Original subtitles

[The Night Before the Staged Execution Rescue]

♪ What's the cost of going against the wind? ♪

♪ Knowing you, knowing me, we live up to our promises ♪

♪ Aligning the traces of our conviction ♪

♪ As long as I'm with you ♪

♪ The journey can stretch on forever ♪

♪ Even if it puts my life on the line ♪

Tomorrow's fake rescue from the execution ground

♪ I shall never forget ♪

is a life-or-death gamble.

If this charade isn't convincing enough,

we won't gain the trust of Northern Qin.

You must strike me down without mercy,

and I won't hold back either.

I'll try my best to keep you all alive.

But swords and blades have no eyes—

there's always a chance of an accident.

-If anything were to... -Your Highness, no need to say more.

Death is inevitable on the battlefield.

If this plan succeeds, it can at least

secure more than a decade of peace and stability for the Northern Border.

We're willing to be the blade in Your Highness's hand!

-We're willing! -To stand together through life and death!

Your Highness, you once said,

"Who says we stand alone?

We share weal and woe."

Alright!

How fitting—"Who says we stand alone? We share weal and woe."

Then let's face life and death together!

[Key to the Phoenix Heart]

[Episode 26]

[Huiyin Hall]

Say something.

Come on, say something.

Xie Jiayu! Our wedding's tomorrow.

You have to marry me

whether you're willing to or not!

Keep breaking things like this,

and there won't be many vases left in the palace.

How is it? Has His Majesty issued the decree?

Xiao Wuyi's judgment was correct.

After the An and Lu families were cleared of their charges,

the people's anger over the false charges fabricated by Northern Qin,

along with their hatred stemming from more than 2 decades of war,

have reached its peak.

Public support for the Northern Expedition is now solid.

His Majesty has issued a decree approving the expedition

and ordered He Yuan to draft a proclamation for it.

As expected, nothing escapes his calculations.

Li Mao!

I'd rather die today than marry you!

What's this?

Don't you want to root out

all the Northern Qin spies in the palace before the Northern Expedition?

This item is called the caltrop fireball.

It is recorded in the surviving fragments of "Essentials of Fire Attacks."

Back then, Northern Qin was so desperate to kill Cui Jun

precisely because they wanted to seize this item.

Before my master, Yuan Xiaoliu, passed away,

he entrusted this blueprint to me.

He said that the art of firearms

was tied to the fate of the nation.

So if the Northern Qin spies learn of this item,

even if it's a trap,

they'll surely risk their lives to obtain it.

That's wonderful news.

With this item, the Northern Expedition is bound to succeed.

But I've modified this blueprint. So don't let

the Directorate of Military Equipment blindly manufacture them.

If they end up blowing themselves up instead,

I won't take responsibility.

Yaoyao.

You still don't trust me.

I trust you,

but I also have to guard against you.

Xiao Wuyi prides himself on his cleverness—

he factors in the people's will,

and your ambitions as well.

He thinks he's thought of everything,

but in reality, he's just a fool

who doesn't value his own life.

That's why I'm his last line of defense.

I can't take that chance.

Mao.

I won't harm you,

but I won't let you harm him either.

I just want both of you

to stay alive and well.

Alright.

Then tomorrow's wedding

will be the best opportunity to catch the spies.

Xie Jiayu, I'll give you one last chance!

The wedding's tomorrow.

Are you going to marry me or not?

Will you give me the blueprints for the caltrop fireball or not?

If you're determined to die alongside Xiao Wuyi,

I'll kill Xiao Ziqi right now.

You wouldn't dare!

Feng An!

Yes, Your Highness.

Take Xiao Ziqi to the Court of Judicial Review.

Since his surname is Xiao,

let him be reunited with his family as soon as possible.

Understood.

Li Mao, you're out of your mind!

You won't even spare a child?

I've only kept him alive to make you obey,

but my patience is running out.

