01x25 - Episode 25

[bunniefuu]

The abbot has said

that if you're here

to pay respects to Buddha,

you're welcome in.

But if you seek answers

to worldly affairs from the past,

he will not create

more karmic entanglements,

nor should you

torment yourselves further.

You fool!

You fool! How could you be so foolish?

Mo.

I've only just learned

that Father kept a mistress here.

This is none of your business!

Father

Father, I know you're hurting and upset,

just take it out on me instead.

There's been too much

misunderstanding between you and Mo.

I don't want the hatred

between you to grow deeper.

Just blame everything on me instead,

for the sake of our family.

You

My Lord.

My Lord, we found this

in the woman's room.

The tassel on my belt was missing,

so I had a maid to make one for me.

But it turned out terrible,

so I just burned it.

The tassel you burned

was her gift.

Father

Father brought me here once

to learn the flute.

She gave me the tassel to curry favor.

You caught me when I was

trying to burn it that day.

I didn't mean to lie, I just

Mo, you can read facial expressions.

You must know I'm not lying.

You've always been

the person I respect most.

Every family has its skeletons.

I just don't understand

why you insist on digging up

all this muck and making it worse.

The Duke of Ying's household

isn't just skeletons and muck.

Do you think that

now this woman is dead,

I'll stop digging,

pretend nothing happened,

and reconcile with him?

But he's still our father!

Guards, escort Song Han

back to Yizhi Hall.

-Take him away.

-Mo

Mo!

I

-Come on. Walk!

-Mo!

Mo!

Mother was your wife for twenty years.

You didn't even shed a tear

when she died.

Turns out, your heart belonged

to someone else all along.

Makes sense.

You're selfish and cowardly.

If you weren't really loved her,

you'd never have dared

to secretly keep a woman

tied to a family

with a criminal past.

So what if she's from such a family?

I found someone I loved

and kept her outside.

Who are you, as my son,

to pass judgment?

I feel sorry for Mother.

(Blossom)

(Episode 25)

Fate and karma unfold as they will,

yet you insist on defying destiny.

Please inform the abbot

that Ji Yong requests an audience.

The abbot asks,

years ago, Emperor Taizong

ascended to the throne through

a bloody purge in the capital.

Later, he commissioned this temple

to pray for the souls of the departed.

To the world,

it seems he did a great service

to future generations.

What do you think?

Emperor Taizong simply sought

to ease his own conscience.

Regardless of his original intent,

ultimately, he did something good

for the people.

A century passes in the blink of an eye.

Does the original motive

truly matter to those living today?

Are you suggesting

that since Li Yao Niang has been

worshiping Buddha here for over

a decade, regardless of her reasons,

everything from back then

should just be buried and forgotten?

Li Yao Niang entrusted

her secret to this temple

to avoid further bloodshed.

And for someone like you, Dou Zhao,

with a kind heart,

you must know that the truth

can harm others and yourself.

Some things from the past

are better left unasked.

There's an old saying, "To do good

with intent may go unrewarded,

and to do evil without intent

may go unpunished."

By your reasoning,

Emperor Taizong's redemption lays in

his willingness to acknowledge

his past actions,

repent for the lives lost,

and bring peace and prosperity

to his people as atonement.

But if someone deliberately

buries the truth under

the guise of repentance,

while the innocent continue to suffer,

where is the justice in that?

My Lord, we've got

the entire estate under control.

Li Yao Niang's death is supposed

to be handled by Shengtian Prefecture

or the Ministry of Justice.

Keeping them confined in Yizhi Hall

might not be appropriate.

Your uncles have gone

to the palace to seek help.

They're quick to act,

which only proves the truth

is worth me stepping out of line for.

If people from the palace come,

they can serve as witnesses.

18 years ago,

Li Yao Niang and my mother

were pregnant.

Li frequently visited Wanfo Temple,

and as fate would have it,

my mother was startled

into premature labor there.

Li Yao Niang is Song Han's real mother,

isn't she?

You've lost your mind.

This is baseless nonsense.

It's written clearly on the records.

Li Yao Niang was

from an official's family in Futing.

During that time, you were

stationed in Futing with the army.

When her entire family was imprisoned,

there are records of you

visiting her twice in jail.

