Original subtitles

[A Dream Within A Dream]

[Episode 12]

Hold it straight.

Understood.

You, a wanderer with a mysterious past,

have meddled in court affairs time and again.

What exactly are you after?

What do you think

my intentions are, General Chu?

I don't know.

But if

Yimeng is also your target...

I advise you

to give up that idea right now.

You, the mighty Lieutenant General of the Qianyu Army,

think about things like that all day long.

No wonder Miss Song keeps her distance from you.

My relationship with Yimeng

is none of your concern.

I have no interest

in your personal affairs.

But let me remind you.

What Miss Song cares about most right now

is the South City renovation

and addressing the people's pressing needs.

That's why you're putting on

a hero's act

to help with the renovation?

Dealing with Nan Heng

and getting involved in the assassination

are just your tricks to win Yimeng over.

So that's what you think.

Then why don't we

make a bet?

Let's see

who can restore the South City

better and faster.

But if you lose,

you call off the engagement.

This is ridiculous.

Marriage is a union between two families.

Why should I bet with you?

Because

there are 61 damaged houses

and 347 displaced people in South City.

Though the court has allocated funds

to finish repairs before the Beginning of Spring,

both the money and manpower

fall far short.

You'll need help from the Waning River Crescent.

Otherwise,

when Nan Heng uses this against you,

what will you do then?

As for the renovation,

I'm willing to let the Waning River Crescent take part.

But I hope you understand

that this renovation affects the lives of people in the capital.

It's not something you can bluff your way through

with cheap tricks from the martial arts world.

If I find out you have ulterior motives,

you won't

get off so easily this time.

Also,

no matter what happens,

I will never use my marriage with Yimeng

as a bargaining chip.

Miss Song,

please calm down.

Look at you,

waving around some worthless thing like it's supposed to scare me.

Your master

already tried threatening me with a knife to force some half-baked romance,

and now you're pulling the same trick.

Since when did we even have a romance storyline?

Who gave you the right to just make stuff up?

No, Miss Song,

I'm just...

I'm begging you, alright?

I finally landed the job.

Can you please explain

what all those strange terms

actually mean?

Please, I'm begging you.

Please.

We're all just trying to make a living.

You've got it tough too.

Go back and tell your master.

If he has questions, he can come ask me himself.

Stop giving the supporting cast a hard time.

No, Miss Song,

I was so foolish.

I didn't realize how kind and beautiful you truly are.

Can you just tell me

who's really behind all this?

Are you trying to sweet-talk me?

No.

Sweet talk won't work on me.

I've already told your master

that the assassination was my doing alone.

No one else was involved.

This isn't about the assassination.

It's about the fire.

What's the real story behind it?

Tell me, please.

Well...

If you really want to know,

I'll tell you.

It was honestly a coincidence,

part of the plot.

I'm not lying to you.

Really.

I get it.

We're not that close yet,

so you can't open up.

Alright then,

if I badmouth the Seventh Prince,

does that earn me a spot on your side?

Listen carefully.

The Seventh Prince

brings ruin upon men of loyalty and virtue.

He's

cold and ruthless.

Honestly, he's a complete idiot.

The Seventh Prince is—

Isn't that Fugui, the one who works for Nan Heng?

Let's beat him up first.

Mr. Li.

Mr. Li.

Everyone around Nan Heng is scheming.

You should leave now.

Don't get involved with them.

Go back and keep your mouth shut.

Don't tell Nan Heng you saw him here.

Otherwise, I'll spread every word

you just said

about the Seventh Prince.

If we die, we die together.

No one gets to walk away.

Come on.

[The Nightwalkers vs Qianyu Army] [0:0]

[The Nightwalkers vs Qianyu Army] [1:0]

Bravo!

Bravo!

Here, take this.

[The Nightwalkers vs Qianyu Army] [1:0]

[The Nightwalkers vs Qianyu Army] [1:2]

Bravo!

