Original subtitles

[Legend of the Magnate]

[Episode 14]

Sir.

When I went to the military camp to rescue her,

I had already thought of

all 3 possible outcomes,

including this second situation

you mentioned.

Here's what I thought:

as long as Yimei

could return safely,

she would still be your daughter

and still be my wife.

Being able to survive

in these chaotic times

is already difficult enough.

To pursue accountability for those things any further

would be too cruel.

You see, I'm a condemned official of the imperial court myself,

someone who fled back from exile.

If others start asking questions about me,

how is Yimei

supposed to face them?

Sir,

I've always kept these thoughts to myself.

I only dared to say these out loud today because you asked me.

If, by any chance, Yimei…

I hope

you can keep an open heart

and never blame her.

None of it would be her fault.

The wind is a bit strong.

It's making my eyes sting.

Before the merciful Guanyin Bodhisattva,

I, Bai Yimei, make this sincere prayer:

may the villagers of Shanjian Village

be spared from all suffering,

may there be no more famine,

and may the tea plantation be restored.

Please bless the entire village with happiness and peace.

I pray that my father remains healthy

and protected from all harm,

and that Mrs. Gu and Pingyuan

may reunite as mother and son,

never to be separated again,

and may all their wishes come true.

Here.

You're breaking the rules by bringing this here.

Put it away

before anyone else sees it.

Every night, when your pain was at its worst,

I was here chanting sutras for you to ease your suffering.

The Bodhisattva is merciful and compassionate.

She responds to all who earnestly pray.

My injuries are mostly healed now.

What are you still praying to her for?

I'm praying that you can become a good person.

A good person?

Back when we fought in Huzhou and Hangzhou,

I was already the commanding general.

I can't even count

how many people I killed with my own hands.

The Bodhisattva won't save me.

But I will.

I will.

I will.

If someone else

is about to be harmed,

and they call upon the name of Guanyin Bodhisattva…

Go.

Open all those crates

in that corner.

Yes.

Come in with me.

Take a look.

See if there's anything you like

among all these treasures and jewelry.

You can take whatever you want.

So many?

Of course.

Waging war costs money.

I can't let my soldiers

live on air, can I?

Enough talk.

Hurry and pick something.

I don't want anything.

You don't?

But these are all valuable items.

Check this out.

Beautiful, isn't it?

Keep it safe.

You might find it useful one day

when you get married.

It's so pretty.

I'll pick a few more items for you.

Where did this come from?

Does it matter?

Just keep it.

The person who used to wear this headdress

must have been very beautiful—

otherwise, she wouldn't be worthy of

such exquisite jewelry.

Is she dead,

or did she escape?

Was she buried,

or were her remains never found?

I really don't know whether the owner of this

is dead or alive.

All these treasures in this room

were originally taken from the common people

by corrupt officials,

and I confiscated them.

Just take them.

You can certainly give me a gift,

as long as it truly belongs to you.

Belongs to me?

All I have left is this last breath,

this one life—

and I still need it

to lead my troops.

Just take it as doing me a favor.

If I could not repay you for saving my life,

I would die in anguish.

Here.

If you truly want to repay me,

you need to take better care of yourself.

This life of yours—

I worked day and night to save it.

Even if there were mountains of gold and silver here,

could any of it be worth more than your life?

After you're fully healed,

take me back,

and we'll be even.

I'll send you back today.

We're breaking camp.

Where to?

To attack Hefei.

In a while,

follow this mountain path

westward

and ride for 40 li.

I know the way.

After you return,

don't speak of anything

that happened in my camp,

and especially don't tell anyone

that you treated my wounds.

Otherwise, the authorities will accuse you of aiding the enemy,

and who knows what nonsense

those simple‑minded villagers of yours might make up about you.

I'm not a child.

You don't have to worry about me.

Alright.

I have a request.

Will you agree?

What is it?

Still want me to become some good person

who cherishes his life?

Put this on.

