1
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♪Trapped in this tiny world♪

2
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♪I'm crushed into dust♪

3
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♪I meddle around without any mercy♪

4
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♪I'm my own pawn♪

5
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♪I sigh at my fate♪

6
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♪Numerous people are under my control♪

7
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♪All the sand is washed away♪

8
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♪An old dream fades♪

9
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♪A bumpy path lies ahead♪

10
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♪Traps within traps, I never make mistakes♪

11
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♪I take a risk at every step♪

12
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♪Even in disputes, I break through with my life♪

13
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♪Schemes within schemes, I prison myself♪

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♪Each link swaps bluff and truth♪

15
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♪The world is my Weiqi game board♪

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♪Everything's just fleeting♪

17
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♪The play begins♪

18
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♪No return is expected♪

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♪The flame is gone, whether we win or lose♪

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♪The wind never ceases. I hold the reins♪

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[Ashes To Crown]

22
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[Adapted from Xixing's novel, Empress of the State of Chu]

23
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[Episode 22]

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00:01:50,380 --> 00:01:51,220
Firecrackers

25
00:01:51,380 --> 00:01:53,060
should herald the Chinese New Year.

26
00:01:54,540 --> 00:01:56,060
Yet, while the summer heat lingers,

27
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the air is already thick with the festive spirit.

28
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The blasting has lasted from the Mao hour to the Shen hour.

29
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Everyone's saying

30
00:02:02,580 --> 00:02:03,700
the frontier troops nearly tore apart

31
00:02:03,700 --> 00:02:04,500
the Northern Desert King's tent.

32
00:02:05,180 --> 00:02:05,660
Mr. Xie,

33
00:02:06,500 --> 00:02:07,740
do you still intend to go to the frontier?

34
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The Northern Desert King

35
00:02:09,300 --> 00:02:10,780
is already at the end of his rope.

36
00:02:12,420 --> 00:02:13,900
Why should I get entangled

37
00:02:14,940 --> 00:02:15,780
in this mess?

38
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I'll just send some nobody

39
00:02:20,020 --> 00:02:21,020
to go through the motions.

40
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This was supposed to be our setup.

41
00:02:24,220 --> 00:02:25,060
Had it not been for Xie Yanlai,

42
00:02:25,060 --> 00:02:26,060
Zhong Changrong would be dead.

43
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Once your men in Wangcheng

44
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killed the Northern Desert King

45
00:02:29,260 --> 00:02:30,780
and Liang Qiang moved in to reclaim Wangcheng,

46
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the frontier troops would be ours

47
00:02:32,180 --> 00:02:32,940
for the taking.

48
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That brat's meddling

49
00:02:36,620 --> 00:02:37,420
ruined the entire plan.

50
00:02:38,860 --> 00:02:39,540
What's the rush?

51
00:02:41,260 --> 00:02:42,540
The merit roll still lists

52
00:02:42,700 --> 00:02:44,140
a Xie at the top.

53
00:02:45,860 --> 00:02:47,380
Does it really matter

54
00:02:48,180 --> 00:02:48,780
who leads the troops?

55
00:02:50,620 --> 00:02:52,260
Besides, it's not even certain

56
00:02:53,900 --> 00:02:54,980
he'll live to collect his reward.

57
00:02:55,820 --> 00:02:56,620
Mr. Xie, you mean...?

58
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The moonlight is stunning.

59
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Let's put the celebration banquet aside.

60
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I must first give Mr. Deng

61
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a proper send-off.

62
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Something's on fire.

63
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Not quite.

64
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I've been around enough forest fires

65
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to smell one

66
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before it starts.

67
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The fire spread fast and fierce.

68
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They've drenched the room

69
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in fire oil.

70
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Had I been a moment later,

71
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I would not have made it out.

72
00:03:57,540 --> 00:03:58,100
Deng Yi died

73
00:04:00,860 --> 00:04:01,900
just like that?

74
00:04:03,860 --> 00:04:05,420
I don't usually get along with Mr. Deng.

75
00:04:06,260 --> 00:04:07,300
But I refuse to believe

76
00:04:08,060 --> 00:04:09,860
he would collude with our enemies.

77
00:04:10,420 --> 00:04:11,220
For the moment,

78
00:04:12,020 --> 00:04:12,620
our priority

79
00:04:12,620 --> 00:04:14,260
is to stabilize the court.

80
00:04:15,260 --> 00:04:16,300
Mr. Deng has been confined.

81
00:04:17,020 --> 00:04:17,820
At this moment,

82
00:04:19,060 --> 00:04:20,100
I should step up.

83
00:04:21,380 --> 00:04:22,780
"To stabilize the court"?

84
00:04:25,100 --> 00:04:26,420
"Step up"? How noble.

85
00:04:27,260 --> 00:04:27,900
Xie Yanfang

86
00:04:27,900 --> 00:04:29,100
truly is a master of strategy.

87
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Everything is flawlessly calculated.

88
00:04:31,580 --> 00:04:32,740
The Imperial Guard Office

89
00:04:33,140 --> 00:04:34,540
is still investigating the fire,

90
00:04:35,380 --> 00:04:35,980
and the body

91
00:04:36,300 --> 00:04:37,580
has been sent to the coroner.

92
00:04:44,260 --> 00:04:44,820
Your Highness.

93
00:04:46,180 --> 00:04:46,900
Your Highness!

94
00:04:48,140 --> 00:04:52,740
[Xie Residence]

95
00:05:05,460 --> 00:05:06,260
Your Highness,

96
00:05:06,660 --> 00:05:07,740
I suppose you heard about Mr. Deng...

97
00:05:07,740 --> 00:05:08,820
Did you order his death?

98
00:05:10,820 --> 00:05:12,220
Your Highness, what is this about?

99
00:05:12,820 --> 00:05:13,420
Who else

100
00:05:14,140 --> 00:05:15,060
would dare?

101
00:05:18,860 --> 00:05:20,420
Your Highness, you are mistaken.

102
00:05:21,780 --> 00:05:22,540
There is another

103
00:05:24,740 --> 00:05:26,620
who has the nerve,

104
00:05:27,980 --> 00:05:28,860
the will,

105
00:05:30,260 --> 00:05:32,260
and far more reason besides.

106
00:05:37,660 --> 00:05:39,060
And that person is you,

107
00:05:40,500 --> 00:05:41,980
the Grand Princess.

108
00:05:42,860 --> 00:05:44,660
You and Mr. Deng have long been at odds.

109
00:05:45,340 --> 00:05:45,780
The Grand Mentor's Residence

110
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is filled with the Imperial Guards.

111
00:05:47,540 --> 00:05:49,260
How could suspicion

112
00:05:49,900 --> 00:05:52,820
for his murder ever fall on me?

113
00:05:53,380 --> 00:05:54,700
If I were to kill him,

114
00:05:55,460 --> 00:05:56,740
it would be according to the law,

115
00:05:57,060 --> 00:05:57,940
with clear evidence,

116
00:05:57,980 --> 00:05:59,380
and for all to see.

117
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Is Your Highness suggesting

118
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I am underhanded

119
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and can only operate

120
00:06:10,660 --> 00:06:12,100
in the shadows?

121
00:06:13,140 --> 00:06:14,740
Even if I killed him,

122
00:06:16,660 --> 00:06:18,180
would you really kill me

123
00:06:19,860 --> 00:06:21,100
for revenge?

124
00:06:22,460 --> 00:06:23,740
Are you using this opportunity

125
00:06:24,900 --> 00:06:26,660
to get rid of me as well?

126
00:06:36,900 --> 00:06:38,540
I never thought

127
00:06:39,740 --> 00:06:40,860
that you would be the one to save me.

128
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Mr. Deng, did you really think

129
00:06:44,220 --> 00:06:45,300
a lock could keep me

130
00:06:45,940 --> 00:06:47,220
in that side residence?

131
00:06:48,660 --> 00:06:50,060
I was merely waiting

132
00:06:50,060 --> 00:06:51,100
for the perfect moment

133
00:06:51,780 --> 00:06:53,020
to leave the Capital.

134
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I never imagined that beneath the city

135
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lay such a secret.

136
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In your eyes,

137
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the Capital

138
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is just a board for power struggles.

139
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Father, however, viewed it

140
00:07:10,340 --> 00:07:12,460
as a home to return to.

141
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Over the years,

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he remembered everything,

143
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from the halls of noble mansions

144
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to the very number of bluestone slabs

145
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on these streets.

146
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Indeed.

147
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No threshold in the imperial city,

148
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however high, can keep out

149
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those who yearn for home.

