Original subtitles

[A Dream Within A Dream]

[Episode 7]

Then let's not talk about that.

Ten years ago, in the full-scale war with Dongshuo,

5,000 soldiers from the Xuanjia Army

faced 40,000 elite soldiers from Dongshuo.

If Nan Heng hadn't charged into battle

and taken the enemy commander's head,

how else could we have turned the tide after three months of losses

and won ten years of peace at the border?

What's wrong?

Mr. Li, listen to yourself.

What do you mean?

How reckless Nan Heng was!

5,000 against 40,000.

What was he thinking?

Instead of staying in the back and commanding the troops,

he, the commander, ran straight to the front lines

to steal the spotlight.

Let me tell you, Mr. Li.

Nan Heng…

He, he...

he might've had a few screws loose.

You're right.

He's definitely got a few screws loose.

Otherwise, why would I be telling you all this?

Mr. Li, what did you say?

Nothing.

I'm just saying,

everyone else is forgivable,

and Nan Heng is always the one to blame.

Miss Song, you really see people for who they are.

You're so…

So sharp and insightful.

I saw straight through Nan Heng,

didn't I?

I already know all that.

Let me put it this way, Mr. Li.

In this world,

no one knows Nan Heng

better than I do.

No.

There's one more person now.

Guess who it is.

I won't guess.

We've arrived at the Song Residence.

Goodbye forever.

Mr. Li.

Mr. Li, don't go.

Think about what I said.

Come find me when you've made up your mind!

Ambitious and ruthless.

Cruel and heartless.

Capable of any evil.

Framed loyal officials

and even harmed innocent women.

In that wicked woman's eyes,

I'm so despicable.

Ambitious, ruthless,

capable of any evil, and framed loyal officials.

That's what everyone says.

I'm already used to it.

But Your Highness,

when have you ever harmed a woman?

Go to Waning River Crescent.

Bring Shangguan He to me!

Yes.

Did I say something wrong again?

In His Highness's eyes,

even that useless Shangguan is better than me.

It hurts!

It hurts!

Are you trying to kill me?

Guihong.

Guihong.

I came as soon as I got the news.

What happened?

Weren't you off fighting bandits?

How did you end up like this?

Your Highness.

Waning River Crescent's Hall

might not be as simple as it looks.

Li Shiliu?

Was he really that Li Shiliu?

My Lady, you're so lucky!

Why?

Is he that famous?

Of course.

He is

the number one dream husband,

voted by all the eligible ladies in the capital.

Always neck and neck

with General Chu Guihong.

Rumor has it he's cold and aloof

and rarely shows his face in public.

But today, he actually appeared

and saved you.

You must have been a loving couple in a past life

and still deeply love each other.

Stop.

You're hopelessly romantic.

I rushed through the script,

focused only on the main plot,

and totally missed such a popular character.

Wait, is it possible that

he isn't in the script

and is actually

a wild card who exists independently?

[Li Shiliu]

[Nan Heng] [Song Yimeng]

What else do you know

about his past?

Tell me everything.

What is this?

"Famous Men in the Martial World— Li Shiliu Edition?"

He even has a biography?

There's stuff like this?

Miss Song sure has a sharp tongue

and a unique way of seeing things.

She made all of His Highness's heroic deeds

sound utterly worthless.

Nonsense!

His Highness just had a few slip-ups.

Hardly even a handful of them.

He got tricked once by a schemer,

ambushed once by enemy scouts,

and had his supplies stolen once

and burned another time.

They all happened when he was young.

What's that supposed to mean?

Are you saying His Highness isn't young anymore?

Quit stirring the pot!

His Highness is in his prime.

Sure, he's weathered a bit

and has a few lines on his face,

but he still does 80 push-ups a day!

Back to the point!

Your Highness.

Mr. Shangguan knows nothing about politics,

so I must speak plainly.

You've spent years building Waning River Crescent

to grow your power base in secret,

gather intel, and prepare for the future.

This identity of yours must be kept secret.

Even if you want to ally with Miss Song

as Li Shiliu,

there's no guarantee

she won't uncover your secrets and plans someday.

