Original subtitles

Your Majesty,

Beicang values blood ties and family bonds.

If we send the princess for a marriage alliance,

it will not only help us avoid disaster and war,

but also allow Beicang to help our Dajing

eliminate threats from other northern tribes.

I ask for Your Majesty's approval.

Dajing truly cannot afford more conflict.

As for the marriage alliance,

you must make thorough preparations.

It must not be handled hastily.

My loyal subject, draft the marriage alliance documents for me first.

Then send an envoy to visit Beicang.

Discuss the details of the alliance together.

I obey Your Majesty's command.

Without the princess,

let's see how you join forces with Xiao Ning.

Mother, please tell Father

I don't want to marry into Beicang.

I don't want to get married.

My daughter,

the marriage alliance concerns the safety of Dajing.

It concerns the people.

This is the duty of a Dajing princess.

You must not act willfully.

I will not marry.

Yun'er, you have already come of age.

How can marriage be delayed again and again?

Besides, the prince of Beicang

is a man of both talent and virtue.

Compared to Xiao Ning, who only knows business,

he is hundreds of times better.

He will surely cherish you more than Xiao Ning.

Mother, how do you know Xiao Ning wouldn't cherish me?

How do you know he wouldn't treat me better?

If he knew about this,

he would surely do anything to keep me here.

Your Majesty,

Do you really insist on Yun'er marrying for alliance?

Could it be that

Beicang truly intends to invade our borders from the south?

Beicang moving south—

Not to mention, Beicang just fought a war with Xize at the start of the year.

Both sides are greatly weakened.

Even at its peak,

our great nation would never fear such a mere barbarian state.

Do you think I

am an emperor who relies on marrying off his daughter

to seek peace like a coward?

Then your insistence on Yun'er marrying for alliance is because—

That Xiao Ning is smooth-talking

and has tricked Yun'er into falling for him.

I just want to test

whether he is worthy of

Yun'er's feelings for him.

Jiang Yun.

Xiao Ning, I have—

Oh, right.

Do you still have the Minghua Bookstore's distribution channels?

The bookstore?

Yes, I do.

Why do you ask?

Give me the bookstore's distribution channels.

I need to send something out.

That's not difficult.

Xiao Ning

If

If I leave in the future

what will you do?

Where are you going?

When will you come back?

Maybe I won't come back.

That won't do.

If you're not here

what about the tea, the wine, and the bookshop?

You don't want me to leave because of that?

That's right.

It's such a hassle to find another helper.

Right now I need to teach the Han family

a lesson.

You have to help me.

So, Xiao Ning

you just need a good helper.

Or rather

you just need these businesses.

It's not that it has to be me.

Does it make a difference?

If that's the case

let's just maintain

a business partnership.

Whether it's the bookshop's connections

or Yuxian House

or the Tea Pavilion

I'll hand them all over to you.

No, that's not what I meant.

I...

I'm leaving in a few days.

For business matters in the future

just contact Qing Feng.

Jiang... Jiang Yun

Jiang Yun

Jiang Yun

What's going on?

Yun'er, don't cry yourself sick.

I knew long ago that Xiao Ning couldn't be trusted.

It's better to see his true colors sooner.

Guards!

Here!

Take Xiao Ning to the dungeon.

Father!

No!

Then...

Then Yun'er, what do you want...

Father...

I'm fine.

That's fine too.

I agree to the marriage alliance.

I'll go prepare right away.

Xiao Ning, oh Xiao Ning...

How dare you humiliate Yun'er like this.

Guards!

Here!

Bring Xiao Ning to see me.

Yes!

What's going on?

I'm just a merchant.

No...

I'm not qualified to enter the palace.

Are you sure you haven't made a mistake?

Why does the emperor want to see me?

I don't even know him.

Miss Qingfeng

Miss Qingfeng, why are you here?

Could it be

that Jiang Yun has also entered the palace?

