Original subtitles

[English subtitles are available]

[Destined]

[Episode 23]

He's still a traitor.

How long can he hold

with people from so many prefectures keeping a close eye on him?

Now that I get old,

I get more sentimental.

Fine.

Now you are in charge of

the Gu family.

Where we should go in the end

is up to you.

These days,

we can see clearly that

Commissioner Fan sincerely devotes himself

and seeks peace for the people.

If we really want to be reunited,

we should

stick to the original idea

and stay in Youzhou.

We will be reunited.

Mother.

When the world is peaceful,

we'll save Uncle

and get all the managers back

and go back to Yangzhou together.

Just like before.

The day will come.

Mother is smart.

She's just being nostalgic for now.

She'll figure it out.

But since we're on Youzhou's side,

if someone finds out

we are related to Lord Liang,

I'm afraid it'll be to our disadvantage.

My aunt's surname is Chen, not Jiang.

We can still keep it secret for now.

But now Lord Liang

is the enemy of the world.

This relationship

will be exposed sooner or later.

Instead of

letting others find out themselves,

why don't we

tell Commissioner Fan first

to prove our innocence?

I think so too.

But the stakes are high.

We can't be too straightforward.

I'd better discuss it

with Zhou first.

Zhou,

I have something to tell you.

I have important military affairs to attend to.

Tomorrow. I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Lady Liang is my aunt.

[Commissioner's Mansion]

Zhou.

Can't we tell others about it?

You may not have heard

a few days ago,

my father

caught a spy

who worked for Lord Liang.

He then killed him

and all his family members,

without sparing any of them.

Jiusi.

I know you're an upright person.

Although your Gu family

are related to the Liang family,

you are definitely different.

I know that.

But my father is of suspicious nature.

He leaves no room for others.

At this moment,

it's somehow a bit awkward.

If you act rashly,

you might get into

unnecessary trouble.

General Zhou and the commissioner

have always been benevolent.

This time, they acted like speed demons.

Looks like

they're really planning to save the Emperor.

This meeting

is specially for this.

But then again,

it might be a good opportunity

for your Gu family.

Play it by ear.

These idiots.

What kind of idiots are those commissioners?

When they asked for titles and rewards,

they all rushed to be the first.

Now His Majesty needs them.

But all of them are being ungrateful.

Indeed a bunch of cowards and bastards!

Brother.

Now,

it's not the time you and I

fought on the battlefield with our fathers.

All the commissioners

are standing idly by

while guarding their territories

and gathering troops.

They only want to be local despots.

Zhou Ye.

Why did you involve an outsider

in such important military affairs?

How ridiculous it is!

Gu is not an outsider.

He is my brother.

Come in.

Jiusi, come in.

We need people now.

It's not restricted to the ranking of official positions.

[Clean and Sharp]

Liang that bandit

has seized the throne

and claimed to be the Emperor.

He gathered 300,000 rebels

to besiege Eastern Capital.

How arrogant!

Now,

leaders of all the prefectures are standing idly by with their troops.

They're planning to take advantage of it without any loss.

To share the Emperor's and Father's burden,

we are duty-bound.

We, generals and soldiers of Youzhou,

should deploy troops

to save the Emperor and punish the rebels.

Everyone,

this is a serious matter.

Whatever thoughts

or questions you have,

no need to hold back.

Tell me.

Uncle Fan,

with all due respect,

even if Youzhou deploys all the soldiers,

there are still less than 100,000.

Compared to the 300,000 rebels,

the military power is so little.

If our army can collaborate with

soldiers in other prefectures,

and besiege them from different directions,

there might be more chances to win.

Fight Liang that bandit head-on,

tell me,

how much is the possibility of winning?

Less than 30%.

We have to deploy all the army we have

to get 30% of the chance to win.

Everyone,

do you think

it is worth it?

It's worth it.

Uncle Fan,

whether you can win a battle or not

is a matter.

Whether we should declare a war or not

is another matter.

Brother is right.

We are the people of Darong.

We should defend Darong to death.

Well said.

General.

I took care of your horse when I was ten.

Now I'm at this age,

I would like to fight for Darong once again.

Father.

Uncle Zhou.

I'm willing to go too.

Me too.

Good.

You're indeed warriors of Youzhou.

Bravo.

But there's one more problem.

We don't have enough provisions.

That's right.

The provisions in Youzhou

are only enough for people

to spend a winter.

If 100,000 soldiers are deployed to save the Emperor,

every soldier

will need three logistics soldiers.

In this case,

400,000 people

will be needed in total.

