Original subtitles

The Scholar and the Emperor

The Mystic Bird shall never perish.

The Blood Moon shall endure forever.

Welcome home, Princess.

All of you, rise.

I've waited more than ten years.

At last, the Princess has returned.

You are...

the old clan chief?

Are you truly the Princess?

The Princess really has returned!

Of the twelve clan elders,

I alone remain.

To think the Princess still remembers me.

Even if I died now,

my life would have been worthwhile.

Princess, drip your blood on the clan register,

then cast it into the altar.

Swear before the Mystic Bird

to reclaim our homeland

and console the souls who died in agony.

The Princess has returned!

Reclaim our homeland!

The Princess has returned!

Reclaim our homeland!

The Princess has returned!

Reclaim our homeland!

Ancestors above,

I, your unworthy descendant Murong Yao,

command as Princess:

the Kingdom of Zhongwan

shall never be restored.

Princess!

Princess!

You've destroyed our people's last hope.

If we do not restore Zhongwan,

we betray our ancestors.

The living

matter more than spirit tablets.

I only want to save the people of Zhongwan.

The Mystic Bird shall never perish.

The Blood Moon shall endure forever.

When my blood soaks this altar,

the Mystic Bird will fully awaken.

The Mystic Bird shall never perish.

The Blood Moon shall endure forever.

I beg the Mystic Bird to open its eyes

and give the Princess the will to restore Zhongwan.

Princess.

The old clan chief's two sons

both died in battle over ten years ago.

His grandson died while fleeing on a snowy night.

He wept until he went blind.

All these years, the only thing

He stayed alive for one reason: to see you one last time.

Because he always believed

you would come back.

These two people volunteered as sacrifices.

One

lost his son building canals for Daning.

The other

lost his entire family, buried alive when Zhongwan fell.

My entire Shangguan clan

also died at Daning hands.

Without the hope of restoring Zhongwan,

not one person here

would have survived until today.

Princess, change out of that.

The Princess of Zhongwan

should not wear the robes of an enemy Empress.

Zhongwan dress suits you better, Princess.

Come. Pay respects to our ancestors.

Ancestors above,

I, your unworthy descendant Murong Yao,

have returned too late.

To let Zhongwan's people live and prosper

is my duty as their Princess.

I will never allow the flames of war

to descend on Zhongwan again.

Princess.

Swear before our ancestors.

Say you will restore Zhongwan

and reclaim our homeland.

Yin Qing.

Isn't letting our people live and prosper

more important than killing to restore a kingdom?

I've brought all of you home safely.

Now I must follow the path I believe is right.

What are you going to do?

Daning has abolished permanent slave status.

The new policy will be implemented.

I will return to Daning as Zhongwan's Princess

and negotiate peace with its Emperor,

to secure a future for our people.

Do you know what's happening in the Zhongwan slave camp?

You think a few new policies from Ying Gua

can erase our people's suffering and humiliation?

Do you know what Daning has done to Zhongwan?

When Zhongwan is restored,

Daning will repay every debt.

Restoration

is your obsession,

not mine.

I only want to save my people.

Sir.

Perhaps Zhongwan can win peace

without shedding a drop of blood.

Get out.

You are Zhongwan's Princess.

What will it take for you to come to your senses?

You must restore Zhongwan.

Come. Tell our ancestors

you will restore Zhongwan.

You will restore Zhongwan!

You will restore Zhongwan!

You will restore Zhongwan!

Yao'er.

You're bleeding.

I'll stay with you.

Yin Qing.

-Have you lost your mind? -I'm not mad.

I am Shangguan Zhao.

I am your Brother Shangguan.

My Brother Shangguan

died more than ten years ago.

The man who lived

was Yin Qing, who gave me the Rain Bell

and told me that even the fiercest storm

would one day pass.

There is no Yin Qing in this world.

To restore Zhongwan,

I could even grovel before Ying Gua.

No one can stop my plan to restore our kingdom.

Not even you.

Your road

ends in everyone's grave.

The road I seek may be harder,

but it is a road meant for the living.

Guards.

Yao'er.

Once Ying Gua is dead

and Daning's imperial clan destroyed,

we'll play hide-and-seek again,

just like when we were children.

I'll leave the tavern in your hands.

Keep the accounts as usual.

If any important guests ask,

say I've gone out of town to visit relatives.

Manager Yan.

It's too dangerous to go alone.

Young Lord Shen.

You came at the perfect time.

Please talk some sense into Manager Yan.

Zhaocai.

You're going to find her?

I drew my sword that day for Daning.

If she makes no move to restore Zhongwan,

I will not harm a hair on her head.

And if she does intend to restore it?

