Original subtitles

=The Rise of Ning=

(Adapted from Wen Tan's novel "Chancellor Training Handbook" from Jinjiang Literature)

=Episode 31=

(Huanjing Pavilion)

Oh my god.

Young Lady Yining is only staying for a few days.

Duke Ying would spare no effort to give

her all the best things in the world.

She's Duke Ying's birth daughter.

She was finally found after so long.

Naturally, she'll be treasured above all else.

I used

to think Young Lady Mingzhu

was treasured beyond measure.

But after seeing it today,

the difference is clear.

You're right.

Just look at this yard.

It fits for a princess.

That's right.

(Huanjing Pavilion)

Father.

Mingzhu? What brings you here?

I heard Yining is coming.

I specially selected

a pair of white porcelain flower vases

for her.

Do you not like them?

Place the teacups here.

Over here.

Young Lady,

you went through the trouble of picking out these vases

to send over.

Why did the Duke Ying not like them?

Father has always been away at war

and hasn't been close to me.

Even so,

Young Lady Yining has yet to move back.

But Duke Ying already treats you this way.

Doesn't that mean

he'll be even more partial in the future?

Let's not think about that.

Grandma has always favored me.

She wouldn't change so easily.

I still have Ting, too.

He only acknowledges me as his sister.

(Duke Ying's Residence)

Thrust!

Retract!

Jab!

Thrust! Retract!

Thrust!

Retract!

Ting has improved.

Thrust!

Retract!

Jab!

Not bad.

Wei Ting, you made a lot of progress.

Father.

Mother.

Come on.

Yining, don't just stand there.

Greet your grandma.

Greetings, Old Madam Wei.

I wish you good health.

You can get up. The floor is cold.

This is Mingzhu.

She grew up here

and is a year younger than you.

From now on,

you are the legitimate Young Lady of this residence.

She will be your younger sister.

I hope both of you will get along

and support each other.

Hello, Yining.

Hello, Mingzhu.

Ting,

say hello.

She's your sister.

Aren't you the lady

from the Luo's Residence?

How did you become my birth sister?

Just do as I say and greet your sister.

Stop talking nonsense.

It's all right.

Today,

I had the kitchen prepare a lot of delicious dishes.

After dinner,

let your sister take you both to set off fireworks.

There are plenty this year.

They were sent from the palace.

You can enjoy them as much as you like, okay?

Is there honey-mixed yam today?

You always get a rash from it. Why do you still love eating it?

Once it's thoroughly cooked, it should be fine.

Just instruct the kitchen

to keep the yam somewhere safe.

Make sure Wei Ting doesn't grab them,

and it'll be fine.

Don't you agree?

Let's have dinner, then.

Grandma,

Second Uncle, Second Aunt.

I'm here to bid farewell.

Shanyuan,

I especially

had this pair of shoes custom-made for you.

You grew up in this home all your life

and haven't experienced hardship.

You're leaving home for the first time.

So make sure to take care of yourself

and don't let me worry.

Thank you, Grandma.

Shanyuan.

Although it's a military camp,

some arrangements are still necessary.

Spend what needs to be spent

and don't make things hard on yourself.

Thank you, Second Aunt.

Shanyuan, today is New Year's Eve.

Why don't you leave after the New Year?

The journey is long.

I should set off early.

It doesn't concern you in the matter of the adults.

Don't worry about it.

If you face any difficulties,

be sure to tell the family.

Thank you, Second Uncle.

Fourth Brother,

here's some bruise

and injury medicine from Sixth Uncle.

It's very effective.

Third Brother,

I'm sorry.

It's already in the past.

There's no need to bring it up anymore.

Family

will always be family.

Don't cry.

I'm joining the army

to protect and serve the country.

Take good care of Grandma,

as well as Second Uncle and Second Aunt.

Be good.

Take care, Grandma.

Mother.

It's a good thing

that Shan has the ambition

to go out and fight for a chance.

If anything were to happen,

Shenyuan would definitely help him.

