Original subtitles

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

Out of fear that the truth would come out,

Liu Yan ordered soldiers to attack us.

We couldn't hold them off.

General Wei Liang fought to get me out of there,

but he…

He…

It should've been me.

Qiao Ci, look at me.

Wei Liang went to fetch you, right?

Where is he now?

Look at me. Where is Wei Liang?

He went to Yujun, so tell me, where is he now?

Look at me. Where is Wei Liang?

Where is Wei Liang?

Where is he?

It should've been you.

Why did it have to be him? Why not a Qiao?

Wei Xiao!

My lord!

Reporting!

Liu Yan has taken Panyi with his troops.

Pass down my orders.

All troops, stay on alert.

Tomorrow,

we march on Panyi!

Yes.

My lord.

My lord. My lord.

Let me lead a team to bring him back.

I asked Wei Liang to go. He'll be fine.

- He just didn't see him. - Wei Qu.

- I'll get him back. - Wei Qu, calm down!

- Wei Qu! - Let me bring him back!

Get up.

Get up.

My lord, let me bring him back.

Get up.

Wei Liang will be okay.

I'll go now. I'll bring him back!

Wei Qu, hear my command.

Tomorrow, take a cavalry unit

to Kangjun.

Find Qiao Ping.

Bring…

Wei Liang back.

I will bring him back.

Yes, my lord.

- My lady. - Manman. Manman.

- My lady. - Manman.

- Manman. - My lady.

Lie down.

My lord.

Don't blame yourself.

I just hate…

that I can't take this pain for you.

You grew up with Wei Liang.

You weren't real brothers,

but he was like a real brother to you.

Now, he was killed because of my family.

Even if we paid with our lives,

it wouldn't ease your pain.

I once promised you that I'd give you more kids

and restore the past glory.

But now I've made you lose Wei Liang.

And Xiaotao…

She's still…

She's still waiting for Wei Liang.

This isn't your fault.

You've tried to balance both clans.

It's been exhausting.

Besides,

Qiao Yue and Liu Yan did this.

You had nothing to do with it.

I will never blame you

for this.

But from now on,

I may…

I understand.

Whether it's to avenge Wei Liang,

take back Panyi for the people,

seek justice for General Wei Liang,

or punish my uncle's betrayal,

you must go to war at once.

Don't worry.

I don't blame you.

Thank you, Manman.

You've never failed me,

and I will never fail you.

I promise

this matter

will not implicate others.

I give you my word.

After I leave,

take care of this family for me.

Take care of yourself…

and Feifei.

I may not be back

in time for Feifei's birth.

That's okay.

This time,

I won't see you off.

Be careful on your journey.

Don't worry.

YUJUN

My lord, don't worry.

Wei Xiao and I will protect Yujun.

We'll patrol day and night. Nothing will happen.

Lady Xu and Lady Zhu will take care of Her Ladyship.

You have nothing to worry about.

Good.

- Depart! - Yes!

My lady, take care of yourself.

Don't strain yourself or harm the baby.

How's Xiaotao?

Xiaotao…

You're really going to Yanzhou?

I'll go and pick a real Yanzhou orchid

to propose to you with.

Are you asking me to serve you?

No need for that.

Just marry me.

Once I've saved up enough,

I'll have His Lordship ask for your mother's approval on my behalf.

He values you.

He's afraid he's not worthy of you,

so he wants to do more.

Only then will he feel at ease.

You…

Come back safe, okay?

I've got your safety charm.

Even if I get injured, I'll come back and ask for your mother's approval.

Pah, pah, pah.

You won't get injured.

Mine is a small gold dart.

Every time we go to battle,

we leave them at home.

I want you to have this.

Seeing it

will be like seeing me.

Before General Wei Liang died,

he asked me

to bring this orchid to you.

He must not have wanted you to grieve like this.

He said…

he'd bring the orchid and propose to me.

Tell Xiaotao not to wait for me!

This is from him.

My mother said

he was afraid I'd suffer

and I'd look down on him one day,

that's why he made the betrothal gifts so complex.

She asked me to let him.

