01x34 - Episode 34

[bunniefuu]

[Pursuit of Jade]

[Episode 34]

Your Majesty, Prime Minister Wei
and Grand Tutor Li request an audience.

Dear ministers,

what brings you to see me?

Your Majesty,

I wish to impeach
Prime Minister Wei's son, Wei Xuan,

for forcibly levying winter grain,
oppressing the people into revolt,

and deserting the army.

After returning to the capital
without permission,

he treated human life as worthless.

If he is not punished
for all these crimes,

Heaven will not tolerate it!

Grand Tutor, don't be so hasty.

What do you mean
by treating human life as worthless?

Prime Minister Wei!

Your son broke my young grandson's leg.

He might be crippled
for the rest of his life!

Was that a counter-stratagem,

or is he innocent
and actually deserves credit?

Your Majesty!

If there is someone in our court

who wields unchecked power
and cannot be criticized,

then I will have no choice

but to beat the Petition Drum

and let the world judge!

Well...

Fine.

I am willing to join you.

Don't...

Your Majesty,
for the sake of your dignity,

I have endured all kinds of humiliation.

But Li Huaiqin

claims that my wife and I are on bad terms

and that my son is a b*stard!

He even says

that I still love my childhood sweetheart,

and that my true love is in the harem!

Such remarks

involve the late Emperor

and many secrets of the harem.

And now the Li family is making
presumptuous speculations.

Fine.

I will accompany you to the Petition Drum,

and we'll make everything

perfectly clear

in front of the whole world!

Let's go!

You are talking nonsense!

When did the Li family ever speculate
about you and the ha...

Your Majesty!

I didn't!

-I didn't, Your Majesty!
-You just said that!

And now you're denying it?

Ministers, please don't get angry.

Let's talk this over calmly.

Grand Tutor Li
constantly spreads slander in court.

I fear even Your Majesty
finds it hard to judge fairly.

You must explain this clearly!

Let's go!

Your Majesty!

Ministers!

I am wrongly accused!

Who accused you wrongly?

It is clearly
Wei Yan who deceives everyone

and has no respect for you, Your Majesty!

-Your Majesty!
-Don't let it cause a rift between you!

Your Majesty!

Fine! Since you won't listen,

I won't be the Emperor anymore!

-I'll just abdicate! Alright?
-Stop it!

You cannot!

As the Emperor,

how can you take off your dragon robe
so easily?

Presumptuously!

How dare you, Wei Yan!

How dare you speak so arrogantly
to His Majesty!

I think you're the one who is acting

presumptuously!

I was wrong, Your Majesty.

Alright, alright.

You two were just acting
in the heat of the moment.

So was I.

In short,

it is all because Li Huaiqin
lacked virtue after drinking

and spoke recklessly.

But since his leg is already broken

and he has been punished,

I will send a royal physician
to treat him.

After he recovers,

he will be sent to the Imperial College
to study and repent

to cultivate his character.

As for Wei Xuan injuring someone...

although there were
extenuating circumstances,

the state has its laws.

Use of private punishment is wrong.

I... I will remove him from his post
as Military Commissioner for now.

He can atone for his crimes
by earning merits in the future.

Anyway,

if I hear any more filthy rumors

concerning the reputation
of the royal family,

do not blame me for showing no mercy.

-Yes, Your Majesty!
-Yes, Your Majesty!

Your Majesty...

Your Majesty. Gone.

Your Majesty, please quell your anger!

Your Majesty,

in this case,

Grand Tutor Li might become alienated
from us.

Then what do you think I should have done?

Tell me!

What should we do?

Now that Xie Zheng is back,

Wei Yan has become emboldened!

Wei Yan came here today

clearly to slap me in the face

and break our alliance
with Grand Tutor Li!

These two old turtles.

It's always one side overpowering

the other between these two.

When will a third party

get involved?

My Lord, what did His Majesty say?

That useless trash, Qi Sheng.

Such a fence-sitter. He changed his mind.

