A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES
ADAPTED FROM TIANXIA GUIYUAN'S NOVEL HUANG QUAN
EPISODE 53
I admire his candor.
Tell me. What do you need from me?
Your Majesty.
I received news from Jinshi.
My father...
has passed away.
My condolences, Prince Helian.
The Ministry of Rites will prepare a ceremony
to mourn the untimely passing of the King of Jinshi.
Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty.
I just want to borrow
10,000 soldiers from Your Majesty to go to Jinshi with me
and eliminate the traitor, Helian Lie.
I hope you'll grant my wish, Your Majesty.
Your uncle, Helian Lie, is a traitor?
Why did I hear
that he acted according to the King of Jinshi's royal edict?
Your Majesty.
I also...
It's embarrassing...
WEI ZHI'S JOURNAL
...to talk about the internal chaos in Jinshi.
I hope Your Majesty understands.
Based on our personal relationship,
I should help you, of course.
But based on the relationship between our nations,
I can't send troops without a just cause. I can't help you even if I want to.
I'm willing to pay three years' worth of mined resources from Baitou Cliff...
I'm not after Jinshi's mined resources.
Let me think about it.
I'll think about it.
TIANSHENG AND JINSHI SHOULD HELP EACH OTHER AND NOT BE INVADED BY DAYUE
Your Majesty.
I believe
that Tiansheng and Jinshi should help each other,
and not be invaded by Dayue.
Your Majesty, Official Zhao has a point.
Your Majesty, please be discerning.
All right.
Then Prince Helian,
may I ask if you're willing to be my in-law?
I was thinking that helping you as my in-law
would be a just cause.
Thank you for Your Majesty's favor.
I, Helian Zheng, am very honored.
FENG ZHIWEI VOLUNTEERS TO BE MARRIED OFF TO JINSHI
In that case,
I'll give Feng Zhiwei
the title of Princess Shengying
and let her go to Jinshi with you. What do you think?
Really, Your Majesty?
You have my deepest appreciation, Your Majesty.
But Tiansheng will be in-laws with the King of Jinshi.
My Princess Shengying can only be the Queen of Jinshi
and not the wife of a loser.
Please don't worry, Your Majesty.
How can a man build a home without establishing himself?
After I return to Jinshi, I'll first settle the internal chaos.
Then I'll marry Princess Shengying.
I, Helian Zheng, shall take my leave.
FENG ZHIWEI VOLUNTEERS TO BE MARRIED OFF TO JINSHI
Do you resent me?
I, Shengying, thank you for your grace, Your Majesty.
You may go, then.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Shengying.
Wei Zhi.
I don't want Prince of Chu to resent me. Do you understand?
Yes, Your Majesty.
You're here.
I'm here.
Does it make you happy to humiliate me?
I wonder why it is that nothing in this entire world
aside from you makes me happy.
You truly are my savior.
We can't avoid running into each other anymore.
-I'm still Feng Zhiwei. -I am relieved.
Looks like we're still enemies.
It's better than being strangers.
I'm leaving.
I'm going to Jinshi with Helian Zheng
and be his queen.
Are you happy with that?
When I think about leaving this place,
I feel at peace.
Is the wind too strong?
I hope Jinshi can be a shelter from the wind.
Ning Yi.
Let's never meet again.
Sansun.
Do you think I'm putting Feng Zhiwei at a disadvantage?
I think the Emperor of Tiansheng asked Feng Zhiwei to see him
because His Majesty had already decided to let Feng Zhiwei go with me to Jinshi.
But why is he doing this?
Hasn't Your Highness always liked Feng Zhiwei?
She's very fortunate to be able to marry Prince of Jinshi.
How is that putting her at a disadvantage?
But at the moment, it's very dangerous in Jinshi.
I don't even know how I'll deal with the situation when I return.
If I bring Feng Zhiwei back to Jinshi,
won't that endanger her?
