Original subtitles

This is actually really good.

Minister Wu has arrived.

HALL OF THE SUPREME ULTIMATE

Minister Wu has arrived.

- Minister. - Minister.

Minister Fang has arrived.

Earlier in the throne hall,

I only caught a glimpse of you, General.

I have the utmost admiration for how you slew the rebel

Prince Changxin.

What an honor tonight. Allow me to offer you a toast first.

Please.

The General has quite a capacity!

- Indeed. - Indeed.

General Fan, young and accomplished,

renowned far and wide,

with the bearing of a true hero.

To slay Prince Changxin,

truly remarkable.

- Indeed. - Allow me to offer you a toast.

If she keeps drinking like this,

that pig-slaughtering woman will surely make a fool of herself.

Forget her.

Why hasn't the young master arrived yet?

LET IT BE

Another toast to General Fan.

Grand Tutor, I hear your heart condition has flared up recently.

- Has it improved at all? - Much better.

I've been deeply concerned.

Quite the capacity.

That pig-slaughtering woman throws her weight around.

- We're all at our wit's end. - Indeed.

Enough watching. Come.

Let me share a few drinks with all of you.

Good things come in pairs.

We must enjoy ourselves to the fullest tonight.

Allow me to offer you another toast, General.

Come.

Isn't tonight's banquet granted by His Majesty in my honor?

You are all under Chancellor Wei's patronage.

Why do you keep toasting only the Flower-Adorned General?

Could it be

you look down on me?

The Marquis jests.

General Fan arrived first,

so we thought to warm things up a bit.

Allow me to toast on your return.

Marquis,

we serve the same court.

Was this necessary?

Minister Fang, right?

As Vice Minister of Revenue,

you're responsible for grain shipments to the border?

And if I am?

You nearly sparked a revolt in Jizhou with your incompetence.

I haven't even called you to account yet,

and you have the nerve to act like a proper official?

You…

Today is meant to celebrate the Marquis.

Let's not discuss official matters.

Minister Fang, you've spilled wine all over yourself.

Go rest a while.

Marquis, please.

The Chancellor will arrive shortly.

- Let's go. - Marquis, I take my leave.

This is utterly outrageous.

Grand Tutor, come, fill your cup.

The real show is just beginning.

We shall sit tight and watch it unfold slowly.

I was half afraid you'd come to blows.

You give these parasites too much credit.

Every one of them is rotten inside,

and they all feel inferior to me.

They wouldn't dare start anything bold.

Don't worry. I'll leave early,

and Gongsun will handle things from there.

Sit.

His Majesty has arrived!

We welcome Your Majesty.

We welcome Your Majesty.

Grand Tutor, you've recovered.

Excellent.

I'm unworthy

of Your Majesty's concern.

These past days, Chancellor Wei has worked hard.

I'm always like this. I don't find it hard work.

But Grand Tutor, you should take care of yourself.

Rest when you need to.

Thank you.

Both of you are pillars of the state.

Today brings double happiness.

My heart is truly pleased.

In quelling the Chongzhou rebellion,

the Marquis of Wu'an faced deadly odds

and rendered the greatest service.

The four northwestern prefectures have remained secure

thanks to his guardianship.

I specially bestow upon the Marquis of Wu'an the Dragon Spring Sword,

forged by our founding emperor himself.

From above, it can slay a foolish ruler.

From below, execute treacherous ministers.

This expresses my heart.

Present it.

The Dragon Spring Sword…

truly lives up to its name.

It can slay a foolish ruler from above

and execute treacherous ministers.

A fine blade indeed.

But my heart is with the realm.

I am devoted to my duties.

The Dragon Spring Sword is too precious.

No one but Your Majesty is worthy of it.

I am well aware

of the Marquis of Wu'an's loyalty.

Tonight's palace banquet,

let no minister leave sober.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

I'll go change first.

His Majesty withdraws for a moment.

