Original subtitles

SAY NO TO PIRACY, SUPPORT ORIGINALS

ADAPTED FROM JIA JIN CHAI, ORIGINAL NOVEL BY XIAOJIAREN ON JINJIANG LITERATURE CITY

They were such a loving couple, and now they're suddenly getting divorced?

There wasn't even a hint of trouble.

They should never have married.

Her birth mother is immoral and despised.

She grew up with no proper guidance,

so she's headstrong, arrogant, and reckless.

She's unfit to be a member of the Lu family.

Mother! Help, Mother!

- What happened? - Mother!

- Slow down. - Slow down.

- Oh my! - My goodness!

Wanniang, what are you doing?

Please find a way to keep Wei Rao here, whatever it takes.

The night she married into our family,

Lu Zhuo woke up.

And today, as soon as she said she was leaving,

he started coughing up blood again!

Heaven has bound their fates together.

If they part, disaster is sure to follow!

If they really divorce,

Lu Zhuo may not survive!

Mother, I'm begging you!

You must find a way to stop Wei Rao from leaving!

Have you no dignity, sobbing like this?

- Get up. - Wanniang.

- Please get up. - Get up.

Wanniang, get up first.

Mother, let me try to persuade Wei Rao first.

- Then we can decide what to do. - Go.

Your qi is blocked by grief and inflamed by sudden rage.

You must calm your mind…

My Lord, you mustn't get up.

My Lord, you mustn't move!

Don't touch me.

My Lord, whatever the matter is, it must wait until you've recovered.

- I want to see Wei Rao. - My Lord!

- Out of my way! - My Lord!

Quick, help him.

Rao,

you were lost young, left to the streets.

Life would have had you miss this marriage.

Yet, through a twist of fate, you found the way back to him.

This bond was forged by Heaven. No one can break it.

Why are you so determined to sever it?

Has the Lu family mistreated you, or has Lu Zhuo hurt you?

The Lu family and His Lordship have treated me well.

Lu Zhuo has saved me from danger many times.

He even defied imperial decrees and deceived His Majesty.

The Duke accused him of grave defiance,

neglecting his duties, and violating family rules, all because of me.

It's precisely because he's so good to me

that I must divorce him.

You want a divorce because he's good to you?

Rao, what you're saying makes no sense to me.

I simply can't understand it.

I've always been alone and know nothing of love.

I cannot return his deep affection.

By leaving, I can spare him a wasted life.

I was once an orphan with no one to turn to.

I relied on His Lordship's protection to stay safe.

Now I've reclaimed my place in my birth family.

I have a fief and troops of my own.

With my birth mother's power behind me,

I can live as happily as I please.

Why stay here and suffer everyone's scorn?

Being Lu Zhuo's wife

is like living under a roof that forces me to stoop.

I must obey every rule and be a virtuous wife.

Every day I stay here is another day without joy.

Please let me go.

Do you truly feel nothing for Lu Zhuo?

Nothing.

You should leave.

Since you've made your decision,

have a carriage prepared to escort the Noble Lady away.

- My Lord… - Go!

Lu Zhuo.

Rao.

Why pretend to care?

Lu Zhuo, calm down.

Mother will never agree to this.

I've made my decision.

Thank you.

I'm the one who should thank you,

Noble Lady Wu'an.

Thank you for being honest

and letting me see who you really are.

Don't think too highly of yourself.

I can live without you.

This marriage is a mistake.

The sooner we end it, the better.

You're magnanimous and understanding, My Lord.

That puts my mind at ease.

I won't see you off, Your Ladyship.

You may go.

Fine. One of you is heartless, and the other is too proud

to speak honestly.

I shouldn't have interfered. I shouldn't have come at all.

Thank you for granting my wish.

Keep packing.

SONGYUE HALL

My Lady, everything is packed.

Why are there two more chests than we counted?

- Everything is here. - Okay.

Be careful.

Understood.

- Remember to take this. - All right.

When Grandmother asked to expedite our wedding,…

she promised the Wei family that if you ever left the Lu family,

we would give you extra gold as a dowry.

