Original subtitles

[A Dream Within A Dream]

[Episode 29]

[Pure of Heart]

Have you figured it out?

Your Majesty,

I've been working really hard,

following your every order to the letter.

For Great Jing

and the people,

I've always given it my all.

I don't know

what I've done wrong.

Minister Yan,

His Majesty has always forbidden

forming factions for personal gain.

Your Majesty, I've never done that!

[Petition]

Today, I'm not going to

dig into your family's past.

Who you once colluded with

and what you did—

it doesn't matter.

What I care about

[Petition]

is the result of tomorrow's joint interrogation.

Tomorrow,

the Pingrong Battle case will be heard.

I'll handle it impartially

and present Your Majesty with the truth.

The Pingrong Battle

was a tragedy for Great Jing.

I do want justice for the people.

But…

[Memorial]

it has to be the truth I want.

Chancellor?

You…

Weren't you dead?

Sorry to disappoint you.

No, not at all.

That's not what I meant.

Ever since I heard the news of your death,

I haven't had a full night's sleep.

You guided me

like a father.

I've been

devastated

and overwhelmed with grief.

I just wonder

what brought you back

and what all this is about.

I want you

to testify against the Seventh Prince.

What are you trying to do?

[Imperial Edict]

His Majesty has ordered the Three Bureaus

to investigate a murder case.

Nan Heng

is a suspect in this case!

You,

go get your master out here.

He's coming with me to the Ministry of Justice for trial.

You're too late.

Our general isn't here.

Not here?

Don't play tricks.

Where did he go?

The Ministry of Justice.

He knew about today's joint interrogation?

There are no secrets under the sun.

Fine then.

Since he's turned himself in,

it saves me the trouble.

Before the general left,

he asked me to tell you something.

Go ahead.

"If you want to frame someone,

you'll always find a way."

[Ministry of Justice]

The joint interrogation today

is actually for the Seventh Prince.

What has he done?

I heard that Capital Prefect Chu

discovered evidence that the Seventh Prince

colluded with a traitor during the Pingrong Battle.

If the prince can't prove his innocence,

he might lose his head.

It's starting.

They're not letting us watch.

[Justice Brings Clarity]

Nan Heng,

as a murder suspect,

you show no respect for the law,

barging into the Ministry of Justice.

What are you trying to do?

Chu Guihong,

as the capital prefect,

you fabricated false evidence

and forced confessions through torture.

What are you trying to do?

Nan Heng,

where did these bloodstained clothes come from?

The celestial prison.

[One hour ago]

Yunlong.

Shanhu.

Chief.

He tortured you?

Barely a tickle.

Don't worry about it.

I'm fine.

That idiot Chu Guihong

isn't much of a threat.

Don't worry.

Anyone who hurts my brothers

has to pay for it.

Where are Yunlong and Shanhu?

I've sent them to a clinic for treatment.

You broke into the celestial prison,

and freed prisoners.

That's a capital offense.

I won't run from any crime I should be held responsible for.

But you, Chu Guihong,

fabricated evidence

to frame me.

I don't want any citizen of Great Jing

to die because of schemes and plots.

Ministers,

the whole city is watching

the joint interrogation today.

If anyone

dares to conceal the truth about the Pingrong Battle,

I'll execute them

on the spot.

Wake up.

Your employer is here to get you.

Why are you running?

I'm not here for you.

Nan Heng is in trouble.

Mr. Chu,

you accuse Nan Heng of ordering

the assassination of Lu Yi, a scout from the Qianyu Army.

Do you have proof?

After Nan Heng learned that I found the traitor Lu Yi,

he was afraid that I'd find out he colluded with Lu Yi

during the Pingrong Battle

and concealed the Qianyu Army's call for help.

So he sent his men Yunlong and Shanhu to kill him.

[Statement of Po Yunlong from Waning River Crescent]

These are Yunlong and Shanhu's confessions.

