Original subtitles

Yao'er.

My dear Yao'er.

Dear.

What happened to Yao'er?

Take a look at these rashes.

She has rashes all over.

Did any of you have sandalwood with you just now?

Since she was a kid, Ms. Ruoyao can't get into contact with sandalwood.

Everyone in the Jiang Residence knows this.

Naturally, they wouldn't have it on them.

Could it be the guest

who carried it?

Speak up if you have something to say.

Her ladyship

started developing rashes after wearing earrings from Ms. Jiang Li.

Could it be in the earrings?

Take off the earrings and check them.

Yes.

Ms. Jiang Li.

Why did you do this?

I know you're displeased

and are not fond of Ms. Ruoyao.

But such an act is simply out of line.

I don't dislike Ruoyao at all

nor did I add any fragrance.

All the evidence points to you.

How can you deny it?

Li'er,

explain yourself.

Father,

can you give me

some time alone with Ruoyao?

What are you up to?

I experienced similar symptoms

when I was at Zhennv Hall.

I know a way

to make Ruoyao feel better.

Why can't your father and I see it?

Mother,

please trust me.

With you and Father here,

what are you afraid of?

They're all gone.

Just say what you want.

Why did you do this to me?

Ruoyao,

I didn't mean to steal your thunder today.

As your older sister, I only want

to extend my congratulations like any sister would do today.

However,

someone deliberately stopped me from attending your Hairpin Ceremony.

Stop feigning innocence.

Tell me.

Why did you use sandalwood to harm me?

You clearly know you're allergic to sandalwood.

Yet you endured this pain out for a ploy

to vent your anger from the Hairpin Ceremony.

It must really be hard on you.

Then we have nothing to discuss further.

Let Father come in

so he can see your vicious true colors.

I asked them to leave

to preserve your dignity.

Do you think the ploy

of harming yourself

would make them punish me?

What do you mean?

If you're certain that I'm behind this,

let me deduce what will happen next.

First of all,

I'll ask my maid,

Xiangqiao, to testify for me.

After I bought these earrings,

they've been under her safekeeping.

I've never touched them since.

I know.

Xiangqiao works for you and your mother.

So she'll go to great lengths to frame me.

It was Ms. Jiang Li who put the fragrance in there.

I saw it myself.

Nonsense. You're making slanderous accusations.

Xiangqiao,

you must have lost your conscience

to make up such a baseless accusation.

No, I'm not!

If I'm lying,

heaven shall strike me with lightning!

Then

Mother will take the opportunity to aggravate the situation.

Li'er,

you could've come to me directly if you're displeased.

Ruoyao is your younger sister.

How could you not consider family ties?

Isn't this the truth?

Of course not.

Because the earrings containing the fragrance

is an imitation.

What?

A few days ago, I spent 20 taels of silver

on these earrings at the capital's Jixiang Store.

Earrings of this quality and price

are rarely seen in the entire store.

But the craftsmanship of these earrings is rough.

Forget about 20 taels.

They're not even worth one tael.

Grandmother is knowledgeable about these.

She'd notice at a glance.

Jixiang Store products

cannot possibly be of this quality.

So here comes the question.

Who swapped the earrings that I intended to give you?

You don't have to frame Xiangqiao.

She's not that bold.

A person's boldness is nurtured.

During this time,

I've always given Xiangqiao nice things.

Nice things

naturally breed courage.

She thought I would be kicked out sooner or later.

This expensive pair of earrings will eventually end up with Mother,

so it's better to keep them herself.

Do you really think people are that foolish?

Who would believe your story?

Coincidentally,

I have a witness.

I wasn't sure

Xiangqiao would switch them out,

so I had Tong'er follow her.

She indeed went to the craftsman specializing in counterfeits.

Everything will fall into place after Father's probing.

So what?

How can you prove

that a greedy maid was the one who put the fragrance?

Of course there's evidence.

The fragrance is in Xiangqiao's room.

