Original subtitles

♪When sorrow and joy blend into ink♪

♪Flowers fade, rain falls, helpless as time♪

♪Lament this frail body, tangled in love and hate♪

♪Yet I still wrestle with fate♪

♪Snow drifts down, burying all glory♪

♪Blame this destiny granted to me♪

♪Trapped in the chains of love and cause♪

♪When the dust finally settles♪

=Glory in Shadows=

=Episode 8=

Madam.

You haven't recovered yet.

You should lie down and rest.

It's all right.

Madam.

I heard that Nanny Sun knelt until her legs gave out.

The old Madam, recalling her years of service,

gave her some money and sent her away.

But fate had it that she met mountain bandits on the road.

She lost her life along the way.

Every thought and intent has its cause.

What we face now is but the result.

Once, they held the knife, and I was the prey.

Now it's my turn to let them taste

the helplessness that once bound me.

- General. - General.

I have military duties to attend to.

Tomorrow, I'll be away for a few days.

I've had someone investigate the Scorpion Venom.

Take good care of yourself.

Thanks, General.

General.

Let me help you rest.

No need.

I don't want you to compromise yourself.

Such an relationship doesn't interest me.

I help you

because I have my own reasons.

I feel no grievance.

I have always been your wife.

Besides, I think you're right.

From now on,

I must live for myself.

What do you want me to do?

I want to be the lady of the house.

Nuan'er.

Nuan'er!

Madam.

Where did this medicine come from?

The kitchen servants brewed it.

What's wrong, Madam?

It's just a bowl of herbal water, with senna leaves added.

Madam, you haven't recovered yet.

How dare they do such a thing!

I'll confront them now.

Madam, We came to bring you silver and charcoal.

Wait!

The official allowance for the wife is twenty taels each month.

Why has Madam received only ten taels?

We were simply following

Concubine Qin's orders.

Then what about the charcoal?

According to the rules,

Madam

should receive the finest Silver Bone Charcoal.

How could she be using Black Charcoal like in the kitchen?

Besides, this isn't even a full jin.

It won't last through the day!

Madam, we only have Black Charcoal now.

And when the charcoal was first burned this year,

there was naturally less to go around.

If you are unhappy, bring it up with Concubine Qin.

We maids are only following orders.

Oh right, Madam.

If you know it's cold outside, don't sit out there.

Stop right there!

Come back.

Madam.

Concubine Qin has gone too far.

They clearly

are trying to wear you down completely.

The more outrageous she acts, the better.

A dog that bites doesn't bark first.

Madam, have you finished calculating?

It's merely ten taels of silver a month.

Even if we eat porridge and pickled vegetables every day,

we'd still spend more than ten taels each month.

Add in rouge and face powder,

and the daily use of incense and candles,

how could ten taels a month ever be enough?

Since Concubine Qin took over the household,

her deductions have become far too harsh.

You're still a concubine, after all.

How could you endure such humiliation?

That's just how it is.

I've heard Madam's situation isn't any better either.

To survive in this inner chambers

is already no small feat.

But...

We can't be living on only mantou and pickled vegetables forever.

The General isn't home.

Why don't you go and speak with the Old Madam?

She refuses to even see me.

How could I possibly get a word in?

Xiaoru.

There are some fine rouge and face powder in my dowry.

Take them and pawn them all.

Madam.

How did things come to this?

Using your own dowry?

Indeed, how did it come to this?

Madam, what brings you here?

Honestly,

I've been here for quite some time.

Then you must've heard

every word I said, haven't you?

Don't worry. Sit down and talk.

I'd better not sit.

You're good at arithmetic.

When I lived with my own family,

I often help my father check the account books.

This is just a piece of cake.

Then, could you do me a favor?

It would be helping yourself.

What do you want me to do?

Today isn't the usual day for distributing the monthly stipends.

Why are you here so early to visit me?

I've just come up with a new idea.

To select a few capable servants to act as stewards.

We'll hand over the servants' wages to them,

and let them handle the distribution.

This way,

the efficiency will improve greatly,

and daily management will become much easier.

I truly didn't

choose the wrong person for this task.

Old Madam, that compliment

seems a bit premature.

Shen,

what do you mean by that?

Madam.

I know you're dissatisfied that the Old Madam has put me

in charge of managing the household.

But...

You shouldn't speak to Old Madam like that.

Concubine Qin.

You should look through these

before trying to defend yourself.

What's going on with them?

Zhang Jun.

On the ninth of last month,

he brought a courtesan from Hongxiu Pavilion home.