If I protect her and stand against you,

will you kill me too?

That day will never come.

If you harm her in the slightest,

I will never forgive you.

I don't care if she's Daning or Zhongwan.

She's the only person I care about.

I'm going to find her now.

Fuzhi.

His Majesty has decided to lead the campaign himself.

I'll take you to find her.

Fellow student, you dropped your inkstick.

Thank you, miss.

This pot of Courtyard Fragrance

I grew it myself.

It's for Lord Meng.

Keep it on your desk.

Its scent will calm the mind.

It really is wonderfully fragrant.

On our first day here,

shall we turn this cold, dreary Office

into the capital's most elegant bureau?

All right.

You suffered so much growing up,

yet still placed first in all three examinations.

I truly admire you.

I don't know how to express what I feel.

I only hope these little things

can warm the cold memories of your past.

Zhili.

Why are your eyes red?

It's all behind you now.

Everything ahead can be new.

If you've found a good man,

perhaps you should give each other a chance.

He's so good to me.

Sometimes I feel

I've only held him back.

Mengmeng.

Tell me.

Why did I agree

-to this marriage in the first place? -When pain becomes unbearable,

people always reach for something to hold on to.

Anian was the lamp in the fog

that showed you the way forward.

You understand each other,

and he can give you the peace you need.

But I do care about him.

I can't bear to see him hurt,

much less see him suffer because of me.

You don't need to feel guilty.

I only hope you can slowly lower your guard.

Anian is worth it.

This is a farewell drink.

Are you going to stop me?

I trust her.

Though she is a survivor of Zhongwan,

she would never harm Daning.

Anian.

I want to join the campaign with you

and find Mengmeng.

Zhili.

No matter how deep our personal bonds,

we cannot let private feelings interfere with state affairs.

The front lines are dangerous.

Miss Yan and my brother will escort supplies,

so they can avoid the worst of the fighting.

But I

must stand at the very front.

If you come with me,

whenever the beacons are lit,

your safety will be the first thing on my mind.

I will be distracted.

But I'm truly worried about Mengmeng.

And about you.

Zhili.

Do you...

like me, even a little now?

You said

this peachwood brings good fortune

and keeps its wearer safe.

Wear it.

I want you to come back safely.

I understand.

I leave tomorrow at the Hour of the Tiger.

I won't disturb you tonight.

Anian.

Zhili.

Madam.

Before the Marquis left,

he ordered us to take good care of you.

We heard you cough twice this morning,

and the weather has been turning colder.

The household has prepared a Cold-Dispelling Formula.

It is excellent for driving out chills and strengthening the body.

Still trying to escape, Princess?

I'm going to find a way

for the people of Zhongwan to survive.

Mr. Shangguan gave orders:

if the Princess escapes,

every guard and maid assigned to watch you

will be sent to the Zhongwan slave camp.

Bodies are piled at alley entrances every day.

Some

stole nothing more than half a stale flatbread,

yet were hung from the camp gate

and strangled to death.

Princess,

please let them live.

If you truly regard me as your Princess,

why is every word I say

worth less than one threat from him?

Since returning to Zhongwan,

I've kept dreaming of Yin Qing.

Back at the Office,

during the three years he stayed by my side,

he was always smiling,

always joking,

finding new ways to make me laugh.

Every day, he was also the one

who cooked a whole table of dishes,

saying he was rewarding Zhili and me.

Whenever danger came,

he never hesitated

to put himself between us and harm.

How could a man like that

become what he is now?

Princess.

Deep down,

he is a kind man.

You love him.

When Zhongwan fell,

I was sent to Qingzhou as a slave.

That beast of a county magistrate

took me home and forced me to serve as his household courtesan.

He tormented me day and night.

That life

was even worse than the slave camp.

It was Mr. Shangguan

who saved me when I had lost all hope.

He gave me a new identity

and let me live with dignity again.

Whatever he does,

I will stay beside him

and support him.

Then you have even more reason to help me

stop him from going further down this path.

I want to see the Zhongwan slave camp.

Take me there.

-Hurry up! -Stop drinking!

Move!

Get to work! Move!

-Get up! -Stop slacking!

Move!

-Get up! -Faster!

I'm talking to you!

Get up!

Are you getting up or not?

Princess.

The Zhongwan slave camp is heavily guarded.

We can only watch from a distance.

At the Zhongwan slave camp,

they mine ore, build tombs and dig canals.

Wherever there is work that kills men,

our Zhongwan people

are driven there.

It has been more than ten years.

Mr. Shangguan tried bribing officials

and organizing escapes.

But once branded as a Zhongwan slave,

even if you flee to the ends of the earth,

you'll be dragged back and executed.

