Original subtitles

♪ The white sail came too late ♪

♪ Where did he go? ♪

♪ Snow veils the mountains ♪

♪ Love endures beyond life and death ♪

♪ A black chess piece ♪

♪ Whose game did he stumble into? ♪

♪ All his life, there's no escape ♪

♪ In ten thousand years, what will still remain? ♪

♪ Will anyone still love with an unchanging heart? ♪

♪ I will remember ♪

♪ Those days long past ♪

♪ As the wind drifts with the white sail ♪

♪ Ten thousand years ago ♪

♪ Did you once walk this shore? ♪

♪ Why can't our bond be severed in this life? ♪

♪ I am lost yet willing ♪

♪ Still I love you with a steadfast heart ♪

♪ Until all things fade away ♪

♪ The stars will remember us ♪

[Love & Crown]

[Adapted from the novel "My Queen" by Xie Lounan]

[Episode 17]

General,

we have been stationed here for far too long,

only guarding and never striking back.

I fear the men may soon lose their spirit.

It should be soon.

Report!

General,

I sent our men to search the entire hunting ground,

and we found nothing unusual.

General, you still suspect that Bai Chifan?

In my view,

he has eyes only for Miss Lin,

and aside from that,

he seems to have no other purpose.

But I have always felt

that this man is not so simple.

Mr. Bai.

Your Highness.

Mr. Bai, you look quite worn and weary.

Is it...

because a certain lady keeps you tossing till dawn,

unable to sleep?

Your Highness,

please do not make sport of me.

Did you not say last time

that as long as I won the contest,

you would help

bring Cangcang and me together?

You are too impatient,

and I have yet to think of a way.

Miss Lin has a stubborn temper,

and she is not easily coaxed.

Even acting as your matchmaker is no easy task.

Your Highness is clever and quick-witted.

If even Your Highness is at a loss,

then I truly do not know what else I can do.

As for a solution,

it is not that there is none.

There is no lady who does not like

a handsome and dashing young man.

If I dress you up a little,

and have you stand before Miss Lin,

she is sure to take a liking to you.

I already used

this little trick

when I first met Cangcang.

Then just cling to her and never give up,

for even the finest lady cannot resist a persistent suitor.

Am I not pestering her every day already?

Then,

what do you say I should do?

I have heard

that there is a frozen lake outside the camp,

and perhaps Cangcang will like that place.

The ice is slick,

and you and Cangcang will no doubt

have to lean on each other for support.

I understand.

If you happen upon a thin patch of ice,

and Cangcang happens to slip,

Mr. Bai, you can leap in to save her, sharing danger and fate,

and once she is moved,

her heart will surely soften.

That is indeed a fine idea.

But will it not put Cangcang in danger?

Of course it will not.

Come.

- Once we leave the camp, - Go.

I can find a way to send Cangcang away.

It is snowing.

- Wonderful, it is snowing! - It is snowing!

It is snowing.

It is snowing.

It is snowing!

Good!

It is snowing!

The snow has finally begun to fall.

Good!

It is snowing!

It is snowing!

Good.

It is truly heavy.

Such heavy snow!

Indeed.

It is snowing!

- It is snowing. - Wonderful.

It is snowing!

This snow is truly heavy!

Good!

Xijiang is bitterly cold,

and snowfall in winter is nothing unusual.

Why are the soldiers so excited?

Wonderful.

Wonderful!

Look.

Good!

- Good! - Wonderful!

Kumor,

the snowflakes are thick as feathers.

We have finally been waiting for this.

Could it be that Kumor has been waiting for heavy snowfall all along,

that he was not remaining still,

but waiting for the rivers to freeze?

Once the waters turn to ice,

he will march across the river and attack the city.

General.

Deputy General Zhang,

keep a close watch on Mr. Bai and Miss Lin.

From this moment on,

they are forbidden from moving freely in the camp.

Yes.

Kumor,

you again?

They are my guests,

not your prisoners.

Minjia.

The battle is upon us,

and for safety's sake I must do this.

