Original subtitles

MkvDrama.net

=Tigers Sniff the Rose=

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

=Episode 33=

Give it to me!

It's mine!

Hand it over!

Give it back!

Please, give me something to eat!

Just a bite, please!

No!

Lost again?

Go home and beat your old man again.

Maybe he's still hiding some burial money!

Hurry up!

They're waiting to buy your wife's body for burial.

Miss the auspicious hour,

and you won't even get this much!

Selling his own wife's corpse...

What a terrible thing!

Three years.

What did you say, sir?

County magistrates are reassigned every three years.

By then,

I may no longer be in Lanyang.

Just bear with it, sir.

Then you can move somewhere better.

No.

Three years from now,

Lanyang

must not still look like this.

Mr. Han,

let's go.

I won't go!

Move!

- How am I supposed to feed you? - I won't go!

Go!

Father, I don't want to go!

- Behave yourself! - Eighty coins.

- I won't go! - We agreed that settles the debt.

Your father owes me a fortune in rent!

No!

Keep screaming,

and I'll cook you in a pot!

I won't go!

I won't go!

I won't!

Get lost!

Father!

Father!

Father!

Slow down.

Eat slowly.

(Donglang)

(Shendu Hall) Sir,

can you really not see anything at all?

Donglang,

would you be willing to be my eyes?

How?

Can you read?

I've never been that lucky.

Only a handful of families

in Lanyang can read.

Poor people stay poor forever.

Reading won't change anything.

That's not true.

I can read,

and that's how I was able to save you.

Reading can save lives.

It can save many lives.

Then...

could you teach me?

Yang Si, you convicted criminal!

Stop that!

Come out!

You're the one who ordered my release?

Yang Si,

it's good to see you again.

What happened

to His Majesty?

His Majesty is unwell.

He's suspended court to recuperate.

I don't know how you managed it, Wanyao,

but could you...

No.

Whatever happened,

I did save you and Yan Shang that day

and bring you both safely back to Sheng'an,

even though it led to the Crown Prince's downfall.

For the sake of that favor,

could you release him from prison?

A favor?

Did my brother ever show me any mercy?

When he sent Yu Niang to kill us,

he certainly showed none.

Besides,

he's the deposed Crown Prince now.

Don't get his title wrong again.

Yang Si.

I haven't forgotten what you did for me that day.

That's why

I granted you a special pardon today.

But apparently, that's not enough for you.

You don't even seem grateful.

Wanyao,

I just want to ask you one thing.

What are you going to do with Mu Xun?

I'll have to give that some thought.

Perhaps

there's a precedent I could follow.

You know full well that no deposed Crown Prince

has ever survived more than six months in this dynasty!

I'm begging you.

I, Yang Si,

am begging you.

Please don't let him die.

The price will be steep.

What do you want?

Just name it.

Anything within my power.

I want you

to give me yourself in exchange.

Wanyao,

you want me to die in his place?

What would I want your life for?

I want your freedom.

Marry me and become my prince consort, Yang Si.

I don't understand.

Why would you make a joke of your own marriage?

My marriage has always been a joke.

But now,

I'm no longer that frightened girl

who lets imperial decrees decide her fate.

This time,

I'll be the one telling the joke.

What you really want is someone to fill the role of prince consort.

Exactly.

As long as my marriage remains undecided,

the officials at court

will keep arguing over it.

My marriage

will always be an excuse to stir up trouble.

I'm sick of it.

I never want to hear them

buzzing around like flies,

using it to cause trouble again.

So I'll have to put an end to it myself.

Why me?

Because I need someone

from a noble family whom the court can't object to.

Someone I know inside and out.

Someone who'll do as he's told.

Yang Si,

will you be that man?

(Stop running!)

(Mu Wanyao,)

(you're playing the bride.)

(How can a bride not have a flower in her hair?)

(Here.)

(How pretty!)

All right.

I agree.

Yang Si,

do you know what makes

a suitable prince consort?

