01x02 - Episode 2

[bunniefuu]

♪Trapped in this tiny world♪

♪I'm crushed into dust♪

♪I meddle around without any mercy♪

♪I'm my own pawn♪

♪I sigh at my fate♪

♪Numerous people are under my control♪

♪All the sand is washed away♪

♪An old dream fades♪

♪A bumpy path lies ahead♪

♪Traps within traps,
I never make mistakes♪

♪I take a risk at every step♪

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

♪Schemes within schemes,
I prison myself♪

♪Each link swaps bluff and truth♪

♪The world is my Weiqi game board♪

♪Everything's just fleeting♪

♪The play begins♪

♪No return is expected♪

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

♪The wind never ceases.
I hold the reins♪

[Ashes To Crown]

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

[Episode 2]

In the previous life,

the Anping Rebellion erupted



on the very day

of my wedding next month.

Should

the wedding have never taken place,

could the two princes

have survived

and the rebellion been avoided entirely?

Next.

Keep the rhythm in mind.

Just like this.

It's him.

Fu Jiu.

Why haven't you returned to Yunzhong?

I'm under the General's orders

to escort your dowry.

I'll head back

once the wedding is over.

Can you

take me away from here?

Right now.

I only take orders from the General.

Are you

in trouble?

No.

I'm staying at the guesthouse.

If you need anything,

just let me know.

Miss,

what's come over you?

His Highness favors you so much.

Gifts piled mountain-high.

The wedding is just days away.

Why the sudden change of heart?

If you miss the General,

we can always write to him.

I have to go back.

I need

to see my father.

I am surrounded

by Xiao Xun's eyes.

I must find a way out.

Never again

will I let history repeat itself.

[Gaoyang County]

Xie Yanlai, going by the name Fu Jiu,

is now in the Capital

as one of Chu Ling's retainers.

My dear brother

is truly something,

trusted enough by the General

to escort his beloved daughter's dowry.

What of Chu Ling?

Before a century-old lineage

like the Xie clan,

he is but

a lowly general.

Your eldest sister

is the Crown Princess,

with a son for the throne.

Your clout in the court...

Watch your tongue.

[Xie Yanfang, Prime Minister of Chu]

Though my family

once had several grand chancellors,

we remained outsiders

to the Capital's nobility.

Five years ago, I used my failing health
as an excuse

and moved back to Gaoyang,

all to give His Majesty peace of mind.

And yet you,

after all this time at my side,

still haven't learned
to hold your tongue.

My apologies, sir.

Please forgive me.

I fear

his spending too much time

with Chu Ling

has swayed

his loyalty.

Five years without a firm hand,

and even the most obedient

will start to forget themselves.

Once he returns,

I'll dull his bite

and clip his wings.

He'll learn.

My hound

never bites the hand that raised it.

As for Xiao Xun...

With his wedding so near,

we might as well drop in

for a drink.

Your Highness,

our spies report

Xie Yanfang is readying his carriage

and looks to be heading out.

He retreated to Gaoyang

on the grounds of poor health

five years ago,

keeping himself

within easy reach

of the Capital.

When Chu Ling was exiled,

the Xie family wasted no time
seizing what they could,

planting their own people

throughout the ministries.

Now, seeing the two princes

at each other's throats,

are they looking to swoop in

like us?

Easier said

than done.

Tie Ying.

There is something
I cannot make sense of.

Why

the sudden frost

from Zhao?

Has the loose tongue

of someone

alerted her?

My loyalty to you

is absolute.

Enough.

Rise.

I know where you stand.

But given this sudden turn,

we can no longer afford

to wait.

Tomorrow, we'll use the Third Prince

to remove the Crown Prince.

His fall will drive the other to revolt,

and I will be there to restore order.

But Zhao

is a wild card.

The longer we wait,
the greater the risk.

Le.

What's happening?

The Third Prince
has turned on the Crown Prince

and staged a coup.

It was supposed to happen

on the wedding day next month.

Why has it come early?

His Highness orders

your protection.

Please stay in the Chu Mansion

until further notice.

[Anping Rebellion [Past Life]]

Where is Xun?

His Highness orders

your protection.

