Original subtitles

♫ By the riverside ♫

♫ I sow a seed of karma ♫

♫ Forlorn fates intertwine ♫

♫ Written in the stars ♫

♫ Should your passion smolder out ♫

♫ Will you give up on your ideal world? ♫

♫ Our past can only be entrusted to memories ♫

♫ I'm mooning over you ♫

♫ Amidst loneliness ♫

♫ Berthed in sleepless nights ♫

♫ You're my desire ♫

♫ That teems underneath ♫

♫ I'm drowned in your beautiful eyes ♫

♫ I'm mooning over you ♫

♫ Next to the Three-life Stone ♫

♫ I cross the Bridge of Forgetfulness ♫

♫ Gazing at moonlit nights ♫

♫ The moon appears brighter because of you ♫

♫ Leaning against the tower, it returns my gaze ♫

♫ Gazing at moonlit nights ♫

♫ The moon appears brighter because of you ♫

♫ Leaning against the tower, it returns my gaze ♫

[The Legend of Anle] [Adapted from a novel by Xing Ling]

[Episode 20]

[Ren's Residence]

First the metropolitan exam cheating case, then came the flood in Jiangnan.

After countless efforts, we can finally overthrow the evil Marquis Zhongyi.

A vermin never dies easily.

Is Zhong's familicide enough to do him in?

The sword left from the assassination attempt

during the imperial banquet is a curious one.

If my theory is right,

this great pest shall no longer exist

and peace will be restored to the Jing State.

Come on.

A toast.

Your Highness.

Your Highness, Princess Anning came

and wishes to speak with you.

Please excuse me.

Peace will not be restored that easily

by eliminating Gu Yunnian alone.

Han Ye, who lives a sheltered life in the palace,

is naive to think that way.

Yet, he has a strong sense of justice.

He defends the common interest

and cares for his subjects.

Maybe what peace needs is a wise ruler like him.

[Crown Prince's Residence]

[Northern Qin, Qingnan City]

Anning, you wanted to see me?

Ye.

Please protect the whistleblower, Zhong Hai.

He is an innocent citizen.

Our laws will protect him.

But someone might bring harm to him.

You need not worry about Marquis Zhongyi and his henchmen.

He is on his last legs now.

It's not just Marquis Zhongyi.

My subordinate

once found a lotus pendant in Jiangnan.

Di's heraldry was engraved on it.

That subordinate identified

Zhong Hai as the owner of the pendant.

Zhong Hai is the surviving member of the Di Troops?

If someone catches wind of this,

he will be in great danger.

Anning, did you know

that someone

was investigating Zhong Hai's whereabouts when Jiangnan was flooded?

- Who? - Ren Anle.

[Lingxiang Pleasure House]

A certain individual

can exculpate the Di family.

Who?

A staff member who worked for the Dis or the official in charge?

Neither.

It's Anning.

I already told you not to involve Anning.

- She was away... - She wasn't away from the capital.

She must have overheard what she shouldn't.

No wonder...

No wonder she left in a hurry.

And after a decade, she came back a changed woman.

No wonder she panicked when she heard the name,

Di Ziyuan.

80,000 soldiers.

All died in Qingnan Mountain.

I cannot bring myself

to face anything

in the Residence of Marquis Jing'an.

I see now.

She is guilt-ridden.

Will she testify?

I don't think so.

But to make an appeal, we need her testimony.

It seems like I have to talk to her.

Why was Anle looking for Zhong Hai?

[Ren's Residence]

How did I end up here?

Why is she visiting a mass grave?

Young Lady,

this is where the young lord was buried.

[Grave of Di Jinyan]

Let's relocate the young lord.

This place

is too lonely for him.

Dust to dust.

Ash to ash.

Jinyan will stay here.

He's not going anywhere.

Jinyan.

Jinyan.

It must be a common name.

Let's go back, Young Lady.

(Di Jinyan.)

The only son of the Di family.

The younger brother of Ziyuan, Di Jinyan.

Anning, I'm sure she knows about your feelings.

Ren Anle, you know what?

You look just like an old friend of mine.

