Original subtitles

(Episode 12)

Shu He.

He doesn't have much time left.

I remember you once said...

that two of the herbs in Death-Feigning Medicine...

conflict with each other.

Without a guiding agent,

they're highly toxic.

This dampness in the air...

feels like the wind from the south.

At times, when I can't sleep at night,

I drift into a daze.

Staring at the bit of sky above the courtyard,

I think I'm home again.

I get up to take a walk...

but forgot the chains still bound to my ankles.

The chains tighten...

and the dream shatters.

This medicine is perilous.

Once taken,

there's no turning back.

Have you made up your mind?

Yes.

I've been too optimistic.

Had I not foolishly dreamed of reconciling with the crown prince,

I would have left the moment I found the medicine...

and by now be living the life I longed for.

Had I not clung so blindly to a future with Duan Zi Ang,

had I been honest instead,

the crown prince wouldn't have died.

I simply wanted too much.

Shen Song.

I'll tell Duan Zi Ang of the plan to feign death and escape.

Given his suspicious nature,

this medicine can only pass through your hands.

For now,

live the life you want.

Shu He has lost.

Should Your Highness feel disheartened,

you may come to me at any time.

I'll keep my promise.

My heart is sincere.

I won't betray you even in the dark.

He doesn't have much time left.

Why put yourself through this?

You're here.

I've felt groggy these past few days.

Sometimes, I thought it was you.

But when I woke, it was all just nothing.

Yet in my dreams,

your hand never bore that scar.

Huai Yi sent you here, didn't he?

He acted on his own.

He must have said a lot of unpleasant things.

Don't blame him.

Shen Song said you've been worrying too much.

It's not good for your recovery.

I've always wanted too much...

but gotten too little.

If life is lost,

what's the point of wanting more?

So you still care for my life and death.

What?

Do you want to die before me?

Don't cry.

Your tears...

hurt me worse than any blade.

Shu He.

I'm sorry.

You're sorry?

You've done me wrong plenty of times.

Which one...

are you talking about now?

Though I commanded that no killing take place,

if the people of South Hui Kingdom resisted stubbornly,

bloodshed was unavoidable.

The reason South Hui Kingdom fell so swiftly...

was because it had already lost the people's trust.

I know it's useless to say anything now.

But if I don't send troops,

the people will rebel sooner or later...

and you'll be killed by your own people.

Shu He.

I made you a prisoner,

a bird locked in a cage.

I'm no different from those you hate the most.

Don't hate me anymore.

It's not worth it.

Duan Zi Ang.

I amount to nothing...

and I own nothing.

Whatever rests in my hands...

is nothing more than a fleeting gift,

a mercy granted by heaven and the gods.

I hate you,

but I hate myself more.

I hate myself for running away from my responsibilities.

I don't care about politics.

I can't be a good prince.

I hate myself even more for being weak...

and indecisive.

I can't be a good king.

What I hate the most...

is that I love you.

If only I could live it all over again...

If only I could live it all over again...

Shen Song...

holds a formula for Death-Feigning Medicine.

I'm the fallen king,

burdened with a hatred...

that can't be forgiven.

However, if I weren't Xiao Shu He...

Let's do it again.

Duan Zi Ang.

Let's start over.

It's fine.

I'm always like this.

Let's go back to the palace.

After I escape, there's plenty of time.

Take your time to recuperate.

There's no rush.

No.

I don't want to go back to the palace.

Once you escape, you can no longer carry the name Xiao Shu He.

I only hope to spend a single day with you openly...

as ordinary lovers.

No distractions from the world,

just Xiao Shu He...

and Duan Zi Ang.

Sixth Prince's Manor?

Shu He, you're...

Your Highness, I'm sorry for being rude.

(Sixth Prince's Manor)

Why are you here?

Are you leaving?

Your Highness wishes to persuade Duan Zi Ang...

to escape through feigned death.

Now that everything has settled,

it's time I search for where I belong.

What's this?

Sesame candy.

I went to the market and bought some.

I wanted to give them to you.

It's rare...

to see you actually out shopping.

Huo Ying.

Do you still...

not like sweets?

I'm sorry.

There are no flowers or trees planted in my residence.

If you wish to add some,

the peach blossoms of the North Kingdom are unrivaled.

Why don't you plant peach trees?

They weren't planted by me.

Back when I had just risen to power,

I was constantly at war,

shedding blood and bearing wounds.

Once, after a defeat,

enemy troops pursued me.

I hid beneath a tree.

Amid the deafening clash of battle surrounding me,

I lost focus for a heartbeat,

wondering...

what Shu He was up to then...

and if he was enjoying pear-blossom pudding.

