Original subtitles

♪We are both dim light♪

♪Will time erase us?♪

♪Those who fade away in the shadows silently♪

♪Also crave a life under the bright sun openly♪

♪How can I break free from the chains of fate?♪

♪Who whispers in my ear♪

♪That I'm bound to fall?♪

♪Then burn me♪

♪Burn my stubbornness♪

♪The surging bitterness♪

♪The hot tears♪

♪Nobody knows♪

♪Entangling in the past♪

♪Silence in the darkness♪

♪The dim light finally turns♪

[Kill Me Love Me]

♪Into the fire of rebirth♪

[Episode 25]

[Governor's Mansion]

This way, please.

The governor is upright.

He doesn't care for expensive flowers,

but he did keep these wildflowers.

Undying Flower.

I won't die.

Your Highnesses,

this way,

please.

Let's go.

Your Highnesses,

please

come in.

Welcome

to Qingzhou,

Your Highnesses.

How

have you been?

Greetings, Your Excellency.

How have you been?

I'm fine.

I didn't expect Your Highness to be the governor.

It really is a small world.

Your Highness and I

both have deep ties with Qingzhou.

And the Princess Heir

is from Qingzhou.

Perhaps it was destiny

that brought us back together here.

Since Your Highnesses

are all old acquaintances,

this matter should be easier.

As long as Your Highnesses work together,

Qingzhou is sure to become the most prosperous place on the border.

The border trade in Qingzhou will shape

the success or failure of trade relations between our two nations.

Great Yan has set up a Border Trade Supervision Office,

and Mr. Li Jie is its first supervisor.

From now on,

all matters concerning Xiyan merchants

can be handled at the Border Trade Supervision Office.

Moreover,

your personal involvement, Your Highness,

in negotiating the border trade matters

demonstrates Xiyan's sincere commitment.

When discussing the specifics,

I, too, will strive

to work closely with Your Highness

to secure mutual benefit for both nations.

Your Excellency,

here are several key issues

listed by Xiyan for this border trade negotiation.

Please review them.

Xiyan places great importance on border trade

and hopes to establish shops in Qingzhou

for the indigenous people of Xiyan.

Along with me on this visit to Qingzhou

is a group of merchants.

Among them

is the owner

of the highly prestigious Yanlai Fragrance Shop in Xiyan,

which also hopes to open a branch in Qingzhou.

Your Excellency, we hope

that favorable policies can be enacted

within the Qingzhou Chamber of Commerce.

If the road is not passable,

profit will not flow.

"If Xiyan and Great Yan

can build an official road,

it will benefit generations to come."

Your Highness, this proposal

aligns perfectly with my vision.

I believe the border trade with Xiyan will surely proceed smoothly.

Your Highness, I have long heard that you are a master of Weiqi.

Many of the elders in the city share your passion

and have long admired Your Highness.

I humbly invite Your Highness

to engage in a match with a top Weiqi player.

It'll add a fine story to the Weiqi world of both Great Yan and Xiyan.

You flatter me.

I merely play occasionally in my free time.

But since I have earned the favor of the Weiqi masters,

it would be rude of me to refuse.

Your Highness,

please.

Your Highness,

the room is too stuffy.

I'll go out to get some fresh air.

No matter how I tried to mend it,

I couldn't erase

the crack on this stone hairpin.

A broken stone hairpin will always bear a crack,

no matter how you fix it.

Your Excellency,

you don't have to waste any more effort on it.

I'm sorry.

I didn't take good care of it.

Perhaps it wasn't that sturdy to begin with

and was bound to break sooner or later.

What happened in the past

was Prince Jing's debt

to the peace-making beauty, Mei Lin.

Now,

I'm the Princess Heir of Xiyan.

Your Excellency, you owe me nothing.

Father,

Mother,

it's time for me to move on.

Moving forward will always lead to diverging paths.

Your Excellency,

why burden yourself and others?

You worry too much, Your Highness.

I know how to walk

the road ahead.

I'm glad.

I just wanted

to offer a kind reminder.

