no simple affair.

295
00:17:16,961 --> 00:17:17,681
Greetings,

296
00:17:18,360 --> 00:17:19,360
Your Majesty.

297
00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:22,120
Rise.

298
00:17:28,360 --> 00:17:29,201
You saw all that?

299
00:17:29,681 --> 00:17:31,040
A whole room full of people,

300
00:17:31,641 --> 00:17:33,040
each with their own calculations.

301
00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:34,961
I will ask you just one thing.

302
00:17:35,201 --> 00:17:36,721
Can this salt reform

303
00:17:36,721 --> 00:17:37,401
go through?

304
00:17:41,481 --> 00:17:42,600
In the military,

305
00:17:43,401 --> 00:17:44,840
I often deal with provisions and pay.

306
00:17:45,641 --> 00:17:47,161
I also have some knowledge
of the salt laws.

307
00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:48,401
In my view,

308
00:17:49,401 --> 00:17:50,441
the salt administration

309
00:17:50,961 --> 00:17:52,320
is rotten to the bone.

310
00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:54,120
Cutting out the rot
and scraping the bone

311
00:17:54,721 --> 00:17:55,520
will be painful.

312
00:17:56,161 --> 00:17:57,840
But if we let it fester,

313
00:17:59,241 --> 00:18:00,401
we risk losing the hearts

314
00:18:01,441 --> 00:18:02,840
of the soldiers on the border garrisons.

315
00:18:05,441 --> 00:18:07,001
Well spoken.

316
00:18:08,360 --> 00:18:11,401
Some in the court
call Grand Secretary Yu reckless.

317
00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:14,800
Others weep that the ancestral laws
must not change.

318
00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:17,161
But have any of them
ever been to the border?

319
00:18:18,441 --> 00:18:18,961
I

320
00:18:19,681 --> 00:18:21,320
trust you.

321
00:18:22,721 --> 00:18:23,560
Then I

322
00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:26,080
volunteer to take charge

323
00:18:27,961 --> 00:18:29,161
of overseeing the salt administration.

324
00:18:29,241 --> 00:18:29,760
Good.

325
00:18:30,721 --> 00:18:32,721
I appoint you
as an Assistant Censor-in-Chief.

326
00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:33,961
Audit the accounts.

327
00:18:34,241 --> 00:18:35,080
Arrest the offenders.

328
00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:36,840
Execute first, and report later.

329
00:18:37,161 --> 00:18:38,481
I do not care about the process.

330
00:18:38,881 --> 00:18:40,161
I only want the result.

331
00:18:42,120 --> 00:18:43,080
A year from now,

332
00:18:43,641 --> 00:18:45,001
the granaries
along the nine border garrisons

333
00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:46,161
will surely be filled

334
00:18:46,161 --> 00:18:47,520
with salt and grain.

335
00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:57,040
I accept the decree.

336
00:19:04,241 --> 00:19:06,080
I am willing to be Your Majesty's blade
to cut out the rot.

337
00:19:07,401 --> 00:19:08,760
The day the salt administration
is cleansed

338
00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:11,360
will be the day I return to report.

339
00:19:42,441 --> 00:19:43,481
You took it?

340
00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:44,681
I did.

341
00:19:47,961 --> 00:19:48,760
The Anzhou merchants,

342
00:19:48,881 --> 00:19:49,721
the Yan merchants,

343
00:19:50,040 --> 00:19:51,161
one south, one north,

344
00:19:51,721 --> 00:19:52,921
are all fighting for their livelihoods.

345
00:19:53,241 --> 00:19:54,881
They'll fight to the bitter end.

346
00:19:55,201 --> 00:19:56,560
And Yuanbao

347
00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:57,681
is caught up in it too.

348
00:19:58,481 --> 00:19:59,800
But that is only the first concern.

349
00:20:00,641 --> 00:20:01,280
Since ancient times,

350
00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:02,441
officials and merchants have colluded.

351
00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:05,040
Every merchant guild
has powerful backers.

352
00:20:05,401 --> 00:20:06,760
When you strike with this blade,

353
00:20:07,001 --> 00:20:08,241
who knows who you'll hit.

354
00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:09,401
That is the second.

355
00:20:10,161 --> 00:20:11,001
Third,

356
00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:13,441
the border towns
rely on the grain-for-salt system

357
00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:14,681
to supply their troops.

358
00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:16,481
If we switch to silver payments,

359
00:20:16,721 --> 00:20:17,161
the...

360
00:20:18,201 --> 00:20:19,161
the army

361
00:20:19,241 --> 00:20:20,760
may struggle to adapt.

362
00:20:21,120 --> 00:20:22,241
Commander Wang

363
00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:23,760
will also be in a difficult position.

364
00:20:25,961 --> 00:20:27,681
You listed three concerns.

365
00:20:29,201 --> 00:20:30,481
Which one worries you most?

366
00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:31,921
I worry most about you.

367
00:20:41,441 --> 00:20:42,961
I know what you're worried about.

368
00:20:43,881 --> 00:20:45,161
But the more chaotic the situation,

369
00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:46,840
the more opportunities arise.

