Subtitles brought to you by Xu Haiqiao Subteam - 徐海乔字幕组 & KUKAN
Episode 17
Ning'er has always been a stubborn one. Once she sets her mind on something, she rarely changes her mind. Plus, Ye Xiaotian will return to the mountains after 20 years, by that time....
Rules are made by humans.
If you are the one who makes the rules,
if the rules are unreasonable, aren't you going to change the rules?
Conversely,
you must follow the rules other people set for you.
Great-grandpa, so about Ning'er and Ye Xiaotian...
You'd be happy
if they get together?
I have better things to do
than to watch over you kids' love affairs.
I'm wondering,
if the Church of Gu's jiaozhu wins the juren title and becomes an official,
what kind of impact will it entail?
Please come in.
My humble greetings, Miss.
How did you do in the exam?
This year's provincial exam had only 10 questions.
In my opinion, it was rather easy.
I believe that I did fairly well.
If you say you did fairly well, then I take it you did great.
The compliment is undeserved.
Miss.
No need to bow. Raise your head.
Yes, Miss.
You should know that though your talent and learning are no doubt decent,
but what if our Tian family didn't fight for a place for you?
I will not disappoint you, Miss.
Even if it meant my own destruction, I will repay my debt of gratitude I owe to you for your trust in me.
As you should.
A juren is qualified to become an official, but unless you have powerful connections,
you most likely do not become an official straight away,
and even less so are promoted to a high official.
But with my Tian family's help
these things won't be a problem.
Just focus on doing your work.
I will take care of everything.
Yes, Miss.
Once you're awarded the juren title, where do you wish to work?
Miss.
If it's convenient,
I'd like to return to Huxian.
Return to your hometown?
Very well.
Thank you for granting me my wish, Miss.
Lord Wang,
are you still worrying over the juren quota?
This is just great.
This man is over 60 and he came to take the exam.
He won the title but died from the exhaustion.
With this new vacancy, everyone is fighting over it.
This...
It's causing me a headache.
My lord.
Do not fret.
Things are indeed quite troublesome this year.
However...
Adviser Qian,
do you have a feasible plan?
My lord.
Look, there is a precedent for each year's quota allocation for the provincial exam.
The reason why these people with power and influence fight over the quota so relentlessly,
isn't so much them wanting one more juren title
as them wanting to make a statement.
A statement?
What statement?
If I don't get this extra place,
then neither should anyone else.
If they get it instead of me,
wouldn't that mean that they're better than me?
In other words, they are not fighting over the juren title
but fighting for the respect.
So, no matter who you give this title to, you'll tread on some people's toes either way.
So, you may as well avoid offending anyone
and withhold the extra title.
That way, they can't say anything.
Inequality rather than want is the cause of trouble.
Do you have a ranked list of the students who didn't make it to the top and who don't have powerful connections?
[Ye Xiaotian]
Moving up in succession.
That'll be him.
[Bulletin Board]
The list is about to be disclosed.
I can't stand the wait.
Be patient.
The result is already there.
Reveal the list!
Dage, the list is out. Stay here!
- I'll go take a look! - Go quickly.
People really know their place.
Yunfei.
I thought I'd get to meet a magpie today,
but instead it's an old crow.
Croak, croak, croak.
So noisy.
What a bummer.
We won.
He won!
You won!
You won, Master.
What place?
First place, you're the jieyuan.
Congratulations, Master.
Calm down.
It's nothing much.
Keep a low profile.
Ye Xiaotian, he won!
He won! He won! He won!
Out of the way!
Dage!
Dage, you won! You won!
- What place? - Really?
First place.
Impossible.
There's only one jieyuan. How can there be a second one?
I saw it.
My dage won first place.
Hey!
Master, we are number one.
I looked at it all, from left to right,
Dage is number one.
Ye Xiaotian!
That's the last place.
Last place is pretty good, too.
Dage, you won!
Who knew I would one day become a juren.
You have no ambition at all.
I, Xu Boyi,
am the jieyuan.
The number one.
Let's eat. Let's go.
Go faster, little lady.
Yingying, look.
Look at that guy.
So elegant.
You can see that he's a juren.
