Original subtitles

♪If not for you♪

♪I wouldn't have wanted to make a name for myself♪

♪Only when I have your love♪

♪Is my invincibility not in vain♪

♪The towering peaks I've conquered♪

♪Leave me♪

♪Feeling empty♪

♪I've given everything♪

♪Just to follow you♪

♪Through life and death♪

♪Could it be that love♪

♪Is the true end of this life♪

♪Why does every battle♪

♪Bring deeper pain♪

♪I never got it♪

♪You once promised me♪

♪You'd give me ordinary days♪

♪Then I'd rather♪

♪Face blades and fall♪

♪Into your arms instead of the clouds♪

♪I'll pass through layers of fog♪

♪And barriers♪

♪The world's rights and wrongs, wins and losses♪

♪Who's to weigh their worth♪

♪Only love♪

♪Gives me a sky as wide as the sea♪

♪I only want to be your hero♪

=The Prisoner of Beauty=

=Episode 9=

You're home early today.

(Wise Kashyapa Who Governs Eternally)

I am.

To congratulate you.

Why is that?

Do you know

who the Commander of Boya Forces is?

Who is it?

Your brother-in-law.

Bi Zhi.

You must be joking, My Lord.

My brother-in-law is just a stableman.

You really don't know?

Your brother-in-law

is quite remarkable.

He not only

defeated Xue Tai,

but did so more than once.

Really?

I can't believe he pulled that off.

That means Cousin's days ahead

could finally be peaceful.

But then again,

how peaceful can it really be?

He claimed Boya all on his own.

Different factions

will go after him.

But he's just one man, not much power.

My uncle,

wary of your reputation,

won't accept him easily.

Neither of them can go home now.

Typical Qiao. Always defiant.

Were you copying sutras just now?

Yes.

Do you like the armrest I gave you?

I do.

It's made from fresh southern bamboo.

It never feels sticky.

I treasured it too much,

so I hardly dared use it.

It's all right.

It's not that rare, anyway.

This bamboo, though,

it's truly quite fine.

My Lord.

You work so hard every day

and often suffer headaches.

I thought perhaps,

your pillow wasn't comfortable.

So I made you a new one.

(That pattern…)

(What's she trying to imply?)

Did you embroider it?

No.

I asked Chunniang to sew it,

but I picked the fabric myself.

And this pattern…

I…

I just thought

the fabric was so soft.

It must be comfortable for sleep.

Thank you.

Why is he acting so odd today?

He insisted you read and write here.

Wait.

The fabric is of Flourishing Descendants pattern.

Why didn't you tell me?

Flourishing Descendants?

You said it was just soft fabric.

And,

that armrest's jade.

You didn't say that either.

My Lord.

Rest assured, sir.

I've already asked her.

As for this matter,

no matter how bold the Qiao Clan is,

they wouldn't dare raise a flag in Boya.

What did Mrs. Wei say?

You can rest assured.

Bi Zhi may have some skills

and defeated Xue Tai several times,

but the Qiao Clan won't accept him.

He's just

looking for a foothold.

As long as there's no flag,

Boya remains unclaimed.

And since he's fighting Xue Tai,

he poses no threat to us.

Just keep things as they are.

Only a few hundred men?

General,

those hunting in the woods

were very agile.

Not mere servants.

Wei Shao

has intervened in Boya,

dressing his soldiers in plain clothes.

What's his intention?

Luckily, we didn't rush to attack.

He was once Qiao's stableman,

and is Qiao Yue's son-in-law now.

In truth,

he's family to the Wei traitors.

Yanzhou has two such sons-in-law now,

and they're both carving out territory.

We won't engage.

Withdraw the troops.

- Yes. - Yes.

Xue Tai has withdrawn?

That's right.

He left just like that?

My friend,

we owe this to you.

General, you flatter me.

I didn't do much.

Even though Xue Tai has retreated,

we declared ourselves

commander here.

There will be trouble again.

So what should we do?

