[English subtitles are available.]
Winter Begonia
Episode 20
Who is your father?
Shang Juzhen.
Right.
Your surname is also Shang.
Few are surnamed Shang in the opera circle.
I should have realized it earlier.
But even if your father is here,
he should call me respectfully.
No one can manage me
except Empress Dowager.
Lad.
Your father performed male roles.
How come he taught you to perform females?
Is he your biological father?
Yes.
No. No.
No.
Not biological father.
Do you know why your father left Peking?
Father said
he made a mistake when he performed
for Empress Dowager.
He couldn’t perform as Her Highness instructed,
and still preformed as ever on the stage.
We’re trembling with fear under the stage,
while he finished the show calmly.
As for courage,
you’re far worse than your father.
In my mind,
father was extremely meticulous.
He strictly
sticks to rules.
Since he left Peking,
the two of us
haven’t seen each other for 30 years.
I won’t be surprised no matter how he changed.
Is he back to Peking with you?
My father passed away many years ago.
Tuberculosis.
Incurable.
So, he didn’t live as well as me.
He performed all his life on the stage,
while he hadn’t enjoyed anything
before his death.
Not like me.
At least I enjoyed opium all this life.
Let's go.
Let me see what Shang Juzhen
has taught you.
Xirui. Don’t be afraid.
♫Su Long and Wei Hu are matchmakers♫
♫Minister Wang is my presider♫
♫I don’t believe your words♫
♫Su Long and Wei Hu are close♫
♫They come to the minister’s mansion together♫
♫Tell my father the truth♫
♫I have a feud with the three of them♫
♫He did not admit it♫
♫My father is an official in the court♫
♫The gold and silver are high as mountain♫
♫Calculate the principal and interest♫
♫Send it to Xiliang State♫
♫There are 48 stations to Xiliang State ♫
♫I want you, not money♫
♫You’re unreasonable♫
♫Send you to the authority♫
♫Beat and torture you, imprison you in South Prison♫
♫You have no way to turn back♫
-Bravo! -Bravo!
♫Don’t argue, ma’am♫
Nice figure!
♫As a serviceman, I’m not afraid of authority♫
-Bravo! -Bravo!
It’s excellent.
-Bravo! -Bravo!
♫I’ll buy the officials♫
This dog is interesting.
♫Make sure to judge for us♫
It knows opera.
This dog
has a big story.
♫You can ask in Wu Ridge♫
Its name
is Shunzi.
♫Everyone knows I, Wang Baochuan, remain chaste ♫
His great grandfather
was Empress Dowager Cixi’s pet.
♫You are chaste, Wang Baochuan♫
Her Highness
used to hold it while watching opera.
♫Flirting doesn’t work♫
When it comes to Shunzi,
♫Take out a silveringot ♫
it is more excited
when watching opera.
♫Put it on the ground♫
He has a good taste.
He doesn’t bark
♫This silver ingot is 150 g♫
for ordinary performers.
♫Take it as dowry♫
When Ning Jiulang
casually hummed on the stage,
♫Buy silk and make clothes, purchase jewelry ♫
Shunzi could recognize the key points.
♫I just spent years with you as young couple♫
That’s not coincidence.
Is the dog a genius?
♫This silver ingotis 150 g♫
You’re right.
Shunzi does know opera,
♫Use it for your mother’s funeral♫
much better than someone.
♫Buy hemp for ropes, buy white clothes for funeral costumes ♫
♫Be a filial son and keep a good reputation♫
Fengtai.
Mr. Shang is really different tonight.
♫You shouldn’t go out if you’re chaste♫
How so?
He’s in good condition,
and energetic.
♫Why do you come to the roadside♫
♫I misunderstand you♫
Right.
He is performing with Hou Yukui.
He has to do his best.
If he is overwhelmed,
we can only see Xue Pinggui.
If only this show could be recorded,
that would be great.
A legendary masterpiece.
♫Finally, we meet not in a dream♫
♫Not a dream♫
♫So, Xue♫
♫Baochuan♫
♫Come with me♫
♫Coming♫
♫Hahaha♫
-Bravo! -Bravo!
Performers are amazing!
Brilliant!
-Brilliant! -Bravo!
Bravo!
Reward.
Reward. Reward.
Bravo!
Today’s show
deserves to be passed down in history.
It’s worth coming.
The best show I’ve ever watched.
Lad.
Not bad.
Mr. Hou, your voice
is much better than the record.
No pleasantries.
If you think it’s good,
how about we perform one more show?
OK.
Which section?
Any section.
Talk big, huh?
I have to be serious.
Or else, you won't be convinced.
It’s your birthday.
I discussed with Shang,
and decided to perform one more show for you.
Good.
That’s great.
Which opera would you order?
I... I have many ideas in mind.
I
wish you could
perform here for ten days more.
