Original subtitles

[English subtitles are available]

[Destined]

[Episode 30]

I will help you

get what you want, Your Highness.

I'd like to

propose a toast to you, Grand Tutor.

Thank you, Your Highness.

Jiusi.

To be honest,

for a moment just now,

I was worried that

you'd go back there with a sword

to kill Luo Zishang.

In that case, all of you will be implicated.

I won't do that.

Still, seeing my enemy right in front of me,

but I can't avenge

my father

and the innocent.

This feeling...

I understand.

The Ye family

was also murdered

and destroyed.

But now,

I can't do anything about him.

So why don't you go see His Majesty,

reveal the true colors

of Luo Zishang,

and ask His Majesty to execute him?

What Luo Zishang is best at

is to stir up trouble behind the scenes.

No one

knows his true colors.

They all think he endured the humiliation

and worked for Wang Shanquan

to protect the gentry of Jiangnan.

That's why he has high prestige.

Also,

what he's best at

is to bewitch people.

If we make a scene now,

someone

will get a hold over us on purpose

to impugn His Majesty

and Youzhou Sect.

It won't be worth it.

But His Majesty can tell right from wrong.

Doesn't he trust us more?

It won't make any difference.

Think about it.

Luo Zishang

dared to show up in Eastern Capital

presumptuously.

That means

he has something

that makes others, even His Majesty,

dare not confront him.

The new dynasty is just built. It's not a good time to crusade.

Now His Majesty's foundation is still unstable.

The prefectures are in separatism.

Now is the time for them to take stock of the situation

and surrender.

Luo Zishang just

took the initiative to offer Yangzhou.

If anything happens to him,

who else would dare to surrender to Da Xia?

So

Luo Zishang got a death-exemption plate

in the name of

taking scope of the situation of the world?

Exactly.

For His Majesty,

and for the stability of the new dynasty,

I can endure the blood feud.

But that's the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor.

The Crown Prince is the foundation of our dynasty,

and the future of Da Xia.

He traded Yangzhou for this position.

That is to put the bet

on the Crown Prince.

That's what I'm most worried about.

[Spring in the Four Seas]

I'm your humble servant, Luo Zishang.

Greetings, Your Majesty.

I got a pair of

Hepu luminous pearls

for your entertainment, Your Majesty.

Please accept it.

Thank you, Grand Tutor.

I heard that

you killed Wang Shanquan

and offered Yangzhou, Grand Tutor.

His Majesty made an exception and appointed you as the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor.

Since you're His Majesty's favorite,

how come you have time

to come to my palace?

When His Majesty took over Eastern Capital,

if not for your support,

how could he make the world submit?

And now,

His Majesty's foundation is still unstable,

but he tried to purge hostile forces

in the name of treasury investigation.

In fact,

he's trying to seize power from you, Your Majesty.

His Majesty

did hurt me

and the old officials of the previous dynasty with this move.

What do you have in mind, Grand Tutor?

I heard that

Princess Yunchang

used to have an engagement

with Gu Jiusi.

Since it's the late emperor's dying wish,

the engagement should be fulfilled.

Gu Jiusi

is a loyal official.

The only thing he relies on

is His Majesty's trust.

If he marries Her Highness,

he can get under your command, Your Majesty.

And His Majesty

won't be able to trust him anymore.

Gu Jiusi

will become the best sword

in your hands, Your Majesty.

The princess is the only child

left by the late emperor.

It's time to find her a

good husband.

Liu Yuru.

After the princess marries into the Gu family,

there will be no Mrs. Gu in the world anymore.

But I can still

make you Boss Liu.

[Ministry of Revenue]

Brother Jiusi.

[Princess of the previous dynasty, Li Yunchang]

You are...?

Why didn't you bow to Her Highness?

No need.

I'm just here to see my old friend.

No need to focus on the formalities.

I didn't know who you are.

Please forgive me for being rude,

Your Highness.

Brother Jiusi.

Why are you so distant?

I'm Yunchang.

Don't you remember?

We've known each other since we were little.

I was only five then.

You didn't know who I am,

and treated me as a maid.

You climbed the tree to take the kite down for me,

and coaxed me into calling you brother

before giving it back to me.

