Original subtitles

[How dare you!?]

[Episode 7]

The plan was to get Xie Yong'er to spill the truth when drunk,

but I ended up revealing everything myself.

I thought I held the script,

but Prince Duan was the one truly above all.

I even revealed my only way to survive.

I...

must be doomed now.

My Lady,

it's time to wash and dress.

My Lady, you've been drinking?

Be quiet.

My head hurts.

Let me sleep a bit longer.

That won't do.

You are to pay your respects to the Empress Dowager today.

Why do I have to see her again?

Nothing good ever comes from meeting her.

Can't I just pretend to be sick?

His Majesty just promoted Concubine Xie to Consort this morning.

If you don't attend, you'll face even more criticism.

The Emperor's heart is truly unpredictable.

Greetings, Your Majesty

Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager.

May Your Majesty be blessed with good fortune.

May Your Majesty the Empress Dowager enjoy peace and health.

You may rise.

Everyone, please be seated.

Thank you, Your Majesty

and Empress Dowager.

A hangover is truly miserable.

Consort Xie.

Come to my side.

Your Majesty.

So beautiful.

Emperor,

the Flower Festival Banquet is approaching.

What are your plans?

Your Majesty,

with the Flower Festival Banquet drawing near and flowers in full bloom,

our Great Xia now

enjoys peace and prosperity.

Therefore, I believe

all of us consorts

should each contribute our strengths

and do our part to sing the praises of the nation.

Am I right?

That's right.

I personally picked 100 kinds of flowers

and made them into Hundred Flower Cakes.

They taste

excellent.

I've been preparing since last year.

I'm embroidering an 8-foot-long piece called Blossoms and Wealth.

By the time of the Flower Festival Banquet,

it will be finished.

After years of study,

I finally cultivated a new flower species.

Putting so much thought into one thing?

Yet they seem to enjoy it.

Come to think of it,

being just a simple 2D character

seems quite happy at least.

But the more I know,

the more worries I have.

You've all put in great effort.

I am very pleased.

Emperor,

what do you think?

Which do you prefer?

Last night,

the dances Consort Xie performed in my chamber

were quite impressive.

I danced?

I don't remember that at all!

At the banquet,

let's have Consort Xie perform a dance.

Your Majesty...

It's settled.

Your Highness,

are you feeling unwell?

I've caught a slight cold recently

and feel a bit off.

On such a fine day,

I'd better excuse myself

so as not to spoil Your Majesty's and the Empress Dowager's enjoyment.

What a pitiful look.

How scheming.

Stop pretending, Sister.

Pretending to be sick for sympathy?

I hope His Majesty

doesn't fall for this "white lotus"'s trick.

Well, Consort Yu's heal—

Get lost.

What a shame.

She was trying to act pitiful,

but turned out truly pitiful.

His Majesty is sick of her now.

Serves her right.

My dear,

come to my chamber again tonight,

alright?

Isn't that Noble Consort Yu who just lost favor?

Stop looking.

Xiahou Dan's performance of favoring the new over the old

is quite convincing.

According to the original story,

by now, I, the demonic consort, should have been

completely suppressed by Xie Yong'er,

never able to turn things around again.

Turn things around?

Whether it's me, Xie Yong'er,

or even Xiahou Dan—

we might all just be 2D characters in Prince Duan's eyes.

My Lady.

[Let's have a chat in the flower house at midnight]

What's meant to come has come.

Wanyin.

I'm here.

Come to me.

This man

is so good at this.

I was careless.

I should have brought Mr. Bei or secret guards for safety.

But he probably won't

take my life at this stage.

I'll struggle a bit first

to see

what level he's really at.

Your Highness, what did you

ask me here for?

Earlier today,

I visited Minister Yu.

He misses you

and wants to know how you're doing in the palace.

So I thought

I'd ask on his behalf.

That's very thoughtful of you, Your Highness.

However...

life in the palace...

is just like this.

Wanyin, do you have something on your mind?

Concubine Xie

attended His Majesty last night.

This morning,

she was promoted to Consort.

Your Highness,

what do you think of Consort Xie?

She is His Majesty's woman.

I dare not comment.

