A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES
ADAPTED FROM TIANXIA GUIYUAN'S NOVEL HUANG QUAN
EPISODE 19
Your Royal Highness,
don't regret it.
Despicable.
Qingming scholar, Wei Zhi, pays respect to Your Majesty.
You may rise.
Your appearance is decent.
Why did you lie to me?
Your Majesty, I unknowingly discovered a secret.
If I didn't cover my face,
I doubt I would have lived to see you.
Your Majesty, I risked my life to see you
because someone is lying to you.
That's why I'm willing to die
to expose Bloody Pagoda.
LECTURE HALL
-Assassins! -Get the assassins!
Protect the Emperor!
What are you doing?
Move.
Move!
Are you crazy? Stop it now!
Protect the Emperor!
Nanyi!
You can still surrender.
It's too late!
You promised you wouldn't kill him.
No matter what your plan is,
please stop sacrificing the lives of the innocents.
Will you?
All right, I promise.
You promised!
Your Majesty.
The Royal Guards captured five assassins
at Qingming Academy today.
They all confessed they used to be part of Bloody Pagoda.
In addition,
upon torture,
the other two confessed...
that...
the Crown Prince...
That's a bloody lie!
A bloody lie!
Ning Yi, you conspired with Gu Yan to set me up!
Father, you must not believe them.
You must not believe them!
Speak.
What are they framing you for?
Speak.
What should I not believe?
You tell me!
Upon torture, what did they confess?
Your Majesty, please do not be angry.
Your Majesty.
They said
that after Dacheng Empire ended, they were captured by the Crown Prince.
Initially, they believed they would be executed.
They never thought...
They never thought that not only would the Crown Prince pardon them,
he would keep them at Qingming Academy
to live without purpose under Tiansheng Empire.
For the past 18 years,
they worked for the Crown Prince in secret.
Father, don't be angry.
-Father, don't be angry. -Your Majesty.
Father, don't be angry.
Father, please investigate thoroughly.
Those people must...
They must have gotten orders from Ning Yi to frame me.
That's right, Father.
Those people entered Qingming Academy after Ning Yi was put in charge.
Father, please investigate thoroughly.
Your Royal Highness.
Wei Zhi entered Qingming Academy before me.
He knew Bloody Pagoda members were disguised as servants before I took over.
Father, if you have any doubt, you can ask Shaoning.
Ask her if what Wei Zhi said was true.
Father, you have to believe me.
Father, you can't believe him.
You can't believe him.
Father, all this...
All this is part of Ning Yi's plan to frame me.
-Father. -That Wei Zhi must be
someone he arranged to enter Qingming Academy.
Father, please investigate thoroughly.
Father.
I'm wrongly accused.
Father.
The Crown Prince, Ning Chuan.
Prince of Chu, Ning Yi.
Return to your residences and reflect.
You may not exit your residences until further notice.
We will comply.
Brother.
You died
a worthy death.
You were a worthy member of Bloody Pagoda.
Master.
You knew he would die?
Is Wei Zhi Leader Gu's child?
Leader Zong.
Can we believe Ning Yi?
If we want to save Leader Gu's son,
do we have to listen to him and betray the Crown Prince?
Are you really willing to do that for Leader Gu?
Of course.
Even if it costs you your life?
It has been 18 years.
I have lived like this for my son's sake.
I never thought
my son would lose his life to save Leader Gu's son.
This must be fate.
This is my karma
for being disloyal.
I should have died 18 years ago.
Now, I only wish to die a worthy death.
All right.
I'll teach you how to achieve them both.
Not only can you save Leader Gu's son,
you can also die a worthy death
and avenge Leader Gu.
Please tell me.
Bloody Pagoda, receive your orders.
Assassinate Ning Shizheng.
Protect Zhiwei properly.
All right.
Remember.
Report to me periodically.
I shall.
Your Majesty.
Are you really going to give that boy the title of Ultimate Scholar?
Yes.
The person who can answer the Conundrum will become the Ultimate Scholar.
How can I go back on my word?
But that person's identity is suspicious.
I investigated a bit, but I couldn't find anything.
It seems someone is interfering to try to hide his real identity.
And his actions are also very confusing.
It seems he is associated with both the Crown Prince and Prince of Chu.
He's puzzling indeed.
