All language subtitles for EP01_ The Legend of Zhuohua [WeTV]

♪Roaming freely
through the cycles of time♪

♪In an ardent and liberated soul♪

♪Over thorny roads,
across treacherous heights♪

♪With whom do I travel along?♪

♪I'm willing to brave
life's twists and turns♪

♪For the well-being of people♪

♪Still embracing the original innocence♪

♪Promises made, heard and fulfilled♪

♪And it reaches far and wide♪

♪I will shine like stars
in the dark night♪

♪And stride through fate's ups and downs,
leaning toward the sun♪

♪Moments turn into eternity,
fleeting years become forever♪

♪Despite the long journey ahead,
the light within never dims♪

♪Because someone is waiting for me♪

♪And they will shape the dream
to completion♪

=The Legend of Zhuohua=

(Adapted from "She Was Once
a Playful Soul" by Sui Yu Er An)

=Episode 1=

(This is a work of fiction.)

(Mu's Residence)

Young Lady, do you want
to bring along all the scrolls?

Yes, put them here.

Why does the bridal sedan chair
enter from the side door?

She's only a concubine.

The Mu family is indeed
the wealthiest in Jiangnan.

Old Master Mu has already taken in
over a dozen concubines.

And now, he's marrying one more.

Young Lady, First Madam and the rest
are coming this way.

Hurry up. Let's go and take a look.

Coming.

(First Madam of the Mu family)
I heard that she looks gorgeous.

(The legitimate wife)
Why would Old Master marry an ugly one?

(Mu Ba, the eighth daughter)
Peach blossoms in graceful brilliance.

(Fifth Madam)

(The concubine of the Mu family)
The maiden is asked for her hand.

Look at Mu Qi.

Is she really aiming for Zhuangyuan?
[*the scholar who has the highest score]

She's soon becoming
the wife of the county magistrate.

Why bother studying all this stuff?

Are you not paying your respect to me?

The ceremony is about to start.

Why are you concerned

about whether Qi will
continue her studies or get married?

Peach blossoms bloom

with lush green leaves.

The maiden is asked for her hand

to build a harmonious family.

- Peach blossoms bloom...
- Young Lady.

Young Lady, stop reading.

They've gone.

Luckily, Old Master always
holds a grandeur wedding

whenever he marries a concubine.

And we can make good use of this chance.

All right, let's go.

Careful. Watch your step.

Bride bows to husbandry livestock.

May the livestock thrive.

Bride bows to the wellspring.

May the offspring flourish.

On this fortunate day,

a new concubine is taken in

before the witness of the deity.

(Tablet of Kitchen God)

(Tablet of Kitchen God)
Please bring forth the God of Stove.

Bride, bow.

You came last to this residence.

You should listen to us from now on.

I'm the seventeenth concubine.
You must respect me.

Let's go.

You may cross your arms and drink.

Unveil.

(Mu Rong, Head of the Mu family)
I shall unveil

(Mu Rong, Head of the Mu family)

(Mu Rong, Head of the Mu family)
my twentieth...

twentieth...

It's the eighteenth.

Oh, right. The eighteenth.

I shall unveil

my eighteenth sweetheart.

(Mu Zhuohua, Mu Qi,
the seventh daughter)

(Mu's Residence)

(Guo Juli, Mu Zhuohua's maidservant)

(Guo Juli, Mu Zhuohua's maidservant)
Young Lady, we should be on our way now.

Let's go.

Young Lady.

Why are you still reading
in the carriage?

It's bumpy.

Women would end up getting married

if they don't study well.

Young Lady, aren't all women
meant to get married?

Old Master has already married
eighteen concubines.

Well,

mortal hearts always grow fond
of young and dainty faces.

It'll be a wonderful scene

if the house is filled
with delicate beauties.

Isn't it too many

in our residence?

Well, the more, the merrier.

True, though.

County Magistrate Zhuang
still wants to marry you

when he has already had
so many concubines.

Strangely, both Old Master
and First Madam

reckon that this marriage
is beyond your station.

If a man indulges in love,

he can still break free from it.

But if a woman indulges in love,

she'll be trapped forever.

Young Lady, what does it mean?

It means

once a woman engages in marriage,

her entire life is doomed.

