A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES
ADAPTED FROM TIANXIA GUIYUAN'S NOVEL HUANG QUAN
EPISODE 25
Aren't you tired?
I'm so tired.
Your Highness.
This is what my brother, Ning Chuan, left behind.
Do you know why I invited you here?
I wouldn't dare guess why.
Ning Chuan was framed by Ning Yi.
Ning Yi made him a criminal.
Wei Zhi.
I'm very disappointed with you.
I trusted you so much,
yet you betrayed me.
Before the dead Ning Chuan,
tell me now.
Are you my friend or foe?
I'm neither.
To me, there are only two kinds of people.
Enemies or allies.
Pick one.
Your Highness,
I cannot choose one.
If I really must,
I wish I had never gone to Qingming Academy.
I should never have entered those doors.
Qingming Academy is where we met.
Do you regret getting to know me?
That's not what I mean.
I mean, I get in trouble when you get in trouble.
I also get in trouble when Prince of Chu gets in trouble at my residence.
Even if you write a letter to him, who really knows
what His Majesty will think?
If I get in trouble, I might be killed.
That's why I wish I never went to Qingming.
I understand.
You're scared of dying.
Your Highness, forgive me for being weak and cowardly.
Will you forgive me?
I won't give up easily.
Ning Yi will always be my enemy.
If you stop me from killing him again,
you will also be my enemy.
Your Highness.
Have this. It'll make you happier.
Since ancient times, the winner takes all.
I wonder, in the future, who will see us off like this?
We don't need anyone. We'll go by ourselves.
That would be sad.
I don't want that.
I'll be there.
It won't be sad.
This one is sweeter.
Liar. It's bitter!
Your Highness, Feng Zhiwei has successfully dealt with Shaoning.
Let's get going.
Go. Hurry.
Why the rush?
We can sunbathe here.
It's warm.
Why can't I understand what you're saying?
I hope
that she can keep her smile
in the treacherous palace.
CHENGMING PALACE
Ning Qi is here to see His Majesty.
The seventh prince, Ning Qi, is here.
I, Ning Qi, pay respect to Father.
You may rise.
Thank you, Father.
Lift your head.
Let me see your face.
Father.
I'm back.
Since you're back,
you should help your brothers
and fulfill your responsibilities.
I'm getting old now.
I get tired easily.
I need more rest.
Thank you, Father.
Scholar Wei.
Hello, Scholar Wei.
Hello, Your Highness.
I heard you were the one who reminded Father about me.
That's why I got to return.
I am eternally grateful.
How can I repay you?
The person who allowed you to return and see your mother
was not me, but His Majesty.
If you want to repay someone,
it should be the Emperor.
I am flattered
that Father has me in his heart.
I will try my best to be a good son.
Do you see that?
Wei Zhi is one of Father's favorites now.
Ning Qi just got back and he is already making connections.
He's pretty good at figuring things out.
He's very talented.
Who doesn't want to be close to Father's favorite in Court?
Apart from you, of course.
I, Ning Qi,
pay respect to Mother.
My son.
Let me see your face.
Mother.
I haven't seen you for more than ten years.
How are you, Mother?
I'm fine.
When I heard you were coming back,
I couldn't sleep or eat.
I'm glad you made it home safe.
I'm sorry, Mother.
Come, let's get up and have a chat.
Mother.
Is this Yijun?
Come meet my mother.
I, Yijun, pay respect to Your Ladyship.
What a good woman.
It must have been hard being at the border with Ning Qi.
I almost forgot.
Noble Consort Chang gave me this jewelry.
I'll give it to you as a gift to commemorate our meeting.
Take it now.
I thank Noble Consort Chang.
Thank you, Your Ladyship.
Mother,
I'll be by your side from now on.
Now that I'm back,
I'll work very hard to stay here by your side.
Let me take care of you.
It makes me glad to have you here
in the capital again.
But you'll be in the palace again,
which makes me nervous.
The fight for the throne has intensified.
Some princes are dead, some are hurt.
Now that you're back, it won't be easy for you.
If you really wanted to do well,
you shouldn't have returned.
At the border,
all I hoped for was to come back.
To be by your side.
Why would you say that?
I just need you to remember this. We've always struggled to survive.
It's a miracle
we're still here now.
Do not destroy the peace we have now.
I understand.
Ning Qi.
Listen to your mother.
