Original subtitles

After what happened today,

we can be certain that Cui Jun

wasn't abducted by Grand Tutor Xie.

Otherwise,

he wouldn't have made a deal with me

just because of a letter from my mother.

If Cui Jun were in his hands,

he could have simply grilled him

for the truth behind the An and Lu families' case.

I know your little brain has become much sharper than before,

but it needs some rest now.

Stop thinking about it.

Yummy.

Back when we were on the march,

all we could eat were flatbreads or dried meat,

and occasionally finding some wild greens would satisfy our cravings.

Now that you don't have much of an appetite

and can't eat meat while in mourning,

you could try this first.

I've had wild-green flatbreads before,

but I've never had ones this delicious.

Surely Qing Long couldn't have made these.

Please thank Yan Yue for me.

Okay.

You are Crown Prince Wenxi.

In terms of blood relations,

you should be

the person closest to my mother in this world.

Emperor Wenxi was my mother's elder brother,

so you should call her...

Aunt.

But compared to me,

even though you aren't Princess Yunzhao's biological daughter,

you are her true family.

There's no need for you to tell me that.

Blood ties are merely where one comes from,

but not where one belongs.

A marriage brought about by the pressure of the imperial family,

and one that had to be maintained in order to bind the aristocratic clans

and the imperial family together,

ultimately wasted half the lives of both Princess Yunzhao and Grand Tutor.

I hope that this time,

you can help Princess Yunzhao find the freedom she deserved.

You sure sound convincing,

yet you're not exactly any better yourself.

What?

I mean,

without any witnesses,

how can we bring the murderer

who killed my mother to justice?

Isn't there already a rumor going around

that I killed Princess Yunzhao to seize the Phoenix Heart Token?

Let's fan the flames.

[Key to the Phoenix Heart]

[Episode 18]

Since I harboured prejudices against the An and Lu families,

I never truly listened to what was in your heart,

♪ I traded obsession for this loss ♪

thinking it was merely your obsession.

♪ If I could lay my heart bare and cross ♪

I always firmly believed that you were the one who had wronged me,

♪ Would you once more have pity on me ♪

but I never realized that I had wronged you as well.

I suspect that 25 years ago,

♪ If the heavens should change and fate tear me apart ♪

the real Cui Jun had already been killed,

♪ Yet still cannot undo one beat of my heart's art ♪

and that the man who survived was a secret agent from Northern Qin.

If that's the case, then perhaps there's more to

♪ I've traveled so far— the day I find you again ♪

the An and Lu families' crime he exposed back then than meets the eye.

♪ I fear you might have forgotten me ♪

He refuses to speak now,

but I've brought him back to Jiankang.

♪ I fear no doom of endless karmic pain ♪

Whether or not I can clear the An and Lu families' name,

♪ Only that you drift far from my side ♪

at least this time,

♪ Apart from you, the world is an endless night ♪

I'm standing with you.

♪ Even if my beating heart wears thin and fades ♪

We were once husband and wife.

May all past grievances be laid to rest,

♪ I'd choose this fate till death's final line ♪

and may you no longer be trapped by the past.

♪ I only hope the mortal lands ♪

♪ Can grant our wishes ♪

♪ Through endless night, let heaven and earth fall apart ♪

♪ Just to gaze upon you one last time ♪

Grand Tutor.

I told you

about Li Mao's background

to warn you about the situation,

not so you could

kill my wife!

You're the one who truly fails to understand the situation!

Crown Prince Wenxi isn't dead at all,

and they still have the Phoenix Heart Token!

What did you say?

If Princess Yunzhao had returned alive,

my brother would have had no chance of survival.

What other option did I have?

I wouldn't spare anyone

who might pose a threat to him.

Grand Tutor.

Mao.

Let's go.

What's this supposed to mean?

I said I'd give you this as a gift.

It's made of black iron, which is even tougher than refined iron.

It won't rust or corrode for 100 years,

and it's 100 times more powerful than Eagle King's Longque Blade.

When did you forge it?

Before we left for Guazhou.

But it didn't have a scabbard back then.

I specifically asked

Master Wei from Yunyan Pavilion

to craft one for this sword.

Well? Do you like it?

I'm sure

you wouldn't just give this to me for nothing.