If you don't believe it,

I'll ask Father to investigate now.

How is that possible?

It's not that Xiangqiao is incompetent.

It's just that inequality

rather than want is the cause of trouble for most people.

Yunshuang has long been jealous of her.

This is from Madam Ji.

All right.

This is my last warning.

Don't ruin Madam Ji's plan.

If you still remember that I brought you to work here,

don't stir up trouble.

So what if you brought me to work here?

Why must you always mention it?

Let's rely on our own abilities.

You can't blame others if you're not doing well.

If this scheme to frame me succeeds,

it will be Xiangqiao's credit.

If it fails,

don't you think Yunshuang would use this opportunity to get rid of Xiangqiao?

So you've been instigating the two maids

from the beginning.

I'm just protecting myself.

If I'm not careful,

won't they add deceiving mother and harming sister

to my crimes of matricide and fratricide?

It has been so long.

What exactly is Li'er doing?

Let them talk a bit longer.

Both of them are all grown up.

What can happen?

Since you've figured everything out,

why are you talking to me alone?

Why didn't you say it

in front of everyone earlier?

I don't want to be your enemy.

But don't think about driving me away either.

I returned to reclaim what was mine.

If you keep getting in my way,

I won't let it go again.

That's all I have to say.

Whether to pin the blame

on me or not,

that's up to you.

Li'er grew up in Zhennv Hall.

We don't know her temperament well.

Her intentions may be good,

but she might not handle this matter properly.

We can't help but worry

when we're out here.

Father,

Ruoyao is much better now.

Yao'er,

how are you feeling now?

Much better,

thanks to Jiang Li.

We misunderstood Jiang Li regarding the earrings.

Yao'er,

tell me.

What's the misunderstanding?

I'm feeling a bit tired now. I want to sleep for a while.

Since it was a misunderstanding,

it's good that it's resolved.

Dear,

don't worry too much.

Yao'er,

get some rest.

Let's all go back now.

Mother,

give me the antidote.

What did she say to you?

Mother,

your idea of making me break out in a rash wasn't good at all.

The maids you sent over

can't do anything right.

The matter was resolved just like that?

Yes.

I heard it was all a misunderstanding.

Bring Li'er here.

Yes.

Greetings, Grandmother.

I made pear soup

and thought of you.

Thank you, Grandmother.

Come.

Sit here and drink it.

I heard Ruoyao was sick today.

And her mother summoned you for questioning.

What happened?

It was nothing serious.

Ruoyao just wasn't feeling well.

Some people are spreading rumors that you harbored ill intentions

and the gift you gave became something poisonous.

I'm not blind, you know.

You can tell me the truth.

It was my maid

who made a mistake.

She mixed up the gift I wanted to give Ruoyao.

Mother will surely punish them.

You're truly a sensible girl.

It's heartbreaking to see you suffer such grievances.

After drinking the pear soup today,

I no longer feel wronged.

I remember that your mother chose

those two maids in your courtyard.

Ms. Zhang.

-Accompany Li'er to Fangfei Courtyard. -Yes.

Grandmother.

This is my idea.

Just do as I say.

That woman is not here.

So this place is ours.

We can...

-Do what we want. -Do what we want.

Zhang, Wang.

Li and Zhao.

-Why are you here? -What brings you here?

-We're here to get you. -We're here to take you.

-Get them! -Go!

What are they doing?

They want to take us away?

-Don't touch me. -Stop.

-Stop it. -You're hurting me.

Let go!

-Cut it out! -Let go.

Drag these two troublemakers out

and punish them.

-Ms. Zhang. -Ms. Zhang.

Is there a mistake?

-Ms. Zhang, we're innocent. -That's right.

Take them away.

Ms. Zhang.

-Zhang, Wang. -Li, Zhao.

-We're innocent. -We're innocent.

Xiangqiao, this is all your fault.

How is it my fault?

-Come on. -I'm not going. Let go.

-No! -I don't want to!