The Grand Tutor is dead,

and the Xiao family has fallen.

Now, aside from my lingering affection for you,

you have nothing to rely on.

Stop overestimating yourself.

You're nothing more than my spoils of war.

I'll give you the blueprints for the caltrop fireball.

But you must let Xiao Ziqi and He Yuanji go.

Fine.

Let them go before the wedding!

Okay.

After all these years,

you're still nothing like her.

Forgive me, Your Highness.

Never mind.

Now that she's returned,

you don't have to keep up the act anymore.

Your Highness, please don't send me away.

Please have pity on my devotion, Your Highness.

I'm willing to serve Your Highness

and Her Highness the Secondary Consort.

I've treated you so poorly,

yet why have you still not changed your feelings?

I've served Your Highness all these years

and know full well the hardships Your Highness has faced.

Even if I cannot be the one you love,

I'm willing to be a bowl of tea or a lamp.

As long as I can bring you

a moment of peace and comfort,

I'll feel content.

Good.

Then tomorrow, do something for me.

Whatever Your Highness commands.

Keep an eye on Xie Jiayu.

If she tries to pass anything to He Yuanji

or Xiao Ziqi to take out of the palace,

swap it out for me.

That could be the key to victory in the Northern Expedition.

Understood.

Also,

avoid Feng An.

He's a spy for Northern Qin.

What?

Eunuch Feng is...

Chan.

You're the only one I can trust.

I'll do my utmost to share Your Highness's burden.

Your Highness, it's time to return to the palace.

Freeze!

Hold on.

Miss Chan,

I entrust Young Lady to your care from now on.

Ziqi,

hurry and thank Sister Chan.

No need for such formalities, Young Master.

In the days to come,

I'll definitely take good care of your concubine mother.

Let's go.

Feng An has been discovered.

The 3 people in his network are likely all exposed now.

Now,

you're the only ones who can get this blueprint out of the palace.

Deliver this to His Highness immediately,

and do not come back.

Understood.

Freeze!

When did you discover my identity?

I never did, actually.

I tested everyone,

and you were the only one who gave yourself away.

The caltrop fireball is way too important.

If Feng An were discovered,

his accomplices would have no choice but to put their lives on the line.

Actually, ever since

I first saw you by Mao's side,

something felt off to me.

The woman who once had the courage

to die alongside Prince Changsha...

If you drink it, you'll die too.

Then I'll go down with him.

How could she, after falling for someone,

willingly copy another person and live as her replacement?

You were Eagle King's agent from the very beginning.

I don't think so.

At first, she was probably just an inactive pawn—

disguised as a dancer, gathering intelligence all over Jiankang.

When Prince Changsha rebelled,

she realized something had changed.

To avoid being dragged into it,

she fled the Lantai gathering.

She never expected to run into you,

and by a twist of fate, she ended up in Prince Jing'an's Household.

So you never really

intended to save those dancers?

You just wanted to create chaos

so you could escape?

Everyone has their own fate.

As a spy, I can't afford to worry about such things.

You used Prince Jing'an's Household as a stepping stone

to get close to me,

taking it one step at a time

to see how far you could go.

Precisely because you had no plan at all,

you left no traces behind.

You even

deliberately arranged for Feng An to come to my side,

drawing my attention away.

But you still found out.

Since you had already caught Feng An,

why were you still not at assured?

Things have always been like this

for lonely rulers throughout history.

Do you have anything else to say?

Your Highness.

I have no complaints or regrets in this life.

I only wish Your Highness to take care

and achieve your desires.

By His Majesty's decree:

3 days from now, on the auspicious day, the imperial army—

fully prepared and in high spirits—

will set out on the Northern Expedition.

All Northern Qin spies within Jiankang City

shall be sacrificed to the banner!

Yes, Your Highness!

The Northern Qin barbarians,

with the nature of jackals and wolves, have usurped the Central Plains

and torn our land apart for more than 20 years.