I'm also quite worried about the trouble in the palace.
You need to be more cautious than you were out at the border.
Well,
I was sent there when I was ten years old.
Over these years,
my mother had not been adored by the Emperor.
That must be Noble Consort Chang's doing.
I'm worried she'll try to send me out to the border again.
Ning Qi.
The capital is big, but it's dangerous.
You must be careful.
I'll go anywhere as long as I'm with you.
I don't want to go anywhere.
All I want is to be with my mother.
I don't wish to let you live a tumultuous life.
Right now,
my most urgent task is to find out what my father is thinking.
You just returned.
You're not familiar with the palace or the officials.
Don't be hasty.
Scholar Wei recommended me to Father.
He's the reason we got to be here.
He must know what's going on.
Speaking of which,
you haven't received a title yet.
What does he want from you?
Whatever it is Scholar Wei wants,
I'll have to find out.
About the Dayue problem,
as Grand Secretary Yao said,
the Crown Prince of Dayue is weak.
Therefore, we should support him secretly to fight against Prince of An.
They'll be busy fighting each other and won't cause us trouble.
Yes, Your Majesty.
-Wise decision, Your Majesty. -Wise decision, Father.
By the way,
how is the market at the border doing, Colonel Qiu?
We must use both ways
to make sure our border is safe.
Your Majesty, as far as I know, the market is doing well.
The market has effectively solved the border problems.
Ning Qi.
You just returned from the border.
What did you see there?
Tell me.
Father,
I'm not familiar with the palace's affairs.
I don't dare to speak.
Just tell us what you saw there.
I will speak, Father.
From what I saw,
the border market has caused much trouble.
Dayue doesn't follow the rules.
They sell unhealthy horses, yet they insist on high prices.
They even become bandits at night
and steal the sold horses during the day.
The people at the border are fed up with it
and are fleeing toward inner land.
Those people have swarmed into inner towns
and they cause other problems there.
Colonel Qiu,
is that true?
Your Majesty,
I've been busy training soldiers,
so I haven't been there as much as His Highness.
But I believe that all markets
have people who are cheaters and cause trouble.
I don't think you should be worried,
and should look at the bigger picture.
Colonel Qiu, that's not true.
I'm just talking about what I saw. I hope you forgive me.
The people who live near the border have always been poor.
They thought that the market set up by the palace
could help them make a living.
Yet, currently,
they've become Dayue's targets.
You talked about seeing the bigger picture.
Does that mean opening our doors to Dayue?
Your Majesty, that's not my intent.
Even if what the Prince says is true,
it's very hard for me to regulate the place.
It was an honest mistake.
If everyone in the palace made these honest mistakes,
then one day,
we may even lose Chengming Palace.
Colonel Qiu, do you admit your mistake?
Forgive me, Your Majesty.
Please let me look into the matter.
Your Majesty,
there's something I don't understand.
May I ask His Highness?
Please grant me your permission.
You have it. You may rise.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Your Highness,
according to you,
the border market has no merits, only faults.
Therefore, we should shut it down.
Yet, I would like to know,
do you have an alternative solution?
As I just mentioned,
I'm not familiar with these matters.
I just told you what I saw there.
It's good that Your Highness cares about the people at the border.
Yet, shutting down the border market cannot fulfill His Majesty's wishes.
It will not bring long-lasting peace to the border.
Do you have a solution, Scholar Wei?
Why are you holding a woman's wool sachet?
Your Majesty,
there are two meanings to this sachet.
First, intermarriage.
Dayue has always fought against nature
and poverty.
That's why they are fierce and brave.
If they marry gentle women from the central plain
and start to lead lives of stability and prosperity,
if they get used to having the food that we have,
will they still be as savage and untamable?
Will they still be able
to fight with all their might, and even sacrifice their lives?
Your Majesty.
I believe that it would be wonderful
to have good border relations with Dayue.
To have women from the central plain marry people from Dayue
is a good idea,
but that will probably take a while to start showing results.
Scholar Wei, what is the second meaning?
Teach them how to fish instead of giving them fish.
Your Majesty, you can turn the horse market
into a sheep market.
How could I do that?
I heard that the Yan family in Minhai
has always done business abroad.
One time, they brought back
a kind of long-haired sheep.
Even though these sheep have beautiful coats,
the breeding process is very complicated,
so they never became popular.
