Original subtitles

♪As flowers bloom and wither♪

♪May we pass by the magnificent scenery♪

♪Contemplate the vastness of Heaven and Earth♪

♪Could it be that both of us are filled with desolation?♪

♪As flowers bloom and wither♪

♪May we lead such a life♪

♪Contemplate the vastness of Heaven and Earth♪

♪Turning back, you and I♪

♪Seize the current moment♪

♪The sky is painted with a gentle pallet of pastel colors♪

♪Let's walk together♪

♪Even if♪

♪The snow in front of us♪

♪Will dye our hair white♪

♪In an instant♪

[Joy of Life Season 2]

[Adapted from Mao Ni's Joy of Life on Yuewen Group's Qidian platform]

[Episode 13]

My life is hanging by a thread.

It's been so long since I felt such a thrill.

Miss Ye.

Are you busy later?

No.

If so,

please send me home.

If I do die on the way back,

please collect

my body for me.

Wang.

What did Deng Ziyue tell you just now?

You two were acting mysteriously.

He said he found leads on the murderer

in Baoyue Pleasure House.

He brought his men there to check it out.

What else is there?

And,

Mr. Chen is concerned about your injury.

He wants you to head to his residence.

So, are we heading to his residence now?

That's right.

Have you been there before?

No.

I've never been there even since I came to the Capital.

What about you?

I heard Mr. Chen was living

in the mountains outside the city.

He's a mysterious man.

Wan'er,

I was very touched when I heard what you said

in front of Li Chengze.

Actually, the trip to Northern Qi was perilous.

Shen Zhong was tough to deal with.

I confronted him many times.

I was caught between life and death many times.

I was lucky that I got to return alive.

I don't like

Northern Qi at all.

I never want to go there again.

Now that Shen Zhong is dead, many of them hate me.

They spread rumors about me to ruin my reputation.

Really?

Of course.

You can ask Wang if you don't trust me.

I can testify for him.

Mr. Fan was speaking the truth.

You see?

Last night, sparse rain was in gusty wind.

I still feel tipsy after a good night sleep.

I try to ask the maid rolling up the drape.

She answers crabapples are same as before. [*Haitang means crabapples]

Don't you know? Don't you know?

Leaves should thrive but flowers should wilt.

Oh no.

It's such an excellent poem.

I heard that you wrote it.

That's not true.

You didn't write it?

I copied it from somewhere else.

Oh, right.

You said you got your poems from your dreams.

You didn't write them yourself.

I won't copy them again.

It's not good to deceive the world for fame.

If so, this poem

is your last, then?

What a masterpiece.

Wan'er,

the situation was grave back then.

Haitang was there to kill Xiao En.

I used that poem to save him.

Excellent choice.

The poem suits her perfectly.

Our lives were on the line.

I dared not take it lightly.

You did it out of self-defense?

Yes, self-defense.

If so, on the birthday banquet of Northern Qi's empress dowager,

did you dance together with Haitang Duoduo

to protect yourself as well?

That was a martial arts competition.

You promised me that you wouldn't deceive me.

It was truly a competition.

However, the process wasn't that strict.

Wan'er, I'll be honest with you.

Haitang does get along well

with me.

I take her as a friend.

But only as a friend. That is all.

I swear. I'm not lying.

I'm asking you this because I'm worried about Miss Haitang.

Why are you worried about her?

She's the disciple of Grandmaster Ku He.

She's the Northern Qi Holy Maiden.

How could she be a concubine?

These two matters are totally different.

That will never happen.

If so, when will you write a poem for me, then?

That's quite difficult.

Why is it difficult when it comes to me?

That's not it. I can copy poems for other people.

But for you,

I want to write them myself.

You have to give me some time.

How long do I have to wait?

It's best if you can wait for the rest of your life.

[Chen Pingping's Private Residence, Chen's Manor]

Isn't this manor

gigantic?

Why is there no one here?

Hurry up!

Miss.

Excuse me.

Do you know where Mr. Chen is?

