Original subtitles

♪Having survived the winter I'm expecting the flower season♪

♪Smiling in a spring breeze I'm immersed in it♪

♪Whose breath warmed my cold heart♪

♪And stirred up ripples♪

♪A figure may be reflected in my eyes♪

♪Bring back numerous memories♪

♪Through my life I've endured hardships for love♪

♪With you My mind is still and peaceful♪

♪Don't blame fate and providence♪

♪And the merciless fortune♪

♪Wandering in the world of mortals like it's a game♪

♪Risking my heart♪

♪Isn't to be regretted♪

♪I'll exchange it for the love of my life delightedly♪

=A Dream of Splendor=

=Episode 13=

Ms. Song,

may I do the honor

to still be your guide?

I'm Shen Ruzhuo, the Editorial Director.

Today, I'm here on business.

I happened to hear your pipa playing.

I was quite lucky.

You flatter me.

Come with me, Ms. Song.

Let me show you around the Division.

Here is the Buddhist Music Section.

This is where I usually study music.

Pipa Branch where you'll work is across the hall.

Let me take you there.

Mr. Shen, please don't.

I'll go there by myself.

All right.

- Greetings, Ms. Song. - Greetings, Ms. Song.

The mastery of instruments matters most,

instead of seniority.

I am new here.

But now that I'm your coach,

I'll do the job I'm hired for.

(Zhao's Teahouse)

The weather doesn't look very good.

It's going to rain.

- I should go. - See you.

Are we closing already?

It's raining and no customer will come.

(Music Division)

Ms. Song,

it's raining so heavily.

Shall I give you a ride?

No, thanks.

My lady, get in, please.

I'm not a lecher.

Why are you so scared of me, Ms. Song?

I'm-I'm not scared of you.

I'm just timid

and I'm not used to talking to strangers.

Liar.

When you lectured the musicians,

you sounded quite confident.

That's not true.

I-I am confident

only when I play pipa.

Is that true?

Yes. I swear to God.

I-I didn't lie to you.

Could you stop following me?

It shall be as you command, my lady.

However,

I believe I'll see you again soon.

I live on Left Street of Changle Residential.

Ms. Song, if you want to talk about music or tea,

I'll be waiting there.

Yinzhang.

It was raining. Where were you?

When we didn't see you at home, we were so worried

that you might be in trouble.

We're on our way to look for you.

I'm all right.

I'll put my pipa back in my room first.

Come on.

Yinzhang made sense.

Now that we decide to stay in the Eastern Capital,

she can't still be a registered musician

of Qiantang County.

We should have used Prefect Xu's letter

a long time ago.

Even then,

she shouldn't have gone to the Music Division alone.

That's a complicated place

with a mix of people.

You don't know anyone there.

Do you think it's easy

to seek help from Music Administrators?

Do you know how to deal with them?

Do you know how to bride people?

I do.

I bought ambergris incense for Music Administrators.

I stayed away from bad men.

I even played Song of Liangzhou.

Everyone there was stunned.

No one in the Music Division will hurt me,

because I've registered there.

I'm already a coach at Pipa Branch.

I resigned to my identity as a registered musician.

But I don't want to resign to anything else.

Mr. Gu Qianfan set me straight that day.

Pan'er, you want to protect me.

And I want to protect you, too.

As long as I work in the Music Division

and get praised by His Majesty

just like Zhang Haohao,

the Gao Family will no longer hurt us.

It's true that I can only play pipa.

But it doesn't mean I'm ignorant.

I served Prince Qian's mother.

I went to official banquets.

I mostly know

how singing performers behave.

I can even get monthly paid by the Music Division.

With the money, we can afford two handymen, right?

I just don't want you to work so hard

or always take care of me.

Sorry, Yinzhang.

I was wrong.

All right.

Be seated.

Yinzhang can be so thoughtful.

We should feel happy.

If only Zifang could...!