You are the Phoenix born with pearl, Your Highness.

How would I, an inferior official, dare to make connections with you?

I did countless mischievous things

in my childhood.

Please forgive me

if I offended you, Your Highness.

You didn't offend me.

I'm very happy

that fate brought us together.

The snow three years ago

made us miss each other

accidentally.

I thought it was over between us.

I didn't expect that

the kite string is still there.

No.

It was all set up by

Lord Liang.

I have absolutely no feelings

for you.

How can I deserve you?

Besides,

I already have a wife.

She is the wealthiest person in Youzhou,

the boss of Huarong rouge shop,

Liu Yuru.

We are in

a harmonious and loving relationship now.

Brother Jiusi, it's been a long time since we last met.

Why don't you stay in the palace

and take a walk with me in the garden?

My legs

are not well.

Deputy Minister Gu.

Remonstrator Ye wants to see you at the Ministry of Rites.

I have something important to do.

See you, Your Highness.

Brother Jiusi.

Wait, Brother Jiusi.

My Lady.

Someone from the palace sent an invitation.

Leave it.

I'll give it to Jiusi when he's back.

My Lady.

This invitation is for you.

The man delivered it said

Her Highness wants to invite you to a flower-admiring banquet.

Why does Princess Yunchang

want to invite me?

It's said to be a banquet for the wives of the officials of Eastern Capital.

Many ladies are going.

We've been in Eastern Capital for so long,

and we've had no problem

with Princess Yunchang.

How come

she jumped out to woo us

when Jiusi is investigating the Treasury?

Something

is not right about this.

My Lady.

Shall I decline the invitation for you?

No.

I need to see her.

Wanzhi.

You've never enjoyed palace banquets and socializing.

Sorry for making you

come with me today.

Don't mention it.

Li Yunchang must be up to no good

sending you that invitation.

I don't trust her enough

to let you go alone.

Moreover, these days,

the gossip of her knowing Jiusi since they were young.

and having an engagement with him

has been all over Eastern Capital.

When I was working,

my colleagues all wanted to pry into it

explicitly or implicitly.

People say women like to gossip.

I don't see men

being any better.

I'm not angry as the victim.

Why do you have to be mad at

those who believe the rumors?

People in Eastern Capital

all seem to be decent on the outside,

but they are full of tricks.

Anyway, I can't let them

take advantage of you.

Mrs. Gu.

How have you been?

Young Master Luo.

We parted in a hurry at Yangzhou dock,

and I only got to see you off from afar.

I always feel sorry for it.

But luckily,

we meet again so soon.

I didn't expect you

to come to Eastern Capital,

given that you're so busy in Yangzhou, Young Master Luo.

Eastern Capital is a prosperous place.

All businessmen long for it.

Just like you, Mrs. Gu.

I'm no exception, either.

Compared with

your current identity as a noble wife,

I admired you more

when you were still

Boss Liu back then.

Who is he?

Nobody.

A serpent

that only dares to hide in the shadow.

So delicate.

This is beautiful.

It's so beautiful.

Yes.

Mrs. Liu.

Mrs. Liu, your hairpin

is a good item.

It's rare to see

such a precious treasure.

How sharp-eyed you are.

Let's enjoy the flowers together.

Okay.

Who is the lady

wearing a wood hairpin?

She's Vice Director of the Granaries Bureau Liu Chun's wife.

I see.

You may leave.

Yes.

Wanzhi.

What rank is Vice Director of the Granaries Bureau?

Vice Director of the Granaries Bureau is a fourth-rank official.

Fourth-rank?

Isn't it the same as Jiusi's rank?

Almost.

Isn't this Mrs. Gu,

Deputy Minister of Revenue's wife?

Mrs. Gu!

We've heard a lot about you.

What a coincidence.

My husband Liu Chun

also works in the Ministry of Revenue, same as Deputy Minister Gu.

Your husband

is His Majesty's favorite

now.

Now that I see your temperament,

you are really extraordinary.

Mrs. Liu, you flatter me.

This is nothing.

You, on the other hand, have a great taste, Mrs. Liu.

The hairpin you're wearing

looks like plain wood.