Then I should hail him as the Ultimate Scholar
and give him the position of Hall of Zhaohua's Sixth Level Scholar.
Make him my writing servant in Fengyun Palace
and grant him imperial privilege.
-No, Your Majesty-- -He's a rare talent.
Rather than letting him go,
I'll get him on my side
while the Crown Prince and Ning Yi are not free to go around.
I understand.
I'll go to Qingming Academy immediately
to give the title to that boy on Your Majesty's behalf.
Please, Grand Secretary Yao.
I'll take my leave.
Zhao Yuan.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Is Gu Yan here already?
Your Majesty.
He has been waiting outside for a while.
-Let him in. -Yes, Your Majesty.
Zhao Yuan.
Yes, Your Majesty.
After the meeting with Gu Yan,
think of a way to let the Crown Prince and Ning Yi know
what happened in Fengyun Palace today.
I shall obey your order.
Your Majesty, I have come to pay my respects.
-Gu Yan. -Yes, Your Majesty.
Do you know why I asked you to come to the palace today?
Your Majesty, I am not bright.
My guess is, it might be about the Crown Prince
or Ning Yi.
It is both related and unrelated to them.
Gu Yan, hear my command.
I order you to reinvestigate the Wugu Incident
that caused great chaos eight years ago.
Reinvestigate the case on Ning Qiao's treason.
I shall obey your order.
"...give Wei Zhi the title of Ultimate Scholar
and grant imperial privilege."
I shall obey and thank His Majesty for his order.
Thank you, Grand Secretary Yao.
The rest of you may go now.
-Yes, sir. -Yes, sir.
May I ask where you are from?
Grand Secretary Yao.
I'm from the capital.
What about your father?
My father has already passed away.
Grand Secretary Yao.
Colonel Qiu.
Grand Secretary Yao.
His Majesty suddenly ordered me
to investigate the assassination attempt at Qingming Academy yesterday.
It involves the two princes.
I really don't know what to do.
Grand Secretary Yao, can you provide some advice?
Colonel Qiu, you don't need to be worried.
Even though the assassination attempt at Qingming involved the princes,
I believe
this is more about the Emperor's safety.
As for my advice,
you and I are both His Majesty's officials.
I understand.
Thank you, Grand Secretary Yao.
Don't mention it.
May I ask if this scholar is your son?
I heard that your son studies at Qingming Academy.
How can my son compare to this newly appointed Ultimate Scholar?
Wei Zhi, greet Colonel Qiu.
Wei Zhi.
You'll work with us from now on.
-Wei Zhi? -Uncle.
Uncle Shangqi, long time no see.
I'm so glad to see you healthy.
The Ultimate Scholar
-is you? -Uncle Shangqi.
I was supposed to go see you, but I'm currently studying at Qingming.
I was too busy with my studies.
Uncle Shangqi, pardon me please.
So you're Colonel Qiu's nephew.
Congratulations.
You're too gracious.
This ignorant lad just got lucky.
Grand Secretary Yao, please go ahead.
Wei Zhi and I...
We haven't seen each other for years.
All right.
I'll leave you.
Zhiwei, come home with me immediately.
Tell me everything,
or I won't let you get away with this.
Uncle Shangqi, I am Wei Zhi now,
the Hanlin Scholar appointed by His Majesty.
I'm reporting to the palace tomorrow.
You should know what must be done.
You wish to continue feigning ignorance?
Aren't you afraid I'll expose you?
You're not reluctant to expose me.
But aren't you reluctant to lose your wealth
and your family's peace?
I'll go now.
You...
You're good.
I never thought you could do it.
In just a few days, you'll become famous,
yet we will still be nobodies.
I have to pack and leave Qingming Academy.
His Majesty has given me a residence.
Huaishi, move there with me.
I have always felt unsafe at Qingming Academy.
Are the superiors planning a big fight?
The one planning a big fight might be someone else.
Don't ask. Just trust me and come.
-I'll go wherever you go. -It'll be dangerous to follow me.
Bringing in Hall of Zhaohua's Scholar, Wei Zhi.
Wei Zhi pays respect to Your Majesty.
Wei Zhi.
His Majesty is over here.
Wei Zhi pays respect to Your Majesty.
You may rise.
Come. Have tea with me.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Have a seat.
