EPISODE 5
We must brave through it
even if danger lies ahead.
Chief Gu, it's an ambush!
We are being ambushed!
My lord!
Watch out!
Retreat!
-Retreat! -Retreat!
Those who kill Bloody Pagoda followers shall be rewarded 1,000 pieces of gold!
-Yes, my lord. -Yes, my lord.
Wait, Headmaster Xin.
We must protect Chief Gu
in case Bloody Pagoda attacks again.
Yes, Your Royal Highness.
You're visiting at this late hour.
Are there any urgent matters?
I am not Dahua.
I am embarrassed
by the way you are looking at me.
It takes the lives of thousands for a colonel to receive credit.
I was just thinking,
if I were to help you
ascend to the throne and become the emperor,
how many sacrifices must be made?
How many people have to give up their lives?
Is it even worth it?
Ziyan.
Since the beginning,
you were the one who wanted me to become the new emperor.
I had never even thought about that.
I just wanted to clear Ning Qiao's name
and restore his good reputation.
That's enough for me.
You are right, Your Highness.
I made a promise to him.
I promised Ning Qiao that I would help you.
-What choice do I have? -What happened?
I was just being sentimental.
Forget what I just said.
What happened?
It was a bloody nightmare. Why was I the only one to survive?
Don't you find it strange?
What happened exactly?
Your Highness.
Your Highness, just now,
the palace sent a message from His Majesty demanding your presence.
Did they say why?
I asked the messenger and he told me
that the Crown Prince killed everyone from Bloody Pagoda.
It was a bloody nightmare.
Why was I the only one to survive?
Don't you find it strange?
The killing of the Royal Guards was fabricated.
There is no Bloody Pagoda.
But how did the Crown Prince know about that?
The Crown Prince is indeed wise and brave.
Chief Gu was on it for months,
but he couldn't find anything about Bloody Pagoda.
As soon as the Crown Prince moved out,
he discovered their headquarters.
Ning Yi is here.
Your Royal Highness.
When we were fighting these people,
I could clearly tell
that they were using the spears and movements of Bloody Pagoda.
Those who worked for Prince of Yan could not have done this.
I can confirm
that these assassins
were truly the followers of Bloody Pagoda.
The Emperor has arrived.
-Your Majesty. -Your Majesty.
You may all rise.
-Thank you, Your Majesty. -Thank you, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is very intelligent.
He had spies in the capital, and from there,
he was able to destroy the headquarters of Bloody Pagoda.
There were 13 of them in total.
The Crown Prince led our warriors and killed those enemies.
I am glad that I was able to fulfill your orders.
I thought Bloody Pagoda was found in Yanzhou.
Why did they suddenly appear in the capital?
Father.
It was just a trick they used to avoid being captured.
The remnant of Dacheng and the plan to overthrow Tiansheng Empire
were merely ruses.
These remaining members of Bloody Pagoda
were still mad at Chief Gu and wanted revenge.
I wasn't careful enough.
When I got there, they had already set up an ambush.
Fortunately, I got there in time and saved Chief Gu.
However,
many of the Royal Guards were killed.
I hope you will forgive me, Father.
You are too humble, Crown Prince.
Chief Gu has led the Royal Guards for years.
If he can't even predict an ambush, it is time for him to learn a lesson.
Father.
These are the members of Bloody Pagoda who were killed by the Crown Prince.
Look.
They...
With all those moles on his face, he looks like a monster.
Who would want him?
Your Highness, 13 workers went missing last night.
Father, please reward the Crown Prince.
Ning Yan, you are being brash.
Do not startle the Emperor.
Yes.
Please forgive me.
Good.
Killing 13 Bloody Pagoda members
is truly something to be praised.
I faintly remember
that Dayue gave us a few black horses.
Is that so?
Your Majesty,
it is true.
But they were not gifts from Dayue.
Colonel Qiu has finalized the market at the border of Dayue.
This will be our very first exchange.
Ning Chuan is a warrior.
Send those black horses straight to East Palace.
Thank you, Father.
Good work.
No, this is my responsibility.
As for the rest,
I leave it to Prince of Chu to continue investigating.
Yes, Father.
Father, I don't understand.
This is a serious issue.
You must be cautious, Ning Yi.