If she wasn't Song Han's

biological mother,

why would she have

the same style of tassel as him?

You two clearly had a history.

Song Mo,

you're just afraid

Han might take your place

as the heir, aren't you?

That's why you're fabricating

such slander against him.

Don't forget,

he's your brother.

Do you think this is what your mother

would have wanted?

You're spewing such lies

in front of Mother's memorial tablet.

Don't you feel even an ounce of shame?

Your argument is compelling.

However, what transpired today

may not have stemmed entirely

from Li Yao Niang's intentions.

What is right for one

may be wrong for another,

such is the nature of all things.

Your measure of intent

may differ from mine,

yet it doesn't diminish

that our intentions are both good.

I implore you to tell us the truth

and bring justice to both families.

Since you insist,

perhaps fate has chosen you

to resolve this grievance.

18 years ago, on the day of Jingzhe,

Madam Li and Lady Jiang

were indeed at Wanfo Temple.

Li Yao Niang came

with a one-month-old infant,

claiming she wished

to pray for blessings.

Meanwhile, the Duchess

of Ying, Lady Jiang,

gave birth prematurely

in the temple.

The Duke of Ying announced

that she delivered a son,

but I saw clearly,

she gave birth to a daughter.

Father,

am I really not Mother's son?

That's absurd!

Han is recorded as Hui Sun's

legitimate son in the family registry.

And you're basing this nonsense

on a mere tassel?

Have you heard

of a bone blood test?

A drop of living blood placed on

the bones of the deceased,

if it seeps in,

it confirms a blood relation.

Hui Sun has already been laid to rest.

Are you going to exhume her now?

You think I would desecrate

my mother's grave for you?

Bring her in.

Don't touch her!

Where should I cut?

-The skull?

-Don't touch her!

Or the leg bone?

Leave her alone!

Look at these hands, so elegant

from playing the zither.

You wouldn't dare!

What wouldn't I dare?

Stop!

I didn't betray your mother.

The only person I've ever wronged

in my life is her.

Li Yao Niang was her stage name

at the Bureau of Music.

Her real name was Li Shu Yao,

daughter of the prefect of Futing.

Back then, I was merely

an illegitimate son

stationed outside the Duke's estate.

I first met her

by the seaside in Futing.

I played the sheng,

and she accompanied me with her flute.

Our harmony was perfect.

We promised to be together forever.

But everything was destroyed

by Jiang Mei Sun.

He led troops to raid the Li family

and ruined Shu Yao's life.

Fate plays cruel tricks.

During the imperial hunt,

His Majesty decreed that

I marry the sister of my enemy.

The titles, career, and wealth

I had pursued for years,

I gained it all in an instant.

Yet, despite it all, I met her again

in the Bureau of Music,

and we had a child together.

I've reviewed the case file.

The Li family was punished

for embezzlement

in accordance with the law.

You claim guilt toward her,

but what about my mother?

She died

without ever holding her own child.

Where is that child?

Tell me!

That child died long ago.

That child was

Jiang Mei Sun's debt to me!

If he hadn't led the raid

against the Li family,

would I have ended up

in this wretched state?

Han should have been my legitimate heir!

My uncle acted according to the law, and

my mother treated you with sincerity.

You owe them two lives.

No,

three.

Mo, Father was just

speaking out of anger.

Family ties can't be severed.

Besides, His Majesty himself

wished for our family

to live in harmony.

If you have even a shred

of conscience left,

tell me the truth,

who rescued Li Yao Niang

from the Bureau of Music for you?

I got her out myself!

Still lying!

You got a courtesan out of the Bureau

and hid her in the capital for years.

Such a scheme couldn't succeed

without powerful assistance.

You k*lled my mother

because she discovered Li's existence.

She was my wife.

How could I possibly k*ll her?

She died of illness!

If it wasn't your intent,

it must be the one

backing you who ordered it.

They k*lled my uncle

feared the power of the Jiang family

supporting my mother.

-Am I wrong?

-Nonsense!

You want revenge so badly

that you've lost your mind!

You're right about that.

Bring it in.

The licorice candies conflicted

with the euphorbiae

in Mother's prescription.

You're the one who bought them.

You're the one who k*lled her!

I'm not a doctor.

How would I know the two would conflict?

They were just sweets.