Harmless.

Inactive.

And powerless.

And I promise you

I'll keep Mu Xun alive.

(As long as it's not him,)

(anyone else will do.)

(Right?)

What time is it?

Your Highness,

it's near the hour of Xu.

You should get some rest.

Come and dress me in the third quarter of the Mao hour.

I must meet several ministers early tomorrow morning.

You're not going to sleep again?

Minister Wang,

do you have any idea

what the people of Huai are going through?

We have hundreds of thousands of troops on the frontier!

Without their pay, morale will collapse!

(Wang Cong, Minister of War) How are they supposed to fight?

(Jiang Hua, Minister of Revenue) Empty or not, we must find a way.

Your Highness,

(Universe in Harmony) years of unrest caused

by military governors and Yu's faction have pushed the people to their limits.

If we raise taxes again to fund the army,

we risk a popular uprising!

Without raising taxes,

where will next year's military funds come from?

Raise taxes?

Who said anything about raising taxes?

Excessive taxation

only breeds resentment.

That's no way to govern.

I have a proposal

that could solve this problem.

Let the army farm its own food.

Gentlemen,

what do you think?

Your Highness,

where could we find enough unused land for the troops to farm?

Exactly!

That's right!

(Universe in Harmony)

Right!

The estates confiscated from officials

implicated in the former Crown Prince's case,

and the lands seized around the capital

by Yu Cheng'an over the years,

I've ordered them all surveyed

and allocated for military farming.

That's 900,000 mu of fertile land.

How can you say there's no land?

Of everything the military farms produce,

ten percent will go to the treasury

to fund weapons, bows, and horses.

Another ten percent

will improve the soldiers' food and clothing.

And ten percent

will go to the families of the farming soldiers.

I want these soldiers

to be well fed and warmly clothed,

with enough food for their families,

so they know who they're fighting for.

Your Highness, this plan

will benefit both the throne and the nation.

It's an excellent proposal!

I haven't finished.

Wang Cong.

Yes, Your Highness?

As Minister of War,

you'll oversee this plan.

The Censorate and Jinwu Guards

will assist with supervision.

If anything goes wrong,

you'll answer for it.

I'll do everything in my power

to live up to Your Highness's trust!

We won't let Your Highness down!

What are you doing here?

There are two things

I'd like to present to Your Highness personally.

His Majesty was kind enough to entrust me

with the Shence Army's command tally.

I've always felt unworthy of the honor.

Now that Your Highness

governs under Heaven's mandate,

I humbly ask Your Highness to take back this tally

to ensure the army's loyalty.

(Shence Army)

With your abilities,

you could have a dozen of these

and still couldn't command the Shence Army.

Father knew that perfectly well.

That's why he gave it to you.

Your Highness is absolutely right.

Your Highness,

there's also this.

And what's this?

When I worked in the Imperial Cuisine Service,

I heard you were fond of chilled lychee wine.

It's hard to find in Sheng'an,

so I brought some especially for you.

Come to think of it,

if not for your help and Yan Shang's,

I'd never have entered the palace and built a career.

I might have died somewhere long ago.

When I first joined the Imperial Cuisine Service,

I carried this food box every day.

I keep it in my office now

to remind myself where I came from,

and never forget

the kindness I received.

How thoughtful of you.

But it sounds to me

like you have more to say.

Ever since I entered the palace,

I've never had the chance to serve Your Highness directly.

I deeply regret that.

However,

through all the recent turmoil,

I've done what little I could.

I'm sure

Your Highness is already aware of that.

So I humbly ask

for Your Highness's favor.

Please allow me to serve you personally

and repay even a fraction of your kindness.

As it happens,

I do have something for you to do.

Now that you've been relieved

of your duties with the Shence Army,

you can

devote all your attention to the inner palace

and take good care of His Majesty.

As you command.

I'm counting on you, Mr. Liu.

Since you'll be caring for my father on my behalf,

your monthly salary

will naturally be doubled.