370
00:20:49,961 --> 00:20:51,360
His Majesty granted me
the courtesy name Huchen.

371
00:20:52,481 --> 00:20:53,800
He expects me

372
00:20:54,641 --> 00:20:55,681
to stir

373
00:20:56,441 --> 00:20:57,481
things up.

374
00:20:57,481 --> 00:20:58,760
Must it be you

375
00:20:59,641 --> 00:21:01,161
to take on the salt reform?

376
00:21:03,881 --> 00:21:05,441
I have already accepted the order.

377
00:21:08,401 --> 00:21:08,881
Then

378
00:21:09,401 --> 00:21:10,320
what if...

379
00:21:10,681 --> 00:21:11,481
what if you

380
00:21:11,481 --> 00:21:12,120
fell ill?

381
00:21:12,360 --> 00:21:13,881
Or if you were attacked?

382
00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:16,481
I took this task on myself.

383
00:21:17,481 --> 00:21:18,721
No one forced it on me.

384
00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:21,681
From the camps of the northwest,

385
00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:23,760
all the way to the imperial study
in the capital.

386
00:21:24,681 --> 00:21:26,001
From a banner commander

387
00:21:26,481 --> 00:21:28,560
to a fourth-rank
Assistant Censor-in-Chief,

388
00:21:29,481 --> 00:21:30,681
it took me only five years.

389
00:21:32,721 --> 00:21:33,760
Everyone says

390
00:21:34,360 --> 00:21:35,441
my official career has been smooth,

391
00:21:36,120 --> 00:21:37,120
almost unstoppable.

392
00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:41,161
But the hardships along the way...

393
00:21:48,241 --> 00:21:49,201
I understand.

394
00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:51,560
That is exactly why

395
00:21:52,961 --> 00:21:54,360
I fear

396
00:21:55,120 --> 00:21:56,401
that you might be consumed
by the flames.

397
00:21:57,043 --> 00:22:01,217
♪A lone rider heads
for the distant frontier♪

398
00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:05,921
But now is not the time to be afraid.

399
00:22:07,161 --> 00:22:08,401
The struggle for power at court

400
00:22:09,201 --> 00:22:10,641
is like rowing against the current.

401
00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:12,401
If you don't move forward,
you fall behind.

402
00:22:14,961 --> 00:22:15,721
Tingyun.

403
00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:19,401
Our opponent is too powerful.

404
00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:23,760
(There's a staircase before me.)

405
00:22:25,921 --> 00:22:27,201
(I have no choice but to keep climbing,)

406
00:22:29,360 --> 00:22:30,280
(all the way to the top.)

407
00:22:33,961 --> 00:22:35,360
(Only by standing high enough)

408
00:22:37,681 --> 00:22:39,560
(can I truly protect us)

409
00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:44,921
(from the storm of arrows
aimed our way.)

410
00:22:45,890 --> 00:22:51,617
♪I lift a cup of humble wine
to the passing breeze♪

411
00:22:51,898 --> 00:22:55,045
♪Looking back,
I see this life as a ballad♪

412
00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:55,881
(Tingyun.)

413
00:22:57,320 --> 00:22:58,641
(Give me a little more time.)

414
00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:02,401
(I want to be the one you can rely on.)

415
00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:12,441
What is ambition?

416
00:23:13,401 --> 00:23:14,921
Ambition is desire.

417
00:23:15,481 --> 00:23:17,001
One can have ambition,

418
00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:18,800
and one can have desire.

419
00:23:19,921 --> 00:23:21,280
But it must be kept in check.

420
00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:25,760
Sometimes,

421
00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:27,360
I do admire

422
00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:30,881
those who climbed up from the bottom.

423
00:23:33,120 --> 00:23:33,800
They have

424
00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:34,921
a certain edge

425
00:23:35,120 --> 00:23:36,241
and a stubborn streak.

426
00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:37,961
But people like that

427
00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:41,401
often share a common flaw.

428
00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:43,441
They never know when to stop.

429
00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:47,401
When a man has been crushed
at the bottom for too long,

430
00:23:47,401 --> 00:23:48,641
he tends

431
00:23:51,961 --> 00:23:52,961
to only know how to advance

432
00:23:54,721 --> 00:23:55,760
and never retreat.

433
00:24:01,001 --> 00:24:02,481
I've set the stage for you.

434
00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:05,080
From here on out, you'll have

435
00:24:05,481 --> 00:24:06,721
plenty of people willing
to do the dirty work.

436
00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:16,040
Greetings, Aunt.

437
00:24:16,481 --> 00:24:17,560
Congratulations, Aunt.

438
00:24:18,441 --> 00:24:19,600
What is the occasion?

439
00:24:19,721 --> 00:24:20,520
In the past,

440
00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:21,560
the Yan merchants,

441
00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:23,120
with their proximity to the northwest,

442
00:24:23,320 --> 00:24:25,040
always got the jump on every deal.

443
00:24:25,481 --> 00:24:26,520
But we Anzhou merchants

444
00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:27,401
are far in the southeast.

