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Nirvana In Fire II

[Episode 17]

After three rounds of drinks, we're all in the best mood.

Prince Hui.

I heard that there's a fighter on the Langya Hall's Pugilist Ranking

among the envoys.

This is my younger cousin, Tuoba Yu.

Prince Han Hai's third son.

He's the son of my paternal aunt, Supreme Princess Jin Xian.

He's now ranked fifth this year on Langya Hall's Pugilist Ranking.

He does indeed have the looks of a distinguished fighter.

I've been in the palace for a long time, so I don't know much.

Those around me are like big fish in a little pond.

We're having a good time here as the host and guest.

Moreover, we have such a figure present.

Why don't we liven up the banquet with a friendly match?

Since Your Majesty is in the mood, how could I turn you down?

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Thank you, Your Highness.

Thank you.

After you.

Xi, I know that you're always very prudent.

I don't ask for much.

Just be honest with me.

You're much healthier than most people.

Moreover, you follow my medical advice closely.

At this point in the treatment

two thirds of the pathogenic cold in you has dispersed.

It's a bit faster than I expected.

Really?

My dear, since you came to the capital

I think that Changlin Manor's luck has improved.

When Ping Zhang returns from the palace

I have to inform him of this good news.

You don't know it, but he acts as if he isn't too concerned about it

so that I won't be upset.

However, this matter does weigh on his mind.

It's only natural.

Of course he is worried.

Thank you.

I know nothing much of martial arts.

It's just fun for me to watch but I don't understand the techniques.

Give them some wine.

Hey.

You claim to judge well.

Tell me who actually won.

Stop teasing me.

It isn't as if you can't tell.

Your Majesty of Great Liang.

What is it, Princess?

In Great Yan, single women train in martial arts as all men would.

Since friendly matches are held to liven the celebration of our alliance

may I be so bold as to ask for a friendly match as well?

Oh?

Chong Hua!

Although the date of the wedding is set

I'm still a woman of Great Yan today.

Fifth Brother, please allow me to act willfully one last time.

It's not once or twice that you've acted willfully.

This isn't that serious.

It's just that my commander general has always been quite reckless.

Princess Chong Hua is nobility from Yan State.

If you exchange blows with each other--

Commander General must be tired after the match.

I wouldn't dare to impose on him.

I've heard that Second Young Master of Changlin trained in Langya Hall.

I'm very envious.

Since there's this opportunity, I wonder if we can have a match?

Prince Hui.

In our previous reign, we also had a military princess.

Heroines are just as outstanding as men.

Since the match is just to liven up the banquet

there's no need to worry about the formalities.

Ping Jing.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty, Ping Jing is still recovering from his injury.

It's best for him not to fight.

Should the princess insist on having a friendly match

there's no rush in doing so today.

Once we tie the marital bond, there will be many more opportunities.

I've heard Great Liang's custom is to raise ladies as gentle and obedient.

Before I set out, I promised my father

that once I'm married, my husband will be everything to me.

I shall conduct myself as a woman of Great Liang.

I won't practice martial arts anymore.

Nor will I act willfully again.

Your Highness, don't worry.

I always have a good sense of propriety.

I just wish to learn from Langya Hall's techniques.

I'd never hurt anyone.

Ping Zhang, don't worry.

I've recovered.

I'll just give her the runaround.

Otherwise, this will be quite awkward.

After you.

You wrote pretty well.

Thank you, Mother.

You're still coughing but you already wish to go out and play?

Uncle Ting Sheng said this morning

that my cousins, Ping Zhang and Ping Jing will both be in the palace today.

Mother, will you send someone to ask?

If they are done with the serious matters

can they come and play with me?

All right.

Go to Yixian Hall and ask for some news.

If the banquet is over

tell them that Crown Prince has summoned the two young masters of Changlin Manor.

Yes.

Thank you, Mother!

Fei Zhan.

- Your Majesty. - Who has the upper hand?

Princess Chong Hua might be quite skilled

but Ping Jing has the match under his control.

He knows where to draw the line.

Your Majesty, please do not worry.

Your Highness!

Your Majesty!

Your Highness!

Your Highness...

Fifth Brother!

Your Highness!

Fifth Brother...

Fifth Brother!

Your Highness...

- Your Highness! - Imperial Physician!

- Summon the imperial physician. - Summon the imperial physician!

- Fifth Brother! - Imperial Physician!

Your Highness!

Fifth Brother...

Your Highness!

