Original subtitles

♪As flowers bloom and wither♪

♪May we pass by the magnificent scenery♪

♪Contemplate the vastness of Heaven and Earth♪

♪Could it be that both of us are filled with desolation?♪

♪As flowers bloom and wither♪

♪May we lead such a life♪

♪Contemplate the vastness of Heaven and Earth♪

♪Turning back, you and I♪

♪Seize the current moment♪

♪The sky is painted with a gentle pallet of pastel colors♪

♪Let's walk together♪

♪Even if♪

♪The snow in front of us♪

♪Will dye our hair white♪

♪In an instant♪

[Joy of Life Season 2]

[Adapted from Mao Ni's Joy of Life on Yuewen Group's Qidian platform]

[Episode 23]

Put the little things inside.

Put them inside.

Go now.

Go to my father's place and bring Dabao here.

We should leave some space for Dabao.

No!

You can't touch that.

Dabao is inside.

Dabao, don't be afraid.

He's not a bad guy.

I know that.

How many delicacies has Dabao consumed?

Look at how bloated it looks.

It's going to explode.

- It's a glutton. - Wang.

Mr. Fan, let me do it.

No.

You mustn't touch that as well.

Do you know what's inside?

Listen.

These are the hawthorns my father gave me.

They're delicious.

Your father gave you these hawthorns to aid in your digestion, huh?

What's wrong with you?

I told you already.

You mustn't touch it.

Give it to me.

Dabao, don't be afraid.

It's fine.

He's not a bad guy.

Dabao had its fill already.

Father gave these to me.

These are the hawthorns my father gave me.

Yeah. They aid in your digestion.

That's right.

I told you already.

Don't touch it.

This is Dabao's Dabao.

Okay.

Got it.

Put it for me.

Where should I...

Young Master.

Don't tire yourself out.

Don't be scared.

Dabao, don't be scared.

Except for you, Father!

Except for you, Father!

Except for you, Father!

Except for you, Father!

Except for you, Father!

Dabao!

Except for you, Father!

[Fan's Residence]

Shi Chanli.

Shi Chanli?

Shi Chanli?

Shi Chanli.

Mr. Fan,

according to the disaster report,

it stated that it was an accidental fire

caused by the dry weather.

But Mr. Fan, something's off.

If it's a natural disaster,

it needs a source.

Even if the wind is strong and the fire is urgent,

it's impossible for a town to be burned down in an instant.

Even if the town is burned down,

not all

of its townsfolk would die from it.

I understand all of that.

I'm sure the person who wrote this report

knew this too.

An entire town,

and a fire like this,

and this is all I get?

When my men rushed there,

the town was already burned to the ground.

None of them survived.

Chengze is too ruthless.

The town was burned to the ground.

And, we have lost our leads about his smuggling deals.

The thing is, many innocent people died for nothing!

The town is gone.

They need to give us an account somehow.

An accidental fire.

Is that all?

Mr. Fan, this may be presumptuous of me,

but the person who set the town on fire,

is he an influential figure?

Now, we still don't know

the identity of the culprit.

However, your conclusion is correct.

It's surely someone

wealthy and influential.

If so...

If so, can we still investigate the case?

Did you know?

I received another murder report

just today.

But just now,

the case was gone.

What do you mean by that?

The plaintiffs rescinded their charges.

Shi Chanli,

in these present times,

it's hard to establish a case if the victims aren't willing

to press charges against the culprits.

Mr. Fan!

I wish to track down the culprit!

Will you retreat, then?

Mr. Fan, my entire family is gone!

Where can I retreat to?

All right.

I'll take on your case.

Not only that,

but I'll also

take you under my wing.

From now on, you're my retainer.

For this case, I cannot guarantee

that I'll give you a result soon.

But I promise you this.

I'll keep on investigating the case.

Mr. Fan, I, Shi Chanli, am willing to serve you with my life!

[Imperial Procuratorate]

Seniors,

I'm He Zongwei.

Thanks to His Majesty's grace,

I'll be one of the censors starting from today.

Seniors, please guide me in the future.

Here's a gift for our first meeting.

Here's a gift for our first meeting.

It's nothing valuable. Please accept it.

Please guide me in the future.

Please guide me in the future.

Senior,

please guide me in the future.