Don't be as reckless as the Crown Prince.
Is the remnant of Dacheng
just a ruse?
Or is someone behind it?
What I want is the truth.
Thirteen dead bodies
cannot testify anything.
Yes, Father.
Father.
Very wise, Your Majesty.
This is a great responsibility for Prince of Chu.
If he needs assistance, I will do everything I can.
The Emperor is leaving.
Congratulations, my brother.
Congratulations.
Your Royal Highness.
Congratulations, my brother.
He is trying to get in my way.
Uncle.
I am very confused.
What does my father really mean?
He is doing this again and again.
Does he really not want me as the Crown Prince?
He wouldn't dare.
If it wasn't for the Chang family supporting him,
he wouldn't have become the emperor.
Because of what happened to Ning Qiao,
Ning Yi hates us to the bone.
I am worried that he will cause trouble
now that he is in charge of the investigation.
How could you agree to that, Uncle?
If he finds the remnant--
Crown Prince.
How can you forget what I told you?
Where could he come from?
How could he still be alive?
I remember.
"The infant in Gu Heng's arms was the remnant."
That's right.
I have an idea
that can end this remnant nonsense
once and for all.
Your Majesty.
Why are you sighing?
It is a good thing that the Crown Prince eliminated Bloody Pagoda.
I want to think that it is a good thing too.
Am I worrying too much?
It's just that--
It's just that you asked him
why Bloody Pagoda moved their headquarters in Yanzhou to the area around the capital.
Even though the Crown Prince answered immediately,
he didn't really
answer the question.
Indeed.
It was almost as if he knew I would ask that,
so he had an answer prepared.
The Crown Prince
doesn't understand what you are thinking, Your Majesty.
He is always hiding things from me.
Now, it is only Ning Yi
who is not siding with the Crown Prince and the Chang family.
Let's hope he finds something.
But Your Majesty,
if Prince of Chu does in fact find something,
could the Crown Prince be...
Your Majesty.
Forgive me for saying too much.
Please forgive me.
ROYAL GUARDS
Your Highnesses,
I am incompetent.
I have been investigating Bloody Pagoda for months,
but I didn't find anything.
It was almost like Bloody Pagoda
appeared and disappeared out of nowhere.
I beg for your forgiveness.
Chief Gu.
You are wounded. There is no need for that.
Please sit.
I would not dare.
That's enough, Chief Gu.
There is no need for etiquette.
This is not the first time we were here.
Drop the formalities.
Sit.
Thank you, Your Highnesses.
So how are we going to investigate this?
Since you asked me to help you, I won't hold back.
Chief Gu,
don't you have any leads?
I don't have anything.
What?
Ning Yi, are you suspecting Chief Gu of hiding something?
The Royal Guards went after Bloody Pagoda,
but you were ambushed
and dozens of men lost their lives.
I believe
Chief Gu wants to know the person behind
all this Bloody Pagoda nonsense more than anyone. Am I right?
What I am worried about
is that someone is deliberately hiding something from you.
Why are you looking at me?
This was the Crown Prince's order.
I didn't know anything beforehand.
There's no need to beat around the bush.
I know exactly what Prince of Chu is referring to.
Even though I am incompetent,
I have led the Royal Guards for many years.
I know what I should do.
We need to investigate based on real evidence.
Prince of Chu only has guesses and speculations,
and His Highness wants to make a big deal out of nothing.
Forgive me,
but I won't be a part of it.
The Royal Guards will not do that.
Good.
Very good.
I see that Chief Gu lives up to his name.
He has a vision and strong support.
Did you hear him, Ning Yi?
We have nothing now.
Let's not waste our time anymore.
Chief Gu.
I have an idea.
Maybe it will help you find the truth.
If it can really help me find the truth,
I shall thank you in advance, Your Highness.
You said that it was almost like
Bloody Pagoda appeared and disappeared out of nowhere.
But everyone in this world
has friends and family.
It's impossible not to know anyone.
What do you mean, Your Highness?
What I mean is,
we have those bodies.
So,
you can find people who knew them
before they died.
That's true, Your Highness.
While it sounds like finding a needle in a haystack,
it is better than having no leads at all.
I will start searching immediately.
