Original subtitles

The abbot has said

that if you're here to pay respects to Buddha,

you're welcome in.

But if you seek answers to worldly affairs from the past,

he will not create more karmic entanglements,

nor should you torment yourselves further.

You fool!

You fool! How could you be so foolish?

Mo.

I've only just learned that Father kept a mistress here.

This is none of your business!

Father...

Father, I know you're hurting and upset, just take it out on me instead.

There's been too much misunderstanding between you and Mo.

I don't want the hatred between you to grow deeper.

Just blame everything on me instead, for the sake of our family.

You...

My Lord.

My Lord, we found this in the woman's room.

The tassel on my belt was missing, so I had a maid to make one for me.

But it turned out terrible, so I just burned it.

The tassel you burned

was her gift.

Father...

Father brought me here once to learn the flute.

She gave me the tassel to curry favor.

You caught me when I was trying to burn it that day.

I didn't mean to lie, I just...

Mo, you can read facial expressions.

You must know I'm not lying.

You've always been

the person I respect most.

Every family has its skeletons.

I just don't understand

why you insist on digging up all this muck and making it worse.

The Duke of Ying's household

isn't just skeletons and muck.

Do you think that now this woman is dead,

I'll stop digging,

pretend nothing happened,

and reconcile with him?

But he's still our father!

Guards, escort Song Han back to Yizhi Hall.

-Take him away. -Mo...

Mo!

I...

-Come on. Walk! -Mo!

Mo!

Mother was your wife for twenty years.

You didn't even shed a tear when she died.

Turns out, your heart belonged to someone else all along.

Makes sense.

You're selfish and cowardly.

If you weren't really loved her,

you'd never have dared to secretly keep a woman

tied to a family with a criminal past.

So what if she's from such a family?

I found someone I loved

and kept her outside.

Who are you, as my son, to pass judgment?

I feel sorry for Mother.

(Blossom)

(Episode 25)

Fate and karma unfold as they will,

yet you insist on defying destiny.

Please inform the abbot

that Ji Yong requests an audience.

The abbot asks,

years ago, Emperor Taizong

ascended to the throne through a bloody purge in the capital.

Later, he commissioned this temple

to pray for the souls of the departed.

To the world,

it seems he did a great service to future generations.

What do you think?

Emperor Taizong simply sought to ease his own conscience.

Regardless of his original intent,

ultimately, he did something good for the people.

A century passes in the blink of an eye.

Does the original motive

truly matter to those living today?

Are you suggesting

that since Li Yao Niang has been

worshiping Buddha here for over a decade, regardless of her reasons,

everything from back then should just be buried and forgotten?

Li Yao Niang entrusted her secret to this temple

to avoid further bloodshed.

And for someone like you, Dou Zhao, with a kind heart,

you must know that the truth can harm others and yourself.

Some things from the past are better left unasked.

There's an old saying, "To do good with intent may go unrewarded,

and to do evil without intent may go unpunished."

By your reasoning,

Emperor Taizong's redemption lays in

his willingness to acknowledge his past actions,

repent for the lives lost,

and bring peace and prosperity

to his people as atonement.

But if someone deliberately

buries the truth under the guise of repentance,

while the innocent continue to suffer,

where is the justice in that?

My Lord, we've got the entire estate under control.

Li Yao Niang's death is supposed

to be handled by Shengtian Prefecture or the Ministry of Justice.

Keeping them confined in Yizhi Hall might not be appropriate.

Your uncles have gone to the palace to seek help.

They're quick to act,

which only proves the truth

is worth me stepping out of line for.

If people from the palace come,

they can serve as witnesses.

18 years ago,

Li Yao Niang and my mother were pregnant.

Li frequently visited Wanfo Temple,

and as fate would have it,

my mother was startled into premature labor there.

Li Yao Niang is Song Han's real mother,

isn't she?

You've lost your mind.

This is baseless nonsense.

It's written clearly on the records.

Li Yao Niang was from an official's family in Futing.

During that time, you were stationed in Futing with the army.

When her entire family was imprisoned,

there are records of you visiting her twice in jail.

If she wasn't Song Han's biological mother,

why would she have the same style of tassel as him?