Are you giving us gifts?

No.

I know clearly

that as imperial censors,

we're responsible for

purging the administration and impeaching the officials.

Giving gifts and bribes are taboos.

We must never do so.

However,

seniors, don't worry.

These are just snacks I bought on my way here.

And, they're the cheapest snacks too.

They're just tokens

of my appreciation.

Senior, please distribute this to everyone.

Senior,

is this the seat of the late Mr. Lai Mingcheng?

Senior,

do you have a match?

Please light it for me.

What are you trying to do?

To be honest,

Mr. Lai Mingcheng

was my guiding light before this.

Although we never met before,

to me,

he's my mentor and a friend.

When Mr. Lai died,

I was deeply disheartened by his passing.

Now that I'm seeing the seat he used when he was alive,

I have to pray to it.

What are you doing?

You can't just do that in the Imperial Procuratorate.

Don't do this. Get up.

Hurry and get up. Don't do this.

Mr. He, hurry and get up.

That's right.

I was too agitated.

By the way,

I had no official position before this.

I only knew that Mr. Lai passed away.

I know not of the reason.

Was there any treachery involved?

So you have no idea, huh?

Mr. Lai passed away

all because he impeached Fan Xian.

He was the one who supervised his punishment as well.

It was actually him?

I actually visited that crook before this.

You were ignorant in the past.

This isn't your fault.

In the future,

just stay away from him.

This won't do.

How could I retreat in the face of such crooks?

I'll head to Fan's Residence now.

I'll reason with him!

[Fan's Residence]

Buddy,

do you have a knife?

No.

Can you lend me one?

I'm new to the place too.

I'm not familiar with the place.

Lend this to me.

Thanks.

What did you tell him?

Mr. Fan, I hereby request punishment.

Mr. Fan, please punish me.

He Zongwei.

Now, you're a censor.

How could an official like you kneel without any reason?

Mr. Fan, please spare me.

Since when did I say I wanted to take your life?

Mr. Fan,

before this, I brought up the spring exam murder case

in front of you.

I offended you back then.

Mr. Fan,

you know my character well.

I do.

Mr. Fan,

when it comes to literature,

your talent knows no bounds.

When it comes to officialdom,

you have several positions,

and you're very influential.

When it comes to relationships,

Mr. Fan, you're my godfather.

Don't say that.

I don't have a cheap son like you.

He Zongwei,

I know you're just a tool.

I don't plan to take revenge on you.

Get up and scram.

Mr. Fan,

please beat me up

and vent your frustrations.

Why don't you

tell your subordinate to do it on your behalf?

So you're here to ask for a beating?

Mr. Fan,

after Lai Mingcheng's passing,

the entire Imperial Procuratorate

sees you as their enemy now.

If you beat me up,

it'll be easier for me

to be a censor in the future.

You're here to seek patronage, huh?

Mr. Fan, it'll be worth it.

Now that I'm in the Imperial Procuratorate,

I can notify you in secret

if anything were to happen in the future.

Mr. Fan,

I have no power and no one to depend on.

I'm just struggling to survive.

Mr. Fan, sorry for the embarrassment.

See our guest off.

See him off.

Mr. Fan,

please beat me up.

If not, at least you should hit me once.

Please.

All right.

Mr. Fan.

You're benevolent.

Buddy, what's your name?

I don't practice violence.

Are you Mr. Fan's retainer?

I failed the exam.

That's good as well.

If you don't strive hard after getting into officialdom,

you'll still have no future.

You're still young.

Seems like He Zongwei is trying to build a connection here,

but he overstepped his boundaries.

When did you arrive?

I arrived long ago.

You were busy.

I dared not interrupt you.

Do you need anything?

[Imperial Inspectorate Fifth Division Black Cavalries Transfer Records]

Has Mr. Wuzhu been here lately?

No.

Mr. Fan,

I heard that you're Mr. Wuzhu's disciple.

If Mr. Wuzhu isn't around,

I guess sparring with you is the same thing.

Just ignore him.

He's a martial arts fanatic.

He always wants to spar with Wuzhu.

Let's get down to business first.

You should know about the Fifth Division.

I do.

They're in charge of the Black Cavalries.

That's right.

The Black Cavalries have always been stationed outside the Capital.