Please stay in the Chu Mansion.

It's starting

exactly like the rebellion.

His brother, Chu Lan,

poisoned the eldest imperial grandson

in the first year of Anping.

Miss,

what's wrong?

Let's run.

Le,

go fetch Fu Jiu

from the guesthouse.

What about you?

I'm saving the imperial grandson.

Miss,

your life is what matters.

Why worry

about the imperial grandson now?

If he truly dies

by my uncle's hand,

when the reckoning comes,

none of my family will be spared.

Le, go.

Hurry up.

Understood.

If Uncle

was truly the m*rder*r,

then wherever he is,

so is the imperial grandson.

[Chu Lan, Chu Zhao's uncle]

Turns out

it was really him.

He's been in Xiao Xun's pocket

all along.

So, the poisoning of Crown Prince,

the seizure of Third Prince,

and the m*rder of the imperial grandson
were all Xiao Xun's doing.

He was behind the rebellion

from the very start.

[​Imperial Ancestral Temple​]

Your Highness,

the army is assembled

and awaits your command.

Take your death-sworn

to the Crown Prince's place

and slaughter

every last soul.

Yes,

Your Highness.

Once our forces

breach the imperial palace,

the throne

will have a new master.

The Third Prince
poisoned the Crown Prince,

massacred the Eastern Palace,

plotted against the late Emperor,

and raised a rebellion.

His crimes demand death!

Rest assured, Your Highness.

I shall hold

the throne for you.

Don't be afraid.

I am Chu Zhao,

daughter of the Guard General, Chu Ling.

Follow me.

Silence.

[Xiao Yu, the eldest imperial grandson]
Xiao Xun massacred the Eastern Palace.

His crimes are unforgivable.

As his betrothed,

you are definitely complicit.

Do not come here playing the savior!

I am pledged to him,

but my family serves only the Crown.

You came to Chu Mansion

in your extremity

because you know this to be true.

Am I right?

His Majesty tasked me

to guard His Highness

and find Chu Lan here

if danger arose.

But

where is he now?

My uncle has taken ill.

He bade me

to bring you out before he drifted away.

My father holds

His Majesty's absolute trust.

Xiao Xun's men

are closing in,

and we are defenseless here.

To wait

is to surrender to them.

Our only chance

is to break out now.

If...

it isn't safe here,

where's left to go?

What

can you possibly do?

We're going to Yunzhong.

To find my father,

the Guard General, Chu Ling.

Mr. Fu.

Mr. Fu.

Where is Chu Zhao?

She was off to save
the imperial grandson,

yet there is

no sign of her.

She must have fled.

Everyone, come with me

and find Chu Zhao.

I'm coming too.

Stay here.

You'll only slow me down.

The Flame Decree.

Have someone

set it off in an hour.

Let's go.

[Eastern Palace]

Your Highness,

we have swept the area.

There are no survivors.

How is Zhao?

What of the Chu Mansion?

We have men stationed there.

Your Highness,

I hope you and Yu

will be reunited

with the Crown Prince soon.

This is not Xiao Yu.

Go.

Yeah.

Please rest assured.

My father sent an escort

with the dowry.

I've sent word for them to come for us.

Le,

please find Jiu.

Back then,

Chu Ling built the Longwei Army for me,

with fire as the call.

Only the Flame Decree
could command their blade.

He promised me

that as long as they stood,

I would never be in danger.

He broke his word.

He broke it.

Your Highness, why

didn't you just stay put?

With all this chaos,

I was honestly terrified

and trying to find Xun

when I happened to run into
His Highness.

Tie Ying, good timing.

Help me

escort him back to the palace.

I see.

I'll have someone

take you back to the mansion.

You may entrust him to me.

He is far too shaken

to leave my side.

Where is Xun?

Perhaps we can wait

for him here.

I must insist

that you hand him over.

Give him to me right now.

What took you so long?

Chu Zhao,

I'm taking you

back to Yunzhong.

Fall back.

Wait.

My orders leave no room for waiting.

The General's orders

are to bring you back

alive.

Zhao, are you leaving?

Aren't you going to take me

to my grandfather?

What's your relationship

with Xie Yanfang?

Tell me.

