Original subtitles

♪If not for you♪

♪I wouldn't have wanted to make a name for myself♪

♪Only when I have your love♪

♪Is my invincibility not in vain♪

♪The towering peaks I've conquered♪

♪Leave me♪

♪Feeling empty♪

♪I've given everything♪

♪Just to follow you♪

♪Through life and death♪

♪Could it be that love♪

♪Is the true end of this life♪

♪Why does every battle♪

♪Bring deeper pain♪

♪I never got it♪

♪You once promised me♪

♪You'd give me ordinary days♪

♪Then I'd rather♪

♪Face blades and fall♪

♪Into your arms instead of the clouds♪

♪I'll pass through layers of fog♪

♪And barriers♪

♪The world's rights and wrongs, wins and losses♪

♪Who's to weigh their worth♪

♪Only love♪

♪Gives me a sky as wide as the sea♪

♪I only want to be your hero♪

=The Prisoner of Beauty=

=Episode 25=

(Qiao Ci, Yanzhou)

(Qiao Ci, Yanzhou; Su Zixin, Wushan State)

He's good.

Young Master Ci's weapon isn't quite handy.

Stop.

If he hadn't lost the spearhead,

then Su Zixin

might not have gotten close.

It's just a match.

Su Zixin struck fiercely

with no regard for honor.

Victory or defeat happens in an instant.

Su Zixin is truly bold.

In a duel in the arena,

what matters is fairness and justice.

Since the weapon we prepared isn't good,

change it to one that suits you

and fight again.

- Wei Xiao. - Yes.

Bring me

- my treasured spear. - Yes.

Latest report:

Qiao Ci from Yanzhou

lost his spearhead

and was wounded.

Wounded? Then...

- Brave choice. - Why?

Isn't he best at using the spear?

How could he get hurt?

What to do?

Don't worry.

The match isn't over yet.

Let's wait and see.

Bogong's spear...

You're our family's hope.

Take the spear.

(Peace and Prosperity)

Ci, be careful.

Don't worry.

This time, I'm well prepared.

He'll have to admit defeat.

Rest assured.

Good for Qiao Ci.

Watch out!

Is it over?

Yes.

What's the result?

He won!

Yanzhou won!

Yanzhou won!

That's great!

Who just said Yanzhou couldn't win?

Pay up.

You lost.

Don't look down on Young Master Ci.

- It's all yours. - Wow, we won so much.

Exactly. What a poor judgment.

Duang, your judgment was spot on,

betting on Young Master Ci.

It wasn't me.

The Lord had his eye on him long ago.

He's the one with vision.

No wonder.

The Lord has a good eye too.

- Let's go. - Let's go.

We'll bet again next time.

The warrior from Yanzhou has won.

Good!

- Good! - Well done!

- Mr. Qiao. - Excellent!

- Good! - Well done!

- That was brilliant! - How impressive!

Young Master Ci is impressive!

In a duel,

no malicious moves are allowed.

Su Zixin,

you tried to harm your rival with a hidden weapon.

Is this the kind of conduct

taught in Wushan?

Su Zixin

tried malicious means.

His qualification for further matches is revoked.

My Lord,

weapons are blind.

In the arena, one must go all out.

I simply didn't expect that using hidden weapons

was against the rules.

I thought it was okay

but never thought

I'd end up hurting Young Master Ci.

Ehuang.

My Lord,

I failed in teaching him.

Zixin was

too eager to win

and lost his composure on stage.

But he had no intent to cause harm.

Please

don't blame him.

Sparring comes with bumps and bruises,

but I've fought many battles.

Whether it was intentional or not,

I can tell.

Su Zixin is crooked.

Lady Yulou, if you don't keep him in check,

he'll only drag you down.

Wushan hasn't joined the Deer Hunt for years.

Even if you return without success,

I believe your family

won't blame you.

My Lord,

actually, I haven't told you

the whole reason why I came.

My brother acted poorly.

Sorry about that.

But we came to this event

not to seek glory

for Wushan.

(Xue Tai, Juejun)

I was once the Lady of Bianzhou.

After my husband passed,

the new lord of Bianzhou

couldn't tolerate his old subordinates,

forcing Xue Tai

to go independent.

Xue Tai has indeed rebelled.

It's not that Chen Pang couldn't tolerate Xue Tai.

He just couldn't suppress him.

Besides Juejun,

he's seized quite a few territories too.

