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 35=

As such an insider,

don't you fear

that His Majesty may kill you?

Why did you do such a stupid thing?

Because once the Empress is convicted,

she'll be executed.

I used to be a music performer, too.

I understand she didn't have a choice.

Another reason...

I hate you,

but I don't want you to die.

Pan'er.

Ouch!

What's the matter with you?

Your mouse trap hurt my foot.

Whenever I step hard, it hurts.

Gu Qianfan.

It's so unconvincing when you fake it.

I saw how you got on the bridge.

You walked smoothly.

I have no time for your show.

It's my gut feeling

that since His Majesty proposed a truce with the northerners

and has created the peace and prosperity in the Eastern Capital,

he has to be a merciful man.

And over the years of their marriage,

I believe he knows everything about the Empress.

If he eventually chooses to believe me,

it means

he believes the Empress from the bottom of his heart.

That's all I have to say.

Bye.

Pan'er, listen to me.

I was injured in the North Envoy incident,

I had no choice.

I didn't know what happened

with Wangyue Restaurant.

So you chose to be a coward.

You stayed in the carriage.

You wouldn't even

get off the carriage to say

"This is the end of us" to me.

No.

I never wanted this to end.

Could you give me another chance?

Why didn't you make yourself clear?

Can you swear

that for all this time,

you never thought about breaking off your engagement?

You didn't, huh?

What a coward!

You are even worse than Ouyang Xu.

At least, he sent a servant

to let me know.

A man like you

doesn't deserve my love.

Yes, you don't deserve it.

Pan'er.

Wooden Head, stop following us.

You watched too many hero scenes.

Don't you think

you can soften her heart

by acting like a victim.

I am too familiar

with this trick.

If you don't want to give yourself away in front of His Majesty,

just stop seeing me at Yong'an Restaurant.

Never mind him. Let's go drinking.

Stop following us.

Hang in there.

He's still watching.

Don't lose your ground.

He's gone.

I didn't mean to cross the line.

I just wanted to piss that idiot off.

No tears, please, my beautiful.

If you get red eyes,

Ms. Song will be suspicious tomorrow.

I'm not in tears.

You have this in your pocket all the time, don't you?

When you find a girl in tears,

you say the same thing to her, right?

Spot on.

Actually, not one handkerchief,

but three.

What if there are multiple girls in tears?

I never get tired of your smiles.

You said you'd buy me drinks, right?

Are we really going?

Bravo.

- Bravo. - Bravo.

- Bravo. - Amazing.

Bravo.

One more.

Bravo.

One more.

Bravo.

♪In the busy city, I trade vanity♪

Bravo.

♪For quietness♪

- Come on. Hurry up. - Bravo.

Bravo.

♪A toast to the days we had♪

♪Old lover is gone, traffic is clamorous♪

- Bravo. - Bravo.

♪Feel bad for the falling flowers♪

♪No word, only music♪

♪Pipa covers half of my face♪

♪What year is it now♪

♪What year is it now♪

♪Forget all about the past♪

♪The gentle sound of rain drops last night♪

♪It is already gone♪

♪The southern wind blows it away♪

♪What year is it now♪

♪What year is it now♪

♪The music touches someone's heart♪

♪Wander around the world♪

♪No trouble, no hate♪

- Owner. - Yes?

- Come here. - Coming.

Crystal dumplings.

Eel filling bun.

Sesame drink, thin rice noodles. One plate each.

And fetch me the best wine that I kept in your restaurant.

Go.

Sure.

You've worked hard.

Relax yourself tonight.

You'll try some of the most famous snacks in this city.

Sure.

It may seem like a small restaurant,

but I tried the food here when I was younger.

This is Yaoquan wine.

I stole it from the villa

of the Eighth Prince.

Really?

Yes.

When I stole…

Thank you.

Go. Leave us alone.

When I stole it,

I was bitten by his dog.

My leg still feels the pain till this day.

Quickly. Try it.

I'll top it up for you.

- Cheers. - Cheers.

Here we go.

We'll get drunk tonight.

- Sure. - Good.

The drinking alone is boring.

Let's play some games.

Fine.

Bring it on.

Come on.

Wait, wait. Let's play another one.

The loser

must agree to the winner's request.

How about that?

OK.

Come on, the rule is set.

Five.

- Fifteen. - Ten.

Fifteen.

- Zero. - Ten.

Five.

Ten.

Ten.

Ten.

Ten. Ten.

Fifteen.

Ten.