If the Eighteenth Prince and his men find out about this,

it'll be too late to fix.

Fugui.

There is no free meal in the world.

No risk, no reward.

Still, His Highness can't take the risk himself!

Let me ask you.

Do you have a way

to break the rule Song Yimeng mentioned?

Since we can't break it, we use it.

Don't forget—

you attacked Chu Guihong tonight.

How are you planning to clean that up?

Why would a man from the martial world

show up just to test out your weapon?

Could it be that

he's after the method of weapon forging?

There's only one person

who cares about that.

So I suspect

Li Shiliu

is most likely working for Nan Heng.

No.

If that's true,

Heng has more cards

up his sleeve than we thought.

And not just that—

the bandit operation was supposed to be top secret.

But Li Shiliu

acted as if he already knew about it.

Your Highness.

I fear

one of our own

might be Nan Heng's spy.

No way.

Don't scare me like that.

Your Highness, calm down.

It's all Nan Heng's fault.

He's made me so paranoid.

Your Highness.

If Li Shiliu really is Nan Heng's man,

we can't just let him be.

Yeah,

but the problem is, we don't even know

if he's really working for Heng.

I have a plan to find out.

But I'll need you to help me

carry it out.

No way! I object!

His Highness is far too noble

to keep lowering himself

before Song Yimeng.

But…

Even if you break the engagement

between Song Yimeng and Chu Guihong,

there's no guarantee the Song family will side with us.

But if we let the two families get united,

I'm afraid before Chief gets the method of weapon forging,

he'll have already lost his shot at the throne.

Will you take responsibility?

I won't just sit back and do nothing.

Your Highness!

Shut up.

But Li Shiliu

is just a wandering swordsman,

while Song Yimeng is a noble lady from a powerful family.

It's hard to win her heart.

That's why you should get close to her

as a trusted friend.

Chu Guihong is her fiancé.

He won't take that sitting down.

The moment tension starts between them,

a breakup is only a matter of time.

So His Highness has to swallow his pride

and sow discord to ruin their engagement?

Go on.

This booklet isn't entirely accurate.

[Detailed information on Li Shiliu]

I think Mr. Li

isn't just a cold-blooded fighter.

He's actually quite kind.

At Waning River Crescent,

he's taken in a lot of homeless people.

I saw them all tonight.

They were all very nice.

The flood three years ago

and the war four years ago—

those tragedies were caused

by Nan Heng's power struggle.

Song Yimeng,

you're saved.

You're really saved.

You're saved!

Miss, I don't understand what you mean.

How can you not?

Look,

Li Shiliu

founded Waning River Crescent

and took in all those people

who lost their homes

because of Nan Heng's sins.

Of course they hate Nan Heng's guts.

No wonder Mr. Li

kept asking me about Nan Heng tonight.

So

he was testing where I stand

and if I'm truly committed.

So what are you going to do?

Pretend to hate the Seventh Prince

and get close to her.

With the goal of bringing Nan Heng down,

I'll befriend him.

What if the Seventh Prince finds out?

What if your true identity is exposed?

[VS]

Then strike first.

Kill.

Chief.

Here.

What do you mean?

The best way to build trust is through a handwritten letter

that fully expresses your feelings.

It works wonders on women.

I don't have time for that.

I do.

Don't be fooled by how lazy I look.

I can

write 80 love poems anytime.

You?

Fine. Do what you see fit.

Don't worry.

Leave it to me.

You'll be disappointed.

[Laiyi House]

My Lady, My Lady.

Li Shiliu…

Li Shiliu sent a letter.

Li Shiliu?

I hope this letter

finds you well, Miss Song.

The flowers in the capital are in full bloom.

I've thought often of our last meeting,

so I wrote this poem for you:

Spring brings flowers, autumn the moon.

One glance at you, and I can't forget you.

Red candles paired, birds in twos.

My yearning for you is driving me crazy.

What the hell is this?

It's only been a few days.

How did you get greasy all of a sudden?

Mr. Li,

don't read weird books.

If you're not picky about what you read,

it'll harm both your body and mind.

Guys!

Second Master has given the order.

