[Mainland Chinese Drama 2018] The Story of Ming Lan 庶女明兰传 / 知否？知否？应是绿肥红瘦

[m0us3y]

Spoiler

40 minutes ago, jwinata said:

Transcript of GTY's big reveal in EP40 so people can understand why he's so awesome and how sincere he's been in winning ML's hand A lot of the doubts that people had about GTY's scheming are directly clarified through brilliant scriptwriting.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

GTY: I know 6th miss has a lot of pent-up frustration. But now I need to let the cat out of the bag instead of sweeping it all under the carpet. It is only logical that we should have a heart-to-heart talk.

 

ML: Having a HTHT is conversing honestly with a truthful person; but to face someone crafty is being piggishly idiotic. 2nd uncle takes me for a stupid fool?

 

GTY: How would you know I'm not telling the truth? I.. I.. how did this come about?

 

ML: It started from when you proposed marriage. You never had the intention to marry my 5th sis right from the beginning. You were aiming at me, am I right?

 

GTY: Wow! You can even tell! You are indeed the woman that I want (Me: )

 

ML: I guessed from when you came over, but it's too late. Our entire Sheng household has fallen into your insidious trap.

 

GTY: That time, when I saved you from drowning in the river and you advised me to give Rong'er a proper home instead of gallivanting about... From then on, I had this notion in my heart that I must marry you as my wife.

 

ML: You claim you want to marry me, why didn't you just propose directly? Why did you have to beat around the bush? Just because of this, my 5th sis almost lost her life.

 

GTY: If I had gone to propose directly, would your grandmother have agreed? To accept a marriage proposal is not easy, but to reject one is extremely simple - all kinds of reasons can be used as an excuse. Furthermore, I was not of the most upright character in the past. Your grandmother is so stubborn that had she refused your father could not have said anything either.

 

ML: I'm glad you are self-aware.

 

GTY: Being cognizant of one's self is a virtue.

 

ML: Then did you know about He household's matters? My grandmother already agreed -

 

GTY: Your grandmother already agreed to their proposal right?

 

ML: You knew about it and yet you still came to propose to me. How does this even make sense?

 

GTY: Eh..to whom you should marry is the household's matters, but whether I should propose or not is my own matter. How's that for logical reasoning? Moreover, even if your brother knew of this, he would have nothing to say. You and the Hes... have no fate!

 

ML: If it weren't for your obstruction, how could we have no fate?

 

GTY: That's because of Cao cousin's existence. You two are simply not meant to be.

 

ML: You even knew about Cao cousin?

 

GTY: How could I not have known?

 

ML: That was also arranged by you? How is that possible?

 

GTY: Since I came back to the capital, I have been sourcing for information regarding your household. I knew that your grandmother was close to the He matriarch. HHW even went to your house so frequently that I had formed some understanding. Later on, His Majesty sent me to battle in his war campaign, so I couldn't meddle directly. Regarding this matter, I had to think of a strategy starting from HHW. Subsequently, I discovered that HHW had a childhood playmate who was even roaming about outside. That night, I was so happy that I couldn't catch a wink of sleep! 

 

ML: In the end, the Cao household returned due to imperial amnesty?

 

GTY: This Cao cousin's parents matched her with a soldier's household. They didn't go easy on her; amidst the crying and battling, they refused to let the Caos be enrolled in the amnesty list. I used some silver to buy her freedom and let someone suggest that they should not return to their ancestral home but to go straight to the capital. This Cao cousin did not disappoint me indeed. She pestered HHW until he could not extricate himself. It was only then that I could fight in the war with a peace of mind.

 

ML: The period of upheaval only lasted a few weeks, Cao household was already in the capital. This matter, only you could have done it. 

 

GTY: That's right. Cao legacy is in goods shipment; shipping a person is just a simple matter, no?

 

ML: Aren't you afraid that I would infuriate the Caos and agree to the marriage anyway?

 

GTY: I am not someone who is easily contented with scruples; naturally, neither are you. You may appear to be outwardly docile and amenable, but actually you easily outmaneuver others. So, I placed the Cao chesspiece here, only because I was far away and couldn't control matters directly. Even if it was just to delay you...even if your household had agreed to the Caos, I would have my own counter strategy.

 

ML: Stop exaggerating. If it weren't for Wen Yanjing, would you have succeeded?

 

GTY: I am relentless in my pursuit. Heaven took pity on me and delivered WYJ to my doorstep.

 

ML: That's heaven warding off evil. 

 

GTY: Suit yourself. Anyway, I found out about your sis and WYJ's covert meetings. Again, I was so overjoyed that I couldn't sleep for another night! Seriously. I feel that I didn't even have to put so much effort in going to war. This strategy is called harassing the West while attacking the East. In order to obtain a wife, I even had to deploy war stratagems!