What if the man's only
loyal to his wife?

My father even vowed to my mother

that he would never marry other women.

But if you don't get married,
you'll have to stand on your own feet.

As long as I could earn my place
in the examination,

no one can boss me around.

I'll be the county magistrate myself,

instead of a magistrate's wife.

Only five days

before my wedding to Mu Qi.

(Zhuang Wenfeng, County Magistrate
of Yongding, Huaizhou)

(Butler Zhou, Butler of Zhou's Residence)
But she runs off before the wedding.

What does she take me for?

Mu Qi would never escape my grasp.

Go after her.

Yes!

(Huaizhou)

(Capital)

Towering city walls
stretches into infinity.

Outside the woods,
there's a shoal surrounded by water.

Juli.

We'll reach the capital

after passing through the forest ahead.

Sure thing.

(Mingde Gate)

- How magnificent.
- This is truly the great capital.

That's right, Young Lady.

Look over there.

How lively.

There are many delicious food too.

Lord Ding has returned to the capital.

Look at the grandeur.

Look, Juli.

That's Lord Ding's carriage.

Is he Lord Ding

who petitioned for the reopening
of women's examination candidacy?

Rumors have it

that he's wise as a fox,

as proud as a wolf,

and as cruel as a tiger.

He's a nefarious demon

who can silence a bawling child
in Northern Liang.

He's truly amazing.

Eight years ago,

Lord Ding led the 30,000 soldiers
of the Cangwu Army

to defeat the 10,000 soldiers
of Northern Liang in Yan City.

And this war was also the dark turn

of Northern Liang

as the Southern Chen
has risen to be on par with them.

How did he manage that?

Tutor Shang didn't go into
detail on this, though.

I will ask Lord Ding about this personally

if I get to know him in the future.

All right.

Lord Ding's Residence is right ahead.
Let's get off the horse.

Hurry up.

Oh, right. You haven't eaten yet.

Here. Take a bite.

Give me the rein.

Hyah!

Hyah!

Young Lady, we're moving towards
the demon's troop.

Hyah!

(I must take this risk.)

Hyah!

Mother!

(Zhimo, Lord Ding's guard)

(Zhimo, Lord Ding's guard)
Mother!

(Zhimo, Lord Ding's guard)
Wait for me, Mother! I'm to blame!

Hyah!

(Lord Ding's Residence)

Hyah!

What do we do now?

Come on. Keep on searching.

Come on.

Young Lady, you gave me a good scare.

You were actually running toward
the demon's troop just now.

You're tempting your fate.

I guess Lord Ding's men

wouldn't simply kill.

But the hand at the window

doesn't seem to be Lord Ding's.

The hand looked smooth and flawless.

It's nothing like

the hand of a battle-hardened warrior.

I smell a rat here.

Young Lady!

You have such keen eyes.

Think about this.
After the war in Yan City,

both Northern Liang and Southern Chen

still struggles in the tug of war,

even though we've turned the tide.

In fact,

it's because Lord Ding
experienced a fatal defeat

in the war of Juma River

and the Cangwu Army suffered
heavy casualties.

Since then,

Lord Ding has been
keeping in low profile.

However, his return
is on the crowd's radar this time.

I think there must be more to it

than meets the eye.

By the way, Young Lady,

how long can we hide here?

County Magistrate Zhuang's men
have spotted us here.

Lord Ding has given me an idea.

We need more than one place to hide.

(Lord Ding's Residence)

Gosh. You shouldn't have done that.

It was just a little girl

who rushed toward her ailing mother.

Why did you draw your sword?

Luckily, I stopped you in time.

Aren't you afraid
of attracting the city guards

after you kill her?

(Butler Zhang,
Butler of Lord Ding's Residence)

His Lordship has delayed his return.

I had to pretend to be him

and sit on the carriage for so long.

My body is sore.

I need to get some rest.

(Someone)

(has)

(to be in the study.)

My Lord.

(Zhijian, Lord Ding's guard)
You don't have to come here personally.

(Zhijian, Lord Ding's guard)

(Zhijian, Lord Ding's guard)
Besides, Zhimo and Butler Zhang

had to put on a show pretending
that you've returned to the capital.

I don't want things
to become complicated.

Yes.