We're compiling the most popular storylines into a book

to craft the perfect backstory

for Chief in which he's handsome, strong, yet miserable!

Let's do it!

Handsome, strong, yet miserable!

There's no woman who won't fall for

a man who's handsome, strong, yet miserable.

If there is,

it just means he's not handsome enough,

not strong enough, or hasn't suffered enough.

Bro, come, come.

Come on. Don't copy that one.

Here, copy this.

Alright.

Bro, come.

Put this stack of books over there.

[Graceful and Composed]

"A Sigh Across a Thousand Years:

Li Shiliu's 99 Brushes With Death."

Yeah, that's the persona we want.

[A Sigh Across 1000 Years: Li Shiliu's 99 Brushes With Death]

[A Sigh Across 1000 Years: Li Shiliu's 99 Brushes With Death]

He lost his father at three and his mother at five.

His only beloved dog

abandoned him.

He learned martial arts by himself.

All his meridians were shattered.

Then he rose from the ashes?

Wait, when did I go through any of that?

I...

It gets worse.

S-Stabbed 128 times,

buried in an ancient well, and rose again after 100 days.

I'm just trying to help Li…

to help you.

Handsome, strong, yet miserable?

Nonsense!

Serves you right!

Hope this letter finds you well.

The rumors swirling around the capital lately could break even the strongest man.

I have no way to explain myself,

but knowing you believe in me is enough.

What other people think of me doesn't matter.

I've heard court struggles grow fiercer by the day.

General Chu is now in charge of palace security.

He may not have time to look after you.

If you'd like,

you're always welcome to visit Waning River Crescent.

It might help take your mind off things.

What's Song Yimeng playing at?

Your Highness, it might be poisoned.

Let Mr. Shangguan try it first.

I'll shut up.

What do you think?

Your Highness,

Song Yimeng

has taken the bait.

Your Highness.

A letter just arrived from the Eighteenth Prince.

He's asked to meet you

tomorrow at noon at Waning River Crescent.

The Eighteenth Prince must be out of his mind,

asking to meet you outside the palace.

Just days ago, Chu Guihong

exchanged blows with you there,

and today Nan Rui sent an invitation.

Interesting.

He thinks he's clever

and even dragged Rui into it.

Are you going?

Yes.

Opportunities like this

don't come again.

After his release from prison,

His Majesty sent his father's belongings

back to the Qianyu Mansion,

calling it returning them,

but it was actually meant to intimidate you.

He thinks with that thing in hand, he'll be unstoppable.

Then I'll make sure he falls and never gets up.

Looks like Shanhu's thieving skills

will finally come in handy.

Maybe with that thing,

we can uncover the method of weapon forging.

Wait, what are you talking about?

Can someone explain it to me?

The Qianyu Moon-Cleaving Blade.

What?

This way, please.

Excellent, excellent!

Truly eye-opening!

Come, please.

Excellent, excellent!

Don't be afraid.

Don't be afraid.

Sir.

Leave.

Are you deaf?

He asked you to leave.

Guys,

get ready.

Miss Song?

Miss Song?

Why is she here?

Guys,

once we go in,

mind your manners.

Keep your voices down.

Don't spook our general's future wife.

Our general's happiness

is in our hands now.

Got it?

-Got it! -Got it!

Place your bets. Hurry.

Now's the time. Don't miss your chance!

Anyone can place the bets!

Anyone can bet.

I'm opening it.

Yunlong, Shanhu.

Shanhu.

Hey, you came.

What a nuisance.

Is your chief here?

Chief?

Didn't Chief say he wouldn't be here today?

He…

Is he here or not?

Why exactly

did you invite me here?

Why?

Yeah, why did I invite you?

Well,

Waning River Crescent is quite famous in the capital.

Have you been here before, Heng?

Have you been here?

I...

Wait.

I asked you first,

so you should answer first.

I'm your elder brother. You answer first.

That's not…

You...

You...

Why didn't you play by the rules?

I never play by the rules.

[Be brave]

W-What are you doing?

[Be brave]

What are you doing?

What is this?

Do you see me as some kind of monster?

You're actually so scared of me.

