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 26=

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?

Why are you asking me?

Is it because you feel

something is not right

but can't quite tell what?

Last time she came to Yujun,

she had a falling-out with you over Ci.

So keeping her here

is indeed not right.

But she is the one

your brother entrusted you to care for.

If you turn her away,

you won't feel right about it.

Shall I find her

another place to stay?

No need for that.

Just have her stay at the post house.

Alright, I'll go to work.

Why do you want to let Lady Yulou stay, My Lady?

Perhaps I feel the same as His Lordship

that something isn't right,

but I can't quite tell what is it.

Ehuang.

I drew out a maid from the Wei Mansion

and, with a hint of flirtation, got her to open up.

Outwardly, the Lord of Wei accepted Lady Qiao,

but they never consummated the marriage.

Really?

They say

it's a mourning for Qiao Gui.

Wei Shao?

Mourning for Qiao Gui?

Few men can resist beauty.

That so-called mourning

is just for show.

If they got married

but never consummated it,

maybe they don't love each other.

I've found a few fine books.

Go invite the Lord of Wei

for a word.

Yes, Ehuang.

Lord of Wei.

Lady Yulou, you called me here so late at night.

May I ask the reason?

I heard you've been troubled

by the Yongning Canal.

I thought,

perhaps I could help in some way.

How can you help, Lady Yulou?

At the Deer Hunt,

you promised

to provide 100,000 elite troops to help dig the canal.

I know you're righteous,

but I admire

Her Ladyship even more.

I heard she, too, made great

contributions to the canal.

So I thought

maybe I could help, in my own way.

These past few days,

I've spent quite a bit of money

to have people find some ancient texts

on advanced

water management.

I thought Lady Qiao

might find them useful.

Perhaps I've read them so often

that they carry my scent.

I've even added my notes.

Thank you, Lady Yulou.

I only skimmed through them.

I still can't quite understand

some parts.

"Book of Canals", for example,

covers the history of hydrology.

Many river names

are hard to recognize.

The annotations are complex,

not something learned in a day.

How about this?

I'll take it back

and study it with Her Ladyship.

Thank you, Lady Yulou.

My Lord.

Where is Her Ladyship?

My Lord,

Her Ladyship went to freshen up.

She'll be right back.

Put this away.

Yes.

You're back, My Lord.

What's this?

Texts on water management,

from Lady Yulou.

Hope you'll find them useful.

(Geography Book)

My Lady, Master Zhenshi requests to see you outside.

Didn't he go to Yunzhong

to see the Moya Inscriptions?

He's back so soon?

I went to view

the Moya Inscriptions in Yunzhong

at the arrangement of the Lord of Wei.

Please, My Lady.

I've brought you

a small gift.

I hope you'll like it

and not mind,

My Lady.

Here.

(Poetic Exposition of Dongdu)

You even made a rubbing

of the Moya Inscriptions!

My Lady, I know

you love the inscriptions.

The mountain path is treacherous,

so I could only

make this rubbing

and present it to you.

But this rubbing

(Poetic Exposition of Dongdu) can't

to witnessing them with your own eyes.

This is wonderful.

That's very kind of you.

If I get the chance,

I'll go see it for myself.

Great.

I'd be honored

to accompany you personally

as your guide.

My Lord,

Master Zhenshi has arrived in Yujun.

He returned

quite soon, huh?

By the way,

don't tell Her Ladyship any of this.

She already knows.

Master Zhenshi invited Her Ladyship out

as soon as he arrived in Yujun.

He even brought her rubbing of Moya Inscriptions

and suggested they go to view the inscriptions

to Yunzhong together.

It just hit me.

Bandits are causing trouble in Yunzhong.

We need to deal with it.

So,

I'll have you

take care of both of them.

Bandits in Yunzhong? Already?

Absolutely.

(Wei Mansion)

My Lady.

What is it? Why such haste?

You'd better go take a look.

His Lordship had someone

bring an item back from somewhere.

He insists you come take a look.

My Lord?

What is this?

Exactly,

it's the Moya Inscriptions.

You like it, don't you?

I brought the whole slab back.

Go on, have a look.

- This is... - Exactly,

it's the Poetic Exposition of Dongdu,

the one you've talked about.

"Keep the lands within at peace,

and maintain harmony with...

