Original subtitles

=Tigers Sniff the Rose=

(Based on the novel of the same name by Yiren Kuikui)

=Episode 27=

(Taiji Palace) His Majesty summons

Meng Zaishi, Military Governor of the Central Circuit,

Lu Yan, General of the Left Jinwu Guard,

and Wei Shu of the Censorate!

Meng Zaishi,

you are hereby appointed Military Governor of North Jing,

with authority over the Eastern, Western, and Central Circuits.

Receive the decree and give thanks.

I

gratefully accept, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty,

I request permission to depart.

No rush.

General, you may delay your departure.

General Lu Yan has rendered great service in quelling the rebellion.

You were granted the title of Marquis of Zhongshan.

Your rank and stipend shall be increased,

and your descendants

shall inherit your title for generations to come.

Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty!

General Lu...

No,

Marquis of Zhongshan.

You needn't toil in the army anymore.

You can enjoy a life of wealth and leisure.

Your Majesty, what does this mean?

You personally captured Yu Cheng'an.

Yours was the greatest contribution,

surpassing everyone else's.

I am grateful to Heaven

for giving Huai a new lease on life.

Therefore,

I shall grant a general amnesty

and host a month of palace banquets.

Besides, the weather is cold and the roads are slippery.

Why not stay at the palace

and rest a few more days, General?

Once the celebrations are over,

you may depart.

Your Majesty,

your imperial wine is exquisite,

and I'd gladly stay to enjoy it.

But if I delay my return,

I fear unrest may break out in North Jing.

You worry too much, General.

I'll send an envoy to North Jing

to reassure your troops.

Your Majesty may not realize,

but the men of North Jing are a rough lot.

I fear any envoy you send

may not make it back alive.

Mu Xianqing's death has already been announced throughout the empire.

If something were to happen to you too, General,

I fear North Jing

would descend into chaos again,

just as it did when your uncle died.

Another upheaval could follow.

Your Majesty makes a good point.

I'll issue written orders to my deputy.

- Tell him... - Tell him...

"All is well,

and I'll return shortly."

Then which envoy will Your Majesty send

to die in North Jing?

(Liangyi Hall; Universe in Harmony)

North Jing is a harsh, bitterly cold place.

Take good care of yourself

on your journey.

Thank you for your concern.

Your Majesty,

in this round of rewards,

haven't you overlooked someone?

Your Highness.

Once the hunt is over, the bow is cast aside.

Just as I expected.

But why hasn't His Majesty

come after

Yang Si and me yet?

Yang Si aside,

you are His Majesty's son, after all.

Yu Cheng'an's downfall is already a tremendous blessing.

Now that the rewards have been granted,

you can finally put your mind at ease.

Son...

(Virtue, Diligence, Joy, and Peace) Let me hold the baby!

Careful, careful.

Easy.

Cailian did your hair, didn't she?

That girl...

Your Highness, let me redo it for you.

Chunhua,

tell me,

what would you do

if you suddenly discovered that someone closest to you

had become unrecognizable,

nothing like the person

you thought you knew?

Greetings, Your Highness.

Well, Wanyao...

Could you...

step out for now?

I just got here,

and you're already kicking me out?

No, it's just...

Your personal guard has been looking everywhere for you.

He seemed pretty anxious.

(Myriad Blessings Gather)

Your Highness,

the Crown Prince just sent word.

Meng Zaishi couldn't leave the capital.

He was summoned back to the palace.

Lu Yan has been made a marquis and removed from the Jinwu Guard.

And

Wei Shu and Yan Shang were summoned, too.

Take me to the palace, quickly!

If I remember correctly,

we've met twice before.

Yet your name

keeps coming up in conversations around me.

And every time it does,

it leaves quite an impression.

I'm humbled, Your Majesty.

Rise.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

There was even a rumor that Wanyao

brought a handsome young man all the way back from Lingnan.

That was you too, wasn't it?

Yes, Your Majesty.

It was me.

I once personally chose you to marry her.

You agreed without hesitation.

But at the time,

that traitor Yu was still determined to send her to North Jing.

Becoming her husband would've been like stepping into a furnace.

You're a clever man. Surely you knew that.

When I look upon Princess Danyang,

it's like gazing up at the radiant moon.

I saw no burning coals or blazing furnace.

I was simply overwhelmed by the honor.

And when she shot Zheng Xing dead,

you took the blame for her,

were you overwhelmed by that honor too?

Yes.

I did so

to repay the Princess for recognizing my worth.

You keep saying how honored you are,

how grateful you are for her recognition.

