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 34=

(I'm afraid I will be in trouble)

(if I don't go on a retreat and meditate.)

(But with the current situation,)

(there's no way for me)

(to meditate in peace.)

(Who is the one)

(behind this mutiny?)

(What is their goal?)

(Who is behind this?)

(No matter who you are,)

(I will surely)

(find you.)

I have something to say.

I don't know if I should tell you.

Speak.

In my opinion,

when both sides are equal,

strategies are important.

But if it's a one-sided fight,

we may lay waste to them immediately.

To Official Qiu,

today's mutiny

and other tricks we have against him

are nothing.

Actually,

it was the same for

the Morning Dew Rebellion.

There were plenty of soldiers lying in waiting for him.

In the end,

no one was able to defeat him.

Are you saying that we need to disable Qiu Ziliang's power

before we can defeat him?

Yes.

It would've been great if I wasn't

struck by the arrow back then.

I didn't expect us

to lose because of this.

It's because of my incompetence.

Although I know martial arts,

I haven't made great progress.

Even now,

I'm still a mediocre martial artist.

Yan Xiu,

who is the most talented

martial artist you've ever met?

The most talented martial artist?

Who is it?

Little Fish.

This is bad.

Her martial arts?

Wait.

Little Fish's martial arts have been restored.

I'm sure Eunuch Qiu will pursue her because of this.

Someone!

Someone!

Someone!

Let me out!

I have something to say!

Someone!

Someone!

Someone!

Someone!

Is anyone out there?

I don't know what Commander's Seal you are talking about.

Duke Chu, although you're an important official,

you can't just ignore the law

and malign me for something

that I've never done.

Tell me.

Which spies of yours

are serving me right now?

You went through brutal torture.

Yet you've fully recovered within two months.

Right Advisor,

don't tell me you went easy on her?

I don't dare to do so.

Is that so?

If so,

tell me then.

How did your crushed bones

manage to grow back by themselves?

Just ignore her.

She was looking for her death.

Just like what you said.

A bad move.

You're right.

Her life and death

have nothing to do with me.

You should use this time

to come up with a way

to obtain Shencai Army's command.

Yanzhi,

don't hesitate.

Don't be soft-hearted.

Don't interfere,

and don't save her.

Why are you here?

Under the Grand Empress Dowager's order,

I'm here to send His Majesty some oranges.

Official Qiu has given us instructions.

Without his permission,

no one is allowed

to send anything to him.

Return now.

Yes, sir.

(This is great.)

(Seems like)

(Li Deyun has obtained the Commander's Seal.)

(Next,)

(it's Yu'er's turn.)

(Chess Ancestor Shennong)

What about Li Deyun?

There are no discoveries for now.

Keep a close eye on Li Zening.

Understood.

It's fine if you don't want to speak.

We can stay here all day.

I told you I took the medicine.

You didn't believe me.

I told you I was talented at martial arts.

You didn't believe me either.

What would you like me to say?

Do you want me

to tell you that someone broke my limbs

on purpose

in order to make me healthy?

Who was the one who had betrayed me?

It's her.

I don't dare to do so.

It's him.

I don't dare to do so.

It's him.

I don't dare to do so.

It's them!

We don't dare to do so.

You're just a eunuch.

The people have never been satisfied with your rule.

Do you really think

that your followers are loyal to you?

Today,

if you don't tell me the truth,

I will make you suffer a fate worse than death.

Sir,

His Majesty is dying.

Right Advisor.

Yes, sir.

Stay here.

Keep an eye on her.

Yes, sir.

Did Qiu Ziliang enter the palace?

Where are you going?

To save someone.

What?

Didn't you say you won't meddle with

Little Fish's affair anymore?

Ever since I made that decision,

my heart felt uneasy.

Now,

I can finally have some relief.

Sorry.

Sorry for implicating you.

Your savior is here.

Are you okay?

I'm fine.

This is just the start.

When Father returns,

you'll suffer even more.

Isn't that the reason

you're here to save me?

