01x07 - Episode 7

[bunniefuu]

Do you recall the day I journeyed to Yanbei?

You spoke to me then,

"Do you need me?"

And now, Zhuge Yue,

would you stay for my sake?

Qiao Qiao!

Qiao Qiao!

Qiao!

You are hurt.

What happened?

How did you get injured?

Li Ce.

My eyes are healed now.

[Episode 7]

[Luwan Restaurant]

Zhuge Yue.

What brings you here?

Zhuge Huai.

The fire at Hongshan Court has
burned all the way to Qingshan Court.

Should you not make amends?

What now,
is Qingshan Court really so destitute?

You wish to settle debts
over a handful of shabby huts?

Qingshan Court has always
kept precise accounts.

Unlike Hongshan Court,
which is shrouded in chaos and smoke.

You cannot control your own people.

Your ledgers are just as muddled.

Zhuge Yue.

Did you come just to laugh at my misfortune?

I have no time for such things.

I simply believe Qingshan Court
should not bear losses for no reason.

If you cannot control these sl*ve girls,

then they are of no use.

Send them to the hunting fields
and let the wolves feast upon them.

What now, have you gone soft?

No wonder His Majesty
holds you in such regard.

When it comes to ruthlessness,

Zhuge Yue, you are unmatched.

Take them away.

Go east.

Leave Zhenhuang City.

Don't ever return.

Hurry up and leave.
Do you wish really to feed the wolves?

Come on, get moving. Quickly!

You may all withdraw.

You two as well.

Come out.

There are wolves about.

You'll lose your life here.

With skills as feeble as yours,

you dared charge into Hongshan Court
to rescue anyone?

If you hadn't gone to save
your little maidservant of a sister,

she might have survived a few days more.

You're considered dead.

Don't think that freeing everyone
will make me grateful to you.

You and Zhuge Huai
are cut from the same cloth.

Would you rather keep fighting me,
fall by my hand,

or do you want me to show you
how to survive in this cruel

and lawless world?

The choice is yours.

The King of Ximeng gave you
only ten days' antidote.

I never thought you would endure so far.

I did underestimate you.

Even if you make it through
the Blood on Snow poison for a while,

more torment awaits you after this.

You still cling to the hope
of escaping with the one you love?

Give up that dream.

Qiao Qiao,
I cannot reach the food on your side.

Pass me a little tofu, would you?

The lamb looks wonderful tonight.
And a bit more of that.

Best eat it soon or it will go tough.

You are a wanted man in Yanbei,

yet you have the nerve to invite me
to have hotpot in Yanbei.

If we don't feast tonight,

when the w*r has come and gone,

there may be no chance left.

Once this great w*r ends,

who knows how many bodies of the innocent

will be hidden under this falling snow?

Xing Er, have you ever regretted your choice?

I have no regrets.

Because I was never given a choice.

I was born a sl*ve in Great Yong,

a lowly maid in Qingshan Court,
my life worth less than dust.

No matter if I fight
at Yan Xun's side or not,

no matter if I am a general
of the Xiuli Army,

you will always stand on the opposite side.

If you were only Xing Er,
and I were not a general of Great Yong,

we could leave this place behind together.

Forget our burdens of duty and hatred.

But we are not those people.

I will not turn my back on who I am.

Nor will you.

You cannot escape the Zhuge family name.

And I shall never discard my duty.

We are fated never to truly stand together.

Come on, eat a bit more.

You need your strength to find Zhuge Yue.

Give him a slap or two
and kick him out the door.

Here, try a little of this.

Qiao Qiao, I have an idea.

I'll enter the palace right now

and announce that Zhuge Yue
has been seen in Tangjing.

I will have Mother command all Biantang

to issue a warrant for his arrest.

While he has yet to run too far,
we are sure to bring him back.

Who asked you to issue a warrant for him?

Why would you even want him caught?

So we can drag him back
and give him a thrashing.

He likes to act sombre and play the corpse.

With that dainty frame of yours,

are you really going
to catch Zhuge Yue yourself?

Qiao Qiao.

I am only trying to help you vent your anger.

Why look down on me for that?

Still, whatever you say,
Zhuge Yue is still alive.

He has all his limbs intact.

And you've regained your sight.

You can even look at
that ice-cold face of his.

Sometimes, when you like someone,
as long as...

Who says I like him?

You don't, then?

That was before.

Now he will not acknowledge me,
and hides from me,

and breaks every promise he made.

I might need to rethink all this.

Li Ce, don't worry.

I will take care and live on.

Qiao Qiao.

Well, why not consider me instead?

I am far better company than Zhuge Yue
and that frozen face of his.

I am handsome, charming,
and rather dashing.

Graceful as a willow,
clever as they come.

