Original subtitles

FLOWER-ADORNED GENERAL'S RESIDENCE

Marquis, we're at the General's residence.

-Changyu. -What are you doing?

I missed you.

-Changyu… -Do not do this.

Calm down.

The Marquis is gravely injured.

You all stay here and keep watch.

I will go fetch a physician.

A doctor will not help with this.

Why not?

Why doesn't it work?

You really don't understand?

I see.

I'll go to the Imperial Medical Office to fetch a physician.

Why bother?

Right here…

You would not get it anyway.

You three, find a few reliable matrons.

Post them at the corners,

well out of sight. Let no one near.

-Got it. -Yes.

Go on.

What about me?

Stop getting in the way. Come with me.

Wait, but…

You cannot spend your whole life just fighting battles.

You need to live some normal life.

What part of life?

Calm down first.

I will go find a doctor.

Who am I?

Fan Changyu.

It seems I will not be needed after all.

That is even better.

Let nature take its course.

Sir, you haven't even checked on him--

Are you the Imperial Physician or am I?

I…

I told you. This kind of thing does not need a doctor.

An imperial physician?

What a wasted trip.

Come on. Let's go.

You two.

Move along.

Then what exactly is this thing you call life?

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

The Emperor was slapped?

Good. That fire I gifted him was not wasted after all.

A pity though.

Marquis Wu'an and Fan Changyu still managed to slip through.

Your Li clan has a traitor within.

You should deal with that properly.

My grandson

was briefly misled by Marquis Wu'an and Fan Changyu

and ruined today's plan.

The fault lies with me.

I will bear the blame.

Grand Tutor, you are too modest.

Still, this does achieve something.

It has cut off any chance

of Marquis Wu'an joining forces with Qi Sheng.

Besides,

I have prepared a little gift for that butcher girl.

When Wei Yan hears of it,

he will surely be pleased.

And what gift would that be?

The tiger tally he has been so eager to obtain.

The same tiger tally used

to mobilize troops in the northwest years ago?

That is only the appetizer.

The real feast is yet to come.

-Please. -Very well.

Please.

-Mother. -I am here.

Look how many osmanthus flowers I picked.

Zheng, you did wonderfully.

Later, let's use them

to make some osmanthus candy, shall we?

Great!

Smell them.

Mother.

Zheng, you are here.

Come sit. Have some osmanthus cakes.

At last…

I can see you again.

You have someone by your side,

someone who understands you and will walk through life with you.

I can finally rest easy.

Just remember.

My favorite treat

has always been osmanthus cakes.

What is wrong?

Did you have a bad dream?

It is nothing.

Just some childhood memories.

Changyu.

You deserved more from me than this.

I have failed you.

When everything is settled,

I will give you the wedding you deserve.

You have not failed me.

I chose to marry Xie Zheng.

Yan Zheng married into my family.

That was a fine wedding too.

We never signed a divorce letter.

So don't you deny it now.

I won't.

I married into your family.

It is for life now.

Ever since coming to the capital,

trouble after trouble keeps appearing.

Right now, all I want is to clear my father's name,

then return to Lin'an

and live a simple, peaceful life.

But after what happened last night, I fear it will not be so simple.

Do not worry.

I already have a plan.

GATHERING OF GRACE AND COMPASSION

Slowly… Take it easy.

Careful.

I thought I would never see you again.

I thought I would die there.

It is all right.

I am here now.

Do not cry.

There now.

Last night…

Did you stay here and take care of me the whole night?

Of course.

You did not rest at all.

How could you…

Yesterday you rushed into that fire to save me.

I thought you might die in there.

-Enough, enough. -You must be hurt somewhere.

-Let me see. -That is enough.

You are still weak. Do not talk so much.

Listen to me.

Before,

I was always timid, always holding back.

But this time,

I want to tell you plainly.

From now on,

no matter what happens, I will stay by your side.

And the one who takes care of you will be me. Only me.

This tally does not match.

It is fake.

Your Highness, the tiger tally is genuine.

Crown Prince Chengde and General Xie cannot hold out much longer.

Jinzhou is about to fall!

For the sake of the realm and its people,

please send reinforcements at once.

General.

Come in.

What is it?

General,

Guard Jin has been waiting outside for quite some time.

He said once you wake, you must go see him.

I know.

You may go.

There is a letter here.

You need to read it yourself.

FAN CHANGYU, TO BE OPENED PERSONALLY

I'VE SECURED THE FAKE TIGER TALLY… PROOF TO CLEAR THE CASE…

It is from Qian.

SEALED

The tiger tally!

Where did this come from?

Last night, a maid delivering a message

collapsed and died right outside the gate.

