Original subtitles

♪ The moon sinks, ripples dance, violet stars awaken ♪

♪ As time dissolves without a trace ♪

♪ Frosted memories scatter, silk cannot veil the past ♪

♪ Fate is drifting in silence ♪

♪ Let winds and sands accompany the road ahead ♪

♪ Looking back, joys and sorrows linger, no regrets remain ♪

♪ Breaking free from the depths of darkness ♪

♪ Like pearls of tears, we swirl with fate's embrace ♪

[Based on the novel The Story of Pearl Girl by Tan Tianyin]

[The Story of Pearl Girl]

[Episode 38]

[Zheng Zhixing's Memorial Tablet]

My brother only had two sons.

But they were both involved in the case of selling stolen goods.

As the family head

and clan head,

[Zheng Zhiheng's Memorial Tablet] he let his sons take the fall.

That's too much.

Although Si and Wu are guilty,

they are the Zheng family's children.

What he did

[Zheng Zhiheng's Memorial Tablet]

was unworthy of a father.

You have a point.

You are responsible elders.

You have pity on the deceased Si and Wu.

You opened the ancestral hall

and brought their memorial tablets back.

But Mr. Zheng...

He left the family business behind

and disappeared.

I don't know what to do.

Now,

it's time for you to salvage the situation

and calm the Zheng family.

Uncle, Mr. Zheng is the only elder

in the clan.

That is...

Lady Yu is still there.

After Si died,

My aunt, Lady Cui, went to a nunnery.

Now,

Wu is also dead.

Let's send Lady Yu away.

It's in line with the rules

and a good deed.

Inspector Zhang came to us again and again.

Mr. Zheng won't come back.

Even if he comes back,

the people in the clan

will be more inclined to you

because of his mistakes.

Please make the decision.

All right.

Let's send Lady Yu away.

You make the decision.

I'll support you.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

You take care of yourself.

Wu.

Wu.

Watch it above there.

Wu.

I'm

coming for you.

Cui Shijiu.

You have the nerve to show up.

You killed my son.

I want you to die with him.

I killed Zheng Wu.

But you can't bring him back

by killing me.

Don't you want to die?

Go to accompany him.

Tell him that I'm doing well

and never think of him.

Without him, Zhenlang Pavilion is mine.

If I get married,

Zhenlang Pavilion is my dowry.

Don't even think about it.

Don't even think about it.

I possessed Zhenlang Pavilion.

And I'm not giving it back to you.

Lady Yu.

Do you want revenge?

If you want revenge,

stay alive.

Come with me.

Come with you?

You killed Wu.

You will die

a horrible death.

Wu, don't worry.

I'll keep an eye on her for you.

Here's the medicine for Lady Yu.

She hasn't eaten or drunk for days. She's weak.

When you decoct the medicine,

make some bird's nest porridge for her. Take it.

Zhenlang Pavilion.

[Zhenlang Pavilion]

Wu's Zhenlang Pavilion.

Wu and his father grew apart

because of the Zhenlang Pavilion.

It's all because of you.

If you want to protect Zhenlang Pavilion for Wu,

you have to live longer than me.

[Zhenlang Pavilion]

Li Kui failed.

He made many people at the Black Dragon Bandits die.

And he ruined Prince Ying's business.

But he's at ease.

As long as I'm here,

I can gather the Black Dragon Bandits.

It's different from your Zheng family.

Even if you're there,

you're not united.

Cui Shijiu entered you easily.

You...

Don't you see Prince Ying is calm?

The impeachment can't deal with Prince Ying.

Li Kui, you know me well.

I've sent people

to guard all the postal stations on the way to Chang'an.

If Zhang Jinran wants to deliver the memorial to Chang'an,

he needs horses and people.

In that case,

he needs at least 15 days.

Your Highness, Yan Zijing went to the Yangzhou Jewelry Guild.

He wanted to get justice for Mr. Zheng.

If Mr. Zheng doesn't go there,

he will smash the blood-stained pearl.

Mr. Zheng.

Go.

