Original subtitles

[Legend of Zang Hai]

[Episode 9]

[Zhen Tower]

I knew it.

Anyone who walks out

of the imperial tomb alive

is no ordinary man.

The Marquis of Pingjin is truly fortunate

to have you, a man

of rare political acumen, working for him.

You flatter me.

I've only served the Marquis

for a few days.

I'm not great at socializing,

but I appreciate your compliments.

Please,

speak plainly.

Very well.

Then I'll get to the point.

I'm Xiang Antu,

owner of Zhen Tower.

I'm Zang Hai. It's a pleasure, Miss Xiang.

This is our third meeting.

Who would've thought?

You came to the Capital

penniless.

But now,

you've actually become the Marquis's

top aide.

In just a few months,

you've moved up so fast.

I'm truly curious.

What exactly

did you do

to rise from nothing

overnight?

Oh,

it was nothing but luck.

Let me be frank.

I admire your talent.

We've crossed paths more than once,

and I consider that fate.

If you're willing to serve

the Marquis of Pingjin,

why not consider becoming

an honored guest of mine?

Be it wealth or fame,

I can give you

whatever he gives you.

Are you trying to steal me

from the Marquis?

So what if I am?

It pays to be friends with me.

Forgive me.

I'm flattered

you think so highly of me.

But as for being friends,

I'm not worthy.

Last time at Zhen Tower,

Yang Zhen, Qu Jiao,

and Chu Huaiming humiliated you.

I could've stood by and watched.

Do you know

why I stepped in?

Because you're different from them.

You're not evil by nature.

That's why you should know this:

The Marquis was a general.

He kills without hesitation

and trusts no one.

Working for him

will be

like dancing on the edge of a blade.

So tell me,

why throw in with him

and put your life at risk?

You're a pearl cast into the dust.

It's a waste.

You overestimate me, Miss Xiang.

I'm just

a grain of sand passing for a gem.

Everything I've done

has only been

to find a place to survive

in this vast world.

You say that,

but I don't believe your ambitions end there.

Are you trying to help him

regain command of the army

to prove your worth?

I always hope to do

what others can't.

Looks like I was

wrong about you.

You and the Marquis are the same kind of man.

In that case,

I won't press further.

I wish you success and glory.

Thank you, Miss Xiang.

I'll take my leave.

But do remember this:

Here in the Capital,

you'll need Zhen Tower's help

far more

than I'll need yours.

If you're ever in trouble and come asking for help,

don't be embarrassed when thinking

of what you said today.

[Zhen Tower]

I heard

he turned down your offer?

So that's Zang Hai, huh?

He described himself as a man

chasing fame and fortune.

And yet

he refused

your offer.

Seems he's got some principles after all.

What's that about?

Don't you understand?

He's determined to stake everything on the Marquis of Pingjin

to prove to the world

that he is no ordinary man.

And that he can achieve greatness.

What a shame.

He's in your bad books now.

With the Marquis's temperament,

if he ever regains military command,

he'll surely lead another campaign to the borders.

Yang Zhen is a petty man.

He's no threat at all.

But Zang Hai is different.

I don't want to see

a talent like him

under the Marquis's command.

So you want to get rid of him?

"Good fortune doesn't last forever.

Flowers don't bloom all year."

He may be the Marquis's

top aide now,

but with all the matters coming his way,

he can easily

slip up

and lose the Marquis's favor.

Mr. Zhuang.

Mr. Zang, you're back.

What are these?

These are all gifts from outside the residence.

They're for you.

Now that you're

favored by the Marquis,

everyone's rushing to curry favor

with you.

Look,

a jade belt hook carved with dragons and clouds.

Look at the quality and the finish.

It's the finest of the fine.

Come, take a look at this too.

Go on. Unroll it.

"Peacocks and a Loquat Tree"

by Cui Zixi of the Song Dynasty.

One glance, and you know it's genuine.

Look.

