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 35]

[One Heaven Knack] Do all masters give out such precious gifts?

You're Ye Qingmei's son after all.

My teacher said

that this knack

belonged to your mother in the first place.

Now, he's just returning it to its rightful owner.

My mother was everywhere, huh?

It's because you're lucky.

I have to thank you for what you did just now.

You don't need to thank me for that.

Shadow, who was hiding in the water,

was your trump card.

Did you know Yun Zhilan was coming from the start?

Forget about Yun Zhilan.

I didn't even know that Shadow was in Jiangnan.

You didn't know?

That's strange.

It's too much of a coincidence for him to hide in that position.

I think someone leaked your secret no matter how I look at it.

I have no idea.

I'm more perplexed than you.

Forget it. It's none of my business.

Eat up.

How have you been doing after your marriage?

I've been doing pretty well.

I can rest at ease, then.

Si Lili told me to ask you that.

How is she, then?

Don't even ask about it.

Who's Si Lili?

If you stop caring about her,

that'll be her biggest consolation.

You should try to tell

if this is duck or goose.

Don't you know this dish?

I'm referring to this.

Isn't this chicken?

This is boiled chicken with salt, right?

Enough already.

Slow down.

You might fall.

Okay.

Stop running.

Mother, Mr. Fan has arrived.

Why didn't you tell me earlier?

I should receive him outside.

Mr. Fan, did you come here alone?

No matter how chaotic Jiangnan is,

the Ming's Residence is at least a safe place, right?

The Ming family will protect you with our lives, Mr. Fan.

Hurry and greet Mr. Fan.

Mr. Fan.

Be good, okay? I forgot to bring some candies.

I'll bring them here next time.

Go now.

Mother,

are you not done yet?

The ceremony will be over after he kowtows to me.

Mr. Fan, please have a seat.

I'll chat with you for now.

What are you guys doing?

This is an adoption ceremony.

Adoption?

That's right.

He's from the same clan as me.

He can be considered my cousin.

After my mother adopts him,

he'll become my brother instead.

We'll be closer.

He's lucky as well.

Mr. Fan, you're observing his adoption process.

It'll bring glory to our ancestors

if we spread word about it.

Please have some tea.

Enough already.

The ceremony is over. Stop it.

Come.

Come, get up.

Come on.

Take this.

From now on,

you and I are brothers.

As your elder brother,

I should show you some appreciation.

I'm getting old now.

I'm not as thoughtful as you.

These are just trivial affairs.

Mother, if you have to worry about that,

my position as the head of the family would be worthless.

Look. Mother has already spoken.

Hurry and take it.

I've prepared them for your children as well.

Come.

Children, you guys will receive them as well.

Come on.

Go now.

From now on,

I'll be your eldest uncle.

In the future, I'm in charge here.

I make the call here.

Did you guys hear me?

Come, each of you will get one.

Thank you, First Uncle.

Thank you, First Uncle.

Thank you, First Uncle.

Go and buy some candies.

Go now.

Mother,

our family affair has been resolved.

We should get to business.

You're the head of the family.

You may make the call here.

Mr. Fan,

please have a seat.

Why are you still kneeling

when the ceremony is over?

Mr. Fan, I made you a promise

at the pier today.

I promised

that I would give you an account.

Mr. Fan,

this is the greedy culprit

who issued the bounty on you in secret.

It's him?

He's the culprit?

Didn't he just turn into

your brother? He was your cousin before.

What's his motive?

He's greedy?

It's likely that this is his proof of allegiance.

Mr. Fan, you came to the South

and jeopardized someone else's interests.

He might just be a pawn.

Did I jeopardize the Ming family's interest?

The Ming family doesn't deserve it.

Mr. Fan,

the Three Great Workshops belong to the imperial family.

We're just managing them on their behalf.

All of the machines

and personnel

were supervised by the Transportation Bureau.

Even if trades were done,

the money

still had to be handed to Eldest Princess and Second Prince.

To put it bluntly,

the Ming family is just a group of watchdogs.

To us, it doesn't matter

who makes the call here.

Don't you agree?

Dogs do bite people.

Only wild dogs bite people.

The important thing about watchdogs

is that they're loyal.

What about this?

Mr. Fan,

I'll express a stand on the Ming family's behalf.

