Original subtitles

The Scholar and the Emperor

-Cheers! -Come on.

Mengmeng.

Do you remember our promise?

We said

if neither of us found someone we loved,

I'd run a tavern,

and you'd teach at a girls' school.

When we grew old,

we'd keep each other company and never be lonely.

Who would've thought

you'd be getting married?

Looks like fate has been kind to us.

Zhili has Anian,

I have His Majesty,

and you have Young Lord Shen.

Another toast.

Cheers.

Mengmeng.

Ever since we came back from the hot springs,

you've been acting strange.

Is something bothering you?

If Mengmeng had something on her mind,

wouldn't she tell you?

She must be worried

about tomorrow's wedding.

To wear the phoenix crown,

you must bear its weight.

Becoming mistress of the Central Palace

won't be as carefree as serving at the Office.

Relax.

No matter how heavy the phoenix crown,

all of us will be there to help you carry it.

Exactly.

His Majesty will protect you at court.

My brother and Anian will watch over you in the palace.

Fuzhi and I will stay by your side.

And Yin Qing will keep you laughing.

The five of us from the Office

will always have your back.

Come.

Cheers.

Cheers.

I'm afraid this is all just a dream.

And when I wake up,

it'll all be gone.

Mengmeng.

If they ever wrong you in the palace,

come back to Bofeng Tavern.

This will always be your home.

And I'll always be here for you.

I don't care whether you live in wealth and splendor.

I only wish you

joy and good health, year after year.

Mengmeng.

Whether you're Director Meng of the Office

or Her Majesty the Empress of the Central Palace,

to me,

you'll always be the sister who helped me grow

and kept me safe.

You'll always be

the girl I'm proudest of and admire most.

All right.

You're getting married tomorrow.

No getting sentimental tonight.

Come.

Let's drink to...

-The Empress of Daning! -The Empress of Daning!

And

to nights when we can still drink like this.

Your Highness.

By this time tomorrow,

every lantern in the capital

will be covered in funeral white.

Eight years of blood debt

will finally be repaid.

At the Battle of Humen Pass,

when Ying Gua was still Crown Prince,

that arrow pierced more than my uncle's throat.

It shattered the fortunes of my mother's clan.

After that,

Father saw only my elder brother.

What is he?

Just a coward hiding in the royal tent,

playing at schemes and power.

Your Highness.

The time for revenge has come.

Daning's Left Chancellor believes

you came to present warhorses

and secure the marriage alliance.

We already have the gate-opening warrant.

Once the signal is given tomorrow,

Beijian's Wolf Cavalry assassins

can ride straight into the capital.

Yes.

I've kept you waiting, Second Prince.

Mr. Shangguan, you leave no trace on snow.

Even Beijian's Wind Listeners

couldn't sense your presence.

Truly remarkable.

You're too kind, Second Prince.

More importantly,

you should be more concerned with tomorrow's operation.

At tomorrow's imperial wedding,

the bridal procession must leave the Office

and pass along Changle Street.

We've already turned the commander of its escort.

He'll claim he's searching for assassins

and draw away half the Imperial Guard.

The alleys here form a maze.

This is where Ying Gua will die.

Sir,

are you truly certain

this ambush cannot fail?

Ying Gua is sly as a fox.

Back then, with only 3,000 light cavalry,

he lured my army of 30,000 into a death trap.

If this is another one of his schemes,

you and I will be trapped with nowhere to run.

With our forces working openly and in secret,

Second Prince, you have nothing to fear.

Your Highness's Wolf Cavalry will strike head-on.

My Blood Moon Society assassins are already in place

to support the Princess from the shadows.

Even if Ying Gua casts a net across heaven and earth,

this wedding feast

will still be his last meal.

Interesting.

But after all this time working with you,

I've never seen your true face.

The day Zhongwan is restored,

this face hidden in dust for ten years

will see daylight again.

Then, Second Prince,

we can drink wine from Ying Gua's skull.

The Hour of the Rooster has passed.

Ying Gua's death draws near.

