Original subtitles

♪Confessing to the moon in the rustling wind back then♪

♪Like a boat being swallowed up among the cities♪

♪Watching the flowers fall in unease, worries and troubles fill my mind♪

♪Am I going to where I want♪

♪To stay or to leave, you decide♪

♪Nations are different♪

♪One without desire is one that is not alive♪

♪Looking at the sky side by side♪

♪We've gotten closer with time♪

♪One glance, the city of Chang'an is bare♪

♪Among the ridiculous people and things is me♪

=Dream of Chang'An=

=Episode 30=

(Cheng Ruoyu will be granted the title of Beauty and a thousand acres of farmland.)

(Should the Emperor met with misfortune,)

(she is allowed to return to her hometown and remarry.)

Announce it.

Yes.

Your Majesty.

How is this

going to give me any closure?

At least one of us

must live.

Before I pass on,

I need you

to keep me company for a while.

Yes.

(Duke Chu's Residence)

Is Duke Chu's Qihai acupuncture point

twitching frequently as of late?

It's the side effect of taking pills for martial art training.

What did you say?

It's the result.

It's a great result.

But it's also a great risk.

I apologize, Master.

He is unsociable and hence not very good with manners.

Those who achieved greatness

have some weird quirks with them.

He could tell with just a glance.

That showed just how talented he was.

Now that Imperial Physician Shen is gone,

this man could take this place.

Sir...

Don't get up.

Sir.

I seek your just judgment.

Shi Yuan slaughtered my whole family.

Fool!

You've been used as a pawn without knowing it!

Tell me,

the man with a beard

that was with you,

who exactly was he?

A man with a beard?

Could it be my nephew Yuan Lin?

Sir.

Did he get into trouble again?

Sir,

this is Yuan Lin,

Yuan Xing's nephew.

He died during the fight

at the Shi's Residence.

He does look similar to the Left Advisor.

What do you think?

He may not be involved,

but those soldiers were murdered at the Shi's Residence.

Someone must have set them up.

Indeed.

The fighting was a distraction.

The real motive was murder.

I think

we should start

investigating Jiang Ding.

Jiang Ding introduced Shi Yuan

to you.

He introduced

a murderer.

Even if there was no ill intention,

it would mean he was incompetent.

Then, we'll start with Jiang Ding.

Your Majesty.

Yu'er.

Are you feeling better now?

When I was

unconscious,

what was Qiu Ziliang up to?

(Duke Chu's Residence)

Who was it

that worked in the dark

and slowly consumed

the power I possess?

That is outrageous.

It seems like Qi Yan's doing,

but it's actually someone else.

That person knows me very well.

The person must know the Chess of Generals Camp

and the Shencai Army like the back of their palm.

Do you suspect the Chess Overseer?

She let Cheng Xi escape.

That was how she returned

unscathed.

It had happened before.

She told me Cheng Ruoyu

had gone to Zhaoyi.

But the truth was,

Cheng Ruoyu was meeting with Chen Yintai.

She thought I didn't know.

If it happened once,

it could be a coincidence.

But if it happened again,

too good to be a coincidence.

I want to know

if there could be a third coincidence.

Understood.

I will keep an eye on the Overseer.

However,

with all due respect,

if there is a spy

within the Camp,

the Chess Overseer isn't the only suspect.

You suspect there are more of them.

I couldn't be sure.

Come forth.

Closer.

Tell me.

I suspect

the Right Minister.

So I sent the Right Advisor to follow him.

The Right Advisor and the Right Minister

seem very close.

Indeed.

But isn't that great?

I'll send the Right Advisor for this job.

Perhaps you will have a better picture

as to who is the traitor among our ranks.

Or perhaps

they are both traitors.

As you expected,

Eunuch Qiu started suspecting Yanzhi

and you.

He sent me to spy on you.

The Right Chariot is spying on Yanzhi.

You risked drawing Eunuch Qiu's suspicion

just to cover up for Yanzhi.

But is it worth it?

Your Majesty.

Do you have a solution?

Allow me to ponder on it.

(I can move!)

I'm here to change His Majesty's bandage.

Prince Guang.

Prince Guang!

We have orders from Eunuch Qiu.

As a precaution

against villains such as Shi Yuan

from assassinating His Majesty,

no one can enter

without his permission.

