Original subtitles

[Fated Hearts]

[Episode 20]

The person who took Ruyan's carriage

to meet Xia Jingshi

was actually in the Murong Marquis mansion.

The benefactor Ruyan mentioned

turned out to be Murong Yao.

Let's go.

You're letting me go?

Yes.

Why?

I've already found out

who that Meng Junran really is.

Impossible.

The Murong Marquis mansion.

Do you need me

to be more specific?

You're deeply devoted to him.

But he didn't even bother to find out

if you betrayed him or not

before sending someone to kill you.

It shows that in his heart

you're just

an insignificant character.

After all this,

you should see

his true colours by now.

He doesn't deserve

any of your attachment.

Don't talk about dying so easily.

Live well.

After you leave this place,

you'll still be in danger.

He will surely send people to hunt you down.

Don't go back to the dance house.

Don't look for him again.

Leave Yujing City

and start a new life.

Before I change my mind,

you'd better leave.

Hurry and leave!

Feng Suige asked you

about the escort agency today?

As you instructed before,

I said it was commissioned by Manager Luo.

Manager Luo's lead is a dead end.

He can't answer anything.

Your Lordship, you been tired all day.

May I massage your legs?

No need.

All these years,

you've never asked what I want to do

or what I wish to do.

Aren't you curious?

No matter what Your Lordship wants to do

or wishes to do,

I will

forever stay by your side.

Young Master,

don't go!

All right.

Let me see what we'll eat later.

Stop looking.

-Let's go there. -Let's go there.

Go.

-Okay. -Go there. Okay.

Hurry!

Someone's coming.

Retreat!

You want to die?

It's not that easy.

Feng Suige.

Don't be happy too soon.

Your doomsday

is coming.

How come the mighty death camp.

only

have this few people?

Take them away.

-Yes. -Yes.

Your Highness.

I've checked the surroundings

and found nothing suspicious.

[Wutong Mansion]

Your Highness.

Let's use every torture device we have.

She'll surely confess.

Wake her up.

Salt water.

The Minister of War of Susha

had no grudges against your death camp.

You killed him

just for him

to be a scapegoat and shield.

Everyone at court knows

Hou Jing is my man.

If something happens to him,

I'll be isolated at court.

The position of Minister of War

will be vacant.

Your master

can then seize the opportunity to appoint someone new.

The affairs of Susha's court

have nothing to do with me.

So Zhuang Shen sent you, did he?

Kill me if you want.

Stop wasting time.

I wonder.

You can withstand them,

but can your subordinates withstand

these tortures of mine?

Your Highness.

He confessed?

Yes, he did.

I thought that man

would be tough to break.

But as soon as the nails went in,

he confessed everything.

He's dead?

He kept muttering from the moment we brought them in,

like he was chanting a spell.

Your Highness, I feel these people

are all a bit mentally unstable.

I'm asking how he died.

He confessed after just a brief beating.

Said it was someone

named Meng Junran who gave the order.

"Your Eminence"

instructed before leaving Yujing

to obey everything Meng Junran says.

"Your Eminence"?

That's Xia Jingshi.

I thought we were getting somewhere,

but this guy

was just trying

to mislead me even when confessing.

When I wasn't looking,

he smashed his head and died.

The more I hear, the more I think

this death camp is complicated.

These assassins

have been trained to be inhuman.

They're completely heartless.

Where's the body?

Still in the cell.

♪ Arrows skim through fleeting light ♪

♪ In the blink of an eye ♪

♪ Scattering among clouds and mist ♪

♪ I fall off a cliff ♪

♪ My wings, in an instant ♪

♪ Shatter into sand ♪

♪ Who once smiled in the face of the frost? ♪

Why is it you?

I've been following you

just to see

how you would leave.

I didn't think you would

still go to Murong Marquis's mansion.

What's more surprising is

that you wanted to take your own life.

Why did you save me?

Wouldn't it be better to let me die?

Die for him?

Is it worth it?

If you jump from here now,

tomorrow Yujing City

will just have one more floating corpse.

Nothing else will change.

In his heart,

you're already dead.

Dead...

Actually, that day

when I tracked you to Murong Marquis's mansion,

I already knew

Meng Junran was him.

I just hoped

to hear you

say his name.

Because only then

could it prove that

you had already let him go.

I'm not someone

who meddles in others' affairs.

It's only because we share similar experiences.

The suffering I once endured,

I don't want it

to happen to you.

I just don't understand.

How could someone I'd rather die

than to betray

be so cruel to me?

His heartlessness is his fault.

