Original subtitles

♪The world decays, in gloom I stray♪

♪Right and wrong, in frost engraved♪

♪On dreams of love, blades clash and sway♪

♪Alone I ride, blood still unswayed♪

♪Through heaven's mirth and earth's despair♪

♪Toasting the moon, I drink the chill air♪

♪Though hearts like battlefields may be♪

♪Let fate write its uncertainty♪

♪From this life to the great unknown♪

♪Who'll stand with me, on thrones unknown?♪

♪I'll wander through this life to guard you♪

♪Through mortal realms, serene I roam♪

♪With you, the world becomes my home♪

♪Unbroken, bold, as I have sworn♪

♪I'll roam this life, and feel no torn♪

♪Our souls embraced, no regret born♪

♪By twilight's lamp, though night be worn♪

♪Through deepest dark, I'll find the morn♪

=Fight For Love=

=Episode 20=

(Duke of Hu's Mansion)

(Thrive and Prosper)

Shilan,

we've been practicing like this

for four hours now.

Why won't Father let us in?

Do you think

he's not even inside?

Wenchang, if you speak louder,

Father can still hear you

even if he isn't at home.

Stand up.

You seem to have a strong voice.

You truly look

like battle-hardened soldiers.

You flatter us.

You're more vigorous than us.

I've heard that when you

went to suppress Yao's troops,

you fought three against one.

How invincible.

As your son, I'm impressed.

I've also heard you're good.

However,

you just learned a few moves.

How could you be so overconfident

and fool around

with Wei Yun?

I was helping Yun

eliminate villains.

We were not fooling around.

Besides,

I captured

at least

15 rebels.

You used to accuse me of fooling around,

but I've achieved

great merit this time.

Yet you're still angry.

You're so hard to please.

After standing in a horse stance for four hours,

you still haven't realized why.

Forget it.

No more horse stance.

Starting today,

practice calligraphy

for 15 pages every day.

Hand them to me.

I'll check them personally.

If you miss one,

you'll be punished with three more

until you understand.

Father.

Wenchang and I acted impulsively,

risking our lives

by going to Dingfeng Valley.

Sorry for worrying you.

Father, rest assured.

Wenchang and I will deliver

our calligraphy work every day

to your desk on time.

Did I say you should also do that?

Listen.

You must swing your sword 1,000 times a day,

shoot 300 arrows,

and stand in a horse stance for two hours.

Can you do that?

I accept my punishment.

Father,

this is so unfair.

I was the one

who encouraged Shilan.

The punishment should be the same.

Shilan,

do you also think

I'm unfair?

No.

Wenchang will inherit

your title.

He mustn't take risks.

I failed to stop Wenchang.

It's my fault.

I was wrong.

Shilan,

I think you're most like me

when I was young.

You know how to be ambitious

and also how to protect yourself.

I once thought

that if you were Wenchang,

our family

might be in a different situation.

Father,

how can you say that?

Am I not good enough?

I understand.

Wenchang may be playful,

but he has a pure heart.

You chose to step back

to avoid the whirlpool

of the court.

Wenchang is more suited

to the future duke than I am.

So,

you didn't join the army

but took the imperial exams and went

to the Court of Judicial Review.

Shilan,

my intentions

are clear to you,

but I also know

you have military talent.

Not being in the army

is a waste of your abilities.

As part of the family,

I understand

that our family's honor

and losses are shared.

Let me think about it.

I'll try to figure it out.

Father,

please also reconsider

my calligraphy work

and Shilan's exercise.

I just want to teach you a lesson.

Don't think

about getting away from this.

Go now.

- Father. - Go.

Go!

I can protect you for a while,

but not forever.

Lan said

that when Yao Yong rebelled,

the city was in chaos.

They rushed out and forgot to lock the door.

When they came back,

Xiaoqi was gone.

These past few days,

Chun's been searching the city.

But...

Maybe someone like me,

always on the go,

isn't suited to take care of Xiaoqi.

He's so adorable.

Maybe

he's found a new home.

I should go home, too.

Isn't this your home?

We can't force a firefly

to stop only

for ourselves.

When we were in the small village,

we shared a beautiful dream.

Now that we're back in Huajing,

it's time to wake up.

Yao Yong has been captured,

but the turmoil in Huajing City

has not yet ceased.

So, we still have

more important things to do next.

So, you have

even less reason to leave.

I can forgo the answer to that question

and even accept your refusal,

as long as you don't

avoid me.