We will put the bodies outside and offer rewards
-to those who can identify them-- -No.
Prince of Zhao, what's wrong?
This idea.
It's a bad idea.
Why is it a bad idea?
This...
This is a serious issue.
Yes.
This is a serious issue.
We cannot make impulsive decisions like this.
We shouldn't do that.
A serious issue?
Ning Yan.
Well...
Let me try to guess why you're concerned
about the idea.
What do you think?
Placing the bodies outside is too cruel and bloody.
It goes against Father's lenient approach of ruling the country.
Is that it?
Yes.
That is what I mean.
Father is a kind soul.
He is very lenient toward the officials of Dacheng.
We have many officials like Chief Gu from the previous empire.
If they see those bodies,
they will probably feel offended.
Prince of Zhao, I don't think that is appropriate.
-I agree with Prince of Chu-- -Ning Yan.
You are the smarter one.
I almost overstepped my bounds.
Father would have been very mad at me.
Thank you for reminding me, Ning Yan.
Of course.
Don't mention it.
I am just looking out for you, Ning Yi.
I am looking out for all of us.
Your Highnesses, could you give me a direct order?
Ning Yan.
Put up a sign.
You can put up a sign.
It is always good to gather information.
Just don't put the bodies out there.
Listen to Prince of Zhao.
Do as His Highness says.
I will do that immediately.
Ning Yan, you are very smart.
ANNOUNCEMENT
-An announcement? -What is it?
Let's read it.
"Bloody Pagoda."
What is Bloody Pagoda?
You are too young to understand.
-It was during the previous empire. -The remnant of Dacheng?
-Didn't they say it was fake? -Yes.
Who cares if it is real or fake?
We finally have peace now.
Who cares about what happened during Dacheng Empire?
It would be a great thing if you knew something.
Look, they are offering 1,000 pieces of gold.
-A thousand? -A thousand!
Are you a member of Bloody Pagoda?
If I turn you in, maybe I will get that money.
Me? You look more like one of them.
Maybe you are the remnant who is worth 1,000 pieces of gold.
I will turn you in and split the money with your daughter-in-law.
Sure.
I will never be able to earn half as much in my entire life.
That's enough now.
I guess in a few days,
you will have to identify
the many people claiming to be Bloody Pagoda or the remnant.
If all this really was led by the remnant...
Chief Gu,
what do you think?
Please sit.
I wouldn't dare accept Your Highness' kindness.
If there is nothing else,
please excuse your humble servant.
What if
the ninth prince of Dacheng Empire
is really still alive?
Chief Gu.
Would you feel sort of relieved?
Your Highness, why would you say that?
I am sure...
I am sure that you know better than anyone else
the reason why I betrayed Bloody Pagoda.
Back then,
you betrayed Bloody Pagoda because of your family.
You helped me find the remnant of Dacheng.
We should have been rewarded after that.
But when I woke up from my wound,
you...
You had become one of the Crown Prince's closest chiefs.
And I was loathed by my father.
Many years have passed,
and now there are rumors of the remnant.
And my father ordered me to investigate the case.
Chief Gu,
don't you think there is something at play here?
Karma, perhaps?
Your Highness, you are saying this
just to make me betray the Crown Prince again.
A lowly, fickle servant like me
should be punished by karma.
You don't need to worry about that, Your Highness.
Chief Gu.
Over these years,
I have been trying to find
your lost wife and child.
It is my way of saying I am sorry.
This...
This belonged to my wife.
Eighteen years.
It has been 18 years.
I have heard nothing from them.
Why was this...
in your possession, Your Highness?
All this while,
I have been searching for them.
Unfortunately,
I only found this sack.
The rest...
I will keep searching for them.
Don't think
that the Crown Prince will help you with that.
He only has his eyes on the throne.
If he wanted to help,
you wouldn't have been separated from your family for 18 years.
I saw very clearly
what kind of person the Crown Prince was
18 years ago.
You are right, Your Highness.
He only has his eyes on the throne.
What about you?
What kind of a person are you?
Do you know yourself?
An eight-year-old
held a man's wife and child captive,
forcing him to become a traitor and causing the death of his own brother.
That eight-year-old then used an infant's life
to try to gain the title of Crown Prince.
That is what you think.
