Original subtitles

[A Dream Within A Dream]

[Episode 8]

Before I can devise a plan,

Song Yimeng has said so many things.

Are she and Chu Guihong causing a disturbance

and trying to frame me for that,

so Chu can score political points?

Mr. Li,

think about it.

Nan Hang has done much evil

over these years, hasn't he?

If you're dreaded

by his noble status

and the thought of fighting him,

I can have Chu Guihong join us.

The three of us will take

Nan Heng down together.

No need.

You are a daughter

of an important official.

Chu is a military officer favored by the Emperor.

By contrast,

I'm just a nobody

unworthy of attention.

The Waning River Crescent can't

afford to offend powerful figures.

Don't worry.

If anything happens,

I'll take full responsibility.

What's more,

I assure you that Chu Guihong

is a loyal and upstanding man.

Yimeng trusts me.

It is wrong of me to ever suspect that she is

involved with Li Shiliu.

Chu Guihong is my fiancé.

As long as you join us

in this great cause,

I promise

he will keep you safe.

He will keep me safe?

Why do you trust him?

Because I know him well.

Just like me,

he hates Nan Heng's guts.

We won't let Nan Heng

take one more life.

Mr. Li, do you know about

the autumn royal hunting

that happened 19 years ago?

You know something

about that too, Miss Song?

Yes,

But that's not the point.

The point is,

the late Empress, Chu Yurong,

died in an assassination

related to Nan Heng.

♪ I leave the book aside, though I haven't finished reading it ♪

[Young Nan Heng]

This path doesn't lead to the palace.

You lied!

♪ I know one day I can have a glimpse of the ending ♪

♪ Life is unpredictable ♪

[Young Chu Guihong]

She was Chu Guihong's aunt,

who loved him most

♪ Who can get rid of perplexity ♪

after his mother's passing.

He would hate to see anyone die

♪ And find the answer he yearns for? ♪

before his eyes again,

so he started

practicing martial arts.

Neither the cold in winter or the heat in summer

could make him rest for one day.

Years later,

he became a guard for the borders and the citizens.

He was wounded numerous times

and saw a lot of bloodshed.

His life was endangered on countless occasions.

He never flinched simply because

he made an oath before the late Empress's memorial tablet

at eight years old

♪ People's demeanor varies in this world of hustle and bustle ♪

to study martial arts

and to become strong by all means.

He knows only in that way

can he protect those he cares about

and prevent innocent lives

♪ Are they all bound by destiny at the same time? ♪

from being taken in his presence.

But Nan Heng is different.

Get in there!

After causing the late Empress's death,

♪ A simple move can lead to multiple major changes ♪

instead of pondering his mistake,

he degenerated even more

Eat it or starve!

and turned into a heartless killer

♪ Who can find out the truth? ♪

of innocent people.

The nation's wellbeing means nothing to him.

♪ Is it a bluff or a real match? ♪

To gain more power,

he even harmed an old friend.

General Chu defended the borders heroically.

♪ Wind, be with me in the quest for an ideal ♪

But now he's trapped by a vile official.

Colluding with the enemy

♪ Brush and ink, stand with me on the cliff ♪

is unforgivable.

He should be executed.

♪ My heart measures the waves I've cleaved ♪

Yes.

Mr. Li,

despite your different origins from Chu Guihong's,

I can tell

that deep down, both of you

♪ Setting sun, help me weather through the big snow ♪

are righteous men

who share a sense of justice.

♪ I'll wait till the next chapter to get sorrowful ♪

I know

you treat Yunlong and Shanhu

like your own brothers.

♪ Every word resonates with me like dancing notes on the paper ♪

You would lend a helping hand to innocent people.

Isn't he the same?

What a shame that his beloved aunt

and father both left him.

20 thousand of his fellow Qianyu soldiers

all died on the battlefield.

That brief four-word report, saying

"Pingrong Battle is lost," can't summarize

what he went through.

He did everything in his capacity

and even risked his life

to clear the names of those dead warriors.

Mr. Li,

isn't it enough to make you trust him?

Stop it!

I...

Mr. Li,

did I say anything wrong?

Now I understand.

In your heart,

though Nan Heng and Chu Guihong

are both military commanders

and martial practitioners,

the former harms people and strives

for selfish gain, while the latter

saves lives and devotes himself to the country.