(The Barbarians)

the barbarians."

I know you mean well,

but the inscriptions...

Don't you like it?

It's a cultural atrocity!

It's a cultural...

A cultural atrocity...

It's a cultural atrocity!

- Why is he here? - It's a cultural atrocity!

It's a cultural atrocity!

Lord of Wei, you're being reckless!

What are you doing here?

This is

an ancient precious relic.

How can you just destroy it?

Destroy it?

I brought it back

to keep others from destroying it.

These inscriptions were

part of a greater whole.

Once damaged, they're nearly

impossible to restore.

I only brought one piece.

A complete slab!

What is this?

Tell me, what is this?

Yunzhong is far.

It was a long journey.

I didn't damage it on purpose.

Besides, here in Yujun,

we have many skilled craftsmen.

I'll just have them fix it.

This piece was inscribed

by a famed scholar

from a former dynasty.

The brushwork

and energy in the strokes are extremely refined.

Ordinary craftsmen

can't restore that.

You are absolutely right, Master Zhenshi.

How about this?

Please restore

the inscriptions yourself.

You possess deep knowledge of inscriptions

and fully understand the Moya Inscriptions in Yunzhong.

Only if you restore it

can future generations

truly appreciate this remarkable work.

If it's not too much trouble,

I humbly ask you to take on this task.

My Lady,

your wisdom is admirable.

How generous of you!

Even...

Even men

feel ashamed in your presence.

In that case,

I'll accept this task

and do my utmost.

No, you don't have to...

I appreciate it, Master Zhenshi.

But restoring the inscriptions

will take time.

I may need to stay longer.

Stay longer?

Please stay as long as you need.

I'll personally bring you your meals every day.

No, you really don't have to...

Much obliged, My Lady.

Thanks, Master Zhenshi.

Actually, there's no need.

We have experts here...

Wait...

I don't need him. I can...

Zhonglin?

Sit and have a drink with me.

Something is bothering you, isn't it?

Would I come to you

if I wasn't?

It's all because of Gao Heng.

He suddenly came back

and wants to stay longer here in Yujun.

I'm pissed off here. Why are you laughing?

I told you earlier,

if you truly like Lady Qiao,

you should be honest with her.

- Otherwise, you... - Yan,

I...

I've confessed to her.

We both feel the same.

I just haven't told you yet.

Well, that's great.

You should be happy,

but why do you look...

Yes, it is great.

But...

Even though she knows how I feel about her,

she's still so close to Gao Heng.

Gao Heng has no boundaries, always

hanging around with her.

It really annoys me.

There's always some outsider

who doesn't know when to back off in matters of the heart.

Gao Heng isn't that bad.

He just admires

Her Ladyship's talent.

But what if

someone tries

to force their way in?

What would you do?

Who would dare?

I heard

Lady Yulou confessed to you.

You fell for her,

so you want her to stay in Yujun.

Who told you that nonsense?

I'm only helping her for my brother's sake.

- No way I'd... - There are plenty of ways to help.

Sending her home

and visiting her during the holidays is one way.

Keeping her in Yujun

and treating her like family,

that's another.

Or

marrying her for your brother's sake

is also a way.

Are you serious?

I'm just helping her

for my brother's sake.

There's nothing going on between us.

I invited you here to have a drink,

but now I'm even more annoyed.

Zhonglin, calm down.

I'll take care of

Gao Heng.

True.

Some feelings just need

to be cut off

if they're not right.

I'm the one in a bad mood.

Why are you sighing over there?

I heard

you plan to stay longer in Yujun.

Once I finish restoring the inscriptions,

I'll take my leave.

The Central Plains

is such a vast and rich land.

If I don't go see

those amazing sights,

would I really want to spend

my whole life stuck in Yujun?

Clear and bright, this winding brook;

Deep and still, the southern peak.

Like bamboo, lush and green;

Like pine, broad and strong.

For a true gentleman,

there's no need to see each other all the time.

It's so late.

What are you doing out here?

I'm waiting for you, My Lord.

Why bother waiting for me?

You're a tall and upright man.

Why are you acting so petty?

How am I being petty?

Any man in the land,

seeing the woman he loves

happily chatting with another man,

I doubt many could stay as calm as I have.

