Original subtitles

[Palace of Eternal Peace]

Your Highness,

the peach blossom pastry and preserved fruits

you ordered for Lady Xie have arrived.

Please have a taste

and see which one

agrees with Lady Xie best.

Who made this?

Lift up your head.

It's you?

Your Highness still remembers me.

Take the others away.

Everyone, leave the room.

How do you know how to make hawthorn cake?

Before entering the palace,

I had a long stay at Prince Jing'an's Mansion.

I often heard the servants talk about

Lady Xie making hawthorn cake for Your Highness.

So I tried my hand at making some using her method.

Did anyone allow you to do that?

Now, I get mad at the sight of hawthorn cake,

for it always reminds me

of who my beloved Yaoyao is with.

Get out!

Yes.

[Key to the Phoenix Heart]

[Episode 16]

Mother, it hurts.

Do be gentle, Mother.

Drop the act.

It does hurt a little.

You used to dream of traveling far and wide

and exploring the world.

After what just happened,

do you still want to do that?

Mother,

only when I left Jiankang

did I realize what the real world is like.

There aren't fine clothes and lavish feasts,

nor thousands of dazzling lights.

Take the girl in court today as an example.

Just like that, she saw her own brother

die a tragic death right before her.

Perhaps she already

lost her only family.

To add to that...

nobody will ever fix a honey drink for her anymore.

By contrast, some people are utterly vile,

just like Cui Jun.

He even harmed his own little sister

just for the Phoenix Heart Tokens.

Right.

Empress Wenxi and I were as close as sisters.

She often talked about her older brother

to me, describing him as an upstanding

and ambitious man.

To survey the mineral deposits of Ye,

he travelled to nearly every part of the country.

But based on what Cui Jun did today,

he is completely different from what Empress Wenxi said.

I've never seen this.

Then, has there been

anything odd about your father after he returned

from the northern desert region?

I once heard from my mother

that my father was severely injured

upon his return.

After he recovered,

he became completely different.

He was cold, indifferent,

violent, and harsh,

unlike the loving parent he used to be.

Shortly after that, my mother passed away.

Please think again.

Any other change?

My mother also told me

that my father somehow

became interested in studying

mineral deposits and maps.

Please think again.

What does your father

enjoy eating?

He doesn't like or dislike

anything in particular.

However, in recent years,

I've noticed that my father no longer enjoys tea.

Instead, he prefers milk

and all sorts of pastries made with milk.

This wheel?

Why does he have this?

Isn't it what I made for Shao Yang

years ago in Northern Qin?

You disappeared for 20 years.

I really thought

you were dead,

Chu Zhu.

Nothing gets past you.

You put on a disguise mask

and began hiding in Southern Ye.

Shao Yang instructed you to do so, right?

This is my master's order

and my mission.

Then what about the real Cui Jun?

Twenty years ago, when he travelled the northern desert region,

I killed him in an attempt to seize the map of mineral deposits

drawn by him.

Unfortunately, I was one step too late.

He had already sent the map back to the Capital.

This map was later

stashed in the Phoenix Heart Tokens

by Empress Wenxi.

Let me ask you. Did you also orchestrate

the wrongful cases involving the An and Lu families

and causing my clansmen's deaths?

I am a slave bought by Shao Yang.

She is my master.

Whatever she asks me to do,

I will absolutely do it

as long as I'm still breathing,

including eliminating the An and Lu families and your clansmen,

as she commanded.

Well, well.

Not only did my love betrayed me,

but my best friend also stabbed me in the back.

Not long ago in Jiankang,

I met Shao Yang.

How is my master doing?

Your master

got seriously ill.

She passed away shortly after returning to Northern Qin.

Will you continue to work for her?

This is a design of mine

for sealing the imperial mausoleum

with water.

Tell me.

What exactly are you trying to do?

To destroy Lingfeng Fort.

All the iron-contaminated water in the mine

is sealed under this wheel.