Prince Guang,

please turn back.

Prince Guang!

Prince Guang!

Prince Guang!

Prince Guang!

Yu'er.

Prince Guang!

Prince Guang!

Yu'er.

Yu'er.

It's all right, Yu'er.

Prince Guang has left.

You...

Yu'er.

Listen to me.

I'll manage.

Likewise.

Yu'er.

You told me

Shi Yuan recognized Yan Xiu,

but Yanzhi used some trick

to clear Yan Xiu of any suspicion.

Am I right?

You also said

they failed to swap out

the real Madam Cui with their midwife.

But somehow,

you passed the pregnancy test.

Yanzhi was just as shocked.

Your Majesty.

Do you have a plan?

No.

But...

But someone else has it.

Who?

The third person.

My aunt?

No.

The true third party.

Greetings, sir.

Is the name list for promotion

ready to be announced?

Grandfather,

these are the candidates we selected.

Please assess them.

I don't want any mistakes this time.

I assure you,

their records are clean.

They will be loyal to you.

It was wise to bring down

His Majesty first.

Otherwise, the Shencai Army

might already be

under His Majesty's command.

I know that.

Rumors are circling lately.

The soldiers are panicking.

Send out my words.

I appreciate their hard work.

They will have three months' worth of pay as a reward.

We are thankful for the kindness.

Well,

how is the preparation

for the appointment ceremony?

Prince An's birth mother passed away.

But the relatives on his mother's side support him.

(Humble Request from the Officials) They have contributed much to the cause.

As of now,

half of officials of Imperial Court

have signed the partition.

What about the other half?

What about the other half?

Well,

as you know,

some civil officials

are very stubborn.

I don't care what method you employ.

I want their signatures

before the appointment ceremony

takes place.

Yes.

But

Cheng Xi is still at large.

I apologize for my manner,

but Cheng Xi is at large,

not to mention she is a skilled warrior

and cunning.

Prince An's life might be in danger.

It's all right.

I've sent out orders

to the Chess of Generals Camp.

They live if Prince An can carry on with his life.

But if he died,

the whole Camp won't live to see another day.

I applaud Qiu Ziliang's decision.

Even if

the Right Minister and I betray him,

we can't make a move on Prince An.

But he doesn't know

that we care very little

about Prince An's safety.

The ceremony would be pointless

if Prince An was dead.

Traitors and rebels

will always be loathed.

Where are the Zhenwu Army now?

They have reached Shuozhou.

Shi Yuan

was Qiu Yanzhi's

most important pawn.

He shouldn't have

been found

by Qiu Ziliang so easily.

He shouldn't have managed to infiltrate the palace

and assassinated me.

Qiu Ziliang used this attack to retaliate successfully.

All of these

were the doing of the third party.

(I don't get it.)

(The person helped us so many times,)

(so why would he set us up)

(to harm us?)

Collateral damage.

The third party wouldn't want

Qiu Ziliang and I

to bring each other down.

Who could that be?

We shall wait.

Why must we wait?

The person won't let me die just yet.

There must be some way to save my life.

That will be our last chance.

We must make use of it.

The Right Advisor.

You...

I'm here to help you.

Try to move your body a little.

Do you feel better?

What is going on?

Injuries from a real bone-breaking

can never be healed.

When I did it to you,

I didn't use full strength.

But you had to

suffer great pain.

Get up.

Why did you do it?

His Majesty's dying.

No outsider is allowed to come in.

Only you can save him now.

How?

I brought some medicines.

Give it to His Majesty.

Thank you.

(Duke Chu's Residence)

One with nothing has no fear either.

Do you get it?

(Petition)

(Humble Request from the Officials to Make Prince An The Crown Prince)

Just as Your Majesty predicted,

someone came to our rescue.

♪Life is a dream, how long do happy times last♪

♪In the windy rain, where will my heart settle?♪

♪The sword can't break this karma♪

♪Look how blurry and lonely the world is♪

♪Fate can't do anything about the bleak bonds of this world♪

♪Still can't let go of this life as time goes by♪

♪Even the iron and golden dagger-axe cannot extinguish the fire in my heart♪

♪Remembering the past and letting time while away♪

♪The past is in front of you♪

♪Forgetting while piecing it together♪

♪Like when I sincerely put my hands together♪

♪I only wish that you can be saved♪

(Duke Chu's Residence)

Sir.

