All language subtitles for re9DYo_Ashes.to_.Crown_.E21_eng

SAY NO TO PIRACY, SUPPORT ORIGINALS

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

TAIJI HALL

Zhu Yong is backed by the Grand Princess.

Now, in the Imperial Guard Office,
he's a favorite.

The Imperial Guard Office
arrests anyone at will.

Even Mr. Deng…

His Majesty is here.

DILIGENT AND VIRTUOUS

Kneel.

-Greetings, Your Majesty.
-Greetings, Your Majesty.

-Greetings, Your Highness.
-Greetings, Your Highness.

Bow.

You may rise.

-Thank you, Your Majesty.
-Thank you, Your Majesty.

Your Highness, I request to go to Huzhou

for the summer flood corruption case.

-What?
-He wants to investigate?

This is a serious case.

The Commandant of Justice,
the Minister of Revenue,

and the Imperial Guard Office
will co-investigate.

Mr. Deng, make the arrangements.

Yes.

XIE'S MANSION

Her Highness had the Imperial Guard Office
cooperate with Mr. Deng

instead of being arbitrary.

And Mr. Deng responded to Her Highness.

Doesn't that mean
he accepts her political interference?

How do I know what she thinks?

Don't you always say
Chu Zhao is just like you?

How do you not know what she thinks?

Fine.

Then I will think about it.

Last night, she visited Mr. Deng.

I thought they would fall out
and break up.

Unexpectedly, they put on an act together.

An act? For whom?

Me, of course.

In case my clan has sole dominance

and seizes power from His Majesty,

she even supports Mr. Deng

to maintain tripartite balance
within the court.

She's clever.

But sadly, she's too soft-hearted.

She wants a stable court.

Then I will let her know

kindness can't survive in this world.

Have Yu Shang send this
to the Northern Desert.

It's been years since Zhong Changrong
guarded Xinggu Pass.

KILL ZHONG CHANGRONG AT XINGGU PASS

He should rest.

If Xinggu Pass is invaded…

So… we'll have Liang Qiang prepare early.

Greetings, Your Majesty.

You're back, Qi Bo.

You're just in time.

The provisions you brought back
last time are running out.

Go get some more.

Already?

We have three contingents.

They're certainly consumed quickly.

Three?

The Eldest Prince is in the rear,

but he still needs our provisions.

My son is securing the rear.

He must be well-fed.

Don't worry.

I'll get the provisions as soon as I can.

This time, I've brought you a transaction

that is very beneficial.

KILL ZHONG CHANGRONG AT XINGGU PASS

Interesting. How interesting.

Xie Yanfang wants me to kill
Zhong Changrong at Xinggu Pass.

Xiao Xun wants my army to pass Xiaonan.

These two idiots both want to court me.

All right.

Then I will fulfill their wishes.

Your Majesty is wise.

Chu Ling is dead.
The State of Chu has civil strife.

This is exactly our moment.

Issue my order. Send a troop of soldiers.

I'll show them

how I can benefit

from their own infighting.

XINGGU PASS

Don't move, General Liang.

-What do you want?
-Don't be nervous.

The Northern Desert troops
are just passing by.

This is treason!

It isn't.

It's just a deal.

Mr. Xie passed an order.

"Their troops need a victory.

And the victory we give them
will have no impact on our war situation."

Does Mr. Xie know what will happen?

He said the Northern Desert King
would send troops.

Zhong Changrong would die at Xinggu Pass.

Then…

His position will be yours.

General Liang, all you need to do
is stand here

and pretend you didn't see anything.

XINGGU PASS

CHANGPING PASS

CHANGPING PASS

General, the enemy king
decamped and disappeared.

So far, no beacon smoke has been seen
throughout Yunzhong.

Could they be lying in ambush?

From their former encampment to Yunzhong,

there aren't valleys or depressions
for such a large army to hide.

Report!

Raid on Xinggu Pass!

Zhong is just patrolling there.

But… General Zhong's route
is a military secret.

-Call up 500 soldiers. We'll go.
-Yes.

General, this raid is so precise.

Someone must have leaked our route.

Do they think they can invade us this way?

What a pipe dream!

I'm their target.

General Liang,

the Northern Desert troops passed
through your guarding area.

However perfectly we carry out this plan,

Zhong Changrong will suspect you.

When he gets to the bottom,

by then, even if someone protects you,

you'll have to work in the labor camp
as a guilty person.

Your clan won't be able to rise again.

