Flourished Peony (2025) s01e18 Episode Script

- Shopkeeper Mudan.
- Mr. Wu.
Shopkeeper Mudan.
Suizhi came last night,
and he has been sitting there all along without saying a word.
Many years ago,
I saw him being like this.
It was also because of Mrs. Bai and his son.
Mr. Wu. When Mrs. Bai was giving birth,
What exactly happened?
If Suizhi told you about that, he must have considered you as a close friend to confide in.
The day when the son of the Bai Family was born
was also the time when Suizhi's mother died.
Suizhi.
I'm here.
Your father… Where is he?
[Why fear death if one can be conjugal, wishing
to be a couple rather than immortals]
Yuantang.
Suizhi.
I want… to see your father,
one last time.
Mother. Wait.
I will bring him back.
- Let's go.
- Master. Master.
The Lady is experiencing a difficult labor. There is a risk of hemorrhage.
My mother is dying.
She is fighting for me, with her life hanging by a thread.
I cannot leave her.
Go back first. Let your mother wait.
When everything settles down here, I will rush back immediately.
But Mother has been waiting
for you for so long.
She is your lawful wife.
You have also solemnly written the promise of never failing her in this life.
Why do you treat her this way now?
She just wants to see you one last time.
I won't be able to repay what I owe her in this lifetime.
In the next life, I will certainly not let her down.
Vows of love and talks of being together until death
cause others pain if you're heartless, and harm yourself when you're madly in love.
[Why fear death if one can be conjugal, wishing
to be a couple rather than immortals]
Her child didn't deserve to die,
but what about my mother?
So that's what he meant
by saying that.
After Madam passed away,
Suizhi became dispirited and knelt in front of the bed
all night long.
He never left until he fainted.
After waking up, he became this way,
refusing to talk or eat.
No wonder he swore to never marry.
It must have been at that time that he no longer believed in earthly love.
Instead, he lived as a heartless person.
He, you see, appears to be a heartless person,
when in fact, he sets out to repay even the smallest favor.
A few years ago, my relatives in my hometown Luoyang all died from the epidemic.
I was utterly disheartened
and I thought of ending my life.
Suizhi was the one who saved me.
I was just a steward in the compound of his mother's.
A servant, that's all. Yet he personally came
to Luoyang to take me back.
He told me
these children are my family.
This is what gave me a reason to live.
His usual grins and banter are all just a facade.
He harbors pain in his heart.
Mudan, even if you don't like Suizhi,
could you, when he is lonely and in sorrow, spend more time with him?
Over the years, he has been truly too lonely.
He must be having a struggle of conscience and desire inside.
He clearly knows everything. All this was his father's fault,
but, if he saves that mother and child,
he would feel like he has betrayed his own mother.
But if he doesn't save them,
how could he live with himself?
This is his dilemma.
You've been at it for so long. Have some flower cakes
and some tea.
I'm not thirsty.
I'm here to congratulate you, Mr. Jiang.
Your enemy is about to die.
So you needn't be troubled anymore and you can return home early.
This mother and son of the Bai family
were easy to deceive.
I deceived them into thinking we were at odds by inviting the doctor to come for a consultation.
And Mrs. Bai thought she met a bodhisattva.
Little did she know that the child's illness was extremely tricky.
Only Master Doctor Fu could treat him.
Anyone else would be
powerless to make a difference.
Where are they now?
You don't have to worry about that. They have been sent to the inn.
Within three days, they will certainly die.
Thank you for helping me
drag them to their deaths.
I will prepare the coffin money, waiting for the boy to take his last breath.
Thank you for making this trip.
This is for you.
What is this?
It's a gold bar. Can't you tell?
Young lady.
- You are…
- My name is Fu.
Last night, Mr. Jiang said he had avenged a great enmity and gotten overly joyful for a moment.
He drank and caught the wind, resulting in a cough, and asked me to take a look at him.
You took the wrong way.
The Jiang Mansion is over there.
- Zhaocai, what were you…
- After seeing Mr. Jiang,
he instructed that there was a lady in the backyard whose tendons in her right hand were damaged.
Since I'm here, let me also have a look.
I have already properly treated her hand. There's no need for others to…
You are Master Doctor Fu
from the Imperial Medical Bureau.
I have memorized
all the medical books you wrote.
I never thought I could meet you in person one day.
There is a child at this moment who has one of the difficult and miscellaneous diseases mentioned in your book
and urgently needs you to take a look.
This illness of Jiang Changyang came
at quite an opportune time.
