A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES
ADAPTED FROM TIANXIA GUIYUAN'S NOVEL HUANG QUAN
EPISODE 54
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!
-Dahua! -Dahua. Ziyan.
Dahua.
Are you all right, Dahua?
Listen to me, Dahua.
This has to do with the whole empire.
It has to do with Prince of Chu's life.
Without a country, how will we raise our child?
I have to go.
Wait for me, Dahua. Wait for me to come home.
I'll come home.
Halt!
Your Highness.
What is it?
Prince of Chu fell off his horse and injured himself.
How serious is it?
Upon inspection,
it seems His Highness didn't break any bones.
However, we must observe him
for a few days to see if there are internal injuries.
I'll prepare the medication now.
Go.
It hurts.
How could you be so careless?
Ever since we met,
one of us would always be ill or hurt.
It's almost like only in those dreadful moments
were we be able to get along.
So, I think this fall I just had
-was very worth it. -Ning Yi.
We shouldn't have met.
I never should have insisted on seeing you.
We said we'd never see each other again.
Why are we still here together?
It's all your fault.
Why were you born a prince?
Yes.
It's all my fault.
I hate myself for being a prince as well.
It hurts.
Why are you even prettier when you cry?
Indeed.
It's too bad I'm a prince.
Do you need to switch horses or rest?
I'm waiting for someone.
-"Waiting for someone"? -Yes.
When will the messenger to Jinshi get here?
You're too late.
The messenger switched horses here early in the morning.
He's long gone.
-He's gone? -Yes.
BORDER
Zhiwei.
Do you think we can come back one day?
No.
Once we leave today, we will never return to the capital.
The heavens know how much pain I feel, and how much I want to stay.
But I still failed.
I'm leaving this land I was born and raised in with nothing.
Who says you have nothing? You have me.
Nanyi.
Have you thought about this? Are you really coming with me?
I'll follow you wherever you go.
Zhiwei.
Have some food.
Nanyi, have some too.
Helian Zheng, we need to discuss how we are going to live in Jinshi.
Don't worry.
As long as you are in Jinshi, I will do everything I can to protect you.
Thank you.
Now, tell me all about Jinshi.
My mother passed away young.
The current Queen Dowager of Jinshi, Liu Mudan,
is the queen my father chose after her.
Her family
is the biggest family in Jinshi apart from the Helian family.
Right now, the Jinshi court has been seized by Helian Lie.
You won't be able to get it back easily.
Although Si Xian is a power to be reckoned with in Jinshi,
his family hates Helian Lie.
They might be able to assist you.
Could you get in touch with him?
The head of the Si family, Si Xian, has never gotten along with my father.
I don't think we'll be able to persuade them.
Your Highness,
I find it strange that His Majesty sent Prince of Chu
to escort me to Jinshi.
But right now, if you don't have aid in Jinshi,
and you can't get help from the Si family,
we will have to request support from Prince of Chu.
That's how we will do it.
I don't want to owe Ning Yi anything.
Zhiwei.
Stop worrying.
There are some officials
in the Jinshi court who are loyal to my father.
I will find a way to contact them.
Nanyi.
Please ride ahead to Jinshi's capital to check out the situation.
That way, we'll be able to plan ahead.
Also,
investigate the Si family just in case.
Don't worry. I'll be discreet.
Prince of Chu injured his leg.
He must rest inside his carriage.
His carriage will follow the party at a slower pace.
Zhiwei.
You're worried about Prince of Chu, aren't you?
You may think I'm overstepping my bounds,
but if you don't plan to turn back,
you should consider Prince Helian's feelings.
I'm just curious.
He's been so quiet the past few days.
Is he planning something?
If you weren't worried about him,
why would you care about what he's planning?
I just don't want his plan to disrupt my trip.
You...
Your Majesty.
My respects, Your Majesty.
Headmaster Xin, what are you so giddy about?
My wife, Dahua, had a dream that she was having a boy.
So I'm here to request a leave.
I've been waiting for too long.
Good fortune has finally shone upon me.
I hope Your Majesty will allow me a leave.
Every time I had a son,
my feelings of happiness were just as strong as yours now.
Now, they've all grown up and don't listen to me anymore.
Your Majesty.
"Those who are talented serve their country.
Those born rich are easily spoiled."
Your sons are the royalties.
They have lived and studied in the palace.
They are all talented men who want to serve this country.
Of course, they're different from sons of peasants.
I know that.
Those born royals
are born into outrageous wealth.
But they also lack the common feelings of peasants.
They are my sons, but also my servants.
I also wish they could be like sons of peasant families,
and enjoy time with me
like a warm family.
Your Majesty, don't worry.
They always say that each family has their own problems.
