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 30=

The contract just fixed

the date you pay me,

not the date I refund your money.

If you don't agree,

sue me in the government.

Since Gu Qianfan dumped you,

why don't you

be my lover?

So what if the middleman is an official?

I tell you what,

women are chicken-hearted.

I nearly scared that Zhao girl

into tears.

She broke the deal.

So what if I don't give her money back?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Boss, boss. Ms. Zhao is here.

Ms. Zhao.

You're here with the money for me?

How come I don't see the carriers?

I'm expecting the 600 strings

so that I can congratulate you on your new business.

You're right.

I am here with the money for you.

The pawn ticket of Great Xiangguo Temple.

Do you want it?

Of course, I do.

You're really resourceful.

You managed to raise a fund so quickly.

It's fake?

What are you doing?

M-Ms. Zhao.

W-What's the meaning of this?

Keep quiet if you want him to stay alive.

The deal is broken.

You either give the 300 strings back to me

or we die together.

Wait, wait, wait.

Ms. Zhao, we can talk, right?

You think I won't take any measures because I'm a woman?

The 600 strings of coins

are everything we three girls

have earned over the past decade.

If I lost everything,

why would I still be alive?

I'll count to ten.

One.

Two.

Ms. Zhao, let's talk, alright?

Three.

I will give you the money. I will.

Go get the money!

Ms. Zhao,

please have mercy.

Please have mercy.

He just gave you the money?

How did you get out of Wangyue Restaurant in the end?

I made him swallow a pill before I left.

I said it was a special-made poison.

If he behaves in the following month,

I'll give him the antidote.

You learned it from Gu…

You lied to him on purpose, didn't you?

A nice trick.

He deserves it.

Why didn't you take us with you?

What if it had gone south?

I made the trouble.

I should be responsible for it.

Though we've got the 300 strings back,

the deed of our teahouse is still in the pawnshop.

I'm thinking about

selling all those jewelry and artworks,

and borrowing some money from Mr. Du

so that we can

have the deed redeemed.

Will Du Changfeng lend us money?

He offered it.

Sanniang, I think as long as we still have the teahouse,

we can make a living from it.

But…

Are you willing to start over with me?

Sure.

The artworks aren't important,

but do you have the heart

to sell your red coral hairpin?

Now in my eyes,

it's just a piece of jewelry that can turn into cash.

Pan'er.

I don't really feel like selling it.

It can at least

serve as a reminder for me

of how stupid I am

to believe another liar

after the first one.

Not only did I refuse to listen to your suggestions,

but I also tried to find excuses for him.

Zhaodi, you mustn't learn from me.

I ask you to be self-independent,

but at the end of the day, I still put my trust in men.

I'll trust no one

except for you and Sanniang.

I don't know all the other stuff.

All I know

is follow your lead.

Exactly.

If the teahouse fails,

we'll convert it into a restaurant or an inn.

We can still sell food and wine.

With your way of doing business,

my cooking skill,

and Zhaodi's hard work,

we'll rise again.

Are you really going to sell it?

Isn't it the purpose of us going there?

But I think Pan'er will regret it.

Me too.

Sanniang,

will we actually make money

if we convert the teahouse into an inn?

I cannot be sure.

But that's the only way

I could think of to comfort Pan'er.

She's a proud girl.

It's the second time a man jilted her without notice

before wedding.

If I were her, I'd kill myself for the second time.

But she made others jump off a building.

She won't shed a single tear before us.

Her business

is the only thing that she values.

We need to support her,

or she'll lose all hope.

Yes.

After that,

she has remained the same as before,

but there's no light in her eyes anymore.

Will we sell the hairpin or not?

It is a hairpin that I…

I suggest not.

It isn't worth much.

Since it bears the memory,

you'd better keep it for them.

I'll fill the gap.

You heard everything that we talked about?

O-Only a small part.

I don't have good eyesight,

so my hearing

is slightly better than others.

I don't think

you showed up here coincidentally, right?

Actually, it is a coincidence.

I came here to sell stuff, too.

