01x09 - Episode 9

[bunniefuu]

Tell me.

What truly is Blood on Snow?

Everything you have fed me
could only offer brief relief from this pain,

yet made the poison in my blood run stronger.

The renowned Zhuge General of Great Yong,
heir to Qingshan Court.

Truly, your reputation is well earned.

You managed not only to escape alive
from the heavily-guarded Li'an City,

but now you stand before me, making demands.

Give me the antidote for Blood on Snow.

Don't try to control me again.

Release me, and I shall fetch it for you.

The antidote for Blood on Snow
is Ximeng's most treasured remedy.

No one save I, the king, possesses it.

If you k*ll me,

the cure will be forever beyond your reach.

Go and fetch it now.

I shall go with you.

Very well.

Zhuge Yue.

If you wish to live, then lower your blade!

Then let's see whose hand is swifter.

Enough!

Since you favour bargains,
let's strike another.

You did save me in the Ximin Mountain,

and gave me Chegu Grass.

For that, I owe you three favors.

Give me the cure for Blood on Snow
and grant me freedom.

The battle of Li'an was the first.

As of now,

there are two left.

Agreed.

I give you my word.

[Episode 9]

Who is it?

Don't be afraid.

I left the lamp dark, lest we draw attention.

I, like them, also serve the Empress.

So you all serve as spies.

Why would you help me?

No one is born a spy.

Besides, I have always known who you are.

My father was commander
of Hongchuan's garrison.

His name was Mu.

He fought by your side
against Great Yong's troops.

It was then that I first saw you.

- You...
- That is a lie.

I remember every man who died at Hongchuan.

There was none among them named Mu.

It was you who crept into my room
that night, right?

[Boque Palace]

We are far from the main house here.

None of your companions will hear you.

No one will come to your aid.

So you had best confess everything to me.

What have you reported to the Empress?

That is right.

I am the one who entered her room.

I found the Xiuli Army's battle banner.

But I did not betray her to the Empress.

Because I wish to k*ll her myself.

That is the Empress's command?

It's me who wants her dead.

My father was Mu Zheng.

He was commander of the imperial guards
at Zhenhuang City in Great Yong.

But when Chu Qiao and the heir of Yan
raised their banners in revolt,

my whole family was put to the sword.

My mother gave her life so I could survive.

I hate Chu Qiao. I hate the Xiuli Army.

As long as I'm alive,
I'll strike at her again.

If you want to k*ll me, then do it now.

Since you won't speak...

- Song Cheng.
- Yes, sir.

Let her go.

Qiao Qiao.

If you release her,
she will come for your life again.

Then let her try.

Do you think by doing so,
I will be grateful to you?

That I would grovel at your feet
like a hound?

Because of me, your family was slaughtered.

You have every reason to hate me.

You are not to blame.

The guilt is not yours to bear.

Leave now.

You will regret letting me go.

Then be gone before I start regretting.

Has Ming Lu been sent back?

Yes.

Song Cheng set aside medicine
for her injuries.

But she refused to take it.
She left it behind in her room.

And what of your wound?

It is nothing.

The old sickness from the frozen lake

acted up again
when I entered the water today.

If not for that,

Ming Lu and the others
wouldn't have harmed me.

Qiao Qiao,
don't trouble yourself with guilt.

Ming Lu's fate is not because of you.

You were only deceived by Yan Xun,
just for a moment.

That is why you aided him.

I was not blinded by Yan Xun.

I know well what I chose to do.

You've never endured life in Zhenhuang City.

You cannot comprehend
what being a sl*ve means.

sl*ves are not worthy of their own names.

Even if they're sick or hurt,
they are denied a physician's care.

Their lives are as fragile
as blades of grass.

Even the fate of
their companions and siblings

rests in the hands of those noble houses.

Had Yan Xun and I not risen in revolt,

all that's left of us in Zhenhuang
would be two corpses now.

I was worried you would blame yourself.

It seems I worried in vain.

I did not rebel for Yan Xun.

I had believed with all my heart

that there must be a place in this world
where all people are equal.