So,

what do you want me to do?

You have to kill all those enemies.

Because Zhong Changrong's followers
must witness that scene

of valor and tragedy.

Right now, a squad of several hundred men
is patrolling not far away.

Shoot this whistling arrow.

Our men will lure that squad over to you.

That way, your bravery will be witnessed,

and you won't die while outnumbered.

General Liang, after you take over
the frontier command,

you'll bring glory to the state
and fortune to people.

Your name will go down in history.

Charge!

You should be guarding Xinggu Pass.
Why are you here?

I was surveying nearby terrain
and passed by.

Another squad is coming over.
Hold on, General Zhong.

Take him back! Keep him alive!

-Yes.
-Mr. Zhong.

Hurry. Take men to defend Xinggu Pass.

Mr. Zhong. Mr. Zhong.

-Light a smoke signal. Full-scale alert!
-Yes.

XINGGU PASS

How's General?

His vital organs aren't injured,

but he's bleeding seriously.

I'm afraid…

Keep him alive, or I'll kill you.

-Yes. I'll do my best.
-General.

General. Wangcheng is lost.

It's a trap.

Did you have a nightmare?

Shall I take you back for some rest?

Your Highness, urgent frontier report.

Wangcheng is lost.
General Zhong is badly injured.

URGENT DISPATCH FROM YUNZHONG

-How is Jiu doing?
-We don't know the specifics.

Don't worry too much.

When Jiu is there,
the frontier won't fall.

WANGCHENG LOST. GENERAL ZHONG WOUNDED.
URGENT REQUEST FOR TROOPS AND PROVISIONS.

The report only says enemy troops
broke through Xinggu Pass.

Not a word is about Liang Qiang.

He's the general guarding Xinggu Pass.

In such a big case,

his condition should be reported,

whether he's dead or missing.

Unless he's highly suspicious

and many people are involved.

So, at this crucial point,
it must be set aside

to avoid shaking the morale.

Wangcheng is strategically vital!

Once it's lost, Yunzhong will be in peril!

If Yunzhong is lost,

our state will be in peril!

That's right.

If Yunzhong is lost, we will be in danger.

Xie Yanlai bragged that he would

kill the Northern Desert King,

but now, he can't even
defend the frontier.

He must be severely punished.

Yes.

He lost one city,
then he may lose another.

How many cities are there at the frontier?

How could Your Highness trust
such an impetuous man?

Yeah. Things can't go on like this.

Ministers,

at this point, what's the use of arguing?

The Northern Desert King sent a message,

asking for peace talks.

I think we should avoid
direct confrontation.

We will

never accept peace talks.

Never?

So will the war continue?

Will we ignore the people in Wangcheng?

The King wants friendly relations
and territorial concessions.

Is this a peace offer?

This is a humiliation.

Countless soldiers shouldn't die in vain.

My father's decade-long persistence
shouldn't be wasted.

Wangcheng is lost,

but Your Highness is still so stubborn.

What will people think of you?

Why don't you leave the court

and let me handle this?

Mr. Deng, are you saying

I am to blame for the error
of the frontier troops?

Xie Yanlai serves you.

In that case, you can't shirk the blame.

When I was in charge,
the frontier was safe.

After the supervisors you sent there,

especially Liang Qiang you favor,

failed their duties,
the enemies managed to break in.

Your Highness learned to shift blame.

I would rather say,

I interfered so late

that frontier troops were too corrupt
to be mended.

Even when Liang Qiang was favored,

he couldn't reverse the decline!

Mr. Deng,

who do you think will benefit

from the failure of frontier troops
and the loss of a city?

You don't think

I used the failure of the troops
and the suffering of the people

to force you out of the court, do you?

Chu Zhao, you aren't worthy.

You always claim
you prioritize self-interest.

I thought you were
just saying that for fun.

What a surprise.
You really dared to do that.

Xiaoman.

These are your letters
with frontier troops,

including private letters.

Chu Zhao, how dare you pry
into my privacy?

I just did. So what?

You supervise by late Emperor's order.

I protect the state by his order.

So, I must know anything that involves

our state affairs.

Take out Mr. Deng's letters
to and from Liang Qiang

and his letters with other ministers
where they plotted to depose me.

Yes.

YOUR ORIGIN IS NO OBSTACLE. XINGGU PASS
NEEDS YOUR TALENT. JUST GO. BY DENG YI

Liang Qiang said

his transfer to Xinggu Pass was improper.