I also wish to accompany you
and watch Mr. Hou’s opera for ten more days.
How about this?
Mr. Shang.
Order the opera you want to watch.
Really?
May I?
Look at this boy.
He’s happier than being rewarded.
Right.
Order it.
Take it as your reward.
Thank you, Your Highness.
I want to watch
Mr. Hou’s Search and Rescue of Orphan.
Empress Zhen!
Your Highness!
Mother, you are confused.
This isn’t Empress Zhen.
-Your Highness. -Fujin.
Fujin.
I failed you.
I failed your trust.
I failed to keep the boy.
Mother, stop talking.
They are not related at all.
Well... Well...
He was a good boy.
You didn’t misjudge him.
It’s all my fault.
Wake up and speak!
Hurry. Take Her Highness to the room.
Hurry. Hurry.
Her Highness! Her Highness! Her Highness!
-How... How could it be? -Your Majesty! Your Majesty!
Mother.
Your Highness! Your Majesty!
Your Highness!
Mr. Hou.
Please sit.
You are right.
Opium is bad indeed.
But I
have been addicted to it.
I heard foreign doctors might have a way to quit it.
Would you have a try?
My addition
is deep into bones marrows.
If I want to quit,
my bones must be broken.
Mr. Hou.
I have something to ask you.
You want to ask Fujin,
right?
I’ll go to your home tomorrow.
Prepare opium for me.
Sister.
Haven’t you gone to sleep?
I did something wrong.
I shouldn’t
have allowed you to do arms business with Cao.
You’ve made a fortune by doing business with Fan.
I pushed you to this end step by step.
Fengtai.
I made you to this end.
I’m an adult.
I’m not forced by you.
It’s my own decision.
Why did you say
those words?
What Cao Guixiu said
is probably true.
What have you seen?
Commander has
a Japanese doctor on his side.
Are you sure it’s Japanese?
Commander said it himself.
What should we do?
If Commander...
Rest assured.
You have me. Take it easy.
It’s useless.
If... If it’s true,
you will also be condemned by people.
I know you care about me.
Don’t scare yourself. Alright?
I’ll figure it out tomorrow.
What you should do now
is to stop drinking.
Take a good rest.
Promise me and I’ll leave.
Goodnight.
This matter
happened 40 years ago.
The emperor was still young.
I,
your father Shang Juzhen,
and Jiang Rongshou
welcomed His Majesty at the royal theater.
The opera I performed with Ning Jiulang
was exactly the Search and Rescue of Orphan.
Don’t do this.
I can’t afford it.
His Majesty left palace to avoid to be seen.
He’ll come back once the opera ends.
People walk around.
If it is seen,
I will be doomed.
No more nonsense.
Fujin An, listen to the edict:
Yes,
I’m listening.
Oral edict from His Majesty.
Fujin is pregnant.
If it’s a boy,
he shall be the crown prince.
Lord An and you shall bring him up well
to be the heir of the throne in the future.
Hereby.
His Majesty orders the Save and Rescue of Orphan.
Hou Yukui, Ning Jiulang. Get prepared.
♫Darling, don’t be mad♫
♫Let me explain to you♫
♫Zhao family and Tu family have a grudge♫
Only then did I know those two women were
Empress Zhen and Fujin.
Later,
Fujin did give birth to a boy,
and taught him reading,
horse riding and archery.
Badly,
Peking was wrecked by the Revolution in 1911.
The little boy went out and played alone,
and didn’t come back again.
His Majesty meant to entrust Lord An
by the opera Search and Rescue Orphan.
That became a sore point to Fujin.
No wonder.
If she raised the boy,
she would fail Empress Dowager.
But she lost the boy,
and failed His Majesty and Empress Zhenfei.
At last,
she got crazy.
It’s pathetic. Pathetic.
The emperor got in danger.
Zhen risked her life to tell the edict.
Fujin was in dilemma due to loyalty.
It is a touching story.
Mr. Hou.
I want to adapt it into opera.
What do you think?
Ridiculous.
I tell the royal secrets.
How dare you adapt it into opera?
You have a point.
Operas are all from secrets,
privacy,
or rumors in history.
Mr. Hou. if you’re willing to
play the emperor in this play,
that will be great.
Give you an inch and you’ll take an ell.
If it were thirty years ago,
I would agree.
Not anymore.
The theater in Lord An’s mansion
is a good place.
When you stand there,
you will feel at home.
But it is ostentatious,
not all performers are able to act there.
If you want to go there,
I’ll talk to Fujin
with Ning Jiulang.
She may agree.
I want to. I do want to.
Thanks, Mr. Hou.
I won’t write.
Why not?
It’s a good story.
My father served His Majesty back then.
I know the things in emperor's family well.
The year and date are all wrong.
Is Hou Yukui confused by opium?
Did he make fun of you?
