Original subtitles

[Shadow Love]

[Episode 33]

Prince Annan.

Have someone prepare a meat dish

and send it over quickly.

Yes.

Have you kept…

your promises to me?

In my prison camp,

even without you asking,

food and medicine

are well provided.

As for the 2 innocent soldiers who were killed,

I've ordered proper burials for them.

These are their identity tokens.

Perhaps

you'd like to keep them.

[Lyu Yi]

Let's eat.

What's wrong?

Are you not eating

because you're afraid I poisoned the food

when you weren't looking?

An honorable person

would never stoop to vile tricks.

I believe

you're the same.

There's something

I'd like to know about.

You've called out a name several times in your dreams—

Jin'an.

Who is this person?

I found him in the wild.

He lost his memory

and forgot who he was.

So I let him stay in my residence

to do chores.

So that means

he's a servant?

Yes.

A useless servant

who always got into trouble.

But he was a good cook

and knew how to cheer me up.

Afraid I'd get bored eating alone,

he always kept me company—

just like you're doing now.

You actually

care about

a lowly servant so much.

Prince Annan,

have you ever loved a woman?

I protect my country and people,

focused on making my mark.

How could I let romance

hold me back?

So you wouldn't understand…

why I care about him.

I don't need to understand.

But what I do see

is that you're in danger

while the one you care for is nowhere to be found.

So why do you

still care for him?

It's getting late.

Prince Annan, you should go.

Wait.

Next time you come,

could you please

bring me a qin?

You're a prisoner of war,

yet you're in the mood for music?

I won't sign the letter of surrender anyway,

and you won't kill me

or let me go.

Rather than spending my days worrying,

I might as well do something I enjoy

to pass the time.

Besides,

you look a bit like Jin'an.

When you visit me,

it makes me happy.

Don't you dare compare me

to that lowly servant again.

I said half a month,

but with my remarkable skills,

I finished grinding

all 1,000 bundles of herbs

in just

a few days.

Miss Lu, you're packing.

Are you going on a journey?

During my time on Wuling Mountain,

although I didn't become a master of medicine,

I did make some progress.

Therefore,

Master, please allow me

to leave the mountain to practice medicine.

No!

Why not?

No reason.

It's the rule of Wuling Mountain.

What is learned on the mountain

must stay on the mountain.

There have been no exceptions for hundreds of years.

Rules

are meant to be broken.

Back in Lucheng,

didn't you save Su Muyang?

If you could do it, why can't I?

Or is it because

Su Muyang is royalty,

so his life is more valuable

than a commoner's?

That's why I regret it!

After I saved him,

he conspired with Jin Wujian

and put Jin'an and Li Shuang in danger.

They almost died.

Saving lives is not wrong!

Why confuse the 2 things?

When you help people

who have suffered from illness recover,

when you see them regain hope

and hear them say thank you sincerely,

don't you feel a sense of accomplishment?

A sense of accomplishment?

That's just vanity.

I don't care about

worldly success.

Fine!

I care!

You're lofty and detached.

I'm shallow to the core.

I just want to do my best

to relieve people's suffering

and hear them sincerely thank me.

Enough talk.

Today, you want to leave the mountain,

but I, as your master, forbid it.

If you insist on leaving,

you'll no longer be my disciple.

Then so be it!

If being your disciple

means following stupid rules,

I'd rather not be.

Get out! Get out!

I...

What's wrong?

What's wrong?

I ground

1,000 bundles of herbs in 7 days.

My arms are so sore.

And you're talking back to me.

The pain-relieving ointment I developed.

Try it.

See if it works instantly.

Using it on a heartless person like you

is really a waste.

Go, go, go.

Go by yourself.

Go, go, go!

Go by yourself.

Prince Annan,

have you ever loved a woman?

You look a bit like Jin'an.

When you visit me,

it makes me happy.

Prince Annan,

what can I do for you?

I remember you said

after the defeat in Lucheng,

you searched everywhere for me

and finally

found me in Taijin.

