01x06 - Episode 6

[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 6]

Is all this really necessary?

Weren't you afraid
she'd actually k*ll you?

k*ll me?

It would plunge the court into chaos.

Her Highness was just trying

to humiliate me

and vent her spite.

So, are you breaking the pact

and making her your enemy?

The pact?

Since when has she ever cared for that?

She handed the Imperial Guard Tally

to a nobody

from the Xie Family.

Is that her idea of sincerity?

If you had held the Tally,

she

would have had
even less chance of survival.

Xiao Xun cannot die.

At least not yet.

Why?

Is this the fallback you mentioned?​

The late Emperor's final edict.

Xiao Xun

was the designated heir.

It was

​due to unforeseen complications

that the crown

passed to Xiao Yu.

[One day ago]

Your Highness.

My gates have been so deserted

that even the sparrows

give this place a wide berth.

It is truly rare

that you would actually reach out

to Tie Ying.

Your Highness, have you ever heard of

greatness biding its time in the depths?

Mr. Deng, are you here

to teach me

fortune-reading?

It is a pity

that your judgment has failed you

because there is no greatness

to be found here.

​I am naught but a lamb​

​to the slaughter.​

No.

I am here

to show you

a path to Xiaonan,

also a path to help

reclaim your former glory.

Why help me?

The imperial court
has always been a treacherous place

of shifting tides.

I don't dare to stake everything

on a single play.

That was true then

as it is now.

I am aiding you

because I hold

a far more compelling hand.

This is the late Emperor's final edict.

You were the one
meant to inherit the throne.

​Indeed, Your Highness.​

This is a forgery.

You...

But I have the true one, too.

His Majesty
has barely ascended the throne.

Aren't you afraid of
being branded a rebel?

Precision is required to strike

and clarity is needed to lead.

I aligned with Chu Zhao

for a promise

she later broke,

prompting my shift

to Your Highness.

My goal has stayed

the same throughout.

Are you

aware now, Your Highness?

When I claim

my destiny,

the seat of Grand Mentor shall be yours.

Mr. Deng,

you have a visitor.

So

you've prepared your own coffin?

How kind of you

to save the court the expense.

Such prime golden-thread nanmu.

Not really.

It was bestowed by Her Highness.

I heard

when the late Emperor
crushed the old dynasty,

​the fallen ruler

used this very timber​

​to immolate himself for his state.

I spoke inappropriately.

What

brings you here, exactly?

There is a matter

I'm hoping

you could shed some light on.

Do you know

Her Highness has besieged

the heir to the Lord of Xiaonan?

Of course.

Do you also know

that Xiao Xun

has escaped?

I do.

Do you know

who let him go?

It was me.

Your honesty

is quite touching.

Such an act proves

you have turned against Her Highness.

But have you considered

the weight of this coffin?

Can you carry it

alone?

​You came through the midnight rain

only for this?​

I was wondering

if I were the one
letting Xiao Xun walk free,

would she have brought

this coffin

through my Xie Clan's front door?

Mr. Deng,

playing with fire
without a clan's backing is folly.

Beware you don't get burned.

I've long heard
your mastery of the board is unrivaled.

Might I invite you for a round?

It would be my honor.

[Military Camp of Yunzhong Prefecture]

General,

the Northern Desert forces
know our defenses

inside out.

They even have the exact locations

of our hidden sentries.

We must have a traitor.

Report!

Report.

Urgent news from the Capital.

Her Highness faces impeachment.​​

The heir to the Lord of Xiaonan
has fled by night.​​

​Imperial Guard Commander Fu Jiu
is wounded.

Is Jiu's condition severe?

Word is

the Imperial Physicians have consulted

and he is out of danger.

Is Zhao safe and sound?

Her Highness is unharmed.​

Xiao Xun fled back to Xiaonan,

and now the Northern Desert invades

with such intimate knowledge
of our defenses.

Could it be

a betrayal from within?

Pass the order.