Don't blame it on yourself.

But is the reason you'd rather die

than betray him

just because you have feelings for him?

If it weren't for him,

I wouldn't be alive today.

I grew up in the dance house.

Since young, I had to suffer countless hardships

and endur countless beatings

to become the top dancer in the house.

At the same time, I became my mother's cash cow.

You have to entertain clients.

I despised that life.

But I couldn't change anything.

Just when I had lost all hope

and wished to end my life,

he came.

He was like a beam of light

shining upon me.

Later,

he gave me the dance house

and made me its owner.

He saved you.

Your unwillingness to betray him even at the cost of your life

is understandable.

At the dance house,

I helped him collect

intelligence on officials and nobles.

You know what?

Everyone saw me as

a lowly dancer.

Only he

never looked down on my background.

Whatever debt you owed him,

it was cleared

the moment he sent someone to kill you.

From now on,

live for yourself.

Live for myself?

Who is this Meng Junran?

Your Eminence told you to listen to him.

You can't possibly not know

who he is, can you?

I don't know.

Then it seems your subordinates

were right.

Prime Minister Zhuang these days

has been staying in the palace.

So he couldn't have had the chance

to give you orders.

So it must be this Meng Junran.

Tell me his identity.

I can spare your life.

Why?

You don't believe me?

Members of the death camp

never betray.

Because death for them

is an extreme luxury.

Without permission,

taking one's own life

means no reincarnation after death.

When captured by enemies, to prove loyalty,

only suicide brings release.

You think these little tricks

can fool me?

I truly don't know

Meng Junran's identity

As for the reason

why His Eminence sent us to complete this mission

or what his plans are,

we're merely following orders.

These are the rules.

People from the death camp

understand rules best.

However,

I have something else

to tell you.

You'll find it very interesting.

Go on.

Once,

there was a little girl.

When I first saw her,

she was like a little stray dog.

I only needed one flatbread

to lure her back to

my death camp

All these years,

I often dream of her,

dream of all the moments

we spent together.

She was so tiny.

All covered in blood.

She would kneel down

and kowtow to me saying,

"I'm sorry.

I'm sorry."

But she

should be grateful to me, shouldn't she?

Without me,

how could she have such great martial skills now?

People can only

unleash their unlimited potential

when they're close to death.

I would hold her underwater

and then save her.

Breath control.

What a master archer needs most

is breath control.

Without proper breath control and focus,

how could she ever shoot accurately?

How could she become the deadliest arrow?

Then,

I locked her in the cellar.

Do you know

what total darkness is like?

She didn't see the sun for six months.

During those six months,

if a few rats got in,

she would be deeply grateful to me.

There was no sound.

No sound.

Not a single sound.

Your Highness,

do you know who I'm talking about?

You think angering me

will make me kill you?

When it comes to tactics,

you may be even more ruthless

and cruel than I am.

You also know better than anyone

what kind of torture

awaits you.

So you want to end it all,

thinking you can escape the suffering.

You even try to end your life by biting your tongue off.

But I won't let you have your way.

I'll make you regret

ever being born.

The Junior Marquis of Changle

is His Highness' childhood friend.

They're as close as real brothers.

And the old nursemaid

who'd been with me since I was born.

To win favor with my enemy,

she tried

to burn me alive in my sleep.

Even my childhood study companion

And my swordsmanship teacher…

They all used my trust

and tried every possible way

to kill me.

If you knew that

even your close friend of many years

had betrayed you,

how painful would that be?

Your Highness.

This is the inner palace garden.

Outside officials

are not allowed to enter.

Wait outside with Princess.

I'll go meet the Empress Dowager.

Your Highness,

we've entered the palace.

Instead of greeting the Emperor first,

we are meeting the Empress Dowager?

Let me meet the Empress Dowager with you.

If she gives you trouble,

I'll explain for you.

It's good for Her Highness to come along.

After all, leaving Susha without permission

requires an explanation.

I can explain to her clearly

why both of us had to leave Susha.

When we meet the Empress Dowager,

whatever she asks you,

just answer truthfully.

Don't worry.

[Shunde Palace]

Your Majesty,

the Prince of Zhennan and his wife have arrived.

You may leave.

I pay my respects, Mother.

Rise.

Thank you, Mother.

So this is your new wife,

the Princess of Susha?

Since the Emperor promised Susha

that you would be their son-in-law,

why did you disobey and return to the capital?

You even brought

the Princess of Susha with you.

Our countries have just made peace.

Are you trying to provoke a war?

