1
00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:08,920
SAY NO TO PIRACY,
SUPPORT ORIGINAL WORKS
2
00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:42,920
ADAPTED FROM THE NOVEL EMPRESS CHU
BY XI XING, AVAILABLE ON QIDIAN.COM
3
00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:02,040
The Seal of the Messenger.
4
00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,520
Border troops
thus tie up their prisoners.
5
00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:26,520
Could this be an internal betrayal?
6
00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:31,800
We come from Wangcheng.
7
00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:33,280
Bandits took our uniforms
8
00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:34,960
and went to the Beicao relay.
9
00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:39,800
This relay leads directly
in Yunzhong Prefecture.
10
00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:46,720
To see your grace and your presence,
11
00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:48,360
you are not a simple commoner.
12
00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:50,120
How did you end up like this?
13
00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:52,720
My mother spoils me
14
00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:55,320
and wants me to look refined,
15
00:02:55,920 --> 00:02:57,280
in order to be treated better
16
00:02:58,120 --> 00:02:59,640
once married.
17
00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:03,160
Wild nature
18
00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:05,600
is no place for a lady.
19
00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:10,640
If we see bandits,
20
00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:13,320
what you carry
will be worth more than me.
21
00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:16,280
The roads are dangerous
and you are alone.
22
00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:18,320
If you see bandits,
23
00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:21,800
you will be completely
abandoned to your fate.
24
00:03:22,920 --> 00:03:24,880
If something happens to you,
25
00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:27,160
it will be too late.
26
00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:29,360
You are a woman.
27
00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:31,040
I'm not afraid
28
00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:32,800
if you don't either.
29
00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:41,360
No prominence
to your throat when you speak.
30
00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:43,880
The angle of your radius is smooth.
31
00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:47,000
The shoulder guards of your mail hang low.
32
00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:49,320
Your shoulders are
narrower than those of a man.
33
00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:52,080
You have knock knees.
34
00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:53,600
When you dismount,
35
00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:54,800
your toes are pointing.
36
00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:58,120
A woman takes over
his clothing to avoid dust.
37
00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,800
Your fault lies in your habits,
not your disguise.
38
00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:05,800
Madam, your disguise is perfect,
39
00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:09,000
but your habits are not deceiving.
40
00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:12,280
You knew
that we were not messengers.
41
00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:14,880
I grew up in the military.
42
00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:16,880
I know the soldiers well.
43
00:04:18,079 --> 00:04:19,040
And then,
44
00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,640
you don't behave
like messengers
45
00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:24,440
but like bandits.
46
00:04:26,280 --> 00:04:28,320
Since you had unmasked us,
47
00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:30,360
why follow us?
48
00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:33,200
Isn't that what you do too?
49
00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:37,520
His oath “My life is worth it”
still betrayed us.
50
00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:39,280
You really brought me to light
51
00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:41,000
and you let me follow you...
52
00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:44,120
You want something from me.
53
00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:56,320
Insightful.
54
00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:57,720
But what a shame!
55
00:04:58,440 --> 00:04:59,760
People who are too perceptive
56
00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:01,360
die young.
57
00:05:06,280 --> 00:05:07,160
How ?
58
00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:09,200
Do you want to kill me?
59
00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:11,160
At the relay,
60
00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:14,480
I understood your staging.
61
00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:15,920
Yet I took you,
62
00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:20,680
to see what you were looking for
63
00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:22,400
with such deception.
64
00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:36,440
Put down your weapon.
65
00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:40,920
I told you
66
00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:42,720
to put down your weapon.
67
00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:46,760
Jiu.
68
00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:49,200
Who are you then?
69
00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,560
You played the messenger
in order to obtain information
70
00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:57,040
on the northern desert.
71
00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:00,440
Chu Ling,
leader of the guard, is invincible.
72
00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:02,920
A simple squad
of the northern desert would have exploited
73
00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,440
such a flaw
without any information being leaked?
74
00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:07,720
How do you know?
75
00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:10,160
If you are not related to him,
76
00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:12,200
why so much effort?
77
00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:16,440
Unless you are
78
00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:19,200
of the northern desert.
79
00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:23,560
They could never have crossed
Yunzhong Prefecture.
80
00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:29,080
We come from Cangmu.
