WEBVTT

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There is no comparison, no equal.

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Master, it's late.

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We must hurry on our way...

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I wanted to be a loyal subject.

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But reaching this height,

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what's left for those scholars?

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Why would they still
crave official ranks?

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I think I've reached

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the end of my loyalty.

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What do you think,

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Your Highness?

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(Crown Prince, Zhu You Sheng)

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Back then, my uncle, Duke of Ding,

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and 237 members of the Jiang family
were framed and slaughtered.

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53,000 soldiers of Duke of Ding's Army

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were disgraced and wronged.

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And today,

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I wonder how many in the Eastern Palace

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and the capital will be slaughtered?

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You defy the throne

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and aided Prince Qing
in his treacherous bid for power.

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Turns out this was all about

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clearing the name
of Duke of Ding's Army.

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And you are blaming it

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on me and my father.

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When a ruler suspects his ministers,
they are doomed to death.

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(Song Mo)
Are you really saying I've wronged you?

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Song Mo,

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I pity you.

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Your revenge is misplaced.

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I've lost,

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but in the end,
you'll lose everything as well.

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Your Highness!

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I would rather die

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than let a traitor have his way.

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General, we found it.

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Congratulations, sir.

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Grand General's blood feud
is half avenged.

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He said

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I took my revenge on the wrong people.

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(In the winter of
the 27th year of Chengping reign,)

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(as the Emperor's gravely ill,)

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(General of Agile Cavalry Song Mo
supported Prince Qing.)

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(Under the guise
of tending to the Emperor,)

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(he launched an attack
on the capital at night.)

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(He sought to clear
the name of Duke of Ding.)

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Possessing over a hundred weapons
in secret is a grave crime.

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My Lady, did you know that Prince Qing
and General Song Mo would rebel?

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The capital is in chaos.

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The streets are filled with
rogue soldiers and refugees.

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When survival itself is at stake,

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(Dou Zhao, wife of Wei Ting Yu)
what use is talk of law?

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-Grab them!
-Yes, ma'am!

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Song Mo is a ruthless killer.

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He even killed
his own father and brother.

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Now he's leading rebel troops
back into the capital.

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Everyone's saying
he is going to massacre the entire city.

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I had to run for my life!

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(Wei Ting Yu, Marquis of Jining)
How insolent!

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Matters of the court

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are not for a lowly servant
like you to gossip about.

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Flog him harder!

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Song Mo, that traitor...

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He's here for revenge.

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(Chen Jia)

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(Wang Ge, eunuch of
Directorate of Ceremonial)

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After tonight,

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Prince Qing will take the throne.

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General Song, you'll be credited
with the greatest merit.

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Allow me to offer

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my congratulations in advance.

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You should know

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that everything I've done

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is solely to clear Duke of Ding's name.

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Once I meet His Majesty,

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I'll hand this over
to Prince Qing myself.

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His Majesty and His Highness
are having a private conversation.

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It wouldn't be proper to interrupt.

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Once His Highness ascends,

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an audience will be arranged for you.

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Very well.

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When he becomes the new ruler,

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tell him to come find me.

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All troops, hear my command!

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Yes, General!

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We will move to
the outskirts of the city

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and await the Emperor's decree!

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Yes, General!

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(A new Emperor's unable
to ascend the throne)

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(and a rebel army camped
outside the capital,)

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(it was a stalemate
that was chaos in disguise.)

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(At the time, I could never have imagined)

00:06:16.920 --> 00:06:19.840 align:center
(Marquis of Jining's Residence)
(that the seemingly stable walls
of this household)

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(were already riddled with cracks.)

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Starting tonight,

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halt all banquets,
entertainment, and repairs.

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Tomorrow, stewards will purchase

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a month's supply of provisions
for the household.

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Patrols will follow this route
around the estate

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in four rotating shifts.

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Ten armed guards are to stand watch
at the front and back gates,

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day and night.

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Post two guards outside

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His Lordship's, Ming's,

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and the three concubines' quarters.

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Yes, My Lady.

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My Lady.

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His Lordship has ties to Prince Qing.

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(Tuo Niang)
Now, nobles, marquises,

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and ministers in the capital
are asking to see His Lordship.

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At a time like this,

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Prince Qing's faction wants
to crown a new emperor,

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(Dou Ming)
while the loyal ministers are ready
to die defending the old one,

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And then there are the fence sitters,

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all eager to drag
His Lordship into the fray.

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Turn them away.

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But if I refuse to see them,

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I'm bound to offend them.

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Bring it in.

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I'm sick.

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Gravely ill.

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My Lord, you're too busy
tending to your ailing wife

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to receive guests.

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That's far too improper.

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What use is propriety
when the world is falling apart?

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Nothing matters
more than life and death.

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With a coffin in place,

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they will leave you alone.

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Purchase 200 pounds
of silver frost charcoal.

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Since His Lordship and Ming
like calligraphy and painting,

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stock an additional
100 feet of jade paper.

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Also, have the stewards
from the estates and shops

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report back after lunch.

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Yes, My Lady.

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My Lady.

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Here.

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My Lady, you almost died

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when you had a miscarriage last year.

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Your priority now should be

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taking care of your health.

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You cannot overwork yourself.

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How can the matron of a noble family
not take on responsibilities?

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Serving my husband,

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looking after the concubines
and their children,

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managing over a hundred servants
in this household,

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along with dozens of
estates and businesses,

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there's no end to it.

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And that's not even counting
the endless social obligations.

