Original subtitles

♫ Nowhere to escape. ♫

♫ No bough to alight. ♫

♫ Retrograde with smile. ♫

♫ Never give in. ♫

♫ Forget about the youth. ♫

♫ I've never been afraid of loneliness. ♫

♫ I also shed the tears of regret. ♫

♫ But my heart is still fiery-hot. ♫

♫ To the distance. ♫

♫ The miserable past is like a dagger. ♫

♫ Though my wings are broken, ♫

♫ I will keep flying. ♫

♫ Following the light, ♫

♫ I'll forget you. ♫

♫ The memory shaped my stubbornness. ♫

♫ By virtue of the light in the dark night, ♫

♫ I'll return it with a long ballad. ♫

♫ The river of life is under my feet. ♫

♫ I don't regret my craziness. ♫

The Long Ballad

Episode 41

Your Highness.

Anrou, do you think I'll be sent to the Ashile Tribe?

Your Highness, you're the apple of his Majesty's eye.

There's no way he will send you so far away from home.

Your Highness, we don't know anything for sure now.

Please don't worry.

You've seen Ashile Khatun today.

I've heard about her from the elder maids.

She was married into the tribe long ago.

And changed husbands one after one.

She does seem to lead a glamorous life.

But is it really so?

Nobody knows what she has been through.

Haodu, am I being too selfish?

I'm only thinking for myself.

You Highness...

If you want...

I...

Leyan!

Brother Shuyu.

Here you are.

I've known it.

I've heard what happened at Sifang Pavilion.

Brother Shuyu, what should I do?

I have no idea what to do.

Brother Shuyu...

Don't be afraid.

I'll go back and write to his Majesty now.

I'll write as many words as it takes to make his Majesty change mind.

If it doesn't work,

I'll go and ask my father.

I'll make him to see his Majesty with me.

If my father is there, his Majesty...

It won't work.

Now it is a critical moment of alliance making.

The Ashile Tribe knows it and is taking advantage of it.

If my father takes his words back,

they will surely make an issue of it.

If I disrupt the process of the alliance making,

I will never be able to face the people of Tang.

But if the Tang princess is dead...

No one wants a political marriage with dead people.

Leyan, don't do anything stupid.

Brother Shuyu, I'm not being stupid.

In the reign of King Nan of Zhou,

Fan Ju faked his own death to avoid working for him.

Changge... she knows how to feign death.

I'm sure she can come up with something.

Without the Noble Princess Yongan,

I can get out of this marriage.

My father won't get into trouble either.

But...

this is the worst move.

Then what do you have in mind?

Wait here and do nothing?

There must be a way.

If the Ashile Tribe takes this to my father officially,

and after everything is settled,

I will be married into the tribe for sure.

There must be a way.

There must be something we can do.

Brother Shuyu,

if I marry into the Ashile Tribe,

it doesn't really matter that much to you, does it?

Of course it does.

We grew up together.

You're like a little sister to me.

Like a little sister... A little sister...

Little sister?

After I made my confession to you the other day,

how can you still see me as a little sister?

Leyan...

Please leave now.

Just leave me alone.

Wei Shuyu.

What are you going to do?

You don't know?

So you've never thought of doing something from the beginning?

To negotiate peace with us,

the Ashile Tribe is sure to demand a hostage.

Noble Princess Yongan is the apple of his Majesty's eye.

Anyone knows she will be that hostage.

Yet you've never thought of it?

I was asking you just now, but you didn't have an answer.

Hao Du, you overstepped the line.

If you only take yourself as a courtier of his Majesty,

I wouldn't have asked you about it.

But you know it clearly.

She likes you.

She cares about how you feel and what you think.

How can you be okay since she is sad and upset?

That is my business.

Stop it!

Go back, both of you.

Just leave me alone.

Mimi.

Mimi.

They are here, right?

Yes, they are.

But don't worry.

They won't find you.

It's okay, Changge.

I'm not afraid anymore.

I've thought it through.

As long as I'm still breathing,

it's only a matter of time before they find me.

It's no use in running away.

We should live happily if we're not dead.

I don't have to hide myself just because she's here.

Dead-alive like a walking corpse.

According to the Eagle Division, Mu Jin has got in the Khan's Tent.

He should be at the Dingxiang Palace by now.

Really?

No.

