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♪Trapped in this tiny world♪
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♪I'm crushed into dust♪
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♪I meddle around without any mercy♪
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♪I'm my own pawn♪
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♪I sigh at my fate♪
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♪Numerous people are under my control♪
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♪All the sand is washed away♪
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♪An old dream fades♪
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♪A bumpy path lies ahead♪
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♪Traps within traps, I never make mistakes♪
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♪I take a risk at every step♪
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♪Even in disputes, I break through with my life♪
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♪Schemes within schemes, I prison myself♪
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♪Each link swaps bluff and truth♪
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♪The world is my Weiqi game board♪
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♪Everything's just fleeting♪
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♪The play begins♪
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♪No return is expected♪
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♪The flame is gone, whether we win or lose♪
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♪The wind never ceases. I hold the reins♪
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[Ashes To Crown]
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[Adapted from Xixing's novel, Empress of the State of Chu]
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[Episode 22]
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Firecrackers
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should herald the Chinese New Year.
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Yet, while the summer heat lingers,
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the air is already thick with the festive spirit.
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The blasting has lasted from the Mao hour to the Shen hour.
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Everyone's saying
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the frontier troops nearly tore apart
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the Northern Desert King's tent.
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Mr. Xie,
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do you still intend to go to the frontier?
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The Northern Desert King
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is already at the end of his rope.
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Why should I get entangled
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in this mess?
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I'll just send some nobody
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to go through the motions.
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This was supposed to be our setup.
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Had it not been for Xie Yanlai,
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Zhong Changrong would be dead.
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Once your men in Wangcheng
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killed the Northern Desert King
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and Liang Qiang moved in to reclaim Wangcheng,
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the frontier troops would be ours
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for the taking.
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That brat's meddling
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ruined the entire plan.
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What's the rush?
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The merit roll still lists
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a Xie at the top.
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Does it really matter
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who leads the troops?
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Besides, it's not even certain
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he'll live to collect his reward.
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Mr. Xie, you mean...?
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The moonlight is stunning.
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Let's put the celebration banquet aside.
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I must first give Mr. Deng
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a proper send-off.
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Something's on fire.
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Not quite.
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I've been around enough forest fires
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to smell one
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before it starts.
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The fire spread fast and fierce.
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They've drenched the room
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in fire oil.
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Had I been a moment later,
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I would not have made it out.
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Deng Yi died
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just like that?
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I don't usually get along with Mr. Deng.
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But I refuse to believe
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he would collude with our enemies.
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For the moment,
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our priority
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is to stabilize the court.
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Mr. Deng has been confined.
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At this moment,
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I should step up.
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"To stabilize the court"?
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"Step up"? How noble.
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Xie Yanfang
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truly is a master of strategy.
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Everything is flawlessly calculated.
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The Imperial Guard Office
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is still investigating the fire,
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and the body
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has been sent to the coroner.
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Your Highness.
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Your Highness!
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[Xie Residence]
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Your Highness,
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I suppose you heard about Mr. Deng...
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Did you order his death?
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Your Highness, what is this about?
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Who else
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would dare?
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Your Highness, you are mistaken.
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There is another
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who has the nerve,
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the will,
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and far more reason besides.
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And that person is you,
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the Grand Princess.
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You and Mr. Deng have long been at odds.
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The Grand Mentor's Residence
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is filled with the Imperial Guards.
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How could suspicion
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for his murder ever fall on me?
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If I were to kill him,
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it would be according to the law,
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with clear evidence,
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and for all to see.
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Is Your Highness suggesting
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I am underhanded
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and can only operate
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in the shadows?
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Even if I killed him,
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would you really kill me
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for revenge?
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Are you using this opportunity
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to get rid of me as well?
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I never thought
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that you would be the one to save me.
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Mr. Deng, did you really think
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a lock could keep me
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in that side residence?
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I was merely waiting
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for the perfect moment
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to leave the Capital.
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I never imagined that beneath the city
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lay such a secret.
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In your eyes,
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the Capital
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is just a board for power struggles.
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Father, however, viewed it
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as a home to return to.
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Over the years,
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he remembered everything,
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from the halls of noble mansions
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to the very number of bluestone slabs
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on these streets.
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Indeed.
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No threshold in the imperial city,
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however high, can keep out
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those who yearn for home.
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I suppose
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I am nothing more
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than His Lordship's gatekeeper,
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entrusted with his most precious holding of all,
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this Capital.
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It's all fated.
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It was written
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that I would save you tonight.
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Mr. Deng,
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your meal is ready.
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They have come for you.
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Were it not for me,
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this is
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where your life ends.
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Tie Ying,
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set the fire.
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Let's go.
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With this water,
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let's toast
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to our escape
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from the jaws of death.
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Was it
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Her Highness who wanted to kill you?
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It was not her.
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It was Xie Yanfang.
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To think he could be so vicious.
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I favor poison.
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Yet he proved even more venomous.
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Thank you for saving my life, Your Highness.
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What is it you desire, Your Highness?
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Speak plainly.
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I've bided my time in the depths long enough.
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Mr. Deng,
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since you're always cautious,
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I assume everything that matters
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is close at hand.
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Please, Mr. Deng,
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escort me home.
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Can we actually get away?
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I have arranged
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for someone to die in your place.
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That should buy us some time.
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Your Highness,
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Zhu Yong just reported
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that the corpse was not Mr. Deng.
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What?
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Are you certain?
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The coroner has finished the examination.
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It is confirmed.
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The dew feels chilly.
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Your Highness is too precious to fall ill.
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Please take care.
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It has come to this after all.
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With Xie Yanlai's great merit,
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the frontier troops under the Xie Family,
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and no footing whatsoever
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left for you
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in Xiao Yu's court,
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why suffer under Chu Zhao and Xie Yanfang
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when you could come with me to Xiaonan Prefecture?
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If I ascend to the throne,
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you will still be the Grand Mentor of the State of Chu.
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He is indeed not Deng Yi.
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Good thing we retrieved the body in time.
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If the face had been burned beyond recognition,
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it would be impossible to identify.
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I fear that should something happen to Mr. Deng,
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regardless of whether he lives,
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it will be detrimental to Your Highness.
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Someone will frame you
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for wanting him eliminated.
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What does this have to do with Her Highness?
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All the officials saw
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the Imperial Guard Office
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escort him to the imperial city
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and lock him in his residence.
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Now that the frontier troops have captured the Northern Desert King,
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Your Highness's influence is surging.
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Eliminating him now
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would not stir unrest.
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The timing could not be better.
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That is nonsense.
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Her Highness
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has no reason to kill Mr. Deng.
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Disagreement in policy
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and struggle for power
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are reason enough.
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If Xiaoman had not been fast enough
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to charge into the fire
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and drag him out,
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we would truly believe
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he was
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dead.
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The first problem
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we must resolve
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is those issues
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you're worried about, Mr. Zhu.
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So this body
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is a stand-in?
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Did he arrange this himself,
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or was it someone else's doing?
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And what was the purpose?
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To fake his death and escape?
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Xiao Xun.
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Zhu Yong,
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go to Xiao Xun's residence immediately
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and report back what you find.
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Yes.
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The entire Grand Mentor's Residence
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has been searched,
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but there is no trace of Deng Yi.
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We kept watch outside,
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and not a soul was seen coming or going.
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But
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there must be something
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we missed.
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He couldn't just vanish
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into thin air.
