Original subtitles

[Fated Hearts]

[Episode 7]

Awake, huh?

This is

very rude of you.

Wouldn't it be even ruder if someone else saw this?

I might as well kill you first.

If I silence you, no one will ever know.

Then you should have

done it while I was sleeping.

I don't like taking advantage of people.

Besides,

it would be such a pity

if I didn't get to see you begging for mercy

before you die.

What a pity indeed—

I've never learned

how to beg anyone for mercy in my whole life.

Everything can be learned.

You could give it a try today.

Your Highness!

Make him leave.

Hurry up.

Yes, Your Highness!

As long as you don't tell anyone about what happened last night,

we can still be partners.

What are you thinking?

Nothing happened last night.

I saw you were drunk senseless,

so I just brought you back to rest.

Your looks aren't nearly enough

to catch my eye.

That's for the best.

But whether I kill you or not

depends solely on my mood.

It has nothing to do with what did or did not happen last night.

Fine.

But could you please

change your position first?

You're making my legs go numb.

How's that?

Holding a knife to someone

feels rather rude, doesn't it?

What's with these lousy clothes?

Messing with my moves.

What are you looking at?

Didn't you leave?

W-Which young lady

is talking to me right now?

When I woke up today,

my vision was all blurry.

I...

I couldn't see a thing.

Then let me fix that for you.

Oh...

What...

What was that just now?

I can't hear anything, either.

You'd better be deaf and mute.

My lips are sealed.

Your Highness.

I...

Get to the point.

Get to the point.

Xia Jingshi has come to Yujing,

saying it's regarding the marriage alliance.

He'll arrive today.

Your Highness,

are you letting her go just like that?

How about I keep an eye on her for you?

She'll be back.

Is it true that Prince of Zhennan will arrive

in Yujing today?

This news

came from the morning court session,

so it must be true.

His Majesty has arranged for

the Minister of Rites, Shen Wu, to receive him.

But I heard that

Prince of Zhennan isn't bringing many attendants with him.

Does my brother know about this?

What did he say?

I haven't heard

any news from the First Prince.

Your Highness. His Highness the Second Prince is here.

Sister.

Guess what gift

I've prepared for you?

Well, well. You're not focusing on your studies

and instead spending time preparing gifts for me.

Be careful, Father might punish you if he finds out.

If Father finds out,

he might even praise me for being thoughtful.

Come on, bring it up.

Be careful. Slowly.

Sister, come check this out.

This is what I specially prepared for you:

a hundred-year-old walnut tree.

It symbolizes a harmonious marriage lasting 100 years,

specially chosen to wish you a joyful wedding.

I'll take it then.

Thank you, Chengyang.

What wonderful gift

did Brother prepare for you?

Brother has always adored you the most.

He must have given you

all sorts of strange little trinkets, right?

Sister,

where did you put his gifts?

Brother...

He didn't forget to you a gift, did he?

He doesn't approve of your marriage?

Nothing gets past you, does it?

Oh no.

Brother didn't give you any wedding gift,

and here I am,

as your little brother making such a grand gesture.

Sister,

as for this walnut tree...

I'll just pretend I never saw or heard of it.

I appreciate the thought, though.

You can take the gift back.

Don't worry.

I won't mind.

But what if Brother

just won't agree?

What then?

I will marry Xia Jingshi.

Sister,

I just remembered

I still have homework to do today.

I'll take my leave now.

Come on. Move it away.

Yes.

Hurry up.

I take my leave.

Let me out!

Let me out of here!

Xueying!

Sister!

Don't come closer! Go away!

What's happening?

Yesterday,

right after I brought the kids here,

these

unreasonable bastards

sealed off the residence

and wouldn't let anyone leave.

I know who's behind this.

Don't be afraid.

Wait for me to come back.

Sister!

What's your intention?

If you want to eat, have a seat.

If not, keep quiet.

I hate being disturbed

while I'm eating the most.

So you knew about this all along.

Knew what?

Don't play dumb.

Xueying's residence

is being closely watched,

allowing people in but not out.