By the banks of the Qushui River, there's a mountain called Mount Fengming.

It offers a broad view,

and when the weather is clear,

you can see the rolling mountain ranges.

Behind those ranges

lies my mother's former fief,

Yunzhao Prefecture.

Though, unfortunately, it later fell under the control of Northern Qin.

So?

So I want to buy this mountain

and make it my mother's burial site.

However,

it is currently owned by a wealthy local family,

and they're asking for a very high price.

I've scraped together what I can,

but I'm still short by this little bit.

Don't worry, I'm not borrowing it for free.

I've already paid you interest.

How much are you short?

Five thousand taels.

Don't tell me

that the dignified Heir of Prince Jing'an, commander of Beifu,

can't even come up with

a mere 5,000 taels.

My father owns a small forested mountain on the outskirts of the capital.

The fengshui there is no worse than that of Mount Fengming.

I'd be happy to gift it to Princess Yunzhao.

If you don't want to lend it, just say so.

Why go to all that trouble with lies?

Your Highness, why did you suddenly decide to clean the horse today?

Your Highness, it's all here.

You've invested all your personal savings in the army,

leaving only this small amount on you.

It's only a bit over 3,000 taels.

The dignified Heir of Prince Jing'an

only has 3,000 taels of personal savings—

no one would believe that if word got out.

Sell this red steed,

then exchange all of this for cash

and give it to He Yuanji.

Have her withdraw my entire share

from the family estate

and give it all to Xie Jiayu.

Just tell her it's a loan from the Prince's household.

But this is the prized Western Regions steed your father, His Highness, gave you,

1 in 10,000.

You won't find another one like it in all of Ye.

You wouldn't even bear to ride it onto the battlefield.

Sell it.

Why didn't you try to talk him out of it?

Why should I?

Everything in this world has a price, but affection is priceless.

Don't you know what matters more

in His Highness's heart?

Back when he used to toss money to Master Yuan,

at least you could hear it clink.

Now he doesn't even reveal his name.

You fool.

Can't you think of a way

to let Lady Xie know?

Lady Xie?

I heard that when I was severely injured after receiving a flogging,

it was Your Highness who paid for the purchase of precious medicinal herbs

to treat me.

It must have cost Your Highness a lot.

Since I can't pay you back right now,

I offer this deed of debt

as proof

that I'll surely repay the debt someday.

It was merely a small favor.

One should not accept rewards without merit.

The life-saving kindness Your Highness has shown me is far too great.

A great favor can become a burden like an enemy's debt.

I'd rather bear a debt

than carry the weight of your kindness.

Sorry for offending you that day.

The distinction between nobles and commoners and the differences in people's hearts...

You aristocratic traitors—

you're parasites feeding off our country!

Are not something a woman like Your Highness could overcome.

I shouldn't have taken my anger out on Your Highness.

I hereby apologize to Your Highness.

How do you plan

to pay this much money back?

By copying books, or selling my calligraphy—

I'll find a way.

Let's go.

Qing Long?

Why are you taking the red steed out of the mansion?

His Highness asked me to sell it.

Sell it?

Yes. His Highness told me not to say anything.

Please pretend you didn't see it, Your Highness.

Nanxing.

bring out my short dagger.

My Lady,

but Her Highness

left it to you for self-defense.

I've got no choice. I'm broke.

Take these out and ask around how much they're worth.

If the price is reasonable, just pawn them all.

I'll figure out a way to make up the rest.

If we pawn Miraculous Craft as well,

it should probably be enough.

Is His Highness really unwilling to lend you the money?

That's really stingy of him.

He's the commander of Beifu, after all.

Didn't he just confiscate the Cui family's mines?

Those were confiscated on behalf of the court.

They're not the Xiao family's private property.

Still, I never expected

Xiao Wuyi wouldn't even lend me 5,000 taels.

I thought he would at least...

Xie Jiayu,

I'm smitten with you.

Talking about being smitten with me.

Forget it.

In the end, I only have myself to rely on.

Yuanji.

This is...

I'm lending this to you on behalf of Prince Jing'an's Household.

Take it and choose any place you like

as Princess Yunzhao's burial site.

The Heir has been fighting battles all over the country these past years.

Although he hasn't spent much on himself,

Beifu's expenditures have been enormous.

He's poured all his salary into the army.