As the Commander-in-Chief of Zhennan Pass,

if I were detained in Susha indefinitely,

I fear the Zhennan Army

would lose morale and fighting spirit.

I risked my life to return

was all for Jinxiu,

So you're saying

that sending you to Susha as a son-in-law

was a mistake by the Emperor and me?

Mother,

I never meant that.

You've grown bolder

and making your own decisions now.

You dare to disobey

both me and the Emperor.

I wouldn't dare.

I wouldn't dare to defy

your or His Majesty's wishes in any way.

Please understand, Your Highness.

All these years the Prince of Zhennan spent in Pingling City,

he dedicated every thought

to defending the borders and protecting the country.

He has no selfish intentions whatsoever.

These words coming

from an enemy princess's mouth.

How can I possibly believe them?

If it weren't true,

I wouldn't have willingly

angered my father and brothers

just to help the Prince of Zhennan

return to Jinxiu.

So you're saying

I should thank you

for your righteousness?

You, leave.

I need to speak

with your husband alone.

Back then, to escape from Jinxiu,

you called me Mother.

Now, to escape from Susha,

you didn't hesitate to bring

that enemy princess with you.

Have you figured out how to explain this

to your Red-Clad General?

What?

You don't actually think

I don't know what you've been doing

in Pingling City, do you?

These years,

you've done well at the border.

Pingling City has been governed

with perfect order under your rule.

The several invasions from Susha

were also repelled by you.

Now throughout the court,

who doesn't know the reputation of the Prince of Zhennan?

It's all thanks to your nurturing, Mother.

You also have the blood of the late emperor.

You're Jinxiu's only Prince.

The Emperor is a carefree man.

Jinxiu's grand affairs

shall rely on you in the future.

Don't let

my nurturing go to waste.

Has someone wronged you?

Tell me who bullied you.

I'll make them regret it.

Remember,

after you're married, no matter what happens,

you must let Father know.

I'll always be your support.

The entire Susha

is your backing.

♪ Roaming freely ♪

Xiyang,

♪ Unafraid of wind or frost ♪

as long as you can be happy,

I can accept anything.

Because more than anyone else

in this world,

♪ The wet wings ♪

I want you to be happy.

♪ Will carry me far away ♪

♪ Don't cry, don't cry ♪

♪ I'll remember the way home ♪

Who is this?

Dare to not kneel before His Majesty?

Who are you?

Raise your head.

Your Majesty.

This is the wife of the Prince of Zhennan.

Xiyang pays respects to Your Majesty.

Well, well,

Xia Jingshi has returned.

You have the nerve to come back?

Stop!

Stop!

Your Majesty! Your Majesty!

Your Majesty.

What are you doing?

I'm going to kill him.

Your Majesty!

You absolutely cannot!

You must not!

Get out of my way!

Enough!

Stop this nonsense.

Your brother has just returned

and you're already threatening to kill him.

How would this look if word got out?

If he has done something wrong,

you should address it properly.

Let him admit the wrongs himself.

The royal family's dignity

has been completely disgraced by you.

Mother.

I made my own decision

to leave Susha without permission

because I was forced by circumstances.

I couldn't report to you in time.

But everything I've done

was for Jinxiu,

and for Your Majesty.

I had no selfish intentions.

Stop pretending.

A lowborn like you

dares to stand before Mother

and call yourself her son?

Let me tell you,

killing you now

would be like crushing an ant.

Enough of this.

Prince of Zhennan, you've come from afar.

I assume you haven't arranged

your accommodations yet.

In my opinion,

he should stay at the Rongyang Palace in the north.

Bai Shouzhuo,

escort them there.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Please follow me, both of you.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Mother,

I shall take my leave now.

Please.

Prime Minister.

Minister Hou has been seriously wounded in an assassination attempt.

The Ministry of War is now leaderless

and is in complete disarray.

What should we do?

Prime Minister Zhuang.

The most urgent matter now

is to immediately select an official

to replace the Minister.

Censor Wang,

who do you have in mind?

Liu Qin, the Vice Minister of War.

He has served as Deputy Minister for over five years

without making any mistakes.

Having him replace the Minister

would be most appropriate.

I recommend the official from the Minister of War,

Zhao Zhongxian.

Lord Zhao is well-versed in state affairs,

skilled in both civil and military matters.

Your Majesty has praised him many times.

He is truly a talent worth employing.

Lord Zhao is indeed talented,

but he is quite young.

If we appoint him as the Minister,

I fear others may not accept his authority.

How about Minister Li Rongshi from the Ministry of Works?

He could transfer from Works to War.