No, I'm not going!

I'm innocent!

Ms. Jiang Li, we're wrongfully accused!

I'm not going.

Ms. Jiang Li, we're innocent!

We're wrongfully accused!

Ms. Jiang Li, you must be in shock.

Old Madam already gave instructions

to send you new maids tomorrow.

You can keep the ones you're satisfied with.

I'm grateful to Grandmother

and thank you too, Ms. Zhang, for coming.

Would you like to come in for tea?

I still need to report back.

-Ms. Jiang Li, please rest well. -All right.

Jiang Li.

You won this fight beautifully.

Grandmother never gets involved

in household affairs.

This time, she stepped in

and even took care of everything for you.

What did you do?

It's because Grandmother has a kind heart.

Grandmother is very perceptive, you know?

Even if she saw through Aunt Shuran's schemes,

she wouldn't say anything.

This time, Ms. Zhang came over

and took care of everything for you.

You can rest easy now

and won't be harmed

by those lame tricks anymore.

I must thank you,

my good cousin.

It's Jingrui

or just Little Ruirui is fine.

After all, gifts blind the eyes.

And I really like the little turtle you gave me.

By the way, I heard your chrysanthemum tea is especially good.

Let me try some.

Come on.

Old Madam,

we've dealt with those two maids.

Tomorrow, help pick someone reliable

to send over.

Yes.

She has been managing the household for so many years.

Why can't she let things go?

Li'er came back with nothing

and suffered so much in the mountain.

What harm is there in being nicer to her?

Yuanbai adores her so much.

We're both women.

And I can't say

that Yuanbai is wrong.

Madam Ji is a smart person.

I'm sure she'll behave in the future.

Let's hope your words come true.

Why did Old Madam suddenly ask about this?

I'm not too sure either.

I just heard

Old Madam suddenly summoned Ms. Jiang Li over

and sold her maids.

They said she'll send new maids to her.

She's trying to keep me in check.

But the Old Madam

didn't pursue this matter.

This means

she doesn't want to have a fallout with you.

It was clearly Ruoyao's Hairpin Ceremony.

Yet that girl stole the limelight.

I even had to adorn her hair

in front of everyone.

Since it has come to this,

I must fulfill my duties

as a mother now.

What do you have in mind, Madam Ji?

Now that she has entered adulthood,

I must plan

her marriage properly

to avoid

being accused of ill-treatment.

My lady, my name is Bai Xue.

This is her background.

My lady, please review it.

If you're satisfied with her,

you can keep her around.

Thank you, Ms. Zhang.

BAI XUE, BORN IN ZAOHUA VILLAGE

My lady, I'm healthy and strong.

I can clean the courtyard.

It states here

that you're from Zaohua Village.

I know a girl

who's also from Zaohua Village.

What's her name?

I may know her.

Haitang.

She's over 20 years old.

She has two younger brothers.

I've never heard of her before.

But my parents have been living in Zaohua Village for a long time.

I can write home

and ask around.

Thank you.

Miss.

Why are you searching for a girl named Haitang?

Haitang was my maid.

After that incident,

I never saw her again.

But her disappearance is fishy.

Perhaps she knows something.

I'm not sure

if she was also harmed.

If I can find her,

it might reveal the truth of what happened.

Dear.

Dear,

you're back.

Are you all right?

Does it hurt?

I'm fine.

Next time, let the servants handle

the needlework.

All these years, I've always sewn

all of your clothing myself.

Everything in this house

is handled with these hands.

Dear, it must be hard for you.

I just learned these things after marriage.

My parents never taught me these things at home before.

They only let me focus on practicing guqin.

That's right.

When we first met,

you played a song

at your father's banquet.

I still can't forget it.

But now, these hands

are worn out from the household's affairs.

My little hardships

are nothing compared to yours.

You must be tired.

Have some tea.

All right.

I've been unable to manage Li'er's affairs properly.

I feel ashamed as a mother.

