Translation and Timing carefully crafted by the Mei Daxia Team at viki.com
The Story of Ming Lan
Episode 16
Second Brother Gu is here.
The one next to him is Chief Wei.
Miss Yun from Qiyun House is here too.
Second Uncle Gu? You're getting the generations all mixed up.
Second Brother Gu!
Look at my foolish older brother.
He can't even behave with dignity.
Seeing how Qiu House is getting abandoned by His Majesty, he starts to curry favor with Gu House right away.
That little scheme of his. Who can't tell?
Shameful.
Your second brother, Changbai, is so busy at Imperial Hanlin Academy.(T/N 8th century, founded by the Tang Emperor Xuanzong, duties are secretarial to the Court, interpreting the classics, and the Exams)
But he's got the leisure to go see the chief of a brothel?
Don't bother about him, Mother.
Mother. I want to play chuiwan.
Go then.
Big Madam.
Yanran is over there.
Go then. It's not easy to come out to have fun.
Madam Wang.
I waited for you for a long time.
I arranged a seat for you. Come with me.
Yanran!
Minglan.
You are here too.
Your "hundred birds looking at wind" embroidery, I'm almost done getting it mounted for you.
But your thread wasn't great this time, it almost blotched. (T/N dyes might run as something is pressed and mounted)
Blotched?
What should I do? Then it can't be gifted out, and my step-mother will have words for me for sure again!
I added fish gelatin to it and preserved the color,
but now...the prop method won't work, and the wood board is heavy.
I want to try the pad method. I'm pretty sure it will work.
Tomorrow, I'll be sure to deliver two bottles of Cuiren wine!
Why isn't Brother Yuanruo here yet?
Didn't he say he would be here?
Miss, look. Rong House's Miss Feiyan is here too,
so that Young Lord must be here.
Princess Jiacheng and Rong Feiyan are already here. (T/N Niece of the Emperor)
Brother Yuanruo will naturally be here too.
I think the thread from Li House is best but it's expensive,
so I thought the shop under the bridge would do. I didn't realize...
You are not allowed to hit it. That ball is mine!
Your Second Brother and Third Sister are here too.
They're here. Princess Jiacheng from Prince Yong's house is here too.
My Third Sister would come for sure.
Miss Rong. I'm very happy that you are here.
Madam Wu.
Quick, come in and take a seat.
This way, please.
Young Lord, make a poem.
Yes, Young Lord, make a poem.
- Make a poem. - Yes, a poem!
Brother Qi. "The bee's waist faces the butterfly's wing.
The hangover faces residual sobriety." (T/N "cheng")
That last word rhymes with your name of Heng. So let's use that as final rhyme on eight-syllable stanzas.
You make a good poem, and I'll let you take this stew.
Alright. For this fish stew,
I must make a poem then.
The willow leaves are like bright blades,
The lead is half-gone. ("cheng")
At the pavilion for a gathering today.
Then departing after today until next time. ("sheng")
Excellent.
Brother Yuanruo's poem is excellent.
Spring breeze as sharp as a knife.
As sharp as a willow leaf.
Tender grass both yellow and green.
Akin to a young maiden's mirror on dressing table.
Her eyebrows bent like the willow leaf.
But upon meeting today, never meeting again.
That's a pun in each line.
You praise me, Fourth Miss.
Brother Yuanruo, your poem is beautiful but it feels sad.
How about changing it to, "brush bestowed upon a lilac town"?
Great, love the lilac town.
Young Lord, when did you ever meet
such a clever miss?
This is Jiying Alley's, Minister Sheng's Fourth Daughter.
You met them in the past.
I remember now. It was when I visited the Sheng family with my mother.
The Miss who was startled by the screen.
Greetings, Sixth Young Master Liang.
That day, my younger sister was reckless and we offended you.
No matter.
But the 'cheng' in half undone and 'cheng' in lilac town are repeats.
This poem is ruined by it.
Yes, it's repeated.
Go, go. You've not finished reading half a book, so what do you know?
This Miss Sheng's grandfather placed third in the Hanlin Exam. They are the original scholars.