They already know Mu Jin has cheated them.

If they find he is in Dingxiang, will they...

Mu Jin once saved a soldier in the Tent.

They're friends, so I think he will go to find him.

Please, Sirius.

Bless Mu Jin and get him out of danger.

It doesn't look good now.

Yicheng must have come prepared.

It must be hard for Leyan now.

Your Highness, are you disappointed

that it's not Wei Shuyu who is with you now?

I forbid you to go to find him.

Your Highness, if you really like him,

I can abduct him and get him here.

Then you two may leave together.

I'll take all the consequences.

How do you plan to bear them?

With your position, official and personal,

if my father is enraged with my departure,

how can you take it?

I'm a big man, who honors the deities and cares for...

families and friends.

If your Highness wants it,

if you see me as a friend, I can get the money and horses for you.

All you have to do is leave here.

I won't leave.

I'm the Noble Princess Yongan.

From the moment I buried Xiao Wu,

I've decided to play this role with my whole heart.

So I can't just leave,

but face up to it.

You'll get into this marriage?

No, I won't.

But I want to do this on my own.

I want to fight for myself.

Haodu, will you be there for me?

Khatun.

I thought you want to stay far away from me.

Why are you here then?

Why do you come to Changan?

Are you interrogating me?

So what?

Since when are you in charge of the affairs of the Tribe?

Well, the Khatun of the Ashile Tribe

is only an empty title to you?

Ashile Sun, in your eyes,

who else deserves respect besides your father?

I asked you a question first.

No matter what, I'm your elder.

It's fine that you have no respect for me.

But you don't want to embarrass your father, do you?

My father sent you here?

What do you think?

How's he doing?

As long as you come back with the Eagle Division

and swear an oath of loyalty to the Tribe,

your father will take you back.

The past will never be brought up.

I'm afraid this is only your idea.

Is there a difference?

My presence in Changan now

is enough to prove that I can speak for your father.

Too bad that you're nothing to me.

Then how about Li Changge?

The well-renowned former Tegin of the Ashile Eagle Division

is now willing to be a guard of Li Changge.

Sun, sometimes I really can't figure you out.

What do you see in Li Changge?

How does she become a soft spot of yours?

To be invincible on the battleground,

you should not fear the attack of your enemies or fellowmen,

but your own weakness.

Your weakness is now exposed.

If you dare lay a finger on her,

I will make you die a terrible death.

Your Highness.

What is it?

Mimi Guli is still alive.

She's one of the Mobei envoys.

Your Highness, aren't you surprised?

Since the first time I saw Ashile Sun here,

I knew Mimi Guli is not dead at all.

Shall we...

Write to Lei Meng in Dingxiang.

Those who should be dead are all alive.

Yes, your Highness.

How did it go?

I looked into it as you had asked.

The drug residues are poisonous.

They're not lethal, but will slowly get into the patients' organs,

causing them to shut down over some time.

What a cruel woman.

You saved my life once before.

Now I've returned this favor.

I won't tell anybody you're here in Dingxiang.

- But I hope... - I understand.

Thank you.

I won't trouble you any more with this matter.

Uncle Lei keeps a strict daily patrol.

Be careful.

Hold on.

One more thing.

Have you ever heard of a captive named Buzhen?

He's a child.

A child?

There's no child in the prison.

In the Dingxiang Palace,

the only place where a child may live is the chamber of Prince Sui.

The chamber of Prince Sui?

That's all I know.

Take care.

Why did my mother want to see you?

Answer me.

Why did my mother want to see you?

Out of my way.

Did she ask you to come back with the Eagle Division?

Come back?

The arrow she fired at me in my back in Mobei almost killed me.

Tell me how's my father doing now?

My mother takes good care of him.

No need to worry.

Why're you looking at me like this?

Do you really want to live like a fool?

I dare you to say it again.

Has it never crossed your mind

why a strong man like him suddenly fell ill

and moved the Khan's Tent to Dingxiang?

His illness and the power shift to Dingxiang.

Do you really think it was an accident?

Don't you slander my mother and me.

I'm not talking about you.

Someone like you

can never have plotted it so cleverly.

I'm sure that Yicheng is in charge of the Ashile Tribe now.

I see.

So she has been setting traps for me all the time.

And she's onto you now.

It's only a matter of time before she knows who you really are.