But it's clearly made of thousand-year-old Dalbergia odorifera

from Qiongzhou.

It's rare in the world.

It's much more valuable than gold.

This hairpin equals

Vice Director Liu's annual salary, right?

It's worth a lot indeed.

Yes.

Annual salary?

Mrs. Liu.

My family used to have

a few properties.

But I've never been

as wealthy as you.

If Vice Director Liu

has some ways to make money,

please enlighten me.

What Dalbergia odorifera?

I don't understand.

This is just an ordinary hairpin.

It's worthless.

Princess Yunchang is here!

Greetings, Your Highness.

You're all here for fun today.

You are my guests.

Don't mind the formalities.

Please rise.

Thank you, Your Highness.

Did I say you can rise?

I heard that Mrs. Gu comes from a commoners' family.

Your humble family went through

a lot of trouble raising you.

And you married into a noble family.

Now you can even attend

the same banquet as the wives of the officials.

It shows that

with good luck,

even a blade of grass can fly to the sky.

Yuru, get up.

Do you dare to disobey my order?

No, I don't.

But I have a question, Your Highness.

When His Majesty was saving the late emperor,

it was Mrs. Gu, who was born a commoner,

raised the military provisions.

When the bandits of Lord Liang was attacking Wangdu,

it was also Mrs. Gu who guarded the city gate

and protected the people.

As for you noble ladies,

besides hiding in the capital,

what have you ever done

for the dynasty

and the people?

Wanzhi.

We were both born commoners.

We are a far cry from Her Highness.

How can we compare ourselves with Her Highness?

Your Highness, for you,

an ordinary flower-admiring banquet

can be held so extravagantly.

I think Your Highness

must have put a lot of thought in it

for us.

I'm just a vulgar woman in the army.

I can't tell if there are thoughts in it.

But I want to ask you, Sister,

how much

does this flower-admiring banquet cost today?

That must be a lot.

There are 12 tables of delicacy

set in the Imperial Garden for the flower-admiring banquet.

It takes at least 1,000 taels of silver.

1,000 taels?

1,000 taels?

It equals

ten second-rank officials' annual salaries.

Mrs. Gu.

Are you accusing me?

I dare not.

It's just that now is the initial stage of Da Xia.

It's time for us to work together

and serve our dynasty.

As officials' wives,

we shouldn't fight among ourselves.

Not only that,

we should also make contributions to Da Xia.

If we can

be thrifty and frugal in our households,

it also counts as pledging allegiance to our country.

You...

His Majesty is here!

Well said.

Greetings, Your Majesty.

Rise.

-Thank you, Your Majesty./N-Thank you, Your Majesty.

Yuru.

I heard

what you just said.

Well said.

Your Majesty.

I'm shallow and inexperienced.

I was just thinking about

what I did in the household

to manage internal affairs.

Sorry about that, Your Majesty.

Don't belittle yourself.

In fact, the management of a country and a household

shares the same root.

If the officials' wives and their households

can set an example

to create a clean and thrifty fashion,

then

it will definitely create

the peace and prosperity of Da Xia.

Do you understand?

Brilliant! Your Majesty!

Yuru.

When we were in Youzhou,

I witnessed you and Jiusi

help the people and donate money.

Now the people of Wangdu are living in peace.

You also contributed a lot to that.

It seems that you care about the country.

You're not an ordinary woman.

If you were a man,

you must be a hero.

You flatter me, Your Majesty.

You've been busy with court administration lately, Your Majesty.

You are not as healthy

as before.

Since the weather is good,

you should come out more often

and get more sunlight.

Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty.

I wonder why you wanted to see me

here today?

What could it be?

I'm old.

What I care about is only my children.

I only have

one child, Yunchang.

I hope Your Majesty

can make a decision for her marriage,

and betroth her to a good husband.

This is good news.

Your Majesty.

I wonder

if you have someone in mind for her?

You don't know, right?

Yunchang had

an engagement with the current

Deputy Minister of Revenue,

Gu Jiusi.

Gu Jiusi?

But he already has a wife.

I know.

But that Liu is just

a commoner.

Just let him divorce her.

Besides, when it comes to marriage,

the late emperor

arranged the marriage for Yunchang first.

Liu only married him after that.