81
00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:37,680
We suspected
82
00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:40,080
a leak of information,
83
00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:42,000
so we targeted the messengers.
84
00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:45,560
We wanted to find out who, at court,
85
00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:48,600
collaborates with the northern desert
to threaten Yunzhong.
86
00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:50,040
Cangmu Fortress
87
00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:51,240
remains little known.
88
00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:54,480
And you don't get involved
never matters of the court.
89
00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:57,000
Why intervene now?
90
00:06:57,800 --> 00:06:59,800
During his campaign against the bandits,
91
00:06:59,880 --> 00:07:02,920
General Chu is said to have killed
your former boss, Mu Mianhong.
92
00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:03,840
Do you hate him?
93
00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:05,440
Why help him?
94
00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:08,080
Maybe we're just bandits,
95
00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:12,960
but we know that the nation
comes before personal grudges.
96
00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:16,240
General Chu protects
Yunzhong for 20 years
97
00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:18,160
and maintains peace in Chu.
98
00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:21,200
If anyone at court
99
00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:24,120
collaborates with the desert
from the North to trap him,
100
00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:25,040
the country will be in danger.
101
00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:28,280
Cangmu Fortress too.
102
00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:37,240
To be honest,
I am Chu Ling's daughter.
103
00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:42,080
I knew my father was sick,
I was going to Yunzhong.
104
00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:44,760
I encountered problems along the way
105
00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:48,040
and I had to disguise myself
to join the messengers.
106
00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:56,720
If you need shelter,
107
00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:00,200
follow me to the fortress.
108
00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:14,000
Sir, you stop
to eat or to spend the night?
109
00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:16,360
Do women go to Yunzhong?
110
00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:17,600
There were travelers,
111
00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:19,080
women too.
112
00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:21,120
Which one are you looking for?
113
00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:30,040
A servant on the run
who stole his master.
114
00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:32,919
Soft and delicate, without a trace of labor.
115
00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:35,720
Few servants
take such a deserted path.
116
00:08:35,799 --> 00:08:38,039
Even less such a fragile woman.
117
00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:43,679
- Never seen before.
- Liar.
118
00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:45,080
- You saw her.
- Officer!
119
00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:46,640
Where is she?
120
00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:48,320
Let me think…
121
00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:51,600
A young girl,
122
00:08:51,680 --> 00:08:53,160
a few days ago, said
123
00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:55,360
visiting family in Yunzhong.
124
00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:57,320
Then she left with messengers.
125
00:08:57,400 --> 00:08:58,840
I don't know where.
126
00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:02,000
But I know where his mother is.
127
00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:04,080
- His mother?
- Yes.
128
00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:06,800
She rented a carriage
and returned to the village.
129
00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:09,240
At the stable three li north of here.
130
00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:23,840
- Come back!
- No !
131
00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:25,040
- Officer!
- Miserable !
132
00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:26,320
You owe me a fortune!
133
00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:27,440
You…
134
00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:32,600
Recently,
135
00:09:32,680 --> 00:09:34,560
has a girl named Fu been here?
136
00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:37,120
Officer, what do you mean?
137
00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:38,920
Too many young girls pass here,
138
00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:40,680
how would I remember it?
139
00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:41,800
No nonsense.
140
00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:46,240
She paid you to act
then left with the messengers,
141
00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:48,240
- isn't it?
- Yes.
142
00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:50,800
She deceived them
and they left for Yunzhong.
143
00:09:58,160 --> 00:09:59,400
GOOD.
144
00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:02,400
You look like you're going to die.
145
00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:20,440
This forest reeks of a strange smell.
146
00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:23,480
There are traps everywhere,
more than a hundred.
147
00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:28,480
It's way too elaborate
for a simple bandit fortress.
148
00:10:30,560 --> 00:10:31,720
Can we trust?
149
00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:34,400
I'm not sure.
150
00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:35,840
Why insist on coming?
151
00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:42,720
Ms. Ge is not lying.
152
00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:45,960
His story corresponds
to what I knew of the past.
153
00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:48,840
It seems that Cangmu Fortress
154
00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:51,160
has not always been
in conflict with my father,
155
00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:52,600
despite the rumors.
156
00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:54,960
Tie Ying is not a fool.
