Original subtitles

♪The blade dance causing ripples to spread across the lake♪

♪Waving the banner amidst the storm and rain♪

♪The snow is not bothered by the sadness and the happiness♪

♪Blazing through the desert with the rein in hands♪

♪Young and inexperienced, it is apparent♪

♪Bold ambition interspersed with recklessness♪

♪Mind not the predestination♪

♪Solving all the problems that fate presents me♪

♪From all the trials and hardship♪

♪Spawn the vast courage♪

♪The journey to seek glory and justice♪

♪Is not in vain♪

♪One smile is all it takes to get what you're thinking♪

♪A ballad to our journey♪

♪Pursuing the dream of our youth♪

♪We take everything as it comes♪

♪The distant land might be dangerous♪

♪But what's life without an adventure?♪

♪Youths are supposed to dream big and be sharp♪

♪Every struggle in life has taught us♪

♪That we shall do what we can wherever we go♪

♪Together, another journey awaits♪

[The Blood of Youth]

[Episode 32]

Are you saying

that it was one of us

who killed Jinyu?

You can't say that.

I'm not Director Zhuoqing's disciple.

I don't know anything about the Art of Detachment.

If you don't believe me,

you can test me out.

But your master is not dead.

He is Zhuoqing's martial brother.

Over years,

you should've learned something from him.

Directorate of Incense,

this is a groundless presumption.

As you said,

everyone in the world is suspicious.

It's you, you,

you, you, or you?

Shut up!

My best friend is dead.

I'll do everything to avenge him!

Jade Deity.

I understand that you're upset.

But you shouldn't have said that.

It was remiss of me.

But I won't take the statement back.

What did you say?

His Highness Lord Bai is here.

Your Highness.

[In memory of the deceased]

Second Master,

I always imagined

what you looked like

all these years.

I imagined

that you were

a hermit who stayed on a mountain,

a brilliant scholar who wrote a lot of books.

Unexpectedly,

you are

just like what I saw back then.

Second Master,

actually, you were boring.

But it'd be a dull world

without a person

like you.

I'm sorry,

Your Highness.

I once asked you

why you chose me.

Why would you choose

a blind prince like me?

And you told me

you didn't choose me

because you hoped that I would ascend the throne

so that you could live a luxurious life.

But because

you thought it was worthwhile.

I know why Second Master died.

I can give up

on the throne.

But I must

avenge him.

Did Chong really say that?

It's hilarious.

I've already told you

that Lord Bai has always been cautious.

He won't take action

if the situation is undetermined.

We can only forgo this pawn.

Do not act rashly.

Are you blaming me,

Director?

Your Highness,

don't you regret it?

I want to ascend the throne,

but it's not an easy path.

Since I've made the choice,

I won't

regret any step I take.

Director, you should

figure out what to do next.

I've had everything planned out.

Your Highness,

you should stay behind the scenes

to map out a strategy.

So I found you a person to spearhead

the operation.

Who is it?

The real successor to the throne.

It's him?

He's still alive?

General,

you have guests.

I won't see them.

Well...

Hello,

General.

Leave us.

Yes.

General,

I'm sorry to offend you.

Among the Five Eunuchs,

you're the only one who looks right to me.

The rest

either look like scholars

or some sort of young masters.

Well,

what about me?

You look obedient

and have a saccharine smile.

I can tell that you're a treacherous official.

But

you're fit to be a eunuch.

General,

you must be joking.

Well.

Say it.

What do you have to see me about?

If it wasn't something important,

it'd be a serious crime

to barge into the General's Residence.

Of course, I'm here

because of an important matter.

Now that

Emperor Mingde is severely ill,

so a new Dragon Seal Scroll

will be written sooner or later.

A talented person chooses a patron of integrity.

Since every sector in Tianqi City

is picking a good master for itself,

I'm here to ask

about your choice.

You've got some nerve.

You're publicly starting a partisan dispute.

It's a capital crime.

However,

only the losing side will die.

Didn't His Majesty ascend the throne

with the help of the partisan dispute back then?

My daughter has made

the choice for me.