As the head of the household,

how could I possibly

oversee every detail?

-So you deny it?

-I have no crime to confess!

You saw it.

He left me with no choice.

Take him to the main hall!

-Yes, My Lord!

-Mo

-Mo

-You

Walk!

This is an old case buried in the past,

tied to the secrets of a noble family.

Intervening now

will only breed resentment.

Why don't we stay here?

I'll warm some tea,

and we can discuss a proper strategy.

(Yan Tang is blinded by hatred now.)

(He's going to k*ll Song Yi Chun.)

(I have to stop him.)

(Arrows soaked in blood,

vengeance left hollow,)

(and betrayal tearing apart the family.)

(Song Mo k*lled his father

and brother in one night,)

(turning his hair white overnight.)

(Could it all have started

with Li Yao Niang's death?)

What's done is done.

Even if you stop him now,

you might stop this now, but you

can't change the course of destiny.

Even if my efforts are insignificant,

even if I can't change fate,

I'll stay by his side

and face it with him.

That mantis is so fortunate to have you.

Mo Mo!

All I know is that Jiang Hui Sun

is the mother who raised me,

Song Yi Chun is our father,

and you are the brother

I've always admired most.

This family is etched into

my very bones.

You're still pleading for him.

I'm thinking of you.

If your hatred runs that deep,

I'll take my own life right now

without saying more.

If you really think of me

as your brother,

tell me the truth.

When did you realize the truth?

Today.

I had felt something was off before,

but after Mother was gone,

I was scared you'd abandon me too.

So I pretended nothing was wrong.

Brother! Stop this.

Please.

Do you remember this?

You gave me this dagger and said you'd

take me to the b*ttlefield one day.

This is a dagger confiscated

from the pirates.

It's yours now.

Thank you, Brother.

I know you love roasted venison.

I was planning to hunt

a deer for you tomorrow.

That's nice.

If I get to eat the deer you hunt,

I promise to ask Father

to take you to Futing and

earn some military merits next year.

Deal! You better keep your word!

-Mother was still around at that time.

-Don't you dare bring up Mother!

Uncle was k*lled

before he could see His Majesty,

Mother was betrayed and insulted.

If I can't even protect my own family,

what kind of son am I?

Even if the world condemns me today,

I will demand justice and fairness.

Brother

For my sake,

please spare Father.

If you still see me as your brother,

return to Xixiang House.

-Take him away.

-Yes, sir!

Mo

Mo

Mo!

Mo!

Release me!

I am the Duke of Ying!

This case falls

under His Majesty's judgment.

You have no authority to deal with me!

Fine. Then confess everything,

who's behind all of this?

So that's what you're after?

Alright then, do it.

Even God is helping me.

If your mother were still alive,

she would never let you do this!

How dare you bring her up!

Shu Yao has always been

the only one I love.

Jiang Hui Sun meant nothing to me,

she was just a means to an end.

Having you with her

is the biggest regret of my life!

My Lord!

You can't even hold your blade steady.

The more you hate,

the more pain you feel, don't you?

Poison

When did you poison me?

When did you notice

your first strand of white hair?

That day, I only meant to give you

a small punishment,

but Lv Zheng went behind my back

and added poison.

As for who's behind all this,

you'll never need to know.

The staff was laced with poison.

When the poison seeps into your bones

and turns all your hair white,

your time will be up.

Yan Tang!

Stop!

Yan Tang, don't do anything reckless.

I swore to protect you

for the rest of my life,

yet here I am, trapped in a web of lies,

unable to even protect my own family.

That's not true.

You can't let cruel fate

drive you into darkness.

If the heavens are unjust,

I'll claim justice myself!

Do it!

No matter how hard or painful

the road ahead may be,

I'll walk it with you.

Yan Tang!

Yan Tang!

Yan Tang

Orders from His Majesty!

His Majesty commands

the Duke of Ying and his son

to appear before him in court.

Go ahead, k*ll me!

If you do it now,

you'll be guilty of defying

an imperial order, punishable by death!

His Majesty has instructed

that if you are injured or ill,

you shall be treated in the palace.

My Lord!

Yan Tang!

-Yan Tang!

-My Lady

Until summoned,

you are to remain here.

My Lady!

Yan Tang!