Sometimes, I even think that you

are Di Ziyuan.

Anle.

So you are...

You are...

And I...

Sorry,

Anning.

Who would have thought

that you were aware of everything?

This book contains the handwriting of Ziyuan's father.

Your Highness, you owe me a favor anyway.

Why don't you give me this book?

To stop the war, Di Shengtian gave half of her power

to the Han family.

If she could see the prosperity today,

she would definitely think that she made the right choice.

But, Your Highness, has it occurred to you

that maybe, after all these years, Di Ziyuan

has become another person?

I followed you from Jingnan to the capital.

I was even willing to give you 30,000 naval forces as dowry

in exchange for being your Crown Princess.

But you will not shut up about the Di Ziyuan who lives on Dai Mountain.

Can you forget about her and notice me for once?

♫ May one hug be exchanged for one hundred years of loneliness ♫

♫ This is my life's true calling ♫

Your Highness,

I will do my best.

Even if I cannot be your Crown Princess, I will stay close to you.

I want to see for whom your heart is beating.

♫ We ride the waves of life together ♫

There is only one Ren Anle in this world.

If you miss her, then she'll be gone forever.

My name is Ren Anle. I'm here to be your Crown Princess.

If one day I point my blade at you, what will you do?

She's a brave girl from Jingnan.

She wants to be the Crown Princess and seek the Di's descendant.

♫ You are right beside me as we watch the fireworks ♫

I see I have found you.

I just didn't know that you were right beside me.

♫ I see lights in your eyes, oh, my reason for being ♫

♫ If I don't survive this life, I hope fate smiles upon you ♫

Official Ren, you just solved the game.

♫ Right beside you is where I should stay ♫

[Crown Prince's Residence]

Your Highness, I finally found you.

Your Highness? You keep staring at this piece lately.

Once you're in the game, you're trapped forever.

I did everything to protect her,

yet the one she chooses to be with...

isn't me.

Your Highness.

You're about to have a Crown Princess.

It's inappropriate to pine for Anle like this.

Wen Shuo.

Why do you always address her intimately as if she's your sister?

Now that you ask about it... I don't know how to explain it.

Well, when I saw Anle for the very first time,

I felt close to her.

Even your sixth sense is better than mine.

Anyway, don't sulk, Your Highness.

I have great news for you.

It's been confirmed that the sword from the imperial banquet came from the Western Outpost.

Marquis Zhongyi must be behind everything.

I knew it.

Your Highness, where are you going?

To visit Ren An...

The assassin.

[Ren's Residence]

You came to my humble abode

this early, Your Highness.

If he can be here,

why can't I?

Well, I was worried about Official Ren's wound,

so I came to bring her some herbs.

Official Luo, you look more sickly than her.

So please look after yourself first, instead of others.

I suppose Your Highness came here to wish me well.

Well, thank you, Your Highness.

Anyway, don't worry.

My injury is a lot better now.

I'm here for business.

My sources tell me that the assassin from the banquet

came from the Western Outpost.

Marquis Zhongyi might have deployed the assassin.

Didn't His Majesty ask you

to be in charge of the investigation?

What does Official Ren here have anything to do with it?

If the allegation is true,

Marquis Zhongyi will be punished.

Knowing Official Ren's integrity and altruism,

she will want to play a part in ensuring

the eradication of wrongdoers.

Integrity and altruism.

Thank you, Your Highness.

In that case, Official Luo,

let's head to the Western Outpost and arrest the culprit.

Sure.

Wait.

I fetched you the news.

Why are you going with him?

You're about to have a Crown Princess,

so you will be occupied.

You will be overwhelmed by the palace affairs

and will not be available to visit the Western Outpost.

My people can handle the palace affairs.

Official Luo, you shouldn't forget about your own duty either.

All right. If Your Highness is free, let's go together.

Only if you're physically well enough,

Official Luo.

Childish.

My status is at stake.

Please help me, My Lord.

Marquis Zhongyi,

what are you doing here?

Don't say that.

Take a seat.

Zhong Hai's case is still unsolved.

They found out that the assassin on the banquet

came from the Western Outpost.