They burned our ancestral temples,

plundered our classics,

trampled the nine-tiered imperial palaces of the Capital,

and defiled the clear skies and fertile lands in Heluo.

The gray-haired survivors still remember the blood spilled before Zhuque Street,

and young children still hear the cries lingering on in the ancestral hall.

Unless this grudge is avenged,

how can we stand before Heaven and Earth?

Now our iron-clad armies have endured the autumn campaigns,

our night watches have echoed without rest,

and the imperial forces have fully gathered their strength.

From the Observatory, we see the purple aura gathering in the east.

From the Yellow River, we hear the thunderous roar shaking the north.

How can we bear to watch the barbarian dust obscure the sun?

How dare we forget the heart-wrenching anguish of our ancestors?

Those who behead enemy soldiers shall be rewarded with 1000 taels of gold;

those who seize banners or break through enemy lines shall be granted a fief of

10000 households. On the day this proclamation reaches you,

we shall unfurl the dragon banners upon Mount Yin,

hang the heads of Qin spies at Hangu Pass,

restore the radiance of sun and moon over the ancient realm,

and rebuild our mountains and rivers upon the old borders.

[Beifu]

The 3 armies jointly swear this blood oath:

Until our realm is restored,

our blades shall not return to their sheaths.

[Xiyue Restaurant]

Lan!

Lan!

Chuan?

Chuan!

Young Lord Xiao found you after all.

[Jing Lan's brother Jing Chuan]

Young Lord Xiao left this letter for you.

"I depart on a journey from which I may not return.

I hereby return Xiyue Restaurant to its rightful owner."

The Imperial Envoy came again?

Your Highness.

His Majesty has learned that the Southern Ye Army

has crossed the Jing River and captured Luyang.

The court and the public are in an uproar.

His Majesty has granted Your Highness the ceremonial tiger token

and ordered Your Highness to immediately dispatch troops to face the enemy.

My dear nephew finally couldn't hold back anymore.

For 3 years he wouldn't give me the tiger token,

but now that Luyang has fallen,

he's sent it over so quickly.

Chan had already delivered

the military strategy simulations

Xiao Wuyi did for Li Mao in prison to me.

Prince Qi is far too impatient.

He actually just copied their idea

and attacked

our weakest western defense line

without giving it any thought.

How could a leisurely prince who knows nothing but poetry and prose

possibly understand military tactics?

As long as the Beifu soldiers continue to attack the western front,

the cities behind it won't be easy to capture.

Do not underestimate our enemy.

Understood.

Your Highness.

Last night we caught a small-time bandit

who actually tried to raid the camp and rescue Xiao Wuyi.

Someone,

bring him up!

It's actually him.

He's still alive, huh?

Alright then.

Take him to the torture chamber

and have him reunite with Xiao Wuyi's another guard.

Aren't we sending him to Xiao Wuyi?

These days,

we've tried both carrots and sticks on him,

but he just wouldn't budge.

He even managed to escape 3 times.

If he were to give in that easily,

I'd find it suspicious. Take him away.

Will you talk or not?

Will you talk or not?

His Highness the Eagle King has arrived!

What a loyal young lady.

We caught an old friend of yours last night.

Qing Long?

He followed us all the way here.

He had been hiding outside the camp for the past few days,

trying everything to save Xiao Wuyi, but failed.

And he was caught last night.

Since you survived, you should try to remain that way!

Why come here to die?

There are no deserters in the Beifu Army.

With you and His Highness here,

if I hadn't come to save you and had chosen to flee for my own life,

what kind of friend would that make me?

If you're scared,

just hand over the chance to go to Northern Qin with His Highness.

Quiet.

Me, scared?

I'm just worried that if I don't win the draw,

you'll steal my chance

to prove myself again.

A bet is a bet.

I won.

His Highness and I will go to Northern Qin as bait,

and you'll lay in ambush outside.

Honestly, there was never any need for a draw.