I was wondering which bastard

did it.

Turns out it really was you.

Miss Yixiao, you're in quite a temper.

It seems none of the dishes on this table

are to your taste.

But whether they suit your taste or not doesn't matter.

As long as they suit mine, that's what counts.

Yesterday, you said it yourself

that you'd let me go,

but now you've gone back on your word

and broken your promise.

What exactly are you playing at?

I'm protecting you guys.

Why can't you appreciate my good intentions?

Protecting?

This is clearly imprisonment!

Imprisonment?

The entire Yujing City

is my territory,

all under my control.

And you're someone I brought back myself.

Would I even need to imprison you?

Can you possibly escape from my grasp?

As my defeated opponent,

you sure have quite the attitude.

Looks like

you don't want to cooperate after all.

Of course I do.

But it has to be me

who sets the ground rules.

You have your rules,

and I have mine.

It's not solely up to you.

Your Highness.

All our men in the Feng Battalion know

that Susha is to form a marriage alliance with Jinxiu.

Somehow a rumor has spread,

saying that Your Highness

opposes the marriage alliance,

and that His Majesty is going to strip you of your military command.

Our men are furious

and threaten to confront the court.

I fear a mutiny may break out in the ranks.

Utter nonsense!

Order all Military Commanders and Deputy Generals

to come see me immediately.

Yes, Your Highness.

Go find out

exactly who's trying to undermine army morale.

Those deliberately spreading rumors

must not be spared.

Yes, Your Highness.

The Feng Battalion has always had iron discipline

and stands as the model for all the armies.

Every soldier faithfully fulfills their duties

and obeys orders.

Now it's said the army

is restless with signs of mutiny,

but I don't believe it.

If you ask me,

it must be you

leading officers whose hearts are wavering.

Everyone here

has been through

life and death alongside me.

There are no outsiders here today.

If you have any complaints,

please speak up freely and hold nothing back.

Your Highness,

there's one thing I don't understand.

Susha and Jinxiu

have such deep-seated hatred,

and now, all of a sudden, we are to form a marriage alliance to seek peace.

Could it be...

Could it be because

we lost the battle at Pingling City

that we must humble ourselves for peace?

I believe this is the very question

on all of your minds.

That battle at Pingling City was fought by us.

If this marriage alliance is because we lost,

then how can I

face all my brothers in arms?

Utter nonsense!

A marriage alliance between two kingdoms is such a momentous matter,

affecting the major affairs of both kingdoms.

How could it be determined

by a single battle?

Besides, let's be clear—

it was Jinxiu that proposed this marriage alliance.

Why?

Because they chickened out.

They don't dare fight us anymore.

They want to use the Battle of Pingling

as a graceful exit,

and that's why they came to us with this marriage alliance proposal.

It was Emperor of Jinxiu who proposed the marriage alliance,

yet you're all

sulking and feeling resentful here.

What are you trying to do?

Are you trying to force His Highness to rebel?

Enough!

You only need to remember two things.

First,

the defeat of Battle of Pingling was my fault.

None of our soldiers in the Feng Battalion are to blame.

Your Highness, how could it be your fault?

Second,

regarding the marriage alliance,

I have agreed to it.

I understand

any grievances our soldiers may have,

and I'll take responsibility.

Any resentment our soldiers feel,

let it be counted against me.

But you must tell everyone

that His Majesty has not stripped me of my military power,

and no one at court is plotting against me.

The weapons of our Feng Battalion

will only ever be pointed at our enemies,

never at our own people,

and mutiny will never be tolerated!

Yes, Your Highness!

Your Highness, I have urgent news to report.

Speak.

Yun Qing's dagger?

This is the dagger you previously awarded to Yun Qing.

He values it more than his life

and never parts with it.

How did it end up with you?

Your Highness,

Yun Qing quietly left

the camp early this morning.

He left this dagger

with a message for Your Highness,

that he intends to kill someone on Your Highness's behalf,

and that he's failed you in this life

and wasted your cultivation.

Is he leaving the Feng Battalion?

