01x08 - Episode 8

[bunniefuu]

Your Highness.

Why is it you?

I did not k*ll Xu Er.

I swear, I did not k*ll Xu Er.

Wretched woman.

On the day of the chaos in Xuri Palace,

I risked death to shield you and Xu Er.

Yet you still sleep with Li Jiao.

For that throne,
Li Jiao did not even spare my only child.

His end will not be peaceful.

You will meet the same fate.

No!

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Did you have another nightmare?

It's alright.

[Li Jiao]

Your Majesty.

I am sorry, I arrived late.

You're troubled by nightmares again?

It was only a dream.

Please do not let it trouble you.

Zi Yu.

Do you think I am dreadful, Zi Yu?

That I carved my husband a memorial tablet
while he's still breathing.

That I could not even spare my own child.

That thought has never crossed my mind.

You are wise and discerning.

You know what truly matters in the palace,

and what to dismiss.

I never wished to harm my own child.

All these years,

I have always endured him.

If only he stayed docile and harmless,

I would have kept him safe for life.

His Highness is but young and reckless.

Don't anger yourself
and fall ill because of him.

You are mistaken.

You think I believe

the Crown Prince acted today
for the sake of love for that woman?

To men, women can satisfy their desire,

and ensure their line continues.

Men need women, and they dote upon them.

They dress them up with gold and jewels,

and charm them with honeyed words.

But a man will never truly
risk everything for a woman.

Men are bewitched by power alone.

They risk everything for power.

What that woman brings to the Crown Prince
is far more than love alone.

They are plotting, of that I am sure.

To rebel against me.

Zhen Zhen.

I will find the truth for you.

[Episode 8]

Chun Er, what are you doing?

Leaving this place and leaving you.

Why?

Li Yan, you are no ordinary man at all.

You are Prince Luo,
of royal blood of Biantang.

Why didn't you tell me the truth?

I don't want to have anything
to do with the royal family.

Chun Er.

Chun Er.

I told you my name is Li Yan.

I mourned my father's passing
for three years.

I care nothing for the court.
I only like tilling and reading.

All this is true.

True, I never told you that I am a prince.

But that was because my father, Prince Chang,

was once feared by the Emperor of Biantang.

He spent his life imprisoned in Jin City.

He died in sorrow and solitude.

As his son,
even though I inherited his title,

all I could do was mourn in seclusion.

I can't even enter the capital
without the Emperor's decree.

I know better than anyone

that I am hardly of the royal nobility at all.

I only wanted to meet you as Li Yan,
nothing more.

It doesn't matter what you tell me now.

To me, you are Prince Luo.

That means you are of royal blood.

Whether you hold favour or not,

you are worlds apart from ordinary folk.

Chun Er.

Then tell me this at least,

why do you hate the royal kin so much?

Because, as long as one is born noble,

they are forever surrounded
by a harem of concubines.

Countless lovely sl*ve girls
are always at their side.

I cannot stomach such ways.

I want nothing more to do
with the sons of noble houses.

Chun Er.

Wait a moment.

From this day forth,
you are freed from servitude.

If you wish to return home,
or take a husband,

the choice is yours, from now on.

This silver will be more than enough
to start anew.

We have been master and servant together,

so let us part here.

You are free to live as you please.

- Thank you, Your Highness!
- Thank you, Your Highness!

- Come quickly, take the silver.
- Thank you, Your Highness!

Thank you, Your Highness.

Thank you, Your Highness.

Thank you, Your Highness.

Thank you, Your Highness.

Thank you, Your Highness.

Thank you, Your Highness.

Thank you, Your Highness.

Chun Xing, don't you want the silver?

Your Highness.

I was sold here when I was a child.

I know nothing but how to serve you.

Please, let me remain with you.

I'll work myself to the bone,
and serve you my whole life.

Very well. Then you may stay.

Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you.

Mo Zhan, what do you mean by this?

I, Mo Zhan, also wish to stay
and work for you my whole life.

You may both stay.

You may go now.

Yes, Your Highness.

I also wish to stay
and serve you my whole life.

Thank you, Your Highness.