With a brain like yours,

how could you possibly outmaneuver the Eagle King?

How many times do you plan to pull that trick on him?

I hope this isn't the last time.

Go get some rest.

We're hitting the road first thing tomorrow morning.

Rest assured, Your Highness.

I'll try to stage a few more rescue attempts before I get captured.

That way, it will seem more convincing.

Don't lose your life doing this.

Even if I do, it doesn't matter.

A suicide mission

can't work without someone dying.

Is that why you refused to tell Yan Yue?

She's soft-hearted.

And she'd definitely choose to be the one waiting outside.

A prison break is like a gamble—

the slightest mistake means death.

I'll do it.

You two share such a deep bond of affection and loyalty,

which makes you ideal subjects for interrogation.

I've witnessed Miss Yan Yue's loyalty with my own eyes.

But since ancient times, it's been hard to balance loyalty and righteousness.

Young man.

Do you want to know

if she has feelings for you?

I can help you.

Qing Long!

Torture them one after another.

Since this lady refuses to talk,

keep interrogating him.

One of them is bound to give in.

Yes, Your Highness.

Take a look, Young Lord Xiao,

These two were so affectionate and loyal to each other,

yet they only held out for 4 hours

before drawing this defense map of the Northern Border.

You're truly a man

without a shred of compassion.

You're nothing but a stray dog,

yet they've followed you through thick and thin.

Aren't you moved at all?

Aren't their lives worth more than Li Mao's?

The soldiers of our Beifu Army have always risked their lives

to protect the common people.

You want me to betray Ye

and abandon the people of the Northern Border

just to save their lives?

Mulian Yu,

when did you become so foolish?

Now that you've mentioned the common people,

this is perfect. Guards,

bring the common people over!

Move!

Faster! Faster!

Move! Faster!

Move!

Move! Get in!

Hurry up!

Move faster!

Move! Faster!

The weather's perfect today—

an excellent chance for a 100-pace archery contest.

Back in Jiankang,

I lost to you.

Let's have another match today.

If I lose again,

I'll set Qing Long and Yan Yue free.

Do you guys know who he is?

He's none other than Crown Prince Wenxi,

the one you've spent your entire lives waiting for!

Save us, Your Highness!

Please save us!

Over these years, the rumor "when the Phoenix Heart Tokens appear,

peace shall be restored in the world" has spread far and wide—

not only across Southern Ye, but even in the Capital.

Who among these refugees from Southern Ye

does not long for you, Crown Prince Wenxi, to reappear in this world

and rescue them from their dire straits?

Now that you've come here,

I'm curious to see

if you can really turn a blind eye to them.

Shoot!

Stop!

The defense map drawn by Xiao Wuyi

is different from the one drawn by Qing Long and Yan Yue.

Which one is right?

We'll know once we put it to the test.

From 3 to 5 a.m. this morning,

Eagle King dispatched 3 scouting units

to launch feigned attacks on Qingxi,

Yingchuan, and Sansha.

What about Wuyi?

Is there any news about him?

Not yet.

But the fact that Eagle King feigned attacks on those 3 locations

shows that he's starting to trust Wuyi.

Wuyi's plan is halfway to success.

Eagle King is cunning.

We can't fully trust him.

I must make sure he comes back alive.

By the way,

an old acquaintance returned last night.

He said he had something very important to give you,

and that it could only be given to you.

Who is it?

Be careful.

Cui Shao'an?

How have you been?

Thankfully, I've fulfilled the task you entrusted to me.

I found it.

Just as you said in the letter,

it's not ore,

but a slurry-like substance.

Get the caltrop fireball ready.

We'll test it right now.

You must be extra careful.

The power of this thing goes far beyond your imagination.

No matter how dangerous it is, we must try it.

Ancient texts record that the caltrop fireball

burns with the force of a collapsing mountain,

its flames twisting like lightning,

capable of determining victory across vast fields.