As a princess,

you should understand the reason.

Your Highness.

Didn't you say you were going to the frozen lake

to play the hero and save my lady?

Why now...?

It is snowing heavily today,

so we cannot go.

Even Your Highness cannot help me now,

so it must be fate,

and nothing can be done.

Who says I cannot help you?

There are plenty of ways.

Just not today.

Deputy General Zhang,

when the time comes, lead two squads,

and ambush at this location.

As for the exact timing of the assault,

wait for my command.

Kumor.

Minjia,

you came just in time.

We are discussing the details of the attack.

Come listen.

After winter arrives,

the moat around Jiangzhou freezes,

and we will launch a surprise attack on the East Gate.

Was that not already decided?

Kumor,

you may settle the details.

I have other matters to attend to.

What is it you need?

I am here to fetch a jar of good wine

for Miss Lin and Mr. Bai.

If you wish to drink,

there is wine in every other tent.

Why must you come to my command tent for it?

I lost at chess, that is all.

Chess?

What kind of chess were you playing?

Were we not talking about fetching wine?

Why ask about chess?

It was Tiger-Taming Chess.

Kumor,

he won against me in his very first game.

Tiger-Taming Chess tests one's strategy and command of warfare.

How could a wandering swordsman defeat you?

And I even used the moves you taught me.

Perhaps if you played,

you might not beat him either.

Minjia,

if you are all going to drink,

how could you do so without me?

Then Kumor,

I will fetch it now.

Wait.

Deputy General Zhang.

Yes.

Bring me my Parting Wine.

Yes, General.

Go make the preparations.

Very well.

Drinking in wind and snow.

Mr. Bai,

I hope you will not mind my sudden visit.

This wine today was meant

as a kind gesture from Her Highness,

but I did not expect it would alarm the General.

I am merely here to join in the merriment.

Before we drink today,

allow me first

to tell you a legend of Xijiang.

Legend holds that in our Xijiang,

there once lived a beautiful young maiden who,

against all fate, gave her heart to a prince

with whom her family shared a mortal feud.

In that very moment,

war broke out between their families.

The prince himself slew the maiden's kin.

Heartbroken beyond measure,

the maiden took the prince's life in return.

Later,

she found that after death, the prince became a spring of clear water.

She used that spring to brew a wine.

And once one drinks it,

all memories of past love fade away.

Miss Lin,

what do you think of this legend of the Parting Wine?

It is quite moving.

I did not expect the General to be a storyteller.

Miss Lin,

this is the Parting Wine of legend.

If you no longer wish to have any ties to Mr. Bai,

you may feed this wine to him yourself.

Cangcang,

are you hesitating?

Are you afraid that if you drink this wine,

you will truly forget him,

because you still cannot forget him?

If a single cup of this wine

could sever all love,

there would be no sorrowful lovers in this world.

Miss Lin,

from what you say,

does it mean you do not wish to forget?

Since the General is so kind,

Bai Chifan,

then drink this cup,

and let us part in peace,

leaving the past behind.

Everything you say is true?

You truly wish for me to forget everything?

Yes.

But I do not wish to forget.

Since Mr. Bai refuses to drink,

Miss Lin may drink instead.

After all, this Parting Wine

needs only one of you to drink it

for love to be severed.

Life and death parted...

Could this be poisoned wine?

Very well.

Then I shall drink it.

Wait.

If anyone should drink it, it ought to be me.

Did you not already cut all ties with me?

Why bother with this Parting Wine then?

Let me drink it instead.

Once I drink it,

I will never cling to you again.

You want to wipe away all that you owe me with one cup?

Would that not be far too easy for you?

What is it?

Could it be you still have feelings for me?

I simply believe

that making you remember everything

is the greatest punishment for you.

Bai Chifan!

Good wine.

You were all fooled by my brother.

This Parting Wine is only a legend.

Cangcang,

do not worry.

Mr. Bai could never forget you.

The moment I tested him,

I knew you had not let him go.

Today my brother and I are witnesses.

