Original subtitles

[Go East]

[Episode 24]

[Sifang Pavilion]

Is this not enough?

Of course not.

The Man in White is colluding with the Yanle Embassy.

They're searching for Princess Yanle.

There must be communication between them,

yet we're completely unaware.

There must be

some important clue we've missed.

Bring all the documents

related to the Yanle Embassy.

What's this?

The map of the Yanle Embassy.

[Map of Yanle Embassy]

We've watched the front and back gates of the Yanle Embassy.

Do you remember

that there should be a wall here?

A wall?

Yes,

there should be a wall here.

Why isn't it drawn?

[Yanle Embassy]

Sir, you've repeatedly trespassed into the Yanle Embassy's restricted areas.

There's a limit to my patience.

I always come and go as I please,

whenever I want.

The Yanle Embassy represents Yanle State.

Even if you're Viceroy Long's honored guest,

you have no right to act recklessly in the Yanle Embassy.

Take off your mask.

I never show my true face to others.

What if I insist on seeing it?

Do you want bloodshed in the Yanle Embassy?

You asked me to investigate Ah Shu's identity before.

I sent someone to do it,

but then you sent someone else

disguised as the shoe shop owner's wife

and beat me to it.

You don't trust me, do you?

You're not that special.

I don't trust anyone.

So did you succeed

after taking matters into your own hands?

It failed at the critical moment,

but I already have a new plan.

I'd like to hear the details.

That's confidential.

You ask for my cooperation in everything,

yet you refuse to be honest with me.

What do you take the Yanle Embassy for?

Unless you can guarantee

that there will be no more leaks.

What do you mean?

I've attempted to assassinate Duomi twice.

The first time, he was already in a deadly trap

but suddenly turned his horse and left.

Since then,

I've suspected someone was secretly communicating with him.

That's why I had Duan make a move.

But Duomi was saved again

and Duan died an unnatural death.

Deputy Envoy Kang,

it's hard not to suspect you.

You fail to get things done and then blame it on me.

Even if there's a spy leaking secrets,

couldn't it be one of The Faceless?

It seems Deputy Envoy Kang doesn't trust me either.

Fine, how about this?

We'll search our own people

and see who can find the spy first.

Someone, come.

Yes, sir.

Report Advisor Ma's whereabouts to me.

Yes, sir.

This wall isn't on the map at all.

This wall was built later.

The Yanle Embassy must have

built this wall to hide something.

Let's search.

Hurry!

Man in White.

My Lord, run quickly!

Yuchi Hua! Yuchi Hua!

Are you okay?

Hang in there.

Yuchi Hua!

Don't fall asleep.

Wake up!

Don't fall asleep!

Put me down.

We won't make it to the hospital.

Don't be silly.

You'll be fine.

You'll be alright, I promise.

Master, you can't go in now.

Move aside.

-Master, please calm down. -Move!

Please calm down, Master.

The lady is still unconscious and resting.

She's my only daughter.

Move!

Hua.

Move!

Hua, Hua.

Father's here. Don't be afraid.

From now on,

no one will ever hurt you again.

Hua.

Master.

The poison in her body has been neutralized.

She's out of danger now.

Don't worry anymore.

My dear Hua,

no matter what you've done since childhood,

I've always indulged you.

Now, you've grown up

and you love someone like this,

I also indulged you

and gave him special consideration.

But this man is not worthy of entrusting your life to.

Wang Kunwu.

You can't even protect the girl who loves you.

How dare you talk about avenging your men?

You've disappointed me greatly.

This one is too thick.

This one will do.

Shilan,

if you don't mind,

please take these clothes.

I have too many clothes and can't wear them all.

No need.

You keep them.

You seem troubled.

No, I'm not.

It's obvious that you are.

Don't be discouraged.

If one place doesn't work out, we'll try a few more.

You're so skilled.

You'll definitely find a job.

Alright.

Let's put job hunting aside for today.

I'll take you out for a stroll.

I know all the best places to eat and have fun

in Changle City.

No, that's not appropriate.

Listen to me.

Don't think about anything today.

Give yourself a day off.

We'll continue the search tomorrow.

