Original subtitles

=Tigers Sniff the Rose=

(Based on the novel of the same name by Yiren Kuikui)

=Episode 5=

Your Highness, your uncle is here.

He's waiting in the main hall.

I only returned yesterday.

Word certainly travels fast to him.

Your Highness.

Don't make things worse.

Just think of my niece's standing.

You're my protege.

If you two marry,

we'll be family twice over.

And then,

once she bears you a child...

(Princess Danyang arrives!)

Uncle!

I had a little too much to drink at Cuiyun Tower last night.

I slept in this morning.

Sorry to keep you waiting, Uncle.

Danyang.

(Li Zhi, Rites Ministry's Vice Director) You're not getting any younger.

And who might this handsome young gentleman be?

What a fine-looking young man.

You've brought him all this way, Uncle.

Aren't you going to introduce us?

(That old scumbag!)

(He keeps parading men through my residence like merchandise,)

(expecting me to choose one.)

(Now he's even bringing me boys)

(this young?)

I am Wei Shu.

My respects, Princess Danyang.

You're from the Wei clan of Jingzhao?

Yes, he is.

(Wei Shu, Member of the Wei Clan Branch) (So this is Princess Danyang.)

(She's remarkably uninhibited.)

Chunhua.

Show this young man around my study.

I need a word with my uncle.

Yes.

Sir,

this way, please.

Uncle.

There are quite a few members of the Wei clan at court these days.

I hear

that brilliant adviser of Lord Yu's

belongs to the Wei clan too.

How come I've never heard

of this young man, then?

Wei Qiao, Lord Yu's adviser,

is his older clansman.

Wei Shu comes from a cadet branch of the clan.

But despite his lesser lineage,

he's one of my finest students.

Every suitor you bring me, Uncle,

just happens to be your student.

And now,

you're even bringing me someone from a cadet branch?

What do you know?

Sheng'an has no shortage of talent,

but a young genius like Wei Shu is one of a kind.

With his abilities,

he's certain to place among the top three this year.

Top three?

He hasn't even taken the exam yet.

Danyang,

you must stop behaving so recklessly.

You're a princess.

The Mu royal family's reputation rests on your shoulders,

as does the honor of our Li family.

Now that your mother is gone,

the Li family

has no one but me

and you to depend on.

If you keep standing by,

how can you face your late mother?

You're absolutely right, Uncle.

You must trust me.

Once Wei Shu passes the imperial exams

and secures an official post,

he'll have no connections of his own.

He'll have to rely on the Li family.

That'll make him easy for us to control.

He would be

the perfect choice for your husband.

I understand now.

Uncle.

You may leave now.

Let that young man stay at my residence.

I'll spend some time talking to him

and getting to know him better.

Good.

Excellent!

If Wei Shu wins your favor,

use your personal recommendation

to get him into the Imperial Academy.

It's worth a thousand submitted essays!

He already comes from a noble clan.

With honors from the exams and a princess for a wife,

his standing will only improve.

He'll be a worthy match for you.

Chunhua, tell me.

Why is everyone so desperate to get into the Imperial Academy?

Who?

(So he's a little bookworm.)

Your Highness.

Apart from your studies,

what else are you good at?

Beyond books and poetry,

I have no other talents.

Everyone has something they enjoy.

I don't believe you have no hobbies.

And if you say you don't,

then you're lying to me.

I...

I enjoy studying alchemy in my spare time.

Then why don't you

make me an elixir of immortality?

Once you've made it,

I'll reward you by making you my husband.

You've misunderstood, Your Highness.

Alchemy isn't some mystical sorcery.

It can't make people immortal.

Really?

Why not?

People...

Everyone... Everyone dies eventually.

Don't you want to marry a princess?

Instead of saying something sweet to please me,

you insist on telling me such grim truths.

My mentor arranged this marriage.

It's not what I want.

I never wanted to take this path.

That's all I have to say.

I accept whatever punishment you see fit.

Why do you keep avoiding me?

What am I going to do, eat you alive?

Do I look

like some wicked woman who forces handsome young men into her bed?

Don't worry.