If you want 400,000 soldiers

to not worry about anything,

we also need

about 300,000 dans of grains.

The Gu family is willing to share the burden of the commissioner.

Brother,

making provision for the war,

somehow,

is a kind of business.

In terms of business,

no one indeed

is more suitable than the Gu family.

But it's a heavy responsibility

to be in charge of the provisions.

How can you treat it

the same way as the usual commercial?

But this is the best way now.

But I heard that

the real person-in-charge

of the Gu Business

is Madam Jiang.

Since she was widowed,

she's not been as energetic as before.

Who else in the Gu family

has

such courage and means

to do it with all strength?

I once went to Yangzhou to purchase necessities for military purposes

with Chief of Staff, Zhou Ye,

and had a transaction with the Gu Business.

The Young Madam of the Gu family, Lady Liu,

is the successor of Madam Jiang.

This girl is quite powerful.

Her means and courage

are rare to be seen.

It's said that

after she came to Youzhou,

she took over the Gu Business.

She and Gu Jiusi together

decided to

donate their assets.

Gu Jiusi's wife

is such a person.

It's best to ask her

to make provision for the war.

Fan.

If you insist to do so,

the Gu family

must issue a written pledge.

Also,

we can only allow Lady Liu

to go south to collect grains alone.

The Gu family and others,

including Gu Jiusi,

should be detained in Youzhou

as a guarantee.

Brother.

The Gu family

has donated all their assets

to Youzhou.

Now they want to go south

to make provision for the war.

If we still...

Fan,

I know you are benevolent.

You also

don't doubt the people you used.

But the military provisions are related to the war.

You can only succeed but not fail.

We should be more cautious.

All right.

If the Gu family

can really do their best,

they will be a hero in Darong.

I didn't expect

our relationship

with Lord Liang

is more risky

than I thought.

However,

if we can get the provisions

for the soldiers of Youzhou

and guard the rear so that they have no worries,

it'll be the best proof

to prove that our Gu family is loyal.

That's right.

This time,

we owe Zhou

a big favour.

Thanks to his reminder.

Actually,

Zhou

knows how to be scheming.

It's just that he's of kind nature.

He treats people with sincerity.

When he thinks about

the nation and his friends,

he is prudent

and thoughtful.

But

our family is considered an outsider.

If we want to gain the trust

of Commissioner Fan and General Zhou,

it won't be that easy.

If they

ask us to sign a written pledge,

will it work?

Nowadays, the provisions of all prefectures are in short supply.

It's hard to say

whether it will work or not.

However,

even if we have to issue a written pledge,

we must take this job.

Great minds think alike.

Lord Liang's rebellion

will implicate the Gu family eventually.

The only way to protect us

is to rely on Youzhou.

[Commissioner's Mansion]

Madam Gu,

to make provision for the soldiers saving the Emperor,

you have to issue a written pledge.

Are you willing to do so?

Yes, I am.

Madam Gu.

The military order is iron-clad.

If the date is up,

and you don't get 300,000 dans of grains,

we'll hold the Gu family accountable.

You should think carefully

about the pros and cons.

I understand.

Magistrate Gu.

Your wife is going south to collect grains.

You'd better stay in Wangdu

and assist Young Master.

No mistake is allowed.

Yes, sir.

Good.

Soldiers,

go back to the camp and get ready for the departure.

Tomorrow morning,

depart together

with General Zhou and me.

Yes.

Fan,

do you want to go to the battlefield too?

When we were young,

we fought the enemies together

on the battlefield.

When did we treat each other as outsiders?

No way.

You have to stay in Youzhou

and call the shots.

I can handle

Liang that bandit alone.

Stop acting tough.

You're like an ox.

You think

you're so brave that you can fight countless people.

And you're always fighting in the frontline of the battlefield.

Without me,

who will protect you behind your back?

Fan.

Alright.

It's a deal.

Yu

will be in charge of Youzhou.

Father.

I want to go to the battlefield with you

to kill the bandits and punish the rebels.

Yu,

the responsibility of taking care of Youzhou

will be on your shoulders in the future.

[Clean and Sharp]

How about this?

Ye.

You and Yu have always been close.

You stay here

and help Jiusi

to assist Yu.

Fan,

Ye is still a newbie.

He's inexperienced and can't...

I'm willing to do so.

I'm willing to stay in Youzhou

and assist Young Master.

Good.

Soldiers,

when I was young,

I took part in many battles

with my father.

I witnessed how the late Emperor

built this great empire

and created a prosperous era by fighting on horses.

But

until now,

just a few decades,

it has already been

in a split state.

Now,

to protect the people of Darong

relies on us, the Youzhou people.