-I... -With all due respect,

Miss Song,

you're not a good partner to work with.

Why?

Because you are blinded by love

and unable to tell right from wrong!

Mr. Li, I'm not blinded by love.

I'm not lovestruck at all.

I mean, Chu Guihong is...

He is not worthy of me

putting myself through

this life-threatening shenanigan with you.

Goodbye.

Mr. Li, what's the matter with you?

I really need you now.

Gosh. Two Li Shilius. How come?

[Big Fortune]

Li Shiliu?

[Big Fortune]

Why are there two Chiefs?

Which one is real?

This one.

This one?

That one.

That one?

Which one? I can't tell them apart.

Shanhu!

W-Which one is the real Li Shiliu?

We can't tell either.

Good heavens!

H-How am I supposed to tell them apart?

W-Which one is the real...

Isn't it obvious?

The better fighter is, of course.

Who's the better fighter?

[Clear Clouds & Autumn Moon]

This is bad. Really bad.

What if they realize one of them is Guihong?

Junior General is an extraordinary fighter.

Don't worry about him.

What a mess.

Chu Guihong?

"Extraordinary fighter"?

H-He's the commander of Qianyu Army!

He came here in the disguise of Chief Master.

I bet he is up to no good!

General Chu, catch the sword.

Stop!

Yimeng,

are you okay?

I'm perfectly fine.

No matter how this happened,

I can't let them turn against each other.

May I have your attention?

I think

this is just a misunderstanding.

General Chu Guihong

might have been tricked by rumors

and mistaken the Nightwalkers

for a group of

mobsters hiding in the capital.

That's why he disguised as Mr. Li and came here

What are "mobsters"?

for an investigation.

"Mop holders" for short, I suppose.

This is where we stand now.

M-Miss Song,

this rude guy accused our chief

of stealing Qianyu Army's weapons.

Who are you talking about?

Despicable schemer.

Indeed!

Watch your tongue!

How come I don't know about the theft

of weapons?

I completely understand.

I've got the gist.

Just now, General Chu told me

the whole story.

The theft of weapons is

also a misunderstanding.

Miss Song,

I saw everything.

He didn't utter a word at all.

Shut up!

We're ventriloquists.

What do you know?

Alright.

We've made things clear.

Why not turn hostility into hospitality?

Shake hands and

make friends, will you?

Guys,

let's shake hands

and make friends!

Why are you still standing here like a cutout?

Make a friendly gesture now

to end this mess

and defuse the tension.

Just get it over with.

I'm so embarrassed.

Mr. Li,

how about

you take the initiative?

Okay?

Please make nice

so I can wrap this up.

Look, everyone is staring at me.

I'm so embarrassed.

What a day.

I'm mortally embarrassed.

Please.

Make a friendly gesture, will you?

This is infuriating.

You two stubborn guys.

[Big Fortune]

Come with me.

How annoying!

The three of us are about to team up

against Nan Heng.

Why are you so hostile to each other?

I didn't agree to partner with him.

A vulgar ruffian.

How self-conceited.

You disturbed the Nightwalkers without cause.

Don't you owe me an apology?

At least I should know who

I'll apologize to, don't you think?

Why should I tell you who I am?

Alright.

Mr. Li,

please take off your mask and show him your face

as a gesture of good will.

I got a scar on the face in childhood.

I'd rather keep it covered.

Did you hear that?

He has a solid reason for...

Nan Heng is in the hall as well.

If you agree to go meet him with me...

Today you caused a scene here

just to prove that I have a connection with Nan Heng?

Mr. Li can't be working for Nan Heng.

He just cursed him with me the other day.

Then, Mr. Li, I'm cordially

inviting you to meet Nan Heng with me,

so you can prove your innocence.

Why should I do that?

Plus,

Nan Heng is a prince.

Offending a prince can lead to serious consequences.

That makes sense.

Wise civilians know not to irritate the authorities.

Don't force him, alright?

You keep declining to prove your innocence.

How about I take you

back to the capital prefecture's office

for an interrogation?

This is enough.

Stop it, you two.

No more bickering, okay?

Let me reiterate this again.

We're gathered here today

to fight against Nan Heng,

not to argue, gentlemen.

You see,

Mr. Li chose not to hold you accountable

for messing up this place.

