Original subtitles

[How dare you!?]

[Episode 5]

We got the wrong person.

It's a misunderstanding.

It's all a misunderstanding.

Sorry.

Our apologies.

Sorry about that.

How dare you cause trouble on my turf?

You must have a death wish.

Dan.

You really are Dan.

-I... -You really are Bei Zhou?

Who is this girl?

I'm his...

I'm his favored consort,

the love of his life,

his one and only,

the end of his journey,

and the anchor of his soul,

Yu Wanyin.

Demonic consort.

Dan.

How did you know

I was here?

But isn't Bei Zhou supposed to be a man?

Bei...

Mrs. Bei, impressive skills.

Mrs.?

Right. This is it.

We've found the right person.

Bone-Constriction Skill?

Disguise Art?

Is this really the same person?

Definitely.

Look at his eyes.

So bright,

so beautiful,

and so round—

clearly not the eyes of a worker bee.

So, Dan,

how did you know

someone like me exists?

I've been away from the capital for over a decade.

That's because...

Shut up.

I'm asking Dan.

This is bad.

He's testing you.

CEO Dan.

Don't make things up.

Of course I know about you, Mr. Bei,

because...

Because...

Because I told him.

Because you were mentioned

in my mother's final letter.

Gosh.

You can actually explain it like that?

Even the original novel isn't as good as your story.

How did Nan write about me?

I know this one!

Just be as melodramatic as possible.

Something like "never once dreamed of returning home for 10 years,"

"longing for each other from afar yet unrecognized,"

or "vows remain, but letters are hard to send."

Mother said,

"Dan, if you're ever in danger,

the only person in the world to trust

is Bei Zhou."

You might as well just write "Bei Zhou is useful"

on your forehead.

What?

Those words actually moved him to tears?

She still remembered me.

Actually,

since ascending the throne,

I immediately sent people to look for you.

Only after many years

did we finally catch a faint trace of your whereabouts, Mr. Bei.

I came today

merely to try my luck.

I never expected

to run into this incident.

That man deserved to die.

In his room,

I found this.

How can anyone read this?

Reading so intently—

do you even know the Qiang language?

That man was an assassin sent by the Qiang State?

Dan,

you are truly smart—

just as smart as Nan.

The Qiang State is wedged between Yan and Xia.

It's a mere speck of land,

unable to protect itself,

so it resorts to underhanded assassinations,

trying to stir up internal strife in our state.

But why did he want to kill me?

Our probing just now

might have made him think his identity was exposed,

so he tried to silence you.

Or maybe these incompetents you brought with you

made him realize he'd already blown his cover

and that someone was coming after him.

It seems the Qiang State has been driven into a corner.

Today,

I'm fortunate to have been saved by you, Mr. Bei.

To be honest,

my situation in the palace

is indeed perilous now—

beset on all sides.

You really know how to put on an act.

In truth, I returned to the capital

for the sole purpose of keeping you safe.

If I were to abandon you,

in this whole world,

who else could

keep you safe?

Mr. Bei...

Dan...

Mr. Bei...

Dan...

Mr. Bei!

Dan...

Auntie,

why on earth are you leaving so suddenly?

Where are you going?

Could you please take me with you?

-Let's leave together, Auntie. -Take us with you.

Given the current situation,

should we call him Mr. Bei or Mrs. Bei?

Auntie.

Let's try them out.

Mrs. Bei?

Mr. Bei?

Let's stick with Mr. Bei.

Alright, alright.

This is far enough.

Go back now.

-Come back soon, Auntie. -Remember to come back, Auntie.

Go back now.

Auntie...

Go back now.

Auntie.

Come back soon.

[Banyue House]

Auntie...

I'll send people

to look after Banyue House later.

They won't be mistreated.

Dan,

you are so kind—

just like Nan.

Come on,

Dan.

Mr. Bei.

Is this demonic consort coming back with us too?

Unfortunately,

my home is right where your Dan lives.

[Banyue House]

[Banyue House]

Mr. Bei,

after we return to the palace,

you won't need to wear a disguise anymore.

Just pose as my guard.

No need.

I prefer the way I look now.

Isn't it uncomfortable wearing a disguise every day?

Beauty

always comes at a price.

Mr. Bei,

could you tell me more

about your story with my mother?

Nan

was the only person in the world who understood me.

She never despised me.

She taught me how to write poems

and how to dress myself.

I remember that back then,

the first time I wore a bodice...

Mr. Bei!

You can write poems?

Can you compose one right now?