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They knew
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you were posted outside.
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They wouldn't have moved
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without a way out.
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By the way,
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is Mr. Deng's mother still here?
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Everyone in the Grand Mentor's Residence
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is under guard.
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Mr. Deng's mother
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has been placed under separate care.
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We searched where Mr. Deng
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conducts his affairs too.
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The Imperial Seal alone is missing.
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That was my oversight.
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It is not your fault, Your Highness.
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Mr. Deng was under confinement
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and yet to be convicted.
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No one has the authority to seize
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the Imperial Seal gifted by the late Emperor.
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Mr. Deng's power and influence
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stemmed from the position
289
00:15:24,860 --> 00:15:25,940
granted by the late Emperor
290
00:15:26,020 --> 00:15:27,420
and his possession of the Imperial Seal.
291
00:15:28,060 --> 00:15:29,260
Whether he faked his death
292
00:15:29,300 --> 00:15:30,260
or was taken away,
293
00:15:30,540 --> 00:15:31,820
he would surely take it with him.
294
00:15:35,340 --> 00:15:35,900
Your Highness,
295
00:15:36,700 --> 00:15:37,740
Xiao Xun is gone indeed.
296
00:15:39,780 --> 00:15:40,500
Relay my order.
297
00:15:40,700 --> 00:15:41,860
Lock down all city gates immediately.
298
00:15:43,220 --> 00:15:43,860
Your Highness,
299
00:15:44,060 --> 00:15:44,780
there is a secret passage in the room.
300
00:15:59,260 --> 00:16:00,140
Deng Yi
301
00:16:00,140 --> 00:16:01,260
and Xiao Xun
302
00:16:02,700 --> 00:16:04,300
have finally joined forces.
303
00:16:05,140 --> 00:16:06,220
Once they return
304
00:16:06,220 --> 00:16:07,460
to Xiaonan Prefecture,
305
00:16:08,540 --> 00:16:10,060
they will seize the chance to rebel.
306
00:16:16,220 --> 00:16:17,780
Is the course of fate
307
00:16:19,020 --> 00:16:20,140
truly beyond my reach,
308
00:16:22,180 --> 00:16:23,860
no matter how hard I struggle?
309
00:16:33,700 --> 00:16:34,140
Mr. Xie,
310
00:16:37,820 --> 00:16:38,780
we used poison,
311
00:16:38,780 --> 00:16:40,020
so why did a fire break out?
312
00:16:41,140 --> 00:16:42,100
A minor mishap
313
00:16:42,100 --> 00:16:42,900
from an unexpected twist,
314
00:16:44,260 --> 00:16:45,500
but of no consequence.
315
00:16:46,540 --> 00:16:47,020
Du Qi,
316
00:16:47,740 --> 00:16:48,660
get things ready.
317
00:16:48,820 --> 00:16:49,660
I need to make a long journey.
318
00:16:50,500 --> 00:16:50,940
Where to?
319
00:16:52,060 --> 00:16:53,620
North of the Cang River, to intercept
320
00:16:54,140 --> 00:16:55,460
the Lord of Xiaonan's rebel forces.
321
00:16:59,020 --> 00:17:00,500
Since when did they rebel?
322
00:17:03,180 --> 00:17:04,220
Our grand mentor
323
00:17:05,260 --> 00:17:06,160
is soon to become
324
00:17:06,180 --> 00:17:07,060
theirs.
325
00:17:09,780 --> 00:17:10,820
Only then
326
00:17:11,980 --> 00:17:12,900
will he and Her Highness
327
00:17:13,180 --> 00:17:14,100
be truly locked
328
00:17:14,100 --> 00:17:15,460
in a fight to the death.
329
00:17:17,580 --> 00:17:18,940
This is more intriguing
330
00:17:21,460 --> 00:17:22,580
than my original plan.
331
00:17:27,460 --> 00:17:31,260
- Wish Your Lordship a long life. - Wish Your Lordship a long life.
332
00:17:42,660 --> 00:17:43,140
Your Lordship,
333
00:17:43,580 --> 00:17:44,700
His Majesty's gift has arrived.
334
00:17:45,660 --> 00:17:47,940
I'm glad he thinks of me.
335
00:17:47,940 --> 00:17:48,660
That is enough.
336
00:17:49,900 --> 00:17:51,420
Nothing warms my heart more
337
00:17:51,580 --> 00:17:53,620
than the people of Xiaonan celebrating in the streets
338
00:17:53,940 --> 00:17:55,100
of their own accord.
339
00:17:55,940 --> 00:17:56,340
Indeed.
340
00:17:57,260 --> 00:17:58,660
Distribute these among the people,
341
00:17:59,020 --> 00:18:00,820
so they may share in the joy.
342
00:18:01,380 --> 00:18:01,820
Your Lordship,
343
00:18:02,020 --> 00:18:02,740
you seem to have forgotten
344
00:18:03,260 --> 00:18:04,140
His Highness's gift
345
00:18:04,140 --> 00:18:05,460
arrived
346
00:18:05,540 --> 00:18:06,420
alongside His Majesty's.
347
00:18:07,260 --> 00:18:07,860
Yes.
348
00:18:08,380 --> 00:18:09,020
Bring it forward.
349
00:18:09,620 --> 00:18:10,380
Let me see
350
00:18:10,500 --> 00:18:12,420
what surprise he has for me.
351
00:18:23,420 --> 00:18:24,340
Each character is written
352
00:18:24,340 --> 00:18:26,060
by His Highness himself.
353
00:18:26,300 --> 00:18:26,740
Your Lordship,
354
00:18:27,020 --> 00:18:28,020
this is the Scroll of Longevity
355
00:18:28,020 --> 00:18:29,060
from His Highness.
356
00:18:29,420 --> 00:18:31,540
Such devotion
357
00:18:31,580 --> 00:18:32,980
is truly quite impressive!
358
00:18:35,380 --> 00:18:35,820
Come.
359
00:18:36,020 --> 00:18:37,060
Everyone, take a look.
360
00:18:44,300 --> 00:18:45,660
Xun must have put in a lot of effort.
361
00:18:45,940 --> 00:18:47,060
Writing in such small script
362
00:18:47,620 --> 00:18:49,100
must have strained his eyes.
363
00:18:49,220 --> 00:18:49,780
Indeed.
364
00:18:50,740 --> 00:18:52,660
Each character is written in a different style.
365
00:18:53,220 --> 00:18:54,580
Xun is truly thoughtful.
366
00:18:57,820 --> 00:18:59,780
The scent of the ink is quite unique as well.
367
00:18:59,820 --> 00:19:01,260
His Highness has arrived!
368
00:19:02,220 --> 00:19:02,780
Father!
369
00:19:03,260 --> 00:19:03,780
Father!
370
00:19:04,100 --> 00:19:04,660
Xun,
371
00:19:04,940 --> 00:19:06,500
are you the true surprise?
372
00:19:06,500 --> 00:19:06,980
Father,
373
00:19:07,500 --> 00:19:07,940
quick.
374
00:19:08,220 --> 00:19:09,100
Throw it away! It is poisoned!
375
00:19:09,420 --> 00:19:09,900
Father.
376
00:19:12,060 --> 00:19:12,980
Your Highness, what are you...?
377
00:19:16,140 --> 00:19:16,700
Father.
378
00:19:18,620 --> 00:19:19,100
Father.
379
00:19:19,540 --> 00:19:19,980
Your Lordship.