You can rest assured.

Chen Lan committed

such a despicable act.

Look at how Chengwen

left just like that without spending the New Year here.

The principal home has completely fallen apart.

Fortunately,

Yiyu has married into the Liu family

and is favored.

Shan also regained his spirits.

What worries me the most right now

is Yixiu.

Father has been assigned elsewhere,

Shan is joining the army,

and Seventh Sister and the rest are also not here.

Mother...

I can't believe

I'm the only one left in the principal home.

Young Lady, don't be sad.

Well, you still have Young Master Lin.

He's not family.

What are you doing?

Last time we agreed to go to the night market,

but it didn't happen.

This time, I'll make it up to you.

Yixiu,

come here.

The shop hasn't even made much money yet,

and you're already spending recklessly.

Then

do you like it

or not?

Is this considered a night market?

Spirits of heaven and earth.

Light fairy, show yourself!

Bless me so I can make

my beloved happy.

Stop being silly.

The light fairy has responded!

Look.

What's this?

Liuhe Tavern's Mutton Fat Pastry.

Try it.

This is your favorite scented sachet.

This is the fragrance you wanted

the last time we were out together.

You finally smile.

(Marry Luo Yixiu as a wife)

Yixiu!

What's on your mind?

Say something.

Both of us

are already here.

Why did you have to use that to ask me?

Luo Yixiu!

Are you willing to marry me?

Many people are watching.

- Say yes! - Say yes!

Why did you do that?

There are so many people around.

Say yes!

I only want you to know

that I, Lin Mao,

will only marry you in this lifetime.

Father.

Mother.

Drop the formality.

Take a seat.

Then

shall we start eating now?

Yes.

Yixiu, try this.

There's no alcohol?

Sure.

Have a taste.

Every New Year is the same every year.

But there are fewer and fewer people around.

Just listen to what you've just said.

You're bringing down my mood again.

Why are you like this during the New Year?

You made me miss Yining.

You're right. Let's eat.

Everything today is your favorite.

Eat more.

(Chengjing Hall)

(Duke Ying's Residence)

Today is New Year's Eve.

One cup.

I said today is New Year's Eve.

Then half a cup.

You...

Fine. One cup, it is.

Here.

Unbelievable.

Back in the day, when I was in the military camp,

the soldiers

and I would drink straight from the jar.

I wouldn't get drunk, you know?

Now that I'm old,

you're controlling me.

I don't even have the freedom to drink anymore.

Grandma, slowly.

How old do you think you are now?

How can you compare it to the past?

Put aside about not getting drunk.

After finishing just this one cup,

we don't even know if your

old illness will flare up.

I'm not the one in pain anyway.

Grandma, Father is doing this

for your sake.

Don't you remember the last time

your old shoulder injury acted up?

The pain

kept you awake all night.

I remember

you said

that you wouldn't drink again.

You little boy.

You can't take what a patient says seriously.

Every New Year,

your grandma always pulls this act.

Where's the alcohol?

Fill my daughter's cup.

Fill it up.

You have the blood of our Wei family.

Surely you can drink a little.

Here.

Yining, have some pigeon.

This is the cook's specialty.

Every year,

Ting would finish his own portion

and swap seats with others

to eat their portion.

Duke Ying, someone from the palace has arrived.

Duke Ying, His Majesty has issued a decree.

I, Wei Ling, await the decree.

Duke Ying, Wei Ling

has served the country and its people with utmost dedication,

making him a pillar of the nation and contributing greatly to the state.

I learned that Duke Ying had found his long-lost daughter

and finally reunited.

I feel deeply gratified.

Therefore, I grant Wei Yining

the title of County Princess of Qingcheng.

May this be carried out

with honor.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

County Princess of Qingcheng, please receive the decree.

Yining.

Yining.

Go and receive the decree.

I shall receive the decree.

Duke Ying, please rise.

Old Madam Wei, please rise.

Congratulations, Duke Ying, Old Madam Wei,

and Princess Qingcheng.