You drove off the bandits

and have won the people's trust.

Find a hilltop

and raise a command flag.

It'll look like you're asking

for the people's support.

If you do this,

more will follow you,

and fewer will cause trouble.

But what kind of flag?

I only know horses.

That's easy.

I've seen plenty of flags.

Bring a plain piece of cloth.

Xing.

Yes.

But what should we write on it?

We can't write "Zhi" (swine).

A command flag

declares ownership.

If it bears the character "Wei,"

it means this place belongs to Wei.

If trouble arises later,

Wei will have to step in.

If it becomes Wei territory,

wouldn't that cause problems for the Lord of Wei?

Xue Tai is stationed at Xiaogang,

across the river from Boya and Panyi.

This trip

is not for battle,

but to probe.

We can't let others think

that Wei plans to occupy Boya.

Dear, what if

we write your surname,

Qiao?

That's a good idea.

Xing, bring more liquor.

We must thank General Wei Qu.

Yes.

(Qiao)

Ma'am.

General Bi Zhi.

Don't bother.

Take care, General.

Take care.

Hyah.

(Qiao)

You raised the flag for Qiao.

You handled such a big matter

and only brought back some wild game

and sacks of rice?

It was my oversight.

You ordered me

to ensure no one thought

Wei intervened.

But everything was ruined by hesitation.

Looks like all you do is hunt and drink.

After a few drinks,

you've forgotten who you are.

My Lord,

Wei Qu can't be blamed for this.

Who would've thought Qiao was so bold?

They challenged you

over Boya.

Yong.

Sir.

Sir.

- Speak. - My voice...

My Lord,

if anyone's to blame, it's Bi Zhi.

All brawn,

no brains.

Fought so hard for a piece of land,

only to fly

his wife's surname on the flag.

Sounds like a kept man.

Who are you mocking?

My Lord.

We haven't seen it coming.

It's a misunderstanding.

A misunderstanding?

How could things line up so perfectly?

No need for you to tell me.

I know who's behind this.

My Lord,

could it truly be as the advisor said,

that this is Mrs. Wei's doing?

I underestimated her.

You all remember this:

Stay away from the Qiao Clan.

Or you'll be dumb.

- Yes. - Yes.

Yes.

You may all rise.

I can

give up Boya,

but I won't just hand it to Yanzhou.

It was a losing game,

yet she managed to turn it around.

(Xiaogang, Boya)

Send the order:

Attack Xiaogang immediately.

My Lord,

Liangya's army guards Xiaogang.

That land belonged to Wei.

But 14 years ago,

it was taken while we were weak.

Lady Qiao

(Panyi) gave me Panyi without fuss,

(Boya) but secretly let Bi Zhi take Boya.

That gives Yanzhou a new gateway.

So,

keeping troops in Panyi

will be pointless.

To strike back,

we must open

a new front.

Boya and Xiaogang face each other.

(Xiaogang) From there,

we can monitor Bi Zhi closely.

You four,

gather the troops.

Set out for Xiaogang.

- Yes. - Yes.

Wei Qu,

this is your chance to redeem yourself.

Don't waste it.

Understood.

Any other orders?

From today on,

all correspondence from the Qiao Clan

comes through me.

Got it.

I don't think

any of us should get married.

Marriage just turns

into mind games.

Don't count me in.

Only you

could be outwitted by your own kin.

And My Lord, too.

Enough.

My Lady.

What's this?

You're home early today.

These are wild game from Boya.

And this rice too.

Come.

Specially prepared for you.

Cousin sent these?

Yes.

You two share a deep bond,

looking out for each other.

It's truly moving.

But it's not even mealtime yet.

I can't eat these.

You made me shoes,

pillows,

and meals.

This meal

is to thank you.

Dig in.

Try this.

The meat is good.

- My Lord. - It's tasty.

I can't eat that much.

The kitchen made this just for you.

Eat more.

Eat.

He said not to associate with Qiao.

Does that include Xiaotao?

Probably.