Yunlong and Shanhu did not kill Lu Yi.

This so-called evidence

was forged by you, Chu Guihong.

Those two

were tortured by you into confessing.

The blood-stained clothes are the proof.

Ministers, if you don't believe me,

you can summon them anytime

for a face-to-face confrontation.

They work for you.

Naturally, they'll say whatever

you tell them to.

If, as you claim,

they'll say whatever I tell them to,

why would they have testified against me?

That's enough to prove one of two things:

either

you forced the confession through torture,

or

this evidence

was made up by you.

What are you looking for?

Evidence.

These are all letters Chu Guihong wrote you.

How would there be evidence in them?

I found it.

"That brat Nan Heng

is now trapped in Youcheng.

My father has placed spies around him.

If he dares step out of line,

he'll be punished."

This letter

was written five days before the Pingrong Battle.

Nan Heng's every move

was being watched at that time.

How could he have colluded with the traitor

without getting caught?

I'm going to the Ministry of Justice

to clear his name.

Yimeng,

a joint interrogation isn't a small matter.

All the big names in court are there.

I once broke into an execution ground.

You think I'd be scared of this?

Chu Guihong clearly wants

Nan Heng to be sentenced to death this time.

If I don't help him,

who else will believe he's innocent?

I'll go to Waning River Crescent for help.

No.

We can't involve the Nightwalkers.

What Nan Heng needs

is justice and truth.

Mr. Song,

do you still remember the battle report

for the Pingrong Battle?

How could I forget?

In the 4th year of Xiyuan,

on November 2nd,

the Heyuan army took 100 civilians

from Xing City and Ji City hostage

and approached Pingrong City.

[Pingrong City, the Third Border City]

Lord Qianyu led 20,000 soldiers

and fought fiercely for six days,

but was trapped and outmatched.

Later, Junior General Chu Guihong

led an elite force on a night raid of the enemy camp,

intending to kill their commander, Fang Shiming.

Unexpectedly,

he walked into an ambush

and was captured.

Kill!

At dawn the next day,

Fang Shiming

led 30,000 Heyuan soldiers in a full assault.

[Youcheng, the Fourth Border City]

They pushed all the way to Youcheng.

The Qianyu Army was stationed along the border.

Other than Pingrong City,

why were the other two cities lost?

Is there any record?

The Qianyu Army had 40,000 soldiers

and couldn't defend all cities at the same time.

Pingrong's terrain is open—

easy to attack, hard to defend.

So most of the troops were stationed there.

That left Xing City and Ji City under-defended,

and they were taken first.

That's why I believe

something doesn't add up.

What do you mean?

Military deployment was top secret,

yet the Heyuan forces

struck the weakest cities first

as if they knew exactly where to hit.

I believe

someone must have

leaked the deployment information

to Heyuan in advance.

My father ran the army with strict discipline.

There were no traitors in the Qianyu Army!

But wasn't the traitor Lu Yi whom you keep mentioning

a scout from the Qianyu Army?

Your Highness,

are you suggesting Lu Yi was bribed by Heyuan?

That's what I thought at first.

But as a traitor,

he returned to the capital unnoticed,

got settled,

and walked away clean.

I don't think he had that kind of power.

So I believe

there must've been someone behind him.

[Five days before the Pingrong Battle]

[Deployment Map of the Four Border Cities]

This person

not only leaked Great Jing's military intel to Heyuan

but also twisted the truth

and manipulated people behind the scenes.

Yet someone

fell for his schemes

and willingly helped him cover up the truth.

In the Great Jing Dynasty, who else

could've pulled that off

other than you, Nan Heng?

Who is this girl?

You...

Father.

Why are you guys here?

Mr. Song,

this is your family matter.

Handle it yourself.

You…

Minister Yan,

the Pingrong Battle was a national tragedy.

The people have the right to know the truth.

Please, Minister Yan,

let us in.