I was just joking.

You don't have to.

Sure.

The moonlight is soft,

like an egg.

Crack it in a bowl,

and it scatters.

You call that a poem?

[Zhaoyang Hall]

You want me to stay in this demonic consort's palace?

It's the Noble Consort's Palace.

I fear there are spies around me.

The Noble Consort's Palace, on the other hand, is sparsely staffed.

It's easier to talk here.

Easier to talk?

[Zhaoyang Hall]

Three on the roof, two in the side hall,

one in the side room and one in the kitchen.

Great.

Now all 7 men of ours

are completely exposed.

These are all our own people.

It's fine.

I earnestly ask you, Mr. Bei,

to treat her

as you'd treat me.

Please ensure her safety at all costs.

Rest assured.

I'll definitely eliminate

the traitors at Your Majesty's side.

Three of Characters.

[Minister Yu]

Straight.

Straight.

I won.

Come on, pay up.

-Come on. -Here.

Here.

Here.

Master!

Master!

Master!

Prince Duan is here.

Prince Duan?

What would bring him here?

He says he's here to congratulate you—

Consort Yu has just been elevated to Noble Consort.

Master.

Noble...

Noble Consort?

I didn't know Your Highness...

I didn't know Your Highness was coming.

Please forgive me for not welcoming you

properly, Your Highness.

Vice Minister Yu,

there is no need for such formalities.

I just happened to

be passing by

and thought I'd share in the Noble Consort's joy.

Your Highness,

you are too kind.

I...

Actually, I hadn't received any news.

For such a big matter as being made Noble Consort,

she didn't even send word home?

To be honest, Your Highness,

ever since my daughter became a concubine,

she hasn't contacted us.

But I understand—

after all, it's not appropriate for the harem

to interact too much

with their original families.

Well, that is true.

Lord Yu, you have truly raised your daughter well.

Not only is Noble Consort Yu

exceptionally beautiful,

I've also heard she's highly accomplished in her studies.

It just so happens that I have a close friend

whose daughter has always

looked up to Noble Consort Yu as a role model.

So I'd like to

ask you for a favor:

please select one of Consort Yu's calligraphy or paintings

to give her as a gift.

Of... Of course, why not?

Fu.

Hurry and bring one of

Lady Yu's calligraphy or paintings.

Master.

Her Highness sent someone a few days ago

to take all her works into the palace.

That day,

you weren't here.

Your Highness,

you see, I didn't know.

But it's okay.

I taught my daughter everything she knows about calligraphy and painting.

I can write something for you.

Lord Yu.

It's okay. Forget it.

Please don't say that.

I'll be quick. Just a moment, please.

The stronger a person is,

the more they prefer to work alone—

even on missions,

they don't bring anyone along.

What?

Mr. Bei

has gone to Prince Duan's Mansion to get the book?

That's right.

Isn't that too rushed?

Xu Yao told us

to wait a bit

so we wouldn't alert the enemy.

I'm worried that...

I know what you're worried about.

Xiahou Bo

has been scheming painstakingly for years,

and his mind is

exceedingly dark and sinister.

Prince Duan's Mansion

must be heavily guarded.

But Mr. Bei is no ordinary person.

You said it yourself that

he has the highest combat power in the entire book.

Even if there's trouble,

with his abilities,

I believe

he can turn it to his advantage.

That's true.

Now that we have the book Xu Yao left behind

and know all of Prince Duan's plans,

can we really defeat him?

How much that book can actually help us is another matter.

So for now,

don't overthink it.

I understand the logic,

but ever since we transmigrated here,

so many plot points have changed.

I really can't feel at ease.

Besides, in the original story,

Xu Yao lived for a long time.

Don't worry.

The worst that could happen

is we die.

Thanks.

That's oddly comforting.

Why is he so handsome?

I've never seen him trim his eyebrows.

So why are they shaped

so perfectly?

His eyes,

nose,

and mouth.

My dear, are you peeking at me?

No.

Who's peeking?

I... I was worried about your headache.

I'm going to take a bath now.

Why not together?

You can see even more.

How inappropriate!

My dear,

are you peeking at me?

Stop thinking about it.

Being love-struck is a huge taboo.

In stories like this...

-Why not together? -The love-struck all die young.

What's wrong with you, Yu Wanyin?

In this food chain,

you are already the weakest.

If you want to survive till the end,

you can't let primal urges conquer you.

Stay clear-headed.

Clear-headed.

Stay clear-headed.

Stay clear-headed.

