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 30]

You're here.

Are you injured?

It's not serious.

Come on. Have a seat.

The prison is shabby. You'll have to endure it for several days.

I will get you out as soon as possible.

Even as a princess,

you have endured hardships on the border.

So why can't I, as your brother, bear simple meals?

Why did you publicly kill the Grand Chancellor of the Left?

Can't you even tell me the reason?

Anning,

you've done enough for Jing.

Don't get into the troubled waters again.

Listen to me.

Leave the capital as soon as possible.

Go somewhere that makes you happy.

How can I not be concerned about you?

You protected me when we were young.

Now, it's my turn to protect you.

I'm glad to see that you're all grown up.

But being born into the imperial family comes with many constraints.

Not everything can be achieved by effort alone.

I understand you.

But carrying such a heavy secret alone,

I understand even more.

Ye,

we are siblings.

If you wish to confide in someone one day,

I'll always be there for you.

All right.

Go now.

Go.

Anning,

don't do anything against His Majesty.

As the ruler of a nation,

his helplessness is even greater than ours.

Don't worry.

I know what to do.

Ziyuan also hopes that you'll be safe.

So don't let her down.

Han Ye,

why do you always appear every time I have made up my mind

that I'd move on without hesitation?

[Crown Prince's Residence]

So Wen Shuo has been missing for a day and a night?

Yes, he hasn't returned since last night.

If you want to save me,

Wen Shuo has something that might be of use.

First, it's the Grand Chancellor of the Left.

Then, it's Wen Shuo.

Official Luo, you...

Han Ye has always been composed

and adhered to proper conduct since childhood.

What could have been the reason

for him to kill Jiang Yu in front of the public in the capital?

And he did it without a moment's hesitation.

Not to mention, Wen Shuo,

who was always by his side, suddenly disappeared.

There must be a connection between the two incidents.

After Mr. Wen's disappearance,

Qianyue Pavilion led to a thorough search of Ren's Residence and its surroundings.

But he's nowhere to be found.

Han Ye,

the Grand Chancellor of the Left, and Wen Shuo.

Why do I feel

this has something to do with Ziyuan?

[Ren's Residence]

- Young Lady. - How did it go?

It's as you expected.

I did what you said and infiltrated the Residence of the Grand Chancellor of the Left.

I noticed the Grand Chancellor of the Left is really fishy.

To my surprise, I discovered a fake Plum Blossom Agent token.

[Plum]

So it was the Grand Chancellor of the Left.

I thought Gu Yunnian alone was evil.

But I didn't expect an old sly fox

like the Grand Chancellor of the Left to be lurking in the dark.

He was not only sly.

While Gu Yunnian and we were plotting against each other,

he was plotting against us.

Official Luo, it's me, Yuanqin.

What brings you here at this late hour?

I might know some clues about the incident involving the Crown Prince and Mr. Wen.

Regarding the Wuliu Street incident back then,

people believed it was Wen Shuo who saved the Crown Prince.

But in reality, it was the Crown Prince who saved Wen Shuo.

But those people went crazy

and attacked me with their swords and knives.

To protect me,

His Highness took the blow for me.

Since you've come looking for me,

I assume you haven't informed Ziyuan about this matter.

Yes.

Then, why did you tell me and hide it from her?

Young Lady has suffered too much these years.

And now, she has finally made up her mind to return to Jingnan.

I don't want to see her getting entangled in the turmoil of the capital.

I believe this is also what you wish.

Don't worry.

I will ensure she returns to Jingnan.

But with you and Yuanshu accompanying her in the future,

it puts my mind at ease.

It's already late. You should return before she gets worried.

Yes, sir.

Official Luo,

Mr. Wen Shuo's whereabouts are still unknown.

I'll leave his safety to you, Official Luo.

Don't worry.

Linlang,

go and investigate what happened to Wen Shuo at Wuliu Street back then.

Yes, sir.

Are you really giving up?

Your Highness, every time I reach this point, I can't make the next move anymore.

You are clearly making it difficult for me.

If you don't want to lose, fight for it.

If you give up like this, will you be truly content?

Your Highness, I'll move the weiqi piece there.

I lost.

Your move appears reckless, breaking into my setup.

But it's a grand and decisive move.

Not bad.

Your Highness, you taught me before.

In battle, when we're on the brink of defeat,

we must increase our men's morale to fight to the death.

We must not fear death or failure, and only then can we achieve victory.

I must find a way to escape.

Sir.

How did the investigation go?