Why are you still scowling?

I...

So what if you command Qianyu Army?

And you, Mr. Li,

do you think the world of yourself just because

you rule the Waning River Crescent

and the Nightwalkers?

Fine.

Since you two consider yourselves no ordinary men,

why not go mess with Nan Heng

who's also here today?

What's the point of fighting each other?

Answer me.

Can we

form an alliance today?

Fine.

You both refuse to join me, right?

I'll do it myself then.

Yimeng!

If you believe him,

then I'll believe him.

Among all the crap Mr. Li has said today,

one thing is correct.

I'm an incompetent man who doesn't

deserve Yimeng's trust and affection.

She has done so much for me.

I must repay her with all my heart.

Nan Heng will stay here till nighttime.

I'll go and stall him.

It means

we're allies now, right?

Chief Master!

Chief Master.

A guest is asking to meet you now.

Please go see him.

Miss Song,

I need to go now.

Make yourself at home.

You go ahead, Mr. Li.

See you later.

Terrific!

Hurry up. Chu Guihong has set off.

I'm working on it.

I...

Easy! Easy!

Why so grumpy?

You're not the only one with a temper.

Hurry.

When this is over,

you should take a break.

Not after

I pick a bone with you.

I'm showing care for you, but...

Please quickly remove me from the position

of Second Master.

I've been wanting to quit.

Stop nagging,

or I'll make you the chief.

Hurry. Go get me my clothes.

Guihong,

you'll partner with Li Shiliu?

Why did you suddenly change your mind?

I didn't.

I still think Li Shiliu is colluding with Nan Heng.

Then why did you grant Song Yimeng's request?

This is a setup.

It's like drawing a snake out of its hole.

Drawing a snake out of its hole?

Who's the snake?

Song Yimeng?

A beautiful snake?

Please stop asking, Your Highness.

Wait. Why can't I ask questions?

Given Your Highness's performance today...

The less Your Highness know,

the safer we will be.

Here come the guests.

General Chu, you've put yourself

through so much trouble.

Are you here to

show support for Rui?

The Eighteenth Prince has a gentle soul.

Blessings befall His Highness.

He needs no extra assistance.

How shameless of you for making that silly remark.

You're pretty cheeky,

General Chu.

Nan Heng!

Gentlemen,

a feast is served. Please enjoy.

[Excellence and Distinction]

Have a seat.

Why not dine with me?

If you're scared of me,

then just leave.

Don't spoil my mood.

I...

What a surprise.

The food here actually tastes

better than that in the palace.

Gentlemen,

how did you like the meal?

There are desserts

and fruit prepared

for you.

They're being presented now.

General Chu,

you're already seated.

Why don't you eat anything?

With a vile person around,

my appetite has been

completely ruined.

I feel the same,

when dining with a vile person.

General Chu, you cleverly

impersonated Li Shiliu

only to find out if I have

any connection with him, right?

So what if I say yes?

I am a royal prince.

How could I possibly be in collusion

with that lowly ruffian?

Don't push me too far.

Sorry. I'm sorry.

You klutz, what's wrong with you?

Get out of here!

Yes.

Gentlemen,

please don't be mad.

I'll bring you a new plate.

No need.

It's a waste of time talking to

those I don't see eye to eye with.

Goodbye.

Did you make it?

Yes. I replaced

that fake knife with a real one.

Hold on.

Don't forget

that someone is waiting for you.

Hurry up! Run!

The whole place was in chaos today.

Whose fault was it?

Mine, I suppose.

It's stuck again.

Let me do it.

I can do it.

Dinner?

I happen to be hungry now.

Oh, right, Mr. Shangguan,

where is your chief?

Why isn't he here yet?

Chief Master,

Miss Song is eager to see you.

Playing the flute, aren't you?

It's just dinner.

Why a fuss?

It's for the best effect.

Alright. All of you, get out.

Mr. Li,

these friends of yours

are so much fun.

They just like

horsing around. I hope you don't mind.

Oh, right.

You haven't opened my gift yet.

Come on. Open it. Take a look.

What...

What bizarre thing is this?

What do you think?

It's cute, isn't it?

I made it myself.

Look,

whether you'll get involved in politics or not,

I just want to thank you

for saving my life last time.

You're welcome.

Yimeng!