Prince Ying.

Zhang Jinran will capture me when I go there.

Even if he just wants me to cooperate with the investigation,

he'll keep me in jail.

Don't be afraid. With Prince Ying around,

no one can hurt you.

The priority is to authenticate the bead.

You said the blood-stained pearl was about treasure.

He won't smash it.

You almost killed Su Muzhe.

Will he let you go easily?

- Go. - I...

Prince Ying.

Mr. Zheng!

Go!

[Time waits for no one]

- Get out of the way! - Mr. Zheng is here.

Out of the way!

- Mr. Zheng. - Mr. Zheng.

Blood-stained pearl.

Su Muzhe is not dead.

I'm sorry.

Stay back.

Stay back.

What's wrong?

Did I scare you?

I'm sorry, Mr. Zheng.

I'm still alive.

Duanwu!

Duanwu, wake up!

Duanwu!

- Duanwu. - Duanwu.

Water...

Water!

- Water. - Water.

Here.

It's okay.

It's so good that you're alive.

Thank you.

Do you feel better?

Zheng Shiyuan took away my blood-stained pearl.

I thought

the blood-stained pearl

was my mother's only memento to me.

Many people died

because of the blood-stained pearl.

It's not worth it.

You've never shown the blood-stained pearl

since you got to Yangzhou.

Why did Zheng Shiyuan take it from you

when he caught you?

He didn't pay much attention

to the blood-stained pearl.

There must be someone else

behind Zheng Shiyuan

besides Prince Ying

who wants to get the blood-stained pearl.

It's the Black Dragon Bandits.

Maybe

it's Li Kui.

Li Kui, Zheng Shiyuan, and Prince Ying

are in this together.

Now they have both two pearls.

They will look for an opportunity to leave

and find the legendary

Gulistan treasure.

Li Kui won't show up easily.

We need to find a way to lure him out.

I have an idea.

What is it?

I'll pretend I'm dead.

In that case,

I can lock down the city and search.

Zheng Shiyuan is hiding.

Prince Ying has to cope

with us.

In that case, he can only send Li Kui to do it.

And

if Duanwu is alive,

I can't convict him with Prince Ying around.

Directors, I'm sorry.

I scared you.

You're not dead. What are you doing?

Take her down!

I dare you!

Back off!

Back off!

Mr. Zheng.

I'm not dead.

I scared you.

It's my fault.

Mr. Zheng.

You took away Mr. Qin of Clear Mind.

And you lured me out of the city

and stole my treasure.

You wanted to kill me and Mr. Qin.

What did you want?

You're slandering me.

It's not true.

He...

Yes.

It's him.

As the Inspector of Huainandao,

he protected Su Muzhe

again and again.

It wasn't enough for him to kill my two sons.

Now they're colluding

to frame me for murder.

I called you here today

to explain everything

to you.

Jubao House doesn't want others

to compete with them for business.

Do you remember

Qin's Glass Workshop?

Before,

in order to suppress the Qin's Glass Workshop,

the Zheng family said they affected the people in the neighborhood.

Mr. Qin had to move his workshop

again and again.

Then, he drove up the price of raw materials

and asked hooligans to mess with his workshop

to stop customers from getting into his workshop.

He ruined his family.

Now, Mr. Qin

is working with Clear Mind.

But Mr. Zheng

wanted to kill Mr. Qin and me.

You have been in the jewelry guild for a long time.

Countless shops

were forced to close

by the Zheng family.

Not to mention Qin's Glass Workshop,

my Clear Mind

has also been suppressed by him many times.

Three people almost died

because of the Zheng family.

If you

don't step up

like you do today,

when Clear Mind is ruined,

no one will speak for you.

Don't take her word for it.

Come on.

Drive this crazy woman

out of the jewelry guild.

Drive her out.

Zheng Shiyuan!

Don't push your luck.

All of the above

is Clear Mind's business,

and it has nothing to do with you.

Do you know

where your

annual membership fees go?

What? Did he embezzle our membership fees?