No matter what,

we are still family.

How could I avoid you?

My family's door

is always open for you.

My Lady,

I've packed everything

and checked it three times.

Nothing is left behind.

Yun,

aren't you going to say goodbye?

There's no need for goodbye.

♪Snow falls silently, soft and light♪

You're just going home.

♪Tinting strands of hair in white♪

Look.

The Marquis of Zhenguo

is weaving a garland for you.

It's a custom here.

It seems

he truly likes you.

As the Marquis of Zhenguo,

he doesn't even frown

on the battlefield,

yet when weaving a garland...

♪With you, I ask the earth and sky♪

♪Our love, like ink, will never die♪

♪A moment, a lifetime♪

♪As long as I breathe, I'll stand by your side♪

♪Our vow is carved where walls arise♪

♪Time won't dim the fire in our eyes♪

♪Like a dream, yet so real♪

♪Like the eternal cycle of the seasons♪

♪Fulfilling our wishes together♪

♪Even if we turn to dust, the world will bear witness♪

Welcome, please come in.

Hurry up.

Watch this.

My Lady,

you're still pregnant.

You shouldn't come

to this bustling market again.

Chun has sent you to protect me,

hasn't she?

Someone is

always watching me

at home.

If this continues,

I'll suffocate.

Fresh steamed buns!

There seems to be a man.

He's still alive.

Don't...

- It's okay. - Don't go.

(Oh, no.)

(How could Ms. Wang be here?)

Fresh flowers!

The straight cut

on this man's leg

is almost to the bone,

so whoever did this

used a great deal of force.

Will such a severe injury

leave him disabled?

It won't.

He's fortunate.

Though the blow was heavy,

it didn't damage his tendons or bones.

He'll recover in a few days.

That's good to hear.

Thank you.

Goodbye.

Goodbye.

My Lady,

we could leave it to officers.

Why trouble ourselves?

Since I've seen it,

I can't just ignore it.

Leaving him here

can also accumulate blessings

for the child in my womb.

You always go all the way in doing good deeds.

I'm afraid

that you'll promise

to take care of this man

for the rest of his life.

Though I'm willing to do good,

I can tell what's important.

Lisheng,

help him up.

I'll fetch the physician.

Yes.

I think I've seen him before.

Ma'am, here's your dish.

- Thank you. - Let me check.

Wei Qiu.

My Lady.

What are you doing here?

His Lordship said

that this inn has an excellent pastry

and asked me to buy some.

Did you just see

a physician walk out?

Bring him back for me.

My Lady,

why are you here alone?

Why do you need a physician?

Are you feeling unwell?

Do you need me to escort you back?

Your barrage of questions

has left me unsure

which one to answer first.

Rest assured. I'm fine.

But a friend of mine is injured

and needs a physician.

That's good to hear.

Huajing has just been in chaos,

and the city is not safe now.

Since you're in a delicate condition,

it's better to stay indoors

unless it's necessary.

Since you're awake,

stop pretending to be asleep.

It's not shameful for others to see you

in a vulnerable state.

I've paid the physician's fee twice

to save you.

If I still fail,

that'd truly be embarrassing.

You must be thirsty.

Have some water.

Why did you save me?

As the Marquis

of Zhenguo's family,

I can't watch others die.

Could you pour me another cup?

Here.

Would you like to tell me

why you were so severely injured?

I came from Qingzhou.

Lately,

North Qi has been raiding Qingzhou.

My family also perished in the war.

On my way to Huajing,

I encountered bandits.

They took all my possessions

and slashed my leg.

Have bandits become so rampant

as to commit violence

right under the Emperor's nose?

Do you have any relatives

or friends in Huajing?

Times are tough.

It seems

you're a pitiable man.

I've paid

for five days in this room.

Since you have no belongings

and no friends or family,

just stay here and recover.

It's getting late.

I must leave now.

Wait.

Will you come back?

I just don't want to owe you a favor.

I'll repay you

for the room

and the medicine.

Of course, I'll come back.

Your dressing needs to be changed.

As for repaying the money,

we can talk about it

once you're mostly recovered.

You won't just leave

without a word, will you?

My Lady,

I've sent the physician back.

It's getting late.

Let's head back now.

(Laws Aid Morals)

Make way, please.

Isn't that General Yao?

Oh, it's him.

He must've done something serious.

Indeed.

(To be executed, Yao Yong)

Isn't that Young Marquis Wei?

Yes, it is.