Princess.

The hope that keeps these people alive

is something only you can give them.

Princess.

Every day we delay,

dozens more Zhongwan bodies are added.

You've seen the slave camp now.

Do you still refuse to restore Zhongwan?

If you can find a way

without spilling a single drop of Zhongwan blood,

then I will restore our kingdom.

Once you and I marry,

we can draw Beijian into the war

and let them fight at the front.

I agree.

But I have three conditions.

First,

all of Zhongwan will obey my orders,

including you.

Second,

all plans made with Beijian

will be under my direct command.

Third,

from this day forward,

you will never again use anyone

or anything to threaten me.

I agree to all three.

Princess.

You've finally come to your senses.

I watched my royal parents die before my eyes.

The people of Zhongwan

were branded as Daning's slaves.

I am the last of Zhongwan's royal line.

This realm

I will reclaim with my own hands.

The Mystic Bird returns.

I, Shangguan Zhao,

swear to follow the Princess unto death.

If you acknowledge me as your Princess,

then kneel when you speak to me.

I will not remain merely a Princess.

I am the last of Zhongwan's royal blood.

I will become Zhongwan's first female sovereign.

The day I ascend the throne

will be the day you and I marry.

Shangguan Zhao

accepts the command.

Yeqi has sent an alliance pact.

Taishui has submitted its surrender.

Di Nian, Zhishu,

the way you fought those two campaigns

had the spirit of Marquis Wu in his prime.

I was fortunate not to fail my mission.

General Di.

Your Majesty.

Beijian has cut our supply route for over seven days.

Our wounded lack doctors and medicine. It's critical.

Fuzhi has contacted merchant guilds in every prefecture.

They are willing to gather supplies together.

Your Majesty.

I will stake my entire fortune

and persuade them to release their supplies

to relieve our army's urgent need.

If we lose this war,

as the foremost merchant on these trade routes,

you will be the first they settle accounts with.

Everything you've built over the years

will be lost.

Without a country, how can there be a home?

I only hope this war ends soon

so I can be reunited with Mengmeng.

Within three days,

the first medicines will reach the army.

Miss Yan, your sense of duty honors you.

On behalf of the whole army, I thank you.

Zhishu.

Take Miss Yan through the western gorge.

Gather the supplies and keep her safe.

I will not let a hair on her head be harmed.

Your Majesty.

Urgent report.

The Zhongwan rebels sent a message by arrow.

They say Lord Meng...

Speak.

Lord Meng intends to proclaim herself sovereign

and establish her own rule.

Beijian cuts our supplies.

Zhongwan sows chaos in our ranks.

They mean to trap Your Majesty between threats at home and abroad.

Your Majesty.

We must strike first and end this threat.

Shen Zhishu.

The Shen clan's duty for generations

is to protect His Majesty and defend Daning.

Even if you hate me for it today,

I will still stand my ground.

As Zhongwan's Princess, Meng Tinghui

is the hope that keeps her people alive.

Whether or not she becomes their sovereign,

in her present circumstances,

this may be her only choice.

Even if Beijian and Zhongwan ally,

we still have another move.

Beijian's Second Prince died in Daning.

It was the work of Emperor Ying Gua.

Yeqi has now submitted,

and Taishui cannot withstand him either.

Only if you and I join forces

can we face Daning's 100,000 iron cavalry.

Zhongwan has been gone for years.

You're nothing but a homeless cur.

What gives you the right to bargain with us?

Because Zhongwan's Princess

is the woman Ying Gua loves.

Besides,

the Princess and I have long been betrothed.

We will marry very soon.

Shangguan Zhao.

You come into my command tent with nothing but words

and expect Beijian's cavalry to believe you?

You're only the leader of the Blood Moon Society.

Beijian

recognizes only true kings.

In that case,

would Your Highness be willing to ally with me?

Zhongwan has been gone for years.

What do you have to offer me in an alliance?

In this war between Beijian and Daning,

I'll teach you how to win.

He'll station heavy forces here.

So we should take

Xigu Pass.

-Kill! -Kill!

Beijian will certainly detour through Xigu Pass.

Di Nian, lead troops to intercept and pursue them.

Xigu Pass is lightly defended.

-Then why, Your Majesty? -Precisely because it is lightly defended,

it will be her choice.

She knows I'll set an ambush on the trade route.

I know she'll find another path.

How could Zhongwan's Princess

know Daning's troop deployments?

Because he already anticipated

that I would anticipate his every move.

If we want to win,

we must make him believe

everything is still under his control.

No one understands her thoughts better than I do.

Tonight I will lead our elite troops

to scout the enemy camp myself.

Di Nian.