Whether true or not,
the story is interesting, isn't it?
I don’t care if it’s interesting.
I won’t write based on the nonsense.
Even nonsense is better than fabricated stories.
What did you say?
You like it?
I'll tell you again.
Even nonsense
is better than your fabricated stories.
Fine.
Good.
Alright.
Mr. Du.
What’s wrong him?
Ignore him.
Literati’s common problem.
He deserves to be scolded.
You often quarrel for new operas.
Starof Wisdom
will leave you sooner or later.
He won’t.
He will be back in few days.
You know why?
He has a high taste.
He looks down on others
except me.
You were absent-minded
when I talked to you.
What brings you here?
I have something on my mind.
You have something on your mind?
Can’t I have something on my mind?
You usually look wise
and insightful.
How come you have something on your mind?
Tell me. What is it?
Many people say that
someone does something wrong.
I don’t know if it’s true.
I don’t know how to prove it.
Go and ask.
Ask whom?
Ask him.
Hey. He knows the best
if he has done something wrong.
Ask him
and see how he explains.
Don’t
ponder it here alone.
Prove? How to prove?
You won’t be worried if you can prove it here.
You’re right.
You have a point.
I’m leaving.
A big fool.
Brazilian tobacco.
Take it back and try it.
It’s good.
Your sister asked you to come?
She is moody
and jealous.
You’re a man. Don’t take it seriously.
Cao.
It’s said you’re close to Japanese. Is it true?
Who told you this?
Call him here.
I’ll shoot him.
Cao.
Is it true?
You’re a businessman.
Don’t get involved in it.
Just take good care of
your own business.
Don’t believe the rumor.
That’s no ordinary rumor.
I deliver goods for you.
If you’re close to Japanese,
the whole Cheng family will be implicated.
Commander.
I don’t want to be a traitor.
What are you talking about?
I mean I...
Who is it?
I’m Kimura.
Come in.
Cheng family is nothing.
I, Cao Wanjun,
are not able to protect your family?
Just deliver the goods to the destination.
That’s all.
Don’t ask more.
Scram.
Look. He dares to question me.
Mr. Cheng. You ask for me?
Are Commander’s goods delivered?
Not yet.
By train at 10 p.m.
Don't deliver them.
Leave them there.
But...
Is it OK?
He has been urging us.
Leave it aside.
That’s it.
Yes, Mr. Cheng.
Mr. Du, you treat me to meal
or you let me accompany for drinking?
What's wrong?
Wine and dishes here.
You don’t like them?
Who offended you?
Shang Xirui?
Don’t bring him up.
Bastard.
Let me tell you.
From today on,
I, Du Luocheng, has nothing to do
with Shang Xirui. Understand?
It means
you won't write scripts for him?
Bastards write for him.
Fine.
Don't write for him then.
Come. Come.
Let me fill your cup.
So many troupes in Peking.
And you are well-known.
Many performers
will take money and beg you to write scripts.
Right? Here.
Come on.
Of course.
I heard Jiang Dengbao
of Spring Theater ever asked you to write.
In my opinion,
you’ve written lots of operas for female roles.
You may write males’ stories for Jiang Dengbao.
Save it.
He’s an idiot.
What about Sixi’er of Yunxi Theater?
How old is he?
His performance is
like the spider goblin in the Journey to the West.
Chen Renxiang.
How about him?
Write for him
once he comes back from Shanghai.
Him?
He was defeated by Shang Xirui.
Let me write for him?
Nonsense.
You like none of them.
Why are you still scolding Mr. Shang?
Did I scold him?
He is a madman, isn’t he?
Yes. Yes.
Why do I bother meddling with him?
Here. Come on.
No.
Where are you going?
Mr. Du.
Go home
and write scripts.
I accompanied you, but the bill is on me?
Your goods are not ready yet.
You come to urge me?
You are cold to me.
Are you in bad mood?
My Cheng family
is unlucky,
always troubled by Cao family.
All of you are troublemakers.
Cheng.
That’s unreasonable.
You don’t deliver goods for me.
So, you should know I don’t side with him.
That’s more troublesome.
I risked my life
not to deliver goods to Commander.
Now I have to deliver your goods behind his back.
If he knows this,
I’ll take two bullets from him.
Men from Shanghai are said to be meticulous
and timid.
I thought you had thought twice before doing that.
Surprisingly, you had nerve
and questioned him face to face.
That’s a bad move.
I stayed long with reckless men lately.
I got bewildered, too.
Uncle.
Don't worry.
I’m here to solve your problem.
How?
Deliver Commander’s goods as usual.
Don’t prepare
my goods.
Just tell me
where his warehouse is in Peking.
You want to loot his goods?
Loot is a bad word.
I’m his son.
They’re still in Cao’s hand.
Right?
I haven't seen Mr. Du for days.