Yes.

He alone controls Juejun,

commanding 50,000 elite troops.

This time,

I came to find him a new master.

I believe General Xue

will achieve great things.

So, Lady Yulou

has powerful support behind her.

Xue Tai follows Lady Yulou.

(Xue Tai, Juejun) If someone marries Lady Yulou,

wouldn't they get Xue Tai's troops

as a dowry?

Exactly.

My Lord,

I didn't mean to hide it from you.

However,

as the Lady of Bianzhou,

I have duties to fulfill.

General Xue

is loyal and steadfast.

I can't abandon him.

Yes.

What happened today

is my fault alone.

My Lord, please don't blame my sister.

Whom you befriend

is entirely up to you, Lady Yulou.

I don't care.

A few days later,

I'll be hosting a feast for the lords.

Send off the invitations for me.

Be sure to send one

to Lady Yulou too.

Understood.

Does it still hurt?

My Lord. Mr. Wei.

Why are you here?

Aren't you supposed to be preparing for the feast?

Well,

Yan was worried about Qiao Ci,

so I brought him to check on him.

Yes, I'm concerned about Ci.

And I'm the only one who is.

It's just a cut.

Not serious.

You bled so much and still say it's not serious?

Today's match was exhilarating.

That spear was perfect.

I could've gone

a few more rounds.

You need to be more steady.

Still, Qiao Ci's martial skills are excellent.

Not many in Wei

can handle a spear like him.

Zhonglin, do you think

I should learn from Ci?

I think that would be wise.

Really?

However,

now that you've won

the Combat Champion,

you don't need to overexert yourself

at the hunt,

lest your sister worry.

Also, at the feast in a few days,

you'll represent Yanzhou.

Mind your words and actions.

Understood?

Yes, My Lord.

My Lord, Mr. Wei,

I'll take care of him.

Don't worry.

Sure.

Rest well.

At the drill ground today,

the Lord even spoke up for me.

Looks like he cares about me.

The Lord has a cold face

but a warm heart.

Your heart is full of him.

I just said something nice about him,

and you're beaming.

I'm not defending him,

but the spear you used today

belonged to his brother.

Wei Yan?

His late brother,

Wei Bao.

Really?

They say this spear

is an extraordinary and rare weapon.

I don't know how good the craftsmanship is,

but the fact

that the Lord

was willing to lend you

his late brother's weapon

shows how much he values you.

You've won the Combat Champion today.

Don't get pompous.

Stay diligent every day.

Also,

don't forget what I told you

about the feast.

It seems there's no doubt about the Hunt Champion winner now.

With so much talent,

Liangya has really risen lately.

Today's selection of the Combat Champion

and Hunt Champion

is truly satisfying.

Why not take this chance

to pick

a Top Belle as well?

Speaking of the top flower,

none surpass the peony.

Chen Pang was quite lucky.

No wonder he built the Yulou Pavilion.

With a belle by his side

and beautiful singing every night,

how fortunate he was.

Indeed.

Lady Yulou is beautiful;

the Lady of Wei is stunning.

If we're choosing beauties,

let's not be biased.

The Lord of Wei is here.

My Lord. My Lady.

Everyone, please take a seat.

Thank you, My Lord.

You should do this.

Governors,

today, the Lord of Wei

not only invites you to a feast

but also has prepared gifts for all.

Everyone,

please come here.

Let's go and have a look.

This...

(Rongjun)

Is this

the map of the world?

Well...

Look here.

This is the canal

newly built in Wei.

(Panyi) From Panyi to Rongjun,

it channels water along the route.

(Rongjun) It brings water to the dry lands

and opens up trade routes among three cities,

so more goods are able to circulate.

It's a triple-win solution.

What a major achievement.

It's truly great.

So, the Lord of Wei is just

holding this feast to show off?

Not quite.

It's about discussing how to share

the water source

with all of you.

What do you mean?

Wei has benefited

from the canal,

but I don't wish to keep them to myself.

That's why I host the Deer Hunt

and serve food and wine

to let everyone know:

Only with favorable weather

can we have peace and prosperity.

So, you mean

we should also build canals?

Indeed.

I hope to extend the Yongning Canal in all directions,

connecting every river

across the Central Plains.

In this way,

we can solve the drought problem

and ease the suffering of our people.

Most of the wars in the Central Plains

have been over water.

The people suffer terribly.