This expedition

will be very dangerous.

Although we are facing a death crisis and our dead bodies may not be treated well,

we must eliminate the enemy,

protect the people,

and bring peace to the world.

Yes.

Zhou Ye.

Gu.

Yuru.

Zhou Ye.

Did I

drag you down?

As a man,

who wouldn't want to go to the battlefield?

Yu.

Don't say that.

Go help your father

pack up his things.

Don't worry about me. Go.

Zhou,

I know why you stay.

Yuru and I

thank you on behalf of our family.

Jiusi, Yuru.

Get up hurriedly.

You and I

don't have to be that courteous.

I'm not staying

only to keep the secret

and take care of the Gu family.

Uncle Fan is good at calling the shots.

He knows how to deploy people well.

He must have his reasons

to ask me to stay and help Yu.

But your father may misunderstand you

for being a coward staying in Youzhou.

It doesn't matter.

My father has never favoured me since I was a child.

I'm used to it.

In my heart,

I just hope they can

win the battle

and return safely.

I feel uneasy

for you to go to the south alone.

The chaotic world is full of danger.

How can I not accompany you?

Didn't we talk

this matter through?

General Zhou asked you to stay

because he doesn't trust the Gu family

and he wants more guarantees.

They are in high positions.

It's nothing unusual for them to be cautious.

I've thought about it.

I'm going to call back

the old managers of the Gu family

to form a caravan.

We must bring back

300,000 dans of grains.

When the mission is completed,

they will believe us.

I understand, but...

Jiusi.

We are supposed to be united as husband and wife.

Come hell or high water,

I should go through it with you.

I know you're worried about me.

But before this,

we've been through a lot.

Previously, we even faced a death crisis

in Heifeng Fort.

I'm no longer

that weak woman like before.

Didn't you say

you want me to be the real Liu Yuru?

The real Liu Yuru

is supposed to travel around.

Eldest Sister.

Come back early.

Take care of my mother-in-law at home.

Take care of yourself.

Although Huarong is closed for now,

you may go and clean the shop

when you are free.

I know.

Don't worry, Eldest Sister.

You're the most diligent.

I can rest assured.

That's enough.

Go back.

Jiusi.

Take Yuzhao and the others back.

I'll see you off for another mile.

Just one more mile. I'll go back after that.

Brother-in-law.

You said that at the gate just now.

Now you've seen them off

for ten miles from Wangdu.

It seems

we're going to arrive in Jixian very soon.

Why do you talk so much?

Do you want to go?

If you don't,

go back and feed the horses.

I'm a guard assigned by my sister.

What's the use if you don't allow me?

Besides,

everyone knows that

my sister has the final say

in the Gu House.

You have not.

So what if I have not?

I want to be a kept man.

It's none of your business.

Jiusi.

Go back.

If you miss me,

write to me.

Okay.

Go back.

Sir.

Are you going to

write to Young Madam?

Young Madam just left today.

It hasn't been half an hour

since you came back from seeing her off.

You're talking too much.

Get out.

[Yuru]

Yuru.

300,000 dans of grains are too hard to achieve.

I regret

letting you go alone.

We plan to

♫I borrowed moonlight from fireflies♫

collect 50,000 grains from you.

We'll try our best.

♫I held it in my arms♫

♫And used it to decorate your dream♫

♫I borrowed spring scenery♫

Yuru.

I... I miss you so much.

♫From a breeze♫

♫It stopped on the branches♫

♫I used it to decorate your smile♫

♫I also want to hold your hand♫

♫And admire the plum blossom which is covered by snow♫

♫It's a seemingly♫

♫Young people's tour♫

♫The pear blossom accompanies the spring breeze♫

The weather is hot.

♫I forgot the things in the world all of a sudden♫

I'm not home.

Take care of yourself.

♫Everyone thinks life is like a dream♫

♫I looked back inadvertently♫

♫A stranger impressed me♫

♫We've been with each other for another day♫

♫Another spring and autumn came♫

♫Who will deliver letters to me?♫

♫I'm listening to you♫

♫I forgot the things in the world all of a sudden♫

♫Everyone thinks life is like a dream♫

Thousands of mountains,

ten thousands of mountains,

my heart for you is red like maple leaves.

♫How much do I miss you?♫

♫I've seen you here before♫

♫One night, we sat together to write poems and drink alcohol♫

♫Another spring and autumn came♫

♫I saw the sun, the moon, and the stars outside the window♫

♫The wind blows and the moon sways. My heart is beating♫

Jiusi.

I miss you too.

For the sake of you,

I must go back safely.