If it weren't for Fu Xingui and Fu Zifang,

Ouyang Xu and Zhou She,

we wouldn't

have been living such a hard life.

Why are we all so stupid?

Forget it.

We're doing good, aren't we?

Yes, we are.

There are some good men, anyway.

Yinzhang, don't pull a long face.

You're the coach now.

You should behave more elegantly.

It's good for you to work in the Music Division.

Then,

you can take colleagues or trainees

to our teahouse.

The business wasn't good today.

We've been worried.

Why wasn't it good?

Weren't there a lot of customers yesterday?

It's the way business goes.

It's sometimes good and sometimes bad.

Perhaps it's because of the holiday of schools

or because it's raining today.

Maybe it'll get better tomorrow.

I'll help you in the teahouse tomorrow.

Good.

When Yinzhang is there, the business will be good.

That's right.

Come on. Let's drink tea instead of wine.

Cheers.

To cheer you up,

I'll make you something delicious.

All right. Go.

Come on.

Don't get involved in the interrogation.

You should go back.

But since I started to work here,

I haven't interrogated a criminal yet.

Please, Chief.

I captured the Liao spy, anyway.

Commissioner, he didn't confess, however hard he was tortured.

All right, then.

Let's teach him a good lesson.

Stop.

What did you try to pry into

by sneaking into our nation?

I can confess.

But I just have one request.

If I tell you who's the traitor,

could you kill me directly?

Go ahead.

The Imperial Diarist,

Shi Quan.

You kept being tortured,

just to make me believe your confession.

Thanks for trying.

Shi Quan isn't a high official.

But he's the son-in-law of Qi Mu, Vice Censor-in-chief.

If he were a real traitor,

Qi Mu must have been involved.

You probably think I support the Empress

because I made a contribution

by defending Her Majesty, right?

You think I like to fight upright officials

led by Qi Mu.

But unfortunately,

you gave yourself away from the start.

Liao people like gold

while the Western Xia people like jade.

Actually, you are

from the Western Xia.

You're scared of the war against Liao.

So, you set interlocked traps

to start a fight between Liao and Song.

Yes or no?

I don't know what you're talking about.

Play some music for him.

When you're lashed by a steel whip,

it sounds like beautiful music.

If you want a quick death,

just tell the truth.

Then I'll kill you directly.

Gu Qianfan,

you're the ruthless Living Devil!

Something will get back at you.

You and your ancestors

only deserve to rot in hell!

Try to commit suicide?

Make him confess however stubborn he is.

(You're worth your reputation of Living Devil.)

You even flattened the suspect.

(Living Devil)

doesn't sound nice.

But for the court

and our nation,

bubble reputation isn't that important.

(What about my legacy?)

You're my eldest son!

I care about you most!

(As a literary family for five generations,)

(the Gu Family has unyielding integrity.)

But you're an exception, scoundrel.

You even work for eunuchs.

(- You're so wicked, - Honey.)

(just like your father!)

(Gu Qianfan,)

(you're the ruthless Living Devil!)

(Something will get back at you.)

(You and your ancestors)

(only deserve to rot in hell!)

(South Gate)

(South Gate)

It's not raining today.

Why are there still so few customers?

Do they not like

the pastries I make?

It can't be true.

On the opening day, a lot of customers came

and they enjoyed the pastries.

The price hasn't gone up.

Why do no customers come?

Look.

The pastries were made last night.

They'll go bad tonight.

We must throw them away.

Then we'll lose a large sum of money.

There must be some other reason.

Ma'am, a bowl of Zhenru Tea, please.

Be right there.

Sanniang, look.

This is all the money we've made in the past few days.

(Accounts)

I'll grind the tea. A minute, please.

Grind the tea?

I don't have time for that.

Get me some loose tea.

Loose tea?

Can't you make it?

Put some tea leaves in the bowl

and brew them with hot water.

We have it.

Enjoy it, please.

Thank you. Nice tea.

Wait here. I'll be out for a moment.