Xiao Chuhe, Lord Yong'an.

The entire Tianqi City

is aware of my choice.

Even His Majesty

won't doubt this.

You'll choose

between Lord Bai, Lord Chi,

and Lord Yong'an.

You indeed have no choice

if they're the only candidates.

But

what if I offer you

another choice?

A

better choice.

What are you trying to say?

I did speak

from my heart.

What have you got?

As you expected,

a scroll.

The name on the scroll

is also as you expected.

Where is the scroll?

General,

you've underestimated me.

How could I bring

such an important thing with me?

Even if you have the scroll,

it can't change everything.

You've joined

the military since sixteen.

You've become the general

of Beili

from a patrol captain.

However,

the two old friends of yours

have already left you.

One of them died on the battlefield.

Even his body

can't return to his homeland.

Another one died at the execution ground.

He was even persecuted for a serious crime.

General,

don't you want to do something

for them two?

I'm not

a very patient man.

Just finish what you want

to say.

I've found you

the best choice.

Just one word,

we'll march to Tianqi,

and it's all within our grasp.

[Snowfall Villa]

I suspect that it's Director Jinxuan

from the Five Eunuchs,

the top master in the imperial city.

How sure are you about it?

Ninety percent.

You can tell Lord Bai about this.

Killing Jinyu

is tantamount

to making Lord Bai take our side.

No rush.

It's not time yet.

When the time comes,

I'll make them pay for this.

I've given the drop of blood that Consort Xuan gave

to Hua Jin.

Hua Jin said

she only needs two-week time

to derive a pill.

But,

Lord Chi never gives others

a chance to get a break.

Next,

he'll use a drastic measure

to turn the tide.

Well,

we'll stop talking about it.

Let's talk about something casual.

Qianluo seems to like you.

Lei Wujie

really likes you.

I didn't expect you

to change the subject.

I just think you're wrong.

What's wrong?

Not "seems".

She does like me.

Xiao Se,

you're shameless as always

even after having your name changed.

But Lei Wujie seems to think

that you like me.

You're more shameless than before.

Ruoyi,

actually, I know

you like Lei Wujie too.

I knew it

when you danced with him

on the Flora Spectacle.

I found the most primitive

and the purest quality

of a man on Lei Wujie.

We once had the quality before.

But due to various reasons,

we forwent it.

Only he still has it.

Wuxin once said

he was born with a pure heart.

What about you?

Do you like Qianluo?

I don't see a connection

between these two matters.

Tianqi City

is currently in tumult,

but we still have the mood

to chit-chat with each other.

If this gets out,

it'll be a joke.

You change the subject again.

If I was a playboy,

I would've gotten married four years ago.

She's got a pretty face and a beautiful body.

Besides, she's a bit wayward.

She's kind of a fair lady.

You sound like

a playboy who's watching

courtesans at Drunken Dream House.

Well, do you like Qianluo?

I do.

I have work to do, so if you'll excuse me.

You're here.

Your Majesty.

Thank you.

Take a seat.

Divine Healer,

I heard that you caught a cold

a while ago.

How are you now?

Feeling better?

Of course.

It was just a cold,

how could it get me baffled?

You're the Divine Healer.

How did you catch a cold?

Your Majesty,

I'll give you

acupuncture therapy later.

Divine Healer,

you've been sticking

so many needles in my body

these days.

Is it that hard

to cure my disease?

Your Majesty,

do you know

what a healer always says?

What is it?

Mental illness is the cause of all diseases.

Something is bothering you.

I can't cure this.

Mental illness is the cause

of all diseases.

I understand

what you're saying.

It doesn't help.

It needs to be cured.

Whoever started the trouble should end it.

Your Majesty,

who is your problem solver?

He's dead.

He's dead?

Yes.

We were so close.

Our mother died

when we were young.

We were princes.

But we never got

pampered.

Even

the eunuchs with some power

would dare to pick on us.

Physician,

go back and save him, will you?

Your Highness.

Don't go!

I can't.

(When my younger brother was six,)

he caught a severe cold.

It was still not cured after being treated for so long.

When he nearly died...

Save my brother, will you?