As for my uncle's arrangements,

I'll take care of everything.

Go to the Imperial Academy tomorrow.

Just say you're under my patronage, and they'll admit you.

As for tonight...

Why don't you spend the night here with me?

Your Highness.

Can we really trust Princess Danyang?

Whether she truly intends to help me or not,

her hatred for Yu Cheng'an

is certainly genuine.

Back then,

it was Yu Cheng'an

who arranged her marriage to North Jing.

I've heard that over the years,

she suffered terrible abuse there.

Had Meng Baiyu not died so suddenly,

she might have spent the rest of her life rotting away in North Jing.

And when she finally returned,

the Empress had already died.

Mother and daughter

never even got to say goodbye.

Once the cherished princess and blessing of Huai Dynasty,

she's now become

a disgraced, fallen woman.

Her hatred for Yu Cheng'an

must be genuine.

I just wonder...

After just one journey,

where did she find the courage

to take on such overwhelming odds?

I've heard rumors among the common people

that Princess Danyang's child

is destined to rule the realm and establish a new dynasty.

Utter nonsense.

Only fools would believe that.

Your Highness,

Princess Danyang has invited Li Zhi's student

to stay at her residence.

It seems it's time

to recall Yang Si from the army.

(Mu Wanyao.)

(You must gain power.)

(You need to find allies.)

(Only then will you stand a chance against the "tiger".)

(This city)

(is your prison)

(and your battlefield.)

(Yet all you have around you)

(are allies who don't trust you,)

(a family consumed by greed,)

(and aging, ailing loved ones.)

(Mu Wanyao.)

(What will you do?)

(Mingde Gate)

Sheng'an.

It's been a long time.

(This batch should fetch a few extra coins!)

(Such fine goods!)

(I could charge even more!)

(Come take a look!)

(Greens for sale!)

(Fresh greens!)

(Flowers for sale!)

(Make way! Coming through!)

(Fresh goods!)

(Princess Danyang's Residence)

(Princess Danyang's Residence)

(Princess Danyang's Residence)

(To Princess Danyang Respectfully, Yan Shang)

(Princess Danyang's Residence)

(Princess Danyang's Residence)

(Hot steamed buns!)

(Freshly steamed buns!)

Yan Shang?

Wenji!

It really is you!

I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.

What are you doing here?

It's a long story.

I've been traveling for two days.

Let me get settled first.

You've already found a place to stay?

Where?

There's a temple called Yongshou up ahead.

I'm not sure if it's still there.

I was hoping to stay there.

Yongshou Temple?

Brilliant!

That's just like you!

Of course it's still there.

How do you know about Yongshou Temple?

I just asked around.

(Cuiyun Tower) I rented a private room at Cuiyun Tower.

The furnishings are luxurious,

but it's noisy all day.

I can barely concentrate on my studies.

It's been driving me crazy.

But the temple is peaceful

and has plenty of books.

Countless scholars

stay there to prepare for the exams.

I'd say

it's a hundred times better than Cuiyun Tower!

And here's another advantage.

It's cheap!

Wait here!

(Cuiyun Tower)

I'll go pack my things

and move to Yongshou Temple with you!

You'd better tell me everything

about what happened

(Cuiyun Tower) and how you ended up in Sheng'an!

All right.

I'll wait here.

Wei Shu.

You're so good at studying.

Why are you so slow at learning backgammon?

Your Highness,

I've never

played this game before.

What a shame!

It's so much fun.

Let's play another round.

You'll get the hang of it soon.

How am I doing as your teacher?

Your Highness,

you're an excellent teacher.

This is how my mother used to teach me.

Let's continue.

Oh, my!

You won.

Chunhua.

Your Highness.

This cloak

is your prize for winning.

Tomorrow,

wear it when you go out.

I'm tired. No more games.

(Yongshou Temple)

She gave me a ride.

I got off outside the city

and walked for another two days.

Who would've thought

I'd run into you as soon as I entered the city?

Which lucky lady is this for?

I've been meaning to ask you.

That guest of yours was Princess Danyang!

Why didn't you tell me back then?