Well...

Now that Xie Zheng has returned,

Wei Yan has become even more powerful.

It seems we can no longer rely on
His Majesty.

The Li family

must find another way out.

Master,

Qi Min is likely to make a big move soon.

Also,

there's news regarding
the past events in Jinzhou that

the Prime Minister ordered
to be investigated.

[To Grand Tutor, My Lord: I have been
tirelessly investigating day and night,]

The news came from Chongzhou.

[and have finally uncovered a key clue
in the old case, going back 17 years,]

[concerning
the troop deployment Tiger Tally]

[once held by Wei Qilin,
a household general of the Wei family.]

Do you think

we should inform the Eldest Young Master?

Seventeen years ago,

the Tiger Tally that Wei Qilin used
to deploy the troops was real.

But it became a fake
when it reached Lord Changxin.

Between the real and fake Tiger Tallies,

the most critical link

was the person who delivered it.

Wei Qilin.

[Wei Residence]

After all these days,

you finally have the courage to come back.

I heard Mother is ill.

I was worried about her.

As for Li Huaiqin's leg...

I'll take responsibility
for my own actions.

Take responsibility?

Are you worthy of taking responsibility

for the Wei family's lost honor?

And are you really capable of it?

I've taken care of

the official procedures.

But you can't avoid

the family punishment.

Guards.

Here!

Twelve!

Thirteen!

Fourteen!

Fifteen!

Sixteen!

Seventeen!

Eighteen!

Punishment complete.

Father.

Mother is sick.

Won't you go and keep her company?

I have had someone
fetch a royal physician.

Do you know why

I broke Li Huaiqin's leg that day?

He insulted me.

He said I'm not your son!

He said that your true love
is your childhood sweetheart

who's in the harem now.

My mother

has been serving you all these years

and gave everything for you.

But now that she lies sick in bed,

you can't even spare a glance
for your wife?

Prime Minister.

A letter from Wei Sheng.

It concerns the Marquis of Wu'an.

See?

I have official affairs to handle.

As for your mother,

take good care of her.

If there is nothing else,

stay put

and don't wander around.

You have only ever had Xie Zheng
in your heart!

Have you ever considered
Mother and me as family?

I guessed right.

You care for Xie Zheng

like he's your own.

You poured all your energy

and all your care

into him alone.

And I...

I can only watch helplessly
from the sidelines!

Have you ever really looked at me?

Even once,

just once?

What I hate most

is this indifferent look of yours!

Since I was little,

no matter what I did,

you never cared!

Is Xie Zheng your son,

or am I?

Am I just a b*stard you took in?

Am I?

You are not a child anymore.

[Where Compassion and Grace Meet]

The Princess Royal is here!

Your Highness,

His Majesty is busy with state affairs.

Please calm your anger, Your Majesty!

I couldn't stop Her Highness!

Never mind.

I didn't expect you to stop her.

Leave us.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Brother, I heard you want to marry me off
to the Marquis of Wu'an?

Sister,

I've found you a peerless hero
for a husband.

Why are you displeased?

I'll beat you to death!

Stop beating me, Sister!

Don't run!

It hurts!

Didn't you say
you liked the Marquis of Wu'an before?

And that you wanted to marry him?

I was only 6 then!

Six years old!

-You just want to get the Marquis of Wu'an on our side!
-Sister!

-Stop beating me!
-Taking my marriage as an excuse!

It won't look good if you keep beating me!

You care about that?

First you sold me to the Li family,

and now you're selling me
to the Xie family.

Am I still the Princess Royal?

Don't I deserve any dignity?

Don't I deserve any dignity?

You are a Qi too.

Can you really bear to watch me

be manipulated by those two old b*stards?

I've been living in fear all this time,

and it has been 17 years, Sister.

Sister, you are well-read.

Have you ever seen
such a cowardly emperor as me?

Xie Zheng is not Wei Yan.

Even without a marriage alliance
as leverage,

he can still be of use to you.