Sons of peasants have their shortcomings.
Of course, the princes do too.
I heard
that the second prince has embraced Buddhism in Zongzheng Temple.
Perhaps, he's started to understand how to be a son.
Also, look at Prince of Wei.
In the past,
Prince of Wei was quite indifferent to the other officials.
He's changed a lot lately.
He often gathers us for discussion.
Discussing where to get rare medicinal ingredients
or unusual trinkets, so that he can find them
and show you, Your Majesty.
I'm sure that Prince of Wei understands
how you feel, Your Majesty.
Think about it.
The sixth prince isn't in the capital, the second prince is...
He wants to be the good son.
He's very diligent. I congratulate Your Majesty.
I'm very happy that you have a son like this.
Could I think about it before I allow you a leave?
Of course.
Don't worry about it, Your Majesty.
I was too excited that I forgot my manners.
I'll wait until my wife gives birth
before I come to meet you again.
Excuse me, Your Majesty.
I'm just sharing my excitement. Just sharing.
Zhao Yuan.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Is he telling the truth?
I'm not sure whether Headmaster Xin is telling the truth,
but I have heard that the seventh prince has been socializing more lately.
Order Gu Yan
to secretly investigate what the seventh prince is doing in the capital.
Then report to me.
Yes, Your Majesty.
DAYUE
Your Highness.
Tiansheng's Prince of Chu, Ning Yi, wishes to see you.
Prince of Chu, Ning Yi?
I don't even know him.
Why is he suddenly here in Pucheng?
If you're not willing to see him, I'll send him away.
No.
Let him rest in a room for now.
Tell him that I'm not in the city
-and that I'd be back later. -Yes, Your Highness.
Guo Jun.
Tonight, disguise yourself as me
and meet Prince of Chu.
Your Highness, what's the reason?
Prince of Chu is a very important person in Tiansheng.
If we become friends, he might be of use to me.
But I don't know why he's here.
If our visions do not align,
it would not be wise to reject him directly.
You should go see what he wants and why he is here
so that I can plan accordingly.
I understand.
I very much admire your kindness.
What do you mean?
"Zhou Yu notices mistakes in the music even when he's drunk."
Before I came to Pucheng,
I heard that Prince of An is a talented musician.
The musician just made a mistake.
Yet, Your Highness didn't even frown or scold him.
That's why I say Your Highness is very kind.
Even Zhou Yu from late Eastern Wu can't compare.
You're very generous. I do not dare accept your compliments.
I'm different though.
I hate it when people don't play music well.
I believe Guo Jun, who is standing by Prince of An,
understands what I mean.
Prince of Chu.
I've been by Prince of An's side for many years.
Of course, I've been influenced by his talent for music.
Yet, I am not as forgiving as His Highness.
You terrible musicians.
You're disrespecting our guest. Leave now.
We have wine, but no music. Don't you think it's a pity?
Prince of An.
Since Guo Jun is talented in music,
how about we let him play for us and entertain us?
Prince of Chu, did you come here
just to humiliate me?
Why would you say that?
Is having you
play some music for us princes
that humiliating to you?
I am the best commander in Prince of An's army.
My hands have used swords to kill many enemies.
How could I play music for you, Your Highness?
Prince of An.
The way your commander speaks is quite bold and fearless.
I am very impressed.
Are we done playing around?
Are we?
The reason you don't want to play
isn't because of your dignity as a commander.
It's because you don't want to be like
King Huiwen of Zhao, who was forced to play for King Zhaoxiang of Qin.
That would be a great disrespect to Prince of An.
Am I right, Prince of An?
You have a good eye, Prince of Chu.
I am impressed.
I will drink to you. I hope that Your Highness
won't be offended by this little trick.
It's fine.
After seeing this,
I see that you still have the heart of a child.
I admire that.
Being able to meet you today makes me very happy.
Here.
Let us drink together to our friendship.
We won't stop until one gets drunk.
Very well.
Until we get drunk.
You're saying that Prince of Wei trusts Peng Pei very much?
Your Majesty,
I often see Peng Pei going to the Prince of Wei's residence.
If any official wishes to see Prince of Wei,
they usually ask Peng Pei to arrange it.
Peng Pei?
I remember before he was demoted,
he used to be close to Ning Sheng.
Gu Yan.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Secretly investigate him for me.
Don't let him lead Ning Qi astray.
Yes, Your Majesty.
What have you heard?
Headmaster Xin.
Yes.
-Official Zhao. -This way, please.
Can we talk?
Headmaster Xin.
What is it?
A lot has been going on lately.
His Majesty's decisions have attracted much attention.
You must be aware of the people around His Majesty.
Thank you for your reminder, Headmaster Xin.