We still haven't found Mr. Wen.

But we found out about something else.

About the incident at Wuliu Street that year,

it was the Crown Prince who masterminded it.

It was not a coincidental encounter as Yuanqin mentioned.

Actually, there has always been one thing that puzzled me.

The Crown Prince is somewhat distant from everyone else.

But he treats Wen Shuo really differently.

He plays the role of an older brother and a father and holds him dearly.

You're right.

Even so,

what does this have to do with the Grand Chancellor of the Left?

Why did Han Ye have to kill him?

[Yuchen Hall]

Greetings, Your Majesty.

Please take care of your health, Your Majesty.

Both of you and your brother

behave more reckless than the other.

How am I supposed to take care of my health?

I know why you're here.

But it's no use pleading with me when it comes to this matter.

He killed someone in public. And a high-ranking official of the court at that.

Even I cannot disregard the laws of the country for this.

Your Majesty, you know Ye's character the best.

Everything he does is for Jing and the people.

He would never wantonly take an innocent life or spare a treacherous person.

The Grand Chancellor of the Left must have committed something grievous

for him to take such an action.

How can I not know what he's like?

He's my only Crown Prince.

I have invested so much effort and care in him.

Come and have a seat.

Anning,

look at that.

All those petitions are from the ministers,

demanding severe punishment for the Crown Prince.

If I were to let him off lightly,

it would be hard to quell the discontentment of the people.

Unless he truthfully explains what happened

and gives a reasonable explanation,

even if I do protect him,

it will be difficult for him to win the trust of the people

or make them submit when he succeeds the throne.

Anning.

Even as the ruler,

there are things that I can't do.

Do you understand?

I understand.

It was my willfulness

that forced Grandmother to her death,

put you in a difficult position, and led to Ye's imprisonment.

I am an unfilial child.

Anning,

you're not unfilial.

It's not your fault either.

You were born into this imperial family.

So there are too many things beyond your control.

For so many years,

I may scold you

for whatever you've done.

But I never stopped you. That's because I wanted you

to be the happiest one

in this imperial family.

But I never expected that in the end,

you have carried the most burden.

Anning,

remember.

Regardless of what's happening in the capital,

you've been guarding the border for so many years

to protect the country and the people.

You,

Anning, are the pride of Jing and me.

[Ren's Residence]

[Plum]

It seems your previous concern about the Grand Chancellor of the Left was right.

He was the one who attempted to assassinate Han Zhongyuan at the palace's banquet.

Yes,

and he was also the one who orchestrated the assassination attempt

on you and Han Ye at Huayuan Mountain.

It's a pity that Gu Yunnian, who had been clever his entire life,

probably never knew

he had been a pawn in someone else's plot.

Speaking of this, assassinating the Emperor is already a capital offense.

If he reveals the truth to the world,

Han Ye killing him will be justified,

and there's no need to go through all this trouble.

You always say Han Ye's matters don't concern you.

But deep down, you still care about him.

I simply don't want these treacherous people

to have control of the court.

As long as these corrupt officials remain,

the people will never have peace.

You're starting to sound more and more like him.

According to Qianyue Pavilion's investigation,

most of the crimes that Gu Yunnian committed

were orchestrated by the Grand Chancellor of the Left,

who was using Gu Yunnian as a tool to kill.

No wonder.

That explains

why we couldn't find clear evidence before.

The problems all led to the Grand Chancellor of the Left.

If this is the case,

Han Ye could have presented the evidence directly to Han Zhongyuan.

Why did he have to kill people in public?

Ziyuan,

let the Ministry of Justice handle this. So don't concern yourself with this.

I've heard

many officials in the court want to impeach the Crown Prince.

Don't worry.

Han Ye won't be alone in the court.

Ziyuan,

I don't want you to get involved in this matter.

Of course, this is Han Ye's wish too.

Your master was killed on the street.

You can't even watch a kid? Are you all that useless?

Your Highness, we have no one to lead us now.

The only person we can trust in this capital is you.

After the death of the Grand Chancellor of the Left,

many of our plans will be disrupted.

It seems that Luo Mingxi and Ren Anle have discovered something.

Our identities will be exposed soon.

The Crown Prince's public killing is an unheard-of event.

Han Zhongyuan is probably having a headache in trying to suppress it.

Your Highness, rest assured.

Our people will continue to submit memorials, urging severe punishment for the Crown Prince.

Spread the news

that the Crown Prince killed for the sake of the Di family.

We must drive Han Zhongyuan into a corner.