Someone was trying to frame me for everything that happened in the capital.

Oh, no.

Marquis Zhongyi.

If you may clarify something,

isn't the Western Outpost under your prerogative?

Exactly.

Someone is using that to frame me.

I didn't send an assassin.

The Crown Prince and Ren Anle are after me.

I can't even see His Majesty now.

I'm at my wit's end.

That's why I have to turn to you.

Help me, My Lord.

Allow me to see His Majesty to explain myself.

I will be indebted to you.

Marquis Zhongyi, please stop.

If possible, I will

put in a good word for you in front of His Majesty.

I will do my best to help.

Thank you, My Lord.

Come on now.

I shall not keep you here.

Safe travel, Marquis.

Di Cheng'en was right.

Ren Anle is indeed a threat.

She managed to make Marquis Zhongyi this desperate.

She has to disappear.

But first,

I need to get rid of Marquis Zhongyi.

Once he's gone,

the Western Outpost will be leaderless.

And when an invasion occurs,

the Jing State will be even more vulnerable.

Messenger!

Yes, Your Highness?

Tell those few officials

that it's time to tighten the noose.

They will understand.

Noted.

[Western Outpost]

The Western Outpost houses the Emperor's Garrison.

Yet someone within it wants to kill the Emperor.

The human mind is unpredictable.

Not everyone in the Emperor's Garrison

thinks the same way.

We just need to see the check-in record to find out

who was absent during the night of the banquet.

And what if the record has been tampered with

and no one was absent?

I fought the assailants that day,

and I stabbed one of them in the arm.

We just have to check if their arm is wounded to identify the assassins.

You can hide your identity,

but you cannot undo your wound.

Even after a long time,

a wound will still leave a scar.

Don't you think so,

Ren Anle?

Of course.

I have my share of scars after all those brawls back in Anle Abode.

When Official Ren fought the pirates in Anle Abode,

a blade pierced through her shoulder.

Fearlessly, she drew her sword and decapitated her foe.

However, she slept for three days due to blood loss.

I wasn't aware of that.

Just a trivial matter. It's nothing.

But now that I'm better informed,

I will not let any harm come your way ever again.

Your Highness, there is no one who can pose a threat to me in the capital yet.

So don't worry.

Your Highness.

You always pay attention to the wrong thing.

You did it before, and you do it now.

[Western Outpost]

[Longxiang Army Headcount]

I found the name list.

You did?

What is this?

Give it to me.

Didn't I give this to you?

You've been carrying it with you?

You loved to retract your weiqi move.

I used to hate it

because for me, that was being frivolous.

But recently, I have come to think

that we can replay a game of weiqi,

but not our life.

Therefore, if we make a mistake,

perhaps we should give ourselves a chance to make amends.

You're sorely mistaken, Your Highness.

I always play weiqi with Official Ren

and she thinks twice before she makes

a move.

That's right, Your Highness. Your memory fails you.

I have never retracted any move.

I guess so.

Now, show me the name list.

Ren Anle.

If you ever find yourself in a pickle again,

come to me.

Don't shoulder the risk alone.

Your Highness, you should let go of your regrets.

You don't need that burden.

No one was absent during the night of the banquet.

And no one has sustained a new injury.

I'm afraid the assassin isn't from this outpost.

It seems like

we have hit another wall.

Marquis Zhongyi can get away with it.

It's okay.

We can always find another eyewitness.

We can drag Marquis Zhongyi down one way or another.

Mercy!

My father is Marquis Zhongyi. Don't kill me.

My father will pay you anything.

I want your life.

Thank you, my savior.

You are Marquis Zhongyi's son?

How do you know?

You said it just now.

Who sent you here? Speak.

Marquis Zhongyi's Residence...

[Marquis Zhongyi's Residence]

You work for my father?

Sorry, Young Master.

The Marquis sent me here

to kill you.

Your father wants to kill you?

Impossible.

This can't be it. Why would my father kill me?

He sent me out of the capital so that I can live.

With those lousy bodyguards of yours?

A father wants his son dead.

That's rough.

But put yourself in your father's shoes.

Sacrificing you is worth it

to keep his forces alive.