And I, in turn, must remind you, Your Highness,

not to forget the vow you made,

to never force her into anything.

When it comes to keeping one's word,

you don't seem to have the right to remind me.

The Snow Dragon Whisker will bloom in a month.

By then,

the poison you planted in her

will be neutralized.

After the detoxification,

Mei Lin can choose

where to go.

But how do you know

she won't choose to stay in Xiyan

and remain as my Princess Heir?

It's late.

Your Excellency,

you should return to the mansion and rest.

Come on. Put this on.

Mei Lin,

the night road is full of risks.

Don't look back.

Focus on the path ahead

and keep moving forward.

Some memories are etched into the bones.

They are hard to forget.

I look back

to see the road I've walked clearly

and to make sure I don't take the wrong steps again.

Didn't you say

the road would get brighter the further we went?

The border trade is about to begin.

Everything will go as planned.

By the way,

Jia's fragrance shop is about to open.

She invited us to pick sachets in the woods tomorrow.

Pick sachets in the woods?

Fragrance shops are everywhere in Xiyan.

This is a common way to attract customers.

But Jia is really clever.

By being her first customers,

we'll probably end up giving her business advice,

and in return, we'll only get

some free scented sachets.

The first customers?

Well, I have a good sense of smell.

Jia might not get the better deal here.

Mei Lin,

she seems to have invited the governor too.

No one knows Qingzhou better than he does now.

Jia is really smart.

Her business is bound to flourish.

Small pendants.

Come and take a look!

[Pastry] Take a look at the fans.

Miss, make sure to eat these pastries as soon as you get home.

Thank you.

[Rongjin Silk Fabrics]

[Rongjin Silk Fabrics]

With abundant resources and prosperity,

the people live in peace and contentment.

Our efforts

have finally paid off.

Exactly.

[Phoenix Marrow Fragrance, three taels]

[Aromatic Dragon Borneol, three taels]

[Herbal Tea Fragrance, three taels]

[Lily Fragrance, three taels]

Musk.

Agarwood.

Where is the stool?

Big Guy!

Bring me a stool.

Okay.

What's the matter?

I want to hang these scented sachets up,

but it's a bit too high. I can't reach it.

You don't need a stool.

Awesome.

I knew you were strong,

but I didn't expect you to be this strong.

It shows I haven't been wasting my meals.

A bit higher.

Alright.

Miss,

we'll need to hang up the shop sign later.

The shop sign is heavy. Let me do it.

I'm the shopkeeper.

I need to hang the sign myself.

If I can't even handle the sign,

how can I run this shop?

Alright.

I'm off to see the governor in the woods then.

I don't understand it.

Why do you have to see the governor?

When I first came to Qingzhou,

the shop wasn't doing well,

and I could barely make any money.

The food was bad,

and I was so hungry I lost weight.

But after the governor came,

things in Qingzhou got better day by day,

and we started earning more money.

I want to thank the governor

for helping me get enough to eat.

The person you should thank the most is me.

It's me who pays your salary.

No.

The person I should be most thankful to is still the governor.

Had it not been for what he's done,

there wouldn't have been Yanlai Fragrance Shop,

and I wouldn't have met

such a kind shopkeeper like you.

Jia said

that if I follow the scent I truly desire

and stay loyal to it,

I'll surely get the result I want.

Your Excellency, you picked this sachet first.

I have no reason to take it from you.

This is also the scent you picked at the very beginning.

Now,

this scented sachet suits me better.

Ms. Mei Lin!

Wei.

What are you doing here?

The shopkeeper said

the governor and Xiyan's Prince Heir

and Princess Heir were in the woods.

Are you the Prince Heir and Princess Heir of Xiyan?

You're mistaken, Wei.

He's the governor.

You're the governor?

Then you must be the governor's wife.

I...

Big Guy!

Your Excellency,

Your Highness, please forgive us.

He's a resident laborer in my fragrance shop.

He's a little slow in the head.

You're the Princess Heir?

Are you not with him anymore?

Aren't you two a couple?

Mei Lin.

The Prince Heir of Xiyan is here.