 

ML: This matter, you speak of it so lightheartedly. It actually concerns my sis reputation and the entire Shengs' image! What if there was some mistake? It would all go to ruin!

 

GTY: That's why I had someone to investigate into WYJ background. If he was a bad egg, he would have been your future bro-in-law and my relative. I would have gotten someone to chase him out of the capital in order to preserve harmony in the Sheng household and prevent him from ruining your reputation.  

 

ML: You.. you casted such a wide net?

 

GTY: Not just that. Your father, your Daniangzi, your Rulan sis' temperaments and attitudes, I had them all figured out from Changbai bro. Your father treasured his reputation more than his wife and children; your Daniangzi is muddle-headed and short-sighted; your sis is naïve and lovelorn but cannot shoulder responsibility. I even calculated that your bro would not fall out with me because of this, so I executed my plans with a firm hand. All the elements... star signs; geography; human relations; I could not even miss out on lady luck!

 

[ML ran away in disbelief]

 

GTY: Hey... I haven't even finished talking!

ML: What do you treat me as?! A pig in a hunter's net or a goldfish on a fishing line? GTY, you are a scoundrel!

 

Later on, in EP41, GTY also had a heartfelt confession during the Polo match, which he begged the Empress to organize that made ML agree wholeheartedly to the marriage.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

GTY: I wish to know why you refuse to marry me. I don't want to listen to your patronizing words, I want the truth.

 

ML: I... I'm afraid I can't be a virtuous lady. I am neither dignified nor submissive; I have yet to broaden my perspectives, I might bring shame to your name.

 

GTY: Seems like you are not being honest.

 

ML: Your Gu household relations are complex and full of family politics. Someone like me from a simple household, who has not seen much of the world, how could I challenge all your family members?

 

GTY: Looks like there's some truth in that now. Don't worry, once we get married, we can live apart from them. You don't have to be afraid of such conflicts.

 

ML: You can even separate the household?

 

[actually we can already see that he has planned for this all along and was even decorating the new house happily in EP40]

 

GTY: Yes. By then, if you like to stay in the Marquis household we can do so. If you wish to move elsewhere, you can as well. I dare not say that you will enjoy the best and the finest from marrying me. But I only have one assurance; from now on, I will not let you suffer in silence. 

 

ML: I have enjoyed life's luxuries since young, why would I be suffering in silence? I do not need a hero to save me like a damsel in distress.

 

GTY: You ah...you are such an eloquent little liar. You have always been restraining yourself and living in torment since birth. You cannot accept the social customs of children with unequal birth status, yet you always had to be acquiescent. You are obviously multi-talented, but have to live with your head down at all times. You did not dare to steal the limelight, so you found an average household like the Hes.

 

ML: Steal the limelight? It was because of that that I went through some adversity. You witnessed it first-hand, and what was the outcome? I dislike weaving and embroidery but what could I do? I had to pretend to like all that I disliked. I needed to survive.

 

GTY: Exactly. You are too understanding. You are smart and clairvoyant so you live on tenterhooks. But deep inside you felt injustice; you were in anguish and distress. You could only pretend to be an ignorant fool, being discrete and conscientious with everything, forcing yourself to be the upstanding 6th miss of Sheng household. I don't wish to see you live in such despair for the rest of your life. I don't dare to promise a perfect marriage but I can convince heaven and earth of one thing; henceforth, whichever station I rise to among the men, you will enjoy equal status among the women. I have admired you for a long time. I hope that you will be willing to count on me and we will spend a lifetime being devoted to each other.

 

Liang 6th master interrupts: Come and have a polo match with me! I must win you this time!

 

GTY: Ignore him.

 

ML: Why? If you ignore him then you can't win the top prize (which is the Empress' personal hairpin, to be bestowed as Gu's bride gift).

 

GTY: I would surely win.

 

ML: They have two players, are you sure you can do it?

GTY: I will definitely be able to do it single-handedly.

 

ML: If we went to the match together, wouldn't it be a resounding defeat for them?

 

GTY: Great! Let's do it together and beat them senseless!

 

By then ML had agreed and they were both very happy with each other 

 

 

 

Thanks for the translation! Only the first half was in ep38 subbed. Watched the rest raw and could only understand half of it! 

Just like to say that I thought the scene (ESP the first confession) was hilarious!!!

GTY was so proud of himself everytime he said he found out about something (the couz, Rulan's bf) and even said he was so happy he couldn't sleep, and the exasperated look on ML's face, classic!! 

 

 

@Golden Flower didn't seem like GTY said anything about following her to Youyang and join that army there tho? He just mentioned he was determined to marry her since the river bandit incident?

