Original subtitles

Timing and Subtitles by the Are You My Soulmate? Team @ Viki

"Boating through the Willow Trees" by Zhou Shen

♫ Yesterday, I smelled flowers falling along the river, tinting the clear ripples red ♫

♫ For whom are the sparrows and swallows singing in celebration? ♫

♫ I sit at home as calm years pass, and the lively city turns quiet ♫

♫ No one understands the outline of love like I do ♫

♫ If one day the river and winds meet ♫

♫ It's a reminder I am not just a reflection in a mirror ♫

♫ Dreams can be shattered and even memories can fade away ♫

♫ The rich scent and light ink writing ♫

♫ Are moments of everyday life captured through the red window ♫

[Are you the One]

[Episode 2]

Is she very beautiful?

She…

Sometimes, this woman is also…

a little…

Even if the bandit leader's concubine is charming, she's just an ordinary, unrefined woman.

She's unworthy of your attention.

Fan Hu stated that several men followed Madam Liu today.

A beggar almost followed her home, but he did nothing.

He could be attracted to her or be a spy from Mount Yang.

[Cui Mansion]

Is Madam Liu really pretending around you?

Whether she is or not, I will investigate her.

No one can keep secrets from me.

She seems like a weak woman to me.

Showing compassion to a woman without knowing the situation.

Husband,

I didn't know you would be back tonight. I didn't tell Nanny Li to prepare your dinner.

Wife, did you enjoy your shopping today?

Husband, I bought two shops for you and also set up a new kiln.

What else?

You…

Do you already know everything?

Today, I had to discipline a lecher on the street.

After I calmed down, I realized I was too harsh and caused you trouble.

Please forgive me.

If I hadn't mentioned it, you would have kept it from me.

What's wrong?

Husband, wait for a moment.

I wrote this indictment.

Please review it for me.

An indictment?

[Indictment by Liu Miantang]

Such an ugly handwriting.

I'm afraid no one could write such a sloppy indictment.

Was Lu Wen only after her looks? [I am Liu Miantang]

For the Prince of Huaiyang to discern?

He was the garrison's nephew.

We can only submit it to Zhenzhou County and ask Prince of Huaiyang to uphold justice.

However, my writing is not neat.

I hope you can improve it for me.

You injured Chen Tu.

If this is fully investigated, you'll have to pay for his medicine.

That's right.

I wasn't thinking clearly. This won't do.

If he blackmails us, it'll be terrible.

Luckily, you still remember the martial arts you studied at the escort agency,

but they don't teach acupuncture with silver needles, do they?

Who taught you that?

Husband, wait for a moment.

When I was in recovery, Physician Zhao gave me a book on acupuncture.

The acupuncture points are clearly marked.

Today, I was lucky to hit the vital point.

Otherwise, I would have lost my reputation. [Meridians and Acupoints]

This isn't a medical book.

It's clearly an assassination manual.

The markings are so graphic and explicit.

How can you study this? Don't study it!

Allow me.

What is going on?

The prince is interrogating Madam Liu.

Criminals he eventually interrogates

cannot endure and end up crying, screaming, and confessing.

Madam Liu…

Whatever secrets she's hiding, he will uncover them.

But she is just a weak woman.

Showing compassion to a woman without knowing the situation.

These are the deeds for our shops. [Deeds]

The two shops will be combined into one.

This is the Commercial Tax Bureau application.

The tax depends on the area. [Applicant Request]

You have the most experience. Should we report one big shop or two small shops?

Two small shops.

A big shop will be larger.

Really?

My family has been running shops in the capital for many years.

These matters are handled by the family elders.

I only oversee the production of porcelain.

That's good. I asked the right person.

Today, I also met the porcelain craftsman.

This is local white porcelain.

Check if there are any problems.

The sides are not very symmetrical.

What else?

Local clay is used to produce white porcelain, but it's not fine and it's porous.

It's easy to get bulges on the bottom.

They are the so-called celadon and white porcelain.

The capital's old kiln methods can't be used in Lingquan Town.

