Original subtitles

[Episode 12]

But the Emperor passed before they reached the Capital.

You've heard of that, right?

They say Li Mountain's disciples wanted to take him and enthrone him as the Emperor.

Do you think a mere dozen people can enthrone a new monarch?

The disciples abducted the imperial grandson with treasonous intentions.

Their crime is punishable by death.

Arrest them all!

The fire in the Eastern Palace was suspicious.

Mo Jing Li, the Eastern Palace's only surviving heir,

returned to the Capital to an uncertain fate.

With his consent,

my seniors decided to send him to Duke of Huaguo's military camp for safety.

Unexpectedly, Marquis Muyang distorted the facts.

He intercepted them halfway and accused them of kidnapping the heir and plotting treason.

I remember at that time, many officials questioned it.

Duke of Huaguo even led the appeal in their defense.

Yes.

With so many doubts,

Marquis Muyang couldn't convict the Li Mountain Academy.

He could only lock them up at the Dali Court.

But during the deadlock,

Mo Jing Li suddenly stepped forward and testified against them.

He was only fourteen at the time.

I understand he was young.

I understand he was scared.

I can imagine how Marquis Muyang would have coerced him.

But I can never forgive him.

My fellow disciples all died that year.

The oldest was twenty-four,

[Mo Jing Li] and the youngest was only twelve.

Why are you telling me this now?

I just want to tell you

that I have no feelings for Mo Jing Li.

Even if he hadn't broken the engagement,

I would never have married him.

There were so many snakes at the bottom of the cliff.

They were as thick as bowls.

They kept circling around me and wouldn't leave no matter what I did.

I knew you'd come, so I held them off.

But I was bitten, then I passed out.

I'm sorry.

It's not your fault.

There was nothing you could do.

Your Highness, may I ask you for a favor?

Go ahead.

I want to treat your leg.

Will you let me try?

Please, do it for my sake.

When we met in the desert years ago, you were so brave and mighty.

Now, you're confined to this small space because of your injury,

unable to fight back against those petty villains.

I don't want to see you like this.

Call me vain if you must, or call me worldly,

but in my heart,

you are a true hero who stands tall between heaven and earth.

I can't bear it,

and I won't stand by while you give up on yourself.

It can't be cured.

It can.

Your Highness, let me try.

I promise you, I will heal it.

Please.

Just let me try.

[Honest and Upright]

Who is it?

Who's out there?

Go away.

[You heartless man!]

Your Highness.

I've brought you some hangover soup.

Please drink it and get some sleep.

Your Highness, please, don't drink anymore.

Your Highness, be careful.

Your Highness, what are you doing?

Your Highness.

Your Highness, let's go inside.

It's pouring out here.

Leave me alone.

I'm not going back.

If Mo Jing Li doesn't come, I'm not going inside.

Your Highness. You...

I'll go find His Highness right now.

Mo Jing Li, I hate you.

My mother was right.

The men in the Capital are all worthless.

They have pretty faces, yet rotten hearts.

Ling Er is brewing your medicine.

I won't drink it.

I don't even want to live anymore.

Why should I take medicine?

Stop right there!

You're not allowed to leave.

Make yourself clear.

How can you treat me like this?

So what if you can write sappy poems?

Does composing music make you so remarkable?

Careful.

Don't touch me!

Before I married you,

I was the family's treasure.

My mother doted on me.

My father favored me too.

As glamorous as Ye Li was, she still couldn't bully me.

But why, after getting married, did it turn out like this?

I was so looking forward to marrying you.

You... are a man.

If you don't like a woman, don't marry her.

If you marry her, you should be good to her.

On our wedding day, I was truly happy.

But that was the only day I ever was.

I hate you.

I hate you!

You really haven't changed at all.

Prince Li.

When you say those things,

don't you find yourself ridiculous?

They all died because of you.

I am from Li Mountain Academy.

I can never forgive you.

You should be glad that you called off the engagement.

Otherwise, I might have killed you myself on our wedding day.

You hate me.

You loathe me.

Do you think I wanted any of this?

I loathe myself too.

Your Highness.

Please don't be sad, Your Highness.

Lady Ye Li must still be resentful over what happened back then.

She doesn't understand your situation.

When she finds out the truth one day,

she'll understand the position you were in.

Will she?

Will she really?

She will.

Yes.

Li will.

She has always understood me best.

Did you catch it?

I caught it! Look!