This way, the court of Jing will be even more chaotic.

Yes, Your Highness.

[Yuchen Hall]

Everyone is pushing me. I've had it with these memorials!

Your Majesty, please calm down.

Don't let this hurt your health.

The Crown Prince was too impulsive.

Look what happened now. The court is in chaos.

Some want me to punish him, while some want me to protect him.

It's tiring to see them argue all day long!

Your Majesty, have some tea.

I don't care what motive the Crown Prince has.

He shouldn't have killed Jiang Yu in front of everyone like that.

Now look at what happened.

Even if I want to protect him, I can't do anything now!

Your Majesty, all the officials are requesting your fair judgment.

Fair judgment, you say?

These officials

can only see the law before them but fail to see the bigger picture.

I have only one Crown Prince,

and Jing has only this one heir to the throne.

How can the case be handled like it's an ordinary case?

Your Majesty, Official Luo Mingxi is actively investigating this case.

Official Luo found the assassination attempts on New Year's Eve and at Huayuan Mountain

[The Crown Prince's conduct has a reason] were plotted by the Grand Chancellor of the Left.

[Luo Mingxi, Minister of Justice] It turns out the rumors

of the Grand Chancellor of the Left's treason are true.

In this case,

the Crown Prince killing Jiang Yu in public

is reasonable.

Yes, Your Majesty.

What did the officials say?

Some of the officials expressed their agreement,

while some think that if we handle this matter lightly,

it'll set a precedent.

Then, if someone kills anyone

and regards it as a punishment for treason,

Jing will be in chaos.

They have a point.

Even if Jiang Yu is guilty,

he should be judged by the Three Monitoring Offices.

Moreover, the Crown Prince is in charge of the Three Judicial Offices.

He should not break the law or act beyond the limits.

Relying solely on Luo Mingxi's testimony

won't be enough to quell the public's doubts.

Your Majesty,

it's also rumored

that the Crown Prince killed the Grand Chancellor of the Left himself

because of the Di family.

[Di] This incident has caused quite a stir in the city.

People can't help but talk about it.

Convey my order

and tell Luo Mingxi to continue his investigation.

Once he finds solid evidence,

report it back to me.

Yes, Your Majesty.

[Lingxiang Pleasure House]

Sir, it's time for your acupuncture.

I'll do it after I return. I'm going out.

Where are you going?

The ministers are pressuring Han Zhongyuan

to find all the evidence of the Grand Chancellor of the Left's treason

and the Crown Prince's motive for killing him within three days.

There is concrete evidence of the Grand Chancellor of the Left's treason.

The Crown Prince has earned the trust of His Majesty

and has gained the favor of the officials.

Why would there be officials remonstrating at this time?

Those were once influenced by the Grand Chancellor of the Left.

But for them to speak up now,

there must be someone instigating them.

Perhaps this person is the one hiding in the shadows

and leveraging the power of the Grand Chancellor of the Left.

Wait for my return.

[Yuanshui Pavilion]

What are you doing here?

I'm here

to ask you questions about the Grand Chancellor of the Left.

No need to be nervous. I'm not here to settle scores with you.

I don't care about your involvement with the Grand Chancellor of the Left

in the assassination attempts.

I'm here to ask

about all your interactions with him, including the inconspicuous details.

I want you to tell me everything.

But why should I tell you?

If you tell me, I'll tell you

where you are from.

Do you think

I'm that curious?

You're a nobody now.

"When birds are tired of flying, they return to the forest.

When foxes die, their heads face the direction of their homes."

Don't you want to know about your home?

I'll tell you.

[Ren's Residence]

Young Lady, at least, have some tea.

Yuanqin,

let's go and meet Luo Mingxi.

Young Lady.

Yuanqin,

do you still remember the candidate the Grand Chancellor of the Left recommended

for the Crown Princess selection?

It was the Princess of Northern Qin.

Young Lady, are you saying the Grand Chancellor of the Left is...

The Grand Chancellor of the Left, Jiang Yu, is somehow related to the Northern Qin.

Now, there's evidence of the Grand Chancellor of the Left's treason.

But how is he related to Wen Shuo?

What secrets does Wen Shuo hold?

Regarding the Wuliu Street incident back then,

people believed it was Wen Shuo who saved the Crown Prince.

But in reality, it was the Crown Prince who saved Wen Shuo.

About the incident at Wuliu Street that year,

it was the Crown Prince who masterminded it.

The Crown Prince is somewhat distant from everyone else.

But he treats Wen Shuo differently.