If you don't want to die,

go and attend to other officials.

Dear noble guests,

have you all found the scented sachet you like?

Your Highnesses, you truly have a destined romance.

In the woods, this is the only pair of matching sachets.

Together, they are called Lianli Fragrance.

The two sachets look alike,

but their scents differ slightly,

perfectly complementing each other.

They symbolize unity

and lifelong companionship,

which is why they are beloved

by young couples in Xiyan.

I wish Your Highnesses lifelong union.

Your Excellency, you truly have a sharp sense of smell.

This sachet is called Lone Butterfly's Dance.

There is only a single type of wildflower inside.

It's really hard to find in such a vast wood.

These small, unassuming wildflowers,

from a distance,

look like butterflies dancing alone in the air.

It's a very fitting name.

Now that you have chosen

the sachets you like,

please have a rest in the pavilion.

Alright.

[Lone Butterfly's Dance While you live, your love remains.]

[Taichi Palace]

Four million taels?

Great Yan and Xiyan have already ceased hostilities.

What does the Ministry of Defense

need so much military funding for?

Are you even planning to reduce the regular military budget?

Even though the world is at peace,

forgetting the need for defense brings danger.

Doesn't the Ministry of Revenue

understand such a simple principle?

In any case,

the four million taels cannot be reduced.

Even if there's no conflict between Qingzhou and Xiyan,

the Nanyue troops frequently harass the border of Mozhou.

If the Ministry of Revenue withholds the funds,

and Mozhou is lost,

can you, Minister Liu,

shoulder that responsibility?

Don't change the subject.

When did I say we wouldn't provide the funds?

As for the amount,

it needs to be discussed.

Today, we are here to discuss details of the Blessing Ceremony.

What you two have mentioned

can be reported in detail

during tomorrow's court session.

You all have valid points.

Let's take a break

and discuss later.

Concubine Yan,

what brings you here?

I've come to bring Your Majesty some pastries.

Please have a taste.

It's tasty.

What's the matter with you?

I'm fine.

I might have overeaten yesterday, so I am feeling a bit sick.

Please, Your Majesty, return inside.

I just need to take a walk.

Okay.

Wang Bao.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Though His Majesty is busy,

he asks Your Highness to bring him food every day.

He really likes seeing you, Your Highness.

Your Highness.

Your Highness,

His Majesty ordered this imperial physician

to check your pulse for your well-being.

[Yanlai Fragrance Shop]

We're open now.

Feel free to come in and pick scented sachets.

This is the first fragrance shop in Qingzhou.

Over here.

Free scented sachets from Yanlai Fragrance Shop!

- Come and take a look. - Yanlai Fragrance Shop.

- Come and take a look. - Free insect-repellent sachets!

- Insect-repellent sachets from Yanlai. - Come and take a look.

Come and take a look.

- Insect-repellent sachets from Yanlai. - It's for free.

Come and take a look.

- Your Highness, this is a great idea. - Insect-repellent sachets!

- It's for free. - This way, we can help Qingzhou

- solve its pest control issues... - Everyone can get one.

- Please come and get one. - And get them to accept us more quickly.

Come and take a look!

It's for free.

Come and take a look!

- Insect-repellent sachets from Yanlai. - Free insect-repellent sachets.

- The sachets are poisonous! - It's for free.

The sachets are poisonous!

Don't keep them.

- The sachets are poisonous. - How could they be?

Zhuang smelled your scented sachets yesterday,

and today, he is like this.

Impossible.

Don't look!

What am I supposed to do about Zhuang?

The sachets must be poisonous.

Madam,

the child seems to have contracted toxic moth fever.

Madam,

the symptoms appear three or four days after the bite.

You used the sachet too late.

You're still trying to justify yourselves.

You're not selling scented sachets.

You're selling poison!

Scented sachets can repel insects,

but they can't cure illnesses.

Your grandson needs to be sent to a clinic right now.

We can go with you.

Don't believe these Xiyan people!

Who knows if they are helping us or harming us?

- Yeah. - With them around,

- your grandson's condition might worsen. - Right.