That would be acceptable.

Indeed, Minister Li would be more suitable.

But Deputy Minister Liu is more familiar

with the affairs of the Ministry of War.

I have heard

what you all said.

I need to think carefully

about these three candidates.

Father.

Whether it's Left Vice Minister Liu Qin,

physician Zhao Zhongxian,

or Li Rongshi,

they are all our people.

How is His Majesty?

I don't know when

he will wake up.

You ordered him back

just to kill him?

I don't care.

I feel disgusted just looking at him.

I want to kill him on sight.

Anyway, Mother

won't let me actually do it,

right?

Stop causing me trouble.

He now commands

over 100,000 troops.

If anything happens to him,

the army from Pingling City

will storm the capital.

I should have killed

that bastard back then.

It was you.

You were bewitched by his constant calls

of 'Mother' and lost all senses.

You insisted on letting him go.

All these years,

he's been fighting wars and gaining merit.

I've been mocked

as just a capital-bound emperor.

Now you fear him

and think I'm causing you trouble?

He is a bastard.

You are my true son.

But you are incompetent!

I...

If you want to secure your throne,

if you want to spend your days in debauchery

and do whatever you please,

you must rely on Xia Jingshi.

With him here,

Zhennan Pass will remain secure.

Those old ministers at court

won't dare to make trouble.

He does have the ability,

but he lacks loyalty.

He may look like a dog now,

but did you see

that look in his eyes just now?

He's a wolf cub.

He will bite sooner or later.

I naturally have ways to control him

and make him bow

to us, mother and son.

This way, please.

[Rongyang Palace]

This place is different from other palace gardens.

It's where palace eunuchs

recover before their death.

Ordinary people are not allowed here,

hence it's guarded.

Xia Jingyan deliberately humiliates

Your Highness.

Shut up.

But this place has been uninhabited for years.

My lady, please don't mind it.

Your Highness.

Please.

Be careful, Your Highness.

Are you alright, Your Highness?

Did you twist your ankle?

My foot is fine.

I was just careless.

How can they let His Highness

stay in a place like this?

I'm afraid there isn't even

a clean table or chair.

Don't worry, Your Highness.

Our conditions in the military

were much harsher than this.

You needn't worry about His Highness.

He's just going in to see

if it has been tidied up yet.

We'll wait for him here.

Your Highness, please sit.

Your Highness.

Shouzhe has finally waited

for your return.

Looking at his condition,

I fear he won't last through the night.

Who can blame him?

He broke Her Majesty's

favorite vase.

All these years,

you've suffered much.

Please rise.

I didn't suffer.

I am now

the Emperor's head eunuch.

I can act freely. No one dares to stop me.

If Your Highness has any requests,

please don't hesitate to ask.

Following your instructions,

I didn't accompany Your Highness

to Pingling.

Every day I've been here,

I've been waiting

for your return.

During these years I've been away from the capital,

there were indeed many matters

that required your assistance.

But you must be extremely careful.

Xia Jingyan is cunning and ruthless.

We absolutely cannot let him

suspect anything.

I understand.

Since learning of your return,

I've copied these documents

and kept them ready.

I'm sure Your Highness will find them useful.

[Xia Jingyan’s Daily Chronicle]

This is...

Xia Jingyan’s Daily Chronicle?

With this,

Xia Jingyan will have no secrets from me.

[Wutong Mansion]

Murong Yao has people watching closely.

I can't act rashly.

I've been

a pampered prince since childhood.

I've never led troops nor fought in battle.

His Majesty has passed the command

of the Imperial Guards to me.

Isn't that asking for my life?

Do you know

what it means to live in complete darkness?

She didn't see the sun for half a year.

During those six months,

if a few rats had gotten in,

she would have been grateful to me.

What are you thinking about?

You've been preoccupied the whole journey.

You don't even respond when I talk to you.

Your father fought battles his whole life.

You're considered to be from a military family.

How hard can it be for you to lead the Imperial Guards?

You handle military affairs as if having a meal.

You're used to it.

I've never endured such hardship.

Every day when I open my eyes,

I'm overwhelmed with military affairs.

It's driving me crazy.

I even wrote my resignation letter.

But then His Majesty suddenly fell ill.

I didn't even get a chance to resign.

Before His Majesty wakes up,

the Imperial Guards' duty

is to ensure the palace's security.

Don't neglect your duties

by sneaking out again.

You know me well enough,

I can't stand being confined.

How about

you take charge of the Imperial Guards for a few days?

Until His Majesty wakes up,

you'll stay in the palace.