445
00:24:28,120 --> 00:24:28,800
But now,

446
00:24:29,401 --> 00:24:30,840
with the salt reform above,

447
00:24:31,401 --> 00:24:32,280
it looks

448
00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:33,760
like the advantage is shifting our way.

449
00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:38,721
You are truly clever.

450
00:24:39,120 --> 00:24:40,681
It's a pity that your mind

451
00:24:40,681 --> 00:24:42,360
isn't focused on the right things.

452
00:24:42,360 --> 00:24:44,401
I've just had several outfits made

453
00:24:44,401 --> 00:24:45,560
and some jewelry crafted.

454
00:24:45,721 --> 00:24:47,040
All you need to study

455
00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:48,161
is how to be more beautiful

456
00:24:48,161 --> 00:24:49,280
and more endearing.

457
00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:51,280
The more radiant you are,

458
00:24:51,881 --> 00:24:53,641
the more I will adore you.

459
00:24:58,320 --> 00:24:59,001
Yes.

460
00:25:05,120 --> 00:25:06,201
Miss Xie, it seems your days

461
00:25:06,201 --> 00:25:07,201
are about to get better.

462
00:25:09,641 --> 00:25:10,760
She never acts without gain.

463
00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:12,800
She has been keeping me

464
00:25:13,241 --> 00:25:15,320
only to find new buyers.

465
00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:18,961
But from what I can see now,

466
00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:22,080
she must have some scheme in mind.

467
00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:23,520
Why not sell?

468
00:25:26,881 --> 00:25:27,520
Move.

469
00:25:27,681 --> 00:25:28,600
The Yan merchants have shut shops.

470
00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:29,840
(Yan)
No salt will be sold in the near future.

471
00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:30,520
Go on, move along.

472
00:25:31,201 --> 00:25:31,881
No salt.

473
00:25:31,881 --> 00:25:32,401
(Sihai Salt Shop)
No salt.

474
00:25:32,401 --> 00:25:33,120
Don't stand here.

475
00:25:33,120 --> 00:25:33,681
Move along.

476
00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:39,881
If this keeps up,

477
00:25:39,881 --> 00:25:41,201
(Yan Merchant Guild)
we'll be stuck with it all.

478
00:25:41,320 --> 00:25:42,641
Mr. Jin.

479
00:25:42,641 --> 00:25:43,401
Mr. Jin.

480
00:25:43,401 --> 00:25:44,161
Mr. Jin is here.

481
00:25:44,161 --> 00:25:44,961
Mr. Jin is here.

482
00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:46,080
Mr. Jin.

483
00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:05,120
Quite impressive, all of you.

484
00:26:06,881 --> 00:26:08,401
Who told you to shut down?

485
00:26:09,161 --> 00:26:09,840
Mr. Jin.

486
00:26:10,161 --> 00:26:12,080
We had no other choice.

487
00:26:12,360 --> 00:26:14,481
Our dynasty's salt law
uses the grain-for-salt system.

488
00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:16,840
We transport grain
to the border garrisons

489
00:26:17,001 --> 00:26:17,840
to exchange for salt permits.

490
00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:19,201
With the permits, we get salt.

491
00:26:19,401 --> 00:26:20,800
We've held our own

492
00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:22,721
against the Anzhou merchants
thanks to our location.

493
00:26:22,921 --> 00:26:24,840
But now that the salt law
has been changed so abruptly,

494
00:26:24,921 --> 00:26:27,280
the grain routes to the border towns
that we've maintained for decades

495
00:26:27,441 --> 00:26:28,840
have all been rendered useless.

496
00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:31,001
Right, all that hard work is wasted.

497
00:26:31,001 --> 00:26:32,201
And closing shop will help?

498
00:26:32,201 --> 00:26:33,120
How many heads do you have?

499
00:26:33,241 --> 00:26:34,441
You dare defy the court?

500
00:26:34,441 --> 00:26:35,800
If you get arrested,

501
00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:36,721
you'll quiet down soon enough.

502
00:26:39,201 --> 00:26:40,641
Then please give us some advice.

503
00:26:42,201 --> 00:26:43,040
I heard

504
00:26:43,441 --> 00:26:45,320
that the salt reform
is being personally overseen

505
00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:47,040
by Mr. Zhao.

506
00:26:47,721 --> 00:26:48,360
Perhaps

507
00:26:48,641 --> 00:26:50,560
we could find a way to reach him?

508
00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:51,600
Yes.

509
00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:52,760
We should find Mr. Zhao.

510
00:26:52,760 --> 00:26:53,800
Please help us.

511
00:26:54,201 --> 00:26:55,401
Please help us.

512
00:26:56,760 --> 00:26:57,520
Mr. Jin.

513
00:26:57,681 --> 00:27:00,481
Everyone on the northwestern routes
knows that you and Mr. Zhao

514
00:27:00,721 --> 00:27:03,161
have been through life and death
together.

515
00:27:03,161 --> 00:27:04,241
Because of that,

516
00:27:04,360 --> 00:27:06,721
we've paid tribute to you
all these years.

517
00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:15,280
Now your connection with Mr. Zhao

518
00:27:15,681 --> 00:27:17,001
is the connection

519
00:27:17,001 --> 00:27:18,401
between all Yan merchants and Mr. Zhao.