Back then,
my father promised me
that if I successfully negotiated a surrendering,
your brother and the infant could live.
What did I expect?
Could the Emperor of Tiansheng
really accept a chief who used to be loyal to Dacheng?
Could the Emperor really let the remnant of Dacheng live?
Are you saying that when you were eight years old,
you were a clueless, naive child?
Between the remnant of Dacheng and your son,
you can choose only one.
Between the title of Crown Prince
and the life of an infant you do not know...
Your Highness,
which one would you choose?
Ask yourself that.
How are you any different from the Crown Prince?
Your Highness,
if there are no other orders,
please excuse your humble servant.
Eight years old...
That child, Ning Yi, was only eight years old.
Just like you said,
he was definitely a naive and arrogant child
who thought he knew everything.
He was ignorant.
Mother.
But in the following 18 years,
many incidents
helped him grow and learn.
Learn what?
What being alive really meant.
Heed my order, Chief Gu.
Yes, Your Highness.
From now on,
the Royal Guards
will spy on Prince of Zhao, Ning Yan, at all times.
No mistakes should be made.
If you are caught in the process,
you will be prosecuted according to martial law.
You have said a lot, Your Highness.
But this is just rivalry between brothers, fighting for power.
Secretly spying on a prince is disrespectful to royalty.
Forgive me, but I cannot follow this order.
Dozens of the Royal Guards were sacrificed
because of you, Chief Gu.
Don't you want to know the truth?
Don't you want to relieve the wandering souls of the innocent?
You do.
I was invited by the most famous courtesan in the capital, Zhu Yin.
Of course, I have to come, don't I?
-Headmaster Xin. -Headmaster Xin.
-Zhu Yin. -Zhu Yin.
Hello there.
All I know is how to make a living by a few little tricks.
I could never compare to you, Headmaster Xin.
The best student of Tian Jizi, brave and intelligent.
That is your reputation in the capital.
You are very sharp-witted, Zhu Yin.
People would think we are a good match,
or two talented individuals.
Headmaster Xin, stop teasing me.
I would not want to get on the wrong side of Madam Dahua.
Please don't make fun of me.
I almost died trying to come here to hear you sing.
I hope you stay alive, Headmaster Xin.
Colonel Qiu invited Duke Chang to his house tonight.
He asked me to go there and sing.
Colonel Qiu and Duke Chang are becoming quite close.
Well, it is because of you.
You are very mean.
You replaced that young woman's birth card with another one
that said she would bring ill fate upon her father, husband, and son.
Well, she was upset and sold her maid to House of Lanxiang.
She is not very nice herself.
That's why I did it.
This is what I call
enforcing justice on behalf of the heavens.
All right, Headmaster Xin.
I knew you were coming here,
so I arranged for someone special to accompany you tonight.
This person's talent, body and art are all top-notch.
Are you happy, Headmaster Xin?
I am, of course.
So this person...
Where are we meeting?
Every note she struck swelled with pathos deep and strong,
as if it told the tale of a wrecked and hopeless life.
Do I get the pleasure of meeting you?
What do you mean?
Are you being shy?
She turned the pegs and tested each string twice or thrice,
before a tune was played as her feelings sang.
Maiden,
are you inviting me in?
All right, then.
I guess I will fulfill your wish then.
What a special person indeed.
You scared me.
The Crown Prince has spies all over the capital.
I should be cautious while investigating the truth of Bloody Pagoda incident.
If you are trying to be cautious,
maybe you shouldn't keep calling yourself a prince.
Think of another name.
What do you think I should call myself then?
May I sit before we speak?
Please sit.
"Little maiden"?
No, that is flirtatious.
How about "your humble servant"?
The prince thinks that is good.
Is that good?
Yes.
Are we having tea and watching the moon with Madam Yuhua?
Am I mistaken, Mother?
She did such horrible things to Zhiwei.
How does she have the nerve to see us?
It is Madam Qiu's request.
Feng Hao is right.
She should be the one who is embarrassed, not us.
What should we say to her then?
We can't pretend nothing happened.
Talk about the tea
-and the moon? -Feng Hao.
Let's just pretend that nothing happened.
Do you hear me?
-What if she-- -Feng Hao.
We are living here. We have to compromise.
