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One and Only

Episode 17

Nanchen Royal Mansion

Master has ordered

me to escort you

to the Central State safely.

Where is he?

When you leave through the gate, you'll see him.

Let's go.

Western State

Western State

♫Maybe it's the snow falling without a sound♫

♫Maybe it's the flower in the mirror without a trace♫

These men are from Nanchen Royal Army,

stationed in the Western State?

♫I've seen all the scenes of the passing years♫

Yes.

♫They're not as good as you, not as good as you♫

♫I look at a ripple♫

♫It's like there's no wind and no sunshine♫

♫The more silent my love becomes♫

You really aren't going to see her off?

♫The more my heart turns to rain♫

The imperial edict was so urgent that

♫There is grace in your eyebrows♫

she had to leave immediately.

If she could live here until spring

♫I'll spend my whole life looking for it♫

and get married on a warm day,

it would better.

♫Don't blame me for the sporadic sweet talk♫

♫I wake up from my dreams and I'm even colder♫

♫My heart that can't stand being away from love♫

♫Hides nothing from you♫

His Highness' ordering the royal army to escort you

is meant to tell others that

♫The scene I look down for♫

the Junior Prince of Nanchen

will always back you up.

♫Gets clear after saying goodbye♫

♫Every glimpse means missing you♫

♫Even if to be a stranger to you♫

♫I still remember how I felt when I came♫

♫So it's harder to forget every back of you♫

♫Me in that year♫

♫Spent my whole life's luck on the will of God♫

♫Been a mediocre person all my life♫

♫I just want you won't feel sad when looking back♫

♫When everything is calm♫

♫I can see who's under the moon♫

♫Turns out we've already been destined♫

The Prince of Guangling is badly ill, so he couldn't come

to take you to the city in person tomorrow.

Please forgive His Highness.

It doesn't matter.

When will we enter the city tomorrow?

In the morning, during the hours of the Dragon.

It's snowing.

When did it start to snow?

Just now.

It's snowing early this year.

But it looks it might rain.

So the snow may not last long.

Early winter has only just begun.

Are you asleep?

No.

I remember

that one year, it also snowed

on New Year's Eve.

They all thought Master wouldn't make it back.

I alone believed

he would return to us.

I have finally

come back from Shouyang.

Look.

I bought you

a lot of delicious food.

How are you?

Did you miss me?

What's wrong?

You don't feel well?

No.

Maybe because it's too cold.

Yes, it is very cold.

Why don't you wear more clothes?

Go back and put more on later.

Understood?

Tonight

I'll go to stay by the city gate

to spend New Year's Eve

with the generals and soldiers guarding the city.

How about going together?

Come on, accompany me.

You don't want to walk?

It doesn't matter. I can carry you out,

and then we will take a carriage.

So you don't need to walk at all.

There'll be a big crowd there,

a real lively New Year celebration.

It's cold here in the mansion.

I want to wait for Master to come back.

You want to wait for His Highness?

Over this last half year,

we've always heard good news from afar,

but Master still never came back.

From early summer to late autumn,

even until this very day,

it's already New Year's Eve.

I think he'll come back.

If he doesn't come back,

you'll stay up all night on New Year's Eve alone?

I will.

Someone must do it.

OK.

I'll leave some soldiers here.

If you need any help,

you can order them to come fetch me at any time.

Your Highness.

Today is New Year's Eve.

Go fetch some Wild Pepper Wine.

Yes.

You played Go against yourself?

I didn't expect

I could drink hot tea as soon as I arrived.

It seems that

my fortunes will improve next year.

Your Highness,

Miss asked me

to reheat the tea immediately

once it cooled,

because she knew Your Highness would be back.

I guessed you were waiting for me,

so I came back first alone

as fast as I could.

The others couldn't keep up with me.

You rode the swiftest horse.

How could the others

have kept up with you?

But that's just as well.

Tonight,

let's spend

New Year's Eve alone.

Tomorrow morning,

after your senior brothers and sisters

come back,

we'll spend the lively

Lunar New Year's Day together.

It's the first time that you've allowed me to drink.

Is there something to celebrate?

On New Year's Eve,

we should drink a cup of Wild Pepper Wine with our household

to welcome the New Year.

Come on. Enjoy the food.

It's almost dawn.

Where are you going?

I want to chat with Feng Qiao.

I see.

