Original subtitles

=Against The Current=

(Adapted from He Yanshan's novel, Orchid Fragrance Fate)

=Episode 42= (This drama does not correspond)

(to any real historical dynasty.)

(The systems, culture, attire and other dynastic elements have been adapted.)

I've always loved you with all my heart.

Now that we have a child,

surely you can tell me where they came from.

♪Spring slips from the branches once more♪

♪Flowers bloom unseen, as they have before♪

♪All the joys and sorrows come and go♪

♪While loss leaves winter in the heart♪

♪Though all the world may fade♪

♪Time rolls on as countless lives rush by♪

Little toes, let's stretch them.

Stretch them all the way to Nanshan.

There's a treasure in Nanshan.

The treasure has a mountain of gold.

And on that mountain lie 1.2 hectares of fields.

0.5 hectares are planted with buckwheat.

The buckwheat feeds the little chicks.

But the little chicks won't eat.

Have you forgotten, Young Master?

You brought them back to the residence yourself,

yet you're asking me where they came from.

♪Night winds wander through the halls of long ago♪

♪No page could hold the longing words can never show♪

♪Every joy and sorrow in this fleeting life♪

♪Fades into the past as new wounds rise♪

♪While whispers of perfume linger beneath the eaves♪

♪Let the cold wind rage, let the wild rain fall♪

♪Let sorrow spill like shadows over all♪

♪Let love fall to pieces, let old anger burn away♪

♪Let the past die with yesterday♪

♪One last fire, one last cup of wine♪

♪And silver moonlight to guide me through the night♪

♪Let beginnings fade as endings come to call♪

♪From this endless dream, there's no return at all♪

I just saw Jinqi rush out.

Is something wrong?

Old Master needed to see him urgently.

Look.

Someone's hungry.

No more sucking on your hand, Zhangcheng.

Zhangcheng is awake.

Let me hold her.

♪No page could hold the longing words can never show♪

♪Every joy and sorrow in this fleeting life♪

♪Fades into the past as new wounds rise♪

♪While whispers of perfume linger beneath the eaves♪

You came here all worked up,

yet you haven't said a word since you arrived.

I remember Grandfather

was never particularly fond of Li Yingqiu.

So why

do you cherish this Cold Mountain Painting so much?

Even during festivals,

instead of spending time with the family,

you keep this painting by your side,

as though

you were sitting with an old friend.

Now

that you're a father, too,

there are some things I can finally tell you.

This Cold Mountain Painting

was a treasured piece in Grand Secretary Shen's collection.

After the Shen family was stripped of its property,

by a twist of fate,

your father-in-law recognized its worth

and acquired it for his shop.

Only then did I have the chance to see it again.

No wonder.

Now, seeing you siblings

raise families and live well,

I don't regret choosing to save my own life back then.

But in the end, I failed to preserve my integrity in my later years.

I failed the teachings of the sages,

and Grand Secretary Shen's faith in me.

I remember

you once arranged a marriage

between me and Young Lady Shen Jialan.

What kind of

young lady was she?

I met her once

when she was six.

Pure and unspoiled, with a natural air of grace.

Though she was a girl,

Grand Secretary Shen

treasured her dearly and taught her with great care.

That's all in the past.

There's no need to speak of it now.

Grandfather.

I still have letters to answer.

I'll take my leave.

(Grand Secretary Shen Qihan.)

(For deceiving the sovereign and betraying imperial favor,)

(and for disloyalty in matters of state,)

(all male members of the Shen family are to be executed.)

(The women are to be enslaved in the Imperial Music Bureau.)

(All property is to be confiscated by the state.)

You lie beneath the earth, your bones turned to dust.

I remain in this world, my hair white as snow.

I remain in this world,

my hair white as snow.

(Created by Li Yingqiu of Heyang)

Young Madam.

Why bring a brazier in here

in the middle of summer?

Young Master asked for it.

I was too blinded by appearances.

From beginning to end,

I was the one who wronged you.

You never wronged me.

(Zhichun Hall Daily Expense Account Book)

You are Xu Lanxiang.

We

are husband and wife who share every sorrow and joy,

and face every fortune and misfortune together.

♪The golden sunset♪

♪Sketches my thoughts♪

♪All things fall silent♪

♪Fearing to disturb this moment♪

♪My restless heart♪

♪Seeks a place to anchor♪

♪I wonder if the past has ever been heard♪

You...

Aren't you afraid?

Can I save up all the credit and ask

for everything at once when I've decided what I want?

I have to go.

We have plenty of time ahead of us.