-Thank you for looking out for me. -Don't worry about it.
Come, please. His Majesty is waiting.
I pay respect to Your Majesty.
-Fine. -Thank you, Your Majesty.
Shouldn't you be with your wife?
Why are you in a rush to see me?
Your Majesty.
As the saying goes,
"We never know the love of our parents until we become parents ourselves."
Now, I understand that
and I can feel Your Majesty's love for your children.
I heard from Grand Secretary Yao that Ning Yi fell from his horse.
I'm sure you're very worried.
-That's why I'm here. -Indeed.
They said that he had quite a scare and could only rest in the carriage.
I've sent someone to check on him.
So?
Do you think there's something fishy
-about the incident? -Yes.
Something's going on.
Jinshi is in trouble right now.
If something bad happens,
it will affect Your Majesty's plans.
In your opinion, what should we do?
Send another troop to protect Prince of Chu.
Chief Gu.
-Yes, Your Majesty. -Whom should we send?
Your Majesty,
among the Royal Guards I command,
half of them are headed toward Jinshi with Lu Ming.
The rest are here to serve Your Majesty.
In my opinion, we could send a troop of guards.
I've heard that Yao Yangyu, son of Yao Ying,
is now very established.
Send him there with 5,000 men. They leave tomorrow.
We shall comply, Your Majesty.
Prince of Chu is all alone.
We do not know who will be attacking him.
If you have a plan, Headmaster Xin, please let me know.
Chief Gu, I hope
that you can take this opportunity to see what the other princes are up to.
Trap Prince of Wei to protect Prince of Chu.
I will be working in the palace.
I'll persuade His Majesty
to let Ning Sheng out to hinder Prince of Wei.
I heard that Ning Sheng has no ambition now.
How will he hinder Prince of Wei?
Prince of Wei doesn't think so.
Please forgive me!
Forgive me.
Please forgive me.
Forgive me.
-Please... -Fifty strokes.
We'll see if he confesses.
Official Zhao.
Has this servant offended Father?
Yes.
He's been spying on His Majesty. We should just execute him.
Take him away.
-Yes, sir. -Yes, sir.
Forgive me.
Prince of Wei.
Are you here to see His Majesty, Your Highness?
I want to lessen Father's burden,
so I've been working very hard on researching the military, tax system,
as well as building dams and canals.
I've written an essay on my findings, so I'd like to show Father.
Maybe it would be of some help.
I'll tell His Majesty right away.
Please wait, Your Highness.
Thank you, Official Zhao.
Your Highness, I've given your essay to His Majesty,
but His Majesty doesn't want to see anyone right now.
Prince of Wei, please come next time.
Official Zhao.
Did I do something wrong?
Prince of Wei.
There is something I shouldn't tell you.
But I think it will be a good reminder for you.
It's very good that you're working hard to try and lessen His Majesty's burden,
but as with other things,
haste makes waste.
Your Highness, don't be hasty.
Thank you, Official Zhao.
Take care, Your Highness.
Your Majesty.
Your Majesty, I've sent the seventh prince away.
That's not all you said.
Your Majesty.
Your Majesty, please let me explain.
What is there to explain?
Your Majesty.
I just saw that the seventh prince looked worried,
so I decided to console him.
You may rise.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
This isn't just about Prince of Wei.
I want the princes and officials to know their duties,
and not overstep where they shouldn't.
Yes, Your Majesty.
This is for their own good.
Very wise, Your Majesty.
As for that servant, you must find out who's behind it.
I want to see who was bold enough
to plant a spy in my Fengyun Palace.
I will comply, Your Majesty.
Mother, it's Ning Qi.
Ning Qi.
Mother.
Why are you here?
I haven't seen you in a few days. I missed you.
Didn't you miss me, Mother?
What are you talking about?
How would a mother not miss her own child?
Go prepare tea and some snacks.
Yes, my ladyship.
Also, for the meal, remember to prepare more food.
Good food, too.
Of course, my ladyship.
Let's sit down and talk.
A few days ago, Yijun came to keep me company.
She said that you had been staying up
researching taxes, dams and canals, as well as other important matters.
I'm worried about you.
You worry about your father, as well as me.
You're wearing yourself out. It hurts your body and mind.
I guess I worry about everything.
Ning Qi. Is something wrong?
No. You think too much.
I gave birth to you, my son.
How could I not know if something is bothering you?
Tell me.
If you don't tell me, whom will you tell?
That's true, Mother.
There are some things
I can only tell you.
I'll tell you everything then.
I just went to see Father,
but he would not let me in.
I don't know what I did wrong that angered him.
I just feel kind of uneasy.
What would you like me to do?
-Find out what he's thinking? -No, Mother.
That's not what I mean.