Haven't you made up?
No.
He is writing scripts at home.
Is he willing to write for you?
You’re capable.
You have my admiration.
I’ve told you.
He
wouldn’t leave me.
I have
more good news for you.
Double happiness.
You will be extremely happy
when you hear it.
Take a guess.
I have no idea. Tell me.
Lord An
agreed
to sell his theater
to us.
What did you say?
[Deeds of purchase]
So,
Shuiyun can perform
in the royal theater?
Right.
Shuiyun,
Shang Xirui,
will perform in the royal theater afterwards.
Thanks to
Hou Yukui and Ning Jiulang.
They made it possible.
But Lord An has
another condition besides money.
If Shuiyun can move there,
it all depends on your decision.
Not to mention one condition.
If I can buy the royal theater,
I agree to any condition.
Even
you let me
call Jiang Rongshou
the grand master right now.
Lord An won't do that.
Actually, it’s no big deal.
Afterwards,
build a wall between the theater and the garden.
Whenever Fujin wants to watch opera,
you need to go to the mansion and perform for her.
That’s all?
A piece of cake.
Whether Peking Opera or Kun opera,
as long as I have learned,
no,
as long as I can learn,
I will perform whatever she wants.
It's done then.
These two elders
are good at calculating.
The land is sold,
and money is in the pocket.
But the theater can’t be moved away.
The old lady can watch your opera every day.
Even the handsome fee to invite performers
for banquets will be saved in the future.
The royal descendant
is better than me at doing business.
As long as I can buy
this theater which was ever visited by emperor,
I don’t care how much it costs.
Besides,
Fujin knows opera.
I’m willing to perform for her.
The emperor has run away.
It’s useless even if it’s visited by emperor.
You know nothing.
I believe it’s worth.
Fine. Fine.
-Put it away. -You are absolutely right.
Where are you going?
I... I’m going to pay respects to Fujin.
She sold a good theater to me.
I’m going to thank her.
It’s credulous of you.
Fool.
Bravo!
-Bravo! -Bravo!
Bravo!
Today is a big day when the Royal Theater opens.
On behalf of our theater,
I’d like to extend my warm welcome
and heartfelt thanks
to the reporters, and the fans.
Bravo!
[First Theater]
[The Tale of Dragon]
-Bravo! -Bravo!
A hero Gongsun
ever wielded a sword and conquered the world.
Is he drunk?
You are amazing, Xirui.
Few can match
your swordsmanship in Peking,
not to mention in Shuiyun Theater.
What’s wrong with you today?
You’re honey-mouthed.
Is the script done?
Yes.
Xirui.
Read it carefully.
My script
is unprecedented,
unparalleled,
and extraordinary.
Excellent.
Stop boasting.
Don't you feel ashamed?
Mr. Cheng. Read it.
Sure.
Serve the star.
Wait a second.
There is a small problem.
What?
The queen
dies in my opera.
The emperor is the leading role.
Hey.
The queen dies.
What should I perform?
How about...
How about you play the emperor?
Well...
Leader plays the emperor?
Mr. Du.
Do you forget my role?
I’ve finished my script.
That’s it.
I can’t help.
[The Tale of Dragon]
Modify it.
Modify it right.
I can’t.
My story is given by Heaven.
You think
it’s fabricated?
Ask God to modify it.
You play the fool with me?
Don’t fight.
Cut it out.
Mr. Du. Leave now.
Let me talk to Mr. Shang.
You let the leading role die?
Ridiculous.
Can you write or not?
Stop.
Cut it out.
He is useless, isn’t he?
Stop yelling.
Stinking temper.
Go.
-Leader. -Leader.
I can't modify it.
Say no more.
Make way.
Mr. Du. Mr. Du.
How could it be like this?
Right.
Good opera.
Good.
Now I believe what Mr. Du said.
Good stories
are offered by God.
It all relies on fate.
Unchangeable.
In a month,
the leader of Peking Opera will be elected.
The emperor in the opera
is brilliant.
You will definitely win
by this.
I decided
to play the emperor.
Who will play the queen then?
Take baby to sleep.
Be good.
Don’t hide it.
Cheng bought the royal theater.
I’m afraid of you two quarreling.
You didn't talk to each other the other day.
That’s enough for me.
We won’t.
I’ve made a deal with him.
He can have fun with the performers,
better than whoring, gamble or taking drug.
How come
he still has fun with performers?
Are you upset in my stead?
I mean
Commander is back,
while he’s still in the theater.
Good-for-nothing.
Commander is back?
Why don’t you keep an eye on him?
It’s too late.
When you came back from the barracks,
you looked weird
and inspirited.
What’s on your mind?
Rest assured.
Nothing.
A wicked woman
came to the barracks.
I quarreled with the Commander.
I asked my brother to help, but he didn’t.
Annoying.