If only Brother Yan Xun were this generous,

how wonderful it would be.

Chun Er, what are you saying?

Why must you be like this?

You are not him. Why did you do all this for?

Chun Er, what is troubling you?

Chun Er.

[Bihe Courtyard]

This is the third thing
Qiao Qiao promised you.

Here is the portrait of Fu Er
that you wanted.

Thank you for your help
at the palace banquet the other day.

This portrait was kept within the palace.

How did you manage to get it?

I am the Crown Prince, after all.

A handful of silver was all it took
to get it from the palace.

But I still have a question.

Ask away, Your Highness.

Why would you help us?

You are hardly in a better position
than I am.

Was it solely for this portrait?

Aren't you afraid of drawing
the Empress's ire upon yourself?

Your Highness.

Do you still remember our younger days?

Of course I do.

We both fell for Fu Er.

We even fought over her.

Indeed.

We were hopelessly childish back then.

But in truth,

I have always felt, in my heart,
a kinship with you, Your Highness.

If I may speak out of turn,

you and I are bound by similar misfortune.

When His Majesty first took the throne,

my father, being born of the same mother
as Crown Prince Mao Cheng,

was ordered into seclusion
in distant Jin City.

In time, my father passed away.

I was just 14 at the time.

It was the first time I set foot in Tangjing.

His Majesty, showing his benevolence,

went against precedent and made me a prince.

Though I was still young,
I was painfully aware even then,

that even a mere eunuch or maid
by the Empress's side

held more status than I do,

and could speak more freely
than I ever could.

Li Yan.

All these years,

I know life has not been kind to you, either.

Your Highness.

Do you still remember
the day Fu Er departed with her father?

I do.

It rained all day long.

We went to see her off together.

We walked with her more than 30 li
beyond the city.

You were drenched through,
but wouldn't return.

The truth is, I had a chance
to appeal to the Empress on her behalf,

to ask for Fu Er to remain
and become my bride.

But I cared too much about my status,
and hesitated.

I was afraid of the Empress,
and dared not speak.

And so, I missed the one chance
I might have had to save her.

Last night, while standing in the great hall,

I felt as though I was back on that very day.

The day we watched Fu Er leave the capital.

It seemed to me that Heaven
had offered me another chance,

so I could set right the regrets of the past.

And so, that is why you want to help us.

I have already let one chance slip by.

And I lost Fu Er, forever.

But I will not let the same tragedy
befall you again.

Break that ice for me!

Find her, even if you must shatter the lake!

Your Majesty.

Lady Chu has been missing for a whole month.

The ice stretches for a thousand li,
and the lake never thaws.

I'm afraid it's impossible
to break through such ice.

Your Majesty,
we have found a hidden river nearby.

It runs toward Ximeng.

This trinket was found upon its bank.

Chu is not dead.

You must find her, at all costs.

Arrest the owner of this shop.

Yes, sir.

Go!

Have you seen Chu?

She is alive.

She will find a way
to contact your Datong Guild.

Your Datong Guild was destroyed long ago.

But you still have a home.

A wife, a child and parents to return to.

If you say you know nothing,

I will gladly question your family myself.

Let us see who among them
has the courage to tell me.

Yan Xun.

You ungrateful traitor.

Without Datong Guild's help,

would you ever have crawled out
of Great Yong's den of wolves?

Was it not enough for you to k*ll Miss Yu?

You would not spare Lady Chu, either.

What did you say?

Who k*lled Miss Yu?

You used Miss Yu to lure Lady Chu out,

intent on destroying them both.

Heaven has eyes, as fate would have it,

for Lady Chu survived against all odds.

Even if I knew where Lady Chu was,

I would never tell you.

Congratulations, Your Majesty.

Your skill is even greater
since your recovery.

Chu Qiao, that troublemaker,

is at last far from
both Yanbei and Your Majesty.

Yanbei is truly fortunate for it!

Cheng Yuan, tell me this.

Why do you hound Chu so relentlessly?

Again and again,
for Chu, you betray me and defy my wishes.

Your Majesty, in my eyes,

you are the only rightful king of Yanbei.

