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"Go Ahead Fearlessly" - Liu Yuning

♫ Grudges and karma, right and wrong ♫

♫ The past hides blood and tears ♫

♫ It is hard to catch up after years of separation ♫

♫ The truth cannot be fully revealed ♫

♫ Fate is full of twists and turns ♫

♫ Life and death, fortune and misfortune go hand in hand ♫

♫ Obsession is hard to get rid of, keeping the truth and getting rid of the lies, let the wind blow ♫

♫ Tossed about by the wind and rain, I will never regret it, I will accompany you for my whole life ♫

♫ At least you share my joy and sorrow ♫

♫ Unravelling fate, fearlessly, a dream returns ♫

♫ The mountains and rivers are bright and beautiful, holding hands, together we return ♫

♫ In this life, my heart returns untainted of dust and ash ♫

[Melody of Golden Age]

[Episode 30]

[Lai Mansion]

It’s my fault for failing to capture Shen Du in Yingzhou.

Is the Huo'e Sect in Yingzhou all gone?

Yes.

Trash...

is useless!

You got seriously injured. It seems you have to take a break for a while.

Have you dealt with those Half-faced Demons in Yingzhou?

I've already planted poison in advance. No one survived.

Very well. What about the thing that Mo Qianzhi left for Shen Du?

This is what Shen Du was looking for.

Mo Qianzhi had been watching Yingzhou for so long,

and must have known many of the officials' secrets in the imperial court.

Poetry collection?

How could that be?

Shen Du must have switched it around that time.

You got fooled by Shen Du.

I…

Shen Du.

I’d like to see how you plan to turn the tide next.

I hadn't expected Prime Minister Zhang's faction to have been using Gannandao

to smuggle with Xichen to reap huge profits for years.

And the Princess of Valor has even been buying the frontier soldiers off in the name of funding.

Senior Brother had quietly gained secrets over the two factions in the court,

yet never reported it.

He didn't trust the imperial court.

Chen Huo'e must know about it, so she wanted to use me to find this.

So what are you going to do about this?

- I think… - Great Chief.

Great Chief, something's wrong!

Why the panic?

Before we could interrogate the Half-faced Demons captured, they all died.

Great Chief, these people must have died from poisoning.

When they were captured, I'd searched them carefully,

even checked every single tooth in their mouths.

There's no way they could have taken poison.

This needle mark…

How could this be...?

Did you notice anything?

Jing Lin is right.

Before these people were captured,

they must have been poisoned with some slow-acting poison.

Coroner, can you identify what kind of poison it was?

Yes, but it will take some time.

Report to me as soon as you find out.

Yes, Great Chief.

It's time to go back to Xiang'an.

What are you reading?

Along the way, we've passed through many places.

These are some records of my casual chats with local people.

Have you found something different?

From the memories of these people, I indeed found something suspicious.

The year before the Shen Mansion case, Great Cang experienced a flood.

Many people suffered greatly and lived in extreme hardship due to the lack of food.

But here in Gannandao, in the memories of the people,

there were also some areas affected by the flood.

Logically speaking, there should have been a shortage of surplus grain.

But the local grain prices had fallen rather than risen.

Where did all this grain come from?

Do you mean…?

There's one possibility.

Someone secretly took the official grain from the granary.

Assassin!

Sixth Miss!

Let's go.

Don't fight them. Let's enter the palace.

Indeed, Minister Shen cares for the country as if it were his own family.

You have just entered the Imperial City and come straight to the palace to report.

No wonder Mother Empress thinks so highly of you.

Your Highness, I'm flattered.

I'm just trying my best to live up to the Grand Empress Dowager's trust.

It's best if you really think in this way.

It’s not in vain that Mother Empress has given you much thought.

Hoping you'll rise to great heights.

What do you mean, Your Highness?

Forget it. It is late at night.

Jia'an, you must be tired too.

Shen Du, let's catch up at my mansion later.

Grand Empress Dowager, please have some tea.

Grand Empress Dowager, they have arrived.

May you be well, Grand Empress Dowager.

May you be blessed, Grand Empress Dowager.

Rise.

Minister Shen.