Qiao Qiao, you are far too brave.

But allow me one question.

If, one day,
your new world of equality comes to be,

will you leave a small place for me?

My request is a humble one.

It just needs to be larger than Zhuge Yue's.

After all, I am more handsome than he.

And certainly more witty as well.

Will land be allotted by appearance then?

It seems fair enough, does it not?

By looks, you say?

Are you certain that you would be
allotted more than Zhuge Yue?

Qiao Qiao.

If I may speak plainly,
you are wonderful in every way,

but your judgement
is always just a bit lacking.

Oh, that reminds me.

Since Ming Lu was not the one
who informed the Empress,

how did your identity get exposed?

Mother seems absolutely certain
that you are Chu Qiao.

There is another person here in Biantang

who knows exactly who I am.

Who?

The Great Yong envoy, Zhao Kuo.

[Tangjing]
Mr. Zhao.

Mr. Zhao.

The wind cuts sharply tonight.
Perhaps we should wait and leave at dawn.

The men we sent to deliver our message
have yet to return.

Chu Qiao must have k*lled them.

If we linger in Biantang,
trouble will surely find us.

We have to return at once
and report straight to Mr. Muhe.

Let's go.

Hurry! Someone, come quickly!

Princess Fu has been poisoned.
She has fainted!

Move aside.

Your Highness.

Fu Er.

What happened?

Your Highness, there is something wrong
with these pastries.

Someone has poisoned them.

Drive all the concubines away at once.

Your Highness, you cannot go in.

The Empress has already gone to bed.

Your Highness.

Your Highness, you really cannot enter!

- Your Highness.
- Your Highness.

Her Majesty is unwell.
She has already gone to bed.

I have urgent matters for the Empress.

Your Highness, you can wait until morning.

Your Highness.

Crown Prince.

You grow more unruly by the day.

Do you realise
bursting into the palace at night

is a grave offence?

Protect Mr. Zhao!

Chu Qiao?

Go!

k*ll her!

Chu Qiao.

Your martial skills have returned.

I cannot defeat you.

But... But seeing you so intent
on k*lling me today,

it's because you fear
I will expose who you are

and ruin your disguise
as Biantang's Princess Fu.

I admit it.

It was me. I was the one
who reported you to Empress Bian.

But now I have news to barter.

Spare my life and we shall call it even.

The Xiuli Army.

Your Xiuli Army.

What did you just say?

He Xiao from the Xiuli Army.

He is alive.

Princess Fu has been poisoned?

When did this occur?

Mother.

You still pretend not to know?

It was just now, barely an hour past.

Someone laced Princess Fu's pastries
with poison.

She remains unconscious even now.

Even if you doubt Fu Er's true origins,
or fear she wants to harm me,

this is no excuse for such cruelty.

Impudence!

Princess Fu was poisoned.

Rather than tending to her at home,

you entered the palace
at midnight to reprimand me

and uttered such wild accusations.

Mother, I beg forgiveness
for my transgression.

And please, Mother,

spare Fu Er.

Yan Qing.

Your Majesty.

Summon Mr. Zhan.

Have him return with the Crown Prince.

Investigate the poisoning
of Princess Fu thoroughly.

Yes, Your Majesty.

[Boque Palace]

Your Highness.

On the Empress's orders,

I have come to investigate the matter
of Princess Fu's poisoning.

Mr. Zhan, such a grand show of force.

Are you here to investigate,
or to seize my residence?

Princess Fu's poisoning is no trivial affair.

If the one who poisoned her
is still within these walls,

without close watch,

they could slip away at any moment.

I too serve the Empress's decree.

Naturally, I give my utmost.

There must not be a single error.

Keep strict watch over
the Crown Prince residence.

Be sure the Crown Prince is kept safe.

No one is to enter or leave.

Yes, sir.

Your Highness.

The Empress has sent
the imperial physician to assist.

Let's go and see Princess Fu at once.

[Boque Palace]

Keep a strict eye on everyone.

Don't let a soul escape.

Yes, sir.