Then Your Highness,
why did you agree with the marriage the Emperor bestowed?
When I agreed, I thought...
I thought he was giving me Shaoning.
Are you really going to Jinshi with him?
Jinshi is not a place that I can avoid going just because I don't want to.
Who is willing to offend the Emperor of Tiansheng?
I am.
My master is also willing.
-We're not afraid to offend the Emperor. -But I am.
I'm afraid people around me will die one by one because of me.
I'm afraid what Master Zong said
about Dacheng, my identity and my responsibility
will harm everyone in the end.
Then I'll take you away.
This won't do.
Come with me to see the Emperor and refuse this.
Your Highness, you can't do that.
If you refuse the marriage, the Emperor won't lend you soldiers.
Then how can you avenge our king?
To be honest,
avenging my father is my responsibility alone.
If worse comes to worst, we'll just charge to Jinshi and fight them with all we have.
I like her.
I want her to live freely.
How can I use her to achieve my own objective?
Come with me to the palace.
Your Highness.
How do you know that I'm not using you
to achieve my own objective by going with you to Jinshi?
Feng Zhiwei.
You don't need to tell me that.
I don't care what your objective is.
It won't change my feelings for you.
But Jinshi is not a safe place right now.
If you're willing, I'll request orders from His Majesty right away.
I'll first settle the internal chaos, then take you back to Jinshi to marry you.
Helian Zheng, let me ask you.
Do you mind that I love someone else right now?
I'd be lying
if I say I don't.
But I'm willing to try
to make you forget that person.
Then do you mind if I don't know when I'd be able to forget him?
I will do everything in my power
to make you forget him sooner.
Helian Zheng.
To the Emperor, I'm a thorn in his flesh.
I have to be eliminated sooner or later.
So the danger in Jinshi is a lot less compared to Tiansheng.
Nanyi.
Pack up our things and prepare to leave.
All right.
Let's leave right away.
Return to Jinshi with me.
Feng Zhiwei.
As long as I'm alive,
I'll make sure to protect you.
Helian Zheng, thank you.
I saw that the outer socks Mother made for you
also have a thin layer of cotton underneath.
I thought I should deliver them to you myself.
If you are pleased, maybe you will reward me.
What reward do you want?
Father.
I built a study room in my residence.
If you would give me a plaque,
it would seem like you're watching over me when I'm studying.
You're reminding me
that I seldom watched you study when you were little.
Should I make up for it this way now?
I do not dare.
Your Majesty is a father.
You can't get away with what you owe your children.
Unlike me, who don't have to worry about that.
You old fart.
You're old but undignified.
Your Majesty.
Your Majesty, Prince of Chu wants to see you.
-Let him in. -Yes, Your Majesty.
I, Ning Yi, pay respect to Your Majesty.
"Your Majesty"?
How courteous of you.
Is there something urgent that you're here so late?
Your Majesty is brilliant.
You must be happy to have your worry resolved.
I couldn't help but come here and congratulate you.
I wonder whether this is considered urgent.
It depends
on whether you think dressing up to amuse your father is urgent.
As a father asking a son,
I should follow Lao Laizi's example, of course.
As an emperor asking his official,
I say I should work hard on business matters.
Good answer.
I happen to have a problem for you to resolve.
Zhao Yuan.
-Yes, Your Majesty. -Give Zhanbi's relic to Prince of Chu.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty.
Do you want me to go to Jinshi to send the bride off?
Officially, yes.
In actuality, Tiansheng is friends with orphans and widows.
Kings in their ripe age are Tiansheng's enemy.
Do you understand what I mean?
Your Majesty.
I believe
that if Jinshi's young king, Helian Tu, becomes an emperor
before Tiansheng makes a move,
Dayue would be the first to invade Jinshi.
If that happens,
won't Tiansheng suffer as well?
If you can execute Helian Zheng during this trip,
I'll send an army to protect Jinshi immediately.
