Original subtitles

♪ We'll follow Zhang Xie to the capital ♪

♪ Lest he prove untrue and leave us heartbroken ♪

This southern opera is being performed tonight

♪ Today Zhang Xie rides through the streets in triumph ♪

to welcome you into the household.

♪ But he's short of helping hands ♪

Back then, your mother

♪ Let's go lend him ours ♪

loved this piece the most as well.

♪ The ghosts will bear the sedan chair ♪

♪ The gods will blow the trumpets ♪

♪ Decked in red and clad in green ♪

When I was young, I lived alone and destitute far from home,

growing up among the common folk.

My birth mother once committed a grave mistake

and harmed her family.

But was my mother

truly a sinner?

My mother had once entered the grand gates of the Xie Residence full of hope.

Yet behind those vermilion gates...

A lowly actress like you

isn't worthy of living in Danyue Pavilion!

-Help! Concubine Xia's been murdered! -In the end, my mother

was accused of murder.

Our Xie family's century-old reputation

will not be sullied by a vile, treacherous woman like you.

After that,

my mother chose to bear the shame

and leave the Xie Residence

with me still in her womb.

She and I depended on each other.

Our life was humble,

but we were content.

Yet even so,

there were still those in the Xie family

who refused to leave us in peace.

Years later,

Grandmother brought me back to the Xie Residence.

[Qingyuan]

And that was when Xie Qingyuan's life

truly began.

[Spring of The Blade]

[Episode 1]

[One Month Ago]

[Chen Yunya]

My Lady.

Everything's ready.

Then all we need is an opportunity.

Now that the stage's been set,

it's time

for the show to begin.

Attack!

Who do you think you are?

This grain is disaster relief sent by imperial decree.

Do you all have a death wish?

We can't get into the city!

If we don't seize this grain, we have no way to survive!

Where's the grain?

Guards!

Drive them to the outskirts of the city!

[Wei Changyan, Jiangnan Transport Commissioner]

Greetings, My Lord. I'm Wei Changyan, Jiangnan Transport Commissioner.

Hengtang is quite lively, isn't it?

I'm temporarily overseeing affairs in Hengtang.

I've failed in my duties

and allowed these refugees to disturb Your Lordship.

It is my fault.

[Yan Rui, Imperial Advisor of the Ministry of Revenue]

[Outskirts of Hengtang City]

Is this supposed to be boiling water or making porridge?

How many grains of rice are in there?

I don't see a single grain.

He's just boiling plain water.

They should have at least brought half a cart of grain

to tide us over for a few days.

This corrupt official

didn't even bother bringing a single grain of rice.

Lord Wei, you look a bit gloomy.

You're not upset that I borrowed your grain

for relief distribution, are you?

I wouldn't dare.

It's just that today's porridge

is indeed a bit thin.

I'll have to trouble you to bring more rice tomorrow, Lord Wei.

Yes.

My Lord.

The porridge is ready.

Everyone,

the porridge is ready.

Come and get your porridge.

No rush. No rush.

One at a time.

Take it easy.

There's enough for everyone.

I know

you all must feel

very grateful to me right now.

I bear the imperial decree,

so in handling disaster relief,

I'll certainly do my utmost.

Easy, easy.

There's enough for everyone.

Let's go.

We still have important matters to attend to.

Let's not cause any trouble.

One by one, no rush.

Is it my turn yet?

Please, I haven't gotten any yet!

Me. Me first.

I'm starving.

You corrupt official!

Protect His Lordship! Hurry!

Protect His Lordship!

Don't run! Catch him!

Stop there!

Are you alright, My Lord?

I'm fine.

Don't run!

Freeze!

Stop!

Stop!

-Let go of me! -My Lady.

The road's blocked.

Do whatever you want to me!

-I won't beg for mercy! -You seem to have a problem with me.

I originally thought that

since you came all the way from the capital,

you must be someone who actually gets things done.

Who would have thought that you're even more hateful,

more despicable,

and more disgusting than them!

You live in luxury, sparing no expense on your own food and clothes,

yet there's not a grain of relief rice for the people!

Not a single grain!

Are you done?

I know you've suffered a lot.

So trust me.

I came this time

specifically to...

Such an exquisite item.