Let's go.

Come on, hurry up.

Look at this.

It looks like us two.

Bald head.

♫The butterfly in the dream broke its wings♫

♫The flowers are broken and the branches are gone♫

♫Let's travel with the wind♫

♫Who pities me for wandering?♫

♫Although I've travelled a long way♫

♫There's no sign of where my heart lies♫

♫I can't see clearly in the fog♫

♫The rain comes and goes suddenly♫

♫Let's travel with the wind♫

♫Who pities me for wandering?♫

♫The answer is confusing♫

♫It's written by destiny♫

♫As long as we're together♫

♫I'll be fearless of joy and sorrow♫

I'm so tired.

My feet are sore from walking all day.

Thank you, Ah Shu.

You're so good to me.

I should be the one thanking you.

Thank you for coming to Changle,

allowing us to meet again.

You know what?

When I held your hand

and ran with the bamboo dragonfly today,

it reminded me of our childhood.

Those were really good times.

We were carefree.

Yeah.

Too bad we can't go back to those times.

How have you been getting by all these years?

Just like that, I guess.

After you left,

I started learning to weave from my mother

to help with the family expenses.

What about you?

After I left, I headed east.

I followed merchant caravans,

did odd jobs,

and even got robbed.

When I had nothing to eat,

I even stole things.

I almost died in the desert once.

Was it hard for you on the road?

It was alright.

On my journey,

I encountered a sandstorm with the caravan.

It was a close call, but we made it through.

Oh, right.

What about Chubby, Huoligu, Alinge, and the others?

Are they doing well?

They're all doing fine.

It's just that you left without saying goodbye back then.

After you left,

we were all sad for a long time.

I'm sorry.

I left in such a hurry.

I didn't have time to say goodbye to everyone.

But it's good that we've met again.

Let's go to bed early.

I need to look for work tomorrow.

[Yuchi's Mansion]

I don't know if you can hear me or not.

But if you can,

maybe I'll be afraid to say it.

Actually, in my heart,

I've already chosen you.

I never thought

that I, a warrior from the border

who should have been just a passerby in Changle,

would fall for someone...

Nor did I dare hope that someone would love me.

To be honest, I don't know

when I started to love you.

Maybe it was when we first fought,

or perhaps when you called out to your men.

These images

always appear in my mind without realizing.

But whenever I want to linger on them a bit longer,

the figure of the Man in White

appears in my mind involuntarily.

I'm sorry.

It's taken me until now to tell you these things.

If you can wake up,

I hope you can forgive me.

Hurry up.

Hurry up.

What's your name?

Abai'er.

-Look carefully before you stamp. -Where are you from?

From Yanle.

Where are you headed?

To Yueying to sell twilight muslin.

Twilight muslin?

How long are you staying?

About half a month.

Wait a minute.

Didn't you arrive on the 10th of July?

It's been half a month already.

You want to stay another half month?

Not in a hurry to make money, huh?

Sir,

we just arrived yesterday.

That's right.

They're the only merchant caravan

from Yanle selling twilight muslin this month.

Mr. Yuan, you need to drink less.

Your memory isn't as good as it used to be.

No, that's not right.

I couldn't have remembered it wrong.

July 10th of the 22nd year.

Ah Shu has a sister named Ah Shilan.

On the 10th of July,

she arrived in Changle with a Yanle caravan

selling twilight muslin.

I didn't remember it wrong.

I even checked her travel pass.

Let me check.

Wait a moment.

Look.

There was no cloth-selling caravan on July 10th.

What's wrong with him?

Yuan Mo said he wanted to find someone named Ah Shilan.

Manager,

the fabric my sister weaves is both light and durable.

The patterns are different too.

Look, this one is different.

Take a close look at this craftsmanship.

See?

Young lady,

is it you who's looking for work

or is it your sister?

It's my sister looking for work.

She's new here and too shy to speak up.

Manager,

I'm very good at weaving.

An average weaver can weave four zhang a day.

I can weave five zhang

for the same pay as the others.

Yes, hiring my sister is a good deal.

Then, besides weaving,

can you do anything else?

Laundry, cooking, cleaning, sweeping.