It's not entirely your fault.

Although Li'er was in the mountain for years,

she's gentle and sensible.

I want to find a good husband for her.

I heard the Minister of Personnel's youngest son

is still not married.

He has a good appearance and character.

His family isn't that prestigious.

Minister Zhao's rank is below yours.

But he is loyal and steady,

which is rare in officialdom.

Zhao Qi is also good-looking and well-educated.

I'm sure he would treat Li'er well.

Li'er was raised in Zhennv Hall

without formal education.

She had a questionable reputation too.

With His Majesty's promotion of female education,

it's natural

to want a well-educated daughter-in-law.

Li'er is lacking in this aspect.

If someone marries her

just to gain favor with you

but disdains and mistreats her,

won't that be my fault?

So after much consideration,

I sought the Zhao family

and asked for their opinion.

They're very willing.

Besides, Li'er has your support.

She won't suffer after she marries.

You're right.

But we should also consider Li'er's feelings.

Why are you staring at me, Father?

I think you're now an adult

and it's time to consider marriage.

I've only just returned.

Are you already trying to send me away?

Don't be ridiculous.

We've just reunited

and we're talking about separating.

I feel upset.

I'm not forcing you to marry now.

We can meet him first.

If it's a good match, let's agree on it,

then we can discuss marriage later.

Your mother has worked hard on this for you.

We can't let her down.

All right.

I'll do as you say.

Miss,

why is Ji Shuran

suddenly introducing a marriage prospect to you?

I'm sure she wants to get rid of me,

so she's eager to marry me off.

Who is Zhao Qi?

I did ask around.

He's a talented scholar.

Three years ago, he performed exceptionally well

at the Imperial Academy's examination,

earning an audience with His Majesty and rewards.

However, he refused an official position.

Why would Ji Shuran

give me such a good match?

Maybe if the match is not good enough,

his lordship wouldn't agree so easily.

There must be something fishy.

How about you talk to his lordship

and reject it?

No.

He already said

Ji Shuran worked hard on this, so we can't disappoint her.

If I mention it again,

I will be ungrateful.

Miss,

what if you talk to Old Madam?

So what if she's rushing

to find a good husband for her stepdaughter?

Is Ji Shuran wrong?

-Well... -If it's not a huge problem,

Grandmother can't blame her.

We must handle

this matter ourselves.

Chancellor Jiang.

This is my son, Zhao Qi.

Greetings, Chancellor Jiang.

Greetings, Mrs. Jiang.

Not bad. He looks quite dignified indeed.

Ms. Jiang Li looks lovely.

Greetings, Mrs. Zhao.

These are some small gifts from us.

Have a seat.

Serve the tea.

Our courtyards

have some pleasant views.

Mr. Zhao, it's your first time here.

How about we let Li'er show you around?

That'd be great.

Ms. Jiang Li, after you.

Finding a good husband for Jiang Li

is the best solution to deal with her.

Mr. Zhao made some trouble a few years ago

and only got out of it after working for my father.

This gave my father a hold over him for life.

I hate Jiang Li.

Without us getting involved,

she'll never be able

to turn the tables in this lifetime.

Ms. Jiang Li,

I've prepared a small gift

for our first meeting.

Is this blush?

Yes.

It is made from purple jasmine,

giving it a hint of cold purple color.

It's delicate yet elegant.

It's not suitable for ordinary women

but just right for you.

Mr. Zhao, you're so thoughtful.

But I did not prepare anything for you.

It's all right.

Let's end the pleasantries here.

After living in Zhennv Hall for ten years,

you returned in a grand fashion.

You must be a smart person.

Shall we be frank?

Mr. Zhao, you're straightforward.

I don't like beating around the bush either.

Great.

I'll drop my act now.

Listen.

My parents

hope for a prosperous family line.

So after we're married, I hope

your top priority is growing the family.

Mr. Zhao, you sure are frank and straightforward.

But it's too early to discuss this.