150
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I suppose

151
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I am nothing more

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than His Lordship's gatekeeper,

153
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entrusted with his most precious holding of all,

154
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this Capital.

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It's all fated.

156
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It was written

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that I would save you tonight.

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Mr. Deng,

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your meal is ready.

160
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They have come for you.

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Were it not for me,

162
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this is

163
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where your life ends.

164
00:08:15,380 --> 00:08:15,900
Tie Ying,

165
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set the fire.

166
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Let's go.

167
00:08:24,580 --> 00:08:25,980
With this water,

168
00:08:27,540 --> 00:08:28,340
let's toast

169
00:08:30,100 --> 00:08:31,300
to our escape

170
00:08:33,420 --> 00:08:34,460
from the jaws of death.

171
00:08:45,380 --> 00:08:46,020
Was it

172
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Her Highness who wanted to kill you?

173
00:08:49,940 --> 00:08:50,580
It was not her.

174
00:08:52,860 --> 00:08:53,940
It was Xie Yanfang.

175
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To think he could be so vicious.

176
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I favor poison.

177
00:09:02,620 --> 00:09:03,820
Yet he proved even more venomous.

178
00:09:07,900 --> 00:09:10,020
Thank you for saving my life, Your Highness.

179
00:09:10,660 --> 00:09:11,620
What is it you desire, Your Highness?

180
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Speak plainly.

181
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I've bided my time in the depths long enough.

182
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Mr. Deng,

183
00:09:20,620 --> 00:09:21,940
since you're always cautious,

184
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I assume everything that matters

185
00:09:24,900 --> 00:09:26,300
is close at hand.

186
00:09:30,020 --> 00:09:30,820
Please, Mr. Deng,

187
00:09:31,420 --> 00:09:32,420
escort me home.

188
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Can we actually get away?

189
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I have arranged

190
00:09:47,940 --> 00:09:48,940
for someone to die in your place.

191
00:09:52,300 --> 00:09:53,500
That should buy us some time.

192
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Your Highness,

193
00:10:07,060 --> 00:10:08,180
Zhu Yong just reported

194
00:10:08,500 --> 00:10:09,540
that the corpse was not Mr. Deng.

195
00:10:10,500 --> 00:10:10,980
What?

196
00:10:12,340 --> 00:10:12,940
Are you certain?

197
00:10:13,220 --> 00:10:14,260
The coroner has finished the examination.

198
00:10:14,420 --> 00:10:15,100
It is confirmed.

199
00:11:20,260 --> 00:11:21,300
The dew feels chilly.

200
00:11:35,980 --> 00:11:37,300
Your Highness is too precious to fall ill.

201
00:11:40,100 --> 00:11:41,180
Please take care.

202
00:12:02,580 --> 00:12:04,340
It has come to this after all.

203
00:12:05,020 --> 00:12:06,780
With Xie Yanlai's great merit,

204
00:12:07,860 --> 00:12:09,420
the frontier troops under the Xie Family,

205
00:12:10,300 --> 00:12:11,700
and no footing whatsoever

206
00:12:12,540 --> 00:12:13,980
left for you

207
00:12:13,980 --> 00:12:14,780
in Xiao Yu's court,

208
00:12:15,500 --> 00:12:17,260
why suffer under Chu Zhao and Xie Yanfang

209
00:12:18,460 --> 00:12:19,740
when you could come with me to Xiaonan Prefecture?

210
00:12:21,300 --> 00:12:22,260
If I ascend to the throne,

211
00:12:23,620 --> 00:12:25,580
you will still be the Grand Mentor of the State of Chu.

212
00:12:56,700 --> 00:12:57,940
He is indeed not Deng Yi.

213
00:12:59,140 --> 00:13:00,540
Good thing we retrieved the body in time.

214
00:13:01,100 --> 00:13:02,340
If the face had been burned beyond recognition,

215
00:13:02,860 --> 00:13:04,060
it would be impossible to identify.

216
00:13:04,500 --> 00:13:06,020
I fear that should something happen to Mr. Deng,

217
00:13:06,340 --> 00:13:07,140
regardless of whether he lives,

218
00:13:07,180 --> 00:13:08,220
it will be detrimental to Your Highness.

219
00:13:08,740 --> 00:13:09,820
Someone will frame you

220
00:13:09,940 --> 00:13:10,780
for wanting him eliminated.

221
00:13:11,580 --> 00:13:12,500
What does this have to do with Her Highness?

222
00:13:12,780 --> 00:13:13,900
All the officials saw

223
00:13:14,380 --> 00:13:15,540
the Imperial Guard Office

224
00:13:15,740 --> 00:13:17,780
escort him to the imperial city

225
00:13:17,900 --> 00:13:18,740
and lock him in his residence.

226
00:13:19,220 --> 00:13:20,700
Now that the frontier troops have captured the Northern Desert King,

227
00:13:21,140 --> 00:13:22,260
Your Highness's influence is surging.

228
00:13:22,860 --> 00:13:23,940
Eliminating him now

229
00:13:24,220 --> 00:13:25,540
would not stir unrest.

230
00:13:26,020 --> 00:13:27,140
The timing could not be better.

231
00:13:27,740 --> 00:13:28,700
That is nonsense.

232
00:13:29,300 --> 00:13:30,140
Her Highness

233
00:13:30,140 --> 00:13:31,100
has no reason to kill Mr. Deng.

234
00:13:31,260 --> 00:13:32,260
Disagreement in policy

235
00:13:32,500 --> 00:13:33,340
and struggle for power

236
00:13:33,780 --> 00:13:34,980
are reason enough.

237
00:13:37,140 --> 00:13:38,780
If Xiaoman had not been fast enough

238
00:13:39,340 --> 00:13:40,140
to charge into the fire

239
00:13:40,260 --> 00:13:41,100
and drag him out,

240
00:13:41,740 --> 00:13:42,740
we would truly believe

241
00:13:43,420 --> 00:13:44,220
he was

242
00:13:44,380 --> 00:13:45,420
dead.

243
00:13:46,740 --> 00:13:47,780
The first problem

244
00:13:47,780 --> 00:13:48,580
we must resolve

245
00:13:49,100 --> 00:13:49,900
is those issues

246
00:13:49,940 --> 00:13:50,980
you're worried about, Mr. Zhu.

247
00:13:51,340 --> 00:13:52,420
So this body

248
00:13:52,580 --> 00:13:53,620
is a stand-in?

249
00:13:54,540 --> 00:13:55,620
Did he arrange this himself,

250
00:13:55,660 --> 00:13:56,620
or was it someone else's doing?

251
00:13:57,260 --> 00:13:58,460
And what was the purpose?

252
00:13:59,860 --> 00:14:00,860
To fake his death and escape?

253
00:14:01,660 --> 00:14:02,180
Xiao Xun.

254
00:14:03,780 --> 00:14:04,220
Zhu Yong,

255
00:14:04,620 --> 00:14:05,740
go to Xiao Xun's residence immediately

256
00:14:05,780 --> 00:14:06,380
and report back what you find.

257
00:14:06,700 --> 00:14:07,140
Yes.

258
00:14:20,740 --> 00:14:21,540
The entire Grand Mentor's Residence

259
00:14:21,540 --> 00:14:22,580
has been searched,

260
00:14:22,900 --> 00:14:23,860
but there is no trace of Deng Yi.

261
00:14:24,460 --> 00:14:25,380
We kept watch outside,

262
00:14:25,460 --> 00:14:26,700
and not a soul was seen coming or going.

263
00:14:27,340 --> 00:14:27,860
But

264
00:14:28,180 --> 00:14:29,260
there must be something

265
00:14:29,260 --> 00:14:30,180
we missed.

266
00:14:30,940 --> 00:14:31,740
He couldn't just vanish

267
00:14:31,740 --> 00:14:32,540
into thin air.

268
00:14:33,940 --> 00:14:34,580
They knew

269
00:14:34,580 --> 00:14:35,820
you were posted outside.

270
00:14:36,180 --> 00:14:37,020
They wouldn't have moved

271
00:14:37,580 --> 00:14:38,900
without a way out.

272
00:14:41,540 --> 00:14:41,980
By the way,

273
00:14:42,500 --> 00:14:43,580
is Mr. Deng's mother still here?

274
00:14:44,260 --> 00:14:45,380
Everyone in the Grand Mentor's Residence

275
00:14:45,420 --> 00:14:46,540
is under guard.

276
00:14:47,020 --> 00:14:47,820
Mr. Deng's mother

277
00:14:47,820 --> 00:14:49,060
has been placed under separate care.

278
00:14:59,380 --> 00:15:00,860
We searched where Mr. Deng

279
00:15:01,820 --> 00:15:02,620
conducts his affairs too.