[Restaurant]
Come, lift your foot.
Go inside.
Wait inside for me.
Madam. This money and silk are for the child.
Thank you, young lady, for saving my son.
My son and I have no way to repay
your great kindness.
You're welcome. Keep it. Come on, accept it.
Young lady, you have such a kind heart.
You are a shopkeeper working for Jiang Changyang, but you saved Fan'er behind his back.
Young lady, be extremely careful. I'm afraid if he finds out, you will be punished.
Madam, the person who truly
deserves your gratitude is not me.
If he really wants your son to be tormented by this illness
for his entire life.
In this vast city of Chang'an, who can really save Fan'er?
Chuanyu.
Master Doctor Fu's
consultation fee is not cheap.
My Lord said if he let a miserly person like Lady He make such an advance,
it will be recovered from elsewhere in double or more, so he asked me to give you the money.
Alright, if that's the case, I will take it.
Is there anything else?
He didn't say anything else. But I…
Lady He, over the years, only you were able to see through his act.
Since you understand his thoughts so well, why not persuade him further to no longer torment himself anymore?
Letting go of the hatred will make him truly happy, won't it?
He chose to save others because he has a soft heart.
Only a Bodhisattva can forgive everything. But being a Bodhisattva is boring.
One can neither eat meat nor drink wine.
If it were me, I would make the same choice as him.
Therefore, there's no need to let go of the hatred.
Just let oneself be. Being a layperson is not a bad thing.
I'm leaving.
You think you understand me? I am the number one corrupt official in Chang'an.
A soft heart?
You are the soft one.
I threw the money right in Mrs. Bai's face and told her,
listen, this is the coffin money from Mr. Jiang.
Whether he lives or dies in the future has nothing to do with Mr. Jiang.
If you dare to appear again before Mr. Jiang,
don't blame Mr. Jiang for being ruthless and burying you on the spot.
Do you understand?
Sorry.
What you're saying sounds different from what Chuanyu said.
Outside the inn, he saw with his own eyes
that you politely sent the guests away.
That was in front of a public audience. I have to give Mr. Jiang some face.
But in private, what I did was infuriating.
I deliberately used hellish
tricks to torture them.
I will not say specifically what I did. I'm afraid of dirtying your ears.
In short, I vented your spleen for you.
There is enough money at home. It's easy to bribe the ten judges of hell.
If you go to hell for me, I'll certainly rescue you myself.
Thank you, Mr. Jiang, for being so generous.
I should be the one thanking you.
Thank you for your ruthless methods, for relieving my deep-seated grudge,
for committing crimes for me, and for sinking to the same level as me.
Thank you for your clear insight, knowing full well…
Say no more. Everything is said in the wine.
I hear you.
Your hand injury hasn't healed yet. You mustn't drink alcohol.
This cup of wine ought to be drunk by me.
Here's to hearing me.
I drank too fiercely.
It was just drunken babble. Don't take it seriously.
I know. Drunken babble.
Mr. Jiang, but what you just said wasn't babble, right?
You said you had enough money at home.
This is my first time being a villain, fighting and killing, buying medicine and buying knives.
It cost me quite a bit of money. I wonder…
I'm in a good mood today. Let's hear it.
Considering my diligence and effort and that Huamanzhu is expanding,
why not amend the contract to a 40-60 split?
You're addicted to playing the part
of a crooked merchant, aren't you?
- Getting an inch and trying to take a mile?
- That's not the case.
After all, what I did for you was bully the kind and oppress the weak.
If you did it yourself, you would surely go to hellfire, being roasted by fire every day yet not dying.
How terrifying would that be?
Mr. Jiang. This charcoal doesn't seem
to burn anymore, does it?
Mr. Jiang, please have a look. Isn't this charcoal burning anymore?
This is my only weakness. And it's fallen into your hands, you villain.
Oh well, as you wish.
Thank you very much, Mr. Jiang. If that's the case, I must toast to you.
I've told you not to drink. Why won't you listen to the doctor?
Relax, I haven't drunk in a long time. My throat got itchy seeing you drink.
- I'll just have one drink. Come on, give it to me
- Not even one cup.
- Jiang Changyang. Let me have a drink.
- No way.
- Just let me have one cup.
- No.
- What? Give it to me.
- No, no.
- My hand is injured.
- So you can't drink.
- Look at this charcoal fire.
- No, no way.
- Jiang Changyang, are you…
- Put it down, put it down.
- Look at this.
- Careful, careful.
Look, how come this isn't burning?
