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 18=

Brother,

it's been a long time.

Indeed, it has.

(The Seven Military Classics)

Did your journey go smoothly?

With your reputation out there,

how could it not?

Go hide behind the Marquis household

and play tyrant. I don't care.

But don't drag me into it.

Brother,

why are you so hostile toward me?

If I were not a General now,

would you still treat me with such respect?

When we were young, you never called me Brother.

What did you call me then?

Jerk.

I...

I was young and foolish.

You don't have to dwell on it, Brother.

An insult carved to the bone.

I dare not forget.

Li Jingchuan!

I spoke to you in good faith,

yet you humiliate me!

Seems three years of travel

did nothing to change you.

You couldn't keep up the act for long.

Even if you are the General now,

so what?

Your mother was lowborn,

so you are also a...

General.

Li Jingchuan, just you wait!

General,

I have urgent news.

Go ahead.

I have found someone

involved in the assassination that day.

This person also delivered

letters for Lord Qin and Old Madam.

Old Madam.

What are you doing here?

I forbade you to go out.

I have come

to beg you for forgiveness.

Shen,

what are you up to now?

I only made a small mistake,

yet the General treats me so harshly.

He is clearly unreliable.

I don't want to go to prison.

I've offended you many times.

You are magnanimous.

Please spare me a way to live

and protect me.

You want me to save you?

Old Madam,

although Li Jingchuan

is a concubine-born son,

he has great military merit.

He might inherit the title.

Jingxu is the legitimate son,

and also your own blood.

He is the rightful heir.

Surely you don't wish

your own son's inheritance blocked.

For this matter,

our goals align.

Xu'er is the legitimate son.

He will inherit the title.

Besides,

what can you help me with?

I have a plan.

Please hear me out.

Those outside the manor

do not know the true cause of Concubine Qin and Tang's deaths.

If the world believes

Li Jingchuan is cruel and violent,

killing his concubines,

what use is military merit then?

It cannot quell public outrage.

As long as you persuade Lord Qin and the Tang family to file charges

at the Court of Judicial Review,

you and I will both be witnesses.

Very well.

Let's do as you say.

Bad news! Bad news!

General! Old Madam!

Bad news!

Lord Qin and Mr. Tang have struck the Appeal Drum,

accusing the General of murdering his concubines!

The General is summoned to court with the Qin and Tang families.

(Court of Judicial Review)

I...

I accuse Li Jingchuan

of murdering his concubines

and disregarding human life!

I, Qin Heng,

accuse the Li household

of killing my daughter, Qin Ruoyi.

Had I not yearned for my daughter,

I would not have known

she was killed by them!

Your Honor,

I wish to accuse as well.

My daughter Yuzhu

was also brutally killed.

Master of the Lis, step forward.

Your Honor,

I am the matriarch of the Li household.

My husband has been bedridden for years,

and I manage the inner household.

Old Madam, do you know of what they allege?

Yes, I do.

It is true.

Who committed the crime?

It was...

It was her,

Shen Yaochu!

Shen, step forward.

You tricked me.

I will not bear the charge of harming a concubine-born son.

Your Honor.

Shen,

did you kill Tang Yuzhu

and Qin Ruoyi?

No, I didn't,

Your Honor.

There is now a witness identifying you.

What proof do you have

that you did not kill them?

Your Honor,

I also have a witness.

Summon the witness.

Weren't you dead?

I've done so many dirty deeds for you!

I can't believe you want to kill me!

Stop falsely accusing me here!

Your Honor,

it was her!

She and Young Master Jingxu ordered me.

It has nothing to do with me!

That's nonsense!

Do not slander me,

or I...

Identify yourself and state your grievance.

I am Li Qiang,

a servant of the Li Manor,

serving Old Madam and Young Master Jingxu.

Two months ago,

Old Madam Young Master Jingxu

resented Young Master Jingchuan's rise,

so they had me deliver letters

to collude with Lord Qin,

hire assassins, and kill.

Tell me,

who told you to frame me?

That's nonsense!

What does this have to do with me?

Your Honor,

every word I speak is true!

This is the evidence.

Lord Qin had me deliver this letter to Old Madam.

But Old Madam wanted to silence me

before she even read it.

You dare use false evidence to frame me and my mother!

You...

Jingxu!

Enough!

How dare you cause trouble in court!

Present the evidence.

(The plot to assassinate Li Jingchuan may be exposed.)

The letter states

the assassination of General Li.

It also bears the Qin household seal.

Lord Qin,

you dare plot

against the General!

What treachery is this?

Your Honor,

Old... Old Madam

ordered me to do it.

Nonsense!

Lord Qin,

you said I had ordered you,

so this letter must be written by you.

Who can prove it was for me?

You...

Are you trying to frame me?

What? How could you still deny it?

- Your Honor... - And you, Li Qiang.

You claimed to be my servant.

Does anyone in the Li Manor

recognize you?

I have worked for you in secret.

Of course no one recognizes me.

You have no witness or proof,

so you are framing me.

Exactly!

Qin Heng, now both witness and evidence are present.

What excuses do you have left?

You old wretch!

To clear your name,

you drag me down with you!

You...

This matter is serious.

Detain Qin Heng for now.

Your Honor, I am wronged.

I am wronged!

You old wretch!

You are cruel and vicious.

You will die a miserable death!

Die a miserable death!

Your Honor,

the case of Shen Yaochu killing

remains unresolved.

The bodies have not yet been found.

With only testimony, it is insufficient for conviction.

Not finding the bodies

does not prove her innocent.

Not finding the bodies

also does not prove I killed anyone.

Then Shen shall be detained for now.

I am here.

Father.

Yuzhu.

You...

You are alive!

Father, I am not dead.

Good.

Good.

Your Honor,

the real killer framed me

for killing Concubine Qin.

General and Her Ladyship trusted me

and spared my life.

They had me hide to lure out the killer.

Though the true culprit is not yet found today,

I cannot stand by

and watch them be framed.

So,

I have come to testify for them.

Are you foolish?

I told you to hide.

Now you come out.

What about your reputation?

You have treated me so well.

How could I watch you be wronged?

Your Honor,

can this prove the innocence of

Her Ladyship and the General?

Mr. Tang, is she your daughter?

Yes.

She is Yuzhu, my daughter.

Very well.

Qin Ruoyi's body has yet to be found.

After further investigation, this case will be retried another day.

Until then, all related parties

are forbidden to leave the capital.

General Li, Old Madam,

what do you say?

Yes.

I understand.

But Li Jingxu showed contempt for the court

and attempted to seize evidence.

(Order) Give him twenty lashes.

- Carry it out at once. - Yes!

Your Honor, please don't!

Jingxu is young. He knows nothing!

Mother, save me!

- Jingxu! - Mother!

Jingxu!

- Jingxu! - Save me, Mother!

Your Honor, he cannot endure such punishment!

Your Honor!

Please spare me!

(Court of Judicial Review) Please, Your Honor!

Jingxu!

♪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♪