Original subtitles

♪ Birds over the clouds ♪

♪ Horses over the steppe ♪

♪ Misty rain, armor suit ♪

♪ Flower blossom under the moon breeze ♪

♪ When did the universe start? ♪

♪ Who will the moon shine on? ♪

♪ Spring breeze sprouts buds in trees ♪

♪ and breathes new life in me ♪

♪ Love is a song, passion a painting ♪

♪ Dream falls at the flower of my hairpin ♪

♪ Been around the world, seen it all ♪

♪ Have the universe under my sleeve ♪

=The Legend of Xiao Chuo=

=Episode 4=

Three branches of Emperor Taizu

are fighting with each other all day long.

All the common men and royals

worry about their lives.

Liao is in urgent need of a reform.

How do you know all of this

at such a young age?

OK.

So tell me,

how would you reform this country?

I don’t have the answer yet.

I wish I can be

as bright

as Empress Dowager Shulü.

Empress Dowager Shulü?

Yeah.

Although she was resented

for

some of the things she’s done.

But

she somehow managed to make the right decisions

every time

at the most critical moments.

But you have to know

Empress Dowager Shulü,

with her heavily armed army

confronted Emperor Shizong.

If it wasn’t for King Wuzhi,

you think she would have stopped it herself?

And you said

she always made the right decisions.

Everybody says

Empress Dowager Shulü preferred the old system.

She hated the system of business.

But she was also

the one who stopped Emperor Taizu

from killing those South ministers.

She saved the lives of those South People.

You did your homework.

Back in the days,

if it wasn’t for the promotion of Empress Dowager Shulü,

Emperor Taizu would not have made up his mind

to unify the other seven tribes.

Without her recommendation,

a lot of South Ministers

would never

be appointed in the rest of their lives.

Thank you, Yanyan.

For what?

Thank you for letting me

have a whole new perspective on you.

Confucius once said, you can learn from everyone.

I know it’s a long way to go.

Sometimes,

you just have to sit down and think.

Now.

When I

really think about it,

I think

we might have gone too ahead of ourselves.

Your Excellency.

It’s close call today.

Yeah.

If it wasn’t for her,

I don’t know

what would really happen today.

I’ve asked around,

this jade pendant was originally a tribute to the tribe.

Later was given to First Princess of Yan

by Emperor Shizong.

First princess?

So

she is Xiao Siwen’s daughter.

Anyway.

I believe

we’ll meet again.

Zhimo,

where have you been yesterday?

Mingyi came to see His Majesty.

Why didn’t you come with him?

I was out hunting.

I thought

he would never get out of his tent.

Mingyi doesn’t quite move

during Nabo seasons.

If you happen

to get to the wrong tent,

go into the wrong place,

that would be bad for you.

So you

should company more with him.

Brother.

If you’re going somewhere,

you should inform His Majesty first.

The situation is quite complicated now.

You have to tell

the friends from the foes.

Yeah.

Tell the friends from the foes.

There are assassins!

We got ambushed!

Assassins!

We got ambushed!

Protect His Majesty!

Protect His Majesty!

Guard the Emperor!

Protect His Majesty!

Protect His Majesty!

Guard the Emperor.

Protect His Majesty!

What are you doing?

Brother, go hide!

Guards!

Guards!

Mingyi.

Mingyi!

Kill him!

Kill them all!

Mingyi.

Mingyi!

Brother.

Take Mingyi and leave.

Your Majesty, we got ambushed.

Xiuge can handle it from here.

Your Excellency!

Your Excellency.

How can you risk your life?

His Majesty is excellent in martial arts.

You didn’t have to do that.

I had to.

The assassin,

not only did he want to kill His Majesty,

he wanted to kill me as well.

So I played at their game,

took the fall for His Majesty.

Fortunately they’re just wounds.

No internal damages.

More scared than hurt

It’s just that these assassins...

Where did they come from?

How could they be so insane,

even try to get to you?

If we don’t get rid of them completely,

they might still await us in the future.

Three branches of Emperor Taizu.

I am of the Ren Huangwang. [*Ren Huangwang: Imperial king of men]

His Majesty is of Emperor Taizong.

The assassin wants to get rid of

both of us at the same time.

Sound familiar?

Lihu.

I spent my money on you piece of shit

for what? Go to hell!

Father.

Father, calm down.

This mission has failed.

We should take good care of the aftermath now.

Get out of here!

Yes, my lord.

I don’t think

Yelü Jing

can do anything to me, his imperial uncle.

Xiyin,

go to the house of Premier.

Ask King Wuzhi for help.

Just say

we’re worried that His Majesty’ll be on a killing rampage.

The Premier is of great supremacy.

He was not involved with the outside world all these years.

Will he show up for us?

If King Wuzhi

didn’t mediate from between back in the days,

and stopped Empress Dowager

who supported my succession,

Yelü Ruan wouldn’t even make it to the seat.