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You're so unwell,

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yet His Lordship hasn't shown
the slightest concern.

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Fifth Young Lady came all this way

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claiming she'd help care for you,

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but she has been nowhere to be seen.

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She's from another mother, after all.

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-No heart...
-Tuo Niang.

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My Lady, look.

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Spring hasn't even arrived,

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and the white magnolias
are already blooming.

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This is the first time I've seen
magnolias blooming in the snow.

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If my mother were here,

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she'd surely be delighted.

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If Seventh Madam were still with us,

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you wouldn't have
to bear all this burden alone.

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What is that smell?

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Medicinal herbs.

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The fragrance is strong.

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Looks like Ming
hasn't been slacking off.

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She must be brewing medicine for me.

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You're right, My Lady.

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Don't bring up the matter
of different mothers again.

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It will upset Ming if she hears it.

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Yes, My Lady.

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The medicine might have burned.

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Don't worry.

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The doctor said she doesn't
have much time left.

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Once she's gone and
the mourning period is over,

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I'll marry you.

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He's not wrong.

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Our marriage was arranged
by our parents,

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with no affection between us.

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If they really love each other,

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after I pass,

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his marriage to Dou Ming

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will benefit both our families.

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-It'll be a lasting alliance.
-Oh, My Lady...

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Let's go.

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But what if Father refuses?

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After all, her mother
and mine were sworn sisters.

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And her mother died because of
my mother's affair with my father.

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Mother...

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I can't believe
she's the reason Mother died.

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All my efforts to run this household,

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and in the end,
I've paved the way for my enemies.

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The kitchen is on fire.

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-Call the servants.
-Yes, My Lady.

00:12:25.920 --> 00:12:26.920 align:center
You can trust me.

00:12:27.520 --> 00:12:28.680 align:center
Don't you know me by now?

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Even if I have to go through hell,

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I'll marry you.

00:12:33.880 --> 00:12:35.080 align:center
No one can tear us apart.

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What's that noise?

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The kitchen is on fire!

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Bring water! The kitchen is on fire!

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Fire in the kitchen!

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My dear, it's my fault.

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Please don't hurt Ming.

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I won't hurt her.

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In fact, I should thank you both.

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You've saved me
from living in ignorance.

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-Sister...
-Don't call me that.

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I never expected love from my husband

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or the bond of sisterhood,

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but you both

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couldn't even spare me
the smallest shred of decency.

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Tell me, how did my mother really die?

00:13:31.920 --> 00:13:33.440 align:center
That was before I was born.

00:13:33.800 --> 00:13:35.520 align:center
I've only overheard
the elders mention it.

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I don't know the details.

00:13:39.040 --> 00:13:40.680 align:center
I will get to the bottom of it.

00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:44.520 align:center
But as for what's happened today,

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we will settle it here and now.

00:13:50.520 --> 00:13:51.520 align:center
You...

00:13:56.920 --> 00:13:59.120 align:center
I have been married
into this family for ten years.

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I've poured my heart

00:14:01.520 --> 00:14:02.760 align:center
into managing the household,

00:14:04.120 --> 00:14:06.560 align:center
never once failing
Wei Ting Yu or Dou Ming.

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Even amidst the chaos in the capital,

00:14:10.280 --> 00:14:12.440 align:center
I pushed through my illness
to protect this family.

00:14:12.640 --> 00:14:13.640 align:center
And yet,

00:14:14.160 --> 00:14:15.720 align:center
they committed adultery
in broad daylight in the kitchen

00:14:15.960 --> 00:14:17.360 align:center
and cursed me to an early death.

00:14:18.800 --> 00:14:20.960 align:center
A heartless man is unworthy of trust,

00:14:21.920 --> 00:14:23.920 align:center
and the daughter of
my enemy cannot be family.

00:14:24.520 --> 00:14:27.040 align:center
When this disgrace and betrayal
are brought to the court,

00:14:27.200 --> 00:14:28.440 align:center
you will all be my witnesses.

00:14:33.520 --> 00:14:34.520 align:center
From this moment on,

00:14:35.160 --> 00:14:36.800 align:center
I am no longer Marchioness of Jining.

00:14:46.800 --> 00:14:47.800 align:center
My Lord!

00:14:49.040 --> 00:14:51.040 align:center
My Lord, Her Ladyship
has left the residence.

00:14:51.240 --> 00:14:53.320 align:center
You think I don't know that?

00:14:53.680 --> 00:14:55.040 align:center
Didn't I ask you to guard the door?

00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:57.400 align:center
Why are you still standing there?
Go fetch our clothes!

00:14:57.560 --> 00:14:59.400 align:center
Yes, My Lord. Please excuse me.

00:15:03.040 --> 00:15:05.840 align:center
If I'd known it would come to this,
I should've listened to my mother!

00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:08.200 align:center
I should've put stronger poison
into her medicine

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and gotten rid of her for good!

00:15:12.440 --> 00:15:13.880 align:center
What are you standing there for?

00:15:13.960 --> 00:15:15.440 align:center
If she takes this to the authorities,

00:15:15.560 --> 00:15:17.120 align:center
neither of us will ever
have peace again.

00:15:17.160 --> 00:15:18.160 align:center
Don't worry.

00:15:18.560 --> 00:15:20.480 align:center
My family's
century-old reputation

00:15:20.640 --> 00:15:22.160 align:center
won't be ruined by her.

00:15:28.760 --> 00:15:33.200 align:center
Such towering ambition
is wasted in vain.