How can I stay clear-headed?

Please take a look, Your Majesty.

Is this from Mr. Bai?

Yes.

Tell him

that everything in the palace is as usual

and that he should proceed as planned.

Yes.

[The demonic consort is ominous and must be eliminated immediately]

You

finished washing up so soon?

You were slow.

Can't sleep either?

I knew it wouldn't work.

What's wrong?

Headache.

Then...

Do you want me to give you a massage?

I-I'm just showing humanitarian concern.

♪ A letter, a line of words ♪

It's perfectly normal to care about a companion.

♪ Picking up the pen again and again ♪

♪ A cup of tea, a glass of wine ♪

♪ Drinking alone, hard to get drunk ♪

♪ Words unspoken ♪

♪ Shyness unhidden ♪

♪ Walking down a street together ♪

♪ Shoulder to shoulder ♪

I'll be gentler.

♪ Raising my head, lowering my eyes ♪

♪ Blushing slightly ♪

I don't know if you'll find this comforting,

♪ A face flushed red at first sight ♪

♪ A smile like a flower in my heart ♪

but the headache is just part of your character setting.

You didn't end up dying from it anyway.

♪ Whose longing lingers day and night? ♪

At least,

before you were assassinated,

♪ Piling up stories and countless thoughts ♪

you didn't die from it.

Thanks.

♪ Walking through once, taking a glance ♪

That's oddly comforting.

♪ All lingering and wandering ♪

♪ How many rains, how many winds? ♪

♪ Looking back, it's all like smoke ♪

Later,

♪ Watching the hazy world ♪

have Mr. Bei examine you

♪ Who still guards that yearning? ♪

and see if it's a brain tumor or poison.

♪ Still unchanged ♪

Mr. Bei is experienced in the martial world.

♪ Even if months and years pass in a blink ♪

He might know of some poisons

♪ One thought for a lifetime ♪

that even the imperial physicians have never heard of.

♪ Waiting for someone to appear ♪

You're actually afraid of death too, right?

Hard to say.

It's okay.

I'm afraid too.

♪ A letter, a line of words ♪

But as a CEO, you need to adjust your mindset.

♪ Picking up the pen again and again ♪

♪ A cup of tea, a glass of wine ♪

Show some spirit.

♪ Drinking alone, hard to get drunk ♪

Even if Mr. Bei

♪ Words unspoken ♪

couldn't get the book back,

-we can still fight again... -Don't worry.

♪ Shyness unhidden ♪

♪ Walking down a street together ♪

As long as you don't want to give up,

♪ Shoulder to shoulder ♪

I won't give up either.

♪ Raising my head, lowering my eyes ♪

♪ Blushing slightly ♪

♪ A face flushed red at first sight ♪

♪ A smile like a flower in my heart ♪

♪ Whose longing lingers day and night? ♪

After all, I'm counting on you to lead me to a good life, Wanyin.

♪ Piling up stories and countless thoughts ♪

♪ Walking through once, taking a glance ♪

♪ All lingering and wandering ♪

♪ How many rains, how many winds? ♪

That's true.

♪ Looking back, it's all like smoke ♪

♪ Watching the hazy world ♪

♪ Who still guards that yearning? ♪

♪ Still unchanged ♪

I'm going to sleep.

♪ Even if months and years pass in a blink ♪

Good night.

♪ One thought for a lifetime ♪

Good night.

♪ Waiting for someone to appear ♪

♪ Whose longing lingers day and night? ♪

♪ Piling up stories and countless thoughts ♪

Even if she's a demonic consort,

she's a good-looking one.

♪ Walking through once, taking a glance ♪

♪ All lingering and wandering ♪

♪ How many rains, how many winds? ♪

♪ Looking back, it's all like smoke ♪

♪ Watching the hazy world ♪

♪ Who still guards that yearning? ♪

[Zhaoyang Hall]

♪ Still unchanged ♪

♪ Even if months and years pass in a blink ♪

♪ One thought for a lifetime ♪

♪ Waiting for someone to appear ♪

Wake up.

The book is here.

Your Majesty.

Grand Tutor Wei

hanged himself in his cell last night.

That saves me some trouble.

Grand Tutor Wei was a smart man, you know.

How did he end up having

such useless children?

Poor Grand Tutor Wei.

In the end, to protect them,

he ruined his reputation

by committing suicide to escape punishment.

Your Majesty,

as for Noble Consort Wei,

are we still going to...

No love is as selfless as parents' love.

Let her stay in the Cold Palace

until she dies of old age.

