Original subtitles

BASED ON THE NOVEL "THE PRISONER OF BEAUTY" BY PENGLAI KE

You're not asleep?

Since you kissed me,

does that mean you're not angry anymore?

It was just a dream.

Yesterday, it was you who brought me back?

Yes.

You were drunk yesterday.

Did I say anything that might have upset you

when I was drunk?

No.

Who scratched you?

It wasn't me, was it?

You can't drink anymore.

I've never scratched anyone after drinking before.

Liang.

My lord, what happened to your neck?

Are you all right?

A cat scratched it.

When did His Lordship get a cat?

You're so silly.

What happened?

My lady.

What's wrong?

Well, back when we were in Rongjun,

Wei Liang gave me a little gold dart, right?

- Did you lose it? - No.

How could I have lost it?

Well,

I want to give him a gift in return.

It's something I promised him

when I asked why His Lordship was angry last time.

Go ahead. What are you hesitating for?

I want to give him

this.

A heart-guarding mirror.

It's good and practical.

But it's just a plain bronze mirror.

I want to give him something better,

but I don't know much about it.

My lady, could you help me decide?

- Leave it to me. - Thank you, my lady.

My lord.

Where is Her Ladyship?

She went out to buy something at the West Market.

She should be back soon.

Okay. Got it.

Yes.

My lady.

You're back so early today.

Yes.

What did you do today?

I just took a stroll on the street.

- Have you had dinner? - Not yet.

- Go prepare the food. - Yes.

I'll change my clothes.

All right.

Are you busy today?

Not really.

Even if you're working for me,

you must take care of your health.

You must be talking

about the Deer Hunt, right?

Don't worry.

I've basically prepared the invitations.

You don't need to worry about it anymore.

But there's one thing

I'd like to report to you.

I haven't seen my cousin in a while,

so I'd like to invite her and Bi Zhi to represent Yanzhou at this event.

Sure, it's nothing serious.

Oh, right.

Don't invite anyone from Bianzhou.

After all, the canal repairs have nothing to do with them.

Moreover, if we invite them,

it'd make things hard for Grandmother and Yan.

I understand.

Don't you

have something to say to me?

Is there

something you haven't done?

I need to write the invitations.

Then I'll leave you to it.

I'll check if the food is ready.

I'm starving.

I… Should I go?

No, I'll go.

My lady.

Did you forget something?

Done.

Now, you no longer have to worry about the candle going out at night.

Thank you.

Wait.

Don't you have

anything else to do?

No.

Then get some rest.

BOYA

You can ignore your uncle,

but your father is most worried about you.

Go back and let him know you're safe.

Well,

when will you return?

Fan and Bi Zhi

are going to Yujun for the Deer Hunt.

I'll go with them.

It's also a good chance to see how your sister is doing.

Is the Deer Hunt the event

with the horse riding and the archery competition?

I've only heard of it

but never seen it.

It's not about fun.

We're going for serious matters.

It's inconvenient to bring you along.

Ci,

I've asked some men to escort you back.

You can rest assured and go.

Bi Zhi,

I still want one more thing.

Then I won't have any regrets on this trip back.

Go ahead.

I'll get it for you.

I want a horse that can run a thousand li a day

that no one else can catch up with.

That's easy. No problem.

Thank you.

The basic schedule for the Deer Hunt has been set.

The first day,

combat trials.

The second day,

hunting and capture.

In the evening, there will be a banquet for the guests

to discuss the canal repair project.

- Yes. - Yes.

Although this event

is to show the strength of Wei,

we still need to pay attention to safety during the trials.

At times like this,

a heart-guarding mirror is very important.

At a critical moment, it can really save your life.

Of course.

Speaking of this, I just remembered

that Her Ladyship had a special heart-guarding mirror made for me.

It's thicker than usual,

and it has scriptures carved around it

for protection.

My lord,

is this the one you meant?

How did it end up with you?

Xiaotao gave it to me this morning.

Xiaotao must've given you the wrong one.

Take it.

I made a mistake.

