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[Flourished Peony]

[Episode 1]

[Luoyang]

The son of the Liu family is getting married.

What a grand spectacle!

What kind of family background does this bride have?

I've heard she's a merchant's daughter.

No one knows how she managed to get connected to the Liu family.

The bride has arrived.

[Winter Donkey-hide Gelatin]

Six boxes of jewelry and trinkets.

Three boxes of precious medicinal herbs.

Five boxes of brocades. Gold and jade…

How can your family be like this?

The bride is still here.

This is outrageous.

Yulu.

A maid.

My lady.

Be careful.

Why don't I hear any guests moving?

There's not a single guest in the house.

All the Liu family members are gathered around our dowry, busy with their abacuses.

The groom isn't coming on horseback to welcome the bride.

It's already against the etiquettes.

Now they're not even setting up the banquet.

They even made us enter through the back courtyard.

You can't treat the bride with such neglect.

Your mother is bedridden.

Your father is busy taking care of her.

We know that you are a filial child.

You're certainly worried and anxious.

You wouldn't be in the mood to deal with guests.

That's why there isn't a grand celebration.

I don't care about these empty formalities.

Everything is up to your decision.

My lord, we're ready.

Now is the auspicious time.

Please ask the groom to go to the main hall.

Yes.

Dusk.

Dusk.

Getting drunk like this on the day of your wedding.

How reckless!

Hurry over and pay your respects.

It's you who are happy,

not me.

Liu Zishu!

My lord,

don't get angry.

Zishu has always been courteous and well-mannered.

Today he is being forced into marriage.

It's normal for him to be a bit temperamental.

Qiushi,

quickly help the groom over here.

Mr. Zishu.

Mr. Zishu.

- Kneel down. - Kneel down.

Bow before the mirror.

Husband and wife unite, forever blessed and prosperous.

Hasn't the groom arrived yet?

Not even a shadow in sight.

You are clearly the principal wife.

Yet you cannot enter his main chamber.

You're merely arranged to stay in this secluded courtyard.

Isn't it just disdain for our merchant origins?

Your family runs over a dozen herbal medicine shops.

Since childhood, you have been

surrounded by piles of gold and jade.

Never have you suffered such grievances.

It's almost midnight, I'll go look for Mr. Zishu.

Mr. Zishu.

I tell you, He Weifang,

if it weren't for my father

relying on this dowry

to alleviate the urgent need,

you would have no chance

to attach yourself to our Liu family.

- Mr. Zishu. - Go away!

Our Liu family, for three generations, has held official ranks,

with noble carriages at our high gates.

Even if I

cannot marry the one I love,

I should at least be matched

with a noble lady of official nobility.

Now I'm forced to accept

you, a merchant's daughter.

It is the greatest humiliation of my life.

You listen well.

This marriage between us

is in name only, not in reality.

From this day forth,

I shall never set foot

in this room again.

It's the wedding night.

How can Liu Chang be so rude

and speak ill words to you

insulting you wantonly?

That shouldn't be the behavior of a gentleman from an official family.

My lady.

My lady.

Don't be too heartbroken.

No matter how the days ahead are spent,

I will always be by your side.

My Lady.

Has Liu Chang left?

He's gone. Now

he should have left the courtyard.

Finally gone.

If he still didn't leave,

my arms would stiffen from holding up.

He didn't hurt you, did he?

I knew you wouldn't be

upset over such an impolite person.

Upset?

I'm too happy to even be upset.

He's not willing to marry me.

Am I willing to marry him?

Liu Zishu

is clearly a few years older than me.

But his temperament

is so childish.

Both of us were forced into this marriage.

I haven't even said anything.

Yet he's the one feeling wronged first.

Good Yulu, don't cry.

My mother has taken the Liu family's tribute medicine.

Her complexion has greatly improved.

What do I have to be sad about?

Yulu, help me hold this.

My lady, where are you going?

It's about to rain, I can't let my flowers get wet.

My lady, I'll help you.

Come on, Yulu, quick, together.

- Lift it up. - Let's go.

Put it here.

Alright.

The Liu family treats us so disdainfully.

