01x37 - Episode 37

[bunniefuu]

=Against The Current=

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

=Episode 37=
[This drama does not correspond]

[to any real historical dynasty.]

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

Captain Wei.

Lin Jinqi.

What we did was rebellion.

Are you saying
you can offer us a way out?

Wei.

You can still atone by earning merit.

Presenting Duke Ying.

[Duke Ying, Grand Preceptor,
Commander of the Five Armies Camp]

[Left Chief Commander
of the Central Military Command]

I deserve death for arriving too late
to protect Your Majesty.

Forgive me for letting
Your Majesty suffer such a fright.

I know you've fought
all night without rest.

You've worked hard.

With you by my side,
the realm is truly blessed.

I'm unworthy of such praise.

We quelled this rebellion

thanks to Your Majesty's great fortune

and every official who did their duty.

As for the rebels in the city,

those who resisted
to the end have all been ex*cuted.

The rest are in custody,

awaiting Your Majesty's judgment.

Have you counted them?

How many rebels escaped?

Yes, we have.

Over 2,000 rebels fled the capital.

Your Majesty.

With the rebels scattered everywhere,

they're sure to plunder the people.

If they turn into roving bandits,
they'll plague the whole region.

I ask Your Majesty
to issue an order at once

and send troops to wipe out
Prince Han's remaining forces.

Grand Secretary Xie is right.

Hunting down
Prince Han's remaining forces

will be the duke's responsibility.

I'll do everything in my power

to restore peace to the people.

In quelling this rebellion,

Fengtai not only warned us in advance,

but also sent word to Duke Ying in time.

His merit is immense.

Now no one knows if he's alive or dead.

While you hunt down
Prince Han's remaining forces,

be sure to look for Fengtai.

As Your Majesty commands.

Your Majesty,

according to my men who led the search,

Madam Lin is missing, too.

She's most likely
with Deputy Commander Lin.

In this bitter cold,

Madam Lin is a frail woman,

and Fengtai is wounded.

Their lives must be in grave danger.

Find them both as soon as possible.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty,

I'd like to leave the city

and help Duke Ying

search for Deputy Commander Lin

and Madam Lin.

Granted.

- Deputy Commander Lin!
- Deputy Commander Lin!

Young Master!

Deputy Commander Lin!

Young Master!

Over there! Go take a look!

- Deputy Commander Lin!
- Deputy Commander Lin!

Young Master!

- Deputy Commander Lin!
- Deputy Commander Lin!

Young Master!

Young Master!

Lan...

- Deputy Commander Lin!
- Deputy Commander Lin!

Deputy Commander Lin!

Compiler Han.

This turmoil...

Countless innocent people
in and around the capital

were caught up in it

and lost their lives.

Deputy Commander Lin...

Give them a proper burial.

Yes, sir.

Compiler Han.

Compiler Han.

The soldiers up ahead report there's

- fighting at the Shenji Battalion.
- Deputy Commander Lin!

The Shenji Battalion?

It should be empty by now.

Could Deputy Commander Lin
and the others have gone back?

[Dong Qingzhu, daughter of the Assistant
Magistrate of Wanping County]

We surrender.

We said we surrender!

We told you to surrender before,

and you refused.

Whether you can surrender now

isn't up to you.

It's up to us.

Don't force us
to fight you to the death!

- Then we'll fight to the death.
- Stay back.

My father has been avenged.

I'm not afraid to die.

Stay back.

Then tell us,

what does it take to surrender?

Those who haven't
harmed civilians may surrender.

Those who haven't
violated women may surrender.

What about those who stole

but didn't k*ll anyone?
Can they surrender?

Yes.

They may.

But the stolen goods must
be returned to the county office,

and they must accept their punishment.

A hundred strokes of the cane
and three years of penal servitude.

- I'm not surrendering!
- I surrender!

What did you say?

I surrender!

Say that again!

I surrender!

Clever. She turned them
against each other.

That's the only daughter of the
Assistant Magistrate of Wanping County,

Young Lady Dong.

After Prince Han rose in rebellion,

Assistant Magistrate Dong
refused to yield

and was m*rder*d by Dai Rui.

Amid the chaos, Young Lady Dong

rallied the constables and townsfolk

and k*lled Dai Rui with her own hands.

After Prince Han's defeat,

his remaining troops fled in a panic.

Young Lady Dong feared they would

prey on the people along the way,

so she pursued them all the way here.

Let's go.

- Get down! All of you, get down!
- Get down!

Young Lady Dong.

Duke Ying has been
ordered by His Majesty

to wipe out Prince Han's
remaining forces.