We respectfully see His Majesty off.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Grand Princess,

Empress Dowager An has sent me especially

to remind you,

the palace banquet is about to begin.

Please don't be late.

Forgive me, Your Highness. I didn't mean to.

- You… You wretched maid. How dare you… - It's nothing.

Today's banquet honors the Marquis of Wu'an.

Not the time for anger.

- You… - You may go now.

Yes.

You…

I failed to discipline her properly. Please forgive me, Your Highness.

I must go change.

I'm sure neither the Marquis of Wu'an nor my brother will mind.

This…

Your Highness.

His Majesty is waiting for you.

Xie Zheng, Wei Yan,

uncle and nephew, both the same.

Neither ever saw me as worth their notice.

They deserve to die.

Both of them.

If that's how it is,

don't blame me for not giving you a chance.

ADAPTED FROM THE NOVEL ZHU YU BY TUAN ZI LAI XI ON JJWXC.NET

HALL OF THE SUPREME ULTIMATE

Ministers, this atmosphere is all wrong.

Keep the music playing, keep dancing.

Drink up!

- After you. - Please.

- Quite nice, isn't it? - Yes.

- Grand Tutor. - Your Majesty.

Doesn't Dayin still depend on me?

Of course.

Dayin's prosperity for generations

to come rests entirely on Your Majesty's wise and solitary rule.

What would the realm do without me?

Right?

So true.

A drunk's a drunk, noble or common.

An emperor with too much wine,

boasting away,

looks just like Uncle Zhao.

Chancellor Wei.

Gong…

We've found her.

The Grand Princess has already brought her out.

She's settled in Qingyuan Palace.

Got to say,

this outfit really suits you.

- Come. - Drink up.

Thank you, Marquis.

Little eunuch,

bring that plate of pastries over here.

Yes.

Ministers, drink to your heart's content.

You…

Forgive me, Marquis.

Forgive me, Marquis.

Are you alright?

It's nothing.

You worthless servant.

How dare you offend my Marquis of Wu'an?

Guards. Take him away and punish him.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Please calm down, Your Majesty.

At a palace banquet,

it's best not to draw blood.

I wouldn't want to spoil your enjoyment.

The Marquis of Wu'an is truly magnanimous.

You may go.

There.

The Marquis has pleaded for you, you worthless servant.

Now, quickly express your gratitude.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Thank you, Marquis of Wu'an.

What are you standing there for?

Escort the Marquis to change his clothes.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

‎LET IT BE

The emperor

- Drink. - seems a bit agitated today.

Cheers.

Chancellor, please stay.

I hear that in the Battle of Lucheng,

thanks to your timely grain shipments

and your strategic…

your brilliant strategy…

I offer you a toast.

On behalf

of the border troops who fell

and the border folk who died unjustly.

Fan Changyu,

is this a toast or an insult?

Go on.

A toast, of course.

If not for our Chancellor's intervention,

Lucheng

‎RULE BY RIGHT, REIGN IN PEACE

might have become another Jinzhou.

No troops to call,

no grain in sight.

Then, it wouldn't just

be General He who fell.

The Marquis of Wu'an might have died like his father,

on the city wall,

cut open by the enemy.

And a pig-slaughtering woman like me?

My fate would be nothing compared

to that great traitor Wei Qilin's.

So,

shouldn't I offer this toast?

I serve

with a clear conscience.

But General Fan,

you truly are no match for Wei Qilin.

- Chancellor. - Where is the Marquis of Wu'an?

The Marquis said he needed to clear his head.

He went toward the imperial garden.

Find him immediately. Report back to me.

Yes, Chancellor.

Minister Fan.

I toast you as well.

And all of you ministers, you've worked hard.

Since I ascended the throne,

I've been fortunate that civil and military officials have worked in harmony,

supporting the realm.

Only thus has Dayin enjoyed the peace it has today.

I haven't failed my ancestors' legacy.

I dare not call myself a wise ruler,

but tonight,

let all ministers drink to Dayin's peace.

