Original subtitles

I haven't seen you in years.

I just wanted to ask you.

All these years out in the world,

did you suffer?

However,

I never thought that Your Highness would be the sixth prince.

If I can't find Huai Yi,

I'm afraid I won't have another chance.

You care so much about your brother.

I'll do my best to help you.

(Episode 2)

To the Covert Division of Ji North,

I have settled in South Hui...

and infiltrated the residence of He, an old friend.

We reminisced and bonded over drinks.

He is the crown prince's younger brother,

the sixth prince.

We can use him to help our great cause.

(Imperial Palace, Ji North Kingdom)

Greetings, Your Majesty.

I told you.

There is no need for formalities in private.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Duan Zi Ang has successfully infiltrated Sixth Prince's Manor.

If he succeeds in assassinating the crown prince...

and completes his mission,

we can bring him back...

and reveal his identity.

(South Hui Kingdom)

I'll teach you.

This is...

that bow from when we were kids.

He kept it all this time.

Didn't His Highness ask you...

to take good care of Young Master Duan?

Where is he?

I... I haven't seen Young Master Duan...

since this morning.

Report it to His Highness.

The assassination failed.

Not only did he not leave,

he intentionally approached me.

I wonder...

what Zi Ang is up to.

Shu He!

Shu He.

The kitchen prepared a hangover soup.

Zi Ang, you haven't recovered yet.

Why don't you get some rest?

It's just a minor injury.

Shu He, what are you doing?

I haven't practiced for a long time.

I'm rusty.

Is that so?

Shu He, if you're suspicious of me,

I won't leave you alive.

I wonder...

when I'll be able to hear you play the zither.

My teacher said...

the sound of the zither is also the sound of the heart.

I'm still drunk from last night.

I'll play another day.

Then...

Shu He, can you understand the sound of my heart?

The sound of your heart...

is certainly hard to understand.

I'll teach you.

Between the two of us,

who is the pawn...

and who is the chess player?

It seems...

yet to be decided.

This is the "gong" pitch.

This is "shang".

Is there a difference?

Zi Ang, listen to this now.

This is "jue".

This...

It seems like he didn't suspect me.

Forget it.

If you want to master the zither,

I'm afraid you'll need some more time.

Swordplay suits me better.

Remember to drink the soup.

Convey my order.

Today, all the guards outside my study...

are all dismissed.

In five days,

General Duan will bring a few trusted men...

to Mount Lingyun to survey the terrain.

Set up a small platoon to run into General Duan.

At that time, we'll send the Imperial Guards...

to catch General Duan red-handed.

Remember, only General Duan and I know the formation.

After your platoon is captured, you must not mention me.

He was the one who framed us...

for colluding with the enemy.

Why are you here so late?

It's dangerous for you to be here.

Xiao Shu He is drunk.

It's the safest time to sneak out.

Lord Wang,

I found some letters...

in a secret compartment in Xiao Shu He's room.

According to the letters,

my father was framed by Gu Yuan Shan.

The crown prince was just an enforcer.

What do you mean?

All these years,

did I hate the wrong person?

How dare you come here without my permission?

This had better be important.

Yesterday, Prince Shu He ran into an old acquaintance...

at White Cloud Temple.

He's a remnant of General Duan's family.

Judging from the prince's reaction,

they must have been very close.

A remnant of General Duan's family?

The assassin.

I saw him acting suspiciously,

so I followed him.

He met a man at the mill on East Street.

From the conversation, I surmise...

that the mill and its visitors...

are most likely scouts from Ji North Kingdom.

Huo Ying, you must not lie!

From Ji North Kingdom?

Huo Ying,

you know what you're saying, right?

It's true.

I wouldn't dare to take this lightly.

How dare Xiao Shu He associate with people from Ji North?

He doesn't want to be an idle prince, does he?

Your Highness,

this is a serious matter.

Let's confirm it before we consider it.

Although Prince Shu He stays away from the imperial court,

I don't think he would be so ignorant about such matters.

That person even mentioned...

the Red Shadow Guards.

Weren't the Red Shadow Guards...

The mill on East Street.

In the next two days, find out who is inside.

Don't spook them.

Report this to Prime Minister Gu.

Yes.

How long have you been planted in the prince's residence?

Five years.

I've kept you there for so long.

It's time to put you to use.

Within seven days,

I want you to kill Xiao Shu He.

What?

The two of you have gotten close over the years.

Will you refuse now?

No.

Your Highness is my only master.

What?

Do you also think Xiao Shu He is good?

He's a good-for-nothing.

Why do you all like him so much?

I wouldn't dare.

I'll complete my mission.

You may go.

Zi Ang, it's me.

He's not in his room early in the morning.

Zi Ang.

What rare item are you carrying?

Why didn't you make a sound?

You were such a serious child. You seem different now.