You said

he could just go ahead
and you would take responsibility

if anything went wrong.

Liang Qiang did write me this letter.

Then I replied like that. What's wrong?

A frontier general knew it was improper.

And a civil official like you,
far back in the Capital,

insisted on meddling in military affairs.

So?

So, you won't come to the court
for a while.

Go back home and reflect on yourself.

Good.

Very good.

Let me see if you can get what you desire

when I'm away from the court.

Xiaoman, send him back home.

Yes, Your Highness.

Mr. Deng,

how have you been?

Mr. Xie, to what do I owe this pleasure?

I'm here to apologize.

You took the blame

for the loss of Wangcheng.

I sent the message to the Northern Desert

and I asked Liang Qiang to defect.

As for why the enemies
passed through Xiaonan

to attack Wangcheng…

I need not say,

for you know who did that.

Xie Yanfang!

How could you do this

to frontier troops and civilians
at Wangcheng?

They are people of our state.

They'll die a worthy death

to sacrifice for their state.

You can go and turn me in.

However,

who would believe
your one-sided statement?

Fine.

I'll wait and see
what exactly you are up to.

Well, it's getting late.

I'll take my leave.

I do hope

I can see you again at the court.

Thinking about what happened?

Be seated, Mr. Xie.

I thought hard, but I don't get it.

If he simply wanted me
to withdraw from the court,

why did he sacrifice the frontier
and civilians in Wangcheng?

This isn't Deng Yi's style.

Your Highness,
Mr. Deng's desire has never changed.

I have proof
that Liang Qiang serves Mr. Deng.

So you think he wants
to command frontier troops?

So, he wanted Mr. Zhong dead in this raid,

then Liang Qiang would turn the tide
and take command.

To be honest,

it has something to do with Yanlai.

I guess Mr. Deng believed

Yanlai dared to make that military pledge

because my whole clan backed him up.

He couldn't bear to see
military power slip.

That's why he took
desperate risks at any cost.

As for Wangcheng…

We are not certain if he was behind that.

Or maybe

that was merely an accident.

After all, the tides of war always change.

One false move
may lead to the loss of a city.

I don't usually get along with Mr. Deng,

but I refuse to believe
he would collude with our enemies.

Now, the situation is complicated.

For the moment,
our priority is to stabilize the court.

I know.

He was under house arrest

because he argued with me
on whether to have

peace talks.

As for how we should handle him…

After we take back Wangcheng
and uncover the truth, we'll know.

Don't worry too much.

The sudden loss of Wangcheng
was truly horrifying.

Fortunately, Yunzhong led all units
to heavily guard it

and fought the invaders.

Those invaders failed to advance further.

I have faith in frontier troops.

But how about people in Wangcheng?

If we reject peace talks,

the enemies will threaten us
with a massacre.

Peace talks start with talks.

In that case,
we'll have time to negotiate.

Rest assured.

Soon, I will ask relevant ministers
to draft an agenda for you to review.

Thank you, Mr. Xie.

Mr. Deng has been confined.

At this moment, I should step up.

You're truly a blessing for our state.

Don't say that, Your Highness.

In every way,

we're a family.

Tea is good.

But too much tea will upset you.

It's almost lunchtime.

Go have a good lunch with Yu
and get some sleep.

I'm afraid we're going to confront
tough challenges.

I certainly believe
you're tough-minded enough.

But you still need a healthy body.

Don't panic.

You have me.

Le.

Your Highness.

Recently, has Xiao Xun behaved?

Precisely.

For nearly half a year,
he hasn't left his house.

Over the last month,
he has stayed indoors,

making his father's birthday gift.

-Keep watching.
-Yes.

NEED AID URGENTLY.

WANGCHENG LOST. GENERAL ZHONG WOUNDED.
URGENT REQUEST FOR TROOPS AND PROVISIONS.

LONGEVITY SCROLL OF A THOUSAND BLESSINGS

Your Highness, news just came in.

Mr. Deng was escorted out
by the Imperial Guard Office

and then confined in his mansion.

The reason is unknown.

We only know he fought
Her Highness after court.

Your Highness, this might be our chance.

Before I finish my father's gift,

so much has already happened
in the Capital.

But for me,

nothing matters more

than this Scroll of Longevity
for my father.

It's finally done.

I should go visit Mr. Deng.

XIAONAN

How's Xun doing?

Very well. He's been patient.

He has sent your birthday gift
to the Imperial Manufactories.

It will be delivered here
with official gifts.

