01x23 - Episode 23

[bunniefuu]

=Against The Current=

[Adapted from He Yanshan's novel,
Orchid Fragrance Fate]

=Episode 23=
[This drama does not correspond]

[to any real historical dynasty.]

[The systems, culture, attire and other
dynastic elements have been adapted.]

Uncle Zhao.

Brother Zhao.

What brings you here, Jinqi?

I arranged to watch
Furong's performance with friends.

We'd barely spoken a few words
when Furong was taken away.

They said

a distinguished guest
had lost something important,

so the entire troupe had to be searched.

So it's Uncle Zhao and Brother Zhao.

My apologies.

Furong and the other performers

need to cooperate with our questioning.

They can't see any visitors.

Hold out both hands.

[The index finger on
the deposed Crown Prince's left hand]

[is half a joint longer
than his middle finger,]

[making it unusually long.]

These soldiers
aren't exactly meticulous.

When it comes
to searching for lost items,

the Five City Patrol Office
is better suited to the task.

Why not send someone...

I appreciate the offer, Jinqi.

We've already brought in enough men.

There's no need
to trouble the Patrol Office.

Once you two finish
over there, come with me.

May I ask what you've lost, Uncle Zhao?

I've had some experience

investigating cases
and finding missing items.

I'd be glad to help.

No need.

It's only a family matter.

There's no need to trouble you, Jinqi.

Forgive my presumption.

I forgot to introduce them.

This is Scholar Han.

He's currently studying at Qixia Academy

under Scholar Shouyi.

Greetings, Judicial Officer Zhao.

And this

is Mister Jia,

from Kunshan, Suzhou.

Uncle Zhao,

if you enjoy Kunshan opera...

You have guests, Jinqi.

You should attend to them.

There's nothing particularly urgent

I need to attend to.

What are you still standing there for?

Hurry and see Jinqi out.

Jinqi,

this way, please.

I'll take my leave.

Please.

Hold out your hand.

I still have matters to attend to,
so I won't see you out.

I thought they'd question us at length.

But instead,

they escorted us straight out.

They seemed afraid Commander Lin
might stay even a moment longer.

What exactly are they looking for?

How would I know?

This way, please.

Uncle Liu, come here.

[Sanjue Hall]

Did you get a good look?

I did.

Find a body of similar build
at the public burial ground.

Use it as a decoy

to throw Zhao Xuede off the trail.

Yes.

Make the nose a little rounder.

Will this do?

Yes.

Make this earlobe a little bigger.

Yesterday,

when he was moving
costumes with Young Lady Xu,

he brushed past me.

He looked unfamiliar,
so I took a closer look.

Anyone trusted to handle

his master's dirty work

must have some standing

and money to spare.

Check the taverns
and teahouses he frequents

and find out everything about him.

Yes.

Scholar Han,

please go back

and tell Uncle Xu and Aunt Xu

that we have a lead.

I'll let them know
as soon as I have news.

Scholar Han,

please.

Uncle Liu...

There's something else

I'd like to discuss with him in private.

Scholar Han,

you should go home.

I'll take my leave.

When you changed clothes

and disguised yourself as a playwright,

I noticed that the index finger
on your left hand

was missing a section.

When I was young,

I made a living selling firewood.

While cutting wood in the mountains,

I accidentally chopped off
part of my finger.

How did you end up

working as a laborer with the troupe?

When I delivered firewood to Mister Lu,

Mister Lu

saw how hard it was for me
to make a living

and found me work with the troupe,

so I could make a living.

Zhao Xuede is close to Prince Han.

He must be helping Prince Han
search for something he lost.

As it happens,

the Crown Prince has also lost something

and is searching everywhere for it.

Today,

they can surround the troupe.

Tomorrow,

they could surround all of Jinling City.

I'll put you on a ship

and get you out of Jinling.

I've heard that overseas,

there are also
communities of our people.

In a new place,

perhaps you can put
your skills to good use

and live the life you want,

instead of hiding away in one corner

just trying to survive.

