Original subtitles

(Fate of Southern Love)

(Episode 7)

If the stage is gone,

will there be any need to leave?

Wishing fortune and everlasting prosperity to the Great Jing!

It's the hour of Xu!

Ever since my mother passed away,

- the whole palace has felt like a prison. - System.

- Only this hot soup... - Have you found Jin Zhu?

(Sorry, Host.)

(Anything outside the set parameters is unknown to me.)

(Your Highness.)

Have you found the Princess Consort?

Princess Consort has gone missing.

Even the guards escorting her back have vanished without a trace.

What did you do? That's scalding!

Please forgive me, My Lady! Please forgive me!

(Host, this is part of the plot.)

(Not only did you comfort the old lady,)

(but you also learned cooking from her.)

(Later in the story,)

(it'll become an important romantic scene between you and Zhou Nan Zhi.)

(You will earn 500 points if you complete the plot successfully.)

Old Lady, are you okay?

How could I ever blame you?

How could a living person just disappear like that?

Someone deliberately lured me away to rescue her.

But I have no idea what their motive is.

System, I want to know Jin Zhu's current location.

(Okay, Host. One thousand points have been used.)

Location acquired.

Near the city gate?

What is she doing there?

Is she planning to leave Jingdu?

Host, you should focus on the main storyline first

and earn points the normal way.

The main storyline?

In the original main storyline,

Jin Zhu lost her innocence.

And then I went to comfort her.

If I let her go through the plot in this main storyline,

that'll solve everything, right?

(Host, what do you mean?)

It's the hour of the Xu.

(Medallion)

Lou Si Yi.

May we never meet again.

May we never meet again.

Lady Jin!

Fu Gui.

Lady Jin?

Lady Jin!

Isn't there a brothel in this comic?

Jin Zhu lost her innocence there.

And I comforted her in front of the male lead, but she pushed me away.

Doesn't that make the story connect?

You must be the new girl Fifth Master brought in today.

It's Luo Li.

It has to be Luo Li. It must be her.

She has the power to make Lady Jin disappear into thin air.

Chancellor Lou, you have to find Lady Jin.

Feng Yan.

- I'm here. - I need to know where Jin Zhu is

within 15 minutes.

Yes, Chancellor Luo!

You got the wrong person.

Everyone sold here says that.

She's a bit skinny.

But at least she's pretty.

Change her clothes. Don't waste any time.

No.

Let go of me! Let me out!

(Qingxiao Pavilion)

Leave us.

The next girl is fresh out of the palace today.

She's delicate as can be.

If any gentleman is interested,

just speak up.

Why is this lady covering her face tonight?

She's shy on her first night.

Her hair and makeup are perfect.

Her brows are long and elegant.

For such beauty as she,

only the highest bidder gets to see her face.

I'll offer 150 taels.

Deal. 150 taels it is.

Master Liu, please come with me.

First, serve him some wine.

Then take him to the private room.

She really is top quality.

Of course she is.

Master Liu, if you let me go,

I promise I'll pay you back double.

Do you think I care about your money?

Come with me to the private room now.

Let go of me!

Lou? Why is the surname Lou tattooed on you?

I'm from the Lou family household. I just got lost by accident.

If you let me go, you'll be handsomely rewarded.

Even if you're a maid from the Lou family,

do you really think Chancellor Lou will come looking for you himself?

- Come with me to the private room! - Let go!

- Let go! - You've already been sold. Stop pretending to be innocent.

Let go of me! Let go!

Come with me.

Who are you?

I paid 150 taels for her.

Your 150 taels.

Why did you give me an extra coin?

It's to buy your life, obviously.

Let's go.

I'll be taking this person.

- Any objections? - Chancellor Lou, please take her.

If I hear any of you talk about her looks

or speculate about her identity,

don't blame me for being harsh.

Yes, Chancellor Lou.

What are you doing here?

It's even odder to see you here, right? Prince Ning.

I'm here on official business, of course.

