Original subtitles

[One month later]

Stop crying!

Keep crying and I'll cut off your tongues!

Did you hear me?

Who is it?

I'm a butcher.

A butcher? There are no pigs here.

Aren't there 3 right in front of me?

Ever since that Butcher Beauty from Jizhou got famous,

girls love carrying a knife when they go out.

They say it wards off evil.

Exactly.

These young ladies nowadays

really believe that nonsense.

Every girl traveling far

dresses up like this.

Look.

These days, the human traffickers, robbers,

village bullies, and local ruffians

are most afraid of

meeting a pretty girl carrying a butcher knife.

Little lady.

It's beautiful. Let me see.

The Bu-Butcher Beauty!

Run! Run!

Thank you. Thank you, Butcher Beauty!

Look, a poor imitator.

Stop talking nonsense.

If you ran into the real one now,

you'd deserve to be castrated on the spot.

Perverts.

Full of filthy language.

Just ignore them.

Look at this.

What about Fan Changning?

Is there someone named Fan Changning?

There's no one by that name.

Next.

Changning,

where are you?

[Missing Person Notice] [Announcement]

I've saved so many people.

Why still can't I find you?

Yan Zheng, if only you were here.

The world is so vast.

Where are you?

Go away!

Are you disobedient?

I told you not to go over there.

Go the other way. Understood?

Changning!

Stop!

Don't hit my father!

Don't hit my father!

Who are you?

Why did you hit me?

Are you okay?

Sorry.

I thought you were a trafficker.

A trafficker?

I think you're a trafficker!

I'm going to report you!

I'm going to report you!

[Pursuit of Jade]

[Episode 20]

[Region of Baxia]

Once we pass this boundary marker,

it is the territory of our Sui family.

[Region of Baxia]

The common folk call this place Baxia.

Legend says the dragon has nine sons,

and one of them looks like a turtle,

with immense strength, able to stir up rivers and seas.

Only Yu the Great tamed it during his flood control.

My father granted me this strategic territory,

and I renamed it Baxia,

hoping it

would live up to its name

and be unbreakable.

Isn't that just a big turtle?

The Dragon's son is a big turtle.

Pearls before swine.

Keep up.

The terrain is so low here.

What if there's a flood?

We're here.

[Sui]

Welcome back to the manor, Your Highness!

[Sui]

Welcome back to the manor, Your Highness!

Welcome back to the manor, Your Highness!

Take my bros to the guest rooms and treat them well.

Yes.

This way, please.

Thank you, Your Highness.

[Heroic Spirit]

Let's go. What are you waiting for?

You really are Lord Changxin's heir apparent.

Yes.

Who did you think I was?

I thought you were lying to me.

Min!

[Victorious in Every Battle]

Yuanqing.

Min,

how have you been?

I'm doing well.

You've worked hard, Yuanqing.

I need to speak with Yuanqing alone.

Take them away.

Yes.

[Victorious in Every Battle]

Please.

Let's go.

[Victorious in Every Battle]

Let's talk inside.

A scout reported this morning

that Xie Zheng raided our Chongzhou grain route last night.

I'm afraid Father won't hold out much longer

at the front in Lucheng.

How did Xie Zheng penetrate deep into Chongzhou

without anyone knowing?

How many men did he bring?

No more than a hundred riders.

Damn it.

It will take at least a month to repair the grain route.

You mentioned before

that we should send guards for the grain route.

But Father rejected it.

What a pity.

By the way,

who were those two just now?

The older one is my woman,

and the younger one... is a big surprise.

I thought he'd kill the mother and keep the child.

I didn't expect him to plan to kill the child and keep the mother.

He really is soft-hearted.

I didn't expect...

Min to be just like the Marquis of Wu'an.

Only you

could be so heartless.

Me? Heartless?

As long as you stay with me,

I can give you anything you want.

Then I want

the heads of Xie Zheng and Fan Changyu.

Okay.

It's a deal.

Do you still hate me now?

I don't want to think about it anymore.

After tonight,

I'll decide whether or not to hate you.

[Yanzhou Army Camp]

Thanks for pulling off

the diversion.

No need to be so polite with me.

How will you repay me?

Forget I asked.

As for He Jingyuan,

he broke the siege of Lin'an for you,

and you raided the grain route to buy him time.

I guess you're even.

By the way, the bundle.

Someone asked me to give this to you.

Candy?

I thought you hated sweets.

What's wrong?

You won't even let me touch it?

[Divorce Agreement]

[The wife, Fan Changyu, native of Jizhou, now wishes to part]

[from her husband, Yan Zheng, native of Chongzhou.]