Six hours ago,

I already activated the wheel.

Lingfeng Fort will soon be submerged by the polluted water.

Everyone will die.

You're crazy.

The wheel mechanism is full of hidden weapons.

Mulian Ying,

you will definitely not

make it back alive.

All of you will have to die with me!

My mother just made some honey water.

I brought a bowl of it for you.

Drink it when it's warm.

You didn't poison it, did you?

Yes, I did.

I added in stuff like datura,

aconite, and Qianji poison.

Why did you still drink it when I told you it was poisoned?

Because I wanted to be killed by you.

Is it sweet?

Thank you for saving those girls.

If they decide to hush them for good,

what will happen to these girls?

-Please help us! -Please help us!

-Help us! -Help us!

-I beg you! -Please!

-Please help us! -Please help us!

Also, thank you for saving my mother.

Does your wound still hurt?

It's normal to get injured in battle.

This wound is barely anything.

My hunch tells me something's wrong.

Is it about Cui Jun?

When my mother was in Shangjing years ago,

she heard from Empress Wenxi

that the latter's brother was originally a righteous man.

But now this man has become completely different.

You don't think

he'll easily surrender, right?

My own design can't stump me, can it?

Shao Yang, here I come.

Your Highness, the mine collapsed.

Yuan Xiaoliu is dead.

Xiao Wuyi!

Yuan Xiaoliu.

Master.

Wake up.

Yuan Xiaoliu.

Yuan Xiaoliu!

Master!

How exactly did this happen?

It was my father's doing.

He tried to drag everyone to hell with him.

All the polluted groundwater

was kept beneath this mine.

My father activated the mechanism

so as to drown the entire Lingfeng Fort with filthy water

and take everyone's life.

Xiao Wuyi!

Xiao Wuyi!

Xiao Wuyi!

You cannot kill him.

We must bring him back to Jiankang.

That's the only way to expose the Cui family's crimes to the world

and truly avenge those who died a wrongful death!

This is how justice works!

♪ The past is dust, we're passing through ♪

♪ No regrets for what we've lost and won ♪

♪ The shape of time begins to fade ♪

♪ Half by choice, half washed away ♪

♪ Love and hate fade like the shifting sand ♪

♪ What's right or wrong is better left unsaid ♪

♪ As a mere traveller in the world, do not ask about the cause and effect ♪

Your master sacrificed his life to save all of ours.

[Tomb of Yuan Xiaoliu the Recluse]

Princess Yunzhao,

truth to be told,

I'm here at the Grand Tutor's request.

He knew you were likely in Lingfeng Fort,

so he asked me to bring you a message.

That is, The Xie family in Jiankang

will always await your safe return.

No need. All ties between him and me are severed

now that we are divorced.

You are such a free spirit.

How admirable.

After the disastrous happening,

I finally realized

that the Phoenix Heart Tokens

truly exist in the world.

There has always been a saying among people in recent years—

"When the Phoenix Heart Tokens appear, peace shall be restored in the world."

I wonder if you...

If the world could be changed

by just a few tokens,

why would Young Lord Xiao bother to implement reforms?

The Phoenix Heart Tokens

are simply something that Empress Wenxi

left behind for those around her to remember her by.

As for that rumored Crown Prince Wenxi,

it's pure nonsense.

That day in court,

I made a lie out of it

just to cause Cui Jun to panic.

As a holder of a Phoenix Heart Token,

you were also entrusted with Ye's moving to the south

and the task of aiding Crown Prince Wenxi.

Crown Prince Wenxi died a long time ago.

He didn't die!

Empress Wenxi and I were as close as sisters.

If her son had really survived,

I would love him dearly.

How would I have never shown any care

for him during these years?

Good then.

I was just worried about my brother.

If Crown Prince Wenxi truly existed,

what would become of my brother?

Hearing what you said today,

I'm finally relieved.

I shall

take my leave then.

