Original subtitles

I thought that

when you like someone

you have to marry him.

The two of them always played tricks on me

and were often dueling to make me laugh.

Princess was really happy.

The rule

of the duel between the two of them was

that whoever wins

will be forbidden to marry me.

It made me cry every time.

The two of them were beside each other

laughing themselves silly.

Forgive Qiu Zi for being bold.

Between His Majesty and King of Rui,

if they were not Princess’ brothers,

whom would Princess like?

Imperial Elder Brother and Fifth Elder Brother

are both handsome

and unusually chic.

Imperial Elder Brother cares about

the wellbeing of the whole world.

He doesn’t speak his mind.

Who would like to play the guessing game every day?

To be with him

will be too hard.

As for the Fifth Elder Brother...

Fifth Elder Brother is unruly by nature.

he will always give you

some unexpected playthings and surprises

but such a man

will always make a woman smile in the beginning

and cry in the end.

I do not ask for trouble.

Was there another person that Princess

wanted to marry when you were a child?

No.

But there was a fool

who at the age of eight said

that he is going to marry me when he grew up.

Maidservant guesses

it was Commander Xue.

A very masculine man

who couldn’t do anything right.

I only remember him

doing boring things from my childhood.

Isn’t catching a little white rabbit

or a firefly for someone

really such a great thing?

You do not have to notify me

if he comes back.

People that I do not care about

come every day.

People I care about

do not come at all.

King of Rui.

You have returned at last.

His Majesty has been waiting for Your Royal Highness for four days.

Whenever you are leaving the palace

Your Majesty cannot sleep nor eat

because he is worrying about you.

Is it

because of whether to send the troops to help Li?

Yes. Empress Dowager,

General Xue, Lord Xu

and Prime Minister Wang

are waiting at Shangyuan Palace.

Is Empress Dowager Wang not afraid

that I will search the Shangyuan Palace again?

I know

that Fifth Younger Brother will not do anything

to embarrass his third elder brother.

You

have been gone for so long.

I thought

you went to become a monk.

Third Elder Brother,

do you want to help Li State or not?

As long as Li State does not write the credentials,

I will stay put.

I agree.

But if you were to help Li,

would Third Elder Brother dispatch the troops?

First of all, we cannot let

Empress Dowager Wang’s troops and horses

become the reinforcement of Li State.

In case Empress Dowager and Gao Yang

collaborate from within with forces from without,

we will have to be more passive.

Empress Dowager and old fox Xue

are great internal force.

I just want to hit their acupuncture points. (a method that allows to slow down or “freeze” a person)

When the time comes, I will recommend Xue Bi

to lead the troops.

Xue Mingyi certainly won’t let

his precious son

to take risks.

Let us make use of an opportunity to achieve our goal

and recommend the candidate we have in mind.

Fifth Younger Brother,

last time, you have paid

for the military expenditure I made

in order to keep your reputation of being flirtatious

for my and Great Lan’s sake.

It will be of use this time.

Third Elder Brother,

your younger brother never gets tired of it.

Your Majesty and King of Rui have arrived.

You may rise.

Son and Fifth Younger Brother greet Mother.

Forego with all ceremonies.

Thank you, Mother.

I was afraid King of Rui would never return.

When King of Rui was not at His Majesty’s side,

His Majesty has been delaying the discussion

about rendering help to Li State all the time.

I am straightforward in personality,

I dare to do and say things.

It means I dare offend those that I can offend

and do not dare to offend those I should not offend.

Jiuliao has travelled south of Li

and is like a hot knife cutting through a bamboo all the way.

Shuozhou and Dingzhou have been captured.

Li army is resisting the enemy in the merged province.

If Li army can keep the province,

this war will come to an end.

If Jiuliao takes another city,

the general trend in Li State

will turn around sharply.

Great Lan wants to be worldly-wise and play safe, (keep out of harm’s way)

watching a fire from the other side of the river. (looking on at somebody trouble with indifference from a safe place)

It will be difficult.

Mother foretells things with miraculous accuracy.

Our Lan army must repair the house before it rains first. (take precautions before it is too late)

What do the ministers think?