380
00:19:21,820 --> 00:19:22,300
Your Lordship!
381
00:19:22,660 --> 00:19:24,020
- Father. - Your Lordship.
382
00:19:24,500 --> 00:19:25,460
- Your Lordship. - Your Lordship.
383
00:19:26,060 --> 00:19:27,460
Father.
384
00:19:29,700 --> 00:19:30,140
Father.
385
00:19:30,700 --> 00:19:31,300
Father!
386
00:19:38,620 --> 00:19:39,220
Your Lordship!
387
00:19:39,260 --> 00:19:39,780
Father!
388
00:19:41,260 --> 00:19:41,900
Father!
389
00:19:43,860 --> 00:19:44,460
Your Highness,
390
00:19:45,020 --> 00:19:46,460
what is going on?
391
00:19:46,700 --> 00:19:48,180
Why has His Lordship been poisoned?
392
00:19:54,700 --> 00:19:55,500
The poison lies within the script.
393
00:19:57,100 --> 00:19:58,420
Once inhaled, it pierces the vitals.
394
00:20:01,820 --> 00:20:02,380
Father.
395
00:20:04,460 --> 00:20:05,180
Sir, quick.
396
00:20:05,340 --> 00:20:05,980
Check on His Lordship.
397
00:20:11,540 --> 00:20:12,220
But Your Highness,
398
00:20:12,620 --> 00:20:14,420
you prepared this yourself.
399
00:20:14,700 --> 00:20:16,100
How could it be poisoned?
400
00:20:16,700 --> 00:20:17,540
When the palace said
401
00:20:18,580 --> 00:20:19,580
they would present the gifts to Father
402
00:20:19,580 --> 00:20:20,660
on my behalf,
403
00:20:21,820 --> 00:20:22,820
I gave it little thought.
404
00:20:23,500 --> 00:20:24,940
Once I finished the Scroll of Longevity,
405
00:20:25,820 --> 00:20:27,260
I handed it over to the palace.
406
00:20:28,060 --> 00:20:28,940
But several days ago,
407
00:20:29,620 --> 00:20:30,780
someone told me
408
00:20:32,980 --> 00:20:34,020
that my gift
409
00:20:34,860 --> 00:20:36,220
might cost my father his life.
410
00:20:37,020 --> 00:20:38,420
He said the scroll
411
00:20:39,700 --> 00:20:40,660
had been soaked in poison.
412
00:20:42,220 --> 00:20:43,700
I knew Father would pay no mind
413
00:20:43,700 --> 00:20:44,820
to gifts from the court,
414
00:20:45,540 --> 00:20:46,500
yet would examine
415
00:20:46,500 --> 00:20:48,220
anything from me with great care.
416
00:20:49,020 --> 00:20:50,020
Close enough to inspect it,
417
00:20:50,940 --> 00:20:52,020
he would inhale the poison from the ink,
418
00:20:52,700 --> 00:20:53,100
and...
419
00:20:54,020 --> 00:20:54,340
He
420
00:20:54,700 --> 00:20:55,860
helped me flee the Capital.
421
00:20:56,220 --> 00:20:57,740
I traveled day and night
422
00:20:57,780 --> 00:20:59,140
to stop Father,
423
00:20:59,780 --> 00:21:00,580
but
424
00:21:00,980 --> 00:21:03,020
I was still a step too late.
425
00:21:03,540 --> 00:21:04,860
- Father! - Your Highness.
426
00:21:04,900 --> 00:21:05,340
Your Highness,
427
00:21:05,460 --> 00:21:06,620
you must remain calm.
428
00:21:07,580 --> 00:21:09,460
Is there any way to save His Lordship?
429
00:21:16,900 --> 00:21:17,380
Mr. Deng,
430
00:21:17,900 --> 00:21:19,020
please, save my Father!
431
00:21:19,820 --> 00:21:20,260
Deng Yi?
432
00:21:20,660 --> 00:21:21,460
Why are you here?
433
00:21:22,220 --> 00:21:23,300
Guards, seize him.
434
00:21:23,340 --> 00:21:24,060
You have it all wrong.
435
00:21:25,180 --> 00:21:26,540
It was Mr. Deng who helped me return.
436
00:21:27,780 --> 00:21:28,220
Your Highness,
437
00:21:28,540 --> 00:21:29,460
the person you mentioned earlier
438
00:21:29,700 --> 00:21:30,260
was him?
439
00:21:35,340 --> 00:21:35,940
Mr. Deng.
440
00:21:37,940 --> 00:21:38,340
Your Highness.
441
00:21:38,380 --> 00:21:38,740
Your Highness.
442
00:21:38,940 --> 00:21:39,540
Please
443
00:21:39,780 --> 00:21:40,900
save my father.
444
00:21:41,500 --> 00:21:42,420
I beg of you.
445
00:21:43,340 --> 00:21:43,700
Well...
446
00:21:45,100 --> 00:21:45,540
Mr. Deng,
447
00:21:46,100 --> 00:21:46,780
please,
448
00:21:46,820 --> 00:21:47,780
save His Lordship.
449
00:21:48,060 --> 00:21:48,540
Mr. Deng,
450
00:21:48,780 --> 00:21:49,380
save His Lordship.
451
00:21:49,420 --> 00:21:50,020
Please.
452
00:21:50,380 --> 00:21:51,220
I implore you, Mr. Deng.
453
00:21:54,940 --> 00:21:55,700
Your Highness, please rise.
454
00:21:58,820 --> 00:22:00,220
I do as you wish,
455
00:22:01,140 --> 00:22:02,620
but you must keep your promise.
456
00:22:12,820 --> 00:22:13,380
Mr. Deng.
457
00:22:14,620 --> 00:22:15,820
The poison runs too deep.
458
00:22:17,340 --> 00:22:18,020
He is beyond saving.
459
00:22:19,580 --> 00:22:20,140
Father!
460
00:22:20,700 --> 00:22:21,540
Your Highness.
461
00:22:22,380 --> 00:22:22,820
Father.
462
00:22:23,820 --> 00:22:25,460
Since you told His Highness
463
00:22:25,460 --> 00:22:26,220
about the poison
464
00:22:26,580 --> 00:22:28,100
and helped him escape,
465
00:22:28,380 --> 00:22:29,740
you must know something.
466
00:22:30,140 --> 00:22:30,660
Indeed.
467
00:22:30,700 --> 00:22:31,780
His Lordship has sent His Highness
468
00:22:31,780 --> 00:22:33,060
to the Capital as a hostage,
469
00:22:33,380 --> 00:22:34,540
so who would want
470
00:22:34,660 --> 00:22:35,740
to harm His Lordship?
471
00:22:36,380 --> 00:22:36,860
Mr. Deng,
472
00:22:37,140 --> 00:22:38,540
who exactly is behind this?
473
00:22:41,060 --> 00:22:41,980
The late Emperor.
474
00:22:42,860 --> 00:22:43,420
What?
475
00:22:43,500 --> 00:22:44,020
The late Emperor?
476
00:22:44,180 --> 00:22:45,220
How is that possible?
477
00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:46,740
Mr. Deng, you must be mistaken.
478
00:22:47,100 --> 00:22:48,660
If the late Emperor wanted His Lordship dead,
479
00:22:48,980 --> 00:22:50,300
why wait until now?