I'm honoring that promise.

I'm a lucky beast Pixiu reborn.

I love money more than anything.

If you're willing to offer, I'll gladly take it.

Think of yourself as a partner in my estate.

When the harvest comes, you'll get a fifth.

No need.

If you leave, no need to see me again.

I'll have someone deliver it.

Stop, all of you! No one is to move anything!

Rao,

what has made you unhappy here in the Lu family?

Why are you so determined to divorce?

Unless you give me a proper explanation,

I won't let you leave.

Mother, don't make this difficult for her.

His Majesty has issued the decree.

I don't care.

My husband died in battle.

You, my son, are the one person in my life that has kept me going.

If anything happens to you, I won't go on living!

If the imperial family wants to punish me, let them come and cut off my head!

Rao, is something troubling you?

You can tell me. I'll see that you're treated fairly.

Grandmother, Mother,

- in fact, I… - Rao,

I'm begging you.

Please stay.

Enough, Mother!

The men of the Lu family, in every generation,

are fated to die only in battle.

My life was spared on the battlefield.

That means my time has not yet come.

The idea that this marriage saved me is absurd.

Never mention it again.

Besides, Wei Rao isn't the one seeking a divorce.

I am.

You… Why would you do this?

I used to mistake Wei Rao for Jundai.

I believed her to be cruel and vicious,

so I despised her and kept testing her.

To this day,…

we have never consummated our marriage.

You…

For a bride, what could be more humiliating?

Lu Zhuo, you're usually so sensible.

How could you make such an outrageous mistake?

Though Wei Rao is of the Wei family's blood,

she was abandoned as a child

and did menial work to survive.

All noble ladies of the capital

are excel at music, weiqi, calligraphy, and painting.

They're virtuous, well-spoken, graceful, and skilled in the domestic arts.

She alone has none of these qualities.

How could a woman with so little virtue or talent

be fit to be my wife?

You…!

- Mother! - You foolish boy!

How can you look down on your own wife like this?

Mother, don't blame him.

It's not your place to speak!

We are

not right for each other.

To free ourselves, we have to divorce.

You…!

I'm the one determined to leave the Lu family.

It's not his fault.

Enough!

What's done is done. We can't stop them.

Let them be!

How…

How can you be so foolish?

You've shown me such kindness and care.

I'll never forget it.

Please take care of yourselves.

I bid you farewell.

Rao…

SONGYUE HALL

You let her go today.

I hope you won't regret it later.

She chose to leave me.

What is there to regret?

DUKE'S RESIDENCE

If Heaven truly answers prayers,

I, Wei Rao, willingly give up this marriage

and vow never to marry again.

In return, please let him soon find a beautiful wife

who will cherish him, respect him, and treat him well.

His Lordship ordered me to escort Your Ladyship out of the city.

Are you going to Mount Yaowang?

No.

- I'd like to visit somewhere first. - Understood.

DUKE'S RESIDENCE

You needn't follow me.

MY COUSIN JUNDAI

I never expected this.

You're the only one who's come to visit her.

Haven't you come too?

Her birth mother, Wei, has been exiled far away.

Her birth father's whereabouts are unknown.

Fearing Lady Li's power,

the Earl of Cheng'an's household dared not prepare her for burial.

So it fell to me, an outsider,

to take care of her remains and lay her to rest.

But Wei Rao, why have you come?

Of all people in this world,

you should hate Jundai the most.

Before Jundai died,

she said something to me.

What did she say?

My life was never my own.

Neither is my death.

Those who loved me abandoned me.

Those I love…

No one's ever taught me what love is.

I spent my whole life striving for fame and status,

struggling with all I had.

And what did I gain?

I'm left with nothing.

Wei Rao…

"I lived in splendor, clothed in silk."

"Yet in death, I'll lie in a lonely grave outside the city."

"Who brought me into this world?"

"Who has ever truly loved me?"

If someone has gone through life without ever being treated kindly,…

how can she understand love?

How can she even feel she has the right to love anyone else?

HERE LIES MY COUSIN JUNDAI

I cared for her,

yet I left her too.