My Lord, I didn't expect this place

to have a peach blossom forest.

We've been searching for so many years.

Never had we thought
it would be in the capital.

(Cangwu)

(Liu Yan, Lord Ding of Southern Chen)

(Tomb of Late Father, Yuan Chengming)
Yuan Chengming.

Finally, we found you.

You have nowhere to hide now.

I'm going to dig your grave now.

Let's see

if you're dead or hiding somewhere else.

My Lord. In the war of Juma River,

30,000 armies perished in Ci City.

Yuan Chengming is a traitor.

He failed your trust

and disappointed the 30,000 heroes
of the Cangwu Army.

Yet to this day,

I don't believe he'd betray us.

My Lord.

Yuan Chengming betrayed us!

We're being ambushed.

(By daughter Yun Xiangyue)

Yun Xiangyue?

Send someone to search through
the islet in the middle of the lake.

Also, exhume his body for investigation

and look into Yun Xiangyue,

who erected this tombstone
under the name of his daughter.

Yes.

I must bring the truth back then

to light.

(Xiaoqin Pleasure House)

Walk slowly.

Are you drunk, Mr. Qin?

No, I didn't drink much.

I'll be waiting for you here.
Please come again.

Sure, I'll come again.

All right. Take care.

Please see him off.

(Flower Alley)
People considered fancy ladies undesirable

and don't want to come here

scaring of their names tainted.

However,

my mother came from here

and I feel rather familiar

with this place.

Young Lady, don't be sad.

If it weren't for Third Madam,

we wouldn't have had a place to hide.

She's still protecting us

even though she has left.

I'm sure Butler Zhou and the rest

wouldn't know

we'd settle in here.

It's a good hiding place.

But we won't have much money left

after paying for the rental
for half a year.

We'll make it through somehow.

I'll figure something out.

Don't worry.

(Madam Lu, the landlady)

You're looking for a house, right?

Yes.

This street is called Flower Alley.

Over here, some sell flowers.

And over there,

they sell flowers too.

But it's different flowers.

(Xiaoqin Pleasure House)

Why don't we go inside first?

Sure.

Come on in.

This is a good place.

But you ought to be careful
when you go out.

Thank you for telling us.

To be honest, I came here

to sit for the metropolitan examination.

I won't cause you any trouble.

I didn't expect you

to be a provincial graduate,
young girl.

My mother passed away when I was little.

So, my father has tutored me
for a few years.

Still, you're a well-educated lady.

Not to mention the reopening
of women's examination candidacy lately,

even during the reign
of Empress Yuanguang,

when women's examination candidacy
was at its peak,

female provincial graduates
were rarely seen.

After all, female education
is a challenging endeavor.

If you encounter any problems,

seek my help.

My surname is Lu.
I live at the entrance of this alley.

Thank you so much.

I really appreciate that, Madam Lu.

You're welcome.

Come on.

Let's go in.

Sure.

Let's go.

Come in and have a look.

Please look around.

This is a good place to stay.

It's just that the house is decrepit

and has been standing empty
for quite some time.

It's all right.

One moment. I'll light the candle.

Thank you.

Let's take a look around here.

Girls,

come over here.

This way.

Madam Lu.

Why are there so many scrolls?

To be honest,

the former tenant was an idle poet

who visited Xiaoqin Pleasure House
every day.

All fancy ladies like his poems.

And these are scrolls left by him.

Where is the poet now?

He's dead.

He's dead?

Died in failure and depression.

This is why this house

is rented at a low price.

Young Lady.

Girls, if you dislike this house...

No, not at all.

Madam Lu, we're fine with this.

Good to know that.

Tomorrow, I'll send someone
to clean everything up.

I'll get rid of

these scrolls too.

No.

Please leave them here, Madam Lu.

I want to read them.

Well, you can have them.

You're quite amusing, girl.

What an open-minded.

No wonder you have the guts to come
for the exam with just a maid beside you.

By the way,

I found that your hands were cold

when I touched them just now.

Also, the white of your eyes

is tinged yellow.

Do you always feel numb

in your limbs?

And do you find
that you're afraid of cold

and you can't sleep well at night?

Exactly. How did you know about that?

Are you a physician too?

One of my family members
works as a physician

and I've learned something
since I was little.