Join me in this cup.

- Your Majesty is wise. - Your Majesty is wise.

Your Majesty is a sage ruler.

Your Majesty is wise. Your Majesty is a sage ruler.

What a worthless emperor.

Just as vile as his father.

You're finally here.

I've brought her.

My lady,

the osmanthus is in bloom.

My lady,

the osmanthus is in bloom.

Bringing her here from the cold palace

- wasn't easy. - Fire…

My lady, fire!

- After that fire years ago, - My lady…

everyone in the palace grew wary of this place.

So hiding her here is safe enough.

The osmanthus is in bloom…

But she's completely

disoriented, rambling, and incoherent.

No clear memory at all.

Fire!

My lady.

My lady.

Commander Wei.

Why are you back?

My lady told you to run.

Run.

Run!

Fire!

Fire.

Fire.

Fire.

Who is "my lady"?

My lady.

My lady is with child.

Your Majesty, you can't strike her.

Mother and child will both die!

The osmanthus is in bloom.

The osmanthus is in bloom.

It's the Imperial Consort, Lady Qi.

- So fragrant. - This Qingyuan Palace

was once her residence.

Back then, she planted many osmanthus trees here.

Osmanthus.

My lady.

Osmanthus.

My lady.

I must make perfume with osmanthus.

So fragrant. Who lit the incense?

Who lit incense for my lady?

It's a trap. Hold your breath!

Marquis of Wu'an,

you and that palace maid have already inhaled the incense of desire.

You cannot escape

the crime of defiling the palace.

If you're wise, surrender now.

If you obey,

His Majesty

will surely spare your life.

Marquis of Wu'an,

no matter how brave you are,

you can't escape a trap like this, can you?

General Fan, help!

Someone must have discovered that Her Highness was hiding someone.

She told me to stay near Qingyuan Palace.

But not long after the Marquis went in,

Eunuch Li surrounded the place with his men.

So I rushed here to tell you.

I'm going to Qingyuan Palace.

You go find Empress Dowager An.

But Her Highness said Empress Dowager absolutely cannot know.

Something terrible is about to happen.

Only Empress Dowager An can handle this.

- Go, quickly. - Yes.

Quick. Go!

All of you go!

Didn't he take the poison?

Why can he still fight like this?

Yan Zheng.

Yan Zheng. Get up.

Yan Zheng.

What's happening?

Changyu.

Why are you so hot?

How did you hurt your hand?

Changyu.

This place is too dangerous.

Come here.

Quick.

Seal the palace gates!

An assassin has broken into the imperial garden.

Yes, sir.

Your Majesty,

I offer you a toast.

Grand Tutor.

Chancellor Wei.

Ministers, all.

Where are my Marquis of Wu'an and Flower-Adorned General?

Why are they both missing?

Your Majesty, terrible news!

Your Majesty.

The Marquis of Wu'an, drunk and depraved,

has seized a palace maid,

intent on violating her.

I tried to stop him,

but… the Marquis struck me down and threw me out.

How dare you!

Slandering a high minister of the court.

Do you know the penalty for that?

I saw it with my own eyes.

I wouldn't dare slander him.

Your Majesty,

could there be some misunderstanding here?

Better to see for yourself.

The Grand Tutor is right.

You dog of a servant.

How dare you slander my loyal minister and capable general.

Ministers.

I'm here.

Let's go see for ourselves.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Chancellor Wei, won't you come with me?

I have urgent matters to report to His Majesty.

Emergency. No one may stop me.

Minister Li, the palace banquet has begun.

Without a decree, no one may enter.

Violators will be dealt with according to palace regulations.

We're only following orders.

Please understand, Minister Li.

This is the palace pass His Majesty granted our Li family.

I am also among those invited.

Is this still not permitted?

Search over there.

Go!

That way, that way, and that way.

I want every inch examined.

You useless bunch of incompetents.

A whole troop of you,

and you can't find him?