[Wife: Fan Changyu] [Husband:]

We are even?

Fair enough.

Where did this bundle come from?

Mr. Zhao pulled some strings to get it sent up here.

He was conscripted too?

But don't worry.

It stops with me.

He won't find out who you are.

Pass on the order.

Don't let him go to the front line.

Assign him to the Armory.

Okay.

Your Lordship,

the scout in Chongzhou sent you a challenge letter.

[To Xie, the Traitor]

Didn't I paint this?

Sui Yuanqing said

my daughter is in his hands.

Your daughter?

Fan Changning is in his hands?

[Jizhou Government Office]

Come here! Hurry!

Mother, I missed you so much.

Officer,

I heard it was the Butcher Beauty who saved my son,

but she was put in jail.

She did nothing wrong!

Exactly!

Release our savior, the Butcher Beauty!

[Jizhou Government Office]

She did nothing wrong!

Mrs. Fan,

you don't have to force yourself.

My parents said

we must eat well

and sleep well.

Even if the sky falls,

we must keep living.

You know I can protect you

and take you away from here.

Why did you refuse?

It's been 2 months,

and I still haven't found Changning.

I don't know where else to go.

I'm so useless.

I don't even know where Changning is suffering.

[Jizhou Government Office]

[The case is clear.]

You said

my parents were killed by bandits.

Is what you said...

true?

What do you mean?

My grandfather told me

that the day before my parents died,

they asked him to take care of us.

They knew they were going to die.

Why didn't they hide?

Why did they manage to arrange the family assets

before dying?

Were they really killed by bandits?

Lord Li,

I want to see the case file.

It seems that these files

were indeed modified.

Grandfather sent an urgent letter

saying that this matter

is probably related to

the Jinzhou Massacre 17 years ago.

The Jinzhou Massacre?

What?

10 taels of silver isn't enough for you?

It's enough.

I mean,

if I had known she was the Butcher Beauty,

I certainly wouldn't have blamed her.

My Lord!

Please release our benefactor, the Butcher Beauty!

She did nothing wrong!

Yes, My Lord. Please release our benefactor, the Butcher Beauty.

Our benefactor is out!

Our benefactor is out!

Our benefactor was released!

Thank you, Benefactor!

Thank you, Benefactor!

What's wrong, Benefactor?

Why are you crying?

My younger sister

was also abducted.

And she's still nowhere to be found.

Well, everyone has moments of carelessness.

I was also careless,

which is how I lost my girl.

Everyone makes mistakes.

Your sister

will definitely be found.

Good things happen to good people.

A mistake is a mistake.

If you lose a child due to your own carelessness,

how can you easily forgive yourself?

If you don't remember this time,

you'll lose her again next time!

I should learn a lesson from this.

Mrs. Fan.

Didn't you want to see the file on your parents' case?

I found them.

[Government Office]

Mrs. Fan,

this is the file on your family's murder case.

Will it cause trouble for you

now that I'm looking into this, My Lord?

I don't know some of these characters.

Which ones?

This one.

[In October of the 16th year of Yongping,]

[Fan Erniu of Lin'an Town and his wife were traveling together]

This. And this.

[when they were killed on the road.]

I know this one,

but none of the others.

Let me read it for you.

Thank you.

In October of the 16th year of Yongping,

Fan Erniu of Lin'an Town and his wife were traveling together

when they were killed on the road.

Fan Erniu, male, 45 years old,

wearing a gray short shirt.

There were multiple stab wounds to his chest and abdomen.

The evidence is conclusive.

Men have been sent to arrest the culprit.

I thought

I could find clues in the file.

It turns out my parents

were really killed by bandits.

Even if it wasn't the Qingfeng Stronghold,

it must have been other bandits.

Mrs. Fan.

The past cannot be changed,

but the future still can be.

Mrs. Fan.

Here is your bundle.

Check if anything is missing.

[Divorce Agreement]

What are your plans for the future, Mrs. Fan?

I want to find Changning as soon as possible.

Mrs. Zhao is still in Lin'an,

waiting for me to bring her back.

And Yan Zheng.

Whether he's dead or alive,

I will find him.

Why don't you...

stay here

and let me help you find Changning?

The war is coming.

You must be very busy, My Lord.

This is my family matter,

so I won't trouble you.

Well then,

if you need my help in the future,

just ask.

Don't hold back.

Thank you for your sincere help, My Lord.

You previously

paid 10 taels of silver for me.

I have prepared the money.

Some time ago,

I helped the Lin'an Government Office

destroy several trafficking dens.

