♪Turning the clear waves red♪
♪Sparrows singing in celebration♪
♪Calm years pass by the silent bustling city♪
♪Sitting at home♪
♪No one knows love's outline like I do♪
♪If one day the river breeze blows again♪
♪I won't be a mere reflection in the mirror♪
♪Dreams can shatter; Memories remain♪
♪Rich fragrance A*DS; Light ink writes♪
♪In the deep red windows lies mundane dust♪
=Are You The One=
=Episode 37=
I've been keeping a close watch.
Everything about Wen Tinghe is fine.
There's nothing suspicious.
He has made no personal contact.
Have we alerted the snake?
Your Majesty.
Lord Sui seeks your audience.
Granted.
[Virtuous and Disciplined]
Greetings, Your Majesty.
Hi, Uncle.
What is it?
Naturally,
it's about the disaster relief in Xuanzhou.
All the relief supplies have been distributed.
I've also mobilized the Ministry of Personnel
to reward the rich squires
who donated the supplies,
giving them official positions.
I believe that soon
the people who suffer from the cold weather
will be able to celebrate the New Year
with peace of mind.
With your supervision,
I'm sure the relief efforts
will be effective.
I'm very relieved.
It's all part of my job.
And...
What else is troubling you, Uncle?
Let's hear it.
It's nothing to do with governance.
It's...
I just want to ask
how many gifts Your Majesty
gave to Lord Huaiyang?
Gifts?
He and his wife are coming
to the capital in a few days.
I need to send a gift.
So I need a reference.
What are you talking about?
I don't understand.
Lord Huaiyang got married in Zhenzhou.
Doesn't Your Majesty need to send a gift?
Lord Huaiyang
got married?
He...
Don't you know?
Well...
I'm not surprised.
I heard
he had a quick wedding
before the journey to the capital.
I guess it will only be a few days
between the envoy
and Lord Huaiyang's arrival in the capital.
Normally,
a lord's wedding should be organized
by the Ministry of Rituals.
Lord Huaiyang
broke our ancestors' rules.
It's...
It seems after the tragedy,
he holds his wife dearly.
[Qi'an]
Summon
Lord Huaiyang.
Greetings, Your Majesty.
Rise,
Lord Cui.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
How was your trip?
It was great.
Great?
Why did you come so late to your duty?
The position of Deputy Minister of w*r
has been vacant.
The officials slack on their duty.
Should I remove them from their duty
or punish you?
Your Majesty,
I heard Lord Huaiyang had a grand wedding.
But it hasn't been recorded
by the Ministry of Rituals.
The priority
of the Ministry of w*r should be
following orders.
But Lord Huaiyang
deliberately goes against the ancestral order.
So he cannot fill this position.
I think
Secretary Cao is the best candidate.
Your Majesty,
Secretary Cao is inexperienced.
And he has never been to the b*ttlefield.
Compared with Lord Huaiyang,
he's not the best choice.
Lord Cui,
what do you say?
I
have nothing to say.
I took an oath
to stay single until the state has peace.
That was why I didn't get married.
I did my job as your loyal servant,
but I failed my mother as a son.
During the unrest in Dongzhou,
defeated troops infiltrated Zhenzhou
and abducted my mother and my fiancee.
I
almost lost both my parents and my home
during their suppression.
Your Majesty,
misfortune is unpredictable.
Lord Huaiyang
was alone at w*r.
He did disobey the rules,
but if it was to fulfill his parents' wish,
it would be understandable
to get married earlier.
After the unrest was put down,
His Majesty intended to let you
lead the Ministry of w*r.
That means he has let go of the past.
But sometimes, I get the feeling
that you have a bigger grudge
with His Majesty.
You're a wise man.
I'll ask no more.
Come to my mansion in a while.
Mrs. Meng hasn't met you for a long time.
I'm sure she has a lot of questions to ask.
Nanny Li.
Moru.
My lord,
I knew you'd come here.
So I've been waiting for some time.
My lord,
soon after you left the mansion,
the princess was invited to the palace
for the Empress' tea party
for noble wives.
No maids were allowed.
How long has she been gone?
Not long,
about two hours.
Is this the Princess of Huaiyang?
This is Lord Sui.
Greetings, my lord.
Without His Majesty's gifts,
you can't be addressed
the Princess of Huaiyang.
You're like a fairy, Princess Huaisang.