Here's the thing.

I'll skip the romantic words,

so you don't have to put up a pretense,

then play hard to get later.

You still have to marry me after going back and forth that way, right?

So it never occurred to you that I'd reject you?

You dare to refuse a marriage?

Can't I?

What a joke.

Besides me, who else can you marry?

Since ancient times,

marriage arrangements have always been about status.

I'm the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family

and your father's rank is lower than my father's.

How high can your status be?

Must I marry you?

Do you really think

your status as a legitimate daughter

allows you

to pick any man in this world?

You probably don't know

how the other elites

in the city view you.

Then please enlighten me.

Then I shall reluctantly

explain it to you.

In noble family marriage unions,

reputation is the most important thing.

Then appearance and talent come after.

A lady's virtue is important.

How's yours?

Your clothing style

is extremely tacky.

As for your appearance,

it's quite unique,

lacking proper care, showing signs of fatigue.

As for your talent,

you stayed in the mountain for ten years

without proper education.

So how many words can you even read?

As for your reputation,

everyone knows about the matricide and fratricide.

If you were from an ordinary family,

you'd marry just anyone.

But as the Jiang family's legitimate daughter,

you could marry

some lower-class illegitimate sons

or be a concubine.

But even if you were willing,

would your family agree to that?

In the capital,

officials above the fifth rank

won't accept you.

And your family won't accept

those below the fifth rank.

That's why

you need to thank the heavens

that the Zhao family agreed to this arrangement today.

So are you the only one I can marry then?

Do you have any other choice?

Considering your nobility,

why would you want to marry someone like me?

To grow the family.

I guess you're not young anymore.

Men don't age as gracefully as women.

I can see the lines around your eyes.

Really?

Wait.

Just tell me what you want to say.

There can only be one possibility for a fine man like you in the capital

to be unmarried at your age

and just focused

on pleasing your parents.

What is it?

You have a lover but can't marry her.

I never expected you to be such a joker.

Have a grape.

What's the matter?

Does she not meet the standards of the Zhao family?

Which brothel is she from?

You...

What are you talking about?

Others may not understand, but I do.

When you were young,

you saw how beautiful the lady from the brothel was,

so you kept her outside your home

and played the role of a husband.

You clearly like her but don't dare to bring her home

for fear of being scolded by your parents.

You didn't fuss over getting married.

Fortunately, you're still young,

so you have ample excuses to drag your marriage.

Now that you're older,

how can your parents tolerate this anymore?

You can't delay it

and are afraid of exposing your secret lover.

So you must quickly find

a suitable match from a respectable family.

However,

those suitable matches look down on you

because you're old.

You can't aim for prestigious families

and your parents won't accept those with low standards.

So you set your eyes on me,

a notorious legitimate daughter from a renowned family.

So you're begging me to be kind,

self-sacrificing, and heroic

to rescue you from dire situations.

Such baseless statements, nonsense,

fabrication, and hogwash.

Mr. Zhao, you're an unparalleled talent,

well-learned, with remarkable literary talent.

-You... -What?

Zhao Qi,

let me be clear.

I won't marry you.

First, I'm discerning

and won't turn a blind eye.

Second, I have other matters to attend to.

I can't marry anyone.

Go and reject this marriage.

Otherwise, when I'm in a bad mood,

I'll bring my family to your secret lover and send her to your Zhao family.

At this moment,

are you threatening me?

It's not a threat.

I'm just ending our marriage arrangement.

What I'll say next is a threat.

Zhao Qi,

listen to me clearly.

You can toy with a lady without support.

But marrying a lady from a noble family just to continue your family line

is unheard of.

I'll let your behavior slide today.

But if I ever find out

you treat other ladies like this.

I'll expose everything

and the Zhao family will be humiliated in the capital.

Go.

If we keep talking, you'll reveal your true colors

and it'll be an eyesore.

I do proper care daily.

These two have been away for quite a while.

They must be getting along well.

