Original subtitles

[Spring of The Blade]

[Episode 10]

[Xie Residence of Hengtang]

Master.

Please save Zhengjun.

Concubine Mei.

[Jingmu Hall]

You failed to raise your son properly and indulged him

to the point where he made such a grave mistake that implicated the whole family.

How do you still have the nerve to plead for him?

Master.

We haven't seen each other for years.

Zhengjun and I have been missing you day and night.

Zhengjun is your own flesh and blood!

If anything happens to him,

I won't be able to live either!

Master!

[Xie Shu, Army Inspector of the Northern Frontier, Right Senior Attendant]

You are...

Father.

I am Qingyuan.

Being urged along, with little time to bathe and groom.

Mother!

Chunqing.

There's no turning back for me.

In the next life,

let's keep being husband and wife.

Alike.

Too alike.

You look so much like your mother.

Father!

Father!

Father!

You're finally back!

Did you bring me a gift?

Father,

do our new clothes look nice?

Yes.

You've grown taller.

-Jingzhi. -You look prettier.

-Mother. -Thank you, father.

-Mother is here! -Mother.

Greetings, Master.

Madam,

thank you for your hard work.

Father,

you said

you'd buy me a kite as soon as you came back.

How old are you?

Finally, you're back,

murderer.

Mother,

I've been away for many years

and couldn't fulfill my filial duties.

When you were sick,

I couldn't rush back to serve you.

I have failed as a son.

Please forgive me.

Shu,

get up, quickly.

My son,

look at you.

Why are you so haggard?

Even if you were busy with military affairs,

you should have taken good care of yourself.

I heard

your back injury flared up again.

Are you feeling better now?

I've been fine for a long time.

Good.

Good then.

Where is Zhenglun?

That boy has some...

trivial things to take care of.

He'll be back later.

Don't worry.

Father,

you haven't answered my question yet.

What gift did you bring me this time?

You are a big girl now,

and you are still asking your father for gifts?

There are gifts.

I have gifts for all of you.

All these years while I was away,

if you've made progress,

I have plenty of nice rewards for you.

But for those

who have been naughty, like you,

I've prepared a big punishment.

She deserves a beating.

During the time you were away,

Lady Prefect

helped our residence

make a great match.

She betrothed Qinghe

to

the legitimate son of the Founding Count.

This is an excellent match.

May our ancestors bless us.

In the future,

if all the younger generation in our family

make something of themselves,

when I go to the underworld,

I'll be able to answer to your father.

Mother,

what are you saying?

I know about these things.

Have you forgotten?

I received your letter

a long time ago.

It's just that

I came back

before my reply arrived.

During the years I've been away,

our residence has been well managed

thanks to Madam Hu.

She has led everyone with tireless devotion,

lived frugally,

shown filial devotion,

upheld her duties as a wife,

and kept the entire household running like clockwork.

Honey,

thank you for your hard work.

Concubine Lian.

You have been gentle and kind,

kept harmony throughout the household,

and always

put the interests of the Xie family first.

This marriage

is a great match.

Qinghe.

Are you satisfied with your marriage?

Son,

I believe you are aware of

why Yan Rui surrounded our residence.

Our family was

extremely careful,

but we still fell into his trap.

Yan Rui

is just a brat,

not worth mentioning.

Don't worry, Mother.

Lord Yan has arrived!

He came so quickly.

Lord Xie.

In all these years at the Xie Residence,

you are the first one

to barge into the hall

uninvited.

You must be...

Lord Yan.

I am.

Nice to meet you.

Lord Xie, you are a busy man.

Today,

we finally have the chance to meet.

Lord Yan,

you concern yourself with everything,

from matters of state to civil affairs.

I didn't expect myself

to be on your list of concerns as well.

You sure do work hard.

Thank you.

Lord Yan,

my son just arrived,

and you already got the news.

You really have eyes everywhere.

Thank you for the compliment, Old Madam.

Lord Xie

is an important minister of the court

with heavy responsibilities.

I should naturally care about him.

I heard my son

is involved in

some case regarding disaster relief grain.

Is the evidence complete now?

Rest assured, Lord Xie.

I will handle it impartially.

Yes.

It must be handled impartially.

Then may I see my son?

Of course.

Whenever you want to see him,

you may see him.

I will be waiting for you.

Lord Yan, you're merciful.

Thank you.

What are you laughing about?

The unpredictability of the world.

Do you remember

when I said we have a long future ahead?