Yes.

Yesterday,

who served the Emperor in bed?

Your Majesty,

last night, His Majesty

stayed with Noble Consort Yu again.

Did they sleep together?

The Noble Consort's Palace is heavily guarded.

It's hard to spy.

Besides, His Majesty usually dismisses the servants

to be alone with Noble Consort Yu.

As for whether they slept together,

there's really no way to find out.

In the harem, the worst thing is one faction growing too dominant.

Before, Noble Consort Wei

could keep her somewhat in check,

but now, Yu Wanyin's

influence is growing too strong.

It's time to dampen her momentum.

What rank is her father?

Your Majesty,

he's a fourth-rank official.

A lowly Vice Minister.

That's right.

Very well.

I'll make her understand

that in this harem,

there's no room for a girl like her

to run amok.

[Zhaoyang Hall]

Zhaoyang Palace

was specially bestowed upon Noble Consort Yu by His Majesty.

His Majesty worries that you young servants

won't serve well,

so he specially found someone experienced

to supervise the daily routine.

Please.

You can call me...

Madam Bei.

Yes.

Madam here

used to serve the former Empress Dowager.

Keep your eyes wide open and learn well from her.

Do you hear me?

[Zhaoyang Hall]

Yes.

Her Highness prefers quiet

and stays deep within her chambers.

Except for me,

Mei,

all other maids

are not allowed to enter.

Yes.

Alright.

All of you may get back to work.

Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch An.

Not at all.

We are all here to serve our masters.

Since His Majesty ordered it,

we servants just need to do our best.

Yes.

Leave it to me.

I am Mei.

Didn't you just say

"except for me?"

I said "except for me,

Mei, all other maids

are not allowed to enter."

She meant Mei and all other maids,

-including you. -Including you.

Just listen to Madam Bei.

Hand it over.

His Majesty has arrived!

No need for such formalities, Mr...

Madam Bei?

W-What's wrong?

Is my makeup

not fancy enough?

I just entered the palace,

and I don't know the rules.

Is it a bit too plain?

Ask Wanyin to help you adjust it a bit another day.

I left in a hurry this morning,

so I didn't get to ask.

Regarding the trip last night,

you didn't encounter any difficulties, did you?

Difficulties?

"The item is 1 meter below the window of the Prince Duan's Mansion's kitchen."

There are so many windows in the kitchen.

Which one is it?

Mr. Bei?

At Prince Duan's Mansion last night,

did you encounter any difficulties?

Not at all.

It was a piece of cake.

He didn't even make it clear

which window it is.

[Ways to win over Deputy Commander Zhao]

I see.

So...

So that explains it.

-Dan, look. -I see.

That's not right.

Ever since she opened this booklet,

-she's been acting jumpy. -This...

Even when I spoke to her, she wouldn't respond.

-Why is she like this? -What is this thing?

What does this mean?

You're here.

I happen to have something to ask you.

Look at this.

[Ways to win over Deputy Commander Zhao]

"Turn Deputy Zhao."

Who is Deputy Zhao?

There is indeed a Deputy Commander surnamed Zhao in the Imperial Guards.

Could it be him?

That explains it!

Explains what?

What exactly is written in this book?

This book records

Prince Duan's future plans.

"Turn Deputy Zhao."

It basically means

he wants to turn Deputy Commander Zhao of the Imperial Guards,

make him the Commander,

and thereby bring the Imperial Guards' power

under his own control.

Aren't the Imperial Guards supposed to protect the Imperial City?

If Prince Duan wants to control them,

what is he planning?

Exactly.

Why do I remember

this wasn't part of the original story?

Where did it go wrong?

Why are you two acting so...

Isn't he planning a rebellion?

Correct.

But now that we have the book,

we can defeat them one by one

and make their

plans fail.

But the book also says,

"use foreign spies to eliminate Li."

Who is this Li?

A distant relative of the Empress Dowager,

Vice Minister of Works, Mr. Li.

So Prince Duan intends to use someone else's hand to kill

and eliminate his rivals?

So...

So our accidental killing

of the Qiang assassin last night

might have already ruined Prince Duan's plan.

He might not be from the Qiang State.

Although Qiang also likes to pull tricks,

it's more likely the Yan State's doing.

The Yan State...

Why would the Yan State want to assassinate someone from Great Xia?

-The Yan State... -The Yan State wants to fight for power.

Sending a few assassins

to kill key officials of Great Xia

is their bargaining chip for seizing power.

