Original subtitles

Episode 18

Mistress.

Shen...

Look at me, Shen.

Shen...

My son.

How could it be?

How could he be dead?

Stop.

Get your hands off him.

What are you doing here?

What are you doing here?

My dear...

- I don't want you here. - My dear.

- You got him killed. - My dear!

You got him killed. Do you know that?

My dear!

He was still worried about you

on his dying breath.

- It was you who got him killed. - My dear.

- It was you. - Madam.

- Madam. - I don't want you here.

- It was all your fault. - Ma'am.

Let's go. Come on, Madam.

You can leave too.

My dear daughter...

It wasn't your fault.

Your mother is overwhelmed by grief.

She didn't mean to say that.

Don't take it to heart.

I thought

I had raised a good-for-nothing son.

And all he did

was causing us trouble.

But now he's dead

and I don't think it's bad to clean up a mess

for someone anymore.

He was a good-for-nothing

and never turned over a new leaf.

But...

in the end, he did...

something impressive.

And he made us very proud.

All these years

I worked hard and did all I could

to move up the ladder.

I had planned to pave the way for him.

Now that he is gone

the position of Head Butler

is meaningless to me now.

Father, do you mean

you'll reconsider what I told you before?

My dear daughter.

You've done a lot for the family.

Maybe...

I was wrong.

Your brother...

was not fit to be a merchant, to begin with.

If I had given up my greed

for power and wealth earlier

all this might not have happened.

My dear daughter.

We only have you now.

You said you didn't want to stay in Huangcheng.

All right, we won't stay here.

From now on

I'll heed your advice.

I'll resign from my position.

Are you injured?

I didn't do it on purpose.

Qian...

I got this brocade satin a few days ago.

It's white. Your favourite colour.

It's said to be the only one in the world.

I heard you'd come home today

so I spent a lot of money on it.

Put on a dress made of this

and Master will fall head over heels for you.

Here you go!

That's great.

Mistress.

Do you smell a familiar fragrance?

No.

Qian.

Qian.

You've never bought jewellery

since you married into the Zhong family

so I specially got some for you.

Qian...

You're the daughter of our family.

You look pretty

and many people like you.

You don't have to suffer in Zhong Residence.

I bear in mind everything you said.

Why won't you believe me?

Qian...

I've been in prison for so long.

Why haven't you come to see me?

You told me to get some rest

and that you would come later.

I waited all day but you didn't turn up.

Qian...

Qian.

Did it also hurt so much

when you got hit by an arrow?

I'm your brother.

How could I stand by and do nothing

when I saw that you were in danger?

Don't be afraid, Qian.

Don't be afraid, Qian.

I-I-I'm fine.

I'll protect you.

I'll protect you.

Qian...

Qian...

Mistress.

Did you see that?

See what, Mistress?

Mistress?

- Brother... - Mistress!

Brother.

Mistress.

Hua Shen.

Mistress.

Hua Shen is dead.

Are you aware?

I was shot

by an arrow to the chest too.

Why did I survive

and he couldn't?

Why couldn't he make it?

Am I dreaming?

Maybe he is not dead.

I can still hear...

I can still hear his voice.

I heard him...

complaining...

about me.

Mistress, are you all right?

I don't...

I don't have a brother anymore.

- Mistress... - This is the second time.

The second time.

The second time.

The second time.

It's all right.

I'm here.

I will never leave.

I will be by your side forever, Mistress.

The eldest son of the Hua family died young.

What happened?

Look.

My son.

Shen!

Qianzhi.

Mistress.

What's with the noise outside?

Mistress.

It's Young Master Hua's funeral today.

Mistress, do you want to get up and get dressed?

I won't go.

I won't attend the funeral.

Don't wake me up.

You should attend your brother's funeral.

It is late morning.

If you don't go

tongues will wag.

You're crying?

How did you get in here?

I'm invited to attend the funeral.

Who let you in?

Are the servants all dead?

Qian.

I am your husband

so they wouldn't stop me.

What?

Are you being nice to me

because you sympathise with me

or because you feel guilty towards me?

What do you think I am?

Qian.

- Qianzhi. - Qian!

- Qianzhi. - Qian!