Don't tell me you invited me here

because someone told you to.

Nonsense!

I...

I was just practicing my calligraphy.

Besides, I'm Great Jing's mascot!

Why would I be afraid of you?

Good.

If something's on your mind, just tell me.

Don't let others

lead you around by the nose.

N-No one's leading me.

[Big Fortune]

Miss Song,

this is the first floor.

It's called Guan Crescent.

Watch your step.

Why's it called Guan Crescent?

Because it's the main business floor.

Gambling, trading, singing, dancing, dining—

you name it.

[Auspicious Clouds and Stars]

It's also where Chief

and the leaders of Nightwalkers hold meetings.

Go up these stairs, and you'll reach the second floor.

[Auspicious Clouds and Stars]

The second floor's even more fun.

Come on, keep up!

Coming.

The second floor is called Wang Crescent.

[Unmatched Grace]

There are guest rooms, private booths,

and quiet suites.

Every time Chief makes a million-tael deal,

it's right here.

Look over here!

Slow down.

This is the third floor,

called Cang Crescent.

It's where the Nightwalkers discuss top secrets.

Normal people aren't allowed up here.

I'm a normal person.

-Guess I don't need to see it. -No, no, wait.

You're not normal.

You're one of us.

Feel free to look around.

Look over there.

That's the intel room—

strictly off-limits.

I'm telling you, outsiders absolutely must not…

Stop! Stop!

Shanhu.

You don't need to go into all that.

I-I'm not that interested anyway.

No.

You're gonna be the lady of the house one day.

You need to know everything clearly.

The more I know, the sooner I die.

But Shanhu,

you've been dragging me around for an hour.

When can I

see your chief?

It's the Second Master's order.

He said I must help you

understand the full workings of the Nightwalkers

and make you feel at home.

Now, I'll take you to the fourth floor.

This is the fourth floor.

It's called Wan Crescent.

You can overlook the entire Waning River Crescent from here.

Look!

This is the empire

Chief built for you!

So melodramatic.

Besides this,

there's one more place beneath the water.

It's called Yin Crescent.

But that's Chief's private domain.

We don't actually know

what goes on there.

But don't worry.

There are definitely no women there.

Yunlong.

Come with me.

We're done for. We're done for.

Miss Song insists on seeing Chief now.

The way she looked just now—

it was like she'd never leave

without seeing him today.

I finally got her to rest in a suite just now.

What's Chief doing today?

Why can't he see her?

I don't know.

Wait, wait.

Can't you help me look for him?

Did you forget what Second Master said earlier?

He told us Nan Heng would be here at Waning River Crescent,

so we're to keep a low profile and not act rashly.

Some guests are here.

Move, move!

What's going on?

What's happening?

What's going on?

Go, go.

The Qianyu Army is here to make an arrest!

No one leaves!

What's happening?

What's going on?

No idea.

No idea.

Yeah, what's going on?

[Big Fortune]

Get up there!

Hurry! Move!

Stand still.

All of you, stay right where you are!

Sir,

may I ask who you're here to arrest?

-Who's that? -No idea.

I've never seen him before.

Nan Rui.

If you keep eating like this,

I won't be able to see you anymore.

Even if I stop, you still can't see me.

Who is it?

Come in!

Greetings, Your Highnesses.

Great to see you, Rong Hua!

What are you doing here?

Your Highness.

I'm here with the Qianyu Army to make an arrest.

I ran into Jixiang

and heard you were both here,

so I came

to greet you.

Who are you here to arrest?

The chief of Waning River Crescent—

Li Shiliu.

Then what does this Li Shiliu look like?

What exactly did he do

to make you bring so many people to arrest him?

Military equipment has been going missing now and then.

We suspect the Nightwalkers are involved.

So we set a trap to lure him out.

Less than two hours ago,

someone took the bait.

That person was Li Shiliu.

There are so many of you,

yet you still haven't caught him?

That guy is extremely cunning.

Even surrounded by dozens,

he still managed to slip away and flee here.

However,

he's badly injured and can't move easily.

We believe he's hiding somewhere in this building.

We've already captured two of his men

and are interrogating them now.