The one for me is

inlaid with white jade

and trimmed with gold thread,

and there are two mandarin ducks carved on it,

symbolizing deep affection.

The one from Her Ladyship must be different.

It must be different.

Leave me.

GENERAL'S MANSION

Don't play around on the way. Just go home.

Got it.

Please stay.

You should stay, Aunt.

Fan.

Be careful on the way.

Bye.

The list has been discussed with Mr. Gongsun.

Is there anyone else you want to invite?

No.

You decide.

By the way,

last time you mentioned

inviting your cousin and Bi Zhi over.

Yes.

Are they still on good terms?

Yes.

Bi Zhi is also a martial artist,

so he probably often competes with others.

Yes.

Fighting with blades and swords, he must often get hurt, right?

Of course.

Does your cousin ever make armor for him?

Or something else?

Perhaps shoes and socks.

That won't be enough. What about other things?

If you think there's anything my cousin does wrong,

just tell me.

It's nothing.

What's wrong, my lord?

Today, I had a match with Wei Liang.

Both of us ended up injured,

but only I'm feeling pain in my chest now.

Were you hurt?

Wei Liang's not that bright.

How could he have hurt you?

It's fine.

With his skills, he normally couldn't hurt me.

But…

But he was wearing a heart-guarding mirror.

I wasn't.

How about this?

I'll instruct them to make sure that, for now, the meals

don't include spicy or triggering foods.

Are you really okay?

Should I call the physician?

No need.

Let's eat.

You can't drink the soup.

There's fish.

All right.

Then…

Eat this.

You've been looking at this mirror all day.

- What's so special about it? - Don't touch it.

Slow down.

Since you got this mirror,

you haven't been walking properly.

It's a token of Xiaotao's feelings for me.

It's useless, yet you're showing it off.

It's meant to protect you.

You're not meant to protect it.

What does His Lordship mean by "humph"?

If you don't handle this well, it won't just be a "humph."

If you're sent to a bitter, cold place,

you'll really need this mirror.

You're all jealous of me.

- Come. - What's wrong?

Why so sneaky?

I have a question.

Did Her Ladyship give His Lordship a heart-guarding mirror?

The one inlaid with white jade

with gold thread and a mandarin duck pattern?

What? There's no such thing.

There's no such a heart-guarding mirror in the world.

Soon, there will be.

I've been to all the shops in Yujun.

The heart-guarding mirrors are either bronze or brass.

No one has even heard of a jade-inlaid one,

let alone selling one.

His Lordship is really making it hard for us.

Since he said it, I have to make it for him.

We've received a lot of gifts lately.

I remember there was a piece of fine white jade

and some gold and silver.

You go get them.

- Sure. - Yes.

General.

General! General!

My lady.

Young Master Ci didn't want to return,

so he left his silver spear and headed straight toward Yujun.

The general selected the horse he rode, so we couldn't catch up.

What did he say?

He said he'd wait for Her Ladyship in Yujun.

Yulu,

go after him now.

Yes.

The graceful grass

Stands alone yet captivating

My longing for it

- Leave us. - Yes.

Twists into the night

Ehuang,

your voice is damaged.

If you keep singing, your voice…

It will never recover anyway.

However,

its current condition

actually makes it easier for me to act.

What do you mean by this?

The Lord of Wei is a man

who values loyalty and righteousness.

If my voice was ruined because of him,

he'd surely have to accept me

and allow me to participate in the Deer Hunt.

But your voice was ruined because of drinking medicine, right?

- What does it…? - Is that so?

The Governor of Yanzhou was searching for belles

for a political marriage.

He knew I had beauty and talent in music,

so he tried to abduct me and give me to the Lord of Wei.

It was because of this that I poisoned myself to ruin my voice.

Yes.

You're right.

Go prepare for the trip to Yujun.

Bogong…

you can blame me…

but I have no other choice now.

WE'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO THE EVENT

My lord, the invitations are ready.

We can send them out today.

Good, thank you. I'll send someone to pick them up shortly.

I've prepared a gift for you.

I hope you'll like it.

I'll get back to work now.

My lord.

My lord.