From now on,

whenever you see me,

keep your distance.

[Xie Residence in Hengtang]

[Danyue Pavilion]

[An official robe, a burial mound. Blazing flames light up crimson eyes.]

[Iron hooves crush blood beneath the gate. A child, at last, pays the price of fate.]

A letter from the Northern Frontier!

A letter from the Northern Frontier!

What on earth happened?

How did he end up

offending the royal family?

Nonsense.

Bothering Mother like this.

My poor son, Zhenglun...

He's been guarding that bitterly cold Northern Frontier

for years,

and now he actually has to suffer this calamity.

[Old Madam Xie]

Serving as an official in the court

always comes with rises and falls.

[Hu Wenzhuo, Head Madam of the Xie Family]

Things like this happen.

[Lian Fanqiao, Third Concubine of the Xie Family]

It won't shake the century-old foundations

of our Xie family.

How can we panic and lose our composure

over just a minor hardship?

[Mei Yinghua, Second Concubine of the Xie Family]

Especially you.

As the head madam of the Xie household,

you've lost your composure—

how can you ever be entrusted with greater responsibilities?

Your reprimand is justified, Old Madam.

But there is one thing

I

must bring up nonetheless.

A blood-written poem

suddenly appeared at Danyue Pavilion

a few months ago,

[An official robe, a burial mound. Blazing flames light up crimson eyes.]

[Iron hooves crush blood beneath the gate. A child, at last, pays the price of fate.]

saying things like

Old Madam would be ill for a long time without recovery,

Master would be demoted for no reason,

[Danyue Pavilion]

and that the others in the household

would also suffer misfortune.

An official robe, a burial mound.

Blazing flames light up crimson eyes.

Iron hooves crush blood beneath the gate.

A child, at last, pays the price of fate.

I entered the Xie household at 19,

and I've spent my life managing the trading house,

keeping the inner household in order,

and dealing with all manner of demons and schemes—

what manner of specter

have I not seen?

And now

you little rats think you can frighten me?

Go and assign people

to recite the Kṣitigarbha Sutra in the ancestral hall

around the clock.

Let's see whether

you vicious ghosts are more fearsome,

or whether the ancestral tablets of our Xie family carry greater weight!

Zhengjun!

Go and douse it

with dog blood!

Me?

[Xie Zhengjun, Second Young Master of the Xie Family]

Young Master!

You bastard!

You're finally back!

You might as well come back tomorrow and collect my corpse!

Young Master, black dog blood isn't easy to get.

The butcher at the market

had to slaughter one fresh.

It's been 2 whole hours.

In that amount of time, even ghosts could've reincarnated 3 times over!

Do you have any idea what I went through?

I do, I do.

Please stop complaining.

-Just splash it. -Give it to me.

What's that sound?

You heard it?

I didn't.

I...

I didn't hear anything.

That's not right.

That's not right.

What's that sound?

Did you hear that?

Wufu?

Wufu!

Yunya.

Stop singing.

Let alone Xie Zhengjun,

even I, who am playing a ghost,

am about to be scared to death by you.

That's exactly what I want— every one of them to live in fear,

their minds thrown into turmoil.

Mere sleepless nights are far from enough.

I want them to feel as if 10,000 arrows were piercing their hearts.

Your Yunduo has been selected by the Xie family.

This afternoon,

it was taken into the Xie Residence

along with several other horses.

Favorable conditions have appeared in Hengtang.

It's time we made use of them.

Fire!

Hurry and help put out the fire!

Hurry and help put out the fire!

Fire!

Fire!

Help!

Fire!

Fire!

Help!

Fire!

The curse.

[Blazing flames]

[Crimson eyes]

It's the curse.

The curse has come true!

Old Madam!

Old Madam!

[Moonlight Casts Its Radiance]

The curse has come true!

Nonsense.

Old Madam!

Old Madam!

Old Madam!

Old Madam!

-The fire has spread to the east wing! -Fire!

Quick, go bring the fire brigade!

Old Madam.

It's the vengeful spirits coming to claim lives.

The vengeful spirits are here to claim lives!

Shut up!

Help put out the fire!

Help! Put out the fire!

Amitabha.

Fire!

Help!