Fourth Miss Sheng, this outdoor fair my mother put together has everything.
There's jiju, chuiwan, fishing and hunting.
I wonder what you like.
How is Imperial Tutor lately?
Grandfather is doing well.
It's just that he and Grandmother are worried about my marriage.
After I have a prospect, I think they will retire to their hometown.
Minglan, at that time, in Bianjing,
you'll be the only left for me.
What are you afraid of?
If you can be your own boss, that's better than anything.
Later on,
if Imperial Tutor Yu really goes to Xuzhou, then come to me.
I won! I won!
Being motherless is like being fatherless too.
I really don't know how I will manage to live.
You and I both don't have our mothers anymore, but we still have grandparents who protect us.
What's there to be scared of? We don't lack at all.
No matter what anyone says, you're the legitimate-line eldest daughter of Imperial Tutor Yu.
You're much better off than so many.
Hurry now. Straighten your back.
Third Miss of Yu House wins the match.
The prize is awarded, a white jade bracelet!
- Little Sister. - Second Brother!
- Congratulations. - Thank you.
- Rest up. - A new match.
This match's prize is a gold pin with silk twists.
Look, how pretty is that gold silk!
I want that gold pin, Second Brother. You help me!
Miss.
Miss?
What's wrong?
It's my late mother's item.
What?
That's my mother's dowry for me.
My name is engraved on it.
I lost it a few years ago and haven't been able to find it.
How could this be?
When I went on tour with Father a few years ago,
things would go missing from my room often.
I asked, and couldn't find out anything. I didn't manage it investigate it either.
I don't have more than one or two accessories left from Mother.
Minglan. That pin. I must get it today.
Didn't you just get a bracelet?
A bracelet is a bracelet, and a pin is a pin.
I just want this gold pin.
- Not going to help me? - I...
Fine. Don't want to help me? When I go back, I will tell Grandfather.
I will tell him that you are not going to the Poetry Society tonight.
That you're secretly going to sleep over at Wide Cloud Terrace.
Please don't. I will agree, okay?
That's what you said.
Thank you, Second Brother.
But the teams are a man and woman.
Your Second Brother and Third Sister will definitely be on the same team.
- Who will you play with? - I...
Where's your Third Brother?
Third Brother!
Wait for me.
Third Brother.
Third Brother. Hello, Second Uncle.
I need your help regarding something.
What is it? I...
See you later.
What are you doing? I was talking to Second Brother Gu.
Do a favor for Yanran.
What favor?
Team up with her to play polo.
I haven't played for a long time. I can't do it.
Go now. You can do it.
Who's that lady? Why is she crying so miserably?
The eldest daughter of the Yu family.
Eldest daughter of the Yu family?
Did you recognize the wrong person?
I am acquainted with the second son of Yu House.
I only heard of him having a younger sister who is the third daughter.
Darling Second, you may not know.
The eldest daughter was born to the first main wife of the Fan family.
But later on Madam Fan passed away, and Lord Yu remarried.
Second Young Master Yu and Third Miss Yu were born to the new Madam.
The step-wife has control of Yu House.
This Miss naturally became superfluous, and she was raised by the grandfather, Imperial Tutor Yu.
Eldest Miss Yu has the most amiable and refined disposition.
No matter who seeks knowledge from her, she is willing to help no matter what.
Even people like us who set up a meeting to invite her,
she's never declined us.
Even when you invite her, she doesn't decline?
Sister Yu, since studying for the exam, I haven't played jiju.
I can't guarantee that we will win.
Whether we can do it or not, thank you, Third Brother.
Big Sister, Third Sister is fond of that pin.
Why do you fight with your own sister?
I am not trying to snatch it from my younger sister.
Just that this pin is my late mother's item.
I don't know how it became a prize today.
I want to keep it as a memento.
Second Brother, please speak favorably for me to Third Sister.
If you win, will you still let me have the pin?
I say, how can there be such an older sister like you?
I like this item and you want to fight with me over it?
Your jiju is very poor.
Wouldn't you embarrass the Yu family?