I'll send all matters of the Imperial Guards

to the palace.

Handle them for you.

I...

Fine.

I'll take that as a yes.

You truly are my good brother.

I knew you would help me.

Don't push it too far.

General.

From now on, report all matters about the Imperial Guards

directly to him.

Prime Minister Zhuang wants to arrest Ling Feng,

but Mr. Ma won't allow it.

I'm afraid our Imperial Guards

will clash with the Jinwu Guards.

Are you threatening me?

For him,

you employ the Jinwu Guards

to oppose me?

I wouldn't dare.

However,

I must ensure

Lord Ling remains unharmed.

Only if he's safe

can His Majesty be saved.

What are you doing?

Step aside.

What's the meaning of this?

How does it feel to have a knife

at your throat?

Making such jokes in the imperial palace

seems inappropriate, doesn't it?

In the imperial palace,

who are you to tell me what to do?

I merely want

to ask Lord Ling some questions.

This matter doesn't concern you.

I brought him here

to treat His Majesty.

Anyone who dares to trouble him

is opposing me.

Your Highness, please calm down.

It's because Lord Ling

refuses to disclose

His Majesty's condition.

I've examined His Majesty's

recent medication records

and found the prescribed medicines quite strange.

What's strange about them?

Speak clearly.

The medicines recorded

are all for treating mental exhaustion.

If His Majesty's illness

were caused by mental fatigue,

he certainly wouldn't

remain unconscious for so long.

Moreover,

with Lord Ling's medical skills,

he should have already

awakened His Majesty by now.

Besides Mr. Ma,

the last person His Majesty saw

before falling unconscious was you.

Shortly after that,

you brought Lord Ling into the palace.

He took over all matters

regarding His Majesty's treatment.

Yet His Majesty remains unconscious for days.

Now the entire court is asking me

what happened to His Majesty.

First Prince,

tell me,

how should I answer them?

Zhuang Shen,

what are you implying?

I'm merely stating facts.

Lord Ling,

why are you so nervous?

Are you feeling guilty?

I don't usually see anyone at court

care so much about His Majesty before.

If anyone has questions,

let them ask me directly.

You're known as the Killer God.

Who would dare question you?

Are you all so eager to know

what illness Feng Pingcheng has?

Absolutely not!

Absolutely not,

Lord Ling!

He has a terminal illness.

It's incurable.

Even gods couldn't save him.

Last March,

May the year before,

October three years ago...

I've lost count.

If I hadn't been keeping him alive,

he would have died long ago!

Lord Ling.

You...

I'll say what I want.

I don't owe you anything.

Find whoever you want to treat him.

I'm done with this.

If anyone reveals

what was discussed today,

I will exterminate their entire family.

Yes.

Lord Ling.

[Ning'an Hall]

Those things you just said

were just to fool them, right?

All that talk about terminal illness

was just to frighten them.

Isn't that so?

Impossible.

What illness can't you cure?

You're the master of Zhengnian Villa,

the best doctor in the world.

Even if others can't cure him,

you must have a way to save him.

Unfortunately, I'm just a mortal,

not a god.

When was the illness discovered?

Fifteen years ago.

Fifteen?

He knew about his terminal illness

fifteen years ago.

That's right.

One could say

that every day for these fifteen years,

your father has been living

on the edge between life and death.

Why didn't he tell me?

You were still young then,

and you resented him

for your mother's death.

He chose not to tell you.

He must have had his reasons.

I deliberately let Zhuang Shen and others know

for your own good.

Otherwise they would definitely

blame all of your father's illness

on you.

Your situation will be

even worse then.

What can I do?

Is there any way to cure him?

I don't even know

what I should do.

All these years, I've traveled everywhere

trying to find a way to save your father.

That's because

I promised your mother

to save him.

It has nothing to do with Feng Pingcheng.

Even though your mother has passed away,

I would still do my best.

But human ability has its limits,

and fate has its course.

I can only barely extend his life.

I cannot find a way to save him.

What about the place that saved Ning Fei?

Does that place have a way to cure him?

That place

is the Storm Alliance

founded by your mother.

Mother?

The people of the Storm Alliance

hate Feng Pingcheng deeply

because of your mother's death.

Would they be willing to save him?

Besides, your father is suffering from

qi depletion illness.

Even if they were willing to help,

they couldn't save him.

Lord Ling.

I just learned this truth today.

But I beg you.

His Majesty needs you now.

Please also fulfill the promise

you made to Mother.

As for those who doubt you,

leave them to me.

Please feel free to treat him.

Consider this a personal plea from me.