My cousin came here for the alliance.

He came in good will.

Even if Changlin Manor objects to the peace treaty

you didn't have to resort to such measures!

I didn't!

Young Master Tuoba!

Calm down!

You can't resolve anything with rage!

Prince Hui came with the utmost sincerity.

But, he's been assassinated right here in the palace!

If Your Majesty can't give us a good explanation

Great Yan will never let go of this blood feud for all eternity!

Young Master Tuoba.

This all happened too suddenly.

You must remain calm.

Your Majesty, under the watchful eyes of the guests

it's best to appease them.

Guards.

Present!

Xiao Ping Jing acted recklessly.

He is to be taken into custody.

Lock him in the Celestial Prison for further investigation.

Yes!

Your Majesty takes advantage of the fact

that we're alone and helpless in a foreign state.

This is such a vicious crime.

You are only detaining him?

Young Master Tuoba!

His Majesty has promised you an explanation.

Your priority now is to have Prince Hui... properly settled.

Your Highness...

Your Highness!

Your Highness!

Your Highness...

Your Highness...

Xiao Ping Jing killed Prince Hui?

That can't be true.

I don't know the details.

It's fortunate that Crown Prince didn't attend.

Northern Yan is indeed a militant nation.

They can be truly gruesome and bloody in their competition.

This outcome...

It's not what I expected.

What should we do next?

Mentor, please instruct us.

This happened too suddenly.

It's best not to act recklessly.

Keep scouting for news and act more cautiously.

Yes.

[Royal Courier Inn]

[Royal Courier Inn]

You are to stay here and guard this place carefully.

Give the envoys whatever they ask for.

Try not to let them go in and out as they please.

Yes. But Tuoba Yu...

If you can't stop him, avoid any direct conflict.

Report to me right away. Go now.

Yes, Sir.

This is indeed a tricky issue.

Not to mention that the envoys of Northern Yan didn't expect it

but none of us... We didn't know that the old prince objected to the treaty.

What nonsense is that?

Yes.

If my brother objects to the peace treaty

he can voice his opinion!

Why would he need to get anyone killed?

This is obviously just an accident!

Yes.

Your Majesty is wise.

I also believe this is no more than an accident.

However, Prince Hui's bloody corpse was right there before our eyes.

I'm afraid Northern Yan won't accept the fact that it was an accident.

Your Majesty.

Whether they accept the truth or not, that is to be discussed later.

The biggest issue at hand right now

is that we have no one to negotiate with them.

Tuoba Yu might be born of the royal family

but he holds no official position and acts only as a bodyguard.

Princess Chong Hua is a woman.

She also insists that Second Young Master killed the prince intentionally.

The legitimate prince of Northern Yan was killed in the halls of Great Liang.

Are we to have the king of Northern Yan send another envoy here

to discuss how to resolve this issue?

It was just supposed to be a match to liven up the banquet.

How did it end up like this?

If only Second Young Master had been a bit more cautious.

Your Majesty.

Gentlemen.

The cabinet has worked hard for days on the negotiation for the peace treaty.

However, we're now caught in such a predicament.

The Royal Changlin Manor can empathize with your anxiety and worries.

I hereby offer my apologies in advance.

Your Majesty believes that Ping Jing had no such intentions.

I'm deeply grateful for your trust.

However, if we are to conclude that this matter was simply an accident

I'm afraid it's too soon to tell.

Ping Zhang, you mean...

I think that all possible reasons must be taken into consideration

for such a serious matter.

We shouldn't make assumptions easily.

If Your Majesty allows, I'd like to visit Ping Jing first.

Go ahead!

Ping Jing is in custody but he's not banned from having visitors.

So go ahead and visit him.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

I've heard that Second Young Master of Changlin trained in Langya Hall.

I'm very envious.

Since there's this opportunity, I wonder if we can have a match?

But why... why would she do that?

[Not all the envoys of Northern Yan share the same mind.]

Old Hall Master Lin knew that I'd be bored in the capital.

That's why he sends me messages when there are some interesting anecdotes.

Your Highness, mind the steps.

Which one is he in?

The first one after the steps.

Ping Zhang...

I thought that it was because

Princess Chong Hua was furious about being married off for an alliance.

And that's why she attacked me so vigorously.

Who knew that she would...

It seems Princess Chong Hua is the odd one

that Old Hall Master Lin hinted at.

Who else could it be but her?

I'm certain that it wasn't just some accident.

