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 33]

I remember she once told me

that being an emperor is challenging.

One has to be tough and resilient.

So

there are things

you need to abandon.

Including those

you hold dear.

I kept you in Danzhou for so many years.

You suffered a lot,

which you didn't have to.

Please don't blame me.

Your Majesty.

I...

Your Majesty,

I'm confused about who my father is.

Isn't that obvious?

Even a fairy like her

fell for a man

and married into the imperial family of the Southern Qing.

Who did she marry?

He was a lord.

That is

the current emperor of Southern Qing.

She married Emperor Qing?

Your Majesty,

should I kneel?

Do you feel like kneeling?

If you don't,

then don't kneel.

Ye Qingmei was pregnant with Emperor Qing's child.

Emperor Qing's child?

He is about the same age as you.

Your Majesty...

Father,

I don't know when I was born.

The 18th day of the first month.

The 18th day of the first month?

"Since you have come here."

"Accept where you are at."

Thank you, Your Majesty.

I finally have a birth date.

Concentrate on the mend.

Go to Jiangnan once you recover.

Take a look

at what your mother left in this world.

I'm pleased to meet you.

Sadly,

I'm late.

We brushed past each other,

Mother.

Xian, I checked around.

No one is outside.

Xian.

What's wrong with you?

Today, His Majesty

acknowledged me

as his son for the first time.

After all,

blood is thicker than water.

Every answer I said in front of him

was so carefully crafted.

I was as if I admired him like a father

and I was sentimental about him.

Xian.

But that wasn't what I meant.

Ruoruo,

I was pretending.

Why?

Because I'm afraid.

Afraid?

Are you afraid that His Majesty lies to you?

Not exactly.

I can sense

that his emotions are genuine.

But somehow,

I sense a hidden side of him

besides his emotions.

What makes you think that way?

If he truly cherishes me as a son,

he could've said those

when he first met me.

However, he just stood by and watched coldly

when I encountered danger in the Capital,

when I traveled to Northern Qi,

the spring exam,

and my wedding

until today.

Perhaps...

Perhaps His Majesty was moved

when you protected him in the Hanging Temple.

Whether or not he loves me

depends on my performance.

Whether or not I'm his son

depends on my capability.

Ruoruo,

you don't see His Majesty as much as I do.

But let me ask you this.

Will our father

do that?

He won't.

Xian,

you are saying this

as if His Majesty were weighing up the pros and cons.

Worst than that,

I have no idea since when

he has been evaluating me

and how long it will continue.

I'm also clueless

between affections and values,

which matters more to him.

As for me,

am I his son

or a pawn?

Of course,

these might be delusions.

I'm just overthinking.

Women's distinct never wrongs.

I'm a man.

My instinct tells me

your instinct is correct.

Xian,

if His Majesty is so scary,

let's wait until you recover

and return to Danzhou.

Capital

is a worrying place to stay.

Ruoruo,

I'm afraid

I can't return to Danzhou whenever I want to escape.

I thought it through.

I'm going to Jiangnan.

It's not because of His Majesty's order

or other reasons.

Aside from simply

muddling through my days

with a wealthy and safe life,

I realize there is something

I need to do.

[Fan's Residence]

Wan'er.

Wan'er.

Wan'er.

Are you Mr. Wuzhu?

Tell Fan Xian to go to Jiangnan now.

Go to the Three Great Workshops.

Tell Fan Xian to go to Jiangnan now.

Go to the Three Great Workshops.

Tell Fan Xian to go to Jiangnan now.

Go to the Three Great Workshops.

Tell Fan Xian to go to Jiangnan now.

Go to the Three Great Workshops.

Tell Fan Xian to go to Jiangnan now.

Go to the Three Great Workshops.

Yes, I'm Wuzhu.

You are injured.

Yes.

Deducing from the current situation,

I won't survive if I go to the palace.

So you relay the message to Fan Xian.

Who has been targeting you?

A lot.

The entire Capital

is not safe.

Was it you who killed my brother?

It was me.

I want to kill you.

Yes, you can.

I understand.

I'm seriously injured.

Based on the current situation,

now is the best time

for you to kill me.

I must kill you.

Yes, you can.

I understand.

Tell Fan Xian to go to Jiangnan.

Tell Fan Xian to go to Jiangnan.

Go to the Three Great Workshops.

Go to the Three Great Workshops.

Tell Fan Xian to go to Jiangnan now.

Go to the Three Great Workshops.

