Original subtitles

[English subtitles are available]

As long as I can take over Ning'an Palace,

I'm willing to pay any price.

Cleanse the court of traitors and sycophants.

The cinnabar imperial brush determines one's life and death.

Everything

is like a dream.

I once was indebted to a lot of people.

Zhang Zhe, help me.

I'll be a good person after this.

I'll marry the one I spoiled.

There are things

you can't give me.

But he can.

To keep my life,

only you, Sir, can help me.

Everyone in the world is entitled to escape.

But I'm the only one who can't.

I want to do my best to make up for

my past regrets and wrongdoings.

Mr. Zhang, do you believe in predestination from the previous life?

I'd rather believe in what's in front of me.

Welcome, Your Highness.

Welcome, Your Highness.

Congratulations on returning to the capital of our homeland.

Ning'er, what are you afraid of?

But in the unfathomable,

there's always an invisible hand

that puts everything back to its original place.

You've taken revenge and paid your debts.

At the end of the day, who are you?

A bustling place, or a battleground.

A life of absurdity, a story of mistakes and regrets.

[Story of Kunning Palace]

[Episode 34]

Your Majesty.

Duke Xue requested to meet with you.

He said he has something important to report.

What important matter could he have?

Reject him.

But the Duke said

it's an important matter about the border and of vital importance to the country.

Consort Xian, you may leave first.

Yes.

Your Majesty.

I'm here

to report something important.

Go ahead.

Your Majesty.

Somebody is usurping the authority of the State of Qian.

Please look into it.

Ridiculous!

The world is at peace now.

Yet you're spreading alarmist rumors in front of me.

What ulterior motive do you have?

Your Majesty, please investigate it.

Xie Wei, the Crown Prince's Junior Preceptor,

forged an imperial edict without permission

to transfer the guilty Yan family's father and his son to the border

and let them take over Yan's troops again.

How could that be possible?

No.

Xie Wei won't do that.

Your Majesty, I know that you have great faith in Xie Wei.

But he is up to no good.

This is absolutely true.

Your Majesty, if you have any doubts,

you can immediately issue an edict to Huangzhou

to inquire about it, and you will know.

Your Majesty.

If the Yan family rebels

and commands the troops to head south,

the capital will be in danger.

Your Majesty, please make the first move

and immediately issue an edict

to convict Xie Wei and the Yan family

of treason.

This is a grave matter.

I...

I need to verify it in detail.

You may leave first.

-Your Majesty... -I told you to leave.

How dare they do this to you?

Compared to those innocent people who died,

I'm lucky enough to have survived.

After spending some time here at the border, I realized

how important a state's power is.

If the State of Qian were peaceful inside and outside,

and everyone were united,

how would the Yue people dare to attack us?

When I was in the capital back then,

I lived a carefree life.

Now that I think about it,

I was really short-sighted

and ignorant of worldly affairs.

Your Highness,

you've done a very good job.

Not many in the world have the courage

to cement relations by marriage like you.

All right.

I'm back in one piece now.

Stop pulling a long face.

Let me ask you something.

Isn't Yan Lin in Huangzhou?

Why did he suddenly arrive at the border?

Is His Majesty finally willing to revive the Yan family?

It's a long story.

Before this, we'd suspected Lord Pingnan was colluding with the Yue people.

But when did it start?

We didn't get wind of it at all.

Xue Dingfei is currently in the capital,

but there's no news from him.

I'm afraid that

he's already under the control of Lord Pingnan.

Do you mean

Lord Pingnan came to the capital personally?

He's risking his life.

It looks like he's really enraged this time.

That means Xue Dingfei...

With Lord Pingnan's temper,

he won't kill Xue Dingfei so easily.

Get some men

to search the city.

Since the Prince of Yue failed his operation this time,

he'll definitely make a move.

Don't let your guard down.

Yes.

Forging an edict is regarded as treason.

What Mr. Xie did

will not only harm himself

but also drag you and the Yan family

into a predicament.

I understand that.

So does he.

But Your Highness, do you know?

On the way from the capital to the border,

the Xue family sent many assassins

to assassinate Mr. Xie.

Also,

Yan Lin and Marquis Yan

have endured a series of hardships.

If there had been another way,

no one would have wanted to go this far.

Besides, he did so

to guard against Xue Yuan

and to save you.

I'm grateful

for being rescued.