480
00:22:51,220 --> 00:22:52,220
I mean
481
00:22:53,300 --> 00:22:54,660
it was the late Emperor who sowed
482
00:22:55,340 --> 00:22:57,300
the seeds of His Lordship's end.
483
00:22:58,540 --> 00:22:59,500
Do you know
484
00:22:59,940 --> 00:23:01,580
who the late Emperor designated
485
00:23:02,420 --> 00:23:03,700
as the Crown Prince
486
00:23:03,900 --> 00:23:05,340
on his deathbed
487
00:23:05,620 --> 00:23:07,140
when the Capital was in peril?
488
00:23:07,860 --> 00:23:08,860
His grandson, wasn't it?
489
00:23:09,620 --> 00:23:10,100
- Yes. - No.
490
00:23:12,140 --> 00:23:13,540
It was the heir to the Lord of Xiaonan,
491
00:23:14,860 --> 00:23:15,740
Xiao Xun.
492
00:23:15,740 --> 00:23:16,100
What?
493
00:23:17,300 --> 00:23:17,780
Is this true?
494
00:23:17,900 --> 00:23:19,100
How can we trust you?
495
00:23:25,500 --> 00:23:27,180
Xiao Xun, heir to the Lord of Xiaonan,
496
00:23:27,700 --> 00:23:28,740
is virtuous, wise,
497
00:23:29,220 --> 00:23:30,940
beneficent to the people
498
00:23:31,420 --> 00:23:33,180
and judicious in governance.
499
00:23:34,020 --> 00:23:35,300
He shall ascend the imperial throne
500
00:23:35,940 --> 00:23:37,700
and bear the weight of the state.
501
00:23:39,580 --> 00:23:40,860
On his deathbed,
502
00:23:41,460 --> 00:23:43,220
the late Emperor named Xiao Xun
503
00:23:43,700 --> 00:23:45,100
as his heir.
504
00:23:47,860 --> 00:23:49,060
The late Emperor
505
00:23:49,500 --> 00:23:51,380
did issue this decree on his deathbed.
506
00:23:52,020 --> 00:23:53,540
I am the witness.
507
00:23:55,100 --> 00:23:57,220
However, Chu Zhao and the Xie Family conspired
508
00:23:57,620 --> 00:23:59,140
to hold the late Emperor hostage
509
00:23:59,140 --> 00:24:00,540
and forced him to issue a new decree.
510
00:24:01,900 --> 00:24:02,860
This imperial edict
511
00:24:04,140 --> 00:24:05,820
never even made it
512
00:24:05,820 --> 00:24:07,100
past the palace gates.
513
00:24:56,100 --> 00:24:56,740
Father,
514
00:24:59,060 --> 00:25:00,180
are you unable to sleep,
515
00:25:01,660 --> 00:25:03,060
or is sleep simply beyond your reach?
516
00:25:07,740 --> 00:25:08,300
Do not fear.
517
00:25:10,180 --> 00:25:10,900
Soon, you will be able
518
00:25:10,900 --> 00:25:12,180
to rest soundly,
519
00:25:13,580 --> 00:25:14,580
never to wake again.
520
00:25:19,500 --> 00:25:20,860
You always loved
521
00:25:21,500 --> 00:25:22,660
to stroke my face like this,
522
00:25:24,740 --> 00:25:26,300
and I always loved
523
00:25:26,660 --> 00:25:28,060
lingering close beside you.
524
00:25:29,820 --> 00:25:30,940
Among all your children,
525
00:25:32,260 --> 00:25:33,220
only
526
00:25:34,260 --> 00:25:35,260
I was blessed
527
00:25:35,260 --> 00:25:36,380
with such affection.
528
00:25:37,580 --> 00:25:38,740
To repay
529
00:25:38,900 --> 00:25:39,740
your indulgence,
530
00:25:40,380 --> 00:25:40,980
now that I've sat
531
00:25:42,540 --> 00:25:43,900
on the throne,
532
00:25:45,460 --> 00:25:47,060
I shall honor you as the late Emperor.
533
00:25:48,140 --> 00:25:49,860
At last, your wish is fulfilled.
534
00:25:52,740 --> 00:25:53,340
Father.
535
00:25:55,300 --> 00:25:56,100
Are you happy?
536
00:26:00,340 --> 00:26:01,260
I am truly happy.
537
00:26:03,940 --> 00:26:05,340
Although I used to say
538
00:26:06,060 --> 00:26:08,100
I wanted to help you fulfill your wishes,
539
00:26:08,740 --> 00:26:09,940
I never knew
540
00:26:09,940 --> 00:26:11,220
if I would feel happy
541
00:26:12,900 --> 00:26:14,220
once they were accomplished.
542
00:26:15,540 --> 00:26:16,860
But now I understand.
543
00:26:18,340 --> 00:26:19,660
So this is what it feels like
544
00:26:20,540 --> 00:26:21,580
to be happy for oneself.
545
00:26:31,140 --> 00:26:32,500
It's finally done.
546
00:26:33,500 --> 00:26:35,420
I should go visit Mr. Deng.
547
00:26:36,580 --> 00:26:37,100
Tie Ying,
548
00:26:37,940 --> 00:26:38,940
bring the Golden Finch Venom
549
00:26:39,340 --> 00:26:40,020
and soak the scroll.
550
00:26:52,180 --> 00:26:53,620
Mr. Deng,
551
00:26:54,940 --> 00:26:55,820
what brings you here?
552
00:26:56,940 --> 00:26:57,860
The decree has reached
553
00:26:58,340 --> 00:27:00,460
Xiaonan Prefecture and the eight commanderies
554
00:27:01,020 --> 00:27:02,220
and twelve cities beyond.
555
00:27:02,500 --> 00:27:04,700
Outside the prefecture, thirty thousand regional troops
556
00:27:04,820 --> 00:27:05,980
have lifted their defenses
557
00:27:06,340 --> 00:27:07,460
and stand ready to be commanded.
558
00:27:08,060 --> 00:27:08,900
I appreciate it, Mr. Deng.
559
00:27:10,980 --> 00:27:14,100
The Prince of State's Residence is stronger than ever
560
00:27:14,860 --> 00:27:16,940
with you on our side.
561
00:27:18,020 --> 00:27:18,860
Your Highness is too kind.
562
00:27:19,860 --> 00:27:21,420
It is His Lordship's foresight we should credit.
563
00:27:22,220 --> 00:27:24,140
All those decades of winning loyalty,
564
00:27:24,940 --> 00:27:25,500
and one command
565
00:27:26,180 --> 00:27:27,620
is all it would take.
566
00:27:31,220 --> 00:27:32,340
Yet no command ever came.
567
00:27:33,260 --> 00:27:34,100
Father held it back
568
00:27:34,780 --> 00:27:36,580
for decades.
569
00:27:37,740 --> 00:27:38,940
Without you,
570
00:27:39,900 --> 00:27:40,700
today would have been
571
00:27:41,340 --> 00:27:42,140
no different.
572
00:27:43,460 --> 00:27:44,700
It seems
573
00:27:45,980 --> 00:27:46,780
His Lordship
574
00:27:47,580 --> 00:27:49,100
owes Your Highness thanks.
575
00:27:50,020 --> 00:27:51,580
You willingly threw away
576
00:27:52,060 --> 00:27:53,900
His Lordship's life
577
00:27:54,980 --> 00:27:56,420
for control over the state.
578
00:28:00,380 --> 00:28:01,900
It was my father's wish.