Daning's destiny

has run its course too.

This time, I'll do it myself

and take Ying Gua's head.

The imperial wedding of Emperor and Empress

is a grand rite of state.

We now present these betrothal gifts

to show the Son of Heaven's solemn devotion

and honor the Empress's virtue as mother of the realm.

Ten bolts of scarlet silk with golden phoenix brocade,

one pair of green-jade nuptial cups,

one pair of kingfisher-feather paired-phoenix vases,

one black-glass pearl,

one lingzhi-shaped ruyi scepter,

and one set of gold-feather phoenix hairpins.

May dragon and phoenix bless this union.

Will I still get to see you often

after this, Your Majesty?

Of course.

I'll always be your Mengmeng.

We promised not to cry today.

We're sending Mengmeng off with smiles.

The auspicious hour approaches.

We respectfully invite Her Majesty the Empress.

I never thought those stories in the novels

would actually come true.

Shunzi.

Go buy me a few more copies of the Spring and Autumn Annals.

Boss, what for?

Obviously, next year

I'm going to pass the metropolitan exam too.

Your Highness.

The phoenix palanquin has reached the street.

Look.

What a sight.

Die, Ying Gua.

Run!

You think stopping me

means this is over?

Back to the hall! Protect His Majesty!

The auspicious hour has arrived.

Escort Their Majesties into the hall to honor the ancestors.

Their Majesties, present the incense.

First bow: to the Sacred Ancestor who founded the realm.

Yao'er.

Second bow: may the realm endure forever.

Third bow: may Emperor and Empress be of one heart.

Yao'er, kill him.

-The rites are complete. -Yao'er.

Kill him.

Yao'er, kill him.

Yao'er, he destroyed your kingdom.

Kill him.

Yao'er.

He destroyed your kingdom.

Kill him.

Yao'er.

Kill him.

Your Majesty.

Guards! Protect His Majesty!

Your Majesty.

Mengmeng.

What's wrong?

One step closer

and your Emperor

dies without a burial place.

Enough of your tricks.

Who are you,

to attempt regicide in Sacred Ancestor Hall?

More than ten years ago,

a hundred thousand of my people were slaughtered.

That blood debt...

have you forgotten?

A Zhongwan remnant.

You destroyed our home and nation,

then call us remnants?

Today I'll use the Son of Heaven's blood

to honor the dead of Zhongwan.

I'll fight you to the death!

Yin Qing?

How could it be you?

You've hidden behind a mask for so long.

At last you show yourself.

Did you truly think my palace

was somewhere you could come and go as you please?

Mengmeng, you knew already?

Yin Qing, your incense...

I replaced it three days ago.

Today I used myself as bait

to draw all of you out.

Do you know how long I've waited for this moment?

You joined forces with him to trap us?

Reporting to Your Majesty.

All nine gates around the hall are sealed.

None of them will escape today.

Beijian's Second Prince and his Wolf Cavalry are destroyed.

The Blood Moon Society has no one left to rely on.

-Impossible. -Left Chancellor.

You privately issued tribute credentials

that allowed Beijian's Second Prince

to ally with the Blood Moon Society

and sneak armed men into the capital.

Your Majesty, please hear me.

I must have fallen for a traitor's scheme

when I issued those tribute credentials.

Your Majesty, what matters most now

is exterminating the Zhongwan remnants.

Ying Gua.

I came here today

with no intention of leaving alive.

Seize him.

Yin Qing, stop.

Don't cling to this madness.

You're the one lost in madness.

I endured humiliation and planned every step

to raise you above everyone else in Daning.

Kill Ying Gua today,

and Zhongwan can be restored.

Restore the kingdom?

That would only uproot the people.

This blood feud...

I would rather not avenge it.

Besides,

I am now a citizen of Daning.

Director Meng is in league with the Blood Moon Society?

-Impossible. -Impossible.

Seize every remaining member

of the Blood Moon Society.

You forced my hand.

Look closely.

Would you truly let her become Empress of Daning?

The Mystic Bird emblem?