Life will be tough from now on.

After Qiongtai Yulu is soaked in rain,

the leaves become even more vividly green and elegant.

[Spring of the following year]

This jade pendant

has a fine luster.

A servant

wearing such an expensive item

isn't proper, is it?

Mother,

this jade is nothing extraordinary.

I just think

it matches with Yulu.

So on Yulu's birthday,

it was given as a gift for her to wear.

Your He family is a major medicinal material dealer,

naturally looking down on such things.

But if a servant decks out in gold and jade

and it gets seen by outsiders,

they might think that our Liu family

throws money around like dirt and lacks strict management.

Take it off.

Madam, you are right.

I will take it off as soon as I return.

I'm thinking of Yulu's best interest.

Being too ostentatious

will inevitably lead to gossip.

I'll keep this jade pendant safe for now.

On the day Yulu gets married,

it will naturally be included in her dowry.

Thank you for your concern.

As long as you understand my painstaking care.

Recently,

how have you been getting along with Zishu?

Does he still not enter your courtyard?

No.

A wife must regard her husband as her principle.

If you cannot win Zishu's affection,

it means you have lost virtue.

Do you understand?

It's my dull and uninteresting nature

that displeases my husband.

Please punish me.

I don't want to punish you

but to give you advice.

The Provincial Exam is forthcoming.

Although Zishu is already a scholar with rural contributions,

if a person full of knowledge

cannot offer money for connections,

it would still be difficult for him to pass the higher examination smoothly.

As his wife,

you ought to make some arrangements for him.

Given my husband's disposition,

I'm afraid he would not agree

to using money to manage official affairs.

Zishu is wholeheartedly devoted to his studies.

He certainly does not understand these worldly affairs.

Mudan,

you come from a merchant family

and have a big gap compared to Zishu.

You can only contribute

through financial means.

I'm doing this

to bring you and your husband closer together emotionally.

Do you understand?

I understand.

Zishu, you're here.

Mother.

Come and sit down.

Yes.

Zishu, you seem to have lost some weight recently.

Preparing for the Imperial Exam is certainly important.

But you must take good care of your health.

I understand.

Thank you for your concern.

Alright, let's eat.

Speaking of the Imperial Exam,

every time Mudan visits the Fuyun Temple,

she prays for your success.

You should thank her too.

The Imperial Exam relies on genuine knowledge and learning.

There's no need to pray to gods.

Does she think I lack talent

and can only rely on the protection of deities?

I did not mean that.

Don't say that.

Mudan is considering your career.

Speaking of your career,

Mudan actually has some thoughts about it.

You can tell your husband now.

Yes.

When you step into officialdom,

it is necessary to manage relations both above and below

and to make connections with the powerful.

I have set aside some money

to facilitate your future…

I have studied hard for many years

with the ambition to soar high.

After gaining recognition, I will depend on my own ability

to serve the imperial court.

Do not use your merchant family's

narrow-mindedness

to sully my path to officialdom.

Why have you gotten angry again?

Mudan is thinking of you.

Is she really considering for me

or does she think that I simply cannot

rely on my own talent

to rise straight to the top

and have to depend on these unorthodox methods?

It's not as serious as you think.

If you don't want to, just forget it.

I'll persuade Mudan.

Let's eat first.

I will take my leave now.

You are

quite blunt when you speak.

Can't you say a few soft words

to cajole him a bit?

You saw it.

My husband has made up his mind.

I suppose further persuasion would be futile.

You…

You have been living in seclusion for a long time.

You don't understand the ways

of the officialdom.

Zishu is an upright and principled man.

He is unwilling to personally give gifts, seek favor,

or win people's hearts.

But for his career,

we must plan ahead for him.

But my husband

has just refused.

So what?

If you're afraid of displeasing him,

we'll just do it behind his back.

Mudan,

your father and I

will appreciate your kindness.

Good child,

you go ahead and raise the money with peace of mind.

You're excused from this month's courtesy visit.

Thank you, Mother.

Today,

you are going to Fuyun Temple to pray for blessings.

You should not dress so flamboyantly.

Yes.

