01x13 - Episode 13

[bunniefuu]

=Against The Current=

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

=Episode 13=
[This drama does not correspond]

[to any real historical dynasty.]

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

- Kick your shoes!
- Kick your shoes!

- Drive out sickness and evil!
- Drive out sickness and evil!

- Kick your shoes!
- Kick your shoes!

- Drive out sickness and evil!
- Drive out sickness and evil!

My turn!

[Homemade Pickles]

These are your reed down shoes?

They look nice.

Who made them for you?

My mother.

Here.

♪Needles for sale♪

What's this?

♪Needles for sale♪

♪Embroider flowers, stitch clouds,
make soles, sew shoes♪

♪String peppers, stitch burlap sacks♪

So these are the reed down shoes
you mentioned.

Reed down isn't as warm as cotton,

but for poor families,

in the bitter cold of winter,

having a pair
of reed down shoes like these

is already a blessing.

Poor families tend
to live in the south of the city,

so that's where we should look.

But how do you know those women

would use padded coats
to make reed down shoes?

Those women who used moldy cotton

and reed fluff to make padded coats

knew they were doing
something dishonest,

yet they still did it.

Either their families were poor,

or they were greedy for profit.

Most likely, it was both.

Women like that

are used to saving
and scraping wherever they can.

They'd surely find a way

to sneak out scraps of cloth and thread.

They'd take whatever they could get.

Scraps of cloth, reed down,

and in the middle of winter,

the most practical thing to make
would be reed down shoes.

You're still young,

yet you understand human nature well.

Young Master,
have you ever heard this song?

Snatch mud from a swallow's beak,

shave iron from the tip of a needle,

scrape gold from a Buddha's
face and search every inch.

Find something where there's nothing,

hunt for peas in a quail's crop,

carve lean meat from a heron's leg,

and extract oil from a mosquito's belly.

What ruthless hands you have, sir.

What a biting song.

Young Master,
you've lived a life of privilege.

You don't know that
for people at the bottom like us,

sometimes just staying alive

takes everything we have.

If we want to rise above our station

and live a little better,

we may have to abandon our conscience

and risk our lives.

It's not that
I understand people so well.

It's just like those reed down shoes.

You've never seen them before,
Young Master,

but we see them every day.

There's nothing unusual about them.

Though I'd never seen reed down shoes,

I've also done everything I could

just to survive.

♪Rouge, hair ribbons,
combs and fine-toothed combs♪

♪Come and buy♪

♪Take some home♪

♪Every household needs its daily wares♪

Be careful.

The peddler is back.

Young Master is waiting.

Hurry inside.

These didn't sell.

Hua,

try some.

It's so sweet.

Young Master,

we're back.

No rush.

Have some water.

Sit down and tell me everything.

Yes.

While selling my wares,

I struck up a conversation
with Fourth Lady Li,

who makes reed down shoes.

She told me that

before the Chinese New Year,
she'd done some sewing

for a family surnamed Luo.

Following the lead she gave me,

I found the Luo residence.

Not only were their servants
strong and capable,

but they also kept two dogs.

Whenever I got close,

the dogs barked fiercely.

So I could only circle the outside
of the residence for most of the day

until I knew
the surrounding terrain thoroughly.

As you instructed, Young Master,

I asked around
at the city's brokerage houses.

I found that whenever
the Luo family hires mules and horses,

they only hire the animals and carts.

They always provide their own men.

That's highly suspicious.

Lu Dalang is almost certainly
hiding there.

If you hadn't
been suspended, Young Master,

we could bring in
some men from the army,

block the roads
and surround the residence.

They'd be trapped with nowhere to run,
and we'd be sure to catch them.

But...

But with so few of us now,

I'm afraid that while we're still
dealing with the servants out front,

Lu Dalang will have already
escaped through the back.

Young Master has some friends

in the Three Judicial Offices.

Why don't we borrow some constables?

For two or three thousand padded coats

to be replaced with inferior ones

and make their way
into the Shence Garrison,

someone in
the government office must have

been working
with Lu Dalang from the inside.

If we borrow men,

I'm afraid the moment
we step out the door,

Lu Dalang and his men

will already have been tipped off.

Once we fail to catch him,

someone eager
to curry favor with the Zhao family

will surely impeach me
for disregarding the law

and trespassing on private property.

Then not only
will my offense be compounded,

but my friends will also be implicated.

We need to find a way inside

and learn what's going on.

To slip in unnoticed,

we'd have to deal with the dogs first.

But they're extremely vigilant.

They won't even let peddlers near.

Fourth Lady Li,
who makes reed down shoes,

was allowed inside.

Clearly, they're

less wary of women.

I'll disguise myself
as a woman and sneak in.

You'd have to keep your head down

even to fool
the women and children inside.

If you meet anyone vigilant,

they'll see through you at once.

