Original subtitles

[English subtitles are available]

As long as I can take over Ning'an Palace,

I'm willing to pay any price.

Cleanse the court of traitors and sycophants.

The cinnabar imperial brush determines one's life and death.

Everything

is like a dream.

I once was indebted to a lot of people.

Zhang Zhe, help me.

I'll be a good person after this.

I'll marry the one I spoiled.

There are things

you can't give me.

But he can.

To keep my life,

only you, Sir, can help me.

Everyone in the world is entitled to escape.

But I'm the only one who can't.

I want to do my best to make up for

my past regrets and wrongdoings.

Mr. Zhang, do you believe in predestination from the previous life?

I'd rather believe in what's in front of me.

Welcome, Your Highness.

Welcome, Your Highness.

Congratulations on returning to the capital of our homeland.

Ning'er, what are you afraid of?

But in the unfathomable,

there's always an invisible hand

that puts everything back to its original place.

You've taken revenge and paid your debts.

At the end of the day, who are you?

A bustling place, or a battleground.

A life of absurdity, a story of mistakes and regrets.

[Story of Kunning Palace]

[Episode 38]

Miss Jiang.

I had no choice.

The Duke forced me.

He knew I was helping you and Junior Preceptor Xie.

If I didn’t do this,

he'd have killed me.

Only you know

that You Fangyin is on my side.

If it weren't for your betrayal,

how would the Xue family know about her?

Yes.

I'm guilty.

It's all my fault.

But have you forgotten how much I've helped you

all this time?

For the Yan family's matter,

if it weren't for me,

Marquis Yan and Viscount Yan would have long been dead!

Shut up!

Among

all the numerous conspirators in the world,

you're the worst.

I told you long ago

that one who changes one's loyalty frequently won't end well.

The most regretful thing

in my life

is trusting you again

for Yan Lin.

Dao Qin.

Kill him!

You can't kill me!

Jiang Xuening!

You can't kill me.

The Xue family...

The Xue family has launched the palace coup.

Xie Wei will definitely die today.

If you kill me,

no one will work for you anymore.

In your heart,

everyone is connected by interests.

Do you think I won't kill you

just because you're of value to me?

Listen.

Your life

is nothing compared to You Fangyin's.

Kill him!

Jiang Xuening!

Sir, this way.

Sir.

You...

What's wrong?

It's just an old injury.

It's no big deal.

This is the token given by His Majesty.

You can enter the palace at will.

With it,

you can deploy the Yan's troops from outside the city

to help you pacify the rebellion.

Why are you helping me?

People aren't all good or all bad.

Xie Wei bears the righteousness of a sage.

But in order to protect some people

and to deal with some people,

he had to disguise himself

and do those so-called bad things.

But I hope you can see

his original intention

and persistence.

I was initially suspicious

of Junior Preceptor Xie's character.

I've also tried testing his character.

Someone like him

shouldn't just die in a petty conspiracy like this.

Because someone like you

shouldn't just die here like this.

Let's go.

Mr. Xie.

No.

I should call you Dingfei.

I really didn't expect

that you've been hiding

under my nose for so many years.

You're really capable.

You’re indeed my son.

It’s just that you’re still one move behind.

Today, at this place,

it's still the two of us, father and son.

I didn't kill you back then.

That's why there are so many disasters in the present.

You lived 20 years more than you should.

It can also be considered as God's mercy to you.

Junior Preceptor Xie.

What does Duke Xue mean by this?

Back then,

it was in this Imperial City

where Xue Yuan went against Marquis Yan's plan

and rushed to attack the city first

in order to seize power and the top position,

resulting in great bloodshed.

Even the innocent children

weren't spared.

Everyone knows that Lord Pingnan

is shameless and violent.

But little do they know that Xue Yuan

is also a deceitful and inhumane man with a false reputation.

He...

is also a sinner of the State of Qian who should be condemned.

That's where you're wrong.

A person's nobility depends on God's will.

If commoners want to climb up the social ladder,

they still need the help of those high-ranking nobles.