Remember to eat vegetarian meals.

Avoid meat and fish.

If the heart is not sincere,

the prayers for blessings will not be efficacious.

Yes.

I am so pissed off.

Clearly, it's Madame Liu who wants to spend money to smooth relations.

Yet she insists on making it come from your mouth.

The two of them are a loving mother and filial son,

making you do all the unpleasant tasks.

Moreover, you're not allowed to wear new clothes

or eat meat or fish.

You're completely at their mercy regarding clothing, food, and living.

Even the servants in this mansion live more comfortably than you.

Look at you.

Your little face flushed with anger.

Say it three times with me.

I'm not angry.

How can I not be angry?

A year ago, it was clear that Mr. Liu had a deficit in officialdom.

They wanted to treat our He family like a cash cow

and proposed a marriage alliance.

But what about them?

On the one hand, they ask you for money.

On the other hand, they find fault everywhere.

Liu Chang, even more so, time and time again

comes to humiliate you.

And there's this Women's Precepts.

They even want us to hang it up,

[Women's Precepts] intending to discipline you.

This is simply outrageous.

Back then, my mother was gravely ill.

Only the imperial gifted Zixi pills from the Liu family

could provide a glimmer of hope.

At that time,

[Women's Precepts] no matter what demands were made,

I would agree.

But that tribute medicine was nothing but an empty reputation.

Your mother nevertheless did not last long.

Life is unpredictable.

We can't blame others.

The Liu Mansion is a pit of fire.

Your mother was not saved

and your entire life was gambled away.

Yulu,

the Liu family kept their promise

and produced the tribute medicine.

How could we break our promise?

Rest assured.

I'm not that fragile.

It's just cold treatment and disdain.

I can bear it.

Alright, let's set off.

Hurry on.

[Fuyun Temple]

Madam, please remember

to kneel for five hours.

Pray sincerely for blessings.

Burn incense and pray in silence.

Do not rise before the hour of You.

Now is the hour of Chen.

You may begin now.

I will wait outside the hall.

Please be assured, Madam.

Immortals above,

I've come to disturb again.

May sincerity move the heavens.

I hope my mother

can rest in peace in heaven

and will no longer suffer from illness and pain.

My lady, Xiangfu has fallen asleep.

You can relax a bit now.

Are you alright?

Quick, money.

- Help me up. - Okay.

Come on, slow down.

Slow down.

Yulu, help me keep an eye on it.

- Okay. - I'll go ahead.

Exhausted, aren't you?

- Have some water. - Thank you, Mr. Lin.

Drink slowly.

No rush.

Come on, have some dates.

I am truly exhausted today.

Thank goodness I could come to your place

to have a bowl of water and rest for a bit.

Among the gentlemen and their female companions

coming to the temple to pray for blessings,

only your husband's family

has extremely demanding requirements.

You've been kneeling for such a long time

and they don't even let you eat or drink.

Isn't this torture?

The Liu family head

heeds every word of the itinerant sorcerers,

insisting on making me kneel for five hours.

Otherwise, it cannot attain protection for the Liu Mansion.

Madam, marrying into the Liu Mansion,

you have indeed suffered.

Back when you were at the He family,

in your own shop,

everyone would take care of you.

But now

you've become more haggard by the day.

If Mr. He knew it,

he would surely be extremely heartbroken.

Now, my father's shop

has closed down another branch.

He's already distressed and upset.

I

don't want to worry him further.

Let's not talk about this anymore.

This is for Jiu's medicine, please take it.

No.

You take it.

I can't accept

your money anymore.

You have taken care of us for the better part of this year.

Jiu's illness has improved significantly.

I really don't know

how I should repay you.

Having just recovered from a serious illness, she should be taken good care of.

The last few doses of medicine must not be delayed.

Mr. Lin,

you've been my father's old partner.

If the He family business

hadn't been going poorly these years,

closing one shop after another,

you wouldn't have lost your livelihood

and come to work in the temple.

This little help is what I ought to give.

Take it.

It's for Jiu.

Take it.

On behalf of my daughter,

thank you.

You're welcome.

