Original subtitles

♪If not for you♪

♪I wouldn't have wanted to make a name for myself♪

♪Only when I have your love♪

♪Is my invincibility not in vain♪

♪The towering peaks I've conquered♪

♪Leave me♪

♪Feeling empty♪

♪I've given everything♪

♪Just to follow you♪

♪Through life and death♪

♪Could it be that love♪

♪Is the true end of this life♪

♪Why does every battle♪

♪Bring deeper pain♪

♪I never got it♪

♪You once promised me♪

♪You'd give me ordinary days♪

♪Then I'd rather♪

♪Face blades and fall♪

♪Into your arms instead of the clouds♪

♪I'll pass through layers of fog♪

♪And barriers♪

♪The world's rights and wrongs, wins and losses♪

♪Who's to weigh their worth♪

♪Only love♪

♪Gives me a sky as wide as the sea♪

♪I only want to be your hero♪

=The Prisoner of Beauty=

=Episode 17=

Xiaotao.

Let me tell you something.

What is it?

There's a great place nearby.

The delicacies there

are absolutely delicious.

If only we can go and eat there.

How do you know that?

A good buddy of mine

gave me a guide.

The guide says it.

Don't you also wish

the Lord and the Lady

could grow a little closer?

Of course.

Look at them now.

It's so awkward.

The guide says

if we follow it on this journey,

their relationship

will definitely improve.

Really?

Yes.

The first step in the guide

is to have sour plum juice.

Think about it.

In this scorching heat,

how refreshing would it be to have

a chilled cup of sour plum juice?

Come on.

We can literally see our breath now.

Chilled, seriously?

Well.

It can cool them down, right?

Fair enough.

I'm having a snotty nose because of the heat now.

Then

we'll go have those delicacies.

What do you say?

Sounds good.

If anything goes wrong along the way,

we'll just turn back.

It's close anyway.

Now that you mention it,

it kinda makes sense.

But right now,

the Lady...

Are you even listening?

Yes.

This canal repair

involves a lot of manpower

and may affect future power distribution.

So, he might not be willing.

Besides, he has support

from Wei Dian.

Let me ask you.

Can I trust you?

Of course.

- Can you guarantee it? - Yes.

Can I count on you?

Just believe me.

Alright, I'll go tell the Lady.

You agree?

I'll get things ready.

(Sour plum, rice balls, hot spring, Purple Sea, soup dumplings)

Wei Liang,

is this the place?

That's right.

Head 20 li east

and then 15 li south,

go through a forest,

and we'll see a mystical village shrouded in mist and clouds.

My Lord, that's right.

There must be sour plum juice.

Are you sure?

The smell is sour for sure.

Why's it turned into an outhouse?

(Outhouse, 10 zhu/person)

My Lord, I get it now.

Who says there can't be sour plum juice in an outhouse?

Ma'am.

Ma'am.

Was this place originally for sour plum juice

and only recently turned into an outhouse?

(Outhouse, 10 zhu/person) Since my grandfather's day,

it's been an outhouse.

Come on.

The next stop

is Fanghua Hot Spring.

Ma'am,

thank you.

My pleasure.

Hot spring?

This is it?

No way.

It was a hot spring a few years ago.

Put that guide away.

Let's just go back.

Yeah, stop dragging us into this mess.

Look. The water's warm.

There must be a spring.

Why don't we dig a little deeper?

It could be a hot spring.

Wait.

My Lord.

Where are you going?

We're going back to get our clothes.

You dig first; call us when it's ready.

No, no. My Lord.

Do you not trust me now?

No, I just don't trust my judgment anymore.

Wait, My Lord.

Give me one more chance.

I swear I'll take you somewhere amazing.

Look.

If we go another 20 li west,

we'll reach the endless Chaoyin Cave.

We can stay there for a few days,

have some local delicacies,

and then go inside the cave.

Let me see.

Where did you say to go?

- West? - Alright.

Let's go east

to the Purple Sea.

What?

It should be here.

My Lord.

Water's coming out, My Lord.