How did it go? Did you intercept the letter?

Did Princess Yunzhao mention the whereabouts of Crown Prince Wenxi?

Bring the nanny in Prince Qi's Mansion back to Jiankang.

Your brother

is not of royal blood at all.

Yunzhao has long suspected Prince Qi's origin.

The purpose of her trip to Guazhou

is probably to use the Phoenix Heart Token she holds

to command the other token holders

to assist the Li lineage of the royal house in gaining the throne.

This is bad. She plans to reveal Mao's real identity.

This is the map of Ye.

Close your eyes.

Throw a dart.

We will go wherever it lands.

No need to shut my eyes.

I'll just throw the dart.

There's a place called the Cloud Pavilion on Lai Lake.

Let's go to Lake Lai then.

You don't like it?

How about we will travel all the way south

in quest of the best copper mine in the world?

Mother,

actually, I...

Never mind. It's nothing.

So you don't like traveling with me.

Where would you like to go then, Yaoyao?

Oh, right.

I just recalled another wonderful place,

where you can find your favorite dish, tofu steamed in lotus leaves.

In midsummer, you can take a boat out to sea.

How about we venture off to the sea

and watch the sunrise together?

Mother, are you writing a letter to Father?

Yes.

Some things,

I think, are better explained clearly

to your father.

There is a problem with Cui Jun's identity.

So is with the wrongful convictions of the An and Lu families

years ago, I'm afraid.

So you're not going back to Jiankang, Mother?

No. What about you?

Are you planning

to go to the Northern Border with Xiao Wuyi?

Mother, I'm not...

I made a promise to my master.

I must not break my word.

Yaoyao,

what do you think of Xiao Wuyi?

Did you have a good time living

in Prince Jing'an's Mansion?

Mother.

I think...

he's somewhat different from what people say about him.

He's actually a great general.

"Who says we stand alone?

We share weal and woe."

Indeed, he chose

a rather good name for himself.

But I was asking your opinion about him as a person.

He...

could be quite annoying sometimes.

But, I guess, maybe he can be

considered a gentleman.

Let bygones be bygones.

Young Lord Xiao has agreed to let you go.

Have you made any plans

for your future?

I'll travel the world with you for sure, Mother.

Haven't you already planned it all out?

In the past, I was so immature

that I often made you angry.

From now on, I will stick with you all the time.

We shall never be apart.

How about that?

[Lingfeng Fort]

You're leaving so soon?

What happened at Lingfeng Fort will be known.

I'm afraid the Phoenix Heart Tokens

will be coveted by many along the way.

If I travel with you,

there might be danger.

So I'll take a different route back to Jiankang.

Will you...

go back to my mansion

in Jiankang?

My mother and I will send Lejun back to Jiankang first,

and then head directly south to Shu County.

Shu County?

Yes. My mother

told me she once saw crystal-clear pools there,

so I'd like to go and see for myself.

Then...

Try not to get kidnapped.

Don't worry.

I'll continue the studies

on my master's caltrop fireball.

If anything comes up,

I'll inform you immediately.

Good.

Well then...

I'll get going.

Sure.

Li!

Here you come.

The usual, half salty and half sweet?

Yes.

Wait a moment.

My wife

loves the rice cake you make.

After being away for days,

I bet she misses this delicacy.

How very lucky of your wife to have you,

such a caring man, as her husband.

Alright. Thanks.

Goodbye.

Master.

A secret letter has arrived.

I've found out the mysterious Phoenix Heart Token is related to a mine.

Besides,

Princess Yunzhao and Cui Jun

each hold a Phoenix Heart Token.

The relationship between Xie Jiayu

and Xiao Wuyi has changed.

Princess Yunzhao will possibly join forces with Xiao Wuyi.

I'm ready to go all out.

Why would she partner with Xiao Wuyi?

T-That's impossible.

Do not act rashly.

We'll devise a plan when you're back to Jiankang.

