Original subtitles

(Fate of Southern Love)

(Episode 14)

I'll go out with you.

Being timid and hesitant is no fun at all.

Since she already found the pouch,

then I will just face her head-on.

Let's see who will come out on top this time.

If you go out like this,

you can't just stand on the sidelines anymore.

I know.

If you go out like this,

all your plans and schemes

might just go up in smoke.

I know.

If you go out like this,

our fates will be tied together.

We will share both honor and disgrace.

You talk too much.

Lou Si Yi!

I'm asking you all one last time.

Speak! Is Lady Liu still alive?

Is that wretch still alive?

Who is he? Where are they?

Speak!

Your Majesty, please see the truth.

That pouch was indeed embroidered by me.

As for the rest,

I know nothing about it.

Lou Si Yi.

You're always so cautious.

So why do you insist on defying me this time

and trying to save her right under my nose?

Could it be that

you are...

No,

that's impossible.

I watched them die myself.

I saw them burn to death.

That's right.

Your Majesty killed them with your own hands.

How could they possibly come back to life?

You'd better tell me the truth.

Maybe there's still room to negotiate.

But if you try any tricks again,

I've already got all the charges lined up for you.

Colluding with the son of a criminal woman,

harboring ill intentions,

and deceiving the ruler.

I can execute you now and report it later.

Speak up.

If you weren't hiding some secret,

how would you dare defy me to save Jin Zhu?

Your Majesty, you overthink.

I know nothing about Lady Liu.

I saved Lady Jin entirely because

I truly care for her.

Lou Si Yi, oh Lou Si Yi.

Do you take me for a naive child?

I'm not capable of intimacy,

so I shouldn't even think about romance.

But even knowing that,

I still can't help myself.

I can't ignore my feelings for her.

Your Majesty, please see the truth.

I once wanted to marry Chancellor Lou

just to protect my reputation as a woman.

But now,

without even realizing it,

I've truly

fallen for Chancellor Lou.

Do I look that gullible to you?

Every word I said is true.

I have a token of affection as proof.

This hairpin was a gift from Lady Jin.

If we weren't truly in love,

why would she give me such a gift?

I embroidered this handkerchief for Chancellor Lou myself.

It has the same pattern as the pouch.

I just thought

the red hawthorn flowers

were especially unique.

That's all, nothing else.

Why didn't you burn them all?

Yesterday,

I planned to give the handkerchief and pouch to Chancellor Lou myself,

but I unexpectedly found out

that Chancellor Lou is allergic to hawthorn.

So I changed my mind and gave him this hairpin instead.

If Your Majesty really uses this misunderstanding

to take both our lives for it,

that would be cutting off your own allies for sure.

It's really not a wise move.

This General of the State's Residence,

when did it ever become my faction?

What if my younger brother married Lady Jin?

Lady Jin is the only daughter of the General's Residence.

When General Jin passes away,

all his military power would go to his son-in-law.

Isn't this exactly

what His Majesty planned for Prince Ning?

If you had any ulterior motives,

marrying her would make you even more powerful.

Why would I do something so foolish?

But my brother has no heir.

Even if he had rebellious intentions,

how could he pass it on for generations?

Not to mention,

by then, the Sixth Prince will already be powerful.

I have neither the title nor the legitimacy.

How could I have a future?

Supporting the Sixth Prince

is the only wise choice.

My brother understands this calculation perfectly.

The General's Residence understands perfectly.

But what about you, Your Majesty?

Why did you want to visit the Empress with me today?

I should at least show some proper manners.

Respectfully welcome Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

At tonight's birthday banquet,

His Majesty will surely grant a marriage to Prince Ning.

So why not you help arrange a marriage between Chancellor Lou and me?

It would only benefit you.

Otherwise,

if I personally plead with His Majesty,

you might not come out of this unscathed.

The antidote.

Greetings, Your Majesty.

Jin Zhu, what are you doing here?

They came to chat with me and lift my spirits.

They meant well.

You may leave for now.

Jin Zhu.

You don't look so great today.

At the birthday banquet tonight,

I'll have them prepare some nourishing dishes for you.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Whatever you intend to do, just remember,

she's my fiancée.

Not anymore.

Your Majesty.

Chancellor Lou and Lady Jin

actually appeared together at Shengkun Palace today.

That's something you don't see every day.

Jin Zhu must marry Nan Zhi.

The General of the State's Residence

must belong to the future emperor.

Understood, Your Majesty.

Alright.

When did you make that handkerchief?

So why did you keep this hairpin?

I just thought

this design was too beautiful to throw away.

So last night,

I tried to finish the embroidery myself.

Otherwise,

I wouldn't have known how to answer the question about the stitching earlier.

That hairpin just happened to be with me last night.

I simply didn't lose it.

I'll propose at the banquet before His Majesty can announce anything.

Then we'll put on a heartfelt act for everyone.

His Majesty will have no reason to refuse.

You agreed to work with me.

So do you believe in the picture book now?

I don't.

I don't believe in picture books,

don't believe in past lives,

don't believe in fate.

The only thing I need to decide is,

when it comes to the price I must pay for my ambitions,

does that price include you?

Where's my antidote?

The poison's already been neutralized.

But your wound still needs to be treated.

Go rest at Fengchun Palace for now.

I'll come get you before the banquet.

In the main hall, in front of everyone,

we'll exchange our tokens.

No one will have any grounds to object.

Alright.

Stop staring.

The medicine! My medicine!

Chancellor.

Have it inlaid with gold.

And add some premium pearls and jade.

Yes.

But if you use gold inlay,

won't it be a bit

tacky?

- Just use whatever's most expensive. - Alright.

- Pile it on. - Alright.

- Hawthorn blossom design. - Alright.

Bring it over before the birthday banquet.

Yes.

But Chancellor,

are you really sure about this?

Once you marry Lady Jin,

the Emperor

and the Empress

will both be watching you closely.

I'm afraid by then,

it won't be so easy to keep your identity hidden.

If I can't hide it,

then I'll just stand up and fight.

The Empress might not have what it takes

to force me to choose between my ambitions and her.

But before the birthday banquet,

there's one thing I need to figure out.

What?

How did the Empress find out about the pouch?

(Prince Ning's Residence)

Any updates?

There's news from the palace.

There was a fire at Fengchun Palace.

Nothing else happened.

That can't be right.

Did the Empress really not do anything?

Chancellor Lou.

How did you get in here?

I've thought it over carefully.

You're a retainer of Prince Ning,

yet you work so diligently for me at Qingxiao Pavilion.

That's pretty suspicious.

And my pouch

only ever showed up there.

I just happened to stumble upon it.

I just wanted to help you, that's all.

- Guards. - I'd advise you to keep your mouth shut.

Otherwise,

you'll die even faster.

What are you trying to do?

If you were spying outside Qingxiao Pavilion that day,

and secretly gave advice to the Empress,

then everything makes sense.

- I never meant to harm you. - If you really know

the secret about the pouch,

and you didn't betray me,

then the one you're targeting

must be Jin Zhu.

Just for that,

you deserve to die.

Why?

Everything happened because of her.

Why won't she die like she's supposed to?

Why do you keep helping her?

Why do you always revolve around her?

Could it be

you actually like her?

But you shouldn't like her.

You should like me.

You should be hopelessly in love with me,

willing to give up everything for me.

You?

You don't even know what it means to like someone.

You can't go beyond your programming to like someone.

Annoying.

You can't kill me.

Lou Si Yi.

Since I'm going to marry her,

I won't let anyone hurt her.