After you get married,

it'll be hard for you to see anyone from the royal mansion.

If your mother asks about you later,

I'll explain that to her for you.

Miss Cui.

I came to see Feng Qiao.

Um...

You're looking for Feng Qiao?

She is not in this room.

Are you planning on escorting me the whole way?

Yes.

I'll escort you into the city

and then escort Grand Mentor Xie's body

back to the Western State.

♫The snow before the pavilion softly kisses the lattice♫

I'll go light the lantern.

There's no need.

♫I don't want to dive deep into my heart to see how much I miss you♫

Talking in the dark like this,

♫Sing my whispers while I'm slightly drunk♫

I won't think I spoke out of turn.

♫Listen to it, can you see that I miss you♫

You've been in the next room.

♫The snow won't stop, the person won't show up, my heart won't clear up♫

Why didn't you come see me?

I was afraid I would make you even sadder.

♫How can we be in harmony if we were the lute and psaltery ♫

♫How can I describe you if I'm going to write♫

♫How can I drink a cup of tea with you♫

♫Under the moon at the city gate, we enjoy the lanterns and boats♫

♫Sadly I can't explain my love anyway♫

There was something

that I didn't plan to tell you,

and when I left the royal mansion,

♫The snow in front of the garden keeps falling♫

I held back.

After returning from Luyuan,

♫I can't wake up from your smiles♫

I wrote a letter to my mother.

♫Going through the four seasons on the horse, how shall I greet you♫

I told her that

I wanted to compile classics like my uncle.

Then I could stay in the royal mansion

♫I'm resolute now and forever♫

to be with you.

I want to stay in the Western State,

♫To enjoy the scenery with you day and night♫

remain single all my life,

treat the royal army

♫I'm willing to run to you even for millions of miles♫

as my family

and treat you as my family,

like my senior brothers and sisters.

♫The snow in front of the garden keeps falling♫

♫I can't wake up from your smiles♫

My mother said,

♫Going through the four seasons on the horse, how shall I greet you♫

if I was not engaged,

she would allow me

to stay in the Western State.

♫I'm resolute now and forever♫

I was so close.

♫To see the sadness and happiness with you in all love stories♫

Just one step away

♫Been displaced, but my heart is as always♫

from staying in the royal mansion.

It doesn't matter

where you will be.

♫The snow in front of the garden keeps falling♫

As before,

you will wait for good news,

while I guard the border.

♫I can't wake up from your smiles♫

Just this time,

you will have to

wait a little longer.

♫Going through the four seasons on the horse, how shall I greet you♫

I promise you.

We'll meet again.

♫I'm resolute now and forever♫

♫To see the sadness and happiness with you in all love stories♫

♫Been displaced, but my heart is as always♫

Master,

do not attend my wedding.

Fine,

I won't.

Why do you cry?

Are you reluctant to part from me?

It's almost dawn.

Go back.

We're all still alive,

just fulfilling our duties

in different places.

We'll reunite one day.

-Tianxing. -Tianxing.

All followers of the Junior Prince of Nanchen

come to a bad end in the Central State.

He was forced to leave.

And that grand mentor

after living in the Central State for only a few years

fell ill and died.

Keep it down.

The one kowtowing on the right

is the daughter of the Cui family

who is about to enter the city.

She is another of his disciples.

Your words

will bring grief to

those of the royal mansion.

You leave the city,

while I'll enter.

We'll finally part.

Anyway, I hope

you can be happy after your marriage.

Generals and soldiers,

farewell.

Central State

Central State

Where is Master?

Here.

What time is it?

Your Highness, it's near the middle of the hours of the Dragon.

She has entered the city.

When Meng Luan comes back,

tell him

I'm going to leave the imperial palace.

Going to see Miss Cui?

Your Highness,

Honored Concubine Jin heard that

you'll get married soon,

so she brought a generous gift.

Call her in.

Yes.

Won't you open it?

The gift

is not important,

but your words are.

I'm afraid you've forgotten

our agreement.

The Jin family give their loyalty to you,

and you must

make me the empress.

Could I ever forget it?

You're my most powerful backup.

Then why did you ask for the engagement?

To win over the Cui family.

His Majesty ascended the throne at only 6

with the support of Cui Guang.

The Cui family are literati from the Central Plains

and supported by common people.

With their support, I'll be also supported by the scholars.

No matter how many excuses you have,

only I can be the empress.