Why?

First, you've committed no crime.

Second,

I don't want Mister Lu and Furong

to pay with their lives

for an act of kindness.

Too much innocent blood

has already
been spilled in Jinling City.

♪With my own hands and heart,
I write my name♪

♪Through countless lines of ink,
step by step toward the light♪

♪With what I know and do,
I rewrite my fate♪

I'll leave.

♪As the long night ends,
I no longer question the past♪

Uncle Xu.

Go inside and lie down for a while.

Once we hear from Commander Lin,

you'll need your strength to help.

Is this the Xu residence?

I'm Tao, an official matchmaker.

The Han family asked me
to come and propose marriage.

Madam Tao!

Mother, someone's here to see you.

Madam Han.

Madam Han!

What's going on, Madam Han?

Let's talk outside.

Madam Han, weren't you

the one who asked me to come
propose marriage to the Xu family?

I came rushing over here,

so why are you pushing me out?

Even if you've changed your mind,

you should've told me beforehand.

I'm sorry.

So much has happened these past few days

that I completely forgot to tell you.

Madam Tao,

our family hasn't changed its mind.

It's just not a good day
to propose marriage.

I'm sorry you came
all this way for nothing.

Scholar Han, don't worry.

As for you and the Xu family's daughter,

leave it to me.

Take care, Madam Tao.

I'll be going, Madam Han.

Goodbye.

Two coins for doing nothing.

How long has Commander Lin been here?

I just arrived.

Mother,

go make dinner first.

Do you have any leads?

We've identified

the man who posed as a laborer.

However,

someone silenced him for good.

He's dead?

This is Jinling City.

Who could possibly

disregard the law

and k*ll as if it were nothing?

Someone neither of us
can afford to cross right now.

Knowing who it is would only
cause you more worry.

This all started because of me.

I was careless

and dragged Lanxiang into this.

I'm too ashamed to go inside.

Please tell Uncle Xu and Aunt Xu

that I will bring Lanxiang back

and apologize to them in person.

Where exactly is Lanxiang?

All we know so far is that
she was taken out of Jinling.

The trail goes cold after that.

She's no longer in Jinling?

[Yangzhou City]

[Qingyan House]

[Intoxicated Moon in the Mist]

[Xiaopu]
She says she's feeling unwell

and doesn't want
to see any guests today.

She's unwell ten days
out of every month.

She finally gets a customer

and still gives him an attitude.

[Liu Yueniang, Owner of Qingyan House]

Fine.

She's our star courtesan, after all.

We all have to indulge her a little.

[Zhi]

Behave yourself.

Trying to escape?

If it were that easy

to escape from me,

then I, Liu Yueniang,
would've lived over forty years

for nothing.

I was tricked into coming here.

Please...

Please...

Lift your head.

Don't move.

Girl,

I don't care whether
your parents sold you here

or traffickers tricked you
into coming here.

Once you enter my Qingyan House,

even if you were once a princess
or a prince's consort,

you'll still have to serve customers.

Not bad.

You've got a pretty face.

Change her clothes
and put some makeup on her.

The customer is still waiting.

All right.

Are you crazy?

You...

You think doing this

means you won't have to serve customers?

Silly girl.

Let me tell you,

plenty of men like this sort of thing.

If she doesn't even care about herself,

I won't waste my effort, either.

Gag her.

Just send her over like this.

Understood.

Hold her down.

No!

Open your mouth.

I don't know
why she's putting up such a fight.

Once I get my hands on you,

even if you die,

I'll still squeeze every last bit
of profit from your bones.

Your face is quite pretty.

But these hands...

Madam, my hands may be rough,

but I can play music, chess,
write calligraphy, and paint.

I can also perform opera.

With hands like these,

you claim you can do all four arts?

Who are you trying to fool?

May I borrow the fan
at your waist, Madam?

I really misjudged you.

Madam,

if you're too eager to make a sale,

even the finest goods
won't fetch a good price.