Neither of you is allowed to deny it.

Bai.

Bai.

Bai.

Kumor,

what is happening?

True parting

can only be found in life and death.

This cup of Parting Wine

he drank of his own will.

How is he?

This young man's pulse

is very strange.

There is an overwhelming cold in him,

and it seems restrained by medicine.

Enough talk.

Treat him quickly!

I only travel with the army,

and I specialize in external wounds.

A condition like this...

I am not confident.

Whether you are confident or not, you must treat him.

If you fail, you will answer to me!

Yes.

I will return

and prepare warming medicines to dispel the cold.

Cangcang,

watch over him first.

So cold...

So the Empress

is not as heartless as you claim to be.

You are at death's door,

yet you still say such things.

I am at death's door,

and you still shake me off.

You knew that wine was poisoned.

Why test it with your own life?

If not me,

should I have let you drink it?

Letting the Empress drink poison?

Would that not make me unworthy as a husband?

Besides,

only because I drank the poison

did I see your true feelings for me.

Xiao Huan,

it was you who gave me hope again and again,

only to use me again and again,

and hurt me.

I have finally decided to leave you,

yet here you are again.

What do you want?

What must I do for you to be satisfied?

Have you forgotten?

There is cold poison in me.

Normal poison

has no effect on me at all.

I was only pretending for their sake.

Is that true?

Of course it is.

Liar.

Cangcang, wait.

Come sit here first.

There is something I need to tell you.

Give me the antidote.

There is no antidote.

Kumor,

why would you do this?

Minjia,

did you not notice anything wrong with him?

He is just a wanderer.

How could he beat you in Tiger-Taming Chess?

He clearly knows military strategy.

And as soon as the snow fell,

he immediately watched

how you and I reacted.

His eyes are sharp,

deep and unreadable.

He is no ordinary wanderer!

You are simply too suspicious!

The battle is right before us!

As commander,

I must eliminate every threat.

There is definitely something wrong with Bai Chifan.

I absolutely cannot keep him alive.

He saved my life.

I will not let you kill him.

He is barely hanging on anyway.

He will not last long even without me.

You...

General Ling has obtained the map.

He will make his move soon.

You must see General Ling as soon as possible.

Tell him,

Kumor is waiting for the frozen season to arrive.

If I go,

what about you?

I will

create a chance for you to escape.

I asked how you will escape.

Why are you laughing?

Nothing.

Do not flatter yourself.

You are the ruler of a nation.

If you die inexplicably here,

our entire family will be condemned.

It is just that I often think of

our days wandering the martial world.

Tell me,

if we truly were a pair of wanderers,

would it have ended differently?

There are no what ifs.

Mr. Bai.

Mr. Bai.

How are you feeling?

Thank you for arranging everything, Your Highness.

Cangcang no longer bears hatred for me.

I

Have no regrets even in death.

It is my fault.

I am the one who harmed you.

This has nothing to do with you, Your Highness.

Do not blame yourself.

I am fine now.

That cup held an extreme cold poison.

Its venom is ruthless.

Mr. Bai, you...

Mr. Bai...

Bai...

Bai...

It is my fault.

All my fault.

I will find the antidote.

It is useless.

This cold sickness has plagued me for years.

Now that it has been triggered,

it may never heal again.

Perhaps this is simply my fate.

I will die here.

What nonsense is that?

I will not let you die.

What did you just say?

I said I will never let you die here.

Mr. Bai,

did you hear that?

This is Cangcang's true heart.

For her sake,

you must not die.

It is too late.

What could Cangcang possibly do?

In Jiangzhou City,

there might be a divine physician who can save me.

But Cangcang cannot leave the camp.

And even if she could,

I would not last long enough for her return.

Jiangzhou City...

To leave the camp,

I need my brother's token.

But with the heavy snow,

he will never allow any of you to leave now.

Your Highness do not trouble yourself.

Perhaps this is indeed my fate.

This happened because of me.

I cannot just stand by.

Nor can I ignore your life.