Then, Sister,

can you vouch for him forever?

Lord Changxin...

Seventeen years ago, Lord Changxin...

never imagined he would rebel either.

Didn't they say

his entire family was dead?

Then how... how did this story end up

with Sui Yuanhuai
faking his death and escaping?

Anyway,

stop playing matchmaker.

Or I'll come back again.

This time in the army,

I may not have learned much else,

but I've learned

how to fight.

Alright, I get it. I'm scared.

Go get Li Xiang immediately!

Hurry!

Losing an ear

won't k*ll him!

[Wei Residence]

[Received Grace, Cherished Favor]

Prime Minister, please save me.

Someone wants to depose me.

Prime Minister,

I'll be obedient from now on.

All that happened in the past

was because
I was deceived by the Li family.

Prime Minister!

Your Majesty!

Prime Minister!

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty, as the Emperor,

you should conduct yourself
with proper dignity.

How can you lose your composure like this?

Are rebel forces at the gates,

or is someone staging a coup?

Neither.

The Palace still stands,
and the walls are intact.

Then why are you so panicked,
Your Majesty?

I—I've lost my composure.

Li Xiang returned from Jizhou

and said that rumors
were spreading in the army

that a descendant
of the former Eastern Palace had appeared.

Seventeen years ago,

you did everything
to put me on the throne.

I know that in this world,

only you will always stand on my side.

I trust no one but you.

Your Majesty.

Prime Minister.

I... I am truly flustered.

Rumors regarding the former Eastern Palace

have surfaced
several times over the last decade.

I will handle it.

However, Your Majesty,

the late Emperor abdicated to you,

and you inherited the throne legitimately.

What is there to worry about?

Your Majesty, you must not forget

that this time in the Northwest,

there is a new general
with outstanding merit

who saved the people from suffering

and won their hearts.

Your Majesty,

you must take this opportunity
to win her over.

Only then can you reassure the people

and demonstrate your authority.

Prime Minister,
you mean that butcher girl, Fan Changyu?

This woman is indeed brave

and did k*ll Lord Changxin
on the b*ttlefield.

But she comes from humble origins

and has no foundation in court.

How could she be of use to me?

Don't forget,

she commands half the forces in Jizhou,

and the Li family wants to win her over.

If you can summon her
to the capital to reward her

for her repeated military achievements,

it will demonstrate your vast grace.

Alright.

Excellent.

Then I will follow your suggestion

and issue my decree immediately,

summoning Fan Changyu and the generals
who earned merit in quelling the rebellion

to the Capital to receive their rewards.

Great Yin now
has its first mighty female general.

I will personally hold
the investiture ceremony for them.

Your Majesty, you're truly wise.

The Qi family is full of lies.

They're all equally despicable.

You must be careful, Prime Minister.

Even the Emperor
knows about the former Eastern Palace.

Is he planning to stop hiding it?

Is Xie Jiuheng

trying to become the next Wei Yan?

His Majesty decrees:

The rebellious Lord Changxin
plotted against the western borders.

The female general Fan Changyu
fought valiantly

and ex*cuted
the rebel leader on the b*ttlefield.

I commend her achievements

and hereby appoint her
as Flower-Crowned General,

rank Fourth Grade,

with a Purple-gold Fish Pouch.

You are to enter the Capital
to pay your respects

and receive your title.

Flower-Crowned General!

Look here!

So this is the Capital.

Look at these buildings,

this road, and these people.

Mancang, pinch me.

Am I dreaming?

It hurts. We're not dreaming.

Behave yourselves.

Don't let people see

that we're from the countryside.

So what?

Fan carved her way
to her position as General

from the countryside
with a butcher knife.

Who dares look down on her?

Look at our female general. She's so cool.

If General Fan were a man,

I'd want to marry him.

Maybe General Fan has brothers?

If I can't marry her,
being her sister-in-law would be fine too.

I never imagined that on horseback,

she'd look more handsome than young men.

