Original subtitles

Episode 26

All the other butlers knew about the disputes

between Mu Yunping and I.

Now that I've come clean

please do as you deem fit, Lord.

No! It's not like that!

My father has nothing to do with it.

I fell in love with Master

and disliked Mu Yao

so I framed her and her family.

I was behind it all!

Lord, she's just a girl.

How could she set up such a meticulous trap?

You couldn't have done it.

I know that I have made a mistake

so you don't have to take the fall for me.

Father.

You knew I was going to...

Of course, I knew.

You're my daughter.

After you returned to Hua Residence

I knew in depth

what you did and who you investigated.

We have to pay the price for our wrongdoings.

Qian.

I know you had been through a lot.

Don't worry. Don't be afraid.

You have me now.

Don't be afraid. I'm all right.

I'll protect you.

You're here with me.

Let me take you home.

No! My father has nothing to do with it.

It was all my fault.

It was all because of my selfishness.

There was no dispute.

I did it. I was the cause.

There was no dispute.

- I was the mastermind... - Men.

- Take Hua Wen'ang away. - Father!

You have nothing to do with it.

- I did it. - Qian.

Consider carefully what to say

and what not to say.

I'm solely responsible.

Qian, as long as you're safe

our family will be safe too.

Father... it's not like that!

- Remember what I said. - No!

Consider carefully what to say

- and what not to say. - Father!

It's not like that!

Father.

- Father. - Lord!

- Father! - I'm solely responsible!

All right.

This has carried on for too long.

Let's end it here.

Lord, what my father said just now

was out of love for his child.

What I did today

is against the principles of ethics...

You did the right thing.

You stopped him from making more mistakes.

That's not a violation of ethics.

Lord, I can't accept your kindness

with peace of mind.

My father is really wronged.

I have implicated my father

because of my relationship with a man.

I deserve death.

Parents are not obligated to pay

for their children's mistakes.

Please look into it, Lord.

Butler Hua has already pleaded guilty.

No. My father has nothing to do with it.

Xiwu.

Are you doing this to spite me?

What happened today

calls for an investigation.

Those who are not involved, you may leave.

- Let's go. - Let's go.

If you approach them now

I'm afraid you will add fuel to the fire.

Can't you tell what's going on now?

- Xiwu... - I know what I'm doing.

Stop kneeling. Your knees may get hurt.

Have you lost your mind?

- How could you... - Yes, I have.

You caused me to lose my mind.

I told you I would protect Butler Hua

and your entire family.

Why did you insist on taking the fall?

I was just telling the truth.

Are you saying what Butler Hua said just now

was nothing but lies?

I went to great lengths to pave the way

to absolve you from your family's repercussions.

Do you know how much effort I have put in?

Absolve me from my family's repercussions?

Your effort, Lord?

Are you referring to the fact that

you made use of evidence I gathered

and made me blow the whistle on my father?

You thought if someone else blew the whistle

the other butlers might intercede for him

so you made me...

his biological daughter, do it

so no one could refute it, right?

Is it how you view me?

Why didn't you say otherwise?

Am I that corrigible to you?

You're Lord of the Zhong family.

It's not my place to criticise you.

You're still telling me these words

that no one will believe!

I went against the majority

and tried to prove your innocence.

I made meticulous plans

so that you could be by my side.

But you won't even take one step forward.

Have you ever asked me if that's what I wanted?

Why wouldn't you want that?

I tend

to be timid and wary of getting into trouble.

Zhong's Garden is a huge place

where there are too many people

and things get too complicated.

I just want to wander in the wild

and not be confined in a small compound.

Besides

if I were to oppose the Zhong family

would you still go against the majority

and protect me?

Have you ever asked me about this?

How do you know I won't choose you?

Do I have to ask?

Given your position, it's destined that

your every action has an impact

on numerous individuals and situations.

So, why should I hold out hope?

No matter how deep a relationship is

it will fade over time.

When that happens, what should I do?

In a word, you're afraid.

You're afraid of challenges and difficulties.

But you're not afraid of me.

My place in your heart is insignificant.

You tend to prioritise other people above me.

I didn't do that.

You did, Lord.

You chose to protect Meng Yifei.

I had given you many chances to tell me

but you chose to remain silent.

What you did may be right.

I know you must have a reason to do so.

But, Zhong Xiwu

it was...

my brother who died.

My brother who loved me

doted on me, cherished me

and protected me without asking for

anything in return.