157
00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:57,440
My tricks will not hold
no more than half a day.
158
00:10:58,080 --> 00:10:59,480
There are fewer of us.
159
00:10:59,560 --> 00:11:00,600
We cannot fight.
160
00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:03,080
Better to take refuge in the fortress
161
00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:05,360
and prepare for the rest
once the truth is known.
162
00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:08,720
So,
163
00:11:09,560 --> 00:11:10,560
you are still playing.
164
00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:13,760
I took this risk
because you were by my side.
165
00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:30,960
Don't brag.
166
00:11:31,680 --> 00:11:33,320
Last night you were helpless,
167
00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:35,720
but you provoked the bandits.
168
00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:39,280
If I had arrived a second later,
169
00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:40,800
you would be dead.
170
00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:42,800
If they had wanted to kill me,
171
00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:46,000
they would have done it when I revealed
Mrs. Ge's disguise.
172
00:11:47,680 --> 00:11:48,880
Does that justify risking your life?
173
00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:54,520
She used disguised men
as messengers to steal information,
174
00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:56,080
not to harm my father,
175
00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:58,320
but to discover the truth.
176
00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:01,680
In other words, she actually helps him.
177
00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:03,840
You are not afraid
178
00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:06,160
to have fallen from bad to worse?
179
00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:11,320
Isn't it
what we do every day?
180
00:12:24,560 --> 00:12:26,080
CANGMU FORTRESS
181
00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:27,720
- Ge came back!
- It's here!
182
00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:28,840
- Ge.
- Madam.
183
00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:29,960
- Madam is here.
- Ge.
184
00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:32,240
- Ge.
- Welcome back.
185
00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:33,240
Ge.
186
00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:34,280
I'm going to wear this.
187
00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:35,520
Ge.
188
00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:38,280
My aunt.
189
00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:42,360
- Laosan, we have guests.
- I'm coming.
190
00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:47,280
My younger brother, Ge Laosan,
head of Cangmu Fortress.
191
00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:49,240
Enchanted, Mr. Ge.
192
00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:50,800
GE LAOSAN, CANGMU FORTRESS
193
00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:52,480
Xiaoman.
194
00:12:52,560 --> 00:12:53,480
XIAOMAN, CANGMU FORTRESS
195
00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:55,240
Sit down.
196
00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:57,920
Why bring two strangers?
197
00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:01,000
We are looking for shelter.
198
00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:02,080
A refuge?
199
00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:05,200
What should I call you?
200
00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:07,760
He's Jiu. I am Fu.
201
00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:09,680
Fu.
202
00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:11,720
Nice name.
203
00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:14,040
It brings good luck.
204
00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:19,800
Mrs. Ge,
I have something to ask you.
205
00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:21,560
I know what it is.
206
00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:23,200
Don't worry.
207
00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:25,640
You saw it yourself when you arrived.
208
00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:27,840
We are the fortress of Cangmu,
209
00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:29,520
hidden deep in these woods.
210
00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:31,520
They say, in the valley:
211
00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:34,200
"Once in the Cangmu Forest,
we don’t come out.”
212
00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:36,240
This forest is deep,
213
00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:37,920
a fortress of nature.
214
00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:40,160
We have
hidden mechanisms and traps.
215
00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:42,120
With hanging bamboo nets
216
00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:43,760
and vines underfoot,
217
00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:45,360
we block all life,
218
00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:46,800
humans or beasts.
219
00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:49,720
Here you are
safer than anywhere else.
220
00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:52,480
If this place is so secret,
221
00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:55,520
why trust us?
222
00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:57,480
Aren't you afraid?
223
00:13:57,560 --> 00:13:59,840
Destiny matters most to us.
224
00:13:59,920 --> 00:14:02,160
I trusted you, that’s how it is.
225
00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:08,640
Xiaoman, take care of our guests.
226
00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:10,200
When things have calmed down,
227
00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:11,680
you will resume your journey.
228
00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:14,480
Thank you.
229
00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:17,440
Sorry for the intrusion.
230
00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:19,680
No problem.
231
00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:21,320
Plz follow me.
232
00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:26,480
Rest well.
233
00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:32,360
She ?
234
00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:50,080
Mr. Tie!
235
00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:51,680
Mr. Tie.