Zuixian Tavern is truly great.

Let's drink till we drop again another day!

Let's drink to our heart's content again!

Something bad happened! Help!

Protect Lord Yan!

[Zuixian Tavern]

Protect Lord Yan!

My Lord!

My Lord!

My Lord!

Stop!

[Zuixian Tavern]

My Lord, something bad happened!

There's a fire over there!

Where?

It seems to be the Xie Residence.

The Xie Residence?

Lord Guo, quick, quick.

A fire is a serious matter.

Go help put it out!

Yes. Got it.

I will take my leave.

Quick! Quick!

See you.

This way!

This way.

Follow them.

Yes.

Once it's burned down,

it'll be your turn to beg me.

[Xie Residence of Hengtang]

Water's here!

Get out of the way!

Move! Move!

Hurry up!

Quick, quick! Hurry up!

Follow up!

Be quick!

Hurry up!

Hurry!

[Guan-guan Go the Ospreys]

Yunduo!

Young lady.

Is this the one you're calling for?

[Guan-guan Go the Ospreys]

Stop there.

What are your instructions, My Lord?

Since you know who I am,

and your horse almost hurt me,

how should we settle this?

This is not my horse.

Then whose name is Yunduo?

I just made it up.

I have heard

that some horses are easily startled

and fierce-tempered,

and only their owner's whistle can calm them down.

[Zuixian Tavern]

As for the fire at the Xie Residence,

I'm afraid you can't escape responsibility for it, lady.

[Guan-guan Go the Ospreys]

You hid flint

inside sugared balls

and tied them to the horse.

Once the sugar melted, the fire was ignited.

And with the east wind blowing strong,

the flames spread with the wind,

while the evidence was destroyed along with it.

Quite an intricately orchestrated scheme you devised, lady.

And where did you get that whistle, lady?

Come to think of it, that should count as physical evidence.

First arson,

then destruction of evidence—

do you believe I could arrest you right now?

Go ahead then.

Your Lordship gave me the chance

to destroy the evidence just now

and did nothing to stop me.

By that logic,

you'd be an accomplice as well.

Besides,

with Your Lordship's abilities,

capturing a weak woman like me would have been effortless.

If you truly intended to act, you would've arrested me from the start.

Why go through all this step by step, pressing me like this?

Your Lordship clearly has some other motive—

one you don't want others to know about.

Who exactly are you?

And what do you want with the Xie family?

I'll get to the bottom of it.

[Guan-guan Go the Ospreys]

[The Wondrous Being of the Great Void]

When heaven and earth reverse their course

and old debts return in the cycle of reincarnation,

this is the manifestation of karmic retribution—

something that cannot be avoided.

What are we supposed to do now?

Master is about to return from the Northern Frontier,

yet the household is in chaos—

first the fire,

then the hauntings,

and now the talk of karmic retribution.

Are they determined to see us dead?

[Xie Residence of Hengtang]

Take these scriptures

to the ancestral hall and burn them.

Yes.

How did it go?

Did the Taoist priest have any way to deal with this?

The Taoist priest hinted

that the last line of the blood-written poem...

Please do not worry, Madam.

You must understand that all things in this world

[The Profound Realm of True Mystery]

follow the principle of mutual generation and restraint.

Fortune and misfortune

are ever intertwined.

Now that calamity has befallen you,

there is surely a mascot to ward it off.

A mascot to ward it off?

I have said all I can.

[The Profound Realm of True Mystery]

[An official robe, a burial mound. Blazing flames light up crimson eyes.]

A child, at last,

[Iron hooves crush blood beneath the gate. A child, at last, pays the price of fate.]

pays the price of fate.

One of the children of the Xie family

will definitely be able

to resolve this predicament.

It's just that if anything were to happen

to one of our Xie family's children...

I'm worried you wouldn't be able to bear it, Old Madam.

I've actually

heard some rumors recently,

about Jin Chunqing

giving birth to a child

after she left our residence years ago...

Take a seat.

Yes.

Wenzhuo.

Yes?

You and I

share the same thought.

Old Madam!

Old Madam.

We've found that child.

[Welcoming Heaven's Blessings]

What would you like to buy?

Wait.

Yunya isn't some object

you can just move around as you please.

