Original subtitles

(Joy of Life Season 2)

(Episode 26)

Shall we begin?

In observing the ancestral rites,

we carry on the legacy for generations to come.

By adhering to ancient customs,

we fulfill the covenant.

From this day forth,

husband and wife unite as one,

never to part in life or death.

Let the newlyweds perform the ritual.

First bow to the heavens, earth, and the Divine Temple,

this is the foundation of all rites.

Bow.

Second bow to the parents,

to honor the family's traditions...

Hold on.

Aunt,

please take the seat.

I mustn't.

I am not the matriarch of Fan family.

According to the rites, I cannot sit there.

The rites may not recognize it,

but I do.

Come, sit.

Second bow to the parents,

to honor the family's traditions

and to unite as one family.

Rise.

The couple will now bow to each other.

Bow.

Rise.

With this exchange of bows between husband and wife,

the covenant is sealed.

Look at that, that's a lot of people.

It's like a temple fair.

By decree of His Majesty,

the union of Fan and Lin is blessed,

timed perfectly by fate.

Here is a handwritten scroll

to commemorate this occasion,

as decreed.

(Eternal Union)

(Fan Residence)

Do you need me to walk you back to your residence?

It's fine.

Thanks anyway.

For what?

For not telling her about Lin Gong.

I promised you I wouldn't ruin the wedding.

A promise is a promise.

Anyway, thank you.

It hasn't been easy for Wan Er

to get to this day.

Wan Er is also my sister.

I'll be going then.

Be careful on your way.

Did you forget something?

You're alone. I'd better walk you back.

All right then.

I'll count on you

to keep my money and my life safe.

Wan Er.

You, come out.

Get out from under the bed.

I heard you.

Xian.

Si Zhe?

Wan Er.

Congratulations.

I got it.

May you be blessed with a child soon.

These are feudalistic practices.

I'm going to teach him a lesson later.

I've been thinking only

about one thing this whole day.

What is it?

I want to take a look at you.

I haven't seen you today.

Who is it?

It's you, Da Bao.

Da Bao, go back to your room.

Xian, I'm not like that little one.

I'll go back to my room after I watch you and Wan Er kiss.

Be a good boy, Da Bao.

Return to your room.

Careful that someone might steal your red fruits.

Oh, yes. Father gave me those red fruits.

Little One!

Little One!

Why does things keep coming

one after another this evening?

What?

Nothing.

Wan Er, I'm sorry.

I have to go out for a bit. I'll be back soon,

and then I'll explain everything.

Mr. Wu Zhu, it's been so long. Where have you been?

I had a fight with Ku He.

I know. For me.

Besides the fight, I also asked him about my past.

I've forgotten a lot. I want to remember.

What did Ku He say?

He didn't want to talk

about Young Lady Qing Mei.

My mother came from the Divine Temple.

The Divine Temple?

Ku He and the others saw my mother come out

of the Divine Temple with their own eyes when they traveled north.

Mr. Wu Zhu, could you also be from the Divine Temple?

The Divine Temple...

I can't remember.

It's all right. I'll accompany you north.

We'll look for it together.

Once we find the Divine Temple, maybe you'll remember.

- You can't go. - Why?

You're married now.

That's not a problem.

I can bring Wan Er along.

Mr. Wu Zhu, when we were bowing to our elders just now, I was thinking,

if you were here, Wan Er and I would have bowed to you together.

Why don't you ask me where I went after my fight with Ku He?

- Where did you go? - I went south.

Is the street cleared?

Yes, sir.

They didn't return to the office

just because they wanted to get something to eat.

President.

You two, one leading Third Bureau and the other Sixth Bureau,

are the pillars of the Overwatch Council.

If word of you brawling in the streets in the middle of the night gets out,

won't it be disgraceful?

- It's not that bad. - Who says it's not bad?

Even if it's disgraceful, it won't reflect on me.

I always wear a mask.

No one in the capital, inside or outside the Overwatch Council,

knows my name.