Young Master,

I'll go.

Aren't you afraid?

This is Jinling, the Southern Capital.

It's broad daylight.

I'm only going inside the residence

to see what's going on.

What's there to be afraid of?

If you help us catch Lu Dalang,

you'll be handsomely rewarded.

Remember,

you must not act rashly.

At worst, we'll come away empty-handed

and find another way.

The key is those two dogs.

As long as we keep them from barking,

Nanke and I can

slip inside without anyone noticing.

Who are you looking for?

Sir,

my husband came from
the capital to Jinling on business.

He caught a cold by accident

and never recovered.

We spent all our money,
but he still died.

I truly have nowhere else to turn.

I heard you're hiring

women who can sew.

So I gathered
the courage to come and ask.

Please, sir, have mercy.

Please give me a way to earn my keep.

How good are you at needlework?

I made the clothes I'm wearing myself.

I embroidered the flower
on this handkerchief, too.

Come back.

Let's go.

I'll take you to see the owner.

Wait here.

Greetings, Madam.

The women who worked here before

had sticky fingers.

It's best to check beforehand

so there's no dispute
if anything happens.

Embroider something.

Let's see your skill.

[There's a man inside, too.]

[This woman is just a figurehead.]

[Judging by the state
of the house inside and out,]

[they're about to move away.]

You're no match
for a professional embroiderer,

but your work will do.

What else can you do besides embroidery?

Can you weave?

Madam,

to tell you the truth,

I came today to ask another favor.

After my husband died,

I had no choice
but to rent a place in Kujing Lane.

Fourth Lady Li,
who lives in the same lane,

heard about my situation

and told me you buy cotton here.

My husband was a cotton merchant.

But before he could sell his stock,

he fell ill and passed away.

It's already the second month of spring.

It's getting warmer by the day.

Who would still need cotton now?

But if it's stored properly,

it'll surely sell once the weather

turns cold at year's end.

Please, Madam, have mercy

and buy my family's cotton.

You can name the price.

I only ask for enough
to return to the capital.

This is Lu Dalang.

You really have cotton?

[Lu Dalang, Cotton Merchant]

I do.

Fourth Lady Li can vouch for me.

The house I'm renting

is right next to hers.

When she helped me move the cotton,

she even secretly
kept a little for herself.

Now that my husband is gone,

I'm hardly in a position
to argue over it.

I can only pretend I don't know.

Among the women who worked here
before the Chinese New Year,

there was indeed a Fourth Lady Li
who liked taking things.

Where is your cotton?

At the house I'm renting.

Several rooms are packed full of it.

I'll sell it for next to nothing.

I only need enough for my journey home.

I'm telling the truth.

Have someone rent a mule cart
from the brokerage house.

I'll go with her and take a look.

Yes.

Wait.

Why aren't the dogs barking?

Lazy beasts!

Wake up!

Who came by today?

Other than her,

no one.

Tell me.

Who sent you?

I'm just here to sell cotton.

My husband died...

If you don't come out,

I'll k*ll this woman!

Come out.

So it's Assistant Commander Lin.

What an honored guest.

Forgive me
for not welcoming you properly!

Lu Dalang,

let her go first.

Assistant Commander Lin,

you step aside first.

As long as I can
get safely into the cart

and leave this place,

I'll let her go.

If I can't get out of here safely today,

this woman dies first.

Move.

Move!

Young Master,
you've lived a life of privilege.

You don't know that
for people at the bottom like us,

sometimes just staying alive

takes everything we have.

If we want to rise above our station

and live a little better,

we may have to abandon our conscience

and risk our lives.

I said move!

♪I no longer blame
the moon for withholding its light♪

♪I only pray that those
I've known still live and thrive♪

♪No longer
let the world's wind and snow fall♪

♪And leave the grass
and trees covered in frost♪

♪I only wish that
where the lights grow dim♪

♪You and I will walk there together♪

With all this commotion,

the men from the Five City Patrol Office

will be here soon.

You can't escape.

Come back with me

and explain everything.

I know you were only an accomplice.

Your crime doesn't warrant death.

Assistant Commander Lin,

it's not that
I couldn't defeat you today.

It's just that

this woman was cunning.

Cunning!

Nanke,

Jiugao and I will go with the men
from the Five City Patrol Office.

Take Lanxiang to a medical hall
to have her wound dressed,

and send her back.

Yes.

[Liu Xiaochuan, Sixth-Rank Commander
of the Southern City Patrol Office]

A young maid
really stabbed him with this?

That girl is ruthless.

If word gets out,

who would dare marry her?

Just looking at it

makes me shudder.

Look.

Whoever marries a wife like that

would never dare visit a pleasure house.

Lu Dalang was tough, too.

He had a needle stuck in him

and could still fight me.

He didn't seem like a merchant.

Merchants who travel far and wide
can put profit above all else.