The expenses of Prince Jing'an's Household

have been completely supported by me and the Princess Consort.

We truly cannot count on the Heir and Prince Jing'an.

I oversee Prince Jing'an's Household's accounts,

and the Heir is indeed short on funds.

I'm being completely honest.

Then where did this money come from?

The Heir had Ferghana horse.

I heard it was a gift from Prince Jing'an

when he won his first battle.

That horse had a pure bloodline and was priceless.

A few days ago, I saw Qing Long

lead it away to be sold,

along with some land deeds and shop deeds.

All together, this is how much was raised.

The Heir even kept it from me too.

He only told me to send the money over.

Do you know what the two largest expenses

under the Heir's name in the household

were in the past year?

What?

The first was your wedding with the Heir—

a fake wedding doomed to be ruined from the start.

Well, a fake act has to be made

convincing enough for people to believe it, right?

The second was the renovation

of this Cangfeng Forge after you moved into the mansion.

This place used to be nothing more than

an empty room for storing sundries,

abandoned for years.

Didn't you notice

that the furnace outside was also renovated?

No wonder.

No wonder it looks so much like the one at my home.

Xiao Wuyi,

you sold your horse,

but you didn't take the interest.

Qing Long...

But this is not

what I want.

What do you want then?

I'm not telling you.

I don't want you to think of this

as a transaction.

Your Highness.

The Empress Dowager is hosting a banquet.

Under what pretext?

She claims

Empress Wenxi

appeared in her dream,

asking Your Highness to bring the Phoenix Heart Token into the palace.

All right.

She finally couldn't hold back any longer

and came forward on her own.

Mother!

Mother!

Why do people like you, high and mighty,

always try to corner me and my brother?

We simply want to survive.

Your Highness.

My brother has been so kind to Yaoyao.

Why are you still unwilling to let him go?

Calm down!

I never wanted Prince Qi dead!

You hold the Phoenix Heart Token,

and you intend to support Crown Prince Wenxi.

If he ever makes it to Jiankang,

will my brother have any chance of survival?

Tell me,

where exactly is Crown Prince Wenxi hiding?

There's no way I'll tell you that!

Fine. Then let's take this secret with us

and vanish

from this world together!

Mao...

Lejun.

Don't be afraid.

Mao...

Mao.

Do you remember

when we were little,

wandering among displaced refugees?

Back then,

whenever there was a single flatbread

or a bowl of porridge,

you'd always let me have it.

Whenever older children tried to bully me,

you'd risk your life to protect me.

Those memories aren't pleasant.

I've long forgotten them.

But I haven't.

Although those days were harsh,

they were the happiest time

of my life.

Because even back then,

I knew I had the best older brother in the entire world—

one who'd never let go of my hand,

not even in death.

Mao.

I wasn't afraid then,

and I'm even less afraid now.

Mao.

I will protect you, no matter what.

It's alright.

Don't be afraid.

Yaoyao.

Greetings, Princess Pingning.

Yaoyao.

Are you truly determined

to draw a line between us?

Her Highness...

Other than an admission of guilt,

I never want to hear another word

about my mother from your lips.

We were once good friends.

There's no need for such hollow pretenses between us.

Yaoyao.

You've truly grown up.

It's all because of you that I had to grow up.

Do you really think

your scheme was flawless?

That day,

Her Highness and I both fell off the cliff.

If not for a tree that caught me,

I wouldn't have survived, either.

And it was Young Lord Xiao's men saved me.

M-My hand had only just healed.

To accuse me of trying to harm Princess Yunzhao

is rather absurd.

If that's the case,

then why did you have Da snatch the coachman's family

from me?

Were you afraid

they witnessed something they shouldn't have?

But they didn't see anything.

Lejun.

I truly hope it wasn't you.

Because if it was,

I'd be deeply disappointed in our friendship.

Yaoyao.

I didn't expect you to enter the palace today.

Mao.

You knew I was using you

to test Li Lejun.

She's your sister.

I believe you only learned about it afterwards.

I understand that you were put in a difficult position.

I don't blame you.

But please, don't make things difficult for me anymore either.

Long live Your Majesty!

You may rise, my beloved ministers.

Thank you, Your Majesty!

Today, at this palace banquet,

I'd like to raise a toast with all my beloved ministers.