00:15:34.120 --> 00:15:38.720 align:center
A lifetime's passion is never unchained.

00:15:48.640 --> 00:15:50.840 align:center
Young Lady, it's snowing heavily.

00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:02.040 align:center
This isn't snow.

00:16:20.080 --> 00:16:22.240 align:center
Tuo Niang, give them some food.

00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:28.320 align:center
The land is in ruins,
the nation on the brink.

00:16:29.120 --> 00:16:30.120 align:center
Life is unpredictable.

00:16:31.560 --> 00:16:33.160 align:center
My departure this time

00:16:33.800 --> 00:16:34.880 align:center
marks our final farewell.

00:16:44.600 --> 00:16:45.720 align:center
The willows are alive,

00:16:46.160 --> 00:16:47.400 align:center
spinning the top.

00:16:47.880 --> 00:16:48.960 align:center
The willows are green,

00:16:49.240 --> 00:16:50.480 align:center
ringing the bell.

00:16:51.280 --> 00:16:52.520 align:center
The willows sprout,

00:16:52.600 --> 00:16:53.600 align:center
play...

00:16:59.880 --> 00:17:00.880 align:center
Tuo Niang.

00:17:02.120 --> 00:17:04.560 align:center
I was still young when my mother passed.

00:17:05.560 --> 00:17:08.320 align:center
Can you think of anything unusual
about that time?

00:17:09.520 --> 00:17:12.760 align:center
Your father had just passed
the imperial exams.

00:17:13.440 --> 00:17:15.400 align:center
And it was also
the birthday of your cousin.

00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:18.240 align:center
Your mother ordered me to take you

00:17:18.480 --> 00:17:20.480 align:center
to share the good news
with your uncle, Zhao Si.

00:17:21.000 --> 00:17:23.240 align:center
When we returned,
your mother had already passed away.

00:17:23.800 --> 00:17:25.680 align:center
Soon after, Wang Ying Xue
married your father.

00:17:27.960 --> 00:17:29.680 align:center
Tuo Niang, watch out!

00:18:06.520 --> 00:18:08.240 align:center
(He has a spear
that shatters the earth.)

00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:10.240 align:center
(He is a young man with white hair...)

00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:11.720 align:center
Song Mo?

00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:14.440 align:center
Young Lady, are you hurt?

00:18:14.520 --> 00:18:15.520 align:center
Young Lady...

00:18:27.760 --> 00:18:28.760 align:center
Did you hear that?

00:18:29.520 --> 00:18:30.520 align:center
If you don't stop crying,

00:18:30.840 --> 00:18:32.840 align:center
I'll send you to
the big bad demon, Song Mo.

00:18:34.040 --> 00:18:35.040 align:center
He eats children.

00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:38.520 align:center
I'm not crying!

00:18:48.320 --> 00:18:49.320 align:center
Give me the food.

00:18:52.040 --> 00:18:53.040 align:center
Go home.

00:19:00.040 --> 00:19:03.520 align:center
(He doesn't seem
as cruel as the rumors say.)

00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:06.160 align:center
General, since you know
your infamous name

00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:07.840 align:center
can stop children from crying,

00:19:09.080 --> 00:19:10.400 align:center
(Ji Yong, Reverend Yuan Tong)
you should

00:19:10.520 --> 00:19:12.120 align:center
try to commit less sins from now on.

00:19:17.560 --> 00:19:19.600 align:center
The carriage belongs to
Marquis of Jining's Residence.

00:19:19.720 --> 00:19:20.840 align:center
(Lu Ming)

00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:24.800 align:center
With the capital in chaos,

00:19:25.960 --> 00:19:27.280 align:center
why have you come here?

00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:31.400 align:center
I'm going back to my hometown.

00:19:45.040 --> 00:19:46.120 align:center
Given your condition,

00:19:46.680 --> 00:19:48.240 align:center
the journey is too harsh for you.

00:19:48.560 --> 00:19:49.560 align:center
You might as well

00:19:50.040 --> 00:19:51.440 align:center
just return to to heaven instead.

00:19:53.320 --> 00:19:54.560 align:center
Come to the temple and rest,

00:19:55.600 --> 00:19:57.240 align:center
warm yourself with
some hot medicinal soup.

00:19:59.360 --> 00:20:00.360 align:center
Hold on.

00:20:00.480 --> 00:20:01.600 align:center
In such times,

00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:04.200 align:center
(Lu Zheng)
how can we shelter people
we barely know?

00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:05.480 align:center
Lu Zheng.

00:20:24.680 --> 00:20:26.440 align:center
-Soldiers, hear my command!
-Yes, General!

00:20:26.520 --> 00:20:27.920 align:center
Move to the back mountain
of Wanfo Temple!

00:20:28.080 --> 00:20:29.080 align:center
Yes, General!

00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:34.960 align:center
I mistook you
for an enemy scout earlier.

00:20:35.240 --> 00:20:36.520 align:center
I apologize for the offense.

00:20:37.320 --> 00:20:38.320 align:center
Lu Ming,

00:20:39.760 --> 00:20:42.560 align:center
repair the carriage and
escort Her Ladyship to the temple.

00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:44.000 align:center
Yes, General!

00:20:45.080 --> 00:20:46.080 align:center
Young Lady.

00:21:20.720 --> 00:21:22.960 align:center
The carriage only contains valuables.

00:21:35.280 --> 00:21:36.800 align:center
The snow makes the roads treacherous.