This was left to me by my mother.

I hold it day and night to pray for blessings,

and I never let it leave my side.

It's just a pity

that there's too much blood on my hands.

Even if I wear it,

I'm still going to hell.

Then I'll come

see you in hell.

Pingyuan!

Pingyuan!

What's wrong? Why are you running?

Is there a dog chasing you?

Bai...

Miss Bai is back!

Miss Bai is back!

It's Miss Bai! She's back!

Auntie.

Sister-in-law.

Mr. Xu.

I'm back.

Yimei!

Father.

-Father! -My child!

Father!

Father.

Father.

Father.

Yimei.

It's windy out here.

Let's talk inside.

Let's go home.

Okay.

Let's go.

Let's go home.

You can't delay this matter any longer.

[Blessings and Auspiciousness]

Just call off the wedding right away.

Besides,

Pingwen's not married yet.

Right.

Don't end up

dragging all of us down with you.

Besides, Pingyuan

can't afford to

be arrested by the government again.

He's here.

Go find out

what people are saying outside.

Hurry.

Yes.

Miss Bai is back?

You already heard, Mother?

I was just about to

share this good news with you.

Mrs. Li and the others

came over just now and told me about it.

What did they say?

They said she...

That she...

What did they say?

Why are you like this?

So fierce.

Mother.

This time, it was only because Yimei risked her life

to treat that commanding general

that all the women in our village

got to return safely.

But just now,

I noticed the looks on those people's faces—

they didn't seem friendly.

So I wondered what they said.

They said she

submitted herself

to the Southern Army's commanding general,

and that she might have come back to take her father south

to enjoy a better life.

Were you even raised by humans?

What are you doing?

Are you trying to eat someone now?

It's not like that.

Mother, listen to me.

That commanding general

was just one breath away from dying.

If Yimei hadn't saved him,

all the women in our village would have been massacred.

That man was already injured

so badly

that even healing him would be a waste of medicine.

What could he possibly do after he woke up?

How could they say she "submitted herself" to him?

And all that talk about running off to the south.

Those despicable people,

I wish I could just…

Wish you could what?

Kill them?

Are you the same as they are?

No.

But Mother, you have to trust Yimei.

Yimei waited for me all these years.

She's such a gentle, fragile woman,

yet she stepped forward to save everyone.

If that's not a heart of gold, what is?

All right.

All right.

But let me ask you this:

if the government sends people here

and they start asking questions,

do you think they'll believe it?

What if they accuse her of aiding the enemy?

What then?

Those...

Those soldiers

don't care about

mercy or compassion.

They'll just grab onto her and kill her.

Son,

if you trust her,

take

Yimei along with Mr. Bai

and leave as soon as possible.

I won't go.

I'm not going anywhere.

I've finally made it back home.

Mother,

I don't want to leave your side even for a moment.

I'm a person, not a tree.

I don't want to be moved around anymore.

Who's that?

Pingwen got into a fight!

Hit him! Hit him!

Two against one, shameless!

Chop him up!

Go away!

Stop it!

Stop it!

Get back here!

Get back here!

Come beat him up with me,

Pingyuan.

Listen to what they're saying!

So what?

Say that again if you dare!

If they don't want to say it, leave it.

You tell me.

They said

Miss Bai and that commanding general had an affair.

You filthy-mouthed bastard!

Did you see it?

She was alone in the military camp.

Who knows what happened?

You should go back

and ask your own wife

how she managed to come back.

In the military camp,

if Bai Yimei

hadn't treated that commanding general,

none of them would have returned.

Each of you is big and strong,

but where were you

when your wives were being kidnapped?

Did a single one of you dare to step forward,

even just to try and stop them?

And now you gossip

behind their backs,

slandering an innocent woman?

What kind of men are you?

Let's go.

I'll beat you so bad

that even your own mother won't recognize you!

She treated his wounds. How could there possibly be nothing between them?

Tell me.