What's the matter, Mr. Lin?

You've strained your back?

The old ailment has flared up.

It's not serious.

Where does this flowerpot need to be delivered? Let me help you with it.

No.

This flower is to be sent to the south side,

the Grand Celestial Master Hall.

It's not a short distance.

You've forgotten it.

Since I was little, I had been raising peonies with my mother,

carrying flowerpots and flower fertilizer all day.

This small job is nothing.

Besides, it's about to sunset.

I must rush back to the main hall. It's on the way.

I'm leaving now, Mr. Lin.

Thank you, my lady.

Please take a rest.

I thought immortals all look kind and benevolent.

I didn't expect the Grand Celestial Master to be so majestic.

No wonder he's known for slaying villains.

The Liu family are all petty people,

bullying me all day long.

They even forced me to pray for blessings for Liu Chang.

Since it's so,

I shall make a vow to you.

May my husband

have no paper in the latrine,

lose hair while combing,

have his concubines betray him,

and miss the forecasted questions in the Imperial Exam.

What Yulu said is correct.

The Liu family

is simply a pit of fire.

Back then, when mother was gravely ill,

my father humbled himself

and begged for the tribute medicine.

We had money

and they had the medicine.

Originally, a simple business deal could have settled it.

But who would have known

the Liu family head

would believe the words of an itinerant sorcerer

and insist that my horoscope

could prosper their Liu family?

They forcibly had me marry into their family

before they gave our family the tribute medicine.

They treated me like a cash cow,

demanding fifty percent

of our family store's annual earnings,

which made my father's business

deteriorate with each passing day.

That wasn't the end of it.

They also embezzled my dowry secretly

and confiscated Yulu's jade pendant.

It was outright insatiable extortion.

Totally shameless.

Who?

I am

the Grand Celestial Master descended to earth.

Touched by your sincerity,

I have come specially to help you

overcome the difficulties.

Since it's so,

how do you

plan to help me?

Audacious rogue!

How dare you masquerade as a deity in the Grand Celestial Master Hall!

You don't believe it, do you?

I have calculated with a twitch of the fingers.

You are the daughter-in-law of the Liu family.

Your father-in-law is Liu Shen, the regency official in charge of the Eastern Capital.

Is that so?

The Grand Celestial Master

looks very majestic.

With your looks,

are you truly a Celestial Master?

How can you judge a person by their appearance?

I have manifested

with the intent to lend you a helping hand.

Just give me a hundred rolls of silk

and I will grant you your wish

and dispel the malicious.

So that's how it is.

I should hit you for lying!

Swindling money without even inquiring about the market price.

Hiring a hitman costs but eighty rolls only.

You even tried to cheat me out of my money.

There is only one high-ranking official in Luoyang

with the surname Liu. Everybody knows him.

No need for you to calculate with your fingers.

Gently.

As a lady,

how can you be so brash?

A sneaky person like you dares to call me brash!

Let's go, I'll take you to see the official.

How can a Celestial Master leave the main hall?

Moreover,

it's already sunset time.

Who knows, the government office might be unattended.

Consider yourself lucky today.

Excuse the disturbance.

That lady…

She has left.

Sir.

What happened?

The knockout drug I bought this time

seems not potent enough.

He suddenly woke up.

It gave me quite a scare.

I think you need a lesson.

Handling things so unreliably.

You said it'd knock them out for two hours.

I only rested for one hour

when he woke up

and caused such a commotion,

nearly getting us discovered.

I failed to keep watch effectively

and accidentally let him kick over the candelabra.

Please punish me.

They say scholars have the strength that cannot truss a chicken.

I don't think that's entirely true.

Don't be so angry.

You are the ones I've gone to great lengths

to invite here as honored guests.

Why must you torture these scholars?

Because it's interesting.

What are your plans next?

Will you settle down in the temple?

I came here this time

to accompany the County Princess for leisure

by the order of Prince Ning.

The County Princess is going to the Liu Mansion

to meet her old lover.

Of course, I have to go along.

Looking at it now,

this vile person's family is very interesting.

To not go and meet them

would be a pity.