00:21:36.960 --> 00:21:38.000 align:center
What's so urgent

00:21:38.680 --> 00:21:40.400 align:center
that you had to travel
in your poor health?

00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:43.760 align:center
It's a private family matter,

00:21:43.960 --> 00:21:45.600 align:center
not something we can share.

00:21:45.840 --> 00:21:47.520 align:center
General has treated you with kindness,

00:21:47.800 --> 00:21:49.280 align:center
offering shelter from the snow.

00:21:49.720 --> 00:21:51.200 align:center
Yet you still refuse to be open.

00:21:51.800 --> 00:21:53.680 align:center
-Are you hiding something?
-Lu Ming.

00:21:56.760 --> 00:21:57.760 align:center
Young Lady...

00:21:59.160 --> 00:22:00.160 align:center
My Lady, surely you know

00:22:00.760 --> 00:22:02.880 align:center
that the fate of the nation
will be decided in these few days.

00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:05.040 align:center
In such times,
when survival is at stake,

00:22:07.960 --> 00:22:09.520 align:center
everything must be carefully examined.

00:22:11.360 --> 00:22:12.760 align:center
-General...
-Tuo Niang.

00:22:16.280 --> 00:22:17.880 align:center
It's nothing particularly important.

00:22:18.760 --> 00:22:20.480 align:center
I just feared that,
should I speak of it,

00:22:20.800 --> 00:22:22.240 align:center
it would offend your ears.

00:22:23.640 --> 00:22:26.480 align:center
Marquis of Jining and my half-sister

00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:28.640 align:center
have been committing adultery

00:22:29.040 --> 00:22:30.040 align:center
while I've been ill.

00:22:30.840 --> 00:22:32.200 align:center
I caught them today.

00:22:33.080 --> 00:22:34.640 align:center
I intended to divorce him immediately,

00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:38.400 align:center
but there is no one in the Office of
State Affairs who can process my case

00:22:38.560 --> 00:22:39.920 align:center
due to the chaos in the capital.

00:22:40.840 --> 00:22:41.840 align:center
So,

00:22:42.480 --> 00:22:44.480 align:center
I have no choice but to
return home and report it.

00:22:46.440 --> 00:22:47.480 align:center
I see.

00:22:48.520 --> 00:22:49.520 align:center
Forgive my rudeness,

00:22:50.520 --> 00:22:51.520 align:center
My Lady.

00:22:52.200 --> 00:22:53.320 align:center
Your apology is not needed.

00:22:56.360 --> 00:22:58.120 align:center
I'm no longer Marchioness of Jining.

00:22:59.600 --> 00:23:00.600 align:center
My surname is Dou,

00:23:02.280 --> 00:23:03.920 align:center
and I'm the fourth child in my family.

00:23:05.800 --> 00:23:08.120 align:center
A man can leave a woman easily,

00:23:08.760 --> 00:23:10.880 align:center
while it's harder
for a woman to leave a man.

00:23:11.600 --> 00:23:13.160 align:center
The sooner you see
someone's true colors,

00:23:13.280 --> 00:23:14.680 align:center
the sooner you can cut ties.

00:23:19.720 --> 00:23:20.960 align:center
Young Lady Dou,

00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:23.000 align:center
you are the luckiest among the unlucky.

00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:27.840 align:center
General, you control the new dynasty

00:23:28.800 --> 00:23:30.080 align:center
and hold unparalleled power,

00:23:31.360 --> 00:23:32.840 align:center
yet why has your hair turned gray,

00:23:33.840 --> 00:23:35.800 align:center
and your eyes filled with regret?

00:23:40.720 --> 00:23:41.760 align:center
General!

00:23:45.240 --> 00:23:46.240 align:center
General...

00:23:52.960 --> 00:23:53.960 align:center
Forgive me.

00:23:55.240 --> 00:23:57.200 align:center
I'm a dying man
who has squandered his efforts

00:23:57.600 --> 00:23:58.840 align:center
on those who do not deserve it.

00:24:03.640 --> 00:24:04.640 align:center
Indeed.

00:24:05.560 --> 00:24:06.800 align:center
We have squandered our efforts

00:24:08.720 --> 00:24:10.080 align:center
on those who do not deserve it.

00:24:21.360 --> 00:24:22.360 align:center
It will soon be dawn.

00:24:23.080 --> 00:24:25.720 align:center
I'll have my men escort you back
to your hometown, Young Lady Dou.

00:24:26.840 --> 00:24:28.480 align:center
Today's celestial signs are strange.

00:24:29.520 --> 00:24:30.840 align:center
The comet enters the Purple Star,

00:24:30.920 --> 00:24:32.280 align:center
an omen of disaster and turmoil,

00:24:32.520 --> 00:24:34.760 align:center
yet we also see shooting stars
streaking across the sky.

00:24:34.880 --> 00:24:35.960 align:center
The unrest in the capital

00:24:36.040 --> 00:24:37.960 align:center
certainly corresponds
with the comet's entry,

00:24:38.280 --> 00:24:39.280 align:center
but the shooting stars...

00:24:45.400 --> 00:24:47.120 align:center
They might signal
fortune lies within misfortune.

00:24:47.200 --> 00:24:49.280 align:center
You two are intertwined in fate.

00:24:51.040 --> 00:24:52.800 align:center
You overestimate me, Reverend Yuan Tong.