This minister thinks Great Lan should stay put

until Li State turns out to be as precarious as a pile of eggs (be in an extremely difficult situation)

and then give them a helping hand

so that they can be forever grateful

for Great Lan’s benevolence.

Li State has not recovered

from the natural disaster yet.

I heard that the military provisions

on the battlefront have been broken

so the army relies on looting people to make ends meet.

If this continues,

another large number of refugees will arise

and travel south.

Fifth Younger Brother, what do you think then?

Replying to Your Majesty,

Li State has not asked us for help yet

so it is a bit of a wishful thinking

to dispatch the troops to their rescue.

Besides, the plague outbreak at Donglin Temple

was also caused

by the influx of refugees from Li State.

The ruler of Li is a man who disrespects the Way of Heaven,

an unfaithful person.

We must not make this decision lightly.

That’s reasonable.

Assuming that the credentials for help will arrive tomorrow,

our discussion will be as the one we

just held today.

Let us repair the house before it rains (take preventive measures)

and then measure all the advantages and disadvantages.

I think it is a favourable opportunity bestowed by heaven.

Even if Li State is really in danger,

we should not

rescue it.

Let’s wait till Jiuliao and Li suffer loses

so we can sit idle and enjoy the fruits of others’ work,

send the troops to attack and capture Li State in one fell swoop

and send Jiuliao back to the north.

I did not expect Li State

to be so vulnerable now.

The previous strategy of balancing the scale

by making friends with Jiuliao needs to be changed.

Right now the lips of both countries are gone and their teeth will suffer the cold. (they are sharing a common fate)

After Jiuliao captures Li State

the people of the north

will surely lose their country and perish.

As General Xue said,

there will be a large number of refugees

flooding into the south.

When the time comes, it will wreck chaos in Great Lan.

I think Great Lan

should send the reinforces only after

their strength will be worned out.

Since the Late Emperor’s time,

there has been a wish to send the troops to the northern expedition.

Since Jiuliao is cutting Li State down for Great Lan,

why not go ahead with it?

What Mother said is reasonable,

but if we do it like that,

the wish of the Late Emperor to unify the north and south

will be difficult to realize.

Now Jiuliao is assaulting Li

If Great Lan will only sit on the mountain (watching in safety while the others fight)

to watch the tigers fight, (watching in safety while the others fight)

we will lose the sense of righteousness.

If Li State falls,

then foreign powers

will help Jiuliao

attack Great Lan one after another.

Central Plains

will definitely fall into foreign hands then.

Your Majesty speaks rationally and convincingly.

Sending troops to help Li

will bring Great Lan high prestige.

It is an opportunity to spread it all over the world.

it is just that Great Lan

have been

fighting with other countries in Central Plains for decades.

Jiuliao is located in the extremely cold north,

its people are valorous and tough.

They have superb riding and shooting skills and belong to a nation on horseback.

They turn every man into a soldier.

Our southern Lan army is mainly made of infantry.

I am afraid that if we give the priority to help Li,

we will not be determined to win.

General Xu,

why do you grow the ambition of others

by destroying your own prestige?

It is not Jiuliao’s bravery that made Li State lose repeatedly.

This old man is willing to lead an army into the fight and out of it.

This is not the old man’s boasting.

Within three months

I will be able to destroy Jiuliao and return.

What does Fifth Younger Brother think about it?

Replying to Your Majesty,

younger brother thinks we should wait

and check Li State’s sincerity first.

If you want to send troops to help Li,

younger brother finds Xue Bi to be young and promising,

valiant and skilful in battle.

Sending him with the dispatched troops

will be a meritorious service

for Great Lan.

King of Rui’s words are well-founded.

Xue Bi, you deserve the title of “grand general”

just like it was used in ancient times.

This official will do his utmost best

to not fail Your Majesty’s trust in him.

Your Majesty, there is no general

in Great Lan

who has fought with Jiuliao before.

My son Xue Bi has no expedition experience

hence he will get half result with twice the effort. (he will have to labour hard to little avail)

Is there a person in Great Lan

that can get twice the result with half the effort then?

There is. Miao Minghu.

Who in the entire Great Lan nation

can match Commander Miao?

He is familiar with the border defence of the north.

It is easy to know a person, but difficult to understand a person’s heart.