Your Highness,

it's not that I don't want to treat him.

There's nothing I can do.

[Young Xiao Ruojin] My hands are tied.

Save him, please!

Your Highness,

please go back.

Did he die that day?

This was what they said in the rumor.

On that snowy night,

I had knelt

at the door and begged that imperial physician

for four hours.

I

was a less coddled prince.

But an imperial physician

was ineligible

to afford this kind of kneeling.

In the end, I saved

my brother from death.

Your Majesty,

you're a righteous man.

But that was fake.

It was a story

I told the imperial physician

to spread to the world.

What really happened was

that night,

I had knelt for four hours.

But he insisted on leaving.

So I drew

the long sword my mother left for me.

I stabbed him with it.

From that moment on, I swore

that I'd never be a prince

who's a nobody.

I'd never be trodden

underfoot by others again.

I wanted to reach the top of Tianqi

with my younger brother.

So that everyone

wouldn't dare to look down on us.

Then,

I became the Emperor.

My brother

became Beili's Governor-in-Chief.

Not to mention Tianqi,

even Beili

and the entire world

would be afraid of us.

But in the end,

my brother died.

I killed him.

It was because

I couldn't gather my courage,

and I was afraid of losing

the vanity in my hands.

Your Majesty,

why didn't you call yourself the lonely Emperor?

The lonely Emperor?

Maybe every time

when I think of my brother, Ruofeng,

I see myself

as an elder brother

instead of an emperor.

Only when the younger brother was around,

the elder brother

would never feel lonely.

Uncle Pichuan,

are you tired of living

such a dull life?

What do you think?

This blade of mine is getting rusty.

I kind of miss Tianqi.

I'd like to gamble at Qianjin Gambling House,

have a drink at Diaolou Parlor,

and take a nap at Rainbow and Moon Pavilion.

You have no ambition.

How could His Highness

have a son like you?

I'm just

kidding.

It seems like

we can be summoned back

only when Xiao Se

becomes the Emperor.

It's not necessarily the case.

We can go back on our own.

Based on the latest news,

Emperor Mingde

has been severely ill lately.

Severely ill?

Do you have any plans, Your Highness?

[It's time to return to Tianqi now.]

The fire

that brings us back to Tianqi is here.

It's not Xiao Se who lights it,

but sometimes,

fate is strange.

Everything comes to me

when I want to go back.

Well, then.

Let's get ready

and march to Tianqi.

You're up late.

Are you waiting for some kind of good news?

I'm sure it's not good news

as you're here.

Fine.

Since you put it this way,

I'll leave now.

I won't cause trouble for you.

I was joking.

Your best buddy has laid dormant for years.

He seems a little restless recently.

Are they coming back?

Yes.

But you don't look surprised.

Based on our enemy's ways

of doing things,

once the time comes,

they'll take this step.

But what is it

that attracts them?

It's not known.

Baixiao Sect only found out

that before this,

Jinyan went to the General's Residence.

Then, the General

secretly sent 16 secret agents

out of the city.

It should be the Dragon Seal Scroll.

What is a Dragon Seal Scroll?

Back then,

during the Eight Lords Rebellion,

each prince barged into the palace

and went all the way to Pingqing Hall.

They were waiting

for the dying late Emperor

to send out

the Dragon Seal Scroll,

hoping their names were written on it.

But

only Lord Langya and Emperor Mingde

won in the end.

But when they

were about to step into Pingqing Hall,

the Five Eunuchs came out with the scroll.

Was Emperor Mingde's name written on the scroll?

The Five Eunuchs refused to announce it

despite holding the scroll.

At last, Lord Langya stepped forward

and took the scroll.

He tore it

after taking a glance at it.

Then, he announced

that the throne was passed to the Third Prince, Xiao Ruojin,

which is the present Emperor Mingde.

It means it wasn't Xiao Se's father's name

that was written on the scroll.

Otherwise, why would he tear it?

Right.

But the Five Eunuchs

who were in charge of this

chose to remain silent.

So,

no one continued

to pursue this matter.

But there are two

Dragon Seal Scrolls.