Straighten your back!

Faster now, quickly!

You, get up!

Pick up the pace.

Get up.

On your feet, quickly.

Your Majesty.

We congratulate Your Majesty
for divine protection.

And overcoming the odds.

General Huan, these days,
you have toiled so hard.

I beg for forgiveness.

General Huan, you restored order
and brought calm to the Yanbei army.

What offence can there be in that?

I took command of all three armies
without permission,

deployed both the Yan forces
and the Black Eagle Army

to put down the rebellion of Ka Tuo's tribe.

Had I done nothing,
Yanbei might have faced calamity.

I await Your Majesty's judgement.

You are weary from quelling the rebellion.

Go and rest for now.

The tribes of the Snow Region
and the soldiers at the border

have long awaited your safe return,
day and night.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

The renowned Black Eagle Army
should act openly.

Yet all you do is skulk and hide.
It is truly shameless.

General Huan.

We are also only obeying orders.

If you are so eager for death,
I will see you get your wish.

Your Majesty.

You were restored by the Black Eagle's grace.

Today, the miracles of
the Black Mountain deity,

who protects the ruler of Yanbei,

are well known throughout Yanbei.

From this moment forth,
even the tribal elders of Yanbei

would no longer dare
harbor disloyalty towards their king

of Yanbei ever again.

Your concoction works wonders.

Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty.

It was made with just
a few herbs that draw wild beasts.

A petty trick, is all.

Your Majesty.

I ordered an ambush along her route.

Yet General Huan fought with all her might.

She...

What happened to her?

She escaped. Her fate is unknown.

You saved my life

and played your part so well
in this grand masquerade.

You shall be well rewarded.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Why?

Only when you are dead

can I truly say I was saved
by the Black Mountain deity

and brought back from the dead.

As the King of Yanbei.

General Huan?

Why treat General Huan so harshly?

His Majesty is Yanbei's rightful ruler,
blessed by the Black Mountain deity.

General Huan usurped authority
beyond her rank.

She took command
whilst His Majesty lay unconscious.

This is His Majesty's judgement upon her.

General Huan defied His Majesty's command.

She deployed the troops without sanction,
in defiance of order.

In Yanbei's hour of unrest,
she used w*r to serve her own ends.

Her crimes are unforgivable,
and she is put to death today.

Her body shall lie exposed
for three days as a warning to others.

From this day on,

let all clans muster their bravest and best.

March with me, and let's lay Great Yong low!

As Your Majesty commands!

[Ximeng City]

Zhuge Yue.

You broke your promise and tried to run away.

I thought you really could endure
the torment of Blood on Snow.

I've long ceased to be human or ghost.

So what if I die?

Your martial strength kept you alive
for days on end.

I must admit, I am surprised.

So, I shall not let you die.

I have use for a capable sl*ve.

I shall give you one final chance.

Here are ten days' medicine for you.

In return, you must carry out a task for me.

What do you want me to do?

From this day on,
you will be more than just my sl*ve.

You will become my shadow.

[Boque Palace]

Are you certain it was a woman
who entered your room?

I am quite sure.

She was most likely seeking information.

She managed to open the hidden space
beneath my bed.

The Xiuli Army banner was concealed within.

In my household,
counting my concubines and maids,



Still, it is possible
Zhan Zi Yu placed someone among them.

These clues alone are not enough
to uncover her.

Any other traits you can recall?

Let me think.

She is slim in build,

her height about the same as mine,
give or take an inch or two.

But, unlike Lin Lang and the others,
she was remarkably strong.

She must have practiced martial arts
from childhood.

There is something else.

Her fighting style was oddly familiar.

But I could not identify it completely.

What about her scent?

Did she wear any fragrance?

If it was a woman,
did she wear any jewellery at all?

She wore nothing of the sort.

Your Highness.

Mr. Zhan just brought word from the Empress.

She heard Princess Fu has been brought back.

She requests that you bring Princess Fu
to the palace at once to see her.

When we enter the hall, wait by my side.

Let me handle my mother.

Greetings, Your Majesty.

Greetings, Mother.

Fu Er, you have been away for many years.

Such a difference, now you're grown.

Even I can hardly recognise you.

You may rise.

- Thank you, Mother.
- Thank you, Your Majesty.

You do indeed look quite different
from your childhood days.

Those brows and eyes,

as well as this slender form
do look a touch familiar.

However, you don't quite look like Fu Er.

In fact, you look somewhat like

the escaped sl*ve both Yanbei
and Great Yong are hunting,

Chu Qiao.

Your Majesty.

You mean...

Chu Qiao was once a sl*ve in Great Yong.

She later became a general in Yanbei.

Now, both Yanbei and Great Yong
are searching for her across the land.