I've read the memorial you asked someone to send.

Mo Qianzhi is already dead.

The rebels have been suppressed.

And the Half-faced Demons have also been annihilated.

You did a good job in Yingzhou.

During the process, did you encounter any difficulties?

Thanks to your blessing, everything went smoothly.

What should I reward you?

Shen Du is already the Great Chief,

leading officials of all levels,

and already a first-rank senior official.

Then I wonder if he can't be promoted anymore.

You!

I've spoiled you so much.

And you're speaking recklessly.

Fortunately, Minister Shen is not an outsider.

Otherwise, it would make others think

that I want to warn Minister Shen via you.

Grand Empress Dowager, please forgive me! I'm really sorry!

Minister Shen, what do you think?

What reward do you desire?

Just tell me, and I shall grant it.

This is my job.

I don't need any reward.

This trip to Yingzhou, if my wife didn't go with me,

I'm afraid it wouldn't have been so smooth.

If there's a reward,

then please reward Chief Clerk Yan Xing.

It turns out you want to get a reward for your wife.

It seems that this trip to Yingzhou has brought you two closer together.

I did a good thing.

Grand Empress Dowager, you are really wise.

Rise.

Minister Shen, you are a pillar of the state,

meritorious but not seeking rewards.

Good.

I'll grant the reward to your wife as you requested.

Beloved OfficialYan, you were instrumental in putting down the rebellion in Yingzhou.

I'll promote you as the Chief Director under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice,

of the sixth rank.

Thank you, Grand Empress Dowager!

Beloved Official Yan.

Is there any special reward you want?

Responding to Grand Empress Dowager.

I desire no other reward.

Think it over again.

It's a rare opportunity.

Every word I say is true.

I don't desire rewards.

I only wish the world to be peaceful.

Very well, Official Yan.

As a woman, you care about the world.

Great Cang really needs officials like you.

I heard you were attacked in Yingzhou, and almost killed.

Send the imperial physician to their mansion.

Yes.

[Shen Mansion]

What's wrong?

You just got a promotion, why are you so upset?

Director Yan.

I just figured it out.

The trip to Yingzhou was a big deal.

It would be inappropriate for the Grand Empress Dowager not to grant a reward,

but Her Majesty doesn't want to reward you either.

That Zhang Baohuan must have understood the Grand Empress Dowager's thoughts.

So he put on a show with Madam Xu,

saying you can't be promoted anymore.

They just didn't want you to take credit.

If you hadn't been so shrewd and perfect and had let this matter pass,

I really don't know what would have happened.

How are you going to deal with the booklet that Master Mo left for you?

That booklet is so important.

I'll present it later.

Even the fox can't outsmart you.

You went to the palace at night to meet the Grand Empress Dowager,

yet you didn't mention the booklet.

It's just a fake move to scare some people.

I'm afraid none of them will sleep well tonight.

You know me so well.

So, I received a reward for doing nothing.

The Princess of Valor said you are loyal to your duty.

But you don't have to be loyal to your duty all night

and not go home. Right?

There's a place I need to show you.

Let's go.

[Late Father Shen Bingzhu's Tablet]

This is…

This is what I want to tell you.

When the Shen family encountered disaster,

my mother was seriously ill,

knowing that she would die soon,

so she had me write a confession.

I don't know how, nor can I write it.

Father would rather die to prove his innocence.

I would rather, like my father, die to prove my integrity.

But if even you die,

then this unjust case will truly end.

There are so many people in the Shen family who died in vain.

And your father.

Their grievances,

the truth they have always wanted,

would truly remain unknown.

She told me to become an official,

only then will there be a chance to clear the Shen family's name.

From that day on,

I have nothing...

to live for but resentment.

I carry too much resentment from the Shen family.

Seeking the truth...

became my only reason to live on.

Perhaps people have already forgotten,

or rather, no one cares.

But I remember it vividly.

I dare not forget for a moment...

those innocent people who died for the Shen family.

It's not just you,

but also me.

I remember it.

I've never forgotten Uncle Shen.

[Late Father Shen Bingzhu's Tablet]

When something happened to the Shen Mansion,

people said Uncle Shen betrayed the country and colluded with the enemy.