Have this letter delivered to Princess Pingning.

Remember: make it quick.

Yes.

[Lingfeng Fort]

Your Highness, Lady Xie,

Young Lord Xiao ordered Qing Long and me to escort you two.

How thoughtful of him.

Let's go, Mother.

Anything wrong?

Mother, I'm feeling a bit unwell.

Yaoyao, after the incident you just went through,

I'm sure you need to lie down and rest.

Why not ride with me instead, Princess Yunzhao?

It's a good idea.

I'm fine, Mother.

I have recovered.

Maybe we should still...

Yaoyao,

please listen to Princess Yunzhao.

If you get ill,

everyone will be very worried.

Be a good girl.

Get some rest.

My Lady,

His Highness said

you must not tire yourself out.

Who on earth do you work for, me or him?

As long as it's for Your Ladyship's own good,

I'll listen to it.

I don't think Your Ladyship is rushing to draft the caltrop fireball

entirely for Master Yuan.

The horse got startled!

Oh no!

Mother, Lejun!

Mother!

Mother!

Mother!

Mother!

Xiao Wuyi, let go of me!

Mother!

Mother!

Let go of me!

Mother...

Your Highness!

-Princess Pingning! -Princess Yunzhao!

-Princess Yunzhao! -Mother!

Princess Pingning!

Princess Yunzhao!

-Princess Yunzhao! -Princess Pingning!

Mother...

Princess Pingning!

Princess Pingning!

-Princess Pingning! -Princess Yunzhao!

Princess Yunzhao!

-Mother! -Princess Pingning!

Princess Yunzhao!

Mother...

Princess Pingning!

-Princess Yunzhao! -Mother...

-Princess Pingning! -Mother!

Princess Yunzhao!

I found Her Highness!

Mother...

Mother!

Mother!

Mother...

Mother...

The daughter I want

is not some puppet who only knows how to obey me,

but a young woman

who truly knows what she wants

and what she ought to do.

Your parents are not the ones you can truly depend on—

only you are.

Mother!

Mother...

Mother...

Your Highness, the coachman is dead.

Mother...

What about Princess Pingning?

Not found yet.

Go on with the search.

Make sure you find her,

dead or alive.

Yes.

Mother...

Mother...

My Lady.

these are Her Highness's belongings.

Is anything missing?

The Phoenix Heart Token...

Could it have dropped somewhere when Her Highness

fell off the cliff?

That's impossible.

I saw Mother place it right next to her skin.

Is Your Ladyship suspecting that someone murdered Her Highness

in order to obtain the token?

Before she fell off the cliff,

that horse was clearly out of control.

Mother!

Go examine the forage

and the dead coachman.

Got it.

We found Princess Pingning!

We found Her Highness!

Where did you find her?

Your Highness was fortunately

caught on a dead branch right by the cliff.

Injured though,

Her Highness's life is not in danger.

That's good.

I investigated many a matter.

This is roughly how the incident happened.

The horse went wild

because it ate the grains and forage

contaminated by the dirty water.

And all those grains and forage

were already sealed by my order.

I even specifically prepared a horse carriage.

Now the biggest suspect of Princess Yunzhao's murder

is me.

It does appear so.

But Lady Xie is very perceptive.

The clearer the evidence against Your Highness,

the less likely Her Ladyship is to suspect you.

Whether she suspects me or not doesn't matter.

The point is, the deceased is Jiayu's mother.

Now, the more care I show,

the messier the situation will be.

My Lady!

Are you alright, My Lady?

Jiayu.

She's burning up.

Quick, go get Ruisheng!

Xiao Wuyi.

Before my mother's fall,

had you seen her

or heard her mention

anyone trying to harm her?

Does sitting in that chair

mean all the constraints will go away?

The military is controlled by noble families.

Whoever takes that post is bound to be

subject to constraints.

That's why I established Beifu,

an army that doesn't answer to noble families.

No.

Father...

Mother...

