All language subtitles for IHoJqs_Ashes.to_.Crown_.E14_eng

SAY NO TO PIRACY, SUPPORT ORIGINALS

ADAPTED FROM XI XING’S NOVEL
QUEEN CHU ON QIDIAN.COM

I'll kill you, you traitor!

You deserve to die!

Traitor!

-Traitor!
-Go die!

You deserve to die!

-Shameless!
-You don't deserve to live on.

-I'll make you pay!
-Die!

You should pay!

Die!

Drop dead!

-You took General Chu's life!
-Die!

-General Chu was such an honorable man.
-Traitor!

-You don't deserve to live.
-Go die!

-Go to hell!
-Beat you to death!

-I'll kill you!
-You treacherous parasite!

You ferocious little thing.

You've got a vicious bite.

I hurt your men.

Just go ahead and kill me.

You wish to die?

Do you know why?

Because deep down,
you still cling to life.

Since you're not going to die today,
you're coming with me.

Kill him!

Give way! Stand clear!

Move aside!

-Clear out, all of you!
-Make way!

Whatever Xie Yanlai's crimes may be,
he will face a military tribunal.

None of you may take justice
into your own hands!

On your feet.

At that time,

we knew that medicine
was meant to save the General.

Nobody could have foreseen
that it would end up like this.

The court even honored your service

and rewarded you
for the Northern Desert campaign.

Why are you groveling?

Who are you trying to atone to?

Honored?

That honor was bought
with the General's life.

We had no better choice back then.

You…

Goodness.

A mistake is a mistake.

There is no excuse for it.

Since when does Yunzhong Prefecture
allow vigilante justice?

CAPITAL

Your Highness, please discern the truth!

General Chu died a senseless death,
and we cannot stomach this injustice!

He's a monster in human skin!

If he is innocent of General Chu's murder,
why submit to punishment so readily?

Did any of you actually witness
him commit the murder?

THE GREAT BORDER GATE

Xie Yanlai.

Before the people of Yunzhong Prefecture,
I will ask you one last time.

Did you truly intend

to harm my father?

Your Highness,
you mustn't believe a word he says.

He's of the Xie Family!

He entered my father's service at 16.

Xie Yanlai is first a soldier
of the Chu Army,

only then, a member of the Xie Family.

If you wonder how my father died,

I shall lay bare the truth now.

Army Physician!

The poison that struck the General
is known as the Bloodburn Pill,

refined from several lethal toxins.

In a short span,
it forces the blood to race

and causes a violent surge
of physical strength.

It can even grant a dying man
a final, fleeting burst of vitality.

Three years ago,
at the Battle of the Frontier River,

General Chu was struck
by a poisoned arrow.

The Army Physician was entirely helpless.

I watched as the General
coughed up blood relentlessly.

It was Jiu's pill

that dragged the General back
from the very brink of death.

No way!

We believed that medicine
was his last hope.

But who could have guessed

it would only defer the General's demise
at a terrible cost?

Yet, if we hadn't used it that day,

the General
would have perished on the spot.

Did we truly misjudge him?

-He didn't do it?
-Really?

In the 14th year of Tianshu,

Jiu first joined Yunzhong Prefecture.

While on patrol,

he discovered a Northern Desert scout
infiltrating our frontier.

Though only a boy of 16,
he fought them off at all costs,

sustaining multiple stab wounds,
one just half a cun from his heart.

In the 15th year of Tianshu,

when the Northern Desert troops
raided a frontier village,

General Chu led the counterattack.

Jiu took a spear strike
meant for the General on his shoulders,

shielding the entire village.

In the 16th year of Tianshu,
when the enemy struck again,

he defended the frontier river
with the General.

He took two hits amidst a hail of arrows,

but managed to chop down the drawbridge,

halting the enemy's advance
and sparing the State of Chu

from total devastation.

And during the recent battle of Wangcheng,

he infiltrated the enemy camp alone

to sabotage their provisions
and water supplies,

nearly losing his life in the fray.

Would a man like this
truly harm his own commander?

