Original subtitles

♪We are both dim light♪

♪Will time erase us?♪

♪Those who fade away in the shadows silently♪

♪Also crave a life under the bright sun openly♪

♪How can I break free from the chains of fate?♪

♪Who whispers in my ear♪

♪That I'm bound to fall?♪

♪Then burn me♪

♪Burn my stubbornness♪

♪The surging bitterness♪

♪The hot tears♪

♪Nobody knows♪

♪Entangling in the past♪

♪Silence in the darkness♪

♪The dim light finally turns♪

[Kill Me Love Me]

♪Into the fire of rebirth♪

[Episode 6]

Feel free to kill me if they want.

Why should the innocent Weibei Army soldiers be sacrificed?

Your Highness,

we share a common enemy.

We can work together.

Now that I've survived,

I have the right to revenge.

The lady only has one year left.

Even if we manage to prepare the antidote,

she might not survive until then.

This path,

I don't need an accomplice for.

But I know where Zhang Yin is hiding.

I saved you from the Imperial Prison.

Is this how you repay me?

I am of use to you.

I can help you, Your Highness.

I don't need collaborators.

What I need is a sharp blade.

One that kills whoever I want dead.

I don't kill the innocent.

I only kill my enemies in the Qingzhou affair.

Your Highness,

if I were just a tool,

you would have perished long ago.

For revenge on Qingzhou,

I am willing to be a sharp blade.

Even if it means cutting myself.

I have no regrets.

Your Highness,

Mr. Yue Qin has arrived.

Your Highness.

Are you here to take Mei Lin?

Let's skip the pleasantries.

What position do you have to demand her?

His Majesty has decreed

that the Xiyan beauties will be sent

to the Court of State Ceremonial to study the Yan customs and culture.

Only after completing their studies will they be distributed.

I am in charge of these affairs.

[Imperial Edict]

Study?

You should

go through so much just to save her.

Yes.

I am here to save her.

Since you have shown kindness,

please see it through to the end.

Don't make it difficult for her.

Difficult?

Mei,

do you want to stay at my mansion,

or go with Mr. Yue Qin?

It depends on you.

Your Highness,

I'd like to go to the Court of State Ceremonial.

Your Highness,

I am under an imperial mandate.

Please don't interfere.

Very well.

Since this has come so suddenly,

let her freshen up first.

I will send her over myself.

I will wait here.

Please take your time.

Suit yourself, then.

So,

you want to work with him?

Let me remind you,

since you left the Imperial Prison,

whether dead or alive,

you are mine.

Relying on others

will only hasten your death.

The more you depend on them,

the quicker you'll die.

Don't worry.

I won't depend on Mr. Yue Qin.

Zhang Yin plans to flee to Xiyan.

And his female accomplice is hiding in the Court of State Ceremonial.

Find her,

and we'll find Zhang Yin.

A Xiyan beauty?

I didn't get a clear look at her face.

But I did see

a peony flower mark on her neck.

So I must go back there with Mr. Yue Qin.

From now on,

follow orders strictly.

What I say and do

are all confidential.

Do not disclose anything to anyone.

You have agreed to work with me?

One more thing.

Don't keep any secrets from me.

Deal.

The first matter of our cooperation,

tell me everything about your interactions

with the Hostage Prince

of Xiyan.

When I was in Qingzhou,

it was Mr. Yue Qin who freed my family from slavery.

He is a good man.

And so are you.

Self-righteous.

I don't want to be a good man.

Then why am I in your mansion?

Don't you remember?

It was you who saved me.

It was Qingyan,

acting on his own,

who picked you up near the Wenhua Pavilion.

In all,

since you're still alive,

don't live in vain.

Change your clothes

and find the woman hiding in the Court of State Ceremonial.

Yes.

Your Highness,

it's getting late.

One warm reminder.

Those who seek revenge have a blade over their neck.

Either he hinders you,

or you implicate him.

In all,

stay away from good people.