Now look at the girl beside him.
Pearly and graceful.
It's a match made in heaven.
Say,
aren't these two people
just fated to be together?
They are you and me.
You can't go a day without lying, can you?
Every man lies.
A man who fools you into being happy your whole life is a good man.
But a man who fools you into being happy for just a moment is a bad man.
Would you like to fool me my whole life?
Take a guess.
Come, look at that.
Excuse me, is juren Ye here?
It's a runner.
What is it?
My dage isn't home. What do you need him for?
I'm here by order of the literary chancellor to notify the new jurens
to join the sages' assembly at the Xiyun pavilion by 9:30 a.m. tomorrow.
Please tell juren Ye. Do not be late.
OK, thank you.
[Xiyun pavilion]
Yes, yes, yes. [Xiyun pavilion]
- Truly wealthy in knowledge. - Yes.
Congratulations, brother Boyi.
We've long heard that the jieyuan is a universal genius.
Now we see that you are indeed extraordinary.
Your jieyuan is well deserved.
Well deserved.
Don't forget us.
You flatter me.
Who is that?
Why did he bring a woman to this solemn gathering?
How presumptuous of him!
He has no manners.
Are they badmouthing about us?
No.
They are jealous I have you by my side.
Listen,
this is a place where crazy people often gather.
I'll let you see the world today.
Why did you come then?
I want to hide among them.
Let's go.
Hey...
This is so inappropriate.
How dare he?
He is out of order.
Presumptuous.
Frivolous.
This is a gathering of the distinguished people.
Why did someone bring a woman?
How brazen.
Who is he?
My name is Ye Xiaotian.
Nice to meet you, Mr. Cui.
Nice to meet you, Literary Chancellor.
Only the educated and the talented
were invited to this gathering.
You bringing a woman
is a disgrace to the educated class.
The women of Guizhou are cheerful, outgoing
and passionate.
They are different from the women of the Central Plain.
You are in Guizhou,
yet you use the Central Plain's etiquette to judge a woman from Guizhou.
I wonder if you are a learned man
or a petty-minded scholar.
Such vulgar speech.
How could someone like that become a xiucai?
Where are you from?
I'm from Tongren.
I just won the juren title.
I'm also from Tongren.
I just came back from the capital.
Why have I never heard of you?
I'm just a commoner.
I was promoted by district magistrate Zhang Duo and won last place in the provincial exam.
Should we enjoy a boat trip along river?
Have fun for a few days.
I'd really like that.
But the two officials are here today.
I think your career is more important.
- You should go back. You don't have to keep me company. - Dummy.
Do you not know me?
I'm a man of great talent and profound knowledge. Today
I only showed a tiny bit of my skills.
I wrote a poem
and it knocked that great scholar Mr. Cui off his feet.
During our discourse on politics,
my ideas rendered the literary chancellor Mr. Wang speechless.
So, I gained respect and I made a name for myself.
If I go back now,
it'll hurt the two men's pride and dignity.
That's right.
My Xiaotian ge is the smartest. We should let them maintain some of their pride, right?
Miss.
I'd like to talk to your boyfriend.
Would it be all right with you?
OK, sure.
Grandpa,
take your time.
I'll wait for him close by.
Take this.
The beau is standing on the top of the mountain, oh, looking down, oh.
The maid is beside the river...
Meimei, how did you know I'm here?
I just saw your grandfather.
Then I heard your beautiful voice.
Such a sweet talker.
Come, I'll show you the flowers.
Ning'er jiejie.
Can I ask you a question?
What question?
My young friend.
You were quite blunt in your criticism.
You must feel good now after expressing your anger.
But you may get into trouble for it in the future.
Sir, it seems that nothing escapes your eyes.
One of the people in the pavilion
is a famous great scholar,
the other one is the literary chancellor of Guizhou.
Mr. Cui only needs to say the word and he'll tear your reputation among the intellectual community to shreds.
Mr. Wang only needs to shake his head
and you'll never step foot into officialdom.
Now that you have offended both of them,
you're stuck between a rock and a hard place.
What will you do?
Between a rock and a hard place?
Then I won't go either way, I'll just step aside.