-Indeed.
-Right…

Every scar on Jiu's body was earned
while shielding you all.

If you want to take his life,
look at those wounds

and ask yourselves
if your consciences can bear it.

Are we to kill a man
who saved General Chu,

Yunzhong Prefecture, and the State of Chu,

just on a rumor?

Back then,

Fu Jiu snuck into
a Northern Desert camp to save us

and took the branding for us
when he was discovered.

Back at the frontier river,

I was about to be crushed
under the enemy cavalry.

It was Fu Jiu who dragged me back.

I saw him risk his life for the General.

I refuse to believe
a man like that could turn traitor.

Look at all his scars.

Fighting the Northern Desert troops

must have been a constant dance
with death.

Looking at what he's endured,
I shall never believe…

Thank you.

I was just telling…
the people what really happened.

This incident did not happen by chance.

Someone must be pulling the strings.

It is all my fault.

If he hadn't taken the medicine
I provided…

Zhao. I know you hate me.

You have every right to.

I did hate you once.

But I realize

that you were merely a convenient outlet
for my grief and fury.

I felt so utterly powerless,

with no one to hold accountable
or to blame.

After all, this was my father's choice.

He chose to die
on the battlefield as a commander,

claiming one final victory

over his lifelong nemesis,
the Northern Desert King.

And I was there,
fighting right alongside him.

He lived his final moments

to the fullest, with no regrets.

I have no right to blame you.

If anything…

I ought to thank you.

The General dictated this,

ordered me to record it,
and bring it to you.

Zhao, to read these words
is to meet again.

Last night, I saw you in my dreams.

You were still that young girl,
spurring your horse away from home.

I reached out to hold you back,

but my hand caught nothing
but drifting sand.

Only now do I realize
that 19 years on the battlefield

have long stripped me

of the right to be your father.

That year, you asked me in tears

why I kept you confined
to the desolate desert.

I mistook it for youthful rebellion.

I never understood
that what you yearned for

was never the Capital's splendor,

but merely a light
left burning beneath the eaves

to welcome you home.

I've heard that the noble ladies
of the Capital are prideful and harsh.

I cannot bear to think how much scorn
you've endured among them.

Every time the thought crosses my mind,

it tears at my very soul.

For 19 years,

I was not there to guide your early steps,

nor to instruct you in the classics.

I am consumed by remorse.

If life could start again,

you would not be called
the daughter of a hero,

but of Chu Ling, of mine.

Might that be enough?

General. I'll fetch the Army Physician.

Finish it.

I have spent half my life in the saddle.

I've failed none

but my wife and daughter.

Now, I ask for nothing
but your forgiveness.

Though tomorrow I may fall
on the battlefield,

I shall embrace death with a smile.

Zhao,

water flows forward, never to return.

Do not look back.

Keep moving forward.

From your father, Chu Ling,
in his final hour.

Stop.

Jiu.

Why didn't he tell me these things sooner?

If he had just spoken up earlier,
I might have had time to make amends.

And my mother.

She will never hear
what I longed to tell her.

I know.

I truly understand.

The last words

of my father were that war is too cruel.

He asked when it would finally end.

My father gave his life for this victory.

But if the flames of war
are never quenched,

what meaning did their sacrifice have?

I will ensure

the State of Chu

never again paves the road
to peace with blood.

I will make sure the children of this land

never lose their parents
to the scourge of war.

Playing the saint again, are you?

You claim you can shield an entire city,
but can you even protect yourself?

What good is a second chance at life?

You still had to watch your father die

and your mother meet her bitter end.

But neither of them

regretted the choices they made.

Self-delusion, nothing more.

Lest you forget,
your enemies remain untouched.

Not just Xiao Xun,

but the Northern Desert
that destroyed your parents.

If I were you,

I would march the army
against the Northern Desert now

and drown them in a reckoning of blood.

No.

The frontier troops
have bled far too much.

And what of it?

Glory is built upon bones.

War demands sacrifice.

Their blood means nothing to you.

The army is yours to wield.

Say the word,

and they shall obey
and bleed for your cause.