Perhaps because I was the heir of the Eastern Palace,

during my years of recovery at Li Mountain,

everyone was perfectly polite to me, yet they remained distant.

Only Li...

She was like the first ray of winter sun breaking through the clouds.

Pure and radiant.

That was when I realized that light could have warmth.

We were inseparable every day.

We played, studied, and learned the zither together.

She would teach me everything she learned from the masters.

And every time she returned from town, she brought me trinkets.

And then, Grandfather issued an imperial decree betrothing Ye Li to me.

But those beautiful times will never return.

[Li Mountain Academy]

In the 14th year of Jinghe,

terrible news came from the Capital.

Grandfather was gravely ill.

I was summoned back at once.

By the time I entered the palace gates,

Grandfather had already passed away.

The once-mighty Eastern Palace was also reduced to ashes in a fire.

Its former prosperity vanished like a dream.

When I woke up, all traces were gone.

Only Guo Jin's lineage held great power.

And I, the orphan of the late Crown Prince, was imprisoned in the palace.

From then on, I never saw Li again.

Not long after, Prince Ding's Manor met with disaster.

Guo Jin's ambition to rule was clear,

but Li Mountain's isolation and the ministers' opposition stopped her.

Yet she showed no anxiety.

Instead, she calmly put Mo Yan Qi on the throne.

- Long live the Emperor! - Long live the Emperor!

Three years after Mo Yan Qi's coronation,

I finally left Jingsi Hall,

reduced to a mere ornament to showcase her benevolence.

- By luck... - Your Highness.

I survived.

Grandfather was dead.

Father was dead.

Even those brothers whom I despised were dead.

Only I remained.

I was the symbol of the Empress Dowager's benevolence,

the pet of this imperial family, the laughingstock of the Capital.

Whatever she wanted to hear, I said it to her.

Whatever she wanted to see, I did it for her.

What use was dignity?

As long as I stayed alive, I still had a chance.

As long as I stayed alive, I could see Li again.

But... things didn't go as planned.

What did you say?

You cannot marry Lady Ye Li.

Say that again.

You finally gained the Empress Dowager's trust.

It is time to cut ties with Li Mountain.

You cannot marry her.

- How dare you! - Think about the fire at the Eastern Palace.

Will the Crown Prince's death go unavenged?

Your Highness.

Even if it's not for yourself, think of Lady Ye Li.

Lady Ye Li...

Though her life is simple, at least her life is not in danger.

If Your Highness chooses to fight, it is fine if you succeed.

But if you fail, everything will be destroyed.

Why drag her down with you?

In the future, once you ascend the throne,

you can marry her with great honor and crown her as Empress.

Wouldn't that be better?

But for all my calculations,

I never foresaw that Guo Jin would betroth Li to Prince Ding.

Your Highness.

Your Highness?

It is time for the nuptial liquor.

My whole life has been plagued by misfortune.

I can never obtain the things I want.

Fate has never been kind to me.

And I refuse to accept such a fate.

Prince Li.

Sit.

You investigated the Huaixi Armory Case.

Is Marquis Muyang the mastermind?

Yes.

Marquis Muyang traffics weapons.

He is a parasite of the state.

I, Yuan Fang, will ensure these parasites who harm the nation

are all brought to justice.

You're a loyal official who cared for the people.

But right now,

it is not yet the time.

Get rid of the useless ones.

Yes.

If I want something, I'll fight for it myself.

By taking this path, I have no turning back.

And I have no regrets.

Only this way can I protect myself,

protect the East Palace's old faction, and protect Li.

Your Highness.

One day, you will reach that position

and gain everything you desire.

Your Highness wants to treat the Prince's leg?

Yes.

His Highness's leg injury is not incurable.

It will just take some effort.

I plan to start with the Guanyuan, Qihai, and Zusanli acupoints.

First, I'll use the Nine Needles to clear the blood stasis, then unblock the meridians.

Once the meridians are restored, I will reset the bones.

His Highness's legs are atrophied now.

It is indeed right to clear the stasis first, then the meridians.

However, while the stasis is easy to clear, the meridians are difficult to open.

What is your plan, Your Highness?

What is this?

Don't be afraid. Sister-in-law.

This is a Long Needle, one of the Nine Needles.

The "Spiritual Pivot" records: "The Long Needle is sharp and thin.

It can treat deep-seated paralysis."

The blood stasis in his spine and legs has been there for eight years.

We must use this needle to pierce the Chengshan acupoint through to the Weizhong acupoint.