[Qingqu Courtyard]

How did you know I was in Prince Jing's mansion?

Shumo saw you last night

get into the Prince's carriage.

There are Imperial Guards

assigned by the Emperor in the Court of State Ceremonial.

With them around,

even Prince Jing wouldn't dare act recklessly.

You can rest assured staying here.

Thank you so much.

Mei Lin.

Mei Lin.

Brother?

Why are you here too?

Did you know

each other?

Zigu,

Mei Lin is the one I told you about.

The one who saved my life.

Well,

Zigu,

were you looking for Mei Lin?

Well,

the Emperor allowed me to come here to visit you.

But when I went to your room, you weren't there.

So I came to see Mei Lin first.

Mei Lin,

are you feeling better?

- Have you used the ointment I gave you? - I...

Is Prince Jing still giving you a hard time?

I'm fine.

Don't worry, Your Highness.

Mei Lin.

I didn't expect you

to be my brother's savior.

No wonder I feel so close to you.

- Let me tell you, my brother... - Zigu,

Mei Lin needs rest now.

Let's go.

What?

Well.

Excuse me then.

I'll come back to see you next time.

Okay.

Brother,

It's her, isn't it?

Brother, don't ignore me!

Brother,

If you don't say anything,

I'll take it as a yes.

This is bamboo brew,

made by me myself.

Mei Lin must be the one in your heart, right?

I added your favorite sour berries.

Want to try?

Brother.

You've been carving the little figure

in the image of Mei Lin, have you?

Someone's shy and needs liquid courage.

Zigu.

Brother,

am I getting a sister-in-law soon?

Do not worry.

I like Mei Lin too.

And you're such a good person.

She'll surely like you.

Zigu,

she's still a peace-making beauty.

Oh, right.

You've met again so late.

The timing isn't right.

But don't worry,

I can help you.

No.

I have my own plans.

You mustn't interfere.

So, you've been teaching

at the Court of State Ceremonial

to help Mei Lin?

Will you bring her back to Xiyan?

What can I do for you two?

You take care of yourself, that's enough.

Don't make me worry.

Your Highness,

it's time to return to the palace.

I got it.

Brother,

I'm leaving now.

Your Highness, are you really determined?

Taking a peace-making beauty isn't easy,

especially

with Prince Jing now watching her too.

Precisely because of that,

leaving Zhaojing

is her only chance.

You've never discussed politics

with the Yan Emperor,

yet now you break that rule to save her.

If this draws suspicion,

you might never return to Xiyan.

Your Highness,

if I may speak,

Mei Lin

is not your fated match.

She will always be one of the Great Yan,

and she has great enemies too.

I understand your concerns.

From the beginning,

I've only wanted to protect those around me.

Now, there's just one more.

That's why we need to act carefully,

without implicating Zigu,

or leaving any trace.

The priority is to prevent Mei Lin

from being assigned,

to keep her in the Court of State Ceremonial,

so we can take action.

My life is yours.

Whatever you decide,

I will follow.

Whatever you want to do,

I'll do it for you.

Just let me know.

In these years in Zhaojing,

thank you.

But,

have you fallen ill?

You look pale.

It's cold.

I've just caught a chill.

No need to worry, Your Highness.

Tomorrow, the beauties will begin their studies,

I'll make sure

Mei Lin is taken care of.

[Court of State Ceremonial]

Beauties,

it's time for class.

I am Attendant Shang from the Imperial Household Department.

Here to teach you proper etiquette.

I will only

say the rules once.

If you forget,

you'll be punished with ice water.

Clear your minds,

and remember well.

No peony flower?

Did I misremember?

[Prince Jing's Mansion]

My lord.

We've searched the entire Court of State Ceremonial,

but there's no woman with a peony flower mark.

Did Mei Lin

really see it?

Or was she just seeing things?

You were tasked with finding people,

and this is how you do it?

I haven't found her yet.

I have a sneaking suspicion that there was more to that night,

but I can't quite remember.

So I tried soaking in cold water

to see if I could recall anything else.

