Original subtitles

If that's what you've decided,

I'll support you.

Your mother used to say

that there's no right or wrong choice in love,

as long as it's from the heart

and without regret.

She would have supported you,

just as she never regretted marrying your father.

If Gu Qiu's spirit could see

that you've found someone you're happy with,

she'd surely be even happier than I am.

Thanks to her blessings,

my career has been smooth sailing all these years.

I've prepared twelve carriages of gold and silver as your dowry.

I won't let you be embarrassed.

Uncle, I already have more than enough dowry.

Life in Diannan is hard, and being an official there is even harder.

You should save this gold and silver for Zhang Ru.

What I've prepared for you is yours.

I've made separate arrangements for Ru.

Everything is taken care of.

I've bought a four-room residence facing south in the capital.

Once I retire, I'll come back and reunite my family

Father!

Ru!

-Ru... -You're back!

Shou Gu is getting married,

why haven't you found a husband yet?

If you keep delaying,

you'll become an old maid.

Come back to Diannan with me, I'll find you a husband.

If we keep looking, I'll only end up

with more guy friends all over the world.

You're retiring soon.

Let's wait until you're back. Alright?

What's wrong?

What's wrong?

Thanks to your cousin-in-law's men.

They said they were worried about bad guys threatening the estate

and mistook me for one.

Tell me, do I look like a bad person?

A little.

-That's hurtful. -Easy, easy!

-My arm. -Where are you hurt?

Everywhere.

Here, and here!

Uncle was just a minor official in his previous life,

constantly suppressed and ostracized.

When I got married, he couldn't even take time off to attend the wedding.

But now, his career is flourishing,

and he's reunited with his daughter.

Good for him.

My Lord.

How is it going?

We've searched the entire eastern and western hills,

but we haven't found anything.

This area has been flooded several times.

Even if it wasn't washed away, it would have been moved long ago.

Trying to find it overnight is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Keep digging.

Yes, My Lord.

My Lord, maybe we should give up.

It's about to rain.

There's still so much to prepare for the wedding.

Besides, Young Lady Zhao herself said it wasn't a big deal.

Even though I couldn't see her face, I could hear it in her voice,

when she said it wasn't a big deal, it was anything but.

I don't want her to have any regrets.

What's this?

It's padding for a wine jar.

Someone has found it.

Lu Ming,

find out who was in charge of this military farmland.

(Blossom)

(Episode 19)

No, to the right.

Center the flower.

Got it.

That's more like it.

A bad guy really sneaked in.

You two, come down.

Does he look like a bad guy?

-He does. -A really bad one.

On the count of three,

let's go together.

Three!

Where is he?

Why did you attack me?

I should be asking you that.

What are you doing sneaking around this residence?

Who are you?

I'm Zhao Zhang Ru,

Dou Zhao's cousin. Who are you?

I'm sorry.

I didn't know you were Young Lady Zhao.

In that case,

please pass this on to the newlyweds.

Just say it's from Chen Jia.

I wish His and Her Ladyships

a long and happy marriage, and many children.

Weirdo.

Young Lady Zhao, what happened here?

Some shady guy attacked me,

then turned around and gave Shou Gu a gift.

He's so weird and nonsensical.

He said his name was Chen Jia.

Chen Jia?

Commander Chen was here?

He's one of the Jiying Guards?

No wonder he had to be so sneaky even giving a gift.

Strange.

Why would he gift a smashed jade pomegranate?

Exactly, he's so weird.

I'm the one who smashed it.

(Cui's Residence)

What's going on?

The auspicious hour has passed,

but the wedding procession still hasn't arrived.

Let's wait a little longer.

Any sign of them? Are they here?

I've sent a servant two miles out to check.

There's no sign of the wedding procession.

We can't be this unlucky, can we?

It was a bride swap last time,

don't tell me this time it's runaway groom?

And you're still in the mood to eat?

Figure something out!

Until the sky falls,

you still need to eat.

Besides, His Lordship isn't that kind of person.

Something must have held him up.

My Lord!

My Lord!

This is urgent. Let me through.

My Lord!

-I'm sorry! -This isn't proper.

Please stop, My Lord!

Song Mo, barging in like this is against propriety.

Lord Zhao, I have something important to tell Shou Gu.

The wedding procession will be here soon.