Leave this to the Five Armies Camp.

All right.

Behave yourselves!

♪Every word♪

- Young Lady Dong!
- Young Lady Dong!

- Young Lady Dong!
- Young Lady Dong!

♪The encounters of half a lifetime♪

- Young Lady Dong!
- Young Lady Dong!

Young Lady Dong!

Young Lady Dong!

- Young Lady Dong!
- Young Lady Dong!

♪Bit by bit, the passing years
become the preface♪

♪The joys and sorrows of the past♪

♪Quietly dwell here♪

Are you an official?

I'm a Compiler at the Hanlin Academy.

My name is Han Liang.

Compiler Han,

please find a physician
for Young Lady Dong.

I'm fine.

I just haven't eaten
in a day and a night,

so I'm a little dizzy and weak.

Compiler Han,

the people who came with me

are at the end of their strength, too.

They badly need food and rest.

May I trouble you, Compiler Han,

to send men to escort them back
to the assistant magistrate's office

and arrange meals and lodging for them?

Those who keep watch
through the night for others

deserve to see the light of dawn.

At the office,
there are still wounded people

in need of treatment,

and children
who have lost their parents.

Rest assured, Young Lady Dong.

I will make sure

every one of them is well cared for.

♪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 what I do♪

♪I'll rewrite my fate♪

♪The long night is almost over♪

Compiler Han.

All of Prince Han's remaining forces
have been captured.

Would you like to come with us

and keep searching
for Deputy Commander Lin?

Compiler Han?

I just promised Young Lady Dong

I'd help settle the people.

As for finding Deputy Commander Lin

and Madam Lin,

I'll have to leave that to you.

Don't worry, Compiler Han.

Thank you.

What gives you the nerve

to call yourselves an elite force?

You're not even a match
for Compiler Han of the Hanlin Academy!

He's just a frail scholar,

and he captured dozens of rebels
from the Tiance Guards!

I sent you to find
Deputy Commander Lin and Madam Lin,

and you came back empty-handed.

I sent you
after Prince Han's remaining forces,

and you still came back empty-handed!

Over two thousand of Prince Han's men

are scattered about,

burning, k*lling, and looting.

People should be coming to report them.

Yet apart from yesterday,

when some people were harmed,

since then,

not a single straggler has been seen.

It's very strange.

It's as if

someone got ahead
of us to steal the credit.

Steal the credit?

Who else in the capital
besides our Five Armies Camp

could possibly do that?

You're all useless!

How am I supposed to face His Majesty?

Your Grace.

What is it?

Sun Yong and Wei Bao
are here with Prince Han's

remaining forces, asking to see you.

What nonsense are you talking?

It's bad enough
you can't find Deputy Commander Lin,

but now you're accusing his men

of colluding with Prince Han's rebels?

No, that's not it.

Sun Yong and Wei Bao
have come together to surrender.

No...

Come see for yourself
and you'll understand.

I can walk on my own!

Easy, brothers.

These men have all turned
from the wrong path

and pledged allegiance to His Majesty!

I, Wei Bao, leading the Changling Guards

and what remains of the Tiance Guards,

pay respects to Duke Ying.

Deputy Commander Lin and I
became friends after crossing swords.

At his urging...

I chose to stand on the right side.

After Prince Han's defeat,

Captain Wei stepped forward

to persuade Prince Han's
remaining troops to surrender,

sparing the people further harm.

That's a great merit indeed.

I owe it all to Captain Sun's
help along the way.

His Majesty has been worried
about Deputy Commander Lin.

Where is he now?

Duke Ying,

Deputy Commander Lin was badly wounded.

Nanke and Jiugao

have already escorted him
and Madam Lin back to the city.

[Lasting Grace]

The wound on Deputy Commander Lin's
left hand looks alarming,

but it's nothing serious.

It'll just ache a little

on rainy days.

His internal injuries
are the real concern.

They've affected his vital organs.

He must rest and recover properly.

Otherwise,

it may shorten his life.

Thank you, Imperial Physician Yao.

We'll follow
your instructions carefully.

He'll take his medicine
on time and rest well.

His Majesty is deeply concerned
about Deputy Commander Lin's injuries

and is waiting
for my report in the palace.

So I

will take my leave.

Take care, Imperial Physician Yao.

Jinqi, Lanxiang,

what took you so long?

We were worried sick.

Well, we're back
safe and sound, aren't we?

Thank you for all your
hard work, Jinlan.

Not a single life
was lost in the entire household.

That's all thanks to you.

Lanxiang is the one we should thank.

