Original subtitles

Chancellor Gao,

I am deeply grateful for your help

these past days.

No need to thank me.

If anything,

I am the one who owes you.

I was too wary of you back then.

You are His Majesty's strategist.

You shoulder the fate of the realm.

It was right for you

to be cautious of me.

Hearing you say so

and thinking

of the steamed buns I've been sending you this past month,

I can finally feel at ease.

It's been over a month.

Is your hand healed?

Yes.

And your legs?

Probably

about the same as yours.

It is already the Zi hour.

Time is running short.

But at least

it is a gentle night.

What is this?

It reads like a farewell letter.

And he tells us not to worry?

Stop worrying.

Huai'an will be fine.

Sir.

CANGYUE TOWER

Mr. Wuyin.

Please rest here.

At dawn, General Fengshan will await you at Taiqing Hall.

Sir,

don't be uneasy about tonight.

I will stand guard.

I'm not uneasy.

I'm simply wondering

why a prosperous city like Chang'an

produces such folk.

A slave girl who could play the guqin turned out

to be an assassin.

A peddler who appeared to be from Tiemo turned out

to be the mastermind.

And then there's Yan Fengshan.

He wants to borrow my troops to attack his own city.

Dealing with these people

is exhausting.

That's enough for today.

You should rest early as well.

Yes, sir.

As long as you keep quiet,

you will be fine.

We go way back.

I have something to discuss with you.

Don't breathe into my palm.

Two men alone in the dark

at this hour

is strange enough as it is.

Stop laughing.

I'm going to move my hand away.

As long as you don't shout,

my axe

will stay where it is.

Come on.

At least let me light a candle

so I can see which old acquaintance you are.

We're two grown men alone in the dark.

It's strange enough.

Don't mimic me.

Fine.

- I don't recognize you. - Hold on.

I'm not some maiden. Why the rush?

Your tone sounds familiar.

Why can't I place it?

Be patient.

You'll know soon enough.

This grows stranger by the moment.

I still don't recognize you.

Wuyin Chong,

you came to Chang'an as a secret envoy

and the Tiemo prince,

so I shall meet you as the Emperor of Chang'an.

I just want you to know

that I am still alive.

The Xiao imperial line still has a survivor.

Whatever you discussed with that traitor Yan Fengshan

won't count.

We do go way back.

The whole world believes you died in the palace fire.

Who would have thought?

The look in your eyes,

the way you speak,

and even the way you do things have all changed.

But you are the Emperor of Chang'an.

Why hide your own face?

Why do you think?

To protect myself, of course,

while I deal with Yan Fengshan.

Just as you said,

you are now nothing more than a fugitive trying to stay alive.

What right have you to supplant Yan Fengshan and make a pact with me?

You call yourself an emperor, but do you have any force to command?

Xie Huai'an truly is the smartest man in the world.

He even guessed every sentence

and every word

you were going to say.

It's the Chou hour.

Come with me.

I'll show you

the force I command.

Please enjoy, sirs.

Why are you staring at me?

Your force isn't here yet anyway.

Who says?

Listen.

That is just one of my guards.

He is there

to keep you from trying anything.

Listen more closely.

Rumor holds that Chang'an fell into chaos last month.

Xiao Wuyang and Gu Yu vanished,

their fate unknown.

The great strategist Gao Yan had his legs broken.

He now moves on a cart

and is kept in the palace as a lantern keeper,

only allowed out at the Chou hour to deliver memorials to Yan Fengshan.

That Xie Huai'an you mentioned

managed to get Gao Yan out.

A remarkable feat.

I am that force.

The Xiao imperial line still has a survivor,

and Gu Yu of the Baiwenhu Army still lives.

Chang'an

is not yet ruled by Yan Fengshan.

Whatever pact you plan to make with him tomorrow

will not stand.

Chang'an

will change hands again,

and the fight will be against Yan Fengshan.

If you make a pact with him,

the north will also change hands,

and the fight will be against you.

General Gu,

my people and yours have fought for years.

We have never feared you.

His Majesty,

I,

and the entire city of Chang'an

have been pressed to this state by Yan Fengshan,

but we have not been defeated.

You are not without fear.

You fear the one

who has been planning all of this for us.

Xie Huai'an is the son of Liu Ziwen.

He's the one who gave you a new face

and the one who helped you survive.

Am I right?

Yes.

The last two generations of the Liu family

produced extraordinary men in succession.

They have used up decades of Chang'an's fortune.

I understand now.

This night shall be the most unforgettable of my life.

Tonight makes me

fall in love with Chang'an anew.

Your Majesty, it has been a long time.

We actually met before.

You simply didn't know it was me.

Keeping you hidden at his side

was indeed the best strategy.

But according to the plan,

he should already be in Yan Fengshan's hands now.

On the road toward killing Yan Fengshan,

all of us must pay a price.

May I have that flask of wine?

Is it for Chancellor Gao?

This painting of you

bears my wish for you.