Lady Yulou is at the post house and wishes to meet with you.

Got it.

Would you like me to go with you?

I promised you I'd take good care of her.

You've worked hard preparing the invitations.

I'll go on my own.

WE'LL HAVE THE DEER HUNT IN YUJUN. WE'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO THE EVENT.

VIRTUOUS WORDS

How is it?

Sorry for my incompetence.

Lady Yulou's voice

might be beyond treatment.

- You may leave. - Yes.

What happened

to your voice?

My lord,

after my cousin's husband passed away, to capture my cousin,

Chen Pang spread the news about her beauty and talent in music,

which made many of the powerful covet her.

To avoid being coveted by villains,

my cousin…

poisoned herself to ruin her voice.

Lady Yulou, why go to such extremes?

Though I am only a woman,

I still have my integrity.

- You may not know, but that villain… - Zixin.

Shut up.

Ehuang, let me say it.

The villain who forced my cousin to ruin her voice

was the Governor of Yanzhou,

Qiao Yue.

Qiao Yue?

Qiao Yue has been searching for women everywhere.

Once he heard of my cousin,

he relentlessly pursued her and even attempted to abduct her.

He is still in mourning.

Why would he do this?

You may not know,

but Qiao Yue's search for women

is not for his own sake,

but to offer them to the other states in an attempt to forge alliances.

This time, he wanted to abduct my cousin

and offer her to you

and solidify his niece's position as the Lady of Wei.

He surely did not know

that we were old acquaintances,

so he sent his nephew to chase me,

trying to forcibly bring me back to Kangjun.

You mean Qiao Ci?

He's young but ruthless.

To catch me,

he used any means necessary.

Thankfully, Zixin protected me,

so we narrowly escaped.

However,

along the way,

even the jade Bogong left me

was lost.

I didn't want to come back to Yujun,

but now,

I really have no other choice.

How could this happen?

In my desperation,

I had no choice but to ruin my voice.

That beautiful singing voice

was useless

and only brought trouble.

It was better to destroy it.

I refuse to be a caged bird,

serving men with my beauty.

Zhonglin,

there's something I must ask you.

I don't care what Qiao Yue thinks,

but you…

What do you think?

Did you really have Qiao Yue

search the world for beauties to present to you?

I didn't know anything about that.

Then I'm at ease.

It seems like the Qiao clan acted on their own.

Lady Qiao wouldn't have known it.

You must not blame her for this.

Lady Yulou, rest assured.

Lady Qiao couldn't have known about this,

and I won't blame her.

It's very improper

for the Qiao clan to do such a disgraceful thing

relying on your favor toward Lady Qiao.

What they destroyed today

was the jade pendant Bogong left me.

Tomorrow,

they might destroy your family's reputation

that's been built over generations.

Lady Yulou, rest assured.

You'll surely get an explanation for this.

Please take care.

I'm leaving now.

Zixin.

Ehuang.

Get a new carriage and horses.

Rest assured.

What's most valuable about you is your noble bearing.

You must never lose that no matter what.

- Wei Liang. - My lord.

The Governor of Yanzhou has been collecting beauties to send to the states.

Did you know about this?

Previously,

I heard that there was a beauty in Yaozhou,

and they sent someone to check on her.

That's all.

My lord,

why are you so angry?

My lord,

I've brought back the invitations from Her Ladyship as you instructed.

Do you want to confirm them again?

Send them off.

Wait a moment.

The Qiao clan will not be invited for now.

Send the others off.

Yes.

WE'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO THE EVENT.

Why are you giving Lady Yulou a gift?

Since I've promised His Lordship to take good care of her,

I will do my utmost.

GIFT LIST FLOWER TABLE, DINING TABLE

I've looked at it. These items are good.

Add a stove.

She's been traveling for so long and she's fallen ill.

Hurry and send them over.

Yes.

My lady.

My lady.

Something's wrong.

You're too old to be so flustered.

Can't you speak calmly?

Duang said

that His Lordship withheld the invitation to Boya

because Lady Yulou complained to him,

saying the governor wanted to strengthen your position

and sent Young Master Ci to abduct her to offer her to the Lord.