[To Zishu]

Zishu,

long time no see.

I've missed you very much.

This morning, I took up my pen

with both joy and worry.

I'm glad that my husband has passed away

and I finally gained my freedom.

But I'm worried that after years of separation,

I'm unsure of where your heart lies now.

The yearning is extremely intense.

Writing cannot fully express my feelings.

Fortunately, soon I shall travel to Luoyang to ease my mind.

I'm calmly awaiting our reunion.

It's been three years.

I never thought that the two of us

could meet again.

Youzhen,

I wonder

what you look like now.

My lady, it's time to apply the medicine.

Okay.

Come on.

Another area has swollen.

Mrs. Liu is truly ruthless.

Kneeling for so long without even being allowed to use a cushion.

It's not a big deal.

Do you know?

Today, when I went to send flowers to the Grand Celestial Master Hall,

I took the opportunity to make a wish.

I wished that Liu Chang

may go to the toilet without paper and lose hair while combing.

I don't know if the Grand Celestial Master could manifest his spirit.

Liu Chang is indeed very annoying.

You are pressured by Mrs. Liu to raise money for him.

Not only is he ungrateful to you,

but he also cursed you.

If he were truly noble,

he would spit out all the money given as bribes

by your father.

Annoying Liu Chang, Liu Chang is annoying.

Shuai, you're right.

Liu Chang is annoying.

Shuai is the cutest.

Mrs. Liu wants us to smooth relations in secret without Liu Chang knowing.

If he finds out,

I'm afraid he might take his anger out on you.

Why not simply tell him the whole story?

So what if we tell him?

After all, I am an outsider.

They, mother and son, share a bond.

They won't

fight over me.

But you suffer from both sides.

It's too much to bear.

You have been lively and smart since you were little.

Before you were married, you managed the household accounts orderly and efficiently.

Since marrying into the Liu family,

you've been confined to this small courtyard.

Every time you see members of the Liu family,

you can only endure insults and humiliation.

I've been kneeling for the whole day.

My legs are numb.

Let me stretch a little.

Come on, Yulu.

Catch it.

Being forgotten in this little courtyard

isn't all that bad.

No one disturbs us. It's very peaceful.

Besides, I have you,

these flowers,

and Shuai by my side every day.

When there's nothing to do,

I just lift weights and practice martial arts for fun.

Such days aren't too hard to endure.

As for Liu Chang,

although I dislike him,

I can understand

why he treats me this way.

Understand? What's there to understand about him?

He is clearly just a pretentious hypocrite.

Liu Chang

has studied hard for many years

all for the sake of passing the Imperial Exam with high marks

to bring glory to his family.

This shows

he is an ambitious person.

You always say so.

But if he really were that good,

you would have fallen for him by now.

Fallen for him?

That's impossible.

Praise where it's due

and call out what needs to be condemned.

Liu Chang

hates this transactional marriage too much.

It's clearly the fate of the Liu family

that forced him to kneel

and the social status

that broke him up with the County Princess.

But he

cannot figure these out

and puts all the anger, resentment, and unwillingness

upon me.

It shows that this person

is extreme and depressed by nature.

He is unfit to be entrusted with a lifetime commitment.

Therefore,

we each live our own lives.

Living in peace without issues is very good.

You think things through clearly.

In the long years to come,

we'll keep flowers and tease birds together,

enjoying tea and being merry.

Tea drinking is so dull.

Go, fetch our wine.

Yes.

Shuai.

There is nothing to do tomorrow.

Let's drink to our hearts' content.

Okay.

My lady.

My lady, something's happened!

My lady, quickly wake up.

What's the matter?

Is it that Mrs. Liu has again asked me

to stand by the rules at the family temple

or is there a lack of money in the house again

so that we have to ask my father for it?

County Princess Ji'an will visit our house tomorrow.

What does it have to do with me? No need to bother with her.

To receive her, Mr. Liu has people

dig up all the peonies in our courtyard.

When did this happen?

I heard from the servants that they came to dig last night.

Quick.

How did these flowers come to this state?

What kind of gardeners are you?

Even moving flowers is too much for you.