To win this battle,

and to ensure Wuyi returns safely,

no matter how dangerous it is, we must give it a try.

The three groups of scouts I dispatched,

following the map you drew,

were indeed completely wiped out.

It seems this map is correct.

Have Qing Long and Yan Yue been released?

I always keep my word—

as long as you cooperate with me.

There are 2 subtle errors on this map

that I left on purpose.

If Your Highness wants to cooperate with me,

you must first agree to one more condition.

That's good.

That's more like the Xiao Wuyi I know.

Go ahead. What condition is it?

I want the Capital.

I'm Crown Prince Wenxi.

I'm determined to lead the people of Ye back to our former capital.

Xiao Wuyi, oh, Xiao Wuyi.

Your demand is a little too ambitious, isn't it?

At this point,

is Your Highness really in any position to bargain?

The young emperor of Northern Qin is wary of you—

he's cut off your supplies, sent a military inspector,

and now seeks to use Li Mao's forces

to wipe out your remaining 30,000 Black Eagle Army soldiers.

Now that a blade's already pressed against Your Highness's neck,

do you really have a choice?

I don't want a single soldier from Your Highness.

I only want the survivors of our Ye.

If I was able to build one Beifu Army,

then I can build a second one.

When the time comes, you and I will join forces to defeat Li Mao's army.

You can then march south

and capture Jiankang,

and then advance westward.

What, did I hit the nail on the head?

Isn't the land of Xizhou

what Your Highness desires most?

Your Highness!

Are you really going to hand the Capital over to Xiao Wuyi?

That's treason.

So that was a lie, Your Highness?

Once you get

the complete Northern Border defense map from him

and crush Li Mao's army,

then

we can get rid of Xiao Wuyi.

But that Xiao Wuyi

is far too clever.

He saw right through the fact

that what I desire most is Xizhou.

Could it be that he has set some kind of trap

and is waiting for me to fall into it?

If Your Highness remains concerned about Xiao Wuyi,

why not force him into a corner where he has no way out?

Your Highness, are you still unwell today?

I've recovered. I shall receive the decree.

Southern Ye harbors the ambitions of a wild beast,

coveting our territory.

They're truly a great threat to our nation.

Upon hearing the news,

I wished I could immediately don my armor and take the battlefield myself,

fighting the enemy to the death.

I hereby order you to lead the counterattack,

hold the line at Luyang,

reclaim our lost lands,

and avenge this national humiliation.

As for Xiao Wuyi, use him if he proves capable.

If not, execute him.

If you fear that Xiao Wuyi might carry out a suicide mission,

I have a way to help you test Xiao Wuyi's true intentions.

Eat up.

Your brother has arrived outside Luyang City.

He can bring you home now.

This is the sound of our Beifu Army's war drums as they charge.

Our young emperor's army has already crossed the Qin Mountains.

Right now, with the Beifu Army ahead of me

and our young emperor's army behind me,

two sharp blades are pressed against my head.

Young Lord Xiao, you're the only one who can save me now.

Young Lord Xiao.

Can you show me

and the world

this reason?

What do you want me to do?

I remember a few years ago,

at Lingfeng Fort in Guazhou,

Li Lejun murdered Princess Yunzhao

and returned to Jiankang.

You and Xie Jiayu teamed up to uncover the real culprit.

You originally wanted to kill that murderer,

but Li Lejun clung to life

and voluntarily defected to me.

Back then, Xie Jiayu once said:

"If one day

I see Li Lejun again..."

"I'll surely take your life."

Your Northern Qin spies truly live up to their reputation.

They even overheard every word of

my private conversation with Li Mao.

Then may I ask, Young Lord Xiao,

does that statement still stand?

Young Lord Xiao.

Today, I will

give you a chance to fulfill your promise.

The Northern Qin barbarians,

with the nature of jackals and wolves,

have usurped the Central Plains

and torn our land apart for more than 20 years.

