Original subtitles

[Government]

[Government]

How did you end up like this?

It was a twist of fate.

Who could have foreseen it?

But I have my duties.

I already did my best.

As the Discipline Inspector,

you are responsible for supervising the army.

The rebel Sui Yuanhuai

has escaped repeatedly,

and you cannot escape the blame.

It was indeed my negligence.

I have already reported it to His Majesty

and am ready to accept punishment.

You have followed General He for years.

You must have heard of

Li Bai's poem, "Fighting South of the Wall."

"Soldiers lie wasted in the wilderness;

the General's deeds amount to nothing."

For the sake of so-called legitimacy,

sacrificing countless innocent lives in vain

is cruel.

You speak of negligence,

but do you know how many soldiers' efforts were wasted,

and how many people are suffering?

I am truly ashamed.

As the eldest grandson of the Li family,

this eternal infamy

shall be borne by me alone.

[Government]

The futile war you provoked,

and the soldiers who died unjustly...

Can you bear the weight of that?

Lord Li,

let me remind you of one thing:

do not forget why you entered the service in the first place.

What did the Marquis of Wu'an say?

Xie Zheng...

probably knows everything.

[Pursuit of Jade]

[Episode 33]

[Sesame Seed Bun]

What sin did the Liu family commit?

[Wanted] [Notice]

Their entire household was slaughtered.

Bandits are ruthless.

The massacre of the Liu family is nothing.

All of Lin'an Town was slaughtered.

No wonder the Marquis wants to wipe out Qingfeng Stronghold.

[Wanted] [Notice]

He is truly ridding the people of evil.

Indeed.

Look at this young lady. She looks so graceful.

And yet she's a female bandit,

[Sesame Seed Bun]

the Chief Master of Qingfeng Stronghold?

Give me five flatbreads.

Okay.

Pah!

Here.

Watch where you're going.

Sui Yuanqing...

You heartless thing.

Where the hell are you?

The government dogs are after me,

and the bandits want me too.

Even the 13 lives of the Liu family

are pinned on me.

Now I am

being chased like a stray dog.

But you—

You are nowhere to be found.

Isn't that the official from Lin'an Town?

What is he doing here?

[Majestic and Efficacious]

Your Highness, have some hot tea to warm yourself.

We are not far from the Capital.

Once we reach the Capital, Your Highness will be safe.

Qi Min!

Get the hell out here!

Not again.

His nose is sharper than a dog's.

He really wouldn't leave us alone.

I'm going to kill you, you bastard,

and send you to hell to be with Father and Mother Consort.

Living under someone else's name

and living a stolen life for over 10 years...

I assume you have no last words.

My brother, Yuanqing...

You're not worthy of calling me that!

Yuanqing.

If you're angry with me,

I apologize.

Believe it or not,

I never intended to hurt you at all.

Never intended to hurt me?

Then what about Mother Consort?

How did she ever wrong you?

Tell me.

Tell me!

Is this what you meant by

never intending to hurt me?

Yuanqing.

I warned you long ago.

Don't be too arrogant.

Now I can give you the second half of that advice.

You will die a violent death.

I was so stupid.

I always treated you like my own brother.

I couldn't even bring myself to kill you just now.

You and your family owe me this!

Everyone in Lord Changxin's household deserves to die!

Why is it that you are healthy and look energetic,

while I look like a wretched ghost?

Why can you practice martial arts,

ride horses, and shoot arrows,

while I am plagued by chronic illness and have to drink medicine every day?

The pain in my heart

and the wounds on my body

were caused by Lord Changxin and Wei Yan!

My father and mother consort...

I must avenge them.

None of you will die a peaceful death!

You sound so righteous.

But my mother never mistreated you.

On the contrary, the Crown Princess killed her son.

My mother raised you for over a decade,

and you took over the mansion.

How could you bring yourself to harm her?

Because my heart died long ago.

Of course I could do it.

Your Highness, we have to go! We cannot stay here for long.

Sui Yuanqing.

You forgot

what I taught you.

Those who are soft-hearted

are not fit to stand on this battlefield,

let alone dream

of ruling this world.

[To Know Others is Wisdom]

Your Highness.

I am late.

You might as well show up when I'm dead.

It was your Li family who sent word to me,

saying everything was arranged.

But what was waiting for me throughout this journey?

Xie Zheng's personal guards,

and that madman, Sui Yuanqing.

That was indeed my fault.

Please punish me, Your Highness.

I know you dislike me.

Protecting and saving me

is merely obeying your grandfather's orders.

Since you have decided to join us,

there is absolutely no turning back.

Only by escorting me safely to the Capital

will your Li family stand a chance of winning,

and your years of planning won't be in vain.

Otherwise,

I will drag you all down with me.

