Original subtitles

=Tigers Sniff the Rose=

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

=Episode 26=

Your Highness.

Where's Yu Cheng'an?

He lost.

Your Highness.

I never thought

we'd see

the day our revenge finally came.

Chunhua.

What

are your plans now?

Last night,

Wenji saved me.

We hid together.

We talked so much nonsense

and shared a beautiful dream.

But dawn came.

Time to wake up.

I'll just forget

that dream.

Your Highness,

no matter how much His Majesty dotes on you,

he'll never let go of the imperial blood

and the mother of the imperial heir.

Chunhua.

You've been through a lot.

Your Highness, have you forgotten?

This is the path I chose myself.

And since I chose it,

I'll see it through.

Your Highness.

Give the child a childhood name.

I always thought

that if I ever married,

I'd pluck up the courage

to ask you to name my child.

Let's call him Si'er.

Which Si?

As in Qing Si, the blue rhino.

May this little rhino

grow up

strong and fearless,

able to overcome anything.

Si'er.

(Tranquility Brings Wisdom)

I've been such a failure.

For years,

that traitor Yu threatened me,

and I had to swallow every insult.

I've failed my ancestors

and my people.

I've failed my wife and children too.

(Tranquility Brings Wisdom) Get up.

And all these years,

I've dragged you down with me.

Made you suffer every humiliation.

Father.

Xun, we owe it to you this time.

Father.

I don't deserve the credit.

And Wanyao,

you've always been all pouts and tantrums.

But

when it counted,

we couldn't have done it without you.

Father.

Yu Cheng'an is in prison.

What will you do with him?

What will I do with him?

I'd like to skin him alive and drink his blood!

Sentence him to death.

Behead him and display his head in public.

(Taiji Palace) The eunuch Yu Cheng'an

usurped state power,

seized military command,

persecuted loyal officials,

oppressed the people,

and imposed excessive taxes.

His crimes will stain history for all time.

(Duke of Zhao's Residence) He is hereby stripped of his office,

arrested, and sent to the Imperial Prison for trial.

His 327 accomplices

shall be dismissed and exiled,

with no pardon even if amnesty is granted.

The chief culprit, Yu Cheng'an,

has committed unforgivable crimes.

Behead him and display his head at Zhuque Gate for three days.

Let this decree be proclaimed far and wide,

so all may know.

You old eunuch! Look who's getting what's coming to him!

Buy one! Take one home!

Fried fish! Fried fish!

Come take a look! Step right up!

There's enough for everyone!

I want one too!

One at a time, everyone.

Come on, buy one!

Sure.

Thank you.

Delicious.

Strike it three times a day!

That evil eunuch never rises again!

Come on.

Give it a try.

Only three wen each.

(Zuiyue Tower) Come on, take one.

Only three wen.

Take one?

I'll take one.

Sure thing.

Thank you.

Take care.

Come on!

Strike it three times a day!

That evil eunuch never rises again!

Give it a tap?

Give it a try.

It's such a joyous day. Why the long face?

What's with the attitude?

Give it a tap.

It hurts.

Have you heard?

That giant black fish in the pond at the Yu residence

got hauled out.

Took dozens of people pulling a net together

(Tea) to haul it out.

They butchered it alive right there

and shared every last bit.

I heard

its bones alone

were taller than a man.

What, you want a bite too?

Not really.

We made it through!

Good fortune follows!

I need to find somewhere to pray.

Is Yongshou Temple open tonight?

Even if it's not,

I'm sure

you could talk them into opening it.

Let's go.

Let's go.

Roast fish! Roast fish!

Roast fish! Roast fish!

Roast fish! Roast fish!

Roast fish! Roast fish!

Cold?

A little.

(Yan Ruyu)

(Mask)

(Tea Aromas Abound)

(Yan Ruyu)

(Tea Aromas Abound, Wenyan Studio)

Third-Place Scholar.

(Mask) Couldn't afford a second cloak?