Use some strength.

[The Nightwalkers vs Qianyu Army] [1:2]

[The Nightwalkers vs Qianyu Army] [4:2]

[The Nightwalkers]

Bravo!

Awesome!

Bravo!

Mr. Li.

I've sent Shangguan back.

I noticed he washes his hands after every task.

His skin's practically rubbed raw.

So I let him go.

Alright.

Thank you for your help.

What's wrong with you?

Are you in a bad mood?

Did Chu Guihong bully you?

He bullied me?

Do you really see me as that weak?

When it was Nan Heng, you tried to protect me.

When it was Chu Guihong,

you did the same.

Even with Fugui just now,

you still stepped in for me.

I...

You...

You might be a hero,

but you're still a supporting character.

I've got plot armor,

so I should be the one protecting you.

Plot armor?

What's that?

It's...

This thing.

This.

There you go.

Now you've got one too.

Thank you all for your hard work.

Come on, food's ready.

Thank you so much.

Be careful.

Thank you so much.

Come and get it.

Take more, please.

Sure thing!

Look at these people from South City.

They probably don't even

get to live a full life in this world.

That day, the fire

was burning for real.

If it weren't for you, Mr. Li,

they might have died just like that.

However, a protagonist like Nan Heng

only cares about power and schemes.

The people's lives mean nothing to him.

All he wants is to outmatch Nan Rui,

even if it means sacrificing everything the people have,

including their lives.

Is that fair?

So that's why you hate

Nan Heng?

Just because he's the protagonist?

You keep talking about protagonists

and supporting characters,

but I still don't get what that means.

I want to help you change everything

and stand with you against Nan Heng.

But I can't do that

if I don't even understand what you're saying.

So, Miss Song,

could you explain it to me?

I...

I...

I...

I understand.

When we're not that close,

some secrets are hard to share.

Miss Song, it seems

you still don't trust me.

That's not true, Mr. Li.

I do trust you.

It's just that

if I really told you everything,

you would be afraid of me.

Mr. Li.

You're the most important friend

I have in this world.

You're also the only one who understands me

and trusts me.

Perhaps...

Perhaps you could even

change my fate.

So,

I really can't lose you.

I'm afraid to lose you.

Please let me keep this secret.

Just this one secret,

can you?

♪ Drifting with fleeting light into a haze ♪

♪ In the depths of passing time, who's still waiting ♪

♪ A single glance back ♪

♪ Even if the road ahead is veiled ♪

♪ And the rest of our story fades unfinished ♪

Sure.

♪ I'll still choose to meet you ♪

Sir.

Thank you for helping us build houses.

Please have some.

Alright, thank you.

Did you wash your hands?

Thank you, little one.

What's your name?

I don't have a name.

That's impossible.

Grandma says

those of us who live in South City

are all lower-class people.

Lower-class people don't need names.

If you don't have a name,

how are you registered with the authorities?

Well, little one.

Tell me,

what's your father's name?

His name is Passerby A.

Passerby A?

Pass—

Sir.

I'd like to ask,

what's your name?

My name is Passerby B.

Passerby B?

Why?

What do you mean by "why"?

Don't you have your own name?

Passerby B is my name.

You seriously have a problem.

I...

What's wrong?

Nothing.

So all these common people

don't have their own names.

I didn't know "Passerby"

was such a common surname

in the capital.

Quite an elegant surname indeed.

Little one.

Since your father's surname

is Passerby,

from now on,

you shall be called

Passerby Pancake.

How's that?

Thank you, Sir.

Here,

have this pancake.

Take a big bite.

Passerby C. ["C" sounds like "pancake" in Chinese]

It's as if everything is stuck

inside a fabricated, prewritten world.

So handsome!

Mr. Li's skills are truly extraordinary.

My Lady, he's the one, definitely the one!

Just days ago,

weren't you speaking highly of General Chu?

Now you've switched sides.