How can we entrust such an important task to a general that surrendered himself?

Miao Minghu coming under the jurisdiction of Great Lan

was a wise move.

I have always treated this person

with kindness and faith.

I believe

that he is by no means an ungrateful man.

Moreover, this time we are rescuing Li

not attacking it.

Miao Minghu can be useful.

Your Majesty,

even if this person is loyal to Great Lan,

but there is no guarantee

that here is an undeserved reputation attached to him. (he is not as good as he is made out to be)

Gao Yang borrowed Gu Qinghong’s hands

to raid and kill Miao Family

because he was afraid that his meritorious service will be superior to their master.

If he was such a mediocre person,

why would Gao Yang be so afraid of him?

If General Xue has any doubts,

he might as well try him out.

Your Majesty!

I do not know what Mother thinks about it?

Your Majesty is the ruler of the country.

How could he make an unwise decision?

Let’s wait for Li State’s letter of credentials for help

before making a decision.

All right, I have made up my mind.

We can send the rescue troops to Li,

but we should not make haste.

Let’s wait for the best time to do so.

This official shall obey the order.

Rise.

I did not know that Your Majesty has arrived.

I ask Your Majesty for forgiveness.

Rise and then speak.

Thank you, Your Majesty

Do you not feel bored in the palace?

I am going to take you to see

the new army led by Miao.

Your Majesty...

Lin Mian.

Present.

Go get the set of clothes

that I have prepared

for Zhaoyi Nie.

Yes.

She wrote so much.

This Zhaoyi Nie is not only elegant and intelligent,

but she is also proficient in writing.

Imperial Concubine Yun has met her opponent.

What about His Majesty and King of Rui?

As Empress Dowager had expected,

as usual

Your Majesty and King of Rui

rode to the new military camp at the back of the hill

to see who gets

to the top first.

But I heard

that this time Zhaoyi Nie also went with them.

They are indeed in the mood to enjoy themselves.

At least they won’t be alone on the road to the netherworld. (netherworld - the world of the dead)

Have you done

what I told you?

Empress Dowager,

the mountain road is rugged and varied.

There is only one smooth road.

I am afraid that King of Rui

and Zhaoyi Nie will choose the most dangerous road.

I was thinking

how to get

His Majesty’s heart back

after King of Rui’s search in Shangyuan Palace

but when we were talking about helping LI

His Majesty wishes to regain the military power

became clearly visible.

If it is him who is in distress,

it can be regarded as the will of heaven.

I still have imperial grandson Ziyan.

Empress Dowager is wise

and always makes quick decisions.

Only one of them can survive.

I want to see how you two brothers will be of one mind.

Change the dishes.

I will abstain from eating meat today.

Yes.

Third Elder Brother, there is a fork in the road ahead.

This mountain road is too narrow to travel together.

Why don’t we go our separate ways

and meet at the top of the mountain?

Wushuang,

there are two roads ahead.

The scenery on each of them is different.

Which one would you choose?

If I choose to go with Fengqing,

his future road

will be even more rough.

Bao’er! (Precious)

I just know

that Fifth Younger Brother will not argue with me

for the first place.

Look.

I just saw this flower

on the mountainside.

Although it was born on the mountainside

and braves the wind and the dew

but it is so beautiful

and reminds me of you.

For you.

I hope you can be like this flower.

Thank you, Your Majesty, for your care and support.

Come.

Wushuang.

What do you see?

Mountains...

and...

motherland...

What I see is the world.

Seeing the new army

bustling with vitality

reminds me of the last wish of the Late Emperor.

The new army is currently unstoppable.

My wish to unify the whole world

will soon be fulfilled.

At that time,

you can help Commander Miao to end the feud

with Xue Family.

Your Majesty,

there will be no distinction

between the north and south in the unified land.

There will be no separation.

There will be no chaos caused by war and people will not become destitute and homeless.

I hope

that you can

accompany me to see this land of splendours.

Is Elder Sister missing His Majesty?

His Majesty is concerned about the new army’s drill

and is consulting the ministers.

He is staying away from Cuihua Pavilion.

But do not worry, Elder Sister.

When His Majesty is done with everything,

he will definitely come to see Elder Sister.