One of them is guarded by the Five Eunuchs.

It means to declare the decree.

Another one is guarded

by the Directorate of Astronomy.

It means to accept Heaven's will.

After one of the scrolls was torn,

another one

should be sent to the Directorate of Astronomy.

But it just disappeared.

Why did the Five Eunuchs allow him to do it?

There's only one possibility.

It was Uncle Langya's name

that was written on the scroll.

He tore the edict

that had his name on it.

The Five Eunuchs couldn't stop him.

But several years later,

Lord Langya established brilliant achievements in war.

The people respected him.

The missing scroll

suddenly appeared.

Lord Langya didn't want to take the throne,

but there were growing voices

in the Imperial Court,

the army, and civil society,

wanting him to be the Emperor.

The person who hid that scroll

was going

to make the brothers

turn against each other so he could achieve his goal.

The new emperor took the throne.

The Five Eunuchs of the late Emperor

were going to guard the mausoleum.

But Director Zhuoqing was extremely powerful

at that time.

So he

wouldn't be pleased with that.

From the very beginning,

he hid the Dragon Seal Scroll

and waited for that day to stage a coup.

I guess

he was the one

who caused Lord Langya's case.

He just didn't expect Uncle Langya

to die

at the execution ground

before

he revealed the scroll.

And he died at the mausoleum

a month later.

Baixiao Sect

didn't find out about this.

Because it was Jinxuan

who hurt me back then.

And Jinxuan was the closest disciple

of Zhuoqing.

After Zhuoqing died,

the Dragon Seal Scroll went missing again.

I think it's most likely

in his hands.

And Jinyan

is Jinxuan's most valued helper

among the Five Eunuchs.

As he could persuade the General,

besides knowing the whereabouts

of Uncle Langya's old army,

he should have

enough leverage to do that.

The only thing I can think of

is the Dragon Seal Scroll.

I don't get it.

Isn't General Ye

Ruoyi's father?

Isn't he

always on our side?

Ye Xiaoying was the most loyal subordinate

of Uncle Langya.

He has waited for this moment for so long.

Unfortunately,

we're aiming for the same target.

But we've got

different choices.

[Endurance]

Ruoyi,

I was 17 when I first met

him.

I was the son of a butcher in Tianqi.

That time,

I took a butcher knife

and looked at him.

He told me

he saw an aura of a protector in me

when I was slaughtering the hogs and goats.

He asked

if I'd protect the nation with him.

Yet, I told him

to get lost

if he didn't want to buy meat.

Then,

I became a patrol captain.

Then,

I became the vice general of the Pioneer Battalion.

There was one time,

we were surrounded by the enemy.

The entire Pioneer Battalion was wiped out.

I was taking my last breath.

And he

got me out

of the pile of bodies.

That was

when I swore

to die for him.

I didn't hear you

talk about this before.

It

was a long time ago.

And then,

I became General of Agile Cavalry,

Generalissimo, and then Defender-General.

The late Emperor bestowed a golden armor on me

and gave me the title of Golden Armor General.

But I was still willing

to be

the subordinate who followed his lead.

But he died

that day.

He didn't die on the battlefield

but at the execution ground.

A month before that happened,

Lord Langya suddenly condemned me.

He took away my tally as a result

of my lax control of the army force.

I know.

Emperor Mingde didn't kill me

just to prevent mutiny.

He saved this position for me

just to comfort me.

Over years,

I've indeed pretended to be comforted.

So the entire world

knows that I, Ye Xiaoying,

hold a grudge against the Emperor

due to Lord Langya's death.

But I dare not revolt

as I'm afraid of the Emperor.

This is the outcome

that everyone wants.

Well,

I'll just show it to them.

[Endurance]

Why are you being

so emotional tonight?

Ruoyi,

today,

I'll send a team of elite soldiers

to escort you out of the city.

Stay away from Tianqi for a while.

Why?

His condition is getting worse.

He'll die anytime.

Moreover,

the princes in Tianqi City are engaged

in a fierce fight.

I'm afraid there will be upheaval.

Upheaval?

When have you ever been afraid of upheaval?