Why is he here?

Indeed.

I heard you spoke well of me

to the Crown Prince,

which earned me this opportunity.

Is that to repay my favor?

Yes,

but not entirely.

Apart from repaying you

for saving my life,

I also did that

for Chu Yu

and my family.

I never expected that before my end,

you'd personally

see me off.

I've lived a life

worth living.

You stole the blueprints of the octagonal crossbow for North Qi,

killed 30,000 Chu troops,

colluded with North Qi to fabricate military intelligence,

and conspired to kill 70,000 Wei troops.

The fact that you're still alive

is already a gift from the heavens.

Indeed.

I did it.

Trading my life

for seven men in your family

and 100,000 Wei and Chu troops

of Great Sui

is more than enough

for me.

No need to provoke me with your words.

Yao Yong,

you believe that the Lord of Qin

died wrongfully,

so you've harbored such hatred

against Great Sui and His Majesty

that you even allied

with North Qi

to hand Great Sui over to them.

I used to be

the Lord of Qin's attendant,

so I've always lived in suspicion

and never been trusted.

A wise bird chooses its perch.

Under Emperor Chunde's rule,

Great Sui would fall

into someone else's hands

sooner or later,

even if not North Qi.

What are you laughing at?

I'm laughing at how you're still in the dark

even at the brink of death.

Was the Lord of Qin truly innocent?

If he hadn't been so gullible,

how could our military secrets

have reached North Qi,

leading to the loss of three cities?

Your so-called righteous ruler

was outmaneuvered by North Qi

and became a prisoner.

It's not a wrongful death at all.

And yet, you

still worked for North Qi.

That's impossible.

It was Emperor Chunde's jealousy

of the Lord of Qin's talent

that led to his wrongful death.

So, you didn't know

that the weapon of your revenge

was pointed in the wrong direction.

You've been working

for your true enemies,

and no one was willing to tell you the truth?

Now,

I can't tell

whether you're more pitiable

or more detestable.

Wei Yun...

Today, I've chosen to tell you this

because I want to let you know

that no matter what reason you have,

it's not a justification

for betraying your country.

Throughout history,

traitors have had only one end.

- Kill him! - Kill him!

Kill him!

- Kill him! - Kill him!

This traitor deserves no pity.

He's caused so many deaths.

Kill him!

Young Marquis,

stop wasting your breath.

I'm a man already marked for death.

If I repent now,

wouldn't my whole life

become a joke?

I'm not just saying this

to you

but also to others

who harbor ill intentions.

In Great Sui,

we have not only rats like you,

but also families like the Wei family

and the Chu family,

who wholeheartedly protect our country.

Only with Great Sui's existence

do the commoners have the right

to live in peace and contentment.

Only then do officials and generals

have the chance to be remembered in history.

Great Sui

will always be the people's nation.

- Well said! - Well said!

Young Marquis Wei is right.

Only with Great Sui

can the people live in peace.

He deserves to die.

Well said!

Kill him! Kill him!

Well said!

Kill him! Kill him!

A general

who has brought harm to the nation

deserves to die!

He deserves to die!

He deserves to die!

Instead of being a good official,

you chose to sneak around.

Fine.

Since you liked stealing my blueprints,

I'll burn

more paper money for him today.

Well said! Well said!

Kill him! Kill him!

If it were me,

I wouldn't even burn paper money for him.

I'd dig up his ancestors' graves.

Scoundrel!

Kill him! Kill him!

Yao Yong colluded with North Qi,

betrayed his country,

stole Great Sui's military secrets,

killed 100,000 of Great Sui's troops,

ordered the assassination of the Eldest Princess,

and attempted to murder court officials.

His crimes

are heinous.

By the Emperor's decree,

Yao Yong is stripped of his generalship

and sentenced to beheading.

His entire family is exiled.

Marquis Wei Yun will execute him.

He deserves to die.

Indeed.

(To be executed)

Execute!

- Good! - Good!

- Great! - Great!

He deserved to die.

- Great! - Great!

(Father,)

(Mother,)

(my brothers,)

(I finally)

(avenged you all.)

The winter in Huajing City has passed.

Father,

you can rest in peace now.

Linyang,

though Yao Yong is dead,

there are surely more

North Qi collaborators.

One day,

we will eliminate them all.

♪In spring, watch the riverside willows♪

♪In winter, wait for the snow to whiten your head♪

♪Drink with friends♪

♪In Spring Breeze House♪

You'd let her go?