Old Madam Xie.

Recognizing family ties is a big deal, right?

I have to respect her wishes on this.

Please

go back for today.

And take all these things with you.

We're a humble household—

we have no use for such lavish gifts.

You and Yunya are not blood relatives,

but you raised her for our Xie family all these years.

No gift could be too generous

for you to accept.

Still,

I respect your wishes.

After all, one should never forcefully

keep what does not belong to them.

To do so would defy heaven and moral order,

and invite misfortune.

Even though Yunya and I are not blood relatives,

she's still the girl our Chen family

raised and cherished from childhood.

How dare you think you can just take her away?

I'm telling you now,

whatever tricks you have up your sleeve,

I'll meet you head-on.

Granny, don't.

Good child.

I'm your grandmother.

Come.

Come here.

Let me take a good look at you.

Dear!

Don't take another step!

If you take one more step,

our Chen family will disown you as our granddaughter.

Come here.

Granny.

I'm sorry.

I'm grateful for all you've done in raising me,

but I want to return to my own family.

I want to see my father.

Very well.

You want to return to your own family, huh?

Very well.

So very well!

If you return to your family,

then don't come back ever again!

Good girl.

Once you're packed,

I'll send someone to come and pick you up.

I'll make sure you come back to the Xie family in glory

and that

you rightfully become

the Fourth Lady of the Xie family.

Raise the sedan!

This is as far as I can help you.

For the rest of the journey,

you'll have to forge ahead on your own.

The fire at the Xie Residence was quite suspicious.

By the way,

Your Lordship asked me to investigate the owner of the white horse,

and I've got some clues.

That woman's name is Chen Yunya.

She's the granddaughter of the owner of Chen's Tea House.

She has a close friend from Jingzhou,

named Dong Fangchun,

who seems to have considerable influence in the martial world.

The two of them frequent Baiyun Temple,

and they share a very close relationship

with a Taoist named Xin Zhen.

Dong Fangchun and Xin Zhen conspired together,

using the pretense of performing ritual ceremonies

to carry out thefts targeting wealthy households and local gentry.

They've committed crimes in places such as Yunzhou and Jingzhou.

Dong Fangchun is currently in Hengtang,

running a horse-selling business.

That white horse was

mixed in with other horses

and sold to the Xie family at that time.

And what about Chen Yunya?

Chen Yunya's background

is actually quite clean.

She grew up at Chen's Tea House from a young age.

There's nothing special about her,

except for her origins.

Her origins?

Chen Yunya is originally

the youngest daughter of the Xie family who lived away from home.

After that big fire at the Xie Residence a few days ago,

for some reason,

Old Madam Xie personally arranged everything

and insisted on bringing her back to the household.

This is the place.

[Guan-guan Go the Ospreys]

What a long-lost Fourth Lady.

The Xie family must be connected to the embezzlement case.

Then this Fourth Lady

has actually become the key to my investigation into the Xie family.

Sir,

please enjoy the pear blossom candy and Tiny Tip green tea.

Have as much as you like.

If you want anything else,

just let me know at any time.

Thank you, Granny.

Granny,

you've been running this tea house

for quite some years, right?

I've spent more than half of my life

in this little tea house.

Do you have any other pastries here?

Sure.

We have almond crisp,

steamed flower cake, perilla candy,

and many other kinds.

What are you steaming?

It smells so good.

This is my secret-recipe poria cake.

You won't find it anywhere else.

Alright.

Give me one serving.

Well, Sir,

it's not done steaming yet.

Sir,

you look quite unfamiliar.

Judging by your accent, you're not from around here, are you?

My name is Yan.

I just arrived in Hengtang from the capital.

The capital's nice.

Our city is small in comparison.

Are you getting used to living here?

It's alright, I guess.

Granny,

your tea house is pretty big.

Can you handle it all by yourself?

I have a granddaughter.

Yeah,

my granddaughter.

Granny!

Are the almond crisp and pear blossom candy ready yet?

The Li family's waiting!

Look at my memory.

Sir,

I have to go out for a while.

If you need anything else,

j-just help yourself.

The pastry prices are posted right there on the counter.

The poria cake will be ready in no time.

Don't go anywhere.

Okay.