I've never planned to change my mind.

I'd heard that your family was extremely wealthy.

It seems that was true aft er all.

During the reign of the late emperor, all the war horses

came from my family.

In Taiyuan,

we have so many horses roaming the hillsides that

we can only herd them in batches by color.

You can't

see this anywhere else.

Attendant!

Tell Meng Luan that

I don't feel well,

so I won't go to the Residence of Cui.

At once.

Miss Cui,

His Highness planned to see you,

but he really doesn't feel well,

so he can't come out today.

I hope you can forgive him.

It doesn't matter.

I'm leaving.

Are you afraid of seeing the Prince of Guangling?

Are you afraid that you'll talk about the thing that you parted on bad terms last time?

Last time?

It isn't that.

Why were you much happier

hearing that the Prince of Guangling

wouldn't come to see you?

I just arrived in the Central State

and am not used to the place yet.

I felt nervous

and was afraid I would say something improper

when he came to see me.

I won't feel so nervous in a few days.

Cui Shiyi, daughter of the Cui family,

greets Your Majesty.

Last time I saw you

was in the year when your uncle passed away.

Things have changed so much.

No need to kneel.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

The Prince of Guangling

really has taken quite a fancy to you.

I agreed to your engagement

due to his sincerity

in imploring me.

To be honest,

the two of you seem fated to

be together.

And so you're engaged once again.

Xinghua,

Lady Cui,

follow me.

I haven't seen you for a long time.

I live in the imperial palace,

but it's heard that

you and Uncle went to Nanxiao

to present books to Longkang Academy,

winning the hearts of the literati in the area south of the Yangtze River.

We just presented books

to my master's old friend by chance.

Why don't you look at me?

Your Highness.

His Highness had a high fever last night.

After hearing that you would enter the imperial palace today,

His Highness specially came to see you.

Your Ladyship,

please say more to His Highness.

He'll be happier.

Your Highness,

take good care of yourself.

Your Highness, look out!

I...

I don't feel well.

I want to go back.

As a pregnant woman,

you should walk carefully.

This is the first baby

of the Cui and Qi families,

it is not just your own.

I'm sorry.

Does Cui Feng

know about it?

No,

he doesn't.

How are you going to

explain to us, the Qi family,

and your husband?

Do you somehow think

only Her Majesty will lash out at you,

and our family

will let you off?

Please forgive

my recklessness.

Xinghua,

you lied to Cui Feng

and to me.

Do you not feel guilty?

Our relationship has long been broken.

Both of us know it.

Between the two of us

there's too much pain.

Shiyi,

write and ask

Feng to return at once.

Alright.

Master,

the coroner said that

Grand Mentor Xie indeed died of illness.

You bring the grand mentor's body back to the Western State first.

I'm going to Shouyang.

It's calm in Xiaoyu's garrison.

Why are you suddenly going there?

After the grand mentor died,

the forces in the capital have fallen out of balance.

I guess there must be something wrong

in two months.

Of our army,

only those in Shouyang

are near to the capital city.

I can know

what will happen in the capital from there.

It's really bustling in the Central State.

I can find a chance to take you to the Western State.

It's more bustling there.

Residence of Grand Mentor

Aunt.

As soon as I received your letter,

I lost no time

in coming back.

In fact, my mother asked you to come back.

Because all the letters from the Central State

must be opened and read.

I wrote that letter.

What happened?

What didn't you mention in the letter?

Pour a cup of tea for Feng.

I'll let Shiyi tell you about it.

Aunt, you seldom behave like this.

What happened on earth?

The princess is not pregnant.

Mother found it out by accident.

She lied to us.

Feng.

That's great.

That's great?

If so,

I don't owe anything to her anymore,

or to my family.

You don't know,

I...

Anyway, it's really

the best news

I've heard in a long time.

What happened to you

and Her Highness?

Why did she lie to you

and us?

It just happened. Don't ask about it.

Before today,

I thought I owed her.

After today,

I can have a clear conscience.

Do you want to divorce?

Her Highness said that

your relationship has long been broken.

Your mother won't agree.

Our marriage

has been decided

by the family elders

and has entangled with various relations since the beginning.

I'll persuade Mother for you.

I want to try it for you.

Divorce?

I don't want Feng to be so sad.

You have seen

how the other branches of our family

make difficulties for us.

Feng is Her Highness' husband,

but they still dared do so.