He died because of me.

How could you hide it from me

before even asking me about my opinion?

If I told you...

you would go all out to seek revenge.

I told you I would help you with this

but you just didn't believe me.

How could I believe you?

How do I trust

that you will always choose me in the future?

You have a large household

and a lot to consider.

Right now, I may mean a lot to you

but as Lord of the Zhong family

you have many people to look after.

Too many.

Fine.

Fine.

Fine.

You don't believe me.

You have never believed me.

I once said everything I did

I did it to keep you safe.

It doesn't matter if you don't believe me.

Hua Qian.

And I also said

I wouldn't let you go so easily.

Why is it so hard...

to live a simple life?

Hua Qian blew the whistle on her father

and Meng Yifei is disfigured?

How interesting.

I can't just stay here.

I'm going to join in the fun.

Miss, Zhong's Garden is in a mess now.

Please don't cause any more trouble.

I'm not going to cause trouble.

I'm simply joining in the fun.

Seeing that they are miserable

I feel good.

Miss...

I beg you. Please stop.

Stop? What did I do?

My father told me to live in Zhong's Garden.

I did as I was told. I was obedient, wasn't I?

What, are you going to rat me out?

That's right.

My father sent you here to watch over me.

Fine. Go on and say whatever you want.

Jin Lin is not engaged!

I deserve to die.

I deserve to die.

I deserve to die.

I saw that you couldn't forget Jin Lin

so I sent a letter to Master.

Master ordered Jin Lin

to deliver the goods to you.

His motive was to make you give up hope.

Master forced Jin Lin to end things with you

by threatening to harm his family.

Miss.

Miss.

I thought that you would be devoted to Lord

if you forgot Jin Lin.

It was my fault.

I beg you to punish me, Miss!

Is it true that Jin Lin is not engaged?

Yes, it's true.

I knew it.

Zhuqing has not forgotten me.

Miss, I won't lie to you anymore.

Please take good care of yourself, Miss.

I will.

Miss, the physician said that

if you took good care of the wound

it wouldn't... leave a scar.

It won't leave a scar?

It's such a big wound!

How is it possible that it won't leave a scar?

How about I cut your face?

No... Miss...

I shouldn't have said that.

Please forgive me.

Where is Hua Qian? Where is that slut now?

She did this to me.

I shall see who can protect her!

Answer me!

Miss Hua...

Miss, it's time to eat.

Miss, the food will turn cold soon.

Miss Meng, please stop.

What, I can't go in there?

Please forgive me, Miss Meng.

Lord ordered that no one is allowed to visit her.

Visit?

Hua Qian and I are not friends.

She harmed me with a knife.

I'm here to confront her.

How dare you stop me?

- I can't disobey Lord's orders. - Nonsense!

Hua Qian attacked me.

Lord is someone who can distinguish

between right and wrong.

Men, drag Hua Qian out here.

Yes, Miss.

Miss Meng, if you want to arrest her

please come here with Lord's order.

Otherwise, please forgive us

for not obeying your orders.

Miss, the guards here

are just acting according to Lord's orders.

Your wound hasn't healed yet.

You shouldn't be standing in the wind

for too long.

Besides, you don't have to arrest her yourself.

Miss, did you hear the noise outside?

Meng Yifei brought men with her

demanding to confront you.

But after raising a racket for a while

she had no choice but to leave.

Miss, you don't know about this.

Everyone in Zhong's Garden said

Meng Yifei got drunk at the banquet

and took a fall.

Not only did her face get injured

but also her brain.

The physician said you should avoid wind

while you're recuperating.

Why did you come out again?

I'm really scared

so I'm here to see Your Highness

hoping to find peace.

You have been with me for many years.

Not being forthcoming is inappropriate.

Miss Meng, revealing your wound

could cause discomfort for Her Highness.

Why didn't you dress up the wound?

The doctor said that

the wound shouldn't be covered up

so I left it like this.

Your Highness, if I have caused you discomfort

please forgive me.

When I said I was scared

I didn't mean for myself.

I'm scared for Lord.

If you have anything to say, just say it.

I went to see the attacker and wanted to

demand an explanation for my scar.

Little did I expect to see that

she was being guarded.

And no outsiders are allowed to see her.

I could only take a look from a distance.

Her compound doesn't seem

like a place for a prisoner

because the furniture and ornaments

are not inferior to mine.

And those guards said

they were acting on Lord's orders.