Perhaps you're right. I let her down.

You did nothing wrong.

It is only that in your heart, many things outweighs her.

Your family. Your honor.

If Jundai hurt you, please don't hold it against her.

She was someone to be pitied too.

Lady Shou'an has been waiting at the estate for some time.

Grandmother is here?

Nice work.

- You're too kind. - You've been working on it for so long.

You're welcome.

Back to work.

Be careful.

Grandmother.

Rao, I couldn't trust anyone else to handle this,

so I brought them here myself.

Let me help you.

I beg your forgiveness, Your Ladyship.

I put you through so much. I deserve to die a thousand deaths.

I would accept being cut to pieces.

But please spare my two children.

They knew nothing of it.

Quick, kneel and kowtow to Her Ladyship. Beg for her forgiveness!

Please get up.

You're my elder. Don't shorten my life by kneeling to me.

Hongxian, Runsheng, get up.

If you hadn't found me on that mountain,

I would have frozen to death that winter night.

I wouldn't be here enjoying all this today.

I don't blame you.

I told you she was very forgiving. Never hold a grudge against us.

Raising her means more than giving birth. It was you who raised her.

For that alone,

she should repay our family a thousand times over.

What nonsense are you spouting?

Who do you think you are to demand anything from her?

Your Ladyship, are we still family?

Can I still see you as my sister?

Runsheng is right.

Mother took me in.

I'll remember that kindness for as long as I live.

Go prepare food and wine.

Yes! Bring me plenty of good wine.

And send them up the mountain to hunt more wild ducks and pheasants!

- Runsheng! - Go on!

Mother, it's windy out here. Let's go inside.

Come, Grandmother.

- Don't worry about it. I am used to it. - That's nice.

It's Bitao.

Tell me.

What arrangements will you make for Qiao and her family?

THE FRAGRANT ORCHID

With all the building work at the estate, this is no place for Ma to recover.

I plan to go to her hometown, Shuzhou,

and find a quiet little courtyard house in a lively neighborhood.

Then Ma can move there with Hongxian and Runsheng.

Runsheng is lazy and undisciplined.

I'll find him an apprenticeship.

Hongxian is bright.

I'll find her a virtuous, accomplished female tutor

to give her a proper education.

I'll have them sent there tonight.

Shuzhou, with its lovely hills and rivers,

is certainly a fine place for recuperation.

For someone her age, returning to her hometown is a comfort.

I'm sure your adoptive mother will be content.

Yes.

Compassion is a form of wisdom.

Qiao is selfish.

Even so, she saved your life.

You must treat her well and let everyone see

your kindness and compassion,

so they'll know you're worthy of their loyalty.

This is something

your birth mother doesn't understand.

In that respect, you're better than she is.

But you've made a serious mistake.

Please enlighten me, Grandmother.

You shouldn't have divorced Lu Zhuo.

The Lu family's heir had the ability and family standing

to be a worthy match for you.

Above all, he cared for you

and could give you the strongest support.

With your intelligence,

you should have kept him firmly in the palm of your hand.

He could offer you protection.

Why did you let him get away?

I didn't let him get away. I set him free.

Well,

your mother is far more ruthless than you.

To her, men are merely precious gems in her phoenix crown

or the sharpest swords in her hand.

But Rao,…

letting him go will bring you a great deal of trouble.

What trouble?

Those caught in a storm

often fail to see the danger right before them.

Your mother sees it, yet she still lets you have your way.

Possessing a treasure can make an innocent man a target.

It won't be long before you understand that.

Runsheng!

ZHUYU ESTATE

Let go of him!

- Hit him! - Runsheng…

- It's all mine! - Runsheng!

- More wine! I want more! - Runsheng!

Hongxian, when you reach Shuzhou, someone will help you settle in.

Take good care of Ma.

You've cared for us for so many years. I'll never forget it as long as I live.

From now on, I'll care for Mother myself and keep Runsheng in line.

Take care of yourself, Rao.

Go on.

Wei Rao,…

you're no longer A-Chou.