You have produced porcelains for many years.

How can you not see it?

I thought bulges and pores were features of Lingquan Town,

that's why I didn't mention them.

Actually, I forgot. This seems to be brought from the capital.

You've managed for many days. Are you testing me now?

I just thought it was strange.

You don't seem like a porcelain merchant.

Well…

Nothing escapes your eyes.

I am just a useless son of a rich family.

I admit it.

I am just a useless son of a rich family!

Nanny Li!

- On my way! - Hurry.

- Go now. - On my way!

[Deeds]

These are the only homeowner land deeds left in the capital.

They were officially approved.

There are also the documents for hiring workers.

You've handled these.

Madam, take a look.

Is this your personal seal?

It seems that way.

Ever since you joined the family,

all major and minor affairs were handled by you

so I can relax and focus on playing chess

and occasionally accompany shipments of goods.

After all, I'm still not as talented as you.

Why didn't you tell me earlier?

I wanted to change

and accept responsibility as head of the family.

It's a pity that…

It's a pity he lacks skill and relies on you for everything.

Nanny Li, you can leave now.

I can actually do business,

but why don't I have any sense of this?

Wife,

don't blame yourself too much.

It's not your fault you forgot about managing the family affairs.

Things will get better.

You're uneasy because you haven't regained your memory.

It's normal.

I may be…

the son of a rich family,

but please don't doubt our relationship.

I'm sorry.

There is no need to say that.

I'll put the documents away…

Prepare the bed.

I will sleep here tonight.

Aren't you asleep yet?

Not yet.

Husband, do you want…

I'm going to sleep.

All right.

Did I sleep with him this way?

Are you unable to sleep?

No.

I'm thinking about us.

What is it?

We've been married for three years.

Husband, why didn't you take concubines or second wives?

Wife, having you is enough.

All right.

I have no more questions.

She's starting to suspect me.

If she regained her memory, she may not confront me directly.

On the contrary, she'll continue to pretend.

But if she hasn't regained her memory,

how could a bandit's concubine be so observant?

What is really on Liu Miantang's mind?

It's our first time sleeping together. I shouldn't have drunk so much water.

I really need to go to the restroom.

What's wrong?

I'm a little breathless and my legs are numb.

Husband, why is your hand injured?

Let's sleep.

Lu Wen, I will definitely catch you.

[Indictment]

Wait for a minute.

What is it, wife? I have a chess game.

The shop is being renovated today. I can't do it all myself. Please go to Zhenzhou County,

and submit this indictment to Prince of Huaiyang.

This is inappropriate.

Husband, don't be afraid to meet officials.

Of course, I'm not afraid. What is there to be afraid of?

It's natural to be afraid, but I've thought about it.

Even if he is the garrison's nephew, he threatened us first. We have been reasonable.

Prince of Huaiyang governs Zhenzhou.

The people can ask for help, and he should seek justice for us.

You're right, but Prince of Huaiyang is busy with official matters.

He may not have time for this.

How do you know?

This… just think and you'll understand.

Even if we submit it, it may not work.

Would Prince of Huaiyang appease the garrison?

Or would he pretend to detain corrupt officials, but secretly be one himself?

Officials protect each other. Is Prince of Huaiyang like this?

Of course, he is not!

Why are you angry?

I'm angry at that lecher.

I know you love me,

and I believe you're not afraid of authority.

What a sin!

What obedience!

How can they leave all this menial work to Mrs. Cui?

I heard Mr. Cui comes home late and leaves early in the morning. It's hard to see him.

That's how he usually behaves.

Do you think that Liu person is a mistress?

That's right.

They'd better not create chaos in the city again, like the Zhang family did.

Mrs. Zhao, Mrs. Yin.

This connected shop is very grand.

Mrs. Cui, you've been working hard.

I just helped a little. My husband is more hardworking.

He handles the goods and important matters daily.

He leaves early and returns late. I feel bad for him, but I don't know who to tell.

I'm worried these idlers

will gossip about the newcomers in town.

