Original subtitles

It's getting cold.

The sooner we finish this,

the sooner I can go to sleep.

Greetings, Your Majesty.

I…

I want food.

I haven't eaten in a long time.

Don't go.

Don't go.

Don't go! Give me food.

Don't go!

Come back!

Come back! Give me food!

Give me food!

Give me…

Give me some warm food.

Something warm. Something edible.

Come back!

How long have you starved him?

He's a brat.

I cooked and sent him food in the beginning,

but he asked for the golden milk pastry

so I just ignored him.

Now that I think about it,

it's been two or three days.

He won't starve to death anyway.

Huai'an.

You first treated him coldly

before offering him a feast.

Your way of treating an old acquaintance is quite roundabout.

We are not close.

When I was 9 years old,

we joined the Grand Academy together.

He was the prince.

But every time, I was the one who got first place.

Soon after,

I found a small snake in my desk drawer.

What do you think happened?

He was the one who put the snake there.

He thought I wouldn't discover the truth

and even sent me the antidote.

What a schemer.

Once I was 10 years old, I no longer saw him.

Later, he became the emperor

and lived under Yan Fengshan's thumb.

I'm sure he has his own ways of survival.

It's done.

A fortunate fellow indeed.

Where are you going?

I'm taking food to that scoundrel.

I made this meal for you.

For me?

You've been risking your life for me.

Shouldn't I make a meal to thank you?

Come and eat.

Is this to be my final meal?

Don't speak ill fortune.

Even so, it's still worth it.

Your life is hanging by a thread.

The new emperor is looking for you.

As long as you are still missing,

his throne won't be secure.

Yan Fengshan of the Huben Army

means to use you to start a war.

When that day comes,

whether he wins or loses,

you will still die.

If you leave this place,

the only fate waiting for you

is death.

You…

you can save my life?

Only I know of a way.

What price must I pay?

You are the bait I'm using to deal with Yan Fengshan.

I'm going to kill Yan Fengshan

and wipe out the entire Huben Army.

I need you to help me achieve that goal.

Who are you?

It's best that you don't recognize me.

You should also forget the fact that you are the emperor.

I already knew

what kind of person you were back in the Grand Academy.

I also know you have your own way of staying alive.

But from today onward,

you will survive by the rules I set for you.

Otherwise,

- you will die. - You…

Are you Liu…?

That man is dead.

I am your master now. I am Xie Huai'an.

BEGINNING OF WINTER, WATER BEGINS TO FREEZE, THE EARTH BEGINS TO HARDEN

PHEASANTS ENTER THE WATER FOR CLAMS

When I entered the city,

I saw my younger sister.

Has she been doing well?

She's doing fine.

Compared to 15 years ago,

things here

are much better.

My master will be here tomorrow.

Everything will proceed according to plan.

All right.

The vendetta of a gentleman

leaves no man standing.

When I received my first month's pay as a registrar in Huainan,

I hired an artist to draw these six portraits.

That was my seventh year on the run.

I was afraid that I might forget these people's faces.

If I want to destroy the Huben Army,

I must kill these six first.

Pu Nichuan. In the 19th year of Qiansheng,

he scouted for Yan Fengshan and infiltrated Tiemo.

When he was trapped, he waited for help that never came.

Yan Fengshan deemed him an abandoned pawn.

Since then, no one knows whether he's dead or alive.

Father!

I know very well whether he's dead or alive.

Wei Qianting.

This man is elusive. His whereabouts remain unknown.

I met him seven years ago.

But he should be

buried in the reed swamps of Nanwei Trough now.

Yan Fengshan.

He overthrew the emperor and ruled the court for many years.

People call him Emperor Yan.

In the use of shadow guards,

Yan Fengshan

is way superior to my father.

That is because he has a particular man by his side.

On the night my family was wiped out,

he was there as well, but I couldn't see his face clearly.

LEGACY OF IMPERIAL FAVOR

After so many years,

I still haven't found any clues about him.

Many within the Huben Army are hiding in the shadows,

but everyone knows these two people.

Qingyi, who is in charge of surveillance and intelligence.

He possesses the secrets of many important officials of the imperial court.

Liu Ziyan.

The best assassin of the Huben Army.

He is in charge of killing.

Whom shall we deal with first?

My uncle, of course.

I've wanted to kill him for so long.

Aren't you the same?

As long as he is still alive, I can't live in peace.

This day

will come soon.

YULONG RIDGE

Are you here to bid me farewell?

I'm afraid

this is my last time serving you.

Xiao Wuyang is not an easy target.