GENTLE AS A SOFT BREEZE

Zhuo!

- Zhuo! - General Qi.

His Lordship is ill.

- Move aside. It's urgent. - General Qi, His Lordship…

I hear you've divorced the Noble Lady?

You knew already?

His Majesty issued the decree himself, granting the divorce.

Noble Lady Wu'an's dowry was carried out of the Duke's Residence.

In less than an hour, the news had spread everywhere.

Who in the capital doesn't know?

Is that all you came to ask?

Zhuo, are you really letting her go?

What does that have to do with you?

"A fair lady is a gentleman's ideal match."

My friend, if I marry Noble Lady Wu'an,

will you turn against me?

Do you only know that one line from "Guan Ju"?

What about the saying,

"A friend's wife is off limits"?

Ever since we were children, I've never competed with you for anything.

But this time, I can't step aside for you.

There's only one Wei Rao in this world.

Plenty of noble ladies in the capital.

Why have you set your heart on her?

Actually, I knew very early on she was an imposter.

But I didn't care.

Her beauty doesn't come from her looks or her birth.

All she has to do is stand there, and she lights up everything around her.

That day, I watched from the city gate tower as she tore up the land deeds.

HENGCHENG GATE

It suddenly struck me that I'd never meet another woman

who could compare to Wei Rao.

Fine.

Go court your fair lady, then!

I won't stand in your way.

Who are you to stop me? You're the one who's been cast aside.

To tell you the truth, if I had a wife like her,

I'd stay by her side every day and never give another man a chance.

Now that you've let her go, even if I didn't pursue her,

men would still flock to her in droves because of her title.

If you don't believe me, just wait and see.

I told you it's none of my concern.

You really don't mind?

I'm tired.

Get out, will you?

All right, all right. I won't bother you.

Now that I have your answer,

- I can rest easy! - Show him out!

Zhuo.

Rest well, and don't worry!

My Lord, your medicine.

No need.

My Lord,

some larger items from the Noble Lady's dowry

were left behind because they're hard to move.

Her Grace ordered me to deliver them to Zhuyu Estate.

- Zhuyu? - The Noble Lady chose the name herself.

In the legends, Zhuyu is a wild herb that grows on Mount Zhaoyao

and keeps hunger at bay.

She certainly isn't picky.

- Help me up. - My Lord, where are you going now?

Zhuyu Estate.

ZHUYU ESTATE

I found this while reclaiming land in the mountains.

It looks like wheat.

Wheat berries aren't that small. It's clearly a wild grass.

It's called brome, also known as cheat grass.

People often eat it during famines.

Try grinding it into flour.

Have you eaten it too, Your Ladyship?

Don't be foolish. Her Ladyship would never eat this.

- She's simply very knowledgeable. - Yes, of course.

The notice says that anyone who finds

food plants or medicinal herbs in the mountains will be rewarded.

Is that true?

- Keep it safe. - All right.

Gejin.

Your Ladyship is so kindhearted. Heaven will bless you.

Don't let the brome seeds fall into the wheat fields.

They'll ruin the crop.

- Yes. - Yes.

Here she comes. That's her.

The girl with the scar on her face.

She barely says a word all day.

She always takes the hardest, most tiring work

and works even harder than the men.

What a strange girl.

That's a lot of firewood.

I'm heading home to cook.

Your Ladyship, Lord Han requests to see you.

Lord Han?

I, Han Liao, come bearing rods to beg Noble Lady Wu'an's forgiveness.

I had a funeral to arrange,

so I was late in taking up my duties as your servant.

I've come to offer my apology.

I wouldn't dare accept.

His Majesty gave a verbal decree ordering me to serve you

for one month. I dare not disobey.

If you put our past behind us and take me in,

it would be an act of great generosity.

If you command it, I'll brave any danger.

Look over there.

My maid carries 80 jin of firewood every day,

yet you've brought only a few rods to beg forgiveness.

You clearly aren't sincere. What use would you be to me?

You think too highly of yourself, Han! Her Ladyship can't stand the sight of you.

Get out of here!