Cangcang,

I will steal my brother's token right now

so you can leave and find the physician.

Thank you, Your Highness.

I know what you are thinking.

I do need you to save my life.

Before I came to Jiangzhou,

I sent Imperial Physician Li ahead.

Imperial Physician Li...

You only need to tell him my symptoms,

and he will be able to prescribe the remedy.

Very well.

Imperial Preceptor Du must also have your tonic pills.

I will bring those back too.

I never expected

that she would not save you.

She was not like this before.

None of that matters.

What matters now

is saving your life.

♪ In ten thousand years, what will still remain? ♪

♪ Will anyone still love with an unchanging heart... ♪

This is my handwritten decree.

Give it to General Ling.

♪ Ten thousand years ago, did you once walk this shore? ♪

♪ Why can't our bond be severed in this life... ♪

Xiao Huan.

I want you to wait for me,

and to wait for me in safety.

If anything happens to you,

I will never forgive you.

Do you understand?

♪ The silent tide ♪

♪ Carries away every answer ♪

♪ The chessboard is etched with rust... ♪

I understand.

♪ Never once gave up... ♪

I will go.

Cangcang,

be careful.

♪ A thousand arrows pierce me, yet our hearts remain bound ♪

♪ I am lost yet willing, for we once loved with an unchanging heart ♪

♪ The stars will remember us ♪

Cangcang.

You're wearing my armor,

riding my warhorse.

And once you put on this veil

that I always wear

in winter,

they won't recognize you.

This is my brother's token.

Thank you.

You're not planning

to never return, right?

Don't worry.

Since Bai Chifan is here,

as long as I live, I'll return.

I am Princess Minjia.

By order of the Prince, I am going to the pass to deliver a letter of challenge.

Make way!

Who dares leave the camp?

- Prepare the horses! - Yes!

Quick!

Lower the bridge, open the gate!

Loose!

Retreat!

Cangcang.

Why did you come back?

No time to explain.

Hurry.

Take me to Imperial Physician Li.

Imperial Physician Li?

He is not in Jiangzhou City.

Not in Jiangzhou City?

Cangcang, what is going on?

Preceptor Du...

Where is the Preceptor Du?

I must see her.

Come.

Preceptor Du.

Your Majesty's safe return

is truly Heaven's blessing for Great Qi.

No need for courtesy.

Where is Imperial Physician Li?

Where is his medicine?

Yes.

What did Your Majesty say?

He's trapped in Kumor's camp.

His old illness flared up,

and his life is in danger.

I came back for medicine.

What did Your Majesty say?

You don't know?

Imperial Physician Li

truly isn't in the city.

Could it be...

The letter he gave you.

See what it says.

[Kumor's troops await the freezing of the moat]

[and may at any moment force their way across to strike at the East Gate.]

[Do not act rashly. Move only upon command.]

His Majesty instructs,

according to his judgment,

the Kumor troops are waiting for the moat to freeze,

so they may cross at any time and attack the East Gate.

But His Majesty decrees

that we must not take action on our own.

We are to wait for orders.

Wait for orders?

Nothing else was said?

Nothing.

This is bad.

I'm going to save him.

His Majesty commands

that the Empress must remain in the city.

I cannot disobey the decree.

Kumor!

Kumor.

Mr. Bai can't hold on anymore.

I was the one who let Cangcang go.

If anyone must be punished, punish me.

Kumor.

Kumor!

♪Who♪

♪ Walks lone through storm and snow ♪

♪ Reading every warmth and chill... ♪

General Kumor.

Please step outside the tent.

I can tell you myself

who I truly am.

The poison that struck you that day has no cure at all.

It was His Majesty

who gave you the Frost Reed.

He gave you the only Frost Reed

that could save his life!

There is no lifesaving medicine left.

For Your Majesty,

His Majesty risked everything alone,

sneaking into the Kumor's camp.

All his life, His Majesty has been cautious,

disciplined and restrained,

but for you,

he has sacrificed himself again and again.

Have you never thought

that the tenderness he showed you

could not have all been false?

