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Guardians of the Ancient Oath

Guardians of the Ancient Oath

[This story is purely fictional.]

Episode 1

Once upon a time,

when Nine-head wrecked the world,

five gods of Shanhai Realm descended

to battle him.

They sealed him

in Goddess Earth's body

and made a confidential oath

to never reunite

so that Nine-head wouldn’t be revived.

After the fierce battle,

five gods had little power left

to support themselves,

so their souls landed in the human world

but then went missing.

Among all realms,

Yo and Lang, separated by mountains,

were in war constantly.

Unknown forces were also lurking in the dark.

Poor humans were sucked

into this once in a millennium war, too.

Kill!

Kill!

Kill!

Kill!

Kill!

Kill!

[Baili Hongxuan Late Duke Pingyuan’s Eldest Son of Yo]

Charge!

Go!

My respects, Your Majesty

and Your Highness.

[Baili Haohe Emperor of Yo]

[Empress Dowager He Empress Dowager of Yo]

All rise.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Hongxuan.

Yes, Your Majesty.

You've been

on the battlefield conquering the east and west

for almost a decade, correct?

It’s my duty, Your Highness.

You're twenty-...

I’m 28, Your Highness.

You’ve been guarding the border for years

and will soon reach 30.

As a decorated general, you’re still single.

That’s my fault.

You've been busy with state affairs.

I’m ought to share you

and Your Majesty's burden.

Hongxuan,

that’s your mistake.

Marriage concerns your lifelong happiness.

As your uncle,

I can’t stay out of it.

Your time shouldn’t be wasted

on my personal matter.

You sound reluctant.

Are you already in love?

No, I’m not.

That’s good.

I’ve chosen someone for you,

Lady Jinyang,

elder sister of the governor of Liaodong.

She’s elegant, kind

and gorgeous.

You two

will make a perfect match.

His Majesty has decided

to promote her to Princess Jinyang

with a handsome salary

and betroth her to you, General Zhengxi,

Baili Hongxuan.

Princess Jinyang

is already on the way as we speak.

I...

I granted her that title

to marry her to you.

Hongxuan,

you have objections?

Thank you, Your Majesty and Your Highness.

Good.

Chiefs of Imperial Clan Affairs

and Ceremonies

will take it from here.

Pick a good day to hold the wedding ceremony.

Yes, Your Highness.

After the wedding,

don’t go back to the battlefield.

What I want the most

is a great-grandson.

Yes.

Congratulations, General!

[Anahoi Son of the King of Lang]

Right on target!

Hit the center!

The center!

[Ming Yefeng General Wanqi of Lang]

The center!

The loss this time

weakened

our morale,

but boosted Yo’s.

[Morahan King of Lang]

Had Ming Yefeng been there,

he would've beaten Baili Hongxuan up.

Anahoi,

you lose,

so you have to give us

the finest wine you have.

I failed to defeat Yo.

I admit to that.

Good.

Thank you

for your wine.

When you win next time,

let’s drink together to celebrate it.

General Wanqi,

it’s still too early to gloat.

Yo is a hard bone.

The Bailies are known to be brave.

General,

would you like to have a bite yourself?

Good idea. That’s fun.

There are other ways to get rid of them.

Excellent!

[Baili Hongshuo Late Duke Pingyuan’s Second Son of Yo]

[Baili Hongyi Late Duke Pingyuan’s Daughter of Yo]

[Duke Pingyuan’s Mansion]

Assassins?

How dare they

break into our mansion!

Brother,

they’re most likely from Lang.

All three of us are always kind to others.

We've made no enemies.

The one who hates our guts

can only be

Lang at the border.

A few months ago,

they lost the battle.

Now, they're seeking revenge.

In this case,

they’re the prime suspect.

Lang poses

a threat to Yo,

and this time,

they tried to kill us all.

Their maliciousness is too obvious.

Brother,

you don’t need

to worry too much.

We’ll hold the fort.

That’s right.

They failed today

and will sure come back.

Rest assured, brother.

I’ll be on alert at all times.

I won’t let Hongyi get hurt.

My respects, Your Highness.

You may rise.