Forget it. You lack accessories, is that it?
You can have the jade bracelet then.
I don't want your prize!
It's just that the pin is my late mother's.
Younger Sister, may you --
Second Brother, let's go.
Sister!
The ball is in!
Pull.
Greetings, Young Lord.
You like to watch jiju too?
Scholar Zhuang's academy has ended.
I went to your house several times, but I didn't see you.
Scholar Zhuang has already retired to his hometown.
It's getting hot lately and the knee guards you gifted me,
I have already put them away.
Young Lord. You . . .
What knee guards? I don't understand.
Sixth Sister, don't be afraid. I really put them away.
I won't let another person see them.
May you speak with prudence, Young Lord. I've not gifted you any knee guards.
- You did. - I didn't.
You did.
♫One morning, a flower opened and approached a willow tree, beautifully fragrant and mistaking him for her lord♫
I pushed the Count of Yongchang Manor
to hold this outdoor fair.
And the invitation, I sent it first to Count of Zhongqin Manor.
I guessed that once your Eldest Sister knew of it, she'd surely tell her maiden family about it.
If you didn't come this time, it's fine.
There will be second fair.
A third. A fourth. If you never come out,
then on the Double Seventh Festival, you would come out. (T/N Seventh day of seventh lunar month, "Qixi")
If you still don't come out for the Double Seventh Festival,
then on the Lantern Festival, you'd have to come out at least.
I didn't believe that I wouldn't be able to wait for you.
Young Lord.
You...are you drunk?
♫Last night, gusty winds and rain during my deep slumber did not spoil the wine's lingering effect♫
♫When I asked someone, they rolled the blind up and told me that all the crab-apple trees are as before.♫
♫Don't you know, don't you know, there must be flourishing leaves and fallen flowers?♫
I haven't seen you for a long time. I miss you very much.
Don't say anymore!
I...
Third Sister, this gold pin is my late mother's item.
It's showed up here, but if you are willing to concede it to me,
- all the accessories in my jewelry box-- - So generous?
Just a gold pin. Actually I don't need it.
But since you want it,
I must have it then.
Ming'er.
That pin. I don't think I can get it back.
Let's leave.
This won't do.
I will go in your place.
Xiaotao.
You don't even know how to ride a horse. How?
She...she...
Yes, Young Master. Sixth Miss tricked you again.
She tricked me.
And again.
It went in.
Why did you have to feed it to her?
I wasn't sending it to her. I was trying to hit her!
It's interesting. Very interesting.
That little miss. She lives like a sun.
You don't know,
her life is very hard.
That Sixth Miss of Sheng House reminds me of myself in my youth.
Where's Sixth Son? Get him here to see this skill.
Sixth Young Master's talking over there.
Who is that woman?
It's Jinying Alley, Minister Sheng's Fourth Daughter.
I want him to come and look at Sixth Miss Sheng.
But he's got his eyes on the Fourth Miss Sheng first.
What's there to see about that brow-bending, poetry-reciting coquetry act!
Is he okay?
Big Madam.
Second Brother, did you sprain yourself?
- Do it gently. - Second Brother.
Third Sister, my leg can't make it.
Why doesn't someone replace me?
Who should replace you then?
Big Madam, look at my leg.
Why don't I let my good friend,
Second Master of the Gu family, help my younger sister?
Second Master Gu? If he plays, why would anyone bother to play then?
Just shove the hairpin into Third Miss Yu's hand instead then.
This won't do.
I say, this...
Shitou, get a stool for Second Young Master to sit.
- Thank you. - Slower.
Let's do this. For the sake of fairness,
I will use my left hand to play.
Third Younger Sister, thank him now.
Second Brother Gu. I know within the capital,
everyone knows you're the best at jiju.
If you use your left hand to play, will you be able to help us win?
I always win when I play. It's not interesting at all.
I should play with my left hand to show fairness.
If Third Miss Yu objects, I won't go then.
Don't! Third Sister, that girl from the Sheng family plays very well.
If Second Brother Gu can't win,
I think no one else can beat her.
It's in God's hand who wins but if you're not willing, forget it!
