Original subtitles

The storm rises

on the peak.

The traveler shall not return.

A barren womb

that bears no fruit.

The omen is dark.

No fruit?

Holy One,

speak plainly.

My lord and I

yearn for an heir.

We have sought

every healer,

yet our cradle remains empty.

Do not despair, My Lady.

A son is written

in Lord Gu's fate.

Though

his life-spark burns dim.

Yet, destiny

is not set in stone.

With pious deeds

and charity,

the gods may relent.

Praise the gods!

My love,

we shall have our heir!

Holy One,

from this day forth,

on every new and full moon,

I shall fast

and pray

within

these walls.

May the gods

grant our house

an heir.

Your devotion

shall move the heavens.

May the gods watch over you!

[Merciful gods,]

[grand me an heir, ]

[and I shall pledge my life]

[in return.]

Zhishu left in such haste.

So secretive.

What if he is

in peril?

Fret not, fair sister.

He never

deprives himself

of comfort.

Besides, he is a master of the sword.

No harm shall find him.

We always knelt here as three,

praying for our parents.

I used to find his chatter tiresome.

Now, his absence

leaves a cold silence.

When will he return?

He thinks himself

cast aside.

Yet he's barely gone,

and the house feels empty.

Catch me!

Master. My Lady.

Peace be with you.

Zhili.

Your seat was empty yesterday.

What befell you?

A slight fever,

Master.

Nothing more.

Did the healer tend to you?

My Lord,

My Lady.

Do you seek the gods' grace today?

We pray for an heir.

To secure

the Gus' bloodline.

May your prayers

be answered.

- Dear sister! - Careful!

Keep up!

Almost there!

Are you bruised?

I am well.

How fiercely protective.

My love,

behold,

what a perfect match.

They bear no resemblance

to siblings.

We share no blood.

Fair sister,

come.

The altar awaits.

We must

bid you farewell.

You made

a fool of yourself.

It was but

a minor stumble.

Yet you trembled like a leaf.

Look at them.

Green and fair,

bound by Venus herself.

You are

a graying man.

Do not let lust

rot your reputation!

This is a holy place.

Silence your wicked tongue.

Before the gods,

you should fear

your own dark thoughts!

Your eyes...

they held the same fire they did

when you first

gazed upon me...

Insolence!

Silence your slander!

Have you waited long, Your Majesty?

I have only just arrived.

The tea is perfectly brewed.

Sit,

warm yourself.

You are

usually so fierce.

Why does your heart flutter so tonight?

The noodles will grow cold.

Pray, taste them.

The royal kitchens boast

the finest delicacies,

yet this lamb broth

warms my soul far better.

Did no other dish

tempt your palate,

Your Majesty?

Are you trying to unravel me?

My life is an open book to you.

I shall read a page of yours,

Your Majesty.

When I

was a lad,

my mother made

sweet pastries.

When she passed,

I gorged myself

on twelve chests of it,

weeping until

I spat blood.

Since then,

food has held no joy

for me.

We hunger for

the hands

that fed us.

When I see apricot cake,

I remember Xiang.

You brought flavor

back to my life.

Think of me

when you taste this.

Snow!

I never saw snow in Shazhou.

Wishes made on the first snow

are granted by the gods.

I fear I have missed it.

Why petition the gods?

A prayer to me may be pragmatic.

Then I pray for

the downfall of Ling Yunfei,

the ruin of his Tiger Roar bandits,

and eternal peace for our lands.

And what does the Crown pray for?

By the heavens, this is scandalous!

They...

Hush! Shall we summon the heralds

and blow the trumpets too?

A royal tryst?

In the gardens?

Witching the Crown

is a death sentence!

They will tear her limb from limb!

Watch your tongue!

They are debating the affairs

of the realm.

Affairs

of the realm?

Feeding him like

a tavern maid?

It is a disgrace!

I shall intervene before honor dies!

Your prayers shall be granted.

May

the winter never

find me without companionship.

We are both

kinless.

Adored by millions,

yet you spend the feast nights

in solitude.

I pray

your hall

is never

cold

again.

When the spring blooms,

shall we cast our prayers upon the waters?

I pledge it.

Disgraceful!

A sovereign whoring with his own minister?