You two clearly had a history.

Song Mo,

you're just afraid

Han might take your place as the heir, aren't you?

That's why you're fabricating such slander against him.

Don't forget,

he's your brother.

Do you think this is what your mother would have wanted?

You're spewing such lies in front of Mother's memorial tablet.

Don't you feel even an ounce of shame?

Your argument is compelling.

However, what transpired today

may not have stemmed entirely from Li Yao Niang's intentions.

What is right for one may be wrong for another,

such is the nature of all things.

Your measure of intent may differ from mine,

yet it doesn't diminish that our intentions are both good.

I implore you to tell us the truth

and bring justice to both families.

Since you insist,

perhaps fate has chosen you to resolve this grievance.

18 years ago, on the day of Jingzhe,

Madam Li and Lady Jiang were indeed at Wanfo Temple.

Li Yao Niang came with a one-month-old infant,

claiming she wished to pray for blessings.

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Ying, Lady Jiang,

gave birth prematurely in the temple.

The Duke of Ying announced that she delivered a son,

but I saw clearly,

she gave birth to a daughter.

Father,

am I really not Mother's son?

That's absurd!

Han is recorded as Hui Sun's legitimate son in the family registry.

And you're basing this nonsense

on a mere tassel?

Have you heard

of a bone blood test?

A drop of living blood placed on the bones of the deceased,

if it seeps in,

it confirms a blood relation.

Hui Sun has already been laid to rest.

Are you going to exhume her now?

You think I would desecrate my mother's grave for you?

Bring her in.

Don't touch her!

Where should I cut?

-The skull? -Don't touch her!

Or the leg bone?

Leave her alone!

Look at these hands, so elegant

from playing the zither.

You wouldn't dare!

What wouldn't I dare?

Stop!

I didn't betray your mother.

The only person I've ever wronged in my life is her.

Li Yao Niang was her stage name at the Bureau of Music.

Her real name was Li Shu Yao, daughter of the prefect of Futing.

Back then, I was merely an illegitimate son

stationed outside the Duke's estate.

I first met her by the seaside in Futing.

I played the sheng, and she accompanied me with her flute.

Our harmony was perfect.

We promised to be together forever.

But everything was destroyed

by Jiang Mei Sun.

He led troops to raid the Li family

and ruined Shu Yao's life.

Fate plays cruel tricks.

During the imperial hunt,

His Majesty decreed that I marry the sister of my enemy.

The titles, career, and wealth

I had pursued for years,

I gained it all in an instant.

Yet, despite it all, I met her again in the Bureau of Music,

and we had a child together.

I've reviewed the case file.

The Li family was punished for embezzlement

in accordance with the law.

You claim guilt toward her,

but what about my mother?

She died

without ever holding her own child.

Where is that child?

Tell me!

That child died long ago.

That child was Jiang Mei Sun's debt to me!

If he hadn't led the raid against the Li family,

would I have ended up in this wretched state?

Han should have been my legitimate heir!

My uncle acted according to the law, and my mother treated you with sincerity.

You owe them two lives.

No,

three.

Mo, Father was just speaking out of anger.

Family ties can't be severed.

Besides, His Majesty himself

wished for our family to live in harmony.

If you have even a shred of conscience left,

tell me the truth,

who rescued Li Yao Niang from the Bureau of Music for you?

I got her out myself!

Still lying!

You got a courtesan out of the Bureau

and hid her in the capital for years.

Such a scheme couldn't succeed without powerful assistance.

You killed my mother

because she discovered Li's existence.

She was my wife.

How could I possibly kill her?

She died of illness!

If it wasn't your intent,

it must be the one backing you who ordered it.

They killed my uncle

feared the power of the Jiang family supporting my mother.

-Am I wrong? -Nonsense!

You want revenge so badly that you've lost your mind!

You're right about that.

Bring it in.

The licorice candies conflicted

with the euphorbiae in Mother's prescription.

You're the one who bought them.

You're the one who killed her!

I'm not a doctor.

How would I know the two would conflict?

They were just sweets.

As the head of the household,

how could I possibly oversee every detail?

-So you deny it? -I have no crime to confess!