I heard His Majesty

will personally hold
the investiture ceremony.

Really?

General Fan is mighty!

General Fan!

[Guo's Wine House]

His Majesty has decreed

that Li Huai'an,
Discipline Inspector of Jizhou,

and Flower-Crowned General Fan Changyu
are to pay their respects.

[Diligent and Virtuous]

Long live Your Majesty.

You may rise.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

My beloved ministers, take a look.

These are the backbone of our Great Yin.

[Diligent and Virtuous]

I am unworthy of such praise.

To serve Your Majesty with loyalty

is a subject's duty.

Moreover, in this battle
against the rebels,

those with the greatest merit

were General He and the Marquis of Wu'an.

[Diligent and Virtuous]

General He and the Marquis of Wu'an

are indeed the pillars of Great Yin.

General He died in battle at Lucheng.

I am heartbroken.

I couldn't eat for days.

Fortunately, Great Yin
has the Marquis of Wu'an

and loyal subjects like you.

That's why these ministers and I
can rest easy.

I will not fail your expectations,
Your Majesty.

I heard that among the people
of Great Yin,

a female general has emerged.

Step forward and let me see.

I, Fan Changyu,

greet Your Majesty.

[Diligent and Virtuous]

Come closer.

I, Fan Changyu, greet Your Majesty.

Raise your head.

What a fine warrior peony.

Are you married?

Your Majesty, I already have a husband.

Where is your husband now?

During the conscription early this year,

my husband went to the front lines.

I was desperate to find him

and joined the army by accident
on the way.

But the Battle of Lucheng was too brutal.

My husband...

remains missing.

Missing, you say?

Then why don't you...

In my 17 years on the throne,

I have never seen a female general.

I was just overcome with emotion.

Fan, in quelling the rebellion,

k*lled Shi Hu first,

and then beheaded Lord Changxin.

Her contribution is truly remarkable.

I hereby appoint her
as Flower-Crowned General,

and bestow upon her the title
of Imperial Madame of the Fourth Rank.

Why is she conferred such a high rank?

What happened?

I, Fan Changyu,

[Diligent and Virtuous]

thank Your Majesty for your great grace.

[Diligent and Virtuous]

Your Majesty,

since the founding of our dynasty,

there has never been a female general

holding a rank above the fifth grade.

Appointing her Flower-Crowned General
is already unprecedented.

Let alone...

It seems the Grand Tutor's faction

still can't bear to part with
that half of the military power.

Please reconsider, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

General Fan is no ordinary woman.

She beheaded Lord Changxin
and ended the w*r in one stroke.

The primary credit belongs to her.

Discipline Inspector Li,

be careful not to speak out of turn

in His Majesty's presence.

I heard

that before joining the army, General Fan

was a butcher girl in a border town.

I wonder how

she managed to k*ll Lord Changxin,
the bravest in the Three Armies.

Could it be...

Thank you for the compliment,
Grand Tutor Li.

I am just a village woman.

I don't know much else,

but I know pork must be cut precisely,

and enemies must be k*lled ruthlessly.

General Fan,

this is not your filthy pigsty.

Now that you are a court official,

you must watch your words and actions
at all times.

Especially in court,

and especially before His Majesty
and the Grand Tutor.

You are right, My Lord.

Speaking of pigsties,

the one at my home

is swept clean,

and the pigs are fat and strong.

But there are always some bad pigs

that like to piss and sh*t everywhere,

making even the cleanest place dirty.

You...

Who are you calling a pig?

Don't be angry, My Lord.

I didn't say you were a pig.

Fan, you are amusing.

Your words are blunt,

but they make some sense.

General Fan.

Sharp words
do not count as military merit.

As a military commander,

your duty is to protect the country,

not to show off your sharp tongue here.

You are right, Grand Tutor Li.

Of course I know the importance
of protecting the country.

But when the people
on the border were suffering,

where were you making snide remarks,
Grand Tutor Li?