Don't you want to avenge your parents
upon the Northern Desert King?

Mercy is weakness.

Only slaughter endures.

The pond needs cleaning.

What a plump chicken.

Look at this one.

Give it to me.

-Let's go.
-Come and have a look!

-Miss Chu.
-Miss Chu.

-Miss Chu.
-It's rare to see you out so early.

What are you looking for?

You're welcome to choose from my shop.

Take your time.

Do come by when you're free.

Sweet and crisp pears.

Miss Chu. Miss Chu.

Miss Chu. These pears were freshly picked.

Please, try some.

No, thank you. You should keep them.

The harvest has been exceptional
this year.

Just take them
as a share of our good fortune.

When General Chu was still with us,

he always loved our pears.

-Please, take it.
-I'll take it.

Alright. Miss Chu,
I'll get back to work then.

-This gadget
-Come and see.

-can also be used to catch rats.
-Fresh flatbread.

Is that so?

Take a look. Fresh flatbread.

Hot flatbread.
Get your fresh flatbread here.

These flatbreads are meant for sale,
so stop gorging yourself on them.

Are you some kind of gluttonous beast?

I'm giving you a beating right now.

KEEN, DETERMINED, SCHOLARLY, AND STRATEGIC

Stop right there.

Have you been out brawling again?

Did you lose?

I won.

It was three against one,

and I left every single one of them
eating dirt.

You're covered in bruises.

What is there to be proud of?

They were calling me a motherless child.

And so, you used your fists
to shut them up?

Why did I allow you
to practice martial arts

in the first place?

To beat people up.

To protect the defenseless.

Your fists should be aimed at villains,
not at children your own age,

and certainly never at your own people.

What's on your mind?

I was just thinking

about something my father said.

See?

My father didn't give his life
for these cold city walls,

but for the laughter…

Two wen will be enough.

…and for the

hustle and bustle of daily lives.

Seemingly ordinary
and insignificant though they be,

yet these things are held dear
above all price in every heart.

I seek no grand vision
of a tranquil realm.

I ask only that the hearth-smoke
of Yunzhong Prefecture rises each day

and that mothers may stand at their gates

awaiting their children
to come home for dinner.

The worst thing
these people should have to worry about

is if the price of rice has gone up
by a few wen tomorrow.

That is enough.

We drift through our days,
sunrise to sunset, unaware

that this life we take for granted

is the very thing others would kneel
and pray for, yet never get.

Fresh pears! Come and have a look!

Maybe in the farmer's eye, the pears

taste sweeter than they did last year,

right?

Jiu.

Please guard Yunzhong Prefecture
in my father's stead.

Become the sharpest blade

in the State of Chu,
just as Chu Ling once was.

I will.

Your Highness, there is stirring
from the Northern Desert.

An enemy scouting team
is probing our frontier.

What's the situation?

The enemy's vanguard launched
a surprise raid on our fortress.

Our left flank has deployed
to encircle and eliminate them.

Your Highness, please rest assured.

We can split our forces
and strike the Chi'na Unit's main army.

Wait.

The scout actually pinpointed

the exact movements
of Chi'na Unit's main force.

During the last battle,

the Northern Desert King's main troops
retreated at least 80 li.

Their elite forces
are still stationed near Yingzui Cliff.

It is physically impossible

for the Chi'na Unit
to appear here within a mere two days.

This surprise raid is a tactical trap.

Then our left flank
is walking into a disaster.

More than just a disaster.

If this truly is an ambush,
our left flank will be entirely wiped out.

We must crush this offensive
before it can even develop.

But our reserves can only hold one front.

If we divert troops
to reinforce the flank,

our main defensive line
will be left completely exposed.

-Then we'll borrow forces.
-From whom?

The Cangmu Stronghold.

Defeating Tie Ying at Cangmu Forest

came down to their familiarity
with woodland combat,

an advantage our troops could not match.

If we can harness their strength
to coordinate with our forces,

the victory will be ours.

But the Cangmu Stronghold is…

My father has just passed away.