Exactly!

Send him to the clinic first.

Don't, Madam.

Don't listen to her nonsense.

Yesterday,

I saw the mass murderer governor

entering this shop.

These scented sachets

- are probably used to poison us! - That's right!

- I saw it too. - Right!

These Xiyan people

are trying to harm us Qingzhou residents!

- That's right. - Yeah.

- What should we do? - Right.

They are

so evil!

They won't even spare little children!

What's your relationship with the mass murderer?

Are you in cahoots with him?

Are you trying to harm us?

The mass murderer is going to massacre the city again!

- I'll fight you! - Fight you!

What are you doing?

What are you doing?

My poor Zhuang...

Come on.

Calm down.

Stop pushing.

Mr. Li said

you were not welcome in Qinglin Lane.

Hurry and leave!

- Go! - Hurry and go!

Don't pretend to be merciful.

Leave!

- Go! - Leave our Qinglin Lane.

Mr. Li is the old man

who threw stones at you.

He has considerable prestige in Qinglin Lane,

and all the neighbors listen to him.

Mass murderer, go!

Hurry and go!

Hurry and go!

Leave here. Go!

Please quiet down.

I'm also from Qingzhou.

Madam,

I'm the daughter of Mr. Mei, a mason in Qinglin Lane.

I won't harm my fellow townspeople.

Can Zhuang

really recover?

I promise you

I'll have someone cure Zhuang.

Take them to Fuxin Clinic

and have a physician cure her grandson.

Yes.

Go ahead.

Don't worry.

Okay.

Don't worry.

The Fuxin Clinic

has an imperial physician I brought from the palace.

Zhuang will be fine.

- Go. You're not welcome here! - Leave here!

Get lost!

Qingyan.

Dear fellow townspeople...

Hurry and go!

The purpose of engraving the Monument of the Masses

is to pray for the souls of those who perished in Qingzhou.

I hope everyone

will not misunderstand anymore.

We don't trust you!

Right!

We don't trust you!

Go! Whatever you say, we won't believe it!

- Beat him to death! - We don't believe you!

Your Excellency!

Your Excellency.

The people are surrounding the Prince Heir and Princess Heir of Xiyan

at the door of Yanlai Fragrance Shop.

Go!

Go! Don't ever come back!

Get lost!

I can understand why the Qingzhou people don't like the Xiyan people.

But why do they hate the governor so much?

Don't ask what you shouldn't.

Go ahead and work.

The grievances of Qingzhou

should not be borne by the governor.

But deep-seated issues

are not formed in a single day.

The Qingzhou people

have long been holding grudges

against the governor and Xiyan.

It's not easy to change people's hearts.

Your Highness and the governor both want what's best for Qingzhou.

In time,

the people will come to see that.

I can already see it.

So can I.

As long as we keep at it,

people's hearts can be changed.

Mei Lin is right.

As long as we persist,

the Qingzhou people

will one day understand our good intentions.

I believe that too.

I have a way that can

help ease the issue of insect-borne fevers in Qingzhou

and also change the people's prejudices against us.

What did you just say?

Concubine Yan is pregnant.

However...

Is there a problem with the pregnancy?

With her condition,

she'll probably suffer during her pregnancy.

Her well-being

must come first above all else.

But she...

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty,

I'm going to be a mother.

Aren't you happy?

Yes, I am.

You are lying.

I'm just worried you'll suffer.

Your Majesty,

I am in very good health.

Even if something happens,

the gods will protect me.

Alright. Sit down.

My mother often said

bearing children

was always hard work.

I'm not afraid.

Anyway, he is in my womb,

so I get the final say.

Alright.

You get the final say.

Your Majesty,

now I have one more relative in Great Yan.

I'm really happy.

[Peace and Tranquility Prevail]

Your Excellency,

I traveled all over Qingzhou today,

but I only gathered fewer than ten names.

The residents of Baihua Lane,

Lincui District, and Zhaohui Lane all refused to cooperate

with the construction of the Monument of the Masses.

Get lost!

- Get lost! - Get lost!