I can do all of that.

Then it's thirty wen per day.

Start working today.

Alright.

Wait for me a moment.

Great! You found a job.

I can finally support myself.

Thank you, Ah Shu.

How about this?

You go home and wait for me.

I'll start work first.

I'll go find you when I get back in the evening.

Okay, I'll go home and wait for you.

I'll be waiting for you.

Ah Shu.

Ah—

Why are you here?

I should be the one asking you that.

You hid Ah Shu here?

Hid?

Why would I hide her?

Then why are you looking for her here?

Since Mr. Yu gave the order

to look for Princess Yanle,

you've been weird.

You've been acting sneakily.

You also made Ah Shu move here for no reason.

Now, you're investigating Ah Shilan.

What are you hiding from us?

I don't know what you're talking about.

Yuchi Hua is injured.

We encountered the Man in White

outside the Yanle Embassy.

She was hit by a hidden weapon while protecting me.

She's still unconscious.

How did this happen?

Yuan Mo.

If you consider Yuchi Hua and me as friends,

tell us the truth.

I'm sorry, I...

I kept it from you to protect you.

Really.

Ah Shu...

Ah Shu is actually Princess Yanle.

Thank you.

Next.

Thank you, sir.

Where are you from?

From Dongyuan.

Where are you going?

Yanle.

Thank you, sir.

Next, please.

Where are you from?

Yanle.

Where are you heading?

Nowhere.

If you're not going anywhere, why are you here?

Who are you?

I am Princess Ah Shilan of Yanle.

I've come to seek protection from Yong.

Kunwu,

please keep Ah Shu's matter a secret.

Do you plan to keep this a secret forever?

Being Princess Yanle

will only bring trouble to Ah Shu.

Why not let this title

disappear forever in the desert?

Running away won't solve the problem.

But then you...

Retainer Wang, Yuan Mo,

Mr. Yu is looking for you two everywhere.

What happened?

Princess Yanle has arrived.

You... you mean Princess Yanle?

Yes, that's right. Princess Yanle.

You know this person.

It's that Ah...

You won't let me sneeze now?

You... you just keep it to yourself.

Don't say it out loud.

Right, right, right.

We should keep our voices down.

Who would have thought Ah Shilan was a princess?

Who?

The Ah Shilan you're looking for.

Ah Shilan?

Didn't you say to keep it down?

Mr. Yu.

You're finally here.

There's big trouble, you know?

Where's Princess Yanle?

What Princess Yanle?

Let me tell you,

before her identity is proven,

she's just an ordinary refugee from Yanle.

We don't even know if she gave her real name

and you call her a princess, huh?

Isn't Princess Yanle called Ah Shilan?

When this Princess Yanle disappeared,

she wasn't even a year old.

The king of Yanle hadn't even named her yet.

Let me tell you,

this matter

involves the grudges between Yong and Yanle.

If not handled properly, it could cause conflict between the two states,

or even lead to war.

Yu,

you're wise.

At a time like this,

you're still putting on this act?

So you're saying

that even if Ah Shilan is the real Princess Yanle,

you won't acknowledge it?

How many lives do I have

to dare acknowledge her as the princess on my own?

This matter must be reported to the Ministry of Rites

before any decision can be made.

Then why did you

hurriedly call us over?

My silly boy,

I have to know if this princess

is real or not.

Let me tell you.

She's in the guest house in the back.

No matter what means you use later,

you two must verify her identity for me.

And if you find any information,

don't let anyone know about it.

I'll go to the Ministry of Rites now.

Let's talk when I get back, okay?

Not a day of peace.

Let's go.

Kunwu.

Thank you.

What are you thanking me for?

Thank you for finally knowing how to be flexible.

You didn't tell Yu that Ah Shilan is a fake.

I also have a responsibility to protect Ah Shu.

Let's go.

Let's go meet this Ah Shilan.

Should I call you Ah Shilan,

or Princess?

I am both Ah Shilan and the Princess.

Do you know the punishment for impersonating a princess?

I'm not impersonating anyone.

I am Princess Yanle.

Princess Yanle died in the desert long ago.

