Original subtitles

[New Life Begins]

[Adapted from the novel "Journey to the Qing Dynasty" by Duomu Muduo]

[Episode 37]

You should leave this to the maids.

Your Lordship,

do you think I can't handle this

just because I'm pregnant?

That's not what I mean.

I don't want you to tire yourself out.

Your Lordship, is there anything you want to tell me?

Has the Sixth Young Lord returned to the imperial court?

You've heard about it.

I don't want to bother you about it.

Despite entrusting us with important tasks,

the Lord has always been suspicious of us.

At first, we had completely no chance.

Now that we've finally earned his trust,

we will have to take the bait too

even if it's poisoned.

Your Lordship, are you really going to give up

because of this small hiccup?

Xiyuan.

Let's lead

a peaceful life from now on.

His Lordship has been very displeased with my performance.

If this continues...

Your Lordship.

Fate doesn't decide our lives.

Instead, we should decide our fates.

His Lordship condemned Fourth Young Lord

publicly.

You're back.

Zheng.

I have missed you a lot.

They said that you were under the weather.

Mother and I have been worrying about you.

Madam He brought some mountain ginseng and lingzhi for you.

Thank you, Mother.

Take a seat.

The chef made some lamb tripe soup.

Let's share it.

It'll keep us warm.

I'll be right back.

Lamb tripe?

I didn't know you eat lamb tripe.

She was the one who introduced it to me.

Really?

His momo told me

that no one could make him eat his meals without fuss.

Zheng.

Mother is always asking others

about what you were like when you were little.

I'm sure he was even pickier with food when he was little.

Madam He, you have no idea

how difficult it was to cure this picky eater.

It's as if I'm taking care of Yin Zai.

I always have to coax him so that he would eat his meal.

For example, he is not a fan of lamb tripe.

He said the lamb tripe looked like fungus.

I had to lie to him and tell him that they were mushrooms

so that he would eat them.

Although he doesn't like it,

it's good for his health.

I knew it was the lamb tripe.

I simply didn't want to expose your lie.

But you ate it too.

He's really lucky to have you.

I'm humbled, Madam He.

I'm lucky to have him.

Are you going to keep addressing me as Madam?

Mother.

It's ready.

The lamb tripe soup is served.

Give it a taste.

It's made with our secret recipe.

Let me give it a taste.

Eleventh Young Lord.

Should I sleep in my own room?

No.

I could only fall asleep with you by my side

when we were in Canghe Town.

I won't be able to fall asleep

if you're not around.

Come here.

I wanted to blow off the candle.

It's fine.

We'll...

We'll just sleep like this.

Do you know

what was on my mind

when you were sick in Canghe Town?

No.

If you

breathe your last

under my care,

by the laws of Xin State,

I will be beheaded.

I was thinking

if I should kill myself

or wait for the beheading.

I thought about it over and over again

and realized that I wasn't afraid of death at all.

Nothing else matters

as long as you're by my side.

You were determined to be a widow

when you first arrived in Xin State.

If I die,

then your dream will be fulfilled.

I was just kidding.

Don't bring this up ever again.

Touch wood.

What's wrong with that?

Widow.

Dying.

I remember there were a lot of pockets in your gown.

Does this gown have pockets too?

I don't believe you.

I need to check it myself.

♪I'm afraid you might find out my feelings for you when you look into my eyes♪

♪I try hard to remain calm♪

♪But my heart is racing because of you♪

♪I try hard to hide my feelings♪

♪But where should I lay my eyes on?♪

♪No words are needed now♪

♪My feelings do not matter anymore♪

♪I turn those wonderful memories into a story♪

♪There's no need for words if the feeling is mutual♪

♪I got lost in my emotions♪

♪Love is nowhere to be found♪

♪There are no more distractions♪

♪I only wish we could enjoy three meals and four seasons together♪

Why did you wake up so early?

I can't sleep.

