[Adapted from He Yanshan's novel,
Orchid Fragrance Fate]
=Episode 33=
[This drama does not correspond]
[to any real historical dynasty.]
[The systems, culture, attire and other
dynastic elements have been adapted.]
[Arsenic]
Yinxian found this in Xiulai's room.
If Lanxiang hadn't acted quickly
and brought Xiulai
back from the Lu family,
by now...
Anyway, after Jinqiao's
wedding tomorrow,
we'll return to Jinling.
You can do whatever you want.
Let's go.
[Arsenic]
We'll head back now.
This time, it was all thanks to you.
Otherwise...
I also owe Young Master
thanks for the sedative.
It wasn't a sedative.
It was medicine to calm
the nerves and help you sleep.
Thank you for the medicine.
Xiulai!
Why is there blood on Xiulai?
And when did you learn to set bones?
That was chicken blood
wrapped in sheep intestine.
It's a little trick used onstage.
You still want to leave my Lu family?
Blood...
I learned a little about setting bones
because I needed it for writing a play.
I don't actually know how to do it,
but it was enough to fool everyone.
Xiulai's arm isn't broken?
You lied to us?
Xiuwan was crying her eyes out.
Jinqiao nearly went to fight them
in his wedding clothes.
Even I fell for it.
I was secretly regretting
only breaking one of Lu Jian's hands.
A convincing performance
must be structured and heartfelt.
According to the Collected Commentaries
on the Laws of Our Dynasty,
a husband may divorce his wife,
but a wife may not leave her husband.
If the Lu family refuses,
it will be almost impossible
for Xiulai to separate from him.
Since I've taken
this matter upon myself,
I'll not only help Xiulai
separate from him,
but I'll also help her
get Yingzhi back from the Lu family.
How could...
Are you sure?
Why else would I go to all this trouble?
For Xiulai and Yingzhi,
I'll have to put everyone
through some inconvenience.
♪The golden sunset♪
♪Sketches my thoughts♪
♪All things fall silent♪
♪Fearing to disturb this moment♪
♪My restless heart♪
♪Seeks a place to anchor♪
♪I wonder if the past
has ever been heard♪
- Candidates from across the realm
are examined by imperial decree.
The top three are awarded the title
of Presented Scholar with Honors.
The second class is awarded
the title of Presented Scholar.
The third class is awarded the title
of Associate Presented Scholar.
[Zhao Chengzhen]
First place in the first class,
Zhao Chengzhen,
from Suizhou, Huguang.
[Wang Shiyu, Han Liang]
Second place
in the first class, Wang Shiyu,
from Bao'an Prefecture, Zhili.
Third place
in the first class, Han Liang,
from Suzhou, Zhili.
Congratulations, Third Place Scholar.
Congratulations to you too.
Congratulations, Third Place Scholar.
Congratulations.
Quite an achievement
at such a young age.
[Zhao Chengzhen, First Place Scholar,
Wang Shiyu, Second Place Scholar]
Sixtieth place goes
to a member of the Xie family.
Congratulations.
Congratulations.
Congratulations to you too.
Han is young and talented.
He truly deserves
to be Third Place Scholar.
He surely has a bright future ahead.
Xie's future prospects
are beyond anything we can hope for.
After all, he has
Grand Secretary Zhao behind him.
The youngest
among the Presented Scholars
are Han Liang and Xie Zhao, correct?
Yes, Your Majesty.
I find Han Liang composed in his conduct
and attentive to those around him.
He appears to be a promising talent.
[Dai Qing, Zhao Xingtang's Husband,
Third-Rank Minister]
[of the Court
of Imperial Entertainments]
Then let the Third Place Scholar
join the Hanlin Academy
as an editor to gain some experience.
Your Majesty is most gracious.
Though Xie Zhao may not compare
with the Third Place Scholar
personally chosen by Your Majesty,
passing the imperial examination
at such a young age
also shows great promise.
I've heard that Xie Zhao
is Grand Secretary Zhao's
grandson-in-law.
Just as Your Majesty has heard.
Grand Secretary Zhao
truly has a discerning eye.
Both grandsons-in-law
you've chosen are exceptional.
Thank you for your praise,
Your Majesty. I am humbled.
Your Majesty flatters me.
I am unworthy of such praise.
Where's Fengtai?
Why haven't I seen him today?
Deputy Commander Lin took leave today.
But
I don't know why.
I...
happen to know why.
My son Dai Rui serves as
Judicial Officer of Shuntian Prefecture.
Shuntian Prefecture
recently received a complaint.
Right now,
Deputy Commander Lin should
be in court over the case.
In court?