00:24:53.760 --> 00:24:55.760 align:center
I am just a powerless woman,

00:24:56.680 --> 00:24:58.760 align:center
merely a passerby
seeking a bowl of medicinal soup

00:24:59.080 --> 00:25:00.720 align:center
and sheltering from the snowstorm.

00:25:01.560 --> 00:25:04.840 align:center
How could I possibly be entwined
with General Song's fate?

00:25:19.000 --> 00:25:20.000 align:center
What is this?

00:25:20.120 --> 00:25:22.480 align:center
Prince Qing won't even show up
to tell me the truth?

00:25:26.040 --> 00:25:27.040 align:center
General Song,

00:25:27.640 --> 00:25:29.280 align:center
no matter how great your achievements,

00:25:29.480 --> 00:25:30.760 align:center
after what you did,

00:25:31.200 --> 00:25:32.320 align:center
His Highness has no choice

00:25:32.800 --> 00:25:34.800 align:center
but to give you a death sentence.

00:25:35.760 --> 00:25:37.000 align:center
Those who take the throne

00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:39.280 align:center
are equally cold and ungrateful.

00:25:39.840 --> 00:25:42.120 align:center
Duke of Ding fought
on the frontlines for 15 years,

00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:44.440 align:center
only to be framed for treason

00:25:44.520 --> 00:25:46.000 align:center
and have his entire family executed.

00:25:46.080 --> 00:25:48.520 align:center
Prince Qing hasn't even
taken the throne yet,

00:25:49.120 --> 00:25:51.360 align:center
and he's already setting out
to eliminate his allies.

00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:54.600 align:center
Doesn't he fear
what people will say about him?

00:25:58.000 --> 00:25:59.600 align:center
General Song, don't worry about that.

00:25:59.760 --> 00:26:00.760 align:center
If this gets out,

00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:04.720 align:center
it'll be nothing but a scandal
of Marquis of Jining's family.

00:26:05.200 --> 00:26:07.920 align:center
What does it have to do
with Prince Qing?

00:26:09.600 --> 00:26:11.520 align:center
Don't you agree, My Lord?

00:26:17.080 --> 00:26:18.880 align:center
By order of Prince Qing,

00:26:19.880 --> 00:26:23.440 align:center
Song Mo has grown
arrogant with his merits.

00:26:24.080 --> 00:26:27.560 align:center
He seduced Marchioness of Jining,
Dou Zhao, and ran off with her.

00:26:28.040 --> 00:26:29.480 align:center
Wei Ting Yu, you...

00:26:29.560 --> 00:26:32.960 align:center
With all the evidence, they shall
be executed to set things right.

00:26:35.160 --> 00:26:36.680 align:center
He's shifting the blame onto a woman.

00:26:37.360 --> 00:26:39.920 align:center
Prince Qing is even more
shameless than his father.

00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:41.480 align:center
General Song,

00:26:42.120 --> 00:26:44.760 align:center
if you surrender the imperial seal

00:26:44.840 --> 00:26:45.960 align:center
and end your life now,

00:26:46.360 --> 00:26:50.600 align:center
His Highness may
leave you with a whole corpse.

00:26:51.080 --> 00:26:52.080 align:center
Too bad.

00:26:52.520 --> 00:26:53.520 align:center
I'm far too petty

00:26:54.240 --> 00:26:55.920 align:center
to leave you with a whole corpse.

00:27:05.160 --> 00:27:10.200 align:center
Kill!

00:27:17.080 --> 00:27:19.560 align:center
My Lady, please come with me
to the back mountain.

00:27:20.120 --> 00:27:21.560 align:center
Come on, we have to go.

00:27:25.000 --> 00:27:27.160 align:center
When Prince Qing stopped me
from seeing His Majesty,

00:27:27.320 --> 00:27:29.200 align:center
I knew then he intended
to kill me after using me.

00:27:29.280 --> 00:27:30.880 align:center
-Eunuch...
-I gave him a chance.

00:27:31.440 --> 00:27:33.400 align:center
If he had kept his promise
and come to meet me,

00:27:33.840 --> 00:27:35.280 align:center
I would've let him live.

00:27:36.120 --> 00:27:38.440 align:center
But instead, he went to
the Western Mountain palace.

00:27:39.920 --> 00:27:41.080 align:center
It proves that my efforts

00:27:41.760 --> 00:27:44.360 align:center
to deploy Duke of Ding's
elite troops there weren't in vain.

00:27:45.440 --> 00:27:47.520 align:center
What benefit would killing me
bring to Song Mo?

00:27:48.040 --> 00:27:49.600 align:center
Even if he wants to take
control of the regency,

00:27:49.640 --> 00:27:51.320 align:center
(Prince Qing, Zhu You Ting)
I will grant it to him.

00:27:51.440 --> 00:27:54.560 align:center
-Kill!
-Kill!

00:27:56.480 --> 00:27:57.560 align:center
Prince Qing

00:27:58.360 --> 00:28:00.080 align:center
is probably a corpse by now.

00:28:04.920 --> 00:28:06.520 align:center
Empty threats.

00:28:07.680 --> 00:28:08.680 align:center
Seize him!

00:28:13.520 --> 00:28:14.800 align:center
Eunuch Wang...

00:28:23.520 --> 00:28:25.600 align:center
-Prepare for battle!
-Prepare for battle!

00:28:25.720 --> 00:28:28.120 align:center
Kill!

00:28:32.960 --> 00:28:33.960 align:center
Young Lady...

00:28:35.880 --> 00:28:36.880 align:center
Careful.