I am not blaming His Majesty

for not coming to Cuihua Pavilion.

What is this?

I found a necklace

to match

Elder Sister's gemstone.

Elder Sister will look beautiful in it.

No need.

The gemstone has been returned to its original owner.

To King of Rui?

Everyone in the palace says

it was something left by King of Rui's mother.

Who would believe it?

My Elder Sister got it when she nearly

drowned when she was a child.

They can say

whatever they want.

I don't care about it anyway.

Although you and I are master and servant,

we are as close as real sisters.

If you want to say something, just say it.

Please beware of Empress Dowager Wang.

I heard some wet nurses

in the palace say

that she tied a stone around King of Rui mother’s neck

and forced her to jump into the river.

People in the palace say

that my Elder Sister is the embodiment

of Ji Rousang's evil spirit.

Good. I have always believed

that not every woman's life

is filled with romance and legends.

The rumours in the palace say

that we will send the troops to help Li.

The female servant thought that Your Majesty

will go to Concubine Shu's Xinyi Palace in the afternoon (Xinyi - flower bud of lili magnolia)

I had breakfast

with Concubine Yun this morning.

She said

exactly what Empress has said.

I thought I would go to Cuihua Pavilion

to see Nie Wushuang.

It seems that I am just

liek a chess piece in this game.

It is getting harder and harder to find a place to stay.

The more concubines there are in the imperial harem,

the more overwhelmed Your Majesty will be.

Female servant just wants Your Majesty to know

that Your Majesty

does not have to worry about this female servant.

Female servant

has our son to accompany me.

Empress is still the most considerate of me.

Li State and Jiuliao have

reached a deadlock now.

It is still undecided when to send troops.

Female servant still has one matter to mention.

Female servant thinks that it is the highest time

for King of Rui to start a family and settle down.

Maybe

with starting the family will King of Rui's heart

finally settle down.

Imperial harem will also have fewer gossips flying around.

You should be well aware of Fifth Younger Brother's temperament.

He cannot be forced.

King of Rui is a man of striking appearance.

He is natural, unrestrained and easygoing.

I am afraid the girls from noble families whoo took a liking to him

will have to stand in line.

But King of Rui also

looks like a prodigal son.

This romantic flair

makes many girls that are smitten with him

discouraged in the end.

King of Rui's wandering heart

should be pacified

by someone worthy of being King of Rui's princess.

After starting the family,

King of Rui'cynism towards the word and its way

will fade away.

Maybe... maybe his predestined person

has not appeared yet?

Female servant is set on

to act as a go-between for King of Rui's marriage.

I just do not know if King of Rui

has already someone in his heart.

I know my Fifth Younger Brother better than anyone else.

Empress does not have to make a guess.

His life' affairs will be left to you,

since you are his imperial sister-in-law.

Jiuliao has experienced issues

with army provisions now.

This is why

their time to enter Li State will be delayed.

Great.

This way, Great Lan will have a greater chance

of winning while rendering the aid.

Your Majesty, His Royal Highness King of Rui has arrived.

Imperial Brother.

Fifth Younger Brother, you came just in time.

We have just received a secret report

from the border guards.

It says that

Jiuliao will not be able to send troops to Li for the time being,

due to the lack of rations and forage.

Li State will have a difficult time to differentiate

between the enemy and Great Lan

so there is no need to rush out.

Therefore, the matter of aiding Li state

can be postponed for the time being.

Your Majesty, the training

in the new camp is in the full swing now.

There is no need to go on expedition now.

How does Your Majesty plan to deploy the troops?

Although the national strife has stopped,

the training cannot be stopped.

This group of recruits is my heaviest weapon.

I am going to go to the new army camp

to train the soldiers

and boost their morale.

Yes.

Imperial Brother, the younger brother is not at ease.

Let me accompany you.

Commander Miao is there

and this is my own military camp.

Why is Fifth Younger Brother still worried?

Besides, you told me earlier

that the Dragon Boad Festival is coming soon.

It is also your mother's memorial service.

Do you not want to

pay tribute to her in the palace?

My mother's body was not found

so no grave was built for her.

There is no need to visit her burial place.

Fifth Younger Brother, it is not that the Third Elder Brother does not want to help you.