I love you, darling,

because we are kindred spirits.

We speak our minds, act as one,

and stay truly open with each other.

In this life, you are my only

true confidant, My Lord.

So,

I'm your confidant.

What does Gao Heng mean to you?

Master Gao Heng is a man of great talent.

His name is known throughout the Central Plains.

If someone like him serves Wei,

it would boost your reputation

as well.

So, by that logic,

you're doing all this for me?

But now, I suddenly realize

I was wrong before.

Wrong? How so?

You value me,

so you don't want me getting too close to others.

Even if it's just about art

and official matters,

crossing the line

would still pain you deeply.

It's not quite as painful as you make it sound.

I was careless before.

But now,

I just need to

find a way

to send Master Gao Heng away.

Can you bear to part with the rubbing

and his travel tales?

I treated Master Gao with courtesy for your sake.

If it makes you unhappy,

wouldn't that defeat the purpose?

Since you said it's for official matters,

if I keep fussing about it,

wouldn't that just make me look petty?

I...

I don't mind that much.

If you keep holding things in

whether it's for pride or for duty,

bottling up all

your jealousy and frustration,

then over time,

we'll stop

speaking our minds, acting as one,

and staying truly open

with each other.

Even if you say you don't mind,

I should be more thoughtful

and careful.

Alright, let's do as you say.

♪We meet and part in the fires of war♪

♪Embracing, leaving tender marks of love♪

♪With one breathtaking glance♪

♪How could I ever forget♪

Look at the moon.

It's rounder than your face.

♪To spend time with you♪

♪When we grow old♪

♪Nothing will change♪

♪The misty rains never cease♪

♪Falling gently on your brow♪

Suddenly, I crave mooncakes.

♪I would sever fate's ties♪

♪To protect your smiling eyes♪

♪Even if behind me lies a storm♪

♪No matter the trials♪

(Geography Book)

♪This life♪

♪Will not be in vain♪

My Lord, Lady Yulou requests your presence.

So late? What for?

Lady Yulou said she found

more texts on water management.

It's urgent, so she had

no choice but to call you now.

There are plenty of ways to help.

Sending her home

and visiting her during the holidays is one way.

Keeping her in Yujun

and treating her like family,

that's another.

Or marrying her

for your brother's sake

is also a way.

Go tell her

I'll meet her tomorrow.

Also,

help me prepare a few things.

Yes.

(Virtuous Words)

Zhonglin, no need to be so formal.

I just found a few more ancient texts

and invited you to review them.

I brought

these as a small gift in return.

Take a look. Do you like them?

There's no need for such formality between us.

Speaking of which,

Brother asked me to look after you before he died.

But Wei affairs have kept me too busy

to be thorough.

So, I think

it's best to send you back to Wushan.

Let your family care for you.

That would be better.

Zhonglin, you're...

sending me away?

I know you have your concerns,

afraid of having no one to rely on.

That's why

I've prepared these gifts for you to take home,

as a gesture of

Wei State's respect.

On every festival,

we'll continue to send gifts

to show our regard

and ensure

no one dares mistreat you.

I was wrong.

When I came seeking protection,

I believed our childhood bond

still meant something.

But how long can that really last?

The Su Clan is convinced I carry an empress's fate,

that I'll lead Su Clan in Wushan State to rise again.

Lord of Wei, your careful plans

still pales in comparison to the allure of Liangya's royal power.

My clan will surely cast me aside.

Everyone says

the Lord of Liangya is refined

and powerful. He'd be a perfect match.

But Zhonglin, do you know

why I refuse to marry him?

Because he knows of my bond with the Wei Clan.

He would surely use my status and family

to strike at Wei State.

I understand your struggle.

After the Deer Hunt,

you outshone every rival.

Now, Wei is standing at the center of the storm.

People like Liu Yan,

jealous of

your potential to lead the Central Plains,

will stop at nothing to block your path

and set themselves against you.

If I can't escape

marrying the Lord of Liangya,

then

I'm willing to offer myself

as your eyes and ears

to aid Wei State

in its rise to greatness.

It'll be my way

to repay the kindness

the Wei Clan has shown me.

That won't be necessary.

Since I'm sending you back to Wushan State,

I'll announce it to the realm.

If anyone

dares trouble you,

they'll be my enemy.