Just like when there's meat right in front of you,

which one of you wouldn't take a bite?

I dare you to say that again!

Let's go. Let's go.

Pingyuan! Pingyuan!

Pingyuan! Pingyuan!

We can't afford to get involved in a case where someone might die.

You're not like me.

Y-You don't know your own strength when you hit people.

Daughter,

eat something.

Open the door.

If you listen to all that gossip, where does it ever end?

That's just how people are.

No one's even running this country now,

so who's going to bother asking about your little issues?

Just eat something.

Don't make me worry.

Be good.

Sir.

Wait.

You two brothers

look like you just came off a battlefield.

Wait, you...

Sir, my mother requests your presence.

My mother requests your presence.

I'll be there in a minute.

Pingwen.

Come here.

Help me up.

Let me help you.

She won't come out.

Keep an eye on her for me.

Don't let her commit suicide.

Understood.

Pingwen.

Let's go.

Yimei.

Yimei!

Open the door.

Do you really want to break your father's heart?

We can talk things out.

Why shut the door?

Yimei!

I know

you feel upset right now.

Talk to me.

I'm listening.

What's there to talk about?

No one will believe me.

I will.

I believe you.

I've seen with my own eyes how brave you are.

Yimei.

Between us,

there's no need to ask whether I believe you or not.

If I had known things would turn out like this,

I might as well have just died in the military camp.

Don't say things out of anger.

I'm not saying it out of anger.

What is it then?

Let me ask you.

If you had the chance again,

would you

still step forward to save them?

In these chaotic times,

since when has saving people

ever come with the expectation of getting anything in return?

Would you stop saving them

just because they don't appreciate you?

I know.

But I'm just so angry.

I understand.

Human hearts can be so cruel

that even dogs won't touch them.

Back in Ningguta,

I thought

everything would be fine if I could just get out.

But only after coming back here

did I realize life is even harder.

Compared to those

passionate men in exile,

the people here...

Gu.

I haven't even asked you yet

how your years

in exile were,

and here you are, asking about me first.

How could they possibly have been good?

In my first year of exile,

I was sent to pan for gold.

The ice on the river hadn't even melted,

and when I put my feet in,

it felt like 10,000 needles

piercing the tops of my feet.

That feeling was like

dying and coming back to life.

But I always had one belief.

I told myself

that as long as I'm still alive,

I'd have a chance

to see you all again.

You've suffered so much.

Yimei.

Staying alive isn't easy,

and meeting again is even harder.

Your father just told me

he's worried you might take your own life.

Do you know during these days you were taken away,

he practically lost half his life

from the worry?

Now that you're back, are you going to keep making him worry?

Do you really not care about his well-being anymore?

I understand now.

I was being childish.

Yimei.

Back there,

I often lay alone

in the snow,

watching the snowflakes

slowly covering me

like a blanket.

I would look up at the sky

and wonder,

under this same sky,

what were you all doing?

Perhaps

you were already awake,

boiling water,

preparing to make tea for Mr. Bai.

Perhaps those children

were noisily arriving at the classroom,

and you had to tap each of them on the head

with your little pointer

before they'd settle down and recite their lessons.

Gu...

Yimei.

Gu.

I won't upset my father anymore.

I need some time alone to think things through.

There's just too much going on.

I-I'm going to rest now.

In-law.

Rumors cut like knives.

I fear my daughter has been torn apart.

I tried to persuade him just now.

I told him to take

you and Yimei

and run far away from here,

but he actually refused.

I'm at my wit's end.

Please try talking to him.

I can talk to him, but who's going to talk to me?

Besides, even if we run away,

what about you and Pingwen?

You would certainly

be implicated.

If we all leave,

our ancestors' graves are still here,

our land is still here,

and our tea plantation is still here—

who will take care of them?

Even if we escape,

where could we possibly settle?

Do you expect me, at my age,

to make a living by kneeling on the ground and begging?

