Original subtitles

(Episode 4)

Go to court tomorrow?

Your Highness,

what are you thinking?

You don't have to be so angry, Shen Song.

I haven't changed my plan.

I just need to postpone it.

It's hard enough for you to leave now.

If you join the imperial court,

would His Majesty ever let you go?

What's done is done. I have no choice.

You don't have to worry about me.

In history's struggles for the crown prince's position,

might made right.

Few ever had a happy ending.

Your Highness,

you are aware of the risks.

Could it be...

that Your Highness is doing this for Duan Zi Ang?

Then you will definitely meet the crown prince.

Have you decided how to face him?

Even if he doesn't trust me,

he is family after all.

We can't be separated.

There are no brothers before the throne.

The bonds of blood are as unsubstantial as the clouds.

Shu He,

don't go against the crown prince.

I never intended to be in the middle of it.

But I'm still in the middle of it.

Who is it?

Zi Ang, it's me.

Shu He.

I saw the light in your room.

I thought you might not be asleep yet.

Yes, I'm not asleep yet.

Sit down and talk.

You went out so late.

You must have something on your mind.

Why are you dressed so luxuriously?

Do you like it?

This is what Father gave me.

It's mountain river brocade.

Didn't you always hide away because you worried...

that the crown prince would be paranoid?

If I enter the imperial court,

will you think I'm a hypocrite?

You've never cared about these things.

It's fine if there's a reason behind it.

But if you want to tell me,

I'll surely listen.

If I enter the imperial court,

I won't be able to avoid doing bad deeds...

and catering to the powerful.

What will you think of me?

You must have your reasons.

I only believe in the Xiao Shu He that I see.

He has a pure heart.

He is virtuous even when no one is watching.

But this way, you and the crown prince...

will be fine.

The only thing in this world that cannot be traded for money...

is genuine affection.

I've already got what I want.

Shen Song.

What's the matter, Zi Ang?

She He...

His Highness left in a mountain river brocade outfit.

Is it...

Yes, His Highness is going to the imperial court today.

Your Majesty, if Ji North raises taxes on us again,

I'm afraid our state...

- Approve it. - Your Majesty.

The Court of Imperial Entertainments advised that the street lanterns...

Annoying prattle. Let them do as they wish.

Recently, there have been many thefts in the capital...

targeting court officials.

Sixth Prince Shu He is waiting outside.

The Imperial Guards are severely understaffed.

His Highness has been waiting for a long time.

I think...

Summon him. Summon Shu He.

Summon Sixth Prince Shu He.

- Why is he here? - I don't know.

Why did His Majesty allow him to come?

It's the mountain river brocade that His Majesty gifted him.

Didn't he want to be a carefree wanderer?

Who knows?

Greetings, Father.

Long live Father.

Rise.

I think the imperial guards...

Let's discuss this later.

I had just heard that you, the profligate son,

wanted to share my burdens.

I didn't expect you to be here today.

I've been obsessed with poetry for too long.

I've recently realized the importance of this kingdom.

I'm willing to contribute to the kingdom and you, Father.

- That's good. - That is worth celebrating.

Good.

Good.

Good!

You've never been involved in state affairs.

Learn from your brother first.

I thought His Highness never bothered with state affairs.

Duan Zi Ang,

don't let His Highness down.

Court dismissed.

- Goodbye, Your Majesty. - Goodbye, Your Majesty.

- Goodbye, Father. - Goodbye, Father.

Your Highness, you finally came out of seclusion.

We're all looking forward to seeing you...

share His Majesty's burdens.

Prime Minister Gu, you're exaggerating.

Shu He, you are truly...

a bolt from the blue.

For having never been to the imperial court,

you captured so much attention on your first day.

Shu Qian, you must be joking.

I didn't capture attention.

I just don't fit in.

Shu He, don't belittle yourself.

No matter what happened today,

you were able to share your thoughts.

Father wants me to share my thoughts...

because he sees that I am shallow-minded...

and speak childishly.

He just wants to teach me.

Father wants me to learn from you.

You are still the most favored by His Majesty.

Xiao Shu He,

if you can tell me frankly what you want,

I'll be impressed with you.

I'm a citizen of the nation.

I'm also a prince.

I receive the people's offerings.

I should be loyal and responsible...

and fulfill my duties.