Not only will the entire Li clan be destroyed,

but Wei Yan will also remain in power for decades,

with the common people suffering.

I heard you care for the people.

You wouldn't want to see the chaos of war rise again, would you?

I...

will do my best.

Also,

I don't care what method you use,

kill Yu Bao'er for me.

Bring Yu Qianqian back unharmed.

[Majestic and Efficacious]

Your Highness.

I heard Yu Bao'er is your only flesh and blood.

I do not acknowledge him.

This bloodline will be the death of me.

A worthless life

compared to the entire Li clan—

you should know which weighs heavier.

[Merciful White Dragon Temple]

If you cannot find the person I seek,

my alliance with your Li clan

ends here.

Disregarding the kindness of his upbringing,

killing his brother,

and hunting down his own child.

How can a heartless and unjust man like him

be Emperor?

If he ascends the throne,

he will surely not be a wise ruler.

Grandfather,

you are truly wrong.

You're not dead yet?

Kill me

to avenge yourself.

All right.

Sui Yuanqing.

Then before you die,

there's something I'd like to ask.

Have you ever really liked me?

I, Sui Yuanqing, throughout my life,

have deceived countless people.

Now that I'm about to die,

logically speaking,

I should spin some lies

to make you risk your life for me.

But it's really strange.

I don't want to lie to you at all right now.

I've never

truly liked you.

Look at yourself.

It's best you never did.

Without you,

my life ahead

will be incredibly carefree.

If you can survive,

take this

and find Fan Changyu.

What is this?

You were together before after all.

I'm leaving you a way out.

Qi Min wants the whole world to suffer.

I, Sui Yuanqing,

only want him to suffer alone.

Why would she believe me?

Then I will give you a

pledge of loyalty.

Sui Yuanqing!

[Three days later]

Your Majesty,

I have a matter to report.

Wei Yan lacks discipline over his subordinates.

This act is tantamount to rebellion.

It must be punished severely.

Grand Tutor, you understand me. Speak freely.

Your Majesty.

The Marquis of Wu'an

is the nephew personally cultivated by Prime Minister Wei.

Yet, in front of the troops,

he sliced off the ear of Eunuch Li, who was delivering the decree.

Such behavior is incredibly arrogant.

It is truly treasonous.

By law, he should be executed as a warning to others.

Grand Tutor Li speaks frankly.

Prime Minister Wei, what is your view?

In my opinion...

This Eunuch Li

kept claiming the Marquis of Wu'an intended to rebel.

However, I believe

the Marquis merely lost control in his anger.

After all, in this world,

not everyone can be a modest gentleman

like Grand Tutor Li's grandson, Discipline Inspector Li.

Even if Your Majesty suddenly changed your mind

about marrying the Princess Royal to someone else,

he could accept it gladly.

What Prime Minister Wei said is also true.

Military commanders

are rough men.

Prime Minister Wei!

He Jingyuan's control over half the army

has fallen into the hands of a mere village girl.

That Commandant Fan cannot even read military maps or treatises,

yet because of your selfish motives,

she became an Army Supervisor in Jizhou Prefecture.

The Command Office is in chaos.

May I ask, where is the military discipline?

And where is the law of the land?

Is that so?

Your Majesty!

The Marquis of Wu'an and Commandant Fan

have both made distinguished military contributions.

But rewards and punishments should be clearly distinct—

they cannot be conflated.

What do you think, Your Majesty?

Report!

Your Majesty.

This is an 800-li urgent report from Jizhou.

Present it at once.

Yes.

Excellent!

The Marquis of Wu'an and Commandant Fan have joined forces.

The rebel Sui Yuanhuai has been executed.

Lord Changxin and his two sons are all dead.

The Sui family line is severed.

From now on, there are no more Chongzhou rebels in this world.

Perfect!

A perfect harmony between General and Minister defeating the enemy together.

This is my great fortune.

And a blessing for the Great Yin.

Worldly affairs are like chess; every game is new.

Since the Marquis of Wu'an and Commandant Fan have achieved consecutive victories,

I shall reward them.

I shall reward them generously.

Your Majesty is wise.

Your Majesty is wise.

[Government]

[Peace at the border]

My Lord.

The Princess Royal is about to return to the capital.

Commandant Fan is holding a farewell banquet for her tonight.

Will you be going?

Also,

tomorrow morning,

the Marquis is sending massed troops to escort the Princess Royal.

I am too ashamed to face them.

Come on, come on.

Come on.

Here.

Here.

[Qinwen Hall]

Come on.

-Ten. -Twenty.

It's getting messy with all the drinking.

Why hasn't Discipline Inspector Li come yet?

He caught a cold.

He probably cannot make it.

Everyone.