520
00:27:18,401 --> 00:27:19,800
Yes.

521
00:27:19,881 --> 00:27:20,520
Mr. Jin.

522
00:27:20,681 --> 00:27:22,320
Given your relationship with Mr. Zhao,

523
00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:23,520
you must have a way.

524
00:27:23,641 --> 00:27:24,760
Please save us Yan merchants.

525
00:27:24,760 --> 00:27:25,681
What are you panicking about?

526
00:27:26,120 --> 00:27:27,120
Did I say I wouldn't help?

527
00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:31,600
See? I told you Mr. Jin had the means.

528
00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:33,201
It has to be Mr. Jin.

529
00:27:35,161 --> 00:27:36,280
The Dragon Boat Festival is near.

530
00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:37,560
I will host

531
00:27:37,921 --> 00:27:39,161
a willow-shooting gathering.

532
00:27:40,120 --> 00:27:41,800
I will set the stage for you.

533
00:27:42,441 --> 00:27:44,120
Thank you, Mr. Jin.

534
00:27:44,415 --> 00:27:45,728
(Invitation)

535
00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:46,600
Willow-shooting?

536
00:27:48,201 --> 00:27:49,441
(Willow-Shooting Gathering)
Jin Yuanbao sent it.

537
00:27:50,241 --> 00:27:51,001
In a few days,

538
00:27:53,441 --> 00:27:55,040
would you like to come with me?

539
00:27:57,921 --> 00:27:59,120
Just to socialize?

540
00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:06,080
Yuanbao has gathered the Yan merchants.

541
00:28:06,481 --> 00:28:07,441
Likely

542
00:28:08,241 --> 00:28:09,881
to pressure you into taking a stand.

543
00:28:10,681 --> 00:28:12,040
This willow-shooting gathering

544
00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:13,641
feels like a trap.

545
00:28:15,961 --> 00:28:16,760
Mr. Zhao.

546
00:28:17,241 --> 00:28:19,401
I don't want to see you
strike your own brother first.

547
00:28:20,481 --> 00:28:21,721
This willow-shooting gathering...

548
00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:25,280
Can I skip it?

549
00:28:25,481 --> 00:28:26,961
But I really need you.

550
00:28:30,961 --> 00:28:32,161
In official circles,

551
00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:34,001
men are bound

552
00:28:34,001 --> 00:28:35,201
to vie with one another.

553
00:28:37,201 --> 00:28:39,520
But someone also needs
to move among the ladies.

554
00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:40,681
In the future,

555
00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:42,800
if there's anything
they can't say to me directly,

556
00:28:43,241 --> 00:28:44,241
at least they'll know

557
00:28:45,001 --> 00:28:46,001
who to send a message through.

558
00:28:49,161 --> 00:28:50,001
Mr. Zhao.

559
00:28:51,241 --> 00:28:52,040
What is it?

560
00:28:54,921 --> 00:28:55,961
Back then,

561
00:28:57,161 --> 00:28:59,360
when I brought you
into the Yongning embezzlement case,

562
00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:02,001
it was the same.

563
00:29:03,001 --> 00:29:04,681
I told you then

564
00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:07,800
that moving among officials' wives

565
00:29:08,681 --> 00:29:10,201
required a proper identity,

566
00:29:11,161 --> 00:29:12,760
a proper husband.

567
00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:14,001
Don't worry.

568
00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:16,320
Things are different now.

569
00:29:16,921 --> 00:29:17,641
Now,

570
00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:21,280
no one can casually decide our fate.

571
00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:23,800
Interest and emotion,

572
00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:25,961
like fire and ice,

573
00:29:27,481 --> 00:29:29,120
cannot coexist without melting.

574
00:29:30,681 --> 00:29:32,681
But who knows how much danger

575
00:29:33,641 --> 00:29:35,320
and how much old affection

576
00:29:36,840 --> 00:29:38,360
it will take to melt the ice?

577
00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:44,401
(Invitation)
Whatever happens with Jin Yuanbao,

578
00:29:44,881 --> 00:29:45,881
what lies between you and me

579
00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:48,641
will never change.

580
00:29:55,641 --> 00:29:56,681
In that case,

581
00:29:58,161 --> 00:29:59,921
we need to find a way to handle this.

582
00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:02,161
But we are new to the capital.

583
00:30:02,161 --> 00:30:03,201
We have no foothold yet.

584
00:30:04,241 --> 00:30:05,800
It may be hard to stand alone.

585
00:30:11,721 --> 00:30:12,560
Grand Secretary Tian.

586
00:30:14,201 --> 00:30:14,840
Grand Secretary.

587
00:30:15,840 --> 00:30:17,360
Commander Zhao, what brings you here?

588
00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:18,921
You are a man
of great virtue and influence.

589
00:30:19,280 --> 00:30:20,800
The willow-shooting gathering
is in a few days.

590
00:30:21,280 --> 00:30:22,320
I have taken the liberty

591
00:30:22,961 --> 00:30:24,760
(Invitation)
to invite you to join the gathering.