[matrim]

1 hour ago, ForgottenSoulx said:

 

How they gonna kiss and say no heart's been opened yet.. 

Spoiler

Kissing and making love don't necessarily mean real love, i.e. trust each other completely. Yes, they love and respect each other, but deep down they all feel a kind of emotional reservation. At least in the book, they break the final barrier at the end. IDK how the drama would adapt this part.  

 

[tinast]

3 hours ago, Golden Flower said:

I just check Viki and it has epi 38 (DVD/ directcut version) was already subbed. It has GTY’s confession to ML towards the end though epi 38 doesn’t have all the scenes of TV epi 40. TV version just have more episodes since each epi time length is different. Subbed 38-39 corresponds to TV 40-41 (partial). 

 

You can watch it raw at http://vod4cn.com

[Golden Flower]

52 minutes ago, Renaro Kopique said:

She just married over, and there's already a woman crying and wailing to death.  Do we know the one crying? I tend to forget faces.

Spoiler

 

The woman is GTY’s former tongfan maid (here they only call her his maid from his courtyard). Tongfan maids are ones who sleep with young master. GTY used to have 7-8 tongfan maid but only this Hong Shao left. GTY’s step-mom wants ML to takes this woman back to their house (ML & GTY live separately in his new manor) and let her serve as his lower status concubine. ML didn’t agree and GTY’s aunts-in-laws are complaining towards his step-mom about ML. Then, this maid trying to kill herself by bumping her head into the wall saying she cause Gu family unrest. The conversation is not complete and I don’t know what ML exact response and reason was. In the book, she actually took the woman to their house though not right away. She waited until she acquainted herself with management of house and new servants.

Then, ML punishes herself for going against elders by kneeling in Gu’s family ancestral hall. ML then complained to GTY that he promised her she wouldn’t live in misery before he married her but she already had to kneel for along time which he has never done in that length in Sheng family before just one day after she got married.

 

 

[Golden Flower]

15 minutes ago, m0us3y said:

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@Golden Flower didn't seem like GTY said anything about following her to Youyang and join that army there tho? He just mentioned he was determined to marry her since the river bandit incident?

 

I didn’t say that he said that. I only said he confessed he was determined to marry her after he saved her from river. (It was at 2/3 point of their way to You Yan). I said I just realized the connection of why he join the army camped near You Yan. He could have joined other camps or go to frontline but he chose the one near You Yan. 

[Lunkera]

short clip

Spoiler

 

 

[Katrina Abdul Talib]

Ep 39 is really heartbreaking.. for both ML and QT.

 

I may be a bit late to comment on GTY but sharing here anyway. 

 

Ep 38 where GTY brought gifts and his conversation with CB he mentioned among others;

....those competing to marry off their doters to him used to look down on him before..

....CD's family didn't exert any effort to curry his favour

 

 .."THIS IS CALLED NOT CHANGING NO MATTER HOW NOBLE OR LOWLY THE ENVIRONMENT IS"

 

.. and this quality is what ML and GTY share in common. They are "there" whenever in need.

 

..QH (due to whatever circumstances) kept himself away.. or get others to convey his messages and worse, make decisions for him. Ouch!

 

[mooose]

9 hours ago, Suzzy San said:

ML had to be conferred upon a Shu title and that why  he deliberately mentioned 'legitimate' to the emperor. 

 

....? You mean a di title. 

 

ML was already a di daughter (in title) by the time she was being pursued by Madam Wu. Grandma had registered her as an adopted daughter under DaNiang making her a di granddaughter and giving her an equal status with RL. She had already been registered as di with grandma's  family registry. There is conversation  between DaNiang and her Momo where the Momo pursuades her to help ML make the Liang match as she had nothing to lose since ML had been registered as her adopted daughter.

 

Thats why DaNiang softened a bit cos she stood to benefit if ML made a grand alliance.

[nichiwoohee]

4 hours ago, heatherbee said:

Haha yey..more more more props to the staffs and crews who also work hard to build those things on the field.

 

It looked so cold, poor all the ladies wearing dresses with bare neckline

 

Ok I’ve warmed up to RL after ep 38 where she 

Spoiler

Protected her servant from getting beaten to death. I guessed she learned to value people and not feeling entitled all the time. Plus she also developed sisterly bond with ML, talking about character growth!

 

[hello210]

 

3 hours ago, Golden Flower said:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

The woman is GTY’s former tongfan maid (here they only call her his maid from his courtyard). Tongfan maids are ones who sleep with young master. GTY used to have 7-8 tongfan maid but only this Hong Shao left. GTY’s step-mom wants ML to takes this woman back to their house (ML & GTY live separately in his new manor) and let her serve as his lower status concubine. ML didn’t agree and GTY’s aunts-in-laws are complaining towards his step-mom about ML. Then, this maid trying to kill herself by bumping her head into the wall saying she cause Gu family unrest. The conversation is not complete and I don’t know what ML exact response and reason was. In the book, she actually took the woman to their house though not right away. She waited until she acquainted herself with management of house and new servants.