When I went to Panyi

to inspect the Yongning Canal,

I saw the refugees with my own eyes

in rags,

living in the open.

If we in power

only chase pleasure and power

instead of trying

to ease people's pain,

we'll surely

face the consequences one day.

You're right.

The people in Yenzhou have been

suffering from drought for years.

I've long wanted

to learn from Wei.

I'm on board if you can keep your word

and divert water to Yaozhou.

It does sound

feasible.

Indeed.

Lord of Liangya,

what do you think?

I do not agree.

Why not?

You only want to use the canal

to control our armies.

Why should I accept that?

To show good faith,

I will dispatch troops

to help with canal construction.

Since you're sending troops for the canal,

may I ask what your real purpose is,

the troops or the canal?

That's right.

Once the canal is complete,

troops from other states

will be able to reach

our heartlands by water.

How will we

defend ourselves then?

- Right? - Yeah.

He's got a point.

There's something more to discuss.

Yes, yes.

You're overthinking it.

The benefit of the canal

is not only easier travel

but better livelihoods and peace.

Ten years ago, Yanzhou relied solely on the weather.

Harvests depended

on luck.

When my grandfather wanted to build the canal,

the people were against it.

He went around persuading them

and even dug the canal himself.

Only after the first canal was built

did the people begin to understand.

Thanks to the newly rebuilt Yongning Canal by the Lord of Wei,

trade between Yanzhou and Wei

has been flourishing.

Yanzhou is now much more prosperous.

That's the true value of the canal.

Tell me, My Lady,

are you speaking

for Wei or Yanzhou?

I am both a Wei

and a Qiao.

My Lady, since you're married,

of course, you're speaking for the Wei Clan.

Don't you agree?

Yes.

Certainly.

Then may I speak for Yanzhou?

- You? - He...

Young Master Ci may be young,

but he's the future Governor of Yanzhou.

He can represent Yanzhou.

Yenzhou lacks water.

For the past three years, things have been worse.

The rivers have dried up.

Crops have withered.

As far as I know,

tens of thousands

are displaced by hunger every year.

Why won't Yenzhou build canals?

Taozhou is low-lying

and plagued by floods.

It's known as the State of Floods.

During disasters,

the people beg for food elsewhere

only to return when the floods pass.

Even so, they won't abandon their homes.

Sir,

how can you turn a blind eye to this?

The people in Zhongzhou are hardworking.

They produce silk and fruit in abundance.

But rough terrain

blocks trade routes.

Goods must be carried over mountains

through human labor.

Many lives are lost each year

because of this.

In such a circumstance,

why do you refuse to build the canals?

You...

Fourteen years ago,

the Qiaos and Weis

became bitter enemies.

The Lord of Wei once swore

to wipe out the Qiao Clan.

Yet he married my sister.

Why?

Because he knows

his people have suffered

from water disasters for too long.

To build the canal,

he's willing to set aside hatred.

With such vision and magnanimity,

what are you afraid of?

Right.

Well said, Young Master Ci.

Yenzhou agrees

to build the canal.

We have plenty of people in Zhongzhou.

Maybe we can contribute labor.

Yaozhou can provide funding.

Taozhou

agrees as well.

The Lord of Wei went to great lengths to host this event

and even sent a brother-in-law to persuade us.

He just wants to bring the states

under his rule.

It's fine if the rest of you yield,

but I won't.

Today, I'll swear

that as long as I hold power,

I'll never become one's subordinate.

The Lord of Wei isn't doing this

for his own gain.

I'll write to Xue Tai

and persuade him

to help.

Thank you all

for your trust in me.

To show my sincerity

and speed up the canal project,

I will dispatch 100,000 elite soldiers

and over a dozen waterworks supervisors

to assist with your canal construction.

You're truly magnanimous.

We are willing to help Wei

in this endeavor.

Thank you, everyone.

- You're too kind. - Don't mention it.

Goodbye.

Ci.

My Lord.

Thank you for today.

I was too harsh on you before.

Please don't take it to heart.

But you treat my sister well.

I also had some prejudice against you before.

Later, I realized it was a misunderstanding.

You nearly fell off a cliff

to save my sister in Rongjun.

That's what I should do for her.

You even fought off hundreds

of refugees alone to rescue her.

It wasn't that dramatic.

You refused to take concubines

for her

and even quarreled with your own kin.

You sent away all your mistresses

just to make her happy.

Did she tell you all that?