Morning, Chief.

You seldom come so early.

I'm just dying to know

how the interrogation ended up.

What have you got? Did he confess?

What are you doing here?

Commissioner Lei heard that a spy was captured.

He asked me to come and check it out.

Never you mind. Back you go.

But Commissioner Lei sent me.

Don't make a fuss in his name.

That day, he made it very clear

that our chief would take full responsibility

of investigations and explorations.

What is a gatekeeper like you concerned about?

Deputy Commissioner,

the spy was captured at Gongchen Gate where I was in charge.

If necessary,

I'm supposed to interrogate him.

What? Try to take credit?

Yu Zhongquan, shame on you.

I captured that man, all right?

Gu Qianfan!

Is this how you discipline your subordinate?

Sounds like you're not my subordinate.

I was out of line just then.

I don't dare to offend you.

You dare and I can see that.

I hear your concubine turns out

to be a cousin of Zheng Qingtian's wife.

This is just a rumor

without evidence of that.

Please don't believe the rumor.

I did have a concubine.

But she died of a sudden illness.

I never said anything to Commissioner Lei

about the case of Jiangnan Region.

When did you ever hear

that guards like us

needed evidence to arrest someone?

Deputy Commissioner,

the spy confessed.

His bones are all broken

and he's dying.

What?

Commandant Yu,

you didn't come to take credit

and you look quite anxious.

You're probably an accomplice, then.

Are you going to slay him?

I talked nonsense for credit.

I deserve to be executed.

Not that serious.

Go get a rag for him.

Walk from here to the North Bureau

and wipe every inch of the place

you have walked through.

Remember.

If you dare to come again without the right reason

and stain my territory,

you will have to use your tongue,

instead of a rag.

Got it.

Don't forget to complain to Commissioner Lei.

Tell him what exactly happened.

I'd like to see

which side he will be on this time.

Darn it, Living Devil.

Don't bother to get a doctor.

Make him put his thumbprint on it

and kill him.

Aye.

But...

What? Scared?

If you don't even dare to kill, how can you arrogate criminals?

I'm not being timid.

I killed people on battlefields, too.

But...

You don't have to explain.

I was scared, too.

When there's blood on a robe,

it can be easily washed away.

But if a piece of paper is stained,

it will never be clean again.

This is why I don't ask you to interrogate anyone.

(Capital Security Office) Chief, why are you so nice to me?

If my two sisters weren't married,

I would want you to marry either of them.

But Pan'er is kind of my sister, too.

Shut up.

What have you got by spying on them?

Their business

doesn't seem to be good.

(Mahang Street) Come and have a look.

Figured cloth.

(For traumatic injury)

(For traumatic injury?)

(Grain) (A rice shop.)

(Noodles)

(A pharmacy.)

(A smithy.)

(Sun's Cloth Store)

(A cloth store.)

(Another pharmacy.)

(Iron) (Another smithy.)

See you.

(Mahang Street)

What's worrying you?

There are few customers.

Shortly after the opening day,

the business is already so bad.

This isn't a good sign.

That's right.

Living Devil like you came so early in the morning.

We'll certainly have bad luck.

Under such circumstances,

why are you still in the mood for jokes?

You already knew that?

Your nickname?

I did.

Aren't you scared?

Of what?

I've known you for days.

By the way, you complained

that I didn't like to ask you for help.

Now I want you to do me a favor.

Just for the record,

you can't cancel the bet.

How narrow-minded!

Just some questions.

First, do people in the Eastern Capital not like whisking tea?

Second, why is there no restaurant or food shop

on this street?

Third,

was it an important festival some days ago?

That's all?

What do you think I am?

A snoop?

You're from the Capital Security Office.

You do better than a snoop.

(Prudent In Business)

You shouldn't be in the way.

What? Are you blind?

Sorry, Commandant Yu.

Get lost!

Aye.

Gu Qianfan,

don't think you can do anything just by getting engaged

with the Xiao Family.