That's why I have some knowledge.

You have qi and blood deficiency.

This is a common sickness for women.

Juli, give me the sachet.

I want the sachet.

Here.

Madam Lu.

I made this scented sachet
with some herbs.

You can keep this.

Maybe it'll be helpful for you.

This is a precious gift.

I can't accept this.

It's fine.

We still stick with the rental
we negotiated before, right?

I'm fine with the rental.

Please keep this sachet. Don't worry.

Well, I'll take it, then.

You may settle down here.

I won't disturb you any longer.

Sure.

Young Lady.

Third Madam told you

to keep your skill from others.

There is still some time

before the metropolitan examination,

and the cost of the writing supplies

would be high.

Not only that, food expenses
in the capital

is heftier than other places,

so we must make money

to feed ourselves.

Rest assured, Young Lady.

You have me,

you won't get hungry.

Silly girl.

I don't want you to get hungry.

All right, go and clean up

this place.

I'm going to take a good look

at the poems.

Go ahead.

All right.

(Memorial Tablet of Late Mother,
Gu Yixiao)

Young Lady.

I have great strength.

I should've carved this for you.

This is for my dearest mother.

I must do this myself.

(Memorial Tablet of Late Mother,
Gu Yixiao)

Mother.

My effort all these years
turns out worthwhile.

Your daughter

has become a provincial graduate.

Soon, I'll ascend
as a metropolitan graduate too.

Don't worry.

I'll surely make something of myself

and earn an imperial mandate.

Once I settle down in the capital,

I'll search for your home

and you can

rest in peace in your home.

Third Madam.

Please bless Young Lady for her success

and bless us with food too.

(Song Yun, a musician courtesan
in Xiaoqin Pleasure House)

Can I help you?

Madam Lu told me

there's a physician here.

Yes, I'm.

I...

Please come in.

Please lie down.
I'm going to check on you.

You...

Aren't you curious about me?

I guess

you live across the street.

Aren't you afraid

that I'll sully your place?

To me,

all patients are the same.

Please lie down.

Juli.

Give it to me.

Please lie down.

(Lord Ding's Residence)

His Lordship has caught a cold
while traveling on the water

amidst the cold weather.

He's been coughing.

When will Imperial Physician Zhao
come over?

No idea.

Zhimo is at it again, My Lord.

He barely responds

and only shows his book to others.

Had I known it'd turn out like this,

I would've come to the capital first.

Since Zhimo didn't bring this up,

it's not something serious.

Just let him be.

You're biased toward him.

Your Highness.

Greetings, Your Highness.

Uncle.

Why didn't you give a response?

Oh?

Should I go to His Majesty tomorrow

and tell him the First Prince
picks on a sick man?

(Liu Chen, First Prince of Southern Chen)
It's not that, Uncle.

(Liu Chen,
First Prince of Southern Chen)

(Liu Chen, First Prince of Southern Chen)
I came here to pay you a visit.

You're badly hurt

by the abortion medicine

and lack enough rest for recovery.

The bleeding has continued
for more than a month, right?

Haven't you seen a physician even once?

Careful.

No physician out there

will treat me.

I'm merely

an old and unattractive prostitute

who got pregnant.

Is there no one here
to take care of you?

Madams are busy
with the Selection of the Courtesan

instead of looking after old ones like us.

When I saw Zhimo alone here,

I knew you'd gone somewhere else.

Does His Majesty blame me

for not offering my greetings
to him in the palace?

Father said you must be tired
from the long journey.

You may come to the palace

once you have enough rest.

I brought gifts

for you, Second Prince, and Third Prince

when I come back.

That won't do.

I want two gifts, then.

You can pick anything you like

from my storehouse.

Thank you, Uncle.

By the way,

are you feeling better?

Still the same.

Imperial Physician Zhao's been searching
for medicine for you.

I believe you can be healed

very soon.

You should've

come back earlier today.

Did you go somewhere else

to search for new clues again?

Five years ago,

Father eradicated all those involved.

Uncle, do you still suspect

someone else was behind it?

My Lord.

He Xin sent you something.

Look.

Clues started coming in
once we found something.

Come on in.

My Lord.

The tomb of Yuan Chengming
we found earlier

was newly built.