What are you doing here?

Shouldn't you be with Nan Heng now?

He left.

Yimeng,

it's getting late.

Let me take you home.

Dinner was just served.

I haven't eaten it yet.

Your father is waiting for you at home.

Let's go.

But...

Mr. Li,

talk to you later!

I have to go home now.

Wait!

Have you seen the Seventh Prince?

Fugui,

seriously,

aren't you embarrassed to play with mud at this age?

I wasn't playing with mud.

Someone dropped

a flower pot on my head.

Did you see the prince or not?

I shouldn't have asked you.

Your Highness?

Your Highness!

[Seventh Prince's Mansion]

[Humbly requested by Yao Qian, Zhang Han, et al]

[One hour ago]

What did you say?

The Lantern Festival.

Your Highness,

the Emperor, along with the Eighteenth Prince,

has planned to appoint Chu Guihong to manage

all affairs related to the Lantern Festival

in tomorrow's morning meeting.

It means the Emperor is intending to let Chu

shoulder the responsibility

of guarding the capital and the palace.

It's really the Lantern Festival.

I can't sleep at night. I've been working around the clock.

After a thorough study,

I've come up with a plan.

Your Highness, please allow me

to appeal to all censors to file

a joint petition in tomorrow's meeting to urge

the Emperor to withdraw the intended appointment.

We will turn the tables

and attack Chu and his minions

till they're completely defeated.

Your Highness.

Your Highness!

If the Lantern Festival proceeds smoothly,

Chu Guihong will receive more

fame and support from the people.

The Emperor might promote him and give him

a chance to lead an army to fight battles

and achieve more.

Then he'll be a strong aide

to the Eighteenth Prince.

They'll probably rise to the top.

If that happens,

it'll be nearly impossible

for Your Highness to achieve

your ambitions...

Enough. I get it.

I...

Without my permission,

no one

can take action.

Yes.

Look,

whether you'll get involved in politics or not,

I just want to thank you

for saving my life last time.

Officers, if there is no objection,

I hereby affirm that the capital prefect will be responsible

for managing the Lantern Festival.

Your Majesty, I object to it!

Uncle, why didn't you tell me about this?

Alas!

The Lantern Festival is about

celebration and praying for the nation's wellbeing.

However, the new capital prefect, Chu Guihong,

though exonerated, is by no means

a proper candidate for the job.

Now,

the dead warriors haven't rested in peace,

and the borders are still troubled by refugees.

If such an important job is given to Chu,

there will be serious consequences!

I implore Your Majesty to withdraw the edict.

We implore Your Majesty to withdraw the edict!

We implore Your Majesty to withdraw the edict!

Silence, all of you!

[Calm, Respectful, and Sincere]

Calm, Your Majesty!

The empire...

is not solely owned by me.

But as long as I still hold the throne,

I will not tolerate nonsense in the court!

This is my decision.

The capital prefect, Chu Guihong, will oversee

all affairs related to the Lantern Festival.

Censor Yao Qian

distorted the truth with malicious intent.

He will be

caned 20 times and demoted

to be an invocator of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

A demotion?

Doesn't Yao Qian

work for Nan Heng?

This is not part of the script, is it?

Is the male lead's power really being weakened?

Has the story started to change?

Will the ending be different?

The Emperor

is determined to weaken Nan Heng's power in the capital.

Nan Heng has had enough good days.

It's time for his collapse.

Before long,

the Eighteenth Prince will rightfully

become the crown prince.

Yimeng,

I've been busy with military affairs these years,

so I've neglected you.

I didn't realize until yesterday

that you care so much about me.

You like the south, don't you?

When the whole thing is over,

shall we move there?

If...

If you are

given a chance to extricate yourself from politics,

will you drop everything and leave?

Yimeng,

you know me well.

Qianyu Army...

You told me

you'd hate to see anyone around you get hurt.

But that's bound to happen

unless you're relieved from your post.

Why are you bringing this up?

Yesterday, Mr. Li asked me

about my view of Nan Heng.

This is what I've been thinking.

It's true that Nan Heng

is a ruthless man

with a mind full of conspiracies.

But maybe...

There's a chance to turn things around.

My Lady! My Lady!

Mr. Chu.

Bad news!

Bear with it.

Alright, it's done.

Rong Hua.

You...

