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 16=

They've stolen

all our drink recipes.

More annoying is,

Qingming Teahouse has hired two pipa players,

who play pipa in the teahouse all day long.

What about the Tea Art?

Did they learn it too?

Not that, though.

Well, that's it.

Also,

you can't keep accusing them of selling fakes, can you?

No law

or rule

says that only we have the right to sell Peach Blossom Cakes.

Pan'er,

why do you defend them?

Ever since the first Peach Blossom Cake was made,

I had known it'd be

stolen sooner or later.

But

it's actually a good thing.

How can it be a good thing?

Taste it.

Too sweet.

The filling is too greasy, and the dough is too hard.

It's not good.

The problem has solved itself, then.

They can steal the recipe,

but once being eaten,

the difference can be told.

But those who never tried ours

can't tell the difference.

Shen Ruzhuo said

that loads of people queued for their cakes in Tea Lane.

If they have more customers,

we have less, right?

Let me ask you,

if you go watch a play,

would you like to see one person play the sword

or a combat of several men?

More men, of course.

I get it.

The Peach Blossom Cake

is better to be advertised

by our competitors

rather than us alone.

Once it's eaten,

they'll immediately tell good from bad.

It's only the three of us.

The best we can do

is sell several dozens of boxes a day.

We have less than 100 customers on a daily basis.

Why would we

compete with the peers in Tea Lane?

We'll choose a way of doing business to our advantage,

focus on ingenuity, gracefulness, and exquisiteness.

We just remain as the groundbreakers in Qiantang,

and the more follow our lead,

the better for the reputation

of Half-hidden.

As for the pipa players who copy you…

- Bravo! - Bravo! Bravo!

Someone calls herself Ms. Zhao asks to see you outside.

Ms. Zhao?

Ms. Zhao.

Gentlemen.

We have opened for seven days.

To repay your support,

there will be an extra pipa performance.

Please go upstairs.

Are you saying

we can listen to the music upstairs

without buying osmanthus nectar?

The drinks are ready for you.

- Joy falls from Heaven. - Wonderful.

Thank you, Ms. Zhao.

Keep it down, please?

Great.

Come on.

It's just excellent.

Wonderful.

This way, please.

But it feels like

there are many customers.

You didn't come yesterday.

You were at Tea Lane, weren't you?

Their osmanthus nectar

costs less,

but

their cakes

can't really compete

with the ones Half-hidden makes.

It does feel unfilled here.

Indeed.

I see the refreshments are ready.

Sit, please.

I feel very welcome.

Sit.

Ms. Song is an amazing musician.

Her Song of Wang Zhaojun

is full of emotions.

It's like music from Heaven.

I, however, think

the music sounds backward

compared to what she played a few days ago.

The Song of Wang Zhaojun, again?

What…

Is it Ms. Song in the room?

Come on. Let's go.

I'd like to offer a handsome amount of gold

for you to accept me as your student.

W-What…

Arise, please.

As fellow pipa players,

we'll look to exchange experience.

A teacher-student relationship isn't necessary.

Come. We'll talk inside.

Suniang is a fine musician,

but in comparison,

Ms. Song is slightly better.

More than slightly.

Suniang's Song of Wang Zhaojun is good,

euphonic.

It's top-level music.

But think about it.

Wang Zhaojun crossed border for the nation.

She had more in her heart than a female's interest.

That's why

Ms. Song's music

combines euphony,

weariness,

homesickness,

and, most importantly, resolution

and patriotism.

It delivers Wang Zhaojun's

noble wish for a forever secure border of the Han dynasty.

Well said.

However,

the imitator

never competes with the originator.

It applies to the music,

so to the food.

Indeed.

You can tell the differences

from the details.

You can go to Tea Lane

if you like.

From this day on,

this will be the only place where I enjoy the recreations.

Wait…

The fewer customers,

the more Ms. Song's pipa music for me.

I'll only come here

just like you.