Even if that was what you meant, I wouldn't do that.
Your father is busy ruling the country.
We shouldn't have him worry about other petty matters.
Isn't that right?
Yes, Mother.
Those were my careless comments.
Don't worry about them, Mother.
Ning Qi.
I just want you to be happy.
If you're worried and tense all the time, maybe you should go back to the border.
I can't go back.
All I want is to stay by your side
and take good care of you.
Ning Qi.
-Or-- -Mother.
Right now, I just want...
to have some good tea and relax.
Let's not talk about this.
All right?
Very well. We'll do as you say.
So?
What do you think of Puyuan, Prince of Chu?
It's nice. It's a very nice place.
The scenery is wonderful and there are many triggers.
The architects must have put a lot of effort into it.
You have a good eye, Prince of Chu.
Puyuan was constructed by many skilled technicians.
It took them decades to complete it.
Even if a whole army comes to attack Puyuan,
it will hold steady and stay intact.
That's wonderful.
Yet, I think that
if you stay protected in this lone palace,
it would be a waste of your talent, Prince of An.
If that's how you feel, Prince of Chu,
where do you think I should go?
Prince of An, you are a man of great vision.
You deserve much more.
Even though it is a long way to the capital,
I know
that to the young and powerful Prince of An,
this Puyuan is nothing but a stepping stone.
Prince of Chu, you are right.
We are only young once.
Of course, I don't want to stay here forever.
However, living in the capital is very difficult.
Prince of An,
if you understand that, nothing will be difficult for you.
It may seem like
you've locked yourself away in this palace.
Yet I know
that you're just waiting for an opportunity.
Prince of Chu, did you come here
to give me that opportunity?
We'll have to see how much you want this opportunity.
That is a familiar scent.
Jiarong, please turn around.
She does embroidery for me.
Even though she's not as beautiful as women of Tiansheng,
she has a kind heart and nimble hands.
She must be very lucky to catch the eye of Prince of Chu.
How about I give her to you as a gift?
I only serve Prince of An.
Please, Your Highness.
Stand up.
Prince of An, you've misunderstood me.
Jiarong seems very loyal to you.
You should treat her well.
Of course.
Please.
Do you think His Majesty refused to see you
because he knew something?
If he knows something,
he wouldn't just refuse to see me.
Peng Pei, find a way to protect us.
Make sure the servant in Fengyun Palace
doesn't give my name.
Don't worry.
His Majesty is so unpredictable.
To be honest,
it's probably because I didn't grow up by his side.
We're just father and son by name.
We don't have the bond.
That's why we need someone who is close to His Majesty.
Father is very distrusting.
He also has the wise Official Zhao by his side.
If we try that again,
all it will do is ruin our chances.
His Majesty is a true hero.
However, heroes all fall for beautiful women.
Prince of Chu.
If you understand my ambition, please do tell me
what the opportunity is.
The Crown Prince doesn't want you to return to the capital.
What have you done during these years?
Since I came to Pucheng,
I've been working hard at ruling it.
This border city has become peaceful and prosperous.
I just want my father to see
that I am the best person to rule Dayue.
Your thoughts and your words
do not match.
But your thoughts
and my words are the same.
Yet, you still dream
that one day, your father
will treat you all the same. Right?
"Everything about fate is unpredictable,
indefinable, and constantly changing.
One must not get caught up in it."
In your opinion, what should I do?
"Those who are talented hide away their talent
until the best opportunity emerges."
I believe that you've prepared long enough,
because there is a huge army right outside of Pucheng.
Who did you hear that from?
Shouldn't you be worried about whether your father knows that or not?
Or whether your brother, the Crown Prince, knows about it?
You've prepared everything you can.
All you need is the right opportunity, right?
What is the right opportunity? What should I do?
This plan of mine might be dangerous and not do you any good.
Prince of An, will you dare try it?
Tell me about it.
I want you to make yourself bait.
Think about it.
Your brother, the Crown Prince, wants to find your weakness.
Tell him your weakness and lure him to Pucheng himself.
Because Pucheng is your territory.
You came here to see me
to deliver my weakness for me?
You're very smart.
I'll be heading to Jinshi in a few days.
While I deal with the chaos there, I'll send you a message.
You can give the orders and send part of the Pucheng army
to attack Baitou Cliff in Jinshi.
Of course,
it'll just be a show.
You must fail. That's the plan.
If I do that,
what good will it do you?
You can help me fight the Jinshi army,
so that I can end the chaos in Jinshi.
It will help you lure the Crown Prince here too.
End it once and for all.
Of course,
I can also go back to the capital and fulfill my father's orders.
Kill three birds with one stone.
What do you think?
Subtitle translation by Sophie Chang