579
00:28:04,460 --> 00:28:06,100
To see it fulfilled,
580
00:28:06,780 --> 00:28:07,660
he cast me aside without hesitation.
581
00:28:08,660 --> 00:28:10,580
Much less would he spare himself.
582
00:28:12,060 --> 00:28:13,060
His death
583
00:28:14,380 --> 00:28:15,220
would be for a worthy cause.
584
00:28:16,500 --> 00:28:17,420
We have secured
585
00:28:18,260 --> 00:28:19,780
the garrison in Xiaonan
586
00:28:19,780 --> 00:28:20,700
and the surrounding local forces.
587
00:28:21,660 --> 00:28:22,900
But progress toward the Capital
588
00:28:22,940 --> 00:28:23,940
is far less smooth.
589
00:28:24,580 --> 00:28:26,060
The Grand Princess has reached out
590
00:28:26,300 --> 00:28:27,020
to all post houses
591
00:28:27,020 --> 00:28:28,460
and prefectures along the route,
592
00:28:28,940 --> 00:28:30,180
and now, most of our decrees
593
00:28:30,180 --> 00:28:31,180
have been intercepted.
594
00:28:36,140 --> 00:28:36,980
Who would have thought
595
00:28:38,140 --> 00:28:39,300
the Grand Princess's decrees
596
00:28:40,060 --> 00:28:41,380
would carry more weight than those
597
00:28:41,460 --> 00:28:42,260
of the Emperor?
598
00:28:44,900 --> 00:28:45,460
Your Majesty,
599
00:28:45,900 --> 00:28:47,220
everything is prepared.
600
00:28:47,820 --> 00:28:49,180
Please proceed to the enthronement ceremony
601
00:28:49,260 --> 00:28:50,620
along with Mr. Deng.
602
00:29:10,300 --> 00:29:12,020
The late Emperor's final decree is here.
603
00:29:13,100 --> 00:29:14,660
In the autumn of the fifteenth year of Tianshu,
604
00:29:15,100 --> 00:29:16,300
I am approaching my end.
605
00:29:17,060 --> 00:29:18,660
Xiao Xun, heir to the Lord of Xiaonan,
606
00:29:18,980 --> 00:29:20,180
is virtuous, wise,
607
00:29:20,620 --> 00:29:22,260
beneficent to the people
608
00:29:22,540 --> 00:29:24,180
and judicious in governance.
609
00:29:24,580 --> 00:29:25,700
He shall ascend the imperial throne
610
00:29:26,140 --> 00:29:27,540
and bear the weight of the state.
611
00:29:28,140 --> 00:29:29,220
Proclaim this to the world
612
00:29:30,060 --> 00:29:31,740
so that all may know.
613
00:29:32,660 --> 00:29:33,780
Kneel.
614
00:29:35,820 --> 00:29:37,140
Kowtow.
615
00:29:39,220 --> 00:29:40,420
Rise.
616
00:29:42,260 --> 00:29:43,620
Kowtow.
617
00:29:47,500 --> 00:29:48,580
You may rise.
618
00:29:51,660 --> 00:29:52,900
Read the proclamation.
619
00:29:54,340 --> 00:29:55,580
On the twenty-seventh day of the eighth month,
620
00:29:56,020 --> 00:29:57,180
in the third year of Xingping,
621
00:29:57,660 --> 00:29:58,740
the Prince of State passed away.
622
00:29:59,420 --> 00:30:01,220
Deng Yi, the Grand Mentor, withdrew to Xiaonan Prefecture,
623
00:30:01,700 --> 00:30:03,100
carrying the late Emperor's final decree.
624
00:30:03,700 --> 00:30:06,020
[The Capital]
No righteous men in court, but traitors within.
625
00:30:06,300 --> 00:30:07,440
During the turmoil of the Yongning year,
626
00:30:07,780 --> 00:30:09,640
the imperial in-law Xie Yanfang
627
00:30:09,940 --> 00:30:12,620
colluded with the frontier troops, took the late Emperor hostage,
628
00:30:13,300 --> 00:30:13,940
usurped the throne
629
00:30:14,420 --> 00:30:15,220
bent the state to his will,
630
00:30:15,580 --> 00:30:16,940
and poisoned the Prince of State.
631
00:30:18,020 --> 00:30:19,060
In the ninth month
632
00:30:19,100 --> 00:30:19,740
of the third year of Xingping,
633
00:30:20,420 --> 00:30:22,020
Xiao Xun, heir to the Prince of State,
634
00:30:22,260 --> 00:30:23,700
acting on the late Emperor's decree,
635
00:30:24,060 --> 00:30:25,380
enthrones Chu Zhao as Empress,
636
00:30:25,980 --> 00:30:27,660
raises arms against the treacherous Xie Yanfang
637
00:30:27,940 --> 00:30:29,060
to restore order
638
00:30:29,540 --> 00:30:30,820
and sets forth on campaign.
639
00:30:37,700 --> 00:30:38,260
Move out.
640
00:30:45,780 --> 00:30:47,300
Deng Yi forged the imperial decree,
641
00:30:48,020 --> 00:30:50,540
claiming the late Emperor intended to pass the throne to Xiao Xun.
642
00:30:51,500 --> 00:30:52,980
He holds the Imperial Seal,
643
00:30:53,580 --> 00:30:54,820
so he can write
644
00:30:54,820 --> 00:30:55,300
whatever he pleases.
645
00:30:56,180 --> 00:30:57,500
The late Emperor was poisoned that night.
646
00:30:58,260 --> 00:30:59,340
Who knows
647
00:30:59,540 --> 00:31:00,300
what the truth really was?
648
00:31:02,180 --> 00:31:03,060
At this point,
649
00:31:03,500 --> 00:31:04,500
what is false becomes true.
650
00:31:05,740 --> 00:31:06,500
Ministers,
651
00:31:06,500 --> 00:31:07,700
do not be disturbed by rumors.
652
00:31:08,540 --> 00:31:10,540
Mr. Xie has blocked the rebel army at the Cang River,
653
00:31:11,180 --> 00:31:12,340
and the Northern Desert King has surrendered.
654
00:31:12,780 --> 00:31:14,460
The frontier will soon be stable.
655
00:31:14,980 --> 00:31:16,660
We have enough energy
656
00:31:16,700 --> 00:31:18,380
and troops to quell the rebellion.
657
00:31:19,580 --> 00:31:21,380
Xiao Xun is merely walking the same doomed path.
658
00:31:22,100 --> 00:31:23,900
Even with Deng Yi, what could a pathetic wretch
659
00:31:25,020 --> 00:31:27,580
like him possibly amount to?
660
00:31:28,460 --> 00:31:30,460
His Majesty will issue the proclamation
661
00:31:30,820 --> 00:31:32,020
and make it known to all.
662
00:31:33,580 --> 00:31:34,220
Court dismissed.
663
00:31:35,020 --> 00:31:37,620
- We bid farewell to Your Majesty - We bid farewell to Your Majesty
664
00:31:37,980 --> 00:31:39,980
- and Your Highness. - and Your Highness.
665
00:31:51,260 --> 00:31:52,780
You were so quick to grasp
666
00:31:53,020 --> 00:31:54,020
"besieging Wei to rescue Zhao."
667
00:31:54,700 --> 00:31:55,860
Why are you struggling so much
668
00:31:55,940 --> 00:31:56,660
with "concealing the dagger behind a smile"?