One day,

I'll wash off the shame.

Streets in the Eastern Capital are divided by trades.

Do you know why this street is named Mahang Street?

(Mahang Street) It's where horse traders and markets are.

Since childhood, local people know

they can buy medicinal herbs at the Pharmacy Bureau

and do clothes shopping in the east of Pan House.

When they want some tea,

they visit the Tea Lane.

Oh, I see.

This street is very bustling

and there wasn't a teahouse before.

I thought it was the best place to run a teahouse.

Unexpectedly,

local people don't come here for tea.

There's a Guanyin Temple near here. [*Guanyin: Avalokitesvara]

When you opened the teahouse, it was the Buddha's Birthday.

A lot of worshippers came.

But usually, only horse traders

come to this street.

I know the complicated process of whisking tea

takes quite a lot of time.

Men of letters can accept that.

But civilians in the Eastern Capital

don't like that kind of tea.

Loose tea is cheap and less time-consuming.

They love it.

So, from the very beginning,

I didn't approve of your business,

not because I didn't trust your tea arts,

but because I thought you were

always hasty and anxious

to make a decision

as if you were scrambling to prove something.

I can tell others that I'm all right.

I just fell.

I would get up and walk on.

But I can't fool myself.

I don't want to give in.

I always want to do something to prove myself.

But I feel really bad.

Feels like

I were torn into pieces

and then stirred.

You don't know

how painful it is.

I know.

I was betrayed, too.

Do you remember

the night I went to see you in Huating County?

Before that

I was just betrayed by my most trusted

comrade.

He told me on to my superior

just to get promoted.

I killed him with my own hands.

Was it hurt

when he died?

I was quick,

so he shouldn't feel any pain.

I mean, were you painful?

What kind of person

am I in your heart?

I want to hear the truth.

In my eyes,

you are a scheming

and ruthless soldier.

Of course,

you are decisive

and impartial.

Like me,

you're both righteous and stingy,

muddled and smart.

I used to tell Yinzhang

that everyone in this world is like

the flaky muffin made by Sanniang.

They all look the same,

but there are thousands of layers inside.

You only know what it tastes like

if you taste it yourself.

So why do you care what others think of you?

Are you comforting me?

Comfort

is sympathy.

You're a hero.

You don't need sympathy.

I'm a hero?

They call me falcon and hound,

talons and fangs,

and a living devil.

How am I

become hero to you?

It's true that you and your Security Office are notorious,

but until now,

I haven't seen you do anything bad.

The people you killed

deserve to die.

The cases you handled

benefit the folks.

In public,

you excluded the anxiety for His Majesty.

In private,

you solved the problems for me.

As long as you don't cook charges

or frame up crimes,

you're always a hero

in my heart.

What's wrong with being hound and fangs?

Isn't better being hounds of the nation, fangs of people,

than being officials who do nothing?

Hounds of the nation, fangs of people.

Die for a good cause, not live for nothing.

Thank you.

To make me feel good,

you have made

a silver-tongued speech.

I appreciate it.

All right.

To express my gratitude,

I'll extend the bet for another month.

If you can

make ends meet in two months,

I will never interfere

in your business, okay?

Stop pretending to be nice.

I, Zhao Pan'er,

am famous for selling tea in Jiangnan.

Just wait and see.

Within a month,

you will have to queue up you're here.

(Prudent In Business)

Commandant.

How is it going?

He went to the teahouse on Mahang Street

for the female shopkeeper.

Woman.

He went there in person.

Commander Gu, what brings you here?

Hum.

I'm here…

To tell you about Shen Ruzhuo.

He is the son of Shen Ming, Inspector of Council of Rites.

He's from a famed family in the Capital.

He has a keen

on rhythm and dance.

He ran errands to your Music Division

to collect musical materials

for literature proofreading.

He has

no notorious records.

He meant no harm

following you on that day.

Commander Gu,

how did you know it?