[Shuntian Prefecture]
Deputy Commander Lin's eldest sister
married Lu Jian, son of Director Lu
of the Construction Office,
Ministry of Works.
Two months ago,
Lin sought a separation
from the Lu family.
The local elders mediated several times,
but Lin refused to back down.
The Lu family
also refused the separation.
So Lin filed a complaint
against her husband
with Shuntian Prefecture.
[Justice and Impartiality]
The Lin family is
seeking another separation.
And this time,
a wife is suing her husband.
[Dai Rui, Dai Qing's Eldest Son, Sixth-Rank
Judicial Officer of Shuntian Prefecture]
This should be interesting.
Indeed.
[Prefect Liu,
Third-Rank Prefect of Shuntian]
Lin.
Do you understand that a wife must obey
her husband, and that suing him
is a violation of moral order?
Whether you win or lose,
under the law,
you will receive 100 strokes
and three years of penal servitude.
I understand.
If you withdraw your complaint now,
this court will not pursue the matter.
But if you insist on proceeding,
can you endure the punishment
of 100 strokes and three years
of penal servitude?
I insist on proceeding.
penal servitude are indeed frightening.
But if I don't bring this case today,
I could be beaten to death by Lu Jian
and still be condemned for it.
Your Honor, I have studied the teachings
of the sages since childhood.
Lin and I have been husband
and wife since our youth.
Even if we occasionally argued,
how could I ever be so cruel
as to beat her severely?
That day, Lin had her brother Lin Jinqi
hire men to beat me, and they
even broke one of my hands.
I admit I lost my head.
In my anger, I struck Lin.
Deputy Commander Lin,
is what Lu Jian said true?
I discovered
that Lu Jian often beat my sister,
so I did have men beat Lu Jian.
Later, the Lu family
came to confront me.
We argued, and I lost my temper.
I accidentally broke Lu Jian's hand.
But my sister knew nothing
about any of this.
It had nothing to do with her.
Deputy Commander Lin,
you acted foolishly.
As a court official,
you knowingly broke the law
and assaulted a scholar.
The Lin family has gone too far.
How could they as*ault a scholar?
Lanxiang.
I lost my temper
and struck Lin a few times.
I never expected her
to take it so seriously
and bring such
a trivial matter before the court.
The law states that
when a husband beats his wife,
if no bones are broken,
no charges shall be pursued.
To disregard moral order
over a mere quarrel
and sue one's husband
is truly a violation of public morals.
Judicial Officer Dai has a point.
- Why make such a fuss over so little?
- This law is terribly unjust.
My sister has always
been gentle and mild-mannered.
If her husband had merely
struck her a couple of times,
why would she seek a separation?
That day,
Lu Jian beat my sister until
she vomited blood and passed out.
An old servant carried
her out of the Lu Residence.
The Lu family's servants
and neighbors outside all saw it.
We have their testimony as proof.
I saw the blood slowly
seeping out with my own eyes.
Lin's younger sister
was wailing as if someone had died.
We saw it with our own eyes.
It's true. There was so much blood.
Your Honor, please judge fairly.
Lin is frail,
[Witness]
and quick-tempered.
Her coughing up blood and fainting
had nothing to do with me.
Deputy Commander Lin, are you deaf?
Didn't you hear
what Judicial Officer Dai just said?
If a husband
beats his wife without causing
a fracture, no charges shall be pursued.
After we returned home that day,
my wife promptly summoned
Imperial Physician Yao to examine her.
I found bruising and swelling
three finger-widths below the elbow.
Was there anything unusual
about the bone beneath the swelling?
It appeared normal, but there
seemed to be a grating sound.
This is a copy of the medical record
from the Imperial Medical Service.
[Examination, Imperial Physician Yao]
It bears Physician Yao's signature.
If Prefect Liu has any doubts,
you may summon
Imperial Physician Yao to testify.
That's impossible.
That's absolutely impossible.
The Imperial Medical Service's
record states it clearly.
And you still deny it?
Lin and I have been husband and wife
since our youth,
and we have children together.
How could I have struck her so severely?
I never broke her arm!
Yes.
My son told me
he always knew
how far to go when he hit Lin.
My son knows the law.
Why would he knowingly break it?
Father, be quiet.
He knew how far to go?
So he really did hit her?
That's outrageous.
- He really hit her?
- What a brute!
You knowingly broke the law,
yet you use clever words
and refuse to admit your guilt.
All your study of the teachings
of the sages was for nothing.
Confess at once,
or you will be severely punished.
Fine, I admit it.
I admit I injured Lin.
Lu Jian has admitted
to breaking my sister's arm.
Their marital bond is severed.