I'll roll with her punches.

I'm not afraid of her.

If only I hadn't taken you to the Tribe.

If you hadn't taken me with you back then,

we wouldn't be so close now.

A distinguished Tegin like you

would never have cared for a traitor of Tang like me.

Hello there.

Well?

Aren't you glad that I've found you?

You really think that by feigning death,

you can get out of it?

You should understand that death isn't the solution.

If someone living in hell seeks death as a relief,

then the other child who's still alive

will take her place in hell.

I'd really hate to do that.

What did you do to Buzhen?

How could you?

How could you do it?

He's a child!

He's still a child!

How could you do this to him?

Why?

Because you betrayed me.

I would never have done it were you be obedient.

But you betrayed me.

I only cut off one finger of his.

Doesn't that impress you as being merciful?

Buzhen...

Mimi.

Mimi?

Mimi!

Mimi?

What's wrong?

Sun, I can't find Mimi.

Yicheng intimidates her.

I'm worried that she...

Calm down.

Let's split up.

I'm sure we'll find her.

Okay.

Mimi?

Father!

Father...

are you going to see his Majesty to discuss the Princess' marriage?

Could you please persuade his Majesty so the Princess...

Shuyu, let me ask you.

You and the Princess grew up together.

Do you like her?

Father, I...

The marriage of Noble Princess Yongan is a state affair.

You're in no place to ask his Majesty to change mind, understand?

If you really like her, you need to fight for her by yourself.

And only one title can save her.

The Consort Prince.

You're no longer a little boy.

If you want something, think it through,

and fight for it.

Buzhen...

it's all my fault...

I should have been there for you.

Please take care of yourself,

and wait for me.

I'm so sorry...

If you want to see your brother,

do as I say.

Her Highness wants you to do something for her.

If you fail her,

your brother will lose more than one finger.

Mimi?

Mimi, it's really you.

Ashile Sun feigned death.

So I knew you're still alive.

Please excuse me.

Are you so reluctant to see me?

You're the Young Khan.

Why waste your time on a slave like me?

I've never considered you as a slave.

Mimi, would you come back with me?

I promise I'll treat you well.

Mimi, believe me.

My marriage with the Princess of Tang is nothing but...

I promise you I would never ever fall in love with her.

Why are you telling this to me, a slave?

Why shouldn't I tell you?

I'm also telling you that I...

I like you.

When we were young and you were riding by my side,

I was always amazed by how beautiful your hair was.

They looked like the Tang silk in the wind.

You're the most beautiful girl in the world I've ever seen.

And the best one.

When I played with you,

were you happy?

Of course.

I was always happy with you.

That was because I didn't dare to make you unhappy.

Because if you were upset,

Buzhen and me would be punished in a cruel way.

In fact, every time I saw you,

I would get so scared.

I would even resent you.

Why did you save us?

I would rather die than suffer like this.

I am a human being,

not some toy without feelings.

I don't want to tread on thin ice every day to please others.

I hate it if I slip even a bit,

I would be abused, starved and scolded.

Do you understand this feeling?

No, you don't.

That's why it's impossible for me to go back with you.

Mimi.

Mimi, where have you been?

I've been looking for you.

I... I'm fine.

I just took a walk around.

Relax, for we're here for you.

Changge, the Young Khan marrying the Princess is a strategy.

If the Princess really marries him, she will suffer in the future.

Don't worry.

I won't let Leyan be married into the Ashile Tribe.

Okay.

Changge.

Shuyu, shouldn't you be at the Taiji Palace now

discussing the Princess' marriage?

Why are you here?

Shuyu?

I want to stop the marriage,

but I'm in no place to do it.

You'll be doing it for Leyan's happiness,

which puts you in a good place already.

What is holding you back?

My father said if I did it as the Consort Prince, it might work.

Understandable.

Given that you and Leyan have grown up together,

it's no wonder he would suggest so.

And Leyan will be happy, too.

You know that she always...

I know.

She confessed her feelings to me.

Then what are you waiting for?

It is the best way to stop the marriage now.

Shuyu, you and me...

I know.

I respect your decision,

and I don't want to hurt her.

I don't want to let her down

or let her marry into the Ashile Tribe.

However, I also know that asking her to marry me

will be like putting her through another misery.

She's no more to me than a little sister.