Pingping? He's in the backyard.

Thank you.

Ladies, the chilled yogurt is ready.

Give it a try.

The chilled yogurt is ready.

The yogurt is ready?

Ladies, have a try.

Let's try it.

Is it nice?

Yes.

Push me.

When's my turn?

Wait a little longer.

Push me higher!

Put your back into it!

The wind is here!

I'm losing strength!

Help me out!

This smells so nice.

That's Qin Heng,

the son of Qin Ye.

He'll also be a mainstay

in the military in the future.

How much do you think it'll cost

to build a giant manor like this?

No one will ask about that.

Is it because he's Chen Pingping?

The wind so swift,

the sky so wide,

apes wail and cry!

Water so clear

and sand so white,

birds wheel and fly!

Mr. Fan.

The boundless forest

sheds its leaves

shower by shower.

Mr. Fan,

isn't he reciting your poem?

Mr. Fan, I've long heard of you.

It's an honor

to see you in person.

I was lucky enough to witness General Qin's flair personally.

The Qin family has been revered by all for generations.

[Qin Heng, Son of Qin Ye] Did you meet him in the court?

Indeed.

If so, I'm sure you didn't witness his flair.

My father always sleeps

when he attends a court session.

I'll be thanking the heavens

if he didn't snore.

The court was pretty noisy.

I couldn't tell that he was snoring.

Mr. Fan, sorry for the embarrassment.

My father can't sleep at home.

He can only sleep in the court.

He didn't need to attend every court session.

He went there

so that he could sleep.

General Qin is extraordinary.

The Qin family have been generals for generations.

I wouldn't say that he's extraordinary.

But he's down-to-earth.

That's a rare quality too.

A thousand miles from home,

I'm grieved at

autumn's plight.

Mr. Chen.

I'm here.

Ill now and then...

Qin Heng.

For years...

He's making the call here.

It's pointless to beg me.

You have to talk to him.

Wan'er?

Living in times so hard,

at frosted hair I pine...

I'm here to beg for forgiveness.

General Qin, what do you mean

by that?

Mr. Fan, ever since your appearance at the court, the Imperial Procuratorate

has been doing their best to investigate corruption.

Of course,

this is great for the state.

The Qin family agrees with it wholeheartedly.

I have to give up wine.

I have to

give up wine!

Why don't you perform one more song?

Why is he leaving?

He's no longer in the mood.

The performance depends on his mood?

Music comes from the heart.

There's no need to force things.

Wan'er,

is this your first visit to the Chen Manor?

I've always wanted to come.

However, I was always sick.

I couldn't leave the residence.

Since this is your first time here,

as your elder, I should show you some appreciation.

My legs.

My legs!

Wan'er, let's go.

We'll leave you two to it.

Ladies, all of you are dismissed.

Mr. Fan.

Please.

I haven't died yet.

Seems like you don't need to collect my body.

Did you find out that the poison was fake?

I didn't.

I couldn't tell.

If so, why did you take it?

If one knows everything in life,

living would be pointless.

You might die because of it.

My death

would be a good thing.

Our engagement will be canceled, then.

You do have a point.

Was Fan Xian speaking the truth?

Which part were you referring to?

Is the murder in Baoyue Pleasure House

related to you?

You might not trust me even if I say it's not related to me.

Let's just wait for the culprit to be arrested.

But the culprit is nowhere to be found.

They'll find him.

Are you sure about that?

One cannot escape from their destiny.

I think

they'll find him soon.

General Qin, what did you mean

by that?

Mr. Fan, to be honest,

warfare is the only thing the Qin family is good at.

We don't know anything else.

However, the Capital is a treacherous place.

What do we do when we don't know how to survive here?

We can only beg people.

We establish a bond with everyone.

We dare not offend Prime Minister Lin, Crown Prince, and the rest.

Does that include Second Prince?

Mr. Fan, you're straightforward indeed.

That's right.

We send gifts to Second Prince on festive occasions

and visit him from time to time.