You've missed the auspicious hour,

and now you're breaking tradition by forcing your way in?

I'm sorry about this.

Such disrespect!

Stop him!

You can't go in! Come back!

Give him another quarter of an hour.

If he still doesn't show up...

I'll go find him myself.

You're going to find him?

May I come in?

-Dou Zhao? -No, absolutely not!

What groom barges into the bride's room?

It's against tradition!

You're an hour late.

You swore you'd marry our young lady.

-Why did you disrespect her? -Song Mo, you have to go!

Dou Zhao, trust me, just crack the door open a little.

-You cannot go in. -I won't go in, and I won't look

What are you doing, Yan Tang?

-Song Mo! -This is bad luck!

-Dou Zhao, give me your hand. -Song Mo!

-Listen to me! -Dou Zhao!

-My Lord! -Dou Zhao!

Song Mo, get out!

-This is bad luck! -My Lord!

You cannot go in!

Yes, please listen, My Lord.

You can't come in.

How did you hurt your hand?

It's nothing.

Just give me your hand.

It's hurt badly. This isn't nothing.

How did you find it?

-Dou Qi, hand over the bracelet! -What bracelet?

We've found the jar of Nuerhong in your house.

Now hand over the bracelet.

Something dug up in the wilderness

-belongs to whoever finds it. -Give it to me!

You want the bracelet, huh?

I'd rather burn it as firewood than give it to you!

Now that the bracelet and the wine have been found,

you can put your mind at ease.

I'm sorry that I barged in and broke the rules.

The wedding procession will arrive soon.

I'll step out and wait.

Wait.

Your wound will fester if you don't treat it soon.

I can't feel at ease going through the wedding ceremony like this.

Go about your business.

Hold on. This might hurt a little.

Two perfect jade bracelets,

just like two hearts perfectly matched.

I can tell Yan Tang really loves her.

The grudges of the previous generation

are long past.

What matters now is that

they find happiness together.

Chop chop!

Our groom has brought plenty of gifts!

Move them all inside!

Hurry up now!

We don't want to delay the wedding!

Dou Zhao, the fourth daughter of the Dou family of Beilou,

is to marry into the Song family today.

Such a moment is bittersweet.

By the command of His Majesty and my father,

I humbly accept this union

and pledge to honor it.

As you join your new family,

never forget to uphold reverence and propriety.

Remain mindful of your duties,

and never stray from your obligations.

These are my savings from all these years.

Don't worry,

I've prepared some for Ming as well.

I know

you've endured far too many hardships over the years.

I sold a few shops under my name

to add to your dowry

Father...

Song Yan Tang,

if you treat her well,

both the Dou and Cui families stand behind you.

If you dare to mistreat her,

we won't let you off easily.

I will keep that in mind

and honor my promise to her.

With her stepmother's bullying and her uncle's oppressive behavior,

it's nice to see

that there are people who really care for her in this family.

With all this grandeur,

Dou Zhao must be over the moon.

Dou Shi Ying has emptied his coffers for her.

With such blatant favoritism,

how is Ming supposed to hold her head high in her husband's household?

Is the letter delivered?

It's been delivered

to the Duke of Ying's Residence as you instructed.

That place

may seem glamorous and wealthy,

but it's really a den of vipers.

Both father and son have blood on their hands.

Her life there won't be easy.

Her father-in-law is even more ruthless than I am.

I wonder if her father-in-law will even let her in that door.

"Zhao grew up on the country estate.

She lacked proper guidance

and discipline.

While she may appear obedient,

her actions are impulsive and unrefined.

I hope you will forgive her shortcomings

and guide her well in the future."

Wang Ying Xue sounds sincere,

but what she's really saying is

that Dou Zhao is an uncouth, conniving woman,

a typical troublemaker in the household.

It's not just her stepmother who dislikes her.

I asked around.

Even the neighborhood children

say Young Lady Zhao would

snatch their kites from them.

She's fierce as can be.

A clear sign she's nothing but a shrew!

Lord Song is in for a miserable time with her.

For my son to marry such a shrew,

I'm greatly comforted!

I can't wait any longer. Let's go welcome the bride now!

It's the auspicious hour!

Begin the ceremony!

(Memorial Tablet of Lady Jiang)

Bow to the parents!

The Crown Prince and Princess Shude have arrived!

Your Highnesses,

I apologize for not welcoming you sooner.