Although it wasn't a great achievement,

the office gave me a reward.

It's at the posthouse.

I'll bring it to you when I go back.

Alright.

Servants.

Send Mrs. Fan back to the posthouse.

Please.

Should we report Mrs. Fan's matter

to Lord He?

Even Mrs. Fan knows war is imminent

and we shouldn't disturb the army's morale.

Master is the commander-in-chief, after all.

Let's not bother him.

My Lord,

there's an urgent letter from the Grand Tutor.

After the grain route was destroyed,

Lord Changxin indeed couldn't hold out

and retreated to Hongdaokou.

Next,

the rainy season is coming.

The streams will change course,

and the mountain roads will be hard to travel.

If Lord Changxin sends troops south,

they will inevitably pass through Baxia.

It's time to meet He Jingyuan.

Downstream of the Wu River is Baxia.

The rainy season is approaching.

General He, you can lead men upstream

[Break the Enemy's Stronghold]

to build a dam at a hidden location.

His Lordship will act as bait downstream.

If the rebel army falls for the trap,

they will surely suffer heavy losses.

This plan can relieve the siege of Lucheng.

A flood attack?

It is a brilliant plan,

but having His Lordship risk his life as bait...

What if something goes wrong?

If the bait is too small,

I fear a crafty man like Sui Yuanqing won't take it.

If you trust me,

lend me 1000 troops

before the main Yanzhou army arrives.

1000 troops?

Do you know

that Sui Yuanqing has 20,000 troops

stationed in Baxia?

With too many troops,

it might be inconvenient to flee.

A tactic to lure the enemy?

Your Lordship, you're unparalleled in wisdom and bravery.

Okay. I agree.

Thank you, General He.

If we can relieve the siege of Lucheng

and save Jizhou,

I should be the one thanking you two.

Thank you, General.

General,

I have one more request

on this visit.

Speak.

I'd like to speak in private.

You may leave.

Yes!

Here. Please.

General He,

my direct attack on Baxia

is also to save someone.

The heir apparent of Lord Changxin kidnapped my wife's sister.

I must save her.

Your wife's sister?

Changning was kidnapped?

It seems you already know

about my relationship with the Fan family.

May I ask—

do you know the details

of the Fans' murder case?

You're too direct.

General He?

Actually,

Fan Erniu and I were friends in the same camp.

Before he died, he gave me a letter,

asking me to deliver it to Prime Minister Wei

and warning me never to open it.

So,

did you kill your old friend

to make Prime Minister Wei believe

that you were still loyal to him?

No.

Fan committed suicide.

But it was after I arrived.

You could say I forced him to do it.

If I hadn't gone,

Prime Minister Wei would have sent someone else.

By then,

they would have wiped out the entire family.

Since ancient times, loyalty and righteousness have been hard to reconcile.

It's not entirely your fault, Lord He.

But they have already gone.

I feel guilty.

The father of the Fan girls

wasn't named Fan Erniu, was he?

What was his real name?

And what position did he hold under the Prime Minister?

Your Lordship,

I absolutely

cannot tell you about this,

at least not until the Fan sisters are safe.

And I will tell Mrs. Fan myself.

Please spread the word for me.

Just say

that the girl captured by Lord Changxin's heir apparent

is my daughter.

And I will definitely rescue her.

Your Lordship,

what's the meaning of this?

It's called beating them at their own game.

First,

Lord Changxin's heir apparent

will believe that His Lordship is desperate to save his daughter,

venturing into danger alone,

so he will lower his guard.

Second,

Lord Changxin's heir apparent

knows his hostage is valuable.

Changning won't be in danger of dying.

You have thought of everything, Your Lordship.

I leave Changning in your hands.

Otherwise, I cannot face my old friend.

Rest assured, General.

I will bring her back safely.

Fate really plays tricks on us.

General.

Pei Yi, come here.

There is a heinous task

that might bring condemnation from the whole world.

Will you do it or not?

You saved my life, General.

Every day I live is a bonus.

Reputation is nothing to me.

Please speak, General.

Come.

Lord Changxin's army wants to attack during the rainy season,

so they must pass through Baxia.

[Northwest Inn]

Butcher Beauty.

Butcher Beauty, slow down!

It's over in Chongzhou, right?

Yes.

I heard it when I was looking for my child.

There is a refugee camp in Baxia.

They took in many children.

You should go there and look for her.

See if your sister is there.

Go west, right?

Yes. Pass through Baxia, and you'll be there.

[Jizhou Government Office]

What happened to Wei Qilin

was likely a setup by Wei Yan

[Peace at the border]

to cover up scandals from back then.