Thank you, Your Highness.

Have a seat.

I’m here to pay respects to Your Highness.

I heard you went to the temple

to pray for me.

I appreciate that.

The war is on between Lang and Yo.

All I could do to help you

was to pray for peace.

You’re sweet, Jinyang.

You have a grateful heart.

Raise your head.

How elegant and gorgeous are you!

Have you

heard about one of our generals,

named Baili Hongxuan?

Baili Hongxuan?

They say he’s brave and battlewise.

Good.

You've reached the age

for marriage.

I’m betrothing you to Hongxuan.

That’s my bliss.

Thank you, Your Highness,

for your care and consideration.

But my family is in decline.

I’m afraid I’m not a good match.

Don’t say that.

The Bailies

are honored to have you.

Jinyang.

Jinyang? Are you alright?

Jinyang is here, too.

My respects, Your Majesty.

Rise.

Greetings, mother.

Rise.

Jinyang.

What did you see?

That was probably

a hallucination.

You might be a bit tired.

His Majesty is here.

You can go back to rest.

A girl, once get married,

will finally have someone to rely on.

Once you two get married,

Hongxuan will have no worries at home

and can devote himself to stabilizing our country.

I can stop worrying, too.

Thank you, Your Highness.

You may leave now.

Good day, Your Highness.

You came on time, my lord.

Four gods will appear with Mars.

The time has come.

We’ve waited for this moment for a thousand years.

Once Goddess Earth is awake,

Nine-head will break free from the seal.

Are you hesitant?

Not at all.

Four gods’ souls have disappeared for a millennium.

Only one god survives.

That’s no fun at all.

Once we take the step,

there’s no coming back.

When Nine-head is out, the world will suffer.

Do you have solutions?

Nine-head is a threat to the world.

That's exactly why

we need the five gods to reunite.

Only they can turn things around.

[Duke Pingyuan’s Mansion]

Young Master,

Liaodong is a big county,

but the former governor has passed away.

What’s left is his son and daughter

who have no connections

in or out of the court.

By giving that girl

an empty title

and marrying her to you,

you won't be able to

marry others from prominent families.

Clearly, Her Highness did this on purpose.

Her worries

are understandable.

My father used to be the Crown Prince

and so did I.

That’s

what she’s concerned about.

To avoid trouble,

I chose to fight on the battlefield for years,

but that still wasn’t enough

to spare her anxiety.

What she did now

isn’t a surprise.

You've been spending years

on pacifying foreign enemies

and bringing peace to our country.

Your marriage with that orphan girl

has also sparked

disagreements among senior officials

in and outside the court.

I know Her Highness is dedicated

to governing Yo,

but the future of our country

depends on the capable.

With the evil beside His Majesty,

Her Highness might be misled, too.

Although His Majesty is a Baili,

he’s young and needs assistance.

In Yo,

giving high ranks to the able

is our tradition.

Young Master,

you need to take the future of Yo

into consideration.

His Majesty has arrived, Young Master.

My respects, Your Majesty.

Hongxuan,

what took you so long?

Hey,

your osmanthus cakes

taste much better.

I’ll bring some

back to the palace.

There are all kinds of foods in the palace.

How come

you favor these cakes?

Those in the palace are always the same.

They look delicate

but lack the taste of home.

You must've had

too many gourmet foods

and now, you fancy homemade meals.

Mock me all you want.

I’m sick of

being the emperor anyway.

You know my mother.

She nags a lot

and always treats me as a kid.

I’m 16 years old.

Others my age

have already got married.

Are you eager to have an empress?

Forget about that.

You're the groom-to-be.

Don’t tease me.

Hongxuan.

Yes.

You don’t

like Princess Jinyang, do you?

Marrying a lady is bliss.

Princess Jinyang is noble

and elegant.

Why wouldn’t I like her?

There are so many young ladies in Ye City,

yet mother picked one

from a remote county

to marry you.

You have no discontent at all?

I’m grateful enough

that Princess Jinyang is willing

to marry a boar like me.

You're indeed a better fit

for the crown.

You must be joking.

I mean it.

Don't be nervous.

My mother

favors the Hes. You know that.