By order of His Majesty, I am here to offer congratulations.

Greetings, Your Highnesses.

Duke of Ying, receive the imperial decree.

By His Majesty's command,

On this joyous occasion of the union Song Mo and Dou Zhao,

I am greatly pleased.

I bestow upon both of their families reed pipes and chime stones,

symbolizing harmony and unity

between the two families

for generations to come.

Thus is my decree.

I humbly accept the decree.

I hear that you are skilled in playing the reed pipe.

Surely you know

that no matter how beautiful a solo,

it cannot compare to the harmony of reed pipes and chime stones played together.

Only with harmony between father and son,

can the honor

of five generations of the Duke of Ying's legacy be upheld.

I will faithfully heed His Majesty's teachings.

The ceremony continues!

Step over the fire basin!

Enter the bridal chamber!

What's taking Su Su so long?

Come on!

Well, this is rare, someone leading a donkey down Changle Street.

But Yizhi Hall doesn't have a stable for donkeys.

It's Lord Song's wedding.

No unauthorized people are allowed inside.

I'm a close friend of the bride, here to attend the banquet.

Merchants are prohibited by law from wearing silk or riding in carriages.

Do you have an invitation?

I'm transporting so many goods, it's buried somewhere.

I'll miss the banquet by the time I've found it.

If a merchant girl like you were Her Grace's close friend,

then I'm the Jade Emperor's childhood buddy!

How dare you look down on people!

Young Master Han.

What's wrong with being a merchant?

Earning an honest living with her own skills

is far better than being the lackey of some noble family!

I'm Song Han.

I've long heard of my sister-in-law's

close friendship with the esteemed Miao family's daughter.

And you

must be Young Lady Miao.

Thank you, Young Master Han.

These are Zhao's personal belongings,

but I'm not sure where they should go...

Here.

Your face.

Move the boxes to the inner courtyard.

Yes, Young Master.

Hurry!

You've worked hard.

I'll have someone take you to the inner hall to freshen up.

Don't worry, you won't miss the toast.

Thank you, Young Master.

Lift the veil! Lift the veil!

Yes!

The groom must sit on the bride's veil

to signify that he'll always have the upper hand,

leading while she follows.

That's not a custom in my household.

My wife and I are equals.

Skip any ceremony that implies otherwise, please.

Then...

Mutual respect and love

are the foundation for a lasting relationship.

Yes, yes! Let's move on to the unity wine.

Looks like she has no sense of tradition.

Yantang is completely under her thumb.

Who knows what chaos this household will descend into?

The couple shall hold their cups and drink together.

From this day forward, they will share joy and hardship alike,

bound by love

until their final days.

Yes! Yes!

From this moment on,

may you live in harmony

and grow old side by side.

The ceremony is complete!

Awesome! Yes!

Time to drink! My Lord, let's go and drink!

-Come on! -Yan Tang.

My wife wants to tell me something.

Come back soon. I have something to give you.

Alright, I'll be back soon.

-Let's go and drink! -Alright, alright.

Let's drink until you drop.

Come on!

Yan Tang has changed.

Lady Jiang used to say he was always so careless,

wearing the wrong clothes

or even putting his shoes on backward.

But now, it seems he's found someone he loves and cherishes.

Today's ceremony went smoothly

thanks to you for stepping in.

Please, take a seat and rest for a moment.

Forgive my boldness,

but may I ask for your blessing to bring good fortune to the bridal bed?

Come.

Please sit.

That blessing should come from someone

whose marriage is harmonious and who has children.

I, however, have no children

and have been widowed for over a decade.

I believe

that living freely, with confidence and joy,

makes one a truly blessed person.

Now I see why Yan Tang holds you so dear.

What did you say?

Duke of Ying happily welcomed Dou Zhao into his household?

I made it crystal clear in my letter

that Dou Zhao is nothing more than an uncultured, unruly wild girl!

Could it be that the Duke is just too thick-headed

to pick up on your meaning, Madam?

Are you saying it's my fault for not being clear enough?

Looks like the Duke

really is a clueless fool.

No wonder he can't even outwit his own son.

I didn't really trust Lord Song before,

but now I see

how much he cares for Zhao.

I'm so happy for her.

I'm happy for her too,

but I can't help feeling a little envious.

Finding a good husband is no easy task.