In this world,

besides me and Father,

no one else would go that far.

She's really gone all out

praising me.

However,

seeing you stand on your own today,

I believe

she's very proud.

Actually,

I was afraid she'd scold me.

She spent hours yesterday

telling me about each state's situation

for the speech today.

I was worried I'd misidentify someone and make a scene.

Luckily, I bluffed my way through.

She told you what to say?

I should have guessed.

Still, you did great.

(Government Office)

What brings you here?

Is there no more work at the office?

It's all handled.

Ci told me everything.

I just want to ask you:

How did you come up with all that

to compliment me?

Ci's still a kid.

He misunderstood you before.

I just wanted to comfort him.

Please don't blame me

for making things up.

How could I?

You've had a hard time.

I promised to help you build the canal.

It's what I should do.

So,

you only did all that

because you promised me?

No other reason?

I have to fulfill

my promise to you.

You once told me this.

You said

that not every Qiao

is scheming

or calculating.

I didn't believe you then.

But now I do.

I was narrow-minded before.

Please don't blame me.

When we were just married,

we both had hidden motives.

I don't know when it started,

but I no longer want to hide things from you

or lie to you.

I want sincerity between us.

Because

of one Letter of Marriage,

we went from strangers to family.

Now, I have a question:

Do you want to become my true wife?

(Government Office)

After so much we've gone through,

am I not your true wife to you?

(The Lord of Liangya will hold a banquet.)

(Please grace us with your presence.)

Ehuang.

I found out something.

Liu Yan killed his father

and brother to become the Lord of Liangya.

Good for him.

Ehuang,

if you plan to remarry,

shouldn't you pick someone with a better chance of winning?

Judging by today's feast,

I think the Lord of Wei

seems quite respected.

He might be the one to unify the Central Plains.

But he already has a wife,

and he's hard to control.

Now that the Deer Hunt is over,

all the powers will start to leave.

I have no reason to stay.

You mean

you're going after the Lord of Liangya?

Spread the truth

about Liu Yan.

This...

Well...

One's mind is the hardest

and easiest to control.

As long as you understand

what a person truly wants

and what they're thinking,

you can control them

like controlling

a puppet.

Have the invitations all been sent?

Why hasn't anyone shown up?

Everything was fine before.

However,

everyone suddenly knows about what you did

in Liangya overnight.

I told you.

You were the rightful heir.

- Why... - It's just an excuse.

They're avoiding my invitation

because I've fallen out with Wei Shao.

They're all afraid to take a side.

My Lord,

Yenzhou sent word

that the governor got drunk

and can't attend the banquet.

- Leave. - Yes.

My Lord, the Governor of Yaozhou suddenly fell ill.

The Governor of Zhongzhou was occupied.

Neither of them can make it.

Is Lady Yulou not coming either?

Please don't misunderstand my sister.

She couldn't bear to see you drink alone

and came to attend.

I heard you

were raised by others

and grew up in Yanzhou.

So what?

I am similar to you.

I grew up

in Yujun.

People like us,

unloved by our families,

are given away like pawns

from a young age.

We are never favored by fate.

I came today

to comfort you.

You did no wrong

by killing your father and brother.

They used you and discarded you

when you were no longer useful.

You tried to please them but failed.

You lived in constant fear

of being replaced.

The pain you feel

is something few can understand.

Yet you can?

I was born in Wushan.

I'm from the declining Su Clan.

Since childhood,

they said my forehead birthmark

looked like a peony,

symbolizing the rare empress's fate.

All these years,

I have taken it upon myself

to help revive the Su Clan,

carefully managing my marriage prospects.

Until one year,

I suddenly discovered

they had another girl

with seven moles on her palm.

They said that was

a once-in-a-thousand-year fate.

At that moment, I realized

I was just a pawn to them,

which was replaceable

when no longer useful.

What became of that girl?

She was disfigured.

You did not come only

to confide in me, right?

I have wandered all my life

and used to people

coveting my beauty

and fate.

Right now,

I just want to find a like-minded partner

to discuss the great cause with.

Have you been to Liangya?

Not yet.

Liangya is beautiful this time of year.

After the Deer Hunt,

I can take you there

to enjoy the scenery.

Thank you, My Lord.

Liangya is not the only place

with beautiful scenery in the world.

It's late now.

I will take my leave.

I have no intention of relying on Liangya.

I only wish

to form a good bond with you.