I will kill you, but not now!

Go to the Three Great Workshops!

Why?

Because Fan Xian is heading to Jiangnan.

But he lost all his inner energy.

My mother and Cousin Chengze

won't pass this up.

I won't take your life for now

because he needs you.

You are indeed trustworthy.

After the crisis,

I won't let you

off the hook.

Deal.

By the time Fan Xian doesn't need me anymore,

my life

is yours.

To think

that the southward trip begins

in the blink of an eye.

Chengru, you might know about this.

It has been ages since I went out.

I have longed for fresh air out here.

Exactly.

Though I'm in the Capital now,

I hanker the scenery at the border.

To hear you say that,

it seems that leaving the Capital

is quite enticing.

You are a little boy now.

You will figure this out when you are older.

For this great landscape,

how about we have a drink?

Let's go.

Come.

Won't it be too grand

for a farewell?

We are close.

You deserve this.

Your Highness, I'm touched

by your compassion.

Fan Xian,

His Highness treats you with respect.

You mustn't forget

that you are the subject.

I'm flattered.

Thank you, Your Highness

and other princes.

What are you doing?

I can't accept

your bow, Master.

Behave.

Since all of you are here,

I would like to take this opportunity

to share my troubles.

Trouble?

To be honest,

as a son,

I don't do a good job.

As you know,

I grew up in Danzhou

and just got back here in recent years.

I have been living in the Fan's Residence

but there is something deep inside

I couldn't get over.

It worries me a lot.

What is that?

Tell us.

I can help you. What makes you worry?

I have come back for some time,

yet I'm not registered under the Fan's ancestral hall.

Isn't it appropriate?

Surely, this worries me.

As I'm leaving, I have gained some courage.

Father,

I hope the princes here

will bear witness for me.

When I return from Jiangnan,

I should kowtow and offer incense in the ancestral hall.

Think it over.

Once you are registered under the genealogy,

you are part of the Fan family.

Look what you said.

I have been part of the Fan family all along.

Accomplish your mission first.

As for the rest,

we will talk about it when you are back.

Don't worry.

I will

bear witness for you.

Thank you, Your Highness.

Well done.

A smart move in disguise.

He burns his own bridges and gains a new prospect.

Chengze, I don't quite understand.

I'm saying this sincerely. I'm impressed.

I will give you a toast.

Your qi is all gone.

Mind how you go.

Still, it's better

than a spent force.

Keep yourself alive.

I will wait for you.

Take down Jiangnan.

Reclaim, to be precise.

You do know your things.

Take good care of Chengping.

The Third Prince isn't going back with you?

Father wants him to go with you.

As your disciple,

I should serve by your side.

Father allows me

to travel with you.

Go ahead.

Send me a message if you are in trouble.

I will come myself if necessary.

You have to command the Imperial Guards.

I might as well give up the position.

I won't be executed anyway.

Don't always try to escape.

The Capital needs someone like you.

Take care of His Majesty.

Yes.

This is my duty.

It's windy up here.

Father, you should go.

The Ming family operates the Three Great Workshops.

They have deep and wide connections.

It's their turf.

It's good if you succeed.

If otherwise,

just come back home

and give up everything.

The Fan family will raise you.

All right.

Father, let me send you down.

What's wrong, Father?

Do you have any orders?

This isn't my first time going on a long journey.

Um...

Well,

I will speak for him.

Are you serious

about the ancestral hall?

Oh, dear. Fan.

This is unbelievable.

Well.

I will kowtow to you now.

- Don't do that! - Don't do that!

I can't afford that, Mr. Fan.

I have got used to your casual behavior.

It's awkward

if you really kowtow.

Just do it in your way.

My way?

My surname has always been Fan,

and it always will be.

I wait for you at home.

Take care of yourself.

One, two.

One, two.

One, two.

One, two.

One.

Mr. Fan, the ship is departing soon.

All right.

Yes.

I remember

everything you said.

The starry skies you gave me

have always been there.

Mr. Fan!

Mr. Fan, you have just recovered. Please remain seated.

I will go check it out.

Mr. Fan!

Mr. Fan!

Naval Grand Commandant of Shazhou, Mr. Xu, presents you with some gifts.

Please accept the gifts, Mr. Fan.

What is this?

It sounds like they are delivering gifts.

Naval Grand Commandant of Shazhou...

You handle this.

I will go and ask Mr. Fan.

Please accept the gifts, Mr. Fan.