As far as I know,

the Yangzhou Jewelry Guild

charges membership fees in three tiers.

Where is the ledger?

Yeah.

Have you seen the ledger?

Can you show them the ledger?

Jubao House pays a million cashes a year.

They paid the most.

But from what I know,

you misappropriated more than that.

- Mr. Zheng. - That's a lot.

Is Su Muzhe telling the truth?

The membership fees

are for emergency use by the guild's merchants.

How could you misappropriate it?

Don't take her word for it.

How could she have the ledger of our guild?

How could I have the ledger of the jewelry guild?

Directors.

Let me see.

Directors.

[Ledger of the Jewelry Guild]

You rat.

Yeah.

You embezzled our money.

[Withdraw 30 million mace]

It's our hard-earned money.

Listen to me.

She faked the ledger!

Look carefully!

It's written in black and white.

She faked it!

The ledger is not fake.

I gave it to her.

Cui Shijiu.

When my father was in charge of the Yangzhou Jewelry Guild,

we had two ledgers.

Mr. Zheng,

you must have followed this unwritten rule, right?

I can explain

these three accounts to you.

The first one, forty million cashes.

The Zheng family hoarded beryl stones with it.

The second one, thirty million cashes.

He wanted to please Mr. Xu

and bribed him with it

at the Qionghua Festival.

This third one, twenty million cashes.

He bought Zhenlang Pavilion with it

and gave Mr. Xu a majority stake.

All three accounts

have the guild head's seal on them.

Cui Shijiu, don't forget

that you're the legitimate daughter of the Cui family.

Wu treated you...

My father had kicked me out of the house.

Wu?

Wu died a long time ago.

You forced him to die.

I have nothing to do with your Zheng family.

Remember.

I'm not Cui Shijiu.

I'm Cui Zhuohua.

Cui Zhuohua, the owner of Zhenlang Pavilion!

The Zheng family embezzled the guild membership fees.

The ledger is the proof.

As for the Zheng family's oppression of the people

and all the illegal things they've done all these years,

I can testify in person.

You bully innocent people,

kill people for money,

and embezzle membership fees.

As merchants of the guild,

how could you tolerate him

as the guild head?

Dismiss Zheng Shiyuan!

You're guilty of kidnapping and murder.

Zheng Shiyuan.

Come with me to the Grand Governor's Office.

Take him away.

Yes, sir.

You deserve it.

Yeah.

- He deserves to die. - He deserves to die.

Jinran.

Someone reported to me

that you had a private relationship with Clear Mind's Su Muzhe.

Therefore, you framed Zheng Shiyuan.

You pretended to behead Xu Nanying,

making a huge scandal.

It's a big deal. I have to deal with it.

What do you want to do?

Hand over Zheng Shiyuan to me.

I'll take over the case.

Although you're a prince,

you don't have the right to deal with local affairs.

I was commanded by the Emperor

to hold the Jewel Exhibition.

Xu Nanying is an Official of Yangzhou.

Zheng Shiyuan is a wealthy businessman in Yangzhou.

They must be there.

Why can't I deal with it?

Jinran.

I've always treated you like a brother.

I treated you well

and recommended you.

I treat you with sincerity.

But you don't care

about our friendship.

You disappointed me.

Ying.

You used to tell me

that you wanted to rectify the officials, solve old cases,

and let the people live a clear life.

Zheng Shiyuan embezzled money,

sold stolen goods, and killed people.

But you want to cover him.

Come on.

For the sake of our friendship,

I hope you can stop it.

Ying.

Don't be obsessed.

You tricked me.

Zhang Jinran, how dare you?

Where is Zheng Shiyuan?

Where did you hide him?

Tell me.

I'll give you one last chance.

Either you hand over Zheng Shiyuan,

or we will be enemies.

We have been friends

for ten years.

Today, I cut my clothes.

We're not friends anymore.

You're cruel.

When I faked my death,

you didn't come to Clear Mind to mourn me.

I'm not your friend.

Why should I mourn you?