I had intended to keep the official gifts
outside my prefecture.

Since Xun's gift is among them,

get all those gifts in, then.

Look at this.

WANGCHENG FELL LAST MIDNIGHT. NORTHERN
DESERT TROOPS HEADING FOR YUNZHONG

Wangcheng is lost?

The Northern Desert King
will threaten the court with that city.

For the sake of thousands of civilians,

the court will have to accept peace talks.

But under such circumstances,

if you send troops against the court,

things might backfire.

Threatening with Wangcheng,

those foes will get what they want.

They'll also end the war decently.

For them, that will be a victory.

As for the young emperor,

Chu Zhao, Deng Yi, and Xie Yanfang,

they will lose people's support
as well as their prestige.

By then…

Your prestige will rise greatly.

When you call to arms,
the world will be yours.

WANGCHENG NORTH GATE

WANGCHENG

Help them!

Go. Let's help them!

WANGCHENG

Stop.

See how many people here
will have to die for you!

General, what do we do?

Bring it on!

-Retreat.
-General!

I said, retreat!

Losers!

Bring it on!

General, General Zhong is awake.

According to the Army Physician,
he will survive.

Won't you see him?

Glad he won't die.

What about the mission I gave you?

Thirty-six soldiers skilled
in disguise and assassination

and familiar with the enemy's capital
are in position.

As you commend,

all has been kept confidential.

Very good.

Move out.

Wangcheng is strategically vital.

WANGCHENG

Thousands of civilians
are in the hands of enemies.

But Yanlai stays within the camp.

No wonder ministers complain.

A general in war
isn't bound by imperial orders.

-I trust him.
-I trust him too.

So, when the ministers
wanted to replace him,

I didn't approve.

But to be honest, I'm a little worried.

Will he be reckless at this juncture?

Did he really go

to kill the Northern Desert King?

Under such circumstances,

even if Yanlai manages to kill the King,

the Eldest Prince will ascend the throne.

He's fierce and warlike,

but not as far-sighted as his father.

By then, he will invade
in the name of revenge.

His army's morale will soar.

I'm afraid peace talks will be hard.

Is there really no solution
to Wangcheng's problem?

WANGCHENG

In that case,

-I'll have to go to Yunzhong again.
-No.

When I go, I can at least
steady the troops.

I'll go instead.

There's something ministers can do,

but a princess can't.

-You…
-Rest assured.

I will not accept any of their conditions.

Yu is my hope.

I place great hopes on him
and intend to support him.

When he was little, he witnessed
his parents' brutal death.

He barely survived and took the throne.

Then rebellion and invasion came.

If he couldn't be a wise emperor

who expanded his state

and achieved something
beyond his forebears,

it would be unfair to what he suffered.

And accepting peace talks

is a humiliation to someone like me.

Then, what are you going to do?

Will you trade the people
in Wangcheng for victory?

How could you think of me that way?

You broke my heart.

Rejecting peace talks is your idea.

Your reputation is Yu's reputation.

How could I ever abandon people
in Wangcheng?

It's all right that you don't trust me.

You should have faith in what I can do.

That's right.

I have faith in what you can do.

From tomorrow on,

kill a hundred civilians
on the rampart every day

until the State of Chu accepts
all our conditions.

Yes.

Your Majesty! Your Majesty!

JUSTICE HANGS ON HIGH

Aren't you a follower
of the Eldest Prince?

Why are you here
instead of in our capital?

The Eldest Prince… He was killed.

What did you say?

It's something my son always keeps.

Some enemy soldiers invaded
our capital and killed His Highness.

Before His Highness died,
he gave this to me.

I fought my way out
to bring you this news!

You must avenge His Highness!

How dare you curse my son!

Son.

My son. My son!

WANGCHENG

Your Majesty.

Oh my son.

CAPITAL

When Mr. Xie goes, he will succeed.

We must teach those foes a good lesson!

-Yes.
-That's right.

Well said!

Give them a lesson.

-Yes.
-Show them what we can do.

Mr. Xie, we'll entrust you
with frontier affairs.

His Majesty and I believe

you will protect our people
and safeguard our state's dignity.

I will not fail my mission.

Great news!

Great news!

Oh no. Great victory!

Great victory!

Guard General Xie Yanlai

has killed the Eldest Prince
of Northern Desert,

broken into the King's camp,

and caught… caught the King alive!

My son!

Terrific!

He caught the King alive.

Great.

Yes, indeed.

Great.

Yes. This is great.