Before, I was just inexperienced,

thinking that of all men in the world,

only General Chu was the best.

But now, after hearing Miss's stories every day,

I think Mr. Li is even better than General Chu.

You two are what we call daily followers,

switching fandoms at the drop of a hat.

Switching...

But My Lady,

what are your feelings

toward Mr. Li now?

If you like him,

why not break off your engagement and marry him instead?

What are you talking about?

Besides,

the broken engagement plot

is still a long way off.

For now, I'd be counting my blessings

if I could just slip out of

Nan Heng's clutches safely.

-My Lady. -My Lady, please tell us more.

Stop gossiping.

[Slacker Escape Plan]

[Li Shiliu]

From what I know about Nan Heng,

he's just an ambitious,

ruthless,

and heartless man.

He commits all kinds of wicked deeds,

falsely accuses loyal officials,

and inflicts suffering upon women.

He's a bad guy, you know?

He kills without even blinking.

Nan Heng has committed plenty of

wicked deeds over the years, hasn't he?

Nan Heng is a sinister villain.

However, a protagonist like Nan Heng

only cares about power and schemes.

The people's lives mean nothing to him.

Anyway,

he's not a good person.

Fugui!

Come in!

Your Highness.

Let me ask you.

Do you also think

I am a person who only cares about power

and ignores the lives of the people?

What do you mean by "also"?

No, it's impossible.

Your Highness

is known for your kindness

and warmth—

truly a gentleman

and a great hero of the realm.

Do you really believe your own words?

Since you don't believe it yourself,

she certainly won't believe it either.

She?

Accompany me to the Song Residence tomorrow.

I have questions for her.

Yes, Your Highness.

[Song Residence]

Twenty-five.

Sixteen,

seventeen.

We're short on timber lately.

To keep the project on schedule,

we need to use materials sparingly.

Remember, you two—

everything here must be properly sorted

and counted once a day,

and any shortages reported right away.

That's how we avoid mistakes.

My Lady, you're impressive!

I'm just helping Mr. Li.

He's done so much for the people,

so I should do my part too,

right?

What are you doing here?

Is this how you treat

the person who saved you

from being charged with assassination?

Your Highness,

mind your gentlemanly conduct.

I need to speak with Miss Song alone.

Both of you, leave now.

Your Highness,

th-they don't know anything.

Please don't frighten them.

Besides,

what is it

that cannot be said in their presence?

Why must we speak in private?

Miss Song,

His Highness suggests

it might be a bit stuffy in here

and perhaps the ladies would appreciate some fresh air.

Ladies,

please.

It's quite stuffy in here.

I need to get some fresh air too.

What are you doing?

First question:

To you,

what kind of person am I?

A truly admirable person.

I want you to tell the truth.

How is that not the truth?

Even though Your Highness has tried to kill me

so many times,

you always let me walk away.

Such magnanimity, rare even among top celebrities,

combined with your remarkable foresight—

you're truly an admirable person.

Fine.

Then the second question:

What is a "top celebrity"?

What does "protagonist" mean?

And what is this

"script" you speak of?

Everyone keeps asking me these questions.

I-I really feel suffocated.

I really need to go out and breathe

some fresh air.

I've searched through all the books in the Wenyuan Library

and questioned all the scholars in the Hanlin Academy,

yet no one knows anything about this.

I was just saying it casually.

Your Highness, seriously,

why do you bother remembering such trivial things?

Just saying it casually?

Once is fine,

but what about twice?

Three times?

Four times? Five times?

You once said I was the protagonist.

Now you're calling me a top celebrity.

You also mentioned that everything

between us is part of some script rule.

What does all that mean?

Did I...

Did I say that?

Song Yimeng.

I'm begging you to tell me

what you're hiding from me.

Your Highness,

do you have any manners at all?

How can you be so rude to a girl?

Fine,

I'll tell you today.