[Blessings and Auspiciousness]

Mother, Mr. Bai.

Pingwen,

go boil some water

to make tea for Mr. Bai.

Pingyuan.

I've just been discussing with Mr. Bai

and want to hear your thoughts.

My thoughts about what?

Mother.

Please sit down.

Take Yimei

and run away.

Mother.

We've already talked about this, haven't we?

I'm not going anywhere.

If Yimei runs away,

what do you expect Mr. Bai to do?

If I run away,

who will take care of you?

We still have our tea plantation,

and I promised Pingwen

that I would teach him business.

S-Sure, Pingyuan. I'll go.

Go where?

Where do you want to go?

Fine, let's go.

Take Mr. Bai and Mother with us,

and our whole family will leave together.

Why are you so stubborn?

Mother.

Didn't you ask about my thoughts?

I do have a thought.

Then go ahead and tell us.

I've thought it through.

I want to marry Yimei

openly and proudly.

Even though neither of our families is wealthy,

I'll make sure this wedding

is properly arranged.

I want the whole village to see

that I am her man.

I know that in this world,

as long as Yimei understands me

and I understand her,

that's enough.

What does it matter to anyone else?

When it's time to harvest and roast tea,

everyone will be busy working

and won't have the time to spread this kind of gossip.

But if we run away,

then we're practically

confirming these rumors.

They'll think

we're guilty,

that we're scared—

that we fled because we had something to hide.

Who knows, they might even start saying behind our backs

that our whole family are traitors.

We really were muddle‑headed.

The two of us nearly harmed our kids.

You always have a basketful of reasons.

No one can outtalk you.

Even if everything you said is right,

how many years do Mr. Bai and I

have left to live?

What truly matters is that you and Yimei

live a good life together.

Mother,

a good life for Yimei and me

means taking good care of you

and Mr. Bai at home.

Mr. Bai,

do you agree with me?

Dear sis.

In-law.

This time,

I won't be listening to you.

Back when I taught him to read

when he was a kid,

I knew

this child is strong-willed.

No one could win an argument with him.

Let's just

listen to him.

I'll go back and cheer Yimei up,

and help her prepare her dowry.

Sir, you're a wise man.

Pingyuan.

Pingwen.

Come down the mountain with me

to buy the betrothal gifts.

This sedan chair is way too small.

It might work for carrying a cat,

but can it carry a person?

Well, just for carrying the bride for a little while,

it'll do just fine.

If it were to carry you, Sir,

it definitely wouldn't work.

Well, the two-bearer sedan chairs

are just this small.

If you have enough money,

let's go check out the four-bearer ones.

It truly is a bit bigger.

But my money

has been carefully budgeted:

1 small two-bearer sedan chair,

6 musicians, 2 attendants,

2 matrons to escort the bride,

2 matrons to receive her,

and 12 tables for the banquet.

Nothing can be missing.

Don't mess this up for me.

Rest assured, Sir.

Our sedan chairs

are in perfect condition.

The bearers need to shave their heads.

N-No problem.

And their clothes have to be new.

Certainly.

Peace is just around the corner.

How could I possibly

overcharge you shamelessly?

This one it is.

No problem!

The medicine got burnt.

Sir,

all the invitations have been sent out.

I've also spoken with

the cooks down the mountain.

I think

we should still keep things frugal.

Yes, absolutely.

Is she... Alright?

She's perfectly healthy.

Why wouldn't she be?

She's just being shy.

As a young girl, hearing things like this, it's only natural.

If this were in the past, the moment you arrived,

she would've come rushing out.

But look at her now.

She won't even bring you a cup of tea.

Ask her to fill my cup.

Mr. Bai asked me to get some water.

That general Li...

He didn't hit or scold you, did he?

No.

Why would he hit or scold me?

He put you through so much.

I get angry just thinking about it.

What are you trying to say?

Yimei.

Do you have something on your mind?

I don't know how to ask.

I don't.