But she’s my mother.

What could I say?

You're different.

You're capable enough

to renew the Bailies.

If you want my position,

I’ll step down immediately.

Don’t worry about the rules.

If I hand over the crown to you,

that’ll be nothing wrong.

You won't be accused of overstepping your bounds

but your sacrifice

will forever be remembered.

Hongxuan.

Do you remember

a few years back,

you said

the same thing to me?

I was only 6.

I don’t know how to be an emperor.

You're the Crown Prince’s son.

When Duke Pingyuan perished,

father meant to make you

his successor,

not me.

Sadly, father left too suddenly

to complete it,

and I ascended the throne by law.

But I don’t deserve it.

I’m only

your young uncle.

You're the Crown Prince's son.

Only you know

how to be an emperor.

If it's OK with you,

I’ll step down immediately.

OK?

No matter

who used to be the Crown Prince,

you inherited the throne

legally.

It’s what the ancestors and the public want.

I dare not break the law

or covet the throne.

I’ll do my best to assist you

to safeguard our country.

I do.

I was just crowned

and knew nothing at all.

I believed

you were more suitable

to be the emperor.

Even till now,

I still believe so.

What kind of person

do you think I am?

I’ve promised

to assist you to take over the reins.

Your Majesty,

we're related by blood.

You’re the legit heir.

I’ll help you rule the country

and I’m sure

you can do it.

[Inn]

When I was about to

leave for Shuchi to visit you,

something unexpected happened,

so I had to invite you here.

By “something unexpected”,

do you mean this?

General Mu Li and General Haozhe?

They planned in secret

to surrender themselves to Yo.

Don’t you know that?

They’re high-ranking officials of Baize.

Even if they made mistakes,

they should be

punished by us.

Let you do it?

Are all of you

going to

pay allegiance to Yo?

I will never

allow that to happen.

What if it’s what Bai Nuo wants?

Leader? Why would he...

Although Baize is far from Shuchi,

you really think

I know nothing at all?

Bai Nuo

inherited the leadership

but he’s never followed

any orders

from Shuchi.

This time,

he even colluded with Yo.

I don’t care why he did that.

Given that he fraternized with the enemy,

I could've

annihilated you by force.

None of us

means to surrender.

You know what,

the king would rather give up your entire tribe

than have you

be occupied by Yo.

I think the same.

What should I do

to protect my clansmen?

I know of a way.

Please enlighten me.

Behead Bai Nuo

and ask all your men

to follow your leadership.

[Duke Pingyuan’s Mansion]

Following heaven’s will, my order is as follows:

confer the title of Marquis Zhenbei

on Duke Pingyuan's eldest son, Baili Hongxuan

for surpassing Lang.

Princess Jinyang of Liaodong

is from a loyal family.

She is elegant and intelligent.

Empress Dowager and I adore her

and have decided to marry her off.

I hereby announce

to marry Jinyang to be Marquis Zhenbei.

The wedding will be held afterwards.

Empress Dowager appreciates

Marquis Zhenbei’s sacrifice

for stabilizing Yo,

so she bestows a silk robe on him.

May they enjoy a happy marriage

and carry on the family line of Baili.

The end.

Here’s the edict, Marquis.

I, Baili Hongxuan,

thank His Majesty.

You may rise, Marquis.

The robe.

Her Highness

ordered tailors and embroiders

to work day and night

to complete it on time.

It represents

her care for you.

She also said

she’d be happy

if you could

wear it

on your wedding day.

But...

I’m grateful for Her Highness’ concern.

I shall take my leave.

Brother...

[Inn]

Bai Nuo has a hundred relatives.

You have thousands of clansmen.

Which side matters more?

General,

you’re smart.

I’m sure you know the answer.

But Bai Nuo

is highly respected.

Most of his relatives are presbyters.

Few will support the coup.

What do you suggest?

In our clan,

there’s only one person

who’s as respected

and even nobler than him,

Yi Jiumo.

Hasn’t he

been missing for a long time?

Yes.

Back then, as the pontifex,

Yi Jiumo strongly disagreed

to have Bai Nuo inherit the leadership.