Isn't that

what you always wanted?

You acquiesced to my decision

on helping Xiao Se.

Why would you suddenly send me out of the city?

Fine.

Let me ask you.

Did Xiao Chuhe enter Tianqi

to take the throne

or to investigate

the case?

From what I know of him,

he is here for the case.

That's it.

Xiao Chuhe

never understands this.

Only the Emperor

can find out the truth of this case.

It's impossible for an official

to turn against the Emperor.

Therefore,

in the battle between him

and Lord Chi,

I don't think he'll win.

But you used

to value him.

I valued him because I wanted to watch over him.

Just like how I watched over Lord Langya back then.

He's got the capability and the guts,

but he's not ruthless enough.

What happened to Lord Langya in the end?

He died.

He was killed by his own brother.

I don't want

to see the same thing happen again.

Just because Xiao Se

never accepted

your support?

Ruoyi,

there's one thing you must understand.

He's Xiao Ruojin's son, after all.

No matter what,

Lord Langya was just his uncle.

He's done well enough.

Lord Langya was right about him too.

But I

don't want to wait any longer.

I don't agree with you.

Since you believe

that it's right,

just stay the course.

I know what you're thinking.

You've endured for years.

You only held back

what you didn't write down.

But that thing

is wrong, to begin with.

Ruoyi.

Ruoyi.

They're still young.

[Endurance]

[Revolt]

[Jingxue Pavilion]

I heard that you moved

to Snowfall Villa last night.

Not just yesterday.

From now on,

I'll stay here.

Did you have a fight with your father?

This is new.

Since childhood,

I've never seen General Ye

say

anything harsh to you.

He said something strange to me yesterday.

What did he say?

He doesn't think

you will win

in the Battle of Tianqi.

He even said

if you stay as an official,

no matter how determined you are,

you still can't exonerate Lord Langya.

It looks like what worries me the most

has already happened.

You mean the Dragon Seal Scroll?

You didn't say this

to your father's face, did you?

Of course not.

If he had known we were looking into this,

he wouldn't have let me leave.

I suppose he has accepted

that scroll.

Next, I guess

he'll gather Langya Army

and contact Xiao Lingchen

to start the rebellion.

That's what I thought too.

But hearing you say this,

it means this will happen for sure.

This will be the biggest rebellion

since the establishment of Beili.

Hundreds of thousands of cavalries

will set foot on the entire land

and march to Tianqi.

Countless citizens

will suffer because of this.

The nations

that lay dormant around Beili

will take this chance to make a move.

But I don't understand.

What good is it

to Lord Chi

if Langya Army rebels?

Why would the Dragon Seal Scroll

appear at this very moment?

Why would they go to your father

right when it appeared?

If Xiao Lingchen eventually ascends the throne,

Lord Langya has his place back at the ancestral shrine.

What good does that do them?

I still can't figure this out yet.

But there's one thing for sure.

This is definitely a trap.

I believe your father could figure this out.

But he

will still fall for it.

Because he's a man with a strong ego.

He has no doubt about himself.

Even if he was trapped in a cage,

he could still kill the sick tiger

and leave without injury.

In the end, he'd kill the hunter.

Indeed, he has always been conceited.

But this ego

will eventually get him killed.

He'll drag the entire Langya Army

and Xiao Lingchen down.

Even if he wins in the end,

it'll also cause Beili to suffer a heavy loss.

[Lord Chi's Residence]

The General has made a move?

Yes.

Today, he

has secretly left the city.

I thought it'd take him a long time to make

this decision.

Perhaps,

he already made

this decision four years ago.

He was just waiting for a chance.

Now that the chance has come.

There's no need to hesitate anymore.

What were the terms?

I said

I want a new emperor,

the old rules to be abolished,

the Five Eunuchs not to guard the mausoleum anymore,

and him

to give me the title of Marquis.

Did he agree?

He accused me of being a cunning subordinate

who tried to be

the powerful official of the previous dynasty.

But at last,

he agreed with me.

Your Highness,

did Ye Xiaoying

sense something?

Don't be silly.

Ye Xiaoying

is not an ordinary soldier.