Let's sleep in.

Aren't you going to greet His Lordship?

There's no hurry.

I still have time.

Since we still have time...

What are you doing?

My Lord.

Fourth Young Lord is the first to greet My Lord today.

He has been waiting outside the hall.

I get it.

My Lord.

I'll get the medicine for you.

Fourth Young Lord arrived at the hour of Yin.

He's been waiting since then.

Did he not

understand His Lordship's words?

His Lordship told Fourth Young Lord to go back and get some rest,

which means His Lordship doesn't want to see him

and wants to take a break from him.

Fourth Young Lord should know this the best

compared to everyone else in the palace.

Otherwise,

he wouldn't be acting so remorseful now.

A wise man submits to the circumstances.

However, if he always submits to circumstances,

he can only stay a wise man.

He'll never be an outstanding man.

I got it.

You should be more prudent in front of His Lordship in the future.

Rest well at home

for the coming days.

Tell Li Wei to cook some good food for you.

Yes.

-Greetings, My Lord. -Greetings, My Lord.

Zheng, you only recovered not long ago.

You don't have to visit me every day.

You should recuperate at home.

I'm feeling fine.

Don't have to worry about me, Father.

Father.

Zheng is really stubborn.

I wouldn't have known about his sickness

if they hadn't sent me a letter from Canghe.

The weather in Canghe Town was extremely cold,

and his high fever lasted for a few days.

He was at death's door

and wouldn't stop vomiting blood.

He almost lost...

Enough.

I was infected with the plague,

not poisoned by Asadin.

Zheng.

You must have had a tough time.

An was exaggerating it.

I took some medicines

and some supplements prepared by Li Wei.

I'm feeling better than ever.

Li Wei

is a very talented cook indeed.

I'll send Liang Shi to the Imperial Hospital later

to get some medicines

and deliver them to your mansion later.

Thanks, Father.

You can leave now.

Yes.

Jun.

It wasn't a wise move.

What do you mean, An?

I thought

you knew your way around the imperial court and could get things done efficiently.

We all work for the imperial court, after all.

Of course, we all know a few tricks.

But you turned out to be a scheming man,

who tried to get his brother killed.

I don't mind if you're ruthless,

but you're stupid too.

It can never be a perfect crime.

Don't do it

if you don't want anyone to find out about it.

An,

it was a misunderstanding.

Father hasn't been feeling well these days.

I didn't tell him about Zheng's sickness because I didn't want him to worry.

If I had known how severe his condition was,

I would have rushed to Canghe

to take care of Zheng myself.

Jun.

Do you think the mistake happened

by chance

or on purpose?

Jun.

Take care of yourself.

Zheng and I share a lot of similarities.

None of us are of lineal descent.

We can only survive by keeping a low profile.

But you managed to overtake me later.

When my opportunity came,

you had already found your place in the arena.

Since you've had your slice of cake,

stop saying these sugar-coated words.

Jun.

We're different.

No matter how difficult the journey is,

I'll never hurt my brothers.

[Zhaoqian Hall]

Father.

I made a mistake.

I wish to ask for your forgiveness, Father.

Please punish me, Father.

Father.

I didn't do well.

I let you down, Father.

I'm willing to bear 100 strokes and be grounded at home.

I'll copy the Buddhist scripture

and pray for you and Zheng every day.

Jun.

I

underestimated you.

When you were following Song around,

you thought

I wouldn't be suspicious of you

because you obeyed the Crown Young Lord.

Being a loyal brother to him

put you slightly closer to the throne

compared to others.

But Song has also

fed your ego.

You're now greedier than ever.

You're afraid that Zheng would overtake you,

so you attempted to block all the news,

hoping that Zheng would die in a small and remote town

without anyone knowing.

Father.

That was never my intention.

Father.

I only didn't want you

to worry about Zheng's sickness.

I didn't want it to affect your health.

That's why I didn't inform you about it.

I swear.