236
00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:55,960
Something wrong.
237
00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:57,600
The Messengers and the Princess
238
00:14:57,680 --> 00:15:00,280
disappeared without a trace
near Cangmu Fortress.
239
00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:02,280
Our men
240
00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:04,680
were all killed
by the bandits of the fortress.
241
00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:06,960
Cangmu Fortress?
242
00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:11,880
I promised His Highness
to bring back Chu Zhao's head.
243
00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:15,400
Listen to my order.
244
00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:17,720
Accelerate and penetrate
in the Cangmu forest.
245
00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:19,680
Leave no survivors.
246
00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:24,360
I want to see what these survivors
think they can do to protect it.
247
00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:36,920
They offered you refuge,
248
00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,000
and you are now plundering their armory?
249
00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:40,280
The forest is vast.
250
00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:42,640
They seem hospitable,
251
00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:45,760
but let's investigate
first to be calm.
252
00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:47,840
Although new
253
00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:50,200
in jiang hu,
you think more than me.
254
00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:52,960
Look at this.
255
00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:56,320
Attention.
256
00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:03,520
A modified mechanism.
257
00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:05,440
Range increased by two zhang,
258
00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:07,280
with less hindsight.
259
00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:11,200
Modified crossbows
used by border troops
260
00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:12,400
against the North.
261
00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:14,640
How do you know?
262
00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:16,120
When I was in the army,
263
00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:18,320
I modified it
more than 200 for the General.
264
00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:22,320
Mu Mianhong was killed
by my father, after all.
265
00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:26,200
Why would his fortress have
weapons of border troops?
266
00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:27,760
That's not all.
267
00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:30,360
By searching for you, I saved
268
00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:32,120
a messenger kidnapped by Ms. Ge.
269
00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:34,640
The knots to tie it
270
00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:37,600
were typical of border troops.
271
00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:39,880
You mean that...
272
00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:41,080
Your father
273
00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:44,280
maybe wasn't here
to suppress bandits.
274
00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:45,880
What are you insinuating?
275
00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:48,680
- Are you suggesting that my father…
- Wait for me.
276
00:16:57,760 --> 00:16:58,760
I won't be long.
277
00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:56,720
Your Highness,
278
00:17:57,720 --> 00:17:59,160
It gets too personal.
279
00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:02,920
When I left the capital,
280
00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:05,400
who swore
to protect the Imperial City for me?
281
00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:15,200
I know it's
because you care about me.
282
00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:21,920
But Xie Yanfang wouldn't have you
let go with nothing in return.
283
00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:24,680
How is the court doing?
284
00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:27,920
He will take care of Yu
285
00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:32,120
but needs your seal
to keep Deng Yi at bay.
286
00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:35,960
So I handed it to him.
287
00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:44,600
Indeed.
288
00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:47,160
Your brother was never the type
289
00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:49,760
to reveal his cards
without being sure of winning.
290
00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:52,520
If you're not here,
291
00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:56,120
he is the only one who can protect Yu.
292
00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:02,880
You're still hurt.
293
00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:04,000
You need to rest.
294
00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:08,920
Get some sleep.
295
00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:26,080
They…
296
00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:28,840
only gave us one room?
297
00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:34,920
At my request.
298
00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:39,000
With such serious injuries,
299
00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:42,000
you must stay close to me.
300
00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:44,440
It's to protect you.
301
00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:01,800
How do you plan to do it?
302
00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:24,040
If you catch a cold,
303
00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:27,320
you will not recover.
304
00:20:32,560 --> 00:20:33,640
Stay warm.
305
00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:50,680
Have you gone crazy?
306
00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:54,920
You knew who she was
and you still brought her here?
307
00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:09,800
They are not to be taken lightly.
308
00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:12,240
Xiao Xun's ambushes
309
00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:14,640
always hide a fatal blow.
310
00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:17,960
This guard transmitted
a message in White Wolf.
311
00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:20,640
The pursuers were eliminated.
312
00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:23,160
If they were with Xiao Xun,
313
00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:25,280
why kill each other?
314
00:21:26,120 --> 00:21:27,600
So you speak this language.
315
00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:31,240
My father taught me
when we were in the desert.