The rumor has caused such a furore.

Even Biantang finds no peace.

Ce Er, back when you were in Great Yong,

did you not vow to marry Chu Qiao?

Look closely at this Fu Er now.

Doesn't she look very much like Chu Qiao?

Mother, you are joking.

How could Fu Er possibly be like Chu Qiao?

Your Majesty, when I was lost out in exile,

I heard our Crown Prince
travelled to Great Yong,

supposedly to wed a woman
of the Imperial Guard.

Your Majesty, might I ask,
is that woman Chu Qiao?

Fu Er, don't be upset.

Back then, I wanted to marry her

simply because she reminded me
a little of you.

And I thought you were already...

It was not entirely my fault.

Mother, let's not speak of old matters
before Fu Er.

Since you claim you are Princess Fu,
then let me ask you,

do you recall how old you were
when you came to Biantang?

When I was six,

His Majesty named my father Lord Pingnan,

and my mother Lady Dingguo.

He bestowed our family
a manor in the west of the city.

So, I journeyed with my parents
to the capital, Tangjing.

Who is Princess Fu, truly?

Fu Er's father is Lord Pingnan.

Her mother is Lady Dingguo.

And do you recall seeing me?

I remember seeing Your Majesty three times.

Once was at His Majesty's birthday feast,

once during Your Majesty's prayer
for blessing,

and once for the Crown Prince's birthday.

But always from a distance.

I never had the chance to come close to you,
Your Majesty.

My mother once said,
before either of you had married,

you two were dear friends.

But after marrying Fu Er's father,

she left the capital.

From then on,
she drifted apart from my mother.

Mother, why do you suspect she is not Fu Er,

but Chu Qiao in disguise?

Ce Er, forgive me for my doubts.

This is no small matter.

It has all happened so suddenly.

I must be absolutely sure.

I know you act out of love and care.

I'm deeply grateful.

It's just that Princess Fu
is still recovering.

She is weary from the events of today.

If your doubts are put to rest,

may I take her home
so she could rest early tonight?

Very well.

You may both withdraw for today.

- Thank you, Mother.
- Thank you, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty,
I will stake my very life on this.

The woman your Crown Prince brought back

is none other than the famed Chu Qiao
of the Xiuli Army.

Mr. Zhao, it is not that I doubt your word,

but I have never once met
that famous Chu Qiao myself.

And you, Mr. Zhao, are also new to me.

However, I did once see
Princess Fu as a child.

The woman the Crown Prince brought back

truly resembles Princess Fu in appearance.

Your Majesty, I once served
among the noble houses of Great Yong,

sworn as an adviser to the Muhe family.

I have seen Chu Qiao on many occasions.

After Jiuyou Terrace,
Yan Xun was thrown into prison.

Muhe Xi Feng and I
once visited the prison together.

Yan Xun shielded Chu Qiao
with all his might.

He went so far
as to sever his own finger for her.

I saw it all with my own eyes.

After that dreadful ordeal,

Yan Xun and Chu Qiao
despised Mr Xi Feng with every fiber.

They plotted and k*lled Young Master Muhe.

If you wish to know
if these words ring true,

you need only to send a man to inquire,
Your Majesty.

From what you have said,

it would seem you speak truthfully.

Mr. Zhao, you may withdraw for the moment.

I shall take my leave.

Your Majesty.

But now, the Crown Prince insists
she is Princess Fu herself.

For now, none of us can find a single flaw.

Then keep a close eye on her.

Keep watch over the Crown Prince residence.

Let me see for myself

what the Crown Prince plans
for this false Princess Fu.

Yes, Your Majesty.

By the way.

Prince Luo's three years of mourning
are done.

By my calculation,
he should already be on his way home.

I understand.

I shall fetch Prince Luo
and escort him to the palace.

Your Highness, Prince Luo.

The Empress has learned
your mourning is complete.

She has sent us to wait
and greet you at the gates.

We are to escort you into the palace.

Why has the Empress summoned me
so suddenly?

Sir, could you tell me her reason first?

All will be made clear
once you arrive in the palace.

Please wait a moment.

Chun Er.

Chun Er.

I have matters to attend to.

Li Yan, who exactly are you?

Why would the Empress summon you
to the palace?

Who is he?

Head back home first.

I will explain everything once I am back.

[Boque Palace]

Your Highness,
a decree has just come from the Empress.

She says the return of Princess Fu
is cause for celebration.

A banquet will be held in the palace.

Princess Fu is to enter
the palace immediately.

- Immediately?
- Yes.

Remember this,
your mother was an only daughter.

Her parents have long passed on.

Even if you have distant kin,
none have ever set eyes upon you.

No one can tell if you are genuine.