But Ning,

do you really believe

that he did so

just for these reasons?

What do you mean, Your Highness?

Mr. Xie has reached the highest rank among the officials.

Yet, owing to his promises to you,

he took a risk to save me.

He even disregarded his own life for that.

I don't believe

he has no other feelings for you.

What about you?

You came all the way with him.

How do you feel about him?

I came here for you,

not for him.

I know you are nice to me.

But

I hope you can know how you feel.

Ning, that's not all I'm worried about.

Mr. Xie pacified the State of Yue

and also helped the Yan family.

If His Majesty wants to punish him,

with his current prestige,

in order to protect himself,

I don't think

he's averse to rebellion.

By then,

what should you do?

Anything you need from me?

Let's talk inside.

Mr. Xie, you are indeed a man of your word.

You brought the princess back safely.

I appreciate that very much.

Since I did that to keep my promises,

you don't have to thank me.

Just take it as what I should do.

You aren't here

just to thank me, are you?

Now that we have rescued the princess,

the chaos of the State of Yue has subsided,

and the Yan family has regained their military power.

So, what is

your next plan?

Will you escort the princess back to the capital

with Yan Lin and Marquis Yan

and face the crime of forging the edict

or

stay in this border city

and protect yourselves with the troops,

no longer being controlled by the imperial court?

Which way do you think

I'll choose?

Actually,

no matter which path you choose,

it may have nothing to do with me.

Neither the capital,

the border city,

nor the other hotbeds of trouble

is where I want to stay.

I was going to leave anyway.

Jiang Xuening.

If that's what you're here for,

I can tell you my answer right away.

I disagree.

You can't leave.

Mr. Xie, your ambitions are as high

as the clouds in the sky.

While I'm shallow and short-sighted

like the mud on the ground.

A sparrow will not know the will of a swan.

A miner's lady is a stranger to the sea.

A mortal hopes for nothing else

but to live peacefully.

Mr. Xie,

please have some mercy on me.

♫Close your eyes before dark♫

Have some mercy on you?

♫I'll see you again♫

♫I finally realize that I can't go back♫

You miss the princess and care about Yan Lin.

You're worried about Zhang Zhe and concerned about You Fangyin.

♫To that day♫

When they need you,

♫Only when my weak points are hit can I see♫

you can leave everything behind

and go to them.

♫The fragments deep in my heart♫

When it's about me,

why can you only ask for mercy?

♫How intimate we were, but we couldn't withstand change♫

To this day,

what exactly

am I to you?

♫Let me sink into the bottom of the sea sober♫

You just had a battle today.

♫You've disappeared as you wished♫

You must be exhausted.

It's my fault.

I shouldn't have asked about this at this hour.

♫I clearly guessed the probability of our love♫

We shall talk another day.

Are you trying to escape again?

♫But it's not you and me in the end♫

You know everything, right?

♫I really want to ask you♫

You know who I am.

♫Why?♫

You know my hatred.

You also know my feelings for you.

♫In the plots we missed♫

But you've been playing dumb.

♫Was there any sincerity♫

You dare not face it, right?

Is it my personality

♫From now on, will you and I measure♫

or my purpose

that disgusts

and scares you so much

♫The abyss-like distance between us♫

that you want to escape from me?

♫What's the meaning of the decisions I make♫

♫When my hands are tied♫

I have no feelings for you.

What do you want me to face?

What else do you think I want you to face?

Do you think I'm that stupid?

Or do you think you're really that good at hiding your feelings?

If you really have no feelings for me,

why didn't you leave me alone at those life-and-death moments?

♫Only when my weak points are hit can I see♫

Do you dare to look me in the eye and say it again,

♫The fragments deep in my heart♫

that you really

♫How intimate we were, but we couldn't withstand change♫

have no feelings for me?

♫I really want to ask you♫

♫Why?♫

♫In the plots we missed♫

♫Was there any sincerity♫

Are you that cowardly

♫From now on, will you and I measure♫

and timid?

♫The abyss-like distance between us♫

You haven't even tried

and you're already running away!

♫What's the meaning of the decisions I make♫

Just like what you did to Zhang Zhe.

♫When my hands are tied♫

It's between us.

♫I can't guess or comprehend♫

Why do you mention him?

Then tell me why you dare not face it.

♫The mystery of fate♫

An abyss is right in front of me.