Look, My Lord.

This is the Purple Sea.

This is the sea.

Come and see.

Come and play. Come on.

The waves are chasing me.

Let's play, My Lord.

Have you ever seen this?

There are even seashells.

Look, seashells.

Hurry. Seashells.

Isn't this just a regular sea?

What Purple Sea?

Where did you get that guide?

Come on.

This has nothing to do with the guide.

Just tell the truth.

Whose idea was this?

Do you know Qilin?

No.

He's got

a guard named Geng.

I can trust him with my life.

He gave me the guide.

I didn't know it'd turn out like this.

So, you're fooled.

Tell your friend named Geng this:

His friend

has a bad name.

He can't be a good person.

Tell him to stay away from him.

Let's go.

I'm going with you.

You stay here and play.

- Yeah. - Just stay.

Stay here and play.

Little shells.

Go and play. Go and swim.

My Lord,

there's a peach blossom grove over there.

How about checking it out?

My Lord?

(Prefect's Mansion, Rongjun, Wei)

Do you remember what I told you?

Yes.

- Good. - General.

Make way.

Why haven't you returned to Hanjun?

Leave us.

- Yes. - Yes.

You're still worried about state affairs.

(Yuan Wang, Rongjun Prefect)

Yet you don't know a disaster

is coming your way.

What disaster do you mean?

The Lord and his group

are heading here with wheat seeds

from Yanzhou.

Those steamed ones from the banquet?

Yanzhou sent a new batch later.

A weasel is helping a chicken.

How could it mean well?

The Lord believed Lady Qiao

and actually wanted to try planting Yanzhou's seeds

on our land.

Lady Qiao has had the Lord under control.

If I had known this,

I would've strongly recommended

the Lord take a concubine at the memorial rituals.

There's more

to this.

If they were only escorting the seeds,

why would the Lord

come in person?

Is there more?

According to internal reports from Yujun,

escorting the seeds is only a pretext.

Their real purpose in coming here

is to extend the Yongning Canal

from Xindu to Rongjun.

Though it's for planting grain,

we both know well

that Rongjun is far from Yujun,

which is conducive to preserving

your and your family's years of power and glory.

If the canal is built,

Rongjun will be closely connected to other places.

Then Rongjun

will really become the Wei Clan's backyard.

This is to weaken local power.

The Lord's influence is growing.

We knew this day would come sooner or later.

What should I do?

That's easy.

Can you guarantee

they won't have

any accidents on the way?

Are you having a headache?

How about I pressure some of your acupoints

to relieve your fatigue?

Alright.

Are my hands too cold?

No.

Pressing the Fengchi point

can refresh and sharpen the mind.

No need to panic.

Alright.

My Lord, just relax.

I'm going to Rongjun

to teach the method of planting Yanzhou's winter wheat.

Most importantly,

I want to be with you.

I don't want to be alone at home

while you're out for official duties.

I don't want us to be apart for too long.

Aren't you afraid

that I'll send you back

right after your teaching task?

I came with you

to take care of your daily life

and also

to assist you with state affairs.

I'm not a man.

I can't accompany you to the battlefield,

but I don't want to stay in the boudoir all day,

watching you leave early and return late.

If there are trifles like this in the future,

you can hand them over to me.

If you want me to go back,

you can still send me back

once we reach Rongjun.

You can easily decide

where I go.

My Lord?

I just want

to get closer to you.

Over time,

you'll grow closer to me too.

(Post House)

♪The moonlight is as silent as the deep sea♪

♪From afar♪

♪It once lit up dreams with a breath♪

♪But vanished with a sigh♪

♪We meet and part in the fires of war♪

♪Embracing, leaving tender marks of love♪

♪With one breathtaking glance♪

♪How could I ever forget♪

♪I would cross mountains and seas♪

(Sour plum, rice balls, hot spring)

♪When we grow old, nothing will change♪

♪The misty rains never cease♪

♪Falling gently on your brow♪

♪Lingering in my heart♪

Wei Liang.

My Lord.

Please give me one more chance.

No.