What if you can't step aside?
Then I'll find a bamboo pole
and climb up.
Or
I'll dig a hole and climb down.
I'll find a solution one way or another.
Very good.
Youngster,
you are optimistic indeed.
However,
aren't your thoughts
a bit too naive?
Sir, let me ask you this,
you fish here,
what do you intend to do with the fish you catch?
Cook them and eat them of course.
Look,
the fish inside that wooden barrel
twist and turn.
They are begging you for mercy.
So, sir,
are you still going to eat them?
These fish
are there to be fished and eaten.
How can I release them into the river
just because they beg for mercy?
That's right.
The self-indulgent official and the petty-minded scholar wanted to make things difficult for me anyway.
Even if I sweet-talked them,
do you think they would have let me off the hook?
That's a strong argument.
I've learnt something new today.
I'll take my leave then.
I wish you a good haul.
The Zhan family has a daughter.
She's called Ning'er,
a native of Shiqian County, an adjoining county to Tongren.
If you were to marry into the Zhan family,
then the petty and the unscrupulous won't dare to
make things difficult for you in your official career!
Ning'er jiejie.
How long are 20 years?
Silly you.
Why do you ask?
I feel like I've been living for a long time,
still, it's not been 20 years yet.
So are 20 years
a very long time?
Yingying, where there's a will there is a way.
No one can see the future.
To live 20 grand and spectacular years is better than living your whole life trapped in mediocrity.
Don't you think?
You're right.
"Eternal love between us two,
Shall withstand the time apart."
But Ning'er jiejie,
I really love him.
Great-grandpa.
Sit.
The boy, Ye Xiaotian,
is indeed a strange one.
I haven't seen someone
as interesting as him for a very long time.
You said he just won the juren title?
Yes.
Becoming a juren doesn't necessarily mean that he'll be an official.
He offended literary chancellor Wang and Mr. Cui today.
Becoming an official
is even more difficult now.
Should we
help him?
Great-grandpa.
That Ye Xiaotian is too much like a thug.
He doesn't play by the rules.
I mean...
If he isn't like a thug,
how will he be able to be an official around here?
If he plays by the rules,
will he be able to
stir up the situation in this place?
Stir up the situation?
But...
Don't you always say that our An family has been in the nation's good graces for generations,
that we pledge loyalty to the imperial court and maintain peacefulness?
Why do you wish for...
Silly child.
It's not that I want the country to fall into a state of chaos.
It's just that "even when the tree desires to stand still, the wind does not stop“.
The current emperor is enlightened and wise,
we live in peace and prosperity.
But Yang Yinglong has wild ambitions. He wishes the country to fall into disorder.
How can our An family turn a deaf ear and just sit idly by?
But we aren't an ordinary family,
one little move
and he will be on guard.
We can't act before he has let the cat
out of the bag.
Since Ye Xiaotian is the jiaozhu of the Church of Gu,
maybe he has the skills
to create troubles for him.
Do you
understand?
Your plan is seamless.
I understand now.
Xiaotian ge,
I need to ask you something.
What is it?
I know.
You want to eat legs of lamb, right?
I'll buy some for you later.
Have you heard about the Church of Gu?
Did you
hear someone say something?
Answer me.
I have.
I even absurdly became
that church's jiaozhu.
Yingying, I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to hide it from you.
I wanted to tell you.
But I didn't get the chance yet.
Are the 20 years true, too?
Xiaotian ge.
You love me, don't you?
Dummy.
You
are the only one in my heart.
Ever since I was very little,
I've loved hearing my great-grandmother tell me stories.
I often imagined myself
being the girl that lives on top of
the snowy mountain.
One day,
she meets a man she falls in love with.
Without hesitation, she left with him.
She didn't care
about his status,
or about the difficulties they have to face.
As long as they love each other.
Like a snow lotus by the snowy mountain spring,
silently growing all those years
only to wait for a fated one.
Our fate
began in Jingzhou.
My heart belongs to you.
You know that we can only be together for 20 years,
do you still want to be with me?
One day spent
with the one you love
is worth more than 20 years.
20 years spent with someone you don't love
can't compare to a single day.