A top celebrity is someone with top traffic,

and a script is the foundation of a show.

You, who only knows how to use force when facing problems,

who hasn't even learned basic

English vocabulary,

do you understand?

Do you understand?

Do you understand?

You don't understand.

Not only do you not understand,

you kill without remorse,

you slaughter the innocent.

You don't really want to know

what the real script is about.

You just think I know more than you,

you think I'm hiding everything from you.

You want to control everyone,

but you don't trust anyone.

Am I right,

Your Highness?

Have I successfully mind-controlled him?

Fine,

you're right about everything.

I did use force against you before,

but let me tell you.

Apart from this matter,

I have never killed innocent people.

I don't trust anyone,

because no one has ever trusted me,

not even you.

I...

You should know that

things in this world

are not what they appear to be on the surface.

What people say isn't necessarily the truth.

On the battlefield,

it's kill or be killed.

In the imperial court,

it's even more dangerous than the frontier.

If I don't fight desperately to survive,

then I'll be the one driven to a dead end.

Song Yimeng.

If

you truly want to understand me,

don't use your eyes.

Who wants to understand you?

Everyone present here

is an expert in weapon forging.

Our Chief Master has gone to great lengths

to invite you all from the Huai region,

spending several days,

yet there's been no progress.

You're making it very difficult for me to explain.

Mr. Shangguan,

it's not that we're incompetent.

The blades you want must be forged from fine steel,

but nowadays all the quality iron mines

are under imperial control.

To forge steel blades from ordinary iron,

that's... that's simply impossible!

Indeed.

So if I provide you with fine iron,

you could forge it then?

Sir, what you don't know is

the fine iron needs to be tempered

before it can become steel.

And this tempering method

is known only to Lord Qianyu.

In my youth,

I was fortunate enough to apprentice in the Qianyu Army

under a blade-forging master.

Even though he served in the army for decades,

he never obtained Lord Qianyu's formula.

So...

In the end, you still can't forge it.

Guards! Take them away.

Move along.

What should we do?

We'll have to target the Qianyu Army.

Go to the South City and tell the Chief Master

that our mission remains unaccomplished,

and we need to find another way through Chu Guihong.

Yes.

Bravo! Bravo!

Bravo! Bravo!

General,

what are they doing over there?

Are they here to help or just cause trouble?

Chattering all day long,

they're clearly disrupting military discipline.

Let them do their thing,

we'll do ours.

Only by completing this before next month

can we help His Majesty

and His Highness

put their minds at ease.

General,

the Waning River Crescent

is full of riffraff.

When it comes to speed,

we really can't compete with them.

When the time comes,

you won't really break off your engagement with Miss Song, will you?

That's none of your business.

Focus on your own duties.

Let's go.

Give it to me,

give it back!

Over there.

I have no strength at all now.

It's a five-strand hemp rope.

Remove one strand from inside,

and the rope loses its strength.

From the outside,

it's hard to notice.

Come on,

let's do it.

Ronghua.

If the General finds out about this...

Then let him beat me.

It's better than letting his beloved Miss Song

be snatched away by that street ruffian.

Haven't you noticed lately

that Miss Song

keeps coming to the South City?

When has she ever come to see our General?

Every time,

she's only here to see that ruffian.

Let me tell you,

if you're my brother,

then help me with this.

The Second Master says so...

Understood.

Go back and tell Shangguan He

not to act rashly.

Yes, sir.

There's something wrong with the rope.

Someone has tampered with the rope.

If you keep fighting me, the building will collapse.

Don't tell me your men did this.

I had no idea about this.

You were sneaking around just now.

What are you scheming this time?

The guilty party accuses first.

You came to South City with ulterior motives.

If you don't explain yourself,

I won't let you stay any longer.

You talk about morality and righteousness,

but your actions are despicable.

You're the one who shouldn't stay.

The Qianyu Army's bruise medicine

works wonders.

Thanks.