Wei Rao, he has a glib tongue and sinister intentions.

Don't let him fool you.

The moment you heard she'd left the Duke's Residence,

you couldn't wait to come running.

If we're talking about ulterior motives, you're no better than I am, General Qi.

Lord Lu and I have never gotten along.

It's only natural for me to come here.

But you and Lu Zhuo are the closest of friends.

To come here and win her favor,

do you have no shame?

If I weren't here, how could I keep scoundrels like you away?

You're a weasel in human form, always looking for a gap.

As if they deserve a thing.

Bring it over! Let Her Ladyship see!

What's this for?

Didn't Your Ladyship want to learn horse riding?

I pick a fine horse from the Western Regions for you.

It crosses mountains as easily as flat ground.

A thousand li a day is nothing to it.

Come. I have some free time today.

I'll teach you to ride.

You may go.

- I'd like to try. - Sure.

Han Liao, are you deliberately causing trouble?

I volunteer to lead your horse and hold your stirrup, Your Ladyship.

Lord Han, you'd stoop this low?

Aren't you afraid of being laughed at?

You're crude and lack common sense, General Qi.

Beginners can easily fall and injure themselves.

With me by her side, Her Ladyship's safety is assured.

Stop making trouble.

Your Ladyship, Lord Lu is here.

Lord Han.

This horse may be gentle, but it's rather tall.

I need a mounting block.

Use me as your mounting block,

and you'll settle into the saddle more securely.

Your Ladyship, please.

Such shameless groveling. Have you no dignity?

Such bitter jealousy. How petty you are.

Bend over.

Is this human mounting block to your liking, Your Ladyship?

You'll do as a lowly groom.

When it comes to riding and archery,

I won't claim to be the best in the world,

but I'm more than qualified to teach Your Ladyship.

If you wish, I can…

I didn't ask you anything. You're a mere groom.

How dare you speak out of turn?

Wei Rao, let me teach you instead.

Let's go.

You'd even fight over being her groom.

- Have you no dignity? - Get lost!

I'm happy to do it. Better than being a groveling, mangy dog like you.

- Let go. - You let go.

- It's my horse. - I don't care!

- Let go! - Let go!

Let go now!

You let go!

- Doesn't your leg hurt? - Let go!

You have no shame!

And you do?

My Lord, shall I help you…?

Back to the residence.

My Lord, you came all this way despite being ill.

You haven't even spoken to Her Ladyship, and you're leaving already?

She's having too much fun…

- Let go! - …to spare me a glance.

- Let go! - Go away!

Why stay and be a nuisance?

It's my horse! Get lost!

Get moving!

Go!

You're such a scoundrel!

- I'll lead it. - Let go!

Give it to me!

Will you let go already?

You just won't stop!

Stop.

You needn't follow me.

That goes for you too.

Qi Zhongkai, don't get too pleased with yourself.

Noble Lady Wu'an may not get to decide whom she marries for herself.

Who will take this thorny rose home

remains to be seen.

Don't even dream of it!

Whoever she chooses, it won't be you.

You can wait till you go blind, you groveling dog,

and you'll still never have her.

Keep your eyes open

and wait and see.

Let's go!

Your Ladyship,

The estate is currently building grounds and garden plots.

To renovate the buildings, we're using salvaged bricks and tiles.

The cost is low. It's mostly a matter of labor.

And that is exactly what we have plenty of.

In my humble opinion, the large courtyard on the west side

can be turned into a brewery.

The northern section can be used to raise silkworms and spin yarn.

That way, we'll earn considerably more next year.

Your Ladyship!

Your Ladyship.

AS THE SUN RISES

There are so many people outside!

Please come and see!

Your Ladyship!

We want to see Her Ladyship!

Let us in!

We want to see Her Ladyship!

- We request an audience with Her Ladyship! - Let us in!

- She's not receiving visitors today. - Let us see her!

Please leave, everyone!

Close the gates!

- Hurry! - Just let us see her!

There are so many people. It'll be terrible if trouble breaks out.

What do we do?

- Your Ladyship! - Your Ladyship!