Mr. Zhao doesn't seem to be interested in me.

What?

Yes, Mother.

Let's discuss this marriage matter again.

Miss, you're so clever.

How did you know he had a lover?

I had a friend

who went through this kind of ordeal.

Ever since we had Ping'an,

he hasn't touched me.

He spends his time with his lover outside, drinking and having fun.

DAI YUN

Ms. Xue.

Sorry to tell you about these things.

What's your plan after this?

Now that I have Ping'an

and his family has a descendant,

his parents can't meddle no matter how much he's having fun.

This is how my life would be forever.

As for you,

you must keep this in mind.

Those who just want women

to continue their family line

are shameless.

Women are doomed for one wrong decision,

but men can be philanderers

and their families would even go to great lengths to cover it up.

How despicable.

But Ji Shuran is determined

to kick you out of the family now.

Besides, marriages are decided by parents and arranged by matchmakers.

You managed to get rid of Mr. Zhao today.

There will be other prospects after this.

What should we do then?

To stay in the Jiang Residence,

I need to find another way.

What way?

Walk out of here.

YANG RESIDENCE

What's the meaning of this?

Yang Song is suspected of colluding with merchants

to secretly sell official salt.

We're ordered to arrest him.

We have female family members here.

Even secret guards cannot barge in like this.

Mrs. Yang,

since there are women in the house,

we won't search inside.

Please ask him to come out.

Duke Su,

there must be a mistake.

My husband would never commit

such a crime.

He has been honest and upright all his life.

He never accepted any gifts.

But he gave away

a lot of things from this household.

How could such a person break the law?

Mrs. Yang, have a seat.

Please have a seat, Mrs. Yang.

I believe you are unaware of this matter.

I've investigated many cases like this.

Even the Ministry of Justice sentenced him in the end,

but his wife and kid were still crying about his innocence.

They were unaware

that their actions

wasted His Majesty's mercy.

Once His Majesty was enraged,

the family wasn't spared.

Do you know

where these people ended up?

They were enslaved

and confined at the Office of Instruction.

Until death, they had no idea who failed them.

Forget the wife.

Even the pitiful young children became slaves

with no future at all.

Where is Yang Song?

A confession letter?

We've been tricked.

Your Majesty,

the Bureau of Salt and Iron had such a corrupt official.

I have failed in my duty.

I'm willing to be punished.

But before that,

I ask

for a chance to rectify the situation.

I'll punish the people in the Bureau of Salt and Iron.

I'm truly grateful to Duke Su for finding

corrupt officials in the Bureau of Salt and Iron.

You don't need to praise me, Judge Kong.

I put in so much effort.

Yet I only caught this small corrupt official for you.

Such is my incompetence.

How about I

take the punishment for this?

Duke Su deserves credit for the salt trafficking case.

As for the Bureau of Salt and Iron,

corruption has been deep-rooted.

It can't be purged overnight.

But take this as a warning, Minister Kong.

Be extremely cautious.

I won't disappoint Your Majesty's trust.

You're dismissed.

-Minister Shen. -Yes, Your Majesty.

How is the progress on the Imperial Examination reform?

Your Majesty,

I have started abolishing

the pre-submission of literary samples and public recommendations.

The exam will determine the ranking.

The new anonymous grading system

has also been implemented in the recent Provincial Examination.

For next year's Imperial Examination,

all examination halls will implement the new system.

Other than that, post stations have been set up in some counties

near the capital to issue vouchers and provide subsidies

to underprivileged examinees heading to the capital for exams.

After implementing this policy,

it has raised the people's spirits.

The number of examinees is increasing daily.

Your Majesty,

it's commendable to give underprivileged scholars opportunities.

However, adding new rules and canceling literary work pre-submission

increases the burden on examiners.

I've heard some cases of misjudgment in the Provincial Examination

and examinees reported it to the government office.

The capital's post stations also experienced chaos and overcrowding.

The Imperial Examination is held every three years.