When we met previously at Qingming Academy,
you were still an ordinary citizen,
yet you were fearless.
Now that you're the Ultimate Scholar,
why are you so tense?
Your Majesty.
When I met you at Qingming Academy, I was prepared to die, so I was fearless.
But unexpectedly, not only did I live,
I even became Hall of Zhaohua's Scholar.
Now that I'm here, I naturally have some reservations
and worries,
so I can't help but feel tense.
Great.
That's an honest answer.
If you have nothing to seek, you have nothing to fear.
Wei Zhi.
Now that you've become an official,
I want to know what it is that you want.
I don't want anything and I didn't plan to become an official.
If it was not part of your plan,
why did you study at Qingming Academy?
-And why did you answer the Conundrum? -I did it to pay a debt of gratitude.
A debt of gratitude?
To whom?
Prince of Chu saved my life.
That's why I went to Qingming Academy.
So everything in Qingming Academy
was arranged by Ning Yi?
Your Majesty.
I believe Prince of Chu didn't arrange anything.
I discovered the remaining members of Bloody Pagoda in Qingming Academy
purely by accident.
I wanted to inform Prince of Chu, but I was detained by the Crown Prince.
Your Majesty knows what happened afterward.
In that case, I got my Ultimate Scholar
because you wanted to repay Prince of Chu's kindness.
I've already paid my debt to Prince of Chu.
Please don't misunderstand.
If possible,
I want nothing to do with him in the future.
It seems
that you have some complaints regarding this son of mine.
Does Your Majesty know
that a stableman died to save me
when I was detained by Bloody Pagoda?
Even though he was part of Bloody Pagoda,
he was a kindhearted man.
Before he died,
he asked me to protect his father.
Prince of Chu promised me, too.
-However... -However, Prince of Chu killed him.
Everyone knows what Bloody Pagoda did.
I can't blame him for doing so.
However, he shouldn't have promised me.
Come, Wei Zhi.
Play Go with me.
Yes, Your Majesty.
It's fine.
Since you're not here to repay a kindness,
what are your plans as a government official?
Do you want status and fortune?
Or do you want to safeguard the country well?
Status and fortune, of course.
Out of so many government officials,
over half of them want status and fortune.
But you are the only one
who dares to say that in front of me directly.
Your Majesty.
Half a year ago, I never would have agreed to become the Ultimate Scholar.
I only wanted to travel and see the world.
Isn't it great to live freely?
Why did you change your mind
after half a year?
Because during that period,
I discovered that anyone who lives in this world without power and authority
is destined to be at the mercy of others.
One can live freely in this world
only by having a high status and authority.
Wei Zhi.
How old are you?
Less than 20 years old.
Why did Your Majesty suddenly ask this?
Even though you're very smart,
you're just a boy.
You'll understand later on.
The higher your position and authority,
the harder it gets to live by your own rules.
Even if you're the Emperor?
I'm the person who can live the least by my own accord.
In that case,
what good is it to be an emperor?
How impertinent.
Your Majesty, forgive me.
I'm talking nonsense again.
You may rise.
I often think about it too.
I'm not comfortable with being the Emperor.
But I don't have a choice now.
Now, it's up to you to make a choice.
I wonder what you'll choose.
Are you going to beat me
and live by your own rules,
or continue this game
and let me win
to please me?
Ultimate Scholar.
Let me pay my respect to you.
I was your student at Qingming Academy. I will always regard you as my teacher.
I can't receive the respect you are paying me.
Good.
Then let me ask you.
Are you our enemy or our friend?
Neither your enemy nor your friend.
We're all His Majesty's officials.
"His Majesty's officials." That's right.
So you don't want to help Prince of Chu anymore?
I'm not that bright.
I don't even know who he is.
If I help him, will I cause someone to die again?
It seems this Ultimate Scholar really is not that bright.
Do you know why Prince of Chu
-had to kill Stableman? -Why?
All right.
Once a teacher, always a teacher.
Let me teach you one thing again. And please remember this.
What your eyes see
might not be real.
Regarding what type of a person he is,
ask yourself carefully.
You never intended to let Stableman live, did you?
-Not. -Why not?
Everyone who led to Zhu Yin's death must die.
Then why did you promise me?
Did I promise you?
I did.