Your Highness,
have you lost your way in haste?

The study lies to the left,

Princess Fu's room is to the right.

Mr. Zhan, you seem to know my residence

better than I, the Crown Prince, myself.

I simply remember my way, nothing more.

I have walked these halls before.

No one enters without
the Crown Prince's order.

How dare you!

Step aside.

Zhan Zi Yu.

You dare force your way
into Princess Fu's room?

Your Highness.

You claim Princess Fu was poisoned

and entered the palace by night
to confront the Empress,

yet now you bar us from seeing her.

Are you hiding something from us?

Or was Princess Fu never poisoned at all?

An assassin!

Stop! Stop right there!

A female assassin?

Seize her!

Don't let her get away!

After her.

Even if you have to dig three feet deep,
she must be found.

Stop there!

Reporting, sir. The imperial physician
says Princess Fu's condition is dire.

You should see her at once.

Didn't you say you brought
an imperial physician to treat Princess Fu?

Weren't you so eager
to force your way inside?

Now, you claim there is nothing you can do?

Your Highness.

What is happening?

My apologies, Your Highness.
Forgive me, Mr. Zhan.

The poison is most severe.

Such poisons are rarely seen.

I truly cannot find
a remedy that will bring swift relief.

All I can do is prescribe a medicine.

The princess must bear the suffering for now.

If she takes the medicine for ten days,
she will recover in time.

The poison will lift, and she shall be well.

Ten days?

You want Princess Fu
to suffer ten whole days?

Worthless!

Your Highness, do not fret.

Since it is poison,

she cannot possibly recover in a day or two.

There is no point
in pressuring the imperial physician.

Let him prepare medicine instead.

That way, Princess Fu may find relief sooner.

Go and prepare her medicine.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Zhan.

Are you going to examine Princess Fu
in person once more?

Do you know how to cure her?

I mean no offence.

I shall take my leave now.

Princess Fu must rest and recuperate.

- Song Cheng.
- Yes, sir.

See Mr. Zhan out.

Qiao Qiao.

Quick, fetch the antidote for me.

All right.

Is it this one?

How are you feeling?

How could you really take poison?

I am all right.

Back at Qingshan Court,
I always kept Gelsemium with me

for emergencies such as this.

Here you go.

How is it? Is the poison gone?

I'm already fine.

In my days as a spy,

I always had to test and neutralize poisons.

A little while longer would not harm me.

I am glad to hear it.

But Zhan Zi Yu's men
were swarming outside just now.

How did you get back in here?

Ming Lu?

You've barely recovered,
but you came alone to k*ll.

Are you so impatient to die?

Then why did you come here?

Don't overthink it.

I did not come to help you.

The ones who brought about
my father's and his men's deaths,

Muhe Xi Feng and Zhao Kuo
were among them.

Please don't k*ll me.

Chu Qiao, I am not lying to you.

I really do have news
to exchange with you.

Deputy Commander of the Xiuli Army, He Xiao,

he didn't die at Meilin Pass.

He became a prisoner,
and sent to forced labor.

Speak. Where is He Xiao now?

I don't know.

If you hold anything back,

I will take your hands and feet,
one by one.

I have told you everything I know.

You... You cannot k*ll me.

Chu Qiao, we are even now.

All right.

- We are even.
- Settled.

Ming Lu, it's me.

Qiao Qiao.

Zhan Zi Yu's men have left now.

But he is convinced
you will not get out of the city.

They might search this area a little longer.

You should hide here for the time being.

This is none of your concern.

I cannot k*ll you,
nor can I avenge my father.

Perhaps I would be better off dead.

You are even frightened of pain.

Do you truly dare to die?

Stay still.

I have just tended your wounds.

Qiao Qiao.

This used to be an old tavern I acquired.

It stands empty now.

No one else knows about it.

Here, keep this.

Take some time to rest here first.

When you have recovered,
you can come back and k*ll me.

Your Majesty,
Physician Liu has already examined her.

It is indeed Gelsemium poisoning.

There is no doubt.

There may be something else behind all this.