♪ One glance from near stirs my heart ♪

Xiao Wuyi...

I'm here.

♪ This fleeting moment ♪

Xie Jiayu,

do you know who you are asking for?

♪ Tugs the threads woven by fate ♪

♪ Bound tight evermore ♪

♪ Sharing all the years together ♪

Jiayu

♪ Peace I find nowhere but by your side ♪

Don't be afraid.

♪ Bear witness with our souls ♪

♪ Fear no partings or wax and wane ♪

♪ You know me and decided to live and die together ♪

♪ Believe in my persistence that I won't run away ♪

♪ You know I'm unyielding ♪

♪ Don't give up or dodge ♪

♪ You know me, seeing things through from start to finish ♪

♪ You see my move under rebellious cover ♪

Get some sleep.

♪ You know me, I'm willing to be with you till the end ♪

Dawn will eventually arrive.

♪ Burn the fire in my heart ♪

♪ Sincere hearts remain as of old ♪

Not all the toxins from the polluted water were cleared from Jiayu's system.

Neither did she have time to rest properly.

Then, Princess Yunzhao's death hit her hard.

She turned like this due to emotional blows.

The remaining toxins in her must be purged.

What medicinal materials are needed?

I'll have Qing Long go buy them.

I have all the common kinds,

but a rare one is lacking—

bear gall.

My Lady, you're awake.

How long was I asleep?

Two days.

What is this?

It smells terrible.

It's bear gall, a cure for toxins.

Where did it come from?

Probably provided by Madam Ruisheng.

That treasure box of hers surely has

all sorts of medicinal materials, right?

The journey has been paused for too long.

It's time we headed back to Jiankang.

My Lady,

Princess Yunzhao passed away so suddenly.

How should we hold a funeral for Her Highness?

Theorectically,

since Her Highness already divorced the Grand Tutor,

her coffin should be placed in the Princess's Mansion.

However, the princess's fief,

namely Yun County, was conquered by Northern Qin long ago.

Her control over it was just nominal.

Neither was her mansion

ever relocated to Jiankang.

Then where should we bring her coffin?

To Prince Jing'an's Mansion?

From now on, I'll stick with you all the time.

We shall never be apart.

Your Highness!

Prince Qi and the Grand Tutor have come.

Yaoyao, where is Lejun?

In the carriage behind.

She fell off the cliff with my mother,

and is still in a coma with severe injuries.

Bring her back to the palace now,

and summon royal physicians!

How did Princess Pingning

and Yunzhao fall off the cliff together?

Father,

it was all my fault.

I was supposed to share a carriage with Lejun,

but I felt unwell

and needed to lie down,

so we swapped carriages.

Because the horse was startled,

her carriage plunged off the cliff.

Father,

I...

I...

Grand Tutor,

Jiayu didn't wish for

Princess Yunzhao's death,

nor does she have anything to do with it.

How does it have nothing to do with her?

Who told you to switch carriages with Yunzhao?

If it had never happened,

it would've been you who died.

It couldn't have been Yunzhao, right?

Everyone of the Xie family, listen!

Princess Yunzhao and I simply adopted Xie Jiayu.

She was not given birth by us.

From now on,

this woman is no longer the daughter of the Xie family.

She is not allowed

to step into the Xie Mansion ever again.

Guards!

Yes.

Escort the princess's coffin

back home.

Yes.

On the genealogical record,

I, Xie Huaigui, and Yunzhao,

will remain as husband and wife forever.

We were never divorced.

Never.

I'm taking my wife home.

None of you can stop me.

Grand Tutor!

Xiao Wuyi, go back without me.

I need a word

with Mao.

I didn't expect you to be involved in the Cui Family Case.

I was frightened upon receiving

that letter from Lejun.

Don't beat yourself up.

What happened to Lejun and Princess Yunzhao was an accident.

It wasn't your fault.

My mother didn't die of an accident.

What?