I swear

it was just a mistake I didn't intend to make.

I'll never make any deliberate attempt to hurt my brothers!

Would you still be saying this

if Zheng had died in the small town?

I made a mistake, Father.

I'm sorry, Father.

Father.

I swear

I'll reflect upon myself.

I'll never repeat this mistake.

Father.

I made a huge mistake.

I dare not ask for your forgiveness.

I only wish to receive punishment from you

so that it can put my mind at ease.

Father.

Jun.

I only told you this

because

I hope

that you can understand my intention.

I hope that you meant it

when you said you were sorry.

Father.

Father.

Father.

Father!

Send help!

Call for the imperial physician!

Bring the imperial physician here!

Father!

We need an imperial physician!

Send an imperial physician here!

His Lordship is suffering from an infection,

which causes the overproduction of phlegm and the blockage of the orifices.

You almost got a stroke, My Lord.

Luckily, we discovered this before it was too late.

But from now on,

you should not tire yourself out again, My Lord.

I'll prescribe some medication for you.

I also need your help

to have a clean and healthy diet,

stay away from the cold weather,

and recuperate with a quiet mind, My Lord.

I got it.

Physician Xu.

This way, please.

You decided to visit my place, My Lord.

It means

that Zhongyi Hall is the safest hideout at the moment.

Madam.

Please watch what you say.

I did let you down.

You can go back and get some rest

if you still resent me

and don't wish to stay here with me.

Thanks, My Lord.

My Lord.

I don't know

if I should say this.

Just say it.

You have more than 10 sons.

But you're scared

to see any one of them when you're sick.

You call yourself a lonely man

because you have schemed against everyone around you.

That's why everyone left you.

If I could go back in time,

I would never have let my son take the same path.

I would want him to be a commoner

and lead a peaceful life.

At least, he won't be left alone.

[Zhaoqian Hall]

It's been seven days since His Lordship called for an assembly.

They check our attendance every day

but never dismiss us.

We haven't seen His Lordship for a long time either.

The documents from the Ministry of Rites are piling up.

Thanks for your hard work.

I'll deliver the memorials to His Lordship later.

You should return to work now.

I hope this doesn't come off offensive,

but I have a question.

I heard that His Lordship won't see anyone

and won't allow the young lords to visit him while he's sick.

Is that true?

Indeed, His Lordship doesn't want the young lords to visit him.

His Lordship is doing that because he cares for them a lot

and doesn't want to spread the disease to the young lords.

This...

Can I ask for your advice?

According to the customs,

it's time the Ministry of Rites gets ready

for the conferring of the title of the Crown Prince.

So now...

Minister Lin.

It's not your place to speak of this matter.

Father is sick.

Yet, you're making a fuss over it.

I'll beat you up

if you ever bring it up again!

An.

Calm down, An.

It's been a few days since we last saw His Lordship.

We're very concerned about his health.

Please share with us

if you have any news

to give us peace of mind.

I know absolutely nothing.

Father refuses to see anyone

and I'm extremely worried about him.

Minister Lin is worried about His Lordship too.

The Ministry of Rites handles many crucial tasks.

They can prepare for it in advance

if we can share some information with them.

What are they preparing for?

Are they planning ahead?

Or are they up to something else?

It's better

you keep your intentions to yourself.

Yin Zheng.

It's mealtime.

You go ahead.

I'm not hungry.

Are you worried about His Lordship?

I heard a lot of rumors in the past few days.

People are making up different stories.

Some asked me about my plan.

Other than An and Yan,

no one genuinely cares for His Lordship.

I always knew that everyone had their own desires,

but I didn't know

that things would turn so ugly when they laid their cards on the table.

The ministers attend the morning assembly

for the salary.

They only showed their ugly sides

because they're worried about losing their jobs in the future.

If everything was smooth sailing,

they would definitely do their work diligently.

It'll be much easier for them

if they don't have to beg for their peers' sympathy.

