Original subtitles

[New Life Begins]

[Adapted from the novel "Journey to the Qing Dynasty" by Duomu Muduo]

[Episode 29]

Hurry up.

Now.

Make your bet already.

Stop wasting time.

It's all mine.

Mr. Xi.

Didn't we come back because the Second Young Lord has our back?

Why did he abandon us here?

Do you think you can order the Crown Young Lord around?

As long as we remain loyal to him,

he will give us the future we want.

Come on. Cheers.

Continue.

Make your bet now.

You're cheating.

I beg your pardon?

Where did you place your hand just now?

Take them down.

Alive.

Someone!

Yes!

Bring him in for interrogation.

Yes!

Number six.

Kill me if you're a man.

If I flinch,

I'm a coward.

I haven't told you my name

and you already know I'm number six.

The Crown Young Lord must have talked a lot about me.

Crown Young Lord?

I don't know him.

They confessed.

Don't you bluff.

They have nothing.

They can't prove anyone guilty.

And you

use abusive methods in your interrogation.

According to the laws of Xin State,

their testimony won't count.

Oh, really?

Since you refuse to come clean,

I assume Song must have promised you a very bright future.

But a crazy outlaw like you

will not remain under my brother's thumb for long.

You must have kept some key evidence.

The letters he sent you?

Sixth Young Lord,

you're quite imaginative.

Letters?

I have nothing.

Fine.

I'll look around.

My people have been following you since you stepped into this city.

First, you went to a stage station.

Then, you went to a restaurant.

And then, you went to a tea shop

and a pawn shop.

You're not lacking in money.

Why were you in a pawn shop?

Your calligraphy is improving, Your Lordship.

And what do you know?

I don't know many things.

But what I know

is that after a long session,

you will experience soreness.

Please follow the imperial physician's advice

and apply

the heat treatment when you can.

Father always says

I have the best calligraphy.

Only by practicing tirelessly

[Remain calm and look far ahead] can I make him happy.

This is done.

Frame it now.

I will show it to my old man tomorrow.

Noted.

Your Lordship.

Sixth Young Lord went to gather the evidence.

Let's send them to the Ministry of Justice.

Yes, sir.

Let's go.

You're back.

Are you hurt?

I'm fine.

Did everything go well?

I have the evidence.

You already have the evidence.

Why are you sulking?

If I submit it to Father,

Crown Young Lord will die.

I have thought many times

about giving him a taste of his own medicine.

But now that I can finally do that,

I hesitate.

Back in my home, we store apples in a cellar.

If one apple in a basket of apples has spoiled,

the rest will follow.

And so, we have no choice

but to take out the rotten apple.

When you're in a certain position,

you will have constraints.

What if I become like him?

You won't.

You're not bad by nature.

But if one day

you make a mistake,

I still won't leave you.

I will scold you, nag you,

and hit you until you realize your mistake.

It's been a while. Why are you still here?

Get up now.

Why? You won't listen to me now?

You're fighting with Song.

How are you going to face him in the future?

Father...

How will Father think of you?

We should avoid risks,

but if a young lord commits a crime,

we cannot selectively ignore it.

Otherwise, what good does working in the government do?

But you're not working now.

You've been suspended.

I shouldn't even be here.

But I am because my compassion

forces me to be here.

I don't want you to get yourself killed.

You are opening a can of worms here.

An.

This is not just a feud.

Your Lordship, you are the ruler of the people.

The laws serve the people.

You are the Lord of Xin State.

I trust your judgment.

Please come in, Sixth Young Lord.

Zheng.

[Remain calm and look far ahead]

I investigated privately during the period of my suspension

and I am willing to accept my punishment.

This is the truth behind the counterfeit money.

Please adjudicate.

[Dossier]

[Minting counterfeit money grants you great fortune and a promising future.]

[I shall guarantee that you can ace]

[the Imperial Examination.]

According to our laws,

Song

should be given the death penalty.

A young lord should receive

the same punishment as a commoner.

But by the 236th clause of our criminal law,

if a guilty young lord is willing to publicize an apology letter

and to be exiled,

he could be spared.

Your Lordship.

Let me give you a massage.

A migraine is a pestilent disease.

Without potent medication,

you can only relieve its symptoms.

Zheng thought about everything.

He broke the rules by investigating in secret,

but he has the evidence,

so I can't charge him with false accusations.

He even suggested to me

how I should deal with Song.

Exiling him

can keep him alive.

I can only

follow his advice now.

My Lord.

The Sixth Young Lord

did not do this for himself.

It's also to protect Yin Song.

I agree.

But why?

We all have eyes.

We know what's going on.

How considerate of him.

I taught

Song's calligraphy.

It is improving.

There is a hint of refined grace in it,

but not in his character.

I am of a non-lineal descent.

And until now,

I know very well

how much has been lost.

And from that moment onward, I told myself

to raise the Crown Young Lord properly.

If he is of lineal descent,

he won't go through

what I had to endure.

I am strict with him.

I raise him.

And I hope he will have an easy life.

Alas...

May this hardship

wake the Crown Young Lord up.

[Remain calm and look far ahead]

Greetings, Father.

