Original subtitles

=Tigers Sniff the Rose=

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

=Episode 40=

(I made)

(many mistakes in my life,)

(and lost someone along the way.)

(But now,)

(it's too late for regrets.)

(I've roamed half my life,)

(and I've only ever surrendered once.)

(And that was agreeing)

(to be your husband.)

(Everything)

(can finally come to an end.)

Your Royal Highness, Yang Si is dead!

Yang Si is dead?

That's impossible.

It's a trick.

It was Mu Wanyao.

It's Mu Wanyao lying to me.

Yang Si

can't be dead.

I will

take Sheng'an tonight!

Only forward.

Those who retreat

die!

We must hold the city!

Commander Yan!

Commander Yan.

Commander Yan.

It's really Commander Yan.

Commander Yan.

He's back. We're saved.

Commander Yan!

It's really Commander Yan.

Now we can hold the city.

Commander Yan is still alive?

Young man,

where are you from?

Commander Yan.

Longyou Circuit.

And you?

I'm from Wanlian County.

Sizhou, Qianzhong Circuit.

I'm from Lyumin!

I'm from Shan County!

I'm from Daizhou!

I'm from Langzhong.

I'm from Hannan.

I'm from Hexi.

I'm from Jiangnan!

I'm from

Santu County, Lingnan Circuit.

All troops, hear my command!

Here!

Sally forth.

Wipe out the enemy!

Yes, sir!

Kill!

♪So many clever schemes with a fan's wave♪

♪Standing with kindred spirits, united against our foes to bring an end to war♪

♪Someday, we'll sail and feed the gulls♪

♪Gaze upon the land and guard it with you♪

♪Trading fine wine for a blade; dreaming beneath the moon in a tower♪

♪I'd trade all the world's romance for one moment of tenderness♪

♪Whose eyes have seen the smoke of war?♪

♪I'll ride into battle♪

♪Blood stains my sleeves as I stand firm. Never will I fall behind♪

♪I bow beyond the frontier walls♪

♪May you live a life free of sorrow; may the moon shine on us forever♪

Mu Xun.

You've lost.

(Peace Throughout the Realm)

Sheng'an is so close.

Yet I could never return.

I

am the rightful heir of Huai!

(Peace Throughout the Realm)

I've earned my merit!

I've earned my merit!

I've earned my merit!

I've earned my merit!

I've earned my merit!

Commander Yan! Commander Yan!

Are you all right?

Are you okay?

(Your Highness.)

(You haven't finished)

(telling me your story.)

(The ending)

(wasn't anything special.)

(The fire rose)

(and burned them all to ashes.)

(The wood ash and molten iron)

(embraced in the earth,)

(forging)

(unbreakable steel.)

♪Defy its might, and the submission it demands♪

♪Defy its scorn, stain the sky with blood♪

♪We weren't born for sacrifice. Love isn't meant for silent suffering♪

♪Nor wed for the sake of any kingdom♪

♪Cold as a blade, yet peerless as a bloom♪

♪Who dares make me bow down in the dust?♪

♪With sacrificed innocence and a soul snowbound♪

♪If the road is blocked, I'll fight my way through♪

♪Cut down the crowd, strike down the proud gods♪

♪Break through Hell's gates♪

♪If I could meet my former self again♪

♪Don't be afraid, I'll become a demon for you♪

♪Through fire, I'll turn the dark towers bright as day for you♪

♪Though this world is hard to cross, I'll lead you through♪

♪I dare face the unknown, with my sword in hand♪

(Iron said,)

("How wonderful.")

("We've met again.")

♪They gave me this life without asking me♪

♪If I can't decide what to do with it♪

♪I might as well use it to light a fire and burn the darkness into daylight♪

♪You're my princess, and I'll take you away♪

♪In this life, we'll bow only to flowers♪

♪Fierce and radiant, red lips and dark eyes♪

♪Together we'll climb the city walls♪

(The young Emperor Chun ascended the throne.)

(The Grand Princess Regent holds the reins of government.)

(Yan Shang, Head of the Secretariat, leads the court.)

(With ruler and ministers united,)

(a golden age began.)

(Three years later, Princess Danyang's Residence)

(As a child,)

(I used to imagine my wedding day.)

(Later,)

(I thought I'd never want to marry.)