669
00:31:57,020 --> 00:31:57,860
Zhao,
670
00:31:58,020 --> 00:31:59,180
it's just
671
00:31:59,260 --> 00:32:00,220
so hard.
672
00:32:01,020 --> 00:32:02,700
Can I learn that some other time?
673
00:32:06,100 --> 00:32:06,860
Greetings, Your Majesty,
674
00:32:07,460 --> 00:32:08,300
Your Highness.
675
00:32:10,420 --> 00:32:11,380
Uncle, you're back.
676
00:32:16,060 --> 00:32:17,140
Mr. Xie, you must be exhausted.
677
00:32:17,940 --> 00:32:18,700
I thought
678
00:32:18,700 --> 00:32:19,700
you still had an hour to go.
679
00:32:20,180 --> 00:32:21,660
Fortunately, the meal is prepared.
680
00:32:21,820 --> 00:32:22,780
Please, take a seat and eat.
681
00:32:23,700 --> 00:32:24,140
I appreciate it.
682
00:32:24,740 --> 00:32:25,340
Uncle,
683
00:32:25,780 --> 00:32:26,620
try some and see
684
00:32:26,940 --> 00:32:27,700
if it agrees with you.
685
00:32:36,980 --> 00:32:38,300
There's a new chef in the palace
686
00:32:38,300 --> 00:32:39,820
who specializes in Gaoyang flavors.
687
00:32:40,260 --> 00:32:41,300
Yu finds it quite good.
688
00:32:41,740 --> 00:32:42,580
It tastes very much
689
00:32:42,580 --> 00:32:43,700
like what his mother used to enjoy.
690
00:32:46,220 --> 00:32:47,420
It feels so good to be home.
691
00:32:52,220 --> 00:32:52,940
To see one's kin
692
00:32:53,460 --> 00:32:54,260
is to be home.
693
00:33:02,060 --> 00:33:02,980
The chef brewed this himself
694
00:33:03,340 --> 00:33:04,940
with a traditional method.
695
00:33:05,260 --> 00:33:05,900
Yanfang,
696
00:33:06,260 --> 00:33:07,020
please, have a sip.
697
00:33:23,100 --> 00:33:23,500
Thank you.
698
00:33:24,020 --> 00:33:24,540
Uncle,
699
00:33:24,780 --> 00:33:25,660
try some of this.
700
00:33:26,100 --> 00:33:27,580
This is my favorite.
701
00:33:27,820 --> 00:33:28,140
Very well.
702
00:33:33,020 --> 00:33:33,580
Here, Yu.
703
00:33:37,780 --> 00:33:38,900
I have a chef
704
00:33:39,100 --> 00:33:40,300
who makes exceptional rice cakes.
705
00:33:41,020 --> 00:33:41,820
I shall bring some
706
00:33:42,340 --> 00:33:43,700
for Your Highness to try another day.
707
00:33:44,780 --> 00:33:45,380
Uncle,
708
00:33:45,500 --> 00:33:46,340
can I try some as well?
709
00:33:47,580 --> 00:33:48,380
Of course.
710
00:33:54,300 --> 00:33:54,700
Here.
711
00:33:55,460 --> 00:33:57,060
Uncle, try this.
712
00:34:03,340 --> 00:34:04,180
North of the Cang River,
713
00:34:04,460 --> 00:34:05,540
three commanderies and twenty-eight cities
714
00:34:06,580 --> 00:34:07,900
have all submitted to Xiao Xun.
715
00:34:08,700 --> 00:34:09,700
Together with the Lord of Xiaonan's
716
00:34:09,700 --> 00:34:10,780
illegally raised forces,
717
00:34:12,300 --> 00:34:13,460
the total comes to two hundred and seventy thousand.
718
00:34:14,380 --> 00:34:15,500
I never expected
719
00:34:15,500 --> 00:34:16,860
they could gather
720
00:34:17,220 --> 00:34:18,740
so many troops in just a few months.
721
00:34:19,500 --> 00:34:20,860
Rebellions always begin
722
00:34:21,580 --> 00:34:22,780
with a roar
723
00:34:22,940 --> 00:34:23,980
of momentum.
724
00:34:24,620 --> 00:34:25,340
Deng Yi
725
00:34:25,580 --> 00:34:27,500
stole the Tally and the Imperial Seal.
726
00:34:28,300 --> 00:34:29,220
It is no surprise that many people
727
00:34:29,540 --> 00:34:30,540
have been misled.
728
00:34:32,660 --> 00:34:33,740
In time,
729
00:34:34,300 --> 00:34:35,980
when the court sends forces against them,
730
00:34:37,220 --> 00:34:38,220
people will see the truth.
731
00:34:40,940 --> 00:34:42,060
Just like in the previous life,
732
00:34:42,820 --> 00:34:43,860
Xiao Xun ascends to the throne,
733
00:34:44,780 --> 00:34:46,380
and the one who leads the campaign against him is Xie Yanfang.
734
00:34:54,060 --> 00:34:54,740
Do not worry.
735
00:34:56,060 --> 00:34:56,780
I am here.
736
00:34:59,420 --> 00:35:00,180
I am not worried.
737
00:35:01,300 --> 00:35:01,940
Once Jiu
738
00:35:02,660 --> 00:35:04,180
escorted the Northern Desert King across the frontier,
739
00:35:04,860 --> 00:35:05,980
he could lead the troops
740
00:35:05,980 --> 00:35:07,100
to provide support
741
00:35:07,580 --> 00:35:08,380
and form a pincer movement
742
00:35:08,380 --> 00:35:09,460
with the court's forces.
743
00:35:09,900 --> 00:35:11,460
The Lord of Xiaonan's rebels
744
00:35:11,740 --> 00:35:12,460
will be crushed.
745
00:35:15,820 --> 00:35:16,620
Do you miss him?
746
00:35:20,620 --> 00:35:21,220
What?
747
00:35:54,100 --> 00:35:54,900
The time has come.
748
00:35:55,900 --> 00:35:56,420
Let's go.
749
00:35:57,500 --> 00:35:59,100
Chu Ling must have wished
750
00:35:59,740 --> 00:36:01,580
to storm my tent
751
00:36:02,580 --> 00:36:04,020
just as you did.
752
00:36:04,860 --> 00:36:06,220
It is precisely because General Chu
753
00:36:06,220 --> 00:36:07,540
kept you locked in battle for decades
754
00:36:08,700 --> 00:36:09,940
that I now have the chance
755
00:36:10,060 --> 00:36:11,100
to take you down.
756
00:36:11,860 --> 00:36:12,900
You are very valorous.
757
00:36:14,700 --> 00:36:15,820
Your father
758
00:36:16,940 --> 00:36:18,380
must have been proud of you.
759
00:36:25,660 --> 00:36:27,420
My son is much stronger than you.
760
00:36:28,820 --> 00:36:32,180
He knew his father loved him until the very end.
761
00:36:40,500 --> 00:36:41,620
I have one last question for you.
762
00:36:44,140 --> 00:36:45,140
What really happened
763
00:36:45,860 --> 00:36:47,860
with that fire in the Wei Village
764
00:36:48,580 --> 00:36:50,180
five years ago?
765
00:36:55,700 --> 00:36:57,180
Back then, Chu Yan had Alan Ruoying
766
00:36:57,440 --> 00:37:00,620
survive as the leader of a band of bandits,
767
00:37:00,680 --> 00:37:01,600
Mu Mianhong,
768
00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:04,000
and hide in the Cangmu Forest.