Do you hide your identity

just so you can fight freely?

He started it.

I mean, don't you know what day it is today?

It's my apprentice's wedding.

I know.

With your sneaky look,

you looked like you were up to no good.

I had to stop him.

How can you even tell if I look sneaky or not?

Your posture alone is sneaky.

Just take off your mask and eat your bun properly.

It's not like I've never seen your face before,

and there's no one on this street.

What are you afraid of?

Just eat your noodles!

Did you go to Fan Xian's residence?

- He stopped me. - Why did you go there?

It's Fan Xian's wedding today.

Mr. Wu Zhu would certainly attend.

My lifelong wish is

to spar with him

and exchange skills.

Are you trying to get yourself killed?

A martial artist seeks enlightenment.

Even if I end up dead, I will not regret it.

Fei Jie,

when did you return to the capital?

I rushed back all the way.

I just got back.

I haven't even eaten.

On my way south, I kept craving for a meal here.

I have to say, nothing beats the food here.

By protocol,

you should have come to see me at the office first.

Yes, President.

But as I said,

it's my apprentice's wedding today.

I had to...

Right?

And I wouldn't disturb him, of course.

Just as I wouldn't disturb him,

I wouldn't let anyone else disturb him either.

So you've been keeping an eye on Fan Xian's residence?

Yes, it wasn't in vain.

I intercepted him.

Fei Jie,

you've been chasing the murderer

all the way from the south.

Tell me honestly,

is the murderer Wu Zhu?

I didn't see the murderer's face.

And I don't believe

Lord Wu would kill indiscriminately.

But...

Considering the skills involved,

if it wasn't Lord Wu,

who else could have done it?

And coincidentally, Lord Wu was in Jiangnan when the murders happened.

Why was Wu Zhu in Jiangnan?

I really don't know.

Young Lady Qing Mei and I went to Jiangnan together in the past.

I wanted to revisit the paths we once walked,

hoping to recover my lost memories.

Did you find anything?

No.

Many people died in Jiangnan.

I have

heard about that.

I didn't do it.

Then it wasn't you.

Someone's trying to frame you.

Following this line of thought,

first,

think about who would benefit from framing you;

second,

who knew about your journey south;

- and third... - But it could only be me.

- Why? - I checked the victims' bodies.

The assailant's techniques

are those of a grandmaster.

Then one of the four grandmasters

is trying to frame you.

- Is it Si Gu Jian? - The killer didn't use Qi.

They used grandmaster techniques,

without using Qi,

I'm the only one in the world

who could do this.

But you said

you didn't kill anyone.

Yes.

I remember I didn't kill anyone.

That's enough then.

If I could lose

my memory once,

it could happen again.

I can't trust myself.

Fan Xian.

I'm here.

By right, I shouldn't have come and seen you again.

That doesn't sound right at all.

I've lost my past,

and it's hard to trace it back.

Now I only have one purpose in this world,

and that is to protect you.

If I lose control and harm you,

I will leave immediately

and never appear by your side again.

Mr. Wu Zhu, you can't leave me.

Look closely.

Look at what?

I can't see.

Is there blood on this?

- No, there isn't. - If my memory is distorted

and I forget the past,

reality should leave traces.

I've looked very carefully.

It's clean,

not a single trace of blood.

I haven't let it touch water this entire journey.

That means it wasn't you.

Memory is no longer reliable,

reality is no longer trustworthy.

I can't even trust myself.

I'm here now

because I trust you.

Mr. Wu Zhu,

you can always trust me.

All right.

I should go.

Where are you going?

Don't disappear on me again.

I'll stay in the capital for now.

It's a promise then.

You're married now.

From now on, you have your own family.

Do you still need me?

I'll always need you.

There's no such thing as "always."

Yes,

there's no "always,"

but you can't be absent

from my life.

After the wedding,

take the chest Young Lady left for you

and stay at Mount Cang for a while.

Mount Cang?

Who is that man?