Duang,

I heard General Wei Qu is back.

How is Miss Daqiao doing in Boya?

I'm talking to you here.

Duang.

Xiaotao,

can you leave me alone?

My Lord said

to stay away from you people.

Said we might turn dumb.

How does your dumbness

have anything to do with us?

Duang, how is she?

Xiaotao,

I'm truly on official duty now.

We messed up in Boya,

and now we're making up for it.

My Lord is sending troops to Xiaogang.

So please, stop bothering me.

Xiaogang?

I really can't eat more.

Just a bit more.

Look.

The rice is from Boya.

Have some more.

Did you

come here for something?

Not really.

I just wanted to ask you,

what have you been busy with lately?

Needlework and copying sutras.

Besides that?

Studying "The Analects"

and "The Book of Songs."

For example, letters to your cousin?

Just some

daily reminders.

Daily reminders?

Does that include

raising the Qiao flag in Boya?

I only heard him defeated the bandits,

so I gave a few reminders.

Lady Qiao,

how cunning you are.

I don't understand

what you're saying.

Really?

You pretended to care,

made me drop my guard,

then used the box incident

to make me feel guilty.

I couldn't

have planned guilt.

You had to be wrong first

for me to use it.

Exactly. You used that guilt.

Faked deep sibling affection.

Used the konghou to draw my concern.

Right?

Missing my cousin is real.

But your love for music is fake, right?

After all these days,

why does it still sound awful?

Besides,

if you want Boya,

you could've just told me.

Why manipulate my men

to send your letters?

Act all high and mighty

in front of Xue Tai?

No battle fought,

yet the Qiao flag flew over Boya.

My brother-in-law succeeded, huh?

Look at your smug face.

Look in a mirror.

Turns out, I was too naive.

You're a Wei wife in name,

but still a Qiao woman at heart.

He defeated Xue Tai

and helped Wei

get rid of a threat.

Raising the Qiao flag shouldn't be a big deal.

Qiao and Wei are one family.

You won't attack the Qiao Clan, will you?

Or,

the marriage between us

was all for show?

Is that why you stationed troops in Panyi?

I can't out-talk you.

You always win with your words.

Words are all I have here.

Your words drive me mad.

I'm done arguing.

However,

don't think holding a key position

means you can act reckless.

I'll always keep a knife

at Qiao's throat.

Mrs. Wei,

Wei Liang got all mad when he saw me.

Said his lord told him

not to go near the Qiao clan,

or he'd turn dumb.

Can you believe

how ridiculous he was?

But he's not entirely wrong.

Now they're so angry, they're sending out troops.

Where to?

Xiaogang.

Chunniang.

When will Zhang Pu return to Kangjun?

My Lady.

He was ill

after coming to Yujun.

He likely hasn't recovered yet.

Have him come see me.

Yes.

Sir, when you return to Yanzhou,

could you take a detour to Boya

and deliver a message

to my cousin?

I'm still sick.

Can't you just write a letter?

It's of great importance.

You must explain it in person.

Break it down for them.

I see.

Please tell me.

Wei Shao

is attacking Xiaogang today

to pin down Boya.

But in Yanzhou, there's a place

called Liancheng

close to Xiaogang.

If you take the mountain path,

it's a three-day trip.

Tell my cousin,

to have her husband start mining there.

I've marked

the exact spot on this map.

(Yanzhou, Panyi, Liangya, Wei State, Bianzhou)

(Boya)

Mining?

(Wei)

(Wei Shao set his sights on Xiaogang)

(as it's easy to defend and hard to attack.)

(It could be used to pin down Boya.)

(But if we dig)

(a secret tunnel here,)

(Yanzhou's troops)

(could reach Xiaogang within half a day.)

(In that case,)

(Xiaogang would be firmly in Yanzhou's grasp.)

Lady Xu,

Mrs. Wei is here.

Grandmother.

Did you see him off?

I did.

Have a seat.

Do you play Go?

Yes.

But I'm not skilled.