Hurry and go!

You're not welcome here!

Stop.

Mister, please kick the ball over.

Thank you, Mister.

Let's go play.

As long as we keep at it,

people's hearts can be changed.

As long as we keep at it,

people's hearts

will definitely be changed.

[Qingzhou Post]

What did you say?

Yue Qin was besieged by the locals?

The Qingzhou people hate Murong Jinghe.

Now that Yue Qin is overseeing the border trade,

in people's minds, he is in cahoots with the mass murderer.

In that case,

the Qingzhou people

must hate Yue Qin to the bones too.

[Fengcao Pavilion]

The Artemisia you sent yesterday to ward off poisonous insects

has indeed proven effective.

The people were very grateful upon learning that the herbs

were provided by you, Your Excellency.

Several villagers even left the names of their deceased loved ones voluntarily

after obtaining the medicine.

Your dedication to serving the people

will gradually be understood by them.

Thank you for your hard work.

If you run out of herbs,

you can come directly to the yamen

and find Mr. Li.

Don't worry, Your Excellency.

I understand.

My lord,

it is reported

that Mingju's agents,

disguised as common folk,

have been spotted near the mines around Qingzhou.

Mingju was once defeated by you, my lord.

Could he be here seeking revenge?

Mingju is a leader of the pro-war faction.

If Yue Qin

successfully promotes border trade

this time,

his influence within the Xiyan court

will overshadow that of Mingju.

You mean

Mingju is targeting the Prince Heir?

You're sharp as always.

Buying scented sachets and hanging them in the mines

can not only help Jia expand sales

but also help the miners repel insects.

Actually,

after we parted at the mine in Qingzhou,

I looked for you for many years,

and I visited this mine countless times.

I remember that back then,

you were thinking about repaying me for saving your life.

But after that day,

I didn't dare to come back again.

In this mine,

I would always think of my father.

My father was a mason.

He used to mine here

and stayed here all day long.

When I was little, I thought the mine was fun,

and I often pestered him to bring me here to play.

So that's why

you knew the way out.

After that day,

I thought I'd never come back again.

Let's go.

It's okay.

Hurry and go.

The exit is right ahead.

There are many mines in the mountain.

Let's split up and search.

Yes.

Mei Lin!

Mei Lin!

Mei Lin!

Mei Lin!

Can you hear me?

Mei Lin!

Mei Lin!

Mei Lin!

Your Highness.

Mei Lin,

I'll find a way to save you.

Go, Your Highness.

Mei Lin is still inside.

Go find another exit!

♪The wind scatters the spring flowers♪

♪The dream was filled with sorrow for the entire night♪

♪Troubled thoughts shatter into a sky full of stars♪

♪If fate is too unbearable♪

♪I am mired in the mud♪

♪Love is helpless♪

♪Falling into the abyss♪

♪If life is♪

♪A predetermined sorrow♪

♪Love is♪

♪An endless wandering♪

♪A place in the heart♪

♪From which there is no return♪

♪It's a vain hope♪

♪It's in imagination♪

♪It's the distinguished light♪

Mei Lin!

Mei Lin!

♪The wind scatters the spring flowers♪

♪The dream was filled with sorrow for the entire night♪

♪Troubled thoughts shatter into a sky full of stars♪

♪If fate is too unbearable♪

♪I am mired in the mud♪

♪Love is helpless falling into the abyss♪

♪If life is a predetermined sorrow♪

♪Love is an endless wandering♪

♪A place in the heart from which there is no return♪

♪It's a vain hope, it's in imagination♪

♪It's the distinguished light♪

♪If life is a predetermined sorrow♪

♪Love is an endless wandering♪

♪A place in the heart from which there is no return♪

♪It's a vain hope, it's in imagination♪

♪It's the distinguished light♪

♪If life is a predetermined sorrow♪

♪Love is an endless wandering♪

♪A place in the heart from which there is no return♪

♪It's a vain hope, it's in imagination♪

♪It's the distinguished light♪

♪It's a vain hope, it's in imagination♪

♪It's the distinguished light♪