Luckily, she had the foresight

and sent Yuchan back to warn us.

That's how we could prepare in advance

and stay out of harm's way.

I just happened to stumble upon it.

How are you feeling, Jinlan?

I'm fine.

Just a bit tired.

A few days' rest and I'll be well.

Don't worry about me, Lanxiang.

Jinqi needs his rest.

We'll be going now.

All right.

I'll go, too.

I'll come see you both tomorrow.

Let's go.

Xiulai,

keep your brother company.

I'll be right back.

Are you worried about Jun?

Jinqi,

Jun is only nine.

The whole Lu family has been
thrown into the imperial prison.

I know rebellion is a crime punishable
by wiping out the entire clan.

That wretch brought it on himself.

But Jun is my son.

I just can't bear

to stand by and watch him be beheaded.

You're the only one I can turn to.

Please, Jinqi, I'm begging you.

I called you here

only to find out

how Xiaolian
came to fall ill with a fever.

Get up and answer me.

Yes.

The situation was urgent at the time.

I had a servant
who knew the mountain paths

took me to a village
near the Shenji Battalion,

and ordered the driver
to take Xiaolian back to the retreat.

But Gantang said

that when Xiaolian
was brought back to the retreat,

she already had
a fever and was unconscious,

and that you were
the one who had her sent back.

Xiaolian...

That driver
is still nowhere to be found.

That's why I had Yang Fu bring you here,

to find out exactly what happened.

Young Madam,

on the Young Master's orders,

I was heading to the Five Armies Camp
to see Duke Ying

when I heard a woman crying for help.

Bodhisattva, protect me.

I don't want to die.

Bodhisattva, protect me.

Please send a kind soul to save me.

Help...

Help...

Help!

Nanke...

When the driver
heard there'd be fighting,

he panicked and ran off,
leaving me behind.

He took all my money and jewelry.

Young Lady Xiaolian was already so cold

that she was shivering all over.

But I thought
the Young Master's orders came first,

so I took her with me and rode hard
all the way to the Five Armies Camp.

That made her illness worse.

Once I saw Duke Ying
set out with his troops,

I borrowed a carriage
from the Five Armies Camp

and asked them to take
Young Lady Xiaolian to the retreat.

Young Lady Xiaolian's illness
is partly my fault.

I'm willing to accept punishment.

That driver is despicable.

He mustn't be let off lightly.

Please punish me, Young Madam.

It was my poor judgment

that led me to hire such

a disloyal scoundrel.

Are there any other servants
like him in the household?

Yes.

Two servants took advantage
of the chaos to steal

the Second Young Lady's
jewelry and money, then ran off.

It's all because
I've been too lax in managing them

and failed to train them properly.

Second Butler Yang,

go report this to the authorities first.

The rest

can wait until everyone has recovered.

Yes.

Young Lady Xiaolian...

Is she very ill?

The physician said

the worst thing for this illness
is fright and worry.

Luckily, the girl
takes things in stride.

A few more days of sleep,

and she'll recover.

You seem troubled, Young Madam.

Is something bothering you?

This time, thank goodness
the Second Young Master

was so careful.

Otherwise,

I'm afraid those servants

would have sold out
their masters to the rebels.

And then,

Yuchan,

Xiulai, Xiuwan,

and Yingzhi

would all have been in danger.

It's true.

To bring order to one's household,

one must first cultivate oneself.

When masters don't act like masters,

servants won't act like servants,

and the household will never know peace.

Yuchan.

Yuchan!

Yuchan!

Listen to me.

I don't want to hear it.

If you keep this up,

I'll call for someone.

Go ahead.

Might as well bring out
the Young Master and Young Madam too.

We can settle this

right in front of them.

What exactly are you trying to say?

I...

I asked you something earlier,

and you still haven't answered.

Do you...

Do you know how I feel about you or not?

Out of nowhere...

What's gotten into you?

Do you know

how many dead bodies I've seen

since the day before yesterday until today?

I kept thinking
about you the whole time.

Didn't you think about me

even a little?

Swords don't pick their targets.

What if I had died...

Stop it!

There's no "what if".

Quick, take that back!

A troublemaker like you

is bound to live to a hundred.

So you do care about me.

I'm older than you,

and I've been married before.

Madam Wu would never agree.

I never dared to let myself care.

You'd better give up on this too.
The sooner, the better.

As for my mother,

I'll find a way.

What way could you possibly find?

Your father died young.

Madam Wu raised you on her own.
It wasn't easy for her.

You mustn't break her heart.

Besides...

Besides,

you were sold into
the household at six or seven,

and you don't remember
who your parents are

or where you came from.