The daughter of the Hua family

was ruthless and relentless

yet she's still here in Zhong's Garden.

I'm so worried

that I can't sleep or eat well.

You used to be good at managing situations.

Why are you flinching now?

It's embarrassing if the servants see you

behaving like that.

It seems that you're still not composed enough.

I need to find someone else

to help manage the affairs of Zhong's Garden.

- Your Highness. - That way

you won't lose your appetite or sleep.

I'm not worried about myself.

I'm just worried about Lord.

After all, that woman has done harm before.

I'm afraid that she may hurt...

Are all our guards and servants disabled?

What's more, Lord knows martial arts.

Can't he defeat a weak woman?

Instead of spending your time here

you should go recuperate in your compound.

Zhong's Garden is getting more and more dreary.

I will start

looking for some other girls

to live here for a while.

When you're fully recovered

you can help me pick some.

Yes, Your Highness.

I didn't expect Her Highness

to protect her like this.

Miss, Her Highness mentioned

that she would get some girls to live here.

Please take my suggestion.

Go back and recuperate.

It's not too late to teach her a lesson

when you're fully recovered.

I can't stand seeing her on her high horse.

Her Highness doesn't care.

I don't believe the butlers don't care either.

You have been holding this book in your hands

without flipping a page.

Is this page going to transform into something?

Lord, are you going to imprison me

for the rest of my life?

Do you insist on taking the rap for Butler Hua?

I did it.

Why did you say I took the fall for my father?

Qian, quit this, will you?

I want to see my father.

Not now.

Do you mean

that I won't have a chance to see my father

until he is convicted?

In that case, I have nothing to say.

Can't you see that I'm doing this for your sake?

I hope that you will come to understand...

the true meaning of this sentence.

Zhong's Garden

Lord has indeed issued an order.

No one is allowed to visit her.

It may be a house arrest.

A house arrest?

More like protection.

It's hard to say.

How did he handle the Hua family?

Lord just ordered to imprison

the entire family in their house

and no one is allowed to enter or leave.

Lord is busy with the shops

so it's hard for him to cover every aspect.

The case of the Hua family is a serious matter.

Pass down my order. Add more guards.

Your Highness.

You don't usually interfere with these matters.

If Lord finds out

will he bear a grudge?

It's merely a precautionary measure.

I hope he knows what to prioritise.

Yes, Your Highness.

Lord.

It's been proved that

Hua Wen'ang had framed the Mu family.

And he has pleaded guilty.

Lord, I implore you to execute him

to placate the loyal butler who was framed.

Magistrate Wang, I invited you here today

to discuss the case of the Hua family.

How is the investigation coming along?

I have already sent someone

to bring Broker Qian in for questioning.

The truth will come to light within three days.

Since Hua Wen'ang has confessed

to the crime he committed

the testimony of Broker Qian is unnecessary.

He has committed such a serious crime

yet he's only imprisoned in his house.

In my opinion

he should be punished according to the law

and you should make an example out of him.

Lord.

Although Hua Wen'ang has committed

a serious crime

considering his voluntary confession

we can see that he has a conscience.

So, I think he doesn't deserve to die.

Are you saying

one can be absolved from a crime

as long as he comes forward to plead guilty?

Then, what is the use of the law?

Butler Qin, you misunderstood me.

The law isn't all cold and rigid.

The strong bond between Hua Wen'ang

and his daughter Hua Qian is quite touching.

They possess a strong sense of morality

and were not influenced by personal motives.

We should hail them for that.

That was a long speech

but you haven't suggested any punishment

so it's equivalent to saying nothing.

Well...

I'm not Magistrate Wang

so I shouldn't be the one to order a sentence.

But I maintain my stance.

Hua Wen'ang doesn't deserve to die.

Send him and his family into exile

for two or three years

just like Butler Mu who was framed.

Lord.

You may agree with Li Ji

and decide to send him into exile.

Or you may give him a death sentence.

We shouldn't make the same mistake twice.

This matter will be discussed further

after Magistrate Wang gets to the bottom of it.

Rest assured, Lord Zhong.

Butlers, please be patient.

This is my duty

to investigate and get to the bottom of it.

Lord.

I heard that someone attacked my niece.

Yifei is the eldest daughter of my brother.

She met with an unfortunate incident

so I hope you can do justice for her, Lord.

This is my household affair.

Why did you bring it up

in front of all the butlers?

Meng Ming.

Does your family plan to have

a finger in every pie?