♫In the boundless world, in the future or the past♫

I know I'll be smashed to pieces if I jump in.

♫Have we even met?♫

How could I go for it knowing this?

So what if you jump in?

Only a crazy person would do that!

♫From now on, will you and I measure♫

♫The abyss-like distance between us♫

♫The reflection of time will one day♫

♫Engulf you and me♫

You still don't get it,

right?

Fine.

Let go of me!

Mr. Xie.

You are...

Everyone, leave.

Yes.

Let's go.

Let's go.

Let go!

Xie Ju'an, what are you doing?

Jiang Xuening.

I want you to know your true self.

You once told me

the cracked white bottle can't be restored to what it was.

But to me,

what you said

was just self-deceiving nonsense.

Do you think

you are qualified to be that white porcelain?

Look at this.

You and I...

are just boiling liquid iron

in the furnace.

I know your origins

and you know what happened to me.

God never gave us a chance

to be weak and useless.

We have to suffer a lot

to become decent.

The cracked white bottle

can't be restored to what it was.

But if you were born to be a piece of iron,

you should know

that you're not that fragile.

Even if your bones are broken,

you must go back to the furnace and endure the pain

to get a new look.

Who loves you and who cares about you?

Who even needs you?

Living in this world,

you don't have the same keen insight as me.

If you want to be joyous,

you can't gain without pain.

If you only want to enjoy the pleasure and avoid the pain,

what's the difference between you and the pests and vermin

in the sewers?

How many people in the world can achieve your level?

I'm not you.

That's why a coward like you

doesn't deserve to be together with Zhang Zhe.

Either he saw through you,

or he's stupid

like you!

Shut up!

What's wrong?

You feel hurt?

Run away then.

Run to the ends of the earth.

♫A dark night♫

But I'm telling you,

no matter where you run to,

♫A flash of fireworks♫

I'll find you.

Xie Ju'an.

♫Lend me half a lucid dream♫

When you force things, they'll eventually break.

It's just torturing each other.

The pain is also a result.

♫I knew there's no right or wrong♫

♫Love has no cause and effect♫

♫But I didn't know on the day of snowfall♫

Ning'er.

Tell me.

♫You were here♫

What are you afraid of?

Why are you afraid of me?

♫How much do I have to give♫

What if I say you've killed me before?

♫In exchange for the love I deserve♫

♫I thought letting go was the best choice for memory♫

♫Lend me a breeze♫

♫To pursue the unsolved dream♫

♫But it disappeared as the snow fell♫

Come on.

Kill me.

Kill me.

Let go.

Are you crazy?

Let go!

♫How much do I have to give♫

♫In exchange for the love I deserve♫

♫I thought letting go was the best choice for memory♫

♫Lend me a breeze♫

♫To pursue the unsolved dream♫

Now,

can you not be afraid of me anymore?

♫But it disappeared as the snow fell♫

Xie Ju'an.

You're really crazy.

Miss Jiang.

Go get the physician.

Sir!

Sir, are you okay?

What about you?

You came all the way with him.

How do you feel about him?

The pain is also a result.

Ning'er.

What are you afraid of?

Tell me.

Why are you afraid of me?

Miss.

The propitious star governing your marriage is in the ascendant.

Looks like you're in love with somebody.

May I read your fortune?

Sorry.

I don't believe in these.

You don't.

But Xie Ju'an does.

Perhaps the cure for his illness

is you.

Sir.

How is Mr. Xie?

No worries.

It's not a big problem.

As for the wound,

fortunately, it didn't hurt the vulnerable spot.

It's just that he bled a lot.

But it's fine.

It won't kill him.

Change fresh dressing and take medicine on time.

Also, rest well, and he'll recover.

Ju'an.

What happened exactly?

How did you

get into a knife fight?

What happened?

You were fine when I left.

What happened?

Who did it?

Did you catch him?

Jiang...

Jiang?

Why would she...

You forced her.

Right?

Xie Ju'an.

She, who is tough on the outside but soft inside,

could even stab you.

How terrible you are.

You must have gone overboard for her to do that.

-I... -All right.

Sir.

Where is Ning?

Have you found her yet?

We found this on the street outside the mansion.

She was taken away by Lord Pingnan.

This is the note left by Lord Pingnan on purpose.

[You have received favors and been repaid with revenge.] [If you turn back, you can still survive.] [I invited Second Miss Jiang to have a chat tonight.]