Her Phoenix Heart Token has gone missing.

Someone must have

murdered her for the token,

and Lejun became collateral damage.

Do the Phoenix Heart Tokens truly exist?

Cui Jun and my mother each had one.

If it hadn't been for these tokens,

I wouldn't have been tricked into going to Lingfeng Fort by Cui Jun.

He originally intended to use me

to force my mother to hand over her token.

Yet he failed in the end.

I find Xiao Wuyi suspicious.

The horse went wild

for eating the grains in Lingfeng Fort,

which were polluted by the dirty mine water.

All those grains

had been collected and sealed by Xiao Wuyi.

No one could access them except him.

He already coveted the Cui family's mines

back in Lingfeng Fort.

So he's the biggest suspect.

Lejun is severely injured and in a coma now.

When she comes to, please

ask her to do me a favor and think carefully

if there is any other witness or clue.

I've someone to find the coachman's family

in the hope of gaining new clues.

But, Yaoyao,

if you're truly suspecting Wuyi,

then you must not return to his mansion.

If not, how am I supposed to find

my mother's Phoenix Heart Token?

This item is of great importance.

He must have hidden it somewhere secret.

Perhaps he has it on him.

As long as I find this token,

I'll be able to prove him to be the murderer.

Yaoyao...

Mao.

My mother is dead.

The only person who loved me unconditionally

in this world died a wrongful death.

I swear to find out the murderer,

whoever that may be.

I will make sure justice is served for her.

[Prince Jing'an's Mansion]

Maybe Your Highness

should have the bear-induced wounds checked by the physicians.

Have Cui Jun and Cui Shao'an

been properly arranged?

Yes, all is done as per Your Highness's orders.

What happened at Lingfeng Fort will soon be known.

With two Phoenix Heart Tokens appearing at once,

anyone would be tempted.

I'd like to see

who will show up for them.

Xiao Wuyi, I'm back.

You finished that talk with Yizhi?

Yes, I was giving him some advice about Lejun.

Are you explaining to me?

I'd like to have a clean room.

Wensheng Courtyard has always been yours.

I want to set up a memorial tablet.

Before my mother died,

she had decided to divorce that man.

I'm afraid her spirit in heaven

would hate to return to the Grand Tutor's Mansion.

So, I plan to set up a memorial tablet

for her in Wensheng Yard.

This way, I can mourn for her.

As I said,

Wensheng Yard has always been yours.

Feel free to make your own decision.

Got it.

Lejun,

the imperial physician said

you hit your head when you fell off the cliff.

That's why you've been in a coma.

Are you going to stay asleep like this

and never wake up again?

What exactly happened

in the carriage?

Yaoyao said

Xiao Wuyi murdered Princess Yunzhao to get her Phoenix Heart Token.

She has also sent people

to find the coachman's family.

Though the latter is dead,

his family might have seen

who replaced the forage

with the polluted grains.

As long as the witnesses arrive in Jiankang,

they can immediately testify

who exactly harmed you and Princess Yunzhao.

Li Lejun, you're actually conscious, aren't you?

Are you sure you want to keep up the act?

Mao.

Are you alright?

Have Yaoyao and her people really found

the coachman's family?

Did they truly see who tempered with the forage?

No...

It can't be possible.

So it really was you.

Please punish me, Mao.

Why on earth did you do it?

This matter has nothing to do with you.

It's better for you not to know the truth.

You caused Princess Yunzhao's death,

and framed Xiao Wuyi for it.

Xiao Wuyi is not someone to be trifled with.

Tell the truth already.

If not, what are you going to do

when he starts investigating it?

Speak up.

Prior your trip to Guazhou,

what exactly did you plot with the Grand Tutor?

Why did you murder Princess Yunzhao?

Because she had a Phoenix Heart Token.

Because Crown Prince Wenxi is still alive.

And more importantly,

Princess Yunzhao knew that you, my brother, are

the Grand Tutor's son.

What?