But his remain wasn't found

anywhere in the peach blossom forest.

But He Xin sent us an update.

(Tiantong Mountain, Zhuozhou)

They found

Yuan Chengming's trace
at Tiantong Mountain in Zhuozhou

after the war of Juma River.

And they also traced down Yun Xiangyue.

She's Yuan Xiyue,
the daughter of Yuan Chengming.

After falling from grace
and entering a brothel,

she changed her name to Yun Xiangyue.

As of now, she's the prominent courtesan
in Xiaoqin Pleasure House.

Here's your prescription.

Thank you.

You need to buy the herbs yourself.

I, Song Yun, will repay

the favor you extended to me today.

Juli.

Young Lady, we made some money.

But is this silver genuine?

She reminds me of my parents.

I used to hate my father
all these years.

But after meeting

Miss Song Yun,

out of no reason,

I started to ponder

what dire situation

my mother might face

and how she would live on

if she hadn't married my father.

She would've starved.

She would've been left in a dark corner

as she grew old.

My mother came from a noble origin

and was forced to serve at the brothel.

However,

no flowers would want

to be mired down.

I believe many flowers

wish to grow into trees.

Sadly, time keeps flowing,

out with the old, in with the new.

Juli.

We mustn't be just flowers.

We should be like trees,

tall and sturdy,

standing still against cold

and blustery.

Young Lady, trees are ugly.

That won't do.

You have a dainty look.

It's a waste if you can't be a flower.

That's not what I want.

Per state laws,

married women

aren't allowed
to become officials in the court.

So, I'm not going

to marry anyone.

You're not marrying anyone?

That's not appropriate, though.

The poet read this too?

(Physiognomy Arts)

Young Lady, I've seen this before.

Fortune tellers on the street

display this drawing at their stores.

We feed ourselves
by offering medical treatments.

Probably the poet lived on
this physiognomy art.

(Brings harm to husbands)
Look at this.

Brings harm to husbands?

(An Anthology of Ancient Poems)

My Lord.

The Selection of the Courtesan
is strict with the participants.

Not only do they require invitations,

but participants also have to pay
for gold flowers.

I suggest that we climb
over the walls and go in.

Given your identity, walking in
through the main entrance is not decent.

Climb over the walls?

Do you think it's a decent way?

My Lord.

I didn't mean that.

(Airhead)

When will the bright moon appear?

I hold my glass aside and ask.

Young Lady.

Though you can't write good poems,

you're good at reciting poems.

Well, just eat the flatbread.

Look, so many beautiful lanterns
over there.

Let's go there and take a look.

How beautiful.

I'll buy you one

when I have money.

Physician Mu.

Physician Mu.

I'm on my way to your place.

Could you please

come to the Xiaoqin Pleasure House
with me?

Xiaoqin Pleasure House?

I'm sorry

to make this unpleasant request.

But please help me.

Okay.

You can't go, Young Lady.

I'm worried about you.

I must go there with you.

Don't worry. I'll be very careful.

Wait for me at home.

Young Lady, I must go...

Don't move. Stay put.

Young Lady.

Isn't this an ominous mole
that brings harm to your husband?

Xiaoqin Pleasure House
is a complicated place.

It may help to shield off rotten luck.

Stand still and wait for me here.

You must take care of yourself.

(Xiaoqin Pleasure House)

Mister, please come in.

(Yun Xiangyue, the prominent courtesan
of Xiaoqin Pleasure House)

(Suyi, Yun Xiangyue's maidservant)
Young Lady.

(Suyi, Yun Xiangyue's maidservant)

Young Lady.

Why don't we wait until next year?

If I miss out on this,

how can I marry into
an affluent and influential family

to find myself a rock

to rely on safely?

Suyi.

I'm running out of time.

Please.

Sure.

Miss Yun.

This is Physician Mu.

This is Miss Yun.

Thank you for coming.

I feel indebted to you.

You flatter me.

Take care. Please come again.

(Xiaoqin Pleasure House)

How gorgeous.

Misters.

Can I have a look
at your invitation card?

Please come in.

Please.

Miss.

Acupuncture therapy
can't heal your sickness.

Your sickness will relapse

if you get cold

on the stage later.

I don't mean to pry,

but the courtesan selection
is held annually.