If the Huben Army wants to win against him…

MYSTERIOUS PERSON

…it won't be a swift victory.

Why have you been mobilized at this time?

My subordinate let someone escape.

We hunted him through the city for half a month,

but found nothing.

That man plays an important role in the future.

I must attend to it myself.

This is interesting.

It is a serious matter.

Just go.

The person

serving you in the future might not be as meticulous.

Please be understanding.

I've been imprisoned in Yulong Ridge for more than a dozen years.

I'm already dead inside.

I'm not picky about my servants.

Ziyan.

One more thing.

Liu Ziwen is your elder brother.

Yan Fengshan wanted Liu Ziwen dead.

Why did you do Yan Fengshan's bidding?

There are many things

my brother couldn't tolerate,

but General Fengshan could.

At the Battle of Chen Valley,

I saved a civilian.

His wife died early, leaving him to care for parents and children.

The whole family

made a living through chopping bamboo and weaving dustpans.

When a war broke out, they could no longer make a living.

A five-year-old child

sat on a wooden plate

and ate the bamboo dustpan.

The bamboo pricked his torn mouth and lips.

He was so pitiful.

However, it's infuriating as well.

Did that family betray you?

I almost lost my life there.

Under my brother's command, some acts were forbidden.

He said we killed people to save others.

But since that day,

I only kill others

so no one can kill me.

That sounds fair enough.

Ziyan,

farewell.

WENYUAN EATERY, HUA'S MUTTON BROTH

FENG'S CURED HAM SHOP

WINE HOUSE

How much are these vegetables?

Take a look. They are fresh.

Pick more and I'll give you a discount.

- This is a little wilted. - No, thanks.

Look at something else.

APOTHECARY

You always go to extreme lengths.

The capital is ruled by the emperor…

STEADFAST AND UPRIGHT

…yet you dare kill someone as you please.

The enemies came and asked for your life.

They even accused my men of harboring you.

How much longer do you need

to move on from the Chen Valley incident?

It's not that I didn't move on,

but I've chosen another path after that night.

You have a blade in your hand

but you can't see things clearly.

After today,

you are no longer of the Huben Army.

If you make another mistake,

I will kill you myself.

A military command is absolute.

You'd better kill me today.

Even if you spare me today,

I might

not spare you in the future.

Our brotherhood

ends

now.

My master bought this place.

It is now private property.

You must not go in, sir.

I wanted to visit a familiar place.

I didn't know this place had another owner.

Forgive me.

Did you use to live here, sir?

Yes.

I was

a superintendent of this residence.

This courtyard

must have been exquisite in the past.

I wonder who once owned this residence.

Two brothers lived here.

The elder brother was the owner. He was highly respected in Chang'an.

The younger brother

was more or less educated and well-mannered.

He always followed his elder brother.

Look at this pear tree.

When winter gave way to spring,

it'd be full of pear blossoms.

When the sun set,

the courtyard would be bright and full of guests.

All the officials would be sitting there, sipping tea and drinking wine.

As for me,

I would play with my master's two children.

It was so lively.

So how has this residence fallen into such decline?

Young man, are you still

in your twenties…

Anyway, you are still young.

In your life, there are many things you cannot control.

A couple of days ago,

I suddenly remembered I had left something in this residence.

Can you do me a favor?

Help yourself, then.

Thank you.

Uncle! My father is still breathing!

Find a physician, quickly!

Father!

It seems like a blade.

When I had hardships, I dealt with them with this blade.

Now, I'm having another hardship.

So I'm retrieving it for good luck.

A hardship?

Like killing someone?

Your guess

is close enough.

Behave now.

Otherwise, you will die a cruel death.

LAMB STEW WITH BREAD

Enjoy your meal.

Sir, please step inside.

Sir, shared tables are not permitted.

Why don't you sit inside?

There are many empty seats.

Hey, you.

I'm talking to you. Did you not hear me?

- Sir. - How did you lose him?

Before leaving Anfu Gate,

at the palace steps,

Someone in a black robe stopped me.

He killed and wounded 17 of our men

and took the deposed emperor away.

Survivors say

they wounded him in four places, at least, with a blade.

The blades were poisoned.

Our men are posted at all 12 gates of Chang'an.

No one has sighted him.

Chang'an might have a million families,

but there aren't many places that can harbor a martial arts expert.

Besides, he is hurt

and has an important person with him.

Only a few physicians can treat the poison on our army's blades.

Keep investigating.

Yes, sir.

- Master. - Mr. Long.

ZHU ZHILONG

Every time you send a letter, you tell me how you

endure hardships and wander in suffering.