W-W-What does Song Yinzhang look like?

I-I didn't really catch her look.

What's the matter with your pair of big eyes?

Oh, thank you.

You have missed too much.

What?

(Mr. Hu, Owner of Qingming Tea House) They even took Suniang away?

That's a slap in our face.

So they treat all the tea houses

in Tea Lane

like dirt!

The weather is nice.

Nice. Really nice.

Anybody here?

Anybody?

Where are the waitresses?

Sorry, gentlemen, but we're full.

That's strange.

Ms. Zhao,

you stole Suniang from us,

and here you pretend

that you don't know we're owners of tea houses in Tea Lane?

Oh, isn't it Mr. Hu, the owner of Qingming Tea House?

Mr. Hu.

Mr. Hu.

To what do I owe the honor?

Half-hidden outshines us all.

It's our honor to see you.

We only came here

to greet you.

From days of old, the philosophy of tea

has always been about virtues,

peace, and harmony.

However, Half-hidden self-assertively

prices their services high,

and they even came up with the disgraceful idea

of attracting customers with music.

It's an approach that brothels adopt.

They have disgraced the tea ceremony.

A disgrace.

A total disgrace.

A disgrace.

We despise such behaviors.

So we'd like to inform you

that from tomorrow on,

all the 27 tea houses in Tea Lane

won't receive those who spend money

in Half-hidden.

- You're not welcome. - Yes.

W-W-Why do you

have to do this?

We're all neighbors,

friends.

Today, we have fun in Half-hidden,

but we'll also go to Tea Lane

some other day with our pals.

Yes, yes.

Mr. Hu, harmony brings wealth.

Harmony brings wealth, right?

Mr. Zhuoshi,

enough of your persuasions.

As the saying goes,

different people go different ways.

Though we're only businessmen,

we can't tolerate being compared

with these depraved

harlots.

Who do you call harlots?

Shut your dirty mouth.

All right, all right.

It appears

you're here to look for trouble.

Well, this is my question for you.

Since you despise Half-hidden so much,

why do you keep stealing our business ideas?

From our drink recipes, our cakes, to the pipa music,

you missed nothing.

Everyone prices their items differently.

You said I sell my tea for high prices,

then answer me.

Why do you sell the fan

with your Peach Blossom drawing

for 50 strings of copper coins,

yet that of an average painter sells only for 50 copper coins?

And what's more absurd is,

you spitefully call

a cup of tea over music disgraceful.

Here's another question for you.

When the former emperor granted the officials the tea of Beiyuan

25 years ago,

a musician played the Spring Dawn on the scene.

Ms. Song

often plays music for His Majesty in the imperial palace,

yet you call her a depraved harlot?

Are you saying

that His Majesty has no taste?

Well said. Well said.

Yes, yes. That's true.

We won't argue with women.

Anyway, from tomorrow on,

you choose between Tea Lane and Half-hidden.

It's either them or us.

How do we make the choice?

Right, right.

It's too difficult for us.

See you.

Stop.

You came to look for trouble,

and you don't get away with it.

None of you gets out of here.

What? What do they want?

What is all this?

You're pushing us

to close our business.

But there are still rules.

Before we opened Half-hidden,

we registered and paid money

in the tea association of the Eastern Capital.

If this doesn't end well,

I'll leave my business here,

sue you in the local government

and let everyone here see

who's right and who's wrong.

You...

Why are you

such a vicious woman?

Compared to what you did,

I'm a lot nicer and kinder.

When you bullied

and insulted us,

didn't you think we'd get back at you?

Or you think you can push us around

just because we're women?

You actually believe we'll listen to your nonsense

and close our shop that easily?

Uh… It's…

They're new in the capital city,

and already, they have opened this large tea house.

I don't think it's a good idea to escalate the friction.

But we mustn't yield at this point.

Then what do you want?

Zhao Pan'er.

Don't think we'll be threatened

if you play a badass.

How about

a match of tea ceremony with me?