Plus, the Yan State's land

is barren and plagued by years of drought.

They can barely survive.

The worse their lives get, the more they resent us.

What's with the "oh"?

Mr. Bei, I'd like to ask,

since

the Yan State's land is dry and barren,

what crops do they grow?

I think it's something called Yan millet.

It's no good anyway,

rough and tastes terrible.

Anyway, we don't grow it here in Great Xia.

Even if we did, it'd be for feeding pigs.

-I see. -I see.

Forget about the plans.

I'll just go chop off Prince Duan's head

and save you the trouble.

Mr. Bei!

Prince Duan's faction is deeply rooted.

No matter how good you are, Mr. Bei,

you can't possibly fight thousands alone.

It's fine.

Besides,

Prince Duan is backed by the Three Armies.

Killing him isn't hard.

The hard part is seizing military power first.

How do we know if we don't try?

-Mr. Bei! -Mr. Bei!

Even if this is resolved,

the Empress Dowager will reign supreme.

Her next step

will be to kill me.

All this killing back and forth

only treats the symptoms,

not the root cause.

Then how do we treat the root cause?

That depends on her.

Her?

Can a demonic consort really save a state?

[Prince Duan's Mansion]

Your Highness.

Mr. Murong asked me to pass on a message.

Go ahead.

The Commander of the Imperial Guards indeed has a concubine,

who's extremely beautiful.

She often goes to Nanshan Temple to burn incense.

Her route and Deputy Commander Zhao's

overlap in some places.

If we drug him

and make him take liberties with her,

the two men will surely become enemies.

If Your Highness recruits Deputy Commander Zhao then,

you'll surely succeed in one decisive stroke.

What else did he say?

Mr. Murong praised this plan for achieving much with little,

and said that the strategist behind it is worthy of great trust.

Give this letter to His Highness.

It will surely help His Highness make a comeback.

How does Xie Yong'er know so much?

Your Highness.

Shall I proceed with the plan?

Go and investigate

if Concubine Xie had any dealings with these people

before she entered the palace.

Yes.

Still reading?

You've been at it for ages.

This is Xu Yao's journal.

He probably never expected

it would become evidence for us.

But a lot of information is hidden between the lines.

I need to study it carefully.

Study carefully?

Is that so?

Then let me study it too!

I'm not done yet. Stop it.

Xiahou Dan!

Why can't I read it?

You're so childish.

Go take a break.

Stop it.

Give it back to me.

-I'm not done yet. -Let me study it.

So only you can study it carefully?

Give it to me!

Who allowed you in?

Y-Your Majesty, please forgive me.

These are Her Ladyship's favorite pastries.

I thought I'd bring them to her...

Leave this sort of thing

to Madam Bei from now on.

Leave us!

Yes, Your Majesty.

You didn't have to be so harsh on her.

Was I?

Look, how do you pronounce this character?

[Talents who failed the February imperial exam]

Wei.

As in "Weishi," meaning the imperial exam.

Impressive.

You even know such an obscure character.

I picked it up practicing calligraphy.

So here,

"talents who failed the February imperial exam" means

that during the imperial exam next February,

Prince Duan will recruit some of the talents

who fail the exam, right?

Why recruit those who fail?

Because of that Empress Dowager, of course.

The current imperial exams

are plagued by fraud and corruption.

Scholars from poor families never stand a chance.

As long as Prince Duan recruits capable, ambitious people

and offers them even minor official posts,

they'll all end up

pledging their loyalty to him, won't they?

Besides, the book says

the scholars Prince Duan recruited

include many talents

who ended up becoming capable ministers.

What should we do then?

Beat him to it

and poach them.

Poach them?

Your Majesty, I have a matter to report!

I wish to impeach

[Lord Wang]

Minister Yu

for perverting the law and lining his own pockets.

I second that.

Minister Yu relies on his status as a royal relative

to disrupt court discipline.

I hope Your Majesty will judge this fairly.

Although Minister Yu is Consort Yu's father

and holds a fourth-rank post,

royal relatives

cannot place themselves above the law.

What?

Minister Yu often invites officials to his residence

and accepts bribes

under the guise of playing cards.

I have recorded all the money

he embezzled in the past year.

I hope Your Majesty prioritizes the law,

handles this impartially,

and does not let Minister Yu off lightly.

How dare you!

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty, I only have Great Xia's best interests at heart.

Even if it displeases Your Majesty,

I

must remonstrate!

E-E-Exactly.

I am willing to remonstrate with my life!

So am I!