I won't allow Dayue to invade it.
What if
I'm unable to do it?
Prince of Chu. Do you know her?
Lingying. I'm Ning Yi.
I pay respect to Your Highness.
Lingying.
Father.
Can you allow me
to talk to Lingying some more?
So that I can pacify my longing for my mother for the past years.
After you kill Helian Zheng,
I'll give Lingying to you personally.
I shall comply, Your Majesty.
You're killing three birds with one stone.
How brilliant, Father.
"Two is company, three is a crowd."
If Ning Yi does well,
we can reign in Jinshi.
Otherwise,
Jinshi's Royal Court might not accept Feng Zhiwei.
While Prince of Chu is gone, you can also take the opportunity
to get Ministry of Justice and War back in your control.
You are brilliant indeed.
I really like your mother's needlework.
Mother.
I'm going to a faraway place.
The land is far and wide.
Mother, where would you like to go?
Nonsense!
It's all right if I die.
In my next life,
I'll still come back to bother you.
That's my little raccoon.
Hua Qiong?
Why are you here?
Don't ask me questions first.
Zhiwei, let me ask you.
You love Ning Yi. Why are you marrying Helian Zheng?
Tell me the truth.
"The grove in the south doesn't provide shade for me.
The maiden on the stream can only be found in dreams."
I can only say that we're not meant to be.
Zhiwei.
If you marry Helian Zheng, that's like being alone your whole life.
This is my destiny.
I can't escape it. I don't have a choice.
I can only endure it.
Look, we haven't seen each other in so long.
Let's not talk about unhappy things.
His Majesty gave me a dowry yesterday. I'll show them to you.
-Come. -Feng Zhiwei.
I didn't come here from afar to see your pretense.
Real tears are better than fake smiles.
If you cry, I'll cry with you.
Why should I cry?
Shouldn't I be happy on such a happy occasion?
It's fine if you don't want to see the dowry. Come.
Nanyi.
Kneel and receive your orders.
I'll obey your orders, Leader Zong.
From now on,
all the things you do have nothing to do with Bloody Pagoda.
From now on, we separate.
We leave our lives to fate.
If we meet again, we work for our own purposes.
Master.
Zong Chen of Bloody Pagoda sincerely requests Gu Nanyi
to stay by Feng Zhiwei's side and protect her in this life.
Gu Nanyi shall serve Feng Zhiwei
as his master starting today.
I won't ever leave or forsake her. I won't ever regret my words.
CHENGMING PALACE
Father.
Princess Shengying and Ning Yi have left for Jinshi.
-Princess Shengying and-- -All right.
Does something concern you?
You can tell me.
I'll try my best to help you.
The fish in the pond
are fed by me, you, and other people.
They're very happy.
The world is like this fish pond.
The fish in the pond are those feigning courtesy to gain favor.
Forgive me for being bold.
Are you referring to Jinshi?
The King of Jinshi has passed away.
Those in the Jinshi's internal court are like the fish in the pond.
So you are worried about what's happening in Jinshi.
That's one of my worries. How about the other one?
Take a guess.
The second one
is that you are worried about Ning Yi's safety.
You hope Ning Yi can complete his mission and return soon.
I have also been worried about that.
I've already thought of a plan to alleviate your worries.
What's your plan?
Tell me.
I believe
that we must start with the internal court in order to take over Jinshi.
Father, do you still remember?
"External Things" in Chuang Tzu mentioned "a fish in a drying rut."
We should save them instead and use them well.
If we want to beat Helian Zheng
and let the young royal son become the king,
you must control the internal court.
This way,
the internal court can coordinate with Ning Yi from the inside
and achieve your wishes.
Have you considered who the stranded fish in the internal court would be?
I believe you should send a secret order
to draw Helian Lie
to your side.
Helian Lie is a good candidate.
He's the twin brother of the late King.
He's respected in the internal court.
Ning Qi.
Yes, Father.