Then, ML punishes herself for going against elders by kneeling in Gu’s family ancestral hall. ML then complained to GTY that he promised her she wouldn’t live in misery before he married her but she already had to kneel for along time which he has never done in that length in Sheng family before just one day after she got married.

 

 

Thanks. Someone else translated it differently on YouTube but I can see where they switched words around since the elements are there like wife, Gu, and punishment, but doing that puts a completely different spin on things. 

[Suzzy San]

5 hours ago, ForgottenSoulx said:

 

How they gonna kiss and say no heart's been opened yet.. 

Hahhahha, that's exactly the main thing, they kiss, have sex, talk together, understand each other, maybe actually sacrifice things for each other, but they have never decided to talk about their pains and sorrows together.. Because on the part of minglan, she felt it might be the end of happy days and she doesn't want to get too emotional, on the part of GTY, it was giving ML peace and some some space to keep things she wants to be private, private... But once in a while, couples need to bare the hearts for their soul to be merged 

[leeza77]

Ha ha.. Ershu is so funny and unique

Spoiler

http://p.weibo.com/show/channerWbH5/1034:4330270728380921

 

[Lunkera]

@leeza77 Haha, i love them together. Probably helps also knowing they are married in real life. I life their chemistry.

[leeza77]

3 minutes ago, Lunkera said:

@leeza77 Haha, i love them together. Probably helps also knowing they are married in real life. I life their chemistry.

Yes, @Lunkera the interaction between them are natural.

Spoiler

Loved that he defied the norm, went out himself to buy food for her, discussing and entrusting his properties to her on their wedding night, instead of pouncing on her. Showed his great control and consideration. Lol.. And he teased and boasted to her saying the big bed is not enough for them to roll. Ha ha. 

 

[Lunkera]

@leeza77 hahaha  

 

Spoiler

He pounced on her in the end anyway ^^. It was funny when her stomach started rumbling  . But yeah in that situation he showed self-control and instead got her food to make her happy. She needed the energy anyway haha

 

[Jackie1048]

I think it was a beautiful scene how Gu Ting Ye gave Ming Lan some confidence and reassurances that she will have full control of her own life once they are married. Gu Ting Ye gave her the right to choose what she deemed best. Like she can choose to stay in the Maquis manor or elsewhere. 

 

So lovely they entered the competition once again as a husband and wife team.

 

The wedding is really of such grand scale as it was also assisted by palace personnel. Gu Ting Ye just told his side of the family to come as they are as they need not partake in any of the preparations.

[Suzzy San]

40 minutes ago, leeza77 said:

Ha ha.. Ershu is so funny and unique

  Reveal hidden contents

http://p.weibo.com/show/channerWbH5/1034:4330270728380921

 

 hhahhahhahhah.. Omg gu tin ye is probably one of the funniest character I've seen in dramas lately.. Plus they are such a natural together. The chemistry is so there, maybe due to their real life relationship, but they make it seem so real that you will think they actually got married in real life then.. Wow.. They are really great actors. Zhao li Ying x feng shao feng 

[nichiwoohee]

1 hour ago, leeza77 said:

Ha ha.. Ershu is so funny and unique

  Hide contents

http://p.weibo.com/show/channerWbH5/1034:4330270728380921

 

 

Keep it coming!! 

 

Good thing her tummy rumbled.. if not gty would have shoved rong er out the door to quickly start the wedding night

 

[nichiwoohee]

34 minutes ago, Suzzy San said:

 hhahhahhahhah.. Omg gu tin ye is probably one of the funniest character I've seen in dramas lately.. Plus they are such a natural together. The chemistry is so there, maybe due to their real life relationship, but they make it seem so real that you will think they actually got married in real life then.. Wow.. They are really great actors. Zhao li Ying x feng shao feng 

 

Funny thing is, many thought they lacked chemistry on their movie monkey king 3 so they doubted their chemistry here, even up until early episodes. Not me, I can already see the chemistry ever since the first trailer where gty greeted ml infront of the examination result (tbh I squealed lol)

[heatherbee]

1 hour ago, leeza77 said:

Ha ha.. Ershu is so funny and unique

  Hide contents

http://p.weibo.com/show/channerWbH5/1034:4330270728380921

 

Spoiler

Wow...that was so sweet of him,buying her hungry wifeyy a foodwatching this is like Im watching the real life FSFZLY weddingand theres nothing funnier than GTY 's laugh