Wuzhi owes our branch

a throne.

Father.

Xiyin.

He won’t come

if I go.

But if you go,

there may be a glimmer of hope.

He is old now,

but

he is still willing to protect

young people of the royal family.

Alright father,

I’ll be right on my way.

But what about you?

Get me that shaman.

I want her to pray for my health and luck.

Yes, father.

Go ahead.

Now all I want is for God Tengri

to protect our Mingyi.

Grant him with better health

and a loving wife as soon as possible.

So that the late empress can rest in peace. (Xiao Puge, concubine of Shizong)

(Xiao Chuoli, concubine of Shizong)

Your Excellency.

We should leave right now.

Please have some good rest.

Thank you for being here.

Po’er, Po’er!

Your Excellency.

Where’s my fish jade pendant?

Your Excellency was holding onto this

after injured.

I’m afraid it might get between the treatment.

So I put it away.

It’s just the that...

What happened to it?

Look.

Your Excellency.

If it wasn’t for this jade pendant

blocked the blade for you,

you might be a worse shape right now.

Go find a craftsman.

See if

he can mend it.

Yes, Your Excellency.

Your Excellency, Childe Han is here.

Let him in.

Yes, Your Excellency.

Brother Han.

Your Excellency, are you feeling better?

You may leave now.

Yes, Your Excellency.

What happened?

It has something to do with Prime Minister Siwen.

It’s been a month.

Sister, Yanyan.

Let’s untie

our color threads.

God Tengry will bless us.

Now the situations are complicated in the court.

May father and the Xiao family

be away from misfortune, all the best for them.

God Tengri.

Please let me marry

to King Xiyin.

Sister.

Look at Yanyan.

She’s not thinking about

Han Derang, is she?

I was thinking,

If the thread can protect

from disease and disaster,

then how come we have Emperor like this?

Yanyan, be careful of your words.

Some people might use it against us.

Don’t ever say that again.

Okay, I got it, sister.

I won’t.

Brother Derang.

do you also believe this thread

can protect us?

I have to

give it to Lihu.

He asked his son

to seduce Xiao Siwen’s daughter?

Think about it.

If Prime Minister Siwen

be suspected by His Majesty.

It would be a big lose

for all of us.

We have to send someone

to go

and lobby on the Taiping Palace.

The sooner

we take down Lihu and Xiyin,

the safer we would be.

Now in Shangjing,

King Taiping will only listen to

Lord Hugu.

Po’er.

Yes.

Send someone to invite Hugu here.

Say I have something important to talk to him.

Yes, Your Excellency.

Brother Han.

I didn’t know you know that well

about Xiao Siwen’s daughters.

Looks like you are tight

with them sisters.

I have known them since I was a child.

Naturally, they see me as their brother.

I just think that

now the men at your age

in Shangjing

are mostly married.

Don’t you have anyone you adore?

Mingyi,

why did you suddenly

come up with questions like this?

I got it!

When I came in,

I went pass

two imperial concubine dowagers.

Did they

recommend someone for you?

What are you talking about?

I mentioned it

because you mentioned it first.

I thought brother Han

is finally into someone.

I have no one.

You and I have not achieved our goal yet.

If we go wrong,

we’ll also

mess up with the futures of those good girls.

OK.

I took it back then.

Mingyi.

You’re really weird today.

You’ve been questioning me about this.

Is it you

who have a secret love?

You said it yourself,

have to achieve our goal before we settle down.

I’ll be like you.

We’re not the same.

I have many brothers.

They don’t need me anyway.

But for you,

you and Zhimo

are the only two princes left by the late emperor.

You’re the elder brother.

Whether we achieve our goal or not,

you should get married first

and pass down the blood for the late emperor.

Alright.

You said I should get married.

Then tell me,

who should I marry?

It has to be a girl from the Empress’ family.

Empress’ family.

So the first choice

would be Prime Minister Siwen’s family.

So among his daughters,

which one

should I marry?

Prime Minister has three daughters.

Each has their own strengths.

The elder daughter Hunian.

Mature and kind.

Second daughter Wuguli.

Gentle and generous.

The last one,

lively and smart.

But it’s not yet the time.

Because Xiyin got involved?

Think about it.

Prime Minister Siwen is the chief of the Empress’ family.

All royal clans

want to marry his daughters.

But

now the court is complicated.

Three branches of Taizu aim for the same thing.

Now if you

get involved

with daughter of Siwen.

It might

draw us to the attention.

True.

What did you say?

No...nothing.

Xiyin.

Why did you

bring me

to King Wuzhi’s mansion?

Don’t jinx it.

This is a secret

between only you and me.

I...

I hope King Wuzhi

can make our wish come true.

Let’s go.

Childe Xiyin.