Don't we...

Have some unfinished conversation?

Pingyuan, are you tired?

Why don't you go back and rest for a bit?

You seem quite distracted these days.

What happened?

I just have a feeling

that Yimei has changed.

In my memory,

Yimei hardly ever spoke.

When she did say something,

it was always soft and gentle,

with a delicate tone.

But now, she's become...

Very assertive.

The things she says

seem logical on the surface,

but when you think carefully,

something's off about them,

yet I can't seem to refute her.

That's what happens when someone's seen the world.

Not to mention her—

just take myself as an example.

These days, I brag to everyone I meet

that my brother and I charged in and out of

the military camp 7 times,

no worse than Zhao Yun

and even better than Zhang Fei.

What nonsense you're talking.

The key issue is,

I just feel

the way she talks to me now

is too polite.

What do you mean by too polite?

She's just very courteous

and very formal.

I feel like I can't get close to her,

like there's a barrier between us.

Now you're just being unreasonable.

You've been gone for so many years

and just came back,

and with such a major incident

having just happened to her family—

how close do you expect her to be with you?

It's not like that.

We've known each other since childhood

and grown up together.

How could I not know

what kind of person she is?

Well, like last time,

I risked my life

to rescue her from the military camp.

But as soon as she saw me, she asked me to leave first,

saying she wanted to stay

and save those wounded soldiers.

It's been even worse since she came back.

The way she looks at me

is like we're strangers.

Well, not exactly strangers,

just slightly better

than total strangers.

Now that Suzhou and Hangzhou have been captured,

I couldn't get any

good silk fabrics at all.

Those silk shops

are only selling foreign stuff—

they all looked like funeral clothes.

I wandered around for two days

and couldn't buy a thing.

I only managed to get some silver jewelry in the end.

What about the wedding dress then?

A girl needs a red wedding dress

when she gets married

no matter what.

You can't have her wear plain cloth, can you?

Even if Mr. Bai agrees,

Miss Bai

would be furious with you.

Mother.

When you got married,

could you afford a wedding dress?

Speaking of my wedding dress,

back then, there were hardly

any villages that hadn't heard of it.

It was made of fine Suzhou silk,

and the buttons were coral.

That red color was a bit deeper

than the red of normal wedding dresses.

The skirt I wore

had Fushan longevity pattern,

embroidered with sea monsters

holding jewels in their hands,

which were actually stitched

with real gems.

Mother,

are you...

You think I'm crazy

and talking nonsense, don't you?

No, of course not.

Later, I found out

that your father

sold his collection of paintings and calligraphy.

He liked things to be

dignified and lively,

and he didn't want me to feel wronged.

Father treated you really well.

I'm not asking you to be like your father.

I was young and naive back then.

Actually,

wearing a simple wedding dress

would have been fine.

Insisting on things we shouldn't have

often brings trouble.

That's true.

Yimei isn't picky,

so I think a plain cloth dress would do.

Really?

Don't look at me like that.

It's true.

But you have to ask her.

No matter how much a girl likes you,

if you can't even provide a decent wedding dress

for her to wear,

and she doesn't even complain, something must be off.

It's not that she didn't complain.

She... She just didn't say anything at all.

I think...

If you ask me, getting married

is the last thing on her mind now.

Give it some time.

Follow her lead and give it some time.

But Mr. Bai's health

is getting worse and worse.

Son.

Parents are only matters for half a lifetime,

but a spouse is for a whole lifetime.

Don't try to make us happy.

What truly matters is that the two of you live a fulfilled life together.

Father.

Father, what are you doing?

Dear, hold my legs.

Hold my legs.

Father, come down. I'll get it.

Never mind.

Help me down.

Okay.

I'm really useless.

Father, what were you doing?

If you need anything, I can get it for you.

You don't have the strength for that.

Call the Gu brothers over

in a bit

and have them help me get it.

All of these are the dowry

I've been saving for you over the years.