It can treat severe spinal pain and lower body paralysis.

The stasis in his waist has remained long.

Then use silver needles on the Shenshu acupoint to open the meridians.

Once the qi and blood flow freely, the toxins in his legs will naturally subside.

You may go brew the medicine now.

Yes, Your Highness.

Your Highness. Will His Highness's leg recover soon?

There is still one crucial step left.

Are you reading documents from the Jingzhao Office?

You're truly a busy man, Governor.

You wouldn't let me go to the Jingzhao Office,

so I brought all these case files back.

Your medicinal compress is ready.

I can start treating your legs now.

Your injury has been neglected for too long.

The bones must be broken and reset.

It'll be very painful.

I know.

I'm not afraid.

You trust me that much?

Since I've let you treat me, of course I trust you.

There's no harm in trying.

Things can't get any worse than this.

I will definitely cure you.

[Forward with Momentum]

Two bandits sneaked into the Capital

and killed four high-ranking officials.

One of them was even killed inside the Imperial Palace.

Mo Xiu Yao's official explanation for the case is that the culprits are still at large.

By issuing such a warrant for arrest,

he is treating the entire court, and treating me, as fools!

This is truly outrageous!

Please calm down, Marquis Muyang.

Before, we also disguised ourselves as bandits to capture Yuan Fang.

He is just copying...

I should have gotten rid of him too, back then.

I have been sitting here for quite a while.

Your Majesty, do you have something to ask me?

That Mo Xiu Yao is truly going too far.

Relying on the Emperor's favor, he acts lawlessly.

How did Yuan Fang die?

Your Majesty, I have reported this many times.

Yuan Fang's death has nothing to do with me.

Over the years, no matter how big or small the matter,

I have never kept anything from you, Your Majesty.

My loyalty to you, Your Majesty, is known to Heaven and Earth.

Fine.

Even if I believe your loyalty,

then why was Yuan Fang abducted in Huaixi?

He was ordered to investigate the Armory Case

and your Zhou family is the foundation of Huaixi.

Bandits barged into the government office and kidnap him.

Do you dare to say this had absolutely nothing to do with your Zhou family in Huaixi?

Do you dare to say you knew nothing?

Your Majesty.

Lu Chang Fu and his men got what they deserved.

Their deaths are no loss.

I warned you long ago to keep your men under control.

Mo Xiu Yao is someone the Emperor values.

Whether he succeeds or not is his own fate,

but he must not perish by your hand.

Do you understand?

Your Majesty.

The medicine is at the right temperature.

It is ready to drink.

Marquis Muyang. You may leave.

Marquis Muyang.

Do you have more to say?

Your Majesty.

Do you despise me now?

Do you see me as a pest in the dark,

a creature of the night, and wish to cast me aside?

Do not forget.

Back then, it was I who cleared the path for you

and eliminated all your rivals.

It was I who supported you through thick and thin.

It was I who crushed the treacherous for you!

Now that the realm is stable,

you want to discard the loyal tools

and mistreat your old servant?

- Marquis Muyang, what-- - Shut up!

- What are you doing? - Speaking so recklessly against Her Majesty.

Are you trying to rebel?

Your Majesty,

I have no ulterior motives.

I just feel deeply wronged.

I hope you see things clearly

and not be swayed by slander.

Or my heart would hurt.

The weather is hot, and you're fond of meat.

It's no wonder you're irritable.

From now on, stick to a vegetarian diet.

[Xiangyi House]

Take care.

This... Your Highness, what are we doing here?

What can I do for you, ma'am?

I'm here to see Lady Yu Sheng.

Have you perhaps come to the wrong place?

Our Xiangqi House is a brothel.

It's no place for a lady like you.

Lady Yu Sheng and I are old friends.

Just lead the way.

Thank you, ma'am.

Ma'am, this is Lady Yu Sheng's room.

Thank you.

Wait for me outside. I'll be out in a moment.

Yes, Your Highness.

Your surname is Ye?

Yes.

Lady Ye, have some tea to moisten your throat.

Lady Ye, how did you and Fei Bai meet?

How did we meet?

We've known each other since childhood.

Childhood sweethearts?

How did you meet him?

At the Qujiang Banquet on Shangsi Festival, I was being harassed by drunkards

and nearly fell into the lotus pond.

Fortunately, Fei Bai saved me.

He arrived amidst the moonlit pond, fighting off ten men alone.