However, the supply of grain and fodder

has always been allocated by the Capital.

Therefore, it's inevitable that

the First Division has to help with the task.

Here is a record of the resource allocation over the years

and the mobilization of the Black Cavalries.

Read it thoroughly.

In the future,

you should handle this.

You could've sent your subordinate here to notify me.

Why did you come here personally?

The Black Cavalries

isn't under the military's control.

Only one person in the entire Qing State

can mobilize the Black Cavalries

excluding me.

Is it His Majesty?

That's right.

By the way,

I heard that Prime Minister Lin is going to retire and return to his hometown.

Yes. It'll happen in the next few days.

That was quick.

Everyone is getting old now.

However, Prime Minister Lin isn't the only official

who had retired and returned to his hometown

in this period.

Read it thoroughly.

Devote yourself to the task.

I'll be leaving now.

You're leaving already?

I'm busy.

What does this mean?

Is this a riddle?

[Imperial Inspectorate Fifth Division Black Cavalries Transfer Records]

Mr. Fan,

it's late now.

You should have some supper.

Say, what do you think this means?

Is this another test?

The transport of supplies for the Black Cavalries

is all managed by the First Division.

Are you overthinking it?

That won't be.

I'm sure it's implying something else.

I just can't figure it out.

Say, why can't he

just tell me the truth directly?

Could it be

that this is something he can't disclose in public?

Mr. Lin.

Mr. Lin.

Didn't we agree that you shouldn't see me off?

I need to hitch a ride.

Where are you going?

Just right ahead.

What are you up to again?

Mr. Lin, your departure from the Capital

is too quiet, don't you think?

When you hold a farewell,

people cry about it.

And, we have to drink before leaving.

We have to recite poems too.

It's exhausting.

I'm old now.

It's good to have some peace and quiet.

Mr. Lin, don't worry.

I don't do those things.

Regarding Dabao...

He loved the food in my residence.

He gained some weight too.

I'm glad to hear that.

I'm glad to hear that.

I didn't tell him that you were leaving

as per your instruction.

That's more like it.

Let him be happy.

Farewell isn't the happiest event.

But I think you would like

to see your family one last time

before leaving the Capital.

Please stop the carriage.

Dabao.

Wan'er!

Wan'er, what's wrong?

Wan'er!

Wan'er!

Wan'er, what's wrong?

Let's kowtow in that direction.

But why?

I feel like doing it on a whim.

Dabao, do it with me.

I'll listen to you.

I only told Dabao that we were coming out for a stroll.

I didn't tell him anything else.

All right.

But

it must've been tough on you.

Mr. Lin, I'll get off the carriage now.

I wish you and Wan'er

a blissful union.

Safe travels.

Little Xian!

Little Xian!

Little Xian!

Little Xian!

Little Xian!

Little Xian! Let's go!

Wan'er!

It's already good enough that he can retire

and return to his hometown.

What do you mean by good enough?

It's good enough for our family to stay together.

We're a family.

A family should stay together.

No one should leave.

Here, I'll give you two some hawthorns.

Here, Little Xian.

Wan'er, here you go.

Thank you, Dabao.

What's wrong?

What's wrong?

This hawthorn is so sour.

If only Father was around.

But it's fine.

Father is very busy.

We should play on our own,

okay?

Little Xian, let's go.

Let's catch some butterflies. Come.

Dabao.

Play with me!

Be careful!

I want it to join me in catching butterflies.

It doesn't want to join me.

If you don't want to join me,

I'll play with someone else.

What's wrong?

I haven't managed to solve the riddle

given to me by Mr. Chen.

Master, why don't you take a look?

The mobilization of the Black Cavalries?

That's confidential.

I'll skip.

Why did he give it to you?

The First Division has to allocate supplies for the Black Cavalries.

What did you say just now?

The mobilization of the Black Cavalries?

That's confidential.

The Black Cavalries have always been stationed outside the Capital.

Here is a record of the resource allocation over the years

and the mobilization of the Black Cavalries.

Read it thoroughly.

What's wrong?

Nothing.

You two go ahead.

I'm reminded of something.

Wang Qinian.

Mr. Fan, are we heading back now?

How many men did you bring with us today?

Only a few from the First Division.

They're guarding the place.

That's useless.