Every day, you bragged about your indifference...

to fame and fortune.

Now that I think about it,

it was just one of your tricks.

Your Highness,

I also don't know...

why Prince Shu He suddenly showed up in court today.

As Xiao Shu He's personal guard,

would you be completely unaware that he had such a big plan?

Huo Ying.

How can I trust you?

I really didn't know.

Ever since that guest arrived at the manor,

Prince Shu He has been sending me away.

Today, Prince Shu He acted the same as usual.

You must be loyal to me.

Do you hear me?

You must be loyal to me!

Why?

Why must you all betray me?

I can't wait any longer.

Three days.

I'll only give you three days.

I want news of Xiao Shu He's death within three days!

After you kill Xiao Shu He,

I'll give you this month's supply of medicine.

Guards, do as usual.

Huo Ying! Hey!

You've really grown up.

Are Crinis Trachycarpi and Hairyvein Agrimonia Herb...

to be used like this?

These two herbs can only stop the bleeding temporarily.

Applying this much on a wound for an extended time...

will kill you.

I had to see the crown prince today.

I didn't want the wound to bleed and stain my clothes...

and trouble the crown prince.

The crown prince. It's the crown prince again.

You knew that he would punish you if you went to see him.

I found these two herbs myself.

And I used them myself.

It was originally a minor injury.

After what you've done,

you won't be able to get out of bed for a few days.

Don't worry about me.

I know what I'm doing.

You know what you're doing?

If it weren't for me, you would have died several times.

You don't have to care whether I live or die.

Don't worry.

You're ruining your own body.

Even if I'm a miracle physician, I can't save you.

How can a patient only treat his wounds...

but refuse to recuperate?

Am I really stuck in bed for two days?

Under these circumstances,

you must be on bed rest for two days.

I can't.

I can't stay in your room for long.

I'm going back to my room.

You're only damaging your body more.

How can I stay in your room?

If you don't help me,

I'll crawl back there myself.

Wait.

I'll help you.

Your Highness,

you've been cooped up in your room all day.

It's time to eat.

I'm fine. Don't mind me.

Everyone, leave!

Every day, you bragged about your indifference...

to fame and fortune.

Now that I think about it,

it was just one of your tricks.

Why does it sound so awful?

Zi Ang?

Shu He.

When I was traveling, I heard someone play a melody...

called "Cloud Water Lullaby".

What do you think of it?

It's very good.

Zi Ang, you have a talent for music.

Shu He,

aren't you going to teach me?

I heard you were in a bad mood,

so I thought of a way to cheer you up.

That's why I asked the servants to find a zither.

But pity on your ears.

I'm really sorry.

This zither hasn't been maintained for a long time.

You need to change the way you pluck the strings...

to make it sound better.

Did things not go well at the imperial court today?

Everything happened as I expected.

I don't think the outdoor fair for the Nine Nights Festival...

is over yet.

Shu He, take a walk with me.

Now?

We can leave separately.

If you can find me in the crowd,

I promise to give you a small gift.

Who are you?

My mistake.

You lost.

Earlier, you told me to look for you.

Now, you've come to me.

Why doesn't that count as me finding you?

You are still as eloquent as ever.

In that case,

I'll keep my promise.

I didn't expect you to have this inclination.

I thought it was fun when I was little.

After that, whenever I missed home,

I would climb to the highest point on the roof.

Because only from this angle...

does everything in the world...

look so similar.

Zi Ang, what do you think of South Hui now?

I think the world is mostly the same.

When the dynasty prospers, the people suffer.

When the dynasty falls, the people suffer.

I'm curious.

After spending these days with you,

you seem different from those people...

who only care for fame and fortune...

and don't care about the people.

If you have the power to change the world,

why haven't you done anything over the years?

There are many injustices in the world.

What can one person do?

Everyone has their own fate.

But the fate of most people in this world...

are not in their own hands.

It's bustling with people down there.

The future of every household.

will change because of one person's decision.

Instead of trusting it to others as if it's a gamble,

it would be better if that person is Xiao Shu He.

At least the world...

won't get worse.

The ruling and opposition factions of South Hui are intertwined.

They've been rotten for a long time.

On the surface, it looks prosperous.

Up close, it's all made up of white bones...

that can't be shaken.

In such a situation,

if I want to do something,

I must be ruthless.

I can't do it.