Coming!

[Letter of Ancestry Reclaiming of Hengtang's Xie Family]

Dear.

What are you looking at?

Granny.

This is

the invitation sent by the Xie family

for the ancestry reclaiming banquet.

[Letter of Ancestry Reclaiming of Hengtang's Xie Family]

They're inviting you

to thank you for raising me.

Silly girl.

How could I go?

It wouldn't look right if I went.

Look at you, all listless.

Cheer up.

You've still got a lot to attend to.

I have to go make a delivery.

Keep an eye on the customer inside for me.

The jade soul inherits the cold moon's spirit;

white silk still wraps traces of the past.

Let not the east wind sweep away the snow before the steps,

for a hidden fragrance may yet drift out from behind those deep gates.

Tell me,

do you think that tree out front has buried beneath it

a great many secrets that were never meant to see the light of day?

How cold of you.

Don't tell me you've forgotten me already.

Please forgive me, honored guest.

I've had a poor memory since childhood,

especially when it comes to remembering people's faces.

Please forgive me.

It's okay if you don't recognize me.

That white horse at Fushan Temple—

what was its name again?

Yunduo, right?

What a beautiful name.

Just as beautiful as your name, Yunya.

You don't like such praise, lady, do you?

Then what do you like to hear?

Exceptionally intelligent?

Unmatched in strategy?

Or maybe,

your acting is so superb that even Old Madam Xie

fell into your trap?

Don't like the sound of that either?

Then let me try something else.

Fugitive Dong Fangchun,

or fake Taoist Xin Zhen?

Now that calamity has befallen you,

there is surely a mascot to ward it off.

So there is a solution?

What is Your Lordship's intention

in pressing me so aggressively?

I should be the one asking you that.

Why were you willing to stop at nothing—

even setting the Xie Residence on fire—

to enter the Xie family?

I never set any fire.

That's true.

It indeed wasn't you, Fourth Lady of the Xie family, who set the fire,

but Chen Yunya of Chen's Tea House.

I just wonder if Granny Chen

could withstand the punishment for harboring a criminal.

Yan Rui.

Whatever you want, take it out on me.

Leave Granny out of this.

Tell me,

what is your purpose for entering the Xie family?

I'm a daughter of the Xie family to begin with.

What's wrong with me reclaiming my ancestry?

If I hand over the evidence of your arson to the Xie family,

do you think

they'll believe you, a fake daughter,

or me, an official?

What,

you want to kill me?

Go ahead then.

I'm back.

Has the customer left?

Dear?

I'm leaving.

From now on,

I'll come visit often.

[Hengtang]

[Xie Residence of Hengtang]

The Fourth Lady has arrived.

Mother.

Sorry that

I didn't listen to you

and chose to come back to

the Xie family that caused you so much suffering.

You always said that vengeance only breeds more vengeance and never ends.

But in these grand mansions of power,

there is no such thing as reason,

only victory and defeat.

Now that the game has begun,

it's time for me to make my move.

In

the eighth year of Jingxi,

in accordance with the order of heaven and earth

and the harmony of Yin and Yang,

it is the blessing of the family

that the descendants

always remember the teachings of their ancestors.

[Xie Qinghe, Eldest Lady of the Xie Family]

Now, the fourth daughter of the Xie family,

[Xie Qingru, Second Lady of the Xie Family]

long separated from her kin

[Xie Qingrong, Third Lady of the Xie Family]

and is currently 19 years old,

is virtuous and well-mannered.

[Lian Fanqiao, Third Concubine of the Xie Family]

She honors her ancestors

and spares no hardship

to return to the Xie household.

She shall be received as a daughter under the care of Head Madam, Lady Hu,

[Hu Wenzhuo, Head Madam of the Xie Family]

[Old Madam Xie]

inheriting the family lineage.

She is now formally received into the family,

her birth name,

Xie Qingyuan, restored,

[Xie Qingyuan, Fourth Lady of the Xie Family]

[Qingyuan]

and entered into the genealogy.

The ceremony is complete.

Congratulations, Fourth Lady,

on returning to the clan.

[Spirit Tablet of the Late Ancestors of the Xie Family]

Mother,

this time,

I swear I'll clear your name

and see justice done.