You're really confident in yourself.

What makes you think that I will save you?

Because

you want to be the empress.

I don't need you to be the empress.

And

without a rival like you,

Qi Yan will be able to accept me more easily.

That's why I'm going to tell you the same thing.

I won't save you unless you work for me.

You know that's impossible.

Yu'er,

promise me.

This way,

Qi Yan will be able to win,

and you may survive.

And I

will have a valid reason to save you.

If you promise me this,

you may still get to be together with Qi Yan in the future.

There's no need for you

to reject your only way out of this mess.

I will never lie to you.

Although you're Qiu Ziliang's daughter,

I know you're not a crook.

Although you've committed

a lot of mistakes because of him,

I know

that you're kind at heart.

I don't know what's your goal,

but you have saved

His Majesty time and time again.

That is the truth.

Yanzhi,

I already treated you as my friend long ago.

I will never lie to you.

Is Qi Yan that good of a person?

Him?

He's a bad person.

He's extremely arrogant.

He's not tactful enough.

And he harbours

ambitions that are out of his league.

He has been trying his best to act like

an incompetent ruler

with a eunuch as his father.

But he's unable

to deal with someone courteously without sincerity.

A person like him

is the worst.

But he's the kind of person

I want to protect the most.

Even if I have to face numerous obstacles

and ordeals because of him,

I wish to walk in the same path as him.

I, Cheng Ruoyu,

will never abandon His Majesty.

Yanzhi,

I'm sorry.

If that's the case,

only death awaits.

You will die.

He will die as well.

I

have never regretted my decision.

(Grandfather,)

(Cheng Ruoyu is just like you.)

(Is it because)

(her personality is the same as yours?)

(Is that why)

(I can't bear)

(to abandon a person like her?)

Later, Xiu will release you.

You better come up with a way

to cure your hand.

So, you...

We are friends,

am I right?

Yes.

We are friends.

Sir,

we found out

who had been helping Cheng Ruoyu

all along.

Sir, you were right.

I understand.

You may leave.

Yes, sir.

(I've saved her.)

(So, why do I still feel uneasy?)

(Strange.)

If Qiu Ziliang realised

that Cheng Ruoyu was able to recover at a rapid pace

after the brutal torture,

I'm sure he will be suspicious of Right Advisor.

And with his paranoid personality,

he won't let her off.

But he still ordered Right Advisor to keep an eye on her?

This is bad.

I fell for his plot.

I need to notify Xiu immediately.

Why are you...

Where did you go?

I've been looking for you.

Father.

Father, why are you here

at this hour of the night?

Don't tell me

you don't know what's going on?

Xiu,

what do you mean by this?

Why did you bring Cheng Ruoyu back with you?

Chess Oversees, please forgive me.

I was bribed by Little Fish.

She wanted me to bring her to the palace

to see His Majesty one last time.

And Official Qiu caught me red-handed.

I was bewitched

as I was planning to accept her bribe.

Sir, Chess Overseer, please punish me.

This is interesting.

She was stripped of her position. Now, she's just an ordinary person.

What can she provide you with?

I would like

to hear about it.

It's the secret arts of the Violet Bureau.

Little Fish's martial arts have improved tremendously.

She was able to recover at a rapid pace

even after experiencing brutal torture.

I have made no progress

in martial arts for a long time.

That's why I asked her about her secret.

She told me

that as long as I let her

see His Majesty one last time,

she'll teach me the secret arts.

Sir, Chess Overseer, please punish me.

Sir, please forgive me!

Yanzhi,

do you believe in

the Left Advisor's words?

Father,

Left Advisor must've made such a mistake

because his mind was befuddled temporarily.

You have a point.

If secret arts like that do exist,

I would've been attracted by her offer.

But

he has betrayed his organisation

and he tried to oppose us in private.

What do you think his punishment should be?

To be executed without mercy.

What are you waiting for?

Do it.

He's your subordinate.

You will do it yourself.