Most people think this pill

is taken orally,

yet you know the Qianyu Army's method of application.

What's so special about that?

This medicine

is sold everywhere in the black market.

Military supplies

have somehow leaked into the black market,

and my subordinates have disregarded my orders.

My family's legacy has come to this,

how ridiculous.

Wait,

aren't you afraid it might be poisoned?

You wouldn't dare.

If I were poisoned to death,

your entire Waning River Crescent

would go down with me.

It's wine?

What,

is carrying wine

a crime too?

Why are you speaking with such sarcasm?

Look who's talking,

you're no better yourself.

If you weren't genuinely concerned for the people of South City,

you wouldn't have gone to such lengths today.

I've had many misunderstandings about you before,

but today

I'll tentatively believe you're a good person.

Then I must thank you

for your tentative trust.

There you go again.

About the rope incident,

the Qianyu Army wronged you,

I owe you a favor.

What can I do to repay you?

The method of weapon forging,

can you share it?

Coveting the method of weapon forging

is a serious crime.

Qianyu Army's sharp weapons

are meant to protect Great Jing,

but is Great Jing

only protected by your Qianyu Army?

I wonder if this method

were shared among all military forces,

how many soldiers at the border would be saved?

Perhaps

in the Pingrong Battle,

many lives could have been spared.

I understand what you're saying,

but if this method

falls into the wrong hands,

then

how many people

would die needlessly because of it?

The person with ulterior motives you're referring to

is Nan Heng, right?

In any case,

he's not a good person.

You needn't investigate the method of weapon forging anymore.

My father is dead,

and there will never be

any truth about this secret again.

Since we're talking about Nan Heng,

I have a few questions

I'd like to ask you.

What questions?

That first time we met,

when I brought people to investigate the Waning River Crescent,

why were you so prepared?

Did you perhaps get information

from Nan Heng in advance?

Why would I need help from others for this?

Everyone at Waning River Crescent is a person of the martial arts world,

from all walks of life.

Every day we're living with our heads

on the chopping block.

Don't you think I'd at least get this bit of information?

You came marching in broad daylight

with the Qianyu Army to investigate.

If I couldn't get this information in advance,

how would we Nightwalkers at Waning River Crescent

have survived until today?

Fine.

Even if what you say makes sense,

the three of us clearly agreed

to assassinate Nan Heng together.

So why weren't you there

that night?

Fine.

I admit it.

I was scared, okay?

You and Miss Song are both

children of high officials.

Me? I'm just a nobody from the martial arts world.

Assassinating a prince is something

that could easily cost me my head.

Couldn't I have a backup plan?

Besides, don't forget that

if I hadn't been cautious,

you, General Chu, would have

arrested me that day.

I finally understand now.

You still

don't trust me.

But think about it.

I'm just a nobody from the martial arts world.

Why would a prince conspire with someone like me?

Besides,

if you don't trust me, General Chu,

how could Nan Heng trust me?

Tell me,

could he?

I see that you

were born into a noble family,

sheltered from reality.

You think everything

is much simpler than it actually is.

Once,

I had a friend who

told me the same thing.

He said I was naive

and thought everything was too simple

I didn't realize

haste makes waste

and true strength comes through trials.

[19 years ago]

Oh dear!

Are you hurt?

What should we do now?

This...

Bruise medicine.

Gao family's secret recipe.

Want some?

♪ I leave the book aside, though I haven't finished reading it ♪

This is for external use only, not to be taken orally.

♪ I know one day I can have a glimpse of the ending ♪

Give me your hand.

You're that prince from the Gao family, aren't you?

My name is Chu Guihong.

♪ Life is unpredictable ♪

I know they don't let you ride horses in the palace.

From now on, my horse is your horse.

♪ Who can get rid of perplexity ♪

I won't ride your horse for nothing.

♪ And find the answer he yearns for? ♪

I'll tell you the secret medicine formula.

That's great!