No wonder Lord Huaiyang
is so obsessed with you
and loses sleep over you.
I'm here today to pay my respects
and send some gifts to the Yongshou Palace.
If I knew you were in the palace,
I would have given you some.
The finest lambs in Xizhou,
freshly k*lled
and brought in before the blood was cold.
It must taste
so delicious.
It's too good for me.
My lord.
Excuse me.
Forgive me, Your Highness.
I'm late.
Concubine Xian,
why do you look like you've seen a ghost?
Princess Huaisang,
do you know Consort Xian?
Your Highness,
Miantang and Consort Xian
go way back.
We're like sisters.
It's been a long time.
Now
we can meet again at this party
in the palace.
I'm sure
you must be as overjoyed
as I am.
Yes.
I haven't seen you for a long time,
Sister Liu.
How can I let you address me sister?
You have lost weight.
I don't know
if you're still as skillful
with your hands as before
and good at needlework.
I didn't notice.
Who's that?
I think she's a princess from the North,
a guest of the Empress.
She looks familiar.
Consort Xian is like a sister to her.
Why didn't you introduce us earlier?
Gladly my sister-in-law invited her.
I see, the Empress invited you.
It's so different now.
Now that everyone is here,
let the party begin.
At previous parties,
tea was always served.
At least, it was Mengding tea.
Nowadays,
His Majesty advocates frugality.
So Your Highness is using fruit tea.
You're really supportive
of His Majesty's decision.
Her Highness comes from a family
of military generals.
She understands people's life.
I guess she chose this drink
for us
to share the fun with the people.
Your Highness is so thoughtful.
Do you know what it's made of,
Princess Huaisang?
This is no ordinary drink.
It has a rose-scented base.
One sip,
and you'll have
a bursting flavor of lychee in your mouth.
It's sour and sweet.
Really refreshing.
It's made of chilled lychee pulp.
With these mushy fruits,
it's even better.
Much better than the ones that look good
but don't taste good.
Princess Wuyang, you've eaten many delicacies.
If you say so, it has to be good.
Forgive me, Princess Huaisang. Forgive me.
Only a corner of my dress is wet.
Get up.
Isn't this Fu Yushen's apprentice?
Why is he here?
Please come with me.
I'll get you some clean clothes
to change into.
It's alright. They'll be dry in a moment.
- But...
- Princess Huaisang,
go with Songhua
to change your clothes.
It won't look right in wet clothes.
Yes.
Your Majesty.
Miantang.
Your Majesty has invited me to the palace.
Why do you have to do this
to meet me?
I was afraid you wouldn't come.
So I have to resort to this.
This is quite a difficult thing
for the Empress to do.
The Empress.
I have to leave.
Is he nice to you?
Did you choose him
out of love?
If it was against your will,
the betrothal, the wedding,
and everything else can be annulled.
I can do it for you.
The Ziyu I knew
would be happy for me.
My lord,
it's getting dark.
The princess hasn't come back.
If she stays the night in palace,
won't it...
I pray for her.
She's here.
- Where is the princess?
- Miss...
Miss Fu is here.
Jiu.
Sister.
Why won't you go?
My mother-in-law has held a banquet for you.
And where is your princess?
Sister,
send my apology
to Her Ladyship. And,
on another day,
my princess and I
will pay a visit.
Jiu,
did you run into trouble?
No.
Then I'll go back and explain it.
I have a great gossip.
Do you want to hear it?
Today in the palace,
I met a princess from the North.
I found her familiar.
She looks
quite like the barbarian girl
who helped you try the jade belt on.
Well,
it's quite invigorating, huh?
How is she?
Be patient.
The princess is named Liu.
She's Consort Xian's best friend.
She's very beautiful.
It's a pity she's less noble.
It seems the princess is fine.
Now the thrilling part is,
a young eunuch
stained the princess' clothes.
The Empress
told her to change in a chamber.
My best friend told me
she saw
that princess
meeting His Majesty in the backyard.
We hadn't seen her
till the party was over.
Moru, get the carriage.
Yes.
Hey.
Where are you going?
[Jian'an Gate]
My lord,
the word from Chonghua Palace says
that Princess Huaisang has left the palace.
My lord, why don't you
look around outside the palace?
Your Majesty.
Rise.
You can decide on the gifts
for the Grand Empress Dowager's birthday.