Still, as a woman, I can't control it.

How can this be? Don't worry too much.

I'm just complaining.

Everyone back home knows I'm a fierce woman.

I'll beat and scold whoever slanders my family.

I will smash their belongings, rip out their tongues, and report to the village leader.

The military occupied Qizhou's fertile land.

Locusts have infested the summer crops again. The people are starving.

- Eat this. - Go away!

They even fight over mountain weeds for food.

Your Majesty, don't be angry.

His Majesty is having a meal.

Don't talk about such unpleasant matters.

- But… - It missed.

Did Your Majesty win?

I lost. Punish me.

Why are you kneeling?

I'm letting you flick here. Hurry up.

Your Majesty,

you are the Emperor.

You shouldn't harm yourself.

Come and eat now.

Empress Dowager, these are the army reduction plans

of Prince Lin'an in Yuezhou and Prince Pingdong in Jiangzhou.

So far, only Prince Huaiyang in Zhenzhou hasn't moved his army.

How presumptuous!

Maintaining his own army and defying order. Does he plan to rebel?

I'm the Emperor. Who dares to infuriate Imperial Mother?

I'll execute him!

Your Majesty.

I'm hungry.

- Someone. - Yes.

Cook another fish.

Yes.

It's hard to distinguish right and wrong.

Like peach blossoms floating down the river.

What does your mentor's letter say? Why must you burn it after reading it?

It's the same old advice.

The Ministry of War reviewed my Zhenzhou military records

to oversee the army reduction.

You command a large army. Empress Dowager Wu is afraid.

Sooner or later she will take action against you.

Let's wait and see.

I'm not concerned about this for now.

Do you want to watch a show with me before the main event?

Come on. Why aren't you excited?

Old Wang?

Marquis! Marquis!

Why are you detaining my gatekeeper?

Don't be anxious.

These men are spies

placed in Zhenzhou by General Shi Yikuan of Qingzhou.

He is my rival in the bandit hunt and my opponent at the Imperial Court.

He placed his spies in Zhenzhou a few years ago.

Today I caught them all at once.

Old Wang has been spying on your mansion.

I fear Shi Yikuan knows better than you

when your mother leaves and returns home.

I treated you with respect.

Any other feudal lord

would have gouged out your eyes and cut off your tongues.

Lords, please spare our lives. Spare our lives!

Why are you so frightened?

I didn't tell you earlier to avoid alarming the enemy.

I know Zhenzhou inside and out.

These foreign troublemakers can't stir up trouble.

Old Wang, if you and your family want to live,

tell Shi Yikuan what I have told you.

Understand?

Yes, I do. I understand.

Fine.

Placing spies around me is too much.

Everything's fine.

Qingzhou must not find out what I am doing

because…

the fish has taken the bait.

Can you deduce Mount Yang found Liu Miantang from this sloppy sketch?

You often go to Qi's Cloth Shop, right?

Their shop has been robbed by Mount Yang.

Next time you visit their shop, search carefully,

and you'll find this mark

After dealing with him for three years,

I know the enemy very well.

Lu Wen is meticulous and careful.

He won't show himself unless it's necessary.

I fear Liu Miantang is feigning amnesia and stalling for time,

but that's not important.

Lu Wen wants to see Liu Miantang.

Fine. As he wishes.

I'll set up a grand and convincing scene,

so everyone in Lingquan Town can meet Liu Miantang.

Madam.

Where's the master?

[Cui Mansion]

Husband, you're back.

Zhang!

I found out you've been deceiving me!

You've been acting all along!

Wife, I can't act!

I wouldn't deceive you!

- Straw mats are indeed ineffective. - You're lying again!

We'll make more partitions tomorrow.

Mrs. Zhang couldn't help herself and lost control.

Please understand this poor woman.

What's wrong?

She thought her husband was devoted,

but he only wanted one thing from her.

On the surface, he appeared shallow,

but every word was a lie.

How do you know these matters?

One can only feel such sorrow from heartbreaking pain.