I know you are upset

but you should do your hair

and get dressed before going out.

What does it have to do with you?

I'm here to take you back.

Take me back? Back where?

Back to Zhong Residence?

To watch you and Mu Yao

show affection for each other

and pretend I don't know that

while I live alone in my compound?

Qian.

The servants at Zhong's Garden must be too busy

and forgot.

Qianzhi, get someone to urge them tomorrow.

Ask them why the divorce letter signed by Lord

hasn't been delivered here yet.

You went to Zhong's Garden to see Lord?

Yes, I did.

I'm done with you.

I will have someone bring back my things

and my people in Zhong Residence tomorrow.

Let's thrash everything out now

because we will never see each other again.

Qian, are you done?

Let me go.

- Let me go. - Qian!

How dare you, you disrespectful slave!

Get out!

Hua Rongzhou is my guard.

You can't give him orders.

Get out of the way.

I only take orders from my mistress.

Get out of here, Zhong Yelan!

What are you trying to do, harassing me?

Stop wavering since you have made a choice.

Do you really want to be driven out?

Hua Qian.

Since you insist on divorcing me

I will...

do as you wish.

Zhong Yelan.

Pass Mu Yao a message when you get back.

She...

owes me two lives now.

Did Zhong Yelan hit you very hard just now?

Did you get hurt?

You don't look well.

I'm fine.

If you encounter this kind of situation again

remember not to act rashly

and only do as I ask.

Otherwise, instead of helping me

you would be causing me trouble.

I can resolve

my own problems.

You should go and see a physician.

I'm fully awake

after the commotion with Zhong Yelan.

Qianzhi, come and help me freshen up.

Yes, Mistress.

Magistrate Wang.

Have the assassins been caught?

The assassins that showed up

at your Mid-Autumn Festival banquet

had committed suicide after being captured.

No one survived.

You once said

that the fleeing Ge family

were under your control.

First, the assassins stole our fragrance formula

at the ancestral worship ceremony.

Then came the massacre

at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet.

They came and went so easily.

At that grand Mid-Autumn Festival banquet

the butlers of the Zhong family

gathered together to celebrate

but it became a good chance for the assassins

to kill us all.

If my mother had gotten hurt in this incident

how would you report it to the government?

Lord Zhong.

Although not all of the assassins were captured

I have discovered something strange

about this attack.

Not again.

Magistrate Wang.

You have indeed discovered a lot of things.

In fact... since last year

the Ge family has been inactive for a long time.

But after the chaos at the ancestral worship

and the assassination

at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet

their movements are getting

more and more suspicious.

After the ancestral worship ceremony

we have intensified our search.

Therefore, I can guarantee that

no more than five of them can escape

and hide in the city.

Dozens of assassins appeared at the banquet

but you're saying

there are no more than five of them?

This is the second strange point

I want to talk about.

The attire and weapons of these assassins

are different from the previous ones.

After verifying with experienced craftsmen

and clothing shop owners in the city

I am certain

they are from two different groups.

Two different groups?

Indeed.

Those who showed up at the worship ceremony

were from the Ge family.

As for the other group

they might not have enough people

so they could only hire temporary help.

Plus, they were in a rush.

That's why there was such a big difference.

As I said before

someone from the inside was helping them.

I remember

when Junior Lord Wu came to the city

he made several attempts

to invite Mistress Zhong out

which was really strange.

Are you suspecting

my senior or the Hua family?

I'm merely expressing my doubts.

No wonder you couldn't find out anything.

You're barking up the wrong tree!

The assassination at the banquet

must have been planned in advance.

They wouldn't hire help at the last minute.

If the two groups collaborated as you said

they would at least

standardise their attire and weapons.

How could they make such a big mistake

for you to discover?

Please give me more time, Lord Zhong.

I'll try my best to find the culprit behind it.

It remains unverified whether there were

two groups of assassins at the banquet

so keep it to yourself.

I don't want to alert the enemy.

Rest assured. My lips are sealed.

Are you going out, Mistress?

You should bring your guard with you.

No need. I don't want anyone to know.

Can I go out with you, Mistress?

Sure.

Lord.

Someone over there sent a message again.