Your Majesty, Zhao Kuo was attacked
and k*lled on the road.

Your Majesty, what is it?

Zhao Kuo was just assassinated
on the roadside.

Princess Fu was poisoned.

Mr. Zhao has been k*lled.

Isn't it too much of a coincidence?

Do you believe these two incidents
are mere coincidence?

Could Mr. Zhao's death
be connected to the Crown Prince?

The Crown Prince
created such a scene at court.

Wasn't it just to make it clear to me

that they are not involved in any of this?

There is another matter.

Because of this incident,

the Crown Prince has driven out
every spy we placed from his residence.

Ce Er.

You act the fool so well.

You truly are convincing.

This is the second task
the King of Ximeng set you.

You shall stay here for the night.

You will depart from here in the morning.

Oh, before I forget,

remember to change out of those clothes
before you go.

[Imperial City]

When mistakes are made, punishment follows.

I have failed in my duties.

I let Zhuge Yue harm Your Majesty.

I ask Your Majesty to punish me.

You are a useful sl*ve.

I have need of you yet.

But the rest are not so fortunate.

You are right.

Let me deal with them myself.

That is enough.

I have no fondness for failures.

If it happens again,

their deaths will not come so swiftly.

On this journey to Biantang,
you have two tasks.

First, you are to remain close
to this so-called King of Ximeng

and by whatever means necessary,

bring the person I want
and his records back to me.

No one but you is to know his true identity.

- Yes, sir.
- Secondly, Zhuge Yue

is both skilled and cunning.
He keeps his true thoughts hidden.

Be on your guard against him at all times.

Once his task is done, k*ll him in Biantang.

I don't care how you do it,
he must not leave that place alive.

Otherwise, in days to come,

he will become a dire threat to us all.

Who is it?

Are you in there, Princess Fu?

[Zi Ming, Li Ce's concubine]

Princess Fu,
I have come specially to see you.

His Highness ordered me to stay away
and not meet you.

But I believed you wouldn't mind.

So I took it upon myself to come.

Yesterday night, those men from the palace
caused such a disturbance,

forced their way into your room
and tried to poison you.

You must surely be famished and weary.

So I personally prepared
some little dishes and sweet pastries.

I have brought them for you to try.

Have a sip of tea, refresh yourself,
then enjoy the food.

It is gentle on the stomach.

How do you find it?

It is delicious.

Zi Ming, what brings you here?

Fu Er.

Zi Ming is not one of Mother's spies.

So I allowed her to stay.

Princess Fu, I saw you practicing swordplay
in the courtyard.

It was truly beautiful.

Will you teach me one day?

What is all this about today?

His Majesty does not usually
attend morning court.

So why has he summoned us all
to the palace so suddenly?

They say it concerns Ximeng.

The other day, the Ximeng envoy
brought a formal letter.

- But we do not yet know what it means.
- Ximeng?

We have never had dealings with them.

What business could they have here?

No idea.

Grand Councillor Liu has claimed illness
for days.

Is he still not appearing today?

- Well...
- Liu is clearly avoiding his duties.

The emperor asked him
to aid the Crown Prince with regency.

He sees it as a thankless burden.

[Sun Di, Cavalry Commander of Biantang]

So he is feigning illness at home
to avoid it.

General Sun, you are as frank as ever.

Though, this is not a place for such talk.

And what have I to fear?

Everyone knows the Crown Prince
cannot be helped.

If His Majesty had any other suitable heir,

would the Crown Prince still hold this seat?

If you ask me, Grand Councillor Liu is wise.

Were it left to me,

I would feign illness
and stay away from court as well.

[Taiji Hall]

Your Highness.

The Empress asks you to visit Fengyi Palace.

Your commander of the Xiuli Army, He Xiao,

like you, has a stubborn fate.

He did not die at Meilin Pass.

He became a prisoner,
and sent to forced labor.

He Xiao.

I will bring you home, I promise.

Greetings, Mother.

It was discourteous of me yesterday.

I had disturbed you.