What is she planning to do?

Mrs. Zhang is easily swayed and manipulated by her husband.

I advised her to let her brothers run the shop

and cut off Mr. Zhang's livelihood.

This way, he obviously won't have time for other women,

or do things Mrs. Zhang doesn't know about.

Suffering is not permanent.

Every family has its own problems.

Wife, don't get involved in these matters again.

What if it's all a lie?

Sooner or later they will be exposed.

Cui Jiu, am I really your wife?

Why are you doubting that?

You treat me well,

but you're always distant and aloof when you see me.

We don't seem like a normal couple.

I'm not eloquent or romantic

so you might find me cold and indifferent.

At first, I thought it was your upbringing,

but when that lecher insulted me yesterday,

you didn't comfort me like an ordinary husband would.

Instead, you questioned me all night.

What did you want to know?

Why are you still holding a grudge?

I presume you didn't submit the indictment.

I did.

What does Prince of Huaiyang's mansion look like?

The main gate is painted red with copper nails and adorned with eaves lanterns,

two stone lions, and two stone lamps.

There is a bell tower to the east and a government office to the west.

Is this consistent with what you heard?

I can understand your suspicions.

We've been married for three years. I know you very well.

You have a strong will and can't tolerate any loss.

If this lecher tries to use his injury to extort money, you'll feel guilty all night.

I only criticized you slightly.

Why are you taking it so seriously?

Speaking of aloofness, your repeated questions make me feel distant.

- I… - My fault?

Are you blaming me?

Isn't it because of you? I wouldn't blame you without a reason.

Don't try to deceive me. Explain it to me!

Why do you always leave on the pretext of playing chess and stay out all night?

I checked. You didn't go to the chess club.

The owner said there was no one with the family name Cui.

- What is your husband's name? - Cui Jiu.

There's no one with the family name Cui here.

Cui Jiu? I've never heard of him.

Cui Jiu, who am I to you?

I'm not good at chess, but I care about my dignity.

I used a fake name.

A fake name?

What is it?

Jiu…

Jiu…

Jiu Jiu?

Your fake name is Jiu Jiu?

I couldn't beat them so I stopped going

and found a teacher.

Really?

Yes.

Jiu Jiu.

Wife, stop laughing.

I have to keep my dignity. Don't let this spread.

Liu, come out!

You… You… Hurry!

Come out now!

I can't see you. Let me see you now!

I must settle a score with you!

I'm furious!

Liu!

- It's Mr. Zhang from next door. - You interfered in my marriage,

encouraged my wife to go back to her parents' home and cut off my livelihood!

Everyone knows you're a mistress!

- A mistress! - How shameless!

It's his fault, but he blames Madam. I'm going to scold him.

- You have no manners. - Shut up!

- The master hasn't spoken yet. - How disgraceful!

- He likes to scold from behind the wall. - Go home!

The hot water in the side room

hasn't been fully used.

Wait.

Nanny Li, why did he call my wife a mistress?

Master leaves early and returns late. Madam often shows herself in public.

The neighbors love to gossip.

Master and Mrs. Cui, don't take it to heart.

The rumors here are vicious.

My wife has suffered from this.

Nanny Li, how do we clear her name?

Why don't you take her for a walk more often?

Take her only for a walk?

A walk… A walk won't shut their mouths.

They'll still spread rumors.

We need a bold move to stop the rumors immediately.

Master, you have to make good connections.

Make good connections?

According to Zhenzhou customs, choose an auspicious day

and invite the local nobles and neighbors to a banquet.

Traditionally, the lady of the family organizes it.

Madam's presence at the banquet, will be proof of her status.

It will also leave a good impression among the neighbors

and help us in our future business.

It's killing two birds with one stone.

All right.

The banquet must have fine food and wine and be very expensive.

Is this necessary?

Yes, this is necessary.

Master, since you have settled here,

we should host a banquet and treat the neighbors to a nice meal.

Think of it as a housewarming event.

Just to ease my worries?