I cannot hold my liquor well.

I will take my leave after this cup.

Farewell, Your Highness.

Sit.

The Princess Royal returns to the palace tomorrow.

If anyone has anything to say,

do not let tonight slip away.

I'll go.

[Qinwen Hall]

You sit down!

All right.

Go on!

What does he have to say?

Will he go?

H-He's going.

Your Highness!

Your Highness, please wait!

Your Highness.

The Princess Royal doesn't want to see you.

I just want to ask a few questions.

Go away!

I imagine Your Highness wouldn't want

to return to the palace with regrets and unanswered questions.

Leave us, Jianjia.

Allow me.

Your Highness.

I actually want to ask,

why are you suddenly returning to the palace?

I have been in the Northwest for over 5 months.

I feel exhausted.

I've also suddenly realized something—

I don't want to waste any more time on pointless entanglements.

I assume you must be greatly relieved.

Since Your Highness has realized this,

I should naturally offer my congratulations.

However, there are some words

that I have kept hidden in my heart for a long time

that I wish to share with Your Highness.

But my clan's rules are strict,

and I dared not overstep my bounds.

So, a few days ago,

I returned to Hejian.

I knelt in the ancestral hall for 3 days and 3 nights,

and finally obtained the clan leader's forgiveness.

Only then do I dare

to reveal my feelings to you here.

Go on.

Fan!

-I… -Slowly.

I have to have a few drinks with you alone.

Do you still... have wine here?

I... Let me speak from the heart.

I, Jin, have never admired anyone.

But I admire you.

Before I met you,

I never believed

that a woman with such thin arms and legs like you

could go on battlefields.

Can this small body of yours go on battlefields?

Never heard of it.

Fan can.

So I admire you.

My boys all admire you.

Come on.

Come!

-Cheers to Fan. -Come on.

-Come on. -Come on.

Brothers!

Pour the wine.

Pour, pour.

My wife can't hold her liquor well.

I'll drink for her.

Here.

What wife?

She is the head of your family.

Everyone in Lin'an knows

you are the matrilocal husband of the Fan family.

Once you married in, you have to listen to the head of the house.

Isn't that right?

Exactly.

You usually dress like a gentleman.

Yes, you're the Marquis of Wu'an.

But you can't deny

the marriage vows you took.

You can't just deny them.

Forget about this matrilocal husband nonsense.

I can drink this wine.

-I'm old. I don't remember what I said. -Sit, sit.

I have a low tolerance for alcohol,

so I didn't hold the cup steadily.

My wife and I will take our leave now.

Take your time drinking, everyone!

Fan!

Hey!

A hundred years ago,

[Dingcang Pavilion]

the Gongsun clan was once in its prime.

All past Empresses came from the Gongsun family.

But a tall tree catches the wind.

And they all met a tragic end.

When the Great Ancestor was alive,

a dragon robe was found in the Eastern Palace.

Crown Prince Shaoyang was demoted to a commoner.

The two Empresses from the Gongsun family

hanged themselves in the palace.

The Gongsun clan

had their homes raided and were exiled.

Even the plaque at Luyuan Academy's Library

was nearly taken back.

I know about this.

The Gongsun case

was eventually proven

to be a frame-up by a prince.

In this world,

there is no such thing as a flawless frame-up.

It was just that the Emperor on the throne back then

could no longer tolerate the Gongsun family.

The Gongsun branch family

has struggled to survive at Luyuan Academy for a century.

The first rule set for the clan was:

do not enter officialdom.

Actually,

from the first day Your Highness arrived at Luyuan Academy,

I knew you were a woman.

When you played

that first game of chess with me at the Library,

I already knew

that the person who broke my chess formation

at Fengyu Pavilion was you.

However,

when I found out the girl I had long admired

was actually the current Princess Royal,

I felt no joy in my heart.

I only lamented how fate toys with me.

Then why are you telling me

this now?

I want to propose to Your Highness.

I...

have admired you for a long time.

Today, I boldly ask Your Highness:

if one day,

after I help Jiuheng

bring down Wei Yan and the Li family,

would you, Princess Royal,

be willing to live with me in Hejian

as a carefree couple?

You can rest assured.

The Gongsun family has accumulated wealth for a century

and still has some assets,

I won't let you suffer.

-It's just that Hejian's no match to— -What if I say no?

In that case...

I spoke out of turn.

Please forgive my foolishness.

Gongsun Blockhead.

I

want the thousands of books in your library

as the betrothal gift.

Do you agree?

You're hesitating?

Y-Yes.

Yes. I agree to everything.

My family has 12 library buildings.

I wonder, Princess,

which one do you want?

I want them all!

Okay.

Okay.

Don't pull me.

Where are you taking me?