Do you think something is fishy about those bodies?
Not just fishy.
I also think that Ning Yan already knows what is going on.
All right.
I will send someone to look into it secretly.
Ning Yan is sloppy.
If he does know something,
he will let it slip soon.
I will spare you the trouble, Ziyan.
I have already sent someone.
Which talented, capable person
fell for your beauty this time, maiden?
Gu Yan.
Did you persuade him?
Persuade?
Back then, I did force him to betray Dacheng.
I made his brother jump off a cliff.
If I were him,
I don't think I would've let something like that go easily.
Then why did you order him to spy on Ning Yan?
If he tells the Crown Prince,
he will have time to cover it up.
When dealing with smart people,
it is important to be strategic.
Sometimes, the risk is worth taking.
I am betting that the Crown Prince is so ruthless
that he won't stop until he reaches his goal.
Also,
I am betting that Gu Yan sees those Royal Guards
who died as his brothers.
All I could do was try to persuade him.
In the end, he must discover the truth on his own.
What if you made a bad bet?
I came across a pawn by chance.
I don't care if I lose it.
For Gu Yan, I think it is worth it.
All right.
Even being in House of Lanxiang, you have a mind
as brilliant as a ruler, maiden.
Are you satisfied?
Yes.
Of course, I am.
Who is it?
Headmaster Xin,
are you happy with our latest member?
I'm very happy.
I really am.
With porcelain skin and incredible skills,
I almost don't want to go home.
That is how happy I am.
I thought you were going to Qiu Residence. What happened?
I am not sure.
Colonel Qiu sent a messenger and told me I didn't need to come.
He said Duke Chang invited Colonel Qiu
to his residence.
Hello, Duke Chang.
Welcome, Colonel Qiu.
Duel with me. Let's practice our skills.
I don't dare.
What is wrong with you, Colonel Qiu? How cowardly.
Do you not care about patriotism or discipline?
Or do you look down on me?
If you insist on dueling me,
forgive me in advance for offending you.
Please, Duke Chang.
Please?
Since the day you secretly took in your sister,
your life has been at the mercy of this sword.
Did you know about that?
Is that why the Emperor canceled
my daughter's wedding?
After all these years,
I have been loyal and obedient to you and the Chang family.
Please, let the Qiu family live!
We will have to see
if you value the lives of your family members more,
or if you value your sister more.
This is the new tea Dayue gave our lord.
It is a specialty there.
It tastes kind of weird, but you probably haven't had it before,
so I thought you might want to try it.
If you don't like it...
What are you doing?
There is a fly. Don't you hear it?
I do! This...
Where did this thing come from? It is so noisy, buzzing around my ears.
Go away!
A fly? Where is it?
Here.
Have someone wave it away.
Stop it.
Stop it now.
Don't move. It's right there. It's on your head.
Don't move.
-I'll get you. I... -Feng Hao.
Do not be rude.
Mother.
My lord, welcome home.
Please have a seat and have tea with us.
Although we are living together,
we seldom get together and talk.
Zhiwei and Feng Hao are 18 this year, aren't they?
Yes.
Time flies.
It is already the 18th year of Tiansheng Empire.
When my younger sister and I were that age,
it was the 18th year of Dacheng Empire.
How the world changes.
You never know what will happen.
Shangqi,
why are you so sentimental today?
To me,
life has always been the same.
Now,
all I have left are my hopes and wants as a mother.
I hope that Zhiwei and Feng Hao
will have their own families soon,
and will always be safe and at peace.
That is all I want.
First Bloody Pagoda,
now the remnant from Dacheng,
the ninth prince of Emperor Ai.
Which one doesn't have to do with your dead husband?
The Emperor canceled the wedding,
but don't forget that
the birth card Madam Qiu gave them was Feng Zhiwei's.
How did His Majesty learn about Zhiwei's background through her birth card?
All parents are the same.
Tomb Sweeping Day is drawing near.
Forgive me for being so careless and forgetful.
Over the years, I have left out
Zhiwei and Feng Hao's father from our ritual offerings.
May I know his name, the date, and the time he passed away?
I am sorry about forgetting all these years.
Please let me do something for the Feng family to redeem myself.
Subtitle translation by Sophie Chang