Besides, you also said

that some of your brothers think just like you.

They're genuinely concerned about His Lordship.

After all, you're related by blood.

It's more likely for them to do it without expecting anything in return.

That's the importance of inheritance.

Don't worry.

His Lordship will definitely know how much you care for him.

Let's eat.

Your Lordship.

It's mealtime.

The porridge is getting cold.

Liu Baoquan has packed

the beef floss we prepared for His Lordship.

But Father refuses to see us.

I'm sure His Lordship has his own concerns

when he refuses to see you.

However, there's a person

His Lordship will definitely see.

Let me go!

[Zhongyi Hall] Am I not allowed to see my own father?

Let me in!

His Lordship has given his order.

No one is allowed to enter the palace.

I don't care!

I don't care how I'm going to get punished later.

I want to see him now.

Father.

Superintendent Liang.

His Lordship has agreed to meet Yin Qi.

Father.

Fifth Young Lord.

You can speak to His Lordship from here.

The imperial physician

doesn't want His Lordship to catch a cold.

I understand.

Superintendent Liang,

you're the only person who will address me as the Young Lord now.

I'm just a commoner and in no position to meet His Lordship face-to-face.

Of course, I'll have to speak to His Lordship behind this screen.

Greetings, My Lord.

My Lord,

how are you doing?

I'm fine.

I'm glad to hear

that you're doing fine, My Lord.

I don't want to disturb you further.

I...

I'll get going.

Father.

Fifth Young Lord, you can't go in there.

His Lordship doesn't want to see you because he doesn't want you to get infected.

Moreover,

His Lordship needs to rest well.

Balderdash!

No son has to meet their fathers

behind a stupid screen!

Go away.

Father.

Father.

Father.

I know

you're afraid that someone might be scheming against you.

If the news about your illness leak,

someone might start plotting a coup.

If you ever see such an audacious man,

you can beat, condemn, or punish him.

However, you shouldn't be suspicious of everyone.

Many people care about you

and are worried about your health.

Father.

This is not

how a family should be.

It's your birthday

next month.

Do you want your sons to celebrate your birthday

behind this screen too?

Qi.

You still remember when my birthday is.

Of course, I do.

All sons

remember their fathers' birthdays.

Too bad,

I let you down.

If you still think of me as your son,

please let me take care of you

and celebrate your birthday with you.

Let me be a good son to you.

I'll do everything a good son does.

All right. It's fine.

[Zhongyi Hall]

I'm sure Qi is very worried

about the Lord's health, right?

Although he never says it out loud,

he has been in distress.

He rushed back on horseback immediately

after he received the news from you.

He wore his horse out too.

It's the same for Yin Zheng.

He hasn't been eating and sleeping well in the past few days.

He lost some weight too.

Luckily, everything is fine now.

Are you planning

to stay a few more days here?

His Lordship wants Qi

to stay in the palace for a while.

So we won't leave so soon.

I agree

that he should spend more time with his father.

Did you say we...

You and Fifth Young Lord?

I knew it.

What did you know?

Stop talking about me.

What about you?

Have you decided

to stay in Xin State for good?

But I still have a lot of concerns.

I've never even been a village chief before.

And now, there are so many things under my care.

However, I also think

that I don't have to worry about anything as long as Yin Zheng is with me.

Share with me some stories

about your adventure.

You've been to so many places

that I've never visited before.

If I'm ever given the chance,

I want to travel the world on horseback too.

Travel the world on horseback?

Can you even ride a horse?

I can't,

but I can learn.

Master,

can you teach me?

I will think

about it.

Thank you, Master.

Here.

I think Qi is not good with horseback riding either, right?

You're right.

He's too stupid.

[Ten days later]

You're finally feeling better, Father.

And we, as your sons, can finally take care of you personally.

We can finally be at ease now.

I feel bad for worrying you

in the past few days.