You may leave.

Yes.

What does he mean?

Who does he want to kill?

You said this morning

that Xia Jingshi is arriving in Yujing?

Yes, he's arriving today.

[Yujing Border]

He intends to kill Xia Jingshi?

Xia Jingshi is coming for the marriage alliance.

If he dies in Yujing,

Susha will be accused

of betrayal and dishonor,

and Yun Qing's crime will be unforgivable.

Please, Your Highness, save Yun Qing.

Yun Qing is completely loyal to Your Highness.

He knows that Your Highness

cannot kill Xia Jingshi yourself,

so he wants to kill him for you.

How can he be so foolish?

If he does this,

isn't he just giving up

all his hard-earned military achievements

and his promising future?

Yun Qing is your sworn brother,

but he's also like a little brother to me.

Don't worry.

I'll definitely find a way to stop him.

But...

Your Highness,

Yun Qing is the best archer

in our battalion,

and he knows the terrain well.

If he wants to kill Xia Jingshi, I'm afraid...

Besides,

where would we even find him?

Why should I help you?

As long as you help me find him,

you can name your price.

I have no price to name,

and I don't have that ability.

Although you've lost

the strength to draw a bow,

you still have an archer's keen eyes

and experience.

Well, I'm flattered.

Yun Qing doesn't know

Xia Jingshi's exact time of arrival in Yujing,

so he can only lie in wait

for Xia Jingshi to appear.

The most secure position to strike

would be near the city gate.

The terrain outside the city gate is too open,

leaving Yun Qing nowhere to hide,

so he can only stay inside the gate.

What you need to do is simple:

just tell me

if you were to assassinate Xia Jingshi,

what position would you choose?

If it's really as simple as you say,

then why bother coming to me?

I'm sure there are

plenty of skilled archers

in your army as well.

You probably don't know that

Yun Qing is considered Susha's

most formidable archer.

Ordinary archers can't even imagine

how formidable he truly is.

Miss Yixiao,

you are

the greatest archer in the world.

Right now, only you can guess

what Yun Qing might be thinking.

I'm not nearly as skilled as you say.

It's not worth mentioning.

See how good he is with words?

When asking for help, one should act like it.

Tell me, what are your conditions?

I can agree to three of them.

That's not what you said just now.

Fine.

Five it is.

"The entire Yujing City

is my territory.

Everything's under my control."

First Prince, you're truly impressive, huh?

If you're really that impressive,

how come you can't even find someone

when you want to?

Leave some leeway in your dealings.

Don't push things too far,

and always leave yourself a way out.

Don't you agree?

What's wrong?

You look

quite reluctant, First Prince.

I've agreed to help you,

yet you didn't even say thank you.

Thank you.

That's more like it.

As for the first condition...

The guards at Miss Ling's residence

will be withdrawn.

Alright.

I haven't thought of the other four yet.

Let's leave those pending for now.

Give me the map of Yujing City.

What?

Afraid I'll sneak a look at

your secret maps?

Forget it if you won't share.

The maps are in my study.

Come with me.

Miss Yixiao.

Xia Jingshi and his party

set off from the post station at the border early this morning.

They should arrive in Yujing

in no more than four hours.

This is the gate where Xia Jingshi will enter the city.

[West Gate] [Post Station]

Then he'll follow this road

all the way to the post station.

What kind of bow does Yun Qing use?

He took a two-picul bow with him.

His archery skills are such that

within 100 paces, he never misses;

at 150 paces, he hits 6 or 7 out of 10;

and at 180 paces, 3 or 4 out of 10.

We've already sent people

to search along the route from the city gate to the post station,

within a range of 100 to 150 paces

on either side,

but we still couldn't find Yun Qing.

Should we expand the search area?

There's no time left.

[West Gate] [Tea House]

How far is this position

from the city gate?

Just over 50 paces.

That's enough.

Are you suggesting

Yun Qing would choose a closer position?

He knew you would

try to stop him,

so he deliberately took

a two-picul bow.