280
00:15:03,940 --> 00:15:05,020
The Imperial Seal alone is missing.

281
00:15:08,860 --> 00:15:09,980
That was my oversight.

282
00:15:11,460 --> 00:15:12,300
It is not your fault, Your Highness.

283
00:15:13,540 --> 00:15:14,700
Mr. Deng was under confinement

284
00:15:15,300 --> 00:15:16,140
and yet to be convicted.

285
00:15:17,740 --> 00:15:19,340
No one has the authority to seize

286
00:15:19,820 --> 00:15:21,220
the Imperial Seal gifted by the late Emperor.

287
00:15:21,940 --> 00:15:23,460
Mr. Deng's power and influence

288
00:15:24,180 --> 00:15:24,860
stemmed from the position

289
00:15:24,860 --> 00:15:25,940
granted by the late Emperor

290
00:15:26,020 --> 00:15:27,420
and his possession of the Imperial Seal.

291
00:15:28,060 --> 00:15:29,260
Whether he faked his death

292
00:15:29,300 --> 00:15:30,260
or was taken away,

293
00:15:30,540 --> 00:15:31,820
he would surely take it with him.

294
00:15:35,340 --> 00:15:35,900
Your Highness,

295
00:15:36,700 --> 00:15:37,740
Xiao Xun is gone indeed.

296
00:15:39,780 --> 00:15:40,500
Relay my order.

297
00:15:40,700 --> 00:15:41,860
Lock down all city gates immediately.

298
00:15:43,220 --> 00:15:43,860
Your Highness,

299
00:15:44,060 --> 00:15:44,780
there is a secret passage in the room.

300
00:15:59,260 --> 00:16:00,140
Deng Yi

301
00:16:00,140 --> 00:16:01,260
and Xiao Xun

302
00:16:02,700 --> 00:16:04,300
have finally joined forces.

303
00:16:05,140 --> 00:16:06,220
Once they return

304
00:16:06,220 --> 00:16:07,460
to Xiaonan Prefecture,

305
00:16:08,540 --> 00:16:10,060
they will seize the chance to rebel.

306
00:16:16,220 --> 00:16:17,780
Is the course of fate

307
00:16:19,020 --> 00:16:20,140
truly beyond my reach,

308
00:16:22,180 --> 00:16:23,860
no matter how hard I struggle?

309
00:16:33,700 --> 00:16:34,140
Mr. Xie,

310
00:16:37,820 --> 00:16:38,780
we used poison,

311
00:16:38,780 --> 00:16:40,020
so why did a fire break out?

312
00:16:41,140 --> 00:16:42,100
A minor mishap

313
00:16:42,100 --> 00:16:42,900
from an unexpected twist,

314
00:16:44,260 --> 00:16:45,500
but of no consequence.

315
00:16:46,540 --> 00:16:47,020
Du Qi,

316
00:16:47,740 --> 00:16:48,660
get things ready.

317
00:16:48,820 --> 00:16:49,660
I need to make a long journey.

318
00:16:50,500 --> 00:16:50,940
Where to?

319
00:16:52,060 --> 00:16:53,620
North of the Cang River, to intercept

320
00:16:54,140 --> 00:16:55,460
the Lord of Xiaonan's rebel forces.

321
00:16:59,020 --> 00:17:00,500
Since when did they rebel?

322
00:17:03,180 --> 00:17:04,220
Our grand mentor

323
00:17:05,260 --> 00:17:06,160
is soon to become

324
00:17:06,180 --> 00:17:07,060
theirs.

325
00:17:09,780 --> 00:17:10,820
Only then

326
00:17:11,980 --> 00:17:12,900
will he and Her Highness

327
00:17:13,180 --> 00:17:14,100
be truly locked

328
00:17:14,100 --> 00:17:15,460
in a fight to the death.

329
00:17:17,580 --> 00:17:18,940
This is more intriguing

330
00:17:21,460 --> 00:17:22,580
than my original plan.

331
00:17:27,460 --> 00:17:31,260
- Wish Your Lordship a long life. - Wish Your Lordship a long life.

332
00:17:42,660 --> 00:17:43,140
Your Lordship,

333
00:17:43,580 --> 00:17:44,700
His Majesty's gift has arrived.

334
00:17:45,660 --> 00:17:47,940
I'm glad he thinks of me.

335
00:17:47,940 --> 00:17:48,660
That is enough.

336
00:17:49,900 --> 00:17:51,420
Nothing warms my heart more

337
00:17:51,580 --> 00:17:53,620
than the people of Xiaonan celebrating in the streets

338
00:17:53,940 --> 00:17:55,100
of their own accord.

339
00:17:55,940 --> 00:17:56,340
Indeed.

340
00:17:57,260 --> 00:17:58,660
Distribute these among the people,

341
00:17:59,020 --> 00:18:00,820
so they may share in the joy.

342
00:18:01,380 --> 00:18:01,820
Your Lordship,

343
00:18:02,020 --> 00:18:02,740
you seem to have forgotten

344
00:18:03,260 --> 00:18:04,140
His Highness's gift

345
00:18:04,140 --> 00:18:05,460
arrived

346
00:18:05,540 --> 00:18:06,420
alongside His Majesty's.

347
00:18:07,260 --> 00:18:07,860
Yes.

348
00:18:08,380 --> 00:18:09,020
Bring it forward.

349
00:18:09,620 --> 00:18:10,380
Let me see

350
00:18:10,500 --> 00:18:12,420
what surprise he has for me.

351
00:18:23,420 --> 00:18:24,340
Each character is written

352
00:18:24,340 --> 00:18:26,060
by His Highness himself.

353
00:18:26,300 --> 00:18:26,740
Your Lordship,

354
00:18:27,020 --> 00:18:28,020
this is the Scroll of Longevity

355
00:18:28,020 --> 00:18:29,060
from His Highness.

356
00:18:29,420 --> 00:18:31,540
Such devotion

357
00:18:31,580 --> 00:18:32,980
is truly quite impressive!

358
00:18:35,380 --> 00:18:35,820
Come.

359
00:18:36,020 --> 00:18:37,060
Everyone, take a look.

360
00:18:44,300 --> 00:18:45,660
Xun must have put in a lot of effort.

361
00:18:45,940 --> 00:18:47,060
Writing in such small script

362
00:18:47,620 --> 00:18:49,100
must have strained his eyes.

363
00:18:49,220 --> 00:18:49,780
Indeed.

364
00:18:50,740 --> 00:18:52,660
Each character is written in a different style.

365
00:18:53,220 --> 00:18:54,580
Xun is truly thoughtful.

366
00:18:57,820 --> 00:18:59,780
The scent of the ink is quite unique as well.

367
00:18:59,820 --> 00:19:01,260
His Highness has arrived!

368
00:19:02,220 --> 00:19:02,780
Father!

369
00:19:03,260 --> 00:19:03,780
Father!

370
00:19:04,100 --> 00:19:04,660
Xun,

371
00:19:04,940 --> 00:19:06,500
are you the true surprise?

372
00:19:06,500 --> 00:19:06,980
Father,

373
00:19:07,500 --> 00:19:07,940
quick.

374
00:19:08,220 --> 00:19:09,100
Throw it away! It is poisoned!

375
00:19:09,420 --> 00:19:09,900
Father.

376
00:19:12,060 --> 00:19:12,980
Your Highness, what are you...?

377
00:19:16,140 --> 00:19:16,700
Father.

378
00:19:18,620 --> 00:19:19,100
Father.

379
00:19:19,540 --> 00:19:19,980
Your Lordship.

380
00:19:21,820 --> 00:19:22,300
Your Lordship!

381
00:19:22,660 --> 00:19:24,020
- Father. - Your Lordship.

382
00:19:24,500 --> 00:19:25,460
- Your Lordship. - Your Lordship.

383
00:19:26,060 --> 00:19:27,460
Father.

384
00:19:29,700 --> 00:19:30,140
Father.

385
00:19:30,700 --> 00:19:31,300
Father!

386
00:19:38,620 --> 00:19:39,220
Your Lordship!

387
00:19:39,260 --> 00:19:39,780
Father!

388
00:19:41,260 --> 00:19:41,900
Father!

389
00:19:43,860 --> 00:19:44,460
Your Highness,

390
00:19:45,020 --> 00:19:46,460
what is going on?

391
00:19:46,700 --> 00:19:48,180
Why has His Lordship been poisoned?

392
00:19:54,700 --> 00:19:55,500
The poison lies within the script.

393
00:19:57,100 --> 00:19:58,420
Once inhaled, it pierces the vitals.

394
00:20:01,820 --> 00:20:02,380
Father.