Looking at your physique, it seems like you're doing well.

Master, Huai'an has nine lives.

He is very well.

On the other hand, I, your disciple, almost lost my life.

If you died that easily,

it means I've misjudged you

and sent someone useless to protect Huai'an.

I'm fine. I'm your disciple after all.

Is he the one?

A fine choice for the puppet.

Identical body size.

Come in.

You must wait a little longer.

He…

He is quite well.

What illness does he have?

He isn't ill.

He just

can't open his mouth and ingest food or water.

He is kept alive only by drip-feeding the medicine I concocted.

Why are you doing this?

To raise a new skin

for your appearance.

The Huben Army is looking for you.

From now on,

you can never show your real face to others.

Otherwise, your life will be in danger

wherever you are.

You need to forget

about yourself.

It's his turn now.

Ye Zheng, give him a Breath-holding Pill.

No, I…

Wait.

- Open your mouth. - Can you wait?

Wait.

This face suits him.

So long as he stays silent, no one will grow suspicious of him.

Changing his face is just the first step.

His movements and bearing

must slowly change

until every move of his

resembles the other person to complete the transformation.

If the Huben Army knows the deposed emperor is here,

they will surely come here.

In the end,

Yan Fengshan will also appear.

This is my final opportunity.

Don't play with fire and burn yourself.

The Huben Army might just assassinate you

before you can successfully lure out Yan Fengshan.

I've steeled myself for death

since the day I returned to Chang'an.

Master.

DEPOSED EMPEROR

ZHANG MO

SINGING-STRING TAVERN

I've looked at a few residences around here.

This is the most suitable one.

The gate in front can be guarded, and there's a rear exit.

More importantly, there are fine restaurants around here.

There's a market north of this place, and the Tangshui Alley is not far.

There's enough foot traffic here. Being watched will not be a problem.

The south of this place

is next to the residents of Chengqing Neighborhood.

It's calm too.

Wonderful.

The patron is satisfied.

What say you, Mo, the pageboy?

Me?

I think

it's not bad.

Your Majesty,

you exposed yourself with your reaction just now.

Remember, you are now the pageboy, Mo.

Your every movement and manner

must match the other person.

Your Majesty, you do look the part now.

Like whom?

Like a servant.

I misspoke.

It is all right.

I am a servant.

A prisoner.

Xie and the rest

are doing this for Your Majesty's own good.

No one in this world

treats another well without reason.

Xie Huai'an cares too much

about his own interests in this.

You mustn't tell him about this.

Don't worry. I'm leaving tomorrow.

You're leaving? Where for?

Xie said you had made good progress.

Therefore, I may go home now. My home is in Huzhou.

Huzhou

is quite far.

My wife gave birth to a son and a daughter.

We are a family of four.

You are free now.

I envy you.

Young Master, may I come in?

Come in.

I've avoided a reunion with you

because there were people around us.

He is more observant than others.

It's not a good thing if he finds out about our past.

I appreciate

your concerns.

On your 10th birthday, I prepared a pair of shoes,

wishing you a smooth road ahead.

However…

I was shocked to learn that you were displaced for years.

I am fortunate to meet you again.

I've prepared another pair for you.

Young Master.

Zhang Mo,

thank you.

Please let me

put them on for you.

I… I was your pageboy.

Please allow me

to serve you

one last time.

This path you've chosen

will be full of hardships.

Forgive me

for not being able to accompany you

along the way.

Mo,

your life

should be your own.

Go back to Huzhou.

Your family

is waiting for you.

If I'm lucky enough to return alive,

remember to prepare a jar of good wine for me

when I pass by Huzhou.

From now on,

you cannot show your real face to others.

You need to forget about yourself.

You are now the pageboy, Mo.

Your Majesty,

you do look like it now. Like a servant.

I also know you have your own way of surviving.

But from today onward,

you must survive with the rules I set for you.

Otherwise, you will die.

Give me something to eat. I'm hungry.

Something edible.

I may go home now.

My wife gave birth to a son and a daughter.

We are a family of four.

You are free now.

Your Majesty, farewell.

Please be cautious henceforth, Your Majesty.

Xie is a kind man.

I'm sure he will find you a good place to stay.

Safe travels.

Mo!

Didn't you want me to be exactly like him?

Take a guess.

Who is the one

lying there now?

Who is it?

You deserve death.

You truly deserve to die.

Mother.

Why did you prepare so much food?

- Because Father is coming back. - Really?

Yes. Father will soon return from Chang'an.

Father is coming back!

Father is coming back!