Didn't show up for work until midday the next day.

Yesterday, drunk again, he broke a potted iron tree.

Sun Bao'er.

On the thirteenth last month, after breaking a glazed glass vase in the side yard,

she had someone glue it together and tried to pass it off as intact.

Tang Xiaowan.

She withheld the allotted Silver Bone Charcoal from each courtyard

and secretly sold it at the northern market.

Madam, I swear I won't dare again.

In truth, a little attentiveness would've uncovered this.

I had thought Concubine Qin

was planning to settle accounts later.

But to my surprise,

these people not only escaped punishment,

they were even promoted.

Old Madam,

I had no idea about these things.

If I'd known they were doing wrong,

I definitely wouldn't have allowed it.

Is that so?

Then this false ledger was the work of the servants too?

Bring it here and let me see.

(Ledger)

Ever since Concubine Qin took charge of household finances,

she raised the monthly allowance for the servants.

According to the ledger,

the total monthly allowance

for everyone in Li Manor is one hundred and sixteen taels.

Even the pole carrier, who gets the smallest monthly wage,

receives at least one tael each month.

But when I asked them,

they said they only received three qian.

Old Madam,

I really only received three qian this month.

At first, I thought I had done something wrong,

but Madam found out after asking around.

Someone had been withholding our wages!

Old Madam, please punish them

and help me get justice!

Old Madam, please see the truth.

Yes, I did steal from the manor before,

but I never once took anyone's wages!

Nor did I!

I distributed the wages according to

Concubine Qin's accounting.

Not a single coin short.

So if that's the case,

Li Manor should still have over seventeen hundred taels.

There's less than seven hundred taels left on the accounts now.

If it wasn't you all who did this,

then who took

the one thousand taels?

Who else could it be?

You promoted someone who'd made mistakes to be in charge,

just so you could make them do your bidding.

Don't you dare slander me!

The family rules of Li Manor state

that anyone using public funds for personal gain

will be kicked out and sent to prison.

Old Madam,

please see the truth.

Old Madam, please see the truth.

You're welcome to search my room.

If I really took that thousand taels,

there would surely be evidence in my room!

(Ledger)

You are wise as always.

Or Concubine Qin would've gotten us into real trouble.

She grew arrogant and careless after her small triumphs.

Her mistakes were easy to uncover.

Still, it's thanks to your great accounting skills.

Otherwise,

we wouldn't have resolved this matter so easily.

You're too kind.

Yet, the Old Madam chose not to hand down any punishment.

Is she trying to just let this matter slide?

The missing thousand taels still haven't been recovered.

There's truly no proof to confirm

that Concubine Qin kept them.

I must come up with another plan.

Concubine Qin may look gentle and frail,

but she's so heartless.

Given her character,

I doubt she'll let this go so easily.

(Li Manor)

Madam, I think it's Concubine Qin.

Pretend to be me for now

and go lie on my bed.

Don't come out until I get back.

Madam.

Are you planning to follow them?

Isn't this...

Don't worry. I'll be fine.

Go now.

Madam.

(Yongle Bank)

(Yongle Bank)

Pretty one, don't run.

Just be good and give in to me.

There's a bed right over there.

You certainly know how to have fun.

Here I come.

The air is dry and the winds fierce.

Be cautious with the fire.

The air is dry and the winds fierce.

Be cautious with the fire.

You can't even handle a woman.

Useless fool.

Who could've known

that woman would be so fierce.

I got hit in the head.

You'll have to pay me more!

I can pay you more.

But you must help me with another act.

♪New snow falls thick beneath the eaves♪

♪Covering the courtyard gate♪

♪Your gaze melts winter into spring♪

♪Turning back from the boundless multitude♪

♪Gazing at you in that fleeting moment♪

♪All the hardships fade into drifting dust♪

♪A foolish dream turns earnest with you in it♪

♪Even a feigned play can grow into true affection♪

♪Too many dusks walked alone beneath my umbrella♪

♪Yet I crave the warmth left in your embrace♪

♪Among thousands of bright lamps, is there one♪

♪That waits quietly for me?♪

♪Time grinds through the rings of memory♪

♪Only you keep me warm in the long night♪

♪Scars left by the days gone by♪

♪Lie upon the lines of our hands together♪

♪I hold out a heart sincere and true♪

♪Crossing the deep courtyard♪

♪Just to trade it for one kiss from you♪

♪Praying our hair turns gray without regret♪

♪So that true love will finally come to be♪