592
00:30:26,401 --> 00:30:27,560
I

593
00:30:27,721 --> 00:30:28,520
appreciate

594
00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:29,721
the gesture.

595
00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:31,921
But these old bones

596
00:30:31,921 --> 00:30:33,280
can't take much strain.

597
00:30:33,280 --> 00:30:34,641
Please don't count me in.

598
00:30:34,921 --> 00:30:36,481
I am new to the capital,

599
00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:37,840
yet entrusted with great responsibility.

600
00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:40,080
Without guidance,

601
00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:41,201
I cannot help but feel uneasy.

602
00:30:41,641 --> 00:30:43,360
I intend to petition His Majesty

603
00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:45,241
to invite you to take charge

604
00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:47,080
and oversee the salt reform.

605
00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:48,320
Please, no.

606
00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:52,001
I am due to retire in half a year.

607
00:30:52,001 --> 00:30:53,881
Salt reform takes years.

608
00:30:53,881 --> 00:30:55,441
I won't last that long.

609
00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:56,840
Salt reform is a major undertaking.

610
00:30:57,001 --> 00:30:58,800
Why rush your retirement?

611
00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:00,641
Stay one more term.

612
00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:02,161
If I dare

613
00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:03,721
to petition His Majesty,

614
00:31:04,201 --> 00:31:05,961
I am sure he will consent.

615
00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:09,320
Well...

616
00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:11,600
The willow-shooting gathering.

617
00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:13,360
Let me see.

618
00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:14,280
If that day permits,

619
00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:15,600
I will come.

620
00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:17,040
After court today,

621
00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:19,201
His Majesty kept me

622
00:31:19,206 --> 00:31:20,325
(Willow-Shooting Gathering. Jin Yuanbao)

623
00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:22,161
in the imperial study for a talk.

624
00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:25,241
I will come.

625
00:31:34,797 --> 00:31:35,870
(Willow-Shooting Gathering)

626
00:31:35,881 --> 00:31:36,520
Look.

627
00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:38,280
There are ornamental carp in the pond.

628
00:31:38,641 --> 00:31:39,241
Right.

629
00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:40,280
Let's go closer to see them.

630
00:31:42,441 --> 00:31:43,881
It's been a long time.

631
00:31:43,881 --> 00:31:44,760
Indeed.

632
00:31:48,360 --> 00:31:51,001
Today, was Miss Xie
the only official's wife invited,

633
00:31:51,201 --> 00:31:52,681
(Madam Ye, Yan Merchant)
or were invitations sent to all?

634
00:31:52,961 --> 00:31:53,840
All were sent.

635
00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:55,161
But with the situation unsettled,

636
00:31:55,161 --> 00:31:56,441
aside from Miss Xie,

637
00:31:56,600 --> 00:31:59,001
which official's wife in the capital
would be willing to grace us?

638
00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:02,641
I saw willow-shooting
when I was a child.

639
00:32:02,961 --> 00:32:04,441
It's been years.

640
00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:06,040
Thanks to you all,

641
00:32:06,040 --> 00:32:07,600
I have the chance to see it again.

642
00:32:09,280 --> 00:32:10,161
Consider it

643
00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:11,360
an added pleasure.

644
00:32:11,961 --> 00:32:12,921
So beautiful.

645
00:32:14,921 --> 00:32:17,481
Everyone knows Commander Zhao
is a seasoned warrior,

646
00:32:17,481 --> 00:32:19,040
a marksman who can hit a target
from a hundred paces.

647
00:32:19,441 --> 00:32:20,760
My husband instructed

648
00:32:20,881 --> 00:32:22,681
that to honor Commander Zhao today,

649
00:32:22,881 --> 00:32:24,520
we should shoot live doves from gourds.

650
00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:26,040
It symbolizes double fortune

651
00:32:26,040 --> 00:32:27,760
and rising to great heights.

652
00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:34,040
Good!

653
00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:36,241
This...

654
00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:39,560
Why won't the dove fly?

655
00:32:42,201 --> 00:32:43,881
How did the dove die?

656
00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:46,001
What happened?

657
00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:48,161
We can plan everything perfectly,

658
00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:49,881
but heaven may not cooperate.

659
00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:51,641
Today, the doves

660
00:32:51,641 --> 00:32:52,921
just won't fly.

661
00:32:56,360 --> 00:32:57,520
What are you standing around for?

662
00:32:57,760 --> 00:32:59,040
Get rid of this unlucky thing.

663
00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:00,120
Take it away.

664
00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:04,201
Mr. Jin.

665
00:33:04,641 --> 00:33:05,641
Tell Commander Zhao.

666
00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:08,120
Whether the doves fly today

667
00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:09,360
all depends on

668
00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:11,441
where the salt reform strikes first.

669
00:33:12,441 --> 00:33:13,840
Isn't this chaos enough?

670
00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:18,560
Yuanbao.

671
00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:20,961
This willow-shooting gathering

672
00:33:21,721 --> 00:33:23,080
was organized by you?

673
00:33:24,241 --> 00:33:24,961
Yes.

674
00:33:27,921 --> 00:33:28,481
Mr. Jin.