A letter for you.

(Misha has been captured)

Great.

Very well.

Yanzhi.

It's Liu Misha.

Has she arrived in Zhenwu?

No.

The Left Chariot captured her.

I want a background check on the Left Chariot,

and a record of all the tasks

given to him.

I want his full record now.

Yes.

Inform the Zhenwu Army

of Liu Misha's capture.

Ask them to rescue her.

Yes.

One more thing,

inform Qi Yan immediately.

I'll see to it.

My father sent you to spy on me.

Yes.

Xiu.

From now on,

do not say what you shouldn't say.

Do not go where you shouldn't be.

Do not meet anyone you shouldn't see.

(Chess of Generals Camp)

What is it?

What is the bad news?

Liu Misha is dead.

In case anything happened,

the Left Chariot brought her head back.

The Right Minister is being monitored too.

Eunuch Qiu had sent

the Right Advisor to spy on him.

That was well-played.

Indeed.

If the Right Advisor wishes

to prove she's innocent,

she must not let the Right Minister

do what he pleases.

When they are monitored,

they will be restrained due to the suspicion

they draw.

The Right Advisor and the Right Minister

were in cahoots.

But why would the Right Chariot

want to warn me?

I'm not sure.

By the way,

this is the record on the Left Chariot.

Just as Nine,

his performance has always been mediocre.

But the Left Minister chose him.

Qiu Ziliang used him for his bidding.

And now he killed Liu Misha,

ruining my greatest plan.

I miscalculated.

What's done is done.

Blaming yourself won't help us.

We should figure out

a way to stop the appointment ceremony.

Liu Misha is dead.

Li Deyun is trapped inside the house.

The Right Minister and I

are both being monitored.

Qi Yan is of no use to anyone.

How ironic.

I thought I had total control

over the Chess of Generals Camp.

But as it turned out,

Qiu Ziliang could easily

remove anyone

on a whim.

One last sip.

Your Majesty.

How do you feel now?

Do you feel better?

What about you?

Me?

I...

I consider it a blessing in disguise.

I feel as though I was reborn.

I could take on ten soldiers in the past.

Now I could take on a whole battalion.

Your Majesty.

You must get well soon.

Duke Chu arrives!

Your Majesty.

How do you feel

over the past few days?

Your Majesty.

The appointment ceremony is three days from now.

I'm afraid Your Majesty

is in no shape to attend it.

But fear not,

I'll be there.

I'll make sure

everything goes well.

By the way,

except for Li Deyun,

all the officials of the Imperial Court

have signed a petition

to make Prince An the next Emperor.

The officials have united as one.

There's no threat within our ranks.

As for external threats,

Your Majesty,

the Zhenwu Army

has been stopped in Shuozhou

by the Shencai Army I sent.

As for Princess Misha,

I'm sorry.

She died.

Speaking of her,

I must admit Princess Misha was rather resilient.

She was rumored dead many times.

But this time,

I ordered my men

to severe her head as evidence.

She is dead through and through.

I

understood.

Qi Yan.

Don't you

have anything else

to tell me?

Godfather.

Congratulations.

For what?

Forget it.

Rest well and heal.

As long as I'm around,

it will all get better.

I must take my leave now.

Have you decided?

As Official Qiu told us,

if Prince An died,

everyone must die with him.

If Prince An died,

it would only take him half a year to appoint another crown prince.

If he lost the Chess of Generals Camp,

it would take at least five years to rebuild it.

He is very well aware

of the cost.

However,

the Right Chariot is still monitoring us.

Let's find out

if he could stop us.

Your Majesty.

Yu'er.

The third party

failed to bring down Qiu Ziliang.

I

need a favor from you.

Your Majesty,

are you asking for my help

as a ruler?

If so,

your wish

is my command.

You don't need a favor from me.

I asked as a friend.

I'm asking you

as a friend who fought by your side

and went through life and death with you.

I cannot accept your request.

Do you know what I want to ask of you?

I know what you're going to say.

Your Majesty,

you want to see Prince An.

Yes.

I want to talk to Prince An.

But it's not what you think it is.

What do you think

I am thinking, Your Majesty?

You must think

Misha's death has left me with no other options.

If I retaliate

by killing Prince An

and prevent his coronation,

then

I

might extend my life a little.