I wanted to invite Master Doctor Fu to accompany me to see other patients, but he was too busy.
He has returned to the palace. It's really strange.
There are only so many people in the palace. And how many people are outside the palace?
Those nobles are usually served
with luxurious food and clothing.
Could they also be physically weak or prone to illnesses?
After all, he holds a position in the Imperial Medical Bureau, and he only takes care of things inside.
So it was quite difficult for him
to come out and help.
But a doctor has a compassionate heart.
Whether it's for princes, nobles, or for the common folk, in the eyes of a physician, shouldn't they all be the same?
That's why we need doctors like Chun.
Actually, Master Doctor Fu
is one of the good ones.
He has never looked down
upon women practicing medicine.
And he even praised you for handling the child properly.
In the future, you can jot down any
difficult diseases you encounter.
He takes Jiang Changyang's pulse every month for well-being, and you can consult him then.
That's wonderful. This way, he manages the inside,
and I'll manage the outside.
No patients will be neglected.
Why did you want to become a physician?
My grandfather came from a family with a long history in medicine, saving countless lives throughout his life.
On the day of his peaceful passing, the people who came to mourn formed a line two miles long.
You practice medicine because of your grandfather.
At first, I merely admired the kind of person my grandfather was,
but later, I accidentally opened the medical books he left behind, and somehow, I became engrossed in them.
Now, healing and saving lives have become the most important thing for me.
I feel anxious if I don't
see patients for a day.
In that case, how about I give you flowers that are not used by Huamanzhu in the future to research for medicinal use?
Really? Mudan, thank you.
Your hand will still need medication for a few more days. You can try bending your fingers in the next few days.
But if you feel any pain, you must stop immediately.
Okay.
Then, may I take up the brush?
Recently, the shop has introduced new flowers.
I want to paint some Herbaceous Peony paintings in advance to be hung in front of the store.
Absolutely not. Painting takes too long.
When muscles and tendons are
strained for long, they do not recover well.
How about this, I will help you.
I often copy various types
of herbs in normal times.
Let me take a look at the new flower you mentioned. I am sure I can paint it.
That's wonderful. Thank you for your effort, Chun.
It's okay, you can touch it. Just touch it gently.
Mudan.
What's the matter?
Previously, she only looked at your hand. Why is she looking at your flowers today?
These Herbaceous Peonies
have not been put on sale yet.
What if she reveals it to Lv Wanrong and the flower guild gets ahead of us?
She came to paint for me.
And premium varieties like Fire Gold Peony can't be cultivated in one or two days.
You don't need to worry.
You seem to treat her differently from others.
Chun is indeed not like an ordinary woman.
She has the benevolent heart of a healer.
She is worth trust and respect.
It was fine just a few days ago. How did it suddenly turn like this?
What kind of bug is this?
- It's scale insects.
- We always have set up pest control measures.
Even if there are ones that slip through the net, it shouldn't harm all the flowers.
I specifically checked when we last fertilized. I didn't see any bugs.
Do you have any left from the last batch
of flower fertilizer we received?
Someone has put insect eggs into our fertilizer, intending to harm our flowers.
I…
It was my negligence. I failed to notice during fertilization.
Shengyi, you don't need to blame yourself. Look at these insect eggs.
They used very tiny insect eggs. You can't distinguish them just by looking.
Moreover, these eggs take two or three days to hatch into pests.
- I've checked it out.
- How is it?
The Mengdiexiang in Huamanzhu is fine.
Fortunately, it seems that only has been tampered with.
Lv Gengchun?
Yesterday, she used the excuse of painting and stayed alone in the courtyard for a long while.
I wondered why she was so kind-hearted.
She must have tipped off Lv Wanrong.
The flower guild fears that we will snatch away the market for the expensive Herbaceous Peonies
and asked her to add pests when we were unprepared.
Not only Chun knows that we are cultivating premium varieties.
People who understand flowers can deduce what kind of flowers the fertilizer is intended for from the formula.
Moreover, these eggs are very likely to have been added before entering our house.
But the one who provides the fertilizer is one of our own. There's no reason for them to do this.
Yes. The only one who had the opportunity to access the flower fertilizer as an outsider was only Lv Gengchun.
I really didn't do it.
Go back and tell your father that you've got what you wished.
You're not welcome here. Leave or I'll serve you with my fists.
Fu, don't be rough.
Mudan. I really didn't do it.
Don't you believe me?
I believe you.
If it really was her doing, why would she incriminate herself? She must be innocent.