Yes, let us in.

Let us in!

Let us in!

Let us in!

Song.

Let us in!

This isn't up to me.

You decide.

Father.

You...

My ears.

My ears hurt.

Song.

My ears!

My eyes.

I can't see!

I can't see!

My eyes!

Follow me.

Quick, quick!

Check on me.

Minister Yan,

what is going on here?

What are you doing here?

I'm here for the truth.

For justice and fairness.

Song Yimeng,

what evidence do you have?

Present it now.

[Diligence for the People]

Everyone knows

I had been engaged to General Chu since we were young.

And while he was at the border,

he often wrote to me.

This letter in my hand

was written by him personally.

General Chu,

do you mind

if I read it out loud?

Since you claim I wrote the letter,

I should be the one to read it.

Fine.

With so many eyes watching you,

you'd better

read it exactly as written.

"That brat Nan Heng

is trapped in Youcheng.

My father has placed spies around him.

If he dares step out of line,

he'll be punished."

Absurd!

Yimeng,

when did you become someone

who'd make stuff up?

I did not write this letter.

It had to be him.

Yeah,

it must've been him!

Who's telling the truth here?

Chu Guihong,

do you dare swear you didn't write this?

Miss Song, may I ask—

when was this letter written?

Five days before the Pingrong Battle.

Before the battle,

I injured my right hand during training.

It didn't heal until the battle began.

Everyone

in the Qianyu Army knows this.

So how could I have written this letter?

You're beyond redemption.

Ministers,

if you don't believe me,

you can compare the handwriting here and now.

If I'm lying,

I'll accept any punishment.

Enough!

To help Nan Heng,

you've actually gone this far.

The inspector my father placed in Youcheng

on His Majesty's orders

was assassinated by Nan Heng

the moment he arrived.

That's how the Qianyu Army lost contact with Youcheng.

So how could anyone have been monitoring him?

Chu Guihong,

that's utter nonsense!

You're lying!

Everyone,

the letter is fake,

but Nan Heng's treacherous ambitions

have long been obvious.

He betrayed the country, let the enemy in,

and tried to use the Heyuan army

to wipe out the Qianyu Army once and for all.

You…

[Diligence for the People]

Listen to me.

Go now.

Nan Heng,

the letter isn't forged.

Of course I know you didn't forge it.

How dare he lie

in front of everyone?

That letter just revealed his true character.

For Yimeng,

it's not necessarily a bad thing.

Minister Yan,

the truth behind the Pingrong Battle is clear now.

You're the presiding judge today.

Why haven't you issued a verdict?

Or have you,

like Miss Song,

also been threatened by this sinister schemer?

If he were truly sinister,

you wouldn't be standing here today.

Father!

[Keep Calm]

Father!

No.

Eunuch Liu.

Wait a moment.

[As Always]

No, no.

Father,

this isn't right!

Father, Father!

No, no!

Eunuch Liu, wait, wait!

Stop!

You…

Rui.

What are you doing?

Knock it off.

Father,

didn't you always tell me

to judge things based on evidence?

Guihong has no real proof now.

How can you just decide to punish Heng like that?

Weren't you the one who kept demanding

I deal with Heng?

I'm helping you.

I...

Father,

this isn't the kind of help I want.

It's because you always play favorites

that the whole world mocks me,

saying I'm just a clueless fool

who only knows how to rely on his father.

Are you…

blaming me?

I...

I'm blaming myself.

Father.

I know

I was too reckless before,

and I made things hard for you.

But now I've figured it out.

If Heng

really is guilty,

then we should investigate it openly and fairly

and convict him properly.

If you force a charge on him,

sure, you might succeed in stripping him of military command,

but while you gain the command token,

you'll lose the people's trust,

Father!

Again?

I didn't arrange this.

Alas!

Fate is unfair sometimes,

but people never stop seeking justice.

A centuries-old injustice

finally sees the light.