How can you possibly be Princess Yanle?

Every word I say is true.

Every word is true?

That's not what you said

at Ah Shu's place a few days ago.

You said you came to Changle

to work.

When we first met,

you obviously didn't believe me.

Why should I have told you the truth?

What about Ah Shu?

You keep saying that she's like your sister.

Why did you lie to her?

I didn't lie to Ah Shu.

The identity of a princess carries too much danger.

I'm still being hunted.

I didn't want to get Ah Shu involved,

so I didn't tell her the truth.

You said you are the princess.

So how did you escape from Yanle Palace?

How did you grow up?

And how did you get to Changle?

I was able to escape safely from the Yanle Palace

thanks to the Sifang Envoy of Yong,

Yuan Hanjing.

The Sifang Envoy and his wife learned of the palace coup.

They risked their lives to take me out of the palace

and handed me over to a minister loyal to my father.

They themselves perished in the desert.

This minister sent me to the countryside

to escape Long Tuqi's pursuit.

Later, the news leaked out,

so I left Yanle.

I wandered the desert for all these years.

I followed caravans and did odd jobs.

I was even robbed.

When I was starving,

I even stole things.

Once I almost died.

Fortunately, the heavens favored me

and I survived.

Finally, I made it out of the desert and came to Changle.

It's quite a touching story.

Too bad I don't believe a word of it.

You two haven't seen my evidence yet.

Why are you so sure I'm an impostor?

What evidence?

I've seen the red butterfly on Ah Shu's foot.

Ah Shilan's is exactly the same.

How did she find out Ah Shu's identity?

Is she impersonating the princess

voluntarily or under someone's orders?

After receiving protection from Yong,

what will her next move be?

Since you have so many questions,

why didn't you ask for clarification earlier?

Didn't Mr. Yu already say

we need to wait for Vice Minister An's instructions?

If I expose her on my own

without approval from the Ministry of Rites,

wouldn't that be against orders?

I think you have your own agenda.

What agenda can I possibly have?

Ah Shu is being hunted

due to being Princess Yanle.

Now that Ah Shilan has come forward herself

and admitted to being Princess Yanle,

Ah Shu will be safe.

You don't want to expose her.

You...

You're right about everything.

Yuan Mo,

you are a member of Sifang Pavilion.

This matter

also concerns the relationship between Yong and Yanle.

You can't only think for Ah Shu.

State affairs

will be decided by the high officials of the Ministry of Rites.

It's not up to a mere clerk of Sifang Pavilion like me

to worry about.

You...

Don't you want to know

Ah Shilan's real purpose for impersonating the princess?

Then let's play along with her act until the end.

It's settled.

Princess Yanle has come to seek protection from Yong.

I have already reported this to the court.

I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts

and come up with a strategy.

The most urgent matter

is to determine whether this princess is real or fake.

If this woman was sent by Yanle

deliberately to test us,

rashly acknowledging her would lead to endless troubles.

In my opinion, regardless of whether she's real or fake,

Yong should refuse to acknowledge her.

We might as well hand this case over to Jingzhao Prefecture

and close it as a common fraud case.

This way, we can avoid

direct conflict between Yong and Yanle.

Seventeen years ago,

Sifang Envoy Yuan Hanjing and his wife

died in the desert to protect

the infant Princess Yanle.

Seventeen years later,

Yong is actually refusing to acknowledge Princess Yanle.

Hanjing,

you truly died in vain.

In my opinion,

we should ask Yanle to verify this woman's identity.

If Yanle says she's real,

we'll treat her as the real princess.

If Yanle says she's fake,

we'll punish her as an impostor.

Let me ask you this.

If Yanle knows she's the real princess

but refuses to acknowledge her,

then after Yong lowers our guard

and they kidnap the real princess back to Yanle,

what should we do?

Well...

This woman's background is unclear

and the authenticity of her identity is hard to determine.

The Ministry of Rites should not get involved at this time

to avoid being exploited by those with ulterior motives.

I think this matter

should be temporarily handled by Sifang Pavilion.

We'll make a final decision after investigating the truth about this woman.

-Yes. -Yes.

After all this discussion,

why is it thrown back to me?