Sometimes they're
even more ruthless than bandits.

How else could
they make a fortune in business?

Gloves.

What's so interesting
about these calluses?

When he took his own life,

did he cut across the wound?

The fatal wound
was indeed a horizontal cut

before the blade was thrust deeper.

Young Master.

The physician said
the flesh wound is nothing serious.

With some topical medicine

and proper rest, it'll heal.

But he was concerned about the shock,

so he prescribed something
to calm the mind.

It should be taken for five days
before seeing how things go.

Let me.

Easy.

Lie down and rest.

Young Master doesn't care
about such formalities.

How are you?

Can you talk?

My head just feels a little heavy.

Once I've taken the medicine

and had a good sleep, I'll be fine.

If you have questions, Young Master,

just ask.

I can talk.

I want to know what happened

after you entered the residence.

It concerns the investigation.

Tell me everything,
no matter how trivial.

After entering the residence,

I did as Jiugao taught me.

I found a way to toss
the drugged handkerchief

into the dogs' drinking water.

Then I followed
a servant farther inside.

I noticed the plants around
the residence were withered,

but the servants were well dressed.

The two large dogs
were also strong and healthy.

That showed

the owner wasn't short of money.

He simply didn't
regard that place as home.

It was only a temporary hideout.

That made it even more likely

that Lu Dalang was hiding there.

I also noticed the east
and west wings were shut tight.

The main house was sparsely furnished.

That suggested
they'd either just moved in

or were about to leave soon.

I knew you were eager to catch Lu Dalang

and couldn't let him escape.

In desperation,

I came up with a plan,
though it wasn't much of one.

I took a chance and said

I had a stockpile of cotton to sell.

Lu Dalang even wanted the cotton

from the Shence Garrison's padded coats,

so clearly he was greedy for cotton.

Birds die for food, and men for wealth.

Lu Dalang had
been hiding in the inner room,

but the moment he heard I had cotton,

he came out.

When he saw I was a widow,

he thought
he could take advantage of me,

so he wanted to come
with me to see the cotton.

Where did you get that needle?

Lu Dalang's wife
wanted to see my needlework.

She brought out a needle and thread

and asked me to embroider something.

At the time, I suspected

Lu Dalang was in the inner room.

I wasn't sure what might happen,

so I took the opportunity
to hide a needle

in case I needed it.

I never expected

I'd actually have to use it.

Apart from that,

is there anything else
you want to tell me?

The servants knew there were
women in the inner quarters,

yet they came and went as they pleased.

The madam of the house

wasn't bothered by it at all.

The masters didn't act like masters,

and the servants
didn't act like servants.

Even a merchant household

wouldn't be so lacking in propriety.

That woman

probably wasn't Lu Dalang's wife.

Lu Dalang

didn't seem like a merchant.

Young Master,

did I get something wrong?

Everything you said was right.

I promised you before

that you'd be handsomely rewarded
if we caught Lu Dalang.

What would you like?

I can't think of anything
I want right now.

Why don't I

save up the favor for now?

Once I've decided,

I'll ask you for something.

All right.

Come to me once you've decided.

Take good care of Lanxiang.

The fewer people
who know Lanxiang was injured,

the better.

Don't let her parents hear about it.

Thank you, Young Master.

Whenever I was wounded
on the b*ttlefield,

what I feared most
was First Madam finding out

and worrying herself sick.

The medicine is ready.

Here.

I'll feed you.

Medicine isn't meant to taste good.

It's best to drink it all at once.

Taking it sip by sip

only makes me savor the bitterness.

Careful. It's hot.

Bitter, isn't it?

Don't worry.

Only Gantang and I
know what really happened.

None of the other maids know.

With my skills,

even if Xiaolian's mother came
to collect the night soil every day,

she wouldn't hear a thing.

Thank you, Yuchan.

You've truly been
a great help this time.

Sleep while the medicine
is taking effect.

You'll heal faster.

Just sleep.

[Sanjue Hall]

You didn't see that needle go in.

You have no idea
how fierce Lanxiang was.

I know.

I saw it in her eyes.

Once, when we
were surrounded by Wo pirates,

Young Master
had that same look in his eyes.

What kind of look?

A fierce look

that said he had to survive.

Young Master.

Young Master.

Sit.

Did you get the statements
from those four servants?

Yes.

There wasn't a single useful lead.

They're th*gs from Yangzhou

who know how to fight.

Lu Dalang paid them well

to guard the residence.

Whatever they knew,

we already knew.

That woman was bought by Lu Dalang

from a brokerage house in Suzhou.

She knew even less
than those four hired th*gs.

With Lu Dalang dead,

we've lost every lead.

I know Lu Dalang's true identity.

Lu Dalang was from the Wo country.

No wonder he had
calluses between his toes.

The Wo people often wear wooden clogs.