My master

agreed to see only you.

This is the daughter of Prime Minister Siwin.

I bring her

to meet with King Wuzhi.

My master is not feeling so good.

He doesn’t want to meet with unknown guests.

If Childe Xiyin wants to bring someone in,

maybe you can wait

after my master recovers,

and then meet together.

Then can you just wait here?

We can go see him

after he fully recovers.

I’ll wait for you here.

You go ahead.

Please.

King Wuzhi.

You are the fairest man in the royal family.

We are all descendants of Taizu.

But the other two branches take turns with the throne.

And my branch

has been under pressure and bullied.

You should give us

what we deserve.

I am old.

I don’t know about the court.

I don’t want to know.

Alright.

You may leave now.

King Wuzhi.

We have people

sympathize with us at court.

Daughter of Prime Minister Siwen

is with me here today.

Would you like to meet her?

Go back and tell your father,

the clan of Yelü

can’t take another hit.

Xiyin.

What’s wrong?

King Wuzhi refused to help?

My father is the Imperial Uncle.

He’s the only son

left by Taizu.

They just going to sit and watch

His Majesty and his brother

to bully and slander an old man

like this.

Xiyin.

Perhaps

your father can help?

Father?

Then I’ll go talk to father!

I will certainly help you!

Thank you, my girl.

Wuguli.

Make sure you go and tell your father

I met with King Wuzhi today.

You mean...

I see.

My girl.

I knew

my Wuguli

is the smartest girl of the world.

And the brightest queen

of the great Liao.

Don’t worry. I got this.

You said father

won’t see no one?

Master said

he wants to hear nothing

regarding the Xiyin family.

Going all melodramatic, huh?

Too bad I can’t play along with you.

Come.

Imperial Uncle is suspected to be involved with the assassin.

Seal the palace.

No one can be in or out

without my permission.

How dare you!

My father is the Imperial Uncle.

Without proofs, who dares to make the move?

Proofs?

If I have proofs,

then it won’t be just

a lock-down,

you would be jail now.

Cut the crap. All of you, leave.

Imperial Uncle,

Don’t you feel hot?

Stop acting.

I really don’t understand.

Why can’t you

just live a happy splendid retire life.

You just have to have this illusion.

You really think

that tiny bit of army

left by grandmother,

you can take

the throne

from my brother and I?

(Yelü Luhu and his son plotted the assassin against His Majesty.)

(They have been taken into custody, waiting for further sentence.)

Thank you, God Tengri.

We made it through this one.

Brother.

Brother!

Go easy with your alcohol.

You think I like

being wasted like this?

You think I like killing all those people?

You think

I want to sit in this chair?

Brother!

Leave.

All of you!

Brother.

I don’t want

to go through all those memorials.

I don’t want to rack my brain

to go against those old dogs in the court.

But how can I

not be the emperor!

The throne passed down onto me!

If I don’t take it,

then someone will take my life for it!

I worry about my life

for every single day!

Everyone, everyone!

Everyone wants to kill me.

Brother.

Brother, it’s me.

As long as I’m here,

no one can touch you.

I feel like

I’m swallowed by the swamp.

I can never get out of it.

I just keep drinking,

and drinking...

I will drink myself

to death.

Brother, don’t.

Yesage, you have to be quick!

You have to be quick!

Be quick!

Brother, what do you want me to do?

You go marry another princess.

A girl from the Empress’ family.

You go live a normal life.

And then,

you be the master of this great Liao.

-No. -I...

I will go to the steppe myself.

No brother, no!

Our Taizong branch

now hangs on you!

Brother, you will always be my Majesty.

I will always be your minister.

♪ I live between the clouds and sand in Khitan ♪

♪ I have so many visitors that they block the road ♪

♪ The green goes on and on at my land when spring comes ♪

♪ Fabulous peonies packed my garden ♪

Prime Minister Siwen!

Big news!

What’s the matter?

The South Army is coming.

They were led by the South Emperor himself.

They’ve cracked couple our states.

and will arrive at Youzhou in no time.

Report this to His Majesty immediately.

Also,

invite King Taiping, HuGu in for this

as fast as possible.

Yes.

Your Majesty.

Our border is under attacked.

The South Army struck Hedong and besieged Taiyuan.

Your Majesty?

Your Majesty!

If we don’t respond in time,

we might lose Youzhou!

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty!

He’s drunk again.

This is ridiculous!

Liao is in grave danger!

And he’s wasted as hell?

Siwen.

We have to come up with some other plans.

His Majesty is too drunk.

Maybe we should wait

for him to wake up and lead the troops himself.

But it’s all about time!

When he wakes up,

we might have already lost Youzhou!

Alright then.

Help His Majesty onto the cart

and we march now.

All tribes call for their troops right now.

I’ll take the responsibility.

Thank you, King Taiping.