I ask Prefect Liu
to grant my sister's request
and order their separation.
I admit I lost my head and injured Lin,
but Lin and I married young,
and we have children together.
Our children are still young.
How can they be without their mother?
No matter how angry Lin is with me,
I still refuse to separate from her.
I beg Your Honor
to have pity on our young children
and not tear our family apart.
What Lu Jian says is reasonable.
Better to tear down ten temples
than break up one marriage.
Exactly. It's only a little fighting.
Marriage is the foundation
of human relations.
First comes the duty
between husband and wife,
and then the affection
between parent and child.
Since Lu Jian refuses to separate,
Lin shall be returned
to the Lu family today
and remain a wife of the Lu family.
Lin.
As long as you live,
you belong to the Lu family.
Even in death, you'll still
belong to the Lu family.
For the rest of your life,
don't even think of taking
a single step outside the Lu family.
Prefect Liu.
I am the eldest daughter-in-law
of the Lin family.
Today, I have a complaint
accusing Lu Jian of stealing
and seizing the Lin family's property.
You're making baseless accusations
and spreading lies!
I ask Prefect Liu to judge fairly.
[Plaintiff, Lin Jinqi]
It was only while our First Young Lady
was home recovering that I learned
she had been using her dowry to support
her husband's family all these years.
Yet her husband still wasn't satisfied
and tried to forcibly seize
the Lin family property
that wasn't part of her dowry.
When our First Young Lady refused,
her husband punched and kicked her
and even beat his own daughter.
Nonsense!
Those... those were
all part of Lin's dowry.
Before First Young Lady married,
the Lin family
was preparing to move back to Jinling.
Since it was inconvenient at the time,
and considering our future needs,
we entrusted part of the property
to our First Young Lady,
who was about to marry,
for safekeeping.
[Dowry List]
This is the dowry list
kept by our family.
It clearly states
which items were her dowry
and which were Lin family property
entrusted to our First Young Lady
for safekeeping.
That dowry list is fake!
You're fabricating facts
and misleading everyone.
Those assets were clearly
all part of the dowry.
[Lin Family Private Property
Held for Safekeeping]
The Lu family has an identical copy
of the dowry list.
Bring it out and compare the two,
and you'll see that
every word I've said is true.
Lu Jian.
Present the Lin family's
dowry list at once.
You keep saying
these accusations are baseless
and that the evidence was fabricated.
Then why won't you
produce your evidence?
Our First Young Lady said
Lu Jian wanted
to take possession of her dowry
and the Lin family's property,
so he tore up that list.
More than three years ago,
when Lu Jian tried to take
the jade bracelet Grandmother gave me,
I thought
I should at least save something
for my daughter's future dowry,
so I refused to give it to him.
He tore up the dowry list.
What a despicable man.
He's absolutely heartless.
How shameless.
After learning the truth,
we hurried to investigate.
At the pawnshop,
we found property
that belonged to the Lin family.
The pawn ticket
even bears Lu Jian's signature.
[150 Taels, Lu Ju]
Here is Lu Ju's signature as well.
Would you like to see it?
How shameless.
Exactly. A father-in-law seized
his daughter-in-law's dowry.
- Yes. How shameless.
- Exactly.
That wasn't her dowry.
It was the Lin family's property.
Prefect Liu.
The Lu family misappropriated
over 3,000 taels
of the Lin family's property.
What is the penalty under the law?
Tattooing the arm for theft,
However, this case involves
theft between relatives.
Lu Jian is a distant relative
of the Lin family.
Therefore, he shall
receive 70 strokes and
two and a half years of penal servitude.
Anyone holding scholarly honors
shall be stripped of them.
No! You can't do that.
Your Honor.
I agree to a separation.
As long as... As long as the Lin family
withdraws the complaint,
I will separate from Lin here in court.
What about Yingzhi?
Yingzhi...
Yingzhi should fulfill
her filial duty to her mother.
Yingzhi...
Yingzhi will naturally be raised by Lin!
♪Those things I can't forget♪
♪The absurdities
I can't let go of fill every page♪
Prefect Liu, the Lu family
has agreed to the separation.
The Lin family
is also willing to compromise
and withdraw the complaint.
♪Even when memories hide away♪
♪Silent, they still keep shining♪
♪Burning bright♪
♪That's what made me who I am♪
♪The best years of my life♪
♪Etched into my heart♪
Lanxiang is incredible.
The property dispute between the Lin
and Lu families will not be pursued.
However,
Lu Jian,
for knowingly breaking
the law and fracturing
his wife's bone,
shall receive 100 strokes.
Lin, for disregarding moral order
and suing her husband,
shall receive 100 strokes.