I didn't get it from someone else.

It's an heirloom.

It's useless for me,

so I figured that…

You wanted to sell it

so that we can have the money, right?

I…

Du Changfeng,

we don't want your sympathy.

No, it's not like that.

I'm the middleman,

and I didn't read the deed thoroughly.

It's all my fault.

I'll do anything to make it up to you.

This is nothing.

Just take it. Take it.

No, we won't.

Seriously, it's not valuable.

Just take it.

Pan'er wouldn't allow us to take it.

She won't know if you don't tell her.

It's not happening. I…

Just stop.

I'll sell the jewelry.

Have you been sleeping well?

Not really.

Me, either.

It's all my fault.

Did things go well

when Zhao Pan'er went to see Mr. Chi?

She went to see Mr. Chi?

She…

What did you see?

Sanniang is with Du Changfeng?

That's good, isn't it?

Du Changfeng, too, is an official.

You and your sisters

will all be the wives of officials.

But why is he holding the hairpin?

Did the purchase of the restaurant go wrong?

Wait, I need to find out what happened.

Yinzhang.

Sit down and listen to me.

I know that you're worried about them.

My men will keep an eye out.

But we cannot be late

for the banquet in Lin's Mansion.

Mr. Lin is in charge of public revenue and spending.

He's the Minister of Finance.

So you will

bring out your best before him.

If you win his compliments

like you did with Minister Ke,

I guarantee that your status will be dropped in no time.

I'll give my best shot.

Don't be so serious.

Mr. Lin is a casual man.

You'll need to smile more

so that he'll be fond of you.

What's wrong?

Nothing.

Ms. Song, be careful.

It looks better with a bit of decoration, right?

You're here.

Mr. Shen.

Hi. Hello.

- Mr. Shen. - Mr. Shen.

Hi.

Ms. Song, please wait here.

I'll go greet Minister Lin.

I'll be right back.

Greetings, ladies.

Mr. Shen.

Hi. Hi.

Thank you. Thank you.

Please. Please.

A small gift for you. Please take it.

Ms. Song is here.

A minute, please, sir. I'll go fetch her.

Yinzhang, what are you doing here?

Mr. Lin asks to see you. Come on.

Oh, when you're in the room,

show enough respect for him.

Address him as Minister Lin.

Say something that he wants to hear.

Let's go.

I don't know how.

I only played pipa for the real Prime Minister,

let alone an unreal one.

Shush.

Watch your language.

Yinzhang, you know

that I wouldn't trade your dignity

for the world.

Just get it over with

for our future.

It's a one-off thing, okay?

Come on.

Thank you. Thank you.

Please. Please.

Sir, this is Ms. Song.

Hail, Minister Lin.

Arise, please.

Your name has been long heard.

And it's true

that you're gifted and pretty.

Thank you, Minister Lin.

I'm a common girl.

I can't compete with all the other beauties here.

I just express my feelings

through my pipa.

This is the pipa on which Minister Ke

left an inscription?

Let me.

Yes.

Very fine calligraphy.

I wonder if I'll have the privilege

to listen to your music, Ms. Song?

It'll be my honor.

Please.

I'll play the Tweeting of Spring Warbler.

Please enjoy.

The sound of Heaven.

Very enjoyable.

Your approval

shall bring Ms. Song's reputation

to the next level.

My pipa somehow has dirt on it.

Can I rinse it

with running water?

Please.

Minister Lin,

I personally prepared the flowers for you.

Yinzhang,

your hands are clean, aren't they?

Yinzhang, don't be mad.

Here, wipe your hands.

Mr. Lin won't let the banquet begin before we return to him.

You played so well.

You charmed him right off.

You think I played well?

Sure you did.

But I didn't play carefully.

I even made some mistakes.

Mr. Lin

is not a music lover

as you described.

He's a shallow…

Shush.

Let me go.

Yinzhang,

you shouldn't have spoken it out loud.

What if someone hears you?

Trouble will follow.

You think I'm willing to please them?

I do this

so that you can be free sooner.