I didn't believe it.

He is the most honest and selfless person I have ever met.

He would never do anything that would hurt the country and the people.

So from that moment on, I resolved...

to become a female official of the Ministry of Justice,

hoping one day to find out the truth for myself.

People call me the White Ghost,

so I have come to accept that I am just a wandering soul, a lonely ghost,

walking alone in this mortal purgatory.

I really didn't expect...

that anyone would be as foolish as me.

You are so warm...

and alive,

how would you be a lonely ghost?

This heart...

is alive with the expectations of so many.

♫ Never mind the destined solitary fate ♫

From now on,

you won't be alone anymore.

I will definitely try to help you find out the truth

and clear the Shen family's name.

♫ He said he loves her ♫

♫ The flower in the mirror, the moon in the water, present in my dreams ♫

♫ It’s not illusory glamor ♫

♫ Why fear the flying sand on the road ahead ♫

♫ Chasing time, riding a white horse ♫

♫ Let's go together ♫

♫ Love is pure and originally flawless ♫

♫ Let the vast universe change ♫

♫ Let's spend our time together ♫

[Late Father Shen Bingzhu's Tablet]

Go over and lead the horse.

Great Chief. Madam. You are finally back.

Sorry to have worried you.

Madam, don't worry.

I am not anxious at all.

[Shen Mansion]

The ancestors of the Shen family, if you are watching us in the heaven,

Great Chief finally came to understand!

He understands now! He understands now!

It is getting late.

My Wife, please rest early.

All right.

Where are you going?

Going to sleep.

I have a more important matter to attend to with you.

Shen Du, I…

♫ Every memory is unforgettable ♫

♫ Written from desolation into poetry ♫

You said...

I won't be alone anymore.

If you had the nerve to barge in here,

then there's no getting out of here.

If I, Sxith Miss Yan, promise it,

then it is a promise.

♫ If we are not careful, we will end up at the end of the world ♫

♫ I want to be with you, shadows become a pair ♫

♫ I want to hold you, staying by my side ♫

♫ Passing through the obstruction of a storm ♫

♫ I want to be your moonlight ♫

♫ To accompany you to every dawn ♫

♫ How I wish I could just forget the length of time ♫

♫ I want to be with you, shadows become a pair ♫

♫ I want to be with you, never forgetting each other ♫

♫ There is always a place where the clouds and the sea meet ♫

♫ I want to accompany you forever ♫

♫ I will wait until my black hair turns grey ♫

♫ In this life, I will only keep you in my heart ♫

Minister Zhang is here.

Grand Empress Dowager sent me here to grant the reward.

To promote Yan Xing as the Chief Director under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice,

and grant her ten thousand bolts of silk and ten thousand taels of gold,

to show her merit and spread grace.

Thanks to Grand Empress Dowager for the reward!

Grand Empress Dowager has another decree.

The Grand Empress Dowager has decreed. The Great Chief, Shen Du,

has put down a rebellion and brought peace to the various counties,

with outstanding merits and strong observations.

Princess Jia'an is gentle, beautiful, polite, mannered,

graceful, elegant, educated and dignified,

who has reached the age of marriage, awaiting for a great husband.

The two share a match made by heaven.

Today, I hereby bestow them marriage,

hoping they devote themselves to the country with respect

and unite in heart and virtue.

Great Chief, this is the Grand Empress Dowager's decree,

not something you can say no.

At least, accept the decree first.

Minister Zhang, you know it.

I have no intention of marrying Princess Jia'an.

My wife does not want me to marry another woman.

I hope to report back to the Grand Empress Dowager.

Do you know why the Grand Empress Dowager had me announce this decree?

Such a work should be performed by the people of the Astronomical Bureau.

Why me?

Why?

You don't understand.

Neither does Great Chief?

Please explain it. Don't play riddles with me.

Considering Han Shiyuan has now married into your Yan family, I shall tell you this,

lest Shiyuan knows about it later and blames me.

Just think, Princess Jia'an

is the most beloved daughter of the Princess of Valor.

And the Princess of Valor is the most beloved princess of the Grand Empress Dowager.