769
00:37:04,900 --> 00:37:06,120
So, we decided
770
00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:07,900
to make a deal with the Lord of Xiaonan.
771
00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:09,880
We set a fire at the Wei Village
772
00:37:09,880 --> 00:37:11,720
at the foot of the Cangmu Forest
773
00:37:12,120 --> 00:37:13,240
and left clues
774
00:37:13,240 --> 00:37:15,000
to frame the Cangmu Stronghold.
775
00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:16,940
Once the court of the State of Chu
776
00:37:16,940 --> 00:37:18,320
followed our lead
777
00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:19,760
to investigate the stronghold,
778
00:37:20,680 --> 00:37:22,480
they would discover
779
00:37:22,480 --> 00:37:23,840
Mu Mianhong's true identity,
780
00:37:24,600 --> 00:37:25,550
which would serve
781
00:37:25,560 --> 00:37:27,480
as ironclad proof of Chu Ling's treason.
782
00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:30,600
If Yunzhong Prefecture lost Chu Ling,
783
00:37:31,120 --> 00:37:33,720
seizing the frontier would be a simple task.
784
00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:36,120
I do not know
785
00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:38,560
why the clues pointing to the Cangmu Stronghold were erased,
786
00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:40,960
and why you appeared
787
00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:42,360
in that fire
788
00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:44,150
and ended up
789
00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:46,440
taking the blame for us.
790
00:37:46,940 --> 00:37:47,980
Later,
791
00:37:49,900 --> 00:37:52,420
I heard that the young man from the Xie Family
792
00:37:52,420 --> 00:37:54,700
framed for burning the village had gone to the frontier
793
00:37:55,400 --> 00:37:56,940
and become the most capable vanguard
794
00:37:56,940 --> 00:37:58,220
by Chu Ling's side.
795
00:37:59,180 --> 00:38:01,260
As they say in the Central Plains,
796
00:38:01,860 --> 00:38:03,500
the world never unfolds as planned.
797
00:38:04,700 --> 00:38:05,820
I never imagined
798
00:38:06,980 --> 00:38:08,280
we would meet again
799
00:38:08,280 --> 00:38:09,960
on the battlefield like this.
800
00:38:11,300 --> 00:38:12,260
Now
801
00:38:13,260 --> 00:38:14,420
you have settled
802
00:38:14,420 --> 00:38:15,820
the debt of that injustice.
803
00:38:19,460 --> 00:38:20,740
General, we are under attack.
804
00:38:20,860 --> 00:38:21,740
We have been surrounded.
805
00:38:24,380 --> 00:38:25,180
Is it someone looking for you?
806
00:38:26,420 --> 00:38:27,660
Who wants you dead?
807
00:38:29,380 --> 00:38:30,860
It could be anyone.
808
00:38:31,220 --> 00:38:32,820
To claim the throne,
809
00:38:32,940 --> 00:38:34,620
one must first remove the predecessor.
810
00:38:36,100 --> 00:38:37,220
I want to see
811
00:38:38,820 --> 00:38:40,500
who can actually take my life.
812
00:38:40,500 --> 00:38:41,900
You can butcher each other for all I care,
813
00:38:42,740 --> 00:38:43,300
but
814
00:38:44,300 --> 00:38:46,020
you must not die within the State of Chu.
815
00:38:46,540 --> 00:38:47,100
Follow me.
816
00:38:47,980 --> 00:38:48,420
Hurry.
817
00:38:57,260 --> 00:38:57,700
Go!
818
00:39:31,500 --> 00:39:31,940
Mr. Xie,
819
00:39:33,540 --> 00:39:34,440
I heard that Her Highness
820
00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:35,300
is personally leading another campaign.
821
00:39:35,940 --> 00:39:37,100
Has she developed a taste for war,
822
00:39:38,100 --> 00:39:38,860
or
823
00:39:39,500 --> 00:39:41,020
is she acting out of spite because Xiao Xun declared
824
00:39:41,660 --> 00:39:42,460
he would take her as his Empress?
825
00:39:43,260 --> 00:39:44,300
Regardless of the reason,
826
00:39:45,740 --> 00:39:46,940
if she wants to do it, she should go.
827
00:39:47,700 --> 00:39:49,100
We need only pave the road for her,
828
00:39:50,420 --> 00:39:51,660
just like the dead-end road
829
00:39:52,540 --> 00:39:53,940
we paved for Yanlai.
830
00:39:55,900 --> 00:39:56,980
I received a secret report.
831
00:40:00,240 --> 00:40:01,440
Yanlai is dead.
832
00:40:02,220 --> 00:40:03,700
He died believing
833
00:40:04,560 --> 00:40:06,120
that the ones who attacked him and the Northern Desert King
834
00:40:07,060 --> 00:40:08,260
were Xiao Xun's men.
835
00:40:08,780 --> 00:40:09,980
You are truly far-sighted.
836
00:40:13,260 --> 00:40:14,580
Deng Yi dying at her hands
837
00:40:15,820 --> 00:40:17,420
is better than him dying at mine.
838
00:40:18,260 --> 00:40:19,500
They started with an alliance
839
00:40:19,900 --> 00:40:21,140
and ended up shattered by infighting.
840
00:40:22,620 --> 00:40:24,540
Once she learns of Yanlai's death,
841
00:40:26,220 --> 00:40:27,400
there will be no reconciliation
842
00:40:27,420 --> 00:40:28,380
between her and Xiao Xun.
843
00:40:32,300 --> 00:40:32,780
Well,
844
00:40:34,660 --> 00:40:35,380
are the night refreshments ready?
845
00:40:36,580 --> 00:40:37,260
Yes.
846
00:40:37,540 --> 00:40:38,660
Have them packed
847
00:40:39,620 --> 00:40:40,700
and delivered to Her Highness.
848
00:40:41,300 --> 00:40:42,860
You are far too good to her, Mr. Xie,
849
00:40:43,500 --> 00:40:44,340
yet gratitude
850
00:40:44,340 --> 00:40:45,260
is not in her nature.
851
00:40:46,020 --> 00:40:47,220
I don't know what you are aiming for.
852
00:40:53,420 --> 00:40:54,820
The better I treat her now,
853
00:40:56,300 --> 00:40:57,060
the greater
854
00:40:57,060 --> 00:40:58,660
her agony will be.
855
00:41:00,580 --> 00:41:01,660
Once she kills Xiao Xun
856
00:41:02,820 --> 00:41:04,580
and returns covered in wounds,
857
00:41:06,340 --> 00:41:08,140
I must ensure she has a place to return to.
858
00:41:15,620 --> 00:41:16,780
That scoundrel Xiao Xun
859
00:41:17,140 --> 00:41:18,020
actually dared to declare
860
00:41:18,020 --> 00:41:18,940
that he would take Your Highness as his empress.
861
00:41:21,340 --> 00:41:22,920
All he wants is for me to become
862
00:41:22,920 --> 00:41:23,700
what he is,
863
00:41:24,580 --> 00:41:26,060
a rebel who seized the throne
864
00:41:26,780 --> 00:41:28,060
and deserves to be struck down
865
00:41:28,060 --> 00:41:28,820
by all.
866
00:41:28,860 --> 00:41:29,260
Your Highness,
867
00:41:29,620 --> 00:41:30,660
you should march out with the troops now
868
00:41:30,980 --> 00:41:31,980
and claim his head
869
00:41:32,260 --> 00:41:33,220
before the eyes of the world.