It's an art to be learned.

Beginners often focus

on capturing more pieces,

trying to wipe out the opponent.

And they lose because of it.

To win,

you have to yield a little.

But knowing how much to yield

takes judgment.

If both sides press too hard,

it ends

in a stalemate.

There may still be a winner,

but the board

looks ugly.

I will remember your words.

Do you think

I was talking about the game?

It was about marriage.

My Lord and I are not enemies,

but allies.

Still, maybe

I'm not good at Go.

I used to see him off to war.

Now you do.

That's a wife's duty.

I'm pleased.

But what I really hope is:

From now on,

Zhonglin will

no longer go to war.

Do you know

what that means?

I understand.

Back then,

when your grandfather proposed,

he wrote me a letter,

confessing his past wrongs.

I resented your grandfather.

His betrayal

cost me my husband,

my son,

and my grandson.

But the dead can't come back.

Even if I wipe out the Qiao Clan,

would it ease our scars from the past

and the pain in our hearts

even a little?

But if

your marriage with Zhonglin

could resolve this hatred

and help him

let go of his obsessions,

so he no longer

spends his life in mourning,

what more

could I ask for?

Grandmother,

I've let you down.

It's all right.

Everything takes time.

Let's take it slow.

(Two Months Later)

(Government Office) The Lord has returned.

The Lord has returned.

The Lord has returned.

The Lord has returned.

The Lord has returned.

The Lord has returned.

(Government Office)

My Lord, we claimed a great victory at Xiaogang.

We gave Liu Yan of Liangya a strong warning.

It truly lifts everyone's spirits.

How many times must I tell you?

Never judge by appearances alone.

Stationing troops at Xiaogang

isn't only about intimidating Liangya.

Besides reinforcing Xiaogang,

I have four more

tasks for you.

Yes.

First:

Increase patrols

along the Xiaogang-Liangya border.

You are wise and decisive.

Liangya has always eyed us.

Second:

Keep close watch

on military movements between Yanzhou and Boya.

You're thorough and careful.

We must guard against an attack from Boya.

Third:

Reinforce all frontier outposts.

Your foresight's unmatched.

We must watch every state's moves.

Fourth…

My Lord,

what's the fourth thing?

The fourth one.

Get my bedding back to the main chamber.

I'm going to battle Lady Qiao

over every inch of ground.

Howe can you just barge in?

Do you have no respect?

This is the Lord and Lady's bedchamber.

No matter how often

you used to come,

from now on, without being summoned,

no one may enter.

If we aren't moving in ourselves,

will you do it?

Didn't you just say

this is the Lord and Lady's bedchamber?

My Lord is moving back in.

Excuse me.

Careful.

Don't crush the Lady's quilt.

Get down.

Stop it. That's Mrs. Wei's books.

Get down.

Stop it.

What are you doing?

Don't touch the Lady's books.

Wait. She's just a woman,

she reads too?

My Lady could read at three, recite poems at five.

Of course she reads.

Fine, fine.

Put those useless books on the dressing table.

He won't use it anyway.

What?

You say it like he doesn't have a face.

The sword. I think it's best here.

It fits well right here.

You're leaving a sword here?

Does he practice it?

He's not just a swordsman.

He kills with ease.

Where should his clothes go?

This one

and those ones are My Lady's.

Well,

he can use that one.

So small?

Wait.

Why does she take up so much space?

Did she move all of Yanzhou in?

None of you four are married, right?

Anywhere, the woman's wardrobe

is always bigger.

Really?

Makes sense.

With Xiaotao's temper, honestly,

who'd marry her?

What's she to you?

Why worry about that?

Come on.

Don't forget,

she's meant to marry into our family.

Well, just one of us.

Not it.

Me neither.

I'm not marrying her.

You…

Let's draw lots.

Alright. Fine.

Didn't we agree to draw lots?

Where is everyone?

My Lady, you should've seen them.

It was like they were dividing up territory,

arguing over every inch.