May you share a long and happy life, Head of the Secretariat!

(I never thought I'd be lucky enough)

(to marry her in this life.)

Shang!

Shang!

Father, look at Shang.

Isn't my brother handsome?

The newlyweds bow to each other.

The mirror knots are joined.

The wedding cups are joined.

May your love stay as true as ever.

♪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♪

♪- 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♪

Today, this joyous union is celebrated.

Heaven and earth bear witness.

The ceremony is complete.

♪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♪

♪The wind blows past us♪

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

♪You're the only one I need♪

(Yan Family, Lingnan)

Look.

That's how the rice grains come out.

Rice really is falling out.

Want to try, Si'er?

Sure.

Come over here.

Hold it.

One, two, three.

Come on.

Come on.

Up. Down.

See, the grains are all flying out.

Let's take a break.

Freshly peeled, Your Majesty. Nice and juicy.

Try it.

I can't bite through it.

I'll make you sugarcane juice in a bit.

once all your permanent teeth come in,

you'll be able to bite through it quickly and easily.

Sir,

is this the rice we usually eat?

It doesn't look quite the same.

We're far from done.

Once the rice ears are threshed,

they still need to be spread out

to winnow off the husks.

Then milling and pounding.

Sifting out the chaff and grinding off the bran.

Only then can it be cooked and served

at your table, Your Majesty.

That's a lot of work.

There's even more work before threshing.

You have to plow the fields, sow the seeds,

transplant the seedlings, channel the water, and pull the weeds.

You have to work until the grain ripens.

Only then can you thresh and dry it, just as we're doing now.

Last month, you asked me

what the ministers always mean

by "Sheji."

I told you

that "She" is the god of the land,

who nurtures all things.

"Ji" is the god of grain,

who feeds the people.

So "Sheji"

means the gods who protect our land and crops?

No.

The gods can't grow grain.

Aunt!

Gods don't plow a single field,

don't weave a chi of cloth,

and certainly don't guard the borders for us.

Si'er, who truly grows

our crops

and protects our land?

It's the people.

I saw them all along the way.

Commoners working in the fields.

Women weaving cloth in the villages.

So many soldiers guarding the city walls.

Xiaozhou, you're back.

Where are Father and Dalang?

Still at the charity school?

Don't even ask. Father sent me back to fetch the ruler.

He was teaching the children to recite today

and got furious.

He shouted,

"How dumb can one be not to memorize the Thousand Character Classic?"

Dalang was too scared to say a word.

Aunt, what's a charity school?

Xiaozhou.

Could you take Si'er to see the charity school?

Sure.

Can I come too?

I...

I can recite the Thousand Character Classic.

Let's go.

Go ahead.

Go on.

Come on, Si'er.

Head of the Secretariat.

Come here.

Your Highness.

I haven't walked far,

but I'm already exhausted.

I'll take you back to rest,

Your Highness.

Your Highness, what would you like for dinner?

When in Rome.

We'll eat

whatever they have here.

Look.

The book says

besides lychee wine,

Lingnan also has green plums.

So green plum wine?

And some cured meat from here.

All right then.

Harvest in autumn, store for winter.

Fruit wine.

Want to try some?

A bit sour.

But it's fine.

♪Where endless time comes to an end♪

♪Moonlight and breeze fill our boat home♪

♪Golden winds and jade dew return♪

♪The world still blooms as before♪

♪How lucky to roam with you♪

♪Back to the road where it all began♪

♪As if our youthful hearts remain♪

♪As if our love will never fade♪

♪Chasing clouds by boat, carefree and unbound♪

This fish

looks delicious.

Have some of this big fish.

How about a bite?

Here, Shang.

Want to try?

Let's have a drink together.

First, a toast to Wanyao.

Wanyao.

A toast to you.

I'll drink tea instead.

Here.

Come on.

- Shang, Wanyao. - Dig in.

Is the food to your liking?

Delicious.

This is a Lingnan specialty,

pork offal soup with amomum.

Be sure to have some.

Wanyao,

let me get you a bowl.

Try it.

It smells wonderful.

Do you remember when we first met,

and you pinned me down?

Remember?

Let's not bring that up.

Let this drink

be my apology.

When you come to Sheng'an someday,

I'll show you its fine food and wine

and its bustling sights.

Bottoms up.