The Princess of Valor's temperament is most similar to that of the Grand Empress Dowager,

so she receives the most favor, even overshadowing Prince Xian.

Under such a circumstance,

yet she bestowed Princess Jia'an upon Great Chief as a wife.

What does that mean?

The Great Chief is so powerful,

with outstanding merits, and unprecedented honor and wealth.

No one can exceed him.

But the Great Chief is alone, without any support behind him.

Moreover,

he has married you, a minor official of the sixth rank.

Even if Princess Jia'an were to marry,

she should choose her husband from the royal family.

She has no reason to marry Shen Du.

Your father has said, only Shen Du remains in the Shen family now.

Only Mo Qianzhi and that butler were associated with the Shen family.

Mo Qianzhi is already dead.

Then Shen Du is really the most lonely person in the imperial court.

Also, he holds the position of supervising hundreds of officials.

Any slight mistake could kill him.

So,

you can't catch the wolf without sacrificing the kid.

And Shen Du is the key.

Minister Zhang,

No matter how much the Grand Empress Dowager is wary of me, I can endure it.

But I don't need the bestowed marriage.

I already have a wife.

And I will not marry another woman in my life.

Minister Zhang.

I will now return to the palace with you to annul the engagement.

Shen Du.

- Great Chief. - Shen Du.

[Peace and Prosperity]

Are you thinking of defying the imperial decree?

Grand Empress Dowager, my wife and I share a very deep affection.

Moreover, I am in charge of the cabinet, supervising the officials and receiving many complaints.

It’s not about wealth and good fortune.

I don't want Princess Jia'an to marry me and suffer.

If I hadn't bestowed the marriage,

the esteemed Princess Jia'an would not be someone you can aspire to reach.

The esteemed Princess Jia'an holds a noble status; I know I am unworthy.

And I would not dare to covet her.

I humbly request the Grand Empress Dowager to retract the decree.

You!

How dare you!

I have been an official for many years,

never wanting anything.

Only today do I earnestly request Your Majesty to retract the decree.

I will surely serve with utmost dedication, even to the point of death.

Great Chief Shen has always been loyal.

Everyone knows it. Your Majesty must think carefully before you act.

I know you have paved the way for me.

With a sincere heart, I stand in this world,

devoted to relieving the Grand Empress Dowager's worries.

If I need to marry Princess Jia'an to survive in the imperial court,

then it must be Your Majesty who does not trust my ability.

- Grand Empress Dowager. - What is it that you want?

Something's wrong at Ming Hall.

What?

[Chengtian Gate]

The people I sent have checked many times, no problems were discovered.

But this time, it was their excessive greed

that exposed a flaw, which was noticed.

When we went back to check, we discovered the problem.

Someone made two account books.

Two account books? What's the difference between them?

One is an open account book, using the Longmen accounting method. (The Longmen accounting system is one of the earliest forms of double-entry bookkeeping in China.)

And the other one was kept in secret,

using the Sijiao accounting method. (The Sijiao account format is a traditional Chinese double-entry accounting format, where each page is divided by a central line to record income at the top and expenses at the bottom.)

Continue.

The person who makes the open one with the Longmen accounting method

is really skillful.

At first glance, one can't find any mistakes.

Therefore, from the beginning of the Ming Hall to the present,

the officials of the Ministry of Revenue could not find any problems.

The other account book that has just been discovered

uses Sijiao accounting method.

Therefore, at first glance, one can't detect any connection

to the Ming Hall's account book.

By how much is it off?

How dare they embezzle

over twenty million taels of silver!

Officials involved in the reconstruction were all involved,

apart from Minister Zhang Baohuan.

Baohuan is not good at this accounting nor does he have the nerve.

But the matter of Ming Hall

was entrusted to him for overall planning.

Then he is guilty of inadequate supervision.

Send him to the other retreat for a quiet recuperation and reflection.

Yes.

As for the others…

These officials belong to various factions in the imperial court.

Various factions?

Including someone in the Zhou family?

I said something wrong! Grand Empress Dowager, please forgive me!

What fault do you have?

I just thought that although the officials in the court

each had their own motives, they were all devoted to the nation.