You're always playing childish tricks.

I'm a martial arts practitioner.

I'm used to getting up early to practice martial arts.

I saw the pear blossoms blooming this morning.

It reminded me of you.

I wanted to give your room a touch of pear fragrance.

Now, I suppose...

it will be an apology.

Do you like to eat sweets?

I'll ask the chef to prepare a box of pear blossom pastries for you.

I thought you weren't awake.

I ordered someone to prepare breakfast.

Zi Ang, try my cook's skills.

The song of the sword...

reminds me of my close friend, Zi Ang.

The bamboo bow is still warm from his fingertips.

In our youth, we trampled through wild paths.

Separated by trials and hardships,

I dare not dwell on those tender feelings.

How could he have such thoughts?

How ridiculous.

What's wrong?

Does the arrow wound still hurt?

No.

It's just that I've been away from home for a long time.

No one has prepared breakfast for me for a long time.

I didn't expect that to bring up sad feelings.

When you say that,

it sounds like you're mocking me for being sentimental.

Lord Gu is here and asks to speak with Your Highness.

The soul and the spirit ought to speak to one another.

Do not be born into the imperial family.

What?

Zi Ang,

I have some matters to attend to.

I shouldn't pry into state affairs.

If Your Highness is unhappy,

you can come to me.

Greetings, Your Highness.

You don't have to be so formal.

He's an old friend of mine.

We met again a few days ago.

I invited him to my residence.

Greetings, Lord Gu.

How polite of you.

Your Highness, this way, please.

I have something to discuss.

Did the crown prince come to see you again?

It's none of your business.

I came to see you because of Prince Shu He.

Sit down first. I'll get the medicine.

The crown prince is going to make a move on Prince Shu He.

When?

How?

The crown prince wants you to do it.

I only have seven days.

Then why did you tell me?

Because I helped you hide your identity, did you think...

I would help you assassinate Shu He?

I never thought of asking you to help me.

I'm telling you this...

because I know Prince Shu He is a good person.

And if the crown prince does this,

he will regret it later.

You're so concerned about the crown prince.

Haven't you ever thought...

that the crown prince treats you like a dog?

Even if I'm a dog,

I'm still a dog that he cares about.

You're a martial artist.

You get hurt so badly every time.

A martial artist is just a blade.

A blade that can only slice its way forward.

When a blade is born,

isn't it meant to cut everything down...

until it breaks?

If a sword is to break,

it should break at the most critical moment.

Before you've accomplished anything for the crown prince,

you will have already broken.

Can you accept that?

Yes.

I don't deserve to have an opinion.

I'm an orphan.

I was chosen by the crown prince,

taken in, and trained.

I even became the crown prince's sword.

It's already a great honor.

You're the one who cannot accept it.

Huo Ying,

promise me.

Don't be impulsive.

Prime Minister Gu, what brings you here today?

I understand...

that you don't want to be involved in the imperial court.

But there are some things...

that I have to say.

Go ahead, Prime Minister Gu.

The crown prince...

killed the Prince of Qi.

Prime Minister Gu, you are the crown prince's teacher.

The fate of the nation is unstable.

His Majesty only has the two of you.

I don't want one of you...

to have his hands stained with his brother's blood.

And I don't want the other to die by his brother's hand.

I don't want the throne.

Everyone knows that.

I know how you feel.

I really don't want to fight with him.

Prime Minister Gu, just get to the point.

Every crown prince that came before...

was not allowed absolute power.

I just wish...

that Your Highness can be involved in the imperial court...

and curb the crown prince's arrogance.

When everything is settled,

I'll do my best to ensure you can return to seclusion.

I'll help you travel the world.

Forgive me for being rude.

No matter what you're planning,

I don't believe that Shu Qian would harm me.

Prime Minister Gu, please leave.

I misspoke.

But I still have to remind Your Highness.

Two days ago, there was an assassin in the crown prince's manor.

The crown prince found out...

that someone left the city that night...

using Your Highness's token.

Prime Minister Gu,

you don't have to threaten me like this.

What do you mean, Your Highness?

If I don't agree,

will you also report to Father...

that I'm suspected of colluding with the enemy?

Your Highness, you must be joking.

I don't understand what you mean.

Do you still remember...

General Duan?

I've had a lot of free time lately.

I happened to find someone from Duan Manor.

General Duan was a disgraced South Hui official.

If His Majesty hadn't been so observant back then,

once the two armies went to war,

who knows how many soldiers of South Hui...

would have died because General Duan had colluded with the enemy...

and betrayed the nation?

When I was in school as a child,

you were the best storyteller.

Now that you are the crown prince's Grand Master,

your storytelling skills have improved.

Your Highness, you should know.

Everyone in General Duan's family is a criminal.

If what Your Highness said is true,

Your Highness should report it to the Imperial Guards.