Help!

FLOWER-ADORNED GENERAL'S RESIDENCE

Help!

Help!

Someone come quickly!

Dead?

Take your weapons and search the surroundings.

See if there is anyone suspicious nearby.

Yes!

That dream just now…

Could it be that somewhere in the heavens,

even fate itself wants justice for my father?

General,

someone called Shisan Niang seeks an audience.

Shisan Niang?

I will go with you.

No.

I want to speak with her alone.

Your wretched maid has already delivered the tiger tally to Fan Changyu.

-Deal with the body. -Yes!

So you weren't drunk that night?

I love you so much.

Why would you do this to me?

Every time I start to believe

you will not leave me,

that you might stay by my side,

this is always how it ends.

Is my love worth so little to you

that you would trample it?

That is not love.

That is possession! That is control!

I will soon be the emperor.

Without me,

you will not be empress.

You will be nothing.

I have never cared about being empress.

Without you,

I would live far better.

If you've got the guts, kill me.

Are you hurt? Are you all right?

I… I beg you.

Just tell me.

As long as you do not leave me,

whatever you want, I will give it to you.

I do not want anything from you.

I only want to be free from you forever.

You leave me no choice.

-Bring the shackles. -Yes!

These were forged from hardened steel.

No blade or axe can break them.

If you try to run,

one of us will lose a hand.

You have gone mad.

You truly have.

You cannot escape.

Not in this life.

You belong to me alone.

I never thought you'd still be alive.

Why did you come to see me?

To avenge Sui Yuanqing?

Looks like

I am the only one left who still remembers to avenge him.

Take this.

Sui Yuanqing left it for you.

And this as well.

I will leave you a way to survive.

Take this and go find Fan Changyu.

A proper token from me to prove your loyalty.

The tiger tally is yours now.

And he is dead.

If I had to guess,

he only wanted Qi Min to fall into utter ruin.

And you?

What do you want?

Me?

Once, I thought you and Xie Zheng

were my sworn enemies.

You killed my brothers.

Xie Zheng wiped out my Qingfeng stronghold.

Later, I believed

Sui Yuanqing played with my feelings

and dragged both me and the Qingfeng stronghold into destruction.

But today I finally see things clearly.

Grudges in this world are tangled in endless karma.

Revenge has no end.

If people keep killing each other,

the killing will never stop.

The tiger tally is yours now.

-As for his… -Take the head with you.

I do not need it anymore.

At least give him a whole body in death.

Thank you for bringing this.

I'll have a new travel pass prepared for you.

From this day on, you are free.

Consider it my thanks

for your kindness to Ning.

But what's between us

will be settled after I return.

Then let us hope when we meet again,

you are still alive.

TIGER TALLY

Qian sent this.

Last night I dreamed of my father.

When I woke, this tiger tally was waiting for me.

But I cannot understand it.

Why would Prince Changxin frame my father?

The defeat at Jinzhou,

the deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers…

why was all of it laid at my father's feet?

My parents had lived under assumed names for more than ten years.

Why?

Why were they still hunted down and killed?

I must prove my father's innocence to the world.

Your father

and the soldiers who died unjustly at Jinzhou

all deserve the truth.

But right now,

this pair of tiger tallies alone

cannot prove that Wei Yan was the one behind it all.

The mad palace maid who knew the truth

already died in that fire.

Nothing survived in Qingyuan Palace.

Everyone tied to that matter

has been silenced by Wei Yan.

That mad maid once served Consort Qi.

What connection did she have with Wei Yan?

The palace rumors say they were involved with each other.

Then what truly happened back then?

Is there really no clue left?

What about Qi Sheng?

Could he know something?

Do not rush.

Even if Qi Sheng knows anything,

he would never dare say it.

He has lived as a puppet for decades.

Wei Yan terrifies him to the bone.

He would never dare dig into the truth.

Right now,

if we want to bring down Wei Yan

and make him answer for his crimes,

we will have to use force.

I have called him uncle for more than 20 years.

I know his nature well.

I fear

he has already begun to raise his troops.

Do not worry.

I will summon the full strength of the Xie army.

I will clear your father's name

and give my father the justice he deserves.

So we have finally come to this.

Very well.

Then we move ahead of schedule.

Send the order.

Recall the troops to the capital at once.

Yes!

Hear the command!

Spread word that Fan Changyu is the daughter of the traitor Wei Qilin.

-The faster the better. -Yes!

A LAND OF GRACE AND TALENT

Flower-Adorned General,

those who strike the Drum of Justice

must first be paraded through the streets

to face the people's accusations and judgment

before presenting their case.