He made a tough decision.

Don't be that crestfallen.

Perhaps,

my young lady can help you.

Your Majesty.

You see this?

I only gave Marquis Zhongyi the cold shoulder for a few days,

and the others are treating him like a plague.

What a bunch of bandwagoners.

Calm down, Your Majesty.

These officials

want to earn your favor.

If everyone

only practices opportunism,

peace will be broken soon.

However,

I did glean something useful from these memorials.

Your Majesty,

Gu Qishan is detained by Official Ren.

He pleaded guilty to everything.

So he took the blame

for his father.

What a filial son.

Your Majesty.

Gu Qishan betrayed his father and told us every crime

his father ever committed.

[Marquis Zhongyi's Residence]

My Lord.

Did something happen to Qishan?

It's been a while and we haven't heard from him.

Don't worry, my dear.

My men are escorting him. He'll be safe.

The priority now is to see His Majesty

and clarify everything.

We will then still have a chance.

We can't just rely on the Grand Chancellor of the Left solely.

Be patient, my dear. Let's wait.

Let's wait.

Here, have some tea.

My Lord, the Chancellor wrote.

[To Marquis Zhongyi, Gu Yunnian. Ren Anle wanted to capture Qishan. I saved him.]

Ren Anle sent someone to capture Qishan

to coerce him into testifying against me.

The Grand Chancellor of the Left found out in time

and saved Qishan.

What?

He told me to meet him on Huayuan Mountain tonight to fetch Qishan.

- Li You. - Yes, My Lord?

Prepare the horse carriage.

I'm departing now.

Noted.

My Lord,

I have done everything you told me to.

Marquis Zhongyi is no longer influential.

It's time to put him to rest.

May he rest in peace.

[Yuchen Hall]

Are you here

to talk about Gu Yunnian?

Your Majesty.

Gu Qishan confessed everything.

The cheating chase, the Jiangnan corruption case.

Marquis Zhongyi is the mastermind.

He even manipulated the Crown Princess selection process

so that the nation would lose its peace.

Your Majesty.

The Zhong's case this year

was committed by Gu Qishan.

To save his son, Marquis Zhongyi

set a fire at Wuliu Street,

killing innocent lives in its wake.

Any one of them is an egregious crime.

Marquis Zhongyi might have made some mistakes,

but he is a loyal minister.

Besides,

Zhong Hai's case is still pending investigation.

I cannot jump to conclusions hastily

and convince others to do the same.

Your Majesty.

This is the sword used by the assassin during the banquet.

Western Outpost?

That's right.

I'm sure you know that the Western Outpost answers

directly to Marquis Zhongyi.

Although I haven't identified the assassin,

all evidence points toward Marquis Zhongyi.

For years,

I thought Gu Yunnian was just a man with a giant ego.

But

in the end,

he let me down.

Crown Prince.

I will

put you in charge of this case.

Proceed as you see fit.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Calm down. Calm down, Your Majesty.

I thought he was just a lapdog with a bad temper.

But no. He is a lapdog

who bites the hand that feeds him.

Did the Crown Prince visit the Western Outpost with anyone else?

Your Majesty, he went with Official Ren.

I'm sure Official Ren understood your message

when she received the scabbard.

And she will keep

a professional distance from His Highness.

Another thing,

Official Luo was with them too.

According to the intel from Plum Blossom Agents,

Official Luo met Official Ren by chance

when the latter first arrived at the capital.

I suppose they are close because they have a lot

in common.

A lot in common?

How can a female pirate

and a government official

have a lot in common?

Regardless,

aren't the Crown Prince

and she

very close too?

Keep tabs on them.

Noted.

[Lingxiang Pleasure House]

Linlang brewed this.

It'll heal your wound.

Han Zhongyuan is investigating us?

Yes.

Before you came to the capital, we were strangers.

And now, we're close friends.

Knowing his vigilance,

I didn't expect less.

Right.

His paranoia is the reason

that incident took place.

He even sent in some Plum Blossom Agents here,

but Linlang was smart enough to send them away.

Since

he's already suspecting us,

why don't we make him believe

that we are very close?