It won't be us oppressing her

as the royal family.

Your Majesty.

The princess is royalty.

And Gu Jiusi

is already married.

Besides, he's not a highly-ranked official.

It will be wronging the princess.

It's really inappropriate.

In my opinion,

you should

choose someone else for her, Your Majesty.

If Yunchang is willing to choose someone else,

I wouldn't have to ask you for this favor myself,

Your Majesty.

Yunchang is

spoiled by me.

She and Deputy Minister Gu were childhood sweethearts.

They've been hanging out since childhood.

Now she only wants to

marry him.

Your Majesty.

This is the last wish

of the late emperor.

Now that the late emperor

had no other children,

Yunchang is the only child left

with the royal blood.

Back then, I brought

the entire court to welcome you at the gate with my only child.

I dedicated everything to you, Your Majesty.

I'm not asking for anything else

but shelter.

I hope Your Majesty

can call the shots here for my child's marriage.

It will be

granting the last wish of the late emperor.

Although I'm the emperor,

the matchmaking

still needs them

to love each other.

How about this?

I'll ask Official Gu

for you.

How about that?

[Changgeng Palace]

[All-embracing Walls for Worldly Matters]

Official Gu.

How's your household doing recently?

Recently, my household

has been peaceful, healthy and harmonious.

Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty.

Well,

how are you

and your wife, Liu, getting along?

My wife Liu Yuru and I

have had

a harmonious and loving relationship

since we got married.

Official Gu.

If I ask you to

marry Princess Yunchang,

what do you think?

I appreciate your and Her Majesty's kindness.

I do appreciate your kindness, but...

I'm already married.

When you got married, Deputy Minister Gu,

your background wasn't a good match in the first place.

Now you are

an imperial official, Deputy Minister Gu.

You're held in high regard by His Majesty.

You're the best of the best.

Just divorce your wife and get married again.

Deputy Minister Gu.

Why don't you express your gratitude to His Majesty?

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

I have a question.

Go ahead.

I've read the classics.

I know that

in the etiquette of being a husband,

there are three "Don't Leave"s.

Don't leave your wife if she has no maiden family to turn to.

Don't leave your wife if she served

and mourned her in-laws for three years each.

Don't leave your wife if you get rich after sharing a humble life with her.

My wife Liu Yuru

has no maiden family to turn to in Yangzhou.

She mourned devotedly for my father,

and served my parents

dedicatedly

and meticulously.

Since we got married,

we've been through thick and thin together.

We never left each other.

Even when the Gu family was in trouble,

she never despised me

due to poverty.

Deputy Minister Gu.

What do you mean,

telling me this?

I want to ask you, Your Majesty.

If I were to divorce my wife

due to riches and honor,

it would be disloyal and unfaithful

to my devoted wife who's been through thick and thin with me.

If I distressed my household

for social climbing,

it would be unfilial to my parents.

As a loving mother,

are you really willing to

let Her Highness marry

such an ungrateful, disloyal

and unfilial man like me?

It's a pity indeed.

It seems that

you have no luck

to marry

Princess Yunchang, Official Gu.

Yes.

However,

you and your wife are deeply in love.

It really touched me.

It's said that it was because of the first snow

in the early spring of Yangzhou that

stopped the marriage-bestowing envoy,

you two

got to get married in advance.

This is God's will.

It's God's will.

You two love each other,

and share weal and woe.

What a match made in heaven.

Come on, bring me a pen and paper.

Hurry.

I'm going to make these words

into a plaque

and gift it to Deputy Minister Gu and his wife.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

[Blessings from Heaven]

What are you looking at?

Do you think I'm not embarrassed enough?

Your Highness, please calm down.

Get out!

A match made in heaven.

[A Match Made in Heaven]

The more I look at this plaque, the more I like it.

Munan, go.

Hang it

in the bedroom.

I want to see it

the first thing every morning.

Hurry up.

Let's go.

So exaggerated.

Why did His Majesty suddenly

want to give you this?

Is it that your Sister Yunchang

is still thinking about you,

so His Majesty wanted to give you an amulet?

You guessed it right.

But this time,

I was so eloquent

that I made Her Majesty speechless.