If the County Princess sees this tomorrow,

both of your heads put together

will not be enough to atone for this.

Father.

Mudan, you have finally come.

Please help me save these flowers.

Father,

if you need flowers,

I can personally go to the flower market and choose some for you.

Why did you go through the trouble of digging up my garden's flowers overnight

and bring them all here?

These famous peonies of yours

are extremely precious.

The common stock at the flower market

can hardly compare to them.

Moreover, I heard you were drinking last night

and you retired early.

I really couldn't bear to disturb you.

Mudan,

you won't blame me, will you?

I wouldn't dare.

Good child, I originally

didn't want to trouble you to take action personally.

But I didn't expect these peonies of yours

to be so delicate.

The gardeners I hired

simply can't take good care of them.

Mudan, take a look.

Can they still be saved?

Mudan,

you must save them.

The distinguished guests visiting tomorrow

include not only the beloved daughter of Prince Ning,

County Princess Ji'an,

and the favored court figure Jiang Changyang.

You may not know about it living inside the mansion.

Jiang Changyang

is not only the Vice Minister of the Office of Imperial Ceremonies

but also serves as the Floral Envoy.

He collects rare and exotic treasures for the emperor

from all over the world.

If they find no flowers at the feast tomorrow,

it would be tantamount to deceiving the emperor.

Everyone in our Liu family

will be implicated.

Father, there's no need for further words.

No matter who comes to the mansion tomorrow,

I don't care.

What do you mean by this?

These peonies were my mother's legacy to me.

Regardless of whether the nobles come tomorrow

or whether the floral banquet is held,

I will do my utmost to save them.

Alright.

As long as you can revive these flowers

and make tomorrow's honored guests satisfied,

you can choose from the rare treasures in the mansion as you like after the banquet.

These peonies are my treasures.

As long as they are well,

I desire nothing else.

Work on them with peace of mind.

If you have any requests,

just give the order.

Yulu, go get

the stored flower fertilizer

and the original soil in our courtyard.

Yes.

You two, these flowers must be irrigated with well water

that has been set aside for two days.

If there isn't enough stored water in the courtyard,

you have to go outside the courtyard

and fetch two buckets of river water.

- Do you understand? - Yes.

Go quickly.

Excuse me, Father, please step aside.

♫ The Luo River cleanses the moonlight haze ♫

The County Princess does not like the taste of ginger.

Be sure to replace the ginseng ginger drink

with jasmine pearl soup.

It can nourish the skin as well as relieve fatigue.

- Understood. - Additionally, remember to use dew.

My lady, is this okay?

- It's fine. - Okay.

Mr. Zishu,

Ms. Mudan is working very hard

for the flower banquet.

Her hands are full of dirt, and she is not well-groomed.

A lady of an official's household shouldn't be like that.

The ginseng ginger drink is already made.

It would be a pity to pour it away.

Send it to her courtyard.

Yes.

♫ Reflecting the color of the sky ♫

♫ Never withering ♫

♫ Do not fail the varied fragrance ♫

♫ In endless Chang'an, the zither's melody distant ♫

♫ Plum and willow trees bask in the sunshine, as splendor returns with the year ♫

♫ Copper palace battlements, songs and dances, glass goblets ♫

♫ Idle clouds and duckweed, a thousand flowers burst forth ♫

♫ Time passes gracefully, affairs settle like fading smoke ♫

♫ Let the years go by, carried by the wind to early desires ♫

♫ If the heart is like water, the bloom is ever-present ♫

♫ Still cherish the moon of my hometown, to meet for long ♫

♫ The distant night sky strewn with stars, reflecting the lovely moon ♫

♫ The peony's magnificent beauty fills the fragrant garden ♫

♫ With a heart as my lantern, I don't mind the distant mountain paths ♫

♫ The flute's sound, a fleeting life's wishes fulfilled ♫

♫ Time passes gracefully, affairs settle like fading smoke ♫

♫ Let the years go by, carried by the wind to early desires ♫

♫ If the heart is like water, the bloom is ever-present ♫

♫ Still cherish the moon of my hometown, to meet for long ♫

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