A few days ago, Empress Wenxi appeared to me in a dream,

and I've learned that the old prophecy—

"when the Phoenix Heart Tokens appear, peace shall be restored in the world"—

is no mere tale.

Two Phoenix Heart Tokens have been

passed down to Princess Yunzhao and Cui Jun respectively.

That's enough.

My Lord,

what's the point of arresting me?

I'm a useless wreck now.

The Phoenix Heart Token is in Xiao Wuyi's hands.

Young Lord Xiao.

It's been quite some time since you returned from Guazhou.

When will the convicted criminal Cui be transferred to the Court of Judicial Review?

And where is the Phoenix Heart Token?

Your Majesty.

Cui Jun was abducted.

When did this happen?

And where was he abducted?

It was 5 days ago.

I'm still searching for him.

He was abducted 5 days ago,

so why didn't you report it?

Do you have any regard for the laws of Ye?

Or could it be that

you hid Cui Jun away yourself—

just like how you silenced Princess Yunzhao

and stole her Phoenix Heart Token?

Vice Minister Qi, you seem eager to pin a crime on me.

I have long submitted a memorial confessing my fault

over Cui Jun's disappearance.

Deliver this memorial to the Department of State Affairs.

Remember, slip it in among the daily greetings memorials

so it draws no attention.

Understood.

I know the Cui Family Case is of great importance,

but I haven't heard anything from the Department of State Affairs.

I was wondering myself—

how is it that Cui Jun has disappeared,

yet the court doesn't seem concerned at all?

As a witness in the Cui Family Case,

I've been waiting for the court deliberation.

Vice Minister Qi.

You've gone and accused me of silencing Princess Yunzhao.

Do you have any evidence?

Might I charge you with lodging a false accusation?

You...

Anyway, Cui Jun disappeared while he was in your custody.

Enough. You are both loyal and righteous ministers.

There is no need to blame each other.

Your Majesty, what I mean is that

Young Lord Xiao deliberately concealed the Phoenix Heart Token's whereabouts.

Now that Princess Yunzhao fell dead

and Cui Jun has disappeared without a trace,

if it weren't for Empress Wenxi appearing to you in a dream,

we would all

remain kept in the dark by him.

I believe there's definitely more to

Princess Yunzhao's death than meets the eye.

I respectfully request that Your Majesty conduct a thorough investigation.

Grand Tutor Xie.

Since Vice Minister Qi insists

there's more to Princess Yunzhao's death,

would you support a thorough investigation

to seek justice for Princess Yunzhao?

If there is evidence,

then naturally it should be investigated.

Since this is merely an accusation

with no evidence,

let's put the matter of Princess Yunzhao aside for now.

Young Lord Xiao.

Do you have Cui Jun's Phoenix Heart Token in your possession?

Don't tell me it was snatched away

along with Cui Jun when he was abducted.

No, it wasn't.

The Phoenix Heart Token

is indeed in my possession.

So it's in his possession?

Is that the Phoenix Heart Token?

Everyone, please take a look.

This is the Phoenix Heart Token that Cui Jun had.

So this is the Phoenix Heart Token?

I wonder if when Empress Wenxi appeared in your dream,

was this the piece she showed you, Your Majesty?

Since you all wish to see it so badly,

why not pass it around?

It doesn't seem all that special.

Isn't this just an ordinary token? How could it deserve the saying

"when the Phoenix Heart Tokens appear, peace shall be restored in the world"?

It is said the Cui family's private mines

were discovered because of this Phoenix Heart Token.

In your opinion, Young Lord Xiao,

after Cui Jun has finally been brought to justice

after having committed countless crimes, who should this Token be handed over to?

Did Empress Wenxi not mention this

to Your Majesty when she appeared in your dream?

"Under Heaven,

all land belongs to the ruler;

within the realm,

all people are the ruler's subjects.

Yet unfair divisions burden the officials,

while I alone toil tirelessly.

Praise that I am not yet worn with age,

still strong and vigorous.

With robust strength, I oversee all corners of the realm."

I hope Your Majesty will have sympathy for the Beifu troops

who fight without regard for their lives,

yet suffer from shoddy weaponry.

I respectfully request that the copper and iron mines

confiscated from the Cui family's private mines

be allocated to the Beifu Army

to upgrade their armaments.