Why did I have to come all the way here?
It's because I'm indecisive.
I don't want to let Your Majesty down.
So I'd like to ask you to join me.
Gold and silver objects and Shoushan stones
are a bit boring.
I've heard
that rare birds are popular in the Harem.
It so happens that the other day,
two yellow-rumped willow warblers
flew into the palace.
Their singing is so melodious.
I managed to catch one of them.
The yellow-rumped willow warbler
is really nice.
Your decision.
Your Majesty.
Have you noticed
that the willow warbler has stopped singing?
I've been thinking.
The yellow warbler used to sing in pairs.
I'm afraid
once put in a cage,
she's frightened
and won't sing anymore.
What about the other one?
Dead.
The male was very aggressive.
The female struggles and cries every day.
That's why I can't decide.
I'd like to hear Your Majesty's opinion.
I am the emperor of the world.
Why can't I keep
even a single warbler?
I feel the same way.
So I've used the most expensive materials
and hired the best craftsmen
to create a unique birdcage for it.
And I gave it plenty of food.
Even the flowers
it was familiar with before
have all been brought to it.
Sadly,
this female bird is loyal.
She'd rather go on a hunger strike
for three days
than give in for a moment.
I'm afraid...
I'm afraid she'll die like the male.
A loyal bird?
Your Majesty,
if we want to be friends with birds,
we shall let a phoenix choose
its sycamore tree
and a roc fly to the sky.
Birds have their own destinies.
If we're truly their friends,
why not set them free?
Is he nice to you?
The Ziyu I knew
would be happy for me.
I'm sure
Your Majesty will never have regrets
about your choices.
This birthday gift
is not appropriate.
Release the warbler.
Your Majesty is wise.
My lord,
please follow me.
When we get to the capital,
I'm afraid His Majesty will
find all sorts of reasons
to summon me to the palace.
I'm aware of that.
I've already made preparations.
I don't want you to do anything.
A conflict between you
and His Majesty,
or even an armed remonstrance
is what Lord Sui wants to see.
I want you to trust me
and trust Ziyu.
I'm Fu Yushen.
Nice to meet you, my lord, Princess.
Please take a look.
These glazed lamps
are made by a famous craftsman
in the Western Mountains.
It's often said,
"Good things in this world are not strong;
Colored clouds are easily dispersed
and glass is brittle."
But when these glazed lamps were fired,
a unique kind of jade resin was added.
That's why the glazed lamps
are stronger than all the glazes
in the world.
His Majesty
wishes Lord Huaiyang and Princess
a harmonious life
and a bond stronger than gold.
His Majesty didn't summon me
to the palace
only for his gifts, right?
You're right, my lord.
His Majesty has been waiting for you.
Please come with me.
Your Majesty.
Thank you
for putting on such a bitter show with me.
Your Majesty did this to make Lord Sui think
that you and I are at odds.
Yes.
What do you think of me,
Your Majesty?
In terms of love,
I'm jealous of you.
In terms of character,
I respect you.
You don't work for me
out of submission to the Emperor.
It's because you don't want any wars.
Your loyalty to the people
makes you an enemy of Lord Sui.
As an important official,
you can't stay far from politics.
That
is what you should do,
Lord Huaiyang.
Charge against blades and arrows
without fear
and do whatever you have to do.
In the past when we played chess,
we each had our intentions.
The cycle of the four horrors
was the last thing we wanted.
Now it seems
a draw
is not meaningless.
My guards
have been watching Lord Sui for some time.
Every visitor has been investigated.
But I found nothing.
Perhaps
this chief instructor is not a member
of Lord Sui's household.
What about Wen Tinghe?
Following Wen Tinghe's lead,
I found a gambling house in the capital.
It's where they meet.
I sent guards to ambush them.
But the strange thing is,
as soon as my men arrived,
they disappeared.
One day later,
Wen Tinghe died at his home.
It's not a bad thing.
What do you mean?
They're aware of Your Majesty's plans
and are able to respond
in such a short period of time.
That means the chief instructor
is not an outsider.
I was worried
he was far away from the capital.
It would be difficult to find him.
But if he's still in the capital,
I'm sure he'll give himself away.
But everything related to him is classified.
Even the guards don't know who he is.
From the very beginning,
I
have only mentioned it to Mr. Meng
and Duke Qing.
Lord Cui.
Mr. Meng is your teacher.