20,000 loyal souls

lost to one man's betrayal.

Justice above family ties.

I, Yao Qian, come with evidence of crimes.

What is he rambling about?

Bureaucratic mumbo jumbo,

full of nonsense.

Minister Yan.

You have a letter too?

Minister Yan,

General Chu, please listen to me.

While I was in the prince's study,

I accidentally came across

letters exchanged

between Nan Heng and Heyuan.

[Diligence for the People]

Ministers, please take a look.

Mr. Yao,

collaboration is a capital offense.

You'd better not be making this up.

I'm not.

I'm a principled scholar.

I study the classics for the good of the world.

Now, witnessing such injustice,

I'm willing to risk my life

and turn against my own kin

just for a fair judgment.

Yao Qian.

You should know

the consequences of framing me.

This

is the evidence I've prepared for you.

Tomorrow, His Majesty will issue an edict

for the Ministry of Justice to try the Seventh Prince

for hiring assassins to kill the witness.

[Your Highness]

This case is of great importance.

You'll show up and testify against him.

Chancellor,

if I betray him like this,

he'll never let me off.

If you refuse to testify,

then you're betraying me.

Mr. Yao, don't be afraid.

You're standing up for the Qianyu Army.

That's a righteous act.

No matter what happens,

His Majesty will have your back.

We have solid evidence now.

Guards!

Arrest the criminal Nan Heng

and take him to prison!

Wait.

You're all conspiring

to frame him!

Minister Yan,

don't be fooled by them.

His Majesty has spoken.

[Diligence for the People]

Nan Heng, commander of the Xuanjia Army, colluded with Heyuan

and committed treason.

His crime is unforgivable.

The Three Bureaus are to put Nan Heng in prison

and await further instructions.

Nan Heng.

You asked me to trust you once,

and I did.

But why would you confess

to something you didn't do?

As long as you trust me,

that's enough.

But...

Nan Heng.

Nan Heng!

[Song Residence]

Even if the sky falls,

you still need to eat.

No.

Nan Heng's in prison now.

Chu Guihong could kill him at any time.

I have to get him out of there.

Don't blame yourself.

You've done everything

you could to help him.

I'm not blaming myself.

I just don't want

the whole world to slander him.

[Jinyang Mutiny] [Battle of Tancheng]

What are these?

These are

the good deeds he has done.

Four years ago, during the Jinyang Mutiny,

when the Qianyu Army stepped aside and did nothing,

he led the Xuanjia Army and fought for seven straight days

to quell the rebellion.

Five years ago,

the Battle of Tancheng.

Ten years ago,

in the all-out war with Dongshuo,

if Nan Heng hadn't charged into battle,

how could we have had ten years of peace at the border?

He told me all this long ago,

but I didn't take him seriously.

You saw what happened today.

Chu Guihong has His Majesty behind him.

The two of them are dead set

on taking Nan Heng down.

As long as he hands over the command token,

they'll spare his life.

If you act recklessly,

you'll only get yourself in trouble,

and it won't help him one bit.

You're right.

But Yiting,

does one

always have to do the right thing?

Nan Heng has done so many

good things in his life.

Yet no one has ever trusted him.

No one has ever

stood firmly

on his side.

Everyone calls him the God of Death

and a fiend.

Even His Majesty disdains him

and gives him the cold shoulder.

I know

he pretends he doesn't care,

but deep down,

he hopes

someone will support

and trust him.

Your Majesty,

Song Yimeng has come to plead for Nan Heng.

She's kneeling outside the palace gate right now.

I won't see her.

The wind is picking up.

It looks like it's going to snow.

Then let her kneel in the snow.

I want to see

how long she can kneel there for Heng.

I, Song Yimeng, beg an audience with Your Majesty.

Prince Nan Heng of Great Jing

has led the Xuanjia Army for 12 years.

He cares for the people

and has made great contributions.

Your Majesty, please reconsider his case.