♪The most charming man in Huajing♪

♪Is just ordinary♪

♪All he wants is a warm home♪

♪Lit in the storm♪

(Marquis of Zhenguo's Mansion)

Yun.

Lan.

Have Jue and Lingmo

settled in?

Jue's hometown

is not far from Huajing.

If you miss them,

I'll send someone to take you there.

Why did you come out alone today?

A few days ago, I saved someone

who was severely injured.

I couldn't bear to leave him,

so I arranged for him to stay at the inn.

I'll leave you to your work

and head back now.

Don't worry.

I've sent someone

to secretly protect Ms. Wang.

Don't tell her yet.

She's close to giving birth.

If anything happens,

it wouldn't be good.

This man is injured

and won't be going out

to find his contact

anytime soon.

Keep a close watch.

If necessary,

we'll have

to flush him out.

Celebrating the festival for Tudigong!

Run slowly.

- Celebrating! - Celebrating!

(It's been a while.)

She should be coming back.

Celebrating!

(Chu Mansion)

Yu, look.

The recoil force is smaller now,

but I still haven't been able to test

the more accurate values.

As expected of you.

You're amazing.

However,

though adjusting the arrows

can alleviate the issue of recoil,

it cannot completely solve it.

If we want to promote the octagonal crossbow,

it seems

we need to find more suitable materials

for the mechanism.

Did Wei Yun

tell you this?

Yu,

be honest with me.

What's really going on

between you and Wei Yun?

Last time in the small village,

when I pretended to be the officiant,

I could tell that what's between you

is far

from just a cooperation.

Yu,

I didn't stop you

when you followed Gu Chusheng

to the southwest,

nor did I stop you

when you married Wei Jun alone,

dressed in wedding clothes,

to investigate the octagonal crossbow.

I didn't interfere once or twice

because I know

that's just your nature.

But Yu,

this is the third time,

and I have to remind you now.

Be honest with yourself.

Ask yourself:

What do you truly feel

for Wei Yun?

Sometimes, being together every day

makes it hard to see clearly.

A few days apart

might help you figure it out.

Don't worry, Linyang.

I've already refused him.

But you're right.

I do need some more time

to think it through.

After all, I'm not a child anymore.

Duke of Hu,

do you know how sincere the Crown Prince is?

He chose

these betrothal gifts

one by one

by himself.

Today, he even delivered them himself.

It shows how sincere he is

toward Miss Song.

Look at this birdcage.

The Crown Prince

designed it personally

for Miss Song.

There's no other like it

in all of Great Sui.

Why bring this up?

Qingping will be my wife.

She naturally deserves

the finest things.

Duke of Hu,

where is Qingping today?

Your Highness,

this birdcage

is indeed unique.

It's a good thing it's one of a kind.

If you had prepared

another one for someone else,

then Qingping

shouldn't accept

this gift.

The matter of the mistress is already in the past.

As you can see,

when Father was ill,

I was worried every day.

I helped relieve Father's worries

by promoting capable officials

and even apologized to Wei Yun.

Once Father recovered,

I immediately

brought

these betrothal gifts here.

You've been

doing well lately.

Let me look at the list of gifts.

Indeed, no one can be as generous

as the Crown Prince.

Coral.

A goldfinch.

These are all rare treasures

in Huajing.

Don't you agree, Shilan?

Put it back.

However,

our mansion is too small

to accommodate

such noble gifts.

Your Highness,

why not wait

until we've made some room

before sending

the betrothal gifts?

Wenchang,

why are you here, spoiling the fun

instead of studying in your room?

Song Wenchang,

what do you mean?

My betrothal to Qingping

was decided long ago.

Are you defying the imperial decree?

Moreover,

this is between Qingping and me.

If there are any objections,

Qingping should come

and speak to me herself.

Since you think

your mansion is too small,

you can move these things

to the courtyard.

Duke of Hu,

goodbye.

Power can be oppressive!

Wenchang.

Song Shilan,

why didn't you say anything just now?

Are you mute?

Don't you know who Tuantuan likes?

Besides,

I can't stand Tuantuan being wronged

even before her marriage.

Which eye do you think I'd let go of Tuantuan?

Only the one who tied the bell can untie it.

Only if Tuantuan speaks up

can this be resolved.

Shilan is right.

You two

should talk to Qingping again.

If she still refuses,

I'll risk my life

to break off the betrothal

between the Crown Prince and her.