Duke Qing is your in-law.
I really don't want to doubt them.
This investigation into this matter
requires a low profile.
Tomorrow, we will
move into Duke Qing's Mansion.
It'll be easier for the investigation.
It's not easy for you to do things
in the capital.
If you need men,
take this badge.
And you can command
anyone on this list.
I haven't congratulated you
on your wedding yet.
Mr. Cui.
Mrs. Cui.
Good night.
Has Liu Yu
really fallen out with Lord Huaiyang?
Or is he unwilling to be controlled
so he's using Cui Xingzhou
as a check on me?
Lately, I've been
observing His Majesty carefully.
He wouldn't dare disobey you.
Father,
please don't corner him.
Don't corner him?
Did he give me the chance to?
If I fall,
will you be safe?
Go.
Greet your godmother
first.
Yes.
You stingy man.
You're always hiding something.
Do I have to force you
to show me something good?
Princess, you flatter me.
You're a noble lady.
Even the jewels
a heavenly fairy wears
are too humble
to be presented to you.
Good day, Godmother.
You come right on time.
It's alright.
He's one of the household.
His Lordship and Princess treat me well.
I'm deeply honored.
I'm just an errand man.
I'm so humbled.
Head accessories
from his Treasure as Desired
are as good as anything in the palace.
Since I came to the capital,
I've never bought anything from other stores.
Why don't you take a look?
If there's anything that catches your eye,
tell him to wrap them up.
Yes.
Greetings, Duke Qing.
Your Ladyship.
I'm Liu. Greetings, Duke Qing.
Your Ladyship.
We're all family.
There's no need to be formal.
Please sit down.
Yes, sit down.
We've just gotten married.
My wife has prepared some gifts
for you to enjoy.
Alright.
Please have some tea.
I have to congratulate you,
Lord Huaiyang, Princess.
Yes.
Such a beautiful princess.
I can't take my eyes off her.
Your Ladyship is so kind.
My visit to your graceful residence
is an eye-opening experience.
A century-old family is really something.
We get this for our ancestors' feat.
Unlike Lord Huaiyang,
who is His Majesty's henchman.
His Majesty favors His Lordship
because the Duke
is a man of great virtue.
We're related by marriage.
So we share the honor
and losses.
That's
what His Lordship
has been preaching to me day after day.
Well...
- Father.
- Father.
- Mother.
- Mother.
Sister, brother-in-law.
Fu,
what's wrong?
I spent too much time on my makeup.
Please forgive me, Mother.
It's alright.
Xingzhou,
have you found an ideal residence?
Not yet.
My mansion
is not a big one.
But we do have vacant courtyards.
If you don't mind,
you can stay here as long as you like.
Thank you, Duke.
This house
is the residence of the former
Minister of Public Works.
The pavilions, flowers, and trees
were all his design.
It looks simple.
In fact, there's a hidden mystery.
There's water on the left
and a wide road outside.
Sufficient water suggests luck.
The ground of the main house is
low in the front and high in the back.
The eaves are low on the left
and high on the right.
It means prosperity.
Are you a scholar, brother-in-law?
You know so much about houses.
Princess, you're too kind.
I'm not yet a scholar.
I don't dare to compare myself
with His Lordship.
Our brother-in-law is a better man
than I am.
He'll have a great future.
I'll take your word for it, Your Lordship.
My father asked me
to let you two rest.
I'll leave you now.
Your brother-in-law
is so considerate.
I'm sure it's out of his care
for your sister.
Jiu.
Sister.
Mother asked me
to send some servants over.
Greetings, my lord, princess.
Thank you, Sister.
Jiu, walk me back.
I have something to tell you.
Sure.
Liu
is the princess from the North
I told you about.
She and His Majesty
- are having an affair.
- Sister.
There is nothing between them.
And now,
she's my wife.
You know that?
That's history.
When we have time,
I'll explain it to you.
Now, sister,
don't give her a hard time.
Why would I give her a hard time?
I'm just worried about you.
I fear that
she calls you her husband
for another purpose.
She needs you to...
It's alright, sister.
These things
are my responsibility.
I didn't reassure you.
How are you doing
nowadays?
Why are you staring at me?
I'm looking well.
Naturally, I'm doing well.
Maybe you look good
because you're wearing too much makeup.
Hey.
You're always straightforward.
Come on, have some tea.