Anything, then?

You said that night,

it was General Qingyan who saved me,

but I still can't remember it clearly.

Qingyan checked.

There is no such woman

in the Court of State Ceremonial.

I suspect

you were hallucinating.

Hallucinating?

Taking too many Red Coix Seeds

can cause hallucinations.

Last night, I saw it with my own eyes.

You were hallucinating.

Do you truly remember nothing?

This concerns the whereabouts of Zhang Yin.

You must recall.

Then I'll take the Red Coix Seed again,

maybe it will help me remember.

No.

Do you think Red Coix Seed

is something you can just find anywhere?

It's not a good thing.

You are not to take it again.

In your hallucination,

you mistook my hair

for wildflowers.

Remember?

This is where you bit me.

Bite it again.

With this,

someone will be there to meet you.

Thank you, Meiniang.

The Formosan gum.

Its resin is slightly bitter,

but it can stop bleeding.

General Weibei was wronged.

He shouldn't die.

The one who should die is you,

the owner of Shadow Works.

Little flower,

go home with me.

The flower is here.

The Northern Snow Lotus Pill neutralizes all toxins.

Nanyang Red Coix Seed neutralizes all toxins.

You don't need to look for it anymore.

I've found the Red Coix Seeds.

Well?

I've remembered everything.

I started hallucinating only after leaving the Wenhua Pavilion.

That woman wasn't a hallucination.

The peony flower isn't a tattoo.

It was painted on.

The woman's neck

must have a noticeable scar.

So she used the peony to hide it.

Keep looking for her.

Red Coix Seed.

You also searched for it?

I went through

a lot of trouble to get you out of the Imperial Prison.

If you were to die so soon,

it would be a waste of my efforts.

If you have important matters,

use this to contact me.

Running off to the Court of State Ceremonial every day,

what is that about?

Father,

I'm bored staying in the mansion all day.

Going there to admire all the beauties

at least brings me some pleasure.

It's just a beauty, after all.

And this one harbors resentment.

You need to be cautious with her.

Did you

upset Luomei again?

Father, why is that?

She just returned to the capital after changing duties,

then went straight to the West Suburbs Barracks.

Father,

General Yin is fully devoted to training troops for Great Yan.

How could I dare interfere?

Speaking of Luomei,

you two were childhood companions.

Greetings, Father.

Big Brother.

Father,

please find another chess partner.

I'm no match for you.

Your brother has business to attend to.

Have you figured out what happened at the Wenhua Pavilion?

Yes, Father.

It was an accident?

Yes, Father.

That night was dry and windy.

The servants at the Wenhua Pavilion forgot to close the windows,

letting the wind knock over the candle stand.

The pavilion was filled with flammable artifacts and calligraphy.

By the time the fire was discovered, it was too late.

What was Zhang Yin doing

at the Wenhua Pavilion so late at night?

Zhou Yu, the Vice-Minister of Rites, is from the same hometown as him.

The two of them hit it off,

plotting to steal the Xiyan tributes.

They had not expected such an accident.

Zhang Yin, driven by greed, rushed back to retrieve the tributes,

only to be trapped in the flames.

All of this

are Zhou Yu's confession.

A second-rank official,

coveting tributes,

risking his life for wealth.

How amusing.

Third Brother is right.

But Zhang Yin has been stationed in the military camps for years,

with few opportunities to amass wealth.

Returning to the capital in the Ministry of Defense,

he might have lost his resolve

and given in to temptation.

Crown Prince,

is this the man you promoted?

Father,

I failed to see through his character.

I am willing to accept punishment.

Enough.

As if this embarrassment isn't bad enough?

Zhang Yin and Zhou Yu's affairs,

deal with them as you see fit.

Thank you, Father.

Xiyan tributes were destroyed,

and I am responsible.

I request to assist Mr. Yue Qin

in organizing the studies at the Court of State Ceremonial

as a means of making amends.

Father,

I would also like to help at the Court of State Ceremonial.