Need me to lend you some?

Congratulations, General Meng.

You'll soon be the lord of North Jing, won't you?

What are you so happy about?

Once I control all of North Jing,

it'll be easier for me to ask her old man

for her hand.

The Eastern Circuit's old forces

must be in chaos by now.

General Meng,

you've got a tough nut to crack this time.

With someone beside you dreaming of killing you day and night,

life must be rough.

General Meng, you never do foolish things.

You'd better save your breath and get moving.

Any later

and you might not get out of here.

I said one thing,

and you two tag-teamed me

with a whole string of comebacks.

And you tell me to save my breath?

Either way,

thank you.

What?

Not itching to kill me anymore?

The past is behind us.

We

are even now.

Indeed.

Till we meet again,

Mu Wanyao.

Better we never meet again,

Meng Zaishi.

(Mask)

Yan Shang.

Let me take you somewhere.

Alright.

(Yan Ruyu)

Mother,

where are you taking me?

How about I take you to see the plum blossoms?

Alright.

Mother.

I've fulfilled

what you couldn't finish back then.

Tomorrow,

Yu Cheng'an will be executed.

I

have finally

tamed the tiger,

slain the serpent,

and brought peace.

You

must have seen it.

That's why

the plum blossoms

are blooming so beautifully.

♪- Soar with the wind; - Plunge into hellfire as one♪

♪Burning bright as a song♪

♪See how roses and green bamboo enchant♪

From Sheng'an

to North Jing,

from Lingnan

to Sheng'an,

♪Not a single hour less♪

I've traveled this road

for so many years.

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

Luckily,

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

I've met someone

willing to walk it with me.

Yan Shang.

Thank you.

♪- May time be free of pain - Boats rock, lights fade, seasons turn♪

♪You're the only one I need♪

Your Highness,

thank you

for bringing me to Sheng'an.

♪- Be my one and only in this world; - Be my one and only 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♪

Tonight,

you should finally be able to sleep well.

♪Through dawn and dusk♪

My bedtime stories

will no longer be needed.

I'm afraid

I won't get to tell them to you again.

Don't you dare.

Alright.

I'll tell them to you.

♪- Till fireworks flood the town - Till the lake is still and clear♪

♪The wind blows past us♪

♪- If there's still - Some warmth left in this world♪

♪You're the only one I need♪

(Imperial Prison)

Xun.

Why are you here?

I'm going with you

to see Yu Cheng'an executed.

What do you want?

Back then, Yu Cheng'an forced me to North Jing

and humiliated me deeply.

He killed Mother

and imprisoned Father.

I'll send him to his grave myself.

Xun.

When we formed our alliance,

I told you how I truly felt.

Everything I've fought so hard for

was for this day.

Wanyao.

The eunuch Yu Cheng'an

was a vile wretch,

cruel and treacherous,

with a heart full of evil...

Princess Danyang.

It's just the usual list of crimes.

Every dynasty has someone who committed them.

Winner takes all.

Right?

No need to read on.

What a waste.

Wei Qiao's life

and Qiu Shuo's life.

So many lives.

All thrown away for nothing.

His Majesty is merciful.

Your remaining followers

have all been spared execution.

They'll only be exiled.

Good.

His Majesty is indeed merciful.

At the temporary imperial palace on the hunting grounds,

you knew full well

who was inside.

Yet you insisted

it wasn't His Majesty himself

and ordered the Jinwu Guard to charge in.

I wonder

how His Majesty

will view this

with his mercy.

Yu Cheng'an,

what fate has in store for us

is none of your concern.

Today

is the day you die.

Thank you, Princess Danyang.

This wine is called Qianji.

Once swallowed,

it twists your insides

in agony.

The Investigation Office used it often back in the day.

After drinking it,

you'll scream nonstop.

You'll thrash for about five hours

before your insides finally give out.

Countless souls died unjustly at Yintaimen.

You brought it on yourself.

Yes.

Indeed.