Five.

Ten.

Wait a minute. I'm out of breath.

Let's take a break.

Pan'er, are you happy?

Yes, I am.

Next, you're going to say,

"Pan'er, how about

we keep this way forever", aren't you?

It's raining.

Let's find a shelter.

Let's go there.

Sure. Sure.

Be careful.

First of all,

take girls to cheap restaurants,

because that's more fun.

Secondly, tell them more about your wild stories in youth,

because that's interesting.

Also,

when you say something important,

make sure there's candle light

in your eyes,

because that makes you look sincere.

Chi Pan, thank you for drinking with me.

But I grew up in entertainment joints,

I have heard too many of these stories.

If I knew earlier,

I wouldn't have spent so much effort.

(Long-lasting Benevolence God Blesses All Firm As Rock)

Your Majesty, here's the Styrax Curcuma Wine.

Take the wine

to the Empress.

It's thundering out there.

It always scares her.

Let her try some

to calm her nerves.

Tell her

that I bought it from the market.

Aye.

I get it.

You're worried that I may abandon you

like him, right?

Don't worry.

I won't.

I'm a faithful man.

Seriously.

If Zhang Haohao

didn't smash my bird,

I'd still be with her.

Ah, no, no, no.

I don't mean you're her replacement.

What I mean is…

Anyway,

we're business partners, right?

You bring me fortune.

You're the last person

I would want to offend.

But I just don't like you.

Why?

Why?

Take bean curd jelly for example.

You like the sweet one, but I like it to be salty.

There's no good or bad.

It just doesn't taste right.

This is a bad example.

Bean curd jelly, huh?

So…

Did Gu Qianfan take you to have bean curd jelly before?

See? Got you stumped.

So what if there's a salt-sweet conundrum?

I'll just buy both.

I'm so rich.

Actually, I'd buy four.

We drink one, and smash one.

Mr. Chi, let me ask you.

You won't get off my back.

Is it because of your retaliation against Gu Qianfan

or

is it because you haven't succeeded in conquering me?

Do you really like me

or do you wish to conquer me?

I…

Never mind.

No, I'm not finished.

I have thought it through.

I don't know why,

but I just like you.

When you crave bean curd jelly,

is it because you're homesick

or you're hungry

or you simply feel like eating it?

Finished?

Yes.

Check-out.

What's the meaning of this?

Hey!

Hey!

Wait.

I believe in fate.

How about we take another bet?

Let God decide.

If I win,

you'll be my girl.

If I lose,

I'll agree to three of your requests.

No backing out.

Fine. What bet?

What bet?

You decide.

As long as there'll be a quick result.

Let's bet on

is it a man or a woman to appear on the bridge next.

Man.

It must be a younger boy

who's following him.

Slow down.

Be careful.

It's unfair.

It was raining a moment ago,

but the kid's hat is dry,

so his mother must have held the umbrella for him.

Mr. Chi.

You believe in haphazardness,

while I believe in odds.

Just stop.

I lost, alright?

Sulking?

I'm good.

Loses are common in gambling.

I lose this time,

and I'll win the next time.

Fine.

We've got a long way ahead of us.

You'll see me every day.

Maybe someday,

you may want to try something new.

Or maybe,

someday,

I'd like to try something new.

There are so many

cute girls in the Eastern Capital,

I won't put all my hope on one girl.

You've got no boyfriend,

and I've got no girlfriend.

Now that we're both single,

can't we just date

for fun?

Fine.

Stop talking!

I know what you're going to say.

I'm now in a very bad mood.

It's so hard for me to force a smile.

You can be polite

with the guests at Yong'an Restaurant.

Is it so difficult for you

to make your boss happy?

Fine. Walk me back to Osmanthus Lane then.

See? See?

You just can't stop making me angry.

Hi.

Two coins.

Here.

Thank you.

A little beauty for you.

She's not as good as you.

She's so fat.

You, however, are gorgeous.

Fine.

I'm a man of my word.

Say it.

What are your three requests?

First one.

I want you to answer me a question.

What?

Why do you call Gu Qianfan Wooden Head?

What happened in his family?

Who is his father?

You're asking the right person.

So his so-called aunt is actually his mother?

Correct.

That isn't his aunt.

That's his mother.

His father and mother

were married in another city behind their family's back.

His grandfather, Gu Shenyan,

was a high-ranking official in Ministry of Rites.

He was a stern geezer.

I was only five years old.

His grandfather would even criticize me

for pulling the girls' hair for fun.