I see.

Such being the case,

I believe Leyan would not accept a marriage without love.

All we can do now is to wait and see.

We'll see what their next move is,

and roll with the punches.

Changge... since the incident at the Eastern Palace,

I feel you and Leyan have been more estranged from me.

I feel like I can't catch up with you.

When you said those words just now,

you have become different.

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to face yourself.

And you've done it.

Actually, this is not as bad as you think.

We are not the only ones who want to stop this marriage.

You mean His Majesty?

He is the emperor of Tang, but he is also a father.

There's no way he would want to ruin Leyan's happiness.

However...

he's probably waiting for the right time.

What right time?

It depends on the situation.

I'm not sure now.

Your Majesty, we can't go back on our words on the marriage.

We've agreed on it.

If we break the promise, the Ashile Tribe may falsely accuse us of

of being capricious and dishonest.

That will compromise other tribes' trust in us.

Assistant Minister Wang, you're not seeing the big picture.

Noble Princess Yongan is the daughter of his Majesty,

not a regular noble lady.

Such being the fact,

what if the Ashile Tribe takes advantage of it in the future?

Your Majesty, this marriage is indeed intractable,

but it's a future problem.

Right now, acting on the deal

is the only effective way to win the trust of the other tribes.

Your Majesty, I agree.

If the misgivings about this marriage

prevent us from keeping our promise,

the Ashile Tribe will not let go of it.

And the peace negotiations with the other tribes will fall apart.

Your Majesty, I think it's imperative that we agree to this marriage.

If this marriage is happening, it can't be with the Ashile Tribe.

Right, if we agree to it,

the Ashile Tribe will certainly ask more from us.

Your Majesty, the Ashile Tribe is clearly

provoking us with the marriage.

If we don't keep our original promise,

how can we win the trust and respect of the other tribes?

Your Majesty, I think this marriage will be a noble deed.

The Princess will be doing so for the people and the country.

If the Ashile Tribe rebels against us in the future,

and uses this marriage against us, we can always get her back then.

You're all well-learned scholars,

but your knowledge doesn't seem to serve you well.

The only thing you've learned is how to accept others' requests.

Your Majesty!

Please forgive me.

I tried to stop the Princess, but failed.

Your Majesty.

Why is the Princess here?

This is ridiculous.

Your Majesty,

the Princess claimed I've learned nothing in front of everyone.

However, to discuss her own marriage on the court,

the Princess is interfering in politics and being impertinent.

This really makes no sense.

Noble Princess Yongan is entitled by his Majesty's father.

She wants to discuss the marriage of the Princess of our State.

How's that impertinent?

Assistant Minister Chen of the Ministry of Rites?

My marriage is a national affair now.

As a subject of his Majesty,

I should express my opinion in an honest manner.

Your Majesty, I have something to say.

I'm listening.

I also beg your Majesty's pardon for my transgression.

I'm the daughter of your Majesty,

but I'm no more different than other women of the Tang state.

The purpose of our life

lies with our fathers, our emperor, and the righteous cause.

But there's much more to our life other than these.

Families are the foundation of a country.

Our country is prosperous because the people are well protected.

If we keep this prosperity by compromising with the enemy,

then how can we run our country?

How can our people lead a good life?

The Princess makes a good point.

No, she doesn't.

That's nonsense.

It's clear that she doesn't want to get into the marriage.

That's true.

Your Majesty, Noble Princess Yongan resents this marriage.

There's no need to sugarcoat it.

The incumbent Khatun of the Ashile Tribe

is Princess Yicheng of the Sui Dynasty.

Princess Yicheng's decision back then is admirable.

Is it that our Princess cannot compare to that of the Sui Dynasty?

You're very straightforward.

I'm impressed.

But what you just said is an insult to all the men of our country.

What...

That's nonsense.

Please be careful with your words.

Do you have any idea how Princess Yicheng gets where she is today?

She's a princess of the former dynasty,

living her life as a nobody in a strange place.

She has no dignity or whatsoever.

The Sui Dynasty is weak.

They feared the Ashile Tribe, so a woman had to make such a sacrifice.

There are so many heroes in our country.

They won't be intimidated by strong enemies.

If we can't even protect our own people,

how can we persuade the other tribes that we can protect them?

That's true.

Good point.

Her highness is right.