You saw it.

He left me with no choice.

Take him to the main hall!

-Yes, My Lord! -Mo...

-Mo... -You...

Walk!

This is an old case buried in the past,

tied to the secrets of a noble family.

Intervening now will only breed resentment.

Why don't we stay here?

I'll warm some tea,

and we can discuss a proper strategy.

(Yan Tang is blinded by hatred now.)

(He's going to kill Song Yi Chun.)

(I have to stop him.)

(Arrows soaked in blood, vengeance left hollow,)

(and betrayal tearing apart the family.)

(Song Mo killed his father and brother in one night,)

(turning his hair white overnight.)

(Could it all have started with Li Yao Niang's death?)

What's done is done.

Even if you stop him now,

you might stop this now, but you can't change the course of destiny.

Even if my efforts are insignificant,

even if I can't change fate,

I'll stay by his side and face it with him.

That mantis is so fortunate to have you.

Mo... Mo!

All I know is that Jiang Hui Sun is the mother who raised me,

Song Yi Chun is our father,

and you are the brother I've always admired most.

This family is etched into my very bones.

You're still pleading for him.

I'm thinking of you.

If your hatred runs that deep,

I'll take my own life right now without saying more.

If you really think of me as your brother,

tell me the truth.

When did you realize the truth?

Today.

I had felt something was off before,

but after Mother was gone,

I was scared you'd abandon me too.

So I pretended nothing was wrong.

Brother! Stop this.

Please.

Do you remember this?

You gave me this dagger and said you'd take me to the battlefield one day.

This is a dagger confiscated from the pirates.

It's yours now.

Thank you, Brother.

I know you love roasted venison.

I was planning to hunt a deer for you tomorrow.

That's nice.

If I get to eat the deer you hunt,

I promise to ask Father

to take you to Futing and earn some military merits next year.

Deal! You better keep your word!

-Mother was still around at that time. -Don't you dare bring up Mother!

Uncle was killed before he could see His Majesty,

Mother was betrayed and insulted.

If I can't even protect my own family,

what kind of son am I?

Even if the world condemns me today,

I will demand justice and fairness.

Brother...

For my sake,

please spare Father.

If you still see me as your brother,

return to Xixiang House.

-Take him away. -Yes, sir!

Mo...

Mo...

Mo!

Mo!

Release me!

I am the Duke of Ying!

This case falls under His Majesty's judgment.

You have no authority to deal with me!

Fine. Then confess everything, who's behind all of this?

So that's what you're after?

Alright then, do it.

Even God is helping me.

If your mother were still alive,

she would never let you do this!

How dare you bring her up!

Shu Yao has always been the only one I love.

Jiang Hui Sun meant nothing to me, she was just a means to an end.

Having you with her

is the biggest regret of my life!

My Lord!

You can't even hold your blade steady.

The more you hate,

the more pain you feel, don't you?

Poison...

When did you poison me?

When did you notice your first strand of white hair?

That day, I only meant to give you a small punishment,

but Lv Zheng went behind my back and added poison.

As for who's behind all this, you'll never need to know.

The staff was laced with poison.

When the poison seeps into your bones

and turns all your hair white,

your time will be up.

Yan Tang!

Stop!

Yan Tang, don't do anything reckless.

I swore to protect you for the rest of my life,

yet here I am, trapped in a web of lies,

unable to even protect my own family.

That's not true.

You can't let cruel fate

drive you into darkness.

If the heavens are unjust,

I'll claim justice myself!

Do it!

No matter how hard or painful the road ahead may be,

I'll walk it with you.

Yan Tang!

Yan Tang!

Yan Tang...

Orders from His Majesty!

His Majesty commands

the Duke of Ying and his son to appear before him in court.

Go ahead, kill me!

If you do it now,

you'll be guilty of defying an imperial order, punishable by death!

His Majesty has instructed

that if you are injured or ill, you shall be treated in the palace.

My Lord!

Yan Tang!

-Yan Tang! -My Lady...

Until summoned,

you are to remain here.

My Lady!

Yan Tang!

Your Majesty,

Lord Song has been poisoned with Grudgebane.

This poison is exceedingly rare.