Why is it so noisy over there?
Second Brother Gu, you are using your left hand to hit the ball?
You're not trying to give us some points since you're buddies with my Second Brother, right?
This...
Sixth Sister, do you still want to play?
Play.
Are you dumb? We can't win.
I'm not playing.
You haven't even played. How do you know that you can't win?
Look at how he hit the ball just now.
If you want to be embarrassed, you do that alone. I need to save some pride for Sheng House.
You didn't even try. That's what's embarrassing!
Why do you fret, Young Master? If Sixth Miss wins, that's good, of course.
But if she loses, we'll buy a pin that's exactly the same
and she'll be grateful. This is called, "victory is hard, so be glad of defeat still."
Stop the nonsense.
Sixth Miss, you are alone. Still want to play?
Sixth Sister, stop playing. We won't be able to win.
That's a hairpin from your mother. I want to get it back for you.
Even if I'm alone, I want to play too.
I will play.
How can she play alone?
She'll surely lose then.
Mother.
I will play with her.
Let me play with her instead.
Buwei, get my sleeve band and shoulder strap.
You...you can't play.
Why can't I play?
You...you are an outsider male. How can you play?
Second Uncle Gu is also an outsider.
Third Miss Yu and I are different.
She's a doted legitimate daughter and she has people backing her up.
I will back you up. To me,
- you are much higher than she is. - Stop saying that!
Do you want the gold pin or not?
Sixth Sister, let's not play anymore. I don't want the pin.
- I want it. - If you want it, get on the horse.
What a dirty game.
Who cares if you think it's dirty. Brother Yuanruo also went.
Look at someone divine like Brother Yuanruo.
How could he go to the jiju field?
You sure move quickly.
You found yourself a Sixth Young Master Liang.
So now you scoff at Brother Yuanruo.
I'm better than you. You have been here a long time
and you couldn't even say anything to him.
What's the use even if you talked to him?
Here.
Young Lord is playing.
Why so noisy?
It's Duke Qi Manor's Young Lord playing.
Look at him.
Who is the person playing with Young Lord Qi?
Princess Jiacheng, that's Jinying Alley's Minister Sheng's daughter, Sheng Minglan.
This young lady from the Sheng family...
"Clean and slippery, flying like a shooting star.
Moon-shaped mallets vie and whack without end." It perfectly describes her. (T/N Yu Xuanji, Tang Dynasty female poet)
This Sixth Daughter usually doesn't talk much,
but she got Brother Yuanruo to show up for her?
It's great.
Didn't you say that Minglan never talked much with the Young Lord?
That's right.
Why is he helping her with the jiju game then?
He just can't stand watching that Third Miss Yu.
That witch, because her mother is pampered,
she pushed the eldest legitimate daughter out with no place to stand.
She was born to a mother who's the step-wife after marriage.
What justification does she have to trample on the first wife's legitimate eldest daughter?
She needs a good lesson.
Miss, your rosewood hare brush.
Sixth Miss has one too.
How could she have one too?
Weren't there only two? One was given to Rulan and one to me.
Sixth Miss put it in an inconspicuous place in the drawer.
Mei'er saw it after her second time in the room.
As soon as she saw it, she was chased out by Sister Danju.
Why didn't you tell me earlier?
I thought you already had one.
Is that the same?
That means Brother Yuanruo gave her a total of three,
while he gave me none!
Silly girl. I'm asking you about the Young Lord.
I'm talking about him too.
As long as he doesn't talk to Molan and she's angry, I will be happy.
Mother, look. Molan is so furious that she threw her fan away!
Miss, Young Master Liang is looking this way.
Wicked girl. She's sneaking behind my back!
Mother.
Keep your eye on the ball. Stop looking around wildly.
Yes.
She's pretending to smile at me now.
Look!
Only half an incense stick of time left. Let them fight it.
That hairpin is just average, so why so competitive?
Expert Second Master, you don't need to be so desperate.
I don't have a choice.
Third Miss, we're playing a civilized game. What do you mean by this? (T/N by the rules, non-aggressive)
I can play however I like. Why do you care?