As long as we care,

our bond will never be broken.

Didn't you say it blooms at night and smells wonderful?

I have feelings for Lady Xu.

I wish to marry her.

From this day forward,

we are husband and wife, sharing both fortune and misfortune.

Stop!

Prefect Liu, are you trying

to indirectly cause my husband's death today?

I'm no gentleman.

I get scared.

I act on impulse.

But for as long as I live,

I will never betray you.

♪And leave the grass and trees covered in frost♪

♪I only wish that where the lights grow dim♪

♪You and I will walk there together♪

(Spring Breeze Carries the Seasons)

(Banyan Terrace and Gracious Shade)

Before Fourth Young Lady's bridal gift ceremony,

the First Madam

discovered a dark patch on her abdomen.

It had ulcerated and begun to bleed.

She secretly sent for a physician,

who said it was a malignant sore

and there was no cure.

The First Madam kept it from everyone

and strictly ordered Yinchen and me

not to breathe a word of it.

That's impossible.

The physician you found must have been incompetent.

The Treatise on the Origins and Symptoms of Diseases states,

"When a sore itches, aches, burns, swells, and oozes profusely,

accompanied by a high fever,

it is known as a malignant sore."

It is difficult to heal

and difficult to treat.

If it develops on the hands or feet,

amputation

may offer a slim chance of survival.

But when it develops on the abdomen...

The infection has now spread deep into her internal organs.

Your Lordship, you should make funeral arrangements as soon as possible.

I have failed you as a son.

You were unwell,

yet I never noticed.

It seems

experience still wins out in the end.

You little rascal.

In the end, you still can't escape

the Buddha's palm.

How could my little schemes

ever compare with your great wisdom?

Birth, aging, illness, and death

are inevitable parts of life.

You're with child.

You may grieve for me,

but you mustn't let yourself be consumed by sorrow

and harm your health.

Otherwise,

even after I'm gone,

I'll never be at peace.

I understand.

Taking good care of myself

and living well

will be the greatest way

to honor you.

That's the daughter I raised.

Lanxiang.

Mother.

Jinqi

knows what he's doing.

I don't worry about him.

The only one

I can't stop worrying about is Xiushu.

This world

is harsh on women.

But seeing how you treat Xiulai,

Xiuru,

and Suhua,

I can finally put my mind at ease.

Don't worry, Mother.

I've watched Xiushu grow up.

I will never let anyone mistreat her.

Ever since you married into the Lin family,

because of your background,

I've always treated you coldly.

I was foolish.

I've wronged you.

Though you never cared for me,

you never treated me harshly or made things difficult for me.

Instead, you often stood up for me before the elders.

Even if you only did it for Young Master's sake,

I still benefited from your kindness

and have always been grateful.

These are the household authority tokens.

From now on,

the Lin Residence

is in your hands.

My Xiushu

is also entrusted

to you...

Mother.

Mother...

Mother.

Mother!

Mother!

Mother!

Grandmother!

Aunt Shunhua!

Mother!

Aunt Shunhua!

♪Through rise and fall, people meet and part as they always do♪

♪Each plant endures its own trials before reaching shore♪

♪Flowers drift with the ties of fate♪

♪Plum blossoms bloom, enduring the frost♪

♪Yet their proud spirit fades with wind and snow♪

♪Bamboo shadows embrace quiet contentment♪

♪Only orchids dwell in secluded places♪

♪Watching the old and new take turns in this world♪

♪Spring comes, and I smile upon a garden in full bloom♪

♪Autumn passes, and I let the blossoms fade away♪

♪A scroll of time slowly unfolds♪

♪I read every joy and sorrow behind the curtain♪

First Madam!

First Madam!

(Banyan Terrace and Gracious Shade)

First Madam!

It's broad daylight.

Why are you wailing as if someone has died?

How utterly improper.

Master.

The First Madam has passed away.

Changzheng.

Shunhua is gone.

Shunhua...

is gone.

Aunt Shunhua passed away so suddenly.

With such a large household,

now there's no one to manage its affairs.

But Aunt Shunhua's funeral

still needs to be arranged.

This is far too important to neglect.

If

it isn't handled properly,

Uncle Changzheng

will lose face as well.

In the past,

all the affairs of the residence

were handled by your Aunt Shunhua.

But...

now,

what are we supposed to do?

Shunhua and I were as close as sisters.

She was gravely ill,

yet she never told me a thing.

And now,

she's even left the household in the Young Madam's hands.

After all these years as sisters,

she didn't trust me at all.

It breaks my heart.

Lanxiang was born a servant,

so her knowledge and experience are limited.