Why not build up some interest first?

Make it something rare and sought after,

and then wait for the highest offer.

You're a clever one.

But in our line of work,

a pretty face alone isn't enough.

You

have to be shrewder than men

if you want to get

all their money out of them.

You're just pretending to play along

so you can stall for time
and escape, aren't you?

But you were right about one thing.

You won't get a good price
if you're too eager to sell.

We'll spend a day preparing properly

and invite all
the wealthy men in Yangzhou

to come here.

Whoever comes out on top

will become

our Liu Qing...

Young Lady Liu Qing's very first patron.

I won't disappoint you, Madam.

Tomorrow will be your big day.

I won't give you any chance

to disappoint me.

There's news.

Sit.

The clues you gave me were limited.

Luckily, I've been keeping
an eye on Duke Xianguo.

As it happens,
I managed to find a lead for you.

Last night, there was indeed
a suspicious vessel

that left Jinling for Yangzhou.

I've sent men after it.

As long as Young Lady Xu is in Yangzhou,

we'll have news
within two or three days.

I want to go to Yangzhou.

Young Lady Xu was struck
by this misfortune because of me.

I have to bring her back.

His Majesty's health is getting worse.

Things

may be about to change.

But the Crown Prince is still in Jinling.

Won't His Majesty
summon him back to the capital?

I don't know whether
no imperial decree was ever issued

or it simply can't reach Jinling.

The Crown Prince
is extremely anxious right now.

But returning to the capital
without an imperial decree

would amount to treason.

Besides, Zheng Baichuan
is close to Prince Han.

Without an imperial decree,

Zheng Baichuan will never
let the Crown Prince leave the city.

Zheng Baichuan is only
the Joint Defense Commander.

The Central Military Command's

Commander, Duke Xiangguo,
is the Defense Commander.

As long as Duke Xiangguo is willing,

the gates of Jinling
cannot remain sealed.

Prince Han and the Crown Prince

are both Duke Xiangguo's
biological nephews.

Whichever of them ascends the throne,

Duke Xiangguo will be
the Emperor's maternal uncle.

He has always remained on the sidelines,

supporting neither side.

But in Jinling now,

Joint Defense Commander,
Zheng Baichuan calls the shots.

Yuan,

Zheng Baichuan is ruthless
and utterly without principle.

He betrayed
the deposed Emperor back then

and offered Jinling City
to His Majesty to prove his allegiance.

Now he could just as easily
offer the Crown Prince's head

to Prince Han to prove his allegiance.

Forgive my bold words,

but every word comes from the heart.

You're right to remind me.

With or without an imperial decree,

Prince Han will never
let the Crown Prince

leave Jinling alive.

The Crown Prince's life is in danger.

If he is to have any chance of survival,
he must return to the capital.

But the Naval Camp is outside the city.

There's nothing I can do.

Fengtai,

you're the only one
with troops inside the city right now.

Please help the Crown Prince
leave Jinling.

My forces are limited.

I can't confront Zheng Baichuan head-on.

However, if we can create
a diversion in plain sight

while secretly taking another route,

I'm confident

I can escort the Crown Prince
safely out of the city.

Secretly taking another route...

I understand.

But how do we create the diversion?

I went to the troupe today

and came up with an idea.

You're getting married on the sixth.

The Crown Prince and Zheng Baichuan
will both attend.

Hire the best troupe in all of Jinling

and have them
put on a grand performance.

That won't be difficult.

The Crown Prince enjoys opera.

It would be perfectly natural

for me to arrange
a troupe to perform for him.

Then prepare well for your wedding.

I'll make a trip to Yangzhou first.

Are you out of your mind?

At a time when lives are at stake,

you're still going
to Yangzhou for a woman?

Let me ask you this.

If the Crown Prince
is to return safely to the capital,

should he travel overland or by water?

[Canal Transport Map]

[Jinling, Yangzhou]

In that case, for both
official and personal reasons,

you need to make a trip to Yangzhou.