[Guangde Gate]

♪ The mortal world entangles, so much sorrow and chill in the mist ♪

Nan Heng.

It's snowing.

Can you see it?

♪ Our fates intertwine and weave into a story ♪

♪ Listening to the wind whispering by my ear ♪

♪ The schemes of the dark night ♪

When a tiger escapes its cage,

when a treasure is ruined inside its case,

♪ Eyes guarding a single sunrise ♪

whose fault is it?

♪ When will there be a way home? ♪

Since you're so capable,

♪ Time brings life and death, binding life but not the heart ♪

then fix it for me.

Or do you want the whole world

♪ Stepping into the ranks of fate, each pain a prelude ♪

to call me a cruel tyrant who maimed his own son?

♪ Transformed in a fleeting moment, like a dream, elusive and near ♪

I wouldn't dare.

♪ How can love and hate be hidden? ♪

♪ Time brings life and death, binding life but not the heart ♪

♪ Making all moves in life cautiously, joy and sorrow already destined ♪

That day, during the fire,

♪ If one dares oppose Heaven, how can the ending be rewritten? ♪

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

they might have died just like that.

♪ So close yet still, we part ways ♪

Yet Nan Heng, the so-called male lead,

cares only about his power games.

The people's lives mean nothing to him.

To tear Nan Rui down,

he'll stop at nothing,

even if it costs

innocent lives.

Is that fair?

I, Song Yimeng,

beg an audience with Your Majesty.

Prince Nan Heng of Great Jing

♪ Time brings life and death, binding life but not the heart ♪

has led the Xuanjia Army for 12 years.

He cares for the people

♪ Making all moves in life cautiously, joy and sorrow already destined ♪

and has made great contributions.

Your Majesty, please reconsider his case!

[Guangde Gate]

I, Song Yimeng,

♪ If one dares oppose Heaven, how can the ending be rewritten? ♪

beg an audience with Your Majesty.

Prince Nan Heng of Great Jing

has led the Xuanjia Army for 12 years.

♪ So close yet still, we part ways ♪

He cares for the people

and has made great contributions.

Your Majesty, please reconsider his case!

Uncle,

you came.

Your Highness, you're a smart man.

I imagine you already guessed I didn't die.

Uncle, you're a man of great ambition,

a brilliant strategist.

You wouldn't have died so easily.

Now that I'm a prisoner,

the only one who'd risk their life to see me

is you, Uncle.

If you hadn't held out hope

for His Majesty and Chu Guihong all these years,

you wouldn't have ended up like this.

Do you regret it, Your Highness?

Uncle,

you colluded with Heyuan.

You got 20,000 of our soldiers killed for nothing

and brought destruction to the people on the border.

Do you regret it?

Your Highness, you truly are exceptional,

so you must already know the answer.

I regret nothing.

From the moment Her Ladyship gave birth to you,

the Gao family was destined to walk

a path of bloodshed.

To rule means to kill.

Your hands are destined to be stained with blood.

Just 20,000 people.

What's the big deal?

So in your eyes,

as long as you help me rise to the throne,

as long as the Gao family comes to power,

no matter how many people die,

it's all worth it?

Since you were young, I've been telling you

that only by being emotionless

can you reach the peak of power.

But you were weak-willed then,

always afraid of displeasing His Majesty

and always treading carefully,

submissive and meek.

Even Chu Guihong could've barked orders at you.

No wonder your own father

has been so cruel to you.

Uncle.

Was the Empress's death

your doing?

If I hadn't killed her,

the Gao family would've never had a future.

But have you ever considered

what consequences all your actions

would bring upon the Gao family and me?

It was your weakness and cowardice back then

that made His Majesty doubt you.

Your Highness,

I'm the only one who can help you now.

Rather than rely on others

and beg for scraps,

why not rely on yourself

and carve out your own empire?

Your Highness.

Are you asking me to rise up?