Without the marriage

with the Qi and Liu families,

Cui Zheng will have no reason

to hold back against us.

But I'll marry the Prince of Guangling.

In the beginning, I was the one

who was married off to the royal family.

As my engagement was cancelled,

Uncle could only ask Feng

to marry the princess.

Now that I still need to marry the Prince of Guangling,

why can't

at least one of us

be free?

Mother, please allow Feng to divorce.

You agree?

I know you're loath to marry the Prince of Guangling,

so you hope Feng can divorce as his wish.

I know this,

so I agree.

-Thank you, Lady Cui. -Thank you, Aunt.

Feng, you go back to Taiyuan first,

and Xinghua stays at home.

This matter

involves all our three families.

So I must find a perfect solution.

-I see. -I see.

Why hasn't Concubine Jiang given birth to the baby yet?

What did the imperial doctor say?

He said

she'll deliver the baby

in a couple of days.

Two days, he always says two days.

I've waited for more than ten days!

His Majesty hasn't come out in a long while either.

If this goes on,

all the regional princes will hear about it.

If they begin to doubt,

we'll get into trouble ourselves.

Especially the Junior Prince of Nanchen

and General Jin Rong,

who is the closest to the Western State.

We can't wait any longer.

Go, ask the imperial doctor

to prescribe medicine to induce birth.

I must see my grandson in three days.

Yes.

This is...

a medicine to induce birth.

Will it

be harmful to her

and the baby?

The baby will be born soon.

My question was

could this harm her or the baby?

Um...

Um...

Um... I...

My son

should be born according to his own schedule.

Your Majesty, don't get angry.

Get out!

All of you!

Why do you kneel down to me?

Hurry up. Get up.

The grand mentor said before his death that

the empress dowager will kill you

after she has a grandson.

I beg you

to kill me.

You want me

to kill you

and my baby?

Exchange our lives

for yours.

Impossible.

I absolutely won't do it.

I'd rather die

than do that.

I'm going to beg her

and show weakness.

Your Majesty.

Where's the hairpin from the grand mentor?

This is the way out

he gave me.

Your Majesty.

He is right.

The empress dowager and I

will fight.

I've retreated repeatedly,

making Grand Mentor Xie

and ourselves suffer.

I can't treat her politely anymore.

Your Majesty.

Qin Yan?

Your Majesty.

I want to see my mother.

I had

the wool pulled over my eyes

by Zhao Teng

and Xie Chong.

I was wrong.

Please

give me a chance one more time.

Look up at me.

I can't

believe you another time.

I...

will abdicate.

If you abdicate suddenly

in your prime,

how will you make

courtiers and regional princes believe

you weren't forced by me?

They've been tired of me for a long time.

Like you,

they hate to see me interfering in court affairs,

supporting the Qi family,

misbehaving in the harem

and keeping my boys.

Of those secret missives you receive,

a full half of them

are asking you to kill me.

They've been accusing me.

did you think I wasn't aware?

I've done you wrong.

After today, I'll

be sure to punish them!

Serve dinner.

I'll dine

with His Majesty.

Yes.

Why is there no wine?

Your Majesty,

the imperial doctor said

you shouldn't drink for half a month.

I haven't dined

with His Majesty for a long time.

It doesn't matter.

Serve wine.

Yes.

I'll pour wine for you.

Come.

Sit down.

The two of us

have been at odds

since Zhao Teng's plot.

You

still blame me for that matter.

No.

I just

can't understand you.

You're my own child.

However,

you prefer trusting others

over trusting me.

When your great grandpa ascended the throne at five,

the empress dowager at that time held court.

And they ruled

in harmony.

If they could do that,

then why can't the two of us

do the same?

Over the years,

you've tried very means

to gather toy-boys in the palace,

and I just ignored it.

After Zhao Teng's plot,

I didn't want to get involved

in your private life.

However,

you emptied the treasury

to fund your lavish lifestyle.

The Qi family merely sit on the fence,

while they persecute the faithful and honest.

I can't ignore it.

Hui,

without me,

you would have died.

I'm from

the Qi family.

What if you give

your uncles more freedom?

I don't

want to betray my people.

Well said.

Come on.

Why don't you pick up the cup?

Do you fear

I'll poison you?

Drink it.

There's no poison.

I wouldn't do that.

You're my own son.

At worst,

I'd force you to abdicate.