[A humble gift. May it bring delight.]

See these leaves and feathers?

[Note with gift] So exquisite.

Absolutely elegant.

Sir,

why do none of these notes

have names attached?

Well...

Take them all inside.

Sir, you must not know.

These are what we call "reciprocal gifts".

It's an unwritten rule

here in the Capital.

Even if you want to return them,

you won't know whom to send them back to.

And when they

need my help,

they'll come and admit they sent the gifts.

Wise as always, sir.

Does the Marquis know?

Of course,

or you wouldn't have seen them here.

Did he say anything?

He doesn't bother with these things.

Since

the gifts are meant for you,

you can

handle them

as you see fit.

I see.

Then I'll accept them.

Did he accept the gifts?

Yes, My Lord.

Did you explain

what a "reciprocal gift" is?

I did.

And he knew

that accepting those gifts

meant owing favors to those who sent them.

[Marquis of Pingjin's Mansion]

Thank you...

Here you go.

What's going on?

- Someone's handing out congee. - Here, take it.

- Thanks. - The Marquis is so kind.

Come back if you need more.

- Here. - Thank you.

Careful. It's hot. Hold it steady.

Here.

Thank you, sir.

There's more if you need.

Little one,

- here you are. - Thank you.

- Be careful. It's hot. - Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Here you go.

Here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Here.

Thank you.

Thanks.

- Here you go. - Thank you.

Greetings, My Lord.

The Marquis is so kind.

Next.

What are you doing?

Be careful. It's hot.

All right.

My Lord,

I received

some reciprocal gifts yesterday.

It weighed heavily on me,

so I converted the gifts

into grain

and gave it out

in your name

to the struggling common folk.

The Marquis is here!

The Marquis is here!

Thank you for your grace!

Thank you for your kindness!

Thank you for your grace!

We'll never forget...

Thank you, My Lord!

Your great kindness!

Thank you, My Lord!

- All right. - Thank you for your grace!

The Marquis is giving out congee

so you can all eat your fill.

So go ahead.

Thank you, My Lord!

Thank you!

Let's go get congee!

Come on. Let's go.

There's enough for everyone!

I acted on my own.

Please forgive me, My Lord.

Zang Hai,

I'm impressed.

You've handled this well.

I underestimated you.

- That's enough. - Thank you.

My Lord,

I'm flattered.

I've always kept in mind

that I serve you.

But those gifts were too extravagant.

If I'd accepted them,

you would've become indebted to those who sent them.

What I did today

should be enough

to stop more from coming.

If they send more,

just take them.

Or do you think

I can't handle

a few favors?

I would never think that.

Once you're done with the congee,

go to my study

and get the "Wei Liao's Art of War."

If you're to follow me,

you'll need to read more than Confucian Texts.

Start studying military strategy too.

Yes, My Lord.

Congratulations, Mr. Zang!

The Marquis has just

granted you

free access

to his study.

Tea tastes better when brewed

in this jade teapot.

If you like it, keep it.

There won't be another one anyway.

After what happened yesterday,

word has spread through the Capital.

And no one brought

any gifts today.

Gifts...

Whether you accept them or not, it leads to trouble.

Turn them down,

and you seem arrogant

and invite suspicion.

But I can't just take them either.

Yang Zhen has served the Marquis for over a decade.

The Marquis knows him

inside out.

Yang can accept gifts as he pleases,

but I can't.

Exactly.

All eyes

are on you now.

Anyway,

you've picked

all this up fast.

Who taught you that?

You did, of course.

Master, were you ever

in politics yourself?

Let's just say this:

Back when I was

making waves in the world,

you were still busy

playing in the mud.

There's one thing I didn't expect:

The mastermind behind the famed Zhen Tower

is actually

that pretty young lady.

She set me up at first，

but then pulled me out of danger,

and now she wants me

to turn against the Marquis and join her.

And she made you

a generous offer,

which you turned down.

She's more than she seems.