Come here.

Father, you're in a great mood today.

You invited me to where I used to study.

Your calligraphy

brought back memories,

so I bring it here.

Back then,

you practiced behind that table.

You were lacking in strength,

so you kept training

until you have what you have now.

You held my hand

and taught me how to write my very first character.

It took me two weeks to teach you

how to wield the brush properly.

I corrected you,

but you forgot in a few days.

Indeed.

Press, Tuck, Hook, Block, Support.

I could never

get those techniques right.

I wasn't smart.

You could only reach

my knees back then.

(You wore a yellow robe)

(and sat on the oversized chair unsteadily.)

I taught you to sit upright and to straighten your back.

But no matter how

your body wavered,

(you would never lie on the back of the chair)

(or even hold onto)

(the upholster next to you.)

You began to study when you were three.

You entered the School for Young Lords

at the age of ten.

The ministers made a request.

I then granted them their wish

to select an auspicious day

to publicly pay respect to our ancestors and to Confucius.

You asked the Ministry of Rites to teach me everything

(and we rehearsed for half a month.)

(But when that day came,)

I forgot

to whom I was paying respect.

I chastised you harshly that day.

Indeed.

But after that,

you dismissed everyone

and talked to me while patting me.

You said, "I know you're afraid.

Me too."

You still remember?

Of course.

I was afraid that under everyone's high expectations,

you would lose your childish innocence.

But I need

to pass on the most important duty to you,

so I have to be harsh on you.

I understand.

No matter how strict you are,

it's for my own good.

In the blink of an eye,

you're all grown up.

Your very first day here

feels like yesterday.

Father, you summoned me here.

Do you have something to tell me?

Nothing.

Song.

Do you have something

to tell me?

You're always busy, Father.

I wish you

good health.

I am tired now.

You may go back and rest.

Yes, Father.

I'll take my leave.

Take this to the Ministry of Justice.

Let them proceed

as written here.

Noted.

Father.

Father.

Father.

I want to see my father.

Move aside.

I am the Crown Young Lord.

How dare you!

Move aside!

Father!

Justice, Father.

Yin Zheng made everything up to usurp me.

Please do not believe those untrue words.

Deposing the Crown Young Lord for a crime he never commits

has never happened before.

I demand justice, Father.

Father.

Father.

Father,

you have always wanted to get rid of me, haven't you?

You committed a crime

and you should be deposed according to our laws.

Reflect upon yourself during your exile.

You have made your mind up

the day you summoned me to the school.

In that case,

why didn't you tell me in person?

Are you that scared?

Scared about what?

You said I was the Crown Young Lord.

You said I should lead the future of the Nine States.

Yet you keep backing Zheng.

You just want to use him to do me in.

Insolence!

In the past, whenever you broke the rules,

I forgave you.

But now, you committed a serious crime.

You have no right to be in your position anymore.

And now,

you still claim your brother set you up.

But you are the most cunning of them all.

You don't have what it takes to wield your title.

I wish I got rid of you sooner.

Me? Cunning?

I don't have what it takes?

Well, I merely learn from you.

As a father,

have you ever viewed us as your sons?

You appointed me as the Crown Young Lord,

but have you ever trusted me?

You scouted your sons out

and found one that could take over your mantle.

And then?

Is he there to motivate me or to be your backup plan?

I am constantly stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Working can toughen me up, you said?

If I screw up, you punish me.

If I perform very well, you grow wary of me.

What kind of father is that?

If you had an ounce of shame in you...

Father.

I thought your manipulation

was just part of the deal

for being born to the imperial family.

You're my father, after all.

The future you promised my mother and me

is not just an empty promise, is it?

Was I arrogant?

But Father,

if I'm at fault here,

then you will be responsible for it.

Stop it, Second Young Lord!

Drag him out.

Don't call yourself a father.

You don't deserve it.

You forced my hands.

You forced me.

[Jie Mansion]

You have the time

to mock me here?

Shouldn't you take over my ministry now?

The Ministry of Revenue is not yours, to begin with.

It belongs to the people.

Enough of your sanctimony.

Several times, you meddled in my ministry's affairs

and you befriended

other ministers.

You think I don't know what you're up to?

You wanted to use the Ministry of Revenue to fortify your position

and profit from it.

But that doesn't mean I will do the same.

Only Father believes in your lies.

I won't.

You do everything

to climb the career ladder.

Indeed.

I can only perform what I set out to do if I'm in the right position.

If I know I can do a better job,

why should I remain under an incompetent one?

But this outcome

is not all me.

You only have yourself to blame.

You don't have what it takes to wield your title.

I don't have what it takes.

Not again.

When Father gave me my title,

he said

since I was the Crown Young Lord,

I had to take on responsibility.

My mother also told me

that I would own everything.

But after that,

Father never said that again.

If I ever stepped out of line, Father would say

that I don't have what it takes to wield my title.

Father had high expectations of you.

He never mistreats you.

If you're upset,

then young lords of non-lineal descent like me

can't even survive then.

He had high expectations of me.

So he belittled me,

watched my every step,

and put me in the most secure cage.

You think you're the only one who suffered?