What's wrong?

Mr. Chen wants us to assist with the transfer of supply and mobilization.

That's right.

If so, it's enough for this record to contain the transfer records.

Why does it also contain the mobilization of the Black Cavalries?

Is it because

he wants you to take over the Black Cavalries gradually?

Do you have a horse?

It's over there.

Time does fly.

Everyone is getting old now.

However, Prime Minister Lin isn't the only official

who had retired and returned to his hometown

in this period.

Which other important officials retired and returned to their hometown?

Other important officials?

Mei Zhili, prefect of the Capital Magistrate.

You met him before.

What happened to him?

I heard that he was killed by bandits.

Do you remember the date?

I do.

Check the mobilization on that date.

It's on the 13th of June.

The Black Cavalries were mobilized on that day indeed.

This can't be.

There's one last important detail.

The Black Cavalries

isn't under the military's control.

Only one person in the entire Qing State

can mobilize the Black Cavalries

excluding me.

Could it be...

His riddle

is straight to the point indeed.

Let's go. We need to catch up to Mr. Lin.

If we do encounter the Black Cavalries,

we won't be able to stop them!

This is an emergency.

I have no time to get reinforcements!

Let's give it a try!

Your Highness?

Isn't this Fan Xian? What a coincidence.

What are you doing here?

Wasn't I appointed as the deputy commander of the palace guards?

The Imperial Guards were lax.

I brought them out to train them.

Over here?

Mr. Chen arranged for it.

We're talking about the Imperial Guards.

It's not easy to find a free day.

He's something else.

What's wrong?

Your Highness,

do you dare to make a risky deal?

That sounds thrilling.

We might have to face the Black Cavalries.

I know nothing.

You were the one who abducted him.

We're short on time.

There's no time for explanation.

Follow me.

[Inspector]

Hello, everyone.

It must've been tough.

Let me introduce them.

These are the Imperial Guards.

And him.

This is First Prince.

He leads troops at the border area all year long.

He's at least a prince.

At least a prince?

And him too.

That's Wang Qinian.

Mr. Fan,

it's pointless for you to introduce me.

His Qinggong is excellent.

No one can catch up to him.

Guys, please go easy on me later.

We have the Imperial Guards, a prince,

and a top Qinggong practitioner here.

It's hard to silence us.

Why don't we make a deal?

Let's each take a step back

and go home.

If anyone asks you about it,

you can use that.

I'll bear all of the responsibilities.

Do we have a deal here?

Are you Fan Xian?

That is me.

The Black Cavalries cannot leave the camp

unless they're ordered to do so.

Since I'm here,

that means I'm under an order.

Inspector Fan, you should know

that military orders are absolute.

That means the deal is off, huh?

Keep your weapons.

Your words are a bit disjointed here.

Didn't you say each of us should go home?

Didn't you say military orders were absolute?

The Black Cavalries are under the Fifth Division.

This time, we mobilized the team under the Fifth Division's order.

Inspector Fan, your rank

is only below Mr. Chen's in the Imperial Inspectorate.

Your order is superior to that of the Fifth Division.

Therefore, going home

is our order.

Thank you.

This is a military order.

Return to the camp!

[Commander Jing, commander of the Black Cavalries]

Do you need anything else?

[God of Poetry]

Inspector, I heard about your death.

I bought it overnight.

Well...

Should I thank you?

Luckily, it was just a rumor.

Why don't I pay you back for the book?

No need for that.

Inspector, can you

give me your signature?

I didn't bring any brush with me.

Do you have a brush?

Don't look at me.

What are you doing?

Blood can serve as ink as well.

Here's a brush.

We have a brush here.

But we don't have any ink.

We need water to grind ink.

I don't think tea will work.

At least it's better than blood.

You do have a point.

Mr. Fan, go ahead.

Well, you two are blocking the light.

I should write it to you.

I'm not telling you to throw up. [*"To" and "throw up" are homonyms]

I'm going to write your name on it.

It's for you.

That's great.

What's your surname?

Jing.

Jing as in thorns?

That's right.

That's a great surname.

Your name?

None.

Jing None?

That's a great name.

My name isn't None.

I don't have a name.

What about your position?

Deputy commander.

Subordinate of the Fifth Division.

All right.

Deputy...