She's smart

and resourceful,

but she doesn't seem like a bad person.

Zang Hai really played

this hand beautifully.

The whole Capital's poor

now owe him a debt of gratitude.

Not only did he

kill off any hope of bribing him,

but he also managed to earn the Marquis's admiration.

You've been outsmarted.

That smile...

Zang Hai's in for a rough time, isn't he?

Do something for me.

What now?

When news comes from Mr. Eight,

the entire Capital believes it.

Spread a few things for me.

What kind of things?

No way.

I only speak the truth.

I don't start rumors.

You make your living off Zhen Tower.

How dare you say no?

Are you going to help me or not?

No.

Last time, when you gossiped about the Empress Dowager

and drew the attention of the undercover guards,

wasn't I the one who got you out of trouble?

But I only did that to help Zhen Tower

earn more money.

Then how about this?

From now on, I'll give you an extra cut

from ticket sales.

Just help me this once,

will you?

Come on.

Please?

Then let's be clear.

Just this once.

Just once this year.

No, just once in this lifetime.

"See water floods,

drowning strong wood.

The tiger in the grass

is bound to die.

Its claws, heart, and ears

will all wither away.

Among ten thousand, a single man hides,

bringing ruin to his lord."

"See water floods,

drowning strong wood.

The tiger in the grass

is bound to die.

Its claws, heart, and ears..."

[Zhenshun Tabloid] They're saying all kinds of things.

That you're an alchemist helping the Marquis seek immortality,

a political spy

planted by one of his enemies,

and even

his illegitimate son.

Any idea who's behind it?

Zhen Tower.

Yes, it's probably payback

from that Miss Xiang.

I wouldn't worry too much about the gossip.

[Sea water floods, drowning strong wood.] But that nursery rhyme...

[The tiger in the grass is bound to die.]

[Its claws, heart, and ears will all wither away.]

[Among ten thousand, a single man hides, bringing ruin to his lord.]

"Sea water floods,

[Zhuang] drowning strong wood.

The tiger in the grass

is bound to die.

[Zhuang Lu]

Its claws, heart, and ears

will all wither away."

[Zhuang Luyin] It's riddled with wordplay,

implying that you entered

the Marquis's household

with an ill intent

to bring down his entire family.

Among all these rumors,

there's actually one

close to the truth.

These rumors sound like jokes,

but they're deadly.

They've already put me

in serious danger.

Words may be spoken in jest, but someone's always ready to believe them.

Hai,

you'd better pay a visit to Zhen Tower

and apologize to Miss Xiang

before this spirals out of control.

Is Miss Xiang here?

Our mistress left a few days ago.

Please come back another time, sir.

When will she be back?

I don't know, sir.

Then she...

[Zhen Tower]

Are you happy now?

Plenty of people want favors

from the Marquis of Pingjin,

but just as many

want him dead.

I've handed them

every excuse they need.

The smart ones

will know how to make use of them.

But what if

Zang Hai ends up dead

instead of walking away?

Then that's the price he pays

for siding with the Marquis.

Still,

I doubt

he'll die so easily.

Let's see how he handles this.

You're back, sir.

More gifts?

Who are they from?

They arrived today,

all anonymously.

Seems like some people still haven't given up

on trying to win your favor, sir.

All right, I see.

You may go.

Yes, sir.

"You moved into the Marquis's mansion

with hidden motives.

I, too, have suffered at his hands.

I failed to take my revenge.

In the vial is deadly poison.

Use it to kill the Marquis.

You have three days."

[Presiding with Balanced Judgment]

Father!

Mother,

I don't feel well.

Here, take the medicine,

and you'll feel better.

Father,

Mother,

please watch over me

and help me kill the Marquis of Pingjin.

When it's done,

I'll give you both the burial you deserve.

Zang Hai, have some too.

Every day, the maids bring refreshments in the afternoon

and dinner in the evening.

During this time,

the steward is always present.