Search carefully!

Chief Eunuch Li, terrible news. There's a fire over there.

Damn.

The hunter becomes the hunted.

What are you standing there for?

Don't you see the fire?

The Marquis of Wu'an is trying to destroy the evidence!

- Go put it out. Go! - Yes, sir.

QINGYUAN PALACE

This…

How did such a big fire start all of a sudden?

Reporting to Your Majesty. Some eunuchs heard

a palace maid shouting about a lecher.

When my men arrived, they saw only…

Saw who?

They saw the Marquis of Wu'an fleeing the hall.

He also injured someone.

Chief Eunuch Li has taken men to pursue him.

Fleeing?

How could you let him flee?

Your Majesty.

Xie Zheng not only defiled the harem,

but also tried to destroy the evidence.

He should be arrested immediately.

If he resists, kill him without mercy.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

- Empress Dowager. - Your Majesty.

Shu is still inside!

- Shu! - Empress Dowager…

Empress Dowager.

- Shu. - Empress Dowager.

Why are you stopping me?

Go save her!

Save her, now!

Is the Grand Princess still inside?

What are you standing there for? Go put out the fire!

- Yes! - Go now!

- Empress Dowager! - Shu!

- Empress Dowager! - Don't go!

- The fire's too big. You can't go in! - Why are you stopping me?

Empress Dowager, please, take care of yourself.

Enough talk. I'm going in.

Wait. Gongsun Yin.

- You shut up. - I…

And you.

You dare talk to me like that?

‎QINGYUAN PALACE

Your Majesty,

with this incident,

the morale of the Marquis of Wu'an's Yanzhou army will surely be shaken.

And that Flower-Adorned General who left mid-banquet,

we should deal with her Jizhou forces sooner rather than later.

Then, Grand Tutor Li, what do you propose?

I request Your Majesty's permission to handle this matter with full authority.

Shu.

Once that group of soldiers passes,

we'll run into the corridor.

Don't move until then.

Changyu…

I love you…

Someone's coming.

I really do love you.

Are you done or not?

Who's there?

There he is. After him!

Stop!

What kind of time is this?

Shu!

Shu!

Your Highness, the Grand Princess.

Shu!

Your Highness.

- Shu! - Your Highness!

Look.

Shu… Shu isn't breathing.

She… She's not breathing. Shu.

Quick. Summon the imperial physician.

- Summon the imperial physician now! - Yes.

Shu!

If the Grand Princess

lives as a witness,

Xie Zheng could still clear himself.

Whoever set this fire,

they're ruthless.

She's still breathing.

Still!

Gongsun Yin! You're defiling the Grand Princess's honor,

denying her peace even in death.

- What are you doing? - Empress Dowager.

Someone once taught me this method.

It can save a life.

Let me ask you. What matters more now, reputation or life?

You…

Save her. Save her, quickly!

This…

Your Majesty.

You… How dare you!

What is the meaning of this?

Publicly defiling the Grand Princess's honor.

Where is the dignity of the royal house now?

- Yes. - Guards. Seize him!

I'd like to see who dares!

In the first half of my life, I killed too many.

In my old age, I live a life of fasting and prayer

just to save my only daughter.

If even Shu's life can't be saved,

I don't mind killing a few more.

Commander of the Imperial Guard, hear my command.

- I'm here. - Here!

Guard every entrance and exit tightly.

If a single word of today's events leaks out,

everyone here, every last one of you,

will die!

- Understood. - Understood.

Follow me.

Everyone… Everyone obeys the Empress Dowager.

Obeys the Empress Dowager.

You, Gongsun,

I command you to save her.

If you fail to save Shu,

you will die too.

Shu!

- Shu. - You're awake.

Shu, you're awake!

- Shu. - Your Majesty.

Although Gongsun Yin saved the Grand Princess,

that doesn't prove Xie Zheng's innocence.

Whether they conspired

must be determined through interrogation.