I hope you can tend flowers,

keep a cat,

nap on the porch,

and live in peace,

even for just one day.

You're awake.

The General has gone to the palace to meet Wuyin Chong.

He instructed me to treat you as a guest.

I brought you a basin of water

to wipe the blood off.

You knew she lay buried here?

Yes.

And you still chose to stay in this residence?

Yes.

Were you involved

in her death as well?

- Take care. - Goodbye.

Yes.

Then you too, must die.

FOR LIU ZIWEN ONLY

This is my plan.

It…

it is far too risky.

Back then,

you did not help my father get rid of Yan Fengshan.

I will not question

your reasons.

It is

only natural for people

to put themselves first.

I am using your guilt

toward the Liu family

to force your hand.

I am the one going too far.

Mr. Yang.

We act at the Chou hour.

By the Yin hour,

Yan Fengshan will have received the news

and realized you were involved.

You must depart at once.

Zhu Zhilong will be waiting for you

at the Yuelao Temple 50 li west of the city.

After this,

your business in Chang'an and elsewhere

will certainly be affected.

If I prevail in the following days,

I shall repay

every loss you suffer.

Boss.

Boss, what's going on?

Is the court cleaning house?

The books we cannot let anyone see are over there.

I'll get them.

Boss,

what is wrong with you?

General Fengshan,

my master says

the agreement you and he were about to reach

does not align with Tiemo's interests, so it will be set aside for now.

But the army we sent to hold back the Baiwenhu Army

will not retreat.

Everything will remain as it is.

General, you may rest assured.

I see.

The struggle for Chang'an is not yet over.

My master hopes you will soon become

the one who rules Chang'an.

Old friend,

do not worry about the outcome anymore.

Rest in peace.

General Fengshan.

This life-and-death plan of Gao Yan's

was executed flawlessly with the people outside.

You were the one handling

all the message delivery, weren't you?

So Gu Yu had been hiding here

for over a month?

No wonder even after searching all of Chang'an,

we never found a trace.

Gao Yan and Gu Yu actually joined hands.

I accept my loss

in this round.

Cease this pretense.

A man who has served three emperors

has eyes sharper than a blade.

You know perfectly well if I intend to kill you.

Your eyes are sharp too, General.

All I did was sigh once while wiping the floor,

and you noticed immediately.

When you were setting this up,

White Hair had already fallen into my hands.

Otherwise,

I truly would have killed you.

I helped you get into the palace

so you could live out your years in peace.

This is a good place to grow old quietly.

Stay here and behave yourself.

- Sir. - Come in.

I have conveyed your message to Yan Fengshan.

But Yan Fengshan has always been scheming and calculating.

Given the situation,

we should return to Tiemo as soon as possible.

I understand what you mean,

but Yan Fengshan would not dare move against us.

Even so, it is time to head back.

FUZE INN

This is a rare treat in Chang'an.

Want one?

Sure.

This end

is most bitter.

You shouldn't

chew too much of it,

or all you'll taste

is bitterness.

Of course I know that.

Twenty-five years ago, I infiltrated Tiemo as a scout.

I barely had any money.

It was freezing there,

and chewing this was how I kept warm and stayed awake.

It used to be cheaper than horse fodder.

But now the price has gone up.

A small bundle

costs two liang.

At your request, the Tiemo forces have held

the Baiwenhu Army in a standoff.

They stand so close their horses are near nose to nose.

With things so tense,

few merchants dare travel back and forth.

The supply is unstable,

and naturally,

the price rises.

Last night, you staged quite a show.

You did far more than persuade Wuyin Chong.

The sharp merchants will soon realize

the Tiemo forces will not march south.

When that happens,

the price will naturally fall again.

The whole game has been thrown into chaos,

yet you seem remarkably calm.

Victory and defeat are commonplace in warfare.

One who cares too much about gains and losses

cannot be a true commander.

Speaking of which, you cling to gains and losses quite a bit.

You buried Wei Qianting,

sent Pu Nichuan to his death,

and killed Liu Ziyan with your own hands.

Qingyi has vanished,

and even Wang Pu was outwitted and killed by you.

All I have left beside me is Zhiying.

Do you intend to kill her too?

Of course.

I care deeply

about settling scores.

On the road of revenge,

I cannot allow even one enemy to meet a good end.

And forget not,

you're one of them too.

Then

why didn't you kill Yang Chuhao?

He stood by and did nothing.

That is not a capital crime.

I still

have my principles.

Back then, he stood by and did nothing.

Last night, he chose to help you.

I have my principles too.

He will know no peaceful end.

Too bad you won't find him.

Speaking of which,

there is a young man surnamed Su working under Yang Chuhao.

Do you remember him?

We crossed paths once.

I looked into him. He is not a Huben member.

Of all involved in Yang's affairs,

Yang himself is the only Huben member.

That boy truly is not.

Anyone who can catch your eye

must have some wits.

To work for Yang Chuhao

and even handle something as important as the accounts,

wits alone aren't enough.

He must also have a story behind him.

‪He's like you.