There's no way to make a move.

My only chance may be

when I'm alone with the Marquis.

I'll poison him directly then.

Thank you.

[Sangu Bookshop]

- Fresh fruit... - Have a look at the tea, sir.

- Fresh fruit... - There are all kinds of tea.

Sweet and juicy!

You're awake.

Huijian?

I didn't expect you to remember me.

So you're the one who threatened me?

Threatened you?

When did I ever do that?

Huijian,

what is he talking about?

No idea, Master.

He's rambling nonsense.

Did you hit him too hard?

No way. I know how much force

I used.

Who sent you?

Sent us?

Do you think

the two of us

look like we're taking orders?

Then why tie me up?

I'll be honest.

I need a favor from you.

I want to borrow something.

Your face.

I'm going to cut it off

and wear it as my own.

You want to impersonate me

by wearing my skin?

That's right.

The truth is,

I've been in the Marquis's mansion all these years

for one goal

and one goal only:

to get close to the Marquis.

When Yang Zhen was gone,

I thought my chance had finally come.

No more obstacles.

But then you showed up

and got us all sent away.

I lost

my chance completely.

And I hate you for that!

Did it occur to you

that this face-switching won't work?

This kind of far-fetched trick

will fall apart the moment

you set foot in the residence.

That's because you don't know how it's done.

Don't worry.

I've got a steady hand.

It won't hurt.

And we'll

give you a proper ritual to send you off.

You're insane!

Honestly,

I'm sorry.

But I truly

have no other choice.

Don't worry.

I won't live long after this.

In the afterlife,

I'll apologize to you in person.

Shilei!

Don't you know how to tie a man up?

I tied him up nice and tight, I swear.

This guy's stronger than he looks.

Hold him down.

The Eight-Lancet Set?

You're quite knowledgeable.

Where did you get these tools?

None of your concern.

Then tell me.

Why do you need to get close to the Marquis?

You're about to die anyway.

I might as well tell you.

I want to get close to him

so I can kill him

and avenge my master.

Your master?

Isn't he right here?

I'm not talking about him.

I'm avenging

the death of my true master.

And who was that?

Enough.

Stop stalling.

You're dying today no matter what.

Right!

If I'm dying today,

at least hear me out.

If you want my face,

taking just the skin above the neck

won't work.

Bet you didn't know that.

The skin on the neck, chest,

and back is all connected.

One slip,

and you'll tear the whole thing.

If you want a clean cut,

you've got to start from the back.

Shut up.

Spare me the lecture.

Of course I know that.

I was just testing the angle.

Strip him.

Hurry.

What's wrong?

Scars.

So?

We just need his face.

I'll knock him out now.

Wait!

How did you get these scars?

I got them

from being whipped

as a child.

My father was in Dongxia then.

My senior brother

applied the medicine for me.

But the wounds were deep.

They didn't heal right.

Later, a master

helped mend them.

Why mend them?

Because I, too,

have a blood feud to settle.

Are you...?

When my senior brother was three,

my father took him in as a disciple.

As kids,

we'd go up the mountains together

to survey the land and gather herbs.

We'd even skip lessons and get punished together.

Whenever I got into trouble,

I'd make him take the blame.

I was always pranking him.

One time,

he got punished

and sent to the back mountain,

so he didn't get to die with his master,

and he just kept dragging out his days. Is that right?

He wasn't the most gifted disciple,

but he was the one

my father cared for the most.

If Father knew

he was still alive,

he'd be overjoyed.

Father named him Guanfeng, [*watching the wind]

hoping he'd live freely

like the breeze itself.

I am Guanfeng.

I am Guanfeng.

I am Guanfeng!

It's really you, Zhinu!

You're alive!

Zhinu,

I'm so glad you're alive.

That's all that matters.

That's everything

that happened.

So

you had your face changed.

No wonder I didn't recognize you.

You're not

that chubby kid from back then either.