No matter what you choose,

I believe in you.

Huo Ying.

Huo Ying.

I told you not to sleep so early.

How can I eat all of this by myself?

Forget it.

Have it for your breakfast.

Your Highness, we've found out...

that the owner of the mill on East Street...

is indeed from Ji North.

The original owner disappeared half a month ago.

I see.

Keep a close eye on it for the next few days.

If anyone suspicious goes to the mill, take action.

As you wish.

How did you get in here? Aren't you afraid of exposing me?

Lately, I've noticed that someone purposely approached the mill.

We might have been exposed.

To be on the safe side,

let's leave tonight.

That's impossible.

I was with Xiao Shu He all night.

There's no way he could have found out.

It might not be the prince's men.

We don't have a chance to carry out our plan.

We don't have to take this risk.

Zi Ang.

Let's drink some more!

Duan Zi Ang, are you crazy?

As long as he's alive, neither of us will survive.

Huo Ying!

Who dares to do this?

Your Highness, I'll go after him with soldiers.

Stop.

Search every corner of the manor.

Don't let anyone else know.

- Your Highness! - Don't let anyone else know.

What happened tonight stays between us.

You may go.

Can I hear the truth from you?

Are you connected to Ji North Kingdom?

I did come here for the crown prince.

But I have nothing to do with Ji North.

It's true that I was in exile.

It's also true that I was adopted by a salt merchant.

It's just that in the process,

I met a lot of martial artists.

For revenge,

I learned martial arts from them.

So you're not here to look for your brother.

It's true that I miss Huai Yi.

I did come to look for him.

But when I was in exile,

I almost died too.

Huai Yi was too young back then.

I don't know if he's still alive.

Who was the one who just tried to assassinate me?

Just a swordsman I trained with when I was young.

Besides, a failed assassination on the crown prince...

is still a capital offense.

Are you here to assassinate the crown prince?

What else did you do behind my back?

I was with Your Highness all this time.

I didn't do anything.

And all this time,

I never intended to hurt Your Highness.

Without my permission,

you can't leave.

Do you think I can't leave?

Shen Song, what did you do?

Are you still going to defend him?

Don't worry, Shu He.

I only knocked him out temporarily.

so that he can't harm Your Highness.

I can disrupt his meridians with acupuncture...

and seal his martial arts for now.

Will it be harmful?

No.

Do it.

I was wrong.

I shouldn't have sneaked out.

Madam Duan told me to take you with me.

I asked Shen Song to seal your meridians.

Now, your skills...

are no different from an ordinary person.

Your archery stance...

is better than before.

I have to weigh every word you say now.

Do you remember our younger days?

Or did you go over every detail so you could get close to me?

You got up early to practice archery.

Was it so you could pierce me with your words?

Let's go to the suburbs and practice.

Wait.

You have to wait for your prey to let its guard down...

so you can kill them with one strike.

All this time,

have you been waiting for me to let my guard down?

If I make you feel so uneasy,

just kill me right here.

I'll help you find your brother.

For the sake of our friendship,

you should stop now.

All right.

I promise you.

If you really do something harmful to South Hui,

I won't forgive you.

I won't forgive myself either.

Shu He,

I won't let you down.

If I do find Huai Yi,

I don't want him to wander around anymore.

Now that my martial arts skills have been sealed,

I'm no threat to the crown prince.

Zi Ang,

trust is a fragile thing.

I'm willing to trust you again.

Don't let our friendship go to waste.

(Ji North Kingdom)

He's willing to assassinate the crown prince...

for General Duan's sake.

But if he finds out...

that it was all Prime Minister Gu's doing,

will he still be loyal to the Red Shadow Guards?

Back then,

you were too impulsive.

I'm indebted to General Duan of the South Hui Kingdom...

for saving my life.

I entrusted the child to him back then...

because the child's mother had begged me...

to protect him until he became an adult.

I never expected...

that a sudden disaster would befall General Duan.

One child is in the light, and one is in the dark.

The one in the light must become a wise ruler...

praised by future generations.

The one in the dark must do whatever it takes..

to help the wise ruler secure his kingdom.

That's all I can abide by.

He had no choice since he was born.

Even now, he doesn't know who he is.

My brother,

he is my son too.

I couldn't even name my own child!

I should not have said that.

Please forgive me, Your Majesty.

How can I blame you?