But have you considered that

a two-picul bow is so large,

and bringing it to a crowded area

would make him too conspicuous?

With so many of you searching

and still not finding him,

it shows that he has

concealed his whereabouts

extremely well.

Yun Qing only took a two-picul bow

to deceive us,

to make us misjudge

his position.

There's an archery shop here.

[Archery Shop]

[Archery Shop]

He must have bought

a new bow here.

When Yun Qing left,

he left his personal token.

This shows that after the assassination,

he doesn't want to implicate the Feng Battalion,

so he surely wouldn't use

a Feng Battalion bow for the killing.

The bows from the archery shop

[Archery Shop]

may be crudely made

with a range of no more than 50 paces,

but for

a master archer,

50 paces is more than enough

for him to be confident he can make a lethal shot.

Besides,

Yun Qing is ready

to die anyway.

He only wants to kill,

with no intention of escaping,

so he doesn't have to leave himself a way out.

Therefore,

if it were me,

I would choose this tavern.

[Tavern]

Who are these people?

How dare they act on the street?

How bold of them!

Looks like they're from the First Prince's Residence.

Indeed.

Did something happen?

Yun Qing!

[Susha Kingdom's Feng Battalion, Yun Qing]

Get down here now!

Yun Qing,

this is His Highness's military order!

Are you even refusing

to obey His Highness now?

Yun Qing.

Your name was given by His Highness,

your skills were taught by His Highness,

your position in the Feng Battalion

was arranged by His Highness,

and your life

was saved by His Highness

from among the refugees.

Have you forgotten all this?

I, Yun Qing, would never dare forget Your Highness's great kindness.

Is what you did today

meant to force me

to collect your corpse myself?

Your Highness.

I only know

that in your heart, you would never agree

to the marriage alliance with Jinxiu.

I only wanted to kill Xia Jingshi

to ease Your Highness's burden.

Have you thought about the consequences?

You wanted to trade your life

for Xia Jingshi's life—

would I ever agree to that?

What is Xia Jingshi anyway?

Is his miserable life

worth trading yours for?

On the first day I brought you

into the Feng Battalion,

what was the military discipline I ordered you to uphold?

Honor heaven above,

respect the earth below.

Be loyal to the ruler and the kingdom,

and never fail the people.

Be loyal to the ruler and the kingdom,

and never fail the people.

This isn't about being loyal to me, Feng Suige,

nor is it about not failing me, Feng Suige.

I taught you skills

so that one day

you could serve our kingdom—

not to repay me personally.

Do you understand?

I, Yun Qing,

will remember that.

Get back and report

before the camp is dismissed today.

Yes, Your Highness.

If you dare to be late,

you'll face military punishment.

Thank you

for your help today.

When will Xia Jingshi arrive in Yujing?

The officials of the Ministry of Rites

have gone to the city gate to welcome him.

He should arrive soon.

I just saw Lu Ke

preparing your military robe.

It seems

you're also going to the city tower.

Xia Jingshi

is not that important.

I'm only going

to support my sister.

I'll go with you.

What if there are others

who want to assassinate Xia Jingshi?

Take me with you,

so I can help you spot

if there are other assassins.

You just want to go see Xia Jingshi, right?

Actually,

I'm quite curious too.

If Xia Jingshi sees you

and discovers that you're now

a concubine in my household,

how would he react?

So you agree?

[Yujing City]

Here they come. Stay alert!

[Yujing City]

It was you who rescued me from the death camp.

From now on,

my life belongs to you.

[Uphold Virtue to Honor the Ancients]

I, Xiao Weiran—

I, Fu Yixiao—

I, Ning Fei—

[Nan]

From this day on, join the Zhennan Army

and swear loyalty unto death to His Highness!

Those who kill the people of Jinxiu,

I shall devour their flesh and drink their blood!

Those who slay even one soldier of the Zhennan Army,

I shall execute without mercy!

Kill!

Kill!

With this as my betrothal gift,

Heaven and earth as witness, mountains and rivers as matchmakers,

I vow to stay by your side till death.