Shouldn't you be catching bandits?

Who did this to you?

General Chu,

the bandits

lured us to an abandoned mine

situated ten miles outside the city.

Before we could see them,

they detonated explosives,

which injured our people.

Which mine?

The one in the western suburbs.

Where Yao Qian was ditched?

Yes.

Nan Heng is trying to intimidate me.

Easy, easy.

Yimeng,

do you still think there is

a chance to turn things around?

This time,

we must think of a new way

to stop him.

Please don't hurt me, sir!

I'm just a lowly eunuch.

I really don't know anything!

An officer of the Censorate was caned today.

You executed the punishment, right?

Someone instructed you to aim for

the most fragile body parts.

You would receive

handsome rewards if you could maim him

with those 20 times of caning.

Is it correct?

I...

I...

Confess!

Who instructed you?

What proof do you have?

Bad news.

Miss Song is here.

Is your chief around?

This way, Miss Song.

Yunlong, clean up this place.

Shanhu, destroy the evidence.

The rest of you,

stall the enemy.

-Yes! -Yes!

This way.

Are you alright?

Miss Song,

take that path.

Okay. Let's go.

"I see a well by the river."

"A dark mouth I discover."

-Brilliant! -Nice verses!

I'm so flattered.

Mr. Li.

Miss Song,

you came just in time.

Chief is composing poems and playing chess with us

to nurture our minds.

Mr. Shangguan,

pardon me for the intrusion.

I need a word with your chief now.

What's so serious

that you have to talk to me in private?

It's a matter of life or death.

If anything slips,

best case—we lose some blood;

worst case— our families get executed.

That serious?

Spill it then.

Mr. Li,

do you dare to…

C-Could you bend over?

Second Master,

are they kissing?

What are they talking about?

What can a man and a woman talk about?

They must be flirting

and giggling.

You think they're planning a murder?

Killing Nan Heng?

Me?

No way!

I haven't agreed to fight him yet,

let alone kill him.

That's why I'm asking you

what I can do to have your consent.

I will never consent to it!

If you have a death wish,

go and indulge yourself.

Don't drag me down.

Mr. Li, wait!

Though he denies he likes Miss Song,

he did stop when she told him to.

Mr. Li,

didn't you ask me why I chose

to believe Chu Guihong

and not Nan Heng?

Mr. Li, you know what?

Nan Heng had his people blow up a mine

and ambush Qianyu Army.

Any misstep in the process

could kill or injure many innocent civilians.

We have to stop him now,

or there will be more disasters.

Blowing up a mine?

Rong Hua saw it himself.

Many Qianyu soldiers were injured.

Have you done a fact check?

Motive.

Method.

Eyewitnesses...

It all checks out.

What else do I need?

I see.

I understand now.

Every

bad deed

must be done by Nan Heng.

If a wench

in the east loses an egg,

it must be stolen by Nan Heng.

If a widower

in the west gets drunk and fights,

it must be related to Nan Heng.

Is that right?

Who knows if he's innocent or not?

His house is not far from

the west of the city.

As for the east...

Maybe he takes a stroll there

every now and then.

Who knows what

sneaky stuff or severe crimes

he does every day?

Mr. Li,

actually...

Just like you, I used

to think none of

these things

could be true,

and that all I had to do was stop Nan Heng

and protect myself.

But my mind changed on the night

when that dancer

nearly lost her life because of me.

That wasn't your fault.

But her life was

endangered because of me.

I ignorantly thought

I could change the story

and the world.

That dancer, Rong Hua and some others

got hurt for the same reason.

If I hadn't

interfered with the storyline,

maybe none of those

could have happened, right?

That said,

I've set off on this path already.

I can't give up halfway.

Mr. Li,

maybe some of my words

have bewildered you,

but I'm just trying to get

my meaning across.

I understand all your concerns.

Indeed,

I'm selfishly attempting

to use you

to eliminate Nan Heng.

If...

If

you really hate to do that...

I'm not entirely...

I'll report you to the authorities.

I'll hand over the evidence

of you committing human trafficking

to my father and Chu Guihong.

Then all your hard work in these years

will go down the drain.

But that was an accident!

I don't care.

It happened in

the Waning River Crescent's Hall.

You'll all be held liable.

Oh, you...

You're such a fickle woman.