Please rise, Young Lord Xiao.

What you speak makes perfect sense.

The Beifu soldiers are warriors of our great Ye.

I approved your Beifu Reform

precisely to forge a more elite, formidable army.

Moreover, you've rendered meritorious service

in cracking the Cui Family Case and deserve a reward.

I find your request

most reasonable.

The Cui family's private mines shall be dedicated to

upgrading the Beifu Army's weaponry.

On behalf of the Beifu soldiers,

I thank Your Majesty for your benevolent grace.

Xiao Wuyi!

How dare you mock me?

Where's the Phoenix Heart Token?

How could this be?

How come it's empty?

I have no idea.

The Phoenix Heart Token

was right here in this brocade box just moments ago.

All the officials in the court saw it.

-Yeah, we all saw it. -How could it be gone?

There's no way.

Exactly.

Everyone saw it. It needs to be thoroughly investigated.

Your Majesty.

I noticed

that when His Highness turned around,

Princess Pingning stole the Phoenix Heart Token.

I didn't! You're slandering me!

Doing that in front of everyone here— do you think I'm crazy?

Whether you have it or not, we'll know after a search.

Search her.

Your Majesty!

I didn't...

I didn't. I...

It was really on her. It really was.

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty, that's impossible!

I was framed.

I-I didn't take it!

Your Majesty.

May I borrow the brocade box?

Granted.

There's a hidden compartment?

You...

That's right.

You didn't take Cui Jun's token.

Because the one that fell out of you

was my mother's.

Princess Yunzhao's?

Why did she have Princess Yunzhao's token?

Exactly.

Please forgive me, Your Majesty,

for contriving this contraption to conceal the Phoenix Heart Token

and deceiving you.

I did so only to retrieve the token on Princess Pingning

and uncover the truth behind my mother's death.

I'm innocent.

That Phoenix Heart Token didn't belong to Princess Yunzhao.

What makes you say so?

Could it be that you've seen my mother's token?

When?

Li Lejun.

You murdered Princess Yunzhao for the Phoenix Heart Token.

The Phoenix Heart Token on you

is the most compelling evidence of your guilt.

It's not like that.

It's not...

It seems

Princess Yunzhao's death is indeed suspicious.

It's fake.

That Phoenix Heart Token is fake.

It was forged, Your Majesty!

Your Majesty.

I've heard that the Phoenix Heart Tokens

were cast from the Phoenix Imperial Seal

of Empress Wenxi.

Though the carvings can be replicated,

the unique material of the Phoenix Imperial Seal

cannot be faked.

Whether it's genuine or not,

we need only compare the two Phoenix Heart Tokens.

Cui Jun's, Prince Jing'an's.

And this one...

This one belongs to Crown Prince Wenxi.

The engraving on it

was carved by my mother herself.

This one is the "Phoenix Head" token.

It holds command over the other 3 Phoenix Heart Tokens.

Are you truly willing to take out one of the tokens

to play along with me in this act?

Right now, the world only knows of

the 2 tokens held by Cui Jun and my mother.

They have no idea that the rest are in your possession.

Once you reveal it,

at the very least Grand Tutor and Li Mao will learn that

Prince Jing'an was also a token holder.

Your identity

might be exposed.

What goes around comes around.

Debts of gratitude and vengeance must be repaid.

It's just a token, after all.

If it can bring the murderer to justice,

then it's worth it.

It's indeed genuine.

No way.

No way...

It was you.

Xiao Wuyi, so you also have a Phoenix Heart Token.

Princess Pingning,

what do you mean by "also"?

That Phoenix Heart Token is yours.

You used your own token

to help Jiayu frame me.

Princess Pingning,

do you truly think I, Xiao Wuyi, am some kind of saint

Everyone knows that

the Phoenix Heart Tokens contain secrets about hidden mineral deposits.

Tell me, which one of you here

would not want them?

If I had a Phoenix Heart Token,

why wouldn't I keep it hidden

and secretly mine the resources?

Why would I bring it out in front of all the court officials

just to frame you?

Who do you think you are?

I'd like to ask all of you present:

does anyone truly believe I, Xiao Wuyi,

would be so selfless and generous?

Your Majesty, besides the Phoenix Heart Token,

I also have a witness.