Lord, please forgive me.

Yifei is the apple of my brother's eye.

But now he's running the business in the South

and his health is getting worse by the day.

I was out of line

as I was worried about my niece.

Hua Wen'ang unscrupulously

framed his peer

and his daughter Hua Qian...

To think she would attack Yifei

during the banquet.

He may have confessed to framing Mu Yunping

but his daughter committed a heinous act.

Obviously, she shows no respect

for the Zhong family.

Lord.

Though there may be hidden information

or misunderstanding pertaining to this matter

I still feel that it's inappropriate of you

to keep Hua Qian in Zhong's garden.

As the matter remains ambiguous

I worry for you, Lord.

Meng Yifei was injured

because she was drunk and took a fall.

How could you blame the Hua family?

Everyone witnessed how Miss Hua

took the rap for her father at the banquet.

How did she attack Meng Yifei?

Lord, someone saw her

stepping out for a while during the banquet.

Was she the only one that stepped out

during the banquet?

You claimed that Hua Qian hurt Meng Yifei.

Why did she do it? What feud do they have?

Can you explain that?

Lord.

Maybe Yifei made a mistake.

But, Lord, I implore you to look into the matter.

Having said that

I still think it is inappropriate that

the daughter of the Hua family

is still in Zhong's Garden.

Didn't you hear what I said just now?

Why are you bringing up

the matters of my residence?

I think Butler Meng is indeed getting old.

I heard that the transport guards he sent out

were killed by bandits.

Meng Ming, didn't you also say

that Butler Meng was in poor health?

So, I must do something to help him cope.

Senior, I remember you once managed

the shops in the South.

Take my order. You shall set off next month

to assist Butler Meng

in managing the shops in the South

and help him lighten the workload.

I shall obey, Lord.

What were they thinking?

Do they all think that I am stupid?

Lord, please simmer down.

We dare not have such thoughts.

I knew it.

She's adamant about this.

That's why she went to provoke the Meng family.

Look at him. He's not acting like a lord.

He has learned the rules for 20-odd years.

And today, he forgot them all!

Please don't be angry.

Lord has a lot on his plate lately.

I noticed that Lord has lost a lot of weight.

Your Highness, you raised him.

A mother knows her son best.

You know his temperament

better than anyone else.

It's understandable

when one makes a mistake.

But he still has you, Your Highness

to guide him along.

A grown-up child won't listen to his mother.

Since he had the nerve to say those words

in front of all the butlers

that shows he's not going to listen to me.

You and he share a strong bond.

Lord will never ignore you.

If he knew he had to hold back

there was no way he would make

such an unwise move.

He's a mild-natured child.

I didn't expect him to be so stubborn.

He's worse than Yelan.

I can't believe I haven't seen this side of him.

If he keeps this up

don't tell me I have to deal with it myself?

For more than two decades

you have seen watching his every move.

He never disappoints.

However, it's only human

to be bewildered

by new experiences and emotions.

If Lord can come to his senses on his own

it beats any lengthy advice he gets

from people around him.

I'm not sure

if he can come to his senses on his own.

Trust him.

Oh, right.

I overheard the servants chatting today

which reminded me

that Lord's birthday is around the corner.

But I heard Lord has ordered that

the celebration should be

kept simple and small.

I guess it's because he is busy

and has no time to organise it.

A simple celebration is good

but what is needed can't be left out.

I'll have a deep discussion with him

after his birthday.

Miss, Lord is here.

Greetings, Lord.

Watch what you say

when you're in Zhong's Garden!

Lord, what do you mean?

I have given enough leeway

to you and your family.

If you continue sending out messages

and putting pressure on me via your family

my patience may run out.

I don't understand what you mean, Lord.

Since you don't understand

you shall be confined to your compound

and focused on recuperating!

Hua Qian attacked me.

Are you going to pretend you know nothing?

I have been living here for quite some time.

How could you treat me like this, Lord?

Do you want me to spell it out for you?

Lord...

Miss...

How did he find out?

It's impossible...

Wang, have you heard about what happened

to Head Butler of the Zhong family?

You mean Hua Wen'ang, right?

Of course, I heard.

Head Butler of the 100-year-old incense shop

had to step down so suddenly.

It is said that his daughter

blew the whistle on him.

I think Miss Hua is really cruel.

He's her father after all

but she didn't show any mercy.

Well, Miss Hua put righteousness

before family.