I was born to be the Crown Young Lord.

Everyone wants me to take charge of the Nine States.

I have to learn what I don't want to do.

But Father

is never satisfied.

For many years,

I couldn't have a good sleep.

I have so many brothers.

If one day, any of you surpasses me

or earns Father's approval,

what should I do?

I am always on tenterhooks,

wondering if this or that

will let my father down.

But I'm only 30 years old!

How can I live a life of constant fear?

If I don't have what it takes,

then don't tell me they are mine.

If I make one mistake,

you'll swoop down

and take what's mine away.

But I'm telling you.

In this palace,

a moment of joy

comes with an eternity of sadness.

You...

will end up like me.

Those who climb the highest,

fall the hardest.

The Lord of Xin State wants this liquor to be delivered to the Second Young Lord.

This is Father's will?

So be it.

Careful, Song!

You'll die with me!

Chen Xi?

I didn't betray you.

Why did you want to kill me?

Because of you,

I lost everything!

I will haunt you!

Summon the imperial physician!

Song.

Song!

Summon the imperial physician!

Now!

So reckless.

You hurt yourself for a bad guy.

But look.

If he dies after I visit him,

then I'll become a suspect.

You're just too kindhearted to stay out of it.

Now, it hurts.

Your Lordship.

What new dish this time

to poison me?

Yes, I'm poisoning you.

Come on.

Is it delicious?

Not bad.

This is just rice porridge with tofu,

but the tofu comes in four flavors.

Signature mix,

smoked,

lemon pepper, and garlic oil.

Madam prepared

all four sauces herself.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Your Lordship.

Your Lordship.

Your Lordship.

Madam.

The Lord of Xin State is here to see you.

Let's give them some privacy.

Right.

Madam, please.

The dish!

Hurry.

His Lordship has arrived.

Father.

Song told me

that you thought the poisonous liquor

wasn't for him.

Why were you so sure?

Although you're the Lord of Xin State,

as a father, you will instinctively protect your son.

I know you well,

so I went through the criminal law

to find

an applicable clause that can save the Crown Young Lord.

I'm surprised

to know that you think that way.

Father.

Don't worry.

Just a small matter.

Sixth Young Lord.

You protected your brother.

That was an act of altruism.

You shall have this jade pendant.

And now,

if you ever have any requests,

as long as it's not against the rules,

you'll have my approval.

Thanks, Father.

All right.

Recuperate here.

Come back to work once you're healed.

Noted.

The Sixth Young Lord will be reinstated soon.

Our restaurant

will reopen soon too.

But let's not idle either.

I have devised a new working plan.

For the reopening,

[Strategies to Increase Restaurant Profits] we need to raise some funds.

We have sold almost everything in our inventory

and we have enough for the reopening.

Thank you for your hard work, Yuan Ying.

I also have another plan here.

It's about the dishes.

Please have a look.

You wrote it?

It's so well-written.

It even comes with images.

Only Yuan Ying can do that.

Your calligraphy is getting better too.

Indeed.

Miss Yuan Ying is an excellent tutor.

Show it to Yuan Ying.

Please have a look.

[Dish Proposition]

Very feasible.

If everyone is okay with it,

we'll follow it.

Okay.

That will keep us busy.

Have you seen Jingjing lately?

I haven't seen her in a while.

Neither have I.

Where is she?

[Stay true to yourself]

We have to take the chair away too.

Are you done packing?

What?

Nothing.

You pawned your weapons?

Yes.

I gave the money to the restaurant.

Let's look for a house to rent tomorrow.

Rent?

Rent?

We have to look for it?

Of course.

After we move out,

we have to find accommodation.

Right.

I'm so used to being a young lord

that I have to learn many things now.

Don't worry.

I have asked around.

The houses in the northern area

are cheap and quiet.

Should we check them out?

North?

North...

It's close to Mo State.

So?

It'll snow during winter.

Besides,

before we find a new job,

let's be frugal.

You

are used to your extravagant lifestyle.

You won't know about this.

Indeed.

I won't know.

I think it's hard for us

to live like this.

Let's get a divorce.

♪The weather turns cold and the fog dissipates♪

♪The water flows gently♪

♪Amidst the light breeze♪

♪You smile faintly♪

♪And I can't stop thinking about you♪

♪As the wind blows, the red tassel sways♪

♪As the spear falls, time moves slowly♪

♪Everything is gone with the wind♪

♪Just by thinking of you♪

♪It mesmerizes me all day♪

♪Everything reminds me of you♪

♪I fell for you without realizing it after our accidental encounter♪

♪Wind and rain♪

♪Cover our footsteps♪

♪You're my inspiration♪

♪Mountains and rivers thrive unceasingly because of you♪

♪Beside the riverside pavilion, there is this prairie♪

♪I refuse to let go♪

♪I will stay rock-solid♪

♪And wait for you forever♪

♪As the wind blows, the red tassel sways♪

♪As the spear falls, time moves slowly♪

♪Everything is gone with the wind♪

♪Just by thinking of you♪

♪It mesmerizes me all day♪

♪I want to spend my every second with you♪

♪Time passes in the blink of an eye and I fell for you without realizing it♪