I was already in enough trouble.

I couldn't drag you into it too.

Fair enough.

It was a serious matter.

If I were you,

I'd have kept my mouth shut too.

A princess of such noble birth...

If anything had happened to her in the countryside,

who could've answered for it?

If she were truly so blessed,

why would she have been sent to that desolate land

to marry a traitor?

Well, she was born under an auspicious omen.

With a birth like hers,

it's hard to say whether she's blessed or cursed.

Shang.

So, Miss Chunhua...

She really is Princess Danyang's maid?

Yes.

Why do you ask?

No...

No reason.

Wenji.

You're good at everything,

except lying.

Come on!

There's really nothing between us!

We...

We barely know each other!

Yet you can't get her off your mind.

I'm not discussing this with you.

Shang.

You know,

you really are one lucky fellow.

You pulled off something incredible without saying a word.

Even my father

couldn't get me into the Imperial Academy.

Yet you managed it through the princess!

It was only a verbal promise.

I don't even have anything in writing.

Getting into the Imperial Academy

may still take some effort.

Well, you two know each other now.

You can always ask her again

to write you a letter of recommendation.

At least you can visit Chunhua at the princess's residence.

I wouldn't dare face her.

Why not?

I offended her.

If I showed up, she'd probably beat me up.

Young men, one after another...

What are you muttering about?

You've turned away every man

your uncle has brought here.

Why keep this one?

Have you actually taken a liking to him?

I have taken a liking to him.

What about Yan Shang, then?

Why would I want him?

In the past,

all the men my uncle brought here

were nothing but scheming opportunists.

But Wei Shu

is different.

I'm keeping him around.

He'll prove useful someday.

If the gossips in the capital find out,

they'll never stop talking.

Do you think I'm afraid of gossip?

Surely you don't think

I have a good reputation to protect?

But...

No more buts, Chunhua.

From now on,

everything will be different.

This residence

will soon be filled with more and more people.

This fine wine from the Western Regions

somehow doesn't taste as good as that cheap wine from Lingnan.

Your Highness,

shall I send someone to Lingnan to buy more?

No need.

Perhaps it's just my imagination.

Once I taste it again,

I might find it's nothing special.

Oh, Your Highness,

Yan Shang has written you a letter.

(To Princess Danyang; Yan Shang) The gatekeeper received it today.

I don't have time to read it.

And stop accepting every little thing sent to my residence.

Shang, don't underestimate

the imperial exams.

It takes more than studying and intelligence.

These past few days,

I've come to realize something.

Sheng'an is full

of brilliant scholars

and powerful nobles.

All those scholars hoping to enter officialdom

spend day and night seeking patronage.

They compile and copy their poems and essays,

then submit them to influential families to gain favor.

As the saying goes,

"By morning, feast with the mighty.

By dusk, wander the dusty streets."

If you manage to impress a powerful patron,

your chances in the exams improve enormously.

You see,

the higher your social standing,

the better your chances of passing.

The most powerful man in Sheng'an

must be Lord Yu, Yu Cheng'an, right?

Exactly.

All these years,

those imperial court reports I showed you weren't wasted!

The Rebellion of the Seven Garrisons was crushed

by the Shence Army.

And that army

was commanded by Yu Cheng'an himself.

After the rebellion was suppressed,

Yu Cheng'an retained command of a vast army

and was named General of Cavalry and Duke of Zhao.

He can even enter court armed, wielding unrivaled power.

In private,

people call him the emperor behind the throne.

Even the man on the throne

probably has to yield to him.

If he's really that powerful,

then seeking his patronage would be hopeless.

Never mind ordinary scholars.

Even officials in Sheng'an

who serve at the same court

must find him utterly beyond their reach.

You're right.

So, Wenji,

whose patronage will you seek?

I'm a man of honor!

Flattering and groveling before the powerful?

I'd never stoop so low!

Let alone associate with those eunuchs!

Shang.

I...

I wasn't accusing you of using Princess Danyang to get ahead.

We're friends.

There's no need to explain.

All right, Shang.

You've spent all day unpacking.

Get some rest.