As long as you can fully recover,

all the sleepless nights we've had

are worth it.

You have yet to fully recover, Father.

You should avoid eating meat.

But I also worry that you might not get enough nutrients.

Li Wei said that eating porridge with meat floss can increase your appetite.

Give it a taste.

Meat floss?

Let me try it.

I've been having porridge for days

and craving some flavors.

I like this.

You have finally regained your appetite, My Lord.

How did you make the meat floss?

It looks great.

Can you make some for me too?

I'll give you a cow.

Zheng, thanks for the food.

Extend my thanks to Li Wei too.

By the way,

help me deliver my decree.

Li Wei will be installed as the Sixth Young Madam

on the fifth day of next month.

Thank you, Father.

Look at you.

I have rewarded you with many good things,

but this is the happiest you've ever been.

Father.

Zheng cares about Li Wei the most.

You finally agree to their marriage.

Of course, he's over the moon.

I like Wei too.

I'm happy too.

You're happy too.

That's good to hear.

Fourth Young Lord and his wife wish to meet you, My Lord.

Let them in.

-Greetings, My Lord. -Greetings, My Lord.

You're heavily pregnant.

You should be resting at home.

What brings you here?

Thanks for your concern, My Lord.

The baby has been really obedient.

It's very easy for me to move around.

We heard that you're feeling better now

and allowing visitors.

Therefore, we think it's a must to pay you a visit, My Lord.

Jun.

You're prospective parents.

Don't you know how to set your priorities right?

Father, you're right.

I will definitely take good care of my wife and my child.

However,

the baby is due soon.

We thought we should pay you a visit now

to give you peace of mind.

Tell the maids to take good care of her.

Don't make any mistakes.

I'll take your advice to heart, Father.

Since you're feeling fine,

Xiyuan and I will get going.

Let's eat.

Sure.

Let's dig in.

Jun is going to be a father soon.

You need to catch up with him.

Especially you, Qi.

It's been a long time since I last saw you.

I was expecting

good news for you

since you came back with Princess Shangguan this time.

Mother.

We were facing some inconvenience since we were wandering.

Besides, we both coming back together

is already good news.

Am I right?

Yes. It's good news.

We all want grandchildren.

Work harder.

Yes.

Especially you, Qi.

You need to overcome all the challenges.

You too, An.

Sure.

Work harder.

We have waited enough.

We need to find a few midwives to help us work it out.

The baby has to be born

on His Lordship's birthday.

According to momo,

you're not strong enough.

It's already risky for you to have a full-term pregnancy.

If you forcibly induce premature labor,

it'll jeopardize your health even further.

I can take my time to recuperate.

I'll recover eventually.

This baby is going

to be born in our family.

He'll be a member of the Fourth Young Lord's family.

So he has the responsibility to fight alongside us in the future.

We can't do this.

This is too dangerous.

I won't let you take any risk.

None of these matters.

We don't even need to care about His Lordship's concern now.

As long as the baby is the eldest grandson in the family,

he'll carry a lot of weight in the family.

That's what matters the most.

But

what if it's not a baby boy?

I must give birth to a baby boy.

I'll turn it into a baby boy

even if it's not a boy.

[Zhongyi Hall]

Don't mind them.

Just say it.

Yes.

You have almost completely recovered, My Lord.

You only need to rest more in the coming six months.

Don't tire yourself out, My Lord.

This sickness

does make me feel a little weaker.

But I'm not that weak.

Why am I only allowed to take liquid?

You've just recovered from your illness, Father.

You should listen to the imperial physician.

But Physician Xu...

It's His Lordship's birthday today.

Can we get an exception today?

His Lordship will resume his clean diet after today.

Yes.

But remember not to drink any alcohol, My Lord.

Physician Xu.

Now that you can't control my diet, you are trying to stop me from drinking alcohol.

There must be a restriction, huh?

My Lord.

I'll get going.

My Lord.