[Tolerance]
[Quiet]
Did I write these two characters?
They're your writings.
Your brother-in-law framed them.
He said
that to be calm and tolerant
is the quality
of a man with ambitions.
It's worth learning.
I wrote them for fun.
They're not worth the framing.
Who said that?
Nowadays, you're
very popular in the capital.
Your calligraphy
is highly sought-after.
Tomorrow, some noble ladies
will come to visit.
I'm planning
to show them the writings
while we're having tea
and conversation.
It's getting late.
Sister, get some rest.
I'll leave you now.
Wait.
[Map of the Capital]
What's this?
I received it today.
[We surveyed the staff of the Duke's Mansion
in the capital. Zhongyi.]
It's convenient for them as citizens.
[Respect and Simplicity]
So I ordered them to keep watch
and find out...
Find out Her Ladyship and Sister's preferences.
I'll buy something they like
to please them.
Why is my life so miserable?
I finally got rid of that mother-in-law.
And now there's a sister-in-law.
Can you keep your voice down?
[Duke Qing]
We have company.
[Map of the Capital]
Words will get out.
Cui Xingzhou.
What did you say before you married me?
You said you'd be good to me.
But what happened?
Your sister gave me a hard time.
But you didn't say a word.
What did my sister do?
[Minister Meng]
She didn't dislike your background.
She didn't ask you to serve her.
Why are you making such a fuss?
Don't think I don't know.
My affair with His Majesty stings her.
Maybe she'd say
I'm a seductress.
My sister is a straightforward woman.
[Traveling Routes]
If you two have any misunderstandings,
why don't you two talk it over?
She's a straightforward woman.
So you're saying
I'm cheap?
[Where do I start?]
I was talking about my sister,
not you.
Why are you mixing it up?
[I'm hungry.]
I've told you before
I'm a man
of my word.
Don't mess around with me.
[I'm hungry.]
[Hungry]
Alright,
your words are good advice.
My words are trash.
Where does this come from?
You're a lord.
You're so full of words.
Did you listen to what I said?
[Respect and Simplicity]
I always listen to you.
My lord, Princess.
Madam Fu sent these servants over
to help
with tomorrow's tea banquet.
Alright.
Nanny Li, you may leave.
Yes.
My dear,
good work.
Gladly it was a false alarm.
We're under someone else's roof.
In the dark,
I don't know how many people
are watching us secretly.
I'm glad you've thought of this, my dear.
We can't be too careful.
You took away my men
and made this map.
Are you going to use
a strong medicine tomorrow?
Whether it's a strong medicine or not,
we'll have to see
if it's effective.
If we want to find the hidden disease,
we need your silver-needle acupuncture
to find out what's going on inside.
Don't worry, honey.
I'll take care of things with the women.
Tomorrow, Sister will introduce me
to the noble ladies.
By then, I can try them out.
When they're all here,
I'll tell them
we're moving out
of Duke Qing's Mansion
and mention a few houses
to choose from.
Are you planning
to blend Traitor Lu's residence in?
If any noble lady is related
to the chief instructor,
I guess
she won't want me to buy it.
That's a good idea.
I guess you must be needing something.
What is it?
It's a list of noble families that'll be
attending tomorrow's party.
My dear,
memorize it tonight.
- ♪The boat drifts,
bringing back the sunset♪
♪When we reunite, we still joke
about the cause and effect♪
♪Who passed by, the crabapple
falls with a turn♪
♪Loving rightly but choosing wrong♪
♪With joys, sorrows, partings and reunions♪
♪Everyone travels far, seeing clouds and snow♪
♪Always hard to stay, yet easy to part♪
♪Crossing spring waters and autumn trials♪
♪A couple under the moonlight,
can stay together♪
♪Long hidden in the eyes,
flickering in and out♪
♪Let go of the flowers blooming
in the yard last night♪
♪Let go of the waves in the stream
in half a lifetime♪
♪Let those dust and chaos go on endlessly♪
♪In this lifetime, my wish is to the vast sky♪
♪There are many more♪
♪Everyone travels far, seeing clouds and snow♪
♪Always hard to stay, yet easy to part♪
♪Crossing spring waters and autumn trials♪
♪A couple under the moonlight,
can stay together♪
♪Time flows as we dream through four seasons♪
♪I wish to journey with you forever♪
♪Year after year♪
♪For many years to come♪