My mother took pity on you

and has always looked after you.

So you can't do anything to hurt her.

You...

You...

When you were hiding in the theater...

You were worried about me too.

You were scared

you'd never see me again.

Weren't you?

♪A faint trace of fragrance♪

Trust me.

I'll get my mother

to gladly agree to our marriage!

Jiugao is usually so sharp.

Nothing ever gets past him.

Yet here we are,

standing right here,

and he didn't notice a thing.

Whenever Jiugao was around Yuchan,

I'd get anxious for him.

But today,

it's like he's finally figured it out.

The old saying is true.

Every setback makes you a little wiser.

♪I can't forget♪

Mending what's broken

is never too late.

♪Love lingers all around us♪

♪Holding hands through
this life, breathing♪

♪In the fragrance
that fills the courtyard♪

You're back.

I thought you'd gone to sleep.

I was waiting for you.

Where did you go?

I had some things to think over,

so I sat outside and let the breeze
clear my head for a while.

Before I knew it,

night had fallen.

Two heads are better

than one.

Would you share it with your husband?

In plays,

officials who hold a post

but neglect its duties

are the ones people hate most.

And without realizing it,

I've become one of those
petty villains on the stage.

What makes you say that?

I'm the Young Madam
of the Lin Residence.

What the servants and maids

should do

and shouldn't do,

who to employ and who not to,

all of it should be under my charge.

But I held the position
without doing the job.

As a result, the servants

became a mixed lot,

with no loyalty among them.

Luckily, the Second Young Master
was here,

so we only lost some valuables.

But the driver at the retreat

not only stole money,

but he also abandoned Xiaolian
in the wilderness.

If not for Nanke,

Xiaolian would have frozen
to death outside the capital.

I thought if I stayed out of it

and kept to myself,
that would be enough.

But I forgot

that when you're part of it all,

you can't stay untouched.

I nearly cost someone her life.

That would have been a grave mistake.

It's not your fault.

It's mine.

I ignored your wishes

and married you.

That's why you resented me,

paid no attention
to the household affairs,

and always treated yourself
as an outsider.

Lanxiang,

before,

I always thought
it was because of Han Liang

that you resented me

and refused to settle into being
the Young Madam of the Lin family.

But only now do I understand

it was never about love for another man.

Rather,

it's just like when Grand Secretary Zhao

wanted to control my career and my life,

to make me serve him
and the Zhao family.

I chose to give up
the brush for the sword

and joined the army in Jinzhou

rather than let him control me.

I suppose it's the same for you.

What you resent

is that I took away your freedom.

I thought

if I said sweet things to please you,

if I were gentler,

more considerate,

and treated you better,

I could win your heart.

But only after I read
The Tale of the Feathered Immortal

did I realize

that in your eyes,

love between a man and a woman

is nothing
but flowers on a desolate grave,

a fair face over bare bones,

like a dream, like a bubble,

gone in an instant.

I was too arrogant.

I underestimated you.

Actually,

I underestimated you, too.

True, you don't know what I think,

or what I like and dislike.

But I don't know what you think,

or what you like and dislike, either.

We're both still young.

We have plenty of time

to truly get to know each other.

Between you and me,

there are too many barriers.

You and I

walk different paths.

Do you mean
family background and status?

I promise you,

from now on,

I will respect you

and value you

as if you were another me in this world.

Even if right now

you don't love me
as a wife loves her husband,

we've been through hardship together.

We already share
a bond as husband and wife.

No matter what,

we both

have to live well.

There's a lot to do tomorrow.

You should get some rest, too.

♪Even if these trials
consume my whole life♪

♪I'll only return
to the moment our fate began♪

♪I've searched and searched,
wandering in circles♪

♪Yet I can never mend that old dream♪

♪Leaving only regret behind♪

♪Thankfully, these trials
have spared me a lifetime♪

♪In this life and the next,
it will always be you♪

♪I only pray that fate
lets us meet sooner♪

[Mahavira Hall]

[Devotee Mu, Devotee Chen]

[Devotee Qingxiang]

[Devotee Xingtang]

This tree

looks the same year after year,

but people change
with every passing year.

Who would have thought

someone like Zhao Xingtang

could be gone just like that?

Life is unpredictable,

and people's hearts are fickle.

When I insisted
on separating from the Lu family,

everyone condemned me
for defying propriety.

Now they all praise me

for my foresight.

I not only saved myself,

but my daughter's life as well.

What about Jun?

Has Jinqi given you a definite answer?

Jinqi said

since Jun is still so young,

His Majesty is willing to spare him.