♪ I'm willing ♪

♪ To wield my sword with you and burn the waning moon ♪

♪ I'm willing... ♪

Do you know His Majesty has long been nearing his end?

♪ I'm willing... ♪

And the one who brought him to this state

is you.

♪ I'm willing... ♪

May I ask Your Majesty,

can you bear the weight of His Majesty's devotion?

♪ I'm willing ♪

♪ To travel thousands of miles, seeking your ambition ♪

♪ I'm willing ♪

♪ To give my life to keep you safe for a lifetime... ♪

Jueding.

♪ I'm willing... ♪

Is the Xiaoxing Guards now inside the city?

Yes.

Assign your elite troops and archers to me.

His Majesty commands it,

you are not to leave Jiangzhou City.

Then this will not count as defying the decree.

General.

Do you dare face me in battle?

So you finally drop the act.

Is it because Miss Lin is now safe?

I heard you personally gave chase,

and watched with your own eyes as Cangcang entered Jiangzhou City.

Good.

You truly are devoted.

Very well.

Today, let me see what your blade can do!

Kumor!

Your blade technique is not much weaker than mine.

You are simply disadvantaged by your weapon.

I, as a general, hate being threatened the most.

Do you think

this will let you leave here alive?

Since you dislike coercion,

why did you use Cangcang to coerce me?

What do you mean by that?

Have you not been asking who I really am?

I can tell you now.

Speak!

Rumor spreads throughout your camp

that Xiao Huan, Emperor of Great Qi,

cannot even lift his shoulders,

cannot even carry anything by hand,

and does not dare step outside the palace.

Is that what you believe as well?

You are Xiao Huan, Emperor of Great Qi?

I am.

Then what about Lin Cangcang?

Is she truly the Empress of Great Qi?

Her surname is Ling,

the Ling of lofty aspirations.

Ling Cangcang

is my empress.

I never imagined

that the ruler above all others

would risk death in an enemy camp,

all for a single woman.

How is it risking death?

Do you truly think that you alone

can kill your way out?

You underestimate my Black Tiger Army far too much.

I never intended

to rely on my own strength to escape.

My plan was to send out

the Military Deployment Map first,

then send the Empress away,

and finally,

let the Western Garrison launch a surprise attack on your camp.

But the map is still with me.

The map was redrawn by the Empress and me after we read it.

Of course your copy remains with you.

So your hunting match with Minjia

was to send out the map.

Naturally.

You people of the Central Plains truly are cunning.

But it is a pity.

You are about to die here.

Is that so?

Go.

You truly are not afraid of death.

The one not afraid of death is you.

This is my personal Xiaoxing Guards.

Each one possesses exceptional skill.

Taking the General's head

would be no challenge at all.

Tonight we infiltrate the enemy camp.

Tomorrow we will seize the chance to rescue His Majesty.

Yes.

My Black Tiger Army stands here with one hundred thousand troops.

With just these few of you,

you think you can take my head?

You are far too arrogant.

And what of your hundred thousand troops?

Great Qi commands a million soldiers.

At a single order,

this place will fall.

What will you do then, General?

Do you not care at all

for the lives of your soldiers?

Of course the General cares for their lives.

♪ I'm willing ♪

♪ To wield my sword with you and burn the waning moon ♪

♪ I'm willing ♪

♪ To brave all storms with you, boiling with passion ♪

♪ I'm willing ♪

♪ To break my wings and become the blade in your hand ♪

♪ I'm willing... ♪

Otherwise why would he wait for snow and ice to launch a surprise attack,

instead of acting recklessly?

Ling Cangcang,

you dare to return?

I am the Empress of Great Qi.

Where His Majesty stands,

so shall I.

The Emperor is cunning,

and the Empress is sly.

You truly make a fine pair.

Kumor.

If we are speaking of cunning,

that cup of Parting Wine you poisoned is no less so.

We are the same.

General, why not hear me out first

before making your decision?

Speak.

Once both sides go to war,

Xijiang will be trampled flat.