I've been hauling luggage all day myself.

I'm exhausted.

(But Wenji,)

(Lord Yu now controls the entire imperial court.)

(If you want to enter officialdom,)

(how can you possibly keep your hands clean?)

(Imperial Academy)

(Take care!)

(Thank you.)

(Mr. Wang! Come here!)

(Let's go!)

(Morning, Mr. Li!)

(Come on, let's go together.)

(Let's go.)

(Sure.)

(Fresh greens!)

(Come again!)

(Gathering Auspice)

Stop right there!

Who are you?

Why haven't I seen you at the Imperial Academy before?

Sir.

Princess Danyang recommended me for admission.

Young man,

do you have proof of your rank and family background?

And your registration papers?

No.

Princess Danyang has vouched for me.

If you don't believe me,

you may verify it at her residence.

The princess's residence sent word yesterday

that she'd recommend a young man from a noble family.

This must be him.

(A young man from a noble family?)

A misunderstanding!

(Imperial Academy; Gathering Auspice) Just a misunderstanding.

Please follow me.

Stop!

I don't believe I've seen you before, young man.

What brings you here?

I...

I'm here to enroll at the Imperial Academy.

Enroll?

(That's Mu Wanyao's cloak.)

(Then he must be)

(the young nobleman)

(who's truly won the princess's favor.)

Who recommended you?

Do you have proof?

I... Princess...

Her...

Who exactly recommended you?

Why is it so hard to say?

I...

Sir.

This young gentleman, like me,

was also recommended by Princess Danyang.

Her residence never mentioned two people.

Why would there be two?

Because Her Highness is generous with her affections.

If you find that scandalous,

you're welcome to take it up with her.

Well...

(Imperial Academy; Gathering Auspice) Follow me to complete your enrollment.

(Wang! Over here!)

(Over here!)

(Mr. Li! Stop him!)

(This way!)

About earlier...

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Actually, I should be thanking you.

To tell you the truth,

without using your connection to the princess,

I'd never have gotten into the Imperial Academy.

Wei Shu, wait!

Yan Shang.

Though I belong to the Wei clan,

I'm only a concubine's son from a lesser branch.

But I'm not the princess's...

Her...

Male favorite?

I'm not!

Neither are you?

Neither?

Anyway,

even if you befriend me,

I can't do much for you.

Wei Shu,

you're overthinking it.

I'm from Lingnan.

My family makes a living farming.

Would you be willing

to be friends with a humble country boy like me?

Yan Shang.

I'm ashamed of myself.

I judged you by my own petty standards.

Come on.

Let's look around outside.

I'm new to Sheng'an,

so I'll need you, Wei Shu,

to show me around.

Of course.

Sure.

Let's go.

(Stop teasing us! Come on!)

(Just show us already!)

- Gentlemen! - (Let us see!)

- Please, be patient. - (What's so special about it?)

Today, I spent a fortune

to acquire this inkstone.

Let us see it.

I'm afraid I can't show it to you.

This inkstone is priceless.

It can't be shown to just anyone.

At noon today,

at Cuiyun Tower in Pingkang Ward,

I'll unveil the inkstone for all to see.

I invite you all

to feast your eyes on it!

(Tea Aromas Abound; Wenyan Studio) (All right! All right!)

(I'll definitely be there!)

(It's a deal!)

We'll certainly come and see it!

(I don't believe it. What's so special about an inkstone?)

(Right!)

(Let's see if this treasure is the real deal!)

Yan Shang.

Cuiyun Tower in Pingkang Ward

(Tea Aromas Abound; Wenyan Studio) is where the capital's rich

and powerful gather to spend money like water.

Cuiyun Tower in Pingkang Ward...

Wei Shu,

let's go see this treasure for ourselves.

I think I'll...

pass.

(Unveil it! Unveil it!)

Excuse me.

(Unveil it! Unveil it! Unveil it!)

(Unveil it! Unveil it! Unveil it!)

(There's nothing special about it.)

(That's supposed to be a treasure?)

(Feng Xianyu, Imperial Exam Candidate) My name is Feng Xianyu.