Vice Minister An?

Vice Minister An.

Ah Shu.

Yuan Mo.

Wang.

Princess.

You've kept us in the dark for so long.

He knows everything now.

He stopped me at home.

I'm sorry, Wang.

I had no choice but to keep it from you before.

It's not your fault.

I know what you've been through.

No one else

would've admitted to being Princess Yanle either.

You've been very brave.

Thank you, Wang.

What about Ah Shilan?

You know about that too?

It's all over the streets now.

They're saying she's Princess Yanle.

I need to see her.

Now is not the time.

The guesthouse.

Thank you.

Wang Kunwu, you...

What's meant to happen will always happen.

That may be true,

but don't say I didn't warn you.

If you let them meet,

things will get out of hand and there'll be no turning back.

You said yourself that the show must go on.

Besides, I'm curious to see

how this fake princess

will handle the real one.

Ah Shu.

Why are you impersonating as the princess?

I'm not impersonating anyone.

I am the princess.

Why are you lying?

We grew up together.

Why do you have the red butterfly on your ankle?

That's the totem of my mother's clan,

the royal family's mark.

I've had it since I was little.

You're still lying to me.

I treated you like my own sister.

You said I'm lying to you.

Why are you so sure I'm lying?

You don't need to show me this.

If I hadn't seen it before,

I wouldn't have been able to draw it so accurately.

You've known my identity all along.

So are you taking my place for my sake,

or do you have other motives?

Is someone forcing you to do this?

None of that. Stop guessing.

Then why are you doing this?

Ah Shu,

you must remember what I'm about to say.

Never let anyone see

the mark on your ankle again.

The Faceless are looking for you everywhere.

They want to kill you.

The only way for you to survive in Yong now

is for me to become you.

But...

Why are you suddenly doing all this for me?

Sit down first.

Sit.

If you hadn't forced me today,

I would have taken these words to my grave.

Do you remember the uncle

who brought you to Huangsha Village?

He told me all of this.

He also ordered me to do this.

Now, as long as Yong acknowledges me as the princess,

I can get Yong's protection.

Meanwhile, you won't have to worry about your identity being exposed anymore.

You can live freely

under the name of Ah Shu.

Although that Yuan doesn't trust me,

I can tell

that he genuinely cares about you.

He also doesn't want

anyone to know your identity.

But do you know

what you'll face after becoming Princess Yanle?

Why are you so silly?

None of that matters.

Doing this is good for Yanle too.

That's enough.

Uncle should have told me about this earlier,

or at least consulted with me.

But I've never had a chance to meet him.

I won't have many chances to meet him in the future either.

But trust me.

It's safer for him not to meet.

Ah Shilan.

It's alright.

Is this for me?

I bought it in the West Market this afternoon.

It's beautiful. I love it.

Thank you.

Ah Shu,

that uncle of yours...

I'm sorry, Wang,

I've sworn

never to reveal his identity.

I actually hope what she said is true.

That way, you can be at ease

and just be our little Ah Shu.

Who cares about being a princess or not?

It's not as simple as you think.

What Ah Shilan did

has put herself in a precarious position.

The relationship between Yong and Yanle

will suddenly become tense because of her.

Is it that serious?

Yes, it is.

Yong will have to consider

whether to recognize Ah Shilan

as Princess Yanle or not,

while Yanle will have to decide

whether to continue hunting

this Princess Yanle whose identity has been exposed or not.

Either way, the situation for both sides will change dramatically.

It's possible that by now, the people of Yanle

already know that Ah Shilan has come seeking refuge.

We need to come up with a plan.

Don't worry, Ah Shu.

Rest assured and go back.

Leave the rest to us.

Go on.

Everyone's here?

Mr. Yu, what did the Ministry of Rites say?

What else could they say?

They've just kicked the ball back to us.

You two, tell me,

did you find out anything?

Apart from the tattoo on her foot,

there's no other evidence to prove her identity.

So you're saying

she's likely an impostor?

Not necessarily.

I mean, she knows my father's name

and knows the details

of how my father saved Princess Yanle back then.

I don't think we can hastily conclude

that she's a fake.

