Original subtitles

[The Vendetta of An]

Chancellor Gao,

I am deeply grateful for your help

these past days.

No need to thank me.

If anything,

I am the one who owes you.

I was too wary of you

back then.

You are His Majesty's strategist.

You shoulder the fate of the realm.

It was right for you

to be cautious of me.

Hearing you say so

and thinking

of the steamed buns

I've been sending you this past month,

I can finally feel at ease.

It's been over a month.

Is your hand

healed?

Yes.

And your legs?

Probably

about the same as yours.

It is already midnight.

Time is running short.

But at least

it is a gentle night.

[Episode 18]

What is this?

It reads like a farewell letter.

And he tells us not to worry?

Stop worrying.

Huai'an will be all right.

Sir.

[Cangyue Tower]

Mr. Wuyin.

Please rest here.

At dawn tomorrow,

General Fengshan

will personally wait for you

outside the Taiqing Hall.

Sir,

don't be uneasy about tonight.

I will stand guard.

I'm not uneasy.

I'm simply wondering

why a prosperous city like Chang'an

produces such people.

A slave girl who could play the guqin turned out

to be an assassin.

A laborer

who can tell the Tiemo people apart turned out

to be the mastermind.

And then there's Yan Fengshan.

He wants to borrow my troops

to attack his own city.

Dealing with these people

is exhausting.

That's enough for today.

You should rest early as well.

Yes, sir.

As long as you keep quiet,

you will be fine.

We go way back.

I have something

to discuss with you.

Don't breathe into my palm.

Two men alone in the dark

at this hour

are strange enough as it is.

Stop laughing.

I'm going to move my hand away.

As long as you don't shout,

my axe

will stay where it is.

Come on.

At least let me light a candle

so I can see

which old acquaintance you are.

We're two grown men

alone in the dark.

It's pretty strange.

Don't mimic me.

Fine.

I don't recognize you.

Hold on.

I'm not some maiden.

Why the rush?

Your tone

sounds familiar.

Why can't I place it?

Be patient.

You'll know soon enough.

This is starting to feel strange again.

I still don't recognize you.

Wuyin Chong,

you came to Chang'an as a secret envoy

and the Tiemo prince,

so I will meet you as the Emperor

of Chang'an.

I just want you to know

that I am still alive.

The Xiao imperial line still has a survivor.

Whatever you discussed with that traitor

Yan Fengshan

won't count.

We do go way back.

The whole world believes you died

in the palace fire.

Who would have thought?

The look in your eyes,

the way you speak,

and even the way you do things

have all changed.

But you are the Emperor of Chang'an.

Why hide your own face?

Why do you think?

To protect myself, of course,

while I deal with Yan Fengshan.

Just as you said,

you are now nothing more

than a fugitive trying to stay alive.

What right do you have to replace Yan Fengshan

and make a pact with me?

You call yourself an emperor,

but do you have any force to command?

Xie Huai'an truly

is the smartest man in the world.

He even guessed every sentence

and every word

you were going to say.

It's the Chou hour.

Come with me.

I'll show you

the force I command.

Enjoy, sirs.

Why are you staring at me?

Your force isn't here yet anyway.

Who says?

Listen.

That is just one of my guards.

He is there

to keep you

from trying anything.

Listen more closely.

Rumor has it Chang'an fell into chaos last month.

Xiao Wuyang and Gu Yu vanished,

their fate unknown.

The great strategist Gao Yan

had his legs broken.

He moves on a cart now

and is kept in the palace

as a lantern keeper,

only allowed out at the Chou hour to deliver

memorials to Yan Fengshan.

That Xie Huai'an you mentioned

managed to get Gao Yan out.

It is truly remarkable.

I am that force.

The Xiao imperial line still has a survivor,

and Gu Yu of the Baiwenhu Army still lives.

Chang'an

is not yet ruled by Yan Fengshan.

Whatever pact

you plan to make with him tomorrow

will not stand.

Chang'an

will change hands again,

and the fight will be against Yan Fengshan.

If you make a pact with him,

the north will also change hands,

and the fight will be against you.

General Gu,

my people and yours

have fought for years.

We have never feared you.

His Majesty,

I,

and the entire city of Chang'an

have been pressed

to this state by Yan Fengshan,

but we have not been defeated.

You are not fearless.

You fear the one

who has been planning all of this for us.

Xie Huai'an

is the son of Liu Ziwen.

He's the one who gave you a new face

and the one who helped you survive.

Am I right?

Yes.

The last two generations of the Liu family

produced extraordinary men in succession.

They have used up decades of Chang'an's fortune.

I understand now.

This is the most unforgettable night of my life.

Tonight has made me

fall in love with Chang'an all over again.

Your Majesty,

it has been a long time.

We actually met before.

You simply didn't know it was me.

Keeping you hidden by his side

was indeed the best strategy.

But according to the plan,

he should already be in Yan Fengshan's hands now.

On the road to killing Yan Fengshan,

all of us must pay a price.

May I have that flask of wine?

Is it for Chancellor Gao?

The man in the drawing

represents my wish for you.

I hope you can tend flowers,

keep a cat,

nap on the porch,

and live in peace,

even for just one day.

You're awake.

The General has gone to the palace to meet Wuyin Chong.

He instructed me

to treat you as a guest.

I brought you a basin of water

to wipe the blood off.

You knew she was buried here?

Yes.

And you still chose

to stay in this residence?

Yes.

Were you involved

in her death as well?