SPIRIT TABLET OF THE LATE LORD XIE LINSHAN SPIRIT TABLET OF HIS WIFE, LADY WAN

GUO'S TAVERN

It is her!

Everyone, come look!

That is her!

She is the traitor's daughter!

-No one from the Wei clan is any good! -Right!

My father died in the Battle of Jinzhou!

-Pay with your life! -Nonsense!

-Watch your mouth! -Nonsense! Do you have any proof?

Stop spreading lies! Changyu is innocent!

SPIRIT TABLET OF THE LATE LORD XIE LINSHAN SPIRIT TABLET OF HIS WIFE, LADY WAN

Father.

Mother.

Your son has failed you.

I beg that your spirits in heaven

forgive me.

-Hit her! -Beat her to death!

You menace!

Say that again and I'll rip your mouth apart!

-You lost. Deal with it. -Vengeance!

Don't like it? Look away!

The great traitor

Wei Qilin

Held the grain

With no delivery

Doomed a hundred thousand souls to end

Hit her!

Beat her to death!

General Fan!

Hit her!

General Fan!

General Fan!

-Beat her to death! -Beat her!

General Fan!

Hit her!

Beat her to death!

Hit her!

Have you no shame?

-Changyu. -Changyu.

Nonsense!

How is she a general?

Who threw that?

-Who threw it? -Who?

-Good throw! -Well done!

-Nice throw! -Are you people finished yet?

-Resort to violence now? -Stop!

My father was Wei Qilin.

But he was no traitor.

He was framed!

-He is your father! -Your father killed them!

Of course you say he is innocent.

-Exactly! -Hit her!

-That enough yet? -Hit her!

All of you move aside!

-Beat her to death! -Right!

Official business!

-All bystanders step back! -Move back!

-Move back! -Who does she think she is?

-Move back! -Are you hurt?

Nonsense!

Flower-Adorned General?

More like a rebel general!

Silence!

Did any of you see it with your own eyes?

Are you certain that what you saw and heard

is the real truth?

I will go with you.

-We will go with you. -Me, too.

You don't deserve living in this world!

Get lost now!

From here,

I will go by myself.

Once you take this step,

there is no turning back.

Let me do it.

Let her do it.

I am Fan Changyu of Qingping County.

I lived at Xigu Alley in the Town of Lin'an.

I came today

to petition the throne.

Anyone who petitions the throne

and speaks falsely is guilty of deceiving the emperor.

The punishment is death.

Have you thought this through?

I have.

Today I bring three accusations.

First, against Heaven's injustice.

Wei Qilin!

-You are nothing but a worse traitor! -Criminal!

-Traitor! -Feed him to the dogs!

-Let the dogs eat him! -Hit her!

Second, against an unwise ruler who conceals the truth.

GUARD YOUR THOUGHTS

Who is beating the drum?

Who dares beat the drum?

Your Majesty,

the Flower-Adorned General has struck the Drum of Justice

and seeks to petition the throne.

Did Grand Tutor Li not say

Xie Zheng and Fan Changyu could be used to handle Wei Yan?

Is this handling it?

She beat the Drum of Justice!

Third,

against corrupt power holders.

I, Fan Changyu,

have come today to clear my father's name.

Zheng.

I made some osmanthus cakes for you.

Zheng, just remember.

My favorite treat has always been

osmanthus cakes.

To my Yan, when you read this, imagine me before you.

By the time you return victorious and receive this letter,

I will likely already be gone.

If there is another life,

may you live as a simple man,

and I drift beside you in a humble boat.

Rongyin's final words.

So it was my brother heading back

to the capital amid the war.

It caused the fall of Jinzhou.

SPIRIT TABLET OF THE LATE LORD XIE LINSHAN

Which means Linshan's death

was also caused by my brother's doing.

Zheng,

the world is in turmoil.

The Xie family soldiers are pressing your uncle

to reveal the truth of Jinzhou.

I am caught in the middle, with no way out.

Perhaps only my death can quiet this conflict.

Perhaps it will also awaken your uncle's conscience

and spare your life.

Zheng,

do not grieve for me.

I will not be able to watch you grow up.

Mother…

I have failed you.

Only now do I understand the sacrifice you made and the meaning behind it.

WEI RESIDENCE

WEI RESIDENCE

Stop it!

Stop beating that drum!

Her Highness the Grand Princess arrives!

Brother.

-Your Majesty! -Sister.

I know what you came to say.

But now is not the time for your friendship.

Once the Drum of Justice is struck,

the emperor must hold court and hear the grievances of the people.

Her case has been twisted and spread by those with their own schemes.

The whole realm now knows of it.