- I have never betrayed you.
- You told me

that Zhong Yu died of mysterious causes
in her cell.

But it was you who k*lled her.

You used her to harm Chu.
You think I don't know?

Your Majesty.

k*ll me now, if you will.

Chu Qiao will only be a stumbling block
on your path to vengeance.

She must die.

I shall show no mercy to anyone
who ever harmed Chu.

Nor will I ever let you remain.

Don't let me see your face ever again.

- Shut the doors.
- Got it.

Shut the window.

This is a Xuanji Bell.

We used to hang many in Qingshan Court.

It's no different from a common wind chime.

But its sound carries far and wide.

It can be heard for several miles around.

If someone enters your residence uninvited,

I can hear the bell ring at once.

There is another thing.

It is the most important of all.

What is it?

It doesn't matter
if you don't know martial arts.

I will teach you three techniques.

They may save your life in times of peril,

and possibly save another too.

This first move is called
Twin Dragons Chase the Pearl.

Use it when someone attacks you
from the front.

Aim for their eyes to strike and blind.

It gives you a chance to run for safety.

Try it now.

This move is called Divine Dragon's Tail.

Use it if someone sneaks up on you.

That is a clever trick.

There is one last technique.

The last technique?

Amazing!

What do you call it?

This move is called...

Oiled Soles for Quick Escape.

Or, as people say, leg it.

Leg it?

You have no training in martial arts.

No matter how many moves I teach you,
you can't master them so quickly.

What truly matters is
when trouble comes your way,

you must get away in one piece.

Don't sleep tonight.

Practice these three moves 30 times.



Did you learn this from Zhuge Yue as well?

He didn't need such lessons.

Mr Zhan has given his orders.

As he commands.

Princess, you really are here.

We thought you wouldn't be here.

We only wanted to visit you.

Why are you so cruel to us?

Visit me?

You had to sneak in to visit me?

- That is right.
- That is right.

Princess, you have got the wrong idea.

We only came to play a game with you.

We thought you were not home.

So we thought we could slip in
and have a look.

Hey.

Where is your King of Li'an?

Since you have already lost,

why didn't you come out
to greet the King of Ximeng?

My king knows the weight of his own sins.

He truly wishes to yield to Ximeng.

He has cast off his armour now.

He waits in the dungeon,
atoning for his crimes.

He invites the King of Ximeng inside
to receive his submission.

Where is your king?

Bring him out to face us.

King of Ximeng.

This very day,
Li'an City shall be your grave!

Leave first.

General, the King of Ximeng
has us surrounded by his troops.

We have fallen into their trap.

That old fox used this lad to lure us away.

Our plan has failed.

Let's just take the boy down with us.

Quick, go!

I want him to be my shadow.

He will act as bait for Li'an City
in my place.

Xing Er.

I cannot hold on any longer.

Zhuge Yue.

You always taught me,

no matter what darkness we fall into,

as long as we are not defeated,
we will rise again.

Zhuge Yue.

Live on.

Xing Er.

You taught me.

Even in the depths of darkness,
we must live on.

I shall fight my way out with you.

Xing Er.

We will break through together.

Qiao Qiao, you are hurt.

That is wonderful!

At last, I can wield my sword again.

Zhuge Yue, I did it.

Mr. Zhan, I beg your forgiveness.

That woman is as sharp as a blade.

We tested her again and again,
yet she never slipped.

One is wary with a clear mind,

yet at the edge of life and death,

that sharpness may falter.

[Boque Palace]

Help!

Help!

Help me!

Zhuge Yue.

You are Chu Qiao.

You are not Princess Fu, are you?

Why did you come here?

What are you plotting with the Crown Prince?

Li Ce.

Li Ce told them I am Princess Fu.

I... I...

Where is she?

Since you love striking bargains,
let's make another deal.

Mother seems absolutely certain
that you are Chu Qiao.

Your Highness.

Your Highness, you must not enter.

Everyone knows the Crown Prince
is a lost cause.

So I chose to come and see you myself.

Chu Qiao.

Zhao Kuo.

- k*ll her!
- Let's see...

who is quicker.