He plays the role of an older brother and a father

and holds him dearly.

Why did the Crown Prince purposely arrange

to bring Wen Shuo into his residence?

The Grand Chancellor of the Left wanted to use my identity as the Di family's descendant

to get in touch with the old servants of the Di family.

Descendant of the Di family?

Wen Shuo?

I say this one last time.

Release him.

Han Ye,

if you want to destroy me,

I'll drag the Di family to hell with me.

I dare you!

Wen Shuo from ten years ago

was him?

That can't be.

[Ren's Residence]

- Wen Shuo! - Wen Shuo!

- Wen Shuo! - Anle.

- What happened to you? - Anle...

I'll go and find a physician!

Wen Shuo.

Anle. I...

Don't say anything. Let's talk inside.

All right.

It turns out that Han Ye had turned the biggest impossibility back then

into a possibility.

Wen Shuo,

are you feeling better now? Are you all right?

I'm fine.

Do you know who kidnapped you?

All I know

is those people were dressed similarly to the ones

who pretended to be Plum Blossom Agents in the woods that day.

Anle,

they're the same group of people.

I know.

Let me take care of this matter. You don't need to get involved.

Anle,

I heard people talking on the streets

that His Highness killed the Grand Chancellor of the Left.

And now, he's being imprisoned.

Many officials are asking His Majesty to depose His Highness.

Is this true?

Luo Mingxi is already investigating it.

You don't need to worry. His Highness will return safely.

Trust me.

You just need to focus on recuperating and wait for His Highness's return.

All right.

Get some rest. Come on. Let me help you lie down.

Mingxi, I suspect the Grand Chancellor of the Left conspired with Northern Qin.

I've sent Yuanshu to inform Linlang.

Well done.

I hope the evidence she finds can help Han Ye come out unscathed.

We don't have much time left.

Sir. Official Ren,

we dispatched people to the archive

to check the Grand Chancellor of the Left's official appointment letter

and interrogated his close servant.

We found out he rose to power in the Northwest borderlands.

It took him 20 years to climb the ranks because the Founding Emperor recruited talents widely.

His mother was actually from Northern Qin.

I'll search the Residence of the Grand Chancellor of the Left.

I'm sure we'll find some information on his conspiracy with the Northern Qin.

Take good care of Wen Shuo.

Han Ye,

we'll definitely get you out of prison.

What happened?

Luo Mingxi raided the Residence of the Grand Chancellor of the Left

and found a lot of things during the search. That includes...

That includes the intelligence we obtained from the Northwest.

So, if that's the case, it means Luo Mingxi can claim to everyone

that the Grand Chancellor of the Left was leaking information at that time.

And the reason the Crown Prince killed him on the street

was to prevent the information from leaking out.

They have managed to turn things in their favor.

Since his identity is already exposed,

we have to abort the plan to use the former Di's servants.

Go and handle the aftermath. Tell our men not to act rashly.

- Yes, Your Highness. - Also,

gather all the pieces of intelligence we've obtained and deliver them back to Northern Qin.

We'll launch the uprising in the Northwest ahead of time.

Yes, Your Highness.

[By Luo Mingxi, Minister of Justice] Official Luo has already confirmed

that Jiang Yu's mother is from the Northern Qin

and Jiang Yu is a spy from Northern Qin.

Over the years,

he had been conspiring with the Northern Qin

and leaking Jing's confidential information multiple times.

The Crown Prince knew about this.

That's why he publicly killed Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu's actions

had caused great harm to Jing over the years.

His crime is truly heinous and grave.

Even his death is not enough to atone for his crime!

Your Majesty, please calm down.

Jiang Yu deserved to die for his crimes.

And the Crown Prince did a righteous act by killing a traitor

and safeguarding the country's interests.

The Crown Prince is innocent and has rendered meritorious deeds.

- Zhao Fu. - Yes, Your Majesty.

Convey my order to release the Crown Prince

and submit the evidence of Jiang Yu's crimes

to the Court of Judicial Review.

Issue the imperial decree as soon as possible and inform the people.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Wait.

Convey my oral decree to Anning to investigate the military situation in the Northwest border.

Yes, Your Majesty.

[Prison]

Your Highness!

Ye.

Your Highness, you must have suffered.

Do you crave anything? I'll make them for you at the residence.

I'm all right.

How can you say that when you've lost so much weight?

I'm really fine.

But you,

I heard you escaped on your own.

Little brat, my teachings didn't go in vain.

Of course, I grew up beside you.