She said it would be more festive.

PANYI CITY, YANZHOU

Lord Yang.

What's the situation in the city?

The defenses are weak.

We can't hold against Liangya.

Panyi has completely fallen into Liu Yan's hands.

Lord Yang, we once helped Lord Qiao knock at the gate.

So now…

Should we have to turn to Liangya now?

Listen.

ZHONGZHOU HAS DEFECTED

Lady Yulou has swayed Zhongzhou, dealing a major blow to Wei.

Now, Wei Shao's allies are turning to me.

I wonder how he can defy me now.

But the Wei cavalry is still strong.

Even without allies, they're hard to defeat.

Last time at Panyi,

Liangya lost to them.

Things are different now.

Wei Shao must pass this way to reach us.

YONGNING CITY

Yongning City?

He once built a dam here to divert floods.

If the upper course breaks and the lower course is blocked,

what do you think will happen when he passes through?

Brilliant.

If it works,

this place will become Wei Shao's grave.

That day,

Lady Qiao scared off my reinforcements.

Today, I shall return that disgrace

in full.

Who's there?

Come in.

I'm here to deliver a report.

The Wei army is on the move.

My lords, what shall we do?

ZHONGZHOU HAS DEFECTED

Just as expected.

Lord Yang, guard the Panyi dam.

Be ready to release the water.

Yes. I'll prepare to open the gate.

Not to open it.

To destroy it.

Destroy the dam?

That can't be.

I've observed the clouds.

Heavy rains are coming.

If we break the dam now,

the flood downstream will be catastrophic.

If the rain intensifies,

the people will be doomed.

The Lord of Wei…

Wei Shao deserves it, but the people along the way

are innocent.

To achieve greatness, one can't fuss over trifles.

Lord Yang, my late father trusted you.

Surely you understand that.

You call this a trifle?

Fine.

I understand.

Governor, my lord,

I'll do as you command.

But the dam of the Yongning Canal

is made of giant stones.

It's hard to destroy.

If we use sulfur as an explosive,

it must be placed beneath the load-bearing wooden beams.

Without the right method, it won't work.

My lord,

he has a point.

Then please wait here.

I'll fetch the engineering diagram.

With that, it'll be more effective.

Very well.

Be quick.

Yes.

The Yongning Canal project is very complex,

especially the section from Panyi to Xindu.

It took years to build.

Now,

it links two major rivers.

I can't even tell if we're standing above the Yang River

or the Pei River.

Lord Yang, you took Wei's salary for years.

Do you see yourself as from Yanzhou or Wei?

Does it matter?

Lord Qiao devoted years to this dam

to unify the land.

He hoped for good traffic and trade

so the people would no longer need to travel long distances

for water, food, and minerals.

I've seen that same ambition

not only in Lord Qiao but in the Lord of Wei too.

They say you built canals in Panyi

and even in Rongjun.

Panyi wasn't always

a water town.

It used to be a flood zone.

Thanks to Lord Qiao's water management, it became what it is today.

I just followed him around, digging trenches.

That's how I gained a little experience

in fighting back against the floods of the Young River.

That must've been hard.

When this is over, you'll be rewarded.

I'm just following orders.

There's no hardship in that.

But today,

I'll have to fail Lord Qiao.

Father built the canal for Yanzhou.

Destroying it now

is to eliminate a threat to Yanzhou.

You won't fail him.

Hurry and unroll the diagram.

Let's get started.

Sure.

An assassin!

Someone help!

Don't move!

What are you doing?

I couldn't kill Liu Yan,

but I can kill you!

However,

I'll have to fail Lord Qiao.

Yang Feng, are you insane?

How can you live after killing me?

Without the dam and Panyi,

what's the point of surviving alone?

Let him go.

I'll spare your life.

If Zhen Zhi could die for the cause,

so can I.

My lord,

don't push him.

Fine.

I'm sorry, Lord Qiao.

HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING DIAGRAM

You…

My lord…

Even a minor mayor dared defy me?

Wei Shao,

I'll kill you myself.

HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING DIAGRAM

Don't worry too much

about Qiao and Liu.