You're drunk. I'm taking you back to your room.

Let's go.

I'm not drunk, Your Lordship.

You can't change

how you address me, can you?

Except for "Your Lordship,"

you can call me whatever you want.

♪ In a lifetime of storms, a fleeting bloom ♪

♪ The most beautiful scenery becomes a poem ♪

♪ For a chance encounter ♪

♪ A single letter of longing, half a lifetime apart ♪

♪ I'll burn out my passion for you ♪

Yan Zheng...

♪ Just for a glance ♪

Your name is Yan Zheng.

♪ In this life ♪

♪ All that I can see or hear ♪

♪ Is that we'll live and die together ♪

♪ On this journey ♪

Can I call you

♪ You're all that I care about ♪

Yan Zheng in the future?

♪ My soul yearns and my dreams linger ♪

♪ After we part ♪

♪ Where love dwells, where fear lies ♪

♪ Just one thought makes me sick ♪

♪ I wish to leave this world with you ♪

♪ We'll never be apart ♪

Your hand...

Does it hurt?

♪ In a lifetime of storms, a fleeting bloom ♪

♪ The most beautiful scenery becomes a poem ♪

♪ For a chance encounter ♪

♪ A single letter of longing, half a lifetime apart ♪

♪ I'll burn out my passion for you ♪

Changyu...

♪ Just for a glance ♪

♪ In this life ♪

Kiss me.

♪ All that I can see or hear ♪

♪ Is that we'll live and die together ♪

♪ On this journey ♪

♪ You're all that I care about ♪

♪ My soul yearns and my dreams linger ♪

♪ After we part ♪

♪ Where love dwells, where fear lies ♪

♪ Just one thought makes me sick ♪

♪ I wish to leave this world with you ♪

♪ In this life ♪

♪ All that I can see or hear ♪

♪ Is that we'll live and die together ♪

♪ On this journey ♪

♪ You're all that I care about ♪

♪ My soul yearns and my dreams linger ♪

♪ After we part ♪

♪ Where love dwells, where fear lies ♪

♪ Just one thought makes me sick ♪

♪ I wish to leave this world with you ♪

♪ We'll never be apart ♪

If you miss me,

you can write me a letter.

Even though I can't read them.

I'll be going now.

Safe travels.

I'm leaving.

Since you can't bear to part with her,

why not see her off yourself?

If I went,

I'm afraid I wouldn't let her go.

A move played cannot be taken back.

What I promised you still stands.

How am I the one holding you back

and ruining your plans?

We have already promised each other.

Once this is over,

we will return to Hejian together,

find a quiet place, and spend the rest of our lives in peace.

The Capital is treacherous.

It is indeed imperative to act now.

It is time to return to the Capital

and finish what needs to be done,

once and for all.

[Capital]

Not bad, not bad.

Drink some more.

I want to eat this.

Here.

Okay.

Stop it.

Have another drink.

Mr. Li?

I was wondering why I haven't seen Ms. Yueli these past few days.

Turns out someone is hogging the Jingque Tower and refusing to leave.

Wei!

Aren't you supposed to be serving in the Northwest?

[Grand Tutor Li's grandson, Li Huaixian]

I heard the Marquis of Wu'an has returned.

Did you step down to make way for your betters?

Get lost.

As expected, bastards

are never as good as the biological ones.

It seems that the Marquis of Wu'an

is Prime Minister Wei's own flesh and blood.

Everyone, get out.

Yes, Sir.

Say that again.

Why play dumb?

Word has spread all over the Capital.

The Prime Minister and his wife are estranged.

You are not Prime Minister Wei's son at all.

Wei Xuan!

How dare you!

You're just a bastard.

Lying to people all day using Prime Minister Wei's name.

Your mother is nothing!

I've long heard that the Prime Minister's true love

is his childhood sweetheart from the palace, Lady Qi.

Li...

You're full of crap!

If we were on the battlefield,

I would have killed you already.

I'll give you one chance.

Shout three times that "The Li is inferior to Wei,"

and I'll let you off today.

Pah!

Who do you think you are, Wei Xuan?

The Li is inferior to Wei?

More like the Wei is inferior to Xie!

Wei Xuan!

[Post-Credits Scene]

[Qinwen Hall]

F-Fan and His Lordship...

Th-Th-They...

What's wrong?

Come look for yourself.

Look, look!

His Lordship—

What Lordship?

I'm still mad at him.

One minute he's lowering his status to be Fan's matrilocal husband,

then he's throwing his weight around as a marquis.

Now he's going to marry the princess and become a Prince Consort.

I'm telling you,

if he really dares

to wrong Fan,

I'll...

I'll...

I'll...

What are you gonna do?

[Qinwen Hall]

I'll stay mad at him!