Summon them.

This is Ms. Yang, the coachman's wife.

They saw nothing to begin with

and were no witnesses at all.

But after you abducted them,

they ended up becoming witnesses against you.

She...

She asked me where I was

between 3 to 4 a.m. on the day of the incident,

and whether I had been to the stable.

After learning that I had not yet gotten up,

she asked no further questions.

That must've been the very hour you snuck into the stables

to slip the poison, wasn't it?

Let's go.

Wait.

Don't commit any more killing.

I really should've killed them all.

Princess Pingning murdered my mother

to seize the Phoenix Heart Token.

Please seek justice for my mother, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

These pieces of evidence are not enough to convict Lejun.

Further investigation is needed.

Please deliberate this matter with caution, Your Majesty.

Prince Qi, are you trying

to cover up for Princess Pingning?

If Princess Pingning truly feels wronged,

we might as well have the entire Eastern Palace thoroughly searched

to prove her innocence.

Your Majesty.

-Your Majesty! -I...

I plead guilty.

Lejun!

I plead guilty.

It was me.

I murdered Princess Yunzhao

to seize her Phoenix Heart Token.

Please punish me, Your Majesty.

He Tian.

Guards.

That day,

you suddenly had a stomachache and needed to lie down.

I was the one who drugged you.

What's wrong?

Mother,

I feel a little unwell.

Your Highness, why don't we share a ride?

I spared you

only because I did not wish to drag you into this.

If I had been ruthless enough

to strike directly at your carriage with Princess Yunzhao inside

and send both of you to your deaths,

none of this would have happened today, would it?

Lejun!

Your Majesty.

Princess Yunzhao did not die as a criminal.

This token

was left to her by Empress Wenxi.

Now that she's passed away

and had divorced Grand Tutor Xie,

this token

should rightfully be inherited by her offspring.

So, according to you, Young Lord Xiao,

-we should... -The whereabouts of the remaining

Phoenix Heart Tokens are still unknown.

If Your Majesty were to claim them all for yourself

in front of the entire court,

I'm afraid the remaining token holders

would never come forward.

As for whether it should go to Grand Tutor Xie or Xie Jiayu—

the choice is Your Majesty's.

Come to me.

Good girl.

You've really been through a lot.

Your devotion to capturing the murderer who killed your mother

speaks volumes of your filial piety.

This Phoenix Heart Token

was originally left to Princess Yunzhao by Empress Wenxi.

Now that she's passed away,

it's only right that you keep it.

Thank you for your gracious kindness, Your Majesty.

Should the secrets of the Phoenix Heart Token ever be uncovered,

I'll present this token to our great Ye without hesitation.

What a good girl.

From now on, come to the palace more often with Yuanji.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Xiao Wuyi.

You forced me to personally send

my own sister to prison.

She committed murder,

and the victim was none other than Xie Jiayu's mother.

You know perfectly well why she did it.

She did it to protect me.

Protect you?

You both live in fear of Crown Prince Wenxi's return,

but Crown Prince Wenxi

died 20 years ago!

If it weren't for Princess Yunzhao saving Li Lejun with her medical skills,

Li Lejun's condition would never have improved,

and she wouldn't have lived until now.

And yet, because of a little suspicion,

a fleeting fear,

she could raise her blade against the very person who saved her.

Tell me, did Li Lejun do nothing wrong?

Once she chose to act,

she must bear the consequences.

Li Yizhi, as the Regent,

you're supposed to know right from wrong

and where the line must be drawn!

Right from wrong?

Do you dare say that you helped Xie Jiayu

without any selfish motives?

How insolent of you.

You know how much I couldn't bear to part with Yaoyao.

Now that you've driven my sister into jail,

you still expect me to continue being friends with you

and push forward with the reform together?

No such easy bargain exists

in this world!

Your Highness Prince Qi!

If you must find someone to blame

to make yourself feel better,

you can hate me.

But Li Yizhi,

you, too, rose from the ranks of the displaced commoners.

Since you've chosen to sit in this position,

you should have a more compassionate heart

and broader aspirations.

The road ahead is long.

Do not let fear and desire consume you

and make you forget the path you once walked.

Is Crown Prince Wenxi

really dead?

He's dead.

He died long ago,

and he'll never come back.