Naval Grand Commandant of Shazhou, Mr. Xu, presents you with some gifts.

Please accept the gifts, Mr. Fan.

Where are you from?

I'm with Mr. Xu, Naval Grand Commandant of Shazhou.

Here are some gifts from Mr. Xu.

Please accept the gifts.

All right.

Come.

Pull the boxes up.

Thank you, sir.

Slowly.

Naval Grand Commandant. Note it down.

Be careful.

Slowly.

All right. Thank you so much.

Thank you, sir.

May Mr. Fan have a smooth journey.

I shall take my leave.

Goodbye.

Let's go.

Magistrate of Shazhou, Mr. Yao,

presents you with some gifts.

Another one.

May Mr. Fan have a smooth journey

and a bright future.

All right.

Pull them up.

There are more coming.

Get a book

and record everything in detail.

Yes.

Be careful.

Governor of Shazhou, Mr. Yao.

Be careful.

All right. Thank you.

Goodbye.

I shall take my leave.

Take care.

Mr. Li of the Vessels and Transportation Office

presents gifts to Mr. Fan.

Mr. Sun, Officer of Supervision of Shazhou, presents gifts to Mr. Fan.

They are coming in a line.

Someone,

get me a chair.

Where are you from?

This box seems a bit small.

We received so many gifts when we just arrived in Shazhou.

Your Highness,

this shows

that the Qing State

is rich in resources

and talents.

I see.

Wang.

Why? Are there any words you can't write?

Well, no.

It's not appropriate to take gifts, right?

Mr. Fan promotes the corruption investigation in the Capital.

But now, we are accepting gifts here.

I'm afraid people will criticize.

Don't worry.

People on this ship are with us.

Stay tight-lipped

and not let the palace know about this.

Your Highness,

you shouldn't be saying this.

Shi,

you are new.

But remember this.

We follow every order Mr. Fan gives.

Mr. Fan has never let anyone down.

Don't miss out on any names.

All right.

Look over there.

Master, look over there.

Are they delivering gifts too?

Judging from their clothes, it doesn't look like it.

They look like

they are here to make complaints.

That's possible.

Mr. Fan, you are the imperial envoy.

Blocking the road to make complaints is quite common in plays.

Mr. Fan,

should we send the guards to stop them?

I have been pondering on the way

that what the Ming family would do

to stop me from taking over the Three Great Workshops.

Are you saying the Ming family is behind this?

Let's observe first.

Don't be afraid.

Well, we are arriving soon.

[Ming Qingda, head of the Ming family]

Stay still.

I heard that you two brought the Eldest Princess' order here.

What's it?

Head of the Ming family,

Ming Qingda.

It's me.

How may I address you?

What were you doing up there?

It was raining last night...

It was raining last night.

The sparrow

fell from the beam.

The baby bird can't fly yet.

If

I hadn't carried it up there,

it would've died.

A sparrow's nest.

Please have a seat.

Please have a seat.

It was a rushed journey by ship and horse.

My buttocks are almost chafed.

It hurts when I sit on hard surfaces.

Please have some tea.

Too much.

What is too much?

With the Ming family's wealth,

the bird's nest and your tattered sleeve

are too much of a pretense.

It's intentional.

I'm

soft-hearted.

Besides,

I don't care about money.

As the saying goes,

"Despite great fortune,

only a cup of plain tea

offers me peace of mind."

What a hypocrite.

Talking as if you are less bothered.

You are way better than those in the Capital.

I haven't asked you yet.

How may I

address you?

Li Chengze.

Second Prince?

No need to kneel. Get up.

I took sick leave to come to Jiangnan.

Those in the Capital don't know.

Stop wasting time. I will cut right to the chase.

Please, Your Highness.

Fan Xian is coming down to Jiangnan.

How does the Ming family plan to deal with him?

I don't know.

Eat grapes?

I don't know.

Interesting.

Aren't you the head of the Ming family?

This is a serious matter.

My mother will decide.

Let's talk together, then.

You have been listening.

Come out!

Mother.

I'm a mere woman.

Without your summon,

I shouldn't show myself.

You are the head of the Ming family.

You should decide everything yourself.

I feel anxious

without your guidance, Mother.

Oh, boy.

You have all grown up.

How long do you want an old woman to take care of you?

You will live a long life, Mother.

Longer than mine.

Oh, my.

I will mend it for you.

So frugality does run in the family.