Now you have the search
for Young Lady Xu as a reason to go,

so Zheng Baichuan won't
be suspicious either.

As soon as the city gates open tomorrow,

I'll set out for Yangzhou.

[Longjiang Pass Wharf]

Sirs,

please board.

Boatman.

Boatman.

Boatman.

Are you going to Yangzhou?

We're going to Yangzhou, too.

Scholar Han?

I'm sorry.

These two examination candidates
want to enjoy the scenery and paint,

so they've chartered
the entire boat. You'll have to

find another boat.

Sorry to trouble you.

Uncle Liu from the Furong Troupe

got drunk, fell into
the water, and drowned.

By now, his body

should have been recovered

by men from
the Western City Patrol Office.

Set sail.

[Qingyan House]

Young Lady Liu Qing,

even if you manage to shake us two off,

there are two more guarding
the window below.

And that's not counting those upstairs.

There are four more

on the stairs and outside
the main entrance.

You

can't escape.

Gold! It's gold!

I'm determined to have her.

Congratulations, Young Master Wang.

You'll be Young Lady Liu Qing's
first patron today.

- Good!
- Good!

Congratulations!

Exactly.

I'm just nervous.

I'm just looking around

and getting some air.

You're too kind.

I'll take you upstairs
to see Young Lady Liu Qing right now.

Good.

Good.

Isn't this Young Lady Shuang?

What brings you here?

I came to see Madam's new favorite

and find out what she looks like.

Both of you, leave us.

I have a few private words

to say to this young lady.

Well...

I'm afraid we can't do that.

Madam Liu specifically told us

that we must never leave
Young Lady Liu Qing

alone.

How is she alone?

Xiaopu and I are both here.

Well...

What?

Now that there's someone new,

my word means nothing?

I haven't lost my looks yet,

but I can't even

give orders to you two anymore?

Well...

I'm in a hurry to meet Master Wei.

I'll only say a few words.

Well...

Fine. Let's go. Come on.

We'll change clothes.

Xiaopu will take you out.

Ji'er?

Why is it you?

Enough talk. Come.

Sit.

Back then,

I was such a fool.

I couldn't tell good from bad.

You warned me time and again,

but I ignored you

and never listened.

The only reason I survived

that vicious Zhao Xingtang

was because of your warnings.

Now,

consider this my way of repaying you.

What will happen to you after I leave?

Don't worry.

As long as I still have this face,

and as long as those men

still want to sleep with me,

Madam Liu won't dare do much to me.

At worst,

she'll make me take more customers

and earn more money for her.

I've been in this brothel
for almost two years.

Don't tell me you still think
I'm an innocent young woman.

Come.

Hurry and change.

Take it off.

Come, turn around.

This is as far as I can help you.

You

must escape from Yangzhou

and get back to Jinling.

Don't let all my efforts go to waste.

Ji'er,

wait for me.

I'll come back and buy your freedom.

I promise I'll get you out.

All right.

I'll wait for you.

♪A lone figure
wanders down the old lane♪

♪The heart remembers
what time cannot erase♪

I'll wait for you to come save me.

♪One thought brings sorrow,
another dreams of brighter days♪

I'll keep your secret if you want,

but

you'll have to listen to me from now on.

You mean it?

When I give my word, I mean it.

I always keep my word.

You were too scared to sleep,

so don't blame me.

You're getting more foolish by the day.

Young Master gave me this money.

Eat it secretly.

Don't let those two see it.

♪Step by step, page by page♪

♪The portrait of my youth takes shape♪

♪Let every doubt and restless
turn be carried on the wind♪

♪Chapter by chapter, journey by journey♪

♪I watch the bustling world come and go♪

♪And quietly wait for the light♪

Xiaopu,

hurry and take your mistress out.

♪And around weathered corridors♪

♪One moment of peace
brings a little brightness♪

Young Lady,

Master Wei is still waiting.

Let's go.

♪Nor chase
the changing tides of the world♪

I only said a few words.