Minister Du.

Have a seat.

Thanks, your Majesty.

Your Majesty, I think what the Princess just said

was a mere excuse to get out of this marriage.

Minister Du, what do you think?

As a young lady,

the Princess has the courage to stand up to the strong enemy.

I'm very impressed by what she just said.

Good.

If the Ashile Tribe asks so,

we will give our princess to them.

This is no different than surrendering.

Your Majesty is indeed wise.

We should choose the lesser of two evils.

As far as I'm concerned,

the Ashile Tribe having our princess by mere verbal threat

is the greater evil.

The Ashile Tribe accusing us of being cheaters

is the lesser evil we can manage.

We will never seek momentary peace by sacrificing a woman.

I'm not saying this because Princess Yongan is my daughter.

All the women out there are the subjects of Tang.

I will never ever sacrifice any one of them.

Yongan, come with me to the Sifang Pavilion in three days.

If the Ashile Tribe brings this up then,

tell them yourself that the deal doesn't stand anymore.

His Majesty is coming.

Envoys, you have come from afar for the peace alliance with us.

I'd like to extend my gratitude to all of you.

Your Majesty of Tang,

Yanli Khan is under the weather now.

So he sent me here to ask you

if we can reach an agreement on the marriage of my son and the Princess.

Then we can talk about other things.

Seems the identity of the emperor of Tang means nothing to her.

Since Khan is concerned about this marriage despite his illness,

I'll give him an answer here and now.

Tell Khatun my decision.

I appreciate Great Khan, Khatun, and Young Khan for picking me.

But I'm not good enough for Young Khan.

I'm very sorry.

What's going on?

Princess, are you declining our proposal?

Khatun, you're an extraordinary woman.

I can never compare with you.

I really regret to disappoint you.

Your Majesty of Tang, are you going to break our previous deal

because you're allied with other tribes?

The future is full of uncertainties,

could it be possible that you'll do the same to them?

That's true.

What if they do the same to us?

What should we do then?

They should keep their words.

You have already agreed to this marriage

as an offer of friendship with our tribe.

Now you're going to walk away from your promise.

Should anything unpleasant happens in the future, you can't blame us.

Why is everybody so hesitated?

You've come here from afar for the peace alliance.

It means you're willing to coexist in harmony with Tang.

In other words,

everyone present has the chance to become the Consort Prince.

The Consort Prince?

What does that mean?

I can be the consort prince too?

What do you mean?

Young Khan, you said that the marriage will be a token of friendship.

Everybody here wants to develop friendship with the Tang.

Such being the case, the able man shall win.

Your Majesty of Tang, how about holding a contest?

It will be fair to all of us.

Good idea.

Only the winner shall have Noble Princess Yongan.

Young Khan, do you dare to accept the challenge?

Well, Young Khan, are you scared?

That's nonsense.

Why should I be scared?

Good, Young Khan is truly a hero.

Such being the case,

we'll hold a contest here tomorrow.

No matter where you are from, you can sign up for it.

The final winner shall deserve my Princess Yongan.

♫ The heart gradually responds, ♫

♫ gradually revives, ♫

♫ gradually swims towards you. ♫

♫ Before bidding farewell, ♫

♫ we expect an encounter. ♫

♫ Entwist your figure, ♫

♫ and lock it into my tender dream. ♫

♫ Before the daybreak, ♫

♫ through the obsession of love, ♫

♫ the longing flows. ♫

♫ There's always a moment ♫

♫ which burns down the wastelands in my heart. ♫

♫ There's always solicitude ♫

♫ which freezes everything between you and me. ♫

♫ Meet each other in different time. ♫

♫ Encourage each other in different worlds. ♫

♫ My longings become a cocoon, ♫

♫ layer after layer. ♫

♫ It turns into eternity. ♫

♫ The cocoon in the dark night. ♫

♫ There's always a moment ♫

♫ which burns down the wastelands in my heart. ♫

♫ There's always solicitude ♫

♫ which freezes everything between you and me. ♫

♫ Meet each other in different time. ♫

♫ Encourage each other in different worlds. ♫

♫ My longings become a cocoon, ♫

♫ layer after layer. ♫

♫ It turns into eternity. ♫

♫ The cocoon in the dark night. ♫

♫ It is sleepless. ♫

The Long Ballad