What's wrong?

Nothing. Let's go.

These days, you've been exhausting yourself

over the Crown Prince's matters.

The things I've done are nothing compared to what Han Ye did for Ziyuan back then.

Why belittle yourself like this?

Back then, it was you who saved Miss Di from imprisonment in Dai Mountain.

It was also you who paved the way for her to the capital for the past ten years.

But ten years ago,

when the imperial decree was issued to execute the Di family,

everyone's eyes were on the Crown Prince's Residence.

Because with just one imperial decree,

the Crown Prince saved the orphaned girl of the Di family.

It was a high-profile incident,

and anything he did would attract attention.

But even so,

he still did it.

I remember the rumors at the time saying

that Di Jinyan died from illness in the Crown Prince's Residence.

That's right.

But one year later,

Han Ye made a dead person come back to life.

And he even kept him by his side in front of the whole world.

I can't be compared

to his strategies and courage.

But you also turned Di Cheng'en into Di Ziyuan back then.

That's different.

I couldn't do what he did,

bringing back a dead person to life.

Thinking about it,

when the Crown Prince saved Wen Shuo back then,

he was only in his teens.

Yes,

and at that young age,

he had already done so much for Ziyuan.

Your Highness.

Your Highness, eat this quickly.

I'm sure you didn't eat well while you were in prison.

You must eat more.

It looks like although you were kidnapped by bad guys,

you were still concerned about improving your cooking skills.

No, I wasn't. I was clearly concerned about you.

Your Highness, have some hot tea.

I've spent hours simmering this chicken soup.

Try it.

I was only locked up for several days.

You're overly caring.

Your Highness.

You may be locked up for several days.

But to me,

it felt like years.

If it weren't for me...

If Jiang Yu hadn't kidnapped me, you wouldn't have killed him on the street.

This matter has nothing to do with you.

Before you were kidnapped, I obtained evidence

of the Grand Chancellor of the Left's crimes from Luo Mingxi.

He captured you to control me.

But since he had involved himself with the Northwestern Army,

I must eliminate him.

That day,

I was captured

and confined in a small room.

I could hear, but I was gagged.

I could move, but I couldn't leave.

At that time, I really thought

I was going to die there.

When my thoughts started getting blurry,

I thought of you.

I may be an orphan.

But I never thought I was alone in this world.

You taught me and raised me.

You protected and nurtured me.

I will remember everything you've done for me.

I am deeply grateful to you from the bottom of my heart.

Silly kid,

why are you saying all this?

Your Highness,

I just wanted to say,

please don't let anything happen to you,

especially because of me.

Or else I'll feel guilty for the rest of my life.

Enough said. Your Highness, please eat.

I'll serve them for you.

The dishes are still hot and fresh. This one too.

And this. Try them out.

Ziyuan,

Jinyan has grown up

and is doing well.

Please rest assured.

Once I find a suitable opportunity,

I will hand him over to you.

Linlang,

I still haven't told Ziyuan that Wen Shuo

is Di Jinyan.

I'm sure you did it for a reason.

It was nothing but my selfishness

because I was afraid.

I was afraid that once...

she knew what Han Ye has done for her over the years,

she would find it even harder to let go.

[Residence of the Princess]

General.

Lengbei,

why do you look distracted?

I was just thinking

now that the matter with the Crown Prince has been resolved successfully,

you can finally be at ease.

Yes,

Ye is now safe.

I can also return to the Northwest with peace of mind.

But when I think of Jiang Yu,

who caused so much trouble in Jing over the years,

it feels like a thorn in my side.

The Northern Qin dared to infiltrate our court,

and who knows,

they might have even planted spies right under my nose.

I will immediately investigate the remnants of the Grand Chancellor of the Left in the capital.

We must not let people from Northern Qin have any opportunities to strike again.

With Ye and Official Luo in the capital,

I don't have to worry about that.

But I can't delay my return to the Northwest anymore.

Once we've returned,

you must thoroughly investigate the military camps.

Don't spare any one of them.

Yes.

I'm returning to the Northwest.

Ziyuan is also going back to Jingnan.

We'll be separated from now on again.

Lengbei, so much has happened these days.

You didn't even come to see me. I've been worried sick.

Lengbei,

is the Crown Prince safe now?

He's fine.

I'm glad to hear that.

By the way,

was the Grand Chancellor of the Left really from Northern Qin?

Since he was killed by the Crown Prince in public,

would I... Would I be chased out of the capital too?

♫ 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? ♫