What

is your connection?

Why does it matter?

He is Xiao Yu,
the late Crown Prince's son

and the sole heir to the throne.

Fu Jiu,

you must protect him.

I take orders from one person,

and it isn't you.

A large force is closing in.

What are you doing?

My orders are to get you out.

No one else is my concern.

What about him?

If he is meant

to survive,

it will be so.

If not,

there is no point dying for him.

Stay here and keep him safe.

Yes.

Zhao!

Back then,

Jiu got me out of here just like this.

[Anping Rebellion [Past Life]]

Stop.

Put me down.

I have to find Xun.

I am charged

with your safe return

to Yunzhong.

I am charged

with your safe return

to Yunzhong.

I cannot let Xiao Xun take the throne.

Chu Zhao,

have you lost your mind?

I have to go back.

Not a chance!

Move.

Fu Jiu,

you must keep me alive,

or you'll be disobeying orders.

This way. Hurry!

Here!

Zhao.

Follow me

and protect His Majesty.

- Yes! - Yes!

There are more of them coming.

What do we do?

Don't worry.

I'll die before you do.

- k*ll! - k*ll!

He's here.

By my order,

comb the city.

Anyone resembling the imperial grandson

is to be k*lled on sight.

The rest of you,

follow me

into the palace!

Excuse me.

Who set off the Flame Decree?

I did.

The Longwei Army has existed

for over a decade,

yet this is the first time

I have seen it.

So my father

commands not only the frontier troops,

but also

this secret army.

So this is the army

he mentioned.

This is the Flame Decree.

It commands

a secret army.

The late Emperor
had me train them in secret,

just for times like this.

They will help you

protect the Capital

and Zhao.

With them on our side,

leaving here

just got a little easier.

Last time,

Xiao Xun marched on the palace

and the decree was never set off.

The army

stayed unknown to anyone.

But now,

they are my hand

to play

against his bid for the throne.

Scouts.

- Yes! - Yes!

Go and clear the path.

Try to avoid the Lord of Xiaonan's men.

The rest of you, follow me

out of the city now!

- Yes! - Yes!

No, wait.

With the army behind us,

there is no need to flee.

Where are you going?

To the palace.

Your Majesty,

with both the princes

fallen,

the heir to the Lord of Xiaonan

is coming soon to protect Your Majesty.

[Deng Yi, Attendant Censor]

Your Majesty,

you must act now.

This brother of mine

was always the patient one.

Yet now, even he

reached his breaking point.

Tell me,

who is truly fit

to inherit my throne?

Your Majesty,

is the one you have in mind

the Lord of Xiaonan,

or his son?

After all these years,

you still know me better than anyone.

Go...

and draft the decree.

Yes, Your Majesty.

We are escorting

His Highness back to the palace.

Open the gates at once.

He is an impostor.

His life is forfeit.

On my command, cut him down on sight!

Your commander has committed treason

and been ex*cuted!

Redeem yourselves now

and all will be forgiven.

Those who resist

will be slain!

Can we win

a head-on fight?

The gates will fail.

It's only a matter of time.

The moment Xiao Xun enters the city,

the first one he'll k*ll is him.

The second

will be you.

Was that really him

who just charged in?

Ram the gates.

Is it worth it?

Worth a try.

Very well.

We shall hold the gates

as commanded,

even unto death.

♪Trapped in this tiny world♪

♪I'm crushed into dust♪

♪I meddle around without any mercy♪

Jiu.

♪I'm my own pawn♪

Take care.

♪I sigh at my fate♪

♪Numerous people are under my control♪

♪All the sand is washed away♪

♪An old dream fades♪

♪A bumpy path lies ahead♪

As the General said,

if the gates fall,

we are no soldiers.

If we are to die today,

let it be at these very gates!

- No retreat! - No retreat!

- No retreat! - No retreat!

- No retreat! - No retreat!

- No retreat! - No retreat!

♪Schemes within schemes,
I prison myself♪

♪Each link swaps bluff and truth♪

♪The world is my Weiqi game board♪

♪Everything's just fleeting♪

Xiao Xun is truly without mercy.

The entire Eastern Palace

has been massacred.