Mr. Fan, I suppose you can understand us.

I do. You don't want to offend anyone.

That's right.

However, I need to clarify something.

The Qin family doesn't belong to his faction.

It's just a show.

Military officials like us can only be loyal to His Majesty.

If not, we'll be digging our own graves.

General Qin, you're pretty frank yourself.

You get along with Second Prince,

but you don't side with him.

That's right.

Mr. Fan, please look after us

when you investigate corruption.

Did you embezzle public funds?

That's not true.

I swear upon my life that it's not true.

If so, General Qin, you didn't need to explain yourself.

I'm just afraid

we might be caught in the crossfire.

The Imperial Procuratorate is in charge of investigating corruption.

Why are you begging me?

In the end,

they're doing this all because of what you did.

General Qin, do you think

that I won't let anyone off as long as

they're affiliated with Second Prince?

The roots must be exterminated, am I right?

I'm investigating corruption to uphold the law.

General Qin,

this isn't a faction war.

Of course.

We mustn't name it as such.

My father has always

praised you for raising our flags

in Northern Qi.

Military officials like us

are impressed by such feats.

General Qin.

Your family will be fine

as long as you don't practice corruption.

Mr. Fan, the Qin family owes you a favor.

Stop right there!

It's me!

It's me!

Don't alert them to our presence.

Have you found them?

A vegetable seller saw them.

The three suspects in the courtyard resemble the culprits

in Baoyue Pleasure House.

Have you surrounded them, then?

Yes, sir.

There's no escape for them.

Wan Er,

let me push him.

Has Qin Heng left?

He told me to bid farewell to you on his behalf.

Did you two talk it over?

Does everyone in the imperial court

think that I'm investigating corruption

to seek revenge?

You don't say.

Do you wish to tell them that you're doing it

for the sake of upholding the law

or serving justice?

I do have a grudge against Li Chengze.

But if I wanted to pick on him,

I wouldn't have let the Imperial Procuratorate

proceed with the task.

The rumors of a faction war

were spread to shake your foundation

and make the officials doubt you.

So it's pointless no matter how I try to explain myself, huh?

What you say doesn't matter.

What you do matters the most.

If so, what do I have to do

to make them believe that I'm sincere in investigating corruption

instead of picking on Li Chengze?

Arrest an influential corrupt official.

This is a gift from Mr. Chen.

It's a box of valuable jewelry and accessories.

Chen's Manor violated the land regulations for its size long ago.

The rare gems and stones in the manor are worth a fortune.

There are all kinds of courtesans in the manor as well.

Accumulating wealth from the world

and disregarding the law of the kingdom,

this is a huge case of corruption.

Who else better to arrest than me?

But Mr. Chen...

Save your breath.

Next time, impeach me in the court directly.

After that, no one will dare to say

that you're doing it to seek revenge.

If so, how will you clean up the mess?

Just do what you like.

I'll handle

all of the consequences.

But Mr. Chen...

Don't be too touched yet.

Take a look at this.

First Division delivered this to me not long ago.

[Detained within the cell] The culprits of the murder

[of the First Division] in Baoyue Pleasure House,

Deng Ziyue managed to arrest them.

This is great.

This way,

the murder will finally be solved.

Mr. Chen, do you wish to proceed with the trial?

Since I'm a corrupt official,

I shouldn't interfere.

You're the inspector

and the division supervisor of the First Division.

You should be in charge of it all.

After all,

you're gravely ill.

You have to sit down more often.

It's quite exquisite.

Why don't I give you this?

You can give me your old wheelchair.

This wheelchair is only for me.

What? Are you hiding gems inside?

Maybe.

You should give it a try first.

This time, you shouldn't throw it at anyone else.

What are you looking at?

Based on your relationship with her,

I have to station my men there

to protect her.

Thank you.

Be honest with me.

Did you actually feed Li Chengze poison?

Yes, I did.

Did he take it?

He did.

However, I put the antidote in his drink

when we had a toast.