Your Majesty, if you gift this kind of sheep to Dayue
and agree to buy their wool,
it would force Dayue to put in a lot of effort
to breed this sheep and improve their economy.
They wouldn't have time to attack our border.
This second idea needs no human labor on our side
and we could have large amounts of wool.
Scholar Wei,
where is this sheep?
I could negotiate with the Yan family
and have them contribute the sheep.
Good.
If the Yan family agrees,
they will become a royal business.
I thank you on behalf of the Yan family, Your Majesty.
Colonel Qiu, you may rise.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Go discipline your troops.
Get the market ready.
Once Scholar Wei makes arrangements with the Yan family,
I order you to focus entirely on this project.
I shall obey the order, Your Majesty.
Report.
Your Majesty, a message from Lord of Minhai.
-Let's hear it. -Yes, Your Majesty.
How is Lord of Minhai?
Your Majesty, Lord of Minhai is well.
You...
You are...
Your Majesty, I am one of the former guards, Song Jie.
I wish you health, Your Majesty.
Long live the Emperor.
Your Majesty.
You sent Song Jie and four guards
to Lord of Minhai to serve him.
Is that so? Why are you a messenger now?
To see you again,
I'm willing to do anything, even be a messenger.
I'm sorry, I'm just so excited to see Your Majesty.
That's enough. You can go rest now.
When I have time, I'll see you again.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Yan Huaishi,
do you think you could persuade your family
to contribute the long-haired sheep to the palace?
We've done business for decades,
and now we can become a royal business so easily.
I don't even need to persuade them.
-The head of the family will be ecstatic. -Good.
Please send him a letter
-to tell him about it soon. -I'll do it right away.
Yet...
What's the matter?
How will I return you
this favor, Scholar Wei?
Ever since I came to Qingming Academy, you have helped me a lot.
How will I repay you?
We're brothers, so there is no need to be so polite.
Stop that, or I'll get mad at you.
Thank you, Scholar Wei.
Go now.
It's a pity you weren't in the palace today
to hear Scholar Wei talk about national policy.
With a wool sachet, he solved the problem of Colonel Qiu's horse market.
-The wool sachet-- -Headmaster Xin is here.
Headmaster Xin.
One more thing.
Lord of Minhai sent a message to His Majesty
and sent one of the Royal Guards His Majesty gave him as the slave.
According to that guard,
after he went to Minhai, he was not treated well.
He had to do things a slave had to do.
Lord of Minhai is insane.
He's very arrogant.
He's always been like this. It's nothing new.
He sends letters to the administrative commissioner
and calls them "orders."
He sees officials as those of the same level as subordinates.
Of course, he would treat a guard like that.
That's not all.
He forms cliques and is greedy for money.
That's his biggest crime. He's the rat of the palace.
Yet, he has been in Minhai for years.
I think
we should have someone
in Minhai Palace
gather sufficient evidence,
so that we can report to the Emperor.
Only by doing so
can we get rid of Lord of Minhai.
I have a friend called Lin Renqi.
He is an investigatory officer in Minhai.
I'll find a way to contact him soon.
We haven't found a new head of the Censorate yet.
That is a tricky position.
The last head was killed by Lord of Minhai.
Who would want to take the job?
Grand Secretary Yao,
please contact Lin Renqi as soon as possible.
I'll do it right away.
Your Highness, I'll be leaving as well.
I'll go through all Lin Renqi's memorials to the throne,
so that I can help him when he needs it.
Thank you.
You had that wool sachet with you at all times.
Why is it with Feng Zhiwei?
It was an accident.
It's not worth mentioning.
Not worth it or not convenient?
Did you hear Ning Qi talk about the horse market's problems in the palace?
That was a huge blow to the palace.
Looks like he came back prepared.
I know what he came back for.
We can't underestimate him.
I know.
You'd better not be hiding anything from me.
I wouldn't dare.
You've been at the border for so long.
Do you still remember how to make tea?
I'm sorry, I don't know much about it.
Now that you're back in the capital, you have a lot to learn then.
Of course.
Hopefully, you'll teach me.
The capital is different from the border. There are lots of rules and problems.
Don't worry, I'll make sure to teach you everything.
Thank you, Ning Sheng.
Thanks to Noble Consort Chang, my mother has been able to live well.
Please thank her for me.
Now, you've extended a helping hand to me.
You and Noble Consort Chang are truly our benefactors.
I am eternally grateful.