It had nothing to do with you or Ci.

Zhonglin will handle it.

Has your appetite become better?

Yes.

My lady.

My lady.

My lady.

General Wei Xiao requests an audience.

- Let him in. - Yes.

My ladies, news from the border.

Su Ehuang and Xue Tai are leading the Zhongzhou army to attack Yujun.

Zhongzhou has defected too?

How many troops are in Yujun now?

My lady, our troops are fewer than 60,000.

Besides the border garrisons,

His Lordship also left 5,000 each in Yunzhong and Rongjun.

Grandmother,

I believe we should dispatch couriers to warn His Lordship

so he'll be more careful.

They can also alert the border generals

to support one another

in case they're attacked.

Approved.

Let's do as you suggest.

Though the enemy is strong,

the men of the Wei clan are battle-tested.

Heaven favors Wei.

We will overcome this.

- Yes. - Yes.

General, please wait.

Grandmother,

Yujun is in grave danger.

We should post a notice to call on the people

to defend Yujun with us.

Anyone who volunteers

can get armor and weapons in the office.

Also, we should open the gates for two days

to let those who wish to go

leave Yujun.

When peace returns, they can come back.

The Wei clan

always puts the people first.

Do as you say.

- General Wei Xiao. - Yes.

Escort Lady Zhu and the Lady of Wei out of the city.

- Be quick. - Yes.

Grandmother, I can't leave.

I must stay in Yujun.

Before His Lordship left,

I promised him that…

- Lady Qiao. - She's about to give birth.

- Summon the physician! - Hurry!

Breathe. Breathe.

Hurry!

My lady, please wait outside.

My lady.

My lady, push!

Come on, wipe her sweat.

Don't panic, my lady.

Just relax.

Inhale. Push.

My lady.

Don't panic. Hurry.

Relax.

Watch out!

Watch out!

- Inhale. - Inhale.

Exhale.

Not yet.

Push again.

Exhale.

- Push! - Push!

Push!

Push, my lady!

Push!

Bear with it.

Come on, one, two.

Push!

Hurry!

Lift!

We can see the head.

We can see the head!

Push!

The baby is here!

The baby is here!

The baby is here!

- The baby is here. - It's born.

All right.

Congratulations, my lady. You have a child now.

My lady,

look.

It's a little girl.

Feifei.

This is wonderful.

Wonderful.

Both of you are safe.

Mother.

Thank you.

She looks adorable.

How are you? It must've been hard.

Not at all.

You're soaked in sweat.

Report!

Yunzhong, Rongjun, and Hanjun have fallen.

A force of 100,000 is marching on Yujun.

What do we do?

My lady!

- What to do? - Pack now.

Let's bring Her Ladyship back to Yanzhou.

- What should we do? - What to do?

Where do we go?

- What should we do? - What to do?

Where can we go?

Stop panicking.

Grandmother,

His Lordship left 60,000 men here.

How many troops does he have?

Building the Yongning Canal

cost Wei dearly.

We don't have many left.

How is he supposed to fight?

What to do?

Good child.

Since Zhonglin has arranged it,

he must have a plan to win.

Get some rest.

I'll arrange for guards

to escort you and Lady Zhu out.

I can't leave.

Grandmother.

Before His Lordship left,

I promised him

to take care of everything at home

with no mistakes.

Grandmother, you are my family.

Yujun is my home.

I am the Lady of Wei.

I will stand with the people of Yujun.

I won't leave either.

Stop making more trouble.

My whole life,

I've only ever wanted to make you happy,

but I'm foolish and often fail.

If you can see me differently

when I choose to stay,

then I won't leave.

Yes.

Though I'm afraid of death,

my sons

and my husband

would never be deserters.

I will never have them shamed

because of me.

Mother,

please let me stay.

I beg you.

Look.

These are

the Ladies of Wei.

She's smiling.

My lord,

just as expected, Liu Yan took Panyi and destroyed the dam.

The Yang River broke free, flooding everything.

He wants to trap us here so we miss our chance.

Anything else?