Mr. Fan, you came to the South to reclaim the workshops

under imperial order.

The Ming family will do our best to help you

reclaim the Three Great Workshops.

What the head of the family says

represents the stand of the Ming family.

All right.

Now that you've given me an account

and had expressed your stand,

what should we do with him?

He issued a private bounty

in an attempt to assassinate government officials.

He shall be executed.

Mr. Fan,

the Ming family never practices favoritism.

Mr. Fan, please deal

with the culprit.

You guys should at least let the children leave first.

They're watching, you know?

Since he was the culprit,

why did you adopt him?

Although he's supposed to be executed,

his children are innocent.

Once I adopted him,

I could raise these children

like my own grandchildren

after his death.

If so, he can die in peace.

Mother, you're benevolent.

If I were him,

I'm sure I could die in peace.

Mr. Fan,

please.

This is the culprit?

Indeed.

He's blinded by greed?

That's right.

Do you confess your crime?

I do.

You'll be executed, you know?

Mr. Fan, please go ahead!

I won't!

I will investigate the case

before I execute you.

Take him to the yamen.

Interrogate him thoroughly.

Qingda,

can you please make my children leave?

Focus on the case

and cooperate with the investigation.

Don't worry about the family.

I'll take care of the children on your behalf.

They'll be fine.

Someone.

Escort him to the yamen.

Mr. Fan, be careful!

This...

So, he killed himself to escape from his crime.

Mr. Fan, are you okay?

Did you get any blood on your shirt?

You blocked all of it.

Why should there be any blood on me?

This...

If I can't wash it off,

I have to throw it away

and get some new clothes.

What a waste.

Look.

The dishes were nice too.

Mr. Fan,

so, will you

bring the body back?

He already took his own life.

Do you think I can interrogate a body?

If that's the case,

I'll take his body out of the residence

and bury it.

I'll be back in a second.

Mr. Fan,

you gathered funds to send the disaster victims home.

That was truly impressive.

The Ming family

can't afford to lag behind.

We can talk about that later.

There's still blood here.

Folks,

I've already said

what I had to say.

The Ming family are doing good deeds,

and there's no time to waste.

Bottoms up.

Bottoms up.

Mr. Ming!

Mr. Ming.

Did all these folks come to serve us of their own accord?

That's right.

Why do most of them look familiar?

All of them are doing this for the Ming family's sake.

Mister, please have a seat.

Thank you, Mr. Ming.

It must've been tough.

I, Ming Qingda,

will thank all of you

on the Ming family's behalf.

Bonds are built based on trust.

Dear folks,

the Ming family will keep their word.

After finishing this bowl of liquor,

your family members

will be our family members.

I dare not make other promises.

However, as long as the Ming family is still around,

I'll make sure they can live comfortably!

Folks,

see you in the next life!

Thank you, Mr. Ming!

Mr. Ming is our benefactor!

I have plenty of words to say,

However, the auspicious hour has arrived.

Guys,

farewell!

Mr. Fan, I'm sure you think it's clean now.

You guys were accustomed to the process.

I'm sure plenty of people died in your family, huh?

It's a huge family.

People live and die every day.

We're already used to it.

Don't get the number wrong.

Mr. Ming, don't worry.

Including the one you brought back,

the number is just right.

Have you made the subsequent arrangements?

I have.

They did it of their own accord.

Many people would've tried to take their lives as well

had it not been for the limited slots.

After all, once their family members are taken in by the Ming family,

their fates will change.

It's something unimaginable.

Hurry and transport the bodies onto the carts.

Time waits for no one.

Yes. We'll deliver them to the Transportation Bureau now.

We've sinned.

Make haste.

Be quick.

Mr. Xie,

were you looking for me?

I wasn't looking for you.

Mr. Xie,

you need

to open the windows more often

so that it has better ventilation.

Mr. Xie, have a seat.

Please.

I heard that Fan Xian has arrived.

That's right.

The old madam

insisted on giving him an account.

She said the Ming family might be wiped out

if we don't resolve the issue

with the bounty soon.

Mr. Xie,

to be honest,

I already tried to persuade her.

On the surface, I'm the head of the family.

But in reality, I'm insignificant.

My mother makes the call

for everything.