Moreover,
what's so great about that Church of Gu?
Listen, I've got...
I've got more than 20 uncles,
more than 100 brothers and cousins.
After 20 years, you see,
our family will gain so many more people.
I can crush them with just my people.
Dummy.
How could I bear
to be with you for only 20 years?
I'm not a pushover.
I promise you,
I'll settle this matter
of the Church of Gu.
Did you send off the two little friends of yours?
Yes.
Ning'er.
Come.
Let your grandpa see
if your gu seed is showing effect yet.
Grandpa.
I'm sorry.
Grandpa, you already knew, didn't you?
I just wanted to see
how long my baby granddaughter will hide it from me.
Grandpa, it's not like you think.
You don't need to tell me,
I already know who undid your gu seed.
Child.
You made a good choice.
Grandpa.
He... He only sees me as a buddy.
You can hide it from others, but you can't hide it from me.
I've experienced a lot.
I just want to tell you
that no matter what happens in the future,
do not lose yourself.
The beau is standing on the top of the mountain, oh.
Oh, hey yo.
The maid, oh, she is in the river, oh.
Washing clothes, oh.
Beau and maid, oh.
Washing clothes, oh.
Xiaotian ge.
I can finally sing the second half of the song.
But
I'll never sing it to you.
[Jinyiwei Army and Government Office]
That Ye Xiaotian who posed as Ai Feng became the Church of Gu's jiaozhu? [Jinyiwei Army and Government Office]
Yes.
As the Church of Gu's jiaozhu,
he can influence the 9 caves and 81 villages of the mountain.
This may play a key part in helping the imperial court stabilize the situation in Qiandong.
But my lord,
Ye Xiaotian
doesn't seem to want to play the part
of some spooky bandit chief in the mountain.
Right now, he is devoted to his studies,
he's even won the juren title.
Ye Xiaotian wishes to be an official?
That is great.
My lord, you wish to...?
If he wishes to become an official,
then I'll give him an official position.
Let him be my Jinyiwei's pawn.
Take this warrant with you to Guizhou.
Confer Ye Xiaotian the title
of Jinyiwei's assistant administrator of Qiandong.
He's given the authority to arrest, interrogate and execute without prior approval.
Tell him to render his service to the imperial court.
Assistant administrator, my lord? That is an official of the 6th rank.
Without an imperial edict, it's not to be conferred lightly.
You can't make a horse work
without feeding it,
can you?
This is just an insignificant position without power.
Moreover,
with his mission at hand his title must not be made public.
What are you afraid of?
I understand.
[Guiyang]
You want to see my dage?
Your dage? Dage?
Oh, please,
you're so full of righteousness.
It seems like you've forgotten about your identity as a Jinyiwei spy.
Jinyiwei commander Lord Yu ordered this matter himself.
This matter can not be refused.
Besides, the imperial court wants him to be an official
not a thief.
What are you afraid of?
Take care of it.
Sirs,
please have a seat.
Jinyiwei?
That's right.
You are from the capital.
You should be familiar with the Jinyiwei.
Isn't the Jinyiwei the guard of the emperor?
What's it doing here in Guizhou?
Think again.
The Jinyiwei can overrule judicial proceedings in prosecutions with full autonomy in arresting anyone.
It is much more than just an emperor's guard.
Be it state affairs that involve the country's safety,
gathering of military information, disloyalty amongst ministers, or the instigation of a rebellion,
the Jinyiwei is always in the frontline,
putting our life on the line.
What do you need me to do?
You
are of great use.
Let's start with the Church of Gu.
You are the jiaozhu of the Church of Gu.
You can influence the people of dozens of villages.
If I join the Jinyiwei,
can you help me
resign from this jiaozhu position?
Such status
is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
How can you resign?
You can influence the brave and fierce mountaineers of dozens of villages.
If you make good use of this status,
you can ensure they live a good and content life
without others taking advantage of them.
Now, you are also a juren.
With that, we can help you
gain a position that can be made public. Thus,
your usefulness in this place
will be even greater.
Ye Xiaotian.
What man
would not want to bring about
something great and meaningful?
You come from an ordinary family.
But now you have the chance to secure the country's safety,
bring education to the people, and make outstanding achievements.