[Old Madam Ming] You ask

[mother of the head of the Ming family] how we deal with Fan Xian.

It's simple, actually.

The Ming family has been serving the Eldest Princess

and you, Your Highness.

We do

what you want us to do.

I want the Ming family to keep the Three Great Workshops.

All right.

It's done?

The Ming family will do

as you say.

It's just

that there is a problem.

Let's hear it.

Mr. Fan's

takeover of the Imperial Treasury

is His Majesty's decree.

The Ming family are merely commoners.

How could we defy the decree?

It's difficult, Your Highness.

I thought so too.

Regardless of how worthy the Three Great Workshops are,

it's not necessary to risk your lives for it.

Besides, you could always join Fan Xian's side.

Whichever side you take, you are still lackeys, right?

Am I

being vulgar?

Your Highness,

the Ming family doesn't intend to switch sides.

We only hope you can show us a good way.

There is no good way since you defy the decree.

If there is any, I would've used it.

Your Highness.

I was just saying.

Well,

there are no good ways.

Fortunately,

I have cut off your backup.

Deng Ming'en

has three sons.

Collect your reward.

The Ming family distributes bounty

to recruit help from everywhere.

Whoever registers can collect the reward.

...has two sons.

The Ming family distributes bounty

to recruit help from everywhere.

Whoever registers can collect the reward.

Collect the reward.

Mr. Zhang

has a daughter and a grandson.

Collect your reward.

Zhang Zizhi.

Father.

I will take care of them. Don't worry.

Wang Furen

has a daughter and a son

in a young age.

Collect your reward.

Please accept the gifts, Mr. Fan.

I shall take my leave.

Misters,

what are you doing?

Excuse me. May I ask

what are you doing down there?

Can't you see?

We are robbing the ship.

I see, robbing the ship...

Robbing the ship?

Why don't you come up here?

We can't.

It's too high.

Come.

Get them a ladder.

That's right. Get us a ladder.

Bring a ladder.

Grab the ladder.

Hold on tight.

Be careful.

The Ming family put out a bounty

on Fan Xian?

I heard

the underbelly and officials are under the Ming family's control.

When the bounty is out,

many flood in.

I wish

I could see that.

The Ming family has never put out a bounty.

I did that on your behalf.

From now on,

the Ming family and Fan Xian are archenemies.

How could you cut off our backup?

What time is it?

It's gone the Wu hour.

No wonder I feel dizzy.

Please understand, Your Highness.

I'm feeling tired.

I need to take a nap

when around this hour.

Go ahead and rest.

Actually, this is one more way.

You can hire hitmen

to surround me and kill me.

Take my head to Fan Xian,

and you can resolve the grudge between you two.

I was kidding.

Don't take it too seriously.

Go and rest.

What a lovely family.

This scene

almost makes me cry.

Take a rest.

The Ming family put out this bounty.

Yes.

Whoever damages and robs the ship can get the reward.

In that case, aren't you pirates?

We are not pirates.

The pirates wouldn't come.

After all, this is an official ship.

They can't risk their lives

for money, right?

Wait. So you...

You do know this is an official ship.

How about your own lives?

We have no choice.

Why?

There was a disaster in Jiangbei.

We take our families

and fled to Jiangnan. We are refugees.

Without the Ming family,

we would've starved to death.

You say you are refugees from Jiangbei.

Yes, we are.

The relief fund for Jiangbei has already been allocated.

You can go home now.

Sir,

we would want to go back.

We are also afraid of dying

from hunger halfway.

In that case, the Ming family is helping you.

Exactly.

So they are doing good deeds.

I think so.

Anyway, all refugees work for them.

We open up wasteland

and repair roads.

We do everything no one else would do.

Day and night without rest.

They don't pay us,

they feed us food.

How does the yamen react to this?

They gave the Ming family a big plaque.

It writes,

"Good fortune rewards the benevolent."

Chief Xia,

all the refugees boarded.

Shall we attack the ship now?

If we really attack the ship now,

those refugees would die.

They have already damaged the ship.

They are doomed, for sure.

Let's observe

how Fan Xian will do.

Be patient, everyone.

When he arrives in Jiangnan,

we will have more time than we do now.

Li Chengze

is driving us to our death.

Is that what you have to say?

There is mole

secretly helping Li Chengze.

Otherwise,

the bounty wouldn't work.

Who is the head of the family?

It's me.

I'm responsible

for the mistake happened in the clan.

I should be punished.

♪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♪