CAISHU HALL

- Who are those people outside? - Your Ladyship.

Those people are…

They're poor people who own land in nearby prefectures and counties.

They've come to seek Your Ladyship's protection.

It's common for jobless drifters with no land

to come and seek my protection.

Why would people who own land come?

Your Ladyship, His Majesty understands the people's hardships,

so he's graciously offered state farmland

for displaced people to rent and cultivate.

He's exempted them from taxes for the first five years

and lent them seeds and farm tools free of charge. Unfortunately…

Unfortunately, the powerful nobles are too greedy.

They often bribe land officials to seize the land.

They take 80 percent of the harvest from the poor people's fields,

yet they pay the state very little tax, or none at all.

When these people heard that you

reduced rents and treated tenants well,

they rushed to offer you their land,

hoping to keep the harvest they've worked for all year.

Please show compassion and help them.

Your Ladyship, don't be tempted by petty gains.

So many people are offering their land and property

in return for your protection. Once you take them in,

you'll make enemies of the great noble families.

Beware. Tall trees catch the wind. You could provoke their wrath.

Such cowardice.

Your Ladyship, your maternal grandmother

is the wet nurse His Majesty respects most.

Your mother is his favored consort,

and your own brother is the Fourth Prince.

You have the power to stand against the nobles.

What do their deaths have to do with Her Ladyship?

Liu Ziyang, you're afraid they'll be forced to starve to death.

But have you spared a thought for Her Ladyship?

Her Ladyship has treated you with such respect.

Why offer advice that will harm her?

You've left the Duke's Residence, Your Ladyship.

If you turn these people away as well,

you'll be telling everyone you lack the power to protect them.

You own vast stretches of fertile land.

Everyone wants a piece of it.

When the noble families

close in on you like wolves and tigers,

even if you give up your land and property,

you may not be able to save yourself.

Liu Ziyang, hold your tongue!

Open the gates!

On behalf of the people, I thank Your Ladyship for your kindness.

Your Ladyship, you mustn't!

You'll offend all the nobles.

Disaster is sure to follow!

Mr. Liu,

you grew up in poverty, so you understand the people's hardships.

But you accept my pay, so you owe me your loyalty.

An adviser who pushes their master into danger

deserves to die a hundred times over.

Do it again, and I'll throw you out of the estate.

Everyone who comes to me for refuge

is entitled to my protection.

Go. Register the people offering their land.

Yes.

Open the gates! Open them now!

Your Ladyship!

Listen carefully.

Set up a complaint box outside the gates.

Anyone whose land's been seized or who's been abused by the nobles…

- Please step back, everyone! - Can put a written complaint in the box…

Line up, everyone!

I'll remove the names of the complainants.

- One at a time. - Only take in those who farm state land.

- Register everyone. - Don't accept a mu of private land.

People love to accuse

my maternal grandmother and mother of exploiting their imperial ties.

We might as well earn that reputation.

If anyone comes seeking revenge,

I'll present proof of his crimes to His Majesty.

Seizing state land is a capital crime.

Life is only a few decades long.

- Line up! - Every extra day is a bonus.

- I might as well live boldly and fiercely. - Next.

Let's see

who dares cross me first.

Understood.

Make way!

My niece!

My dear niece, Your Ladyship!

What brings you here, Uncle Jiu?

Your grandmother is gravely ill. I've come to fetch you myself.

Grandmother is gravely ill?

Gejin, prepare the carriage.

Yes.

I'd heard of Zhuyu Estate's wealth and splendor.

I thought people were just exaggerating.

But now I see there's far more to it than that!

The estate is vast, but your influence is even greater!

Lady Li still enjoys His Majesty's favor.

His affection for her has clearly extended to you.

Gentlemen, I'll leave this in your hands.

- One at a time! - Let's go, Uncle Jiu.

We're leaving already? Won't you show me around?

- I know you're worried. - Next!

I'll visit another day. Let's go.

- Thank you, Your Ladyship! - Thank you, Your Ladyship!

Incredible!

- Thank you, Your Ladyship! - Thank you, Your Ladyship!