Then tell me,

in the incident at the hunting grounds,

what exactly was your role?

- I... - Don't try telling me

it was all the Crown Prince and Princess's doing.

I've carefully examined what happened that night.

You were deeply involved,

weren't you?

Quite impressive for a farmer from Lingnan.

Forgive me, Your Majesty.

You played a major role in bringing down Yu's faction.

What have you done wrong?

Your Majesty,

when I was a farmer in Lingnan,

I was fortunate enough to glimpse the splendor of the court.

I begged the Princess to give me a chance,

so I could come to Sheng'an for the imperial examinations.

As a scholar,

all I wanted was to enter public service

and put my education to good use.

But I knew my abilities were modest.

To earn Your Majesty's and the Princess's favor,

I had to follow Mao Sui's example

and do everything I could

to show off my talents at every opportunity.

To claim I had no desire

for fame, fortune, glory, or recognition

would be lying to Your Majesty.

Therefore,

I

admit my fault.

Yan Shang,

you keep asking

for my forgiveness,

but in truth,

you're avoiding the real question.

Come closer and answer me.

Yes, Your Majesty.

You know, Wanyao

is the only child of my first wife.

She's also the daughter I cherish most.

She's clever and strong-willed.

Of course,

she can be willful and spoiled at times.

But after

she survived that monster Meng Baiyu

and came home alive,

then smiled so sweetly in Yu Cheng'an's presence,

I realized my daughter

knows how to endure

and hide her true intentions.

Whether it was Yu Cheng'an or Wei Qiao,

they lost to Wanyao

for one simple reason.

They thought

she was just like Luling,

interested in nothing but pleasure and amusement.

After all,

what can

a woman possibly do?

Keep a few cats and dogs

as pets to amuse herself.

Maybe accidentally

crush a butterfly or dragonfly.

That's about the worst she could do.

Back then, Luling had Yu Cheng'an's support.

How powerful she seemed.

But that was all she amounted to.

Your Majesty,

Princess Danyang is kindhearted.

She would never commit such cruel acts.

You seem to know my daughter better than I do.

A young widow,

with no leverage or powerful allies,

managed, in so little time,

to form an alliance with her half-brother,

gather devoted admirers and wait for her chance,

turn the tables,

and bring Yu Cheng'an down overnight.

Luling was so arrogant back then.

Yet all she did was secure a few official titles

for her male favorites,

filling the court with a few more fools.

But when it comes to stirring up trouble

and turning the entire court

upside down,

she's no match for Wanyao.

What a shame.

Your Majesty,

Princess Danyang is sincere and devoted to you.

She kept a low profile for years,

all to help you eliminate Yu's faction.

She even risked her own life.

Her intentions are clear,

and her sacrifices deserve compassion.

Are you worried

I'll treat her the way I treated Meng Zaishi and Lu Yan?

Your Majesty,

the Princess

is merely a woman.

She cannot govern a fief

or command an army.

She could never pose a threat to...

Enough!

Yu Cheng'an's mistake,

I

will not repeat it.

Yan Shang,

have you ever kept a parrot?

Your Majesty,

I have not.

When you keep a parrot,

you must regularly clip its wings.

As a boy, I kept a white parrot.

We spent every day together.

It would even fall asleep in the palm of my hand.

I taught it every word it knew.

But it was my own fault.

I couldn't bring myself to clip its wings.

Until one day,

it escaped its cage and flew away.

No matter how often I called, it wouldn't return.

In a fit of rage,

I shot it down

with my own hands.

What a pity.

That bird could've

lived a very long life.

If only

it hadn't had those wings.

Otherwise,

perhaps it would still be here with me today.

And you, Yan Shang,

are Wanyao's

pair of wings.

Bring it here.

Princess Danyang!

I demand to see His Majesty!

You can't, Your Highness.

You must be announced first.

On the night of the hunt,

if we'd run into you,

disaster would've struck!

Since the traitor Yu's downfall,

His Majesty has repeatedly ordered us

to tighten security.

Your Highness,

please...

Don't.

Though I'm grateful for the Princess's support,

I owe my position to Your Majesty.

Naturally, I serve at your command.

Everything I do and think

is for Your Majesty's benefit.

You say

I'm the Princess's wings.

I wouldn't dare claim such importance.

But I can see

you'd risk your life for her,

and she's deeply in love with you.

I'm afraid

your entanglement

has blurred the line between duty and love.

I wouldn't lie to Your Majesty.

I have indeed

secretly

fallen in love with the Princess.

But

she has

rejected me herself, many times.

I beg Your Majesty

to forgive my recklessness

and my

foolish hopes.