Your Majesty,

Lord Song has been poisoned

with Grudgebane.

This poison is exceedingly rare.

At first, there are no symptoms,

pulse remains steady,

but hair turns white prematurely.

Once symptoms manifest,

the pain is excruciating,

as if seeping into the bones.

When the hair is fully white,

death is inevitable.

He is barely past his youth.

Is there any cure for this poison?

The poison is called Grudgebane.

A heart free of resentment and hatred

could ease the pain.

But with Lord Song in his current state,

even with the finest remedies,

he has at most

A year to live.

Your Majesty!

When the poison takes hold,

the afflicted falls into delirium,

violent and deranged.

Your Majesty, for your safety,

you must not go near him.

Your Majesty!

I want him to live a long life.

If you can't find a cure within a year

and he dies,

you'll all share his fate.

Yes, Your Majesty.

If word of Lord Song's

poisoning gets out,

you know what will happen.

I understand.

Uncle,

I won't let that mistress into our home.

He's the one who switched

Mother's child.

There must be someone behind him.

Find them.

Find them.

-Yan Tang

-Uncle

It's my fault.

I couldn't protect Mother.

Punish me.

-Blame me, Uncle.

-Please wake up, My Lord.

This is His Majesty.

Remember your place.

Yan Tang,

you'll be fine.

Your mother and uncle's deaths

will not be in vain.

Your Majesty,

the matters of the Duke of Ying

still await your judgment.

Eunuch Wang!

Eunuch Wang, please show mercy!

Li Yao Niang has taken her own life.

Without living witnesses, there's no way

to prove these accusations hold weight!

Eunuch Wang!

Eunuch Wang, our family's ancestors

risked their lives

to follow the late Emperor and

secure the foundations of this empire.

That loyalty earned us

the Duke of Ying title

and generations of honor.

Surely a mistake over

an illegitimate child

doesn't warrant taking Yi Chun's life!

Orders from His Majesty!

The Duke of Ying, Song Yi Chun,

is guilty of adultery,

child-swapping,

and violating the sanctity of lineage.

He is hereby

stripped of his title

as Commander of Warden's

Office of the Five Wards

but retains his title

to reflect on his misdeeds.

I am deeply ashamed

and accept my punishment.

But my son, Song Han,

was neither complicit

nor aware.

I plead for Your Majesty's mercy

to preserve his place

in the family register.

Propriety and ethics

are the pillars of the nation.

The distinction between

legitimate and illegitimate heirs

is the bedrock of

familial and societal order.

The switched legitimate daughter

of yours remains missing.

What mercy does His Majesty

owe to the spawn of an illicit affair?

This one is

for calming agitation and stress,

and this one is for colds.

Make sure you don't mix them up.

You're clearly frazzled.

Brewing each dose individually?

Doesn't the Imperial Academy of Medicine

have these medicines?

Did you send Su Lan to ask me

down the mountain just for this?

Su Xin,

fetch some more spring water.

Yes, My Lady.

No matter what happens,

things are going to get hectic

from now on,

I'll need you and An Su

to help keep an eye on things

at Zhaowen Bookstore.

I'm only here for you, Dou Zhao.

Don't drag me into Mantis Song's mess.

This is for reducing scars.

Apply it daily.

Ever since you got married,

your life seems downright dull.

If you ever want to leave,

I've got plenty of ways to help you.

Knowing what's to come

only makes me more determined

to try and change it.

I'll live true to my heart,

and the outcome

is not something I need to worry about.

My Lord.

The matter of the poison

must be kept from Dou Zhao.

But if your condition worsens,

how could you possibly hide it from her?

I promised to protect her all my life,

and now

I've failed her.

The more entangled the case becomes,

the sooner I have

to eliminate every threat.

If I leave her to face

those wolves and jackals

alone a year later,

even in the afterlife,

I'll never find peace.

Then

What's your plan now, My Lord?

Give me a moment alone.

If I can spend my last days

with Shou Gu by my side,

my time in the world

won't have been in vain.

My Lord.

Chen Jia has sent word.

My Lord, have mercy!

I swear, I didn't know it back then.

I really knew nothing!

You're still lying.

Back then,

His Grace ordered me

to care for a baby girl.

But But the child was born

premature and frail.

She didn't survive more than a few days.