He spits on the laws of the realm!

I knew

that baseborn girl

was poison!

The whole realm

whispers of his shame!

How have you failed your watch?!

The girl has a tragic past.

His Majesty snatched her

from the slavers.

It is but a lingering pity.

The whispers in the taverns

are lies!

He is now

the laughingstock

of the lowborn!

The Crown's honor is bled dry!

He reads the

ancient decrees

every dawn.

Surely His Majesty knows his bounds.

Yet his chambers

remain empty!

No son to secure the succession!

The throne cannot stand without an heir!

I have sweated blood over this.

When the

noble maidens danced,

his wrath nearly

saw me

executed!

An heir would

bind his wandering heart.

My Lord,

what is your counsel?

My love,

the whispers of the Crown and Lady Meng

grow louder by the day.

I've gazed upon her

at feasts.

She is poised and dignified,

not the siren they paint her

to be.

If the Crown

is smitten,

I cannot blame him.

A sovereign bedding his minister

is a scandal.

We shall

have Wen Ruomei sent to the palace.

That shall extinguish

Meng's hopes.

That maiden

is dull-witted.

She lacks the grace to wear a crown!

Words of a simple mind!

It is vital we sever

the Crown's attachment

to Meng Tinghui!

You bury yourself

in statecraft,

yet you ignore our own house.

Our son is of age.

You should find him

a lady

of high birth.

If you and the lad

have chosen a maiden,

name her.

No house in the realm

would dare refuse us.

Father!

Mother!

Fetch the finest matchmakers

in the realm!

I have found

the lady of my heart!

Listen to him!

Our little bird is ready to

build his nest!

Tell us,

who is she?

She is

no

mere mortal!

She is a moon-goddess

fallen to earth!

A vision of peerless grace!

Her every breath is music...

What a poet we have raised!

Pray tell,

who is this goddess among mortals?

The first

female grand scholar of the realm!

You speak of whom?

Lady Meng Tinghui!

Only when I am

in my grave!

My soul is bound!

I shall wed her or no one!

- You insolent... - Set it down!

You

neglect him for your state scrolls,

and then wonder

why he has no bride!

You should

hide your face

in shame!

Do not rage, Father.

The whispers said

she was

a wonder,

even the Crown coveted her.

I sought

her out.

And she is

a creature of pure light!

A single glance,

and my life was forfeit to her.

Ignorant little...

My Love,

when has our boy

ever shown such fire?

You wish to sever

their bond, aye?

If we bring her

into our house,

then...

Then she shall

draft all your decrees!

She'll be ten times better

than those fat court scribes!

Aye!

Folly!

Our lineage is ancient and pure.

I will not have it stained

by a lowborn street-urchin!

I...

I care nothing for lineage!

If she is

denied to me,

I shall hang myself!

Then hang!

What a foul tongue you have!

Can you not see

his heart is breaking?

If anything happens to my boy,

I...

shall join him

in the grave!

My ghost shall haunt these halls!

We shall die together!

Silence! You fools!

Out of my sight!

Gladly!

Folly in the mother, ruin in the son.

Fuzhi?

What has happened?

My dear,

thank the gods.

My father

is gravely ill,

lost in a deep sleep.

I must ride home.

What ails him?

I know not.

Some lingering plague of his youth.

He has fought

many winters.

I shall be by his side.

My Lady, the hour grows late.

We shall depart.

My dear,

Ling Yunfei

is a cornered wolf.

He shall strike again.

Be on your guard.

I shall.

Have a careful journey

and tend to your father.

Farewell, then.

Ride safe!

My Lady,

your lady mother

ordered this tonic for your health.

Leave it.

I shall have it when I finish.

And this scroll

from Lord Gu.

It is

for your eyes only.

You may leave.

"A straight stem requires

pruning to flourish..."

[My fair protege.]

[I feel your distance,]

[but the game of thrones]

[is not for the innocent.]

[The Bureau is the Crown's eyes,]

[yet of late it grows reckless.]

[Unbridled,]

[and it shall breed ruin.]

[All I do is]

[for the peace]

[of the realm.]

[Hold fast]

[to your honor,]

[and do not be deceived by whispers.]

[He seeks to guide me.]