00:29:07.040 --> 00:29:08.440 align:center
Duke of Ding's Army has
always been skilled in battle.

00:29:08.560 --> 00:29:11.320 align:center
Now that we've been surrounded,
what are we going to do?

00:29:11.400 --> 00:29:13.400 align:center
Don't worry.
As long as your wife is dead,

00:29:14.360 --> 00:29:15.720 align:center
no matter how capable Song Mo is,

00:29:15.840 --> 00:29:17.800 align:center
he'll just be a general
who has committed a crime.

00:29:19.720 --> 00:29:20.720 align:center
My Lord!

00:30:20.960 --> 00:30:22.800 align:center
Young Lady, run!

00:30:31.680 --> 00:30:32.720 align:center
I'm going to kill you!

00:30:36.680 --> 00:30:39.640 align:center
You're just a weak woman,

00:30:40.360 --> 00:30:41.440 align:center
who can you possibly kill?

00:31:02.200 --> 00:31:03.200 align:center
Tuo Niang!

00:31:56.000 --> 00:31:57.000 align:center
General!

00:32:01.160 --> 00:32:03.760 align:center
General, I really didn't know
Wei Ting Yu would do that.

00:32:07.880 --> 00:32:09.040 align:center
I'm poisoned.

00:32:09.960 --> 00:32:11.040 align:center
My time is running out.

00:32:12.120 --> 00:32:13.440 align:center
I only regret that I can't clear

00:32:13.800 --> 00:32:15.680 align:center
Duke of Ding's name before I die.

00:32:16.480 --> 00:32:17.960 align:center
Instead, I've dragged you into this

00:32:18.320 --> 00:32:20.680 align:center
and led you to bear this disgrace,
costing you your life.

00:32:21.480 --> 00:32:22.680 align:center
You saved my life

00:32:23.960 --> 00:32:25.480 align:center
in the fields last night.

00:32:28.920 --> 00:32:30.600 align:center
It's me who have brought you trouble.

00:32:32.000 --> 00:32:33.640 align:center
Come, let me take you away.

00:32:43.600 --> 00:32:44.600 align:center
Yuan Tong...

00:32:44.680 --> 00:32:45.680 align:center
Reverend Yuan Tong!

00:32:47.200 --> 00:32:48.200 align:center
Yuan Tong.

00:33:06.680 --> 00:33:08.680 align:center
(Chronicles of the World)

00:33:08.760 --> 00:33:09.760 align:center
Go.

00:33:11.000 --> 00:33:12.000 align:center
Go.

00:33:12.360 --> 00:33:13.680 align:center
-That way.
-Let's go together.

00:33:13.760 --> 00:33:14.760 align:center
I don't matter.

00:33:14.880 --> 00:33:17.440 align:center
Within misfortune lies fortune,
you two are bound by fate.

00:33:17.920 --> 00:33:19.680 align:center
The course of destiny
is now in your hands.

00:33:20.160 --> 00:33:22.000 align:center
Go now. Go!

00:33:22.560 --> 00:33:25.560 align:center
They're over there! Get them!

00:33:54.320 --> 00:33:55.320 align:center
Watch out!

00:34:33.720 --> 00:34:36.200 align:center
(To live as a woman is to
live at the mercy of others.)

00:34:37.640 --> 00:34:40.840 align:center
(A lifetime of joys and sorrows
controlled by someone else.)

00:34:44.160 --> 00:34:47.000 align:center
(It is not only in marriage
that one is bound,)

00:34:49.080 --> 00:34:51.640 align:center
(even rulers and ministers
are no different.)

00:34:54.480 --> 00:34:55.560 align:center
(One moment you're favored,)

00:34:57.720 --> 00:34:59.320 align:center
(the next, you're sentenced to death.)

00:35:15.280 --> 00:35:16.320 align:center
(Throughout my whole life,)

00:35:17.880 --> 00:35:19.480 align:center
(I never had a moment)

00:35:19.560 --> 00:35:20.960 align:center
(Record of Truths)

00:35:21.040 --> 00:35:22.600 align:center
(where I could choose my own fate.)

00:36:21.960 --> 00:36:22.960 align:center
You're finally awake.

00:36:23.200 --> 00:36:24.520 align:center
You were so absorbed in your reading,

00:36:24.600 --> 00:36:26.320 align:center
you bumped straight into
the mirror frame.

00:36:42.320 --> 00:36:43.320 align:center
I...

00:36:44.040 --> 00:36:45.040 align:center
How...

00:36:45.640 --> 00:36:46.640 align:center
Shou Gu?

00:36:47.960 --> 00:36:48.960 align:center
Young Lady?

00:36:50.400 --> 00:36:52.240 align:center
-Shou Gu.
-Young Lady.

00:36:53.080 --> 00:36:54.680 align:center
(Zhao Gu Qiu, Matron of Dou Family)
You're awake.

00:37:07.560 --> 00:37:08.560 align:center
Mother?

00:37:13.040 --> 00:37:14.040 align:center
Tuo Niang?

00:37:21.280 --> 00:37:22.440 align:center
You're still here!

00:37:30.480 --> 00:37:32.480 align:center
Why are you acting like a little girl?

00:37:38.280 --> 00:37:39.280 align:center
It's all my fault.

00:37:40.560 --> 00:37:42.800 align:center
Madam went to pray to
the Buddha to bless Master

00:37:43.000 --> 00:37:44.640 align:center
with success in the imperial exams,

00:37:44.960 --> 00:37:46.600 align:center
and I went with her.