Mr. Wu Zhu, my elder.

Why didn't he come in and sit?

That's just how he is.

Why did you take it off yourself?

I got startled just now.

I was worried that something might happen to you.

I'm sorry.

Our wedding day

turned out quite chaotic.

- Let's start over. - This is good enough.

Tonight must be perfect for you.

Trust me.

I grew up in the palace.

My parents couldn't visit me often.

Every night,

I would stay alone in a very large room.

Since then,

I've especially liked looking at the stars.

Because besides the stars,

there was nothing else to see.

During the ceremony just now,

I felt like something was missing.

It wasn't perfect.

Why?

There was only my father and Aunt Liu in the hall.

Your exclusive witness wasn't there.

My parents couldn't come.

It's all right.

But the stars are always there.

I remember

everything you said.

The starry sky you gave me,

it's always there.

It has witnessed your loneliness.

It should also

witness your happiness.

From now on,

you will never be alone again.

Rings?

What are these for?

I made them myself.

Newlyweds use these as a token of their commitment

to spend the rest of their lives together.

Where does this belief come from?

The world in my memory.

I'll tell you

about all those memories someday, all right?

Here, it's your turn to put it on me.

Yes, on the ring finger.

Our pact is sealed.

With the stars as our witness,

from now on,

we'll never be alone again.

I like this pact.

Did you grow up with Mr. Wu Zhu?

From Danzhou to the capital.

Then there must be many stories.

I'll take my time and tell you the story of Mr. Wu Zhu.

But today is not the time for stories.

What should we do then?

Good question.

(Fan Residence)

My Lord, you're up.

Come.

My Lady, this way.

- What are you doing? - Have a seat, My Lord.

- Please have a seat, My Lady. - What's going on?

Please sit.

Come on out, guys.

What's going on in the First Bureau?

Why are you all here?

My Lord, it's your wedding day,

we had to come pay our respects.

My Lady, I am Wang Qi Nian,

here to greet you.

I am Deng Zi Yue, and I, along with my colleagues,

have come to greet you, My Lady.

All right now.

We're all peers, there's no need for formalities.

Why do you all look so tired?

What were you doing last night?

My Lord, you don't know this,

it was chaotic outside your residence last night.

So, I called in all the brothers from the First Bureau

to maintain order.

Everyone kept watch all night.

Nonsense!

The Overwatch Council isn't my private property.

Qi Nian, I'm going to cut half a month of your pay...

And reward it to the guys.

Yes!

- No, My Lord! Don't do this! - Thank you, My Lord.

- Thank you, Lord Wang. - Don't thank me!

My Lord, the guy came to maintain order voluntarily.

They don't want any reward.

We want Lord Wang's reward!

Rewards should be given,

but it shouldn't come from Mr. Wang,

it should come from us.

- That's not necessary. - Thank you, My Lady.

You all worked hard.

You deserve it.

Can we say no now?

My husband often tells me

that if he was alone,

he would not have been able to gain a foothold in the capital,

even if he had superhuman power,

He owes his success to all of you.

I'd like to thank you all for my husband.

Let's bow to Her Ladyship!

Mr. Wang.

Please, My Lady,

you can just call me by my name.

Call me Wang Qi Nian.

Or if it pleases you,

you can call me Nian.

Mr. Wang, my husband often talks about you.

He says you know when to advance and when to retreat, and is adaptable.

He's benefited a lot from your help in the capital.

His Lordship is being modest.

What truly moves him isn't just that.

He says

due to his weird character

and stubborn nature,

he has few friends in the capital,

but Wang Qi Nian is one of them.

You are not just a follower,

nor simply a subordinate,

but

a true friend

and confidant.

Mr. Wang,

thank you

for always being by my husband's side.

My Lady, allow me to kowtow to you.

How's that? My wife is good with words, isn't she?

She's better than my wife.

You're a lucky man, My Lord.

You're a lucky man, My Lord!