Oh, right. I remember this one time

when his grandfather was super mad.

And shortly after,

Gu Qianfan's mother took him

to the capital city at night.

I thought

he was the son of his uncle,

but his father came along,

and kept knocking at the door for the whole night.

Qianfan and his mother were crying in the room.

His grandfather stood outside,

telling his father to get lost.

He said

the Gu Family had a good reputation,

and he wouldn't acknowledge

this fly- or dog-like son-in-law.

Buzz like a fly, live like a dog. It means lack of integrity.

Yes, that's what he said.

And then,

his uncle came out to drive his father away, as well,

saying

Qianfan would use his mother's family name.

Gu.

Never Xiao.

I heard that.

His father's surname is Xiao?

Yes, Xiao.

We fought a lot when we were little,

and I'd always lose.

So I called him Wooden Head because I was angry.

(I didn't lie to you)

(about Xiao Wei.)

(It's just my relationship with the Xiao Family)

(is way too complicated,)

(so I couldn't find a way)

(to explain to you.)

Not many

know about this, right?

No outlanders know this.

Inside the capital city,

there were three houses on the street,

the Chi Family, the Gu Family

and the Su Family.

They had a daughter who was married to the Yang Family in Qiantang.

Later, there was a plague,

and everybody died.

My parents knew about it, too.

But they died long ago.

Don't tell people about it.

If you didn't ask me about his personal business,

I wouldn't even tell you.

A guy who grew up in a family like this

has to have a weird personality.

It's good that you two have broken up

because it's only a matter of time that he'd break your heart.

I've talked too much.

I'm parched.

Would you drink more wine with me?

Wait.

You're the head of the silk guild in the Eastern Capital, you said?

Yes. What?

Can you do me another favor?

It's my second request.

(If I miss you,)

(I'll hang a yellow flower,)

(and we'll meet at the teahouse.)

(If you don't want to give yourself away in front of His Majesty,)

(just stop seeing me at Yong'an Restaurant.)

Pan'er, you're back.

Yinzhang.

Are things fine between you and Gu Qianfan?

Yes.

After you and Mr. Chi are gone,

someone made trouble in Wanshui Pavilion.

Sanniang couldn't leave the kitchen,

and Zhaodi didn't know how to deal with it,

so they informed me.

But I took care of it.

Don't worry.

It's lucky that I got you.

My problem is solved as well.

Pan'er,

ever since I came back,

I have never said sorry to you.

It was the second time I made a mistake.

Jealousy and vanity got the better of me.

I didn't listen to you

and put my hope on men again.

Enough. I understand you.

There's no right or wrong

in this.

It was a choice you made based on the situation.

You won't resign

because you're still a musician.

That's why you always try to take gambles,

and why you're always impulsive.

I always say you don't feel how others feel.

But when I was at your age,

I took Ouyang Xu's vow for it, too.

Pan'er.

Even now,

I haven't really improved.

Women

are like plum blossoms.

They weather the harsh winters

to bloom more vigorously.

Look at how capable you are now.

You have ideas and executive capabilities.

For the success of Flower and Moon Banquet and Qianshan Pavilion,

I give you 70% of the credit.

I will keep working hard.

Forever.

Never say forever.

If we're willing to,

there are thousands of possibilities

expecting us.

Your dress is still wet.

You were caught in the rain on your way back, weren't you?

Change your dress.

It's fine. It's dry now.

You left the window open.

I'll close it for you.

It's fine. Go back to have a rest.

I'll make some ginger tea for you.

(Bank Ticket 3,000 Strings of Copper Coins)

Do you know how?

Yeah.

(Bank ticket, 3,000 strings of copper coins)

(Great Xiangguo Temple, Pawn Note)

(Who else could it be other than him?)

(Bank Ticket 3,000 Strings of Copper Coins)

Zhaodi.

What?

You still see Chen Lian from time to time, do you?

Yes.

Can you fetch him for me?

Sure.

(Bank Ticket 3,000 Strings of Copper Coins)

He sold his house to get money for me.

When did he do it?

I remember it was before Zhaodi and I had the fight.

On the day he followed the order

to go on a hunting trip with the North Envoy.

Why did he stay in the carriage

instead of getting out to see me?

Chief only told me

that it's not he didn't want to see you,

he was afraid to see you.

Pan'er,

Chief wouldn't even fear decapitation.

So,

I'm sure it was something big.

He was afraid that you wouldn't forgive him,

so he chose to hide from you.