I will follow your every order.
Ning Qi, you may rise.
You were able to come back this time because of Scholar Wei.
Do you know Scholar Wei?
No, Ning Sheng. I don't know him.
Before I came back, I had never heard of him.
That's interesting.
It's not just you.
I had never heard of him either.
As you just said,
I was able to come back thanks to Scholar Wei.
I would like to hold a banquet for him.
Would it be possible to have you as the other host?
Good idea.
You're very smart.
Out of the way!
LAN HOUSE
Wei Zhi is already here.
Do you see that idiot?
He is Wei Zhi's bodyguard.
He follows him everywhere.
You can go see Scholar Wei, Ning Sheng.
I'm going to talk to the idiot.
That idiot?
What are you going to say to him?
I want to thank Scholar Wei properly.
Maybe the idiot would know what Scholar Wei likes.
All right, I'll go meet with Wei Zhi now.
Why did you invite me here, Your Highness?
How could you ask that?
Can't I invite a scholar out, who is adored by my father,
for a good conversation and drinks?
Or Wei Zhi, do you not wish to talk to me?
I wouldn't dare.
I am more than flattered.
Are you Gu Nanyi?
Are you waiting for Scholar Wei?
I heard that you're very skilled in martial arts.
I have learned some as well.
Maybe one day, we could help each other hone our skills.
I'm busy.
You said that I'm adored by your father.
I don't think I can live up to that.
-You're embarrassing me. -You're too humble.
You solved the problem of the horse market.
My father is very glad.
Of course, he adores you.
Yet, I was quite surprised by your idea to turn the horse market
into a sheep market.
I have always thought that you came from a humble background
and had no support.
Now, I see that your support
is the Yan family.
Your Highness,
are you saying that I'm favoring them unfairly?
Of course.
I know that you work very hard to protect Scholar Wei.
I won't bother you now.
How is Scholar Wei lately?
Not well.
Who is bothering Scholar Wei?
Don't misunderstand me.
I don't want to harm Scholar Wei.
I'm just looking for an opportunity to return a favor.
I wonder if you could tell me
who Scholar Wei respects and is loyal to?
-I can... -His Majesty.
I'll have to go explain to His Majesty.
Scholar Wei.
Why are you afraid?
I'm just joking around with you.
Your Highness, that's not a funny joke to make.
I'm new in the palace.
I don't dare offend anyone, let alone play favorites.
If you think this way,
there must be others in the palace who share the same thought as yours.
Scholar Wei, let's drink.
Minhai is where my father came from.
It's also the land that my uncle, Lord of Minhai, rules.
If your idea of turning it into a sheep market
really works and helps Minhai,
my uncle wouldn't object.
Then who else would dare object?
Here.
On behalf of my uncle, let's drink to you again.
You're celebrating something that has not happened yet.
Does this mean you think Lord of Minhai will support the Yan family?
I'm not really celebrating,
but as I just said,
if it helps Minhai, nobody will object.
I thought it was the sixth prince,
Ning Yi.
-He is ugly. -Ning Yi is ugly?
That's the first time I heard that.
-You shouldn't-- -Annoying.
-Ning Yi is annoying? -You're annoying.
You really said that to him?
You said I am close to the Emperor and that Ning Yi is ugly?
Yes.
You keep your secrets well, Nanyi.
Isn't he ugly?
-He's all right. -You're ugly too.
MASTER LU'S SPRING AND AUTUMN ANNALS
"I hope
that Your Majesty can write a foreword for this book."
I've always believed in Legalism.
Yet he's invested in these copies of Master Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals.
What does he mean by this?
"The key to ruling is naturalness."
He's saying that I'm too strict.
Now he wants me to write a foreword?
Scholar Wei, tell me.
Should I write the foreword?
Your Majesty.
I believe that Lord of Minhai used to be a soldier.
You let him rule Minhai.
Yet, I heard that in the past few years,
Minhai has not been very peaceful and was attacked by pirates.
As for their taxes,
they haven't been able to pay them on time.
So...
I'm guessing
that Lord of Minhai
probably feels guilty.
You were so kind to him, yet he let you down.
He's too proud to say that,
so he's telling you through the book,
"The only way I can rule is through naturalness."
Your imitation is pretty funny.
I'm glad I was able to entertain Your Majesty.
That's a good deed, I suppose.
Subtitle translation by Sophie Chang