Neither the army's morale
nor the people's trust must waver.

Should we fall in this battle,

the Northern Desert
will strike with all their might.

Mr. Zhong, we have no retreat.

Very well. We will proceed as you suggest.

Rest assured.

I will fight to my last breath
to secure victory.

Xie Yanlai, take your orders.

Yes, Your Highness.

Go…

and stay alive.

This is no military order.

This is my order.

Yes, Your Highness.

Move out!

XIE RESIDENCE

Deng Yi actually had the audacity
to investigate our old estate in Gaoyang.

The news about Xie Yanlai
and the Bloodburn Pill

must have been leaked by him as well.

Deng Yi is actually targeting my clan.

He is truly ruthless,

bent on wiping out my entire clan.

Deng Yi is a man of profound calculation.

If not for your benevolence,

how could he have been allowed
to live until this day?

He was the Grand Mentor
appointed by the late Emperor

and holds the position of Regent,

so he cannot be easily disposed of.

Moreover, he still has
Xiao Xun as a fallback plan.

Since Xiao suffered
a setback in Wangcheng,

he will certainly not let the matter rest.

A fallback plan?

He calculated everything
in the battle of Wangcheng,

yet his entire plan fell through.

He can barely save himself now.

Although the Northern Desert was defeated,
this war was like a massive earthquake.

The real aftershocks
are just about to begin.

Xiao Xun will definitely bide his time
to make a move.

Keep a close eye on Xiaonan Prefecture.

Yes.

CHU

Zhao,

however anxious you are,
you must eat something.

Mr. Zhong, I have no appetite.

Victory!

Victory!

Your Highness,
Assistant General Xie has won!

He routed the enemy's vanguard

and even captured the Northern Desert
King's son-in-law alive!

-Victory!
-Victory!

Our troops' morale is now secure.

General Zhong, you can rest assured now.

With Her Highness here,
a great victory is all but certain.

Quick! Report our triumph
to the Capital at once!

Let everyone know

that even though
Guard General Chu Ling is gone,

the frontier still achieves
great victories,

and the state remains secure.

Yes!

-Victory!
-Victory!

There is a city ahead.

Go in and announce the victory.

Have the yamen
spread the news across the region!

The Northern Desert has returned,

their cavalry has broken
through Bailang Pass,

and Yunzhong Prefecture
shall fall within three days.

The Northern Desert army marches
straight for the Capital!

The Northern Desert army marches
straight for the Capital!

The Northern Desert army marches
straight for the Capital!

Your Highness, there is one thing
I do not understand.

Speak.

We are already at odds
with the Northern Desert,

so why do you still believe
they will help us?

You are wrong, Tie Ying.

Since the battle of Wangcheng,
I have expected nothing more from them.

To share dominion?

It is nothing but their idle dream.

The war with the Northern Desert
has shaken the land,

and the aftershocks are bound to follow.

With Chu Ling gone,

the Northern Desert King
will seize the moment to invade.

I will use them
to shackle Yunzhong Prefecture.

So what if Chu Zhao wins the battle?

As long as the news
never reaches the Capital,

this victory never happened.

We've killed the dispatch riders

and turned news of victory
into news of defeat.

Once the Capital descends into panic,

be it victory or defeat,

I'll have my pretext
to march under the banner

of protecting the Capital.

And when that moment comes,

it will be time for someone else
to sit on the throne.

Your Highness is wise.

What task is this that has distressed
Your Majesty so?

How could any task trouble me?

I am writing a letter to Zhao.

The loss of parents is something
no words can console.

I know.

Your Majesty, Mr. Xie
requests an audience.

It is so late.

Tell Mr. Xie that I have retired
for the night.

But Mr. Xie…

I have an urgent matter
to discuss with His Majesty.

You may withdraw.

You're dismissed.

Uncle, what is it
that you wish to tell me?

The dispatch riders reported
that the Northern Desert had returned.

They raided at midnight,
and our frontier troops fell.

They have routed Yunzhong Prefecture
and are heading straight for the Capital.