Wei Yan not only abuses power,

but also forces loyal generals to their deaths

for his own selfish interests.

It shows just how cunning and ruthless he is.

Now the war is imminent,

and the position of Discipline Inspector in the Jizhou Army is still vacant.

You could join the army

and work to dismantle the Wei faction.

Do not delay upon seeing this letter.

Go immediately to the front to deliver supplies,

stabilize the troops,

and seek your post.

My Lord.

Mrs. Fan has left the posthouse.

She asked someone to leave 10 taels of silver,

saying she wanted to pay you back.

I looked everywhere,

but I couldn't find her.

Although you want to help Mrs. Fan,

the war cannot be delayed.

[Peace at the border]

[Government Office]

My Lord!

Changyu!

Please forgive my rudeness, miss.

I mistook you for someone else.

Leave two men here.

If she comes back looking for her sister,

tell her which way I went.

Yes.

Let's go!

[Jizhou Government Office]

Eldest Young Master,

the Little Young Master wants you to check his homework.

Bring him in.

Little Young Master, come.

What kind of crap is this?

The handwriting is weak and boneless.

Rewrite it.

Dad...

Fa-Father.

After I finish writing,

can I go see my mother?

What did you say?

After I finish writing,

can I go see my mother?

Who allowed you

to call me Father?

What does your mother usually

say about your father?

My mother says

Father is a great hero.

If one day you're caught by bad guys,

there will surely be someone asking who your daddy is.

Just tell them

your daddy is a great hero.

My dad really is a great hero?

He's nothing.

But saying this can save your life.

You must be absolutely sincere

when you say your daddy is a great hero.

Got it?

Your mother taught you to say this, didn't she?

My mother always tells me this.

What else did she say?

Daddy is a great hero who does great things.

He... he loves us very much.

But Daddy has to look after the country,

so he can't come to see us often.

Little brat.

Not a word of truth comes out of your mouth.

Your mother is a big liar,

and you are a little liar.

But I like hearing it.

Practice your handwriting.

Spare me, Eldest Young Master!

Drag her out and beat her to death.

-Yes. -Spare me, Eldest Young Master!

Spare me, Eldest Young Master!

Spare me, Eldest Young Master!

Spare me, Eldest Young Master!

Eldest Young Master, I was wrong!

I know I was wrong!

Spare me, Eldest Young Master!

Spare me, Eldest Young Master!

Spare me, Eldest Young Master!

Spare me, Eldest Young Master!

Spare me, Eldest Young Master!

I won't dare do it again!

Bao'er!

Spare me, Eldest Young Master!

Spare me, Eldest Young Master!

Eldest Young Master!

Is your daddy

still a great hero?

Daddy is a great hero...

Daddy is a great hero...

Daddy is a great hero...

Daddy is a great hero...

Keep practicing.

It's already spring.

Why is the stream still so shallow?

Help, miss!

Help, miss!

Miss!

You ran into bandits?

Miss,

I'm not a bad person.

The officials are heartless.

They're forcing us good people to quarry stones.

I need to hide in the woods.

Don't tell them where I went.

I have a family to support.

If they catch me,

I probably won't survive!

Hyah!

Hyah!

Hyah!

Whoa!

Miss,

did you see a man pass by?

I did.

Which way did he go?

That way.

You two,

keep chasing down that road.

The rest of you, follow me!

Yes!

Hyah!

Hyah!

I thank you on behalf of my whole family, miss.

Thank you, miss.

Thank you, miss.

It was nothing.

No need to thank me.

Miss,

do you have any food?

I haven't eaten in days.

I'll get you some.

Trying to ambush me?

Do you think I'm a pushover?

When...

When did you find out?

I heard iron clash in your sleeve.

It was clearly a dagger.

You must have wanted to steal my horse

to escape.

Hyah!

Hyah!

Hyah!

Why did you lie to me?

Sir,

I was deceived by this man just now.

He said he had a family to support

and asked me not to reveal his whereabouts.

He even tried to attack me just now,

but I subdued him.

Tie them up.

Take them both.

Sir,

I'm innocent.

I didn't know the truth earlier.

But I subdued him.

Consider it an act of atonement

and spare me.

He's a scout from Chongzhou.

Maybe you're a rebel from Chongzhou too,

seeing that you couldn't take this scout away

and conspired to stage this whole thing.

I have my household registration papers.

Sir, I'm from Jizhou.

If you're from Jizhou,

and it's currently wartime,

why are you running towards Chongzhou?

We'll verify your identity

after we get back.

Take them away!

Move!