Were you trying to intimidate him?

No.

I actually thought of killing him with poison.

However, that wouldn't do.

But why?

Ye Ling'er had a point.

What did Ling'er say?

You dare not kill him, huh?

But I can help you out.

Even so, I can't just kill someone because of it.

How deep is the feud between you two?

Why are you trying to kill him with poison?

Li Chengze

doesn't take the lives of other people seriously.

Because he considers himself noble

and aloof.

Therefore, if I kill him with poison,

I can only kill that person.

However, I cannot defeat people like him.

I want to defeat Li Chengze officially

using law

in the imperial court.

Only then will I be able to tell the people

that one's status doesn't matter.

There will always be people who will uphold

and comply with the law.

Comply with the law, huh?

It's a quote from the stone monument.

That's my mother's quote.

I hope that the laws of the state

are established for the sake of the people.

It won't tolerate the wrongdoings of the noble

or extort from the poor.

No people will be framed

or be convicted of crimes they didn't commit.

We will comply with the law,

dispel the illusion, and reveal the truth.

I'm not my mother.

I'm not as capable as her.

I can't realize all of her dreams.

However, I can at least realize this dream of hers.

Even if this is the only dream I can realize for her,

I hope

that it can come true.

I know.

It'll be very difficult.

However, my mother's quotes

were carved onto the stone monument.

Since I've arrived at this world,

I mustn't let people take the stone monument as a joke.

[Imperial Inspectorate]

[First Division of Imperial Inspectorate]

Deng?

Deng?

Ziyue?

Ziyue?

Why are you hiding here?

Mr. Fan, I've failed you!

Even so, you don't need to kneel.

Mr. Fan, please don't!

My legs are just numb.

What happened?

Did the culprit die?

No.

No.

Did he run away?

No.

There are three culprits.

None of them managed to escape.

If so, why did you say you've failed me?

I was too anxious.

I had them interrogated

before you came back.

Did you not get an answer out of them?

I didn't do a good job at interrogating them.

Were they not willing to confess?

They did confess.

I guess...

I guess they did confess.

Is this your testimony?

Did you confess to this?

You! Is this your testimony?

You!

You better think twice.

Who ordered you all to do this?

Mr. Fan,

we've failed you.

We failed to escape.

How dare you tell such a blatant lie!

Wang!

So I'm the mastermind, huh?

We wanted to keep it a secret too.

But we couldn't endure the harsh torture.

Mr. Fan, please forgive us.

Did you torture them?

No.

I didn't even touch them.

They confessed of their own accord.

Mr. Fan,

we can't stand the pain.

That's a great excuse.

You're pretty witty.

Mr. Fan,

they're framing you here!

You mustn't say that.

I've read their testimonies too.

They were logical and contained clear motives.

Say,

I thought for a second that I was the mastermind after reading it.

Mr. Fan, I still think that we have to torture them.

I didn't do anything to them just now.

They'll confess if we torture them for real.

Come.

I didn't touch them just now.

Wang!

It's useless to torture them.

So you three

were waiting for me to arrest you, huh?

Mr. Fan, you mustn't say that.

We tried to escape, but we failed.

Have you never thought of the consequences?

Mr. Fan,

you should confess to your crime.

We should face reality in the face of law.

It's not too late for you to turn back.

I understand now.

You all are from the suicide squad.

Where is the inspector?

Where is the inspector?

Inspector!

Inspector!

The Capital Magistrate is here to take the suspects.

We cannot release them!

I'll make them confess right now!

Let them take the suspects.

Mr. Fan?

Capital Magistrate is responsible for murder investigations in the Capital.

The First Division has no reason to keep them.

However, once the Capital Magistrate

confirms their testimonies,

you'll have no way to explain yourself.

What about this?

We can say that they resisted arrest

when we arrested them. After that, we killed them by accident.

I... I'll kill them right now!

I have no way to explain myself either if they die here.

At least it's better than letting them frame you.

That's right, Mr. Fan.