870
00:41:50,380 --> 00:41:51,060
Your Highness,
871
00:41:51,700 --> 00:41:52,860
are you feeling unwell?
872
00:41:53,580 --> 00:41:54,340
I don't know what is wrong.
873
00:41:55,980 --> 00:41:56,940
I feel terribly anxious.
874
00:42:10,540 --> 00:42:11,660
My chances of winning are higher
875
00:42:12,620 --> 00:42:13,700
in this battle against Xiao Xun.
876
00:42:14,260 --> 00:42:15,260
Even if it is difficult to defy fate,
877
00:42:15,620 --> 00:42:17,220
at worst, we will fight to the death.
878
00:42:18,780 --> 00:42:19,820
Yet why
879
00:42:20,780 --> 00:42:21,820
does my heart feel so unsettled?
880
00:42:24,740 --> 00:42:25,180
Your Highness,
881
00:42:25,620 --> 00:42:26,300
urgent report from the frontier.
882
00:42:26,900 --> 00:42:27,540
What has happened at the frontier?
883
00:42:28,700 --> 00:42:29,540
It is General Fu Jiu.
884
00:42:31,660 --> 00:42:32,300
What about Jiu?
885
00:42:33,020 --> 00:42:33,980
General Fu Jiu and the Northern Desert King
886
00:42:34,620 --> 00:42:35,620
were ambushed by an unknown army.
887
00:42:36,220 --> 00:42:37,020
Whether they survived is unclear.
888
00:43:00,300 --> 00:43:00,980
Are you going to the frontier?
889
00:43:01,780 --> 00:43:02,140
Yes.
890
00:43:02,940 --> 00:43:03,700
Must you go?
891
00:43:04,780 --> 00:43:05,580
Yes.
892
00:43:06,380 --> 00:43:07,500
He is dead.
893
00:43:17,980 --> 00:43:18,820
No body means
894
00:43:20,100 --> 00:43:21,620
there is still a chance.
895
00:43:22,820 --> 00:43:23,860
I believe General Zhong
896
00:43:25,020 --> 00:43:26,100
has been looking for him.
897
00:43:29,460 --> 00:43:30,500
If you are worried,
898
00:43:33,300 --> 00:43:34,500
I will send more men.
899
00:43:36,180 --> 00:43:37,060
If he is alive,
900
00:43:38,380 --> 00:43:39,460
I will retrieve him myself.
901
00:43:40,780 --> 00:43:41,380
If he is gone,
902
00:43:43,220 --> 00:43:45,060
I will do everything in my power to uncover the truth.
903
00:43:47,180 --> 00:43:48,340
You are the Grand Princess.
904
00:43:49,460 --> 00:43:51,100
Xiao Xun has risen in revolt,
905
00:43:52,180 --> 00:43:52,660
and
906
00:43:52,660 --> 00:43:53,500
you would leave the court
907
00:43:53,500 --> 00:43:54,340
over something so absurd?
908
00:43:55,500 --> 00:43:56,700
If something happens,
909
00:43:58,060 --> 00:43:59,580
you will regret it forever.
910
00:44:00,460 --> 00:44:01,860
Do you think I am doing this
911
00:44:01,860 --> 00:44:03,020
only for one Xie Yanlai?
912
00:44:04,420 --> 00:44:05,540
As the Grand Princess,
913
00:44:06,820 --> 00:44:08,220
if I remain indifferent to the unjust death
914
00:44:09,980 --> 00:44:11,300
of a loyal general,
915
00:44:13,140 --> 00:44:14,580
who else will be willing to give their life for the state?
916
00:44:39,460 --> 00:44:40,100
Xie Yanfang,
917
00:44:41,660 --> 00:44:42,580
you dare try to kill me?
918
00:44:43,300 --> 00:44:44,580
By leaving the court without sanction, Your Highness
919
00:44:44,580 --> 00:44:45,500
is putting the very foundation of the state at risk.
920
00:44:46,060 --> 00:44:47,020
Since I am aware of this,
921
00:44:47,020 --> 00:44:48,060
I cannot ignore it.
922
00:44:49,340 --> 00:44:50,420
If you come back with me,
923
00:44:51,100 --> 00:44:52,900
I will pretend nothing happened.
924
00:45:31,740 --> 00:45:36,340
♪Broken walls and withered branches, trapped in the mire♪
925
00:45:36,620 --> 00:45:39,100
♪Yet still striving to reach for the sky♪
926
00:45:39,140 --> 00:45:43,180
♪My pride is torn down and my body is sacrificed♪
927
00:45:45,420 --> 00:45:47,540
♪The spark smolders in the crack♪
928
00:45:47,620 --> 00:45:49,580
♪And roars in the blaze♪
929
00:45:49,660 --> 00:45:52,900
♪Burning the cold night until daybreak♪
930
00:45:53,060 --> 00:45:55,300
♪Fate imprisons me♪
931
00:45:55,460 --> 00:46:00,260
♪But I won't beg the abyss for mercy♪
932
00:46:00,260 --> 00:46:04,460
♪Even if hope is faint, I remain proud♪
933
00:46:04,460 --> 00:46:08,740
♪A mayfly will cross the ocean, however long it takes♪
934
00:46:08,740 --> 00:46:14,180
♪However it ends up, I'll go my own way♪
935
00:46:14,180 --> 00:46:16,140
♪With no fear of the distance♪
936
00:46:16,140 --> 00:46:19,860
♪Born from decay, fireflies still burn♪
937
00:46:19,860 --> 00:46:24,300
♪With sword in hand, I'll pierce the dawn♪
938
00:46:24,300 --> 00:46:29,660
♪Let these scars all over me become♪
939
00:46:29,660 --> 00:46:33,260
♪My new pride♪
940
00:46:48,060 --> 00:46:50,940
♪Peril is everywhere in the palace♪
941
00:46:50,940 --> 00:46:53,460
♪Yet I smile to nobody but you♪
942
00:46:53,460 --> 00:46:55,820
♪Amidst the chaos♪
943
00:46:55,820 --> 00:47:00,100
♪I'll always be with you♪
944
00:47:01,540 --> 00:47:03,660
♪The spark smolders in the crack♪
945
00:47:03,740 --> 00:47:05,700
♪And roars in the blaze♪
946
00:47:05,780 --> 00:47:09,020
♪Burning the cold night until daybreak♪
947
00:47:09,180 --> 00:47:11,420
♪Fate imprisons me♪
948
00:47:11,580 --> 00:47:16,380
♪But I won't beg the abyss for mercy♪
949
00:47:16,380 --> 00:47:20,580
♪Even if hope is faint, I remain proud♪
950
00:47:20,580 --> 00:47:24,860
♪A mayfly will cross the ocean, however long it takes♪
951
00:47:24,860 --> 00:47:30,300
♪However it ends up, I'll go my own way♪
952
00:47:30,300 --> 00:47:32,260
♪With no fear of the distance♪
953
00:47:32,260 --> 00:47:35,980
♪Born from decay, fireflies still burn♪
954
00:47:35,980 --> 00:47:40,420
♪With sword in hand, I'll pierce the dawn♪
955
00:47:40,420 --> 00:47:45,780
♪Let these scars all over me become♪
956
00:47:45,780 --> 00:47:49,380
♪My new pride♪
61690
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