We've both changed a lot.

That young master of yours...

Can he really be trusted?

He's an orphan from outside the Capital.

He's devoted to his training.

We've known each other for years.

He'd

risk his life to help me get revenge.

You can trust him.

But hey,

he's not my real master.

Sounds like you've

been through a lot too.

Tell me everything.

That day,

Madam sent me to the mountain

to chop firewood and reflect on my mistakes.

Just after nightfall,

I saw Master

return from the southwest.

I thought

Madam might be glad

to see him home...

- Master... - And go easy on me.

Master...

- Master... - So I rushed down the mountain.

But when I was almost home,

I heard screams.

A bunch of people were guarding the residence,

and they were armed with swords.

I hid right away.

Then

I saw someone

come out.

It was the Marquis of Pingjin.

Next, I saw Master and Madam

being carried out by his men.

I was terrified.

I didn't know what had happened.

After they all left,

I ran home.

But the fire had already spread.

I couldn't get inside.

Help!

Fire!

Uncle Li, help me put out the fire!

I rushed to get help from the neighbors,

but when I entered their home,

all I saw were bodies.

After that,

I ended up on the streets,

living from day to day.

But all this time,

I held on

to the Eight-Lancet Set Master gave me,

vowing

to take revenge one day.

Two buns, please.

Right away.

Here you go.

Thanks.

Sir.

Coming!

I'm paying for a bun.

Thanks a lot.

Go ahead and eat.

That day,

I met Shilei

and Kaizhen Sanren.

They took me in,

and Shilei became my new master.

After Kaizhen Sanren passed away,

Shilei and I

depended on each other for survival.

But there's one thing

I've never let go of:

revenge.

So later,

I found a way

into the Marquis's mansion as an aide.

Shame on me.

After all these years,

I still couldn't

get close to him.

But fortunately,

you're here now.

We'll take him down together.

You're the Marquis's

top aide now.

Do you have

a plan to make a move?

Actually, before you two, someone else

tried to make me kill the Marquis.

I was about to take the risk,

but then you captured me.

So that's the person you said threatened you?

Who could it be?

I'm not sure yet.

But

it doesn't matter anymore.

I'm going to kill the Marquis anyway.

Earlier, you mentioned

there was something crucial.

What is it?

The Marquis of Pingjin

killed so many people in our family

because he was after something

my father brought back

from Dongxia.

But he never found it.

Father must have

hidden it away beforehand.

But I can't figure out

where he could've hidden it.

He hid something?

Where could it be?

Didn't you just say

that when my father

returned from Dongxia,

he came from the southwest?

Normally,

he should've come from the northeast.

If he came from the southwest,

he must've taken a big detour.

Do you think he

took that route

to hide the thing?

When we were little,

didn't he often take us

to the mountains over there for lessons?

But I

only remember a few mountains in that area.

Where do you think

he could've hidden it?

It must be somewhere hard to find.

The Tomb of Liu Xian.

Before going to Dongxia,

he took me to that tomb once.

Right.

What better place

to hide it

than there?

♪Conceal the ambition in my eyes♪

♪In my palm, I hold a dangerous desire♪

♪Turbulent waves hidden in my sleeves♪

♪Silent thunder echoes around♪

♪However cunning you are♪

♪I can see♪

♪Right through you♪

♪Schemes are my armor♪

♪Overt plans are my weapons♪

♪With restrained fury♪

♪I purge the world's corruption♪

♪The night is not dark♪

♪Because♪

♪My heart burns bright♪

♪I control the shifting clouds♪

♪I command the falling rain♪

♪The compass of the human soul is unpredictable♪

♪There will always be ups and downs♪

♪I hold the power of life and death♪

♪I grant and I take away♪

♪When faith burns like the scorching sun♪

♪I will sing aloud with you♪

♪I am the sowing season♪

♪I am the autumn harvest♪

♪I am the world♪

♪I am the people♪

♪And you are also me♪