When will it be my turn, Su Su?

You two are blood brothers, yet your aim at this game is terrible.

You've lost three matches in a row!

You don't really deserve that jade belt.

Why not give it to me as a wager?

It's just a matter of luck.

I can play for him and beat you.

Young Master Han, you may not be good at this game,

but your charm is undeniable.

Even a merchant girl is jumping in to defend you.

This jade belt was a gift from His Majesty.

If you want to wager it as a prize,

what does that say about your respect for His Majesty?

So what if it's an imperial gift?

Young Master Han, you're best at sword dancing.

Why don't we combine it with poetry?

Last time, when you performed to

'Draped in orchids and belted with thyme,

breaking off fresh blossoms to send as a token of longing,'

the way your sword moves matched the verse was stunning.

I've always despised people like you who flaunt your background!

Arrogant and full of yourselves.

Exactly!

What does 'Draped in orchids and belted with thyme' mean?

You don't know Qu Yuan's 'Mountain Spirit'?

To think Lord Song's wife has friends like this.

I know Mountain Spirit, and I know Qu Yuan too.

Put them together, and I've got no idea!

So what? Not knowing is no big deal.

As long as the dumplings and the wine taste good, what's the problem?

You want to play flick chess?

Fine!

I'll play with you.

Dou Zhao grew up on a country estate.

Don't tell me she's as uncouth as you?

I...

My Lord, careful with the steps.

Song Mo!

Song Mo! Wait!

I've drunk too much.

He's drunk, Your Highness.

The young general,

losing on the battlefield of the drinking table? No way.

-Come on, let's drink some more! Your Highness!

Look at Song Mo, he's going to throw up if he drinks any more.

My wife...

Ah, Dou Zhao's waiting for you?

Got it.

Go on, go on.

-Easy, Your Highness. -Thank you, Your Highness.

-Let's keep drinking! -Enjoy, Your Highness!

Come on!

More drinks!

All you can think about now is Dou Zhao.

A married friend is like a lost friend.

You're always busy with your drills, now you've got a wife.

I doubt we'll have many chances to sit together and drink like this again.

You're the one who said

making a girl wait too long builds resentment.

And what about your dear friend's resentment?

It's love over friendship now.

Best wishes for your marriage, My Lord.

Thank you, My Lord.

-Thank you. -You may go.

Shou Gu?

Shou Gu?

Come here.

What are you doing here?

Come.

Your Highness,

we've searched inside and out of Yizhi Hall.

There's no sign of that letter.

Yes, Your Highness!

A few days ago, the Jiying Guards found out

that the clerk delivering my uncle's letter

was taken to the Eastern Palace.

His fate is unknown,

and the letter is missing.

You suspect the Crown Prince?

He's deeply suspicious of me and constantly testing me.

He must be hiding something.

Whether those inside or outside

this residence are allies or enemies is still uncertain.

That sounds dangerous.

Aren't you afraid I might run away?

Just kidding.

My love, you astonish me.

Let me take off your phoenix crown.

You're so beautiful.

Come with me.

Sit down.

There is something I want to show you.

I've kept it hidden for many years.

I think you'd like to see it.

Wait here for a moment.

No peeking.

I once came across a playbook called Record of Truths.

This is the tapestry of life depicted in the book.

The stories recorded in it mirror our current reality.

According to the playbook,

Prince Qing will stage a rebellion in the 27th year of Chengping reign,

which is next year.

You're really

as brilliant as Zhuge Liang, worth every effort it took to marry you.

Am I not being clear enough?

Treason is no trivial matter,

yet you seem so indifferent, My Lord.

It's not indifference.

It's that His Majesty has only two sons.

Who ultimately inherits the throne

is still undecided.

Even if Prince Qing were to seize power,

it wouldn't be

all that surprising, would it?

I guess that's true.

But the key isn't Prince Qing or the Crown Prince,

it's you.

You hold the military power over the Imperial Guards.

Neither of them can bypass you.

What they want now is either to win you over

or eliminate you.

Thank you for being honest with me,

but court politics can't be resolved in a day.

Today is

our wedding day, after all.

You're right.

It's my fault.

I just couldn't wait to tell you everything on my mind.

I didn't consider the timing.

You're right, these matters can wait.

You haven't eaten all day.

You must be starving.

I'll ask the kitchen to prepare something for you.