Besides,

wouldn't you be happier

if I killed Zheng Shiyuan

than if I went to Clear Mind

to pretend to mourn you?

You said you were not my friend.

But you know me so well.

You're like my confidant.

My best friend.

It's a pity that we only did half of it,

and we didn't get to see Zheng Shiyuan die.

Cui Shijiu.

Your other name... Cui Zhuohua?

Cui Shijiu is a good name.

The peach tree beams so red, How brilliant are its flowers!

The maiden's getting red, Good for the nuptial bowers.

My father gave me that name

because he wanted me to bring good luck

to the family I would marry.

My mother

wanted me to have a bright life.

That's why they named me Cui Zhuohua.

You're Cui Zhuohua, the owner of Zhenlang Pavilion.

You threw Zheng Shiyuan, the guild head of the Yangzhou Jewelry Guild,

out of his position

and became famous.

Congratulations.

Su Muzhe.

Didn't you think

I might give you a fake ledger?

Cui Shijiu, the legitimate daughter of the Cui family, may lie to me.

Because she was in trouble.

She only cared about the Cui family.

Cui Shijiu, the abandoned daughter of the Cui family, may also lie to me.

Because she was depending on the Zheng family.

She couldn't help herself.

But I don't think Cui Zhuohua, the owner of Zhenlang Pavilion,

will lie to you.

Because she was conscious.

She knew what she wanted.

Good.

Because of your words,

I will toast you.

Who would have thought

that a pearl diver

would be so successful today?

It's fate.

It's not fate.

I used to feel very miserable

when I was suffering.

In retrospect,

I, Su Muzhe, gained a foothold here

because of Duanwu.

How is it going between you and him?

No one wants to elope with me.

My fate is not as good as yours.

My fate is good.

You're back.

Come here.

Did you drink?

I didn't.

I've been waiting for you here for a long time.

You've been drinking.

Have some porridge.

This is to celebrate your survival.

Zheng Shiyuan was put in jail.

You will live

a long and happy life.

Did you make this?

Is it delicious?

Yes.

Really?

Yeah.

Let me taste it.

I refuse.

It's great that it's delicious.

The taste is not important.

Its meaning is important.

What is it?

I wish you a long life.

People say, "Those who seek immortality cannot get it."

"Because life actually is short."

Many people are seeking immortality.

But I think

it's best if you make the most of the moment.

Duanwu,

I hope that whatever you do

in the future,

you will never be stumped by anything or anyone,

okay?

Eat more.

I'll eat it in my room.

In your room?

Careful.

I just misappropriated the membership fees.

I will pay it back double.

Zhang Jinran.

Do you have proof that I kidnapped and killed someone?

Zheng Shiyuan.

Do you think I have no proof?

If you don't let me go,

your reputation for justice will be ruined in Yangzhou.

Inspector Zhang seized a letter

from Xu Nanying.

It's useless to quibble.

No way.

He wasn't involved in what happened back then.

He didn't know anything.

Tan sent Cui to do it.

I ordered Zheng to clear it up.

Li Kui can show his talents.

I'm waiting for your good news. You know who I am.

If you are out to condemn somebody, you can always trump up a charge.

Zhang Jinran.

If you really have proof,

you should arrest Prince Ying.

You don't have to come to me.

I won't tell you anything.

How dare you?

Release Zheng Shiyuan

tomorrow morning.

You're looking for trouble.

Put the word out

that Zheng Shiyuan has confessed.

Send more hands to keep an eye on the Zheng's Mansion.

I'll arrange it right away.

Zheng Shiyuan was released?

Yes.

Lady Shijiu.

Wait.

Su Muzhe almost lost her life trying to catch him.

Yan Zijing and Zhang Jinran were mad about it.

They couldn't have let him go so easily.

There must be a reason for this.

A little impatience spoils great plans.

Or...

Do they want to use him as bait?

Sneak into the Zheng's Mansion

to keep an eye on Zheng Shiyuan.

Don't make any mistakes.

Yes, ma'am.

Zheng Shiyuan.

You've been a bully all your life.