675
00:33:29,401 --> 00:33:30,760
We've come so far,

676
00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:33,201
and you bring me bad luck here.

677
00:33:33,641 --> 00:33:34,280
Mr. Zhao.

678
00:33:34,280 --> 00:33:34,721
This...

679
00:33:34,721 --> 00:33:35,881
I truly didn't know.

680
00:33:35,881 --> 00:33:37,641
"Didn't know" is all you have to say?

681
00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:39,961
After all the flattery you've heard,

682
00:33:40,721 --> 00:33:42,641
you actually thought
you could handle this?

683
00:33:43,921 --> 00:33:44,681
Remember this.

684
00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:46,840
Once an arrow leaves the string,

685
00:33:47,280 --> 00:33:48,560
there is no turning back.

686
00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:52,481
If anyone is foolish enough

687
00:33:53,001 --> 00:33:55,360
to put obstacles in the arrow's path,

688
00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:57,560
the Ministry of Justice

689
00:34:01,360 --> 00:34:03,201
knows its accounts better than you do.

690
00:34:11,881 --> 00:34:13,680
I invited Grand Secretary Tian today.

691
00:34:14,841 --> 00:34:17,120
If anyone ruins his enjoyment,

692
00:34:17,200 --> 00:34:18,560
has Grand Secretary Tian taken a side?

693
00:34:18,640 --> 00:34:20,200
Think carefully about the consequences.

694
00:34:20,921 --> 00:34:22,560
What does Grand Secretary Tian
have to do with this?

695
00:34:23,961 --> 00:34:25,040
I didn't expect this.

696
00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:26,361
Let's wait and see.

697
00:34:26,881 --> 00:34:28,560
Grand Secretary Tian has arrived.

698
00:34:29,921 --> 00:34:30,401
What is this?

699
00:34:30,481 --> 00:34:31,040
What is this?

700
00:34:31,640 --> 00:34:32,321
Where is he?

701
00:34:32,481 --> 00:34:33,720
Why is there a box?

702
00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:35,160
Grand Secretary Tian learned

703
00:34:35,240 --> 00:34:36,441
that officials and merchants
gathered here today.

704
00:34:36,761 --> 00:34:37,961
He sent this gift

705
00:34:37,961 --> 00:34:38,801
to represent himself.

706
00:34:39,361 --> 00:34:40,640
He sends a cap?

707
00:34:40,640 --> 00:34:41,761
What a peculiar gesture.

708
00:34:41,881 --> 00:34:42,921
Sending a cap?

709
00:34:42,921 --> 00:34:44,481
Does that mean he's here or not?

710
00:34:44,481 --> 00:34:45,841
At best, you could say

711
00:34:45,841 --> 00:34:46,560
he's here in spirit.

712
00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:48,401
Who sent it?

713
00:34:48,600 --> 00:34:49,441
It was Madam Wei.

714
00:34:53,240 --> 00:34:55,841
You can't blame the Tian family
for going back on our word.

715
00:34:56,921 --> 00:34:58,401
You invited my father to be present

716
00:34:58,881 --> 00:35:00,801
to use his official authority.

717
00:35:01,001 --> 00:35:02,481
The cap has arrived.

718
00:35:02,881 --> 00:35:04,321
So has the authority.

719
00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:05,640
That is not a breach of faith.

720
00:35:06,361 --> 00:35:08,361
As for how well things turn out,

721
00:35:08,761 --> 00:35:10,961
that depends entirely
on your own ability.

722
00:35:13,761 --> 00:35:15,200
Grand Secretary Tian's authority

723
00:35:15,720 --> 00:35:16,841
is naturally useful.

724
00:35:18,841 --> 00:35:20,640
But everyone wields it differently.

725
00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:23,761
Many at court often murmur

726
00:35:23,761 --> 00:35:25,520
that Lord Wei's rise

727
00:35:25,520 --> 00:35:27,120
was protected by the Grand Secretary.

728
00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:30,120
But back in Yongning Prefecture,

729
00:35:31,120 --> 00:35:32,080
how did Madam Yu

730
00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:33,680
manage to take that set of Pai Gow

731
00:35:33,680 --> 00:35:35,200
from you?

732
00:35:35,801 --> 00:35:37,441
If Lord Wei ever finds out

733
00:35:37,881 --> 00:35:40,720
that it was you who didn't want
him to rise too quickly.

734
00:35:41,680 --> 00:35:42,200
You...

735
00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:44,520
Please, Madam Wei, do not be angry.

736
00:35:44,961 --> 00:35:46,200
I meant no offense.

737
00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:48,720
It is just that now,

738
00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:50,640
I

739
00:35:51,720 --> 00:35:53,520
need you

740
00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:55,321
to play your part

741
00:35:56,240 --> 00:35:57,401
and help us out of this mess.

742
00:36:08,441 --> 00:36:09,080
Hit!

743
00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:09,761
Hit!

744
00:36:10,080 --> 00:36:10,841
It's a hit!

745
00:36:15,160 --> 00:36:16,160
Madam Wei, if you would,

746
00:36:16,720 --> 00:36:17,921
please be the judge.