Your mother

was right though.

Mr. Xie, I beg to differ.

We should be honest and upright.

How could we be indecisive?

Since the Ming family

has decided to side with Eldest Princess and Second Prince,

we mustn't interact with Fan Xian often.

We have to avoid suspicion.

Mr. Ming, I'm glad you understand that.

I never forgot about it.

Mr. Xie, don't worry.

The Ming family

is just making him empty promises.

With my strong personality,

even if he does annihilate the Ming family,

I won't let him off either.

There's no need to worry too much.

I'll tell you something.

Fan Xian will die

in two days.

In two days?

What does that mean?

The Eldest Princess will be paying us a visit.

The deed will definitely be done.

If so,

who will kill Fan Xian?

Don't ask too much.

Just wait for the result.

Understood.

I can rest at ease

after hearing that.

The head of the family was inconsiderate indeed.

Someone just died.

Mr. Fan, I'm sure you don't have any appetite.

This area is quieter.

Mr. Fan, you gathered funds

to perform good deeds.

No matter how tough it is for the Ming family,

we're willing to donate 200,000 taels

to your cause.

So, the top family in Jiangnan

is facing issues as well?

Mr. Fan, to be honest,

Eldest Princess requested us

to be sales agents of the Three Great Workshops.

We incur losses all year long.

The Ming family

has to fill the hole with our own money.

The Three Great Workshops already monopolized the related market.

Even so, you guys are still incurring losses?

Monopolized?

That means

you have sole ownership of the craft secret.

It's just

that there are too many unscrupulous merchants in the world.

It's hard to negotiate a good price.

The sources of the goods are getting more and more expensive.

Moreover...

You guys may leave.

Moreover, the money will go through Eldest Princess's hands

before it enters the vault.

Therefore, the deficit of the Imperial Treasury

is unavoidable.

Old Madam Ming, are you saying

that Eldest Princess took a cut from the profit?

I didn't say that.

Understood.

You said something.

I came to that conclusion myself.

Mr. Fan, luckily, you're here.

There's hope for the Three Great Workshops now.

I thought you guys

would help Li Yunrui to stop me.

Would you?

Mr. Fan, why would you say that?

The Ming family doesn't own the Three Great Workshops.

To us, it's the same

no matter who owns them.

Mr. Fan, I'm sure you want to avoid prolonged issues

during your trip to Jiangnan.

Tomorrow,

I'll tell Qingda to bring you to the Transportation Bureau

and finish the handover.

Mr. Fan, once you take over

the Three Great Workshops officially,

there'll be no cause for concern.

Tell me.

What do you guys desire?

The Three Great Workshops are in Jiangnan.

Someone has to manage them somehow.

Mr. Fan, what do you think?

Interesting.

The business has been losing money year after year.

Even so, you guys still want to manage it, huh?

We're serving the state here.

Personal losses don't matter.

I'm sure luck alone didn't take you guys

to where you guys are right now.

It's all thanks to the prosperity of the nation

and your blessing, Mr. Fan.

Excellent tea.

This tea is excellent.

Why are you still here?

Don't you think Fan Xian will get impatient?

Mr. Fan is just a figurehead.

I can just brush him off.

Moreover,

my mother is around.

Everything will be fine.

Mr. Xie,

please have some tea.

What's going on?

This...

What's going on?

The sky is turning red from the fire.

Can't you tell?

Is there a fire?

Mr. Fan!

Mr. Fan!

This...

Mr. Fan!

We're in huge trouble.

I already sent my men there.

I think the Transportation Bureau is on fire.

You mean the Imperial Treasury Transportation Bureau?

Indeed.

All the machines and personnel

of the Three Great Workshops

are in the Transportation Bureau.

But Mr. Fan, don't worry.

I already sent my men

to put out the fire before coming here.

Mr. Ming, who do you think set the fire?

This...

This can't be a man-made incident, right?

After all,

no one will benefit from the burning of the bureau.

Luckily, I'm here tonight.

If not, I would've suspected you guys to be the culprits.

Mr. Fan,

the Ming family will never be bold enough

to do such a thing...

I know that.

Of course it's not the Ming family.

After all, I'm a witness.

Wait.

I can't say that for the entire Ming family.