Fourth Young Madam gave birth to a baby boy.

Congratulations, My Lord.

They said the baby was due soon,

but I didn't expect him to be born today.

Congratulations, My Lord.

My Lord.

Fourth Young Lord didn't want to trouble you.

Therefore, he is already here with his baby.

He's waiting outside the hall.

Let him in.

Fourth Young Lord, please come in.

I wish you a blessed birthday, My Lord.

My wife did her duty

and gave birth to the eldest grandson of the Xin State.

We wish you a long life full of happiness, My Lord,

and the Xin State forever peace.

That's indeed good news.

We were told that the baby was due in another two weeks.

But my first nephew

is really smart.

He came into the world on our father's birthday.

It's definitely an auspicious sign.

Let me take a look at the baby.

He looks really healthy and strong.

Cover him up.

You're now a father.

Don't expose your newborn

to the cold weather.

Yes.

I only wanted you to meet your eldest grandson as soon as possible.

I also wish

that we can have the honor

to have you name the eldest grandson of the family.

Bring the baby home first.

Take good care of him.

I'll consider

naming the baby.

Yes.

My Lord.

It's a gift from Sixth Young Lord.

He said that you've been afraid of cold these days,

so he placed some copper beads on the edge of the cushion.

He has also buried some wormwood in it.

It'll keep you warm for a few hours, My Lord.

Zheng is really thoughtful.

I like it.

[From the Ministry of Revenue]

The Ministry of Revenue

has completed their tasks,

but it's obvious that they weren't meticulous enough.

Jun spent all his effort and time on something else.

The Ministry of Rites prepared the memorial

for the conferring of the title of the Eldest Grandson much earlier.

They handed me the memorial

seconds after the baby was born.

And the ink in the memorial was completely dry.

Physician Xu said

that you shouldn't tire yourself out, My Lord.

You don't have to read the memorials in such a hurry, My Lord.

We need to settle the state affairs as soon as possible.

Once there's any delay,

the memorials will start piling up.

Moreover,

I won't know

what's on their mind

if I don't read these.

Liang Shi.

Yes.

When did you enter the palace?

I entered the palace when I was nine years old.

I started working at the Young Lords' Mansion when I was 11 years old

and have been serving you since then, My Lord.

The years flew by.

You're old,

and my age is catching up on me too.

Now, when I look at my sons,

I'll be reminded of my younger time.

It's beyond my control now.

My sons are all grown up now.

They can decide for themselves.

This sickness has taught me

to stop dwelling on the past.

Some decisions

aren't that important.

Since I'll have to make my choice anyway,

I must pick the best one

who'll give his all for the people.

♪A star that doesn't fall asleep♪

♪But falls on your glabella♪

♪As the wind blows♪

♪It's brought to the side of your ear♪

♪A grandeur moon glows♪

♪And shines on my heart♪

♪Your smiley face is then exposed♪

♪Gradually, I got used to it♪

♪Going through ups and downs alone♪

♪I dare not bind to any attachments♪

♪However, you show up suddenly♪

♪And light up the stars above me♪

♪I can't speak and a soul-stirring feeling aroused♪

♪But you discern my thoughts♪

♪I luck out and have you by my side on this long journey♪

♪Chimney smoke swirls within mountains and rivers♪

♪The gloomy past scatters after the sun rises♪

♪The warmth of the palm envelopes the heart♪

♪Amidst the blustery winter, we share a candle together♪

♪Your presence gives me a sense of security♪

♪A star that doesn't fall asleep♪

♪But falls on your glabella♪

♪As the wind blows♪

♪It's brought to the side of your ear♪

♪A grandeur moon glows♪

♪And shines on my heart♪

♪Your smiley face is then exposed♪

♪Gradually, I got used to it♪

♪Going through ups and downs alone♪

♪I dare not bind to any attachments♪

♪However, you show up suddenly♪

♪And light up the stars above me♪