The Third Battalion

is to redeploy to Langya Valley.

The Fifth is to set an ambush
at Yingzui Cliff.

Adjust the defensive line as planned.

Position the hidden troops

and wait for them to take the bait.

​​- Understood! - Understood!​

General!

General,

what is this malady?

It worsens by the day.

Even medicine

offers no relief.

It's nothing.

I'll lead the charge

tomorrow.

No. You can barely stand.

This is an order.

An order is an order.

Yes.

Your Highness,

Mr. Xie has been recovering here

for three days now.

Though your title ​leaves

few who dare​ to criticize you,

the boundaries of decorum remain.

I fear the idle tongues outside

are already beginning to wag.

Since I entered these imperial walls,

when have the rumors ever stopped?

The Censorate

is bent on branding me

a hen ruling the roost.

Besides,

his injuries are deep.

I won't risk

leaving him

to others.

Is it because
Your Highness has feelings for him

that you refused

to marry Mr. Xiao?

After all our time together,

is that truly how you see me?

No.

I spoke out of turn.

I swear.

Please, do not be angry.

​Every string in this palace

must be mine to pull.​

But he is more than just a pawn.

He is...

different.

How?

I used him,

and yet, I trust him

more than anyone else.

Regardless,

he is different.

Urgent news from the frontier!

The Northern Desert
has attacked Yunzhong.

No.

My report was a forgery.

How could it possibly be real?

Since Her Highness forged the report

of collusion between the Lord of Xiaonan
and the Northern Desert,

and tried to drag my family into this

using Pine Soot Ink,

she should have been prepared

for the possibility that her scheme

could spark a real w*r.

Playing the game,

one must always keep a backup plan.

You look refined,

yet your style of play is ruthless.

You flatter me.

I just

dislike wasting time.

However,

patience

is the true essence of Weiqi games.

At the start of this match,

you were full of confidence,

weren't you?

But look at it now.

The situation has changed.

Do my skills

meet with your approval?

Your skill

is exceptional.

Good.

Since you enjoy watching,

I shall set several games in motion.

​But a board too full
leaves no clear opening.​​

​Beware lest you find no way out.​

You're awake.

Are you in any pain?

I failed my mission.

I've dragged you down with me

and gotten you injured.

Deng Yi sent his men

to issue orders at the docks,

which gave Xiao Xun

a chance to escape by water.

I thought

it was foolproof.

Yet...

​The game at court​

​is never that simple.​

Such is the nature of power.

Tell me.

How do you want me to repay this debt?

I can grant you one wish.

I've never believed in divinity.

I have no wishes.

Then

is there nothing

you wish to achieve?

No.

Very well.

Then let the debt stand for now.​

When you decide

what you want,

just come to me.

With your skills,

you shouldn't be this badly hurt.

What really happened

that day?

Tie Ying

used hidden weapons.

I let my guard down and got ambushed.

Just as I thought.

They only resort to

such despicable tricks.

Last night,
I saw you having a nightmare.

You seemed burdened by something.

As you said,

everyone has

their own secrets.

True.

But I shared mine

with you.

You mean that dream?

Alright.

As an exchange,

I'll tell you a secret.

Actually...

I...

I once sneaked a bite

of the jujube cakes
you got for your father,

and paid for it with a beating.​

Thank you for sharing that.

It's just...

I'll never make that again.

No matter.

I never liked

those pastries anyway.

I was thinking of making you

something else to eat.

Sounds good.

Jiu,

my hairpin is a bit askew.

Fix it for me, would you?

♪Day after day,
across these ancient hills♪

♪Again and again,
the old city cold and still♪

♪Through dust and battle, I look back♪

♪And find you waiting at journey's end♪

♪Night after night, the hours drift on♪

♪Year after year,
our reunions end too soon♪

♪Love so deep, yet fate so thin,
why must it be so hard?♪

♪Through joy and sorrow,
we have shared it all♪

♪Bound by a knowing no words can name♪

♪Two lonely souls,
huddling together for warmth♪

♪A fleeting embrace amidst the chaos♪

♪You say this life is naught
but endless partings♪

♪I sigh at the whims of merciless fate♪

♪I'm holding on alone♪

♪Yet across the vast divide♪

Good, right?