Even the Crown Princess
and her son were...

Nothing is more real

than blade and blood.

The throne of State of Chu

shall never

belong to Xiao Xun.

Du Qi,

​muster the troops

and head to the Capital.

Your Highness,

I have failed you.

I was careless

to have underestimated Chu Ling.

Her Ladyship

took the imperial grandson.

Zhao.

You've found something out after all.

Anyone entering unsummoned

shall die.

I am Chu Zhao, daughter of Chu Ling,

the Guard General of Yunzhong.

I have escorted His Highness back

and request an audience.

[Deng Yi, Attendant Censor]

Deng Yi?

You know me?

You were the Grand Mentor,

the person Xiao Xun trusted most.

Of course I do.

It is plain to see

Deng Yi must have had a hand

in the rebellion.

You

and I

have met before.

Greetings,

Your Highness.

His Majesty is unwell

and cannot receive you.

Your brush tells

quite a crooked tale.

Shall I charge your clan

with treason with my brush

for tonight's trespass?

What did Xiao Xun promise you?

The Nine Bestowments,

or the first honors
for backing his rise?

The Crown Prince's heir
stands before you.

Which do you think

leaves a finer mark

in history?

Kingmaking for a usurper,

or guiding

a young emperor to glory?

And do you believe

Xiao Xun, once enthroned,

would spare

a historian who knows the truth

of how he seized power?

But if His Highness takes the throne,

you will be

the founding pillar of his reign,

first among all ministers,

with every word of history

yours to write.

Miss Chu,

please escort

His Highness to the Emperor.

Your Highness.

I am Yu.

Alright.

Yu,

from now on,

our lives are bound

together.

My father

is the person His Majesty trusted most.

And I want

to be that person for you.

You will always be the one

I trust most.

Your Majesty,

Chu Zhao, daughter of Chu Ling,

has escorted His Highness back.

I, Chu Zhao, daughter of Chu Ling,

the Guard General of Yunzhong,

pay my respects to Your Majesty.

Like father, like daughter.

Bold beyond measure

and utterly without restraint.

Your Majesty,

the trespass

was never my wish.

Mr. Qi brought His Highness

to my place for refuge,

and my father's men happened

to be in the Capital.

In that dire hour,

I mobilized the Longwei Army

to guard the throne

and ensure the safe return

of His Highness.

Rise.

Grandfather.

I sent him away

to keep him safe.

And now you bring him back

to this very danger.

What

is your intent?

Your Majesty,

Xiao Xun

plotted against the princes,

hunted your grandson,

and harbors treason
against Your Majesty.

Though betrothed to him,

I will not stand by and watch a traitor

run rampant.

Imperial Physician!

Do not be afraid.

He will be fine.

If His Majesty were to die now,

not only would I fail to stop Xiao Xun,

but he would frame me for regicide.

Everything

I have fought for would be lost.

We can't hold much longer!

Get Miss Chu out of here!

With that tally,

[Imperial Guard]
they won't stop you!

Hold on!

Stand firm!

See?

I am poisoned

and will not see the dawn.

The decree of succession

is already drawn.

By daybreak,

Xiao Xun will be the new emperor.

Deng Yi will escort

you both to safety.

Your Majesty,

would you truly hand this realm over

to the Lord of Xiaonan and his son?

Can a child of six hold

the throne?

Let it be.

Now that it has come to this,

as long as a Xiao

sits upon the throne,

I can meet

my ancestors with a clear soul.

But Your Majesty,

if His Highness goes to the border,

what is my father to do?

Carve out his own territory

and defy the new emperor

just to protect him?

The troops

under your father's command

need not be involved.

The Longwei Army,

spread across the land, is enough

to keep him safe.

Your Majesty,

willing or not, my father

will be seen as a threat

to the new emperor regardless.

If you trust him

to keep your grandson safe

at the border,

why don't you believe

that he can protect His Highness

holding the throne?

The last thing

your father would ever want

is to hold this realm together for me.

You have reminded me of something.

If

Xiao Xun insists on marrying you,

your father would not stand against him,

and his troops

would become a threat.

It seems

I cannot let you leave either.

As commanded,

whoever kills Chu Zhao

dies by my hand.