♪Even if behind me lies a storm♪

♪No matter the trials♪

♪I carry this longing for the journey♪

Turn around.

Tell me

if the Lady is looking this way.

No, she isn't.

Everyone, be careful.

We're under attack.

Protect the Lady.

- Yes. - Yes.

Protect the Lady.

My Lady.

Do you know who we are?

Watch out!

My Lady!

- My Lady! - My Lady!

Hyah.

Jump down. I'll catch you.

Hurry!

Jump!

I told you I could catch you.

My Lord.

You're hurt.

It's nothing. Just a minor injury.

Let's go.

My Lord.

My Lord?

My Lord!

(Post House)

The arrow was poisoned.

Fortunately, it only grazed the skin.

The Lord is strong.

His life isn't in danger.

However,

he won't wake up

until most of the toxin is cleared.

Where did those bandits come from?

How dare they poison their arrows?

There's something odd

about them.

Rongjun borders Gaonan of Bianzhou.

The border has always been chaotic.

Bandits are common.

But we were on the official road.

Bandits only show up on back roads.

From what I observed,

these weren't ordinary bandits.

They knew tactics

like trained soldiers.

What do you mean?

This attack must be related

to our trip to Rongjun.

So,

the prefect of Rongjun

sent the bandits?

I've heard the Lord mention him.

He wouldn't dare.

But he's close to Wei Dian.

If this mission succeeds,

it will shake the foundations of power in Rongjun.

That means Wei Dian's interests would suffer.

Do you think Wei Dian

would try to ambush the Lord?

Yes.

Wei Dian has never been loyal.

He probably saw this as a chance

to eliminate the Lord.

Let me kill him now.

I'll go too.

No.

It's only suspicion now.

We have no proof.

If we confront him too soon,

what if he accuses us

of slandering a loyal official?

He's not loyal at all.

We all know

what kind of man he is.

But the people don't.

Besides, we're in his territory.

If he's cornered,

he might smear the Lord's name.

The canal project will also become harder.

So, what should we do?

The Lord is in no condition

for a long journey.

Luckily, we haven't gone far.

We could head back

and let him recover.

He can't recover on the way.

And if we retreat now,

they'll think this plan works.

They'll try it again next time.

Also, the best time to sow winter wheat

is near.

If we miss it,

the grain heads will be small, and the yield poor.

So, we must plant the seeds

during the autumn equinox.

This is about people's livelihood.

So is the canal.

If it's not built,

the people will suffer.

My Lady,

I'm just worried.

We're not even in Rongjun yet,

and it's already so dangerous.

Who knows what will happen once we arrive?

You should take the Lord back to rest.

I'll go to Rongjun.

I understand your concern,

but it's even more dangerous to stay here.

This is no-man's land.

That's why Wei Dian dared

to send assassins.

Once we're in Rongjun,

even if Wei Dian makes a move,

the prefect won't dare.

We await your command, My Lady.

(Street of Rongjun, Wei)

(Rongjun Post House, Wei)

My Lord.

You're awake.

What happened?

Easy, easy.

Take it slow.

You were unconscious for two days.

The arrow was poisoned.

Where are we?

We're in Rongjun now.

By the way,

how is the Lady?

Is she all right?

She's fine.

We're lucky to have her with us this time.

(Prefect's Mansion, Rongjun, Wei)

Switching to winter wheat?

Yes.

It's planted in the autumn equinox

and harvested in the fifth month next year.

It's perfect for easing food shortages between seasons.

Why choose Rongjun?

Rongjun suffers severe drought.

It urgently needs a solution.

With winter wheat,

the people won't have to fear famine again.

But I heard winter wheat isn't drought-tolerant.

What affects Rongjun's crops

is mostly drought.

Your method may seem reasonable,

but it's actually absurd.

Winter wheat

is indeed not drought-tolerant.

It requires twice as much water

as the spring wheat currently grown here.

But the Yongning Canal

is about to be extended from Xindu to Rongjun.

With improved irrigation

and good weather,

you have no reason to worry about the harvest.