If you do catch him,

you must come report it to me.

Yes.

I'll take my leave.

Li Shiliu's in this building.

Aren't you afraid?

No.

No way I'm not afraid.

A bloodthirsty killer

is hiding somewhere near me.

I'm terrified!

Then call Jixiang in.

Jixiang?

Well, he…

he's, um… a gambling addict.

He snuck off to gamble.

That's strange.

Jixiang is always glued to your side.

Why is it that today of all days,

he left you alone to meet with me?

He...

I...

You...

Have some sunflower seeds.

We have nothing else to do anyway.

By then, I'll barge into your room

disguised as Li Shiliu

[One day ago]

and pretend to be injured and pass out.

Very exciting!

And then?

Then you come to check on me

and try to remove my mask.

If Li Shiliu really is connected to Nan Heng,

Nan Heng will definitely try to stop you.

Got it.

If Heng dares to stop me,

I'll inform Father immediately

and get an imperial order to look into him

and the Nightwalkers, right?

His Majesty knows you're pure of heart

and speak only the truth.

He'll definitely believe you.

But what if Heng

doesn't stop me?

I can't really pull off your mask

and let him see your face.

If Nan Heng doesn't stop you,

I'll pretend to wake up and leave the room.

All you have to do is stall him.

I don't know if I can stall him.

Don't worry, Your Highness.

Jixiang and Rong Hua are standing by outside to back me up.

But what if Heng really

has nothing to do with Li Shiliu?

Then all our efforts in this investigation

would've been a wild goose chase.

That's…

If Li Shiliu isn't Nan Heng's pawn,

we can use this opportunity

to make him your pawn instead.

And…

how exactly do you plan to do that?

I'll bring a shipment of weapons

into Waning River Crescent.

After I leave,

Rong Hua will lead a search of the place

and discover them hidden in a private room.

You're trying to frame him!

Calm down, Your Highness.

Hear me out.

Once Rong Hua finds the weapons,

the Qianyu Army and the Nightwalkers will clash.

At that point, you can step in

and smooth things over.

By doing so,

Li Shiliu will feel indebted and be willing to serve you.

You can then persuade both him

and the Nightwalkers to choose the right path

and submit to the court.

General, Rong Hua has come down.

It's time you showed up.

Waiting for someone?

No.

Who could I possibly be waiting for?

I'm just waiting for you to say something.

Then why do you keep glancing over there?

Who are you?

He looks like he fainted.

He seems to be the one from the poster!

Gosh, he's Li Shiliu!

Really?

Heng, don't be scared.

I'm here.

Today, I'm taking off his mask

and seeing who he really is.

Wait.

Shouldn't you go out and call for help?

C-Call for help?

Rong Hua and the Qianyu Army are waiting right outside.

Ask them to come in and catch him.

If you're too scared,

I'll do it myself.

Hold on, hold on.

Be patient.

Don't look down on me.

He's already passed out. Why would I be afraid?

Today, I'm going to see

with my own eyes what he really looks like.

Heng,

I'm going over now.

Don't stop me.

Go ahead. I won't stop you.

I'm already walking over.

I'll pull off his mask soon.

Wait.

What did you say?

I mean you're too slow.

Walk faster.

Alright.

I'm standing right next to him now.

I'm really gonna do it.

What do you want? What do you want?

You're trying to stop me.

You're definitely trying to stop me, aren't you?

If you won't do it,

I will!

Get in!

[Excellence and Distinction]

Sir,

may I ask if that big guy called Fugui

is your attendant?

What's wrong?

He's so hot-tempered.

He crossed a high-ranking official's daughter.

Please go check things out.

An official's daughter?

Didn't I tell you to take care of everything?

Why is Song Yimeng here?

I only wrote those letters

to bring her here for you!

How was I supposed to know she'd come today?

Let me help you.

You can't be serious.

I've got it!

It's stuck.

I love my hair.

Keep yapping

and I'll shave your head and send you to a monastery.

[Fugui was here]

Why isn't the general back yet?

Why isn't he here yet?

It's not like there are traffic jams in ancient times.

You...