Since I wasn't the one who made the move, it had to be her.

This happened too suddenly.

No one paid any attention.

Both of you now stake different claims.

And never mind Northern Yan

even our people who were present

might not believe that she did it on purpose.

Yet this message from Langya Hall doesn't actually say it explicitly.

It can't be regarded as evidence.

If we present this as evidence now

it will make the others assume that we're trying to frame her.

Perhaps, an accident would be more acceptable for most people.

Indeed.

Even I find it hard to believe.

I really can't believe that she'd resort to this.

Prince Hui is her first cousin.

He is the legitimate prince of her own country.

If Old Hall Master Lin hadn't hinted at it

who would have guessed she could murder him?

The closer you are to imperial power

the more likely it is that anything can happen.

However, we're both outsiders.

We don't know much about the real situation in Northern Yan.

Even if we now know that Princess Chong Hua thinks differently

we can't find out the truth just based on assumptions.

What about Tuoba Yu?

He should be aware of the situation.

Master Xun.

Guru.

If Guru has come here because of what had happened in Chaoyang Hall

I'm afraid that you'll be disappointed.

As for the match between me and Princess Chong Hua

I wasn't even the one who suggested it.

Once Tuoba Yu has calmed down

he'll figure out that it wasn't as simple as it seems.

What enemies does Prince Hui have in Northern Yan?

What means would his enemies resort to?

Tuoba Yu surely knows that more clearly than we do.

If we get to talk to Tuoba Yu--

Ping Zhang, what is it?

Perhaps, the key doesn't lie in what the truth is.

Or in what Tuoba Yu will eventually believe.

Ping Jing...

Once Prince Hui is dead, whoever his political opponent is...

that person has already won.

He has already won?

Give it some thought.

Prince Hui was soon to be anointed as the crown prince.

Once he's dead, the political situation in Northern Yan is sure to be unstable.

Whoever gets hold of power eventually

that person will only consider his own benefits.

Not the truth behind Prince Hui's death.

As for how he intends to make use of his death against us...

there's no way we can predict it.

However, there's one thing we can be sure of.

It won't do Great Liang any good.

I wonder if it's my misconception.

Since we had that chat in Qiantian Yard, Master Xun seems to be...

somewhat indifferent to me?

I was a bit too anxious the other time.

Fortunately, Fei Zhan's words reminded me.

Commander General Xun's words?

If Guru can command a skilled fighter like Duan Tong Zhou at will...

it seems that you're far more remarkable than I had thought.

However hard I think about it, I find it difficult to believe

that Guru suddenly interfered in political disputes

just to repay the empress for acknowledging your ability.

I, Xun Bai Shui, do not easily make allies.

If I did, I wouldn't be in this position now.

If Guru can't be honest with me

I'm afraid that we won't be able to keep collaborating.

Master Xun.

It seems that I'll have to confess some matters to you today.

I know that the peace treaty was what Father had been hoping for.

But now...

It's all gone up in smoke.

Hasn't it?

Prince Hui was the one who drafted the treaty.

Now that he's dead, the treaty is surely invalid.

The future development can't be counted on either.

Those officials worked so hard on this for a long time.

It's understandable that they complain about it.

I had a great many chances to read this message in advance.

But why didn't I?

If only I had been more cautious.

Don't say such silly words.

However smart you might be

you couldn't have foreseen such an incident.

Ping Zhang...

What should we do next?

Everyone knows that His Majesty and the empress think differently.

He doesn't believe in my White Cult.

Although I get to enter the palace freely and am addressed as Guru

I am no more than some occultist who helps relieve his asthma symptoms.

That's all.

It sounds as if Guru is quite displeased about that.

I'm confident of my ability in reading God's will and devising strategies.

I'm talented.

However, due to my identity as an occultist

I'm afraid it's unlikely that I will be able to put my abilities to good use

in the Imperial Court of the reigning emperor of Great Liang.

In history, the best way to attain great achievements has always been...

assisting a newly throned ruler.

Since the empress acknowledges my capability

I just wish to use this opportunity to achieve unsurpassable merits

during Crown Prince's future reign.

In hopes of becoming the future State Preceptor.

You aim to become the State Preceptor?

Master Xun thinks that my goal is a bit absurd?

Now that I've given it some thought...

Nothing is impossible.

Prince of Changlin is not a religious believer either.

As long as he is in power...

however ambitious I might be, my efforts will all just be in vain.

In regards to that, don't Master Xun and I share the same goal?