I'm able to die at the hands of the Chess Overseer.

I, Yan Xiu,

have no regrets in life.

Great job.

Qiu Ziliang,

I've bribed every single one

of your soldiers.

Why don't you kill all of them?

It'll make me happier.

Little Fish, shut up.

Father,

Xiu has been following you for many years.

He has rendered great merits.

Father, please let him off

on account of what he has done for us.

Every soldier in the Chess of Generals Camp

with a rank higher than Pawn

has rendered great merits for the organisation.

All of them have risked their lives for the organisation.

If I do let him off,

not only will my authority be questioned,

your authority will be questioned as well.

Xiu is different from others.

He saved me before.

Father,

I beg you.

Please let him atone for his crimes.

As the Chess Overseer,

you're being soft-hearted right now.

This isn't like you at all.

Since that's the case,

you may rise.

I will give him another chance.

But

evil-doer

must not be forgiven.

Yanzhi,

end her life.

What?

Don't tell me you can't bear to kill her as well?

It's not that.

I have another use for her.

I don't need her.

But

Qi Yan isn't dead yet.

Father, you can use her to restrict Qi Yan.

Qi Yan

is completely under my control!

This Little Fish.

She always spoils my plan.

Between the Left Advisor and her,

you can only choose one of them.

Yes, Father.

Father,

please allow me to retrieve my ring.

I will wait for you.

(Virtuous and prestigious)

(Calm down.)

(Calm down.)

(The more critical the situation is,)

(the more I need to calm down.)

(What should I do?)

(I can't just abandon Xiu.)

(But Yu'er...)

(Don't tell me I need)

(to kill her to protect myself?)

(I have no choice.)

(This is the only way.)

(If I don't kill her,)

(not only will Xiu die,)

(Qiu Ziliang will start to suspect me as well.)

(Qiu Ziliang was testing me out.)

(He's doing this on purpose.)

(This is the only way.)

(I'm sorry.)

This is too painful.

This is too bitter.

This will cause her a terrible death.

I don't wish to kill anyone.

I don't want to kill anyone.

I don't want to kill Cheng Ruoyu!

I can't continue with my act anymore.

Eight years.

I've endured this for eight years

before I come to where I am.

Am I going to give up right now?

No.

I mustn't give up.

I'm the last surviving kin of the Wang family.

I mustn't give up!

Cheng Ruoyu,

sorry about this.

If we meet each other in the underworld,

I will let you do whatever you want to me.

(Today,)

(you and I,)

(one of us will die.)

Someone.

Yes, sir.

Go and check on Yanzhi.

Find out why she's taking so long.

Yes, sir.

I have something to tell you.

You can tell me next time.

You mustn't kill Yu'er.

If she doesn't die,

Xiu will die.

I can't afford to lose Xiu

because of Yu'er.

Yanzhi!

Let go of me.

Let go!

Let go of me!

Listen,

you must never kill Yu'er.

I have no other choice.

You do have a choice.

Don't you understand?

Qiu Ziliang wasn't suspicious of Xiu.

He was suspicious of me!

He knew that I was the one who had released Yu'er.

That's why he wants me to kill her personally,

so that I can stop resisting

and serve him

with all my heart.

That's his true goal.

I know that.

If Cheng Ruoyu doesn't die,

that means I have to die.

Don't you care about my life?

It's precisely because I care for your life

that I'm stopping you from killing her.

In this world,

you can kill anyone you like,

including me.

But you must

never kill Yu'er.

Give me a reason.

If you don't give me a reason,

she will die today.

She's Wang Ruoling.

What did you say?

Cheng Ruoyu

is your younger sister,

Wang Ruoling.

This is impossible.

This is impossible.

Ruoling is dead.

You're lying to me.

It's impossible for Cheng Ruoyu to be Ruoling.

That's impossible!

I've been hiding this secret

for many years.

(Chess Ancestor Shennong)

Your Highness,

it's Wang Ruoling.

She's alive.

You weren't around

when I found her.