I deserve it.

I'm just thinking...

Your father

still doesn't have

the courage to face me, even now.

He won't even grant me the mercy of a quick death

with a cup of poisoned wine.

You'd better drink it.

Or I'll have someone make you.

Who would've thought?

For all its poison,

Qianji wine

has quite a fine taste.

Now I've swallowed this.

My death's a sure thing.

But you who still live

have yet to see how things will end for you.

I imagine

your father

hasn't changed his ways.

The way he treated his first wife back then...

I doubt

he'll treat his children

any differently.

What do you mean?

Almost forgot.

None of you know how the Empress

really died.

Back then, you drove

the Empress to her death and coerced my father.

Then you claimed she'd taken her own life.

Your Royal Highness,

I've killed countless people in my life.

Why would I

dodge blame for this one?

Yes.

She

did take her own life.

But I wasn't the one who drove her to it.

It was your father.

Nonsense!

I'm a dying man.

You two are still here

because you want to hear my final ramblings, aren't you?

Go on.

Back then,

after I put down the Rebellion of the Seven Military Governors,

my standing at court grew higher and higher.

But I made one fatal mistake.

My merit overawed the sovereign.

So the Empress and the Emperor plotted together

to lure me into a trap

and have me killed.

But fate

had other plans for me.

Your father fell to his knees,

clutched my boots, and begged me to spare his life.

(Ying'er!)

To save himself,

he blamed everything

on the Empress.

The hardships

of the Rebellion

had never broken her.

But her own husband,

the father of her child,

her lord,

betrayed her to the enemy.

That was what

broke her

and drove her to take her own life.

One more thing.

Princess Danyang,

on the night you were born,

I was in the Liangyi Hall.

I saw your father

make up that prophecy with my own eyes.

At the time,

the regional governors were restless.

And Huai

had suffered years of floods and droughts.

As if that weren't enough,

a meteor fell from the sky,

crashed into the roof of the Imperial Ancestral Temple,

and set it ablaze.

Your father nearly issued an Edict of Introspection.

(I have failed in virtue,) And that very night,

(and Heaven has sent these signs. I shall reflect deeply on my faults.) you were born.

That gave him

an explanation for everything.

(Lizheng Hall) Your father ordered the court historians

to record that the falling meteor was no disaster,

but an auspicious sign.

An auspicious sign.

Clever, wasn't he?

A princess born under an auspicious sign

could

help him out of his immediate crisis.

And once she grew up,

she'd be useful in other ways.

(North Jing)

(has a powerful army.)

(Your Majesty, surely you don't want)

(the Rebellion of the Seven Military Governors to happen again?)

(The daughter of the Yaoguang Star)

(shall bring prosperity to the imperial house.)

(Everyone knows)

(this prophecy.)

(Princess Danyang)

(is the ideal match for Meng Baiyu.)

(Imperial Decree for Princess Danyang) (Princess Danyang shall bring prosperity.)

(The princess bears an auspicious sign.)

(She is the ideal match for Meng Baiyu.)

What a shame.

The Mus are lucky to have you,

but fate made you a girl.

Alright.

Thank you, Your Royal Highness, Your Highness,

for seeing me off on my final journey.

I've said all I have to say.

See yourselves out.

Your Royal Highness, Your Highness,

if you would be so kind,

could you send someone

to the Grand Princess Luling's Residence

and ask

if she'd come to see me one last time?

(Imperial Prison)

Wanyao,

don't believe everything that traitor Yu said.

He's cunning and vicious.

He may well be trying to

drive a wedge between family before he dies.

And

you're smart.

We must both keep

what happened today

to ourselves.

Of course.

Don't worry, Xun.

(Imperial Prison)

That villain

is still trying to drive a wedge between you all,

just to make you uncomfortable.

Your Royal Highness,

no matter what,

you're His Majesty's son.

And you saved his life.

I'm sure His Majesty won't hold this against you.