Why are you so upset?

Is that really necessary?

We have plenty of time ahead of us.

We'll see about that.

Wait for me.

♪Chapter by chapter, journey by journey♪

Take care.

♪And quietly wait for the light♪

Leaving already, Young Lady Shuang?

Be careful not
to bring yourself bad luck.

Understood.

Take care, Young Lady Shuang.

She's asleep.

It's all right.

Young Master Wang,

take it slowly.

Watch your step.

All right.

Shuang.

Going to see Master Wei?

It's certainly lively downstairs today.

Hearing all that
has put her in a foul mood.

That little wretch.

You'll have plenty more
to be upset about.

Young Master Wang,

Young Lady Liu Qing is inside.

I'll leave you two alone.

Young Lady Liu Qing,

I'm here.

Sir, I'm shy.

Turn off the light.

All right.

Shuang!

Someone!

Liu Yueniang!

Liu Yueniang!

How dare you pass her off
as an untouched maiden

and cheat me out of my money?

Out of my way!

- Young Master Wang!
- What...

Quickly!

Liu Qing has escaped!

All of you, go after her!

Yes!

She can't have gone far.

You must bring her back!

- After her!
- Yes!

[Yangzhou Watergate Wharf]

Anyone else taking the large boat?

Hurry aboard the ferry!

Once he's aboard my boat,

[Luo Dalang]
unless Heaven itself comes for him,

[Leader of the Boatmen's Guild]
no one else can get him off my boat.

With him in your hands,

I can rest easy.

Lin,

you came to Yangzhou this time

to ask me to help you find a woman.

Anything else,

I know nothing about.

There's one more thing

I need your help with.

I can already tell it's risky.

There is some risk,

but the credit will be great, too.

Young Master.

Where is she?

Qingyan House.

Nanke has already gone ahead.

[Zhenhuai Gate]

Hurry!

Search carefully.

There's no way
she could've left the city.

Stop following me. Go look over there!

There's no way
she could've left the city.

Where did this chicken come from?

Help me catch my chicken!

Where did all these chickens come from?

Move!

What's going on over there?

No idea.

Sir,

you work so hard every day.

Have you seen a young lady today

traveling alone,

about this tall?

No.

Grandma, slow down.

Thank you.

All right.

Keep looking.

Hurry.

[Zhenhuai Gate]

=Against the Current=
[Next Episode's Preview]

If you had nothing to hide,

why would you be afraid
of me pretending to be a ghost?

There's another old
saying that's even better.

Money can make
even a ghost turn a millstone.

I have wealth and power.

I can catch and destroy ghosts,

and even make
them turn millstones for me.

But you...

can only be a ghost.

♪Spring slips from the
branches once more♪

♪Flowers bloom unseen,
as they have before♪

♪All the joys and sorrows come and go♪

♪While loss leaves winter in the heart♪

♪Though all the world may fade♪

♪Time rolls on as
countless lives rush by♪

♪Night winds wander
through the halls of long ago♪

♪No page could hold the
longing words can never show♪

♪Every joy and sorrow
in this fleeting life♪

♪Fades into the past
as new wounds rise♪

♪While whispers of perfume
linger beneath the eaves♪

♪Let the cold wind rage,
let the wild rain fall♪

♪Let sorrow spill like shadows over all♪

♪Let love fall to pieces,
let old anger burn away♪

♪Let the past die with yesterday♪

♪One last fire, one last cup of wine♪

♪And silver moonlight to
guide me through the night♪

♪Let beginnings fade
as endings come to call♪

♪From this endless dream,
there's no return at all♪

♪Let the cold wind rage,
let the wild rain fall♪

♪Let sorrow spill like shadows over all♪

♪Let love fall to pieces,
let old anger burn away♪

♪Let the past die with yesterday♪

♪One last fire, one last cup of wine♪

♪And silver moonlight to
guide me through the night♪

♪Let beginnings fade
as endings come to call♪

♪From this endless dream,
there's no return at all♪