You ask for a contest?

Correct.

If you lose,

you are to close your business immediately.

If we lose,

we'll pour tea to apologize to you,

and we won't say any bad word

against Half-hidden anymore.

So?

Do you accept the challenge?

Sure.

I take the challenge.

Come and see. Come and see.

The tea house owners from Tea Lane challenge Half-hidden.

- Come and see. - Come on. Let's have a look.

Come and see.

The tea house owners from Tea Lane throw down a challenge.

Come here. Come here.

Who are you?

Sun Li.

I heard your voice from a distance.

Why are you hanging around the street?

Go to school now.

Come on, Mr. Du.

The tea house owners from Tea Lane

came to challenge Half-hidden.

That's fun.

You wouldn't like to miss out on that.

- That's more interesting than school. - Challenge?

So it's a tea ceremony contest?

I'll teach you what a tea ceremony contest is.

What are the rules in the Eastern Capital?

There are three aspects.

Color, water trace, and the taste.

We pick our own tea bricks and water,

and we'll have five tasters.

Best out of 3.

Do you accept the rules?

Sure.

Good.

I shall use

Beiyuan Early Spring Tea.

As we all know,

tea picked before Qingming Festival values as much as gold.

Since we're from Qiantang,

we'll, of course, use Jing Shan Tea before Grain Rain.

I can't find my eyeglasses.

Tell me what's going on.

Mr. Hu has a gold grinder.

It's dazzling.

The water I shall use

is Chan spring from Mt. Tiantai.

- Whoa. Chan spring. - Chan spring.

That's professional.

Yes.

We'll use

ordinary rainwater.

That's…

Rainwater?

In this case,

Half-hidden sets themselves at a disadvantage at the start.

Beiyuan Tea

is tribute tea of this year.

Jing Shan Tea?

I've never heard of that.

And it's before Grain Rain.

According to Lu Yu's Book of Tea,

spring water from the mountain

is best for making tea.

Rainwater can't compete

with Chan spring from Mt. Tiantai.

Exactly.

Here.

This is the gold grinder passed down by Lu Tong, the God of Tea.

It's gold.

A gold grinder overtops all.

It won't stain or taint the tea.

The tea ground by it

is fine and fragrant.

In contrast, Ms. Zhao's

little grinder

seems cheap.

Just grind the tea.

What's with the coquettish dance?

How about a dance-off?

It's obviously the brothel way.

Watch your mouth.

Great men can have poor births.

Shi Le was but a slave,

yet he would become the founding emperor of a dynasty.

The contestants are allowed to show off their own skills.

Half-hidden never called his gold grinder superficial.

Mr. Hu's bitter words

have made himself look bad.

This is new.

She's a good dancer.

Whoa.

With the fan in her hand,

it looks like the dance of butterfly at the festivals.

Time for tea-making, right?

Yes. Mr. Hu has begun.

Drip like the breath of a silver dragon.

Stir with proficiency.

He's an adept tea-maker from Tea Lane.

Ms. Zhao's stirring

is similar to an instrument-playing technique.

It… It's…

Yes.

Although Ms. Zhao rarely plays to the audience,

but she has spent over a decade

on practicing zither.

Gentlemen, please listen.

A Parting Tune with A Thrice Repeated Refrain?

Ms. Zhao plays a piece of music

using the bowl.

It's…

My tea is done.

I'm not sure. Let me see.

Who is the winner?

The color, the water trace, the taste.

So it's a contest of not only the taste

but also the color and the foam.

It means the tea with a nicer color

and a better foam wins.

The winner's tea should be whiter

and the foam should last longer.

Pretty much, yes.

The tea color

looks good.

Good tea, indeed.

Yes.

Both pure white.

Both bowls of tea are top quality.

A draw

for the tea-color round.

Bravo.

Next,

the foam.

Oh, no.

Ms. Zhao's foam starts to dissipate.