Come close.

Lord...

Too many people are watching Magistrate Wang

and they are careful about his every move.

Now that all eyes are on him

you can investigate on the sly.

You know the number of guards

of all the households in the city.

Go find out

where these assassins come from.

Yes, Lord.

Grave of Hua Shen

What's wrong?

This place is quite eerie at nightfall.

Why don't we stay beside Mistress?

That's Young Master Hua.

There's nothing scary.

Brother.

I'm late again.

I didn't want to send you off with the others

so I came alone.

I said we would talk after the banquet.

I kept my promise this time.

You won't blame me, will you?

This exquisite wine

underwent a long ageing process.

Be sure to treat my sister well.

Here, a toast to you.

Your brother is looking after you.

I'm going back, Brother.

I'll see you next time.

How long have you been standing here?

Just half an hour.

How did you know I was here?

I know you are soft-hearted.

You never stood by and did nothing

when Hua Shen got into trouble.

Others think you didn't attend the funeral

because you were heartless.

But I was very sure

you would come here.

Why are you here?

I have something for you.

Letter of Divorce

You could have a servant deliver it to me.

You didn't have to come in person.

I wanted to see you.

That was inappropriate, Lord.

It's getting late. I'd better go back.

Is there any trace of the assassins

at the banquet that day?

Not yet.

They eliminated all the traces.

The captured assassins chose to end their lives

by poisoning themselves.

None survived.

They left no traces at the scene as well.

After all, it's always hard

to look for a member of the Ge family.

Marital law has been imposed on the city again.

Did the captured assassins wear

the same attire and carry the same weapons?

Why did you ask this question?

The assassins seemed poorly coordinated.

There were even disputes among them

as if they had different goals.

Your ability to remain calm in any circumstance

is truly admirable.

You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.

Don't patronise me with such words.

Qian.

Even if we were alone

this would be an inappropriate act.

What do you take me for?

Don't you always know how I feel?

Yet, you're throwing rules at me now.

When did you change your target, Lord?

Nothing has changed.

It has always been you.

What about Mu Yao?

Why do you keep associating me with her?

You said

the way you looked at her was different

compared to how you looked at me.

Of course, it's different.

I look at you differently

because I fancy you.

It has never changed.

Behind the rockery earlier on

you mentioned Mu Yao. What does it mean?

Mu Yao is an excellent woman

so even Wu Shuomo has a crush on her.

That's a friendly reminder for you, Lord.

How do you know?

A man cannot hide his affection for his beloved.

The way you look at Mu Yao and me

are completely different.

Women are sensitive to such matters.

Of course, the way I look at Mu Yao

differs from the way I look at you.

The married woman whom I still think about

is also you.

She is already married.

Are you still thinking about her?

Yes, I am.

She's such a lucky woman.

And the one I wanted to make clothes for

is you as well.

It's done.

I want to make a piece of clothing for her.

You and she have a similar body shape.

Since you are here

can you help with the measurements?

I only have eyes for you...

the entire time.

Qian.

I... I am married to Master.

I knew you would be burdened

because of your status

so I didn't tell you

until you're divorced.

You once used Mu Yao as an excuse

to reject me.

But why do you look like

you knew nothing of it now?

Since you understood what I meant that day

why did you come here today?

You're the daughter of the Hua family

once again

and there is no restriction anymore

so I came to ask you.

Are you joking, Lord?

Think about our identities.

We are not right for each other even now.

Perhaps it is not suitable

to talk about it right here right now.

Nevertheless, I want to know how you feel.

If you have a little bit of affection for me

leave the rest to me.

I'll make you stand rightfully beside me.

Didn't you see it, Lord?

See what?

Qian.

Leave everything to me.

Give the nod

and I am here for you.

Can I hold your hand?

Bonus footage

Grind ink for me.

Letter of Divorce

This is what she wanted.

Tell Lin Jiang to keep a close eye on them.

Yes, Lord.

Lord, Miss Meng is outside.

Let her in.

Greetings, Lord.

What's the matter?

Her Highness asked me to bring some food over.

All right. Put it down.

I'm busy.

If there's nothing else, you may leave.

Yes, Lord.

I'm taking my leave.