Have you been secretly protecting…?

Not Commander Gu,

Deputy Commissioner now.

Our boss has got promoted.

Oh, Yinzhang,

I want to have the pastries

made by Sanniang.

Go get some for me.

What man were you talking about?

Why was he following you?

Why didn't you mention it to us?

Did he harm you?

No.

Don't be shy.

No outsiders here.

We're your friends.

We all know

what Zhou She did to you.

I said no.

He really has no problem?

Forget it.

Deputy Ambassador.

Deputy Ambassador.

The one who followed her,

has no problem?

Oh, right.

Our guests are getting lesser.

It's your job, isn't it?

You did something, didn't you?

Don't say that.

Commander Gu is not that kind of person.

No. It must be him.

He wants us to close.

He doesn't want Pan'er to open this shop.

He did it on purpose.

Think about it. He's from the Security Office.

It's easy if he wants us to close up.

Stop it.

All right.

Okay.

If you say so.

See?

Why are you doing this?

- We had a hard time opening this shop. - Sanniang.

- Why did you want us to close it? - Stop it.

Stop talking.

It wasn't him.

I know why our business is not good.

- Why? - Why?

I see where the problem is.

Yinzhang,

bring your pipa

to the shop tomorrow,

and play it as many times as you can.

You will definitely attract a lot of guests.

Play to attract guests?

I'm not doing it.

I only play for

those who truly know music,

not for peddlers and menial servants.

You played pipa in the Inn, didn't you?

Yinzhang's identity is different now.

It's not appropriate to play now.

I forgot it.

You are pipa coach in the Music Division now.

You have to be more cautious.

By the way,

as I heard from Gu Qianfan,

that Shen

is not a bad person,

but you still have to be careful,

in case to make any trouble as Zhou She did.

Pan'er,

since the people in Mahang Street

don't like to drink our whisking tea,

we can just sell loose tea instead.

That would save a lot of trouble.

I disagree.

Loose tea

only appeals to peddlers and servants.

Our teahouse is so elegant,

and we can't do such a thing to lower our level.

Level is important,

but you can't ignore

the preferences of guests.

How about,

we sell both whisking tea and loose tea.

But even if we sell loose tea,

if guests don't come in,

our business still won't get better.

I think,

we should move the shop

to Tea Lane for good,

as Deputy Ambassador said.

Move the shop?

We are only open for several days.

The rent would be wasted then.

Besides,

you've never

been a housekeeper,

so you don't know how much it costs for housekeeping.

I have never done business before,

but I invested the most this time.

Calm down. Talk nicely.

What's wrong with you today?

You picked on me for whatever I said.

I did as you said before,

but the business is still not getting better.

Besides,

don't I have a say in it since I've opened my purse?

Enough.

Both of you.

There are always ups and downs in business.

We've just opened for a few days.

Why argue for such a petty thing?

Do we continue or not?

Maybe we should disband

before the loss gets bigger.

We can't.

Listened to

what you said about housekeeping.

If I were her, I would talk back too.

And you,

tears are not your weapon.

It won't make what you said more convincing.

You know me,

I don't mean what I said.

But it sounds like what you mean.

It's fine you say that to strangers.

But to your friends it really

hurts feelings.

You too, Yinzhang.

It's true that

you invested the most.

But Sanniang contributed nothing?

Is it not her

who makes pastries all day?

If you think

the one who invested the most should take in charge,

then the Perfect of Kaifeng

should be Guard Chi.

Have you forgotten

how Sanniang rescued you

when she was ill?

It's my fault.

I've lost my temper again.

I'm sorry.

Get up.

It's my fault.

I shouldn't say something like that.

I haven't never

thanked you for saving my life.

What are you…?

Get up.

Watch out!

Look.

Why are they changing it

with a strawy door?

Are they crazy?

Don't you know "the flower path has never been cleaned before,

the strawy door is open only for you"?

Who is your teacher?

I see.