Can you guarantee the harvest

of winter wheat?

Yanzhou has long grown winter wheat.

It yields well.

Whether it's good or not depends on what you say.

I've governed Rongjun for years.

I can't let the people take risks

just because of your word.

Are you

refusing me?

I wouldn't dare.

I'm simply thinking of the people

and speaking on their behalf.

If the Lord orders us to plant winter wheat,

we'll only comply.

It depends on how much

the Lord values public opinion.

If there's nothing else,

please leave, My Lady.

(Prefect's Mansion) He gave so many excuses.

Clearly, he just wants to refuse.

It seems like he's rejecting winter wheat,

but in truth, he's rejecting the canal.

The canal is a state-level project.

He can't say no directly,

so he uses the wheat as an excuse to challenge us.

How bold.

Aren't they afraid to be killed?

If you ask me,

you should

give the order on behalf of the Lord.

We didn't bring an army.

He's close to Wei Dian.

If anything happens

in Rongjun,

Wei Dian will surely send troops.

It's not the right time to push.

Is there really no other way?

Let me think.

(Rongjun Post Station)

My Lady.

The Lord has just

woken up.

He's sitting up, asking for soup.

You're finally awake.

My hand hurts.

It feels like you still have a fever.

Wei Liang.

I'm fine now.

Don't worry.

By the way,

they said you met Yuan Wang?

Yes.

What did he say?

He acted like he was

against switching to winter wheat,

but really, he's opposing the canal.

He's just using it

to test us.

Yuan Wang

has been here for years

and has Wei Dian's military support,

so he dares to act so defiantly.

Don't worry.

I'll have Wei Liang go back to Yujun

to mobilize troops.

I could deal with enemy generals.

My subordinates are nothing.

I know you fight with great courage,

and in a few days,

Rongjun

will be in your hands.

But if it comes to war,

the people will suffer.

Besides, if we mobilize troops now,

we might miss the planting season by accident.

That'll not be good.

Here's a piece of advice.

Sowing discord is the best solution.

How?

I heard Lady Qiao wants to meet you.

She'll try to persuade me.

You surely know

what to do.

Of course.

Wei Dian is deeply suspicious.

If we exploit that

and sow discord,

Yuan Wang will be left with no allies

and will have to rely on you.

Then you'll have

the canal

and winter wheat

as you wish.

My Lady,

the prefect of Rongjun is here.

Greetings, Lady Qiao.

I heard you're a skilled player.

Come and help me solve this game.

Mr. Yuan.

Please.

How brilliant.

I lost.

Thank you for the game.

Do you have time

for another match,

or are you

otherwise engaged?

No.

Not at all.

My Lady.

Please.

Thank you for the game.

My Lady.

It's getting late.

You'd best head back.

Thank you.

Where's my other shoe?

It was windy.

It might be blown into the stream.

Go buy a new pair now.

Yes.

My maid was careless.

Sorry about that.

What did Lady Qiao

offer you?

We only played Go.

Nothing else.

You only played Go?

Yeah.

I find it strange too.

I don't know what Lady Qiao

is up to.

I sat there all day.

Even my back is sore now.

I'm going home.

General.

Keep a close watch.

Yes.

(Prefect's Mansion)

(Prefect's Mansion)

Wei Qu acted so sneaky

as if he was afraid of exposing something.

He carried a chest of treasure

into the prefect's mansion.

It must be a bribe.

Mr. Yuan.

The Lady

had servants

search along the river.

Your missing shoe was found.

It's just a shoe.

Thank the Lady for the trouble.

Just as you expected,

the prefect's mansion is under watch.

Wei Dian will definitely know

about my visit tonight.

In that case,

I'll leave it to you.

I'm going.

Not bad.

You're starting to act like the Lady now.

The generals are only cooperating with me

out of respect for you.

Good that you know.

How about some honeyed drink?

Sure.

Wait a moment.

I've been lying in bed for days.

I probably smell a bit bad.

Don't come any closer.

Should I help you

wash up

and change your clothes?

You'd sleep better.