00:37:47.080 --> 00:37:48.760 align:center
I should've kept watch over Young Lady.

00:37:49.360 --> 00:37:51.120 align:center
Success in the exams?

00:37:52.320 --> 00:37:54.640 align:center
Is this the eighth year
of the reign Chengping?

00:37:57.200 --> 00:37:58.200 align:center
Yes.

00:38:00.280 --> 00:38:02.840 align:center
But I clearly lived through a lifetime.

00:38:03.800 --> 00:38:04.800 align:center
Just now,

00:38:05.600 --> 00:38:07.480 align:center
the temple was filled
with Jiying Guards.

00:38:08.640 --> 00:38:10.320 align:center
I died right in front of the mirror.

00:38:12.320 --> 00:38:13.320 align:center
Young Lady...

00:38:14.520 --> 00:38:16.920 align:center
Sometimes, a dream seems
so real that it feels like reality.

00:38:17.200 --> 00:38:18.480 align:center
But still, it's just a dream.

00:38:19.040 --> 00:38:21.720 align:center
You got too caught up in the stories,

00:38:22.000 --> 00:38:23.720 align:center
and bumped your head.

00:38:24.160 --> 00:38:25.920 align:center
The story is just a story,
but you are real.

00:38:30.880 --> 00:38:32.440 align:center
Record of Truths?

00:38:33.400 --> 00:38:35.520 align:center
It's a book left by a carefree recluse,

00:38:35.760 --> 00:38:37.360 align:center
meant for someone destined to find it.

00:38:39.000 --> 00:38:41.640 align:center
Looks like you're that lucky one.

00:38:41.920 --> 00:38:43.440 align:center
Thank you, Master Yuan Tong.

00:38:45.760 --> 00:38:46.960 align:center
You're Yuan Tong?

00:38:58.040 --> 00:38:59.040 align:center
Mo!

00:39:02.520 --> 00:39:03.520 align:center
You're finally awake.

00:39:05.360 --> 00:39:06.360 align:center
Mo,

00:39:06.720 --> 00:39:08.880 align:center
I couldn't wake you up from a nightmare.
I was worried sick.

00:39:09.160 --> 00:39:11.560 align:center
Fortunately, the abbot calmed
your spirit and treated you.

00:39:11.960 --> 00:39:14.240 align:center
(Duchess of Ying, Jiang Hui Sun)
How do you feel now?

00:39:15.760 --> 00:39:16.800 align:center
Mother,

00:39:17.240 --> 00:39:19.600 align:center
I had such a long dream.

00:39:21.040 --> 00:39:22.880 align:center
But now I can't remember

00:39:23.360 --> 00:39:24.840 align:center
anything from it.

00:39:25.640 --> 00:39:26.960 align:center
It's just as well.

00:39:27.520 --> 00:39:28.760 align:center
All living beings

00:39:29.360 --> 00:39:31.560 align:center
have the wisdom and nature
of the Buddha within them.

00:39:31.800 --> 00:39:33.720 align:center
It is only because
of delusion and attachment

00:39:34.800 --> 00:39:36.480 align:center
that they cannot attain enlightenment.

00:39:36.720 --> 00:39:37.720 align:center
Thank you, Abbot.

00:39:39.120 --> 00:39:40.600 align:center
But I feel like there are things

00:39:42.200 --> 00:39:43.360 align:center
I shouldn't have forgotten.

00:39:49.480 --> 00:39:51.880 align:center
On the day of triumphant success,
the spring breeze brings joy,

00:39:52.640 --> 00:39:54.880 align:center
But the magnolia withers in autumn.

00:39:55.840 --> 00:39:58.440 align:center
The aspiring ones soar with the wind,

00:39:59.160 --> 00:40:02.160 align:center
yet regretful, they choose the coldest
branches in the best of times.

00:40:03.040 --> 00:40:04.560 align:center
Triumphant in the imperial exams,

00:40:04.800 --> 00:40:06.840 align:center
yet why does it speak
of withering and decline?

00:40:28.040 --> 00:40:29.040 align:center
Shou Gu.

00:40:31.560 --> 00:40:32.560 align:center
What are you reading?

00:40:34.560 --> 00:40:36.120 align:center
Is this book that interesting?

00:40:37.760 --> 00:40:38.760 align:center
He made it...

00:40:39.960 --> 00:40:40.960 align:center
He made it?

00:40:41.440 --> 00:40:42.440 align:center
Madam!

00:40:43.160 --> 00:40:44.160 align:center
Madam!

00:40:44.760 --> 00:40:45.920 align:center
Master made it!

00:40:47.920 --> 00:40:50.200 align:center
Master made it onto the list!
The seventh in the second division!

00:40:52.160 --> 00:40:53.160 align:center
This is wonderful!

00:40:53.720 --> 00:40:55.080 align:center
Shi Ying's hard work

00:40:55.320 --> 00:40:56.600 align:center
has finally paid off.

00:40:59.080 --> 00:41:00.320 align:center
Shou Gu,

00:41:00.520 --> 00:41:02.280 align:center
how did you know your father succeeded?

00:41:02.960 --> 00:41:05.800 align:center
-I...
-This temple is so miraculous.

00:41:06.360 --> 00:41:07.400 align:center
You even came to pray for

00:41:07.480 --> 00:41:09.680 align:center
Young Lady Wang Ying Xue's family
matters before, Madam.