Why is Yimeng here?

Mr. Li.

You're finally here.

You swordsmen are quite interesting.

The front door is right there,

but you just have to climb in through a window.

Men will always be boys, huh?

How does she even know Li Shiliu?

Why are you hiding?

We're basically friends now.

Don't be so shy.

Mr. Li?

Is Yimeng having an affair with Li Shiliu?

Impossible. Absolutely impossible.

Miss Song.

Mr. Li,

what's wrong with your voice?

Did you catch a cold?

I heard that

you're engaged to Young Master Chu.

So why are you acting like…

like we're close?

Sorry.

I forgot you're from ancient times.

Men and women should keep a distance.

Got it, got it.

Mr. Li, since you're here,

let's get down to business.

I'll get you some tea.

Have a seat.

Miss Song.

Chief is here to see you.

Miss Song.

You...

You teleported?

What?

And your voice is fine now.

You guys talk.

I've got something to do, so I'll be going.

Where are you going?

That's strange.

So,

Miss Song, what brings you here today?

I've been a little bored lately,

so

I prepared some gifts for you.

Much appreciated.

But I've got something urgent today.

Let's talk another time.

Mr. Li,

why are you suddenly

so cold toward me?

When was I ever warm toward you?

Didn't you write in your letter

that Chu Guihong was always busy,

and you were worried I'd be lonely,

so I should drop by

whenever I had free time?

I did say that.

So enjoy yourself here.

But I really do have an urgent matter today.

We'll talk next time.

No.

I have something more important.

I want to talk to you in depth

about Nan Heng.

Nan Heng?

[The master and his servant care for each other.]

The master and his servant care for each other.

His Highness just told me to get lost.

I understand.

Nan Heng

is a prince after all.

People in your world are bound

to fear him.

But, Mr. Li,

have you ever thought about this?

If one day,

the feud between the Seventh and Eighteenth Princes

throws the whole nation into chaos,

what should we do then?

Going up against a prince is not easy.

Miss Song, I need to know what your trump card is.

Song Yude is my father.

Chu Guihong is my fiancé.

Isn't that enough?

Yimeng wants me to join forces with Li Shiliu to go against Nan Heng?

I need to know your full plan.

If it's not airtight,

I won't risk

my men's lives.

Goodbye.

The Lantern Festival.

During the Lantern Festival,

there'll be a citywide celebration in the capital.

Everyone will be there.

That day, Nan Heng

is bound to make his move.

He'll turn the whole city into a sea of fire.

Countless civilians will die.

Mr. Li,

if you're willing to trust me,

help me stop Nan Heng.

What do you say?

The Lantern Festival

is celebrated every year.

People light lanterns and pray for blessings.

It's all routine.

Why are you so sure Nan Heng will act?

Exactly because it's routine.

That's what makes it the perfect cover for him to suppress rivals

and pull people to his side.

[Four hours earlier]

The palace guards were punished?

His Majesty punished them repeatedly. That's no coincidence.

I suspect he's planning to hand control of palace security

to Chu Guihong as well.

If that happens, both the capital and the palace

will fall under the control

[Gentle Breeze and Auspicious Clouds]

of Chu Guihong and the Eighteenth Prince.

Chu Guihong has only held his current post for less than ten days.

If he wants a promotion,

he'll need some kind of achievement.

The Lantern Festival?

If he's put in charge of the Lantern Festival

and does a good job,

he'll naturally

get promoted.

Mr. Li,

I know you still have a lot of questions.

But this time is different.

If we don't stop Nan Heng,

it won't just be Chu Guihong—

many innocent lives

will be dragged down as well.

Mr. Li,

you have a heart that cares for the people.

Are you really going to stand by and do nothing?

I haven't even made a plan yet,

and Song Yimeng's already said all this.

Could it be she and Chu Guihong are trying to stir up chaos

to frame me

and give Chu Guihong a political advantage?

Mr. Li,

think carefully.

Hasn't Nan Heng committed

enough crimes over the years?

If you're hesitant

because he's a prince,

afraid to face him alone,

I'll have Chu Guihong join us.

The three of us together can take Nan Heng down!