After all, your family is huge.

People live and die every day, right?

However, at least both you and Mr. Ming are innocent,

Old Madam Ming.

I swear upon my credibility

that I'll assist you with the investigation, Mr. Fan.

The fire is so huge

that it's turning the sky bright.

Baoyue Pleasure House is no longer a brothel.

Why is Sir still maintaining its operation?

Sir has better insight than us.

Sir didn't tell us

how he would make arrangements for these girls.

He didn't say so.

I think he'll make the arrangements after taking over the workshops.

I assume you must've heard about

the fire last night.

The Transportation Bureau was reduced to ashes.

The Three Great Workshops are gone.

Of all the times to be burned down,

it just has to be the time when Sir visits Jiangnan, huh?

Now that the Three Great Workshops are gone,

the Imperial Treasury won't be able to last.

This is too much of a coincidence.

I don't believe

that this is a coincidence.

And,

Yuan Meng was found in Jiangnan.

Aren't we going to arrest her?

Sir has his own arrangements.

He's hard to figure out.

[Baoyue Pleasure House]

Mr. Fan,

I've returned.

That was inauspicious.

I inspected

the rubble.

The warehouses of the Three Great Workshops

were burned down.

Nothing was left.

As for the cause of fire,

it's hard to say.

What about the people?

All of them are dead.

However, I've calculated the number

of bodies.

It matches the number of personnel in the Three Great Workshops.

The number is the same.

In other words, none of them survived.

I've inspected the bodies

as well.

I think something's off.

I inspected two bodies in total.

There was no dust or ash

in their throats.

That means

the place was burned down after their deaths.

However, I was worried that I might alert the perpetrator.

That's why I only inspected two bodies.

This fire

is definitely not an accident.

Do you have any concrete leads?

The fire burned everything down.

Nothing was left.

There were no clues.

What do you think the Three Great Workshops represent?

The Imperial Treasury

and

countless wealth.

If so, who'll benefit from burning down the workshops?

I guess

no one.

Therefore, this fire

only burned down the Three Great Workshops in name.

Are you saying

that there's more to it than meets the eye?

Wang, you have to guard the back door.

If there's something off about the fire,

we should

receive news of it soon.

I'll head there now.

Fan Xian never left his residence

after he went back.

He didn't do anything.

Where is he staying?

Baoyue Pleasure House.

You mean the brothel in the Capital?

Yes, it's their branch in Jiangnan.

I've never been there before.

I've only heard of it before.

Although Mr. Fan may look like a righteous person,

he still couldn't escape from the worldly desires.

I thought

he would go all out to investigate the fire.

This fire

has burned everything down.

Even if he intends to investigate it,

he won't be able to do it.

I don't think he's that easy to deceive.

He'll definitely have some doubts.

However, logically,

there's no need for us to risk sacrificing our family

just to set the workshops on fire.

We have no motive.

Naturally, they won't suspect the Ming family.

This is impossible.

If they were the culprits,

their entire clan would be executed.

Senior, the Ming family isn't a bunch of fools.

Why is it impossible?

Your Highness, wealth can work wonders.

But what has this got to do with the fire?

I'll use the black pieces.

But why, Your Highness?

Because you're a prince, huh?

Fine. Let's see who goes first.

I still think that the fire was an accident.

But I think the Ming family was behind it.

The Ming family has managed the workshops for many years.

Now that Sir is going to take over them,

I'm sure they're unwilling to hand them over.

But Sir has already arrived in Jiangnan.

No matter if they hand them over or burn them down,

they no longer belong to the Ming family.

Why would they take such a risk?

They'll be executed for this, you know?

What if the Ming family

transported everything from the warehouse to somewhere else?

Does that make sense by then?

Sir,

I understand now.

The Ming family set them on fire on purpose.

They wish to move the Three Great Workshops elsewhere

and monopolize them!

How could anyone be so greedy

as to harming that many lives?

Isn't he afraid of the laws of Qing State?

That's the Ming family of Jiangnan.

How could you think of them as such evil individuals?

Your Highness, it's not that I think they're evil.

People do die for the sake of money.

That's human nature.

You don't have any evidence.

I don't trust you!

I'm sure it's not real.

It is real!

Your Highness, you may not know,

but that happened to me.