Has the Crown Prince left?

He left behind a pile

of exquisite betrothal gifts.

Especially the birdcage,

the goldfinch inside

is the most precious of all.

Wenchang,

what's so great

about a bird in a cage?

If you like it so much,

you marry him on my behalf.

Look at you, so full of resentment.

If you don't want to marry, just say it.

Tuantuan,

do you remember?

When we were little,

Father kept a parrot.

It would use

its foot to kick open

its cage door.

You always said

that if only you could be

like Ms. Chu

and take control of your life.

Chu Yu is like a bird

that can't be kept in a cage,

but I'm not.

Why not?

Can I?

Even I

can win over Jin.

If I can,

why can't you?

Wenchang,

that's because you happened

to catch the eye of Ms. Chu Jin.

That doesn't comfort me at all.

- I... - Tuantuan,

if you think that way,

you're making a big mistake.

Tuantuan,

listen to me.

Life is short.

If you can't spend it

with the one you love,

doing what you love,

isn't that a waste?

Just follow your heart.

If anything happens,

we and the old man

will cover for you.

Li Huan.

Qingping.

Qingping.

Take it back.

Don't you like it?

Didn't you say

you loved birds?

I do like birds,

but it's not because they sit

in a cage for me to admire,

but because they can

fly freely

in the sky.

Your Highness,

if you truly care for me,

please ask His Majesty

to revoke the betrothal.

You don't want to marry me

because I kept a mistress, right?

If that's the case,

I can assure you

it will never

happen again.

If an emperor favors only one woman

and takes no other consorts,

that would be

truly shocking.

That's not the reason

why I don't want to marry you.

Then why?

Is it because

of Chu Linyang?

I've heard

you two have been close lately.

It's because of him,

but not entirely.

Your Highness,

I don't care about power

or the dream

of ruling the world.

I just want to know

how many herbs I haven't collected

left in the mountains,

why smallpox can't be completely cured,

and what other uses there are for Mafeisan

besides removing bone-deep poison.

I don't want to be stopped

by those high walls.

If I can't give you that,

can Chu Linyang

do it?

I do like Chu Linyang,

but if one day

he becomes

the wall in my way,

I won't stop

for him, either.

Even a little bird

will struggle to get out

if there's the slightest opening.

And I will never give up

if there is

the slightest chance.

If you want me to be a phoenix in a cage,

I'd rather be a sparrow

that roams freely.

Please grant me this, Your Highness.

Let's go to the Chu Mansion.

Son,

tell me the truth.

Did you offend the Crown Prince?

Why do you ask, Mother?

He looked quite upset

when he came,

as if he was here to reprimand us.

Don't worry, Mother.

I think I know

why the Crown Prince came.

Don't worry.

Everything will be fine.

Mother.

Jin,

you're back.

Did you

find out anything?

I heard that today,

the Crown Prince left the Palace

to deliver betrothal gifts to the Duke of Hu,

but he had an unpleasant encounter

with Miss Song.

Miss Song?

Miss Song

keeps seeking out your brother.

It's obvious to anyone with eyes

that she has feelings for him.

Oh, no.

She must've upset

the Crown Prince.

Is he here to vent his anger?

We can't afford to offend

either the Crown Prince

or the Duke of Hu.

Mother,

don't worry.

Since Linyang dared

to meet the Crown Prince,

he must be

very confident.

Everything will surely be fine.

I hope so.

♪If not for dreams by windswept flight♪

♪How would my hand find yours tonight?♪

♪This moonlit glow, in dusk's soft veil♪

♪Hears heartbeats tell their secret tale♪

♪Thoughts ablaze like beacon's fire♪

♪Outline your form in golden lyre♪

♪Through thorns we've trod and trials passed♪

♪Each grief and joy forever cast♪

♪Let the fierce warmth within your gaze♪

♪Melt this war-torn world's cruel maze♪

♪Still through the frost, I'll walk with you♪

♪Our mountains and our streams anew♪

♪Dawns greet the spring we longed to see♪

♪Through meadows where wild larks soar free♪

♪Let countless sails cross this worldly tide♪

♪When lonely shadows turn to two♪

♪Through countless turns and all we've borne♪

♪No regret ever could be sworn♪

♪Dawns greet the spring we longed to see♪

♪Beneath heaven's vault, in harmony♪

♪Let tears now fall for yesterday's strife♪

♪We've reached this blossom-covered hill♪

♪I'll follow you through every dream♪