Either as a slave or a minister,

you should make good use of your life, talents,

and everything else you have to offer.

What's wrong with that?

For a neglected commoner who had nothing like me

to have come this far,

it's because I've been gradually building towards my goal

and willing to sacrifice everything I had.

That's how I could establish such a great cause.

So what if it's millions of people,

innocent children,

and my biological son whom are implicated?

Even if I had to do it again,

I'd still do the same!

Nonsense!

You never

sacrificed yourself

but others.

Twenty years ago,

you even abandoned

your own son and wife.

In the future,

won't you abandon

those who work for you?

Deep down, other than concern for the Yan family,

do you still remember that your last name is Xue?

Since you're an insatiable ingrate,

why should I be merciful to you?

Then what about my mother?

She never betrayed you.

She treated you wholeheartedly.

But what about you?

You only treated her and the Yan family as stepping stones!

At this point,

what's the point of talking about this?

Anyway,

all of you must die here today.

Guards!

Kill them all!

Mr. Xie used to

hide in the palace's underground tunnel when he was a child.

He knows that the city's entrance leads directly to the palace.

Miss Jiang.

Are you okay?

Don't worry about me. Saving people is more important.

Okay, take care then.

Let's go.

Your Majesty.

It's time to take your medicine.

Jian Shu!

Duke, we've been tricked!

Capture Xie Wei!

Shoot!

Xue Yuan!

You’re doomed!

We've captured Xue Ye.

I advise you to surrender.

You set me up

and lured me here.

Your intention lies in

firstly, murdering His Majesty,

and secondly,

keeping an eye on me and Yan Lin.

But you neglected Tongzhou in the south.

His Majesty had secretly ordered

the Yan's troops' elites in Tongzhou

to hide in the palace's underground tunnel

and wait for the right moment to move in for the kill.

You didn't expect that

the secret tunnel of the past would have such an effect now, right?

Impossible.

I’d already sent my men to keep an eye on the palace.

You couldn't have had a chance to conspire with Shen Lang.

Your ambition is obvious.

Before I left the capital,

I'd already set up my plan with His Majesty.

Official Xie, is there anything else?

Your Majesty, please forgive me for deceiving you.

Deception?

Your Majesty, do you remember

the incident 20 years ago

in the palace's underground tunnel,

where we each wore a half of a pair of Tiger Head shoes?

You...

Uncle said

that one who can fight a tiger is a hero.

You and I each had a half of a pair of Tiger Head shoes.

You and I will each wear one shoe.

Then, both of us won't be afraid anymore.

Dingfei?

You...

You're the real Xue Dingfei.

Then that other...

No wonder.

No wonder the other Xue Dingfei

felt somewhat different from when he was young.

Even his personality was very different.

But

you've been back at the capital for many years.

Why didn't you tell me earlier?

Your Majesty.

I chose to reveal my identity to you now

in hopes that

you wouldn't let the Xue family take power again

because of your fear of the Yan family.

The Xue family

is the tumor of our country.

We have to get rid of them.

The Xue family is also your family.

You hired a substitute

and subdued the Xue family.

Are you still holding a grudge against the matter of being my substitute in the past?

And...

do you still hate me?

Your Majesty.

All these years,

I

did have a plan in mind.

But

it's not for my own grudge,

but for the martyrs who died in vain

and the Qian people back then.

Just like the people in the world,

you thought that all the 300 Loyal Souls died

because of Lord Pingnan's murderous nature.

Actually, that's not true.

Back then, to force you to show up,

Lord Pingnan did kill some people.

The remaining people

were used by Lord Pingnan

to threaten Xue Yuan to retreat.

But in order to take the credit for seizing that broken city,

he completely ignored the plan

he'd agreed upon with Marquis Yan beforehand,

and disregarded the lives of the soldiers in the front line

and the lives of the people in the city.

As a result, Lord Pingnan was enraged

and started a killing spree in the Imperial City.

Xue Yuan is responsible

for half of the crime back then.