You...

Alright, alright.

General Fan
certainly has a straightforward character,

completely different from ordinary women.

No wonder you achieved
such illustrious military merits.

As they say,
a hero's background doesn't matter.

We, the court officials,

should be tolerant of her.

As for the military power,

we shall discuss it another day.

Thank you, Prime Minister Wei.

That I can stand here today

is thanks to your magnanimity.

However, I don't think
this is just a battle of words.

The Imperial Court
is like butchering pigs.

There must be rules.

Butchering requires a single fatal cut.

Speaking in court
should also hit the mark.

With so much beating around the bush,

how can problems be solved?

Just like the Battle of Lucheng—

if the soldiers had all cowered back,

who would have defended Lucheng?

General Fan,
every word you say makes sense,

but your language is uncouth.

You really must learn some etiquette
in the future.

You are right, Prime Minister Wei.

I really need to work on my tendency

to speak without thinking.

Oh, right.

The Marquis of Wu'an asked me

to offer incense at his parents' tomb
to report his safety.

Prime Minister Wei,

would you like to pay respects
to your sister

and General Xie as well?

My beloved ministers,

if there is nothing else today,

court is dismissed.

Speak now or the court is dismissed!

Farewell, Your Majesty.

It's a nice place,

but there aren't many good people.

It can't even compare to Lin'an.

General Fan.

You shouldn't have made so many enemies
in court.

Grandfather.

So you still know I am your grandfather?

Go back.

General Fan, please wait.

I am not your grandson.

What? Are you going to lecture me too?

Your demeanor in the hall today

truly impressed me.

Now that you have been praised
by His Majesty,

and everyone calls you a heroine,

but as a woman,

sooner or later you must marry
and have children.

No matter how high your merits are,

this is the ceiling.

A sparrow can never fly to the top branch,

nor can it become a phoenix.

A woman who's married and has children

can still achieve merits.

Besides,

what business is it of yours?

General Fan, have you heard the saying,

"A wise man submits to circumstances"?

Fine.

I will now "submit to circumstances"
and take my leave.

My Lord.

Grand Tutor, your sedan chair is nice.

My Lord.

Getting carried away with success...

she'll fall hard sooner or later.

My Lord!

Grand Tutor!

My Lord, are you alright?

My Lord!

How dare you...

Fan Changyu.

Prime Minister Wei was pissed off,

and the Grand Tutor stumbled out
of his sedan chair.

The Princess Royal is here!

Sister!

Sister!

What makes you so happy?

[Speak with Caution]

Do you know General Fan
came to court today?

She is truly an extraordinary figure.

Let me tell you, Sister.

Since I ascended the throne,

I have never laughed
as heartily as I did today.

Tell me,

[Speak with Caution]

what kind of person is she?

Changyu...

Changyu has a straightforward nature.

She is honest and adorable.

Her martial arts are outstanding.

She is sincere to her friends

and willing to die for her comrades.

And towards
the Marquis of Wu'an, she is...

How is she towards the Marquis of Wu'an?

Do not reveal my relationship with Changyu
after returning to the Capital.

I fear someone
might use it to cause trouble.

She holds the Marquis of Wu'an
in high esteem.

They are comrades-in-arms.

So, this Fan Changyu can not only fight,

but also influence Xie Zheng.

I was worried that there was no one
I could use in court.

This girl suits my needs perfectly.

Grandfather,

although Qi Min is a royal grandson,

he is not a worthy lord.

He is perverse and violent,

and his methods are vicious.

If our Li family helps him
regain imperial power,

when he comes into power,

it will be a time
of suffering for the common people.

Now, Qi Sheng

is merely Wei Yan's puppet.

He is unworthy of his position
and incompetent.

As for Wei Yan's nature—

you don't need me

to tell you.

In past wars,

he completely disregarded
the lives of the people,

forcibly requisitioning grain.

The people were starving and displaced.

The tragic scene
of starved corpses littering the fields

was all caused by him.