There's still much work to be done in the First Bureau,

you all should get back to it.

My Lord,

there's no need to hold back.

We've heard about the Imperial Treasury's problem.

Give us your orders.

Orders for what?

House raids!

There are corrupt officials in the capital with sticky fingers.

Just tell us whose property to seize, and we'll do it. We need to prepare.

Nonsense!

You will stick to your official duties in the bureau.

I'll take care of my own problem.

No acting on your own initiative.

But My Lord, I really...

Let me deal with them.

What a mess. Go, get back to work.

- We will take our leave, My Lady. - This is ridiculous.

All right. Get out of here, guys.

- I won't take matters into my own hands then, My Lord. - All right.

- Get out. - Don't cause any trouble.

All right, we won't.

Qi Nian, take a look at this.

It's the gift from President Chen.

"Qingyu Hall?"

That's the business founded by Ye Qing Mei back then.

At that time, it was amassing wealth from all corners.

I've heard

that her business became the foundation of the Imperial Treasury.

It's true her business was taken over by the royal family,

but those shopkeepers who started this business

with Ye Qing Mei are still in the capital.

Qingyu Hall is now managed by them.

Qingyu Hall is a store?

They don't open stores themselves.

They are paid and hired by shop owners

to be the shopkeepers of establishments.

Professional managers.

Not bad.

- What did you say? - Never mind.

But after Ye Qing Mei's death,

what connection do these shopkeepers have

with the Imperial Treasury?

This is the puzzle President Chen left us.

We'll have to go take a look.

(Qingyu Hall)

You've even personally come to receive us.

This is the chief shopkeeper of Qingyu Hall.

And this is Lord Fan Xian, the Chief Inspector of the Overwatch Council.

Please come in.

This way, please, gentlemen.

Lord Fan.

Lord Fan.

Lord Fan.

- Lord Fan. - My Lord, they are Qingyu Hall's shopkeepers.

They are happy to see you.

Why are they happy to see His Lordship?

This way, please.

Are you having a funeral here?

What is the meaning of this?

My Lord,

this doesn't feel right.

(Ye Qing Mei)

"Ye Qing Mei."

Young Lady,

Young Master Fan is back.

Young Lady, Young Master Fan is back!

Young Master Fan is back!

Young Lady, Young Master Fan is back!

All right now.

I'll have a chat with Young Master Fan here.

You all are startling him by staying here.

We will take our leave then.

Goodbye.

Chief Shopkeeper, please have a seat as well.

Yes, here.

As Young Lady's subordinate,

you are our young master.

With you here,

how can I have the right to sit?

Ye Qing Mei is my mother.

Ye Qing Mei is your mother?

Can this man be trusted?

Come on, Chief Shopkeeper,

we've known each other for years, and we've always...

I only trust Young Master.

He is trustworthy.

Young Master,

we knew you had come to the capital

as soon as you arrived.

We even secretly went to the streets to have a look at you.

You knew all along that I am her son?

Young Lady told me herself.

How? Through a dream?

She told me before she passed away.

She was the one

who named you.

My name?

Fan Xian?

That's right.

That doesn't make sense.

I wasn't even born yet. How did she know my surname would be Fan?

Hang on, My Lord,

whether you were born or not,

your father's surname is Fan.

So naturally, your surname would be Fan.

Before Young Lady died, she mentioned

that she might not have much time left.

If she survived,

your surname could be different.

If she passed away,

you would definitely be called Fan Xian.

If she passed away,

I would definitely be called Fan Xian.

This still doesn't make sense.

How did she die?

Not long after she said these things,

the business was handed over to the royal family.

After that, I never saw her again.

I'm not sure exactly

how she passed away.

I've been in the capital for so long,

you never thought to come see me?

Young Master, you might not know,

but we are being watched.

His Majesty personally decreed

that no one from the Ye family

should leave the capital.

The royal family is wary.

Wary of you?

Wary of Young Lady.

Even though she has been gone for so many years,

they are still terrified.