My home,

Shijia Town,

it was burned to the ground because of that.

According to the disaster report sent by the local magistrate,

it stated that it was an accidental fire due to dry weather.

Your Highness, the entire town

was wiped out.

Don't you think they know how to escape?

They concluded the case by saying that it was an accident.

I don't believe it.

What do you think?

Do you think it was an accident?

Or was it a man-made accident?

I'm sorry,

Senior.

I had no idea.

Sorry about that.

I've said something I shouldn't have.

There are plenty of things you don't know.

Money can work wonders.

It can also strip humans of their human nature.

How's the progress with Xie Bi'an?

Xie Bi'an didn't suspect us either.

After all, people have been saying

that there was an internal struggle

between us

for the position as the head of the family.

But in reality,

we're a pair of loving mother and son.

I'm sure even Eldest Princess wouldn't expect us

to set up such a plot

together.

You must make sure the incident site is safe.

Don't worry.

Even if they do investigate it,

I'll point them in the direction of Li Yunrui.

After all,

this is a conflict between major figures.

No one would care about

merchants like us.

People say

that an ant hole may cause the collapse of a great dike.

But no one

has even cared about the ants.

In a few more days,

the ships should...

They're already ready.

However, security has been tight lately.

I dare not act recklessly.

Once everything has settled down

and Fan Xian returns to the palace,

I'll arrange for the ships

to transport the warehouse and personnel

out to sea.

Beware of man-made accidents.

I bribed two of the managers.

They thought

Li Yunrui arranged for it to happen.

The workers

were obedient too.

The dust will settle

when the ships are out at sea.

Seems like you no longer need me.

You've made every arrangement yourself.

Mother, it's all because you taught me well.

I claim no credit at all.

My legs

are getting worse.

Seems like I'll be useless soon.

Mother, how could you say that?

Come. Let me carry you on my back.

You're getting steadier

as the head of the family.

Mother, without your guidance,

the head of the family

is just an empty title.

What do you guys think

the most troublesome issue in Jiangnan is?

The Ming family.

No.

Eldest Princess and Second Prince.

Actually, it's not them either.

Who else can it be?

Sometimes,

the issue might not be an individual.

It might be something like...

Human nature?

The Ming family dominated Jiangnan

for many years.

The other merchants have no chance of making a profit.

Although the Ming family is rich,

poverty rate in all counties will increase instead.

That's why we should make them step down.

It's the same no matter who steps down.

[One Heaven Knack] They'll become

the new Ming family in just a few years.

During my trip to the South,

I heard this saying.

Even if the Ming family doesn't exist, there are other families.

The Three Great Workshops are treasure troves.

The one in charge of them

will be the next Ming family.

Therefore, it doesn't matter who owns the Three Great Workshops.

What matters is its nature.

What nature?

The Three Great Workshops

contains the most profitable craftsmanship in the world.

I know that.

Glass,

candy,

cotton, and perfume.

There's more to that.

All of them are trade secrets.

I wish to give them away.

Give what away?

I'll give away all the trade secrets

of the Three Great Workshops.

To who?

To all the merchants in the world.

They'll share the same technology.

You'll sell them at an exorbitant price

to cover the deficit.

I will charge for them.

But I'm not doing it to cover the deficit.

I didn't intend to sell them at an exorbitant price either.

All crafts have their own set prices.

Merchants who wish to use them need to pay every year.

It's a long-term deal.

This is what we call as intellectual property rights.

But this way,

the Imperial Treasury's trade secrets

will be gone too.

But this way, the people

will have hope.

But the Imperial Treasury belongs to the imperial family.

Don't the people belong to the imperial family as well?

You...

I guess you have a point.

Creating intellectual property rights

is the way to obtain true wealth.

They shouldn't be monopolized by one merchant

or the imperial family.

Instead,

the world should progress together and wealth should be shared.

If this works out,

maybe the people who are disregarded

may be respected for once.

Sir,

regarding your statement "wealth should be shared,"

does Father know about it?

I'll accomplish the task first.

I'll tell him about it when I get back.

Sir,

I think we should request his permission first.

If you do it without his permission,

I'm afraid Father will

be enraged.

If you wish to achieve great feats,

you can't afford to be indecisive.

♪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♪