Such behavior

is truly cruel and inhumane.

That is what truly makes
the people suffer.

But Qi Min's cruelty

far exceeds that of Wei Yan.

I saw it with my own eyes.

Grandfather,

our Li family
has been loyal for generations.

We must not help a tyrant do evil

and let such a despicable person
ascend the throne.

But he is the descendant
of Crown Prince Chengde,

bearing the legitimate blood
of the imperial family.

All these years,

he has been wandering
and suffering hardships.

It is inevitable that his temperament
has become unstable.

You should try to understand him

and not judge him rashly.

Haven't you thought about

that we might be cast aside
once we've served our purpose?

Grandson,

your Master, He Jingyuan,

was principled and righteous.

He was a top-tier meritorious official
of Great Yin.

He died fighting on the b*ttlefield!

In the end, it was all for nothing.

No matter how much you emphasize
national righteousness,

what good will it do?

Then you shouldn't have sent me
to the Northwest in the first place.

Think it through.

Is the current Emperor

a wise ruler or a tyrant?

Is he beneficial

to the nation?

My Lord.

Have men surround the study immediately.

If he dares to act rashly,

confine him at once

and then report back to me.

Yes.

Qi Min has been taken care of.

He is right at...

[Jingque Pavilion]

Come here.

My Lord, what are you doing?

Stop it, My Lord.

Where are you going?

We haven't finished the wine yet.

Don't run away, little lady. Little lady!

My Lord.

General Fan, come in and join the fun.

Yeah, General Fan, come on in.

No thanks. You guys enjoy.

Well...

My Lord,

come catch me!

Alright, alright.

Socializing? What does socializing mean?

It means hanging out
with a bunch of strangers,

eating and drinking.

After that, you become acquaintances.

Why don't you socialize with me a bit?

Socialize with me.

[Jingque Pavilion]

General Fan.

[Jingque Pavilion]

General Fan, until next time.

Until next time.

Until next time.

-My Lord, let me see you off.
-My Lord, you're not drunk, are you?

Come again next time.

Sure, sure.

Let's go, Fan.

I'm going for a walk.

You guys go ahead.

Don't forget me.

I won't.

Clothes.

Wait here.

I'll go take a look.

♪ The moon is as quiet as me ♪

♪ The light shines ♪

♪ It illuminates
the turbulence in my heart ♪

♪ It seems to be the fire of love ♪

♪ Just a few sparks ♪

♪ Let me hide in your heart ♪

Why are you here?

I missed you.

♪ I pray that our love ♪

♪ Will never end ♪

♪ It's worth my foolishly waiting ♪

♪ For a lifetime ♪

♪ Clear and quiet as me ♪

♪ Why do we need
to seek cause and effect ♪

Aren't you afraid of being seen?

It doesn't matter.

I was worried
since it's your first time in the Capital.

But seeing how

our Flower-Crowned General
handled things with ease,

I was relieved.

None of the officials

care about the truth

from 17 years ago.

Those stories in the shadow puppet plays,

about voicing grievances before the throne
and getting justice,

where good and evil are judged,

are all fake.

And the Emperor is unreliable.

Don't worry.

I'll go with you to find the truth.

We will clear your father's name.

Thank you.

Let's go home.

Go home? We won't wait for Sister?

Didn't you say
there are many bad people in the Capital?

Shouldn't we protect her?

Right.

Today in the Golden Celestial Hall,

the Emperor asked Sister
if she had a husband.

What does he want?

That b*stard Emperor.

He definitely wants Sister
to be his consort.

He can't have any good intentions.

You're catching on.

Stop babbling here.

With the Marquis of Wu'an here,

no one in this world can hurt her.

You're worrying for nothing.

Pointless. Truly pointless.

Go back.

I'll take a walk by myself.

[Prudent in Action, Mindful of Peril]

Greetings, Your Majesty.

Dear ministers.

What do you have to report to me?

Your Majesty, I have a matter to report.