Yinzhang, as long as we can

be legally married,

it doesn't matter

if we are to swallow our pride, does it?

Let's say it's not about you,

please think about me

and all that I have done.

Please, let's

set our ego aside for now.

It's not about my ego.

I need to change my clothes

for the banquet, don't I?

Your clothes.

I asked Lian to put them in the room.

Don't do this.

Go.

Haohao.

You came too, Yinzhang.

It's been a long time.

A long time, indeed.

Haohao,

I haven't seen you at the Music Division often.

I have no time.

Also, everybody in the Eastern Capital knows about you,

will you play with me again?

Sure I will.

We won't stop studying and practicing

just because His Majesty and the Prime Minister gave me some compliments.

You do have a passion for music.

But sadly,

I won't have time for you anymore.

A bachelor got me out of the Music Division.

I'm going to Qingzhou to live as a nominal wife.

So…

Won't you miss all this?

Miss what?

The outfit?

Or the bravos?

After I broke up with Chi Pan,

I realized

that fame is but vanity.

Nothing beats freedom, and the ordinary life.

Also, he promised that he wouldn't have a legal wife,

and that I'd be in charge of family affairs,

so why would I have any concerns?

You, however,

need to smarten up.

Shen Ruzhuo is a crook.

He's not.

Once I leave the Music Division,

we'll be married at once.

(The Decency of Pine Tree)

Try this.

It's fine. Don't worry. I'm here.

There are summer hurricanes and downpours

in the Eastern Capital

every three or five years.

The same in Qiantang.

I forgot

that you're from the seaside.

Come on, have a drink to calm your nerves.

Ruzhuo,

I feel a bit dizzy.

You may be a bit tipsy.

It's quite strong.

How about you get some rest?

I want to go home.

But…

But the banquet just got started.

If we left early,

Mr. Lin wouldn't be happy.

Please take Ms. Song to a room to get some rest.

Aye.

Ms. Song, this way, please.

Is it done?

I don't know.

How about I stay here?

You go inform Mr. Shen.

(Smithing)

Yinzhang.

Yinzhang.

How come the aphrodisiac incense isn't on?

Yinzhang.

I'm still awake.

You're disappointed, aren't you?

Wait.

Yinzhang, listen to me.

I…

Shen Ruzhuo said he'd help you drop the pariah status?

Yes.

I have lived in his house for a few days.

He's the one

who took you to Lin's Mansion?

What's wrong?

Chi Pan didn't allow me to say it,

but now that I'm leaving here,

I don't care anymore.

Yinzhang,

Shen Ruzhuo

isn't necessarily sincere.

You need to stay on guard against him.

People out there

describe Shen Ruzhuo as a gentleman.

Only the seasoned musicians like me

know who he really is.

Before he

obtains a girl,

he's super sincere.

But after he gets what he wants,

he'll get bored in several days.

Yes, the Shen Family is a renowned family,

but this generation

is degenerate.

He got his cushy job in the government

through bribery.

Two girls I knew

were in deep love with him,

but he offered them to Minister Lin.

No way.

He won't lie to me.

Those girls, too,

thought he was a good man.

But it was their own fault.

They got drunk,

and slept with that dirty old man.

They even thought

they cheated on their good old Ruzhuo.

For so long, you have been lying to me.

You think

I'm a frail, simple girl, don't you?

I have a temper and I play pipa,

and I'll do anything that you ask me to do.

But remember?

I'm not a little girl who just gets into the business.

My family has worked at the Music Division for three generations.

I have attended so many banquets.

I can even

tell poison by the smell of it,

let alone the aphrodisiac drug.

Also,

after years of playing pipa,

I'm very aware

how tough a fine string can be.

Would you like to try it?

Are you frightened now?

Have you forgotten

that I was once married?

My ex-husband was banished to Yazhou,

though I don't know if he's dead or alive by now.

Yinzhang, I'm sorry.

You acknowledge it? Good man.

I have prepared a statement for you.

Come on, stamp your fingerprint on it.

(Statement)

Don't worry.