I have had the fortune of spending a few days with you,

and found you a disciplined commander

who holds the people in your heart.

Thus,

I can give you a chance,

and give Xijiang a chance.

General,

would you negotiate peace with me?

Speak then.

You have stayed here for some time.

What do you see?

I know,

the General claims one hundred thousand troops,

but in truth your camp

has fewer than sixty thousand.

Sixty thousand, and so what?

Our sixty thousand troops are all fierce and brave.

It is not certain we cannot take your Jiangzhou City.

Jiangzhou City is impregnable.

Its moat is both wide and deep.

I know,

you have held your troops still

waiting for the moat to freeze.

But now,

I have already ordered General Ling

to scatter salt into the moat,

slowing the freezing.

Since that is so,

I see no need for peace talks.

We will meet on the battlefield.

You misunderstand, General.

What I mean is this.

You have always loved your soldiers as your own children,

and you cannot let them die in vain.

Once the bow is drawn, there is no turning back.

If there is war,

blood will be shed and lives lost.

But when the time comes,

we sons and daughters of Xijiang

will never fear death in battle.

I know.

Winter came early in Xijiang this year,

bringing a once-in-a-century snow calamity.

The people suffered from cold and hunger,

wandering without shelter.

The granaries of the prefecture office ran empty,

and the relief was ineffective.

Even after the disaster passed,

the hardships still remained.

The status verification system only made it worse.

Thus in this peace negotiation,

I offer three promises.

First.

Great Qi will open our granaries and provide relief to the people of Xijiang,

easing the suffering caused by the snow disaster.

Second.

We will seek experts in agriculture,

teach the people to farm,

improve the soil,

and answer the needs of Xijiang.

Third.

I vow

that within three years,

the status verification system will be abolished,

freeing the people from bondage,

and restoring peace to Xijiang.

Kumor,

when Xijiang's fields grow rich,

its harvests are abundant,

and its people live in peace,

storing grain for winter,

is that not what you wish to see?

But I once led troops to attack your city,

and even harmed you many times.

You are, after all, an emperor...

As long as you are willing to turn back,

all that is past,

I shall not pursue.

I, Kumor, do not fear life or death.

I only wish to speak for the people of Xijiang.

If Your Majesty can truly keep your word,

I am willing to give you my life,

and follow you for all generations!

General, please rise.

I stand by every word I say.

Set your mind at ease.

This Black Feather Token

belonged to my father the commander.

Today, I offer it to Your Majesty.

I, Kumor, swear before heaven and earth

that once this token is sent forth,

I shall follow unto death.

[Token]

General,

you are a hero of this age.

I shall protect it.

As for the soldiers and people of Xijiang,

I shall cherish them.

Kumor, King of Xijiang,

leads the Black Tiger Army

to pledge allegiance to Great Qi!

Long live the Emperor!

Long live the Emperor!

♪ Who walks lone through storm and snow ♪

♪ Reading every warmth and chill ♪

♪ Of the heart? ♪

♪ Who stands proud against a thousand weights ♪

♪ Grace only a mask he wears? ♪

♪ My blade sweeps the heavens ♪

♪ Blood once drenched ♪

♪ My armor and charging steed ♪

♪ I know what it means to let go ♪

♪ When to step in, when to hold back ♪

♪ A broken blade cuts through ♪

♪ Years of winter and summer ♪

♪ Enemy flags burn to ash like gauze ♪

♪ Yet my heart still bears the scars of rise and fall ♪

♪ I'm willing to wield my sword with you and burn the waning moon ♪

♪ I'm willing to brave all storms with you, boiling with passion ♪

♪ I'm willing to break my wings and become the blade in your hand ♪

♪ I'm willing to write with you this torn, enduring page of history ♪

♪ I'm willing to travel thousands of miles, seeking your ambition ♪

♪ I'm willing to give my life to keep you safe for a lifetime ♪

♪ I'm willing to sing through every farewell and wait for you another thousand years ♪

♪ I'm willing to live and die with you, my one and only wish in this lifetime ♪