(Tea)

(Tea)

Ms. Zhao,

I'm afraid

you lost the water-trace round.

- Bravo. Bravo. - Bravo.

Bravo.

Gentlemen,

please look closely.

It's…

Look.

It's Tea Art, the drawing of tea.

Amazing.

Tea Art.

Haven't seen this for ages.

Where did you learn it, Ms. Zhao?

Guys,

who's the winner

for the water-trace round?

Ms. Zhao, of course.

- Bravo. - Bravo.

Bravo.

Nice.

Just excellent.

Excellent. Amazing.

The last round is the taste.

We may win.

Beiyuan Tea

has a mellow taste.

It is the king's tea.

A treasure, indeed.

- Bravo. - Bravo. Bravo.

What about Half-hidden's tea?

Please try our tea.

It's the first time I try Jing Shan tea.

I don't feel the wonder of it.

It has no bitterness

but the taste of freshness.

As if I were now at home

watching the chrysanthemum.

It feels like the cool autumn.

The same for me.

From the first sip,

before the fragrance and taste kick in,

it's the feeling of ethereality.

Like I transcended.

Yes, yes. That's right.

Exactly. Exactly.

People's spiritual heights are leveled.

So is tea.

You don't need the best water and leaf

to make the best tea.

The best match

brings the tea to higher levels.

Enough of the intangible stuff.

Tea is all about the taste.

Yes.

Who wins this round?

Great.

Thank you, sir.

Great. We win.

Perfect.

Yes.

- We win! - We win! We win!

Sorry, guys.

After deliberation,

I decide

that although your tea is good, Mr. Hu,

I can get it anywhere

outside Tea Lane

if I want.

I'll just invite a tea expert

to my house.

However,

Ms. Zhao's tea is unique.

Only she can make it.

So, gentlemen,

I'm on Half-hidden's side.

- Bravo. - Bravo.

We win.

Good work.

Gentlemen,

in terms of tea ceremony,

one can play to their strengths

as long as the rule allows it.

Yes,

I was degraded to a music performer due to my father's sin.

But my name has been removed.

I'd like to apply my dance skills learned in childhood

to tea-making.

People say,

tea and personality are correlated.

If the tea is emotionally invested,

it will be appreciated.

If so,

it doesn't matter whether the leaf is from the imperial tea garden

or the mountain in Qiantang, does it?

Well said. Well said.

Good point.

Ms. Zhao, you have enlightened me.

You're more skilled than me.

I admit defeat.

You're welcome to visit us in Tea Lane, Ms. Zhao.

Let's go.

Come on.

Congratulations.

- Half-hidden is better. - Congrats.

Yes.

Thank you for your support.

Please have some fresh air at the backyard.

We have prepared free baked breads

and chrysanthemum drinks

for you.

Good. Excellent.

Let's go. Let's go.

Please, please.

Wonderful.

You go to school.

Go. Quickly.

Outstanding.

Come on. Come on.

Please.

Sirs.

Interesting.

We enjoyed a good match, and we'll have free food.

Did you see the final moment?

I couldn't see clearly,

but that one drop of water…

What's…

Thanks.

Get up.

Get up.

I'm really sorry.

- I'll clean you up. - Sorry.

No, no, no.

I'll do it myself. No bother.

Thank you

for your supportive comments earlier.

You're welcome.

Thank you, too.

No problem. No problem.

Do come here more often.

How come you look kind of familiar?

You look familiar, as well.

Du,

you know…

Look,

this is an actual white-faced scholar.

Yes.

You don't hit on a girl in the cliché way

of acting clumsy.

It's but a misunderstanding.

No clumsiness at all.

Yuan Tuntian,

I'm fine with you mocking me,

why do you have to make fun of this scholar?

You won't get cakes anymore.

No. Please.

All right. All right.

You silly short-sighted man.

Without your eyeglasses,

you're virtually blind.

Put them on.

Unbelievable.

What a kind and lovely lady.

♪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♪