Since we were once in deep love,

if you disappear in my life,

I'll leave you be as well.

Mr. Lin is coming, right?

No more delays.

The rain is too heavy!

Never mind this place.

Follow me to the wharf.

Go. To the wharf.

Quickly.

Go.

Mr. Lin will be pleased

to see this, won't he?

(Qing Garden)

(Half-hidden)

(Half-hidden)

(Half-hidden)

I don't even have any tears.

It's fine.

The building is destroyed. But we've still got the land.

We'll just start over.

Sanniang.

I feel tired.

I don't think I can.

I know what's on your mind.

Let me say it for you.

How about…

How about we don't redeem the deed?

So I won't need to borrow money from Du Changfeng.

We'll divide the 300 strings of coins.

Yinzhang, Zhaodi.

They will have their shares.

We'll go back to Qiantang to open a small business.

At least, we have a house to live there.

Is that okay?

Okay.

Let's scavenge the place.

They'll be worth something.

(God.)

(Before, I'd always say "I won't regret it".)

(But this time,)

(I…)

(I shouldn't have come)

(to the Eastern Capital.)

You eat the most but do the least.

Carry more!

Keep working!

Who's in charge here?

Hail, Mr. Ren. I'm Chi Pan, the man in charge.

You're Chi Pan?

(Ren Jiang)

(Superintendent of Kaifeng Prefecture) Is this how you run the wharf?

I kept telling you to consolidate the wharf,

but you never listened.

Now, look.

It's completely ruined by this small rain.

What am I going to say to the higher office?

Sir, allow me to explain.

It wasn't small rain last night.

Talking back to me?

What are you going to do?

What? Trying to rebel against me?

Remember.

I represent the authority. You are a citizen.

Kneel down.

Kneel.

Kneel.

He's the superintendent.

He didn't get enough bribery,

so he's here to look for trouble.

Karma is doing its work.

He deserves it.

Scholar, farmer, worker, businessman.

Businessmen are at the bottom.

You're full of tricks.

None of you is good.

I'll take my men to repair the wharf.

Who do you think you are?

How dare you talk back to me?

If it isn't repaired before nightfall,

I swear you'll be decapitated.

Even if you kill me now,

I can't repair it in such a short notice.

I'll take your life right now.

Show mercy, sir.

- Superintendent Ren! - Superintendent Ren! Sir!

Have mercy on Mr. Chi.

- Superintendent Ren, have mercy. - Superintendent Ren, have mercy.

Have mercy on Mr. Chi.

Have mercy on Mr. Chi, please.

Have mercy on Mr. Chi.

Have mercy, Superintendent Ren.

You.

Lick my boots clean.

Then I'll have mercy on you.

Chi Pan.

You wuss.

Just put your neck against his blade.

Three days later,

I bet

you'll see him in hell.

Who the heck are you?

Talking nonsense here.

Nonsense?

Answer me this. Does a superintendent in charge of river affairs

have the right to kill a citizen in public

without a trial?

Do you have any respect for the law?

He didn't manage the wharf well.

So I have the right to convict him.

The head of the wharf

is just the leader of dockers.

The reparation of the wharf

and the river channel

are your job, right?

Why does a citizen need to do anything?

Mr. Chi is willing to help

because he's grateful for His Majesty's benevolence

and wants to pay him back.

While you're

being judgmental here.

What's the meaning of this?

Well said!

- Well said! - Yeah! Yeah!

How dare you!

So what?

I've run out of my luck anyway.

So I'll just spit it out.

You said businessmen are at the bottom.

How about you don't drink the wine that businessmen make,

don't wear the clothes that businessmen sell,

and don't eat the grains that businessmen transport?

There are no farmlands in the Eastern Capital.

Other than the scholars,

most people here in the city do business.

When they fought to maintain the channel,

where were you?

When they worked to rebuild the Eastern Capital,

what were you doing?

I think

it's you snobs

that are the worst.

Yeah!

Right!

Well said!

Yes! Yes!

Arrest them.

Yes, sir.

Who dares to act against me?

♪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♪