The head of the Red Shadow Guards...

holds the position...

only for ten years.

I...

must leave now.

Yes.

I thought about what you said that day.

Even if I'm the right person,

I'm not willing to become someone I despise...

just to get to that position.

I guess I'm a coward.

I don't know.

Shen Song and I had planned it all out.

I would tell Father my intentions on my birthday next year.

I would stay far away from the imperial court...

and be a carefree wanderer.

I had even decided where to live in seclusion.

A simple house...

is enough.

If this isn't the life that truly makes you happy,

then you don't have to live it.

When we met again that day at White Cloud Temple,

if I weren't the sixth prince...

but just a commoner,

would you and I...

still have ended up like this?

I don't know.

But if you attain the life that you dream of,

would you invite me to your paradise?

He didn't come back all night. What should we do?

Shen Song. Commander Huo.

What is going on?

Your Highness didn't come back last night.

I was really worried.

If Your Highness didn't come back today,

I would have gone out to look for you.

I'm fine.

I went hunting last night and traveled a bit too far.

But you look refreshed.

Huo Ying and I were worried all night.

I shouldn't have done that.

(Sixth Prince's Manor)

Sixth Prince's Manor, heed the order.

We suspect that a spy from Ji North is hiding in Sixth Prince's Manor.

We need to conduct a search.

How dare you?

Do you dare to disobey the order?

Bring Zi Ang to my bedroom.

Unseal Zi Ang's meridians and hide him.

I'll try to stall them.

Who dares to cause trouble in front of my residence?

Greetings, Your Highness.

I'm the captain of the Imperial Guards.

I have orders to enter Your Highness's manor...

and search for Ji North spies.

Orders? From whom?

If it's Father's order,

I want to see the imperial edict.

It's not His Majesty's order.

The crown prince is in charge of the capital's defense.

This is my manor.

Without His Majesty's order...

or my permission,

I'll see who dares to set foot in my residence.

Bring a message to the crown prince.

Tell him Prince Shu He is resisting the order.

- How is it going? - It takes time to unseal meridians.

Why don't we take him away first?

The Imperial Guards have surrounded the whole manor.

I'm afraid that will be difficult.

Do the Imperial Guards dare to break into a prince's manor?

Can Huo Ying stop them?

Of course the Imperial Guards wouldn't dare.

But I'm not sure about the person behind it.

I didn't expect this to happen to you.

This is my fault.

Why don't I...

We don't need to talk about this.

What's done is done.

You don't have to apologize.

Besides, I'm not a kid anymore.

It's my choice.

It has nothing to do with other people.

Your Highness,

the crown prince is here.

Your Highness hasn't visited me in years.

I didn't expect you to visit me like this.

Shu He, you must be joking.

Recently, the Imperial Guards...

found a Ji North spy hideout on East Street.

I received a tip...

that this hideout has been in contact with your residence.

That's why I had to disturb you.

My residence has been in contact with Ji North spies?

Do you have proof?

You just joined the imperial court.

It's fine if you don't understand the reason.

As a prince,

there cannot be any doubts about you when you serve the nation.

Of course, I trust you.

I'm just worried...

about the rumors from people who don't know the truth.

Why don't you let me prove your innocence?

Does Father know about this?

Father worries over the nation every day.

He has enough burdens.

Why bother Father with such trivial matters?

Then...

Shu He, don't be afraid.

As your brother,

I won't let you be wrongfully accused.

Imperial Guards, listen up.

Search every inch of the manor.

Don't let Prince Shu He be wronged.

Yes.

Search thoroughly!

- Did you find anything? - No.

Go that way.

Hurry!

Your Highness,

we've searched everywhere in the manor.

There is nothing out of the ordinary.

-But... - But what?

I don't have the right to enter Prince Shu He's bedroom.

Please give me an order.

What is it?

Do you think I'll hide a Ji North spy...

in my own bedroom?

Shu He, you're wrong.

I'm doing this to prove your innocence.

You are so insistent.

What will Father think if he finds out?

Shu He, why are you mentioning Father?

Everything we do today...

is to share Father's burdens, isn't it?

You keep resisting.

The officials will be suspicious when they hear about it.

It won't bode well for your future in the court.

- I... - Why don't I accompany you there?

So that you won't be so worried.

Please forgive me for the offense.

Who are you?