At first, there are no symptoms, pulse remains steady,

but hair turns white prematurely.

Once symptoms manifest, the pain is excruciating,

as if seeping into the bones.

When the hair is fully white,

death is inevitable.

He is barely past his youth.

Is there any cure for this poison?

The poison is called Grudgebane.

A heart free of resentment and hatred could ease the pain.

But with Lord Song in his current state,

even with the finest remedies, he has at most...

A year to live.

Your Majesty!

When the poison takes hold,

the afflicted falls into delirium, violent and deranged.

Your Majesty, for your safety, you must not go near him.

Your Majesty!

I want him to live a long life.

If you can't find a cure within a year

and he dies,

you'll all share his fate.

Yes, Your Majesty.

If word of Lord Song's poisoning gets out,

you know what will happen.

I understand.

Uncle,

I won't let that mistress into our home.

He's the one who switched Mother's child.

There must be someone behind him.

Find them.

Find them.

-Yan Tang... -Uncle...

It's my fault.

I couldn't protect Mother.

Punish me.

-Blame me, Uncle. -Please wake up, My Lord.

This is His Majesty.

Remember your place.

Yan Tang,

you'll be fine.

Your mother and uncle's deaths will not be in vain.

Your Majesty,

the matters of the Duke of Ying

still await your judgment.

Eunuch Wang!

Eunuch Wang, please show mercy!

Li Yao Niang has taken her own life.

Without living witnesses, there's no way to prove these accusations hold weight!

Eunuch Wang!

Eunuch Wang, our family's ancestors risked their lives

to follow the late Emperor and secure the foundations of this empire.

That loyalty earned us the Duke of Ying title

and generations of honor.

Surely a mistake over an illegitimate child

doesn't warrant taking Yi Chun's life!

Orders from His Majesty!

The Duke of Ying, Song Yi Chun, is guilty of adultery,

child-swapping,

and violating the sanctity of lineage.

He is hereby stripped of his title

as Commander of Warden's Office of the Five Wards

but retains his title to reflect on his misdeeds.

I am deeply ashamed

and accept my punishment.

But my son, Song Han, was neither complicit

nor aware.

I plead for Your Majesty's mercy

to preserve his place in the family register.

Propriety and ethics

are the pillars of the nation.

The distinction between legitimate and illegitimate heirs

is the bedrock of familial and societal order.

The switched legitimate daughter of yours remains missing.

What mercy does His Majesty

owe to the spawn of an illicit affair?

This one is for calming agitation and stress,

and this one is for colds.

Make sure you don't mix them up.

You're clearly frazzled.

Brewing each dose individually?

Doesn't the Imperial Academy of Medicine have these medicines?

Did you send Su Lan to ask me down the mountain just for this?

Su Xin,

fetch some more spring water.

Yes, My Lady.

No matter what happens,

things are going to get hectic from now on,

I'll need you and An Su

to help keep an eye on things at Zhaowen Bookstore.

I'm only here for you, Dou Zhao.

Don't drag me into Mantis Song's mess.

This is for reducing scars.

Apply it daily.

Ever since you got married,

your life seems downright dull.

If you ever want to leave, I've got plenty of ways to help you.

Knowing what's to come

only makes me more determined to try and change it.

I'll live true to my heart,

and the outcome

is not something I need to worry about.

My Lord.

The matter of the poison

must be kept from Dou Zhao.

But if your condition worsens,

how could you possibly hide it from her?

I promised to protect her all my life,

and now

I've failed her.

The more entangled the case becomes,

the sooner I have to eliminate every threat.

If I leave her to face

those wolves and jackals alone a year later,

even in the afterlife,

I'll never find peace.

Then...

What's your plan now, My Lord?

Give me a moment alone.

If I can spend my last days with Shou Gu by my side,

my time in the world won't have been in vain.

My Lord.

Chen Jia has sent word.

My Lord, have mercy!

I swear, I didn't know it back then.

I really knew nothing!

You're still lying.

Back then,

His Grace ordered me to care for a baby girl.

But... But the child was born premature and frail.

She didn't survive more than a few days.

Please, My Lord, have mercy!