I'll let you write the order. Do it quickly.
I will comply, Father.
Peng Pei.
Please.
-How does it taste? -It's very good.
I heard
that you were a well-known expert in imitating calligraphy.
Why can't you do
such a simple thing now?
Your Highness.
Faking an imperial order is a grave crime punishable by death.
A crime punishable by death?
From what I recall, when you begged me
regarding Feng Hao's case,
you already gave your life to me.
Now, Qiu Mingying and her son are dead because of you.
It's fine if your life does not belong to me anymore.
You just have to think of a way
to protect it then.
Write this.
"If you can eliminate Ning Yi,
I'll help you become a king."
Don't worry.
I'll treasure
whatever belongs to me.
IF YOU CAN ELIMINATE...
Thank you, Qirui.
Peng Pei.
Let's drink this wine
and bid our farewells from here.
Qirui.
I came to this feast
for congratulatory wine.
I returned to the Royal Court,
yet you want to bid farewell.
What does that mean?
Back then, you and I could be considered friends.
Now, we're working for opposing parties.
Seeing that we've gone our separate ways,
I think...
I don't think
you and I can be friends anymore or have any interaction.
What do you mean?
If you don't want others to know,
don't do it.
The walls inside Prince of Wei's residence have ears.
If you're working for Prince of Wei,
you'll be framing Prince of Chu.
Do you have a death wish?
You don't understand!
What do you know?
In the fight for the throne, you and I are just pawns!
I've already walked too long on thin ice.
There's no turning back!
"I'm singing
what seems to be a mad song.
It's drizzling in the capital.
Even the most brilliant talent is swayed by currents.
Oh, sorrow,
good wine is for nothing."
That was the poem I wrote for my civil exam.
I never would have thought
you would still remember it so well.
How can I not remember?
Back then, you told me that an official should be honest
so the empire can be strong.
At that time, you had such strong morale and hated evil.
But you...
Look at you now.
Are you still that person I used to know?
Prince of Chu
won't live long.
What did you say?
It's too late to say anything now.
His Majesty's order
has already been sent.
-I want to drink tea. -Ziyan, tea.
The tea has been ready for a while now.
Here.
The temperature is just right.
Dahua, what do you think?
-Great. -That's right.
This tea is warm and nourishing.
You will have a boy if you drink more.
This is great.
This is what I've always hoped for.
The Xin family bloodline will finally be continued.
This is great.
I've thought about it.
If it's a boy, I'll bring him to Qingming Academy.
From four...
Ziyan.
What do you mean?
If it's a girl,
she'll become someone else's wife
and cannot be considered continuing the bloodline.
Then will you blame me?
That's not what I mean.
But you have a point.
If it's a boy, no arguments there.
If it's a girl, whomever she marries,
she will still be my beloved daughter.
So I'm happy regardless of whether it's a boy or a girl.
Come on. Let me check the baby's condition.
The other way.
Headmaster Xin.
Vice Minister Xu.
Headmaster Xin.
Well...
You can say what you want to say.
It's fine.
Headmaster Xin, bad news.
What is it?
After Peng Pei got drunk, he said Prince of Chu won't live long.
He also said
that Prince of Wei asked His Majesty for orders
and it has been delivered to Jinshi.
-A secret order delivered to Jinshi? -Yes.
How did His Majesty think of such a thing?
-Well-- -What does that secret order say?
Did Peng Pei mention it?
That is all Peng Pei said. The rest...
Then we have to stop the secret order
to save Prince of Chu's life.
But not anyone can stop that secret order.
I'll have to do it.
Ziyan.
Stopping secret orders is a grave crime.
Have you thought of me and the baby?
-No way. -You can't go.
Of course, I have thought about you and the baby.
I haven't even seen if it's a boy or a girl.
How can I die just like that?
I'll be back soon.
-Ziyan. -I forbid you to go!
Subtitle translation by Coleen Chua