Let them take the suspects.

Being a person is just like being an official.

We have to obey the rules.

Release them.

He never bothers with the trivial details.

Seems like you're fine. I'll make a move, then.

Don't be impatient.

What if it's a slow-acting poison?

You should wait a little longer.

Even if the poison does kill you,

you're already in your residence.

Your servants will collect your body for you.

Shouldn't heroines

see things through from start to finish?

I can't just wait here

until you die, no?

I guess that's fine too.

Your Highness,

the culprit of the Baoyue Pleasure House murder

was arrested.

Really? He was arrested? Who arrested him?

First Division of the Imperial Inspectorate.

Fan Xian's subordinates arrested him?

The Imperial Inspectorate does live up to its name.

The Capital Magistrate went there to arrest the culprits.

The Capital Magistrate?

The Capital Magistrate is responsible for all murder cases.

Have they released the culprits, then?

The First Division didn't stop them.

They've already arrived at the Capital Magistrate.

The prefect is taking this case seriously.

He put them on trial immediately.

He's interrogating them as we speak.

He tortured them brutally. They fainted several times.

Even so, they weren't willing to tell him who the mastermind was.

Although they murdered someone,

they're loyal indeed.

I agree.

I confess!

It's the inspector of the Imperial Inspectorate!

Mr. Fan Xian ordered us to kill her!

I'm speaking the truth!

I dare not lie!

Father, Little Xian is here!

Father, Little Xian is here!

Father, Little Xian is here!

Come up.

Mr. Lin.

Weren't you gravely ill?

Mr. Lin, I was just pretending to be ill.

Little Xian, you've recovered already?

Don't tell anyone about it, okay?

I'll tell everyone that you're still sick.

Dabao, you're the best.

Dabao.

Father.

Go and play.

Father, don't forget, okay?

You must take Dabao to the study later.

Don't let the others bully him, okay?

Okay.

Little Xian, I'll wait for you.

Dabao?

He calls this little red fish Dabao.

Whether you're truly ill or not, it no longer matters.

Did you know that the Capital Magistrate

already solved the case?

The three culprits were sure

that you were their mastermind.

So you've heard about it.

Was it you?

No, it wasn't me.

It's all part of Chengze's plot, huh?

Those culprits

belong to the suicide squad under him.

Mr. Lin, you're wise indeed.

You were careless.

You arrested them first.

Everything would've been fine if they died in the First Division.

Why did you let the Capital Magistrate take them?

Baoyue Pleasure House is related to the Fan family.

I won't be able to explain myself

if they die in the First Division.

Even so, it's better than letting them convict you of a crime.

Luckily, you did a good job before this.

You implicated Chengze in the case with Baoyue Pleasure House.

After Mei Zhili's retirement,

the current Capital Magistrate prefect is close to Chengze as well.

We can only strike from there.

We can say

that the Capital Magistrate tortured them into confessing

for Second Prince's sake.

The Capital Magistrate is close to me now.

If the prefect tortures them into confessing,

Fan Xian will be in deep trouble.

You're right.

That might happen.

Therefore,

in order to be open and upright,

they should be transported to the Ministry of Justice.

They were transported to the Ministry of Justice?

When did it happen?

I received that news right before I came here.

Li Chengze is quick to act, huh?

He always has his wits about him.

Even when they're there,

the culprits won't change their testimonies.

I guess so.

Just let them die in the Ministry of Justice, then.

That won't do.

The culprits can die.

And the statements can be changed.

But that'll be too obvious.

No one in the world will be convinced.

His Majesty won't be convinced either.

Fan Xian, after giving it some thought,

if they do arrive at the Ministry of Justice,

you'll be

in a difficult spot.

[Capital Magistrate]

Go now.

There's one last solution.

There's actually a solution to this?

Baoyue Pleasure House

is considered Fan Sizhe's property after all.

Making him the mastermind

seems like a logical choice.

You expect me to push the blame

on Fan Sizhe?

Someone has to be sacrificed

if we want to protect you.