You'd better keep your word.

Of course.

Bottoms up!

When we sat for the imperial exams,

Sheng'an

was nothing

like the place you describe today.

What was Sheng'an like back then?

What changed it?

That is

a very long story.

Good thing.

We didn't miss it.

Good thing.

We didn't miss each other.

How could we ever miss each other?

You're the only one of your kind in this world.

I won't let you go so easily.

That's right.

We were meant to be together.

Together, we'll ascend to the highest heavens.

Together, we'll descend to the deepest hell.

Together, we'll be immortal lovers.

Together, we'll be vengeful demons.

Back then, when I was lost in the mountains,

everything

seemed terrifying. Danger lurked at every turn.

Now, so much time has passed.

Looking back,

it all seems like a beautiful painting.

Yan Shang.

Were you

ever afraid when you first came

to the mountains of Lingnan?

At first, I didn't dare walk alone.

Any sound or movement

startled me.

Later,

I stopped being afraid.

I traveled to and from my studies every day.

The mountains changed with the seasons.

There was endless scenery to take in.

You brought me wine?

With such fine weather, beautiful scenery, and so much free time,

how could we go without wine?

The lychee harvest was good this year.

Xiaozhou brewed a few extra jars.

Enough for you to take back

and drink for a while.

Strange.

Back in the palace,

you'd always find a way

to talk me into drinking less.

This is Lingnan.

I have a selfish reason.

Really?

Even the most upright and proper Head of the Secretariat in all of Huai

has a selfish side?

I hope

that at least here,

you can do as you please and enjoy yourself.

If you want to drink, then drink.

If you get drunk,

sleep till the sun's high.

We need

a few days like this now and then.

That gives us the strength

to keep working.

Actually,

when I woke

from my nap that day,

for a little while,

I couldn't remember what day it was

or where I was.

It was as if I'd just been sleeping in the palace study

piled with memorials,

or

in the lofty tower of my residence.

Then

I remembered I was in Lingnan.

I was so happy.

Tomorrow,

it's time to head back to Sheng'an.

Do you

want to delay our return?

Of course not.

We haven't exactly been idle

on this trip.

Who knows

how much work will be waiting for us back there.

Winter is only a few months away.

I wonder

if Longyou's granaries are fully stocked.

The envoy from the Caliphate arrives early next month.

The Court of State Ceremonial will be busy.

The records from the Bureau of Evaluations

should be arriving this year too.

- All right. - And...

Tomorrow

is another day.

♪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♪

♪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♪

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

♪My last untouched innocence♪

Thus, Heaven does not speak.

It shows its will through deeds and actions.

One might ask,

"Recommend a man to Heaven, and Heaven accepts him."

"Reveal him to the people, and the people accept him."

"How so?"

How so?

Mother, you drifted off again.

I'm listening.

Go on.

What did the passage I just recited mean?

It means...

I don't know.

I already explained it to you last time.

I forgot.

Aunt.

I have things to attend to.

You'd better study hard.

Your Highness, don't go!

You're not staying with me?

Mother, pay attention.

I am listening.

Are you fleeing for your life?

Si'er is teaching Chunhua the Mencius.

And he insists I supervise.

With the little learning Chunhua has,

how could she possibly understand it?

Si'er is nearly in tears from frustration.

So I had to sneak away.

If His Majesty dares to teach it,

he must have learned it thoroughly himself.

You taught Si'er

the Mencius yourself, Scholar Yan.

How could he not know it well?

So many poems and essays.

Are these all this year's scholars' portfolios?

Yes.

Any promising talents?

Their scholarship is solid,

but they need further deliberation.

Consider them carefully.

Of course.

Stop talking to me now.

I have so many memorials to read.

The roads are slippery in the snow.

We'll have to get up early

for court tomorrow.

I'll wake you.

(Yan Shang and I)

(once agreed we'd retire together.)

(But the wilds, for all their beauty,)

(are not where my heart lies.)

(Sheng'an)

(is my home)

(and my battlefield.)

(I will stay here,)

(with Go and sword,)

(till my last breath.)

(No need to turn back.)

(Just lift my eyes,)

(and he's there beside me.)

(We stand side by side.)

(Together,)

(we protect our city)

(and help our nation thrive.)

(A life well spent.)

(The End)

♪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.)