They actually kept this from me for so many years.

Since then,

Xue Yuan became even more ambitious.

He not only formed a clique for personal gains and eliminated dissidents,

but also deceived everyone and raised private soldiers.

Because of the rise of military affairs,

he embezzled the disaster relief funds,

stole weapons and sacrificed human lives.

He even

raided Marquis Yan's mansion

on unfounded charges.

Not to mention countless other cases

where he monopolized power, acted arbitrarily,

and oppressed good people.

However, the Xue family is well established

and has an intricate network of relationships.

I'm afraid

that when you head to the border this time,

no one can defend you anymore.

The Xue family's disloyalty has begun.

The palace coup will be triggered.

By then,

no one can stop him.

To think that Xue Yuan is so ambitious.

I really raised a beast myself.

Your Majesty.

Your health...

Dingfei.

To be honest,

the imperial physician said

that

my days are numbered.

The future young monarch is frail,

but Xue Yuan owns an important army.

Externally, we have the strong enemy of the State of Yue,

and internally, we have Jinling watching us covetously.

What should my son do?

What would become

of the world?

Your Majesty.

We're

not at the end of our rope yet.

If you

can trust me,

I have a solution.

Go on.

On the surface, you'll issue an edict

for me to lead the Tongzhou garrison to the border for peace talks.

In secret,

with

your other edict,

I'll head to the border

to pardon Yan family's father and son of their crime.

At that time,

the two halves of the Yan's troops will reunite at the border.

They'll definitely dampen the State of Yue's spirit.

To settle the border into a ten-year period of peace,

this is one of the key points.

Secondly,

Jinling has been watching Tongzhou for many years.

They'll definitely take this chance when the troops are gone

to attempt to infiltrate the capital.

However,

Feng Mingyu is dead.

Lord Pingnan doesn't have many useful men left.

With his paranoid personality,

he'll most likely

personally take charge.

At that time,

Yan Mu, Yan Lin, and I

will use the troops at the border

to disintegrate Lord Pingnan's power.

Even so,

the capital will still be under the Xue family's control.

This...

So,

I need your cooperation in an act.

Give them ammunition

and appear weak to dispel their caution.

When confronted with a deadly situation,

one will fight to live.

It wasn't some forged edict

that pardoned the Yan family of their crimes

and let Marquis Yan and Yan Lin go to the border

to take over the military power of Yan’s troops

and send troops to the State of Yue to eliminate Lord Pingnan.

His Majesty

had already approved everything beforehand.

Every step was a part of the plan.

Do you think His Majesty didn't know

about your plan with Consort Xian to poison him?

It was just an act

so that you'd let your guard down.

Guards!

Your Majesty! Your Majesty!

Take action!

Hurry up! Arrest her!

-Yes. -How dare you!

You set a trap

and lured me into it.

On the charge of treason,

you want to get rid of the Xue family once and for all!

You chose your own path!

Since you raised your private soldiers,

your ambition has long exceeded that of attaining the Duke position.

In that case,

why did His Majesty order me to come and have peace talks?

The crimes of the Xue family

has been kept under wraps for a long time.

I want to redress the injustice of the martyrs

and the civilians from 20 years ago.

We need an upright man like you, Mr. Zhang.

Killing three birds with one stone.

I admit

defeat.

But the only thing that comforts me

is that I lost to my own son.

So what if you win?

Even if I'm a heinous person,

I'm still your biological father.

As an official, ruler, father, or son, each role has its own duties.

If you kill me,

you'll be killing your father.

How will you face the endless gossip from others

in the future?

Dingfei.

We're truly related by blood.

Between father and son,

there's no animosity that can't be overcome.

Why do you have to help Shen Lang?

Back then, Empress Dowager forced you out

with the threat of your mother's life

because of him.

Because of the so-called rule that

noble or lowly, officials should die for the emperor.

Don't you hate him?

Now,

the whole palace is under our control.

With my private soldiers

and your Yan's troops,

there's no one in the entire State of Yue who can stop us.