Mr.-Mr. Du.

Mr. Du.

The academy was opened very early today,

and what are you doing here?

Go!

Yes, sir.

Wait a minute.

What are your names?

Tell me.

His name is Hu Zhiyuan.

My name is Liu Yongbo.

Go transcribing ten articles!

Give it to me tomorrow morning.

- Yes, sir. - Yes, sir.

Just go!

Everyone is in class,

why are you standing here?

Go to class now.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I mistook you for someone else.

How dare you make up our names!

Take it easy.

He didn't wear glasses today.

He can't recognize people

a foot away.

That's why he couldn't get an official position

since he's already a presented scholar.

He can only wait

while teaching in our academy.

I heard that he embarrassed himself

when he met with His Majesty

because he was too excited.

And he emitted the gas of grains too.

What does that mean?

Fart!

You…

When did you learn flower art?

Concubine Qian taught me last year.

Do you want to know

my thoughts on the teahouse?

We can give up moving.

But we can divide it into two parts.

We put some tables and chairs on the ground floor

and sell cheap loose tea

to attract guests.

On the second floor, we sell whisking tea.

And we sell it more expensive than before.

Do you know why people like drinking our tea

when we were in Qiantang

since there were so many teahouses?

That's because our tea has good quality,

elegant names,

and exquisite cups to hold it.

We have calligraphy and paintings on the walls

and unique rhythm in the house.

The so-called "erudite scholars come to talk with me,

among my guests there are no one undereducated".

If we want to do business in the Capital,

we have to make use of our strengths.

Yinzhang, you're right.

You can't play pipa all the time.

If anyone in our teahouse can hear

the best pipa player in Jiangnan playing pipa,

how can we make it valuable?

Right?

Yeah, that's what I thought.

Yinzhang is the most famous

in the Capital among us three.

So we have to

run the teahouse with her as the center.

First,

we change the shop name.

We have to think of an elegant and artistic name.

Yinzhang,

you don't have to do anything

about serving anymore.

The private room on the second floor is not finished yet.

Once it's finished,

you can play pipa inside.

You can't play

more than three songs a day.

You can arrange flowers when you're free.

Make good use of what Concubine taught you.

I don't believe

those writers and poets won't come.

Yes.

As Chen Lian said,

we can't just make the pastries delicious,

we have to make the cases pretty too.

I'll go buy

some cases in the market tomorrow

to make the pastries look pretty.

You can name them for me.

Last time you said "Peaches Blossom",

it sounds good.

Peach Blossoms.

Or Spring Breeze.

Spring River.

Glowing Dusk.

Nice.

We can make more osmanthus drinks with different flavors

and an elegant osmanthus tea set.

Great.

I'll go try some new pastries now.

Don't go.

Don't rush.

To avoid quarrels in the future,

we have to make things clear.

First of all, we can't argue

like yesterday anymore.

So, we'd better divide the work.

Sanniang is in charge of

kitchen supplies.

I'm on the operation of the teahouse.

Yinzhang is responsible for the decoration and music.

As for the others,

we will vote and if it's two against one,

it will be a pass, okay?

Okay.

Moreover, doing business is

more difficult for women than for men.

If we keep losing in this teahouse,

can you stand it anymore?

♪A feeling of depression♪

♪Falls on those will part just like moonlight♪

♪How can we forget each other♪

♪Wind blows and time flies♪

♪When the splendor fades away only the smell lingers♪

♪In the corner of memories there are sad moments♪

♪Emotions go on and on♪

♪Because time is short but love is hot♪

♪Stars wink for you♪

♪Romance is crazy about you♪

♪Who even waits for you♪

♪Until the end of her life♪

♪When I look back one day♪

♪I'll let go of everything♪

♪I'll hold your hand and never let you down♪

♪Ah Ah Ah♪

♪When our eyes get wet with tears for each other♪

♪Ah Ah Ah♪

♪I'll enjoy a simple life with you♪