This isn't something for fun.

Father,

Third Brother is familiar with the peace-making delegation.

I believe he can be of help.

Yeah.

Father,

with Big Brother keeping an eye on me,

what do you have to worry about?

Very well.

Seeing the two of you getting along

brings me great comfort.

I remember when you first started walking,

you convinced your brother

to sneak into the Imperial Study and steal my cinnabar ink.

The two of you pressed your handprints

all over the Rong'an Palace,

the walls covered with red.

Father's memory is sharp.

I visited the palace recently,

and the handprints are still there.

Father misses Mother.

The Rong'an Palace

remains just as it was, unchanged.

Now that Jinghe has returned,

you two

should go visit it together.

Yes, Father.

[Memorial to Empress Dejia of Great Yan]

Mother,

it wasn't me.

I didn't break the embroidery frame.

It wasn't me.

It's been ten years.

Mother,

Third Brother finally comes back.

I was the one

who accidentally broke the frame.

But who knew, before I could explain,

Mother punished you instead.

Empress Dejia,

feeling pity for me

because my birth mom passed away early,

was always partial to me.

You always said I gave in to you.

With Mother's kindness in my heart,

how could I not yield to you?

If you are so willing to yield,

why not yield the position of Crown Prince to me?

Third Brother,

don't be too reckless.

What's wrong, Big Brother?

Can't keep up the act anymore?

You're upset and talking nonsense,

so I'll let it go.

As long as you're still willing

to call me brother,

I will always be your big brother.

No need to continue this farce of brotherly affection,

Crown Prince.

I'm tired of playing the role too.

Prince Jing,

what do you have to say?

Now that Zhang Yin is dead,

you've won this round.

However,

no one wins forever.

It seems you've returned to the capital

with the sole intention of seizing the throne.

Seizing? That's a bit too harsh.

Coming from you, Crown Prince,

it seems

you're quite familiar with the art.

Pretending to be disabled for ten years,

constantly playing the victim,

your tactics are no less cunning than mine.

But no matter what,

the heir to the throne of Great Yan

will never be a mass murderer like you.

Who's truly the mass murderer?

You and I both know the answer.

Do you know

how Mother died?

When news of the Qingzhou massacre

reached Zhaojing,

Empress Dejia

went to the Yanming Palace, and begged for forgiveness.

Even on her deathbed,

she was embroidering a screen to atone for you.

As a woman from a military family,

she lived to protect the empire.

But she gave birth to a son who slaughtered civilians.

She was deeply ashamed.

She met her end in melancholy

because of you.

A criminal in the eyes of his own mother.

How do you have the right to challenge me?

A criminal?

Right and wrong

aren't defined solely by the victors.

What you've stolen from me,

I will reclaim in full.

In time,

who the real criminal is

will be clear.

Your Highness.

Your Highness, bad news.

What?

A woman fled from the Wenhua Pavilion that night.

We tracked her to the Court of State Ceremonial, but she vanished.

She bears the marks of Xiyan martial arts.

Why wasn't this reported sooner?

It's my fault for not disciplining the men.

They feared punishment

and thought they could cover it up.

What happened is happened.

Even if you wipe it off now,

everyone has already noticed it.

I'm willing to accept my punishment.

Enough, get up.

Thank you, Your Highness.

That woman is the witness to the Wenhua Pavilion fire.

Find her, and leave no evidence behind.

That woman was wounded

by a fire arrow on her wrist.

It won't be difficult to locate her.

But if she's a Xiyan beauty...

No matter who she is.

If anyone inquires

about the Wenhua Pavilion,

those involved won't need their heads anymore.

Let Attendant Shang

handle this.

Yes, Your Highness.

Wait.

The nights have been getting colder.

I've got a new silver fox fur cloak.

You want to send it to General Yin at the West Suburbs Barracks?

Deliver it yourself.

Understood.

I'll take care of it immediately.

Embroidery is so difficult.

Indeed,

holding a needle is harder than holding a sword.