Thank you, Your Highness.

(Liu Wenji,)

(I was willing)

(to give you a chance to make something of yourself.)

(But I fear even you haven't realized)

(how much)

(you've changed.)

Mr. Liu.

How is His Majesty?

His Majesty is getting better.

He's staying awake much longer than before.

And we've finally managed to give him some medicine.

You should get some rest.

Thank you.

Shou'en...

Shou'en...

My arm's numb.

Your Majesty.

Feeling better now?

Your Majesty.

It's you.

Yes, Your Majesty.

What are you doing here?

Your Majesty,

you gave me the chance to rise in the palace.

I'll never forget your kindness.

Now,

I've volunteered to care for you.

I only hope

Your Majesty won't turn me away.

Very good.

The plum blossoms in Sheng'an

have the same fragrance.

(Princess Danyang's Residence)

Your Highness! Your Highness!

Please read my writings!

Read mine!

Stand back!

Make way up front!

Your Highness!

Stand back!

Get back!

Please read my writings!

Your Highness!

Here's mine!

And mine!

Your Highness!

(Princess Danyang's Residence)

Stand back!

Move aside!

Here's mine!

And mine!

- Get out of my way! - I was here first!

Your Highness! Your Highness!

Stand back!

Here's mine!

Get back!

Your Highness, just take a look!

(My essays fall short,) Please read mine!

(but follow Han Yu's ideals.) Get back!

(Respectfully submitted by Wu Liu, a humble student from Lanyang.)

Here's mine, Your Highness!

These are my writings! Please take a look!

Read mine first!

Who's Wu Liu?

Me! That's me, Your Highness!

When did you leave your hometown?

How are things there?

I...

I arrived in Sheng'an just three days ago.

I never dreamed I'd be lucky enough to meet Your Highness.

I'm from Lanyang,

a poor, remote little place.

What do people think of your new county magistrate?

If our magistrate hadn't helped pay my way,

I'd never have made it to Sheng'an.

You know him?

In our little town of Lanyang,

every single person

knows Magistrate Yan.

Does Your Highness know Magistrate Yan too?

Your Highness! Please take mine too!

Maybe the princess really does know Magistrate Yan.

I heard he placed third in the imperial examinations.

Your Highness! Your Highness!

A letter from Wei Shu.

Dear Yan Shang,

it's been years since we parted,

and I miss you more with each passing day.

I hear you've helped restore the throne,

devoting all your strength to the cause.

Your plans were loyal and fair.

Your sincerity was selfless.

Respectfully yours, Wei Shu.

It's "Your counsel was loyal and sound,

and your devotion truly selfless."

Just one sentence.

Count how many characters you got wrong.

You've been so busy lately.

You haven't taught me those characters yet.

Of course I don't know them.

Now the student is blaming his teacher?

Well?

Are you finished?

There's another letter.

Dear Yan Shang,

though mountains and passes separate us,

whenever I see the palace lychees ripening red

or hear the roosters crow at dawn,

I almost hear the woodcutters calling through Lingnan's hills.

Respectfully yours, Liu Wenji.

Sir,

this one's from Liu Wenji in Sheng'an again.

This month,

Mr. Wei sent two letters.

Mr. Liu

sent five.

Sir, are you still not going to reply?

Why not?

I may not understand everything,

but I can tell

they're both very dear friends of yours.

They keep sending letters.

They must really want to know how you're doing.

They're both government officials,

serving in the capital,

where they're surrounded by informants.

I was sent to a county post in disgrace.

Given my situation,

it's best I don't contact them.

But if they never hear back from you,

won't your friends be sad?

If they didn't understand,

why would they keep writing?

♪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♪

(Universe in Harmony)

♪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♪ (Charity School)

Donglang,

what do their faces look like?

♪Not a single hour less♪

Everyone's smiling from ear to ear!

The children keep saying, "We can go to school now!"

They're running around you.

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

In the past, candidates sought favor by presenting their writings.