395
00:20:04,460 --> 00:20:05,180
Sir, quick.

396
00:20:05,340 --> 00:20:05,980
Check on His Lordship.

397
00:20:11,540 --> 00:20:12,220
But Your Highness,

398
00:20:12,620 --> 00:20:14,420
you prepared this yourself.

399
00:20:14,700 --> 00:20:16,100
How could it be poisoned?

400
00:20:16,700 --> 00:20:17,540
When the palace said

401
00:20:18,580 --> 00:20:19,580
they would present the gifts to Father

402
00:20:19,580 --> 00:20:20,660
on my behalf,

403
00:20:21,820 --> 00:20:22,820
I gave it little thought.

404
00:20:23,500 --> 00:20:24,940
Once I finished the Scroll of Longevity,

405
00:20:25,820 --> 00:20:27,260
I handed it over to the palace.

406
00:20:28,060 --> 00:20:28,940
But several days ago,

407
00:20:29,620 --> 00:20:30,780
someone told me

408
00:20:32,980 --> 00:20:34,020
that my gift

409
00:20:34,860 --> 00:20:36,220
might cost my father his life.

410
00:20:37,020 --> 00:20:38,420
He said the scroll

411
00:20:39,700 --> 00:20:40,660
had been soaked in poison.

412
00:20:42,220 --> 00:20:43,700
I knew Father would pay no mind

413
00:20:43,700 --> 00:20:44,820
to gifts from the court,

414
00:20:45,540 --> 00:20:46,500
yet would examine

415
00:20:46,500 --> 00:20:48,220
anything from me with great care.

416
00:20:49,020 --> 00:20:50,020
Close enough to inspect it,

417
00:20:50,940 --> 00:20:52,020
he would inhale the poison from the ink,

418
00:20:52,700 --> 00:20:53,100
and...

419
00:20:54,020 --> 00:20:54,340
He

420
00:20:54,700 --> 00:20:55,860
helped me flee the Capital.

421
00:20:56,220 --> 00:20:57,740
I traveled day and night

422
00:20:57,780 --> 00:20:59,140
to stop Father,

423
00:20:59,780 --> 00:21:00,580
but

424
00:21:00,980 --> 00:21:03,020
I was still a step too late.

425
00:21:03,540 --> 00:21:04,860
- Father! - Your Highness.

426
00:21:04,900 --> 00:21:05,340
Your Highness,

427
00:21:05,460 --> 00:21:06,620
you must remain calm.

428
00:21:07,580 --> 00:21:09,460
Is there any way to save His Lordship?

429
00:21:16,900 --> 00:21:17,380
Mr. Deng,

430
00:21:17,900 --> 00:21:19,020
please, save my Father!

431
00:21:19,820 --> 00:21:20,260
Deng Yi?

432
00:21:20,660 --> 00:21:21,460
Why are you here?

433
00:21:22,220 --> 00:21:23,300
Guards, seize him.

434
00:21:23,340 --> 00:21:24,060
You have it all wrong.

435
00:21:25,180 --> 00:21:26,540
It was Mr. Deng who helped me return.

436
00:21:27,780 --> 00:21:28,220
Your Highness,

437
00:21:28,540 --> 00:21:29,460
the person you mentioned earlier

438
00:21:29,700 --> 00:21:30,260
was him?

439
00:21:35,340 --> 00:21:35,940
Mr. Deng.

440
00:21:37,940 --> 00:21:38,340
Your Highness.

441
00:21:38,380 --> 00:21:38,740
Your Highness.

442
00:21:38,940 --> 00:21:39,540
Please

443
00:21:39,780 --> 00:21:40,900
save my father.

444
00:21:41,500 --> 00:21:42,420
I beg of you.

445
00:21:43,340 --> 00:21:43,700
Well...

446
00:21:45,100 --> 00:21:45,540
Mr. Deng,

447
00:21:46,100 --> 00:21:46,780
please,

448
00:21:46,820 --> 00:21:47,780
save His Lordship.

449
00:21:48,060 --> 00:21:48,540
Mr. Deng,

450
00:21:48,780 --> 00:21:49,380
save His Lordship.

451
00:21:49,420 --> 00:21:50,020
Please.

452
00:21:50,380 --> 00:21:51,220
I implore you, Mr. Deng.

453
00:21:54,940 --> 00:21:55,700
Your Highness, please rise.

454
00:21:58,820 --> 00:22:00,220
I do as you wish,

455
00:22:01,140 --> 00:22:02,620
but you must keep your promise.

456
00:22:12,820 --> 00:22:13,380
Mr. Deng.

457
00:22:14,620 --> 00:22:15,820
The poison runs too deep.

458
00:22:17,340 --> 00:22:18,020
He is beyond saving.

459
00:22:19,580 --> 00:22:20,140
Father!

460
00:22:20,700 --> 00:22:21,540
Your Highness.

461
00:22:22,380 --> 00:22:22,820
Father.

462
00:22:23,820 --> 00:22:25,460
Since you told His Highness

463
00:22:25,460 --> 00:22:26,220
about the poison

464
00:22:26,580 --> 00:22:28,100
and helped him escape,

465
00:22:28,380 --> 00:22:29,740
you must know something.

466
00:22:30,140 --> 00:22:30,660
Indeed.

467
00:22:30,700 --> 00:22:31,780
His Lordship has sent His Highness

468
00:22:31,780 --> 00:22:33,060
to the Capital as a hostage,

469
00:22:33,380 --> 00:22:34,540
so who would want

470
00:22:34,660 --> 00:22:35,740
to harm His Lordship?

471
00:22:36,380 --> 00:22:36,860
Mr. Deng,

472
00:22:37,140 --> 00:22:38,540
who exactly is behind this?

473
00:22:41,060 --> 00:22:41,980
The late Emperor.

474
00:22:42,860 --> 00:22:43,420
What?

475
00:22:43,500 --> 00:22:44,020
The late Emperor?

476
00:22:44,180 --> 00:22:45,220
How is that possible?

477
00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:46,740
Mr. Deng, you must be mistaken.

478
00:22:47,100 --> 00:22:48,660
If the late Emperor wanted His Lordship dead,

479
00:22:48,980 --> 00:22:50,300
why wait until now?

480
00:22:51,220 --> 00:22:52,220
I mean

481
00:22:53,300 --> 00:22:54,660
it was the late Emperor who sowed

482
00:22:55,340 --> 00:22:57,300
the seeds of His Lordship's end.

483
00:22:58,540 --> 00:22:59,500
Do you know

484
00:22:59,940 --> 00:23:01,580
who the late Emperor designated

485
00:23:02,420 --> 00:23:03,700
as the Crown Prince

486
00:23:03,900 --> 00:23:05,340
on his deathbed

487
00:23:05,620 --> 00:23:07,140
when the Capital was in peril?

488
00:23:07,860 --> 00:23:08,860
His grandson, wasn't it?

489
00:23:09,620 --> 00:23:10,100
- Yes. - No.

490
00:23:12,140 --> 00:23:13,540
It was the heir to the Lord of Xiaonan,

491
00:23:14,860 --> 00:23:15,740
Xiao Xun.

492
00:23:15,740 --> 00:23:16,100
What?

493
00:23:17,300 --> 00:23:17,780
Is this true?

494
00:23:17,900 --> 00:23:19,100
How can we trust you?

495
00:23:25,500 --> 00:23:27,180
Xiao Xun, heir to the Lord of Xiaonan,

496
00:23:27,700 --> 00:23:28,740
is virtuous, wise,

497
00:23:29,220 --> 00:23:30,940
beneficent to the people

498
00:23:31,420 --> 00:23:33,180
and judicious in governance.

499
00:23:34,020 --> 00:23:35,300
He shall ascend the imperial throne

500
00:23:35,940 --> 00:23:37,700
and bear the weight of the state.

501
00:23:39,580 --> 00:23:40,860
On his deathbed,

502
00:23:41,460 --> 00:23:43,220
the late Emperor named Xiao Xun

503
00:23:43,700 --> 00:23:45,100
as his heir.

504
00:23:47,860 --> 00:23:49,060
The late Emperor

505
00:23:49,500 --> 00:23:51,380
did issue this decree on his deathbed.

506
00:23:52,020 --> 00:23:53,540
I am the witness.

507
00:23:55,100 --> 00:23:57,220
However, Chu Zhao and the Xie Family conspired

508
00:23:57,620 --> 00:23:59,140
to hold the late Emperor hostage

509
00:23:59,140 --> 00:24:00,540
and forced him to issue a new decree.