In the future,

if I need help,

I hope you will assist.

My Lord,

Lady Yulou

just wants to plant that flower on her head

in good soil.

Don't be fooled by her.

I know well

she is just pretending.

Then why are you

so melancholic?

She reminds me of someone.

Lady Qiao.

These days,

you've been reunited with old friends.

That'd certainly remind you of the past.

Just now,

I suddenly understood

why she abandoned me

in Panyi that day.

Lady Qiao was born

in the Qiao Clan,

raised in luxury,

and loved by her grandfather and uncle.

Lady Ding treats her like her own daughter.

Besides,

she has siblings like Daqiao and Qiao Ci.

If I were her,

I'd sacrifice

for a family like that too.

I'd also swear

to protect all the people.

However, I had

no maternal family protection

and was bullied by a wicked woman.

As Lady Yulou said,

people like us

only deserve to live like tools.

We're always living in fear.

One misstep

can lead to being scorned

and rejected.

Lady Qiao is high above.

We're fated on separate paths.

It's not that I see others as ants

but that I was born

like an ant.

Lady Yulou is the same.

(Virtuous Words)

The Lord of Liangya asked me to send this.

Did he say anything?

The Lord said

he'd depart from Yujun tomorrow.

With this pearl as a token,

he'd like to invite you

to visit Liangya in the future.

Thanks to the Lord of Liangya.

I'll take my leave.

Put it away.

Yes.

You must be careful on the way.

If only I hadn't let Yulu return to Kangjun first.

Then he'd be there to look after you.

I came alone,

and I will

leave alone.

Enough.

Without me by your side,

you must work hard every day.

Tell Father that I'm fine.

Tell him not to worry.

Also,

when you pass by Boya on your way back,

make sure to send some supplies to Cousin.

It's no better than Yujun or Kangjun.

Cousin's life must be hard.

Noted.

My Lord,

I'm entrusting my sister to you.

If I ever find out

you don't treat her well,

I will seek justice

for her myself.

Mr. Wei.

Let's drink together another day.

Drinking is fine,

but you can't go to places

like Luozhong Tavern anymore.

Understood?

Do you want to know

whose horse is faster,

Qiao Ci's or mine?

Let's go.

Hyah!

My Lord,

Lady Yulou wants to see you.

Is she leaving?

Lady Yulou said

she couldn't leave for now

and begged for your protection.

This is my fault.

I forgot that a jade is a crime in itself.

At the Deer Hunt,

I revealed what I have.

Both the Lord of Liangya and the Governor of Taozhou

want to force me into marriage now.

For now,

I don't even dare return to my family.

That worthless family of mine

would surely push me out.

Back then,

I was forced to marry Chen Xiang.

It was the same situation.

I was too young then

to decide for myself.

But now,

I no longer wish

to be a puppet used for gain.

For the sake of Bogong,

Zhonglin,

may I stay in Yujun for a while

to hide away?

♪The moonlight is as silent as the deep sea♪

♪From afar♪

♪It once lit up dreams with a breath♪

♪But vanished with a sigh♪

♪Brushing past my fingertips♪

♪My heartstrings were stirred quietly♪

♪As if we once met before♪

♪Holding back a love so deep♪

♪Love asks for nothing in the end♪

♪Leaving only obsessions♪

♪I've wandered in the world♪

♪Yet cannot have it all♪

♪We meet and part in the fires of war♪

♪Embracing, leaving tender marks of love♪

♪With one breathtaking glance♪

♪How could I ever forget♪

♪I would cross mountains and seas♪

♪To spend time with you♪

♪When we grow old♪

♪Nothing will change♪

♪The misty rains never cease♪

♪Falling gently on your brow♪

♪Lingering in my heart♪

♪I would sever fate's ties♪

♪To protect your smiling eyes♪

♪Even if behind me lies a storm♪

♪No matter the trials♪

♪I carry this longing for the journey♪

♪This life♪

♪Will not be in vain♪

♪I would cross mountains and seas♪

♪To spend time with you♪

♪When we grow old♪

♪Nothing will change♪

♪The misty rains never cease♪

♪Falling gently on your brow♪

♪Lingering in my heart♪

♪I would sever fate's ties♪

♪To protect your smiling eyes♪

♪Even if behind me lies a storm♪

♪No matter the trials♪

♪I carry this longing for the journey♪

♪This life♪

♪Will not be in vain♪