316
00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:34,640
Nobody
317
00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:37,000
doesn't know
318
00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:39,280
apart from him.
319
00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:41,800
Could this be a staging?
320
00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:44,680
Xiao Xun's men
do not have to massacre their own.
321
00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:46,440
Deng Yi is so careful,
322
00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:48,560
he wouldn't trust
323
00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:51,960
to bandits
still obeying their former master.
324
00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:53,120
Never.
325
00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:56,520
What about Xie Yanfang? Even less.
326
00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:01,360
Let Madam Ge and the others
respect my father or fear him,
327
00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:04,080
at least,
328
00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:07,000
my father never gave them
329
00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:09,200
wanted harm.
330
00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:11,880
I still find it hard to believe
331
00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:14,480
that they became saints.
332
00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:16,320
Are you ready
333
00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:19,240
to make a bet with me?
334
00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:21,680
What if we lose?
335
00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,040
At least, on the path to the beyond,
336
00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:35,560
you will keep me company.
337
00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:42,800
TAIJI HALL
338
00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:46,120
Our messengers have recently been
attacked near the Beicao relay.
339
00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:48,800
The investigation confirms the work
of Cangmu Fortress.
340
00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:51,800
It's scandalous.
341
00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:53,200
- Totally absurd.
- Yes.
342
00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:55,880
Chu Ling's mercy
allowed these bandits to prosper.
343
00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:58,720
The survivors
of this fortress dare to pass themselves off
344
00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:01,720
for our messengers
to steal military information.
345
00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:03,760
Your Majesty, I implore you
346
00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:05,480
to order a full investigation
347
00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:07,080
and to do justice.
348
00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:10,520
General Chu fought
bandits on imperial orders.
349
00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:13,560
When the leader of the bandits,
Mu Mianhong, jumped off a cliff,
350
00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:14,840
he refused to hurt
351
00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:16,240
anyone in the fortress.
352
00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:18,120
That such kindness
353
00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:20,680
turns against him...
354
00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:21,920
Well…
355
00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:24,960
Your Majesty,
An urgent report has just arrived.
356
00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:26,760
The Northern Desert Emissary in Yunzhong
357
00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:28,720
was executed by General Chu.
358
00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:31,920
The tensions
between the two states are already high.
359
00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:33,560
What should we do now?
360
00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:36,720
Even in times of war,
you don't kill a messenger.
361
00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:40,040
This act will push them
surely to take up arms.
362
00:23:40,120 --> 00:23:42,280
Clemency
towards bandits can be ignored,
363
00:23:42,360 --> 00:23:45,520
but provoke
a war is unforgivable.
364
00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:48,960
First, they violated our borders.
365
00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:51,600
Then their emissary
infiltrated the general's tent
366
00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:53,680
with a secret letter in the middle of the night.
367
00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:56,080
What is it if not espionage?
368
00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:57,880
Mr. Deng is right.
369
00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:00,600
The general commands
the border troops
370
00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:01,720
for decades.
371
00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:03,640
A spy must have revealed our positions
372
00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:05,480
if they failed last time.
373
00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:07,640
To the great evils,
374
00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:09,680
the great remedies.
375
00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:11,280
According to our laws,
376
00:24:11,360 --> 00:24:13,120
when a threat is imminent,
377
00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:14,520
we can act first.
378
00:24:15,360 --> 00:24:17,080
How then can we blame General Chu?
379
00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:22,880
Your Majesty,
General Chu is of advanced age.
380
00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:25,520
Border defenses have already failed.
381
00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:27,760
Name another general worthy of this position.
382
00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:31,840
These concerns
are not unfounded.
383
00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:35,120
The Northern Desert manifests
its ambitions, then we must strengthen
384
00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:39,000
our borders in anticipation of conflict.
385
00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:42,360
As for the choice of a successor,
386
00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:46,680
this is a matter for Her Majesty's judgment.
387
00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:49,640
The general has held Yunzhong for 20 years.
388
00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:52,520
As soon as the enemy dared to invade,
he was rejected with humiliation.
389
00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:55,800
In your list of candidates,
390
00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:59,440
how many can actually
match his remarkable record?
391
00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:01,800
It takes a long time to train such a commander.
392
00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:06,320
However, border security
cannot rely on just one person.