It…

The one who saved the Grand Princess

was a physician from the Imperial Medical Bureau.

Someone named Gongsun was never here.

What does Empress Dowager An think?

Indeed.

Let today's matter end here.

Yes.

End it here.

Let today's matter end here.

Shu.

Your Majesty, we haven't found the culprit's trail yet.

We're expanding the search.

Your Majesty, were you looking for me?

You two…

Why are the two of you together?

Minister, why are your clothes wet?

I, drunk, fell into the lotus pond.

Fortunately, the Flower-Adorned General rescued me.

Guards.

Bring the Marquis a change of clean clothes

- and prepare a bowl of ginger soup. - Yes, Your Majesty.

Marquis of Wu'an!

Tonight, Qingyuan Palace caught fire.

The Grand Princess nearly lost her life.

Someone testified

that all of this was because you seized a palace maid and debauched the harem,

then tried to destroy the evidence.

What do you have to say for yourself?

I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly.

The Marquis of Wu'an is the culprit.

- You… - I'm the culprit?

Aren't your Imperial Guards chasing the culprit?

What? Is there a second culprit?

Your Majesty. The culprit has been caught.

- Bring him in. - Yes.

Your Li family,

what a fine performance of "righteousness over kin".

How could it be you?

Today, I only wished to confess my feelings to the Grand Princess.

I never expected such a misunderstanding.

And to disturb Your Majesty as well.

Please punish me, Your Majesty.

This…

I am the one who went to see the Grand Princess.

Not the Marquis of Wu'an.

I beg Your Majesty to investigate.

Why so many

improprieties and misunderstandings tonight?

I share Your Majesty's curiosity.

I've had a good capacity of alcohol.

I wonder why

one cup has me drunk tonight.

Could it be that the fine wine you bestowed was too potent?

Those wines were aged in the palace cellars for a long time.

Naturally, they'd be a bit strong.

The wine was all prepared

by that servant Li Xiang himself,

wasn't it?

Could it be that you had other intentions?

This…

Your Majesty…

Yes!

This matter…

I bear full responsibility.

Only because

the Marquis of Wu'an humiliated me many times before.

He even cut off one of my ears.

So…

So I harbored resentment all along.

I wanted to use this chance…

to frame him.

- You… - The fire in the Grand Princess's hall,

you set that too?

Enough!

A base slave betrays his master.

Your Majesty was deceived by this servant too.

Your Majesty.

Tonight, someone clearly set a trap

to frame me and the Marquis of Wu'an.

I'm just a pig-slaughtering woman.

I don't understand grand principles.

But I've fought the enemy at the border,

survived countless battles.

And now, back home,

I'm framed by my own people.

I beg Your Majesty,

Grand Tutor,

or Chancellor Wei,

to explain this to me.

The state has its laws.

Li Xiang is guilty. Let the law handle him.

This matter has nothing to do with anyone else.

Your Majesty,

may I ask if the Dragon Spring Sword you bestowed upon me

still holds true?

Of course it holds true.

You…

Your Majesty bestowed the Dragon Spring Sword upon me.

Then I cleared Your Majesty's surroundings of traitors.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

All of you

are my most vital ministers.

Each has rendered great service to Dayin.

Tonight's matter,

I will investigate thoroughly.

I will find the instigator

and punish them without mercy.

It's late.

You may all return now.

Let's go.

Grandfather.

Li Xiang.

Chancellor Wei,

why haven't you gone home yet?

GUARD YOUR WORDS

Seventeen years ago,

the late emperor did the very same thing.

You Qis

really are of the same family.

You…

One last time.

If it were the late emperor standing here,

would the Chancellor dare speak to him like this?

Otherwise, how did your Majesty

ascend the throne?

- Everyone, take a look. - Come and have a look!

Take a look.

Such a long gash.

Shouldn't you go to the clinic?

What are you doing?

Calm down.

NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS EPISODE

Subtitle translation by: Wanjiao Song