Later, I gathered skilled craftsmen...

to build this courtyard around the pear tree.

However, the pear blossoms...

were never meant to be trapped behind the walls of the palace.

At first,

I only wished to shelter it from the wind and rain.

Though I never trained in martial arts,

I grew accustomed to practicing the zither each morning.

When I saw the pear blossoms blooming here so beautifully,

I thought of you.

You aren't good at martial arts.

Why don't you play the Yearning Zither...

for me over there?

Huo Ying.

You have fulfilled your duty.

What do you want to do next?

I haven't decided yet,

but first, I'll go out and see the world.

With Shen Song?

I don't need his business anyway.

Besides, I haven't been home for a long time.

I want to return to care for my parents...

and do some serious work.

I'm putting down my burden,

but you've taken up a new one.

What about you?

What do you want to do in the future?

What do you want to do, Shu He?

I wanted to be a zither player...

and a poet.

Now,

it's a time for wandering,

drinking,

and sleeping.

And here I am, the only poor soul left.

Thank you for your hard work, Huai Yi.

Everything will fall on your shoulders in the future.

Zi Ang.

I always thought...

you were a stubborn man,

at least ambitious.

I never thought that you'd give up the throne for someone.

Looks like I misjudged you.

When I met Shu He again,

he was already the sixth prince.

If I want to be with him for a long time,

I really need to be ambitious.

Let's not talk about this.

It wasn't easy for us to get together today.

Let's talk only about good things.

I wonder when we'll meet again.

Here's to our friendship.

May the pear blossoms bloom again next year...

and may we reunite.

Previously, in the northern border army camp,

I saw local herders marry...

and share three bowls of mare's milk wine.

Today,

you and I shall share three bowls of nuptial wine,

shall we?

We should use golden scissors to cut our hair.

Use this.

Legend has it in Beijiang...

that hair cut with a bloodied blade...

ties the soul...

to the next world.

The first cup...

is to Heaven and Earth.

My Heaven and Earth...

has always been...

only you.

The second cup...

is to the mountains and rivers.

Every blossom in the Central Plain thrives...

because of your just governance.

The third cup...

is to you and me.

To this stolen moment...

of a perfect hour.

(Double happiness)

After taking the throne, I have been at odds with fate.

In the dead of night, when I wake from dreams,

the palace chamber is empty.

I frequently question myself.

In this vast and turbulent world,

is there even a single place...

where I can truly rest?

Shu He.

I'm glad I have you.

Now that I think about it, I'm really scared.

Zi Ang.

Among all the possible choices...

I have in this world,

you're the best.

You're the regret I can't let go of in my heart.

Knowing it's wrong...

yet still falling deeply into it.

This is what I hold most dear.

Zi Ang.

You must remember this.

If given the chance again,

I would choose the same path.

Do you have the antidote with you?

Yes.

Your Majesty.

It's time.

Life and death, prosperity and decline,

all are in heaven's hands.

Duan Zi Ang.

I...

love you.

Listen up, everyone.

The one who stands before you today...

is the former ruler of South Hui Kingdom, Xiao Shu He.

As a prisoner of war, he repeatedly broke the laws of the land,

conspired to rebel,

and attempted to overthrow the state.

His crimes are evident and they're unforgivable.

See you later.

The poisoned wine given today...

isn't for vengeance...

but to demonstrate the authority of the law...

and warn future generations.

All citizens of our country...

should take this as a lesson,

observe the law,

and don't repeat past mistakes.

Shen Song.

I beg you.

Please give me the dignity I deserve.

Shu He.

If you fear that after Duan Zi Ang's death,

you would have no place in the North Kingdom,

I'll find a way for you to live incognito...

and enjoy your remaining years.

Shen Song.

You've always understood me best.

Do you truly not know my intentions?

Must it come at the cost of your life?

I'll use what he treasures most...

to take revenge on him.

I'll use his suffering...

to atone to my father, my brother,

my love,

and to the people...

of South Hui Kingdom.

You lost.

Shu He!

Shu He!

Shu He.

You deceived me.

You've deceived me my whole life.

Brother.

It has been years...

and you've grown distant now.

I only remember...

that I've been waiting for you here for a long time.

Why are you waiting for me here?

I want to apologize to you.

But I don't know why.

I just want you to know how sorry I am.

I've been waiting...

for this all my life.

Shall we go?

Let's take a look ahead.

What's wrong?

I want to wait for someone too.

When I died,

I was in his arms.

All right.

You've changed.

The resolve you once made must be fulfilled.

After waiting for so long,

you just leave like that.

Yes.

I realized that if I don't change,

I'll just push what I want further away.

By the way,

who are you waiting for?

Shu He.

(The End)