00:41:09.760 --> 00:41:10.920 align:center
Wang Ying Xue?

00:41:14.120 --> 00:41:15.800 align:center
After studying diligently for years.

00:41:16.240 --> 00:41:18.560 align:center
Father finally succeeded
in the imperial exam that year.

00:41:19.160 --> 00:41:20.400 align:center
When we were celebrating,

00:41:21.360 --> 00:41:22.480 align:center
Mother fell ill.

00:41:22.560 --> 00:41:24.640 align:center
Mother? Are you all right, Mother?

00:41:25.160 --> 00:41:26.160 align:center
Soon after she died,

00:41:26.880 --> 00:41:30.040 align:center
Wang Ying Xue married into
the family and became my stepmother.

00:41:30.120 --> 00:41:32.640 align:center
After all, her mother
and mine were sworn sisters.

00:41:33.360 --> 00:41:36.920 align:center
And her mother died because of
my mother's affair with my father.

00:41:38.360 --> 00:41:40.200 align:center
Gao Sheng, prepare the horse.

00:41:40.520 --> 00:41:41.520 align:center
Yes, Madam.

00:41:42.440 --> 00:41:43.920 align:center
Tuo Niang, take Shou Gu

00:41:44.040 --> 00:41:46.040 align:center
to the Zhao residence to deliver
the good news to my brother.

00:41:46.120 --> 00:41:48.080 align:center
-It happens to be Zhang Ru's birthday...
-No.

00:41:50.120 --> 00:41:52.160 align:center
It's been such a long time
since I saw Father.

00:41:52.440 --> 00:41:54.680 align:center
Why not invite Uncle
and Zhang Ru to our home

00:41:54.920 --> 00:41:55.920 align:center
to celebrate together?

00:41:56.040 --> 00:41:57.200 align:center
Uncle is an Imperial Censor

00:41:57.240 --> 00:41:58.720 align:center
with the power to impeach officials.

00:41:59.040 --> 00:42:00.600 align:center
His reports even
go directly to His Majesty.

00:42:00.680 --> 00:42:03.360 align:center
Father's future career
will benefit from connections.

00:42:05.640 --> 00:42:08.480 align:center
When did you become so
knowledgeable about such things?

00:42:10.640 --> 00:42:14.160 align:center
Alright then. I haven't seen
my brother in a long time either.

00:42:14.360 --> 00:42:15.760 align:center
Please invite him then.

00:42:16.880 --> 00:42:17.960 align:center
When I married into this family,

00:42:18.080 --> 00:42:20.560 align:center
I buried a jar of
Huadiao wine for Shi Ying.

00:42:20.920 --> 00:42:22.240 align:center
It's finally time to open it.

00:42:22.760 --> 00:42:24.160 align:center
I must thank the gods.

00:42:24.400 --> 00:42:25.640 align:center
Give it to me.

00:42:27.160 --> 00:42:28.240 align:center
Walk slowly.

00:42:29.920 --> 00:42:32.160 align:center
Tuo Niang, the imperial exams
were held in the capital.

00:42:32.240 --> 00:42:34.120 align:center
Is Wang Ying Xue
also living in the capital?

00:42:34.360 --> 00:42:35.360 align:center
Yes.

00:42:35.520 --> 00:42:37.440 align:center
Young Lady Wang's father was demoted,

00:42:37.760 --> 00:42:39.000 align:center
and her family fell on hard times.

00:42:39.080 --> 00:42:41.680 align:center
She had to sell cotton and rice
to support her family in Chaxi.

00:42:42.040 --> 00:42:43.560 align:center
When Master was studying in Chaxi,

00:42:43.640 --> 00:42:46.720 align:center
Madam even asked him to bring
some money for Young Lady Wang.

00:42:49.440 --> 00:42:50.760 align:center
Quickly, invite Uncle over.

00:42:51.040 --> 00:42:52.040 align:center
The sooner, the better.

00:42:53.600 --> 00:42:54.600 align:center
Yes, Young Lady.

00:43:02.440 --> 00:43:04.000 align:center
The past cannot be changed,

00:43:04.840 --> 00:43:06.400 align:center
but the future can still be made.

00:43:07.880 --> 00:43:08.880 align:center
Since Record of Truths

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records this so-called fate,

00:43:12.600 --> 00:43:13.600 align:center
and now that I possess it

00:43:14.960 --> 00:43:16.160 align:center
and can foresee the ending,

00:43:16.680 --> 00:43:18.200 align:center
I can change it.

00:43:20.800 --> 00:43:21.800 align:center
Mother,

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however difficult
or dangerous it may be,

00:43:24.000 --> 00:43:25.040 align:center
I will protect you.

00:43:26.120 --> 00:43:27.800 align:center
I won't let anyone hurt you.

00:43:45.840 --> 00:43:47.560 align:center
When Dou Shi Ying was studying,

00:43:47.800 --> 00:43:48.920 align:center
he committed adultery!

00:43:49.200 --> 00:43:50.600 align:center
If you pressure my sister again,

00:43:50.800 --> 00:43:52.680 align:center
I'll risk my life

00:43:52.760 --> 00:43:55.160 align:center
to make sure we go down together!

00:43:55.240 --> 00:43:56.920 align:center
If you really won't forgive me,

00:43:57.360 --> 00:43:59.280 align:center
grant me a white silk ribbon
so I can hang myself then.

00:43:59.400 --> 00:44:00.520 align:center
If you really want to die...

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Here.