But the time is not ripe yet.

His Majesty supervises the training in the new military camp.

How is it going over there?

The new army is in full swing.

What about the people we sent?

Miao Minghu is strictly impartial and incorruptible.

He strictly scrutinizes those who apply for military camps.

It is very hard to insert our people there.

If we try too hard,

then I am afraid His Majesty will notice something.

Is he really impartial and incorruptible?

Let Xue Mingyi bribe the new soldiers.

Humble one will obey Your command.

What about

the people who failed to do things on the cliff last time?

Empress Dowager, do not worry. They were all disposed of.

However, before they died

they all said

that the mountain road that King of Rui took

was all ours.

A normal person would never

come back alive from there.

Is King of Rui really different from mortals?

I have long felt

that mother and son possess demonic magic.

But I was observing him

for so many years.

If I knew

that the boy was also using demonic magic,

I would not let him

live to this day.

If he really is possessed by demonic magic,

he will be the first

to deal with.

Empress Dowager is brilliant.

Reporting to Empress Dowager,

King of Rui has cut off all the manzhu flowers

in the courtyard.

What?

He… he also said...

What did he say?

He said that today is the anniversary of his mother’s death.

It was his mother who asked him to come to Shangyuan Palace

and cut these manshu flowers.

He also said that

these flowers were particularly bestowed

on his mother by the Late Emperor

and not on Empress Dowager.

Can I stay in the palace with my child

forever

and never return to my parent star?

Will he look

like other children

when he is born?

Fengqing,

Mother!

Mother did not leave.

Mother is still in the palace.

Wushuang did not lie to you.

Mother, where are you in the end?

Here.

What flower is it? It is really beautiful.

Elder Sister, this is manzhu flower.

It was brought back by the Late Emperor

for a foreign land for Meiren Ji.

It is just that when the Late Emperor

and Meiren Ji died,

Empress Dowager has moved manzhu flowers

to the Shangyuan Palace.

Every year, when the flowers are in full bloom

they mark Meiren Ji’s death anniversary.

King of Rui

cuts off these flowers every year

to hold a memorial service for Meiren Ji,

making Empress Dowager

almost burst from anger every year.

Xia Lan, go back first.

I want to stay here

alone for a while.

Yes.

Manzhu

is as beautiful as you.

It does not look like a flower from this world.

Meiren Ji,

why did you save me on the day

when you died?

Why did you bring me to Shangyuan Palace

and let me see you

but you did not let Fengqing see you?

Do you know

how much he misses you?

He is more lonely than anyone else in this palace.

How can you bear to see him

like this?

Who were you talking to just now?

It’s got nothing to do with you.

The saviour you have mentioned just now...

is that not me?

I will ask you one more time.

Did you really see my mother

at Shangyuan Palace?

Did you really not lie to me?

Has King of Rui not established

that I am a liar already?

Everyone in the palace thinks that I, Zhaoyi Nie,

use despicable means

to manipulate your heart

to strain your relationship

with His Majesty.

What King of Rui said is correct.

I am just using you.

No matter what you do,

it has nothing to do with me.

You said it all

to make me angry.

I did not.

I am all right.

You do not have to do anything either.

I guess you are fine.

I will take you to meet someone.

It is so cold and dreary here.

Of course it is.

Since my mother died,

her portrait

and everything related to her

was burned to ashes.

It probably was Empress Dowager who did it.

Today is my mother’s death anniversary.

Mother, I brought her to see you.

Mother,

she is Miao Qianqian that you saved.

After Fengqing saved her,

I gave her a new life

and named her Nie Wushuang.

Fengqing and Wushuang

are finally bowing in front of Mother

after bowing to Heaven and Earth.

What?

What what?

Have you been wronged by bowing

to Heaven and Earth with me?

Don’t be oo greedy.

Who wants to bow to Heaven and Earth with you?

I don’t care who you are with

in this life

but you can’t walk away in your next life.

You and I have kind of settled

our fate in the next life.

You are unreasonable.

No wonder people say...

Say what...

Say that I am different?

Yes, I am different.

I am a person

who does not even know

what kind of person I truly am.

Are you all right?

I was thinking that you were

so serious when bowing

to the Heaven and Earth right now.