I have some matters to attend to at the palace.

So I shall take my leave now.

Thank you. Allow me to send you off.

This way, please.

(Duke Ying's Residence)

Sir,

His Majesty has countless matters to attend to each day.

How could he be so concerned about such trivial matters

in our family?

Even though His Majesty is busy,

he is still concerned about everything.

Besides, Marquis Lu would remind him from the side.

His Majesty's favor

is only natural.

Thank you for the trouble.

Duke Ying, you don't have to send further.

(How does Lu Jiaxue have the time)

(to involve himself in my family affairs?)

Why did you stop eating?

Enjoy your food and drinks.

Just look at what you did.

Even His Majesty knows now.

Watch out for those

who might use your reputation for their own gain.

You're overthinking.

If someone wanted to do that,

His Majesty wouldn't grant Yining

as the County Princess of Qingcheng. Am I right?

Yining,

I heard you have a rouge shop.

Yes,

it's called Yanrong Pavilion.

Close it down tomorrow

and move back here.

Mother.

If it weren't for the decree,

I would have kept

a blind eye on it.

But

you're someone with a title

and a status now.

If you keep doing business

so openly,

you're bound to attract criticism.

Mother.

Over the years,

we've faced plenty of criticism.

Since when are you afraid of it?

Here, have another cup.

Yes, I was never afraid.

But there's really no need for this.

Our family isn't short on money.

If she needs something,

she can just ask.

- Mother. - I'm hoping for your understanding.

Yanrong Pavilion is my hard work.

If you insist on it,

you can report to His Majesty

that

the matter of my background is purely a misunderstanding.

Yining, what are you saying?

Yining,

are you threatening me?

I dare not.

Yining,

how could you speak to Grandma like that?

If Grandma reports

to His Majesty,

you won't be part of Duke Ying's household anymore.

Don't even think about shaming the family.

What did you say?

I dare you to say it again.

Father, among all occupations,

merchants are considered the lowest class.

Outrageous!

Who taught you that?

Our Wei family

has made a name for itself

through success

on the battlefield.

One must understand

that achievements are earned

through one's own abilities.

At such a young age,

you're already judging others based on status.

When you grow up, will you use your power to bully others?

Yining relies on her own true skills

in doing business, not on others.

But

you grow up without the ability to support yourself

and live off your family.

Now, that's truly

the lowest class, understand?

Grandma forbids her to run the business.

Mingzhu said

merchants are of low status.

Why did you have to scold me?

Zhao Mingzhu.

Father.

While I was explaining the book to Ting,

I did casually say it

because it was mentioned in the book.

But I definitely didn't mean

that Yining is a low-class merchant.

Both of you better listen to me carefully.

If it weren't

for the fact that today is

Yining's first New Year at home,

I wouldn't let you off the hook.

At such a young age, you speak without thinking,

and you still think you're reasonable? You...

- You dare to rebel! - Ting!

That's enough.

You could have chosen the right time to educate him.

What is all this?

I've lost my appetite already.

Mother.

Is it pretty?

Do you want me to accompany you to set the fireworks?

It's all right.

I want

to go back to the Luo's Residence.

That's fine. It's the New Year's, right?

I'm sorry you had a tough time today.

Your grandma is straightforward and quick-tempered.

But she's kind-hearted.

Trust me.

Once you spend more time with her,

you'll definitely come to like her.

Also,

your grandpa died on the battlefield long ago.

I've spent many years leading troops away from home.

In this home, it's just Mingzhu

and Ting keeping your grandma company.

She cares for them both very much.

I usually can't discipline or scold them.

However,

they were indeed wrong today.

I also acknowledge

that I failed to teach them properly.

So,

let me apologize on their behalf.

Please don't blame yourself.

Actually, what Mingzhu

and Ting said

makes some sense.

It's just that you allowed me to do business

because of your tolerance toward me,

and I'm very grateful for that.

There's no need to thank me.

I'm your father.

It's only natural to do so.

Just do it.