(Did we get tricked?)

I've studied tirelessly for ten years,

devouring countless books.

Yet I've had no chance to fulfill my ambitions.

Just like this inkstone,

I'm buried in obscurity,

unnoticed by anyone.

(That cost a thousand qian!)

(And he just smashed it!)

A mere stone.

All it takes is some empty praise

to draw crowds from across the city.

Yet I, Feng Xianyu,

am worth less than a worthless rock!

Excuse me.

Feng Xianyu, did you invite us here

just to watch you smash an inkstone?

No.

I wanted everyone to read my writing.

This so-called treasure may be a fake,

but my gift for poetry

is the real thing!

(My blade untested, spirit sheathed, it hums with the river's endless roar.)

How many autumns have I spent a stranger in Sheng'an?

In autumn winds, I ride alone and climb the tower.

My sword remains untested, its spirit sheathed,

yet flows with the river's roar, day and night.

What a wonderful poem!

(Brilliant poetry!)

(Beautifully written!)

- Excellent poem! - (Wonderful!)

(Especially that line!)

(Bravo!)

(Marvelous!)

(Outstanding!)

(My blade untested, spirit sheathed, it hums with the river's endless roar.)

(What a brilliant poem!)

(Yes! That's him!)

- (What a remarkable young talent!) - (Magnificent!)

- (Give me a copy too!) - (Such talent at his age!)

(What extraordinary spirit!)

(Excellent writing!)

(Brilliant poem!)

(Beautifully written!)

(Wonderful!)

(Marvelous! Simply marvelous!)

(What excellent writing!)

Wei Shu.

You don't seem to approve of his stunt.

It's all a cheap trick.

No gentleman would stoop to that.

Yan Shang,

let's go.

All right.

Sir, wait!

Thank you for recognizing my talent

and speaking up for me today.

May I ask your name?

My surname is Yan.

I'm Yan Shang.

Yan Shang,

without your support today,

I'd have been talking to myself!

You have a gift for poetry.

Whether I'd spoken up or not,

someone would eventually recognize your talent.

I'm afraid by the time someone recognizes it,

I'll already be a dead man.

But in any case,

today,

I insist on treating you to a proper drink.

Well, how could I refuse?

Yan Shang.

Sir, why don't you join us?

No, thanks.

Let's go.

Go. Go.

What an incredible coincidence!

I study at the Imperial Academy too.

But in all my time attending classes,

I don't recall seeing either of you.

We only enrolled today.

That makes it even more remarkable!

Had we met a day earlier, we wouldn't even be classmates!

What a stroke of fate!

That calls for a toast!

Feng Xianyu, when did you enroll at the Imperial Academy?

I'm ashamed to say,

I've been studying there for five years

and failed the exams every year.

Otherwise,

why would I resort to such a publicity stunt?

(Mu Wanyao was right.)

(Sheng'an truly is full of talented people.)

(With such literary talent)

(and such a flair for scheming,)

(there's probably nothing this man wouldn't do.)

Have some food.

(My blade untested, spirit sheathed, it hums with the river's endless roar.)

(My blade untested, spirit sheathed, it hums with the river's endless roar.)

(Xu Mianmian, Singer at Cuiyun Tower)

(My blade untested, spirit sheathed, it hums with the river's endless roar.)

Come on!

- Come here, Mianmian! - Sir!

(Please! Stop!)

(What are you doing?)

- (Let go!) - (You're so beautiful!)

(Sir, let go of me!)

(Come here!)

(This is outrageous!)

(Sir!)

(Don't be scared.)

(Sir, please don't!)

(Let me take you out for some fun!)

(Sir, stop it!)

(I don't want to!)

(Sir!)

(Don't run away!)

(Sir, this isn't right!)

- (Please let me go!) - (Don't run!)

(Come with me!)

Yan Shang.

Don't try to play the hero.

That man's name is Zhang Renjing.

He's an illiterate thug from the Shence Army.

He's killed countless people.

Get lost!

He earned an officer's rank through his military exploits

and was recently transferred to Sheng'an.

He's one of Lord Yu's favorites.