Yes.

That's right.

Why do you ask?

During your search in Taijin,

did you ever meet

a man who looked much like me,

named Jin'an?

Looked like you?

Impossible.

Absolutely impossible.

You have the looks

and bearing

no ordinary man could ever match.

I never saw

the man you spoke of.

Prince Annan,

why are you suddenly asking about this?

A few days ago, in the courtyard,

I had a brief conversation with Li Shuang.

Strangely enough,

she mentioned some matters

I knew nothing of,

yet they felt so real—

like I'd lived through them myself.

The Taijin people are

cunning

and silver-tongued.

Prince Annan,

we haven't avenged our state yet.

Don't let her mislead you.

Prince Annan!

You startled me. What's the matter?

Speak slowly.

Prince Annan,

something's happened in the courtyard.

Prince Annan.

What's wrong with you guys?

In…

in the house.

Who taught you to play the qin like that?

Self-taught.

If you're bored,

take a walk in the courtyard.

Or,

I'll have someone bring you some books.

But the qin—

don't play it again.

Why not?

You excel in both civil and martial arts,

but you lack one thing:

self-awareness.

But unfortunately,

I just love

playing the qin.

Besides, playing the qin

nurtures the heart and mind.

Prince Annan, when you have time,

you should play it too

to ease that violent temper of yours.

These medicines—

some are to take, some are to apply. All necessary.

Being picky

will only delay your recovery.

Don't tell me the renowned general of Taijin

has trouble drinking bitter decoctions.

Ridiculous!

Why would I have trouble with that?

It's sweet.

The other day,

I noticed you applied all the wound medicines

but didn't take the decoctions.

I guessed you didn't like the bitter taste,

so I had honey added to it.

If you'd had the courage to try it even once these past few days,

you'd have known it wasn't bitter at all.

You added…

honey in the decoction?

Don't look at me like that.

As my prisoner of war,

you need to be in good health.

Wait.

It's very kind of you

to say that.

Let me play a tune

to thank you.

No need.

I'll take my leave.

Wait.

I've said I'll play for you,

so you can't leave without listening.

Besides,

it's Jin'an's favorite piece.

Since he's not here,

you'll listen on his behalf

and see if I play well.

What do you think?

Wonderful.

Wait.

Since you like it,

I'll play a few more pieces.

The qin is an elegant instrument.

How can you play it like this?

Was it that bad?

Sit properly.

Hands in position.

Curl your fingers.

Good.

Let's begin.

This is how you play.

It was average.

You have no taste.

Just because you didn't get praised,

Prince Annan,

there's no need to be so upset.

Why don't you

play a few more pieces?

I'll try to appreciate them.

I respect you because you're a military commander too.

I won't treat you harshly,

but you must know your place.

I'm not

keeping you here for nothing.

Your words remind me.

I must eat.

When I eat,

the Changfeng Army eats with me.

Since keeping me serves a great purpose,

I presume you won't

begrudge me a little food.

Don't play useless tricks.

I've met

plenty of women.

What kinds of women have you met before?

Wait.

I'm out of candy.

He really ground 1,000 bundles of herbs.

So much.

I'll definitely repay you later.

I'm taking them.

[Wuling Mountain]

You've got some nerve…

to steal the herbs.

It's not stealing.

During my time on Wuling Mountain,

I've worked out plenty of prescriptions.

You should give me something in return.

These are just the most common herbs

here on Wuling Mountain.

You won't need them for your precious pills.

But in my pharmacy,

they're really important.

I owe you.

Name your price.

Money or my life?

I'll repay you one day.

One day?

Will you even be able to repay me?

Your arms are fine now?

The ointment I made

worked well, didn't it?

It barely helped.

I recovered quickly

because I'm strong.

I've decided

to go down the mountain

with you today…

to prevent

your strange prescriptions

from harming people

and ruining Wuling Mountain's reputation.

What are you waiting for?

Keep up.

I knew you couldn't bear to part with me.

Let's go.

Look.

The sun is rising.