[I'll wait for you at Guiyi Heights for three days. Come alone or you'll die.]

[Guiyi Heights]

Miss Jiang.

You're awake.

You are drugged-out.

I suggest you

sit well and have a good rest.

Don't move around.

You are quite calm.

No wonder Dujun likes you.

Dujun?

You didn't know?

He even has such an identity.

Junior Preceptor of the State of Qian,

Viscount Dingfei,

and Dujun, the Hermit.

He has so many identities.

You can only see his bones

after removing his skin and flesh.

If my guess is right,

you are Lord Pingnan.

You are so smart.

Bring them here.

You...

His arm and leg tendons

were all cut.

He's just a kid.

How could you do such a cruel thing?

I heard some rumors in the capital

that during the battle in Tongzhou,

you were also there.

And you seemed to have contributed much at that time.

Xue Dingfei and this child were also in Tongzhou back then.

They must know something about it.

So I invited them here

to catch up with you.

Xiao Bao.

Xue Dingfei always talks nonsense.

You tell me.

As long as you tell the truth,

I will spare your life.

I know nothing.

Think carefully.

I know nothing.

Xiao Bao!

Xiao Bao.

This is the consequence of betraying me.

All right. Drag him out.

You tried so hard to catch me

but didn't hit or kill me.

Instead, you threatened me with human lives.

What are you trying to do?

Are you trying to threaten Xie Wei with me?

If he really comes for you,

it means that you must be

significant to him.

I want you to persuade him to help me.

Otherwise,

whether it's you,

Xue Dingfei,

or Xie Wei,

you'll meet the same end.

I'm afraid you'll be disappointed.

Although I want to survive,

with your intelligence means,

you must have found out

that I just stabbed him with a knife.

He can't wait to kill me at the moment.

Why would he risk his life to save me?

No.

That's true for others.

But you should know that

Xie Wei is not an ordinary person.

The calmer a person is,

the more he loses control

when he falls in love.

I want to see

to what extent

he can sacrifice for you.

By the way,

I want to remind Miss Jiang.

We're at Guiyi Heights.

It's on a cliff,

one hundred miles away from the border.

If you want to run away,

I'm afraid you'll die sooner.

We've searched every household in the city.

I also sent Yan's troops to search outside the city

but there was no sign of Ning.

I'm afraid she was indeed taken away by Lord Pingnan.

How long do you want to

keep me in the dark about Ning?

Marquis Yan.

You should have told me last night.

You just returned to the court after the accident.

I didn't allow them to disturb you.

I beg for your mercy, Your Highness.

Marquis Yan, you're exaggerating.

I'm not blaming anyone.

I'm just worried about

Ning being at

such a wolf's den on her own.

What should we do?

I won't let her be there alone.

I'll get her out.

I'll lead the troops with you.

-We will go too. -No.

Lord Pingnan asked me to go alone.

He must have sent someone

to keep an eye on the troops and the movements along the way.

Besides, he is not as gullible as the Prince of Yue.

If anything goes wrong,

Ning'er will be in danger.

But if you go alone,

you'll just be walking into his trap.

Maybe

there is another way to make it a win-win situation.

I know what kind of person Lord Pingnan is.

What should come

will come.

I have to meet him in person.

-Who are you? -Who are you?

Dujun's here

to meet with Godfather.

Lord Pingnan invited you to come over.

Greetings, Godfather.

It seems that you really care about the girl.

I dare not ignore your summon.

As for Jiang Xuening,

she saved my life once.

Be it emotionally or logically,

she should not be implicated by me.

But in the end,

she is just

an insignificant outsider.

She has no value at all.

You're doing well at the border right now.

And you're in a good position.

But you're risking your life here

for an insignificant outsider.

Then you tried to denounce your personal relationship with her.

Don't you think trying to hide it makes it more conspicuous?

I know

who you are.

Since you dare to come alone,

you must have thought about how I will deal with you.

Let me ask you something.

Are you the mastermind

of Gongyi Cheng's death?

I think you already have the answer.

I want to hear it from you.

He was too ostentatious in the capital,

arousing the court's vigilance.

If I hadn't killed him,

everything we'd been working hard for all these years

would have been ruined.

I had no choice.

Then why didn't I

hear from you at all

before the battle at Tongzhou?

Now, you're standing in front of me.

Yet you dare to lie to me.

Godfather.