Even we, who used to help her with business,

are being watched secretly.

We didn't dare come to you,

for fear of putting you in trouble.

However,

we are well aware of all the things you've done

since you arrived in the capital.

Had you worked closely with her back then?

She trusted me to manage the businesses in the capital.

What kind of person was she?

There has never been anyone

as brilliant as her in this world.

She was so

perfect.

Besides business,

she was knowledgeable in astronomy and geography.

She knew why the sea had tides

and why the moon waxes and wanes.

She also wrote poetry.

That poem you wrote,

"Wandering far from home in sorrow during autumn,"

was excellent.

Her poems were different

from the usual.

To be honest, she once wrote a poem for me.

Let's hear it.

Eyes

wide like copper bells,

shooting lightning-like sharpness.

Ears standing like antennas...

Catching every suspicious sound.

Young Master,

are you puzzled?

She explained the word "antenna" to me.

Thunder from the nine heavens descends to the mortal world,

silver-white and vertical,

resembling a celestial line,

meaning keen ears and eyes,

seeing through everything.

So, that's how she explained it?

When the business was first established,

I traveled the world with her.

We once caught some petty thieves.

She gifted me the poem

because of that.

It is the best gift

I've ever received.

This poem is indeed unique.

I think I know what kind of person she was now.

Chief Shopkeeper,

this poem not only has lyrics, but also a tune.

I'll teach it to you some day.

All right.

As for the deficit in the Imperial Treasury,

we have been preparing.

Do you have that much money?

We don't,

but the shops in the capital do.

Which shops?

No single shop has that much money.

But if we combine all the shops in the capital,

it would be enough to fill the hole.

All the shops?

We have been the shopkeepers in the various shops in the capital,

working diligently, never embezzling.

Over the years, we have built a good reputation.

Nowadays, all reputable shops in the capital

employ shopkeepers from Qingyu Hall.

Let's put it this way,

if those shops have any unspeakable secrets,

we know them better than they do.

So, you have dirt on them?

Young Master,

give us ten days.

Together,

we will pool our resources and accumulate enough to fill the gap.

I will ensure they gather the 20 million taels,

as a wedding gift for you.

My Lord, this is feasible.

Young Master, don't worry.

Leave the money collection to us.

It won't affect your reputation as an official.

How will you handle the aftermath

of extorting money from the shops?

It's not a problem. At worst, no one will hire us anymore.

Merchants value profit above all.

If things go wrong, they might hire assassins.

You could be in danger.

It's all right, we have lived to this age,

- we are content. - No way.

If it were my mother, would she do this?

When you talked about my mother's brilliance just now,

you sounded so proud of her.

I think if it were her, she wouldn't choose to do it this way.

Young Master, the situation is critical.

Had my mother ever been in critical situations?

Did she compromise back then?

I will deal with the Imperial Treasury's deficits myself.

Young Master, gathering 20 million taels

is beyond one person's ability.

No matter how difficult, I have to try.

I cannot embarrass my mother.

But I do need your help.

List all the shop owners in the capital and give me a name list.

Yes, Young Master.

Everyone,

I appreciate your goodwill.

Young Master, you are too kind.

Chief Shopkeeper, please stay.

My Lord,

I think Chief Shopkeeper's plan

is workable.

If the merchants tries to kill them,

we can have our colleagues from the First Bureau protect them.

Pushing people into the abyss first

and then pulling them up,

it changes the nature of things.

Young Master really is a kind child.

I thought

that with Young Lady gone,

that light had gone out.

But it turns out,

the light can be passed on.

Why are you standing there?

Make yourself at home. Sit.

Aunt Yun Rui,

this is my home.

Make yourself comfortable then. Sit wherever you want.

What are you doing?

Since I have some spare time,

I thought I'd make a new shade of rouge.

Aren't these flowers you brought meant for Fan Xian?

He didn't want them.

So, I'll give them to you instead.

How generous of you.

I'm here to thank you.

For what?