What about me?

Your Highness,

what do you think of me?

Like viewing a flower through the mist,

I can't see you clearly.

Your Highness,

why do you feel this way?

Wanyin,

we've known each other for quite some time.

Perhaps some things...

should be spoken plainly now.

For example?

For example...

who...

are you exactly?

I...

Or...

who is His Majesty?

And who is Xie Yong'er?

The worst guess has come true.

He saw through Xie Yong'er,

perhaps because this lovesick fool

let something slip.

That he can see through me too

might be because I slipped up somewhere.

But he even saw through Xiahou Dan,

that master actor.

That's impossible.

Which means

he can only be

standing on a higher level.

Wanyin, there's no need to be so nervous.

I have never meant you any harm.

And since you can foresee some things,

you should know that choosing me

is the wiser choice.

Since you already know everything,

what do you need me for?

I didn't come to you to have you do anything.

I came because I've fallen for you.

We're not even the same species.

Not even from the same dimension.

How could you fall for me?

Well...

That doesn't seem to matter, does it?

So

you like me as a character?

Otherwise, why would I

have chosen you from the start?

Then when we first met,

why didn't you say it outright?

Wanyin,

I'll tell you some things gradually.

All you need to do is think carefully

about whose side you should stand on

to make the wisest choice.

[Your Majesty,]

[please eliminate the demonic consort to strengthen the court]

Consort Yu went to the Imperial Garden.

She's having a secret meeting with Prince Duan.

Dan,

what are your orders?

No orders.

Don't you care?

I know you like her.

But she shares a bed with you.

If she turns against you, it would be too dangerous.

Have you ever considered that,

from her perspective,

[Your Majesty, why haven't you taken action yet?]

Prince Duan

[Don't let impulsiveness ruin a good opportunity]

is indeed a safer option?

Why?

Haven't you already known

Prince Duan's plan?

Knowing it and being confident

are two different things.

She wants to survive,

and that's only natural.

♪ Tell me ♪

♪ Why so many laments echo in the wind ♪

Dan,

is she really that important?

♪ Walk past me ♪

♪ Like an aloof passerby ♪

You shouldn't let love

cloud your judgment.

♪ Don't watch me as the rain falls ♪

She is my lifeline.

♪ Love burns too hot as it passes ♪

What about Xiahou Dan?

♪ Even a lifetime of war cannot be extinguished ♪

He won't.

Why?

Even I

have been hesitating over

♪ Blame me ♪

♪ For the frailty of fate ♪

whether to ally with him.

♪ Hide me ♪

Yet he

♪ With light snow or thick ink ♪

has always chosen me

♪ We met in the crowd ♪

without wavering.

♪ There's no mistake in this life ♪

♪ I only regret being clumsy in words ♪

You are the bravest

♪ And shrinking from speaking it out ♪

and most formidable person

♪ Even when destiny mocked me, hurt me ♪

I've seen in my two lives.

♪ Destroyed me, or trapped me ♪

♪ I never yielded ♪

You'll definitely have the last laugh,

♪ But why ♪

♪ Can't I bear to see even a single tear in your eyes? ♪

fighting your way

to a bright new world.

♪ But we once fell in love, went wild ♪

So,

♪ Split up, and lost each other ♪

♪ They are all unforgettable memories to me ♪

whatever decision she makes, I will support it,

♪ The first time I met you ♪

including...

♪ It felt like something suddenly lit up my soul ♪

leaving me.

I'm done playing.

How can we even continue?

I was thinking

the four of us could play mahjong together.

Instead, he drew a heavenly hand right off the deal

and beat all three of us.

Fallen for me?

You'd fall for a 2D character?

Yeah right.

Wanyin.

Mr. Bei?

You were late getting back,

so I prepared some tea and snacks for you.

Don't forget to have them.

Okay.

Thank you, Mr. Bei.

Get some rest early too.

Mr. Bei is really good to me.

Should I tell him

and CEO Dan what just happened?

Forget it.

Better they know nothing

than for us all to be upset together.

I wonder

what my name is in this book I'm living in,

and how many pages I'll last.

Maybe

Xu Yao's death

is also part of the plot.