The Emperor is looking for her too?

Oh, right.

Yesterday, I think I

said something wrong and offended her.

Where is she now?

I need to explain things to her.

No need.

She doesn't want to see you.

Here is the bookstore contract you wanted.

And all the profit-sharing agreements.

She treated you with genuine sincerity.

But all you do is make her sad.

Fortunately, she saw your true colors early on.

What do you mean?

No, that's not it.

Your Majesty, Xiao Ning has been brought in.

Yes.

I am Xiao Ning. Greetings, Your Majesty.

Manager Bi

How dare you!

No way.

You—you're the emperor?

Manager Bi is the emperor?

Do I not look like one?

Not at all.

So last time you were traveling incognito?

No wonder the atmosphere was so strange that day.

Did I...

even ask you to pour me tea?

Yes, you did.

You almost

became the very first person

to have the emperor personally pour them tea.

How could I let my father-in-law

pour tea for me?

Who’s your father-in-law?

You’re the emperor.

Then...

Doesn’t that mean Jiang Yun is...

You dare mention Jiang Yun?

I’ve never seen Yun’er

cry so sadly before.

You broke her heart.

I...

I wish I could take your head off.

Why are you and your daughter so alike?

Your Majesty.

Last time, I got my conversation with Jiang Yun all mixed up.

Call her out here.

I want to explain things to her.

You don’t deserve to see her.

That's fine too.

Since you have no feelings for Yun'er,

this will help her give up hope.

Going to Beicang for the marriage alliance

is also a clear path forward.

Jiang Yun is going to marry for alliance.

What about Xiao Ning?

Your Highness, please don't worry.

His Majesty is currently speaking with Young Master Xiao.

Princess,

His Majesty won't do anything to Young Master Xiao.

In this old servant's opinion,

it's better if Your Highness doesn't go in.

Please stay here

and listen to what Young Master Xiao has to say.

Who says I don't care?

You spoiled brat.

As a father,

how could you send your daughter away for a political marriage,

ruining her entire life's happiness?

I really have nothing to say to you.

No wonder the noble families of Dajing

are so arrogant nowadays.

How dare you!

Enough.

Besides shouting "How dare you, how dare you,"

is there anything else you can say?

You—

Right now, the Han family leads the noble clans.

They rely on their size and think they're untouchable.

Not only do they dare to take lives at will,

they even control the court.

They influence Your Majesty's decisions.

If these parasites aren't removed,

I fear Dajing itself will soon collapse.

Do you think you're the only capable person in Dajing?

Do you think I've grown blind with age,

and raised a court full of useless fools?

Since I dare to say this,

I naturally have my own solution.

Your Majesty, there's no need to test me.

What do you mean by that?

I know Your Majesty is well aware,

that the current court

is already controlled by the noble families.

Your Majesty must be tired of it as well.

If I had a way

to wipe out all the noble families at once,

would Your Majesty be willing to act?

Xiao Ning

I know you have some business sense.

But your methods

when placed in the court

are nothing more than petty tricks.

The noble families have lasted for centuries.

Trade and taxes

and government officials

are mostly under their control.

You could say

the foundation of Dajing

is indeed built upon the noble families.

Even after decades of my efforts, I have not succeeded.

What can you, a commoner, possibly do?

Your Majesty, you are mistaken.

The true foundation of Dajing is not

those domineering noble families.

It is the honest merchants

and the common people.

Only by truly removing

the influence of the noble families from the court

can Dajing

truly be revived.

That's easier said than done.

On the court, eight or nine out of ten

have ties to noble families.

How can we remove them?

By appointing talented people from humble backgrounds

to replace the useless scions of noble families.

That way, the crisis in the court can be resolved.

Of course I know that.

Promoting the talented from humble origins is the right path.

But the Imperial Academy

and the civil service exams, the two paths to office,

are both controlled by the noble families.

Where is there another way?

Newspapers.

Newspapers are the new path.