510
00:24:01,900 --> 00:24:02,860
This imperial edict

511
00:24:04,140 --> 00:24:05,820
never even made it

512
00:24:05,820 --> 00:24:07,100
past the palace gates.

513
00:24:56,100 --> 00:24:56,740
Father,

514
00:24:59,060 --> 00:25:00,180
are you unable to sleep,

515
00:25:01,660 --> 00:25:03,060
or is sleep simply beyond your reach?

516
00:25:07,740 --> 00:25:08,300
Do not fear.

517
00:25:10,180 --> 00:25:10,900
Soon, you will be able

518
00:25:10,900 --> 00:25:12,180
to rest soundly,

519
00:25:13,580 --> 00:25:14,580
never to wake again.

520
00:25:19,500 --> 00:25:20,860
You always loved

521
00:25:21,500 --> 00:25:22,660
to stroke my face like this,

522
00:25:24,740 --> 00:25:26,300
and I always loved

523
00:25:26,660 --> 00:25:28,060
lingering close beside you.

524
00:25:29,820 --> 00:25:30,940
Among all your children,

525
00:25:32,260 --> 00:25:33,220
only

526
00:25:34,260 --> 00:25:35,260
I was blessed

527
00:25:35,260 --> 00:25:36,380
with such affection.

528
00:25:37,580 --> 00:25:38,740
To repay

529
00:25:38,900 --> 00:25:39,740
your indulgence,

530
00:25:40,380 --> 00:25:40,980
now that I've sat

531
00:25:42,540 --> 00:25:43,900
on the throne,

532
00:25:45,460 --> 00:25:47,060
I shall honor you as the late Emperor.

533
00:25:48,140 --> 00:25:49,860
At last, your wish is fulfilled.

534
00:25:52,740 --> 00:25:53,340
Father.

535
00:25:55,300 --> 00:25:56,100
Are you happy?

536
00:26:00,340 --> 00:26:01,260
I am truly happy.

537
00:26:03,940 --> 00:26:05,340
Although I used to say

538
00:26:06,060 --> 00:26:08,100
I wanted to help you fulfill your wishes,

539
00:26:08,740 --> 00:26:09,940
I never knew

540
00:26:09,940 --> 00:26:11,220
if I would feel happy

541
00:26:12,900 --> 00:26:14,220
once they were accomplished.

542
00:26:15,540 --> 00:26:16,860
But now I understand.

543
00:26:18,340 --> 00:26:19,660
So this is what it feels like

544
00:26:20,540 --> 00:26:21,580
to be happy for oneself.

545
00:26:31,140 --> 00:26:32,500
It's finally done.

546
00:26:33,500 --> 00:26:35,420
I should go visit Mr. Deng.

547
00:26:36,580 --> 00:26:37,100
Tie Ying,

548
00:26:37,940 --> 00:26:38,940
bring the Golden Finch Venom

549
00:26:39,340 --> 00:26:40,020
and soak the scroll.

550
00:26:52,180 --> 00:26:53,620
Mr. Deng,

551
00:26:54,940 --> 00:26:55,820
what brings you here?

552
00:26:56,940 --> 00:26:57,860
The decree has reached

553
00:26:58,340 --> 00:27:00,460
Xiaonan Prefecture and the eight commanderies

554
00:27:01,020 --> 00:27:02,220
and twelve cities beyond.

555
00:27:02,500 --> 00:27:04,700
Outside the prefecture, thirty thousand regional troops

556
00:27:04,820 --> 00:27:05,980
have lifted their defenses

557
00:27:06,340 --> 00:27:07,460
and stand ready to be commanded.

558
00:27:08,060 --> 00:27:08,900
I appreciate it, Mr. Deng.

559
00:27:10,980 --> 00:27:14,100
The Prince of State's Residence is stronger than ever

560
00:27:14,860 --> 00:27:16,940
with you on our side.

561
00:27:18,020 --> 00:27:18,860
Your Highness is too kind.

562
00:27:19,860 --> 00:27:21,420
It is His Lordship's foresight we should credit.

563
00:27:22,220 --> 00:27:24,140
All those decades of winning loyalty,

564
00:27:24,940 --> 00:27:25,500
and one command

565
00:27:26,180 --> 00:27:27,620
is all it would take.

566
00:27:31,220 --> 00:27:32,340
Yet no command ever came.

567
00:27:33,260 --> 00:27:34,100
Father held it back

568
00:27:34,780 --> 00:27:36,580
for decades.

569
00:27:37,740 --> 00:27:38,940
Without you,

570
00:27:39,900 --> 00:27:40,700
today would have been

571
00:27:41,340 --> 00:27:42,140
no different.

572
00:27:43,460 --> 00:27:44,700
It seems

573
00:27:45,980 --> 00:27:46,780
His Lordship

574
00:27:47,580 --> 00:27:49,100
owes Your Highness thanks.

575
00:27:50,020 --> 00:27:51,580
You willingly threw away

576
00:27:52,060 --> 00:27:53,900
His Lordship's life

577
00:27:54,980 --> 00:27:56,420
for control over the state.

578
00:28:00,380 --> 00:28:01,900
It was my father's wish.

579
00:28:04,460 --> 00:28:06,100
To see it fulfilled,

580
00:28:06,780 --> 00:28:07,660
he cast me aside without hesitation.

581
00:28:08,660 --> 00:28:10,580
Much less would he spare himself.

582
00:28:12,060 --> 00:28:13,060
His death

583
00:28:14,380 --> 00:28:15,220
would be for a worthy cause.

584
00:28:16,500 --> 00:28:17,420
We have secured

585
00:28:18,260 --> 00:28:19,780
the garrison in Xiaonan

586
00:28:19,780 --> 00:28:20,700
and the surrounding local forces.

587
00:28:21,660 --> 00:28:22,900
But progress toward the Capital

588
00:28:22,940 --> 00:28:23,940
is far less smooth.

589
00:28:24,580 --> 00:28:26,060
The Grand Princess has reached out

590
00:28:26,300 --> 00:28:27,020
to all post houses

591
00:28:27,020 --> 00:28:28,460
and prefectures along the route,

592
00:28:28,940 --> 00:28:30,180
and now, most of our decrees

593
00:28:30,180 --> 00:28:31,180
have been intercepted.

594
00:28:36,140 --> 00:28:36,980
Who would have thought

595
00:28:38,140 --> 00:28:39,300
the Grand Princess's decrees

596
00:28:40,060 --> 00:28:41,380
would carry more weight than those

597
00:28:41,460 --> 00:28:42,260
of the Emperor?

598
00:28:44,900 --> 00:28:45,460
Your Majesty,

599
00:28:45,900 --> 00:28:47,220
everything is prepared.

600
00:28:47,820 --> 00:28:49,180
Please proceed to the enthronement ceremony

601
00:28:49,260 --> 00:28:50,620
along with Mr. Deng.

602
00:29:10,300 --> 00:29:12,020
The late Emperor's final decree is here.

603
00:29:13,100 --> 00:29:14,660
In the autumn of the fifteenth year of Tianshu,

604
00:29:15,100 --> 00:29:16,300
I am approaching my end.

605
00:29:17,060 --> 00:29:18,660
Xiao Xun, heir to the Lord of Xiaonan,

606
00:29:18,980 --> 00:29:20,180
is virtuous, wise,

607
00:29:20,620 --> 00:29:22,260
beneficent to the people

608
00:29:22,540 --> 00:29:24,180
and judicious in governance.

609
00:29:24,580 --> 00:29:25,700
He shall ascend the imperial throne

610
00:29:26,140 --> 00:29:27,540
and bear the weight of the state.

611
00:29:28,140 --> 00:29:29,220
Proclaim this to the world

612
00:29:30,060 --> 00:29:31,740
so that all may know.

613
00:29:32,660 --> 00:29:33,780
Kneel.

614
00:29:35,820 --> 00:29:37,140
Kowtow.

615
00:29:39,220 --> 00:29:40,420
Rise.

616
00:29:42,260 --> 00:29:43,620
Kowtow.

617
00:29:47,500 --> 00:29:48,580
You may rise.

618
00:29:51,660 --> 00:29:52,900
Read the proclamation.

619
00:29:54,340 --> 00:29:55,580
On the twenty-seventh day of the eighth month,

620
00:29:56,020 --> 00:29:57,180
in the third year of Xingping,

621
00:29:57,660 --> 00:29:58,740
the Prince of State passed away.

622
00:29:59,420 --> 00:30:01,220
Deng Yi, the Grand Mentor, withdrew to Xiaonan Prefecture,

623
00:30:01,700 --> 00:30:03,100
carrying the late Emperor's final decree.

624
00:30:03,700 --> 00:30:06,020
[The Capital]
No righteous men in court, but traitors within.