(Please, sir! Let me go!)

Everyone in the capital steers clear of him.

(I'm begging you!)

(Come on!)

Zhang...

Ren...

jing...

How do you write his name?

Ren, meaning "person."

Jing, meaning "to quell rebellion."

You've misunderstood, Feng Xianyu.

I merely want to catch up

with Captain Zhang.

Yan Shang!

Captain.

It's been a long time.

And you are...?

You must meet so many people, Captain.

Don't you remember me?

You're that...

My surname is Yan.

I'm from Lingnan.

Shang.

Shang.

What position do you hold?

I am

just a commoner.

I hold no official rank or degree.

Then why the hell are you

acting all friendly with me?

Get lost!

Where is she?

Where is she?

Where is she?

(Let's go! Hurry!)

(Quick! Get out of here!)

(Go! Go!)

Where did she run off to?

Yan Shang.

Are you all right?

I'm fine.

Yan Shang.

That man is an uncouth brute.

Don't stoop to his level.

But...

how do you know him?

I've known him for many years.

He's just forgotten.

We've heard poetry and enjoyed our wine.

We've had our fun. Time to go.

Let's go.

Let's go.

(Cuiyun Tower) (Come take a look!)

(Hot steamed buns!)

(Freshly steamed buns!)

(Come try some!)

You're blocking the road!

(Hurry up!)

Can't you see the carriage?

(Get moving!)

- (Move aside!) - (I'm talking to you!)

(What are you staring at?)

(Move!)

So that's Grand Princess Luling's carriage.

No wonder.

Do all the princesses in our dynasty make such a grand entrance?

Not all princesses are alike.

I've heard of her.

She's a Taoist priestess.

She's supposed to have renounced worldly pursuits.

Why would she be so arrogant?

Wei Shu, there's something you don't know.

Grand Princess Luling is notoriously lustful and cruel.

Widowed at a young age, she refused to remarry,

so she became a Taoist priestess instead.

I hear she keeps over a dozen male favorites at her residence.

If a favorite or servant says one wrong word,

they're often beaten to death on the spot.

Sheng'an is crawling with powerful nobles,

but she's the most tyrannical of them all.

Speaking of the most powerful person in Sheng'an,

wouldn't that be Lord Yu?

Very perceptive of you.

The Grand Princess can behave so outrageously

not because she belongs to the Mu royal family.

I hear she's known Lord Yu for decades,

and they're very close.

That's why she can throw her weight around in Sheng'an

- without fear of consequences. - (Behave yourself!)

(I'm talking to you!)

What kind of incense are they burning in that carriage?

The smell is so overpowering.

Wei Shu, you clearly don't know the good stuff!

That's incense specially made for the Grand Princess.

You won't find it anywhere else.

(The Grand Princess's procession is approaching!)

(Carriages ahead, fall back!)

(Get out of the way!)

(Isn't that Princess Danyang's carriage?)

(Let's go have a look!)

(How dare you come any closer!)

(Move!)

(You got a death wish?)

(Can't you speak properly?)

(How dare you!)

(Get out of my way!)

(Did you hear me? Move!)

Aunt.

It's been a long time.

Danyang.

My respects, Aunt.

(Mu Ningshuang, Grand Princess Luling)

Fall back.

Let my aunt go first.

(You heard her! Move back!)

(Don't block the way!)

(Don't block the way!)

(Move!)

(Move!)

(Hurry up!)

(Move!)

(Move!)

(Move aside! Fall back!)

(Back!)

(Back!)

(Back!)

Safe travels, Aunt.

♪Let me be the fireflies dancing across your brow♪

♪Let me hold you whenever the rain falls♪

♪Together we'll soar to the skies♪

Your Highness.

♪Burning bright as a song♪

Your Highness.

♪Be the promise I hold deep in my heart♪

Shu.

Did your enrollment go smoothly?

♪Not a single hour less♪

Yes, Your Highness.

I enrolled at the Imperial Academy today.

Did anyone give you trouble there?

No.

In fact, I made two new friends.

This is Feng...

This isn't the place to talk.

Come see me at my residence tonight.