Gu Yunnian will be a thing of the past soon.

This game of weiqi will end shortly.

And when that happens,

our identities will be revealed.

After you clear your family's name,

whether you are Di Ziyuan or Ren Anle,

I'll stay by your side.

And then,

we can return to Jingnan to see the Flower of Longing.

Once the dust settles,

Ren Anle will cease to exist.

Only Di Ziyuan remains.

So you want to stay in the capital?

In that case,

I'll bring the seeds of the Flower of Longing here.

We'll plant them in your garden.

But what good does it do?

When taken out of their home environment,

all things change.

Ziyuan.

Have you decided when to reveal your identity

and clear your family's name?

Yes.

Okay.

[Yuanshui Pavilion]

I know you're almost healed,

but please keep yourself warm.

Don't close it.

I want to admire the view.

Look at that bald twig.

Is it sprouting?

It's winter now.

But it looks like

it is sprouting.

After winter comes the blossom.

Its day has come

and no one can stop it.

I told you to invite the Crown Prince over.

Yet you returned alone.

His Highness went to Ren's Residence.

To thank someone, I heard.

Thank someone?

I saved His Majesty.

Why is he thanking Ren Anle?

During the fire on Wuliu Street, His Highness was stuck.

Ren Anle saved him.

Why didn't you tell me earlier?

If I did that, would you take Ren Anle's place and throw yourself to the sea of flame?

Right.

I almost forgot.

You would even take His Majesty's blow.

I guess you are willing to do anything for him.

Mu Qing.

In this pavilion,

I am a caged bird.

If you don't

tell me about the goings-on outside,

I'm no different from a hermit, a recluse.

I stay with you day and night.

But never once have you allowed me to walk into your heart.

Mu Qing.

What are you talking about?

You are my confidante.

I need you to head to Ren's Residence

and tell Official Ren that I'm cured now

and that I want to have a gathering with her.

The wedding of Di Cheng'en

is the perfect occasion.

However...

However, we need more evidence.

But we have no other options.

Everything is in place now.

If you could talk to Anning and...

Forget it.

I already revealed my identity to her.

The choice is hers now.

Official Luo.

Young Lady.

Di Cheng'en sent a messenger, inviting you to her abode.

Di Cheng'en?

Why?

A gathering to celebrate her full recovery.

Either way,

Di Cheng'en is getting bolder.

I dragged her into this.

- I'll meet her. - Be careful.

Anle.

You are too kind for your own good.

[Crown Prince's Residence]

[Di Ziyuan of Guiyuan Pavilion and Han Ye, a rendezvous agreement]

I found these letters from Miss Di's study on Dai Mountain.

I was told that Miss Di's daily task consisted of practicing calligraphy.

This is Ziyuan's handwriting?

But...

If it was her handwriting,

why would she need any practice?

She's not Ziyuan.

Your Highness, one more thing.

Miss Di invited Official Ren to her pavilion.

[Di Ziyuan bode farewell to Han Ye] [Luo Mingxi]

♫ If I bet my all on it desperately ♫

♫ I know my heart will be uneasy ♫

♫ I give up on my light and hide it under a bushel ♫

♫ You're the moon in my heart ♫

♫ I can't dream to own you ♫

♫ But I'm willing to forsake my life for you ♫

♫ I'd go the distance for you ♫

♫ May the light stay with you ♫

♫ Romance aside ♫

♫ I fight for your destiny alongside you ♫

♫ You're my dream from the bygone youth ♫

♫ Arriving at the end of my life ♫

♫ I bear no regrets. But when we reunite in our next life ♫

♫ Will you still remember me? ♫

♫ I've concealed my yearning for you ♫

♫ And guarded your smile ♫

♫ Please don't leave me in oblivion when we part ways ♫

♫ I'd go the distance for you ♫

♫ May the light stay with you ♫

♫ Romance aside ♫

♫ I fight for your destiny alongside you ♫

♫ You're my dream from the bygone youth ♫

♫ Arriving at the end of my life ♫

♫ I bear no regrets. But when we reunite in our next life ♫

♫ Will you still remember me? ♫