Scholars flocked to the homes of the powerful,

and family connections often mattered more than merit.

But thanks to Her Highness's wisdom and compassion,

these long-standing abuses have been exposed.

From now on,

the imperial examinations

will use anonymous, recopied scripts,

so candidates will no longer depend on endorsements from the powerful.

Sir,

did I get everything right this time?

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

But...

What exactly

does Mr. Wei's letter mean?

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

It means

that someday,

children like you

will have more opportunities in life.

♪Just us, through dawn and dusk♪

♪- May time be free of fear; - Boats rock♪

♪- Lights fade, seasons turn - May time be free of pain♪

♪You're the only one I need♪

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

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

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

♪The wind blows past us♪

(Three years later, 25th year of Yingxiang)

(Severe drought, especially in Hannan Circuit)

(The disaster is worse than ever. Please inform His Majesty at once.)

(Release 300,000 shi of imperial grain. Order Jianghuai to send aid.)

(Delay until late autumn risks unrest. Cui Mujin, Inspector of Monan Circuit.)

(Universe in Harmony)

Hot springs at Mount Li?

Yes.

(Wang Min, Palace's Deputy Director) As in previous years,

we've prepared the plans for palace provisions, escorts, and carriages.

We await Your Highness's approval.

Do you have any idea what's happening?

The people can't even find a mouthful of dirty water!

And you want me to take the royal family to Mount Li?

Bring me another proposal so out of touch

and so indifferent to the people's suffering,

and you'll lose your position in the Palace Administration!

I happen to need someone to send to Hannan Circuit.

Come back!

Cut all palace expenses in half.

Immediately have

the Palace Administration draft a detailed plan

and report back the day after tomorrow.

And another thing.

Effective immediately,

cancel all banquets, entertainments, and hunting trips.

Disaster relief and the people's welfare come first.

Yes, Your Highness.

Yes, Your Highness.

(Universe in Harmony)

Your Highness.

The affected prefectures have followed your orders,

opening granaries and distributing food and medicine,

and severely punishing hoarders and profiteers.

But with no rain, rivers and lakes have dried up.

Relief aid alone

won't sustain them much longer.

Are you saying

all we can do is wait for rain?

There are limits to what we can do.

To truly put an end to this disaster,

we must wait for rain.

(Any delay until late autumn may cause unrest.)

Your Highness,

never in history

has a regent personally ventured into such danger.

If there's no precedent,

then I

shall set one.

You think I'm being reckless,

don't you?

You're all concerned about my safety,

yet none of you seem concerned about the failed relief efforts

and false reports across the empire.

I had no idea

that being Princess Regent

meant living comfortably

without taking the slightest risk.

And remember this.

From now on,

anyone who cares only about personal safety

and enjoying palace luxuries

is unfit to govern the realm,

much less bear responsibility for the nation!

I am

ashamed, Your Highness.

We are ashamed, Your Highness!

None of these will do!

You there, come with me.

Fang Tong?

Your Highness.

Why are you back?

I heard you were going on a long journey,

so of course I cut my leave short and came back.

Don't be ridiculous!

Go back home!

I'm not going.

Does Your Highness not want me around anymore?

You're going so far away without taking me.

Your wife only just gave birth.

It's almost been a month.

Besides,

she urged me to come back too. She said...

Enough!

You're not coming.

Get back home right now.

I can't do that.

I'd be too worried.

You're traveling

in disguise again,

and it's dangerous out there.

Who's going to protect you if I don't come?

I've already chosen someone.

Why are you zoning out?

It's out of ink.

I was counting.

Over the past two months, across all the disaster-stricken prefectures,

you've had one official executed,

dismissed three others,

and punished the corrupt officials who deserved it.

The relief funds and grain

have finally reached the people who need them.

Now, on this final leg,

I just hope we won't run into any more trouble.

I have you to thank for protecting me so well, Yang Si.

You haven't let anyone discover my identity.