Then Bai Nuo tried to get rid of him.

He disappeared

in hunting.

Bai Nuo told others

that during hunting,

Yi Jiumo

sensed the calling of the ancestral god,

so he went to Mount Tuxiu to find him.

Truth is,

Yi Jiumo was expelled.

Bai Nuo was heartless

but he dared not

to kill the pontifex assigned by our ancestor.

If we can find Yi Jiumo,

our coup will be legit.

Where is he?

It’s said

that Yi Jiumo

has never left Qianlingpo.

Unfortunately,

I’m unable to find him.

Why?

I’ve canvassed that area in secret.

Qianlingpo

is located between Baize and Li City.

He’s imprisoned

by guards of Li City.

Yo people?

Yes.

If you

can bring him

back to Baize,

then we’ll serve you

wholeheartedly.

Hold on.

Young Master.

[Duke Pingyuan’s Mansion]

Bring it in.

-Yes. -Yes.

Young master.

Please.

[Marquis Zhenbei’s Mansion]

[Marquis Zhenbei’s Mansion]

Haohe.

Are you still thinking about Hongxuan’s marriage?

He’s always been loyal

and he’s a royal member.

Although Jinyang is a nice lady,

she’s an orphan from afar,

unlike those from prominent families in town.

Their marriage is a good thing,

yet somehow, I feel guilty

in front of our ancestors.

On top of that,

demoting his title from Duke Pingyuan

to Marquis Zhenbei

is unprecedented.

I feel uncomfortable with it.

Did you hear anything?

Like what?

The sword can kill

and so can words.

Senior officials

are against this marriage.

And it’s written all over their faces.

Do you mean

Hongxuan is unhappy with it, too?

No way.

If he were,

why would he

accept it willingly?

Did you

meet with him a few days ago?

We did.

He was grateful

for the betrothal.

He had no complaints at all

and even swore

to safeguard the state.

Hongxuan is loyal and honest.

I don’t want to suspect anything,

but

you should look

under the surface.

Since I ascended the throne when I was little,

Hongxuan has been

assisting me wholeheartedly

without any complaints.

Back then,

he only just turned 20

yet he had to

fight for our country.

That was admirable.

Mother.

Lang has invaded us repeatedly.

The time and place,

inside and outside,

emperor and officials

all worked well together

so that we can enjoy such prosperity.

Baili Hongxuan is an experienced

and decorated war hero,

who’s highly respected by the public.

Rumor has it that someone believes

Baili Hongxuan

is the legit heir.

Mother, are you saying...

People can change. Your favoritism

to Hongxuan

might not be a good thing.

All men of the Bailies’ get married

in the Red Dear Robe.

That’s a hundred-year-old

tradition.

Yet Her Highness had them

make this silk robe

and asked you to wear it on your wedding day.

What was she thinking?

Red dear is worshiped by Yo.

It also symbolizes

the royal status of the Bailies’.

Although we’re all surnamed Baili,

there’s still a hierarchy.

Hierarchy?

Father was the Crown Prince.

Hadn’t father and grandfather

passes away too early,

who would’ve been

on the top?

Shut it!

Although His Majesty is young,

he’s been crowned.

Don’t say

those disrespectful words again.

Ever since the passing of grandfather,

Her Highness

has been expanding her family’s power

in the name of assisting His Majesty.

The Hes and Bailies

are co-governing the country.

She’s way crossed the line.

Why can’t I say it?

Hongshuo.

Don’t stick out your neck if you want to live.

Control yourself.

You deserve better.

Baili Hongxuan is a household name.

You can marry

any girl in the city.

Her Highness asked you

to marry a girl with nothing but an empty title.

She said that girl’s family is loyal,

but few people are left in her family.

They no longer

have any influence in Liaodong.

Princess Jinyang is a lady.

Marrying her is bliss.

Other things don’t matter.

You haven’t even met her

but you're willing to follow Her Highness’ order.

Is it worth it?

As a Baili,

we can’t always

have our way.

Young Master,

Minister Jiang Hong came to congratulate you.

I’m coming.

Yes.

Hongshuo, don’t bring this up again.