Take care.

Goodbye.

Yes.

Then you, too, must die.

[For Liu Ziwen Only]

This is my plan.

It...

it is far too risky.

Back then,

you did not help my father get rid of Yan Fengshan.

I will not question

your reasons.

It is

only natural for people

to put themselves first.

I am using your guilt

toward the Liu family

to force your hand.

I am the one going too far.

Mr. Yang.

We act at the Chou hour.

By the Yin hour,

Yan Fengshan will have received the news

and realized

you were involved.

You must leave as soon as possible.

Zhu Zhilong will be waiting for you

at the Yuelao Temple 50 li west of the city.

After this,

your business

in Chang'an and elsewhere

will certainly be affected.

If I win in the future,

I will repay

every loss you suffer.

Boss.

Boss,

what's going on?

Is the court cleaning house?

The books we cannot let anyone see

are over there.

I'll get them.

Here.

Here.

Boss,

what is wrong with you?

General Fengshan,

my master says

the agreement you and he were about to reach

does not align with Tiemo's interests,

so it will be set aside for now.

But the army we sent

to hold back the Baiwenhu Army

will not retreat.

Everything will remain as it is.

General,

you may rest assured.

I see.

The struggle for Chang'an

is not yet over.

My master hopes you will soon become

the one who rules Chang'an.

Old friend,

do not worry about the outcome anymore.

Rest in peace.

General Fengshan.

This life-and-death plan of Gao Yan's

was executed flawlessly

with the people outside.

You were the one handling

all the message delivery, weren't you?

So Gu Yu had been

hiding here

for over a month?

No wonder even after searching all of Chang'an,

we never found a trace.

Gao Yan and Gu Yu actually joined hands.

I accept my loss

in this round.

Stop pretending.

A man who has served three emperors

has eyes sharper than a blade.

You know perfectly well

whether I intend to kill you.

Your eyes are sharp too, General.

All I did was sigh once while wiping the floor,

and you noticed immediately.

When you were setting this up,

White Hair had already fallen into my hands.

Otherwise,

I truly would have killed you.

I helped you get into the palace

so you could live out your years in peace.

This is a good place to rest and be idle.

Stay here and behave yourself.

Sir.

Come in.

I have conveyed

your message to Yan Fengshan.

But

Yan Fengshan has always been scheming and calculating.

Given the situation,

we should return to Tiemo as soon as possible.

I understand what you mean,

but Yan Fengshan

would not dare move against us.

Even so, it is time to head back.

[Fuze Inn]

This is a rare treat

in Chang'an.

Want one?

Sure.

This end

is very bitter.

You shouldn't

chew too much of it,

or all you'll taste

is bitterness.

Of course I know that.

Twenty-five years ago,

I infiltrated Tiemo as a scout.

I barely had any money.

It was freezing there,

and chewing this was how I kept warm and stayed awake.

It used to be cheaper than horse fodder.

But now the price has gone up.

A small bundle

costs two liang.

At your request, the Tiemo forces have been

locked in a standoff with the Baiwenhu Army.

They've been so close

their horses are all but nose to nose.

With things so tense,

few merchants dare travel back and forth.

The supply is unstable,

and naturally,

the price rises.

Last night, you staged quite a show.

You convinced Wuyin Chong.

The sharp merchants

will soon realize

the Tiemo forces will not march south.

When that happens,

the price will naturally fall again.

The whole game has been thrown into chaos,

yet you seem remarkably calm.

Victory and defeat are commonplace in warfare.

One who cares too much about gains and losses

cannot be a true commander.

Speaking of which,

you cling to gains and losses quite a bit.

You buried Wei Qianting,

sent Pu Nichuan to his death,

and killed Liu Ziyan with your own hands.

Qingyi has vanished,

and even Wang Pu was outwitted and killed by you.

All I have left beside me is Zhiying.

Do you intend to kill her too?

Of course.

I care deeply

about settling scores.

On the road of revenge,

I cannot allow

even one enemy to meet a good end.

And don't forget.

You're one of them too.

Then

why didn't you kill Yang Chuhao?

He stood by and did nothing.

That is not a crime deserving death.

I still

have my principles.

Back then, he stood by and did nothing.

Last night, he chose to help you.

I have my principles too.

He

will not have a peaceful end.

Too bad you won't find him.

Speaking of which,

there is a young man surnamed Su

working under Yang Chuhao.

Do you remember him?

We met once.

I looked into him.

He is not a Huben member.

Among everyone involved in Yang's business,

Yang himself is the only Huben member.

That boy truly is not.

Anyone who can catch your eye

must have some wits.

To work for Yang Chuhao

and even handle something as important as the accounts,

wits alone aren't enough.

He must also have a story behind him.

♪A crimson waning moon shines over the smoke of war♪

♪The broken walls support the lone eaves♪

♪Who's still holding the remaining weiqi pieces that keep Chang'an trapped?♪

♪Roaming alone in an unsolvable cycle♪

♪White robes frosted with weariness♪

♪Ten years of grievance hidden in the brushstrokes on plain paper♪

♪Scabs and cocoons♪

♪Flickering, dying candles♪

♪The game of chess, a fated calamity♪

♪Looking back at my youth♪

♪My left hand rests on the warm inkstone♪

♪Fake masks, real dangers, thoughts of life♪

♪I wish to put out the smoke of war for the betterment of the world♪

♪Losers begrudge, victors grow weary, thousands of schemes♪

♪Return to me the flickering promise♪