I want to give it to my father,

so the soldiers of the Qianyu Army

can all use this miracle medicine.

If the wind changes my past

Your riding skills are really impressive.

Teach me, please.

If you write about me

No.

I'll call you big brother.

Still no.

I'll call you master.

♪ I’ll see how many kinds of destiny will be made for me ♪ Look

No.

I'll give you the Qianyu Military Manual.

Do you want it?

Let the moonlight see how many lines I love you

Let me run against the south wall

[This attack is invincible]

Even if it's destiny, it doesn't matter to me

Here.

Don't ever tell anyone

that I taught you how to ride.

♪ People's demeanor varies in this world of hustle and bustle ♪

Will I never learn to ride properly?

One fall from a horse

is nothing to be afraid of.

Even those battle-hardened generals

know that even good riders fall sometimes.

♪ Are they all bound by destiny at the same time? ♪

But I'm learning so slowly,

you've been teaching me for almost half a month now.

♪ A simple move can lead to multiple major changes ♪

You're inexperienced,

thinking many things are simpler than they are,

♪ Who can find out the truth? ♪

not knowing that haste makes waste.

Steel is forged through a hundred refinements.

♪ Is it a bluff or a real match? ♪

Haste makes waste.

Steel is forged through a hundred refinements.

♪ Setting sun, help me weather through the big snow ♪

Mr. Li, you're right.

♪ I'll wait till the next chapter to get sorrowful ♪

I've been thoughtless about many things.

♪ Every word resonates with me like dancing notes on the paper ♪

Thank you for your wise words tonight.

Mr. Li.

Whether you're conspiring with Nan Heng or not,

getting entangled with him

will never end well.

Remember,

♪ Wind, be with me in the quest for an ideal ♪

the further away you stay from him, the better.

♪ Brush and ink, stand with me on the cliff ♪

♪ My heart measures the waves I've cleaved ♪

♪ Setting sun, help me weather through the big snow ♪

♪ I'll wait till the next chapter to get sorrowful ♪

[You only give it to me after drinking it all]

[Still exactly the same as before]

♪ Every word resonates with me like dancing notes on the paper ♪

Chief...

[19 years ago]

[Young Nan Rui]

Rui is compassionate

and refuses to take life,

very good, very good.

Guihong is brave,

a true son of a military family,

commendable,

indeed commendable.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Excessive killing,

reeks of blood,

absurd,

absolutely absurd.

Father.

Rui.

Let's go play over there,

shall we?

I...

Guihong.

Have found a really fun place.

Father.

[Empress Chu Yurong]

Let me carry you.

Let's go.

Heng, when we return to the palace today,

ride in my carriage.

Come.

Come.

What are you doing?

That's the right expression.

When I was your age,

I would constantly pester my father and brother

to go horse racing and hunting,

having the time of my life.

If you carry too many worries,

you'll age quickly,

and once you're old,

you can never return to your youth.

His Majesty is

still so childish despite his age.

He's not ignoring you

because he's just competing with Chancellor Gao.

Eat up.

When you're done,

I'll take you hunting for

an even bigger rabbit.

We can make

a warm scarf for your mother, how about that?

This path doesn't lead to the palace.

Mother brought me here

to catch rabbits.

You're lying!

Are you going to eat or not?

[Cold Palace]

If not, you'll starve.

Come out.

Leave us.

Yes.

Open the door.

Where are the things I gave you?

Give them back to me.

Give them back!

I burned them.

Wait.

I didn't kill your aunt,

do you believe me?

So you and Chu Guihong

have such a history together,

how fascinating.

Those who abandon me and disturb my heart

are all obstacles,

not to be longed for.

Didn't you two

just reconcile?

What reconciliation?

Even if we patch things up temporarily,

we'll end up as strangers again.

Besides, the one on the throne

constantly reminds me:

when two tigers fight, one must perish.

If I don't win,

then I can only die.