What really happened back then?

Tell me now!

I only remember the baby

was brought from Her Grace's chambers.

Other than that, I really know nothing more.

Strip him of his post,

banish him to the barracks.

-Keep him alive, but just barely. -Yes, sir!

-Come on! -My Lord!

My Lord, I'm sorry!

My Lord!

I've tried to put myself in your shoes.

To escape the constraints of lineage and status,

you married a woman you didn't love.

Regret

became your excuse for doing whatever it took.

But those who control you,

what did they promise?

Did they guarantee

a title for Song Han?

You and your Jiang family have always been so sanctimonious,

acting like

saviors of the world.

Let me make one thing clear today,

I don't need anyone's terms or favors.

To get Li Yao Niang out of the Bureau of Music,

you needed connections in the Ministry of Justice.

You had help.

I'm a duke.

No one could stop me from getting a courtesan

out of the bureau.

You've secretly been serving Liaodong all along.

So, Song Han must be too.

Han isn't involved in this!

So, you're saying you're involved in this.

Enough!

After the bandits stormed the city,

you took the opportunity to replace the Warden's Office

and much of the capital's defense with Prince Qing's men.

I'd wager the Six Ministries, the Nine Court Ministers,

and even the Four Bureaus and Twelve Offices in the palace

are under his thumb as well.

With such a setup,

he's no longer just vying for the successor position,

he's preparing for rebellion.

I have no idea

what you're talking about.

Have you thought about Song Han?

Do you really believe that he'll get away unscathed if you die?

He'll be left alone in the world.

Can you really rest easy?

Han is innocent!

If you dare harm him...

It doesn't have to be me. Others will.

What?

You're nothing but a discarded pawn now.

Even if you take every secret to the grave,

they won't

let Song Han live.

You're on your own now.

(Loving sister)

How did you know I'd be here?

General Yan told me everything.

What did he tell you?

He told me about your late sister.

So, I thought you might come here to mourn for her.

The physician said your fainting spell

was triggered by anger.

This medicine should help.

Why do you look so pale?

Let me check.

Does your hand

still hurt?

Not anymore.

I'm sorry.

This is all my fault.

Losing someone all over again

must make it hurt even more.

I've made you worry.

You did the right thing.

If something like this happens again,

stop me no matter what.

I can't lose control like that again.

You've said everything I wanted to say.

Now, drink this while it's still warm.

When I fought my way back

to Duke of Ying's Residence alive,

I thought I had gone through the worst ordeal in my life.

From as far back as I can remember,

Song Yi Chun obeyed my mother in everything.

They were the picture of respect and harmony.

Whenever he went to the border towns,

he'd always bring back some local specialties for her.

I used to think that was love,

but it was endurance,

it was hatred.

My whole life,

I don't know if anything has ever been real.

Your mother's love for you,

the Duke of Ding's teachings,

the unwavering loyalty of the Duke of Ding's Army,

they are real.

And so am I.

You shouldn't have

to bear this sadness with me.

Husband and wife are meant to share fortune and hardship,

joy and sorrow.

From now on,

pour all your pain and troubles onto me.

We're not like your parents.

Yan Tang,

I'll pay my respects to your sister,

and then, let's go home.

Alright.

Look! Fireworks!

They're so beautiful!

Do you remember

the first time we saw fireworks together?

It was outside the imperial prison.

Dou Shi Shu and his subordinates had been sending memorials to impeach me.

Yet you sent Gu Yu in there to protect me.

What were you really after?

Even fireworks come in different colors.

He and I are not the same.

At the time, I thought,

if this person could become my strategist,

I'd have nothing to fear.

So that's why

you kept Mr. Chen by your side for so long.

You're not much better yourself.

Didn't you lock General Yan in the coal shed?

When I saw him, he was covered head to toe in coal dust.

Time really flies, doesn't it?

Beautiful things

are always fleeting,

impossible to hold onto.

Beautiful things may be fleeting,

but you can hold onto them.

You may be my strategist,

but all I need is for you

to live peacefully as the lady of the household.

I will stay by your side, through life and death, without regret.

I had thought I could protect you for the rest of your life,

but now,

I know I can't.