The mark of Zhongwan royalty.

You're the Princess of Zhongwan.

A Zhongwan princess

has been manipulating Daning's court?

Guards!

Execute her on the spot.

Who dares?

Your Majesty.

Did you know her identity all along?

Your Majesty.

Are you going to hand Daning

over to the remnants of Zhongwan?

Meng Tinghui previously

knew nothing of her birth.

But everything she has done for Daning,

I know better than anyone.

Stop pretending, Princess.

We planned the Infinity Pill disaster together.

Gu Qin's execution,

the collapse of the Beijian marriage alliance—

all of it was to plunge Daning

into crisis at home and abroad.

You think if you cut off every path she has in Daning

and pin every disaster on her,

she'll restore Zhongwan with you?

You keep her beside you

only because you want to use her too.

Between you will always stand

the hundred thousand dead of Zhongwan.

You can never be together.

Your Majesty, no more words.

Execute this witch and the Zhongwan remnants at once

and end the threat forever.

You all keep calling me a witch who will ruin the realm.

Today I'll carve away this Mystic Bird emblem

and show you where my loyalty lies.

Don't!

The Mystic Bird emblem is destroyed.

I am no longer the Princess of Zhongwan.

I am only Meng Tinghui.

Left Chancellor...

If you want to harm His Majesty of Daning,

you'll have to step over Xu Ting's body first.

-Left Chancellor. -Left Chancellor.

-Chancellor! -Left Chancellor, wake up!

Fetch the imperial physician!

-Quickly! -Yes!

-Imperial physician... -Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

I was wrong before.

Please... don't hold it against me.

I...

can no longer serve Your Majesty.

-Chancellor! -Chancellor!

-Chancellor! -Chancellor!

-Chancellor! -Chancellor!

Chancellor.

Princess.

We should be happy.

I avenged you,

and my younger sister as well.

Kill

every last Blood Moon remnant.

Xu Ting is dead,

and now your heart aches?

When Daning's iron cavalry

slaughtered my people of Zhongwan,

do you know how it tore my heart apart?

You and I,

Zhongwan and Daning,

can never share the same sky.

If this blood feud can never be settled,

then today I'll use your life

to end it once and for all.

Sir.

Your Majesty.

Mengmeng.

Haven't Daning and Zhongwan shed enough blood?

Your Majesty, please spare Yin Qing.

The hairpin I gave you with my own hands...

and you use it to threaten me?

I know Your Majesty hates Yin Qing,

but I can't watch him die.

And I can't stand by

while hatred between Daning and Zhongwan deepens.

The Left Chancellor died protecting me.

If I don't kill him today,

what right have I to defend the realm and protect the people?

Today

is the day he dies.

Stop!

I am protecting Yin Qing

for Daning's sake as well.

Your Majesty, Meng Tinghui has bewitched your heart.

You must not release the mastermind behind this.

I beg Your Majesty

to execute the Princess of Zhongwan and her followers

and bring peace to the realm.

Your Majesty.

Spare the tiger, and disaster will follow.

Today we absolutely cannot

let them leave Sacred Ancestor Hall.

Anian.

Must you really kill every last one?

Your Majesty.

We failed to root them out before.

That caused today's calamity.

We must not repeat that mistake.

Zhishu, you know Mengmeng would never harm His Majesty.

-Please... -We beg Your Majesty

to execute the Princess of Zhongwan and her followers

and bring peace to the realm.

The phoenix pendant is broken.

Our private bond is ended.

But I will not yield one inch of Daning's realm.

Let them go.

-Your Majesty! -Your Majesty!

The dragon throne sways,

the witch beguiles,

loyal ministers fall,

the frontiers burn.

The Emperor is besotted,

the realm withers.

The dragon throne sways,

the witch beguiles,

loyal ministers fall,

the frontiers burn.

Proprietor Yan.

Will Lord Meng really restore Zhongwan and attack Daning?

-Proprietor Yan! -Boss!

Bad news!

War is coming!

My relatives at the border saw enemy troops.