What I'm saying to you

is the honest truth.

There are many people in the capital.

It's not easy to send a message to Jinling.

Besides,

I went to Tongzhou

to sabotage the court's plan.

I almost exposed my identity on the way.

But unfortunately, I couldn't stop them.

However, I'm loyal

as before.

As before?

When I think of it,

you were so eloquent in persuading me

that I allowed you to go back to the capital to set up a trap,

but then you gradually escaped my control.

Xie Wei, don't forget

who forced you to be separated from your mom.

Who tried to kill you at the city gate?

Who spared your life in the fire?

All these years,

I've devoted myself to cultivating you.

But I didn't expect

that I'd have created a great disaster.

Now,

you even ruined

my setup for the State of Yue.

Everything I did in the capital

was for the sake of Jinling.

I'm telling nothing but the truth.

Regarding the State of Yue,

I didn't know it was your setup.

When I found out,

I couldn't turn the tables anymore.

Really?

Fine.

Today, I'll make you

tell the truth.

Stop!

Are you hurt?

Are you really crazy?

You shouldn't have come.

I can't leave you here alone.

It's said that heroes always fall for the beauty.

But unexpectedly,

even someone like you

would sacrifice your life for a woman.

It's my fault

for what has happened.

If you want to punish somebody,

just punish me.

But let her go first.

That won't do.

It wasn't easy to invite her.

How can I just let her go?

Unless...

What do you want me to do?

You know what I want.

Now, Yan's troops are under your control.

People like Yan Mu

won't obey me.

But they obey you.

I want you to persuade Yan Mu to head south

and attack the capital.

This is treason.

You won't do it?

He was just stabbed.

He can't tolerate any more abuse.

Since he's here,

he has me in his heart.

As long as you promise not to hurt him,

I can help you persuade him.

Look.

Miss Jiang

is much more loyal than you.

Xie Wei.

As long as you help me, we're still father and son.

After I take over the throne,

the State of Qian

will still be up to us.

But if you are ungrateful

and forget my favors,

I wonder if Miss Jiang can survive today...

Don't touch her!

Get up.

Okay.

I promise you.

Okay.

You should have done this earlier.

Send Mr. Dujun

and Miss Jiang back to their rooms.

Prepare all the necessities well.

Don't be negligent.

Mr. Dujun.

You can walk around freely here.

No one dares to stop you.

Miss Jiang,

as for you,

just rest in your room obediently.

Don't mess around.

Yes.

I knew it.

You were just acting in front of Lord Pingnan.

With your temper,

you wouldn't kneel and beg for mercy.

It's clear that I can't fight him head-on.

Do I still have to ask for a beating?

Take off your clothes.

♫We made a promise♫

♫Yet we are only left with our memory♫

To apply the medicine.

Who knows how long we have to stay at this dangerous place?

♫Flowers bloom in the street♫

Injuries will inconvenience you.

♫Without you♫

♫Watching the clouds wait anxiously for winter♫

♫Keep the memories slowly♫

♫I've forgotten about the four seasons without you by my side♫

♫Wind blows gently♫

♫The fallen flowers bloom in my heart♫

As long as you don't come,

♫Your whisper under the moonlight sounds beautiful♫

it's useless for them to keep me.

Then, I'll use some dirty tricks

♫Getting closer gently♫

to give the wicked old man some fake news in the capital.

It could have been a blessing in disguise.

♫The season stays in dreamland♫

Not only would I escape from your control,

but I'd also regain my freedom.

♫The snow is very light♫

But look at you.

You came here alone.

♫It doesn't stop even after filling all the cracks in the eaves♫

I don't need your rescue.

Your life is not important.

But what about Lyu Xian, Jian Shu, and the rest?

And Yan's troops.

♫You left in a hurry, leaving traces in the snow♫

What do you want them to do after this?

♫They're about to be erased now♫

You care about me.

You still care about me.

♫Disrupting my expectations♫

Right?

This is not the time for you

to think about that.

♫We made a promise♫

Apply it yourself.

♫Yet we are only left with our memory♫

♫Flowers bloom in the street♫

♫Without you♫

What do you think about

♫Watching the clouds wait anxiously for winter♫

what Lord Pingnan just mentioned?

Are you really going to ask Yan's troops to head south?

♫Keep the memories slowly♫

♫I've forgotten about the four seasons without you by my side♫

I don't believe you came without preparation.