Why are you still hesitating?
Besides,
your brother here
is one of our Jinyiwei.
If you join our Jinyiwei,
the two of you
will stick together in life and death.
Isn't that a joyful matter?
In other words,
if I join the Jinyiwei
like Yunfei,
I will have to hide my Jinyiwei-status.
I won't get the Jinyiwei's help and assistance in even the most crucial situations.
Instead, I'll have to shoulder even more responsibility, is that so?
Yes.
But
that is what being a Jinyiwei spy entails.
Jinyiwei's Hidden Dragon spies
are passed down from father to son.
It is true for me,
as it is for Yunfei's father.
There are even more people
who have lived using a different identity for generations.
All their life, they never have the chance to disclose their glorious Jinyiwei-status.
But
we have no regrets.
Because we are the Jinyiwei.
Ye Xiaotian.
Are you brave enough?
Of course I am.
There's nothing I'm scared of.
OK.
I agree to it.
Tell me,
what do you need me to do?
Return to Huxian and become an official.
Master, Jia Cheng requests a meeting.
Show him in.
Please.
Greetings, Mr. An.
If it isn't the great official Mr. Jia of the Jinyiwei.
What can I do for you?
He is my grandson.
All the big and small affairs of our An family
are handled by him.
As has been the rule for all these years, a group of people are selected from the jurens
to become local officials.
Our An family wishes to recommend a person to you, Mr. Wang.
Who is it you recommend?
Ye Xiaotian.
Ye Xiaotian?
Why?
Is there a problem?
Ye Xiaotian is vulgar and coarse.
Ye Xiaotian is vulgar and coarse?
Is our An family's reputation and dignity worth nothing?
An gongzi.
I'm not being disrespectful towards your family.
Our family has helped you a lot
with your career in Guizhou.
If this is too difficult for you,
then forget about it.
An gongzi, calm your anger.
I only said that Ye Xiaotian is vulgar and coarse.
I didn't say that he can't become an official.
I will take care of this matter.
I will take care of it.
Very good.
Our An family
won't make things too difficult for you.
You don't need to
set him up with a position in a place of prosperity.
Just let him go to Huxian.
Our lady seems to have something on her mind.
Our lady can never
hide her feelings.
This time, she's in big trouble.
People grow up sooner or later.
Miss.
If there's something on your mind, you can talk to me.
You know already. You tell her.
What?
- 20 years? - Shh.
Not so loud.
It's fine.
Xiaotian ge is really smart.
He'll find a way.
It's just that my dad doesn't agree to us being together in the first place.
If he finds out about this,
he'll...
Don't tell anyone, understood?
See, you told someone again just now!
I...
We know.
We won't tell anyone.
We won't.
Tell you what...
What? Only 20 years?
Shh!
Uncle.
Ye Xiaotian is the Church of Gu's jiaozhu.
That little brat.
So she already knows
about Ye Xiaotian.
But she's still so stubborn?
This won't do.
We need to bring her home quickly.
Uncle.
You already knew about this?
Why didn't you tell us?
I promised Dong Tian.
Whatever.
What's done is done.
Yingying is besotted
by Ye Xiaotian right now.
She's head over heels for him.
Tell me, what do we do now?
What to do?
How about we knock her out
and bring her back to Hongfenghu?
What's the use in knocking her out?
She has two good legs,
she'll come back herself.
If you ask me, the root of the problem lies with Ye Xiaotian.
We should just tie Ye Xiaotian up and throw him into the river.
Yes, yes, yes.
Enough!
You are imbeciles, all of you!
If we kill Ye Xiaotian,
Yingying will never forgive me.
And the Church of Gu will never leave the matter at that.
Dad.
What do you say we do?
You idiot!
if I knew what to do,
would I be asking you?
Xiao Lu jiejie!
Xiao Lu jiejie.
We're in big trouble.
The news that Ye Xiaotian is the Church of Gu's jiaozhu was leaked.
The master and the young masters are discussing what to do.
How did the master find out?
Didn't I tell you not to tell anyone else?
I only told Xiao Bao gege.
This is bad.
If the lady hears about this, she'll be so angry with me.