How could Uncle be so foolish?

The governor is capable of such a thing,

but why would Young Master Ci be involved?

I don't know.

Duang said that His Lordship confirmed.

Everyone knows that the governor has been searching for beauties.

He even claimed that Yanzhou and Wei were doing this together.

Now, His Lordship is angry.

My lady, should you ask for mercy on behalf of Yanzhou?

The Deer Hunt is such a big event.

If there's no representative from Yanzhou, it will be humiliating.

Don't panic for now.

This is half true and half false,

and we can't explain it all at once.

Besides, he's angry right now, so we can't face him head-on.

What is this?

This is the jade pendant that my brother gave to Lady Yulou,

but it was broken when she escaped to Yujun.

I'm really sorry

for what my uncle did.

You don't need to doubt me.

I feel the same as you on this.

You're not even pleading for your family?

My uncle has always been foolish.

I'll write a letter home and ask him what he's thinking.

Then I'll explain to you.

I have a question.

If one day,

the two families have a dispute,

will you stand by my side?

I am standing by your side already, right?

Though this was not caused by me,

I'm still related to it.

Tomorrow, I'll ask Lady Yulou for forgiveness,

and I'll help her fix this jade pendant.

There's no need.

I don't blame you.

I'm just a little disappointed.

Your uncle

is doing evil outside under the banner of the Qiao-Wei alliance.

I must give the world an explanation.

And…

we can't do as you wish

and invite your cousin to the Deer Hunt now.

You're put in a tough spot.

I can understand.

Can't you just be

my wife?

CHIJUN, LIANGYA

MANSION OF LIANGYA'S HEIR, LIANGYA

I've already told you.

Her Ladyship is being favored now,

so we can't confront her head-on.

You always say we should keep a low profile,

but I'm afraid that might cause future trouble.

She whispers in Father's ear every day,

wanting her son Liu Qi to become the heir.

Do you think practicing martial arts here will solve anything?

You need to spend more time pleasing His Lordship.

As long as you win his favor,

she can say what she likes, but it won't matter.

Remember, at the end of the day,

you are the rightful heir.

Got it?

I heard

that Wei is about to hold the Deer Hunt.

The invitation has been delivered to His Lordship.

I believe that if you seize this chance and make a name for yourself,

your position as the heir will be secure.

If I go to Wei,

I'm afraid she'll become even more arrogant by Father's side.

You have always been so indecisive.

I must remind you.

Your position right now is precarious.

Young Master!

His Lordship has sent someone to call for you.

Father.

My lady.

The reason I called you here today

is regarding the Deer Hunt.

I've decided to take Qi to Yujun.

Qi is not yet eight years old.

I'm afraid people will laugh at us for having a child represent us.

Father, please reconsider.

The invitation says they invite the Lord of Liangya to attend.

With His Lordship there,

who'd bully Qi for being young?

If there's anything to laugh about,

it's how you lost your intended betrothed and Panyi to the Lord of Wei

and even offended him.

If it weren't for your repeated mistakes,

why would your father have to travel at his age

to reconcile with the Lord of Wei?

Why do you insist on going to Yujun

and bringing disgrace upon yourself?

I was discussing state affairs with Father.

How could you, a woman, interrupt?

My lord…

How impudent! How dare you defy your mother?

My mother passed away long ago.

My lord,

Maoqing has never accepted me as his stepmother

and has insulted me repeatedly.

You wicked woman, shut up!

If you defy us again, I'll deprive you of your position.

Leave at once!

Father…

you forced me into this.

Guards!

Guards!

Please spare me!

Why?

Why did you have to commit parricide?

You always said I was indecisive, right?

What's wrong?

Now, I've become the Lord of Liangya.

Aren't you happy about it?

You are the legitimate heir.

Why do you have to bear the reputation of being unfilial?

Why didn't you consult with me first?

Since you like consultation so much,

when you and I have disagreements in the future,

you can consult my late father.

My uncle is dead now.

Now, Liu Shan,

you are simply the servant of the Lord of Liangya.

Got it?