You always have your own plan.

You've always been extremely calculative.

♫We made a promise, yet we are only left with our memory♫

This time, you came to Guiyi alone.

Apart from saving me,

what else do you plan to do?

♫Snow covers the street once more♫

The court must have received news

♫My heart freezes into a cocoon♫

about reviving Yan's troops and fighting with the State of Yue.

The current situation in the court

will only be worse than we think.

♫The seasons repeat ruthlessly♫

I must get rid of Lord Pingnan

♫Stealing my heart slowly♫

before the court makes a decision.

I'll trade his head in for the military merit of the Yan family.

♫I forgot I've never been sure when♫

Only in this way

can we calm His Majesty's anger

and pacify the impeachment from the court.

♫I'll break the cocoon and become a butterfly♫

As the saying goes, "To catch the bandits, first catch the ringleader."

When we were at the border,

we also assumed

that Xue Dingfei's already under Lord Pingnan's control.

I wonder if he has been brought here.

If he is here,

he might be able to help.

What's wrong?

Not only Xue Dingfei,

but Xiao Bao was also arrested.

But Xiao Bao...

was killed by Lord Pingnan.

He did it to protect me

but I failed to protect him.

I will take revenge

for him.

I will.

I knew it.

Although he is suspicious

and afraid of you,

he still values you the most.

No matter how big your mistake is,

he still has to put you in an important position.

Unlike me

nor Xiao Bao,

who can be abandoned at any time.

I will

take revenge for you.

But I need your help.

Help you?

Xiao Bao died.

He died in front of me.

I saw Lord Pingnan's knife

stab into his heart.

If I dare to mess around again,

won't I be the next to die?

Xie Wei.

I'm afraid.

We've known each other for 20 years.

You know,

I just want to live.

Because I've known you for so long,

I know you don't want to live like this.

You want to live a carefree life.

But as long as you're controlled by Lord Pingnan,

you'll not get what you want.

Even if you fear him and obey him,

he can kill you anytime.

Even if he succeeds,

you won't survive.

To be manipulated until death

or to fight for a chance of survival.

You can still make a choice.

[General's Mansion]

Is this really Ju'an's handbook?

He wants to head south from the border

and attack Yizhou, Huangzhou, Qizhou, Yuzhou, and Jinzhou.

Isn't this a rebellion?

Lord Pingnan wants to take control of the world.

This time, Xie Wei went there.

He will do whatever it takes

to force him.

The handwriting in the letter is real.

But what is written in the letter

doesn't seem like something Xie Wei would say.

I'm afraid this is not his intention.

If the five cities fail to defend themselves,

we'll lose our defence in the northwest of the capital.

If Jinling

takes the chance to attack,

the court will be left in isolation.

We can't compromise with them.

But Father,

Ning is still in their hands.

And we have no idea what happened to my brother.

Are we really going to

disregard their safety?

Marquis Yan.

I know the Yan family

has been loyal to the emperor and patriotic for generations.

It is very difficult to make a decision.

But Xie Wei is also a descendant of the Yan family.

He is a loyal person.

He suffered so much pain when he was young

but he never surrendered to anyone.

I believe

this time, he is just pretending to

collude with Lord Pingnan

while waiting for the perfect time.

Don't you trust him?

Father, I know

Xie Wei has a grudge against the royal family

and hates the Xue family.

But he would never

prioritize his personal anger

over the lives

of innocent civilians and soldiers.

How could I not know

about Ju'an's character?

But

the war

is not a trivial matter.

All these years,

Xie Wei has gone through so many life-and-death moments.

But he could solve the crises every time.

Just like when he came to the border this time,

he even dared to use the method of forging the imperial edict.

I have to admit that

although his method was risky,

it worked.

I believe

there will be a way out after this letter.

Are you really going alone?

It's too dangerous.

Lord Pingnan's purpose is still unknown.

But judging from the current situation,

we have to take a risk.

Uncle, don't worry.

I have a plan.

No matter what happens,

I'll resolve it.

Okay.

Do as Ju'an said.

If there is any further correspondence from him,

you must receive them in time.

Among these cities,

there are people we've made connections with in the court before.

If we can persuade them

to surrender without a fight,

it would be the best.

If we have to fight,

we will try to sneak into the city

and capture the commander-in-chief first.

Anyway,

try to minimize

the effect of the war.