I'll talk to your grandma about it.

Don't worry about anything.

Please don't argue with Old Madam Wei again.

If it weren't for me today,

there wouldn't be an imperial decree.

Perhaps,

everyone would be enjoying

the New Year's Eve dinner together right now.

I forbid you to speak

as if you're an outsider.

Yining.

It makes me really happy

to have you celebrate the New Year with me today.

You're my daughter.

In the future,

you can do whatever you want.

You don't have to care about other people's opinions

or what they feel.

I just want you to be bold

and do as you please.

Even if the sky falls down,

I will be there to support you.

It's getting cold.

You should get some rest early.

Thank you, Father.

Wait.

♪Let time pass peacefully, turning the years into simple moments♪

What...

What did you call me just now?

♪Red strings on the eaves, bind two devoted hearts together♪

♪Through half a lifetime♪

Thank you, Father.

♪People far away catch the last wave♪

♪Palm lines and tree rings smile at each other♪

♪The clouds on the journey home roll and drift, shining brightly♪

♪Migratory birds heading to their dreamland♪

There's no one else here.

Be honest with me.

Did you deliberately teach Ting

to look down on Yining like that?

Grandma,

Yining is in the wrong.

As the legitimate daughter

of the Duke's family,

she goes out to run a shop.

Isn't she clearly bringing shame to the family?

You're unbelievable.

I know you're doing it for the family's interest.

But how could you

let Ting say that to her?

I...

I admit that I told Ting about it.

But I didn't expect

he would say something like that.

This matter

has made your father furious.

He feels we've wronged Yining.

You need

to change your temper

and try to get closer to her.

I understand.

Come here.

Sit here.

I know

it's hard for you

to accept her right now.

All this while, you were the only girl here.

Now, there's another one,

and she's the legitimate child.

The way everyone around here treats you

might make you uncomfortable.

No, I wasn't.

Still denying, huh?

There, there. Don't cry.

Listen to me.

Even if she's the legitimate child,

she won't dare to pick on you.

Yining wouldn't dare.

Your father wouldn't dare, either.

Grandma.

Silly child.

Mother.

Where's Yining?

She already left.

What? She left?

Is she throwing a tantrum?

When she sees me after this,

will she even stop calling me Grandma

and start calling me Old Madam Wei?

Mingzhu,

go and check on Ting.

Mother.

Yining returned to the Luo's Residence

because she misses her grandma.

Without Old Madam Luo's protection over the years,

Yining

might have fallen victim to wicked people

and wouldn't be alive today.

Yining has suffered too much these years.

She is my daughter.

But she has never enjoyed even one day of my care and love.

I owe her so much.

I know you feel indebted.

But you shouldn't be

too obvious in favoring her.

I know

you truly care for Mingzhu.

I feel the same too.

But look what happened today?

When Mingzhu bullies Yining,

you say nothing at all.

I've reprimanded her about this.

She didn't do it on purpose.

But

you sent Mingzhu back

with the vases she gave Yining

because you didn't like them.

Mother, you should know

how many rare treasures are

in Mingzhu's room.

But she chose the cheapest ones for Yining.

Isn't she clearly

belittling Yining?

Just so you know.

I returned it to her directly

out of respect for you.

If it were my way,

I would have smashed them right then.

Also,

I don't agree with you in making

her close down Yanrong Pavilion.

That is her hard work.

I'm looking out for her too.

As the legitimate daughter of a Duke,

who was conferred the title of county princess by His Majesty,

she must act appropriately.

Going out to do business

is not dignified for us.

Back in the day,

you served in the army as a woman.

Didn't you face

a lot of criticism then?

But you endured it

and achieved merit,

raising our household's prestige.

I know

you've always had an open heart.

But

why can't you let go

of this little matter with Yining now?

You know this is not

what I worried about.

Then you needn't worry about it at all.

I'll explain to His Majesty tomorrow.

Is that all right?

(Chengjing Hall)

Shenyuan.

Are you planning

to continue investigating the Eighth Prince case?