Just relying on a single exam

can lead to talented individuals failing

and mediocre ones being selected.

If the chief examiner could know some genuinely talented candidates

through the pre-submission of literary work,

they would be better informed.

Hastily abolishing this system

could compromise fairness too.

Better informed?

Is it better informed about the examinees' talents

or their family backgrounds?

Your Majesty,

I believe

that since pre-submitted literary work

can lead to collusion between examinees and examiners,

abolishing it is the right move.

As for Chancellor Li's concerns,

the issue lies not in the new system but in the academic administration.

Appointing competent officials to enhance academic administration

to support the new exams is the way to address the fundamental problems.

A new system will inevitably

have some shortcomings at first.

We can just address them one by one.

If we cling to old practices

because we encounter constraints,

then reforms throughout history

would never have succeeded.

Minister Shen,

you can proceed without hesitation.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Speaking of the Imperial Examination,

let's discuss the Central Six Academies.

The Imperial Academy's Annual Exam on six subjects

has produced talents like Zhao Qi,

who's not interested in becoming an official.

The School of Integrity,

initially established to promote female education,

has been overlooked in recent years.

I want you to oversee

this year's Annual Exams for both schools.

Keep an eye

on those with genuine talent

and high aspirations for me.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Trinkets for sale!

My lord, we should let that cunning Kong Zhaofeng

lose some skin on our interrogation bench.

He has been in charge of the Bureau of Salt and Iron

for so many years because of his clean reputation.

We can't touch him yet.

Are we going to watch him have his fingers in the till

and let Yang Song take the fall?

Yang Song was just a pawn.

Have a taste of our fine wine!

This is

the finest tea of the year.

Judge Kong, have a cup.

Tea can be refilled once spilled.

But if someone gets a hold of your weaknesses,

it will be hard to break free.

I was careless.

But don't worry.

I've cleaned up the Bureau of Salt and Iron thoroughly.

Su Heng won't find anything.

I hope so.

-Father. -Father.

Do you know why I asked you to come here?

Money from the Bureau of Salt and Iron is cut off

while that side needs money.

We need to fill this gap.

Where should we start?

-The Ye family. -Ye family.

The Ye and Jiang families

are in-laws.

Since Jiang Yuanbai remarried

and Ye Zhenzhen's daughter Jiang Li

was sent to the Zhennv Hall,

the Ye and Jiang families

have not been in contact since.

The Ye family may be wealthy,

but they lack prestige.

The other year, the Ye family did everything

so their son Ye Shijie would get a provincial office recommendation

to study with us

at the Imperial Academy.

If we can control him,

won't we be able to control the entire Ye family?

Since you've thought of this, why didn't you take action?

Ye Shijie is an arrogant loner.

We haven't found the right opportunity yet.

I'll pave the way for you.

-All right. -All right.

Why aren't you drinking, Yurong?

A toast to you, Your Highness.

Even your posture while holding the wine cup looks graceful.

There's no need for a toast.

Today's banquet is for you.

I heard His Majesty wanted you to oversee

the Imperial Academy and School of Integrity's Annual Exams.

You're truly a talented individual.

Thank you, Your Highness.

Talented people in our nation study in both schools.

I'll work hard to select talents for His Majesty.

If it were just a routine examination, it wouldn't be interesting.

How about a joint competition

where the Imperial Academy's gentlemen can freely team up

with ladies from the School of Integrity?

That would be so lively.

The mere thought of it is so exciting.

We can't do that.

After all, the Annual Exam should be taken seriously.

Why can't we try something innovative?

If we follow Your Highness's suggestion,

students may inevitably form cliques,

then become narrowly partisan and seek personal gains.

Those with true talent

but poor social skills

or family background

might be overlooked.

This would be detrimental to our government's integrity.

You really are a clean and honest young official.

But I don't like it

when you talk to me so seriously.

It makes me uncomfortable.

On your knees.

Your Highness.

Kneel.