It's just that...

For three generations, they can't
take the imperial examinations

or hold office.

For a man,

the examinations and officialdom aren't

the only path in life.

Lanxiang said the same thing before.

First Young Lady, Second Young Lady.

The Young Madam is still at prayer?

Second Butler Yang
has something to report?

The Young Madam instructed earlier

that Sixth Young Lady Zhao's
body at the public burial ground

be placed in a coffin
and sent to the Xie family.

But while we were preparing her body,

we learned that the Sixth Young Lady

had separated from her husband
and returned to her parents' home.

Now the entire Zhao family is in prison.

What should be done with the body?

We need the Young Madam to decide.

This is Zhao Xingluo's
separation agreement?

Yes.

Let me see.

Here.

[Separation Agreement]

[Our bond was formed
across three lifetimes,]

[we were wed through the six rites,]

[and became
husband and wife in this life.]

[But since our hearts have grown apart,]

[we can no longer be as one.]

[May my wife, after we part,]

[let go of all resentment
and smile again,]

[find a husband of high rank,]

[enjoy feasts and merry games,]

[and live in harmony,
like strings in perfect tune.]

Grand Secretary Zhao
had a good eye for grandsons-in-law.

Zhao Xingluo's husband

had fine handwriting,

fine writing,

and an especially fine heart.

Sadly,

just like Zhao Xingtang,

Zhao Xingluo had poor judgment.

[Drawn up by Xie Zhao]

The Xie family has already
arranged a match for Xie Zhao.

It's the sixth daughter
of the Zhao family's third branch.

What is it?

Nothing.

Young Madam.

Young Madam.

This separation agreement was found

on the Sixth Young Lady's body.

How should we handle her remains?

She deserves to be laid to rest.

I'll pay

for Zhao Xingluo's burial,

and ask the monks at the temple

to perform a ritual for her.

Yes.

You're so kind-hearted, Young Madam.

Zhao Xingluo used to

mock you

and made snide remarks all the time.

In the face of life and death,

those are trivial matters.

Will you come home with me,

or look around a bit more?

We'll go with you, Lanxiang.

Good.

I have something to discuss with you.

So formal?

What is it you'd like
to discuss, Lanxiang?

Since we came to the capital,

the household
has taken on many more servants.

Before, when Aunt Lingxiao was here,

she took care of everything.

But since she went back to Jinling,

there's been no one in charge.

Yang Fu is capable,

but he's not
one of the masters after all.

He told me

that these past few days,

whenever he couldn't decide something,

he'd come to you, Xiulai.

I could see your mind

wasn't on household chores.

And I figured

I'm just another mouth
to feed here anyway,

and I had time on my hands.

So when Yang Fu came to me,

I made a few decisions.

If I did anything wrong,

please don't hesitate to punish me.

Sit down, Xiulai.

You handled everything

remarkably well.

To name just one thing,

before the Chinese New Year,

the gifts you prepared
for the other households

were perfectly appropriate.

You thought through every social nicety.

Xiulai is skilled

at needlework, cooking, calligraphy,

and bookkeeping.

Too bad the Lu family
was too blind to see her worth.

I'm not as capable
as Xiuwan makes me sound.

This rebellion

taught me a lesson, too.

Let me tell you both something

from the bottom of my heart.

Your brother

pushed me into this role
before I was ready.

My heart truly isn't in

managing the food, clothing,
and lodging of an entire household,

down to every last daily need.

Nor do I care to figure out,

when Master Cheng's third concubine
suffers a miscarriage,

how to send condolence gifts

that express sympathy

without offending the in-laws.

Marriage really
has nothing good about it.

Lanxiang is right.

There you go, talking nonsense again.

Men handle affairs outside,

and women manage the home.

If women don't
take care of their families,

should they go be officials instead?

Everyone has their own aspirations.

Ever since we were little, you've
always been the proper eldest sister,

always fussing over
and caring for others.

I'm not like that.

The Lin Residence is so large,

and with the retreat,

there are over a hundred people.

We can't go without
someone running the household.

What you mean is...

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

Good.

This is truly wonderful news.

Wonderful.

Old...

Old Madam!

Old Madam!

- Mother!
- What do we do?

What do we do?

- Mother!
- Mother!

What's wrong?

Mother! Mother, what's wrong?

Stop! Don't move her!

Stand aside. Don't get in the way!

Mother!

Huaixiang, fetch a basin of hot water.

Mother! Mother, are you all right?

Madam Wu, get the medicine box.

Huaixiang, fetch a basin of hot water.

Quick! Hurry!

Mother!

♪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♪