Original subtitles

LOVE & CROWN

ADAPTED FROM THE NOVEL "MY QUEEN" BY XIE LOUNAN

EPISODE 1

Grand Tutor Ling,

when will you let me rule in my own right?

The day Cangcang weds you

will be the day you take real power.

You asked me here

because of your master?

You knew, yet you still dared to come?

I killed him

for a reason.

A reason?

Yes.

One I cannot tell you.

Then I won't ask.

I only want the outcome.

XIAO HUAN, EMPEROR OF GREAT QI

LING CANGCANG, GRAND TUTOR'S DAUGHTER

What are you waiting for?

Didn't you say you wanted to kill me?

I will give you the chance.

Do it.

Ling Cangcang,

you're too soft after all.

Better prepare for our wedding.

You killed my master.

How could I ever marry you?

You will,

because you have no choice.

In two months,

I will make you my empress.

Hongqing,

escort the future empress back to the Ling Manor.

Yes, Your Majesty.

LING MANOR

LING XUEFENG, GRAND TUTOR OF GREAT QI

Father.

I will never marry him.

My Lady,

whatever you decide, you should talk it out with Father.

Cangcang,

it is

an imperial decree.

To defy it is a crime

punishable by the extermination of the whole clan.

Father,

you helped him to the throne,

and this is how he repays you?

Mind your tongue.

Father.

He is now the Emperor.

"When a ruler commands death,

a subject must obey."

So an emperor

may kill at will and trample human life?

His Majesty is the ruler of Great Qi.

What he does and whom he kills

is not for others to judge.

But he killed my master!

Father, I'd rather die than marry him!

There were reasons

your Master Li Lu had to die.

Luo.

LUO XIANXUE, GRAND TUTOR'S ADOPTED SON

Here.

It's snowing hard.

Don't catch cold.

Let's go.

Cangcang!

Come on.

If you wish to die,

I can oblige.

Mind your manners!

Stand down!

Your Majesty, I am guilty.

What guilt?

You are my teacher.

You once fought alongside my father.

As I said before, outside the court,

you need not kneel to me.

I failed to discipline my child.

Please forgive me!

Traitors courting death

have nothing to do with you.

Xiao Huan!

There's no love between us.

Why can't you let me go?

We are bound by fate.

I will never let you go.

Let's go.

What an intrepid warrior, repaying kindness with betrayal.

I forced him to take me.

Come at me.

Luo Xianxue,

I warned you back in Southern Chu.

Did you really think you could escape?

Father, forgive me.

Dying by my sword

-is no injustice to you. -Xiao Huan!

Let him go,

or I'll take my life right here.

If you dare take your own life,

the entire Ling clan will follow you to the grave.

Your Majesty…

Father…

Your Majesty, I am guilty.

I beg

to resign my post.

Please, Your Majesty,

show mercy and spare

my only daughter.

Father…

Xiao Huan,

what do you want from me?

I want you

to marry me of your own free will.

Then spare the Ling clan

and spare Luo Xianxue!

Is this how you beg?

I, Ling Cangcang,

humbly beg Your Majesty

to spare the Ling clan

and spare Luo Xianxue.

I will return home with my father

and marry you

in two months.

Oh?

You make it sound as if I forced you.

I, Ling Cangcang,

wish

to marry Your Majesty.

Please

grant your consent.

-Hongqing. -Yes.

Take Luo Xianxue back to the palace.

He'll bear witness to the future empress's vow.

Understood.

Grand Tutor Ling,

you truly played a fine move.

You let Cangcang go

and then used the lives of your clan and Luo Xianxue

to make her agree to marry me.

You remain the kind father in her heart,

while I have become the ruthless villain.

Your skill truly surpasses mine.

Your Majesty,

you've gotten what you wished for.

Are you not satisfied?

TWO MONTHS LATER

CHANGHE GATE

By imperial decree,

the daughter of Grand Tutor Ling, Ling Cangcang, is hereby named Empress.

The officials shall attend the ceremony bearing their insignias.

DU TINGXIN, IMPERIAL PRECEPTOR OF GREAT QI

Madam, His Majesty's wedding is about to begin.

Please come down and change.

The refinement of the pill is at a critical stage.

I cannot afford distraction.

Such worldly affairs

need not concern me.

Understood.

THE CAPITAL

By decree,

I come at this auspicious hour to escort Her Majesty.