You mean, we're playing a martial game? (T/N Tang Dynasty used this sport to train cavalrymen for war)
Yes, a martial match!
Young Lord, what are you doing?
He can do whatever he likes. Why do you care?
You!
If I had known earlier, I would have played!
The incense stick is extinguished. Yellow team, seven points. (T/N time's up)
Yellow team wins!
Minglan.
This pin. Though it's Miss Yu's item,
in my heart, I only regard it as doing it for you.
I played for you too.
Minglan.
Sixth Miss, this match wasn't won easily.
Come.
Darling Second, you just lost like that?
You can't keep your champion title then.
How does that matter?
Why should I preserve it?
The gold-silk pin.
Thank you, Madam Wu.
You won this.
Who does she thinks she is?
Third Sister. Third Sister? Third Sister, it doesn't matter.
Hey! Have a seat now, Third Sister. Don't be mad. It's just a pin!
We've got a jade bracelet.
Third Sister!
- So amusing. - Princess, do you want to play jiju?
The ball is not interesting.
The person is interesting.
It was that Miss Sheng who went to battle in the match,
but the award is to Miss Yu?
So did you lose to the Miss Sheng,
or Miss Yu?
Look at how desperate Miss Sheng is.
And Miss Yu cried many bouts for this pin.
Those two are of one mind.
I merely wanted to make them happy.
To add further, didn't you say
that Miss Yu is rarity?
Gentle and virtuous?
Yes. Such a noble lady of gentle and virtuous nature.
You can't find a second in the entire Bianjing City.
She's such a good lady. Shouldn't let her be sad.
Grandmother taught you jiju. It was not to let you play with a man from outside.
Third Brother ran away before the battle and that's not what Grandmother taught us either.
The Yu family has always gotten along well with Grandmother.
My brother isn't as tyrannical as you,
to insist on knocking Yu Family's pride.
Eldest Miss Yu was raised by the Imperial Tutor since young.
That's how they are close acquaintances with our grandmother.
She agonized over her late mother's item, and I felt empathy.
I think we are kindred souls in that way.
It's really a coincidence then.
You pitied the Eldest Miss of the Yu family
and Brother Yanruo pitied you too.
The Young Lord of Qi House is man of upright disposition and loathes evil-doing.
He saw that Third Brother ditched me all alone,
so he extended help to me on Brother Changbai's account.
Fourth Sister, not only did you not help me talk to Third Brother,
you went and talked in depth with Sixth Young Master Liang.
This is also not how a Fourth Sister should be either.
You!
You're certain they will rest and feed the horses at Yuqing Monastery?
I checked thoroughly. It's definitely so.
Big Madam and Sixth Miss' maids were very tight-lipped.
I thought I wouldn't be able to find out for you.
But Miss Molan's maids,
before I could even ask, they told me first!
Translation and Timing carefully crafted by the Mei Daxia Team at viki.com
T/N In the following song, "Don't You Know, Don't You Know?", Lines 5 to the end are the poem by Li Qingzhao, a famous female poet of the Song Dynasty, the poem is titled "Spring Ends".
♫One morning, a flower opened and approached a willow tree, beautifully fragrant and mistaking him for her lord♫
♫Even if drinking in water in the morning, red clouds have half a day of sunshine, the wind and rain do not affect them completely♫
♫In the palace, you are constantly brave and growing thin, from on high, your cold tears of distress flow♫
♫Brocade letters delivered to me dismiss me, only suddenly to recall me, not for many years can I see you other than stealthily♫
♫Last night, gusty winds and rain during my deep slumber did not spoil the wine's lingering effect♫
♫When I asked someone, they rolled the blind up and told me that all the crab-apple trees are as before.♫
♫Don't you know, don't you know, there must be flourishing leaves and fallen flowers?♫
♫Last night, gusty winds and rain during my deep slumber did not spoil the wine's lingering effect♫
♫When I asked someone, they rolled the blind up and told me that all the crab-apple trees are as before.♫
♫Don't you know, don't you know, there must be flourishing leaves and fallen flowers?♫