When Lu Dalang took his own life,

the way he held the blade

looked more like a Wo pirate
committing ritual suicide.

He only changed his grip afterward.

With just those two clues,

aren't we jumping to conclusions?

He was unusually greedy for cotton.

Lanxiang lured him with cotton,

and he walked right into the trap.

It's already mid-spring.

Even if the cotton were shipped north,

it wouldn't be worth much.

Unless there was somewhere

that needed cotton
regardless of the season.

Wo country.

In the previous dynasty,

cotton was a rarity.

Only after the late Emperor
promoted its cultivation

did the prices of cotton
and cotton cloth come down.

But cotton remains scarce in Wo country.

If smuggled there,

it can yield several times the profit.

But the late Emperor
imposed a maritime ban,

so the Wo people
cannot purchase it openly.

So he was from the Wo country.

This case isn't
about embezzlement or bribery

for petty profit.

Officials at court
are colluding with the Wo people.

defying the Emperor's will

and engaging in ill*gal smuggling.

[Map of Nanzhi County]

Lanxiang surmised

that Lu Dalang was about to move
within a day or two.

And when he heard Lanxiang had cotton,

he was eager to see it.

Lanxiang's deduction should be right.

But he wasn't preparing to move.

Lu Dalang's cotton is about
to be shipped out of Jinling

within a day or two.

[Wo Country]

Nanke and I will investigate right away.

We'll stop both the shipment and the men

before they leave Jinling.

While we're away from you, Young Master,

don't go out for the next two days.

I've already made arrangements.

As for you two,

be extremely careful.

- Yes.
- Yes.

I hope you can live
better lives than before.

This is Jinling, the Southern Capital.

Wait for the right moment
to make a move.

What's there to be afraid of?

Become free commoners.

Aren't you afraid?

What's wrong?

Does your wound hurt?

I had a nightmare.

It startled me awake.

What did you dream about?

I dreamed

that man was swinging his blade wildly.

There was blood everywhere.

And...

my family's bodies.

Anyone who saw blood during the day

would have nightmares at night.

Don't be afraid.

Dreams mean the opposite.

When the blade was held to my throat,

I was terrified
and regretted what I'd done.

If I hadn't stepped in,

I wouldn't have ended up in such danger.

If I had died,

my father and mother

would never have been able to go on.

I wouldn't
just have gotten myself k*lled.

I would've cost them their lives, too.

There's something

I've wanted to tell you for a long time,

but I've always
been too embarrassed to say it.

My life is different
from yours and Xiaolian's.

You don't have to say it.

You're your parents' precious daughter.

Xiaolian may have an older brother,

but her grandmother
and mother both cherish her.

I'm the second child in my family.

I have an older brother

and a younger brother.

Ever since I was little,

my parents have always
favored my brothers.

Some time ago,

my mother was arranging
a marriage for my older brother,

but our family
couldn't afford the betrothal gifts.

So my parents wanted

to arrange my marriage
as soon as possible

and use my betrothal gifts

for my older brother.

They called it a betrothal,

but they were
really selling their daughter.

They didn't care who it was,

as long as he paid enough.

Luckily, on the Festival of Man,

I somehow followed your lead

and ended up earning some merit.

First Madam rewarded me
with ten taels of silver,

and Young Master

rewarded me with five taels.

That was enough to cover
my brother's betrothal gifts.

Only then did my mother agree

not to rush me into a marriage.

If you hadn't

stepped in that day,

my whole life

would've been ruined.

Completely ruined.

Lanxiang,

we're at the very bottom.

If we don't take risks ourselves

and fight for a way out,

we'll remain
at the bottom all our lives.

To everyone else,

even to our own parents,

we're only useful
for getting their sons wives.

It was because you stepped in

that you saved Young Master's marriage,

saved the Lin family's reputation,

and saved me, too.

♪Even if these trials
consume my whole life♪

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

♪I've searched and searched♪

Don't be sad anymore.

I'll stay and sleep beside you tonight.

All right?

♪Leaving only regret behind♪

Come.

♪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♪

Get some sleep.

If that bad man
comes back to torment you

in your dreams tonight,

call me and I'll help you.

We'll spit right in his face together.

We must live our lives with dignity.

We're not afraid of

an evil spirit that
can't even face the light of day.

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

Where did Yuchan and Lanxiang go?

They're still not back?

Marquis Yongchang
was afraid word might get out,

so he had Yuchan and Lanxiang

taken to the Naval Camp.

I thought after we caught
the Wo pirates last night,

Marquis Yongchang would send
someone to bring them back.

Could Marquis Yongchang
have simply forgotten

about Yuchan and Lanxiang?

Yuchan has never
been inside a military camp.

Being kept there all night

must have frightened her badly.

No.

I have to go to the Naval Camp
and bring her back.

Stop.

I'll go with you.

Young Master.

♪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♪