Would you be willing

to marry me in your bridal finery?

What's wrong?

I will share life and death with Your Highness!

This is a military order!

Protect His Highness!

Protect His Highness!

[Yujing City]

I am Shen Wu, Minister of Rites.

Prince of Zhennan, you've come from afar.

The journey must have been tiring.

Minister Shen, no need for such formalities.

Prince of Zhennan, please follow me to the carriage.

His Majesty is waiting for you.

The rest of you, please follow the ceremonial officer

to the post station to rest.

I will accompany you, Prince of Zhennan,

into the palace to have an audience with His Majesty first.

[Yujing City]

Prince of Zhennan, please.

Let's go.

Fu Yixiao.

Did something come back to you?

[Peace]

Stop thinking about it.

Loosen your grip,

will you?

Alright?

No one here will hurt you.

Loosen your grip first.

Do you remember who I am?

Half a smile,

half a sneer—

just like you.

Feng Suige.

Yes, it's me.

Bastard!

Don't push!

Such simple folk customs.

Simple folk customs indeed.

My husband and son

were both killed

by you Jinxiu people!

How dare you come to Yujing?

May you die a terrible death!

A terrible death!

You executioners!

[Palace of Susha Kingdom]

By order of our Emperor,

I have come to Susha

to marry Princess Xiyang.

Our Emperor

sincerely wishes

for lasting friendship between our two kingdoms

and for the people to enjoy a life of peace and stability.

In times of war,

it's always the common people who suffer.

I,

like the Emperor of Jinxiu,

wish for peace throughout the land.

Your Majesty, please rest assured.

Princess Xiyang and I

will do everything to maintain peace between our two kingdoms.

I was worried

about Xiyang marrying into a foreign land,

but today,

seeing your fine character, Prince of Zhennan,

I feel much more at ease.

In the future,

I hope you will treat each other with respect

and live in harmony.

Your Majesty,

I've obtained permission from our Emperor

to return all Susha warriors

we captured

in the Battle of Pingling,

hoping our kingdoms will maintain friendly relations for centuries

and lasting peace throughout the world.

It's thoughtful of you, Prince of Zhennan.

When the time comes,

all Jinxiu prisoners

will be handed over to you

and return with you to Jinxiu.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Now that the two kingdoms have ceased hostilities and made peace,

Prince of Zhennan and Xiyang

deserve much credit.

This way please, Prince of Zhennan.

Your Majesty.

Please sit.

Bring some wine.

Your Majesty,

it's not yet noon, not suitable for drinking.

I'm meeting my future son-in-law.

Doesn't that deserve a drink?

As you command.

Neither sitting nor bowing.

If you marry my daughter,

you'll be my junior.

You're a prince, and I'm an emperor.

There's a distinction between ruler and subject.

Shouldn't you

bow to me?

Your Majesty,

let tea serve as my drink.

Are you trying to treat me as your equal?

When I marry the princess,

I'll observe the proper etiquette between father and son-in-law.

Why not wait until the wine's served?

To express my sincerity,

whether it's tea or wine,

what difference does it make?

Try this.

How is it?

Princess Xiyang has a sweet tooth.

How do you know

these are Xiyang's favorite pastries?

Your Majesty is a man of great talent and broad vision,

with the world in your heart.

Recommending such sweet pastries to me

certainly isn't because

you like them yourself.

I suppose

Your Majesty wants to test

if Princess Xiyang and I

have compatible tastes,

right?

Prince of Zhennan, you're quite perceptive.

The pastries you just had

were created by Xiyang herself

when she was only seven years old.

Her mother said that as a princess,

she shouldn't be cooking herself

and should let the royal chefs handle it.

But Xiyang insisted

that these pastries

were meant for her family,

and she couldn't entrust them to others.

Therefore,

in this entire world,

only she and her two brothers,

myself, and the Empress have tasted them.

And now, you're the sixth.

It's truly enviable

to hear Your Majesty speak

so fondly of family matters.

I know that

although you and the Emperor of Jinxiu

are brothers, you're not close.