Do you know how much it costs to hold a banquet?

As long as you can be at ease, spending any amount is worth it.

Is there any need to fuss over something so insignificant?

How is this insignificant?

My wife's reputation is the most important thing in our family.

Yes, that's right.

Master never worried about expenses for Madam.

If you want to start fresh here, don't save money.

There's a very spacious summer villa east of town.

If you doubt, I'm a porcelain merchant, or we're a married couple,

it's entirely my fault for not doing a good job as a husband.

So let's host a grand event and let others witness it.

There won't be any doubts in the future.

Madam.

You know he spent all his family's wealth.

Why did you encourage him to hold a banquet?

I'm also worried about Master.

He had the same idea.

Why did you agree with his idea then?

You should be careful in managing the household matters.

Act according to the current situation. Don't overreact.

Where's your sense of priorities?

Is this how you managed the household in the past?

Madam, think about it.

Are you the only one in this family who values money?

He is a merchant.

He naturally appreciates money.

Why did he insist on something that is not cost-effective?

Merchants prioritize profits.

It's rare for him to ignore the cost for my sake.

Yes, that's right.

Master treats you with sincerity.

He said if you lose money, you can earn it back,

but once the affection is lost, no amount of gold can get it back.

It's also a banquet to show respect to the town.

Your concerns are due to the anxiety caused by your amnesia.

Everything feels unfamiliar, and you're worried and suspicious.

It's said, concerns lead to confusion.

Master's method is foolish,

but he's doing it to reassure you.

Madam, do you still have doubts?

In the past few days, all I could think about was myself.

I didn't consider how he has been coping with this.

Nanny Li, please prepare more of his favorite food tonight.

What a sin!

What a sin!

Neighbors can be verbally invited to the banquet,

but for future business, we need formal written invitations for important people.

Written invitations?

Here is a list of important merchants.

Please write their names on the invitation cards.

That many of them?

And this is a list of officials.

It's always nice to be polite, even if some may not attend.

Wife, you don't need to this.

Lingquan Town is a small place.

Those who wish to come, will naturally attend.

Besides, you're more important on this day.

You're right.

In that case, why don't I write the invitations?

Is my handwriting that bad?

Yes.

Well…

let me teach you.

I'm asking for the brush.

The problem with your handwriting is the bad horizontal and vertical strokes.

First, practice writing words in more horizontal strokes.

I want to learn how to write the words "harmonious couple."

It's better to learn how to write the word "impartial."

You can practice writing the strokes.

The long horizontal strokes should start with a pause,

then gradually become thinner and then thicker.

Finish the stroke.

The short horizontal stroke should start light

and gradually become heavier.

Finish the stroke.

Your zither sounds so sorrowful.

Are you thinking of Lady Liu?

Timing and Subtitles by the Are You My Soulmate? Team @ Viki

"A Life's Promise" by Cai Ziyi

♫ The boat drifts along the river, returning with the sunset ♫

♫ When we reunite, we still joke about cause and effect ♫

♫ Who happens to pass by, turning around as the begonias fall? ♫

♫ Loving the wrong person is part of life's twists and turns ♫

♫ Who hasn't lived in the clouds and held snow for thousands of miles? ♫

♫ Tough to stay together, easy to part by way of spring waters and fall trials ♫

♫ Under the moonlight, the couple's hearts unite with the stars ♫

♫ The long-hidden light in your eyes flickers to life ♫

♫ Don't ask how many flowers bloomed in the front courtyard last night ♫

♫ Don't pursue shadows in the stream, half a life of mist covered with water ♫

♫ Let go of the endless dust and chaos ♫

♫ My lifelong wish is to reach the sky and beyond ♫

♫ Who hasn't lived in the clouds and held snow for thousands of miles? ♫

♫ Tough to stay together, easy to part by way of spring waters and fall trials ♫

♫ Under the moonlight, a couple stays together without feeling tired ♫

♫ Dreaming of playing chess throughout the four seasons ♫

♫ I wish to always accompany you on this long journey ♫