Please, My Lord, have mercy!

What really happened back then?

Tell me now!

I only remember the baby

was brought from Her Grace's chambers.

Other than that,

I really know nothing more.

Strip him of his post,

banish him to the barracks.

-Keep him alive, but just barely.

-Yes, sir!

-Come on!

-My Lord!

My Lord, I'm sorry!

My Lord!

I've tried to put myself in your shoes.

To escape the constraints

of lineage and status,

you married a woman you didn't love.

Regret

became your excuse

for doing whatever it took.

But those who control you,

what did they promise?

Did they guarantee

a title for Song Han?

You and your Jiang family have

always been so sanctimonious,

acting like

saviors of the world.

Let me make one thing clear today,

I don't need anyone's terms or favors.

To get Li Yao Niang out

of the Bureau of Music,

you needed connections

in the Ministry of Justice.

You had help.

I'm a duke.

No one could stop me

from getting a courtesan

out of the bureau.

You've secretly been

serving Liaodong all along.

So, Song Han must be too.

Han isn't involved in this!

So, you're saying

you're involved in this.

Enough!

After the bandits stormed the city,

you took the opportunity

to replace the Warden's Office

and much of the capital's defense

with Prince Qing's men.

I'd wager the Six Ministries,

the Nine Court Ministers,

and even the Four Bureaus

and Twelve Offices in the palace

are under his thumb as well.

With such a setup,

he's no longer

just vying for the successor position,

he's preparing for rebellion.

I have no idea

what you're talking about.

Have you thought about Song Han?

Do you really believe that

he'll get away unscathed if you die?

He'll be left alone in the world.

Can you really rest easy?

Han is innocent!

If you dare harm him

It doesn't have to be me. Others will.

What?

You're nothing but a discarded pawn now.

Even if you take every secret

to the grave,

they won't

let Song Han live.

You're on your own now.

(Loving sister)

How did you know I'd be here?

General Yan told me everything.

What did he tell you?

He told me about your late sister.

So, I thought you might come here

to mourn for her.

The physician said your fainting spell

was triggered by anger.

This medicine should help.

Why do you look so pale?

Let me check.

Does your hand

still hurt?

Not anymore.

I'm sorry.

This is all my fault.

Losing someone all over again

must make it hurt even more.

I've made you worry.

You did the right thing.

If something like this happens again,

stop me no matter what.

I can't lose control like that again.

You've said everything I wanted to say.

Now, drink this while it's still warm.

When I fought my way back

to Duke of Ying's Residence alive,

I thought I had gone through

the worst ordeal in my life.

From as far back as I can remember,

Song Yi Chun obeyed

my mother in everything.

They were the picture

of respect and harmony.

Whenever he went to the border towns,

he'd always bring back

some local specialties for her.

I used to think that was love,

but it was endurance,

it was hatred.

My whole life,

I don't know if anything

has ever been real.

Your mother's love for you,

the Duke of Ding's teachings,

the unwavering loyalty

of the Duke of Ding's Army,

they are real.

And so am I.

You shouldn't have

to bear this sadness with me.

Husband and wife are meant

to share fortune and hardship,

joy and sorrow.

From now on,

pour all your pain and troubles onto me.

We're not like your parents.

Yan Tang,

I'll pay my respects to your sister,

and then, let's go home.

Alright.

Look! Fireworks!

They're so beautiful!

Do you remember

the first time

we saw fireworks together?

It was outside the imperial prison.

Dou Shi Shu and his subordinates had

been sending memorials to impeach me.

Yet you sent Gu Yu

in there to protect me.

What were you really after?

Even fireworks come in different colors.

He and I are not the same.

At the time, I thought,

if this person could

become my strategist,

I'd have nothing to fear.

So that's why

you kept Mr. Chen

by your side for so long.

You're not much better yourself.

Didn't you lock General Yan

in the coal shed?

When I saw him, he was covered

head to toe in coal dust.

Time really flies, doesn't it?

Beautiful things

are always fleeting,

impossible to hold onto.

Beautiful things may be fleeting,

but you can hold onto them.

You may be my strategist,

but all I need is for you

to live peacefully

as the lady of the household.

I will stay by your side,

through life and death, without regret.

I had thought I could protect you

for the rest of your life,

but now,

I know I can't.