We've watched the sunset together,

and now the sunrise too.

Perfect.

Forgive me, Prince Annan.

I'll practice harder when I return

and will never play the wrong notes again.

Compared to her,

your mistake

is nothing.

You may leave.

Prince Annan,

the medicine is ready.

Since you came back from the courtyard last time,

you've been drinking the calming decoction for days.

That girl's qin playing is dreadful.

Could it be some kind of dark magic?

Don't talk nonsense!

Prince Annan,

Li Shuang

still refuses to surrender.

She's probably just stalling for time.

Rather than wasting effort on her,

we should

take the initiative

and catch the enemy off guard.

That last battle—

why do you think

we fought it?

Isn't it obvious?

To drive out the Taijin Army

and defend our land.

That's one reason.

The second reason

is to make Taijin see the situation clearly

and reopen peace talks.

Those thousands of captured soldiers

are our brothers who fought alongside us.

I must save them.

By the way, Prince Annan,

the house where Miss Li is held

is quite dilapidated.

The roof has several leaks.

The winds have been strong lately.

Shall we send someone to repair it?

Li Shuang has an iron will.

A bit of wind is nothing to her.

Let her suffer.

Let's see how long she can hold on.

Understood.

You may go.

How many times have I told you?

Never mention that woman in front of Prince Annan again.

Why not?

Haven't you noticed?

Prince Annan seems

to be doubting what happened to him

in Taijin.

This woman

was once his wife.

If she uses this

to undermine our troops' morale,

it could ruin everything.

Keep your mouth shut.

[Lucheng]

Our miracle doctor!

-Physician Lu, thank you. -Physician Lu.

Look at my hand.

It's healed!

Look at my eyes.

They're not healed yet,

but I feel so happy inside.

You were gone for so long.

When you weren't in Lucheng,

we didn't even dare to get sick

because there was no physician as good as you.

Getting sick isn't something to wish for.

I'd rather close my clinic

if it meant all of you

could stay healthy.

I've prescribed some medicine for you.

Your constipation is still the same old problem.

Take your medicine regularly,

exercise more, sleep early, and rise early.

It can still be cured completely.

Alright.

Thank you, Physician Lu.

Take it on time.

Thank you.

I trust your medical skills,

but

who is that person?

Yeah.

He doesn't look trustworthy.

Ridiculous!

I'm handsome and charming.

How do I look untrustworthy?

Actually,

she...

Though she has a gift for studying medicine,

without my guidance,

how could she be so skilled today?

He thinks he's better than Physician Lu.

Physician Lu,

there are so many frauds these days.

You should be careful

about who you hire.

That's right.

Yes, don't get deceived.

What are you dawdling for?

Alright, everyone,

I know you're concerned about me.

He's just…

my new assistant.

I see.

I've already tested his character.

He's reliable.

It's just that for now,

he's not familiar

with your chronic conditions,

so he can only

assist with minor tasks.

However,

training under me,

he'll definitely improve

his medical skills.

Physician Lu!

Physician Lu!

You're seeing patients for free today.

Please take this as a gift.

Assistant Mo,

take it.

Take it. Take it.

Go ahead, take it.

Young man, here.

Take it.

Lately,

everyone's been leaving.

We can't stay here long.

We've met today,

but who knows when we'll meet again?

Lucheng is not safe anymore.

You should

find another place to settle down soon.

Why? What happened?

You haven't heard?

They say Prince Annan of the Yao State,

Duan Aodeng, isn't dead.

He led the Yao Army in a counterattack.

The Taijin Army was crushed.

Although the city hasn't been attacked,

General Li was captured on the battlefield.

Now with no general guarding the border,

Lucheng

could fall any day now.

You should move quickly too.

Yes, move away quickly.

Move away.

[Imperial Palace of Taijin]

Your Majesty,

General Li Shuang has been captured for several days now.

The Yao State

hasn't released her,

made any statements,

or declared war.

Duan Aodeng is cunning.

Behind his silence

there must be

schemes.