625
00:30:06,300 --> 00:30:07,440
During the turmoil of the Yongning year,

626
00:30:07,780 --> 00:30:09,640
the imperial in-law Xie Yanfang

627
00:30:09,940 --> 00:30:12,620
colluded with the frontier troops, took the late Emperor hostage,

628
00:30:13,300 --> 00:30:13,940
usurped the throne

629
00:30:14,420 --> 00:30:15,220
bent the state to his will,

630
00:30:15,580 --> 00:30:16,940
and poisoned the Prince of State.

631
00:30:18,020 --> 00:30:19,060
In the ninth month

632
00:30:19,100 --> 00:30:19,740
of the third year of Xingping,

633
00:30:20,420 --> 00:30:22,020
Xiao Xun, heir to the Prince of State,

634
00:30:22,260 --> 00:30:23,700
acting on the late Emperor's decree,

635
00:30:24,060 --> 00:30:25,380
enthrones Chu Zhao as Empress,

636
00:30:25,980 --> 00:30:27,660
raises arms against the treacherous Xie Yanfang

637
00:30:27,940 --> 00:30:29,060
to restore order

638
00:30:29,540 --> 00:30:30,820
and sets forth on campaign.

639
00:30:37,700 --> 00:30:38,260
Move out.

640
00:30:45,780 --> 00:30:47,300
Deng Yi forged the imperial decree,

641
00:30:48,020 --> 00:30:50,540
claiming the late Emperor intended to pass the throne to Xiao Xun.

642
00:30:51,500 --> 00:30:52,980
He holds the Imperial Seal,

643
00:30:53,580 --> 00:30:54,820
so he can write

644
00:30:54,820 --> 00:30:55,300
whatever he pleases.

645
00:30:56,180 --> 00:30:57,500
The late Emperor was poisoned that night.

646
00:30:58,260 --> 00:30:59,340
Who knows

647
00:30:59,540 --> 00:31:00,300
what the truth really was?

648
00:31:02,180 --> 00:31:03,060
At this point,

649
00:31:03,500 --> 00:31:04,500
what is false becomes true.

650
00:31:05,740 --> 00:31:06,500
Ministers,

651
00:31:06,500 --> 00:31:07,700
do not be disturbed by rumors.

652
00:31:08,540 --> 00:31:10,540
Mr. Xie has blocked the rebel army at the Cang River,

653
00:31:11,180 --> 00:31:12,340
and the Northern Desert King has surrendered.

654
00:31:12,780 --> 00:31:14,460
The frontier will soon be stable.

655
00:31:14,980 --> 00:31:16,660
We have enough energy

656
00:31:16,700 --> 00:31:18,380
and troops to quell the rebellion.

657
00:31:19,580 --> 00:31:21,380
Xiao Xun is merely walking the same doomed path.

658
00:31:22,100 --> 00:31:23,900
Even with Deng Yi, what could a pathetic wretch

659
00:31:25,020 --> 00:31:27,580
like him possibly amount to?

660
00:31:28,460 --> 00:31:30,460
His Majesty will issue the proclamation

661
00:31:30,820 --> 00:31:32,020
and make it known to all.

662
00:31:33,580 --> 00:31:34,220
Court dismissed.

663
00:31:35,020 --> 00:31:37,620
- We bid farewell to Your Majesty - We bid farewell to Your Majesty

664
00:31:37,980 --> 00:31:39,980
- and Your Highness. - and Your Highness.

665
00:31:51,260 --> 00:31:52,780
You were so quick to grasp

666
00:31:53,020 --> 00:31:54,020
"besieging Wei to rescue Zhao."

667
00:31:54,700 --> 00:31:55,860
Why are you struggling so much

668
00:31:55,940 --> 00:31:56,660
with "concealing the dagger behind a smile"?

669
00:31:57,020 --> 00:31:57,860
Zhao,

670
00:31:58,020 --> 00:31:59,180
it's just

671
00:31:59,260 --> 00:32:00,220
so hard.

672
00:32:01,020 --> 00:32:02,700
Can I learn that some other time?

673
00:32:06,100 --> 00:32:06,860
Greetings, Your Majesty,

674
00:32:07,460 --> 00:32:08,300
Your Highness.

675
00:32:10,420 --> 00:32:11,380
Uncle, you're back.

676
00:32:16,060 --> 00:32:17,140
Mr. Xie, you must be exhausted.

677
00:32:17,940 --> 00:32:18,700
I thought

678
00:32:18,700 --> 00:32:19,700
you still had an hour to go.

679
00:32:20,180 --> 00:32:21,660
Fortunately, the meal is prepared.

680
00:32:21,820 --> 00:32:22,780
Please, take a seat and eat.

681
00:32:23,700 --> 00:32:24,140
I appreciate it.

682
00:32:24,740 --> 00:32:25,340
Uncle,

683
00:32:25,780 --> 00:32:26,620
try some and see

684
00:32:26,940 --> 00:32:27,700
if it agrees with you.

685
00:32:36,980 --> 00:32:38,300
There's a new chef in the palace

686
00:32:38,300 --> 00:32:39,820
who specializes in Gaoyang flavors.

687
00:32:40,260 --> 00:32:41,300
Yu finds it quite good.

688
00:32:41,740 --> 00:32:42,580
It tastes very much

689
00:32:42,580 --> 00:32:43,700
like what his mother used to enjoy.

690
00:32:46,220 --> 00:32:47,420
It feels so good to be home.

691
00:32:52,220 --> 00:32:52,940
To see one's kin

692
00:32:53,460 --> 00:32:54,260
is to be home.

693
00:33:02,060 --> 00:33:02,980
The chef brewed this himself

694
00:33:03,340 --> 00:33:04,940
with a traditional method.

695
00:33:05,260 --> 00:33:05,900
Yanfang,

696
00:33:06,260 --> 00:33:07,020
please, have a sip.

697
00:33:23,100 --> 00:33:23,500
Thank you.

698
00:33:24,020 --> 00:33:24,540
Uncle,

699
00:33:24,780 --> 00:33:25,660
try some of this.

700
00:33:26,100 --> 00:33:27,580
This is my favorite.

701
00:33:27,820 --> 00:33:28,140
Very well.

702
00:33:33,020 --> 00:33:33,580
Here, Yu.

703
00:33:37,780 --> 00:33:38,900
I have a chef

704
00:33:39,100 --> 00:33:40,300
who makes exceptional rice cakes.

705
00:33:41,020 --> 00:33:41,820
I shall bring some

706
00:33:42,340 --> 00:33:43,700
for Your Highness to try another day.

707
00:33:44,780 --> 00:33:45,380
Uncle,

708
00:33:45,500 --> 00:33:46,340
can I try some as well?

709
00:33:47,580 --> 00:33:48,380
Of course.

710
00:33:54,300 --> 00:33:54,700
Here.

711
00:33:55,460 --> 00:33:57,060
Uncle, try this.

712
00:34:03,340 --> 00:34:04,180
North of the Cang River,

713
00:34:04,460 --> 00:34:05,540
three commanderies and twenty-eight cities

714
00:34:06,580 --> 00:34:07,900
have all submitted to Xiao Xun.

715
00:34:08,700 --> 00:34:09,700
Together with the Lord of Xiaonan's

716
00:34:09,700 --> 00:34:10,780
illegally raised forces,

717
00:34:12,300 --> 00:34:13,460
the total comes to two hundred and seventy thousand.

718
00:34:14,380 --> 00:34:15,500
I never expected

719
00:34:15,500 --> 00:34:16,860
they could gather

720
00:34:17,220 --> 00:34:18,740
so many troops in just a few months.

721
00:34:19,500 --> 00:34:20,860
Rebellions always begin

722
00:34:21,580 --> 00:34:22,780
with a roar

723
00:34:22,940 --> 00:34:23,980
of momentum.

724
00:34:24,620 --> 00:34:25,340
Deng Yi

725
00:34:25,580 --> 00:34:27,500
stole the Tally and the Imperial Seal.

726
00:34:28,300 --> 00:34:29,220
It is no surprise that many people

727
00:34:29,540 --> 00:34:30,540
have been misled.

728
00:34:32,660 --> 00:34:33,740
In time,

729
00:34:34,300 --> 00:34:35,980
when the court sends forces against them,

730
00:34:37,220 --> 00:34:38,220
people will see the truth.

731
00:34:40,940 --> 00:34:42,060
Just like in the previous life,

732
00:34:42,820 --> 00:34:43,860
Xiao Xun ascends to the throne,

733
00:34:44,780 --> 00:34:46,380
and the one who leads the campaign against him is Xie Yanfang.