She's never dealt with anything this important.

She's bound to make mistakes

and make a laughingstock of herself.

Why don't you leave Aunt Shunhua's funeral

to me?

You have a point.

I'll leave it to you.

You can handle it.

All right.

Mother already made all the arrangements.

Father, you needn't worry.

You must be beside yourself with grief.

Your mother has already passed away.

How could she have arranged her own funeral?

Exactly.

Everyone in the Lin Residence can only rely on me now.

Fengxian,

may I ask which feng shui master in the city we should hire?

Well...

How would I know

on such short notice?

The First Madam already chose a feng shui master.

Head Butler Yang,

take some men with Young Master's calling card at once

and invite Mister Zuo from Bajiao Street.

Yes.

Fengxian,

where are the First Madam's burial clothes?

Who will dress her in them for the initial encoffining?

Aunt Shunhua passed away so suddenly.

How could she possibly have burial clothes ready?

Shouldn't we hurry and buy them?

The First Madam's burial clothes are in the rear house attic,

inside the largest camphorwood chest.

Wei, take some people and bring them here.

Yes.

Madam Wu.

Once the burial clothes arrive,

please help me

dress the First Madam in them.

Let us attend to her

one last time.

Rest assured, Young Madam.

Xiulai,

Mother's coffin

is in the right-side room behind the family shrine.

Take a few careful servants

and have them carry it over.

Keep a close eye on it.

Don't let it get so much as a single bump.

Don't worry, Lanxiang.

Xiuwan.

Suhua.

Mother also had the mourning clothes and funeral banners

prepared in advance.

They're against the left wall in the storeroom.

Take some people and bring them out,

and then distribute them.

- All right. - All right.

Lanxiang.

What can I do?

I'll leave what Mother cared about most

to you, Xiuru.

There will be many people and much to attend to during the funeral.

Xiuru, please

be sure to take good care of Xiushu.

Don't worry, Lanxiang.

I'll make sure Mother can rest in peace.

Once the feng shui master arrives

and sets the time for the final encoffining

and the date of the funeral procession,

have Jinqiao and Jincen go to each residence to announce the death.

That will give our relatives and friends time to prepare.

All right.

Then I...

Mother has pain in her chest.

I'll take her back to rest first.

Let's go, Mother.

Shunhua...

Father.

So, is everything properly arranged?

If anything is amiss,

please correct me.

I wouldn't...

Everything is in order.

Everything is in order.

Since your mother put you in charge of the household,

do your best.

Your grandfather

must be grieving terribly.

I'll go keep him company.

(Banyan Terrace and Gracious Shade)

(Upholding the Virtue of Generations Past)

(Spirit Tablet of Madam Qin of the Lin Family)

I was only following Mother's wishes

and saying whatever I could to reassure Master.

How do you know everything?

You even know exactly

where the burial clothes are.

(For the feng shui master,)

(invite Mister Zuo from Bajiao Street.)

(The burial clothes are in the attic of the rear house at Rongzhang House,)

(inside the largest camphorwood chest.)

(The coffin is in the right-side room behind the family shrine.)

(During the initial encoffining,)

(Lanxiang and Madam Wu will dress me in the burial clothes.)

(Once the time for the final encoffining and the funeral date are set,)

(go to each residence to announce the death,)

(so our relatives and friends)

(have time to prepare.)

♪The years are calluses in our palms♪

♪And the worries etched between our brows♪

♪Birds carry twigs into the distance♪

♪While two pairs of eyes watch from below♪

Give this to me.

♪Snow falls white upon the eaves♪

♪Four seasons wax and wane, year after year♪

♪Whose footsteps come and go?♪

♪You're a river flowing to shore♪

Thank you for persuading me to resign

and return to Jinling.

Only then could I stay by Mother's side

and fulfill some of my duty as her son.

Otherwise,

I'd still be in the capital now,

and I'm afraid I wouldn't even have seen Mother

one last time.

♪The moon kisses the rising smoke♪

♪Whose oil lamp burns tonight?♪

It was also because you were willing to listen, Young Master.

Mother was a wise woman.

She and Father didn't get along,

but she never took it out on the younger generation.

Xiulai, Xiuru,

and Jinlan

were never neglected

in manners, learning, or upbringing.

They all have very different personalities,

but they are all good at heart.

Ever since I was little, Mother told me

that one tree alone cannot make a forest.

I had to treat my younger siblings sincerely

for them to treat me sincerely in return.

She also told me

that Xiuru

may seem gentle but is strong-willed,

so Xiushu should spend more time with her,

lest she be left alone

to dwell on things

and go astray.