I follow the rites as commanded.

The auspicious hour is upon us.

Please don your coronet and bridal robes.

That snowy night,

who was it that said she would willingly marry me?

What is it?

Have you changed your mind?

How could I

willingly marry a murderer?

Don't you want

to enter the palace and see your adoptive brother?

I've had Li Hongqing look after him.

I wonder

if he's grown used to life in the palace.

Heed His Majesty!

I believe

the way of governance should follow the order of Heaven and Earth,

and harmony within the household is the root of all virtue.

To teach and to guide both family and state,

a woman's virtue is the foundation of royal morality.

Through such virtue, the world may share one code of ethics,

and all hearts may turn toward righteousness.

Thus, together we may honor our ancestors

and uphold filial piety throughout the realm.

Ling,

the daughter of Grand Tutor Ling Xuefeng,

was born into a noble house

of enduring virtue and good fortune.

May the Empress and I

strive in diligence and respect,

cultivate virtue,

and carry forward the grace of our forebears.

May enlightenment and harmony spread,

bringing everlasting blessings

to our descendants and our people.

Let this be proclaimed

to all under Heaven.

The ceremony is complete.

Please, Your Majesty, keep your word

and release Luo Xianxue.

We haven't drunk the nuptial wine yet.

Once we do,

you'll let him go.

The wine is finished.

Please honor your promise, Your Majesty.

From this day on,

you are my empress.

Go and change.

Get out.

You are my empress.

Why should I leave?

You promised me you'd set him free.

-Leave us. -Yes, Your Majesty.

On this joyous day,

is Luo Xianxue all you can think about?

Between you and me, is there truly any joy to speak of?

Do you love him?

My empress,

who married me of her own accord,

did so out of love for Luo Xianxue?

Is that why you tried to run away with him?

Answer me.

Cangcang, I truly love you.

Marry me.

Yes, I love him.

If I could choose,

I'd flee this cursed city with him.

Are you satisfied now?

Do you know what you just said

is enough to have him executed ten thousand times?

If he dies, I won't live either.

Threatening me with death?

That only works if I care about you.

Do you really think I do?

You are destined to become Empress someday.

I don't care for that title.

I just want to win someone's heart and roam the world with my sword.

Find a chance to leave first.

I will make sure you are unharmed.

If you dare take your own life,

the entire Ling clan will follow you to the grave.

Who are you?

Are you Ling Cangcang

or the Empress of Great Qi?

Do you love the Emperor?

Or do you love

Bai Chifan?

Bai Chifan…

Why did you lie to me?

He does not exist.

Bai Chifan…

Bai Chifan never existed.

Bai Chifan…

You slept well last night, my empress.

What do you want?

Why so hostile toward me?

I came first thing this morning with a gift for you.

What gift?

Your adoptive brother, Luo Xianxue,

was returned to the Ling Manor this morning.

Really?

A ruler does not jest.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

I kept something of Luo's

as a present for you.

Xiaoshan, pick up the gift I brought.

Keep it safe for the Empress.

Yes, Your Majesty.

What are you trying to do?

My gift is to remind you:

there are things you must not do

and rules you must obey.

Break them, and you will pay the price.

This pear blossom hairpin is the one I gave you, isn't it?

If I recall correctly,

you wore this very hairpin

the day you tried to run off with Luo Xianxue.

It was picked at random.

The more casual the choice, the truer the feeling behind it.

Remember,

you are my empress.

As long as you fulfill your duties as Empress,

nothing like today will ever happen again.

ONE YEAR AGO

I've heard

young boys have been going missing in Southern Chu.

More than 100 have vanished so far.

Has anyone reported this?

Your Majesty,

Southern Chu has always been peaceful and prosperous,

and it is governed by the Prince of Yuzhang.

How could that happen? Perhaps Your Majesty was misinformed.

Insolence! Though His Majesty ascended the throne young,

he is both virtuous and wise.

How dare you speak so presumptuously?

The Prince of Yuzhang has always ruled Southern Chu with diligence.

We must not dishearten such a loyal official.

His Majesty is still young and hasn't governed personally…

-Mr. Liu, you are mistaken. -…It's you schemers…

-The news has already reached His Majesty. -…who wish to frame the Prince of Yuzhang…

-How could it be false? -…In that case,

let the Prince of Yuzhang investigate by himself.

-Why trouble His Majesty? -What a ridiculous notion!

Enough.