You say one thing but mean another.

That’s not what you are

thinking at all.

Do you want to know

what’s going on in my head?

I don’t want to know. I am going.

Wushuang, do you remember

that a few days ago

I competed with my Imperial Brother

who gets to the top of the mountain first?

Of course I remember.

Where did you go?

His Majesty and I have been waiting

at the top of the mountain for a long time.

Fortunately, you and Imperial Brother did not choose

the mountain road that was ambushed.

Otherwise,

I would lose two people

that I cannot let go off in this world.

What does it mean?

I thought

I was the only thorn in Empress Dowager’s side.

I didn’t expect Third Elder Brother to be another one.

Impossible.

Empress Dowager is His Majesty’s biological mother.

How could she know in advance

which mountain road he would choose?

The only explanation is

that Empress Dowager is staking all on one cast of the dice.

It does not matter to her who actually dies.

It was up to providence

who would survive,

me or His Majesty.

How did you manage to get away then?

Because I wanted to live.

Because I still want my revenge.

I also wanted to come back to annoy you.

Where are you going?

This is not a trivial matter.

I have to report it to His Majesty.

You want to tell His Majesty

that his biological mother

wants to eradicate

her own son?

Do you think he will be willing to believe it?

Rest assured,

even if I die,

Third Elder Brother will never die.

Because I will protect His Majesty

even at the cost of my life.

No, no one can die.

As expected, the woman who bowed with me to Heaven and Earth

cares more and more about me.

Yes.

Because His Majesty’s

most beloved King of Rui

is Wushuang’s most hated Xiao Fengqing!

There are not

many women who actually hate me

in this world.

All right, I will allow you

to be the only one.

What are you still doing here?

I have made an appointment with a beautiful woman

to come here and keep me company.

It would be bad if she

sees you here.

Disappear.

Where does the flute sound come from?

Replying to Empress Dowager,

it is coming from

King of Rui's Yao Palace.

Is he not tired of it?

He makes the noise every year.

Even if you cut

all my flowers

and play the flute many times,

this wench still won't survive.

Every year on the eve of Dragon Boat Festival

King of Rui sets to Yao Pavilion

to pay respects to Meiren Ji.

What a truly a filial child.

Let have momo a look. (momo - a wet nurse or an elderly servant)

The more you grow, the more you look like Meiren Ji.

If your Mother was still here

and saw how handsome you became,

she would definitely feel gratified.

Wet Nurse, is my Mother really dead?

Why is King of Rui making such a statement?

Wet Nurse, do you recognize this gemstone?

Isn't this your Mother's gemstone?

Why is it in your hands?

I saved a woman from Li State.

She held this gemstone

in her hand, after she was rescued from drowning

on the day my Mother fell into the river

when she was a child.

I think my Mother saved her

and led her to me when she grew up.

Is she the one

that everyone in the palace says

that she is an evil spirit,

Zhaoyi Nie?

Is it possible for a person

to come back to life

if her body has not decayed?

Stop imaging things.

How can people come back to life?

Wushuang would not lie to me.

She said that she saw my mother

lying in a crystal coffin in Shangyuan Palace.

King of Rui, be cautious.

It is taboo to mention some names again

in the palace.

Even if His Majesty cares for King of Rui greatly,

one cannot afford to offend

people that are wielding the power over the world.

Do you mean the old hag?

I am not afraid of her.

All right, Wet Nurse,

don't worry.

I will arrange

your transfer to King of Rui's mansion as soon as possible.

If you have such a heart,

wet nurse is already satisfied.

King of Rui,

since there is no room for you in the imperial family,

why don't you

build a home of your own?

Her Majesty is very concerned about

King of Rui's marriage.

She also called this old slave into the palace this morning

to ask King of Rui

whether there is a woman you like.

It seems that she wants to be your matchmaker.

Wet Nurse,

did you give your name

to the empress then?

Master has grown up

and still does not know how to be serious.

Who wants to like you?

Who deserves it?

But there are women

coming to wet nurse

to inquire about King of Rui.

The more she pretends not to care,

the more she misses King of Rui.

Wet Nurse, Wet Nurse.

You are tired.

Go back to rest first.

I will do the rest.

You should also rest early.