Your Majesty,

though we lost the first battle against the Yao State,

they suffered heavy casualties.

Why not

launch a surprise attack now

and catch them

off guard?

Your Majesty,

I believe

that would be unwise.

Recently,

floods from the Dang River

have struck over a dozen prefectures.

The people are in misery.

If we can't quell the unrest at home,

how can we afford to wage war abroad?

Right now,

with the treasury and grain reserves so tight,

we should prioritize disaster relief and helping the people.

As for whether to go to war or not,

General Li,

what's your opinion?

In my view,

peace talks

are the top priority now.

Peace talks?

Your Majesty,

as a frontier general, Li Shuang

was captured in battle, which has already disgraced our state.

How can we

keep humbling ourselves for survival?

Li Wei,

you're a senior official of two reigns and a pillar of the state.

Now,

for your personal interests,

you've given such shameless advice

and want

to trade Taijin's dignity

for your daughter's life.

My Lords, you have

such sharp tongues.

Since I am so incompetent,

may I ask which of you here

is willing to lead troops to the border

and win back the so-called dignity for Taijin?

What?

Why are you all silent now?

So you all know full well

how dangerous the war is.

Unfortunately, after serving in court for so long

and getting paid for doing nothing,

you've started to disregard the suffering people

and the lives of soldiers on the front line,

insisting on fighting battles you know cannot be won!

Your Majesty,

we're in a deadlock now.

Peace talks

are the only way to save our state and bring peace to our people.

Please allow me

to serve as an envoy

and personally escort prisoners of war

to the front lines

to negotiate peace with the Yao State.

Previously,

when the Yao State sent an envoy for peace talks,

we refused him.

Now,

if the tables turn,

they'll surely make outrageous demands.

How great a price must we pay then?

General Li,

can the Li family

and the Changfeng Army

bear the consequences?

If I do anything that humiliates the state,

let it be deemed treason.

My entire family

will accept execution

without complaint.

Your request is granted.

[Diligence and Benevolence]

Greetings, Your Majesty.

Thank you, Grand General,

for putting on a show

with me in court today.

The flood crisis affects people's livelihoods.

Under these circumstances,

ending the war to rest and rebuild

is the only right path.

However,

as the ruler,

my word carries weight,

and I can't go back on it.

Even if my previous order to wage war was a mistake,

I cannot publicly change my stance.

So you,

Grand General,

had to take the brunt

and become the target of criticism.

I've pledged to serve the state until I die.

With the state in crisis,

my reputation is nothing.

Besides, in this matter,

I have my personal motives.

Thank you, Your Majesty,

for allowing me to save my daughter.

Shuang is now

imprisoned.

Isn't it also because of me?

How could I

possibly accept your thanks?

Your Majesty is too modest.

I still remember when I was a child,

I spent time at the General's Residence,

learning from you

with Shuang.

Sometimes I wonder,

since I ascended the throne,

whether my deeds

have lived up to

the 3 words written by the founding emperor:

diligence and benevolence.

The past is the past.

Dwelling on it serves no purpose.

From now on,

as long as Your Majesty stays true to your conscience

and to your people,

Taijin will be at peace.

Father.

Ting.

It's so late.

What is it?

What's wrong, Ting?

You're a grown man now.

Don't hug me like a kid.

Father,

are you going to the Yao State

to fight a war?

I'm going to negotiate peace.

For the peace and prosperity of Taijin,

there should be no more wars.

Prince Annan

is Jin'an, isn't he?

If you go to the Yao State

and see him,

tell him this for me:

if he dares harm you or Shuang in the slightest,

I will kill him myself.

Ting,

you're grown now.

There are things you must remember.

There are truths

you must understand.

Whenever there is war,

bloodshed and sacrifice are inevitable.

On the battlefield,

life and death are beyond our control.

Shuang and I

lead troops into battle

to end wars,

not for hatred or killing.

Do you

understand this?

Then Shuang…

she will return safely,

won't she?

I will make sure your sister

returns safely.