But,

you're just bait in the end.

Come in.

Mr. Yuchi.

You've been busy for days.

His Highness asked us to make this soup for you.

I told you I didn't want it.

Take it away.

Here are some pastries.

I've said many times

that I like light food.

Take them away.

Here are fresh fruits from the West.

I'll put them here.

We'll leave.

Thank Prince Ying for me.

Yes, sir.

Your Highness.

You may leave.

Yes, sir.

Prince Ying.

I've been good to Zhang Jinran over the years.

And I did my best to promote him.

But he didn't care about it.

Not only did he arrest Zheng Shiyuan,

but he also said that he confessed

and released him.

He's doing it again.

It's just Zheng Shiyuan.

He dealt with money transactions.

He didn't know what was going on.

Even if he turns us in,

he has no proof.

Prince Ying, why are you so worried?

I'm not worried about Zheng Shiyuan.

It was all right that Su Muzhe didn't die.

She smashed the blood-stained pearl

to lure Zheng Shiyuan to show up.

I didn't expect

Su Muzhe to incite merchants in the jewelry guild

to dismiss Zheng Shiyuan as the guild head.

And she smashed the blood-stained pearl.

Su Muzhe knew

that there was a treasure map

in the pearl.

How could she smash it so easily?

I think it's fake.

We thought the same.

It's fake that she smashed the blood-stained pearl.

She wanted to declare that she knew our weakness.

The two pearls

are about the treasure map.

Who would smash them?

Yeah.

They have the blood-stained pearl.

For safety's sake,

could you give your pearl to me

for safekeeping?

Prince Ying, you know I'm suspicious.

I don't carry it around.

You know

it's about the Gulistan treasure.

It's the most precious treasure in the world.

You are a prince.

You grew up in the Central Plains.

You don't know as much about the Western Regions as I do.

If you don't have me,

it will be very difficult for you to find the treasure.

Prince Ying, don't worry.

As long as I

live here in peace,

and no matter what Zhang Jinran

and Zheng Shiyuan do,

the pearl will be safe.

All right.

It's better to keep still than move.

Let's see

what he will do.

Prince Ying, you're brilliant.

The only thing I told you

was to keep an eye on Lady Yu.

How could she disappear?

I fell asleep.

When I woke up, she was gone.

Did she hear me

talking to Garuda?

She knew Zheng Shiyuan...

No.

[Ledger]

Prince Ying.

If you don't protect me,

I'll hand it over.

Let's die together.

Who's that?

It's Yu.

Master, I came back to serve you.

Master.

Master.

Why are you back?

I figured it out.

Our son is dead.

I only have you now.

Master...

Well.

Tomorrow, I'll put you...

I'll let you die with our son.

How dare you do this?

Get out!

What do you want?

What do you want?

Out of the way!

Out of the way!

Even if I die, my ghost will haunt you down.

I'll give you a lift.

Die.

Die!

You evil woman.

Do you want to kill me?

I'll kill you first.

♪ Life flows like a boat, navigating joys and woes ♪

♪ Longing for distant shores ♪

♪ Aware this moment may tear my heart apart ♪

♪ Better to roam alone ♪

♪ Many depart, none return ♪

♪ How can we resist gazing at each other amid the blooms? ♪

♪ Your face glows like lanterns in the night ♪

♪ Love fades on the stone bridge, yet bonds remain ♪

♪ How can we endure the binds of longing? ♪

♪ Like a grand dream, a lone cup of wine ♪

♪ May this world hold ♪

♪ Both sorrow and warmth ♪

♪ To hide a broken heart away with laughter and tears ♪

♪ A debt across time awaits ♪

♪ A simple tale unfolds ♪

♪ Nothing compares to soft rice and sweet tea ♪

♪ May this fate intertwine ♪

♪ Half in regret, half in longing ♪

♪ Radiant memories tint your gaze ♪

♪ The world's bitterness ♪

♪ Still accompanies my dreams ♪

♪ Drifting afar on the shore of your life ♪

♪ Quietly watching over you ♪