What's the point of this?

Yeah.

What's the point?

[Turning the Deputy Minister of Revenue to our side—failed]

[Spreading false information—failed]

[Kill the imperial censor's secret guards in the backyard]

[to eliminate future threats.]

Mr. Bei!

Consort Xie,

you're here.

Eunuch An.

Your Highness!

Our Consort has an urgent matter to discuss with His Majesty.

No one is to disturb them.

Well... yes.

[Yongyan Hall]

Your Highness, well...

Perhaps you should return for now.

CEO Dan!

CEO Dan!

Why are you here?

There really is something wrong with Prince Duan.

Why do you say that?

Xu Yao's book

records his plans in such detail.

If Xiahou Bo

really stands at the highest level,

how could this book have ended up in our hands?

Assuming he let us find it on purpose,

what benefit would that be to him?

The easiest way to defeat you

is to keep us in the dark about everything.

Also,

if he knew I was a transmigrator,

why didn't he ask me directly?

Why keep testing me over and over?

And I met with him today.

When I said we're not even the same species,

not even from the same dimension,

he clearly hesitated.

What does that suggest?

It suggests...

that his show of initiative

may simply be because he discovered

our abnormality in some way?

In his eyes,

we might be the kind of

semi-divine beings with foresight

who can foresee the future.

And he thinks the three of us are the same kind.

You, me,

and Xie Yong'er?

So

if he doesn't trust Xie Yong'er,

he won't trust you or me either.

So...

he's still just a 2D character?

I need to find a way

to test him thoroughly.

By the way,

shouldn't we

hurry up and find those scholars?

Why are you laughing?

You told me about

your private meeting with him just like that?

I told you so many important things,

and that's your focus?

I heard everything.

But I think what's more important is

whether we should have hot pot.

Alright, alright. My bad, my bad.

Let's go.

Let's eat hot pot.

Let's go.

Why isn't he here yet?

He didn't back out, did he?

Have you memorized

the scholars' names and traits?

This battle

will decide the fate of our Fishball Squad.

Don't worry.

Piece of cake.

I've got it all under control.

So how did you get them to come?

Buns!

Hot, delicious buns!

Please keep it.

The realm has fallen into the hands of traitors.

We're at a critical moment of survival.

The people are exhausted,

resources are running dry,

the soldiers are growing old,

and the people's hearts are drifting away.

To make peace with a life

of frustrated aspirations;

steeds and spears were never

my desire.

Sir, excellent poem!

I have one too.

Please take a look.

A true gentleman seizes the moment,

and a wise man understands his fate.

Though old,

one's resolve need not fade;

though poor, one's ambition

should not fall.

Loyal and righteous men have all but perished,

[Discourses on Salt and Iron]

while troubles within and without rise one after another.

Fellow scholars,

[Du Shan]

you have studied diligently for decades,

upholding righteousness with quiet forbearance amid chaos.

-Don't rush. -Thank you.

You possess extraordinary integrity.

The rise and fall of the realm

concerns every man.

When the land is adrift,

rather than replacing the ruler,

it's better to destroy the old rules and rebuild.

I wish to befriend all you heroes

and shape the nation,

saving the collapsing tide

and supporting the falling edifice.

Let's set the heart for Heaven and Earth,

secure life for the people,

carry on the lost teachings of the sages,

and bring lasting peace for generations to come.

Let's gather at East Lake at the end of the month

to discuss our grand plan.

This journey may be dangerous.

I ask that you

travel with caution

to ensure your safety.

As a CEO, he really deserves your title.

His literary talent

puts me, a corporate drone,

to shame. I can't compare at all.

Cen.

Let me borrow this.

We came to answer your invitation

because we were moved by the words in your letter

and wished to meet a kindred spirit.

Yet today,

all you've arranged is drinking and sightseeing.

This hardly feels like

the long-awaited meeting your letter promised.

You have all traveled far,

and endured the discomfort of being veiled.

I

truly feel uneasy about it.

As my letter said,

I have long admired your talents.

The brilliant essays you have written,

I often read aloud to myself and ponder in my heart.

When I close the book...