If Your Majesty would show me mercy,

please allow me

to resign and return home.

I'll never set foot in Sheng'an again.

Nor will I...

Nor will I ever go near the Princess again.

Yan Shang,

did you know that while you were detained at the Investigation Office,

Wanyao was pleading for your life?

She knelt before me, crying and begging

for a special pardon for you.

Since our dynasty was founded,

only three people

have ever received such a pardon.

I didn't know.

So you see,

as far as I'm concerned, you two

are clearly in love with each other.

You'd entrust each other with your lives.

It's because she had your help

that she killed Zheng Xing,

defied Meng Zaishi, and defeated Yu Cheng'an.

What couldn't she accomplish with you by her side?

Your Majesty,

I...

I'm merely a commoner from the countryside.

But didn't you just

compare yourself to Mao Sui?

You know, Mao Sui's eloquence

was mightier than an army of a million men.

But Your Majesty,

your daughter

is nothing like the Crown Prince or Meng Zaishi.

If they commanded an army of a million,

they'd seek absolute power.

But Wanyao...

All she wants

is freedom.

A bird whose wings haven't been clipped

must be kept in a cage.

Yan Shang,

it's precisely because of you

that Wanyao

is even farther

from her freedom.

Now tell me,

that day at the hunting grounds,

when the two armies faced off,

I seem to recall

you were the first to say I wasn't there.

Am I right?

The Princess issued a false decree.

Was that her own idea,

or did you put her up to it?

- Your Highness! - Your Highness!

Get out of my way!

Yan Shang...

I've doomed you.

I...

♪Be the ferry where you wait for the sun♪

♪Be the blue silk that catches your tears♪

♪Be the sleeve we held, worn by dust and years♪

♪Let's conspire to grow old together♪

♪Let me be a captive beast bound by the same lock as you♪

♪- Through trails of mud and blood; - Let grief drown in your eyes♪

♪- Soar with the wind; - Plunge into hellfire as one♪

♪Burning bright as a song♪

Yan Shang, receive the imperial decree.

By His Majesty's personal decree:

Yan Shang, Collator at Hongwen Hall,

is well versed in the classics, and skilled in practical affairs.

I commend him highly.

In recognition of his service,

I hereby grant him three months' leave

to return home and visit his family,

as a mark of imperial favor.

By imperial command!

I, Yan Shang,

gratefully accept Your Majesty's decree.

♪I'll wait if you're there♪

♪We'll be gods above, or wandering souls♪

♪In heaven or the underworld, you're all I need♪

♪If we're lucky to stay in this world, let's return to when we first met♪

♪- May time be free of fear; - Boats rock♪

♪- Lights fade, seasons turn; - May time be free of pain♪

♪You're the only one I need♪

♪Sharp winds or fierce rain, nothing can break us♪

♪Sharp winds or fierce rain, nothing can break us♪

♪- Be my one and only in this world; - Be my one and only in this life♪

♪My last untouched innocence♪

♪If only we could return to the village where we first met♪

♪Stay by me; help me forget the frozen dream of last night♪

♪Fireflies glow, flowers kiss our lips; just us, through dawn and dusk♪

♪- May time be free of fear; - Boats rock♪

♪- Lights fade, seasons turn; - May time be free of pain♪

♪You're the only one I need♪

♪By your side, through joy and pain, is that eternity?♪

♪By your side, through joy and pain, is that eternity?♪

♪- Till fireworks flood the town; - Till the lake is still and clear♪

♪The wind blows past us♪

♪- If there's still... - Some warmth left in this world♪

♪You're the only one I need♪

Collator,

how does the wine taste?

Thank you for the drink, Your Majesty.

It's as sweet as nectar.

That wasn't poisoned wine.

It was just ordinary fruit juice.

But you drank it believing it was poisoned.

And you drank it without hesitation.

I'm beginning to understand Wanyao now.

Yan Shang,

I've seen your resolve

and your loyalty.

That gives me great comfort.

But as long as I remain her wings,

Your Majesty,

how can you rest easy?

So you still deserve to die.

Just not like this.

Then how would you have me die?

Go to

Lingnan Circuit on my behalf.

I requested leave to visit my family.

There's no need to worry, Your Highness.

Why are your hands so cold?

Tell me.

What happened?

(Yan Shang,)

(it's precisely because of you)

(that Wanyao)

(is even farther)

(from her freedom.)

I'm just going home.

Meng Zaishi has been placed under house arrest.

I thought

you...

I'm fine.

Then why are you going to Lingnan?

To go home

and see my father,

Xiaozhou, and my elder brother.