Moreover, Yu'er

was barely alive back then.

I needed to save her.

That's why I stopped searching for you temporarily.

Bring her back to treat her.

Her condition only got better after half a year.

She also lost all of her memories

because of that incident.

In order to conceal her identity,

I let Cheng Xi took her in.

She changed her name to Cheng Ruoyu

and brought her into the Violet Bureau.

But I didn't expect

Cheng Xi

to lead her to His Majesty's side.

Chess Overseer, please hurry.

Official Qiu is running out of patience.

Why are you only telling me this by now?

Why are you only telling me this by now?

Yu'er and His Majesty

are close with each other.

If I let Yu'er know that

His Majesty was the one

who shot you two

and your grandfather, I'm afraid...

So, this is what Cheng Xi meant

by the heartbreaking truth.

Chess Overseer, please hurry.

What should I do?

What should I do?

Do you still wish to kill her?

She's my younger sister!

I would rather die

than to hurt her!

That's right.

I can die on behalf of her.

Let go of me.

I need to save Ruoling.

Yanzhi!

Listen to me.

How are you going to save her?

Look at you. You're full of tears.

You look distracted.

How are you going to save her from Qiu Ziliang's clutch?

There's no need to save her.

You need to kill her.

Father, I was suffering from a relapse.

That's why I was late.

Father, please forgive me.

Have you taken your medicine?

I have.

I'm fine now.

You may begin then.

This is great.

It doesn't hurt at all.

Yanzhi,

promise me one thing.

What is it?

Bring my body back to the palace.

I want to see His Majesty...

♪When a fish swims to the surface♪

♪Who else will swim in the deep end♪

♪When the wind and rain empty the long scale♪

♪Who will still go to work early and return late after being drenched♪

♪Some have longings♪

♪Some have decided to leave♪

♪We can't see clearly during the day♪

♪With no arguments, there are no lies♪

You were working for Qi Yan,

and you've created plenty of trouble for us.

Why would I

let you die an easy death?

♪Are full of barriers without you♪

♪Even hypocritical words♪

♪And the far distance♪

♪Can't let us meet in vain♪

♪I'm supposed to be in your fleeting years♪

♪Life scattered like a shower of leaves♪

♪A heavy heart doesn't go far♪

♪Even the Moon loses its glimmer♪

♪But love prevails above all♪

♪Like the lost time we failed to hold on♪

Cheng Ruoyu is dead.

Father, please examine her body.

She deserves this fate!

Father,

what should we do with her body then?

Do we send it to Qi Yan?

Send it to Qi Yan?

Why should we do so?

Dump her into the mass grave.

Reporting in!

Sir!

Speak.

This is bad.

We've received news from the palace.

His Majesty

won't be able to live for long.

His Majesty's wound is worsening.

He's losing a huge amount of blood.

Even the imperial physicians can't do anything about it.

Sir.

Go.

Bring Prince Guang here.

Yes, sir.

Father, you plan to help Prince Guang ascend the throne?

I thought

you always hated him?

Time has changed.

We'll put him within the Chess of Generals Camp for now.

Yes, Father.

Yanzhi,

come here.

Closer.

You're the person closest to me.

That means

you're only able to harm me

because I gave you the right to do so.

Do not disappoint me.

Yes, Father.

The rest of you,

brew the medicine according to this prescription.

His Majesty may barely survive if he drinks it.

If His Majesty doesn't drink it,

he will die.

Hurry.

Yes, sir.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Sir,

we need to make plans

regarding the next crown prince sooner.

Do you want me to select another disobedient crown prince

so that he can distract me

while the rest of you can continue to gain profit

from the situation,

am I right?

All of you are something else.

How dare you guys steal the special military pay

that I've rewarded to them?

Sir, we are innocent!

No matter how brave we are,

we will never have the guts to disobey you.

Scram!

Never appear in front of me again!

Scram!

Come back.

Seal off this place.

Do not let anyone know what's happening inside.

Yes, sir.

♪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♪