Deputy...

[To Commander Jing, Fan Xian]

My handwriting isn't good.

You're too modest.

It's no wonder Mr. Chen said

your handwriting

shocks both deities and ghosts alike.

Thank you.

Commander Jing, do you like to read poems?

I know nothing about poetry,

but I like them.

The literary field of the Qing State has been weak for a long time.

Inspector, your appearance

is truly a blessing for our state.

Even if I don't understand poetry,

I'm still impressed by you.

Inspector Fan,

I'm glad to see you alive.

I feel the same.

It's time

for you to practice your handwriting.

Mr. Lin, I'll send you back to your hometown.

I was mistaken.

Mistaken about what?

The appearance of the Black Cavalries,

what do you think that means?

His Majesty was trying to kill you.

You're wrong.

His Majesty isn't trying to replace the prime minister.

He's trying to abolish the position.

What's the difference?

Abolish the position?

So he intends to abolish the position of prime minister?

I made the wrong judgment.

Therefore, I used the wrong countermeasure.

Wait here.

This name list includes

the names of all my proteges and acquaintances.

Hand it to His Majesty.

After that, tell His Majesty

that I will submit a memorial to the throne

once I return to my hometown.

The memorial will state the cons of the position.

As the leader of all officials,

the prime minister has too much power.

If a sly individual were to assume the position,

the state will be placed in danger.

I'll be the one initiating the abolishment of the position.

It has nothing to do with His Majesty.

All right now.

You should return to the Capital.

I should escort you for some time.

That'll be unnecessary.

I'll be fine

once you deliver the name list

and my message to His Majesty.

The Black Cavalries were here to kill you, you know?

They weren't here to kill me.

They were here to serve as a reminder.

Are you that confident in yourself?

Are you sure they weren't here to kill you?

I won't die.

I'm afraid all of these servants

have to die.

I'm not Mei Zhili.

If I die now,

they won't be able

to record the history of the state.

If His Majesty wanted to remind you,

he could've told you in public.

Why did he need to resort to this?

Do I need to explain it to you?

It serves both as a reminder

and a threat.

What do you think about His Majesty's means?

His Majesty's means are unpredictable.

His methods are ingenious.

Ingenious?

It's not that impressive.

If you command the Six Ministries

and wield control over the army,

you can be as ingenious as him.

You shouldn't say that loudly.

The rarest thing about His Majesty

is that no one can tell what he'll do next.

During your dispute with Chengze,

His Majesty took advantage of the situation.

That's why you two were able to compete during the spring exam.

After that, it led to the spring exam corruption cases.

From that,

it led to my resignation.

Thus, His Majesty achieved his goal of abolishing the prime minister.

His Majesty leveraged his strength to achieve his goals.

All of his intentions were hidden.

Fan Xian, you must remember this.

Never trust His Majesty completely.

You mustn't think that you've seen through him

until the very last second.

You are saying this

as if I compete with His Majesty.

That's not up to you.

♪The youth raises his head♪

♪As he moves toward his moon♪

♪People tease him for being delusional♪

♪Wondering why he is so unconventional♪

♪Wearing a white robe when crossing a muddy pond♪

♪How could it remain unstained?♪

♪If silver tael has a value♪

♪Who can truly be carefree?♪

♪All of you are right♪

♪He said: "Please"♪

♪"Make way"♪

♪"Let me drink until I drop"♪

♪On the court♪

♪I recite several verses♪

♪Let me wear a white robe♪

♪And cross the alley filled with insanity♪

♪To scoop up the moon's reflection in the muddy pond♪

♪Sirs, please forgive me♪

♪Your words of advice♪

♪I understand, but I don't want to pretend♪

♪People search for the golden land♪

♪While I search for the moon♪

♪Why should we travel together?♪

♪Thank you♪

♪Excuse me♪

♪You are you♪

♪I am me♪

♪Thank you♪

♪Excuse me♪

♪You are you♪

♪I am me♪

♪Wearing a white robe when crossing a muddy pond♪

♪Remarkably worldly-wise yet hopelessly romantic♪

♪Know what you love♪

♪Don't change♪

♪If one has witnessed both light and shadow♪

♪Yet retains their innocence♪

♪They shall be cloaked in moonlight♪

♪As they journey through the night♪