I never expected...

that the sin started from something trivial.

Now, dark forces are at play,

and people's hearts are unpredictable.

Grand Empress Dowager puts the country first.

While the court officials harbor their own thoughts.

Especially after the incident in Yingzhou involving Governor Mo Qianzhi,

no one has yet taken over the post in Gannandao.

I think they all seem quite impatient.

It's time to give them a warning.

Grand Empress Dowager.

Shen Du's Imperial Guards seldom interact with others,

and works with dedication and effort.

It would be a good choice.

But if he marries Princess Jia'an,

I'm afraid there will be more constraints for him.

You want to help him, let's see if he is clever enough.

For the incident at Ming Hall,

don't make it public and investigate secretly.

Yes.

The Imperial Inspectorate and Imperial Guards.

Pass on my decrees separately.

[Chengtian Gate]

[Shen Mansion]

You really aren't afraid of anything.

I thought that a beating was inevitable.

It went smoother than I thought.

Are you saying the matter of the bestowed marriage just passed like that?

Not necessarily, the Grand Empress Dowager still hasn't vented her anger.

But the matter of the bestowed marriage came quite weirdly.

I'm afraid it has something to do with that booklet.

Princess of Valor must have been afraid

that I would reveal her funding to the Yingzhou Army.

Hence, she asked the Grand Empress Dowager to bestow me a marriage,

wanting to constrain me.

But unfortunately, the Grand Empress Dowager has no time for this.

A major incident occurred at Ming Hall.

You knew about this all along?

Shen Du,

Madam Xu just happened to report this matter, did she do it on purpose?

People don't know

that Ming Hall has a deep meaning for the Grand Empress Dowager.

It is the place that witnessed the affection between the Grand Empress Dowager and the former emperor.

After the fire at Ming Hall,

the Grand Empress Dowager was extremely concerned about the reconstruction.

She not only sent Zhang Baohuan she trusts mostly to oversee it,

but also said that renovation expenses are uncapped.

Uncapped?

Unlimited expenses don't mean that corrupt officials

can line their own pockets.

How much could that involve?

It could probably shake the entire imperial court.

They have thoroughly angered the Grand Empress Dowager.

Subtitles and Timing provided to you by 🎶 The Copper Sparrow 🪶Team @viki.com

"Only Want You" - Ding Yuxi, Deng Enxi

♫ Upon meeting again, I know you're the one for me ♫

♫ Gazing at the stars, dreaming about old times ♫

♫ A pair of people have already taken root ♫

♫ Lovers before the candlelight, do not ask their thoughts ♫

♫ Affection is bound, lasting forever ♫

♫ Using the evening breeze to express deep love ♫

♫ I have someone I long for in this life ♫

♫ Deeply in love, you are the one I have chosen ♫

♫ Autumn moon and spring breeze, I only want you for my whole life ♫

♫ The trace of your palm ♫

♫ Your gaze ♫

♫ Our love is heating up ♫

♫ Deeply in love, you are the one I have chosen ♫

♫ Autumn moon and spring breeze, I only want you for my whole life ♫

♫ The trace of your palm ♫

♫ Your gaze ♫

♫ Our love is heating up ♫

♫ You are the only one for me ♫

♫ Embracing each other, how serious we are about our love ♫

♫ Every moment is treasured ♫

♫ From dawn to dusk ♫

♫ You and I, forever inseparable ♫

♫ Without noticing, you broke into my heart ♫

♫ Slowly immersing myself, I become undaunted by perils for love ♫

♫ I charge into battle with unmatched resilience ♫

♫ Because you are my responsibility ♫

♫ Deeply in love, you are the one I have chosen ♫

♫ Autumn moon and spring breeze, I only want you for my whole life ♫

♫ The trace of your palm ♫

♫ Your gaze ♫

♫ Our love is heating up ♫

♫ Deeply in love, you are the one I have chosen ♫

♫ Autumn moon and spring breeze, I only want you for my whole life ♫

♫ The trace of your palm ♫

♫ Your gaze ♫

♫ Our love is heating up ♫

♫ You are the only one for me ♫

♫ You are the one for me ♫