They trampled the nine-tiered imperial palaces of the Capital,

and defiled the clear skies and fertile lands in Heluo.

Now our iron-clad armies have endured the autumn campaigns,

our night watches have echoed without rest,

and the imperial forces have fully gathered their strength.

Those who seize banners or break through enemy lines shall be granted 10000 households!

Your Highness, they're not responding. What should we do?

Keep challenging them.

Keep challenging them!

Your Highness, someone has come out over there.

Lejun!

Your brother is right across from us.

He's here to pick you up.

Go on.

Mulian Yu.

I don't regret coming to Northern Qin,

nor do I regret marrying you.

From the moment I stepped onto the land of Northern Qin,

I knew it would end like this.

But in the next life,

let's not cross paths again.

Prince Qi!

See clearly who I am!

Let my sister go!

If you're willing to trade Luyang City for your sister's life,

I'll release her immediately!

Young Lord Xiao.

The grudge of ruining your reputation and taking your power,

and the hatred of wiping out your clan and taking your wife—

the time has come to settle these debts.

Xiao Wuyi.

You traitor!

Kill me if you want.

I, Li Lejun, will never back down!

Wuyi!

No!

Wait.

Give Li Mao the chance to fire 3 arrows.

I'd like to see

if he's willing to sacrifice his sister's life.

Soldiers of Beifu!

Xiao Wuyi has committed treason

and surrendered to Northern Qin!

He's no longer your commander!

He's a traitor!

Li Lejun?

Young Lord Xiao, I hope you've been well.

Weren't you put under house arrest by the Eagle King?

I've already taken a deadly poison.

My time is almost up.

What's the point of keeping me locked up?

What?

Xiao Wuyi.

I came to ask you for a favor.

Tomorrow, when the 2 armies face off on the battlefield,

could you please

not let me die at the hands of the Northern Qin soldiers?

I hope

you can kill me yourself.

Reason?

I owe Jiayu a life anyway.

If you take my life,

I can accept it.

Your Highness! Your Highness, no!

Could it be that

Eagle King is just testing Wuyi with all this?

If Wuyi doesn't shoot Li Lejun in front of the 2 armies,

he'll be completely exposed,

and the entire plan will fall apart at the last moment.

Soldiers of Ye!

My brother has told me since I was young

that the elite troops of Ye

must fight for the land and people of Ye!

I've already taken poison.

Death is only a matter of time for me.

But I'm Princess Pingning of Ye.

My father, mother, my brothers and sisters—

so many of them were killed by the people of Northern Qin.

No matter what,

I, Li Lejun,

cannot die at their hands.

This

isn't the whole truth, is it?

You're right.

There's a third reason.

Lejun!

Lejun!

Today,

as I give my life for Ye,

I die a worthy death.

Soldiers of the Beifu Army!

Li Mao killed my parents

and took my wife.

My hatred for him is boundless!

The Eagle King has promised me the Capital.

If you surrender now,

once we reclaim our homeland,

you'll be granted rank and honors.

As for those who refuse to surrender,

when we meet again on the battlefield,

expect no mercy.

Your Highness Prince Qi!

Your sister has sacrificed for you her whole life!

Yet you aren't willing to trade a city

for her life?

Your Highness has been hiding

the Regent of Southern Ye's sister all these years.

How do you want to show His Majesty your loyalty?

Young Lord Xiao.

Xiao Wuyi!

Your Highness!

If my brother is to become a true emperor,

he must free himself from your influence—

not only from your command over the Beifu Army,

but also from the hold you have over his heart.

I once thought

you merely viewed my brother

as a stepping stone to seize power.

But now it seems

you're even more ruthless toward yourself than toward others,

and you care even less about your status as Crown Prince Wenxi.

A person like you has no weaknesses.

The line between god and demon lies in a single thought.

Yet if one day

your paths diverge,

what will become of my brother?

If you truly have faith in him,

then please allow him

to stand before you as a true rival.