747
00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:19,680
How well

748
00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:21,720
did this dove fly?

749
00:36:22,801 --> 00:36:23,200
This...

750
00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:25,361
That's clearly a sparrow.

751
00:36:25,361 --> 00:36:26,040
Exactly.

752
00:36:26,361 --> 00:36:28,120
It doesn't look like a dove at all.

753
00:36:28,361 --> 00:36:30,160
If Commander Zhao says it's a dove,

754
00:36:30,680 --> 00:36:32,040
then it's a dove.

755
00:36:32,560 --> 00:36:33,560
Madam Wei's word

756
00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:35,040
could well be
Grand Secretary Tian's word.

757
00:36:35,040 --> 00:36:36,640
Since Madam Wei said so,

758
00:36:37,120 --> 00:36:38,160
it's a dove.

759
00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:39,281
Yes.

760
00:36:39,281 --> 00:36:40,361
Yes, it's a dove.

761
00:36:40,361 --> 00:36:40,921
A dove.

762
00:36:40,921 --> 00:36:41,361
That's right.

763
00:36:41,560 --> 00:36:42,281
A dove.

764
00:36:47,630 --> 00:36:50,197
(Diequ Pavilion)

765
00:36:50,520 --> 00:36:52,321
Thanks to you, I got to enjoy

766
00:36:52,640 --> 00:36:53,761
a taste

767
00:36:53,761 --> 00:36:55,040
of what it's like to twist the truth.

768
00:36:55,801 --> 00:36:57,600
It is I who should thank you, Madam Wei.

769
00:36:58,160 --> 00:36:59,520
But next time,

770
00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:01,560
think before you act.

771
00:37:01,720 --> 00:37:03,361
My father is old.

772
00:37:04,040 --> 00:37:05,200
He only wishes to retire.

773
00:37:05,200 --> 00:37:06,321
From now on,

774
00:37:06,401 --> 00:37:08,281
leave the Tian family
out of these affairs.

775
00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:11,560
Do you really think the Tian family
is a weather vane,

776
00:37:11,720 --> 00:37:12,841
turning

777
00:37:12,961 --> 00:37:14,080
with the wind?

778
00:37:14,761 --> 00:37:16,001
If there is a next time,

779
00:37:16,001 --> 00:37:17,441
don't count on me again.

780
00:37:18,321 --> 00:37:19,240
I wouldn't dare.

781
00:37:19,640 --> 00:37:20,841
The Tian family stands tall.

782
00:37:21,481 --> 00:37:22,600
I simply follow.

783
00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:25,640
You certainly have a way with words.

784
00:37:26,200 --> 00:37:27,321
Your good looks

785
00:37:27,321 --> 00:37:28,680
are not wasted.

786
00:37:30,600 --> 00:37:32,441
No wonder

787
00:37:32,441 --> 00:37:33,881
the beautiful and talented Miss Xie

788
00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:35,401
would be

789
00:37:35,401 --> 00:37:37,080
so devoted to you.

790
00:37:39,481 --> 00:37:40,361
Thank you, Madam Wei.

791
00:37:40,881 --> 00:37:41,881
I'll take my leave.

792
00:38:09,040 --> 00:38:10,961
Commander Zhao settled everything
with one arrow.

793
00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:12,481
Truly heroic and glorious.

794
00:38:12,481 --> 00:38:14,520
Miss Xie, you're truly fortunate.

795
00:38:15,001 --> 00:38:17,160
- Right.
- Truly fortunate.

796
00:38:17,160 --> 00:38:18,200
Sorry I'm a bit late.

797
00:38:18,680 --> 00:38:19,921
Did I miss anything?

798
00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:23,080
Young Madam Yu, you've graced us.

799
00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:24,001
Please, have a seat.

800
00:38:26,680 --> 00:38:27,680
Good heavens,

801
00:38:27,801 --> 00:38:29,200
the Yu family actually came.

802
00:38:29,401 --> 00:38:30,401
Indeed.

803
00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:31,761
Regarding the salt reform,

804
00:38:32,720 --> 00:38:34,120
the Yan merchants
have no further objections.

805
00:38:35,160 --> 00:38:35,761
Mr. Zhao.

806
00:38:36,481 --> 00:38:37,001
Please.

807
00:38:37,441 --> 00:38:38,441
To Mr. Zhao.

808
00:38:42,080 --> 00:38:44,001
But as for the exact shares,

809
00:38:44,841 --> 00:38:46,401
please clarify, Mr. Zhao.

810
00:38:47,401 --> 00:38:48,441
His Majesty has approved it.

811
00:38:50,841 --> 00:38:51,600
Old permits

812
00:38:52,240 --> 00:38:53,841
can be exchanged for new ones
at seventy percent.

813
00:38:54,120 --> 00:38:55,921
Grain reserves can offset thirty percent
of the silver tax.

814
00:38:58,281 --> 00:38:59,841
Of the Salt Transport Office's
allocation,

815
00:39:01,040 --> 00:39:02,640
the Yan merchants
get thirty percent priority.

816
00:39:02,720 --> 00:39:04,441
- Thirty percent?
- How do we share with that?