As long as we work together,

the Shen family can be easily taken down.

By then,

you can do whatever you want.

No one will have the right to talk to you about the so-called rule that

noble or lowly, officials should die for the emperor.

Xue Yuan.

Stop talking nonsense.

My brother is righteous.

How could he be incited by you?

I told you

that when I return to the capital,

I'll make you pay with your blood.

It's time to settle the score with you

for what you did to the Yan family.

Dingfei.

I'm your father.

Are you really going to kill me?

My last name is no longer Xue.

Kinship by blood, and gratitude for the one who raised me.

Today,

I will truly

return everything to you!

You're indeed a member of the Xue family.

You’re so cruel and merciless.

Xue Yuan.

Even if I don’t kill you,

your crimes in the past 20 years

are innumerable.

So, His Majesty will kill you,

the people will kill you,

and the law will also kill you.

When you die and end up in the netherworld,

in face of the numerous wronged souls

and my biological mother,

you...

will have to personally atone for your sins.

Mr. Zhang.

This case involves 20 years of interwoven complications.

It involves the royal family and the treacherous rebels.

Do you...

dare to take this case?

I, Zhang Zhe,

will live up to the law and the people.

Mr. Xie!

Xie Wei!

-Mr. Xie! -Xie Wei.

Xie Wei.

Xie Ju'an.

Xie Wei.

You...

Open your eyes and look at me.

You can't die.

I haven't fulfilled my promise to you yet.

I still have to play the qin for you every day.

I still have to spend my future with you.

You can't die!

Xie Ju'an!

I promise I won't be willful anymore.

I promise I'll listen to you.

Don't abandon me.

W-When you wake up,

I'll marry you.

Okay?

Don't abandon me.

So,

only in this way

will you promise me.

I heard everything

you just said.

You can't go back on your word.

I won't.

Xie Ju'an.

Let's get married.

Okay.

The sinner Xue Yuan

colluded with the sinner Xue Shu

in a rebellion and launched a palace coup.

Although Xue Yuan died,

the nine familial exterminations should be carried out.

However, following the prince's birth,

His Majesty decided to show mercy.

Hence, he issued an edict stating that

the Empress Dowager, who belongs to the Xue family,

has indulged the sinner Xue Yuan

and the sinner Xue Shu in their plot to kill the emperor.

She has committed a grave mistake.

She's ordered to guard the imperial mausoleum

and banned from returning to the capital.

The sinner Xue Shu will be given poisoned wine.

The rest shall be exempted from the death penalty,

exiled to Huangzhou, and banned from returning to the capital.

Consort Xian.

I'm here to send you off.

This is His Majesty's order.

Please.

No.

I can’t die.

I am the legitimate daughter of the Xue family.

I am the Noble Consort of the State of Qian!

What are you waiting for?

Shen Lang promised me.

He can’t kill me!

He can’t kill me.

Shen Lang can’t kill me.

He can’t kill me.

[You family's ancestor, Immortal Fangyin]

In the 24th year of Wanzhen,

the state of Qian's Emperor Kang Jing passed away,

and Noble Consort Qin's son ascended the throne.

He appointed the Crown Prince's junior preceptor Xie Wei as the Prime Minister

to assist the court.

Marquis Yan Mu,

Justice Minister Gu Chunfang,

and Minister of Personnel Yao Qingyu are appointed as the Ministers of Duty.

All officials should be united and assist the ruler

to stabilize the court and the country.

Don't cry.

Your belly is much bigger.

The scar is gone.

Yeah, somehow

the scar just suddenly disappeared.

Now that the scar is gone, my wound's also healed.

Are you having fun?

The sage.

The Emperor's teacher.

The loyal official.

The rebel.

Titles attributed to one.

At the end of the day,

who are you?

Even if you're in command of the entire world,

you're still someone

who should have died 20 years ago.

When you look back,

it'll be a comedy.

What is this emptiness

in this solitary world?

So what if you managed to calculate everything?

In the end, you don't want to keep anyone or anything.