No need.

For now,

just sleep in another room.

Chunniang,

prepare some hot water.

Yes.

What are you going to do?

No need.

Does it still hurt?

No.

The wound from Xiaogang just healed,

and now there's a new one.

It doesn't hurt anymore.

It's inevitable to get injured

when we fight on the battlefield.

Don't take it to heart.

You say it's normal,

but I don't want to get used to it.

I hope you can stay safe and healthy

and never have to get hurt

and risk your life again.

What do you

plan to do next?

I want to borrow two men from you.

Borrow two men?

- Propose? - Propose?

Exactly.

Wei Dian's nephew

and Yuan Wang's daughter are engaged.

If we want to sow discord,

we have to start there.

Is Yuan Wang's daughter

pretty?

Does it matter?

Will you marry her?

Am I asking you?

If she were pretty, why not?

Go away.

Well.

I'm not marrying her.

Don't worry.

Yuan Wang

will definitely refuse because of his ties

with Wei Dian.

That marriage

won't happen.

No problem then.

That said,

this plan isn't perfect.

So, just go and propose.

The sooner Wei Dian

finds out,

the better.

Leave it to me.

To be honest,

my daughter is already engaged

to General Wei Dian's nephew.

As far as I know,

General Wei Dian hasn't written the Letter of Marriage yet.

A verbal agreement is still an agreement.

You may think it's binding,

but Wei Dian might not feel the same.

What do you mean, My Lady?

As far as I know,

General Wei Dian is searching

all over the state

for a suitable and marriageable

young lady.

No wonder he hasn't written the Letter of Marriage.

Since General Wei Dian

is doing this,

it's okay for you to keep a backup plan.

Why not give the two generals a chance

for you to see

who matches your daughter better?

Alright, enough already.

What's it to you?

Sorry about this.

General Wei Qu is great.

Father,

I'm Wei Qu,

skilled with dual blades.

My hobby is...

My Lady.

My Lady.

Are you okay?

Are you alright?

I'm fine.

Please get up.

This must be your daughter.

You

may leave.

Even if you want to use my daughter's marriage

to win my favor,

I still cannot agree to switch to winter wheat.

You're overthinking.

These are two separate issues.

Even so,

I'll agree to neither of them.

Goodbye, My Lady.

Alright.

Let's go.

Father, goodbye.

Lady Qiao left the prefect's mansion

with a big smile.

Right after, they went to a jewelry shop,

saying they wanted to make

a full set of gold and silver wedding jewelry.

Ask Yuan Wang to come and see me.

Yes.

♪The moonlight is as silent as the deep sea♪

♪From afar♪

♪It once lit up dreams with a breath♪

♪But vanished with a sigh♪

♪Brushing past my fingertips♪

♪My heartstrings were stirred quietly♪

♪As if we once met before♪

♪Holding back a love so deep♪

♪Love asks for nothing in the end♪

♪Leaving only obsessions♪

♪I've wandered in the world♪

♪Yet cannot have it all♪

♪We meet and part in the fires of war♪

♪Embracing, leaving tender marks of love♪

♪With one breathtaking glance♪

♪How could I ever forget♪

♪I would cross mountains and seas♪

♪To spend time with you♪

♪When we grow old♪

♪Nothing will change♪

♪The misty rains never cease♪

♪Falling gently on your brow♪

♪Lingering in my heart♪

♪I would sever fate's ties♪

♪To protect your smiling eyes♪

♪Even if behind me lies a storm♪

♪No matter the trials♪

♪I carry this longing for the journey♪

♪This life♪

♪Will not be in vain♪

♪I would cross mountains and seas♪

♪To spend time with you♪

♪When we grow old♪

♪Nothing will change♪

♪The misty rains never cease♪

♪Falling gently on your brow♪

♪Lingering in my heart♪

♪I would sever fate's ties♪

♪To protect your smiling eyes♪

♪Even if behind me lies a storm♪

♪No matter the trials♪

♪I carry this longing for the journey♪

♪This life♪

♪Will not be in vain♪