Of course he did sense something.

He just didn't expect me

to be

the mastermind

behind all this.

Longxie,

go tell the two generals

that the day when they replace

Ye Xiaoying and become the leaders

of Beili Army is coming soon.

His Majesty

evicted all the siblings from here

except for me.

Do you know why?

Because

you were raised by Father.

The other uncles were no match

for you.

To be more specific,

it's because His Majesty knew

I wouldn't steal the throne from him.

The other princes

were ambitious

and ill-intentioned.

It'd be troublesome if they stayed in Tianqi.

As for me,

he trusted me.

Langya wouldn't do that either,

so he trusted him as well.

It took years

to build this kind of trust.

It wasn't a one-off project.

If so, what about

the case that happened four years ago?

One

would change

when he took the throne.

Besides, Langya

was a lot like an excellent emperor.

Historically speaking,

those who rise too high

won't end up well.

Basically,

even though you're full of talent,

you pretend to be

a good-for-nothing

just to cover yourself?

No.

I've always been a playboy who likes poems,

liquor, and beautiful ladies.

I'm not faking it.

This is me.

Chuhe,

I worked hard

when I supervised the nation.

I didn't make a mistake.

The officials

complimented me as well.

What you said to me

was harsh.

Since you care about the nation and the people,

let me tell you something.

What is it?

Fifteen days later,

an army will charge into the city.

Tianqi will be in danger.

Is it so serious?

Langya Army.

Langya Army?

Langya Army doesn't exist in the world anymore.

The main force of Beili's army Ye Xiaoying leads

joins forces with Lord Langya

to form Langya Army back in the day.

Xiao Se,

do you know what you're talking about?

Of course I do.

If the army that I mentioned

gathers up,

this dynasty will collapse.

You don't look like you're joking.

20,000 people in Wangli Army,

3,000 imperial guards,

8,000 Tianqi City Soldiers,

and 1,300

Tiger Soldiers,

there are about 30,000 soldiers.

But there are 200,000 people in Langya Army.

Based on the rule in war, we'll be surrounded as they have more people.

It's 30,000 to 200,000.

We can only defend the city.

By then, divide them into two teams

to rescue His Majesty.

When I was on my way back to Tianqi,

there were army forces trying to stop me.

So I'm sure

the imperial family is behind this.

There are several princes in Tianqi City

and several old lords out there.

As long as they're from the Xiao family,

they'll have the chance to be the Emperor.

You think they're up to something else?

There are many guesses about that.

But I can't make a decision

until the moment

when the Langya Army arrives at the city.

But now, I just hope

you could trust me for once.

♪The silent temple♪

♪We still have a long way to go in the martial arts world♪

♪The falling snow♪

♪Only clouds know the warmth of the cold moon♪

♪The roaring fate♪

♪At last, we see the light at the end of the tunnel♪

♪Everything is just a flash in the pan♪

♪Waiting for the ride to the highest heaven♪

♪The ethereal fog♪

♪Fame and fortune do not matter to an enlightened person♪

♪I face the sun♪

♪To have a pristine soul in this polluted world♪

♪Travel far♪

♪And overcome challenges life throws at me♪

♪I do not waste my youth away♪

♪Like blade and sword, relying on each other♪

♪We are devoted friends♪

♪How strong our bond is♪

♪No dream is small♪

♪Despite the conflicts and the feuds♪

♪We sing proudly♪

♪Youths ought to be fearless♪

♪Visiting all corners of the world♪

♪With our youthful spirits♪

♪Traveling freely with friends♪

♪It won't be lonely if I have my confidants♪

♪Travel far♪

♪And overcome challenges life throws at me♪

♪I do not waste my youth away♪

♪Like blade and sword, relying on each other♪

♪We are devoted friends♪

♪How strong our bond is♪

♪No dream is small♪

♪Despite the conflicts and the feuds♪

♪We sing proudly♪

♪Youths ought to be fearless♪

♪Visiting all corners of the world♪

♪With our youthful spirits♪

♪Traveling freely with friends♪

♪It won't be lonely if I have my confidants♪