His Majesty has shown me kindness.

I'm very happy.

He's forcing you to go.

I'm going of my own free will.

Oh, and...

The bamboo at my house...

Please take good care of it for me.

And

please leave the swallow's nest alone.

The swallows will return in spring.

And you should be back by then.

Come on. Come home with me.

I'll help you pack.

That won't be necessary.

I'll have someone

make the arrangements for him.

I thank Your Majesty for your generosity.

The Princess thinks highly of you.

I'm merely showing favor to someone she cares for.

Father, if you're so considerate of those I care for,

why won't you let me

take Yan Shang home to rest for a while?

Because

I have other plans for you.

Starting today, you'll stay at Lizheng Hall

and copy Buddhist scriptures to pray for your late mother.

So I can't leave without imperial permission?

Your Majesty,

why must you confine the Princess?

Wanyao,

when your mother was alive,

her favorite scripture

was the Lotus Sutra.

Copy the sutra in her memory,

to bring peace to her soul

and pray for her blessings and absolution.

The Lotus Sutra has a hundred thousand characters.

It'll take at least a hundred days to copy.

So, Yan Shang, you may return home without worry.

By the time you return,

I'm sure the Princess

will have finished copying it.

Father, since you've given your orders,

I dare not disobey.

Let's go.

It's a long journey ahead.

I let my emotions get the better of me.

Please forgive me, Your Majesty.

You're forgiven.

Wanyao?

♪Let me be the fireflies dancing across your brow♪

♪Let me hold you whenever the rain falls♪

♪- Together we'll soar to the skies; - Together we'll turn to ashes♪

♪- Burning bright as a song; - Two shadows entwined, a beautiful sight♪

♪Be the vow I whisper again and again♪

♪If we say forever, then forever it shall be♪

♪Not a single hour less♪

♪However deep the snow, I'll wait if you're there♪

♪However deep the snow, I'll wait if you're there♪

♪We'll be gods above, or wandering souls♪

♪In heaven or the underworld, you're all I need♪

♪If we're lucky to stay in this world, let's return to when we first met♪

♪- May time be free of fear; - Boats rock♪

♪- Lights fade, seasons turn; - May time be free of pain♪

♪You're the only one I need♪ (Lizheng Hall)

♪Sharp winds or fierce rain, nothing can break us♪

Princess Danyang, please go inside.

♪- Be my one and only in this world; - Be my one and only in this life♪

♪My last untouched innocence♪

♪If only we could return to the village where we first met♪

♪Stay by me; help me forget the frozen dream of last night♪

♪Fireflies glow, flowers kiss our lips; just us, through dawn and dusk♪

♪- May time be free of fear; - Boats rock♪

♪- Lights fade, seasons turn; - May time be free of pain♪

♪You're the only one I need♪

♪By your side, through joy and pain, is that eternity?♪

♪By your side, through joy and pain, is that eternity?♪

♪- Till fireworks flood the town; - Till the lake is still and clear♪

Mr. Liu,

we've securely packed all the gifts for Mr. Yan.

Yan Shang,

I really envy you.

Look how far you've come.

You passed the imperial examinations,

rose through the ranks,

received imperial honors,

and now you're returning home in glory.

There was a time when I thought

coming to Sheng'an

would set me on the same path.

(Wenji,)

(if only you knew.)

(These are all gifts from His Majesty)

(to accompany me to my grave.)

When you return to Lingnan,

if you have time,

please, on my behalf...

Please, on my behalf...

Mr. Liu,

when will you return to the palace to report back?

You needn't say another word.

I understand.

♪I gaze at high peaks and sails far away♪

♪With the world in my heart, I leave the shore♪

♪Dusk falls on the horizon, sorrow and joy stretch far♪

♪A lone lamp keeps me company♪

♪By noon, the mist will lift; rivers will bend♪

♪I'll take the open road and journey home♪

♪With rosy clouds, I bid the moon goodnight♪

♪And trade my old robes for new♪

Will these plum blossoms

still be blooming in April?

When I left for North Jing that year,

the blossoms had already faded.

Back then,

Mother was confined to this very palace.

Such beautiful plum blossoms...

Mother never got to see them.

If Chunhua were still here,

she'd be

fussing over me and shutting the window by now.

You're already feeling troubled, Your Highness.

You really shouldn't sit in the cold wind.

Try not to dwell on it.

The sooner you finish copying the sutra, the sooner you can leave.

I'll prepare some ink for you.

This palace hall...

This imperial city...

This entire realm of Huai...

Where could I possibly go?