Just cry.

As children,

we wish to care for our parents,

but they may be gone before we have the chance.

I'll cry with you.

♪Even if these trials consume my whole life♪

♪I'll only return to the moment our fate began♪

♪I've searched and searched, wandering in circles♪

♪Yet I can never mend that old dream♪

♪Leaving only regret behind♪

♪Thankfully, these trials have spared me a lifetime♪

♪In this life and the next, it will always be you♪

♪I only pray that fate lets us meet sooner♪

Aunt Shunhua must have been delirious from her illness

and misled by that servant.

Mother is kindhearted,

but you can't just let that servant do as she pleases.

Aunt Shunhua cared about her dignity.

We can't let her become

a laughingstock even after her death.

When I gave birth to Jincen,

I had a difficult labor.

It was Shunhua who sent for a physician

and stayed by my side the entire time.

She practically

pulled me back from the brink of death.

Mother, you mustn't let Aunt Shunhua down.

You must keep the Lin family together.

But Shunhua...

Shunhua already put the Young Madam in charge of the household.

There's still Old Master.

As long as Old Master gives the word,

that servant has no right to run the Lin family.

(Legacy and Glory)

Aunt Lanxiang.

Why have you come to the family shrine?

Why aren't you with Mother?

(Lu Jun, age 15. Lu Yingzhi, age 11 Lin Xiulai's son and daughter)

We have something

to tell you, Aunt Lanxiang.

What is it that's so important that you need to tell me?

Aunt Fengxian gave these to us.

These are ritual vessels used for offerings to your grandmother.

How did you get it?

Madam Deng, who serves Aunt Fengxian,

gave this to Yingzhi.

She told Yingzhi

to secretly hide it in your chest

where you keep your personal clothes.

Madam Deng said that now that the First Madam is gone,

from now on, the Lin Residence

will be managed by the Second Madam,

which means Aunt Fengxian will be in charge.

If I obediently do as I'm told,

we'll be allowed to continue staying at the Lin Residence.

If I don't,

she'll drive all three of us out

and leave us homeless on the streets.

Aunt Fengxian not only looks down on us,

but she has also looked down on you too, Aunt Lanxiang.

Why don't we give her

a taste of her own medicine?

I'll slip this jade into Aunt Fengxian's room

without her knowing...

Absolutely not.

Why shouldn't we let a wicked person suffer the consequences

of her own actions?

What Aunt Fengxian did to me

was wrong.

If I do the same thing,

wouldn't that make me just like her

and turn me into a wicked person, too?

If we repay resentment with kindness,

what do we repay kindness with?

Come here.

Sit down.

Let me ask you something.

What do the two of you

live for?

I live for my parents,

for my daughter Zhangcheng,

and above all, for myself.

For the tender yellow-green shoots of spring,

the evening breeze and stars of summer,

the blue skies and red leaves of autumn,

and the white snow and red plum blossoms of winter.

For the first fresh river catch I taste each year.

For pumpkins, sweet and soft.

For the fireworks and firecrackers on Chinese New Year's Eve.

For the wonderful plays performed by the Furong Troupe.

I have so many reasons to live.

What about you?

=Against the Current= (Next Episode's Preview)

(Construction Supervisor, Ministry of Works)

♪Spring slips from the branches once more♪

♪Flowers bloom unseen, as they have before♪

♪All the joys and sorrows come and go♪

♪While loss leaves winter in the heart♪

♪Though all the world may fade♪

♪Time rolls on as countless lives rush by♪

♪Night winds wander through the halls of long ago♪

♪No page could hold the longing words can never show♪

♪Every joy and sorrow in this fleeting life♪

♪Fades into the past as new wounds rise♪

♪While whispers of perfume linger beneath the eaves♪

♪Let the cold wind rage, let the wild rain fall♪

♪Let sorrow spill like shadows over all♪

♪Let love fall to pieces, let old anger burn away♪

♪Let the past die with yesterday♪

♪One last fire, one last cup of wine♪

♪And silver moonlight to guide me through the night♪

♪Let beginnings fade as endings come to call♪

♪From this endless dream, there's no return at all♪

♪Let the cold wind rage, let the wild rain fall♪

♪Let sorrow spill like shadows over all♪

♪Let love fall to pieces, let old anger burn away♪

♪Let the past die with yesterday♪

♪One last fire, one last cup of wine♪

♪And silver moonlight to guide me through the night♪

♪Let beginnings fade as endings come to call♪

♪From this endless dream, there's no return at all♪