I will lead troops in a feint.

Fuzhi.

You've gone all day without food or water

while gathering supplies. Eat something.

I'm not hungry.

Do we really have to be like this?

From the moment you raised your sword

against Mengmeng in Sacred Ancestor Hall,

was there still an "us"?

Shen Zhishu.

You know how much Mengmeng means to me.

My mother died when I was young.

Growing up, only Mengmeng stayed by my side

and cared for me.

If she hadn't been there for me,

I would've followed my mother long ago.

And yet you could bring yourself

to kill her?

Fuzhi.

I am not your Shen Zhishu alone.

The woman I pointed my sword at that day

was Zhongwan's Princess, not your Mengmeng.

She was a rebel intent on destroying the court

and destroying Daning.

You know better than anyone

how much good Mengmeng has done for Daning.

Shen Zhishu, answer me.

Do you truly believe Mengmeng would betray Daning

or hurt His Majesty?

Before everyone in that hall,

if you were me, what would you have chosen?

Would you have done what Meng Tinghui did—

defied His Majesty

and betrayed Daning?

Fuzhi.

Leave me alone.

Fuzhi, I know

you've resented me all this time.

If hating me makes you feel any better,

then hate me for as long as you need.

It's not that I refuse to walk beside you.

But behind me

stands a century of honor earned by the Shen clan,

and Daning's peace, forged in soldiers' blood.

I do hate you.

I hate that you can't understand that Mengmeng had no choice.

I hate that you put a cold principle

above what we have together.

I hate that everything you say is right.

But I still hate you.

I hate you.

Protecting Daning is my duty.

Protecting you

is my instinct.

The east gate is under attack!

-Send reinforcements! -Move!

-Hurry! -Move!

Go!

Who started the fire?

Your Highness, shadow guards attacked the supply camp.

Ying Gua must have sent them.

Someone is retreating toward the east gate.

After them!

Princess.

Your life is too precious to risk.

Please remain here and coordinate.

Is it true?

It is.

You truly mean to marry Shangguan Zhao

and proclaim yourself sovereign?

My people were bullied to death

by Daning soldiers.

Every night when I close my eyes,

a hundred thousand dead souls weep blood in my ears.

Murong Yao,

why won't you fight?

If you were me,

what would you choose?

There is no way to have both.

You love your Daning.

I love my Zhongwan too.

On our wedding day,

you let me leave.

Today, I'll say I never saw you.

From this moment on,

we owe each other nothing.

Your Majesty's foresight was extraordinary.

First we burned Beijian's supplies

and threw their camp into chaos.

Then our troops donned golden-thread mail

and ambushed them at Xigu Pass.

Beijian's main force was completely routed.

Beijian suffered a crushing first defeat.

They will counterattack with everything they have.

We cannot let down our guard.

-Yes. -Yes.

Shangguan Zhao.

Where is Meng Tinghui?

The Princess has returned to the detached palace

to prepare for her coronation.

At Xigu Pass,

you cost Beijian dearly.

Speak.

Did your Princess secretly collude with Daning?

Your Highness.

Victory and defeat are common in war.

To accuse us before the truth is known

is far too hasty.

Daning's shadow guards retreated west,

yet you falsely claimed they went east.

Speak.

Were you secretly aiding the enemy?

What I saw that night

was the east gate.

Your Highness.

If she truly dares aid the enemy,

I will kill her with my own hands.

Then I'll clean house for you.

Sir, your hand...

Shangguan Zhao.

Your dog

has begun thinking thoughts she shouldn't.

Guards.

Take her away.

Ying Gua's forces are concentrated at Xigu Pass.

While he has lowered his guard,

we should strike Jinxia Pass, Daning's throat.

I want Ying Gua to watch his vast realm

turn into a sea of blood.

What did you hide from the Princess?

It had nothing to do with her.

Beijian harbors predatory ambitions

and cannot be trusted.

I won't watch you bargain with a tiger.

As long as Daning is destroyed, I don't care what it costs.

I was the one who saved you.

I was the one who taught you the sword.

And now the one betraying me

is you?

I cannot watch you keep making the same mistake.

Look at what you've become.

Are you still doing this for Zhongwan's people?

You're using their blood

to feed your own selfish desire.

You hate that the Princess fell in love with Ying Gua.

Then go kill Ying Gua.

But don't make thousands of innocents

die with you.

Don't think I won't kill you.

You gave me this life.

I'm giving it back to you.

If I die by your hand,

I accept it willingly.

Get out.

Before I change my mind.

Let's leave together.

Far away from all this conflict.

You all say I've gone mad.

But if I hadn't,

how could I have survived

more than ten years of hatred?

MkvDrama