Time for class.

Let's go.

Go.

Still no sign of anyone with the scar.

Embroidery

is a skill all women of Great Yan must learn.

Our Empress Dejia

[Attendant Shang] was a renowned master of needlework.

This embroidery, "Instruct the Young,"

is one of her final works before she passed.

The Ministry of Rites

placed this in the Court of State Ceremonial,

so everyone could study it closely,

to follow the Empress's example

and strive for perfection in all things.

Surrender!

[Empress Dejia]

- Surrender. - Jinghe.

[Young Jinghe] Don't.

A general of Great Yan

only wields his sword to slay enemies.

Never to harm his family or friends.

Nor should he hurt innocent civilians.

Remember that.

Beauties, take a good look at this.

"Instruct the Young"?

Who was she instructing?

Empress Dejia was Prince Jing's mother.

It's about the Qingzhou massacre.

They say the Empress died from the shame of it.

Do not point blades at the people.

These were your teachings, Mother.

But why,

even until your death, did you refuse to trust me?

You still begged for me.

You admitted fault on my behalf.

[Changxi Pavilion]

Mother,

why didn't you believe in me?

Come inside.

I made it,

like you said,

with added licorice root.

Dengguo Cakes?

You're from Qingzhou, aren't you?

I...

I'm right.

Do not worry.

I won't tell anyone.

These past few days,

I've noticed that you've been looking troubled.

Are you homesick?

Here's a taste of home.

Try it.

Is it sour?

No, not at all.

How can you stomach something so bitter?

Bitter?

Did you grind the roots and stems

along with the leaves?

I'm so foolish.

I should've asked you first.

Don't eat it anymore.

Give it to me,

and I'll make a new batch tomorrow.

It's not bitter.

It is bitter.

Stop eating it.

Give it to me.

What happened to your waist?

It's nothing.

I burned it while making the Dengguo cakes.

I've already applied medicine.

It looks serious.

It's not serious.

Don't eat the bitter cake.

I like it.

It's not bitter.

Your voice sounds off.

What's wrong with your throat?

Maybe

I caught a cold.

Really?

Actually,

it's from taking this.

[Whitening Pill] This pill is meant to whiten the skin.

But for two hours after taking it,

my voice becomes thin.

Men prefer fair skin.

Last year,

my father found me a match,

but the man thought I was too dark.

My father was so angry

that he broke off the engagement.

Actually,

I should have held it back.

Father said,

if we'd given him a few more cows,

I wouldn't have had to come to Great Yan for this marriage.

Don't listen to them.

I think...

you look better with darker skin.

I look better with fairer skin.

No, your darker skin is beautiful.

Oh,

I've been taking these pills for days now.

Look.

Do you think I've become fairer?

Yes.

Really?

Really.

This pill works, so you should take it too.

Forget it.

You are already fair enough.

No need to take it.

But I also want to be fairer.

Take the whole bottle.

I'm leaving now.

Goodbye.

Okay.

Oh,

Mei,

from now on,

don't eat anything dark.

Eating dark foods will make you darker.

Eating dark foods will make me darker?

[Prince Jing's Mansion]

My lord,

these are the Whitening Pills from Mei Lin.

Eat it.

I'm not...

I'm not dark.

Mei Lin said that after taking these,

your voice will become thin.

I want to know

just how thin it will get.

Well,

will my voice return to normal?

If not,

I'll reward you with a poison that mutes you forever.

How do you feel?

My throat

just feels a bit dry.

My lord.

This is right.

The woman Mei Lin saw

was actually a man in disguise.

That peony flower must've been painted

to conceal his Adam's apple.

A man?

My lord,

I might be better off taking the poison.

Relax.

The effect only lasts for two hours.

My lord,

I've uncovered something.

The Attendant Shang you saw before

does indeed have connections to the Eastern Palace.

Our men followed her for several days

and discovered that she's been using her embroidery lessons

as a cover to search for a woman with an injured wrist.

It seems

the Crown Prince is also hunting for her.