But you're weak...

Yes, the selection is held annually,

but this is my sole opportunity

to get chosen.

Bravo!

Bravo!

Her dancing is stunning, isn't it?

Yes, it's stunning.

Bravo!

Bravo!

Good!

Good!

Excellent!

Excellent!

Graceful.

Feng Shuangshuang should be
the top courtesan of the year.

Yun Xiangyue hasn't performed yet.

She's the newest prominent courtesan
this year.

Really?

Yun Xiangyue!

Yun Xiangyue!

Yun Xiangyue!

Yun Xiangyue!

Yun Xiangyue!

Yun Xiangyue!

(Yun Xiangyue)
Here she is.

Great!

Bravo!

Excellent!

(Young Mu Zhuohua)

(Young Mu Zhuohua)
Qi, stop dancing.

You should study now.

Mother, is dancing not good?

You dance too.

Why must I study?

(Gu Yixiao, Mu Zhuohua's mother)
Nothing's wrong with dancing.

(Gu Yixiao, Mu Zhuohua's mother)
However, through studies,

you'll be sensible
and capable of telling right from wrong.

By that time,

you can distinguish whether dancing
is good or not.

Not just listen to me.

Understood?

Miss Song.

Does Miss Yun

truly love dancing?

To be frank,

when one steps into
this house of ill repute,

they'll start loathing dancing,

even if they used to enjoy it.

But Yun is different.

After she came here,

she was reticent.

In less than three months,

she has already mastered
all songs and dances

and become a prominent courtesan
before long.

Why must she work so hard?

I wonder too.

Bravo!

Yun Xiangyue!

The top courtesan last year

was worth more than 1,600 gold flowers.

We shall wait and see.

Perhaps Yun Xiangyue is more valuable.

Gentlemen.

Offer your gold flowers to the beauty

for an amorous and long night.

I wonder who will bring home
this delicate beauty.

I'll go for 2,000 gold flowers.

Wow, 2,000.

2,500 gold flowers.

3,000 gold flowers.

3,000?

3,500.

Are they splurging a fortune

just for Yun Xiangyue?

As expected of men.

I'll go for 4,000. She's mine.

No way, 4,000?

4,500 gold flowers.

Congratulations, mister.

You won her with 4,500 gold flowers.

Congratulations to Yun Xiangyue on
becoming the new top courtesan of the year.

What a silly moneybag.

He spent so much money.

(Tsk-tsk, men.)

(It's useless even though he looks good
from the back.)

(I'm better off going back to study.)

I'm leaving.

Physician Mu.

I...

Is there anything I can help you with?

Can I ask you for a favor?

Well... many of my friends
in the backyard

have been feeling very sick.

Physician Mu.

If you have time now,

could you please...

Yes, sure.

Please show me the way.

Thank you so much.

Please accept a bow from me.

No, please.

Let's go, Miss Song.

Come on.

I... I'm a physician.

Please don't kill me.

♪Unceasing love stalks my mind♪

♪Couldn't get over it♪

♪Memories touch the edges of our souls♪

♪Nowhere to anchor, lost in the expanse♪

♪We gaze at each other
in the drizzling rain♪

♪But you have gone without a trace♪

♪Leaving me all alone in the world♪

♪Like waves without a shore♪

♪Clearly you know♪

♪Clearly I understand♪

♪Clearly, our eyes brim
with muffled affections♪

♪For a hug, we burn our life♪

♪Searching for you
throughout the long journey♪

♪Clearly you know, clearly I understand♪

♪We swear to stay together
in every lifetime♪

♪For this heartbeat,
I can suffer for aye♪

♪Never part ways,
we made this promise long ago♪

♪Love and hate entwined, unforgettable♪

♪Even if we are far apart♪

♪Two souls embrace in chaos♪

♪Impossible to erase, destiny's light♪

♪Clearly you know♪

♪Clearly I understand♪

♪Clearly, our eyes brim
with muffled affections♪

♪For a hug, we burn our life♪

♪Searching for you
throughout the long journey♪

♪Clearly you know♪

♪Clearly I understand♪

♪Our minds occupied with each other♪

♪For this heartbeat♪

♪I can suffer for aye♪

♪Want to have one more glimpse of you,
even just for a second more♪