Lord Pingnan is not from Tangjing.

His family and friends are not here either.

No matter what anyone tells you,
don't believe a word of it.

In days gone by, I was as close
as a sister to Lady Pingnan.

Lord Pingnan fell on
some faraway b*ttlefield.

I truly believed Lady Pingnan
and Princess Fu had lost their lives.

But, by heaven's grace,
Princess Fu was spared.

I am truly happy for Princess Fu.

Today, for her sake,
I have invited a familiar face.

Li Yan, Prince Luo,
is here to pay respects to Your Majesty.

Princess Fu.

You cannot have forgotten Prince Luo,
can you?

He has been your dearest friend
since childhood.

He is the one you are promised to.

He knows your face and ways
better than anyone.

Others may mistake you for another,
but he never could.

Prince Luo.

Since you and Princess Fu
were betrothed to each other by your parents,

there is no need for formalities.

Go sit next to Princess Fu.

After the banquet is over,

I shall have the Ministry of Rites
choose an auspicious day

for your wedding ceremony.

Prince Luo.

What's the matter?

You have not seen Princess Fu in a long time.

Are you not pleased to see her?

Or is the woman sitting before you
not Princess Fu at all?

Prince Luo, answer me.

Is this lady sitting before you
truly Princess Fu?

Your Majesty.

It has been many years
since I last saw Princess Fu.

Changes in appearance are only natural.

Perhaps, Your Majesty,

could you permit me a private word
with Princess Fu?

Prince Luo.

I don't know who you are.

But you are certainly not Princess Fu.

What do you want?

You could k*ll me right now if you wished.

But Li Ce would be caught up in it too.

You wouldn't be able to
leave this palace alive yourself.

I want you to go out and say, right now,

that I am truly Princess Fu.

Save me, and you save Li Ce as well.

I am standing just behind you.

If one word goes astray,

I will k*ll you without hesitation.

Answer me three questions.

Answer them all, and I will go with you.

Go on.

First question.

Who are you, truly?

You do resemble Fu Er,

even I almost mistook you for her
a moment ago.

But you are not her.

Fu Er is long gone.

So who are you, truly?

I am not from Biantang.

I come from Great Yong.

I was but a sl*ve girl.

When Li Ce journeyed to Zhenhuang City
all those years ago,

that is where he and I met.

Very well.

Then, the second question.

Why did you assume Princess Fu's identity?

And what is your true purpose here?

Because many things have happened to me.

I have dragged many others into it.

Now, both Yanbei and Great Yong are after me.

Li Ce risked his life to save me.
He brought me out of Yanbei.

In his desperation,
he claimed I was Princess Fu.

I care little for my own life.

But for my sake,
Li Ce has risked so much.

I don't wish him to be harmed
on my account again.

What is your third question?

The third question is a bargain.

I would like you to promise me something.

Your Majesty.

The lady before you
is indeed the long-lost Princess Fu.

Princess Fu has returned at last.

This is a great joy for all.

And yet, so many years
have passed since we last met.

The bond between us has faded.

To discuss marriage now
would surely be unwise.

I thank Your Majesty for such kindness.

I must ask Your Majesty
to let the marriage be postponed for now.

I have heard that, since her return,

Princess Fu has stayed in your residence
under your watchful care, Your Highness.

I'm deeply grateful to you.

Li Ce.

There is something I have never understood.

Aren't you Empress Bian's own son,
the Crown Prince?

Why is she so wary of you?

In the royal family,
blood holds little meaning.

In the struggle for the throne,

my father k*lled his own elder brother,
Crown Prince Mao Cheng.

He cast their mother's second son,
Prince Chang,

into distant Jin City in soft confinement.

Prince Luo, Li Yan, is the sole heir
of the vanished Prince Chang.

So though Li Yan is Prince Luo by name,

he remains the son of a condemned bloodline.

Yes.

My mother is a woman
of rare foresight and steel.

But when it came to affection,
she is far colder than most.

I was raised by my nursemaid.

As a child, whenever I tried to embrace her,

she would as cold as ice, and push me away.

When I grew up,

I realised she cared more for power
\ than she ever did for me.

So long as I took another step back
from power,

she would look upon me with more warmth.

So over these years,

I have played the part of a prodigal son.

So what if there are
a few lovely spies about?

I have seen every cruel trick
Qingshan Court can play to k*ll me.

Li Ce, don't worry.

Once my hand has healed,
I will not only keep you safe,

I will win back all that should be yours.

King of Ximeng.

Today, Li'an City will be your grave.

She must die.

Help!

You are Prince Luo of Biantang,
noblest of blood.

No! Don't!

Zhuge Yue.

Stay alive.

Break through the ice!

Find her, no matter what it takes!