But Fan Sizhe is my younger brother.

Just like how a gecko cuts off its tail

and how a hero breaks his own wrist,

being cruel

is better than

dying here.

Mr. Lin,

have you ever considered this, then?

If I can sacrifice Fan Sizhe today,

I can sacrifice Dabao in the future.

Are you willing

to see me resort to that?

If so, that means you're desperate.

Actually, there's still one more solution.

After the three of them were arrested,

I told my men to investigate

their backgrounds immediately.

And, I have the result.

Mr. Fan, after our investigation,

we found that all three of them were convicted of murders before this.

They've committed countless crimes.

How will they be penalized according to the law of Qing State?

They would've been executed long ago

if it weren't for

the Baoyue Pleasure House murder investigation.

Who are those inside the cage?

I don't know.

Let's go.

They'll only resort to becoming members of the suicide squad

when there's no way for them to survive.

Therefore, the three of them should've been dead long ago.

If you wish to kill them,

you could've done so when they were still

in the First Division.

Now, they've already given their testimonies.

If you kill them right now,

it'll confirm

that you're trying to silence them.

You're right about something.

The main point

is silencing them.

They're trying to kill us!

Let me out!

Let me out!

Over there!

Hurry!

There's one here.

Keep an eye on him.

All right.

The rest of you, go after them!

Don't let them run away!

Yes, sir!

Hurry!

What's wrong?

Your Highness,

there were assassins outside the Capital Magistrate.

They assassinated the three culprits on the spot.

It's actually that thrilling?

Are all three of them dead?

Yes, Your Highness.

Who killed them?

It depends on who they rat out.

Fan Xian?

That can't be.

I was saying that he was framed.

Could it truly be Fan Xian?

Were the assassins arrested?

Most of them had escaped.

That means some of them were arrested.

Only one of them.

They're pretty careless, huh?

Your Highness.

What's with that face?

The identity of the assassin has been confirmed.

It's Fan Wujiu.

I know him.

Isn't this Second Prince's bodyguard?

Second Prince?

So it seems like

Fan Xian wasn't the one trying to silence them.

Fan Wujiu is my bodyguard.

But he's not in the Capital right now.

This has nothing to do with me.

He's not in the Capital?

He was arrested, you know?

Why should I silence them?

They confessed that Fan Xian was the mastermind!

Because there have been rumors

that Li Chengze might be

the owner of Baoyue Pleasure House.

That's why the Capital Magistrate is siding with Chengze.

The testimonies they gave before were all fake.

They might recant them

if they were sent to the Ministry of Justice.

Hence, Li Chengze decided to silence them.

Everything

adds up by now.

♪The youth raises his head♪

♪As he moves toward his moon♪

♪People tease him for being delusional♪

♪Wondering why he is so unconventional♪

♪Wearing a white robe when crossing a muddy pond♪

♪How could it remain unstained?♪

♪If silver tael has a value♪

♪Who can truly be carefree?♪

♪All of you are right♪

♪He said: "Please"♪

♪"Make way"♪

♪"Let me drink until I drop"♪

♪On the court♪

♪I recite several verses♪

♪Let me wear a white robe♪

♪And cross the alley filled with insanity♪

♪To scoop up the moon's reflection in the muddy pond♪

♪Sirs, please forgive me♪

♪Your words of advice♪

♪I understand, but I don't want to pretend♪

♪People search for the golden land♪

♪While I search for the moon♪

♪Why should we travel together?♪

♪Thank you♪

♪Excuse me♪

♪You are you♪

♪I am me♪

♪Thank you♪

♪Excuse me♪

♪You are you♪

♪I am me♪

♪Wearing a white robe when crossing a muddy pond♪

♪Remarkably worldly-wise yet hopelessly romantic♪

♪Know what you love♪

♪Don't change♪

♪If one has witnessed both light and shadow♪

♪Yet retains their innocence♪

♪They shall be cloaked in moonlight♪

♪As they journey through the night♪