My Lord.

Must you

continue this act?

With an honored guest here,

I naturally must continue.

What?

Your iron will

has finally softened,

and you've changed your mind?

See?

What I can give you

is much more than this.

My Lord, what I want

is also much more than this.

♪ I counted every moment ♪

I hope that this time,

you mean it.

♪ Memories took root ♪

♪ Who bore the parting wind ♪

The same to you.

♪ And wove it gently into the warmth of the past? ♪

I also hope that

you mean it.

♪ I honor every scar upon your hand ♪

Compared to East Pearls,

♪ Through endless nights, a lone soul wanders this mortal world ♪

it seems you prefer jade.

♪ Turning back, we embrace— one fleeting moment of love and hate ♪

♪ As flowers fall beneath the dusk ♪

Allow me to kindly remind you.

♪ Sorrowed by many a farewell, comforted by sweet memories ♪

Once hands holding a knife are stained with blood,

they can never be washed clean.

♪ One life, one love, one heart devoted to you ♪

♪ In the depths of darkness, you are the stars ♪

♪ Trample the abyss, together we run ♪

As long as my blade has a target,

♪ May we grow deep in years together, sharing one life and one pillow ♪

even a mountain of corpses

♪ Rise and fall as one, whether we're united or apart ♪

and a sea of blood

mean nothing to me.

♪ Hand in hand, we brave all the storms of life ♪

♪ Never to part, forevermore ♪

Father, save me! Father!

I don't know anything, Father!

My Lord. My Lord. My Lord.

My Lord. My Lord.

My Lord!

You animal!

My Lord!

How dare you lay a hand on the relief grain?

Who did you collude with?

How much did you embezzle?

Tell me everything!

Father!

I didn't know it was the relief grain!

Guo Baofeng asked me to transport the grain,

saying it could make money.

If I had known it was the relief grain,

I definitely wouldn't have dared to do it!

Father, please trust me!

Nonsense!

Trust me!

My Lord!

Leave me alone!

None of you interfere.

Before asking any questions,

torture him first.

Bring the whip!

Whip him!

Father!

That's enough.

Stop.

No.

Don't stop until he

gets 70 lashes!

Father!

If a prince breaks the law,

he is punished like a commoner.

-If this brat really did all this, -Father!

I will kill him myself!

That's enough.

Stop.

Then I will be straightforward.

I believe your son is innocent.

However, I really don't know how to deal with

the mastermind behind this.

As you know,

I've been looking for the ledger from the corruption case.

And I believe it's now

in your residence.

After all, it involves too many people,

including the Xie family.

It's a tricky matter.

Lord Yan,

you must not bend the law

out of consideration for me.

If it is proven

that it really was my son's doing,

you must deal with him severely according to the law.

I'm handing over the entire Xie household to you,

and I will have no complaints.

Lord Xie,

as you can see,

Wei Changyan supervises Hengtang

and has been entrenched here for a long time.

Although this time, I came by imperial decree,

it is inconvenient for me to deal with a local tyrant.

But Lord Xie, you are different.

The Xie family is a prestigious family in Hengtang

with extensive connections.

I believe only you

can help me with this favor.

My Lord,

think about it.

After all, if I don't catch the culprit,

I can't release your son either.

Say no more.

I understand.

Wei Changyan

is indeed a tricky one.

But please do not worry, Lord Yan.

No matter how complicated the world is,

nothing can ever override justice.

If a person commits evil deeds,

no matter how powerful

or well-connected they are,

I only believe in one principle—

good and evil will always be rewarded.

Ultimately,

evil can never prevail over good.

Father.

What's the matter?

I want to talk to you, Father.

What are you looking at, Father?

When I first saw you,

I thought you looked like your mother.

But now, the more I look at you,

the more I think you look like me.

The past is unbearable to recall.

It is only natural

for a daughter to look like her father.

I just want to ask you, Father,

what kind of person was my mother?

You were with your mother since childhood.

You should know her better than I do.

Why are you asking me?

When I was young,

I once fell seriously ill,

with a high fever for 7 days.

After I woke up,

I couldn't remember many things.

Even what my mother looked like

is a bit blurry.

When did you get sick?

How could it be so serious?

It must have been...

after I parted with my mother for the last time.

I don't remember clearly.

Whenever I try to recall it,

my head aches.

Father,

I am unfilial.

I let Mother down.

So I hope you don't mind me asking

what kind of person

my mother was.

Good child.

Come with me.