You basically said nothing.

Let me tell you,

the Ministry of Rites has ordered

that we must get to the bottom of this.

Alright, everyone, sit down.

Let's discuss what to do next.

Mr. Yu,

I believe

that regardless of whether this Princess Yanle's identity is real or fake,

Yong should acknowledge her.

Why is that?

For Yong,

who the real Princess Yanle is doesn't matter.

The important thing is whether she can be of use to us.

The people of Yanle despise Long Tuqi for staging a military coup.

They all hope for the restoration of the former king's bloodline.

And Princess Yanle

is the pawn to check Long Tuqi's power.

Even if Yong doesn't do nothing,

Long Tuqi will still be wary.

You're treating Princess Yanle as a pawn.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Some sacrifices are unavoidable.

What if she refuses to be used by us?

She's on Yong territory,

seeking our protection.

When under someone's roof,

she has no choice but to lower her head.

Let's not discuss whether this plan is feasible or not.

Just acknowledging her as Princess Yanle

is beyond the Sifang Pavilion's authority.

Xiuyi,

is there any other way?

Then let's settle for the next best thing.

We don't have to acknowledge her title as princess,

but we'll treat her as one in practice.

What do you mean?

In name,

she's just a woman from Yanle who came to Changle

to seek a living.

But in terms of food, clothing, housing, transportation, servants, and etiquette,

everything will be provided as if she were a princess.

This way, Yong will have room to maneuver.

If Long Tuqi has ill intentions,

we can acknowledge her identity as a princess

to provoke internal conflicts in Yanle.

If Long Tuqi behaves himself,

we'll stay put.

Even if her identity

is proven false one day,

we can simply charge her with a crime.

We would have only

lost some money, that's all.

Impressive.

Retainer An is really sparing no expenses

to exploit her.

If I'm called the scum of humanity,

he should be called the scum of the nation.

Alright, alright.

Stop making sarcastic remarks.

You come up with an idea.

I can't come up with such a rotten idea,

but I must remind everyone

that Ah Shilan publicly sought protection.

This matter must have spread like wildfire already.

Sifang Pavilion

needs to be on guard against any action from Yanle.

The princess has appeared?

Yes,

the news is all over Changle City.

Do you know her name?

It's... it's... Ah Shilan.

Ah Shilan?

Deputy Envoy Kang,

we've been looking for the princess

and now, she suddenly appeared.

Could it be Yong intentionally deceiving us?

It's possible.

Come with me to Sifang Pavilion.

I will verify her authenticity myself.

Yes, sir.

[Sifang Pavilion]

Deputy Envoy Kang.

Why did you come uninvited again?

I'm here to meet Princess Yanle.

Please ask Her Highness to come out

and come back to the Yanle Embassy with me.

Princess Yanle?

What Princess Yanle?

Mr. Yu.

Don't play dumb.

Deputy Envoy Kang,

early this morning,

there was indeed a woman named Ah Shilan

who claimed to be Princess Yanle

and came to Sifang Pavilion seeking refuge,

but I have already persuaded her to leave.

Persuaded to leave?

Here's the thing.

Recently, there have been rumors

that Princess Yanle has come to Changle City.

As a result, many eligible young women

are trying to use this opportunity to gain status.

I gave an order

to drive away anyone impersonating the princess.

Whether the princess is an impostor or not

should be determined by Yanle.

How dare Sifang Pavilion act on its own?

If our princess ends up on the streets,

can you bear

this responsibility, Mr. Yu?

Deputy Envoy Kang,

if you don't want the princess to be homeless,

then who was it that left her stranded in the desert

with her fate unknown?

You're being rude.

That's an old matter.

The misunderstandings therein are not for outsiders to discuss.

Mr. Yu,

the princess has always been in Viceroy Long's heart.

[Huaiyuan Hall]

He's mobilizing the entire state to search for her,

wishing to bring her back to Yanle to discuss important matters.

Surely you don't intend to obstruct this?

Mr. Yu,

since Deputy Envoy Kang insists on seeing Princess Yanle,

why don't I

go and bring the princess back?

Go and return quickly.

Yes, sir.