I could bring down Yu Cheng'an,

but I could never bring him down.

In fact,

I could never even bring myself to act against him.

I'll always have to

live under his authority,

letting him

decide whether we're free

and whether we live or die.

This was the last place Mother ever stayed.

Cailian!

Yes, Your Highness?

Help me look around.

See if anything from three years ago is still here.

Yes, Your Highness.

Is that Yan Shang's carriage?

Wei Shu?

So it seems

you and I

will be heading to opposite ends of the country.

Who knows

when we'll meet again?

Our hometowns are thousands of miles apart,

yet we still managed to meet in a city as vast as Sheng'an.

As for where fate might lead us,

who knows?

It's just...

I thought after everything that happened,

His Majesty might reward your service

by arranging a marriage

between you and Princess Danyang.

Wei Shu.

Yan Shang.

Where I'm going

is very warm.

Wei Shu.

Take care.

You too.

Everything is here.

I heard there used to be some books, calligraphy, and paintings

that Her Majesty kept

to pass the time during her months of recovery here.

But

after Her Majesty passed away,

His Majesty ordered

that they all be burned as offerings to her.

Cailian,

I'd like to be alone for a while.

Yes, Your Highness.

(Wanyao,)

(my heart aches for you, still in the bloom of youth,)

(yet so determined to serve your country.)

(That a princess must shed blood and tears)

(to safeguard the realm)

(is a failure on the part of your father and mother.)

(Confined within these walls,)

(I am powerless to help you.)

(The pain tears at my heart.)

(As you embark upon this perilous journey,)

(may your resolve remain as strong as iron and stone,)

(unbroken by a hundred trials,)

(and never be shaken.)

(My child,)

(now that you have left these palace walls far behind,)

(I too must do what must be done.)

(As long as I draw breath,)

(I shall remain unyielding, even in the face of death,)

(with neither regret nor remorse.)

(Written by Your Mother)

How much farther to Baqiao?

You must've been lost in thought, sir.

We passed it long ago.

We're almost at Lantian.

(Yan Shang,)

(have you really thought this through?)

(Sheng'an is no easy place to survive.)

(Every ruthless predator)

(in Huai is gathered there.)

(Whatever you compete in, be it intelligence,)

(scheming,)

(flattery,)

(or influence,)

(someone will always be better than you.)

(Every day,)

(every moment,)

(they fight viciously for power.)

(And you...)

(Don't think that just because you're clever,)

(you'll make a name for yourself at the Imperial Academy.)

(I grew up in Sheng'an.)

(I've seen countless brilliant, gifted people)

(go unrecognized)

(and spend their lives in obscurity.)

Yan Shang,

if you dare repeat

a word of what I said today to anyone else,

I'll skin you alive!

I promise

I won't tell a soul.

Forgive me, sir.

Are you all right?

(Next Episode Preview)

We're like

lambs to the slaughter.

Going to Lingnan is a suicidal move

for Yan Shang.

Xun, you indeed know more than I do.

What's really going on

in Lingnan?

♪Be the ferry where you wait for the sun♪

♪Be the blue silk that catches your tears♪

♪Be the sleeve we held, worn by dust and years♪

♪Let's conspire to grow old together♪

♪Let me be a captive beast bound by the same lock as you♪

♪- Through trails of mud and blood; - let grief drown in your eyes♪

♪Soar with the wind; plunge into hellfire as one♪

♪Burning bright as a song♪

♪See how roses and green bamboo enchant♪

♪Be the vow I make with all my heart♪

♪If we say forever, then forever it shall be♪

♪Not a single hour less♪

♪However deep the snow, I'll wait if you're there♪

♪We'll be gods above, or wandering souls♪

♪In heaven or the underworld, you're all I need♪

♪If we can stay, let's return to the village of our first meeting♪

♪- May time be free of fear; - boats rock♪

♪- May time be free of pain; - lights fade, seasons turn♪

♪You're the only one I need♪

♪Sharp winds or fierce rain, nothing can break us♪

♪Be mine in this world; be mine in this life♪

♪My last untouched innocence♪

♪If only we could return to the village where we first met♪

♪Stay by me; help me forget the frozen dream of last night♪

♪Fireflies glow, flowers kiss our lips; just us, through dawn and dusk♪

♪- May time be free of fear; - boats rock♪

♪- May time be free of pain; - lights fade, seasons turn♪

♪You're the only one I need♪

♪By your side, through joy and pain, is that eternity?♪

♪Till fireworks flood the town♪

♪Till the lake is still and clear♪

♪You're the only one I need♪

(No animals were harmed or mistreated in production.)