It was around the time of the first spring thunder that year

that I first saw your mother at an entertainment house in Lin'an.

She was singing The Story of the Lute.

Her long sleeves fluttered,

just like a butterfly.

She laughed at Cai Bojie's foolish filial piety,

abandoning his newly-wedded wife for an official position.

But when I was studying for the imperial examination, she advised me,

"An official position is the most important thing to you.

You must not let me hold you back from your future.

Through severe winters and hot summers,

even if the seas run dry and the rocks crumble,

I will wait for you.

Wait for you to come home."

Later, I thought of many ways.

That Fifth Madam of yours

was the niece of Eunuch Xia in the capital.

[Jingmu Hall]

They are of great power.

The Xia family gave the word

to have your mother killed.

If I hadn't let your mother leave the residence,

we wouldn't have been able to save her life.

But if I had known

that your mother was carrying my flesh and blood,

I would have fought for her no matter what,

just as I fought

to marry her back then.

Father,

was this the first time

you fought for a woman?

Of course.

It was also the last time.

The only time.

The waters run deep in the households of the powerful.

In the Xie family,

my marriages to my wife and my 4 concubines

were all alliances forged

for power, influence,

or wealth.

The only one

I truly considered my wife

[Danyue Pavilion]

was your mother, Chunqing.

Chunqing...

There's no turning back for me.

In the next life,

let's keep being husband and wife.

Do you,

like everyone else,

think my mother

was a murderer,

and that's why

you never cared about the two of us?

How is that possible?

But the evidence was conclusive,

and Cui'er testified against her.

I couldn't say I don't believe it.

I never visited you two

for fear that

any clues

would be discovered,

which would bring harm to you.

Later,

when that thing happened to your mother,

I searched all over Jiangnan but couldn't find you.

I didn't expect you

to be in Hengtang all along.

My daughter,

you have suffered a lot.

I will show you something.

[Spring comes to Changmen Palace, where the grass turns green. Red plum buds just beginning to bloom.]

[Jade-green tea, ground fine as dust. A sip at dawn breaks a dream and stirs a cup of spring.]

That year,

I went to the capital to take up my official post.

Before I left,

your mother and I lived in perfect harmony,

and composed poetry together.

This is what we wrote together.

The words "Spring of The Blade"

[Spring of The Blade]

were written by your mother Chunqing.

Great!

[Spring comes to Changmen Palace, where the grass turns green. Red plum buds just beginning to bloom.]

[Jade-green tea, ground fine as dust. A sip at dawn breaks a dream and stirs a cup of spring.]

I took my official post

and was about to return home

when Eunuch Xia took a fancy to me.

He forced me to marry his niece,

Xia Yingying.

Xia Yingying was a jealous woman.

You know the rest.

Eventually,

she forced your mother out of the Xie Residence.

From then on, I wept every day,

and could only secretly look at this scroll every night

to ease my longing for her.

[Spring comes to Changmen Palace, where the grass turns green. Red plum buds just beginning to bloom.]

[Jade-green tea, ground fine as dust. A sip at dawn breaks a dream and stirs a cup of spring.]

The blood...

[Spring comes to Changmen Palace, where the grass turns green. Red plum buds just beginning to bloom.]

[Jade-green tea, ground fine as dust. A sip at dawn breaks a dream and stirs a cup of spring.]

[Spring comes to Changmen Palace, where the grass turns green. Red plum buds just beginning to bloom.]

[Jade-green tea, ground fine as dust. A sip at dawn breaks a dream and stirs a cup of spring.]

It's fine.

For this illness,

many people hired doctors for me

but I secretly poured the medicine away.

I don't want to be cured.

I want to keep this illness.

It brings me comfort.

My longing became an illness.

This is the only connection

left by Heaven in my bones

that will forever tie me to your mother.

I will take it with me.

[Danyue Pavilion]

[Danyue Pavilion]

My Lady.

Baoxian.

I was...

so close...

to killing him just now.

With just a slight lift of my hand,

I could have stabbed this knife

into his heart without hesitation.

But I held back.

I watched

this hypocrite

play the role of

a husband who deeply loved his late wife,

a father who was

full of remorse in front of his daughter.

Daughter.

You know,

when I was younger,

I often had this foolish dream.

[Spring comes to Changmen Palace, where the grass turns green. Red plum buds just beginning to bloom.]

It has to be after a harsh winter,

[Jade-green tea, ground fine as dust. A sip at dawn breaks a dream and stirs a cup of spring.]

when the snow has cleared and spring has brought clear skies.