393
00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:09,280
Mr. Xie, rest assured.
394
00:25:09,360 --> 00:25:12,440
I will consult the ministers
395
00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:16,680
to choose the most suitable candidate
for Yunzhong Prefecture
396
00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:19,520
in order to lighten the general's load.
397
00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:29,000
What a masterful shot he played!
398
00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:48,000
It's a whistle
399
00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:50,040
of the Sand Fox.
400
00:25:50,120 --> 00:25:51,400
Border troops
401
00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:54,080
warn of a cavalry raid.
402
00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:57,840
Stubborn, right?
403
00:25:57,920 --> 00:25:58,920
BROTHERS IN ARMS, WISE IN ACTION
404
00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:00,120
Speak.
405
00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:01,760
If you refuse,
406
00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:05,600
I will cut you into pieces
and abandon you to the wolves of the hills.
407
00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:08,200
Throw him to the wolves!
408
00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:09,320
Are you talking or not?
409
00:26:12,120 --> 00:26:13,240
What are you doing here?
410
00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:16,480
I'm busy.
Don't pay any attention to me.
411
00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:18,400
Leave it to me.
412
00:26:27,600 --> 00:26:29,520
- It's quite brutal.
- Indeed.
413
00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:31,280
- Listen to this cry.
- Yes.
414
00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:33,360
What is he doing?
415
00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:36,280
It's brutal.
416
00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:38,760
You surprise me.
417
00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:40,640
Brutal…
418
00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:47,160
I didn't expect it. He is gifted.
419
00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:51,880
- SO ?
- He spoke.
420
00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:53,800
They entered the forest
421
00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:55,960
and located the fortress.
422
00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:58,040
Their men will arrive this evening.
423
00:26:58,120 --> 00:26:59,120
Let's get ready.
424
00:26:59,880 --> 00:27:01,360
I have to tell my sister.
425
00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:34,840
These interrogation techniques
come from my father's army?
426
00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:37,680
Not really.
427
00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:41,240
He treated the prisoners humanely.
428
00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:44,000
He would never have used torture.
429
00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:50,080
Are you no longer afraid?
430
00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:52,120
Why would I be afraid?
431
00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:54,560
I grew up in military camps.
432
00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:56,360
I've seen my part
433
00:27:57,120 --> 00:27:58,520
of massacres and blood.
434
00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:08,640
This is not a blessing.
435
00:28:10,120 --> 00:28:11,280
It would be better not to have seen it.
436
00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:20,640
But, in this life,
Who really has a choice?
437
00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:23,400
I have no desire to kill,
438
00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:25,080
but they want my life.
439
00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:27,880
I told you,
440
00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:30,040
I kill
441
00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:32,880
to stay alive.
442
00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:38,280
I want to live to see my father again.
443
00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:40,520
I will kill for you.
444
00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:48,320
Hey. Those who pursue them
445
00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:51,520
belong to Xiao Xun,
heir to the lord of Xiaonan.
446
00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:53,960
A simple meal
447
00:28:55,200 --> 00:28:56,760
in a modest place.
448
00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:00,760
Forgive me, Your Highness.
449
00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:22,680
Are you the Grand Princess?
450
00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:26,760
No. You were supposed to marry
the heir of the lord of Xiaonan.
451
00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:29,840
Did you run away for him?
452
00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:40,480
Xiao Xun cheated on me.
453
00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:42,880
From the beginning,
454
00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:46,040
all he wanted was
command of my father's army.
455
00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:48,640
I won't let him have it.
456
00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:52,120
Never.
457
00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:54,760
You are Chu Ling's daughter.
458
00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:58,000
Has he ever told you
who was your mother?
459
00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:09,200
Mr. Ge, are you interested
in Yunzhong Prefecture.
460
00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:12,480
You know
every detail of my engagement.
461
00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:16,360
Normal that this fortress
bears the marks
462
00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:18,480
border troops.
463
00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:29,960
Let's be frank
464
00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:32,480
and tell us the truth, madam.
465
00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:35,680
What happened
actually happened when my father
466
00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:38,960
came to Cangmu Fortress?
467
00:30:39,840 --> 00:30:41,360
Nothing particularly special.
468
00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:43,760
It's just
469
00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:47,040
that General Chu
killed our former leader.