Because you can't keep anyone or anything.

You've taken revenge

and paid your debts.

It's better to leave

as you came.

You owe a life.

You'll have to pay it back eventually.

The wind blows away

the heavy snow in the mortal world.

When the sage sees through it,

he can only die.

What's wrong?

I had a nightmare just now.

I dreamed of someone.

I dreamed of a saying.

He said

that if the sage sees through it, he can only die.

It's just a dream. Don't mind it.

Brother, the eyes are wrong.

Yes, Mother said

that Father has eyes like peach blossoms.

But this is a plum blossom.

It's the same thing.

He'll listen to Mother anyway.

But what if Father doesn’t like it?

You're still young. You don't understand.

Others listen to Father,

but others also listen to Mother.

And Father also listens to Mother.

So, Mother must be more powerful.

Brother, I was only born 30 minutes later than you.

You're still younger than me.

I don't want to hear it.

Not bad.

He's quite like you.

Come here.

Mother.

Yun.

Father.

A gentleman has to be dignified.

Who's bullying my Tian?

You're here.

Here.

Ning. Mr. Xie.

We're here to greet you for New Year's Eve.

It's enough that you're here. Why did you bring gifts?

You're really insightful.

You chose to settle in such an idyllic place.

It's so peaceful.

Unlike the noisy capital.

Not only that,

they didn't even bring Dao Qin and Jian Shu.

They said they wanted them to live their own lives,

but I think

they just don't want them

to disturb their divine marriage life.

Mr. Zhang is here too.

Happy new year. May all go well with you.

Thank you.

Alright, let's not stand around outside.

The food is ready.

Let's go inside.

Okay.

Father!

Father! Father!

Is that the Mr. Zhang who revised the law?

He's amazing.

Brother, why did you fall?

Father, you tripped me.

You're too young to walk steadily.

It's normal to fall down.

Let's go.

It's good that Mr. Zhang is so amazing.

You complain that I'm harder to teach than Mother,

and don't want to teach me anymore.

I need a teacher to start my education.

Mr. Zhang is perfect for the job.

Father, what do you think?

Father, I'll do as you say.

I'm not as good as you.

I'll listen to you.

In our family, no one is forced to do anything.

I'll hire whomever you want

as your teacher.

Don't do anything against your conscience.

It's not good to start going against your conscience

at such a young age.

The reform law is nothing.

It's not good at all.

I didn't go against my conscience.

I said this based on my conscience.

What are you three doing?

Why aren't you coming in?

Let's go.

Father, a gentleman has to be dignified.

Is that so?

You just said that.

I forgot.

Let's go.

♫We made a promise♫

♫Yet we are only left with our memory♫

♫Flowers bloom in the street♫

♫Without you♫

♫Watching the clouds wait anxiously for winter♫

♫Keep the memories slowly♫

♫I've forgotten about the four seasons without you by my side♫

♫Wind blows gently♫

♫The fallen flowers bloom in my heart♫

♫Your whisper under the moonlight sounds beautiful♫

♫Getting closer gently♫

♫The season stays in dreamland♫

♫The snow is very light♫

♫It doesn't stop even after filling all the cracks in the eaves♫

♫You left in a hurry, leaving traces in the snow♫

♫They're about to be erased now♫

♫Disrupting my expectations♫

♫We made a promise♫

♫Yet we are only left with our memory♫

♫Flowers bloom in the street♫

♫Without you♫

♫Watching the clouds wait anxiously for winter♫

♫Keep the memories slowly♫

♫I've forgotten about the four seasons without you by my side♫

I just finished writing and was about to send it to you.

Stop rushing me.

I'm confident

in your speed.

I just want to tell you

that I plan to publish your "Story of Kunning Palace"

as a printed book.

The company has asked the editor-in-chief

to communicate with you face to face,

to see if you have any other opinions

about the layout design.

He'll be there soon.

Already? Are you kidding me?

Miss Jiang.

I'm your editor, Xie Juan.

I think

I've seen you somewhere before.

[The End]