817
00:39:04,560 --> 00:39:06,441
- That's too little.
- Yes, exactly.

818
00:39:07,001 --> 00:39:07,841
Mr. Zhao,

819
00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:10,801
isn't thirty percent too little?

820
00:39:11,040 --> 00:39:12,481
Our Yan merchants number over a hundred,

821
00:39:12,481 --> 00:39:14,160
with thousands of workers.

822
00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:16,361
We are driven by survival.

823
00:39:16,520 --> 00:39:17,361
In my view,

824
00:39:18,801 --> 00:39:20,281
it should at least be this much.

825
00:39:24,321 --> 00:39:25,441
The northern and southern merchants

826
00:39:25,881 --> 00:39:26,841
each have their difficulties.

827
00:39:27,761 --> 00:39:28,640
Thirty percent

828
00:39:30,240 --> 00:39:31,761
is already the court's concession.

829
00:39:32,761 --> 00:39:34,200
Otherwise,
how would the Anzhou merchants see it?

830
00:39:35,801 --> 00:39:37,240
Should they shut down too?

831
00:39:38,040 --> 00:39:39,080
Then there would be no order at all.

832
00:39:39,401 --> 00:39:40,921
The Anzhou merchants can't do that.

833
00:39:40,921 --> 00:39:41,281
This...

834
00:39:43,720 --> 00:39:44,361
Alright.

835
00:39:44,841 --> 00:39:46,321
We'll follow your instructions.

836
00:39:48,520 --> 00:39:49,921
If we have not
been gracious hosts today,

837
00:39:50,881 --> 00:39:52,600
please forgive us, Mr. Zhao.

838
00:40:00,361 --> 00:40:00,961
Mr. Zhao.

839
00:40:01,321 --> 00:40:02,680
An Anzhou merchant
insists on seeing you.

840
00:40:09,023 --> 00:40:11,603
(Next Episode)

841
00:40:12,281 --> 00:40:13,401
If in the future

842
00:40:13,761 --> 00:40:15,520
we are to live under the same roof,

843
00:40:16,120 --> 00:40:17,841
I will respect you

844
00:40:17,921 --> 00:40:18,961
and defer to you in all things.

845
00:40:19,200 --> 00:40:20,921
Since you know my past,

846
00:40:21,001 --> 00:40:22,080
you should know

847
00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:23,560
what I am capable of.

848
00:40:23,720 --> 00:40:25,001
Do you truly wish

849
00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:26,240
to contend with me?

850
00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:27,921
The Fu family

851
00:40:28,321 --> 00:40:29,720
places great importance on filial piety.

852
00:40:30,401 --> 00:40:32,321
Shouldn't you show us

853
00:40:32,801 --> 00:40:34,481
some real proof of that?

854
00:40:34,961 --> 00:40:35,921
Mr. Zhao.

855
00:40:36,200 --> 00:40:37,281
Do you truly not understand,

856
00:40:37,361 --> 00:40:38,321
or are you pretending not to?

857
00:40:38,841 --> 00:40:40,200
If you dare disturb my mother,

858
00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:41,120
just try.

859
00:40:41,281 --> 00:40:43,040
You don't have to come see me anymore.

860
00:40:43,240 --> 00:40:45,401
There is no way the two of you
will ever get married.

861
00:40:58,960 --> 00:41:03,280
♪The past brushes by
like a falling leaf♪

862
00:41:06,880 --> 00:41:11,240
♪So light, yet my steps still pause
for you♪

863
00:41:13,360 --> 00:41:18,000
♪Through every rise and fall,
our memories remain without regret♪

864
00:41:18,240 --> 00:41:21,040
♪Carved into the rings of time♪

865
00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:26,840
♪How I wish I could stay
a little longer, but I can't♪

866
00:41:30,040 --> 00:41:36,880
♪I turn away, afraid goodbye will fill
my eyes with tears♪

867
00:41:37,760 --> 00:41:44,280
♪Etched deep within my heart,
yet buried without a word♪

868
00:41:45,240 --> 00:41:48,680
♪The warmth of your hand in mine♪

869
00:41:49,200 --> 00:41:53,400
♪Still makes us want to believe♪

870
00:41:53,680 --> 00:41:59,360
♪One promise for a lifetime,
echoing long after we part♪

871
00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:15,360
♪For one fleeting moment, I found you
in the crowd♪

872
00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:23,280
♪Without a word, you lit up
half my life♪

873
00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:29,680
♪In silence, a love too deep for words♪

874
00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:32,680
♪Kept close within my heart♪

875
00:42:33,760 --> 00:42:38,600
♪From now on, no one else
is worth waiting for♪

876
00:42:42,120 --> 00:42:49,040
♪I turn away, afraid no one
will ever come home to me again♪

877
00:42:49,920 --> 00:42:56,400
♪If we can build our future together,
no storm can chill my heart♪

878
00:42:57,280 --> 00:43:00,800
♪The warmth of your hand in mine♪

879
00:43:01,240 --> 00:43:05,600
♪Still makes us want to believe♪

880
00:43:05,800 --> 00:43:11,520
♪One promise for a lifetime,
echoing long after we part♪