It's not what an ordinary lady would do.

I heard she took the fall for her father at first

but Hua Wen'ang couldn't sit there

and watch her do that

so he came forward and confessed.

Is that true?

In that case, Miss Hua

is a role model for women.

The South is too far from Huangcheng.

The news from there

takes around ten days to reach us.

I wonder how's the Hua family now.

Hua Wen'ang made a big mistake.

Even if Lord of the Zhong family wants his life

it's understandable.

I don't know if it will implicate his family.

It's not going to be easy for Miss Hua.

Yeah.

I never failed the tasks you assigned me.

But I hope you will keep your word

and not lie to me.

Didn't you say that I was a bad liar?

So, why are you worried?

Master.

Even with your token

I was not allowed to enter Hua Residence.

I didn't get to see Qianzhi.

Hua Residence may be locked down

but it beats having the entire family

thrown into prison.

I don't think any of them are suffering.

My family was the cause of this.

I was, too, blinded by wrath

and had done something wrong.

If I put myself in their shoes

I believe it's only the doing of one individual

not everyone in the Hua family did wrong.

How about I beg Lord

to punish them lightly?

This matter is not up to you now.

Never mind.

I'd better make a trip to Zhong's Garden.

If you really want to do something for Hua Qian

you'd better not go to Zhong's Garden now.

Why?

Sometimes

men are more jealous than women.

Don't worry.

I know what to do.

I'm sorry.

I'm acting on someone's behalf.

I can't let you leave.

As you can see, I'm very busy now.

If it's not important

let's talk about it some other day.

I'm about to leave for the South.

Before I leave, I'm still a little worried

so I want to ask you about something.

What do you want to know?

How are you going to deal with Hua Qian?

In what capacity are you asking me this?

As your senior.

If that's the case, it doesn't concern you.

Hua Qian is the daughter of the Hua family

and Butler Hua has committed a crime.

Be it personal factors or rational reasons

you shouldn't keep her here.

I'm sure you've read the butlers' routine reports

in the past few days.

Some of them brought it up openly

while some of them tried to hint to you.

If you insist on not listening

I'm afraid Hua Qian will be in a tight spot.

Don't forget that she used to be my...

Do you want to interfere in my affairs

like those butlers?

Are you doing this because you care about me?

Or do you have another intention?

The Zhong Family History Record

When I go to the South

I plan to take Mu Yao with me.

And I hope to give her status before I leave.

Now that the Mu family's name is cleared

I would like to ask you to be our witness

and declare that Mu Yao is now my legal wife

and have that recorded in the family history.

Mu Yan and I are truly in love.

And now, I'm very sure of my feelings.

I'm happy to have her

as my only woman for the rest of my life.

It takes great effort to see you.

Many of us tried ways and means

to live in Zhong's Garden.

And you?

Even Lord couldn't keep you here.

He had to send guards to keep watch on you.

Do you know why I hate you?

When you liked Zhong Yelan

you resorted to underhand means

to be with him

and no one stopped you.

Unlike some people.

Meeting their sweethearts

isn't something that comes easily.

You live a life I wanted

and everyone likes you so much

but yet, you're not satisfied.

Don't you think you're particularly annoying?

But seeing how miserable you are now

I feel much better.

So much for him taking a liking to you.

It's not going to help you.

You climbed over the wall

just to tell me these things?

You finally stopped pretending to be dumb.

Go on, read your book.

This is probably the last time we see each other.

I won't say sorry for what I did to you

but I'll make it up to you in another way.

How?

I won't tell you.

Bonus footage

Miss, I've made the bed.

I once praised you for being composed

and now it seems that I was right.

Even though you were tipping your master off

you showed no signs of being nervous

on your face.

It seems that nothing in this world

can faze you.

I was wrong. Please punish me, Miss.

You were not wrong.

You are a loyal servant.

It's just that the master you are loyal to...

isn't me.

Miss.

Ever since I was little, I was trained

to do my master's bidding.

I don't even have a choice.

It's none of my business.

I know I did wrong.

Punish me however you want.

You usually have Qianzhi or Hua Rongzhou

to run your errands.

So, I...

I didn't tip him off all the time.

When you said you were going to

leave Huangcheng

I kept it to myself.

All of you said the same thing

when you tried to defend yourselves.

Are you saying it doesn't count as a betrayal

if it occurred only occasionally?

Since you played the hypocrite

with every semblance of sincerity

don't expect me to be kind to you now.