Upon hearing the news,
the Prince of Xiaonan Prefecture

assembled 50,000 troops

and is now 800 li away from the Capital.

Yu,

do not be afraid.

The news may not necessarily be true.

It might just be a ploy to create panic,

making it convenient for the Prince
to lead his troops into the Capital

under the pretext of defending the city.

Are they planning to rebel?

From the very moment
the Prince left the Capital,

he has always harbored treasonous intent.

This matter is of grave importance,
which is why I came in the dead of night.

We must first agree on how to respond
during tomorrow's court session.

An urgent dispatch has arrived.

The Northern Desert has returned.

Their cavalry has broken
through Bailang Pass,

and Yunzhong will fall within three days.

The enemy is pressing toward the Capital.

With Chu Ling dead,
the frontier is indeed…

The Grand Princess is a woman after all,

so how could we truly expect her
to defend the frontier?

Xiao Xun, heir to the Lord of Xiaonan,

has led 50,000 troops
to defend the Capital

and is only a few days' journey away.

I petition Your Majesty
to open the city gates

and let them in to defend the Capital
to ensure its peace.

DILIGENT AND VIRTUOUS

The Prince of Xiaonan
commands 50,000 troops,

the Capital another 50,000,

and with forces
from other prefectures combined,

we have more than enough to hold
against the Northern Desert troops.

There is indeed less reason to panic.

Ignorant.

A prince granted a fiefdom

may collect its taxes
and live off its revenues,

but holds no authority over troops.

Even their guard
is capped at a fixed number.

Where did he find 50,000 troops?

In my view,
the Prince of Xiaonan Prefecture

uses the defense of the Capital
as a pretext

to mask his rebellion.

Mr. Xie, do you imply

that His Majesty should just sit and wait
for the enemy to besiege the Capital?

Fifty thousand troops

are the entire strength
of the Capital's garrison.

Allowing these troops to enter the city?

Do you understand the consequences
if things spin out of control?

The Prince of Xiaonan Prefecture

neither offered his condolences
nor paid his respects at court.

His intentions could not be clearer.

Now that Chu Ling is dead,

the threat from the Northern Desert
is greater than ever.

I fear the Prince
wants to take advantage of the chaos.

Just as Mr. Xie said,

the threat from the Northern Desert
is so massive

that we cannot afford to gamble at all.

If we are paranoid at this moment,

and the Northern Desert truly breaks
through Yunzhong,

the Capital will fall,
the state will no longer be a state,

and we will be condemned for eternity.

Your entire premise

rests on the authenticity
of that military report.

However, as I see it,

the credibility of this military report
is still open to question.

You took

the frontier troops' victory reports
at face value

and rewarded Yunzhong Prefecture.

So dispatch riders bearing good news
are trustworthy,

but those bringing ill tidings
are suddenly spies?

What should we do then?

Mr. Deng.

I shall issue a decree

ordering the Prince
of Xiaonan Prefecture's troops

to be divided and stationed

alongside the Capital's garrison
to defend the city.

Your Majesty, this is indeed
an effective stalling tactic.

Since the Prince and his heir use
the pretext of defending the Capital,

Your Majesty can let them do so,

but they must follow the deployments
of the imperial court.

If they refuse to comply,
they will be treated as treacherous rebels

whom anyone has the right to execute.

When the state is in turmoil,
trouble will come from all sides.

The Northern Desert King

and the Prince of Xiaonan Prefecture
are no different.

I have faced deat and weathered upheaval.

I believe the State of Chu will endure.

-We shall give our last breath
-We shall give our last breath

-in service to Your Majesty
-in service to Your Majesty

-and the State of Chu.
-and the State of Chu.

You may withdraw.

Mr. Xie, Mr. Deng,
what is it that you wish to tell me?

-Your Majesty.
-The Prince of Xiaonan Prefecture leads

not 50,000 troops,

but 100,000.

They are now less
than 800 li from the Capital.

A military march to defend the Capital?

No. This is treason.

Mr. Xie, watch your words.

We do not know
if the news is true or false,

so we must not make rash judgments.