♪- May time be free of fear; - boats rock in dusk♪

♪May time be free of pain; - lights fade, and seasons turn♪

Let's go.

♪You're the only one I need♪

♪Sharp winds or fierce rain, nothing can break us♪

♪Be my one and only in this world♪

♪Be my one and only in this life♪

♪My last untouched innocence♪

Yan Shang.

Why did the princess seem to ignore you just now?

Wei Shu. Yan Shang.

You both know Princess Danyang?

What's wrong?

Yan Shang,

the princess asked me to visit her residence tonight.

Was she serious,

or was she just teasing me?

Whether she was joking or not,

you should go.

Matters of the heart

really are more complicated than alchemy.

(Hey, you over there!)

(We're one player short for foot polo!)

(Want to join?)

We'll pass.

I don't know how to play anyway.

Neither do I.

I've never played foot polo.

Can I still join?

Of course!

(We can teach you!)

(Sure! No problem!)

(Come on! Let's go!)

(We'll teach you! Come on!)

(Let's go!)

(Just come along!)

(Come on!)

Yan Shang is so easygoing.

Someone like him

must be well-liked by everyone.

Wei Shu, may I have a word in private?

I have a rather presumptuous favor

to ask of you.

Go ahead.

Could you introduce me to Princess Danyang?

(Imperial Academy) (What a magnificent carriage!)

(And look at those horses!)

(They're so strong and magnificent!)

(I feel like I've seen them somewhere before.)

(Isn't that the princess's carriage?)

(That's right!)

(Who's it here to pick up?)

(Don't you recognize that carriage roof?)

(No idea!)

(No way!)

(Princess Danyang's carriage?)

(Why is it parked outside our door?)

(Exactly!)

(It looks like an empress's carriage!)

(Could it be here to pick up...)

(Possibly!)

(It really is the princess!)

(How could that be?)

(Don't talk nonsense!)

(The princess's carriage is here in person!)

- Excuse me. - (The princess's carriage...)

(Why would it pick up one of us?)

Sir.

This way, please.

(Could it be here for him?)

- (Nonsense!) - (Why is he getting in?)

(I'd already heard about it!)

(Wei Shu has close ties to the princess's residence.)

(So the rumors are true!)

(Oh, my!)

(I'd already heard about it.)

(He's Princess Danyang's...)

(It's true! It really is!)

(Oh, dear!)

(That's no way for a scholar to get ahead!)

(Next Episode Preview)

Yan Shang, come on! Hurry!

I'll make a sacrifice

and marry you.

Your Highness, look who's here!

♪Be the ferry where you wait for the sun♪

♪Be the blue silk that catches your tears♪

♪Be the sleeve we held, worn by dust and years♪

♪Let's conspire to grow old together♪

♪Let me be a captive beast bound by the same lock as you♪

♪Through trails of mud and blood; let grief drown in your eyes♪

♪Soar with the wind; plunge into hellfire as one♪

♪Burning bright as a song♪

♪See how roses and green bamboo enchant♪

♪Be the vow I make with all my heart♪

♪If we say forever, then forever it shall be♪

♪Not a single hour less♪

♪However deep the snow, I'll wait if you're there♪

♪We'll be gods above, or wandering souls♪

♪In heaven or the underworld, you're all I need♪

♪If we can stay, let's return to the village of our first meeting♪

♪May time be free of fear and pain; boats rock, lights fade, seasons turn♪

♪You're the only one I need♪

♪Sharp winds or fierce rain, nothing can break us♪

♪Be mine in this world; be mine in this life♪

♪My last untouched innocence♪

♪If only we could return to the village where we first met♪

♪Stay by me; help me forget the frozen dream of last night♪

♪Fireflies glow, flowers kiss our lips; just us, through dawn and dusk♪

♪May time be free of fear and pain; boats rock, lights fade, seasons turn♪

♪You're the only one I need♪

♪By your side, through joy and pain, is that eternity?♪

♪Till fireworks flood the town♪

♪Till the lake is still and clear♪

♪You're the only one I need♪

(No animals were harmed or mistreated in production.)