Lin Jinqi,
for assaulting a scholar and causing
a fracture, shall receive 100 strokes.
Prefect Liu.
Imperial Physician Yao said my sister
suffers from qi and blood deficiency
and still needs to recuperate.
Bringing this case against Lu Jian
was entirely my decision.
I am willing to take
all of my sister's punishment.
Jinqi.
After all,
he is a trusted man of His Majesty.
Your Honor, you might
as well do him a favor.
Deputy Commander Lin,
given your deep devotion to your sister,
Lin is frail, so you may
take her 100 strokes in her place.
Thank you, Prefect Liu.
By order of the Prefect, Deputy
Commander Lin shall receive 200 strokes.
- Yes.
- Yes.
I'll be fine.
Begin.
Jinqi!
Get up!
Jinqi!
Continue.
Stop!
How dare you!
Causing a disturbance
in court. Throw her out!
Prefect Liu, are you
trying to use this opportunity
to k*ll my husband?
Insolent woman!
How dare you make false accusations
against me in court?
If you cannot justify
your accusation today,
I will punish you severely.
Come forward.
I've seen in plays
that 70 strokes
are enough to k*ll a man.
Wouldn't that be taking
the opportunity to k*ll him?
- Exactly.
- Exactly.
- Wouldn't 200 strokes beat a man to death?
- Exactly!
The bailiffs of Shuntian Prefecture
are all experienced.
They know how much force to use.
Even 200 strokes,
or 300, wouldn't k*ll a man.
Prefect Liu is right.
The bailiffs are experienced.
They know how much force to use.
If 300 strokes can leave a man alive,
then 200 strokes
can naturally k*ll a man, too.
Prefect Liu, you and I have worked
together for many years.
With everyone watching,
how could I betray
my conscience and do such a thing?
Don't listen to
this ignorant woman's nonsense.
Prefect Liu is presiding
over the case today.
If anything happens to my husband,
I'll take the imperial edict and seek
an audience with His Majesty myself.
Mister Li.
I'll have to trouble you today.
♪The wind scatters the clouds,
and rain turns to mud♪
Deputy Commander Lin, please.
♪Faded ink turns fragrant,
spring rises and summer grows♪
♪As if time itself were flowing♪
♪Pausing, then rewinding♪
♪I watch the long road wind and turn♪
♪Even the clamor falls silent♪
Xiulai.
Begin.
♪I watch the passing years wear away♪
♪Even deep affection slowly fades♪
Mercy! Stop hitting!
Instant karma. Serves him right!
I'm done playing.
Today's the Confucian
initiation ceremony.
Let's go join the festivities.
Xingtang, don't be upset.
We may not have gotten rid
of that ungrateful Lin Jinqi this time,
but he still took 200 strokes.
He'll be suffering for quite a while.
Let's play a little longer.
Sixth Sister.
Today's the Confucian initiation
ceremony for the new Presented Scholars.
Your husband finally
passed the examination.
Instead of helping
make arrangements at home,
you came here first thing
in the morning to play chuiwan.
No wonder your mother-in-law
and husband aren't fond of you.
That good-for-nothing came in dead last.
What's there to celebrate?
I've already asked Grandfather.
By now, anyone with any prospects
has already secured a post
through private connections.
Only he, despite having
the Zhao family behind him,
has failed to win His Majesty's favor.
He still hasn't been offered a post.
Securing an official post is never easy.
You shouldn't put too much pressure
on the Xie family either.
That shabby Xie residence is tiny.
How can anyone live there?
I want to separate
from that good-for-nothing Xie Zhao
and have Grandfather
find me a better husband.
Then whenever I want to play chuiwan,
I won't have to trouble you
by coming here.
That's true.
Rather than marry
a young man like Xie Zhao
who has neither wealth nor status,
you'd be better off marrying a widower
who already holds high office
and enjoys a generous salary.
Forget it. I'm done playing.
If you want to watch
the Confucian initiation ceremony,
I'll go with you.
Get the carriage ready.
No need.
The ceremony procession
will depart from the Imperial Palace
and go to the Temple
of the Sage to make offerings.
No horses or sedan chairs are allowed
on the main street today.
Even with a carriage,
we wouldn't get anywhere.
Walking would be easier.
Then let's walk.
Third Place Scholar!
Look, the Third Place Scholar!
What a fine-looking young man.
Congratulations.
♪You're a lone traveler
returning through the snow♪
♪Let me brush the dust of your journey
from your shoulders♪
♪If you're the silent fragrance
of a secluded orchid♪
♪Lingering through every dawn
and dusk at the end of time♪
♪Deep within the lights lies
a truth that came too late♪
♪Though these trials
may have cost me a lifetime♪
♪I only return to the moment
where 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♪
I hear the Third Place Scholar
isn't betrothed yet.