Let's skip

the pleasantries.

Establishing offices and building the nation

is meant to provide the people with the means to live;

levying taxes and collecting revenue

is to support the state.

All taxation

must

consider people's strength

and the land's suitability.

This is Li's essay?

Li Yunxi from Zhuozhou

is erudite and ambitious,

of noble character,

upright and unyielding,

frank and outspoken.

If he heads the Ministry of Revenue,

his meticulous nature

will surely deter all corruption.

I must drink to that.

You've certainly

done your homework.

Du Shan from Bingzhou,

with his piece "Red Kite,"

moved the world.

If he heads the Ministry of Rites,

he will bring honor and integrity to Great Xia.

I don't deserve such praise.

The key to river management

is first to understand its principles,

then adapt to circumstances,

and weigh with human compassion.

Er Lan's "River Transport"

is insightful yet accessible,

every word a gem.

If he heads the Ministry of Works,

the population growth of Great Xia

will be within reach.

Yang is clever and flexible,

skilled in mathematics.

Now that times have changed,

today, the Ministry of Personnel

needs someone like you

to choose talent

without prejudice.

I'll drink to that.

Wang Zhao

is honest and straightforward,

a pleasure

to meet.

In the future, he may well serve in the State Ceremonial Bureau,

mediating between nations.

You

promised everyone such grand prospects.

So,

what role am I to take on?

Food is the first necessity of the people.

Cen, if you serve as an agricultural official,

it will be a great blessing to all.

The northwest now

suffers from severe drought,

while the southwest is plagued by floods.

Recently,

I came across a book from the Western Regions

that records a crop

resistant to lodging

and tolerant of both drought and flooding.

If there is a chance,

I would like to discuss it with you

through the night.

Your Highness,

our men just sent word.

The Emperor has secretly left the palace and gone to the West Mountain.

The West Mountain?

Why did he suddenly go to the West Mountain?

His villa is there.

Perhaps he went to enjoy the hot springs.

Stop joking.

Lately, the Emperor has been leaving the palace frequently.

A few days ago,

he rode his carriage around the city 3 times

and returned without doing anything at all.

Don't you find that strange?

How many people did the Emperor bring?

He traveled with a light escort,

keeping a very low profile.

It seems

he doesn't want anyone to know.

If that's the case,

why don't we take this excellent opportunity

and just...

You...

I can have the troops I've stationed in the suburbs

disguised as bandits.

We can certainly accomplish this great deed

without anyone knowing.

No, Your Highness!

-Yes, we can't do that, Your Highness! -There must be something wrong.

We have planned for years

and attempted assassination more than once,

yet the Emperor has evaded them all.

I don't believe

he's truly as incompetent

as he appears.

I don't believe it either.

-Acting in such haste -You...

-risks too much. -Exactly!

Why are you so indecisive?

Opportunities like this don't come twice!

Well...

You...

You...

Sir,

how confident are you about this bandit plan?

Your Highness!

We've rehearsed for a long time.

I dare not say it's foolproof,

but

our chances of success are very high.

You promised us all kinds of official positions

in the Ministries of Revenue, Justice, and Personnel haphazardly,

as if you could actually

control that incompetent emperor.

Indeed.

To serve a wise ruler

with one's life;

to die as a martyr for the country's sake.

Now

the court's capable men are gone.

I almost wish

I could strike the ground with my head

to wake that tyrant.

What do you expect from that tyrant?

But I heard people say

that Prince Duan is skilled in both civil and military affairs

and could be considered a worthy ruler.

Prince Duan only seeks power.

He has done nothing for the country or its people.

He cannot be considered worthy.

As the ruler of a nation,

he plunged his people into suffering.

When all is said and done,

the emperor has failed his subjects.

Beautiful women are disasters.

I suppose the tyrant

must have been bewitched by that demonic consort Yu Wanyin,

-growing ever more muddled and unruly. -Why me again?

That's right.

As the poem says, "Nights with the beautiful woman are too short;

from now on, the emperor no longer attends court in the morning."

Was he a wise ruler

before that demonic consort appeared?

Just say he's incompetent.

Why blame a woman?

Are you defending that demonic consort?