- Even if she didn't do it, it must have been ordered by Lv Wanrong.
- Right.
You know it. The flower guild has always
been trying to trip us up.
- It must be her.
- But my father is not that kind of person.
- Say that again, go on, tell me.
- Fu.
Right now, the most important thing is to save the flowers. After that, we can discuss the truth.
I'll go get water. Quick, find some sulfur and crush it. Put it in the water to lure and kill the pests.
Hurry. Go ahead.
Mudan. Let me help you.
Right now, we're short-handed. Help us then.
Come on.
♫ The Luo River cleanses the moonlight haze ♫
♫ Flowing into a scorching long river ♫
♫ A jade-like face not yet indulged
in mundane pleasures ♫
Come on, Fu.
Mudan.
♫ Let not the secular world constrain How can they guess with mundane eyes ♫
♫ Smiling as the storm stir the dust ♫
♫ Flowers should bloom proudly Reflecting the color of the sky ♫
♫ Never withering ♫
♫ Do not fail the varied fragrance ♫
Chun, your paintings are indeed good.
Come on.
I need to change your bandage for a new one to avoid infection.
Okay.
Mudan. Thank you for trusting me.
Don't blame Fu and Shengyi.
The flower guild has come to make trouble time and again. They were just momentarily agitated.
I know competitors
in the industry resort to tricks.
But my father is also a person
who truly loves flowers.
If he could allow me to freely pick the peonies at home, I wouldn't have to sneakily buy flowers from Huamanzhu.
One year, Chang'an suffered a pest disaster. The entire city's peonies withered.
Only my father came up with a remedy.
At that time, he was just a humble flower seller, yet he didn't profit hugely from this.
Instead, he taught the method to others and saved the city's peonies.
Father often told me that if not this year, money can be made in the next year.
But if the city's peonies do not bloom, there will be no spring this year.
No wonder your father can take the position of guild head and stay there for a decade.
Father indeed opposes women doing business, and sometimes, he acts too stubbornly.
But he is certainly not a man of ill intent.
The act of placing insect eggs
to damage flowers will never be his doing.
Of course, I trust your father's character.
But Chun, your father is now the guild head,
and Huamanzhu has indeed taken
a lot of business from the flower guild.
Even if your father is unwilling to do certain things,
others might do it for him.
If the person behind the scenes is truly from the flower guild, you can certainly capture him and confront my father.
He will surely punish him
severely without neglect.
That's truly foolish.
To repeatedly use the same trick
without even changing the pattern.
Whose top dressing is this?
It's from Mr. Cai, just delivered. The person is still at the door.
Shopkeeper. Can I help you?
Why did you put insects in my fertilizers?
Insects?
What… What insects? I don't know.
Fine, you won't say it. Fu, tie him up and take him to the authorities.
Wait, you have no proof.
Even if you take me to the officials, it will be of no use. I don't know anything.
At worst, I will just be judged as being negligent.
I can withstand a few lashes.
Who says there's no evidence?
In the past, when you came
to deliver fertilizer, you wore clothes that had been
washed many times.
Now, not to mention the new clothes, you're also wearing silk damask soft shoes.
With your wages, you can't afford such attire.
It doesn't matter if you don't admit it. Let's report it to the official.
After all, the person who hired
you to harm Huamanzhu must have given you a considerable reward.
You can't spend all this money at once.
When the officers search your home,
they will surely find out.
Not only will you not be able to keep
a single penny of this money, but you'll end up owing me a lot.
And as for you, you won't be let off with just a few lashes.
Let's report to the authorities.
Don't, don't. Mercy, Shopkeeper, show mercy. I'm… I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry. Shopkeeper, have mercy,
I'll tell you everything.
Shopkeeper, this is my first time, I…
Father.
Usually, you only greet, have your meals, and stay in your boudoir embroidering.
What made you want to go out
all of a sudden today?
I've been cooped up at home for too long, so I wanted to come out and get some fresh air.
Alright.
Greetings.
Bring me another pot of wine.
Guild Head Lv. What a coincidence.
It seems that Huamanzhu is doing quite well.
you've started drinking
and enjoying yourself so early.
Guild Head Lv, that's not it. I'm drinking to drown my sorrows.
A few days ago, my yard suffered from a pest infestation. It destroyed many of my prized peonies.
The weather has been damp
and hot these few days. You must be very careful as well, guild head.
You used to let
the subordinates relay messages.
What exactly has happened that made you insist on seeing me today?
You had me infest
Huamanzhu's peonies with pests,
but you didn't tell me that those peonies were all
expensive premium varieties.