With a fine steed and an elegant carriage,

I bring your mother back home as my bride.

But that very year,

just as spring began,

before the last snow cleared,

I heard that your mother had died for harboring rebels.

Since then...

Since then,

around the beginning of spring,

I would lock myself away to reflect,

refusing to see anyone.

Because...

Because from then on, in this world,

there was no spring.

His act was so convincing,

so disgusting.

The only wife I acknowledge in my heart

is your mother, Chunqing.

You've already done very well.

Patience will surely pay off.

Our goal

isn't to let him die so easily,

right?

He must pay a higher price.

[Danyue Pavilion]

But I'm in so much pain!

If it weren't for him back then,

how could my mother have died

so miserably?

Yet I still have to play along with him

and put on

this disgusting act of deep father-daughter affection.

I'm really in so much pain!

From then on,

I wept every day,

and could only secretly look at this scroll every night

to ease my longing for her.

His act

just now

made me realize that no one in this residence is innocent.

Father,

was this the first time

you fought for a woman?

Of course.

It was also the last time.

The only time.

I will find out everyone

involved in

hurting my mother back then.

I want them all to receive

the punishment they deserve.

Alright, we'll find them.

We will find them together.

My Lady,

you are the bravest

and most incredible daughter in the world.

I think you've done very well.

No.

It's not enough.

My mother

is still being accused of murder.

The only way

is to find the only witness from that year,

Cui'er, the medicine slave.

Fifth Madam died of the euphorbia,

and Cui'er has gone missing.

Where should we start investigating?

There will be a way eventually.

Xie Shu,

I want you to live well

and watch helplessly

as I destroy everything you have,

step by step.

Madam.

Bear with it.

Black hair

turning white.

You've been working so hard.

It pains my heart to see you like this.

I must treasure it.

About Zhengjun...

Master,

what is your plan?

He caused such trouble.

I'm afraid

it will implicate our entire Xie family.

That little brat—

you don't need to worry about him.

But right now,

to save the Xie family,

we must do as Yan Rui said

and testify against Wei Changyan.

But he was

personally trained by our older brother.

Given our relationship,

I dare not act ra—

Master.

Since I've married into the Xie family,

I put the Xie family first in everything.

Moreover, my older brother holds a high position,

so he naturally knows the dangers of officialdom.

Now that our Xie family is in trouble,

he will surely understand our difficulties.

I owe him my thanks.

Honey.

There's something I find hard to say,

but I must tell you.

My return this time

is not for recovering from injuries.

It's because

I failed in my supervision in the Northern Frontier.

The court punished me,

suspended me from my post,

and ordered me back

to reflect on my mistakes behind closed doors.

I am ashamed.

We already knew about this.

Good.

I'm a fool.

How could anything happening at court

escape Brother's notice?

Master...

Honey, I understand now.

Before, I couldn't figure out

why His Majesty was lenient with me

and gave me a light punishment.

Honey,

did you plead with Brother

many times on my behalf

after you found out about this?

Please accept my bow.

No, no.

Honey.

Get up quickly.

Honey.

With a wife like you,

what more could a husband ask for?

But now that I've lost my power,

that Yan Rui...

He's a close minister to His Majesty.

I can't clash with him head-on.

I'm afraid I can't prevail over him.

Jingzhi.

In Mother's letter to you a few days ago,

did she mention

that Yan Rui seems to have...

a special fondness for Qingyuan?

Let me do it.

Master.

A message came from Liuhua Courtyard saying

Second Madam is asking you to go over.

Reject it.

Doesn't she know

that I'm spending the night here with Madam Hu?

Tell her we can talk tomorrow.

Master.

I'm afraid that's not a good idea.

Come inside and report.

What do you mean that's not a good idea?

Second Madam is furious.

She said she would smash up Liuhua Courtyard.

Is she trying to rebel?

So unruly!

Jingzhi.

You should go over.

How could I?

No.

You scolded her during the day.

What's more,

her favorite youngest son is still in prison.

She probably

has a lot she wants to tell you.

She's getting way too bold.

Honey,

you are just too lenient.

I regret it.

Honey,

I was forced to marry this witch

back then.

I had no choice, and I couldn't say anything.

I understand.

No.

This matter

is very important.

I am really afraid this shrew

will cause big trouble.

How about this?

I'll go pacify her a bit.

And I'll come see you another day.