But now we know

the injured one is actually a man.

We've gained the upper hand.

Rest assured, my lord.

I'll send people to search the Court of State Ceremonial.

Since they are looking

for women with wrist injuries,

let's send them

a few more candidates.

Are you okay?

Dai overslept again.

Attendant Shang will surely scold her.

Indeed,

we should go wake her.

Dai, wake up.

If you're late, the attendant will mark you down,

and you won't find a good match.

She's close with Mei Lin.

Maybe the two of them

already planned to serve Prince Jing together.

Dai,

wake up.

Dai?

Dai?

Dai?

[Yayun Pavilion] What's going on?

Sir.

Mei Lin.

The coroner has arrived.

Sir,

this is the Golden Monkey Mushroom,

named for its blackish-gold color.

It mostly grows in Great Yan,

rarely in Xiyan.

This young lady consumed it,

causing her to die of poisoning.

Why were poisonous mushrooms found

in the Court of State Ceremonial?

We'd never purchase poisonous items.

It's been raining for several days,

and damp places are prone to growing Golden Monkey Mushrooms.

It could be the servants were negligent,

failing to clear them out in time.

That's how

Dai must have mistakenly eaten one.

Dai died from ingesting a poisonous mushroom.

There are no assassins in the Court of State Ceremonial.

Remember,

from now on, don't eat anything dark.

Eating dark foods will make you darker.

Dai would never have eaten something like that.

Send the words.

Remove all Golden Monkey Mushrooms

from the Court of State Ceremonial.

As for Dai,

give her a proper burial.

Yes.

I will find the one

who killed you.

Why did you poison Dai?

Please, don't kill me.

Dai, she...

she poisoned herself by eating those mushrooms.

Tell me the truth,

or I'll make you eat all the mushrooms yourself.

No, please.

Fine.

I'll talk.

They,

they told me to find a woman

who left the Court of State Ceremonial on the night of the eighth.

The woman had a burn on her waist.

I found Dai,

but they said I had the wrong person.

Yet Dai clearly had a burn on her waist.

Then they told me to keep searching.

"They"?

Who are "they"?

I...

I really don't know.

Who are you?

Don't eat the bitter cake.

I'll make a new batch tomorrow.

I made it,

like you said, with added licorice root.

Are you homesick?

Here's a taste of home.

Try it.

What's happening?

My lord,

a Xiyan beauty died today.

She had a burn on her right wrist.

She was mistakenly killed by Attendant Shang.

Is Attendant Shang searching for the same person as us?

Yes.

Who's behind her?

Is this connected to the Qingzhou massacre?

We need to find Zhang Yin,

only then,

will the truth be revealed.

Since they know they killed the wrong person,

they will keep searching.

And if they can't find her,

they'll kill more innocents.

Then let them kill me.

I will be the bait.

I'll make them believe

I am the woman who fled the Wenhua Pavilion.

I can't bear to see another Dai

die in front of me.

You've been to the Wenhua Pavilion.

You are indeed the perfect bait.

♪The wind scatters the spring flowers♪

♪The dream was filled with sorrow for the entire night♪

♪Troubled thoughts shatter into a sky full of stars♪

♪If fate is too unbearable♪

♪I am mired in the mud♪

♪Love is helpless, falling into the abyss♪

♪If life is a predetermined sorrow♪

♪Love is an endless wandering♪

♪A place in the heart from which there is no return♪

♪It's a vain hope, it's in imagination♪

♪It's the distinguished light♪

♪If life is a predetermined sorrow♪

♪Love is an endless wandering♪

♪A place in the heart from which there is no return♪

♪It's a vain hope, it's in imagination♪

♪It's the distinguished light♪

♪If life is a predetermined sorrow♪

♪Love is an endless wandering♪

♪A place in the heart from which there is no return♪

♪It's a vain hope, it's in imagination♪

♪It's the distinguished light♪

♪It's a vain hope, it's in imagination♪

♪It's the distinguished light♪