Wanyao,

you've really changed a lot.

So have you, Yang Si.

These past two months,

I've been bounced around until my bones ache.

I'm completely exhausted.

But I've actually enjoyed myself.

More than being a carefree prince consort?

Being a prince consort is fun too.

Three years as Prince Consort,

and I've nearly forgotten who I am.

Sometimes I even feel

like I'm a teenager again.

All I have to think about is where to ride tomorrow,

or where to watch cockfights.

Nothing else to worry about.

Being a teenager...

Those days...

I wouldn't want to go back.

Easy now. Slowly!

Come help us!

Push!

Push!

Harder!

Easy! Easy!

What's going on?

The carriage is stuck in a rut.

Coming!

There's room for one more here!

One, two, three! Lift!

Easy!

Pull it back!

Put some muscle into it!

It won't budge!

Further back!

Push harder!

The wheel's jammed!

Give it some more effort!

Where are we?

You two, over there! Hurry!

Lanyang.

Put some rocks underneath.

Where are the rocks?

Coming! Here!

(Lanyang, Hannan Circuit)

From what I've seen along the way,

this seems like a nice place.

A little poor, perhaps,

but the people seem honest and kind.

Go sit over there for a while.

We'll pull the carriage free.

Hurry!

(It can't be.)

(It can't be that much of a coincidence.)

If it's someone you know,

why not go say hello?

Water!

Any water yet?

Dig another half a chi!

Almost there!

(He's put down roots here.)

(That's a good thing.)

(We've both settled into our own lives.)

(That's good too.)

(Mu Wanyao,)

(isn't this exactly what you wanted?)

Wait...

Wanyao, look!

Seriously! Wanyao, look!

♪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♪

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

♪You're the only one I need♪

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

♪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♪

♪Let me be the fireflies dancing across your brow♪

♪Let me hold you whenever the rain falls♪

♪- Together we'll soar to the skies; - Together we'll turn to ashes♪

♪Burning bright as a song♪

♪Two shadows entwined, a beautiful sight♪

♪Be the vow I whisper again and again♪

♪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♪

♪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're lucky to stay in this world, let's return to when we first met♪

♪- May time be free of fear; - Boats rock♪

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

♪You're the only one I need♪

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

♪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♪

Sir, what's wrong?

Who's there?

Sir,

it's a...

It's me.

Yang Si.

Yang Si,

the Prince Consort?

You're certainly well informed.

After three years apart,

I run into an old friend as soon as I reach Lanyang.

What a pleasant surprise.

Sir.

Your Highness,

is someone else here?

Yes.

This is my maid.

Well? Pay your respects to Magistrate Yan.

Sir,

this lady is so beautiful!

I've never seen anyone

so pretty in all of Lanyang.

Donglang.

Mind your manners.

Our county is suffering from a disaster.

I can't offer much hospitality.

I hope you'll forgive me, Your Highness.

I think you owe me an apology for more than that.

Yes.

I hope you'll forgive me, Your Highness.

Not a chance.

And another thing.

Stop calling me that.

All right.

Yang Si.

Seriously, though,

what happened to your eyes?

It's nothing.

Just a little accident.

What kind of accident?

When did it happen?

After you came to Lanyang?

Wait, that's not right.

Sir, have you forgotten?

When you first came to Lanyang

and bought me,

you were already blind.

Don't tell me you were already

blind back in Sheng'an...

It's all in the past.

I barely remember it myself.

How could you not remember?

What kind of accident leaves you blind?

Have you seen a doctor?

Say something.

I have,

but there's no cure.

Enough about that.

You've come a long way, Yang Si.

I ought to give you a proper welcome.

Donglang,

let's take our guests home.

(Lanyang County Office)

Donglang,

go fetch some water.

Sure.

(Next Episode Preview)

I promise you

I'll set up offerings and an altar

and perform a ritual

to pray for rain in Lanyang.

Yan Shang!

Yan Shang!

♪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.)

MkvDrama.net