He even risked his life

disobeying the imperial order

to see you.

The dish we have today

- has a history. - Good. Good.

Yes.

Mr. Tuntian.

You personally cooked for us.

It's such an honor for us.

Yes.

- No problem. You're a distinguished guest. - Yes.

I remember you like freshwater fish.

Try it.

What an honor.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

- Please enjoy. - Thank you.

Look.

- Please. - Please.

Please enjoy.

Are you tired?

What are you doing?

You seem tired.

I wanted to give you a massage.

I told you,

when you're here,

we keep a distance.

Alright, distance. Well noted.

What do you want from me?

I'm not here to see you.

Otherwise, I'd go straight to the kitchen.

I'm here to see Ms. Zhao.

Stop there.

Come here.

Why are you mad at him?

How dare you?

How dare you steal my stuff.

Come here.

Come here.

I didn't steal it.

- You were going to throw them anyway, - Yeah.

- weren't you? - Yeah.

No, I wasn't, actually.

They are supposed to be takeaways.

He Si, why are you standing still?

Catch him.

Stop there.

Talking me back, huh?

Talking me back?

Trying to escape?

Spit it out.

I'm asking you to spit it out.

- Spit it out now. - Let me go!

Spit it out now.

Now, now!

My face!

Zifang.

- Mr. Chi, are you okay? - It burns.

Mother?

Mother!

Yes.

It's been days.

Still no news from the palace.

The Night Revels

was firm evidence.

Oh, right.

The imperial doctor didn't come, right?

I'm confused, too.

He should have been here two hours ago.

Oh, no.

Something must have happened in the palace.

Sir.

No, no.

I don't believe His Majesty

would stand being cuckolded.

It's just deposing the Empress isn't a small thing.

The contention between Censor Qi and Xiao Qinyan

is still on.

That's true.

Easy. Easy.

Sir, just go to bed.

The secret investigator sent to Jiangnan Region hasn't returned,

but there are quite a lot of Qiantang businessmen in the Eastern Capital.

I have organized multiple investigations.

They all say

that Transport Assistant does visit Ms. Zhao very often

to drink tea and buy paintings.

In addition,

Wu Ming, the Prefect of Runzhou,

said he saw The Night Revels in Yang's house, too.

(The real one is burned. Good.)

He did?

It looks like Zhao Pan'er

did speak the truth.

But

Ouyang Xu and Qi Mu

these two bastards

plotted against the Empress.

Two scheming pests!

Calm down, Your Majesty.

I, however, suspect

that Mr. Qi and Mr. Ouyang

were deceived.

The counterfeit painting

isn't necessarily the work of Mr. Ouyang.

That is possible.

It may be related to Zheng Qingtian who killed himself.

Too bad.

Zheng Qingtian

died too early.

Indeed.

He even wrote to plead guilty before he died.

Now that I think about it,

it does seem like a cover for others.

The culprit forged the painting

and started a conflict within the court.

Your Majesty,

don't forget about the Hat Demon case.

Minister Xiao's life was threatened.

Mr. Qi was forced to leave the capital city for rehabilitation.

Are you saying

it's someone else

who's behind these cases?

Yes.

Dare I present my inference.

If you think The Night Revels is real,

then the Empress and the Crown Prince have to be deposed,

Minister Xiao will be implicated,

and you'll have to appoint another heir apparent.

If you think it's fake,

Mr. Qi will be convicted,

and you'll still be suspicious

of the Empress.

Even if Prince Sheng becomes the Crown Prince,

the Empress Party and the Scholar Ministers will both take a hit.

You will have to choose an assisting minister

from the royal clan.

Whether I believe it or not,

I shall fall into his trap.

OK. I see.

Mr. Lei, stand down.

Director Lei, please.

Hey. That way.

This way, please.

Director Lei, please.

Go tell the Empress

that I'd like to have her bean congee.

Aye.

His will shall be done.

I'm off, Your Majesty.

(I barely survived the crisis.)

(I went through so much)

(to get my stature.)

(I swear)

(I'll be in the position for more decades.)

Go get the beans.

I will examine

every bean personally.

Aye.

What?

You don't believe

that I have successfully talked

His Majesty into not convicting you?

I'm grateful

for your aid.

It's just

there was no interaction between us before.

That's exactly

why I chose to offer my help

to show my sincerity.

I'll cut to the chase.

His Majesty only has one son, and that's Prince Sheng.

After he's enthroned,

he'll find out that he isn't the Empress's biological son.