Prime Minister Siwen,

The assassination is still under investigation.

I have to stay in Shangjing for the case,

so that Xiyin won’t strike us at this very moment.

I trusted you

with His Majesty and Youzhou City.

I understand.

I will live up to your trust.

Sister.

Yanyan.

What are you doing in my father’s study?

Why you look so panic?

I’m not doing anything.

Not telling you the truth?

I’ll go to our elder sister.

Don’t, don’t!

Yanyan.

I’ll tell you, OK?

It’s Xiyin.

He’s under custody.

I have to see him.

You, you can’t go to him.

Xiyin is now

the main suspect for the assassination.

You can’t

be tied with him of any kind.

It’s not true.

Yanyan.

Xiyin was wronged.

Really!

What if

you can go to him?

Now the whole Lihu house has been sealed.

I’m not doing anything.

I just want to go find him.

I just want to see him.

Yanyan.

Yanyan.

Please don’t tell father

nor sister.

Please. Please.

Then you have to promise me,

you’ll be right back as soon as you’re done.

I promise.

I’ll be right back.

I promise.

I didn’t expect

Yansage to be so ruthless.

Xiyin.

In case I...

Father!

If it goes south,

I

will take all the blame.

Father!

You are the Imperial Uncle.

Highest ranked

in the royal family.

They don’t have the guts to touch you.

Xiyin.

I need you to promise me one thing.

You have to take your throne back!

Then I can rest in peace

in six-feet under.

Father.

Xiyin.

How about Xiao Siwen’s daughter?

Let’s see

if she’s worth our time.

(Mansion of Lihu)

Xiyin!

Xiyin!

Wuguli!

My silly girl.

Why are you here?

Chongjiu said you were imprisoned in the mansion.

I haven’t seen you

for days.

I’m worried about you.

You silly girl.

You knew what happened to my family

and you still came.

Don’t you not fair for your life?

I’m not afraid.

As long as I can be with you,

none of that matters.

You can have this.

The token to pass.

I stole it from my father.

If anything happens,

take it and get out of town.

Go to your own city Touxiajun.

Then King Taiping

won’t get to you.

My girl.

You risked so much for me.

For you,

I will do anything.

Yesage.

What are you doing here?

Xiyin, at moments like this,

you’re still in the mood for girls.

Impressive.

What do you want?

Take them all.

No!

Let go of Wuguli!

Let me go!

-She’s not from my family. -Let go of me!

She is the daughter

of Prime Minister Xiao Siwen.

You let her go!

Your Excellency. Pass token of the north mansin.

I didn’t see this from coming.

You are together

with Prime Minister.

It’s mine. Give it back to me!

Wuguli.

Let me ask you.

Is this token

really from you?

What if it is?

Do you know the consequences of your behavior?

I could have let you go.

But now not only you,

your father’s going to get involved as well.

Yesage, this

has nothing to do with Wuguli!

Shut your mouth!

The Prime Minister colluded with Lihu

on the assassination of His Majesty.

This token is the evidence.

Take them down.

You lie!

Yesage, you son of a bitch!

It has nothing to do with Wuguli!

-You let her go! -Let me go!

-You are despicable! -Let me go!

Wuguli’s missing?

Sister.

Someone came

with a letter from King Taiping to you.

Young lady?

Second sister stole the pass?

She said

she was only there to see Xiyin.

You knew about this?

I...

I bumped into her

when she was leaving.

She said

She has to go to see Xiyin.

I thought

they’ll see each other sooner or later.

They can talk things through.

Put an end to this knot.

But I didn’t expect...

You’ve made a big mistake!

King Taiping caught Wuguli on site

sneaking the pass

onto Xiyin in Lihu Mansion.

Don’t you know

she would

not only hurt herself,

but our father as well?

Go invite

brother Dalin and brother Han

over for this now.

Yes, ma’am.

♪ Who wrote the love down with affection ♪

♪ Who got drunk with thoughts on horse back ♪

♪ Song of her across land and sea ♪

♪ Lingers on and beyond the men’s world ♪

♪ Like a bird over the waves ♪

♪ Still be the same as we meet again ♪

♪ Exchange our love and passion ♪

♪ Fill two hearts with happy ending ♪

♪ You and I, from now to the end of time ♪

♪ The watch at night, dawn at the skyline ♪

♪ Two beating hearts, a never ending story ♪

♪ Unbending belief, bothered by none ♪

♪ All the joy of the universe at your blink ♪

♪ Like a bird across the clouds ♪

♪ World shimmers at me ♪

♪ Love without regret ♪

♪ Fear for no danger ♪

♪ What a brilliant life ♪

♪ Like a bird over the waves ♪

♪ Still be the same as we meet again ♪

♪ Exchange our love and passion ♪

♪ Fill two hearts with happy ending ♪

♪ You and I, from now to the end of time ♪