What else?

Do you really believe that a woman from the harem

can disrupt state affairs?

It's just an excuse.

How is it an excuse?

Everyone says that...

Says what?

That she has a snake-like face that can peel pears?

You keep calling her "demonic consort" with such conviction.

Li, have you actually seen her

perform any witchcraft?

Er...

Alright, alright.

-Well said, sis. -Mr. Li, you care about

-the country and the people. -You should say more.

I admire you.

Er Lan makes a fair point.

But gentlemen,

aren't we getting off topic?

Who should govern this country and how it should be governed—

that is what we

should be concerned about.

Am I right?

That's right.

As stated in the letter to all of you,

we must destroy before we can rebuild.

How to break the deadlock

is the key.

In my opinion,

the crux still lies with the people.

Since ancient times,

the capable should be in charge and the mediocre beneath them.

Yet now it is the mediocre who are in charge

and the capable who are beneath them.

Without breaking the privileges of the nobility,

none of this can move forward.

As the saying goes,

"Are kings and nobles

born that way?"

Exactly!

War

does not necessarily destroy a nation,

nor do

famine and disaster.

But there is one thing

that can end a nation's fortune and make the people lose faith:

when the path

for the poor and talented to rise is blocked.

You really dare to say that?

Why wouldn't I?

All of us here are commoners.

How much can we truly save Great Xia?

Look up.

There is no clear sky,

only mire and filth.

"Big rats, big rats,

stop eating our grain."

For the sake of the people,

there's nothing we can't do!

Well said!

With your ambition and vision,

there is hope for Great Xia!

Indeed.

But ambition alone,

without the chance to serve in office,

makes saving our nation mere empty talk.

You are indeed like your words.

This drinking session

has been most enjoyable!

But you still haven't told us...

who

you really are.

It's coming!

The climax of this scene is finally coming!

My humble surname...

is Xiahou.

With such eloquence,

could you be Prince...

I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, Du.

My given name is...

Dan.

As for this lady,

she is the very demonic consort

you were just speaking of,

Yu Wanyin.

Nice to meet you, gentlemen.

I am Wang Zhao.

Greetings, Your Majesty!

-I'm Du Shan. -I'm Yang Duojie.

-I'm Er Lan. -Greetings, Your Majesty.

Greetings, Your Majesty.

If you want to kneel, then kneel.

Why pull me down with you?

You expect me to kneel to this incompetent emperor?

Over my dead body.

Everyone,

please rise.

Please forgive us, Your Majesty.

All you know is that

I am a tyrant, ruling harshly

and preying on the people.

What you do not know

is that over the past ten-plus years,

my power

has long been hollowed out.

Now, half of the court

is controlled

by the Empress Dowager,

and the other half

manipulated by Prince Duan.

They make high-stakes gambles with the lives

of Great Xia's people again and again.

Though my heart bleeds,

I can only pretend to be a tyrant

to preserve my own life.

Today's meeting

is my attempt

to lay bare my true heart before you,

in the hope that you

might understand my unspoken difficulties.

Your Majesty, if you truly have such intentions,

why not reform the imperial exam and recruit talent openly?

Why did you ask us to meet you in secrecy like thieves?

This way of recruiting men

seems

beneath your royal dignity.

Too many eyes are watching me.

Even the slightest change to the imperial exam

would face opposition from all sides.

If not for my secret guards searching everywhere,

your brilliant essays

would never have reached my desk.

I can only contact you in secret

so I can place you

in suitable positions

to realize your grand ambitions.

Therefore,

you should know that

what I promised you just now

was not

empty talk or hollow bait.

Of course,

I know

that my one-sided words alone

cannot, in a single day,

turn your loyal hearts

toward me.

But I must try.

In the future,

when you enter the court,

you will surely be targeted

by the Empress Dowager's and Prince Duan's factions—

courted,

exploited,

or attacked.

When that day comes,

I only hope you will not forget the passionate words you spoke

and the lofty aspirations you laid bare

on this boat today.

I hope you will stand tall

and be the backbone of Great Xia.

These are just words

devised to recruit these scholars.

So why do I feel like crying

after hearing it?