470
00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:49,320
Why still care about him?
471
00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:51,880
You don't want revenge
472
00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:53,720
your boss?
473
00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:01,880
At the time,
474
00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:04,960
rumor said
that we attack the border.
475
00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:06,840
General Chu has come to eradicate us.
476
00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:09,560
After killing the former leader,
he understood
477
00:31:09,640 --> 00:31:10,720
that it was a mistake.
478
00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:13,920
He helped reinstall
the rest of us.
479
00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:16,000
What you see today,
480
00:31:16,080 --> 00:31:18,120
it's only your father's guilt,
481
00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:19,600
his regrets.
482
00:31:21,120 --> 00:31:22,520
- But…
- The debt is settled.
483
00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:25,360
There's no point in talking about it again.
484
00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:30,520
You have had a long journey.
485
00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:31,640
Get some rest.
486
00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:33,760
If you need me...
487
00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:53,440
These are no ordinary bandits.
488
00:31:54,320 --> 00:31:56,200
Their story about the General's campaign,
489
00:31:56,720 --> 00:31:58,160
who would have killed innocent people,
490
00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:00,400
is not very strong.
491
00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:04,000
Fiction with a grain of truth.
492
00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:09,400
But I believe that my father
really wanted to protect this place.
493
00:32:10,360 --> 00:32:12,000
And I'm sure
494
00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:15,000
that they mean us no harm.
495
00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:17,080
As for the rest...
496
00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:19,240
Everyone has secrets.
497
00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:21,720
When they are finally revealed,
498
00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:23,920
It’s just fate.
499
00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:32,080
Wangcheng is just ahead.
500
00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:35,080
Beyond lies
Yunzhong Prefecture.
501
00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:38,680
When it's settled with Xiao Xun,
502
00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:43,080
you will see your father again.
503
00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:46,440
I know.
504
00:32:48,040 --> 00:32:49,120
I know this road
505
00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:52,400
by heart.
506
00:32:58,880 --> 00:32:59,920
At the time,
507
00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:03,000
this is the path I took
508
00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:05,840
to escape my father,
509
00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:09,360
Yunzhong Prefecture
510
00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:12,920
and everything that was dear to me,
511
00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:14,920
to finally fall
512
00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:18,480
into an abyss of eternal damnation.
513
00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:44,200
Jiu.
514
00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:48,640
If we had a second chance,
515
00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:52,360
does
Would anything really change?
516
00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:02,760
A second chance
517
00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:06,040
in life…
518
00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:06,760
GRACE AND KINDNESS
519
00:34:09,159 --> 00:34:11,800
You now have a home here,
Jiu, at the Xie residence.
520
00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:14,639
Mother!
521
00:34:35,080 --> 00:34:36,239
Who knows if that would change?
522
00:34:38,159 --> 00:34:39,440
But for me,
523
00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:42,360
everything is already different.
524
00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:46,880
You remember
525
00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:49,840
about the dream I told you about?
526
00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:52,920
At the very end,
527
00:34:54,120 --> 00:34:57,320
someone killed Xiao Xun for me.
528
00:34:59,840 --> 00:35:01,680
Do you know who it was?
529
00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:05,200
It was you.
530
00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:15,720
You killed him
531
00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:18,120
and you avenged my family.
532
00:35:22,360 --> 00:35:23,600
But this time,
533
00:35:26,480 --> 00:35:28,120
I have to do it myself.
534
00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:31,440
Even though the fear still resonates within me
535
00:35:33,160 --> 00:35:35,760
and a precipice
crumbles beneath my feet,
536
00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:37,280
nothing in the world
537
00:35:40,320 --> 00:35:41,840
won't be able to stop me.
538
00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:20,160
Whatever you fear in the future,
539
00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:23,360
whatever this dream is,
540
00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:25,960
real or not,
541
00:36:27,920 --> 00:36:28,920
face it,
542
00:36:30,680 --> 00:36:31,640
grab it
543
00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:34,280
and overcome it.
544
00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:42,520
And the fear will leave you.
545
00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:44,920
I'm not terrified.
546
00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:48,760
My father and I
547
00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:52,480
we will survive.
548
00:40:07,760 --> 00:40:09,760
Subtitles: Raphaël B