Then let's hurry and stockpile grain.

If war really breaks out,

grain will be what keeps us alive.

Yes.

-Your Majesty. -Grand Tutor, no need for ceremony.

Please sit.

I assume you've already heard

that they're calling me a foolish ruler now?

In my view,

Your Majesty made the realm your board and benevolence your bait.

That is great wisdom.

Zhishu tells me

Your Majesty intends to issue a new policy for Zhongwan.

Those who submit will be freed from slave status and granted farmland.

They may enter government through the examinations.

This measure

will show Zhongwan's survivors

Daning's sincerity.

I'll bear the infamy.

But this game for the realm

will be played by my rules.

Your Majesty means to lead the campaign personally?

With both chancellorships vacant and the court unsettled,

and Beijian's wolfish ambitions,

colluding with Zhongwan remnants

to attack Your Majesty,

this journey will be perilous.

The realm needs a leader.

I asked you here today

precisely to have you hold the court

and oversee the Six Ministries to keep the court stable.

I let Yin Qing leave Sacred Ancestor Hall that day

not for Meng Tinghui.

Yin Qing leads the Zhongwan survivors.

If we killed him in Daning's Sacred Ancestor Hall,

it would inflame resentment among those survivors.

Then Daning would face

encirclement by Zhongwan and Beijian.

We must fight Beijian sooner or later.

So we might as well strike first.

Besides, that day Meng Tinghui

was gambling with her life too.

She was betting I could find a third path,

one different from Father's

for resolving the feud between our two states.

When you taught me the art of kingship, you said

a true ruler of all under Heaven

must be broad enough to embrace the realm.

I intend to unite

this fractured realm

and give the people an age of peace and prosperity.

Grand Tutor, will you help me

play this game?

I once said:

all under Heaven is a chessboard,

and the sovereign is the player.

I

am willing to take up this game

for Your Majesty.

I have not attended court in ten years.

I never imagined

I

could once again share Your Majesty's burdens

and serve Daning.

With you holding the court,

I can campaign without worry behind me.

From this day forward,

you will govern in my stead,

and oversee the Six Ministries.

I will not fail this trust.

I will do all in my power

to keep Daning's court secure

and await Your Majesty's triumphant return.

Your Majesty.

Yin Qing's group entered old Zhongwan lands in Qingzhou.

Beijian has massed troops at the border but has not moved.

Yeqi is drilling troops at Qingxia Pass as a show of force.

Taishui cavalry raided our Jizhou camp at night,

burning three of our army's granaries.

War is breaking out everywhere. We cannot delay.

Daning's forces will advance on three fronts.

Shen Zhishu.

Lead your army to Yeqi. Tell its king

whether he will be Daning's enemy or friend

is his choice to weigh.

-I obey. -Di Nian.

Lead an elite force against Taishui.

You must take the city within seven days.

I will not fail Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

When the Second Prince's body returns,

Beijian will seize the chance to attack.

Then we'd face war on two fronts.

No need to wait for Beijian.

Three days from now,

I will personally lead the army against Beijian.

I'll make them understand

Daning is not theirs to trample at will.

I request to serve as the vanguard.

I owe the Left Chancellor a great debt.

I must avenge him.

Even if I am shattered to pieces,

I will not hesitate.

Good.

Soldiers.

Powerful enemies surround us.

One step back

and our mountains and rivers shatter.

One step forward

and our iron bones forge the walls.

I will live and die with every soldier.

Defend our land!

Protect our people!

Defend our land!

Protect our people!

Defend our land!

Protect our people!

Defend our land!

Protect our people!

Princess.

This is the detached palace where you often lived as a child.

Do you remember it?

I've seen it in dreams.

Here are enshrined the spirit tablets of Zhongwan's royal kin

and loyal martyrs.

Every midnight,

you can hear them weeping.

After Zhongwan fell,

Daning neglected this palace too.

So we secretly established ourselves here.

On the first night,

many of our people were driven mad by phantom cries.

Mr. Shangguan.

The old clan chief has been waiting for some time.