Insisting on which part belonged to him,

and which to you.

But the two of you share a room,

how can it be split so neatly?

People say, easy with the ruler,

tough with the servants.

Just like Grandmother said.

When someone pushes, another must yield.

I've raised the Qiao flag at Boya.

If he wants to get back elsewhere,

so be it.

Let's organize his things.

As for his bedding?

Just leave it for now.

All right.

What are you doing?

I saw you sleeping uneasily.

Maybe the candlelight was too bright.

So I wanted to put it out.

Don't.

Just wear more clothes

at night.

Don't try to seduce me.

I am the Lord of Wei.

I won't be swayed by beauty.

I had no such intent.

You speak in opposites.

You say no,

then it's yes.

If you say so,

then so be it.

Sir, please sit.

My Lord,

my cough hasn't healed yet,

so I dare not

drink with you.

Then,

just sit here

and keep me company.

My Lord,

there are many things

that can be shared with dearest ones.

No need to bear it all alone.

But I have no one to talk to.

No one understands.

It's all because he kills in dreams.

He made you lose sleep.

Even said you tried to seduce him.

How unfair.

He only said it to ease my worries.

You're always defending him.

He just talks, that's all.

He never hurt me.

Forget it. Go make some red bean soup.

My Lord?

Why is it so dark in here?

My Lord?

My…

They say the Lord of Wei kills in his sleep,

never lets anyone near him when sleeping.

My Lord.

Xiaozao…

Don't go.

Stay.

What's wrong?

Are you afraid of the dark?

It's okay.

It's all right.

I'm here for you.

It's all right.

Don't be afraid.

I'm right here.

As the saying goes,

"A wise one knows when

to advance and when to retreat."

But this requires careful judgment.

A slight error, and one crosses the line.

Bear insults

without flinching,

and see faults

without exposing.

My Lady, you should know

the art of wise companionship better than I do.

You're talking about noble friendships.

But what about marriage?

It's the same

for you and My Lord.

I thought

he'd resent me over Boya.

But these past days,

I've realized he doesn't.

And now I don't know how to face him.

The Lord grew up in hatred,

inherited leadership young.

If he's sometimes cold,

it's only natural.

Please try to understand.

But I've served him in war for years.

I know him

better than anyone.

Then,

what's his true nature?

Tough on the outside, soft on the inside.

Big-hearted.

Otherwise,

he wouldn't have allowed you to stay in Yujun.

If that's the case,

I've misjudged him.

Thank you for your advice.

♪The moonlight is as silent as the deep sea♪

♪From afar♪

♪It once lit up dreams with a breath♪

♪But vanished with a sigh♪

♪Brushing past my fingertips♪

♪My heartstrings were stirred quietly♪

♪As if we once met before♪

♪Holding back a love so deep♪

♪Love asks for nothing in the end♪

♪Leaving only obsessions♪

♪I've wandered in the world♪

♪Yet cannot have it all♪

♪We meet and part in the fires of war♪

♪Embracing, leaving tender marks of love♪

♪With one breathtaking glance♪

♪How could I ever forget♪

♪I would cross mountains and seas♪

♪To spend time with you♪

♪When we grow old♪

♪Nothing will change♪

♪The misty rains never cease♪

♪Falling gently on your brow♪

♪Lingering in my heart♪

♪I would sever fate's ties♪

♪To protect your smiling eyes♪

♪Even if behind me lies a storm♪

♪No matter the trials♪

♪I carry this longing for the journey♪

♪This life♪

♪Will not be in vain♪

♪I would cross mountains and seas♪

♪To spend time with you♪

♪When we grow old♪

♪Nothing will change♪

♪The misty rains never cease♪

♪Falling gently on your brow♪

♪Lingering in my heart♪

♪I would sever fate's ties♪

♪To protect your smiling eyes♪

♪Even if behind me lies a storm♪

♪No matter the trials♪

♪I carry this longing for the journey♪

♪This life♪

♪Will not be in vain♪