EARL OF CHENG'AN'S RESIDENCE

Wei Jin,

is that you?

Grandmother, it's me.

I've come home.

Dowager Lady, it's not Lord Wei Jin.

Lady Rao has come back especially to see you.

Rao.

No.

I don't want to see her.

I'm too ashamed to face her.

I don't want to see her.

It's only been a few days. How did Grandmother become so ill?

WEI SHU, PRINCESS CONSORT DUAN

Grandmother fell ill after returning from Xianzhuang.

Overnight, her hair turned white.

Rao, I'm your eldest cousin.

Greetings, Princess Consort Duan.

Rao,

I've wronged you.

I kept saying I'd protect you.

But the truth is,

I still harbored resentment

toward your mother.

I was selfish.

I was foolish.

Rao,

I've wronged you

and my son who died so young.

My son…

Grandmother,

thank you for telling me the truth.

I don't blame you.

Don't stop me! Wei Rao! You owe me my mother's life!

Chan, don't be rude to Her Ladyship! Chan!

Wei Chan,

your mother switched the babies and poisoned Jundai.

She killed herself to escape punishment.

No one else is to blame.

Nonsense!

Lady Li forced her to kill herself.

You and your mother are both murderers!

- Chan, hold your tongue! - Shu,

she caused our mother's death.

How can you take an outsider's side?

Father told me everything that happened.

Mother's wrongdoing left Her Ladyship to fend for herself as a commoner.

Lady Li and Noble Lady Wu'an have held no one else accountable.

That alone is a great act of mercy.

What right do you have to blame the victim?

She was the mother who gave birth to us.

Are you putting justice above your own family

just to make yourself look virtuous?

Mother was in the wrong!

I've taught you since you were little to have a conscience

and know where to draw the line.

You must learn to tell right from wrong.

Governess Wang, take her back to her room

and keep her confined!

Yes.

- You're always so heartless. - Take Lady Chan away.

Are you still our mother's daughter? Are you still my sister?

- Are you? Answer me! - Lady Chan.

- Lady Chan. - Let go of me!

Let go!

Chan is still reeling from Mother's death,

so she's struggling to stay composed.

Please forgive her behavior.

You're Uncle Jin's daughter

and my younger cousin.

For the wrongs my mother committed,

I'll make amends in the years to come.

You are truly noble-minded, Your Highness.

I truly admire you.

I thought you would hate me.

Mother's death has saddened me too.

But I've had an education.

I understand what truly matters, and I know right from wrong.

It was a feud among our elders,

yet you were innocently caught up in it.

How could I bear to blame you too?

I believe sincerity earns sincerity in return.

I hope that one day,

you'll truly see me as family

and call me Shu.

Only you and I are left to uphold the Wei family's standing.

We must put our grievances behind us and work together.

Chan, please eat a little…

Go pretend to be her loving cousin! Why bother coming to see me?

For the sake of an outsider, you won't even avenge our mother!

Chan,

Father has achieved little in his career,

and Grandmother is old and frail.

Our household has no capable successor.

Why do you think I was able to marry Prince Duan?

Because Uncle Jin gave his life for the country,

and His Majesty took our uncle's widow as a consort.

His Majesty felt indebted to our family.

He married me to a prince as his principal wife,

partly to make amends

and partly to ensure our family be good to Wei Rao.

If Wei Rao hadn't been too young then,

I would never be Princess Consort Duan.

Mother benefited from the generosity,

then repaid it by tearing Lady Li and her daughter apart.

It was an unforgivable wrong.

ORCHID GRACE ROOM

But Shu, I can't move on from this!

I can't let go of this hatred!

- Chan… - I can't!

Chan!

Do you remember what I told you?

You must know what truly matters

and consider the bigger picture in everything.

Live with integrity and treat others kindly.

Swallow all the bitterness and resentment you carry in your heart.

Be a good cousin to Noble Lady Wu'an.

Okay?

In life,…

one must let go of something…

to receive something in return.

‪NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED ‪IN THE MAKING OF THIS SHOW