It's fine.

I don't want the servants to think

you've married a gluttonous wife.

I'll cook for you myself then.

Let me do the grilling. Your hand is injured.

It's fine. I can manage.

A year ago,

you were holding a blade to my throat to threaten me.

Who would've thought that we'd be family a year later?

Family?

I grew up in the military with my uncle.

I didn't know what having a family meant.

Until I saw my uncle and aunt together.

That's when I realized,

so that's what family looks like.

What about the Duke of Ying's Residence?

I mean, when Lady Jiang was still alive?

Even then,

it didn't feel like a family.

I understand.

When I was little, I'd see other families of three

and wonder

why my mother would leave me behind,

and why I couldn't stop it from happening.

Whenever I couldn't figure it out,

I'd run off to the back hills.

I'd watch the chubby wife of the Lang family

in Gao Village chasing her drunk husband around,

Everyone in the estate would come out to watch the spectacle.

I also saw a peddler

buying two sesame buns on their way home

to give to their daughters.

The more I saw of people and their lives,

I realized

there are all kinds of families,

some like this, some like that.

But at the end of the day,

there are more happy families than unhappy ones.

Growing up in the military had its perks.

I learned to be self-reliant.

This grilled fish is my specialty, made with a secret recipe.

Give it a try.

I've heard you could slice a live fish 3,000 times,

and when you put it back into the water, it could still swim away.

Is that true?

Even if you're scared now,

it's too late.

Shou Gu!

Zhang Ru.

You guys really are here.

There, there.

Don't cry, Zhang Ru.

There, there.

Alright now.

Who bullied you?

Who could possibly bully me?

These are tears of joy.

Shou Gu,

you got married today, and I'm 99% happy for you.

But there's this tiny part of me that feels a little sad.

Not everyone can happily marry the man they like.

I feel like I'll never get married.

Aren't there plenty of men in the world?

Finding the one you like can't be that hard.

My Lord.

Isn't that right?

Absolutely! Without a doubt!

These are some of the finest men in the Imperials Guards,

with good family backgrounds, military ranks, distinguished in battle,

and many even hold titles of nobility.

No, they won't do.

If they're all brawn, they're probably short on brains.

Zhang Ru,

why don't you just lay out your ideal criteria?

His Lordship will find someone based on that.

There are even scholars among the Imperial Guards.

Scholars? No, absolutely not.

All that nitpicking over words would drive me insane.

The person I like

should have a skill they excel at,

know some martial arts

to protect me.

He should be a little good-looking.

A little cool.

And most importantly,

have good manners.

I'm sorry.

I didn't know you were Young Lady Zhao.

Zhang Ru,

do you already have someone in mind?

-I... -Who is it?

-Who is he? -No one! I was just making it up.

It's not even close to anything real yet.

Shou Gu,

I broke your 'many children, many blessings' token.

Don't worry, I'll get it fixed no matter what,

Otherwise, it'll turn into 'no children, no blessings.'

What nonsense is she talking about?

Morning, My Lord!

My Lord, why are you coming out of the study?

My Lord.

Are you awake, Shou Gu?

Have you seen Shou Gu?

No, we haven't. What's wrong?

Did the bride run off last night?

My Lord.

Mr. Chen, where is my wife?

Please come with me.

My Lord.

Lady Jiang,

I should call you 'Mother' today.

I imagine this is as surprising to you as it is to me.

That Yan Tang and I have ended up together.

At first, he was so intense

that I was afraid of him, even tried to avoid him.

But over time,

I came to see the weight he carries.

Losing the Duke of Ding nearly destroyed him,

and then when you passed,

his own father turned against him.

Loyalty and duty became weapons used to tear him apart.

Anyone would have broken after going through that.

But thankfully, he made it through.

I'll be by his side from now on.

I'll make sure he never goes through such suffering again.

In the days ahead,

Yan Tang and I will support each other.

I will help him fulfill his aspirations.

Mother,

please rest easy.

I am

no longer alone.

Mother,

she's the one I'll protect for the rest of my life.

If you're watching over me from above,

I ask that

you watch over her as well.

Yan Tang.

-Call me honey. -Song Mo!

All these years, I've used my own savings to help you,

and you think I'm being unreasonable?

Heaven must be blind not to strike you down

with lightning, you ungrateful wretch!