[He reins us in]

[only so the Bureau]

[can truly]

[serve the realm.]

A fair night,

Your Majesty.

Behold,

the waters are calm,

and the fish thrive.

May your reign

be forever peaceful!

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty!

A message

from Lord Shen.

A matter of grave import.

[My search has]

[revealed secret forges]

[where the empire meets]

[the frozen waste]

[of Northsunder.]

[The ghosts of Midvale are]

[lingering in shadows.]

[And the Northsunderers gather at our gates.]

Huang Bo.

Dispatch my decree.

General Huo

must march his legions

to Zhishu's side.

Aye!

Your Majesty,

the rot of

illegal steel

traces back to Midvale.

If the Northsunderers are in their pay...

Then we shall bury them all.

Shen Zhishu was at your heels,

and you blind fools saw nothing!

Had the Grandmaster not sent me,

the crows would be picking at our bones!

The Conclave

does not

feed useless dogs!

Grandmaster!

Let our blades prove our worth!

We beg of you!

Grandmaster,

The Edge and The Plot

were sworn to the cause.

None are more loyal to the old kingdom.

Do not

thin

our ranks

before the war begins.

Punish me

in their stead.

Rise.

Our cause

brooks no failure.

If you fail me again,

you shall answer to Orcus.

Gratitude!

Praise the Grandmaster!

We shall carry your grace to victory.

For the glory of Midvale!

The Usurper's eyes are upon us.

Quench the fires. Stop the forging.

The Usurper

has been at our heels

since we left Shazhou.

He is a shadow we cannot shake.

Yet,

we did not return empty-handed.

Our men have

harvested the Fairbane.

The dark opium

scheme

may now commence.

Grandmaster,

I brought news

on this very matter.

Two nights ago,

a highborn patron came to Huiyin.

He was a mere ghost of a man,

yet after taking

his own pill,

he rose again as vigorous as

a young stallion.

The Lyre sensed a threat.

Using the art of dream-binding,

she unraveled his secrets.

His drug is crude,

but it mirrors the very pills

you brewed.

It is sold

only in secret,

brokered to

the wealthiest merchants.

The next trade is near.

The dealer is a cutthroat

named Lyu Da.

So the Tiger Roar Gang dally with

the devil's weed as well.

Let them sow the seeds;

we shall reap

the harvest.

The boy emperor

sits on a fractured throne.

When the tide turns,

Midvale

shall rise in glory!

Eternal soars the Dark Bird!

Forever shines the Crimson Moon!

Eternal soars the Dark Bird!

Forever shines the Crimson Moon!

Good sir...

I

beg you...

plead with the Baron...

The bliss is too short!

It lasts scarcely a dozen heartbeats!

I meant no offense...

I bring forth

a river of gold

for your guild.

What game is this?

The poison you sell

is but crude ash.

A man must

buy for a sennight before he craves more.

You scrape

for coppers.

Speak your name, or bleed!

The herald of your fortune.

Behold, Godsgrain.

A single lick strengthens the blood.

One dose,

even the God of War

cannot break the chains.

You shall drown

in silver.

Why

share such treasure

with us?

The leaf grows

in the barren wastes.

My twelve apothecaries

refine the sap.

Yet to flood

the empire,

we need your cubs.

We shall thrive together.

What is

your scheme?

Silver

and gold.

No man

spits on wealth.

Keep the box.

Learn its truth.

[Three nights hence,]

[bring your Baron here.]

[Our master wishes to discuss a conquest.]

Mercy, My Lady!

My husband was mad with wine

when he bartered me!

Madam,

you have a gentle heart.

Do not let

my daughter suffer my fate!

Cease your weeping.

This is no Orcus' Hall.

The door is there.

Leave if

you dare!

In,

little wench!

Madam!

This little filly tried to run.

I brought her back!

One pill for one maiden.

The bargain is struck!

Praise be to you,

Madam!

Father! No!

Piss off, wench!

Madam,

send me home...

I beg of you...

How many times has he traded you?

Open your eyes!

I shall not trade my flesh...

Flesh?

That is for gutter-wenches!

Xiangning.

Tell these lass

what we build here.

In here,

I never serve men.

I make men serve me.

I hold the strings of

the wealthiest lords.