Jiusi.

It must be another letter from Yuru, right?

She was so desperate to write me letters every day.

She said she missed me so much.

I'm so annoyed.

I see.

The daughter of Commander Qin from Bingzhou

you mentioned before.

How is she?

What else could she be?

She doesn't like me.

How could it be?

Her family background

is much worse than your family.

I'm just a Chief of Staff.

And...

I'm not as valued by Father

as other brothers.

Commander Qin

doesn't have many children.

When he was 30,

he got his only daughter.

She's the apple of his eye.

It's normal

for him to be reluctant.

Don't worry.

It doesn't matter.

She and I are just strangers.

Even if I failed this time,

there'd be nothing to regret.

It's just that

I disappointed my father again.

Zhou,

I think no matter the personality

or the talents,

you should have been

more standout.

If you are willing to do so,

I can help you.

No need.

Father and Uncle Fan,

along with my brother,

pursue the dream of

ensuring the people of Youzhou

live and work in peace

and the world can be peaceful.

Of course, I think so too.

Since

we share the same thought,

and we do it for the sake of the people,

no matter which position I'm holding,

whether I'm valued or not,

or whether I'm in charge of the army,

it's not that important.

But what if one day

you are in deep water?

If that day comes,

I won't disappoint everyone.

It's too late.

Hurry.

Hurry up.

Uncle!

Uncle!

What happened that made you so panic?

Sir.

It's going to rain cats and dogs.

If we don't

get the grains out immediately,

it'll all rot in the ground.

I'm leaving.

Let's help him.

Help.

Help!

Come on.

Harder.

-One, two. -What happened?

Young Madam.

The rain is getting heavier.

Now the carriage is stuck.

It won't be out for a while.

Sister,

it's raining heavily.

Go back and take shelter.

Leave it to us.

No way.

It's about military provisions.

There's no time to waste.

Let's help each other.

OK.

Okay.

Come and help.

Come on.

Come on.

Listen to my order.

Harder together.

One.

Two.

Three.

One.

Two.

Three.

Those who are behind, keep it up.

Those who are behind, keep it up.

Hurry up.

Officers,

have some hot soup

to warm yourself up.

Thank you.

Thank you for your help.

Otherwise, the grains

will rot in the ground.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Come on, brothers.

Have some hot soup to warm your bodies up.

Here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

-Thank you for your help. -We appreciate it.

Young Madam.

All the grains

have been counted.

Other than the grains

ruined by the rain today,

there are

about 250,000 dans of grains in total.

We still need another 50,000 dan.

Military orders are iron-clad.

We can't miss any dan of it.

Besides,

the generals and soldiers in Youzhou

are still risking their lives

for world peace.

We can't leave them to starve.

But

we've been to all the prefectures

that we can collect the grains.

Exactly.

Yes.

There's one more place.

Young Madam.

You can't go to Yangzhou.

Yes, Young Madam.

You can't go to Yangzhou.

You really can't go.

Everyone,

on the way to collecting grains,

without your help,

I won't be able to collect

the 250,000 dans of grains.

Hence, I would like to

express my gratitude to you all.

Young Madam.

Young Madam.

What are you talking about?

We, a bunch of old men,

are so desperate to gather together every day

and do business

together with you.

Yes, Young Madam.

Now,

I have to trouble you for the last time

to escort the last batch of grains in Yan City

back to Youzhou first.

Well,

what about you?

Yangzhou,

I must go.

Young Madam.

Don't worry.

I'm not making a hasty decision.

Yangzhou is dangerous

not only because Wang Shanquan is cruel,

but also because

Luo Zishang is scheming behind him.

But now I've received news that

after Wang Shanquan became the sole ruler of Yangzhou,

he and Luo Zishang

had some disputes.

Right now,

Luo Zishang is not in Yangzhou.

With only Wang Shanquan,

there's nothing to be afraid of.

[Yuelai Inn]

Sister,

you know what?

With your now dressing,

I couldn't recognize you at a glance.

Right?

When Young Madam wears the outfit,

her elegance

is no less than that

of the other young masters.

After leaving this door,

you need to get used to

the new style of address.

You can't relax even if no one is around.

If anything goes wrong in Yangzhou,

it'll be fatal to us.

Got it, Young Master Su.

OK.

I also keep it in mind already.

Let's go.

[Yuelai Inn]

Young Master.

Young Madam sent another letter.

Jiusi.

I've asked Manager He

to escort the grains

we collected before back.

I still need to collect

the remaining 50,000 dans of grains.

Don't worry about me.

After Changfeng Dock,

we'll reach Yangzhou City in half a day.