Why did you do that to her?

On our wedding night,

you proposed to divorce me, right?

Isn't it wonderful

if you can marry the princess and become a consort?

Why are you still dredging stuff up

after you're done with the ledger?

Stop that.

Let it go.

I won't.

Fine, go ahead.

But "A Match Made in Heaven"

was His Majesty's words.

Do you want to disobey the imperial edict?

What's wrong?

I feel like

something isn't right.

His Majesty has always been benevolent.

And he knows that we've been through thick and thin together.

He wouldn't have wanted to break us up.

Back then,

the Empress Dowager offered Eastern Capital.

His Majesty owed her

a very valuable favor.

But now,

the Empress Dowager insisted on making things difficult for His Majesty.

It's indeed a bit extravagant

to use the favor here.

The intention of this marriage

can't be that simple.

His Majesty trusts me a lot,

so he asked me to investigate the Treasury.

This is against

the interests of the old officials of the previous dynasty.

The Empress Dowager's brother Lu Yong

is the head of the officials of the previous dynasty.

The Empress Dowager

wouldn't want His Majesty

to continue investigating.

That's right.

As a loyal official,

what I rely on

is His Majesty's trust.

If I marry the princess,

it will be

allying with the Empress Dowager and the old officials of the previous dynasty.

His Majesty

won't be able to trust me anymore.

This move is so sinister.

A big payoff for a small effort.

It sounds like...

What Luo Zishang would do.

Eastern Capital is complex and intertwined.

I need to go talk to

that old fox.

You're doing pretty well.

Looks like my mother has been worried for nothing.

What?

You've been in Eastern Capital for so long,

and it just occurred to you that you have an uncle?

Tell your mother

not to worry.

Come on in and have a seat.

In ancient times, people used to draw a circle on the ground to serve as a prison,

and it shall not be entered.

I'm not going in.

It's good outside.

Whatever.

You've grown taller.

It must be because we haven't seen each other for a long time.

I've heard a lot about you.

By the way,

about Princess Yunchang...

Were you really not tempted at all?

She is a beauty.

Since she met you for the first time in Eastern Capital,

she's been secretly in love with you.

Don't talk nonsense.

If my wife hears it,

I won't be able to get away with this.

Look how scared you are.

My niece-in-law

who I've never met

overwhelms you like this?

Let's get down to business.

It's all because

you insisted on investigating the treasury case.

Asking you to marry the princess

was

just a beginning.

I can't even say

it's a bad thing.

But if you insist that

you'd keep on investigating,

then you'll be

doing it the hard way, little Jiusi.

Little Jiusi is not intimidated

by their little games.

You may not be intimidated.

But do you know

how many people's interests you're going against?

Your family, your friends,

and

my niece-in-law

who I've never met.

They'll all be in danger because of you.

Have you thought about it?

I will protect them.

But you have to

have the ability to do that.

Besides,

even if you find out

all the corrupt officials,

so what?

Do you want to

dismiss them all?

Why not?

You should go back.

Or your mother will be worried.

Fine.

What brings you here,

Grand Tutor?

Of course I'm here to

solve problems for you, Minister Lu.

Last time,

you planned Princess Yunchang's marriage,

and it made the Empress Dowager

so angry that she almost fell ill.

Grand Tutor,

what do you have in mind this time?

Minister Lu.

I'm afraid we have to concede a battle to win a war.

Liu Chun have to go.

Lose a tail to stay alive.

Even a gecko knows it.

If Grand Tutor Luo

can only offer such plans,

you won't be worth

30% of the money.

Do you know how much

30% of the treasury money is?

If you want to get the dividend,

you have to give me something good

and solve this case.

Don't let anyone

continue the investigation.

Minister Lu.

No matter how hasty you are,

you should at least let me finish.

Go ahead.

Killing Liu Chun

is not important.

What matters is

who's the one to kill Liu Chun.

Somebody!

Serve tea for Grand Tutor Luo.

[Yun]

Your Highness, you are so diligent.

If His Majesty knows about this,

he will be very pleased.

Father would never come

to the Waterside Eastern Palace

to see if I work hard.

He only knows to praise Gu Jiusi

at court for being competent.

Father praised him again for several times

at court these days.