You should know what the current situation is like.

Both parties have their own scruples.

There's still a civil war in Northern Yan.

They can't guard the border at the same time.

That's why they came to negotiate a peace treaty with us.

His Majesty and the officials didn't think

that Northern Yan would escalate this incident until it got out of hand.

However, the death of a legitimate prince isn't some trivial matter.

If we fail to appease them

the king of Northern Yan might still seek revenge despite the consequences.

That is why I said that both parties have their own scruples.

His Majesty has always been very warm-natured.

He also wishes to protect you.

Although he didn't say it outright

I guess he'd rather have everyone assume

that Prince Hui's death was an accident.

He wants this conflict to die down.

However, Prince Hui was indeed killed in the palace.

He died in the palace hall of Great Liang.

Any way you look at it, we will seem guilty in some way.

If we are to appease Northern Yan, how can His Majesty not make compromises?

Guru, you mean to say that even if the cabinet makes no effort

His Majesty will also choose to make compromises?

This is going to be a cold case that can't be solved.

The outcome is unpredictable if the debate strains on.

Once the situation turns for the worse

Xiao Ping Jing will just be convicted with a more severe sentence.

His Majesty will compromise in order to protect

the Second Young Master of Changlin.

The old prince loves his son.

He also knows His Majesty the best.

Therefore, he surely won't object to it.

However, if Great Liang compromises, won't it appear to the others

that we are at fault?

We acted recklessly and killed the prince by accident?

Compared to initiating a conflict between two states

it might seem less serious

but still, he would have committed a crime.

Exactly.

Once His Majesty chooses to compromise

the current conflict might be appeased for the time being

but the peace treaty that was almost compete

will surely be annulled.

At the moment, the loss of such great benefits

and any battles that Northern Yan initiates against Great Liang

with this as a justified cause

will all be regarded as Xiao Ping Jing's responsibility.

He can no longer defend himself.

As for what Master Xun was worried about a month ago

that will not be of any concern now.

Shouldn't you rejoice over that?

It does please me.

But Xiao Ping Jing is no more than an idler in the Royal Changlin Manor.

Ruining his reputation makes no difference

to the situation in Jinling.

Therefore, there's not much to rejoice over.

Master Xun, why are you sulking?

The old prince is turning 70.

Master Xun, you should target the younger generation of the Royal Changlin Manor.

Even so, military power won't be handed over to Second Young Master.

Who doesn't know

that Xiao Ping Zhang is the future master of the Royal Changlin Manor?

An obese man becomes overweight by eating day after day.

We have to take them down one at a time.

Your Majesty, you should head back inside.

Your Highness, the first born prince has returned.

Father.

What did Ping Jing say?

It's more or less what we deduced.

It was no accident.

But we have no way of proving it.

We can't prove it?

Then we can't defend him of the crime pinned on him...

Father, you stayed behind in the palace a while longer than I did.

What did His Majesty say later?

You know what His Majesty is like.

He's already decided to compromise.

He'll offer Northern Yan some flexible conditions.

He wishes to pacify the current conflict before discussing anything else.

No.

I disagree.

What?

What did you say?

I disagree.

What do you disagree with?

I disagree with His Majesty's decision to compromise.

Once we compromise, it's as good as admitting that we're at fault.

Not only would that allow others to have something on us

but it's also unfair to Ping Jing's future.

As Ping Jing's older brother, who knows that he did nothing wrong

I can't have him admit to what he didn't do.

I know that you find it hard to accept.

However, apart from Ping Jing's own argument

we don't even have an explanation for Princess Chong Hua's actions.

If we were to accuse her strongly...

It's too big a risk.

The consequences are unpredictable.

Once we initiate a conflict between the states...

Wouldn't that only make Ping Jing's offense even worse?

If we compromise, can the outcome then be predicted?

In history, benefits are always the priority

in the competition between two states.

Not everyone cares about the truth.

Northern Yan suffers from a civil unrest.

If His Majesty is willing to offer them benefits

this crisis might somehow be appeased.

However, what will it cost us?

Not only will Ping Jing have to be blamed for a crime he didn't commit

but Northern Yan can use this matter as an excuse anytime

to break the treaty that we establish.

Therefore, I don't think that appeasing them is the best solution.

Your Majesty?

Your Majesty is feeling unwell.

It's best to summon the imperial physician.

I'm all right.

I stood up too quickly.

I still have important matters to discuss with the officials today.

Get me dressed.

Yes.

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