Not like you.

You are all talk and no action.

But you love hanging around the red-light district.

Lin Lan.

Among the new arrivals, have you seen this woman?

No, I haven't.

Who's the woman in your arms?

Aren't you being a bit disrespectful as His Highness's woman?

I command all six ministries by imperial decree.

Anyone who approaches me without permission

can be killed without mercy.

You wouldn't kill me.

Lou Si Yi, how dare you!

Then you can impeach me before His Majesty.

Let's see if His Majesty blames me,

or this unruly woman.

Wait.

I want to see the woman you're holding.

What?

Are you

interested in my woman now?

And what if I am?

Qingxiao Pavilion has no shortage of courtesans.

Take your time and pick one yourself, Your Highness.

(Chancellor's Residence)

Chancellor.

No one is to disturb me tonight.

Yes, Chancellor.

It's already too late tonight.

I'll find a way to get you out first thing tomorrow.

Thank you for saving my life.

Make a sound?

What?

Scream.

You're a courtesan I brought back from Qingxiao Pavilion.

Not a soldier charging into battle.

Are you saying there are others in this residence?

Do you know what my residence has the most of?

The Empress's spies.

If things hadn't happened so suddenly today,

I never would've risked bringing you back here.

The Lou family helped the founding emperor seize the throne.

Your descendants have held top positions in every ministry since.

For a hundred years, you've been unmatched in power.

But ever since this Empress entered the palace,

the concubines have vanished one by one.

Now, Prince Ning is the only prince left.

The Lou men keep losing power and their lives.

The Lou family's overwhelming power

is slowly slipping into the Empress's hands.

What are you trying to say?

Now, the only Lou with real power

is you alone.

The Empress wants to use your power to suppress Prince Ning,

But she's afraid you'll overstep your authority.

That's why she's always on guard.

You live deep in the inner chambers,

yet you see through the court's affairs so clearly.

It's not surprising the Empress acts this way.

You are the odd one.

You could've helped the sixth prince ascend the throne.

And with your wits, you could've retired in glory.

You could have lived out your days in endless luxury.

But instead, you chose a path that's neither proper nor accepted, treason.

Your fate is uncertain.

That's not what I'd expect from a Lou family heir.

You sure are curious

about court politics, Princess Consort.

No, I'm curious about you.

I'm curious

about your story.

About...

Where's Fu Gui?

I've sent someone to help her settle down.

That's good.

But why did Fu Gui say

Luo Li could make you vanish into thin air?

Lady Luo. The prince said we have to find the Princess Consort.

But so far, we've only found her maid.

What should we do?

I'll help you look for her again.

Thank you, Lady Luo.

Lou Si Yi is supposed to be my second male lead.

Yet he stabbed me for a mere side character.

Jin Zhu, you have to die

for the story to get back on track.

You heard her wrong.

You were right in front of me.

But in the blink of an eye,

you vanished without a trace.

And you weren't even surprised by it.

You know secrets I've never told anyone.

You always ask questions, but never answer in return.

Jin Zhu,

what do you really know?

I...

Chancellor, Fu Gui...

What about Fu Gui?

Lady Fu Gui is missing.

How could that be?

I was ordered to pick up Lady Fu Gui.

But when I got to the city gate, she was nowhere to be found.

It was Luo Li.

- Where are you going? - I'm going to save her.

- Are you crazy? - If Luo Li really took her,

she's probably in serious danger.

I can't just abandon her.

You've barely escaped death so many times.

You can finally get out of here tomorrow.

Why are you acting recklessly again? She's just a maid!

Controlling your own fate

means nothing if it comes at the cost of someone else's life.

If that's the price for survival,

what's the point?

You've already helped me many times.

This is my own decision.

I can't drag you into this anymore.

You have your own things to handle.

And I have my own path to walk.

I don't care what you want to do.

Goodbye.

So stubborn.

I thought you'd only risk your life for me.

But it turns out you're like this with everyone.