The couriers report

that Lord Zhen and Lord Yang died for the cause.

Qiao Yue is dead.

How many of our men are left?

Fewer than 70%.

YUJUN

PANYI

We can't delay anymore.

We must hurry to Panyi and retake the Yongning Canal.

Report!

My lord, Lady Yulou and General Xue Tai

are leading 100,000 troops to besiege Yujun.

They'll break through the gates soon.

Please come back to defend.

My lord,

Lady Xu, Lady Zhu, and your wife are still in Yujun.

If the enemy breaches the city, their lives will be at risk.

Fifteen years ago in Xindu,

the Wei clan lost three generations of family members.

Must we suffer

the same again today?

My lord,

shall we march on Panyi

or fall back to defend Yujun?

You meant to protect Yanzhou from war, didn't you, Grandfather?

To sacrifice one or all?

It would've been hard for me to choose too.

PANYI

Pass on my orders.

Let's march on Panyi and retake the Yongning Canal.

Yes.

GOVERNMENT OFFICE

Those seeking shelter with nowhere else to go,

regardless of age,

may take refuge in the hall.

My lady, I want to enlist.

The enemy is at our doorstep.

Though I am a woman,

I refuse to be bullied.

- I want to protect my home. - Yes.

I once followed the late lord to fight across the land.

Now the enemy's children have reached our homes.

Yes.

We must show them the power of Wei.

- Yes. - Drive the enemy away!

Defend Wei!

Drive the enemy away! Defend Wei!

I know you want to protect our home.

Thank you all.

Count us in.

Count us in.

We may fail in the battle today,

but we stand here to tell everyone

that the Wei clan hasn't betrayed Wei State

and never will.

Yes.

As long as the Wei clan stands, Wei State stands.

As long as the Wei clan stands, Wei State stands.

The Wei clan will stand with you.

Defend Yujun! Protect Wei State!

Defend Yujun!

Protect Wei State!

Defend Yujun! Protect Wei State!

KANGJUN, YANZHOU

Cheers! Come on!

We're on duty. Drink less.

What's there to fear?

The battle is at Panyi.

Who'd come here?

Cheers!

Come on!

If you go to Kangjun, you can bring back His Lordship's father-in-law

and pick up an orchid on the way.

Then you can marry Xiaotao when you get back.

Come on.

Let me fill your bowl.

Your face wasn't harmed.

We're not staying here.

I'm here to get you, Liang.

I'm bringing you home.

Aren't you Wei's greatest warrior?

Why did you die here?

How could you die here?

Come on, come with me.

I won't draw straws anymore, Liang.

I won't.

Get up. Come home with me.

Get up!

Get up. I can't carry you.

We won't draw straws anymore.

Xiaotao's waiting to marry you.

Liang, let's go home.

Let's go.

You must be cold.

Liang, we're not staying here.

I'll bring you home.

WEI

The Wei clan

still has to fight for the Qiao clan.

His Lordship sent me to rescue a Qiao.

Come with me.

Enemy! Reinforce the defense!

Yes.

Liang.

Liang.

I lost an arm.

Go to Kangjun

and bring

Wei Liang back.

Who's there?

Wei Qu, General of Wei.

I'm here to rescue you.

Thanks, General Wei.

Can you see anything?

Though I can't see,

I still have some basic fighting skills.

I won't hold you back.

Just give me some instructions, General.

Hold on to me tight.

General, who's on your back?

Wei Liang, General of Wei.

You two, I suggest you surrender.

This is Yanzhou.

How can a Liangya man be in charge?

Soldiers, you might not know,

but your governor

was killed in Panyi by the Lord of Liangya.

Liangya is hiding this

to divide Yanzhou later.

My brother is dead?

Qiao Yue is dead.

So, the prefect is the governor now.

Are you sure

you want to fight him now?

Don't listen to him.

Seize these two immediately.

The Lord of Liangya is offering a great reward!

The Wei army will soon crush Panyi.

The Lord of Liangya can barely protect himself, let alone you.

- Well… - Think carefully.

Will you listen to a Liangya man

or your prefect?