In General Duan's case,

who was the true victim?

You and I both know it.

I hope Your Highness can enlighten me.

After I get to the bottom of this, I will report it to Father.

But before that,

I don't want to cause him more trouble.

What do you think, Prime Minister Gu?

I have no right to interfere with your decision.

If you've made up your mind,

I'll take my leave.

Promise me.

Don't be impulsive.

I promise.

Also, yesterday, I heard the crown prince say...

that Duan Zi Ang...

is connected to the Red Shadow Guards.

Wait.

Take this.

Red Shadow Guards have their own way of identifying each other.

Why are you so flustered?

I just found out...

that the one who tried to assassinate the crown prince...

was from the Red Shadow Guards of the Ji North Kingdom.

Are you saying...

that Duan Zi Ang is from the Red Shadow Guards?

That's right.

Red Shadow Guards keep a low profile.

They usually communicate one-way.

Their only identification...

is a crow brand behind their shoulder.

It's just a minor injury.

You don't have to take it so seriously.

If Duan Zi Ang really is one of the Red Shadow Guards,

and Prime Minister Gu finds out about this,

we'll never be able to recover from it.

Does everyone in the Red Shadow Guards...

have a crow brand on their back?

Young Master Duan, this is the place.

This way, please.

You may go.

I can do it myself.

Young Master Duan, let us help you bathe.

His Highness told us to take good care of you.

What if your wound gets wet?

It won't.

I'm the one who asked you to leave.

Yes.

Your Highness, I've tried my best.

Young Master Duan wouldn't let us help him bathe.

When the lady plays the wrong note,

the gentleman notices.

Remember to take your medicine.

I usually don't believe everything Shen Song says.

Forget it.

It's better for me to confirm it myself.

Zi Ang.

Zi Ang.

I brought you some clothes.

He's bathing with clothes on.

Why didn't you cover yourself?

I...

I don't know.

I'm just a commoner. I usually bathe with everyone.

Why should I hide?

Everyone?

How many is that?

Your Highness, you usually have people waiting on you...

when you bathe, don't you?

Why are you being so shy?

Zi Ang, you were boasting just now.

Why are you shy now?

Well, nobody stares like that.

I only pretended to save his life.

Does he really like me?

Why didn't you let them help you bathe?

What if you get your wound wet?

Is the tattoo on his waist?

It can't be on his leg.

This wasn't mentioned in the mission.

Why do I need to be waited on just to take a bath?

That's so strange.

It's a normal thing.

What's so strange about it?

What?

Only you get to tease me?

Am I not allowed to tease you?

Your wound is open.

Zi Ang, it's time to change the dressing.

I'm coming in.

The wound got wet just now.

You need to change the dressing.

I'll do it myself.

Don't trouble yourself.

Can you reach your back?

I...

Wet wounds don't heal easily.

Shen Song...

is so full of it.

Be more careful.

Okay.

I ordered the kitchen to prepare some hometown dishes.

Try them and see if they taste the same.

All right.

Now it's time for the front.

I'll do the front myself.

Don't trouble yourself.

Zi Ang, you haven't been slacking off all these years.

You have so many calluses on your hands.

Do you need to train so hard to sell salt?

Selling salt is a business.

It's not physical labor.

Then why did you train so hard?

It's just a habit from my childhood.

Otherwise, how could I have saved you?

It doesn't hurt.

The crown prince invites Your Highness...

to a banquet at the Crown Prince's Manor.

All right.

The crown prince even invited you to a banquet.

It seems like the two of you are quite close.

When we were young, he studied hard every day.

But I didn't like reading books on history or swordplay.

He asked me to study with him.

But I only liked to play the zither and read poems.

Then you and the crown prince...

When we were young,

he was my closest and most respected brother.

He never got mad at me.

He listened to me play the zither.

He recited poetry with me.

But he was terrible at it.

All these years,

did I hate the wrong person?

Shu He.

Shu He.

Shu He.

Duan Zi Ang, when you were exiled to Ji North,

it was the Red Shadow Guards that took you in.

Now, with just a few unverifiable letters,

you're questioning the man who saved your life...

and raised you.

The crown prince brought men to capture General Duan...

for the crime of treason.

If General Duan doesn't obey, they will fight.

Mrs. Zhang has escaped with Huai Yi.

Madam Duan told me to take you with me.

I'm not leaving.

I have never forgotten...

how the Red Shadow Guards trained me.

I will fulfill my promise to the Red Shadow Guards,

no matter what the truth is,

You know that your life as it is now...

is because of the crown prince, right?

How innocent can his brother, Xiao Shu He, be?

The crown prince cannot escape blame.

I will complete my mission.

He knows I don't get involved in politics.

Yet, he invited me to a banquet with the ministers.

Then why do you look so worried?

I wonder...

if I will see the crown prince.