734
00:34:54,060 --> 00:34:54,740
Do not worry.

735
00:34:56,060 --> 00:34:56,780
I am here.

736
00:34:59,420 --> 00:35:00,180
I am not worried.

737
00:35:01,300 --> 00:35:01,940
Once Jiu

738
00:35:02,660 --> 00:35:04,180
escorted the Northern Desert King across the frontier,

739
00:35:04,860 --> 00:35:05,980
he could lead the troops

740
00:35:05,980 --> 00:35:07,100
to provide support

741
00:35:07,580 --> 00:35:08,380
and form a pincer movement

742
00:35:08,380 --> 00:35:09,460
with the court's forces.

743
00:35:09,900 --> 00:35:11,460
The Lord of Xiaonan's rebels

744
00:35:11,740 --> 00:35:12,460
will be crushed.

745
00:35:15,820 --> 00:35:16,620
Do you miss him?

746
00:35:20,620 --> 00:35:21,220
What?

747
00:35:54,100 --> 00:35:54,900
The time has come.

748
00:35:55,900 --> 00:35:56,420
Let's go.

749
00:35:57,500 --> 00:35:59,100
Chu Ling must have wished

750
00:35:59,740 --> 00:36:01,580
to storm my tent

751
00:36:02,580 --> 00:36:04,020
just as you did.

752
00:36:04,860 --> 00:36:06,220
It is precisely because General Chu

753
00:36:06,220 --> 00:36:07,540
kept you locked in battle for decades

754
00:36:08,700 --> 00:36:09,940
that I now have the chance

755
00:36:10,060 --> 00:36:11,100
to take you down.

756
00:36:11,860 --> 00:36:12,900
You are very valorous.

757
00:36:14,700 --> 00:36:15,820
Your father

758
00:36:16,940 --> 00:36:18,380
must have been proud of you.

759
00:36:25,660 --> 00:36:27,420
My son is much stronger than you.

760
00:36:28,820 --> 00:36:32,180
He knew his father loved him until the very end.

761
00:36:40,500 --> 00:36:41,620
I have one last question for you.

762
00:36:44,140 --> 00:36:45,140
What really happened

763
00:36:45,860 --> 00:36:47,860
with that fire in the Wei Village

764
00:36:48,580 --> 00:36:50,180
five years ago?

765
00:36:55,700 --> 00:36:57,180
Back then, Chu Yan had Alan Ruoying

766
00:36:57,440 --> 00:37:00,620
survive as the leader of a band of bandits,

767
00:37:00,680 --> 00:37:01,600
Mu Mianhong,

768
00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:04,000
and hide in the Cangmu Forest.

769
00:37:04,900 --> 00:37:06,120
So, we decided

770
00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:07,900
to make a deal with the Lord of Xiaonan.

771
00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:09,880
We set a fire at the Wei Village

772
00:37:09,880 --> 00:37:11,720
at the foot of the Cangmu Forest

773
00:37:12,120 --> 00:37:13,240
and left clues

774
00:37:13,240 --> 00:37:15,000
to frame the Cangmu Stronghold.

775
00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:16,940
Once the court of the State of Chu

776
00:37:16,940 --> 00:37:18,320
followed our lead

777
00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:19,760
to investigate the stronghold,

778
00:37:20,680 --> 00:37:22,480
they would discover

779
00:37:22,480 --> 00:37:23,840
Mu Mianhong's true identity,

780
00:37:24,600 --> 00:37:25,550
which would serve

781
00:37:25,560 --> 00:37:27,480
as ironclad proof of Chu Ling's treason.

782
00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:30,600
If Yunzhong Prefecture lost Chu Ling,

783
00:37:31,120 --> 00:37:33,720
seizing the frontier would be a simple task.

784
00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:36,120
I do not know

785
00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:38,560
why the clues pointing to the Cangmu Stronghold were erased,

786
00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:40,960
and why you appeared

787
00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:42,360
in that fire

788
00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:44,150
and ended up

789
00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:46,440
taking the blame for us.

790
00:37:46,940 --> 00:37:47,980
Later,

791
00:37:49,900 --> 00:37:52,420
I heard that the young man from the Xie Family

792
00:37:52,420 --> 00:37:54,700
framed for burning the village had gone to the frontier

793
00:37:55,400 --> 00:37:56,940
and become the most capable vanguard

794
00:37:56,940 --> 00:37:58,220
by Chu Ling's side.

795
00:37:59,180 --> 00:38:01,260
As they say in the Central Plains,

796
00:38:01,860 --> 00:38:03,500
the world never unfolds as planned.

797
00:38:04,700 --> 00:38:05,820
I never imagined

798
00:38:06,980 --> 00:38:08,280
we would meet again

799
00:38:08,280 --> 00:38:09,960
on the battlefield like this.

800
00:38:11,300 --> 00:38:12,260
Now

801
00:38:13,260 --> 00:38:14,420
you have settled

802
00:38:14,420 --> 00:38:15,820
the debt of that injustice.

803
00:38:19,460 --> 00:38:20,740
General, we are under attack.

804
00:38:20,860 --> 00:38:21,740
We have been surrounded.

805
00:38:24,380 --> 00:38:25,180
Is it someone looking for you?

806
00:38:26,420 --> 00:38:27,660
Who wants you dead?

807
00:38:29,380 --> 00:38:30,860
It could be anyone.

808
00:38:31,220 --> 00:38:32,820
To claim the throne,

809
00:38:32,940 --> 00:38:34,620
one must first remove the predecessor.

810
00:38:36,100 --> 00:38:37,220
I want to see

811
00:38:38,820 --> 00:38:40,500
who can actually take my life.

812
00:38:40,500 --> 00:38:41,900
You can butcher each other for all I care,

813
00:38:42,740 --> 00:38:43,300
but

814
00:38:44,300 --> 00:38:46,020
you must not die within the State of Chu.

815
00:38:46,540 --> 00:38:47,100
Follow me.

816
00:38:47,980 --> 00:38:48,420
Hurry.

817
00:38:57,260 --> 00:38:57,700
Go!

818
00:39:31,500 --> 00:39:31,940
Mr. Xie,

819
00:39:33,540 --> 00:39:34,440
I heard that Her Highness

820
00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:35,300
is personally leading another campaign.

821
00:39:35,940 --> 00:39:37,100
Has she developed a taste for war,

822
00:39:38,100 --> 00:39:38,860
or

823
00:39:39,500 --> 00:39:41,020
is she acting out of spite because Xiao Xun declared

824
00:39:41,660 --> 00:39:42,460
he would take her as his Empress?

825
00:39:43,260 --> 00:39:44,300
Regardless of the reason,

826
00:39:45,740 --> 00:39:46,940
if she wants to do it, she should go.

827
00:39:47,700 --> 00:39:49,100
We need only pave the road for her,

828
00:39:50,420 --> 00:39:51,660
just like the dead-end road

829
00:39:52,540 --> 00:39:53,940
we paved for Yanlai.

830
00:39:55,900 --> 00:39:56,980
I received a secret report.

831
00:40:00,240 --> 00:40:01,440
Yanlai is dead.

832
00:40:02,220 --> 00:40:03,700
He died believing

833
00:40:04,560 --> 00:40:06,120
that the ones who attacked him and the Northern Desert King

834
00:40:07,060 --> 00:40:08,260
were Xiao Xun's men.

835
00:40:08,780 --> 00:40:09,980
You are truly far-sighted.

836
00:40:13,260 --> 00:40:14,580
Deng Yi dying at her hands

837
00:40:15,820 --> 00:40:17,420
is better than him dying at mine.

838
00:40:18,260 --> 00:40:19,500
They started with an alliance

839
00:40:19,900 --> 00:40:21,140
and ended up shattered by infighting.

840
00:40:22,620 --> 00:40:24,540
Once she learns of Yanlai's death,

841
00:40:26,220 --> 00:40:27,400
there will be no reconciliation

842
00:40:27,420 --> 00:40:28,380
between her and Xiao Xun.

843
00:40:32,300 --> 00:40:32,780
Well,

844
00:40:34,660 --> 00:40:35,380
are the night refreshments ready?

845
00:40:36,580 --> 00:40:37,260
Yes.

846
00:40:37,540 --> 00:40:38,660
Have them packed

847
00:40:39,620 --> 00:40:40,700
and delivered to Her Highness.

848
00:40:41,300 --> 00:40:42,860
You are far too good to her, Mr. Xie,

849
00:40:43,500 --> 00:40:44,340
yet gratitude

850
00:40:44,340 --> 00:40:45,260
is not in her nature.

851
00:40:46,020 --> 00:40:47,220
I don't know what you are aiming for.