My lady!

Her headache flared up. She must be heartbroken.

Lord of Wei, please come another day.

Her headache?

When you were young, after your family's misfortune,

Lady Yulou stayed up for days

taking care of you.

That's how her condition started.

Then, please take

good care of yourself.

(Poetic Exposition of Dongdu)

(Poetic Exposition of Dongdu)

Lord of Wei, I'm glad you're here.

After so many days,

I've finally fulfilled my duty

and restored it!

Please put it back

where it belongs.

Because only in

the towering mountains

in Yunzhong

can it display

its true grandeur!

Of course, I know that.

No need to remind me.

Just wanted to see if you're done.

Now,

you finally don't have to stay in Yujun.

Are you talking about

the stone slab,

or

me?

Of course

I'm talking about the stone.

But

your style name is Zhenshi.

What a refined name.

So,

I'd say you should be

like this stone slab

and embrace a reclusive life in nature.

Master Zhenshi.

Have you ever trained in martial arts?

Never trained.

I can't even hurt a fly.

Really? Not even a fly?

That's true.

I've never trained in martial arts.

What is it?

My Lord,

someone wants to see you.

Have him wait a moment.

Two hundred and one!

Hurry, get up.

Let me do two more.

- Two hundred and... - Get up.

And...

Master Zhenshi,

what brings you here?

I plan to personally return

the inscriptions to Yunzhong

to avoid any mishaps.

If you're going...

I can rest easy.

I appreciate it, Master Zhenshi.

May I ask one more thing?

When will you

come back?

I don't think I'll be back.

I love traveling.

If not for the damaged inscriptions,

I would've left long ago.

That's really...

a pity.

How about this?

Tomorrow,

I'll see you off at the city gates.

Thank you,

Lord of Wei.

Thank you.

Lord of Wei,

I actually know

a few techniques for lifting heavy things.

I can share it with you.

Broaden your shoulders a bit.

That might help.

There's one move

that could work.

Come.

Ready?

Do a lateral raise.

Go on, lift it up.

Here, elbow like this.

You have grasped the essence.

Let's go back to

the move you did just now.

Please, have a seat.

Rest your elbow

on your knee,

so you won't use extra force.

Now, lift it up!

Very good.

Master Zhenshi, you...

You've never trained martial arts, have you?

No, I haven't.

I can't even hurt a fly.

But how can you...

Do you have any plans

for your journey, Master Zhenshi?

No specific plans.

I just want to

explore the many wonders

of the Central Plains.

But there is one place I must visit.

Yongning Canal.

Why do you want to visit Yongning Canal?

Master Zhenshi?

This land

has long suffered from flooding.

Lord of Wei,

your work will bless the people

for generations.

I am

deeply grateful.

You don't blame me for damaging the Moya Inscriptions.

And for that, I'm already grateful.

In this carriage,

I've prepared some books

and a few valuables.

I hope you will accept them.

Thank you.

I've heard your name for a long time, Mr. Gao.

I was unwell a few days ago,

so I couldn't visit you.

Today, I came to see you off

with a small gift.

Please accept it, Mr. Gao.

You flatter me.

It's nothing compared to how thoughtful Zhonglin is.

I'm not being that thoughtful.

These were

prepared by Her Ladyship.

Well then, it's time for me to set out.

Everyone,

farewell.

Farewell.

- Farewell. - Farewell.

Lady Yulou,

Yan,

Her Ladyship and I shall take our leave.

That's interesting.

What's wrong?

I can't find my handkerchief.

Did you see it, My Lord?

Weren't you holding it just now?

Yeah, I was.

Nowhere to be found.

Alright,

it's okay.

It's just a handkerchief.

I'll buy you new ones.

Stop it.

(Government Office)

Liangya State controls the water source.

They won't give it up easily.

That's a major geographical advantage.

My Lord, they still refuse to allow the canal work.

Do we have to change the route?

That would be a huge undertaking,

possibly double the workload.

My Lord,

with our current strength,

I'm afraid we can't bear it.

Why not join forces with Bianzhou?

They're wealthy.

If we can reach an agreement,

it could halve the effort.

Now you're giving advice too?

Bianzhou?

That's our enemy.

A big one.

What do you suggest we do?

♪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♪