Insolence.

You would risk your entire clan

to commit such blatant treason?

I would welcome it.

Go ahead.

Then we die together!

Jiu.

Your Majesty,

please let me
be your grandson's elder sister,

the Grand Princess

of the State of Chu,

and help him

hold the throne.

What did you say?

I know

you and my father

were sworn brothers

before you took the throne.

My title as the Grand Princess

would make my father kin,

not just a subject to your grandson.

And

the frontier troops

and the Longwei Army

become guardians for us both.

So,

that is

His Highness's greatest advantage

in holding the throne.

I may be dying,

but

I've still got enough breath

to k*ll you and your father,

a plague upon this throne.

Then why not spend it

​securing a future

for the realm?

Xiao Xun's ascension

would invite unrest and rebellion,

and even invasion

from the Northern Desert.

By then,

the people

will be consumed by endless w*r

and everything will be lost.

How will you ever be able

to face

your ancestors

with a clear conscience

in the afterlife?

The Grand Princess

of the realm...

Please rest assured.

This title

begins with me

and ends with me.

So long as I hold it,

I take no husband

and I bear no child.

I yield my power

to no one,

and I shield no one with my shadow.

Should I break this oath,

I shall be marked a traitor,

and let everyone

be my executioner.

I can wield

a blade against enemies,

and cut

every tie that reaches

for the imperial seal.

What I desire

is for the annals of history to record:​

"Chu Zhao, the Grand Princess
of the State of Chu,

​remained unwed for life.​​

She rests beside her father, Chu Ling,​

at the border.​"

I,

Xiao Xun, heir to the Lord of Xiaonan

request to attend upon Your Majesty!

The Third Prince, Xiao Zhu,

committed treason, m*rder*d his brother,

and massacred the Capital
in a bid for the throne.

​This cannot go unpunished.​

He is stripped of his title
and reduced to commoner status,

and his maternal clan,
the Zhao clan meets extermination.

Xiao Xun, heir to the Lord of Xiaonan,

defended the throne with distinction

and honored the imperial line.

Your Highness.

Please receive the decree.

We, the Xie clan,

have come to your aid, Your Majesty.

It's him.

The stars bring ill omens,

and traitors breed chaos.

Both of my sons have fallen.

It is by the valor and wit of Chu Zhao,

daughter of Chu Ling,

who rode armed

to deliver

the imperial grandson to safety,

that the Xiao ancestral line

endures.

Chu Ling and I once shared

the dust and blood of battle

and swore

a brother's oath.

For the eternal stability of the realm,

I hereby pass the throne

to my eldest imperial grandson, Xiao Yu.

And I confer the title

of Grand Princess upon Chu Zhao.

Her betrothal to Xiao Xun

is hereby severed.

♪Broken walls and withered branches,
trapped in the mire♪

♪Yet still striving
to reach for the sky♪

♪My pride is torn down
and my body is sacrificed♪

♪The spark smolders in the crack♪

♪And roars in the blaze♪

♪Burning the cold night until daybreak♪

♪Fate imprisons me♪

♪But I won't beg the abyss for mercy♪

♪Even if hope is faint,
I remain proud♪

♪A mayfly will cross the ocean,
however long it takes♪

♪However it ends up,
I'll go my own way♪

♪With no fear of the distance♪

♪Born from decay, fireflies still burn♪

♪With sword in hand,
I'll pierce the dawn♪

♪Let these scars all over me become♪

♪My new pride♪

♪Peril is everywhere in the palace♪

♪Yet I smile to nobody but you♪

♪Amidst the chaos♪

♪I'll always be with you♪

♪The spark smolders in the crack♪

♪And roars in the blaze♪

♪Burning the cold night until daybreak♪

♪Fate imprisons me♪

♪But I won't beg the abyss for mercy♪

♪Even if hope is faint,
I remain proud♪

♪A mayfly will cross the ocean,
however long it takes♪

♪However it ends up,
I'll go my own way♪

♪With no fear of the distance♪

♪Born from decay, fireflies still burn♪

♪With sword in hand,
I'll pierce the dawn♪

♪Let these scars all over me become♪

♪My new pride♪