852
00:40:53,420 --> 00:40:54,820
The better I treat her now,

853
00:40:56,300 --> 00:40:57,060
the greater

854
00:40:57,060 --> 00:40:58,660
her agony will be.

855
00:41:00,580 --> 00:41:01,660
Once she kills Xiao Xun

856
00:41:02,820 --> 00:41:04,580
and returns covered in wounds,

857
00:41:06,340 --> 00:41:08,140
I must ensure she has a place to return to.

858
00:41:15,620 --> 00:41:16,780
That scoundrel Xiao Xun

859
00:41:17,140 --> 00:41:18,020
actually dared to declare

860
00:41:18,020 --> 00:41:18,940
that he would take Your Highness as his empress.

861
00:41:21,340 --> 00:41:22,920
All he wants is for me to become

862
00:41:22,920 --> 00:41:23,700
what he is,

863
00:41:24,580 --> 00:41:26,060
a rebel who seized the throne

864
00:41:26,780 --> 00:41:28,060
and deserves to be struck down

865
00:41:28,060 --> 00:41:28,820
by all.

866
00:41:28,860 --> 00:41:29,260
Your Highness,

867
00:41:29,620 --> 00:41:30,660
you should march out with the troops now

868
00:41:30,980 --> 00:41:31,980
and claim his head

869
00:41:32,260 --> 00:41:33,220
before the eyes of the world.

870
00:41:50,380 --> 00:41:51,060
Your Highness,

871
00:41:51,700 --> 00:41:52,860
are you feeling unwell?

872
00:41:53,580 --> 00:41:54,340
I don't know what is wrong.

873
00:41:55,980 --> 00:41:56,940
I feel terribly anxious.

874
00:42:10,540 --> 00:42:11,660
My chances of winning are higher

875
00:42:12,620 --> 00:42:13,700
in this battle against Xiao Xun.

876
00:42:14,260 --> 00:42:15,260
Even if it is difficult to defy fate,

877
00:42:15,620 --> 00:42:17,220
at worst, we will fight to the death.

878
00:42:18,780 --> 00:42:19,820
Yet why

879
00:42:20,780 --> 00:42:21,820
does my heart feel so unsettled?

880
00:42:24,740 --> 00:42:25,180
Your Highness,

881
00:42:25,620 --> 00:42:26,300
urgent report from the frontier.

882
00:42:26,900 --> 00:42:27,540
What has happened at the frontier?

883
00:42:28,700 --> 00:42:29,540
It is General Fu Jiu.

884
00:42:31,660 --> 00:42:32,300
What about Jiu?

885
00:42:33,020 --> 00:42:33,980
General Fu Jiu and the Northern Desert King

886
00:42:34,620 --> 00:42:35,620
were ambushed by an unknown army.

887
00:42:36,220 --> 00:42:37,020
Whether they survived is unclear.

888
00:43:00,300 --> 00:43:00,980
Are you going to the frontier?

889
00:43:01,780 --> 00:43:02,140
Yes.

890
00:43:02,940 --> 00:43:03,700
Must you go?

891
00:43:04,780 --> 00:43:05,580
Yes.

892
00:43:06,380 --> 00:43:07,500
He is dead.

893
00:43:17,980 --> 00:43:18,820
No body means

894
00:43:20,100 --> 00:43:21,620
there is still a chance.

895
00:43:22,820 --> 00:43:23,860
I believe General Zhong

896
00:43:25,020 --> 00:43:26,100
has been looking for him.

897
00:43:29,460 --> 00:43:30,500
If you are worried,

898
00:43:33,300 --> 00:43:34,500
I will send more men.

899
00:43:36,180 --> 00:43:37,060
If he is alive,

900
00:43:38,380 --> 00:43:39,460
I will retrieve him myself.

901
00:43:40,780 --> 00:43:41,380
If he is gone,

902
00:43:43,220 --> 00:43:45,060
I will do everything in my power to uncover the truth.

903
00:43:47,180 --> 00:43:48,340
You are the Grand Princess.

904
00:43:49,460 --> 00:43:51,100
Xiao Xun has risen in revolt,

905
00:43:52,180 --> 00:43:52,660
and

906
00:43:52,660 --> 00:43:53,500
you would leave the court

907
00:43:53,500 --> 00:43:54,340
over something so absurd?

908
00:43:55,500 --> 00:43:56,700
If something happens,

909
00:43:58,060 --> 00:43:59,580
you will regret it forever.

910
00:44:00,460 --> 00:44:01,860
Do you think I am doing this

911
00:44:01,860 --> 00:44:03,020
only for one Xie Yanlai?

912
00:44:04,420 --> 00:44:05,540
As the Grand Princess,

913
00:44:06,820 --> 00:44:08,220
if I remain indifferent to the unjust death

914
00:44:09,980 --> 00:44:11,300
of a loyal general,

915
00:44:13,140 --> 00:44:14,580
who else will be willing to give their life for the state?

916
00:44:39,460 --> 00:44:40,100
Xie Yanfang,

917
00:44:41,660 --> 00:44:42,580
you dare try to kill me?

918
00:44:43,300 --> 00:44:44,580
By leaving the court without sanction, Your Highness

919
00:44:44,580 --> 00:44:45,500
is putting the very foundation of the state at risk.

920
00:44:46,060 --> 00:44:47,020
Since I am aware of this,

921
00:44:47,020 --> 00:44:48,060
I cannot ignore it.

922
00:44:49,340 --> 00:44:50,420
If you come back with me,

923
00:44:51,100 --> 00:44:52,900
I will pretend nothing happened.

924
00:45:31,740 --> 00:45:36,340
♪Broken walls and withered branches, trapped in the mire♪

925
00:45:36,620 --> 00:45:39,100
♪Yet still striving to reach for the sky♪

926
00:45:39,140 --> 00:45:43,180
♪My pride is torn down and my body is sacrificed♪

927
00:45:45,420 --> 00:45:47,540
♪The spark smolders in the crack♪

928
00:45:47,620 --> 00:45:49,580
♪And roars in the blaze♪

929
00:45:49,660 --> 00:45:52,900
♪Burning the cold night until daybreak♪

930
00:45:53,060 --> 00:45:55,300
♪Fate imprisons me♪

931
00:45:55,460 --> 00:46:00,260
♪But I won't beg the abyss for mercy♪

932
00:46:00,260 --> 00:46:04,460
♪Even if hope is faint, I remain proud♪

933
00:46:04,460 --> 00:46:08,740
♪A mayfly will cross the ocean, however long it takes♪

934
00:46:08,740 --> 00:46:14,180
♪However it ends up, I'll go my own way♪

935
00:46:14,180 --> 00:46:16,140
♪With no fear of the distance♪

936
00:46:16,140 --> 00:46:19,860
♪Born from decay, fireflies still burn♪

937
00:46:19,860 --> 00:46:24,300
♪With sword in hand, I'll pierce the dawn♪

938
00:46:24,300 --> 00:46:29,660
♪Let these scars all over me become♪

939
00:46:29,660 --> 00:46:33,260
♪My new pride♪

940
00:46:48,060 --> 00:46:50,940
♪Peril is everywhere in the palace♪

941
00:46:50,940 --> 00:46:53,460
♪Yet I smile to nobody but you♪

942
00:46:53,460 --> 00:46:55,820
♪Amidst the chaos♪

943
00:46:55,820 --> 00:47:00,100
♪I'll always be with you♪

944
00:47:01,540 --> 00:47:03,660
♪The spark smolders in the crack♪

945
00:47:03,740 --> 00:47:05,700
♪And roars in the blaze♪

946
00:47:05,780 --> 00:47:09,020
♪Burning the cold night until daybreak♪

947
00:47:09,180 --> 00:47:11,420
♪Fate imprisons me♪

948
00:47:11,580 --> 00:47:16,380
♪But I won't beg the abyss for mercy♪

949
00:47:16,380 --> 00:47:20,580
♪Even if hope is faint, I remain proud♪

950
00:47:20,580 --> 00:47:24,860
♪A mayfly will cross the ocean, however long it takes♪

951
00:47:24,860 --> 00:47:30,300
♪However it ends up, I'll go my own way♪

952
00:47:30,300 --> 00:47:32,260
♪With no fear of the distance♪

953
00:47:32,260 --> 00:47:35,980
♪Born from decay, fireflies still burn♪

954
00:47:35,980 --> 00:47:40,420
♪With sword in hand, I'll pierce the dawn♪

955
00:47:40,420 --> 00:47:45,780
♪Let these scars all over me become♪

956
00:47:45,780 --> 00:47:49,380
♪My new pride♪