Father,

I have already made plans regarding this matter.

So don't worry about it.

You've only been in your position for a month,

and you've investigated so many people.

The Imperial Court of Judicial

has quite a few opinions about you.

When it comes to conducting oneself and handling affairs,

the first priority should be stability.

You have only started,

but you've made numerous enemies.

To be honest,

Official Jiang is not very satisfied

with you right now.

I see.

I understand your worries.

But do you think this matter

should not be investigated further?

Keep investigating.

If you want to investigate, then do so.

But I hope you can take it step by step.

The forces within the court

are complicated.

When you target someone,

you don't even know

which faction is backing them.

The Eighth Prince's case is far-reaching.

Back then, the Eighth Prince went to the south of Yangtze River

for disaster relief with Chen Jiuheng.

As a result, Chen Jiuheng embezzled

the relief funds

and the Eighth Prince went missing.

There are rumors

that Chen Jiuheng killed the Eighth Prince

to cover up the facts.

In the end,

it led to the execution of his entire family generation.

Father,

I don't think that was what happened.

Official Chen couldn't possibly embezzle funds.

Why are you so certain?

Shenyuan,

I hope

you don't let your arrogance drag

the entire Luo family down.

I shall remember that.

But I will definitely investigate

this matter further.

Why do we keep discussing official business

during the New Year?

- Have some tea. - Right.

Have some snacks and let's talk about something happy.

Mother,

Mr. Sun came over a few days ago.

I talked to him

about Shenyuan's engagement to Young Lady Sun.

Mr. Sun expressed his intention

to respect his daughter

and ask for her opinion.

That sounds good.

This is indeed a good match.

Shenyuan, what do you think?

I have no feelings toward her.

I think we can talk

about this after two years.

Grandma.

Father. Mother.

I have something to attend to.

So I'll take my leave.

(Yanrong Pavilion)

Young Master,

Young Lady Yining should be having a reunion dinner

at Duke Ying's Residence.

You won't be able to see her even if you come here.

Not being able to see her is good news.

It means everything is going well for her

at the Duke Ying's Residence.

It would be great if you could marry her sooner.

So you wouldn't have to think about her every day.

This year's Spring Festival couplets

were written by Third Brother.

With a top scholar in the residence,

it's only natural to show it off.

I supposed Grandma, Third Brother,

and Mother are having

the New Year's Eve dinner, right?

Young Lady, should we go in?

Let's head to Yanrong Pavilion.

Yes, Young Lady.

(Yanrong Pavilion)

What's wrong?

It has only been a few days, and you don't recognize me anymore.

Why are you here?

It's already late.

I thought you were celebrating the New Year at Luo's Residence.

What about you?

Did you not like the dinner at Duke Ying's Residence?

Third Brother.

I missed you.

I missed you too.

♪A glance at a fleeting bond makes it hard to know what's next♪

How long have you been waiting here?

Not too long.

But if I hadn't come back,

wouldn't you have waited

for nothing?

You've waited here this long

only to give me this?

Also, to celebrate the New Year's Eve with you.

Why does this look

a bit roughly made?

Can't you tell

it's something I made myself?

You're being too picky.

You made this yourself?

How could I dislike it?

Third Brother, look at how lively

they are setting off fireworks.

I want to go set off fireworks too.

Let's go.

♪My heart remains unwavering and true♪

♪We walk side by side together♪

♪With two sincere hearts, we embrace the dawn and dusk♪

♪No regrets upon having you this life♪

♪A double dream where both of us return♪

♪Looking forward to a life together♪

♪May we sleep and gaze into each other's eyes until old age♪

♪We mirror each other's hearts under the stars♪

♪Through restless nights, I cannot let go of even a moment apart♪

♪Your hopes are my hopes and together we flourish♪

♪I willingly follow and always wishing for us to be together♪

♪The taste of love makes my cheeks flush♪

♪What is fate, if not the luck of sharing this moment together?♪

♪My heart leans on yours, embraced by a rosy ambiance♪

The county princess

must have brought over all the fireworks

from Duke Ying's Residence!