My children are different.

Though they were not born of the same mother,

their bond as siblings

is deep and strong,

second to none.

That's wonderful.

And?

The marriage between you and Xiyang

was Xiyang's own choice.

I know that

others say Susha was defeated

and could only buy a few years of peace

by marrying off a princess.

They are wrong.

If it weren't for Xiyang's affection for you,

I would never

trade my beloved daughter's lifelong happiness

for a few years of peace in Susha.

What I mean is

I

will absolutely not allow Jinxiu to fail Xiyang.

In this marriage,

what I want is my daughter's

happiness and well-being.

I

will not give you

any chance to disappoint Xiyang.

Your Majesty speaks wisely.

Kingdom affairs are kingdom affairs,

and family matters are family matters.

I won't confuse the two.

[Wutong Mansion]

[Wutong Mansion]

Stop!

This is the First Prince's Residence.

No trespassing allowed!

Step aside.

I'm looking for Feng Suige.

Who do you think you are,

daring to call the First Prince by his name?

Ning Fei from Jinxiu.

Get lost!

Is Fu Yixiao

here with you?

Get lost, get lost.

You...

Feng Suige!

Feng Suige, come out here!

[Wutong Mansion]

Feng Suige!

I know you're in there.

Why are you making so much noise?

Yixiao needs to rest.

Miss Ling,

it's me,

Ning Fei from Jinxiu.

I don't care who you are.

Stop making such a racket here.

Yixiao is ill and needs rest.

What's wrong with her?

If you're smart, you won't persist.

Her affairs are none of your business.

Just leave.

Yixiao isn't seeing anyone.

Take me to see her.

I'll just take a look at her from a distance,

without disturbing her any further.

[Wutong Mansion]

-Take your hands off me. -Who's being so noisy here?

Please step aside, Miss.

I don't want to hurt you.

Hand Yixiao over to me.

Do you want to die?

I'm talking to you!

[Wutong Mansion]

So this is Jinxiu's greatest warrior?

I haven't even said it was on.

[Wutong Mansion]

Greetings, Your Highness.

Mr. Ma,

I'd like a word with Prince of Zhennan.

Greetings, Your Highness.

Do you still remember me?

We've never met before,

so how could I remember you?

So you really don't remember.

Three years ago,

at the border between Jinxiu and Susha,

on the desert.

Prince of Zhennan, you should know that

my father is a warrior emperor

who founded our kingdom through military might,

and my brother is the commander of Susha's three armies,

so I can be considered coming from a military family.

Given my background,

I also thought about achieving glory

on the battlefield

like my father and brother did.

It's not that I enjoy war.

I just believe

that as a princess,

I should do something to serve our kingdom.

You don't have to go to war to serve your kingdom.

You have your own duties as a princess.

What you just said

is exactly the same as

what my brother said back then.

Three years ago,

I wanted to follow my brother to battle,

but he wouldn't allow it.

But I was young and impetuous then,

and somehow found the courage

to secretly acquire a suit of armor.

I pulled some strings,

snuck into the army,

and followed the troops into battle.

My brother

started from the bottom level

and made military achievements step by step

until he became commander.

I wanted to be like him.

But on the second day of the campaign,

I ran into trouble.

I had heard from my brother

that there was a shortcut

in the desert.

To catch up with my brother,

I slipped away from my attendants,

intending to take that shortcut.

Little did I know

I would be completely lost.

What was even more desperate than my dire situation was

that I was discovered by the enemy.

It's a woman.

I don't kill women.

Let's go.

♪ Flying alone ♪

♪ With no need for direction ♪

♪ Flying up to the clouds ♪

♪ Yet the sun is hiding ♪

That water pouch saved my life.

♪ Roaming freely ♪

I survived for two more days,

♪ Unafraid of wind or frost ♪

until my brother

came to my rescue.

There was a name carved on that water pouch:

♪ The wet wings ♪

Xia Jingshi.

♪ Will carry me far away ♪

Prince of Zhennan.

It was you who saved me that day,

and it was also you who spared my life.