This matter concerns the peace of an entire region

and is of great importance.

To prevent ill-intentioned men from exploiting it,

we must

proceed with utmost caution.

Those court officials kept chattering,

saying either that Your Majesty is frail,

or that you have never ruled in person.

TRANQUIL CLARITY

They don't take Your Majesty seriously at all.

Grand Tutor Ling promised

to hand over the reins of power after you married Miss Ling,

yet now he keeps delaying, refusing to yield.

In court today, he even defended the Prince of Yuzhang.

Could he mean to break off the engagement?

The Grand Tutor holds great power. He won't give it up easily.

If I keep backing down, I'll remain under his control.

There are spies everywhere in the palace.

Perhaps it's time to find someone who can break the stalemate.

Hongqing, where is Ling Cangcang?

Southern Chu?

SOUTHERN CHU

RECRUITING TALENTS

-Shall we give it a try? -Let's go.

Everyone,

FENGLAI PAVILION

Fenglai Pavilion offers a heavy reward today

to seek a new hall master.

Whoever can defeat Hall Master Luo

will be hired immediately. The pay is ten liang a month.

-Ten liang? -Ten liang for real?

Why would Grand Tutor Ling allow his only daughter

to linger in a place like this?

Isn't he afraid a stray blade

-might harm his precious girl? -You go!

I heard Ling Cangcang defied her father and ran away from home.

According to Shi Yan,

the man over there, Luo Xianxue,

is known as Southern Chu's Top Swordsman.

Yes!

As for that woman, her name is Zhong Lin.

She's a skilled fighter as well.

With those two around,

I doubt Ling Cangcang is in any danger.

-Wonderful! -Amazing!

It seems she and her father

aren't quite the same.

An hour has passed. Does anyone else dare to challenge?

No one's stepped up for a while.

What's going on?

No challengers at all?

If no one comes forward,

-then we'll… -Wait!

-Go! -He's going up!

-Let him on! -Hurry!

Over here! Someone's going up!

-Go! -Go!

-Hurry! -Go!

-Go! -Go!

-Yes! -Yes!

Wait!

EXEMPLARY VIRTUE

He looked like the Prince of Yuzhang.

He wouldn't draw suspicion disguised as the Prince.

Why not let him compete?

He didn't come with good intentions.

We mustn't use him.

What is this, Miss Ling?

Are you going back on your word?

I knew it.

He was calm and composed,

certainly no ordinary fighter.

His stance was steady,

yet his hands bore no calluses.

He was clearly trained by a master

but lacked real combat experience.

And that upright bearing,

that air of nobility…

He must be

a spy sent by my father.

Who are you calling a spy?

How did you get in here?

The match was suddenly canceled.

Even the guards are busy explaining things.

Uninvited guest, what brings you here?

I sincerely wish to join Fenglai Pavilion.

There's an expression that suits you well:

-fine on the outside -but rotten within.

My sword hasn't even left its sheath.

Why such harsh words, Miss Ling?

I've always been one

to see the whole picture from a single clue.

-Have you perhaps misunderstood me? -My apologies.

Guards, see him out.

I've long admired Fenglai Pavilion.

I truly wish to join.

Fenglai Pavilion's fame spreads far and wide.

Many wish to join in earnest,

but I can't possibly accept everyone, can I?

Luo, see him out.

You made the rules,

yet now you break your own word.

I doubt this place will amount to much.

The Emperor went to Southern Chu under the pretext

of convalescence?

I underestimated him.

Could it be that he went after Ling Cangcang?

What else could it be?

Xiao Huan has truly grown bold.

He wants to rule on his own.

Send word to Qing.

Tell him to win Ling Cangcang's heart

while she's in Southern Chu.

The Ninth Prince is brilliant in both strategy and battle…

Your Highness, these are the most popular designs at present.

…But he never bows to anyone.

Asking him to fawn over a spoiled, willful girl

might be difficult.

In my humble opinion,

it would be better

to make sure the Emperor never returns from this trip.

Of course I choose the peacock.

I'm getting this tattoo

only so the young ladies will stay away from me.

That way, I'll have an excuse when Mother presses me to marry.

You fool,

do you want me to tattoo a dragon and tiger in combat

so the whole world thinks I'm challenging the Emperor?

My apologies. I wouldn't dare.

Forget it. As for Ling Cangcang,

as long as she stays out of my sight,

I'll pretend I never saw her.