Actually, besides us and Wanyao,

Lu Yan, the Jinwu Guard,

Wei Shu, and a young eunuch

all helped secure the victory this time.

Yet none of them

have been summoned by His Majesty.

That's true.

I wonder how His Majesty will reward them.

Yang Si,

keep an eye on things.

Let me know at once if anything happens.

I want to know

what becomes of them.

Your Highness.

What is it?

Is it His Majesty's health?

I'm fine.

I heard Yu Cheng'an was given poisoned wine.

You've finally avenged your country and your family.

Wanyao.

Congratulations.

Can you tell me what happened?

I don't want to talk about it.

Alright.

If you ever change your mind,

I'll be here to listen.

Yan Shang.

I'll protect you.

No matter when,

no matter what happens,

I'll protect you.

Yu Cheng'an.

Yu Cheng'an!

Your Highness!

Get up.

Get up!

How dare you scare me like that!

Your Highness, thank...

Thank you for coming to see me.

Weren't you always so formidable?

You stupid fool.

How am I supposed to go on?

They won't let me off.

Your Highness.

Don't be afraid.

Don't be afraid.

You fool.

You absolute fool!

Yes.

Yes.

Your Highness.

I asked you here

because there's something

I must tell you.

Go on.

Your Highness.

No one

must ever find out about this child.

I was drunk that night.

I really can't remember who was attending to me.

Yu Cheng'an.

Get rid of him.

I can't let him live.

I

didn't do as you ordered.

I raised that child

myself.

He's my adopted son,

Xianyao.

I know.

I've seen him many times

at your residence.

Greetings, Grand Princess.

You've grown taller.

Alright.

You've met him.

I'm sorry.

I'm really sorry.

I couldn't protect that child to the end.

Yu Cheng'an.

I didn't come to this wretched place

to hear you say all that!

I don't care

where

that child is

or who he is.

Alright.

Alright.

If you hadn't entered

my residence

and met me,

you'd

be alive and well today.

If

I'd never met you,

how dull my life

would've been.

Luling.

I

did all I could.

I, Yu Cheng'an...

I, Yu Cheng'an,

have no regrets

in this life!

When I was young,

I loved this cherry custard.

Here,

have another taste.

(Stable boy,)

(you've never tasted this before, have you?)

Your Highness...

Go on.

Say it!

Say it!

Go on.

Say it!

What are you doing here?

Qiao.

You're the top scholar.

You have a reputation to protect.

I thought it was wine.

You're still injured.

I'm dying anyway.

What does it matter

if my wounds heal?

Qiao.

His Majesty has issued his decree.

Only Yu Cheng'an is sentenced to death.

The rest

are to be exiled.

Shu.

Do you remember

when we were kids

and our teacher made us kneel as punishment?

I do.

It was because

I let the teacher's pet bird go.

Yeah.

I saw it.

Instead of stopping you,

I kept watch for you.

The teacher was furious.

You

didn't have to suffer punishment.

I was the one who let the bird go.

But

if I hadn't joined in,

you'd have faced much worse than kneeling.

If you'd been expelled,

who

would've studied with me?

Qiao.

Thank you.

Even a bird

may win mercy

and be set free.

Yet in this vast world,

people can spend

their whole lives in chains,

never finding freedom.

Shu.

You're freer than I am.

If you ever get the chance,

go see the world's fair sights for me.

When your sentence is over,

we'll go see them together.

Time's up.

You should go.

No need to come again.

Qiao.

Take care of your wounds.

I'll come see you again.

Alright.

Good riddance!

Serves him right.

Grand Princess Luling?

What is she doing here?

Watch your words.

It really is the Grand Princess.

Keep your voice down.

(Stable boy.)

(Let's go home.)

(Next Episode Preview)

The Princess issued a false decree.

Was that her own idea,

or did you put her up to it?

Bring it 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; - boats rock♪

♪- May time be free of pain; - 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; - boats rock♪

♪- May time be free of pain; - 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.)