They kiss our feet

for a whisper of grace.

You know my heart.

I harbor

no cruelty

for the young.

On the morrow,

a master shall

teach her the high arts.

Bow, child!

Gods bless

your mercy!

In this house,

we are sisters.

Beyond these walls,

we are masters of men!

Do you think the magistrates

spare us

out of kindness?

Xiangning!

Their fortunes and lives

are in my hands!

Will you be worms

crushed in the mud,

or queens in silks?

Speak your minds!

Madam,

I shall stay!

Madam,

I stay!

We shall remain!

We remain!

Pliant

fillies.

Xiangning,

take them to hone their arts.

Must you always ravish me so?

It is passing strange.

The Tiger Roar Gang

have vanished.

I fear

they are prepared for us.

The serpent

always

draws back before it bites.

My Lady,

a small comfort.

Time is our enemy.

Zhili,

sketch the phantom for us.

You shall draw

Ling Yunfei's face

from the rumors.

A fine idea.

We shall gather rumors.

I shall try

to draw him.

Separate.

Let

no stone remain unturned.

"Thirteen maidens

snatched...

the caravans looted..."

Where did you hear this?

Lady Shen,

those are tales for coppers!

I know nothing

of those bandits!

You swear to this?

By the gods, I swear it!

The gods

do not shield liars!

There was

a whisper of...

Behold the beast!

Why the delay?

Slit her throat and throw her to the fishes.

We made

quick work of Lord Zhou,

did we not?

A dead hero

is a dangerous thing.

To break her,

we must tear her honor

to shreds.

You used the same vile tricks

on your lady wife.

Silence!

You couple with a brothel-crone

who could

have bred you!

You are a disgrace!

Had she not

pulled me from the dead,

I would be bones,

and you would have no high place.

Utter another insult,

and I shall truss you up

for Meng Tinghui.

We can burn together.

Do we understand each other,

BROTHER?

Truly.

A tragic romantic.

If you have no stomach for this,

stay hidden.

I shall weave the web for Meng myself.

I know you excel

at vile tricks.

I shall see how foul a web

you spin.

Baron,

the meeting place is ahead.

You are a punctual man, Baron.

You have seen the magic of my pill,

I presume?

I sell to the living,

not the dead.

Your poison slays them

in a single sunrise.

Do I ask Orcus

for the payment?

It can be softened.

A slight turn of the mortar,

and they shall beg to live

in your shadow.

A sharp sting before the sweet promise.

My friend,

you excel this game.

Yet,

can you truly secure

an endless harvest

of this fatal bliss?

I have found a secluded forest

near the Capital.

We shall cultivate

the Fairbane in secret.

If the Baron nods,

the pact is sealed.

Thoughtful of you.

And how shall we

divide the spoils?

I demand sixty percent.

When these broken souls

wither,

it is us they will curse

with their dying breath.

Agreed.

When the poison

takes the realm,

you shall gladly yield

that meager coin.

A clean deal!

Now we are partners in blood,

why hide behind a mask?

To see my face, Baron,

is to see your own grave.

A single sound summons the hollowed.

Sound this,

and the poisoned shall be

but hounds on your leash.

Gods, Baron...

they move

like shadows.

In all my years,

I have never witnessed

such unbending pride!

A whistle

to command the hollowed...

It is a rare treasure.

There is more.

Your face

is plastered

across every alley in the capital.

A bounty?

That pestilent wench!

Who else

but that viper?

Yet... the artist

has talent.

The eyes are remarkably

like mine.

Let them search.

The coin still rolls.

Our ally in high places

have more to fear than we do.

Huang Bo,

ready a carriage.

I ride alone tonight.

You stay.

Alone?

Your Majesty...

Your sworn shields must follow.

I shall go with you.

It is a meeting with Lady Meng,

not a nest of vipers.

I need no shields.

Your Majesty,

have I displeased you?

Why cast me aside?

Lady Meng would not mind

my presence.

Yet I mind!

Cease this babble

and do as I bid.

As you command...

I said no servants!

Leave me!

Greetings, Your Majesty...

Insolent wench!

Who gave you leave to enter?

Speak, or lose your head!

Hal?

The stars have turned.

Why is he late?