The little benefit you gave me before was too little.
You scoundrel!
You haven't even accomplished the task yet, and you're already telling me this?
Fortunately, it wasn't accomplished.
If it had been, Vice guild head, would you acknowledge it?
It's not difficult to make all her peonies wither.
Just give me more money.
- How much?
-Well…
Guild head. What are you doing here?
I can ask you the same question.
Bribing the flower grower and harming the plants, the evidence is conclusive.
Plus the last time you bribed the geomancer and spread rumors about me everywhere.
I can no longer tolerate it.
Guild head. I do not wish to be
an enemy of the flower guild.
That's why I haven't submitted the personal
and material evidence to the authorities.
Yet I still hope guild head can give me an explanation.
I often admonish you that restraining others is fine, but don't suppress too much.
But you didn't listen, and even tried to ruin someone's innocence.
Damaging flowers is
a big taboo in the industry.
As the deputy guild head, you knowingly committed the offense.
I must follow the industry rules and expel you from the flower guild.
You must not engage in any trade related to flowers again.
Mr. Lv, you and I have known each other for many years.
You know that over the years, I have exhausted myself for the flower guild.
If I am not allowed to touch flowers again, how will I live the rest of my life?
Mr. Lv. I truly had a momentary lapse of judgment.
I assure you that I will never do such things again.
Mr. Lv. Mr. Lv.
I'm not the principal victim in this matter.
The one you need forgiveness from is the shopkeeper of Huamanzhu.
Shopkeeper. I've made a big mistake.
I am willing to compensate
you for all your losses.
All I ask for is for you to turn a blind eye and let me off.
The guild head is a compassionate person.
I seek justice, but I don't want
to cut off someone's livelihood.
Those who truly deserve to be looked down upon are never us women in commerce,
but people like you who abuse their authority and oppress women.
I am willing to let bygones be bygones,
but Cao Yuying, you must compensate me
five times the market price.
I also hope that in the future, the flower guild can coexist peacefully with us
without hindering us anymore.
You are magnanimous.
I thank you on behalf of Yuying.
Yuying.
Although for the sake of the flower guild's reputation, this matter shouldn't be publicized,
you can no longer hold the position of deputy guild head.
From now on, I hope you will
take good care of the flowers and no longer harbor ill intentions.
I understand.
Thank you, guild head.
Thank you, Shopkeeper.
Previously, seeing that you were a woman, I underestimated you.
I didn't expect you to successfully cultivate
the delicate and difficult-to-grow Fire Gold Peony.
If you are willing, I can make an exception
and let you join the guild.
Thank you for your kind intentions. But the guild has too many rules for women.
It's not very suitable for me. So I'll have to decline.
Rules are not something that can be changed overnight.
They require considerable deliberation.
If you join the guild, should you encounter pests or other problems again in the future,
there will also be fellow
members to assist you.
A woman in commerce faces a difficult path.
Struggling alone will make it even harder.
There are thousands of paths in the world. Which path is easy to travel?
I'll see it as exploring the road on behalf of other women.
It seems we can only become rivals now.
Having rivals keeps us constantly vigilant without slackening.
Compared to uniformity, Guild head, I think you share my intention
to see all the flowers bloom in Chang'an, competing in splendor and beauty.
[Spring Blossoms and Autumn Moon]
See you.
'Fragrance Recital' - Zhang Zining
♫ In endless Chang'an,
the zither's melody distant ♫
♫ Plum and willow trees bask in the sunshine,
as splendor returns with the year ♫
♫ Copper palace battlements,
songs and dances, glass goblets ♫
♫ Idle clouds and duckweed,
a thousand flowers burst forth ♫
♫ Time passes gracefully,
affairs settle like fading smoke ♫
♫ Let the years go by,
carried by the wind to early desires ♫
♫ If the heart is like water,
the bloom is ever-present ♫
♫ Still cherish the moon of my hometown,
to meet for long ♫
♫ The distant night sky strewn with stars,
reflecting the lovely moon ♫
♫ The peony's magnificent beauty
fills the Fragrance Garden ♫
♫ With a heart as my lantern,
I don't mind the distant mountain paths ♫
♫ The flute's sound,
a fleeting life's wishes fulfilled ♫
♫ Time passes gracefully,
affairs settle like fading smoke ♫
♫ Let the years go by,
carried by the wind to early desires ♫
♫ If the heart is like water,
the bloom is ever-present ♫
♫ Still cherish the moon of my hometown,
to meet for long ♫