Maybe...
maybe she will throw me out.
Then go tell her quickly.
Think fast.
I heard that the master wants to
bring her back to Hongfenghu by force.
Yes, yes, yes.
I'll go immediately.
Our lady is becoming more and more beautiful.
If I were a man,
I'd pursue you even if there are 1000 brothers
of the Xia family standing in my way.
Don't. If you do, I'll let my brothers beat you up. I'm Xiaotian ge's.
If I were a man,
I'd be more handsome than him. You wouldn't have the heart to let them beat me up.
You don't understand.
When you love someone,
you heart is full of him.
Even if there's someone who is a thousand times better than him,
you wouldn't pay him any attention.
Miss!
Miss,
we have a problem.
The master found out that
Ye gongzi is the Church of Gu's jiaozhu.
He wants to take you back to Hongfenghu
so you and Ye gongzi will never see each other again.
But...
How did he find out?
You told someone again?
I only told Xiao Lu.
I only told Xiao Fang.
You...
What do we do now?
Maybe we should go find Ye gongzi.
He always has a solution to everything, he'll know what to do.
Let's go quickly.
Miss.
I can't.
It's too high.
I fear heights.
Quick, come up here.
Miss, jump down quickly.
I can't.
Yingying.
The master is here.
Maybe I know how to levitate?
It doesn't hurt.
Miss.
You aren't hurting,
but I'm hurting.
Sir, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Where's Yingying?
Bastards.
Do you think that I
wouldn't punish you?
Ever since I started working for the Xia family,
my instruction was to always and forever listen to Yingying,
to listen to Yingying only.
This was your own instruction, master.
I would never betray her.
♪ yòu shì yī chǎng yǔ ♪ ♪ It is raining again ♪
♪ jiù shì jiàn jiàn méi rén shuō qǐ ♪ ♪ Old stories are slowly fading into oblivion ♪
♪ shuí yuàn yì fù yī pán wú jiě de jú ♪ ♪ Who would want to replay an insoluble game of chess ♪
♪ gè zhí qí bù bù wéi yíng ♪ ♪ Move the pieces carefully every step on the way ♪
♪ wǒ bú zài dòu liú ♪ ♪ I won't be staying ♪
♪ chén nián de huí gān zhǐ shèng jiǔ ♪ ♪ The aged mellow has become wine ♪
♪ yǎng zhe tóu ràng huí yì hé lèi dào liú ♪ ♪ Head held high, let memories and tears flow backwards ♪
♪ gěng zhù hóu fēng dǔ xīn de chū kǒu ♪ ♪ Clogging the throat, sealing the heart ♪
♪ rèn huā luò xià ♪ ♪ Let the flowers fall ♪
♪ wèi gāo què piān duò rù xuán yá ♪ ♪ Fear the height, but tumbling down the edge of the cliff ♪
♪ duàn le zhī yā ♪ ♪ Broken branches ♪
♪ shí jiān cuī huà jié jiā ♪ ♪ With time the wounds start to heal ♪
♪ huā luò xià ♪ ♪ Flowers falling ♪
♪ cǎi tà guǒ rù ní shā ♪ ♪ Trod underfoot, wrapped in mud ♪
♪ bú zhēng zhá suí jì yì fǔ huà ♪ ♪ Struggle no more, wilt away with the memories ♪
♪ rèn huā luò xià ♪ ♪ Let the flowers fall ♪
♪ wèi gāo què piān duò rù xuán yá ♪ ♪ Fear the height, but tumbling down the edge of the cliff ♪
♪ duàn le zhī yā ♪ ♪ Broken branches ♪
♪ shí jiān cuī huà jié jiā ♪ ♪ With time the wounds start to heal ♪
♪ huā luò xià ♪ ♪ Flowers falling ♪
♪ cǎi tà guǒ rù ní shā ♪ ♪ Trod underfoot, wrapped in mud ♪
♪ bú zhēng zhá suí jì yì fǔ huà ♪ ♪ Struggle no more, wilt away with the memories ♪
♪ nà huāng yuán céng kāi guò shèng xià ♪ ♪ In this wilderness, there once grew summer ♪