I've gone to great lengths to back you into a corner

just so you can make up your mind to seize the throne.

Don't worry, Your Highness.

I was able to fake my death and escape

because I had men planted in the Xuanjia Army.

And tonight, I could bring soldiers

into the capital prefecture's prison

because I also have men in the Qianyu Army.

That's not all.

I have 3,000 private soldiers stationed secretly outside the city.

Once you give the order,

they can attack from both inside and out,

surround the palace,

and imprison His Majesty and the Eighteenth Prince.

Uncle, you've been using me

and my mother as your pawns.

You say it's all for the Gao family,

but are you not afraid

of ruining the Gao family's name forever?

If you steal money, you're a thief.

If you steal a nation, you're a king.

Your Highness, stop hesitating.

This is the last chance I can give you.

You're already a prisoner.

Besides rising up in rebellion,

do you think you have another choice?

So the traitor in Great Jing

is you, Gao Changyin.

What a great chancellor.

Murdering the Empress,

colluding with the enemy,

and now plotting to start a rebellion.

As the Emperor,

I've been so blind.

So this whole thing was a setup by His Highness and Your Majesty.

[One day ago]

What are you here for?

Your Majesty,

after speaking with Rui,

I confirmed that Gao Changyin isn't dead.

He's been plotting from the shadows.

So I want you

to put on a show with me

to lure him out.

Why should I trust you?

You don't have to.

Just consider it a gamble.

Absurd.

Is the state affair

a children's game to you?

I wouldn't dare,

but I'm willing to place my bet.

So you want to negotiate.

Then tell me,

what are you putting on the table?

If my plan

fails to lure Gao Changyin out,

I'll willingly hand over the Xuanjia Army's command token,

withdraw from politics,

and never return to the capital.

Your Highness, so everything we've been through together means nothing to you,

and you're determined to get me killed.

Uncle,

it's time to let go of your obsession.

It's all over now.

You've learned well.

I'm glad to see you finally find it in you

to turn on your own family.

Guards!

Arrest the traitor Gao Changyin.

He'll be executed later!

Stop!

Eunuch Liu.

I know His Majesty is inside.

-I want to see him. -You're not allowed in!

Your Majesty.

A-Aren't you supposed to be in prison?

How…

Your Highness!

Your Highness!

Chancellor Gao has confessed.

It's all thanks to your brilliant strategy.

Miss Song?

Chancellor Gao has confessed?

So,

you were never really in danger.

That was just a trap you set up.

Why didn't you...

Fine.

I'm so stupid.

[Jinyang Mutiny]

[Battle of Tancheng]

I kept it from you

because

my uncle was too powerful.

I feared you'd be in danger if involved,

so I didn't say a word to you.

Listen to me, listen to me.

When you suddenly appeared

at the joint interrogation today,

I was

quite surprised.

I didn't expect

you'd care for me

and trust me so much.

Who says I care for you?

Who says I trust you?

I'd be elated if they sent you back to prison

and had you executed right now!

Let me tell you,

from now on,

you go your way,

and I'll go mine.

Don't come to me again.

Wait.

You…

Wherever you go, I'll go.

Whatever path you walk, I'll follow.

With you following me,

any path would lead

straight to hell.

Wait, Song Yimeng.

I'll tell you one last time:

until I calm down,

don't let me see your face!

Song Yimeng!

When will you calm down?

Song Yimeng!

The Pingrong Battle

was a national tragedy.

Gao Changyin and his accomplices

[Gao Residence]

conspired against their own country.

[Gao Residence]

Because of them, 20,000 Qianyu soldiers were slaughtered.

[Sealed by the capital prefect Chu following a royal command]

Their crimes are unforgivable.

Their property is confiscated,

and they're exiled to the northern frontier.

All titles and ranks

are stripped.

Let this be a warning

to all officials.

Thank goodness I sided with the Seventh Prince.

[Yan Gate]