Mother isn't here,
so I've finally had a few peaceful days.
Don't bring up
the one thing I'd rather not hear.
Xiulai.
Yuchan has already taken
some people to fetch Yingzhi.
When we get back,
you'll be able to see Yingzhi.
Thank you, Lanxiang.
I know you can't
stop worrying about Jun,
but fortunately, Jun is already eight.
He spends his days studying at school.
Later, we'll find a community school
where he can board
and entrust him to a teacher
who will guide him well.
You'll still have chances to see him.
Young Master, it's all my fault.
I forgot to check the almanac
before going out.
How heartless.
I'm already injured,
yet she won't even
come to keep me company.
I said I didn't want
a maid looking after me.
I never said I didn't want her.
Didn't you take pain medicine?
Why does it still hurt?
I can't sleep. Stay and talk with me.
Maybe then it won't hurt anymore.
What do you want to talk about?
In court today,
were you afraid Dai Rui
would seize the chance
to have me beaten to death?
You knew Dai Rong's brother
was in court.
How could you not have prepared for it?
I guessed you intended
to take a few real strokes,
so you'd have solid evidence
to confront Dai Rui in court.
Prefect Liu
is the Duke of Ying's brother-in-law.
He may not side with you,
but he certainly won't side
with Prince Han either.
Then
you could not only eliminate
an enemy of your own,
but also help His Majesty keep Prince
Han in check. Two birds with one stone.
Since you knew I had other plans,
why did you step in to protect me?
Your concerns are always about
either His Majesty or Prince Han.
My concern was Xiulai.
She worries too much,
and it has already harmed her health.
If I were badly injured
because of her separation,
she would surely lose sleep and
appetite, making her condition worse.
After a woman separates from her
husband, she feels anxious and helpless,
fearing that her own family
may reject her as well.
If First Madam found out
that you were badly injured
because of Xiulai,
she might take her anger out on Xiulai.
I didn't think it through.
Thank you for considering
everything on my behalf.
I stepped in
and disrupted your plans.
I'm just glad you don't blame me.
I truly owe you my thanks this time.
I had no idea before
that it was so difficult for a woman
to obtain a separation.
Fortunately, you came prepared
and gave them
a taste of their own medicine.
I merely lent a little support.
What mattered was that Xiulai
had made up her mind
and didn't hesitate any longer.
How are you so familiar with
Direct Explanation
of the Laws and Decrees?
Even many serious scholars
might not have read it carefully
from beginning to end.
I need it for writing plays.
If I'm writing about someone who's ill,
I need to write scenes about
getting medicine and seeing a physician.
If there's an official,
I need to write lines
about official affairs.
Right now,
I'm writing about a woman
suing for a separation,
so I looked through the relevant laws.
I never expected
they'd come in handy for Xiulai.
Hearing you put it that way,
writing plays sounds quite interesting.
It is.
As for the laws,
you can understand them
by reading the books.
But when it comes to court affairs,
how can you see those so clearly too?
Jiugao is a shrewd man,
yet even he failed to discover
that the maritime merchant
Qi Sihai had the Dai family behind him.
Clearly, after Dai Rong's death,
the Dai family didn't stop
amassing wealth for Prince Han.
They simply hid it better.
It's been over a thousand years since
Grand Historian Sima Qian
wrote Records of the Grand Historian.
Of everything happening now,
what hasn't happened before in history?
There's not even any need
to consult the history books.
What Prince Han wants to do now
is simply follow
his father's example and rebel...
Doesn't it hurt?
I was wrong this time.
It won't happen again.
I hadn't arranged
a post for Lu Jian before
because Prince Han
still hadn't left for his fief.
With the situation
at court still uncertain,
I didn't want to drag him into it.
I never expected that, by sheer chance,
his true nature would be exposed.
Aunt Lingxiao keeps complaining
that you haven't given enough thought
to Xiuwan's marriage.
It seems you also planned to wait
until Prince Han left for his fief.
You know me best, my lady.
His Majesty is more merciful
than the late Emperor.
I hope Prince Han
can let go of his ambitions.
The pain medicine is working now.
Get some rest.
=Against the Current=
[Next Episode's Preview]
Young Master, what are you doing here?
Don't you want to ask
what I'm wishing for?
Whatever you wish for,
I hope your wish comes true.
Today
is your birthday.
We were on the boat
for your birthday last year
and couldn't celebrate it properly.
This year,
I came back early,
especially to be with you
and give you
a proper birthday celebration.
♪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♪