SPLENDID TAILOR SHOP

SPLENDID FINERY

Welcome.

This won't do. It's too plain.

Do you have something more elegant?

You could have it custom-made,

but it would take about a month.

Miss Ling, we still haven't found a hall master.

How can we carry out the plan?

I already have someone in mind.

For now, the priority

is to get our hands on the Prince of Yuzhang's clothes.

Do you have anything ready-made? We need it urgently.

To tell the truth, Miss Ling, a while ago,

a servant from the Prince of Yuzhang's Manor

ordered a casual outfit for the Prince,

but for some reason, they never came to collect it.

In that case, let us take that one.

Well, I can't…

I suppose I can do that.

All right, I'll do as you say.

Much obliged.

I've never worn anything like this.

Perhaps someone else should try it on instead.

Luo, you're not just here to try on clothes.

I'm

counting on you for the task.

Sir, that outfit was made for the Prince!

The outfit

for the Prince?

Wait! Please wait!

That outfit was custom-made for the Prince.

How could you just put it on and leave?

I like it.

It suits me quite well.

I'll pay handsomely for it.

Well, in that case…

What are you after, really? Why are you following us?

You again?

Sorry, but we bought that outfit.

You'll have to take it off.

Wait!

Don't ruin the outfit!

That's Shu brocade!

Miss Ling, please stop them!

You want this outfit that badly?

Listen,

if you let me join Fenglai Pavilion, I'll give it to you.

Luo, forget it.

There's more than one tailor shop in Southern Chu.

Let's go.

Do you really hate the idea of me joining that much?

Then tell me, why are you so eager to join?

I was born defiant. I never accept defeat easily.

What a coincidence. Neither do I.

What exactly is Ling Cangcang after?

Have you found anything?

She's always with Luo Xianxue,

but Zhong Lin's been going outside the city often.

Where exactly?

-Near the Southern Chu mine. -The mine?

So she's after more than just clothes.

Shi Yan,

I want to know everything about that mine.

Understood.

Ling Cangcang,

why did you cast aside the Empress's seat?

What is it that you truly want?

Master.

Pear blossom honey?

I knew it.

No one understands me better than you.

Master, let me pour you some tea.

Here.

You haven't visited me at the Sword Cottage for a long time.

What have you been up to?

Nothing escapes you, Master.

A mine has recently yielded iron ore,

an extremely rare metal for forging swords.

Whoever obtains it

will make their name across the martial world.

You still dream of roaming the martial world?

Don't forget, you are destined

to become Empress someday.

I don't care for that title.

I just want to win someone's heart and roam the world

with my sword.

Cangcang,

there are few things in this world that turn out as one wishes.

May your joy at least last a little longer.

EXEMPLARY VIRTUE

Cangcang, we've got the clothes.

Turn around.

Miss Ling, something feels off.

It's missing a bit of the Prince of Yuzhang's…

Nobility!

Exactly.

Hands behind your back.

Stand straighter.

A little more.

Yes, remember this posture.

Now you look eighty percent like him.

The Prince needs a tattoo artist.

We can…

Your Highness, they've arrived.

Liubao says your skills are unmatched.

You must tattoo

the most magnificent peacock in Great Qi for me.

Yes, Your Highness.

Begin.

It might sting a little.

Pain is nothing. Hurry up.

Didn't you say you weren't afraid of pain?

Shall I have my assistant fetch a paperweight?

You can squeeze it if it hurts.

-Go. Hurry. -Yes, Your Highness.

A golden embroidered box?

That must be it.

Your Highness, here's the paperweight.

Hold it firmly.

After I dotted the eye, the phoenix immediately came to life.

Bear with it a little longer. I'm almost finished.

I asked for a peacock!

When a peacock rests upon the Azure Dragon's back,

it takes on the grace of a phoenix.

Your Highness's nobility is truly overwhelming.

I was momentarily distracted by awe.

I'll put my utmost care into this.

Let's continue.

Your Highness, the peacock is complete.

Complete?

-Already? -Yes.

It looks stunning on your back,

almost alive.

Truly.

You two, bring me a bronze mirror.

I want to see for myself.

Sure. I'll fetch one.

Hurry.

The mold's ready.

Can you really reproduce it?

Trust me. I'm Zhong Lin.

It'll be identical, down to the finest detail.

Miss!

A mister bought these flowers for you.

Who?

Him again?