Brother, you cannot avoid this.

Brother.

You set a trap for Xie Zheng

and nearly cost my life.

I have yet to settle that account.

But if you show the authority of an emperor

and clear Changyu's name,

I will let the matter rest.

Brother,

respect yourself, or others won't.

Carry yourself like an emperor.

Will you truly spend your life as a puppet?

Guards.

Summon Fan Changyu

to the Hall of Exalted Virtue.

Time for me to act like an emperor.

HALL OF EXALTED VIRTUE

Wei Qilin was framed

in the Jinzhou case 17 years ago.

Today I, Fan Changyu, am willing to stake my life

to beg Your Majesty to uphold justice

and set the truth right.

This is the tiger tally Wei Qilin carried to Chongzhou to request reinforcements.

This is the truth.

Yet back then,

Prince Changxin claimed this tally was forged

and refused to send troops.

That delay led to the disaster at Jinzhou.

It proves

someone deliberately sabotaged the operation.

The Xie and Wei families

were both victims to the plot.

If your claim proves true,

Minister Fan,

what punishment do you seek?

That object is a forgery.

What shameless nonsense.

What makes you say it's fake?

Why, you ask?

Because among everyone here,

the only person present when that tragedy unfolded

was me.

You claim that object is real.

Then where is your proof?

Though I have only recently taken command on the battlefield,

even I know

that every tiger tally is recorded in the archives

with official seals.

It can be verified.

All those records were destroyed in the great fire 17 years ago.

What a convenient coincidence.

Coincidence or not, that is the truth.

And I know very well

why you cling so stubbornly to this matter.

In the end,

it is nothing more than your own selfish obsession.

TO THE CHANCELLOR

This is

a letter written by General He Jingyuan himself.

It exposes this woman's true identity.

Your Majesty, please have a look.

Back then, Wei Qilin fled the battlefield

and died a disgraceful death.

The only one who slipped through the net

was you.

Wei Qilin's daughter, Wei Changyu.

Wei Yan!

Stop twisting the truth.

I, Fan Changyu, stand here with a clear conscience.

Wei Changyu,

you escaped punishment back then.

And today you dare stand in this imperial court,

spreading lies and trying to throw Dayin into chaos.

Such treason deserves death.

Your Majesty,

today I impeach this remnant of the Wei family.

She should be executed

to appease the spirits

of the hundred thousand soldiers who died at Jinzhou.

And who exactly is the real remnant here?

Your Majesty,

ministers,

if my father truly were a villain,

then why would General He Jingyuan, a trusted confidant of Wei Yan…

DILIGENT IN RULE, DEVOTED TO THE WORTHY

…have corresponded with him and insisted

on protecting my sister and me?

I have a question for Chancellor Wei.

Behind my father's wrongful persecution,

who gained the most from it?

Who benefits?

General Fan speaks the truth.

I too would like to ask

who benefited the most from that case all those years ago.

I heard that Your Majesty intends

to reopen the tragic Jinzhou case 17 years ago.

That case concerns my father Xie Linshan,

the late Crown Prince Chengde,

and the hundred thousand fallen soldiers.

If the case is to be reopened,

how could I possibly remain absent?

The nation's enemy remains unpunished.

Your family's vengeance is still unresolved.

Yet today,

you come here to defend the daughter of a traitor.

The palace fire isn't settled yet,

and you are already speaking for her.

Could it be that you too harbor treasonous intentions?

If anyone here harbors treason,

I fear it is someone else.

This letter

was written by Consort Qi to Wei Yan, pleading for help.

Because of a private affair,

Wei Yan returned to the capital midway,

leaving the soldiers of Jinzhou to face the enemy alone.

In the end, it led directly to that great catastrophe.

…I KNOW YOU ARE TRAPPED IN JINZHOU… THE CONSPIRATORS' SCHEME RUNS DEEP…

FATHER AND BROTHER ARE TRAPPED, YET I AM CONFINED IN THE PALACE. I BEG YOUR AID…

A thief crying thief.

Wei Yan,

you are the true traitor behind the disaster at Jinzhou!

HALL OF THE SUPREME ULTIMATE

DAYIN

There are men loyal to us within the Imperial Guard.

The palace gates will fall without a fight.

I have already spread word through the Bureau of Astronomy.

These years of drought and flood are said to be caused

by the disruption of the dragon veins,

the result of an illegitimate succession.

Your Highness is the descendant of Crown Prince Chengde.

Your ascension is what the people desire

and what the court expects.

Good.

Seventeen years.

At last, I have returned to this place.

NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS EPISODE

Subtitle translation by: Jiaxin Wang