By then, the Empress and her party shall fall.

But I don't intend to be part of it.

I've built connections in the imperial palace for years,

and I'm willing to aid you in secretly moving forward.

When you become the Prime Minister…

By then,

you will be given the position of Defender-in-chief.

Thank you, Mr. Qi.

But His Majesty

has to vent his anger

on someone this time.

I know what to do.

Good. Good.

Is The Night Revels real or fake?

It is real.

It's a matter of significance. I dare not lie.

Still in denial?

Consort Xian sent me a message

that the Empress has regained His Majesty's favor.

It shows

that His Majesty has known the truth

and that he doesn't believe your nonsense.

No way.

It has to be real.

Otherwise,

why would the Capital Security Office and Zhao Pan'er

keep asking me for it?

Zhao Pan'er?

Why is she involved?

I…

I have known all about what happened

between you and Zhao Pan'er.

I mean…

Could it be that she's the original owner of the painting?

Then why did you insist

that you got the painting from the Western Capital?

Don't you know

that fooling the Emperor is a felony?

It was but a mistake.

Let me think.

Maybe Gu Qianfan had already known

that the painting was problematic,

so he had Zhao Pan'er

ask you for it.

You held a grudge against Zhao Pan'er for forcing you out of the capital.

When you found the secret of the painting,

you reached out to Qi Mu,

an enemy of the Empress Party,

and returned to the Eastern Capital.

You thought you had iron evidence,

and that your career would take off

after the Empress falls.

But you had to take revenge on them.

And you hid the fact that you broke off your engagement,

which was a time bomb that would ruin your career life sooner or later.

So you made up

the history of The Night Revels,

hoping that His Majesty

would convict Gu Qianfan of concealment of the truth.

Do you honestly think

the Capital Security Office and the Empress Party are useless?

But The Night Revels is real.

And it's a fact that the Empress was once a musician.

Let's say there's a murder on the street.

Would Kaifeng Prefecture believe my word

or...

the testimony of a ruffian?

Word on the streets says

that His Majesty may have visited

Yong'an Restaurant in disguise.

If that's true,

no one knows

what Zhao Pan'er might have said to His Majesty.

Save me, Father.

Don't call me like that anymore.

I…

It's a mistake that I have trusted you again.

Not only Mr. Qi,

even I'm embroiled in it.

Father,

are you going to break off the betrothal for the second time?

What do you mean?

I suggest you think twice.

You and I are in this together.

If you don't help me,

then I shall

expose your daughter's

private belongings.

You…

Marriage

is supposed to benefit both sides.

If I were to go down,

so would Miss Hui and the Gao Family.

I'm going to kill you.

Well done.

His Majesty is soft-hearted.

After all, Qi Mu is the leader of the Scholar Ministers.

If we discredit him too hard,

His Majesty will get cautious sooner or later.

Yes, yes. Yes.

But this time,

not only did you beg for mercy on Qi Mu's behalf,

but you also sowed the seed

of his misjudgment in His Majesty's heart.

With several more cases of incompetence,

the Scholar Ministers

shall lose His Majesty's favor

in no time.

Thank you for your instructions, Minister Xiao.

Do you know

that His Majesty's health condition…

That's why

the Empress and Prince Sheng

are the future of the nation.

Don't worry.

When I take full control of the imperial court

as the regent,

your hard work will pay off.

Thank you for your promotion.

Check out the quality.

- It has to be good. - Yes.

- Just buy one. - Sir, this one.

What's your name, miss?

Let's go check that out.

Ma'am.

(It's so nice.)

(Yes. Yes.)

Where did you get this handkerchief?

I bought it.

Where?

Many stalls sell it in the Eastern Capital these days.

- It only cost me dozens of coins. - I'd like to have a look.

There's a vendor right over there.

- This one looks pretty. - This is nice.

Look.

Let me see.

Look.

(Hui) I have all the girls' names.

What's the name of your girl?

I'll get one for you.

This one, right?

(Shu)

Check this one out.

Who did it?

You can't get in here.

Chuntao, leave us.

Go.

Yes.

You did this, right?

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

I, Ouyang Xu, admit

that I'm not good enough for you.

I'd like to break off our betrothal again.

Again?

I only have the statement of ending the betrothal

that you personally wrote in the Western Capital.

I don't recall we were betrothed for the second time.

Now that it has come to this,

I'll make myself very clear.

If you agree to this

I'll give you back what you want.

♪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♪