Even his expression was more delighted

when he looked at him.

It's been a long time

since he looked at me

that way.

Gu Jiusi did a great job

investigating the treasury case.

It's understandable that His Majesty appreciates him.

How hard could it be?

If Father entrusted this to me,

I could get it done as well.

Your Highness.

Since you've thought about it,

why don't you investigate it yourself?

His Majesty only cares about the result.

It doesn't matter who does the investigation.

As long as Your Highness

find some clues

before Gu Jiusi,

His Majesty will definitely see

your heart

and talent, Your Highness.

[Yun]

Why did you write

so many "Sun"s?

[Yun]

You saw it wrong.

That's "Yun".

It's just that his handwriting is ugly.

Yun?

Let me see.

It's really "Yun".

Yun from Ye Yun.

Why did you write Yun?

Nothing.

I just wrote it casually.

If you were just writing casually, why did you write a whole page of it?

Let me explain.

This Yun...

A few days ago,

your sister Ye Yun

taught me how to write.

I wrote "Shen Ming" for a few days.

And now, it's time to write "Yun".

I was just studying.

Study...

Why?

When?

Just the two of you?

In the same room?

Get out!

Go make a pot of tea.

Hurry up.

Calm down.

-Give it to me./N-Hurry up.

-Go./N-See?

He hid it in his inside pocket.

It's good that he's studying hard.

You think too much.

You think too much.

Really?

You definitely think too much.

He's just a bandit. Uneducated.

[Yun]

Isn't it pretty?

[Yun]

[Yun]

Yun'er is not the only one

who can read and write.

Why did he ask Yun'er to teach him?

You are still thinking about it?

If it doesn't work,

I can teach him.

The ledger of the East Treasury

has been thoroughly checked.

[Ledger of No.31 East Treasury]

There are many problems in it,

[May 16th]

but the books are balanced.

They

must have some other ways.

I got it.

It's Shen Ming.

Every time he went to my place to move the ledger,

he's always been fluttering about in there.

So it seems

this guy

has some other intentions.

You seem to have

a grudge against Shen Ming, right?

Shouldn't I?

This is the Notes of Fire of the previous dynasty.

Three years ago,

there was a fire in East Treasury,

from No.16 to No.32.

It's said that only the blackened walls remained after the fire.

That's why the Treasury was moved to

the current address.

Don't you think

the ledger

is too clear and complete?

Right?

Logically,

after the moving and the fire,

there should be some omission and blurs

in the ledger.

But this ledger

is so clear that it seems to be

waiting for someone to check.

I think

Shen Ming is one of us.

It's good if

your sister is with him.

Financial matters should be settled clearly even between brothers.

Besides,

women's misfortune

always starts from them getting married.

We are the only two left

in the Ye family.

I can let her be

Miss Ye for a lifetime

effortlessly.

No, wait a minute.

What do you mean "women's misfortune

always starts from them getting married"?

Yuru

is a counter-example, right?

How can Yun'er be the same with Yuru?

Yun'er is still young.

I have to keep an eye on her.

What if she gets coaxed?

I think

you shouldn't meddle in your sister's business.

It's annoying.

If she doesn't like it,

would she let Shen Ming be around her like this?

Enough.

About Shen Ming,

I'll talk to him in a few days.

There was a fire

in such an important place like the Treasury,

but there's no official record about it?

Yes, there is.

According to the censor,

it's hot in summer,

and it's easy for candlesticks to overturn.

It's normal to have a fire.

There was nothing suspicious.

What is the name of

the censor?

Liu Zhe.

After he found nothing suspicious

about the fire,

he handed it over to the Ministry of Revenue.

After that,

a man named Zhou Kai handled it.

Is it this Zhou Kai?

It's traceable.

Dead?

Zhou Kai was a Treasury official.

He retired due to illness three years ago.

And he passed away a year ago.

Since he worked for the Ministry of Revenue for 20 years,

Minister Lu even paid

his family ten taels of silver himself

for the funeral.

What about Liu Zhe?

He retired and returned to his hometown.

He should be able to be found.

The war two years ago

affected his residence.

The village was destroyed.

And he went missing.

There's one more place we can investigate.