That Flower-Crowned General, Fan Changyu,

is arrogant and oversteps her bounds,

a disgrace to the integrity of Great Yin.

She not only contradicted
Prime Minister Wei,

but was also disrespectful to me.

Your Majesty, I hope you will punish her.

Prime Minister Wei,
are you also here to impeach General Fan?

No, Your Majesty.

I am here
to request a reward for General Fan.

Didn't you mention the rumors

about the former Eastern Palace
a few days ago?

I have investigated it thoroughly.

General Fan not only

k*lled Lord Changxin on the b*ttlefield,

earning great merit,

but she also saved the bloodline
of Crown Prince Chengde,

the Imperial Great-Grandson.

He is the legitimate grandson
of the former Eastern Palace.

General Fan has achieved
a great merit this time.

Her bravery should be commended.

What... joyous news for the nation.

Prime Minister Wei,

the imperial bloodline
concerns the legitimacy of the state.

It cannot be confused.

Seventeen years ago,
the Eastern Palace caught fire.

Crown Princess Chengde and the legitimate
Imperial Grandson both died.

So,

how could this Imperial Great-Grandson
appear out of nowhere?

And where is he

now?

After the battle of Lucheng,

the Imperial Great-Grandson
indeed went missing.

I request a decree to issue a bounty

to search for the Imperial Great-Grandson
throughout the country.

If we can truly find
the imperial bloodline this time,

it would relieve Your Majesty's worries
about succession.

As for whether he is real or fake,

there must be ways to verify it.

Even if there is a slight chance,

we cannot give up.

Only in this way

can we be worthy
of the late Emperor's vast grace.

Prime Minister Wei, you're right.

As for the bounty,

I entrust you to handle it.

You must... You must find...

my poor nephew.

Grandfather, please calm down.
Watch your health.

Does the Marquis of Wu'an
really have luck on his side?

He clearly committed heinous crimes,

but they keep getting cancelled out.

No.

No matter what,

I must make this uncle and nephew

completely turn on each other!

Send someone immediately

to get word to Xie Zheng
by any means necessary.

Tell him that 17 years ago,

on the way returning to the capital,

Wei Yan received a letter from Qi.

That caused the deaths of his father,
Xie Linshan,

and Crown Prince Chengde
of the Eastern Palace.

But that letter
has long since disappeared.

That b*stard Wei might have destroyed it.

A rumor is all we need.

Xie Zheng will look for the evidence.

We just need to let the two of them

fight it out.

Seventeen years ago,

Wei Yan was a man of many attachments.

That's why
it led to today's great catastrophe.

Today,

let's just

set up another trap.

[Post-Credits Scene]

[Where Compassion and Grace Meet]

Your Majesty, I am here!

I knew it!

Of all the officials at court,

not a single one treats me

as the true Emperor!

Wei Yan treats me like a puppet.

Does Xie Zheng also want to do the same—

find a descendant
of the former Eastern Palace

and use him as a puppet?

Li Xiang, you... you are useless!

You even missed the information

that the former Eastern Palace
has a descendant

still alive in this world!

Even you...

Do you also want to

serve a different emperor?

Do you?

No!

Please calm your anger, Your Majesty!

Do not let my mistakes

harm your health.

Your Majesty,

I have really tried my best this time.

The Princess Royal
wouldn't help me either.

With no other choice,

I risked my life
to break into that military tent.

But...

I had an ear cut off by His Lordship!

Your Majesty!

I know I am useless.

But...

in my heart,

truly,

there is only you, Your Majesty.

Come forward.

I am here.

Does it hurt?

I... I am fine.

It's better now.

N-No matter if it's Wei Yan...

or Xie Zheng,

no one can sit on this dragon throne!

It is mine!

No one else can!

Yes, Your Majesty.

You are the true Son of Heaven.

Those people are not worthy!

No, you... you promise me

that you will serve me
for the rest of your life.

That I am the Emperor.

Yes,

Your Majesty!