Regarding the poisoning of Princess Fu,

have you uncovered the truth?

Nothing is certain yet.

I suspect it was the concubines.

They resented my devotion to Princess Fu.

That is why they harmed her.

I acted rashly, and misjudged you, Mother.

I ask for your forgiveness.

How is Princess Fu?

Thank you for your concern, Mother.

She is recovering well.

But the Great Yong envoy fared less well.

He was k*lled yesterday.

He fell just outside Tangjing.

What?

The Great Yong envoy is dead?

Ce Er.

Do you know who revealed to me

that Princess Fu is truly Chu Qiao?

It was Zhao Kuo, the Great Yong envoy.

A pity he is dead now.

No one will ever suspect Princess Fu now.

Is that not so, Ce Er?

Mother, who m*rder*d the Great Yong envoy?

Is there any clue?

Zhao Kuo is dead.

Great Yong will demand an answer.

But this does not concern you.

You can still live your life

enjoying your tender happiness
with Princess Fu.

And not only that,

now even the women
I gave you as concubines

have sinned as well.

They brought it on themselves
and were sent away.

From now on, not to mention Princess Fu,

even if you housed
the true Chu Qiao in your residence,

no one would know.

If you ever truly did keep Chu Qiao with you,

it would provoke both Yanbei
and Great Yong to attack us.

Or you might use Chu Qiao
to amass private troops and rebel.

Didn't the heir of Yan once join her,

and bring his armies to Zhenhuang's gate?

The Emperor of Yong
was utterly unprepared back then.

Mother.

As your son and Crown Prince,

though I lack virtue and skill
to lessen your burdens,

I would never commit such folly.

I care for Fu Er with all my heart.

I only feared upsetting her.

That is why I sought an excuse
and sent the other women away.

I have been wayward since childhood,

and owe everything
to your kindness and protection.

That is why I have survived in the palace.

At this midday audience,
I meant to confess to Father

that I am not fit to govern in his place.

I'll ask Father to allow you, Mother,

to carry this heavy task in my stead.

Ce Er, you may rise.

Yes, Mother.

Ce Er, you are the rightful Crown Prince.

How can you so easily
shirk the duty of governing as regent?

It is only thanks to you, Mother,
that I hold this title.

Were it not for you,
I would not be Crown Prince.

To govern is to bear the lives of the nation.

I am neither wise nor worthy.

Will you bear the burden
a little longer, Mother?

- Qiao Qiao.
- Li Ce.

- There's something I wish to say.
- There's something I wish to say.

- You go ahead.
- You speak first.

Very well, I shall go first.

The other day, I heard from Zhao Kuo
news of something important.

He Xiao is still alive.

He is in Great Yong.

I want you to help me
discover where he is imprisoned.

I am going to rescue him.

There is something I need from you as well.

Qiao Qiao, do you remember you once told me

that when you've recovered,
you would protect me,

and help me reclaim what is rightfully mine?

Get up first.

Li Ce.

- You wish to...
- I wish to take back from my mother's hands

the power that should be mine.

Qiao Qiao, although I am the Crown Prince,

all I can do is merely scrape by
beneath my mother's shadow.

You were once captain
of Great Yong's Imperial Guards,

and you commanded the Xiuli Army.

I will fund and support it.
You will train a secret force for me.

One day, this force will be at my command.

At the same time,
I'll help you find out news of He Xiao.

With a little time,
when the force is complete,

it can also be used to help you
rescue He Xiao from Great Yong.

Well played, Li Ce.

You not only want
to strike a bargain with me,

but do you plan to cling to me forever?

How could that possibly
be called clinging, Qiao Qiao?

You are a general in your own right.

You must stand by what you say.

I cannot play the fool forever,

losing myself in wine and idle pleasures.

I must learn to defend myself first.

Only then can I guard those I hold dear.

Didn't you notice the King
was staring at the dancer?

She looks very much like Chu Qiao.

We of Biantang have prepared a royal banquet

to welcome the King of Ximeng.

But I fear that, to him,
none of us here is worthy of his trust.

Xing Er.