Am I right?

No.

The Emperor I know

would never want

to hurt his own brother.

So why are you stopping me?

You are too weak to do so.

Qiu Ziliang won't allow it either.

You saved me.

I will hold on.

So

don't let my effort be in vain.

Very well.

I beg of you.

No.

If anything happens on your way

to meet Prince An,

I will hate myself for the rest of my life.

You have my word.

Nothing bad

will happen to me.

What if

Qiu Ziliang finds out?

Before the appointment ceremony,

he will not take the risk

of doing me further harm.

But what happens next?

Since Liu Misha is dead,

Zhenwu is lost.

I have no other options left.

After the appointment ceremony,

there is no future for me.

Yu'er,

I must meet with Prince An.

Tonight will be

my last chance to see him.

Please, I beg of you.

Please help me.

You're the person

I trust the most

and the one I rely on.

I need your help.

I'm begging you.

Your Majesty.

Please hang in there.

We'll be there soon.

Very well.

Yu'er.

What is it?

It's nothing.

Let's move on.

Watch your steps.

(Chess of Generals Camp)

For Prince An's safety,

Eunuch Qiu doubled the security.

Must you go on your own?

I should go instead.

No.

Walking right into the place

will not draw suspicion.

Are you looking for Right Chariot?

I checked.

He's not around.

Wait.

The Right Chariot?

I don't think so.

They will get themselves killed.

Stop them.

Yes.

Can't you wait for another three days?

Do you have a death wish?

His Majesty wished

to have a word with Prince An.

I tried to stop him,

but His Majesty insisted on it.

So we came.

Why are you there?

We are there for the same reason.

No.

You went there

for a different reason.

Didn't Your Majesty plan to kill Prince An?

You wanted to kill Prince An.

Why?

To save you.

Don't bother.

I must.

I've run out of options.

No.

If Prince An is killed,

you will rise to prominence.

My father managed

to convince the Imperial Court

into accepting Prince An's coronation

not because of his threats and influence,

but because of the family of Prince An's mother.

They have wealth

and network.

If it were the other princes,

it wouldn't go as smoothly.

Which is why

there won't be

another Emperor for some time

after Prince An is killed.

You can extend your life.

Your Majesty.

I doubt he'll live much longer.

I must

talk to Prince An.

As you saw just now,

the place was heavily guarded.

I know you have a way

to save Prince An.

I must

talk to Prince An.

Please help me

see him one more time.

Yanzhi,

please.

Sir.

What is it now?

The Chess Overseer has requested

for permission to let His Majesty

meet with Prince An.

Permission granted.

Yes.

Come.

I wouldn't dare.

When I told you to sit,

just sit.

Yes.

There are only

the two of us here.

This reminds me

of the night the late emperor passed away.

He also requested

to meet Qi Yan one last time.

I granted him the wish.

Do you know why I did it?

Because

you were giving him

one final chance.

Indeed.

If the late emperor killed Qi Yan,

I would be furious as well.

But I would respect him

for his greatness.

For he had

the founding father's character.

Brother!

Qi Rong.

Rise.

Brother.

Please, I beg of you.

Don't take my life.

Brother.

Brother, I didn't

want to come back.

It was Cheng Xi who brought me back.

Soon afterward,

the Godfather made me the Crown Prince.

I never asked for any of these.

It doesn't matter.

Brother.

Brother.

Are you

not mad at me?

I only came

because I have three questions for you.

They are the same questions

the late emperor

asked me before passing on.

What are they?

The first question,

can you take care of yourself?

Yes.

I can.

♪Life is a dream, how long do happy times last♪

♪In the windy rain, where will my heart settle?♪

♪The sword can't break this karma♪

♪Look how blurry and lonely the world is♪

♪Fate can't do anything about the bleak bonds of this world♪

♪Still can't let go of this life as time goes by♪

♪Even the iron and golden dagger-axe cannot extinguish the fire in my heart♪

♪Remembering the past and letting time while away♪

♪The past is in front of you♪

♪Forgetting while piecing it together♪

♪Like when I sincerely put my hands together♪

♪I only wish that you can be saved♪

♪The past is in front of you♪

♪Forgetting while piecing it together♪

♪Like when I sincerely put my hands together♪

♪I only wish that you can be saved♪

♪I only wish that you can be saved♪