However,
don't you know that I usually make promises that I cannot fulfill?
It's all my fault.
I was stupid.
But now, I understand.
And I finally know you.
Take care of your wound.
"The Crown Prince, Ning Chuan,
defied the Emperor's command and the bond between brothers.
Due to such disloyalty,
he is to be placed under house arrest in East Palace.
Until the case of Bloody Pagoda is thoroughly investigated,
he is not to leave East Palace.
That's an order."
I shall obey and thank His Majesty for his order.
I'm just following orders.
Please don't blame me.
CHENGMING PALACE
Thank you for Your Majesty's blessing.
Please stand, Your Highness.
The newly-appointed Ultimate Scholar is serving me food and tea.
I don't deserve this.
This is His Majesty's order.
He's afraid others won't take good care of you.
Then you have to thank him for me.
Your Highness, I'll taste the food for you first.
Be careful. You might be poisoned.
Who is so bold as to poison Your Highness?
That's not impossible.
No one dares to, but someone might still do it.
You're being too careful, Your Highness.
How can someone poison the food His Majesty sent?
"Careful"?
Of course, I should be careful.
If I wasn't,
I would have died hundreds and thousands of times.
Ning Cheng, it's all yours.
Thank you, Your Highness.
This is the food given by His Majesty.
You're just giving it to someone else?
You should treat it with consideration.
I'm being considerate. That's why I gave it to Ning Cheng.
To my father,
I have never been an obedient son.
If I become obedient now, my father will wonder why.
Since you're here, play Go with me. Come.
I still have other things to do.
How about--
You have something more important to do than guarding me?
Your Highness, you let me win.
I didn't.
Our situation
is the same.
In today's game,
you have been compromising your moves.
That makes every move more difficult.
Even though there are black chips on my side,
I was still able to attack successfully.
It's different from your usual style.
I wonder why.
I don't have soldiers and generals,
or power and authority.
I'm surrounded on all sides.
How could I retaliate?
You're using this game as a metaphor.
You were trapped in a spider web,
so you acted out of your own accord.
I should be on the clouds,
yet I fell into a deep abyss.
I'm trapped in a huge web,
unable to see the way out.
I understand now.
I'll take my leave.
Goodbye.
Your Highness.
Why did you play Go with her?
I want Father to have doubts,
so that I can make my next move.
Now that the situation is unclear,
Father wouldn't call for me to play with him in the palace.
I was worried about how to send a signal to Father.
Then she came.
But if she doesn't tell His Majesty
or His Majesty doesn't feel like playing,
then this game would be in vain.
Father likes to play Go when he's confused.
Feng Zhiwei
is as slick as the Go stones.
She doesn't make enemies, take sides, or get involved.
But she wouldn't ignore it
if it concerns someone's life.
Even if she thinks of this person as her enemy.
Is this really how he played his game?
I learned Go from my mother when I was a kid.
I may not be good at it, but I can remember the moves.
Each move in this game was made by Prince of Chu.
I wouldn't dare remember it incorrectly.
-Zhao Yuan. -Yes, Your Majesty.
Starting today, remove the Royal Guards
from Prince of Chu's residence.
Just protect Prince of Chu in secret.
I shall obey Your Majesty's order.
Do you not understand why I removed the guards?
You must have your reasons.
I'm just curious.
If someone really wants to kill Prince of Chu,
shouldn't we tighten security?
I want to know who wants to kill Prince of Chu.
Your Royal Highness.
You're here. Come.
Sit beside me.
-Drink with me. -Why did you drink so much?
I'm happy.
Ning Chuan, stop drinking.
Don't just focus on pleasing the superiors.
If you don't take good care of the Crown Prince, I'll have your heads.
Take the wine away.
-Yes, Your Highness. -Yes, we shall obey.
Pleasing the superiors. You're right.
Now,
the only person who dares to come to East Palace is you, Shaoning.
Looks like my affections were not wasted on you.
Chen Ming.
Give me the wine.
Hurry.
You know I love you. Don't drink so much.
This isn't the time to drink. There are many eyes on you.
Ning Chuan.
Why are you doing this to yourself?
Shaoning.
In this palace,
there are traps everywhere.
Don't you think
it's better to be drunk than sober at times?
Subtitle translation by Coleen Chua