Then, with a flick of his sword tip,

he lifted from the water the golden hairpin I'd dropped.

Afterward, we strolled under the moonlight

and recited poems by an ancient ginkgo tree.

He said, "Though autumn frost may age the trees."

I replied, "Red leaves still warm the cold laundry stone."

A perfect match indeed.

Lady Ye, why have you come to see Fei Bai?

You're finally back.

Why have you been out from dawn to dusk lately?

I've been busy lately.

Busy?

I suspect it's because of some woman.

This is Princess Ding.

My junior sister, Ye Li.

She's married?

So you're Princess Ding.

Forgive my rudeness just now.

Yu Sheng, I have some things to discuss with her in private.

Alright. I'll go prepare a meal then.

The Yuzhen Chicken here is excellent.

You can eat after you're finished talking.

Don't tell anyone she's here.

Don't worry.

When have I ever breathed a word of your business?

Go on.

What's with that look in your eyes?

Nothing.

Did you find Master Zhu?

I've searched every inn, tavern, and courier station in the city.

I haven't found a single trace.

Master Zhu said he has a few old friends in the Capital.

Since he left the mountain, could he be staying at one of their homes?

Have you checked?

I have, but he wasn't there.

Li.

When you fell off the cliff, are you certain you saw Master Zhu?

Of course I'm certain.

Didn't I tell you that last time?

Where on earth is Master Zhu hiding?

It's dangerous for him to be out there alone.

Don't worry.

I'll keep looking.

Don't trouble yourself with this.

Tell me, you didn't come here

just to ask about Master Zhu's whereabouts, right?

I need your help.

What is it?

Mo Xiu Yao agreed to let me treat his legs.

I need your help.

[Marquis Muyang's Mansion]

Marquis Muyang.

Consort Dowager Qin is here.

I see. You may leave.

Yes.

Your Highness, why are you here?

Why?

Do you think I shamed you the other day?

I wouldn't dare.

I was trying to save you.

Zhou Jing, we've been friends for so many years.

We've weathered many storms together.

Our lives are intertwined.

I can turn a blind eye

to the little schemes you pull in private for money,

and I can even make excuses for you.

But you must understand one thing.

The reason we stand together

is because we both serve the Empress Dowager.

I've always remembered that I am Her Majesty's man.

But what about her?

Has she remembered?

To seize power, the young Emperor has killed many people around me.

Did Her Majesty ever notice?

Even a cripple like Mo Xiu Yao wanted to walk all over me.

But how did Her Majesty react?

Not only did she refuse to stand up for me,

she actually grew suspicious of me because of Yuan Fang.

Yuan Fang was Her Majesty's confidant.

All these years, he never craved power and served the court with total devotion.

Such a pure minister. Why compete with him?

I wasn't trying to compete with him.

I only ask that the murder of Yuan Fang not be pinned on me.

Fine.

Since you didn't kill him, then find the real culprit.

If you don't clear your name from this matter,

how can the Empress Dowager trust you again?

How can you keep your seat at the Dali Court?

Those ministers who were killed were all my followers--

Lu Chang Fu and those nobodies? Their deaths mean nothing.

The priority now is to regain Her Majesty's trust.

Only with her trust will we have a future.

This is Master Yun Qi, a well-known physician from Luoyang.

He has studied medicine since he was seven.

It has been over twenty years.

He excels in correcting misaligned tendons.

He specializes in bone injuries.

I'll be in your care.

Your Highness, must we really break the bones?

It will inevitably damage the flesh.

Don't worry.

My Taisu Palm technique breaks the bones and spares the flesh.

By using needles on the Qihai first, the blood vessels will not be harmed.

I just don't know if you can endure such pain, Your Highness.

Pain doesn't concern me.

What concerns me is whether your technique is precise.

I've only read some old medical records and lack experience.

If I accidentally miss the acupoint,

I can only ask for your forgiveness, Your Highness.

You've studied medicine since childhood.

You must know that if the Qihai is injured, it causes permanent paralysis.

I assume you wouldn't want to ruin your reputation.

Master Yun Qi is just joking.

If we delay any longer, the anesthetic will wear off.

Let's talk later.

[Tuisi House]

Don't chew it. Keep it under your tongue.

This is an Aconite Pain Pill.

Let it dissolve with saliva.

Do you feel better now?

[On the Next Episode]

My father and mother used to call me Yao.

Yao. Yao.

I didn't expect you to be a master of Go.

One more round.

I never expected you to be the one who did this.