Have you notified Zhao?

I fear the news might be blocked
from reaching Her Highness.

You keep claiming

that the Prince of Xiaonan
and Xiao Xun are rebelling,

yet you cannot produce
any concrete evidence.

With the enemy closing in,

the defense of the Capital
is our top priority.

So you still wish to open the gates

and let the Xiaonan Army in?

I am doing this
for the safety of the Capital.

If the Northern Desert launches an attack,

how are the citizens
of the Capital supposed

to protect themselves?

Speculation is useless.

We might as well wait and see
what Xiao Xun decides.

I shall take my leave.

This is the token
of the Imperial Guard Commander.

After Uncle Yanlai left the Capital,

the command of the Imperial Guard
was handed to his deputy.

The token has been kept with me.

Since the situation is critical,
I will leave it in your safekeeping.

Very well.

I will ensure your safety.

His Majesty handed the token
of the Imperial Guard Commander over

to Xie Yanfang.

So the Prince of Xiaonan Prefecture
actually did him a favor?

It was bound to happen sooner or later.

Even without the Prince,
Mr. Xie would achieve his wish very soon.

His Majesty is helpless.

Why would he ever grow distant
from his uncle?

A child's face and heart
are the most fickle things

in the world.

I warned him.

No matter.

Whoever His Majesty chooses to favor
is no concern of mine.

Dispatch the edict to the Prince
of Xiaonan Prefecture at once.

Select a suitable envoy to deliver it,

and make sure it is done
with great fanfare.

Understood.

MEMORIAL ON EDUCATION AND AGRICULTURE

Mr. Xie, a scout reports

that the vanguard of Prince of Xiaonan
has arrived at Baili Pavilion.

Xiao Xun used fake dispatch riders
to spread the news,

executing a real palace coup under
the pretext of defending the Capital.

The public has been taken in by him

and truly believes he came
to protect His Majesty.

They can't wait to throw wide
the city gates

and welcome him with open arms.

Deng Yi

has clearly been won over by Xiao Xun
and is willing to do his bidding.

Public opinion is like the wind.

Fight it and you suffer.

Ride it and you prevail.

He can take the Capital
without spilling a drop of blood.

What should we do?

I have informed Yu
about the movements of the Xiaonan Army

and coached him on what to say
and how to draft the imperial edict.

It was all to fan the flames

and let the coming battle play out
before the world.

The Xie Family

will be the greatest beneficiary
of this confrontation.

Deng Yi had the way cleared with drums.

The imperial envoy is heading
toward the Xiaonan Army Camp,

the imperial banner held high.

XIAONAN ARMY CAMP

Any who neglect their duty

shall face the full severity
of the military law.

But those who stand resolute,
who defend this city with valor,

shall be richly rewarded.

So long as this city stands secure,
the state shall endure.

Your Highness, please receive
the imperial edict.

Your Highness, this is written
by His Majesty's own hand.

I know.

You… How insolent!

Xiao Xun,

are you and your father truly going
to defy the imperial command

and commit treason?

Imperial command?

Treason?

The edict states

that 50,000 troops
stand arrayed outside the city.

Aren't they just waiting for me
to defy the command?

It is the perfect pretext
to have me branded a rebel

and start a war.

When blades are drawn
and the cavalry cuts through,

the dead will be beyond count

and the land strewn with the starving.

All of it will become
the fault of Xiaonan Prefecture.

And with the false charge of treason
you have already pinned on me,

the crimes only pile higher.

And I would be guilty
beyond all redemption.

I accept the edict

and will heed His Majesty's command
to protect the Capital.

But sir,

casting an imperial edict into the fire

is an unpardonable offense
against His Majesty.

How dare you!

Go. Make sure he is "taken care of".

Xiao Xun,

you're persecuting a loyal minister!

You will meet a miserable end!

Xiao Xun, how dare you
burn the imperial decree?

Hear my command.

Break camp tomorrow.

Split our forces into four routes
and advance on the Capital!

-Understood!
-Understood!

THE CAPITAL