Young Master Su,

are we really going to Yangzhou?

Are you scared?

A little.

Now that we're here,

if I don't cause them a great loss,

it'll make my trip meaningless.

[The Intersection of Land and Water]

Sir.

[Pass]

This pass

is fake, isn't it?

Sir,

you can't joke about this.

How about

you take a closer look?

Get the people in the car down

for a body search.

The commissioner ordered

not to allow people

to enter and exit the city easily.

If they do a body search,

they will find out that we…

Sir,

my brother caught a cold

so he can't get off.

A cold?

I'm afraid it's some kind of bad plague.

All the more reason we have to check.

Sir.

Cut the crap.

You look sneaky

like Lord Liang's spies.

Arrest them!

What's the noise?

Chief Ye.

[The Intersection of Land and Water]

Don't simply pull your swords on others.

Put them away.

It doesn't matter.

Let the officials search.

What happened?

I was checking their pass.

They didn't want to get off for a body search.

Is there something wrong with the pass?

No.

If there was no problem,

why did you stop them?

Nowadays, the Yangzhou business markets are desolate.

The taxes are getting less.

It's fine that you don't welcome

the merchants who came,

how could you even make things difficult for them?

I see.

Are you

trying to stop them on purpose

to get a bribe?

Chief Ye.

That's not true.

We dare not.

Really?

Did that happen?

No.

You'd better not.

What are you waiting for?

Yes.

Let him go.

Thank you.

They scared me.

Luckily, we met Young Master Ye.

But

why is Young Master Ye

working for Wang Shanquan?

Wasn't the whole Ye family

killed

by Wang Shanquan?

I've known Young Master Ye since young.

Although I don't know him well,

I know

he's not someone who lives just for the sake of remaining alive

and he won't treat his enemy like his father.

Besides,

he recognized me at first sight just now,

but he immediately covered it up for us.

It shows that

he's not really loyal to Wang Shanquan.

I think

he must have his own reasons.

Su,

your enemies are all vicious.

We must be extremely cautious.

We surely can't go

near your old house.

If the neighbours who have a good memory

recognize you,

you'll be in big trouble.

You're right.

If so, where are we staying?

Lanxiao House.

Lanxiao House?

Is it not safe to stay there?

Will Wang Shanquan's men come?

Yes.

After Yangzhou encountered tremendous changes,

many shops' owners are different than before.

Only Lanxiao House, the money-making house,

is still the property of Lady Xifeng.

This means

Lady Xifeng works for Wang Shanquan?

I think so.

How brave you are.

That's my brother.

[Joyness Will Never End]

The box you reserved, titled Feng,

is on the third floor.

Please come with me.

Thank you.

Sir, you look familiar.

This is

the head of Lanxiao House,

Lady Xifeng.

Lady Xifeng.

Have we

met somewhere before?

It's my first time here in Yangzhou.

I've never been that lucky

to witness your beauty.

Judging from your accent,

you're from the north.

You're from Youzhou, right?

I must have mistaken you for someone else.

You have good hearing.

I did come from Youzhou.

But I grew up in Yan City.

I am half a member of Jiangning-Huainan.

No way.

I can't even hear the Southern accent

from you.

My family went to the north before I was ten.

Now,

the old house is gone.

It seems that

you have a story.

Now is a chaotic era.

Everyone has a past.

The world is in chaos.

But Lanxiao House

is still

a peaceful and prosperous place.

You can rest assured

while staying here.

Thank you for your blessing.

Please.

So the place where you held a knife

and caught my brother-in-law

is here.

Don't talk nonsense.

I was so scared just now.

When Lady Xifeng

looked at me,

my scalp was almost going to explode.

I dared not say a word.

Indeed, Young Mad...

Young Master Su is more awesome.

Of course.

Who do you think my brother is?

He doesn't show any weakness in his accents at all.

No matter

where we go all this time,

in a few days,

he can nearly master

all the local dialects.

Unlike me,

I've been in Youzhou

for some time.

Every time I talk,

it still sounds like

the accents in Cangzhou.

I hope Lady Xifeng

won't recognize me.

She won't.

Lady Xifeng owns the Lanxiao House.

She sees countless strangers every day.

She only met you once.

Besides,

it's been so long.

Even a deity should have forgotten it.

Take a break first.

Then, you should go out

and gather the information we need.

Okay.

Someone sent a letter to this guest room.

[Tonight 7 p.m. at Lanxiao House's private room]

[Tonight 7 p.m. at Lanxiao House's private room]

[Liu Yuru moved into Lanxiao House]

She really came.