You already know

I've been titled as county princess.

It's just that Old Madam Wei told me

that I'm now a person of rank

and can't be in public openly.

She wanted me to close Yanrong Pavilion.

Officials engaging in business

is quite normal.

But in recent years, there have been several major cases

of collusion between officials and businesses,

which led His Majesty to issue an order prohibiting officials

from profiting at the expense of the common people.

A small business like Yanrong Pavilion

certainly doesn't count as profiting from the people.

Besides, you're not the sole owner of the shop.

Duke Ying will convince Old Madam Wei about this.

So you can rest assured.

But

I don't want to put Father in a difficult position.

Have you acknowledged him as your father?

Today,

I tried calling him "Father."

It wasn't that hard.

I originally thought

that "Father" was just a cold term.

But now I find it

quite warm.

Since you acknowledged him,

are you considering moving back home?

Do you think

I should move back there?

They're your family, after all.

But aside from my father,

everyone else

feels like strangers to me.

Plus,

I can't return to Luo's Residence.

I no longer have a home.

Yining.

If you're willing,

I can give you a home.

Actually, I have...

I have long...

Third Brother.

♪Afraid of missing out and mistakes, of begonias blooming and withering♪

It is snowing heavily.

♪Your gentle presence leaves a trace of ink in my heart♪

♪An overlapping shade of us spreads across my life♪

♪Just let it pour as the cycles renew♪

♪Reminiscing about yesterday, watching over the corner♪

Uncle,

Luo Shenyuan has already found the remains of Eighth Prince.

His remains were found

at the Tiger Head Gang's former base

in Mount Laohu.

Back then, Wang Yuan sent his trusted confidant,

Gao Da, to handle this matter.

But look at how poorly it turned out.

Had I known Gao Da would handle things

so inefficiently,

I wouldn't have gotten involved in this messy situation.

Since Luo Shenyuan has traced this lead,

Chancellor Wang would be making his move right?

We'll sit back and let them fight it out.

We'll see how things turn out.

(Yanrong Pavilion)

The servant of Duke Ying's Residence said

that Young Lady Yining had returned to Yanrong Pavilion.

Should we go and visit?

Instead of staying at Duke's residence

during the New Year, she came here.

It seems she isn't happy at Duke Ying's Residence.

Duke Ying keeps saying

how much he spoils his daughter.

But is this how he spoils her?

Uncle,

this is the time you should appear.

When a woman feels vulnerable,

a man's care shows...

Don't use what you learned

from those brothels on her.

I just feel

that you went to great lengths

to bring Song Ziyun over to explain the truth

and to secure her title

as County Princess.

She should be touched.

As for me,

I've been waiting for her for so many years.

I'm not afraid of the passing of time.

I believe that one day

she will change her mind.

You should head back quickly.

It's the New Year's.

Don't let the family worry.

♪It's complicated but I'm not afraid♪

♪There's light in my heart♪

♪Following the river of time♪

♪I dive into the whirlpool♪

♪For the sake of you and mine♪

♪In search of an outcome♪

♪I'm willing to risk my life♪

♪To break the chain of nights♪

♪I'm willing to fall into the abyss♪

♪In order to reveal the fate♪

♪Forget about the outcome♪

♪Let me be your shoulder to lean on♪

♪Even if things go south, so be it♪

♪Love is a voyage with you by my side♪

♪The dust eventually settles♪

♪No matter how fragile and trivial I am♪

♪I will dance and shine bright♪

♪I overcome all kinds of doubt♪

♪And obstacles♪

♪For the sake of you and mine♪

♪Committing to my promise♪

♪I'm willing to risk my life♪

♪May my existence shine on more♪

♪Let go of everything♪

♪Let the longing fade♪

♪Forget about the outcome♪

♪As long as it fulfills the vastness of love♪

♪Even if things go south, so be it♪

♪Love is you being by my side♪