Six hours at the stove,

​steamer after steamer,

all for ​a flawless batch.

It's truly the finest delicacy

in the world.

You should've mixed
the filling properly.

The ratio of lard has to be exact.

Too little or too much ruins it.

I see.

My father always said

too little makes it dry

and too much makes it greasy.

It's my fault.

I have been away from Yunzhong
for so long

that I have forgotten

the recipe.

In fact,

I was never very skilled

at making these pastries to begin with.

Father, see? I made it.

I finally mastered jujube cakes.

Well done.

Just try not to sneak

the filling next time.

Father, don't scare me.

I just missed my mother.

I didn't grow up by her side.

So I wanted to take a look.

To look at the sights she saw

and walk the lanes she walked.

If Mother were still alive,

she wouldn't want me

to be an obedient girl.

She wouldn't be as arrogant as you.

She would care about my feelings.

Yeah.

You're the undefeated

God of w*r.

You're the esteemed Guard General.

You're busy protecting frontier people.

You're busy forging your fame.

You're too busy

to ask your daughter

what she really wants!

Missing someone

is nothing to be ashamed of.

And neither is being homesick.

During the years I spent
by your father's side,

he seemed truly content.

He kept himself busy,

but whenever he got rare spices

from the Western Regions,

he would tuck them away

in the room at the southern courtyard.

When he went out on patrol,

if he saw a lovely sprig of blossoms,

he would bring it back

to plant in that courtyard.

He told me

it was

where you once lived,

and so he kept it in order
for your return.​

Chu Zhao.

Your father never blamed you

for your leaving.

He only wanted to know

whether you were doing well.

He has missed you, that's all.

You don't have to

respond

to any of this.

These are his feelings to carry.

So please don't be too hard on yourself.

No one

needs to be forgiven.

Actually,

I miss him terribly too

and everything about the desert.

He is a man

of stern discipline

yet with a tender heart.

Much like you.

The first time

he took me to the desert poplar forest,

he said every withered branch there

was fighting desperately to stay alive,

which is what shaped
this timeless landscape.

Dying is easy.

Living takes true strength.

Jiu.

My apologies.

I've said too much.

Not at all.

I'm glad to hear you

speak your mind.

It's late and cold.

Please get some rest, Your Highness.

Thank you

for telling me

about my father

and for sharing your past

with me.

You are welcome.

Consider it repayment

for that pastry.

Then

please take this box

of red bean cakes.

I appreciate it.

What I said today still stands.

From now on,

whatever wish you hold,

you may ask it of me.

Come fire or high water,

I will see it fulfilled.

I honor

my promises

and never renege.​

Alright.

I understand.

Report!

Report!

Your Highness,

urgent news from Yunzhong.

The Northern Desert invaded yesterday.

General Chu drove them back,

but collapsed shortly after.

He hasn't woken up.

General.

The enemy has withdrawn!

Exactly as you predicted.

Your foresight secured our victory.​

General.

[Prince of Xiaonan's Residence]

Father.

Are you hurt?

You may not know,

but Chu Ling's daughter

seeks to finish me off for good.

Chu Ling's daughter?

The one who refused to marry you

and only ever wanted
to be the Grand Princess?

The throne changes and chaos follows.

We and Yunzhong
hold each other in check.

The Xie Clan of Gaoyang
eyes us with greed.

Yet she moved first to purge

our army in the Capital,

then used your plight

to build her power in the court.

Such methods

are truly masterful.

This upheaval plunges

the Capital into chaos.​

Perhaps we...

The essence of alchemy lies

within the mastery of fire.

When the Yellow Emperor
forged his cauldron,

the Loong's roar emerged after 49 days.

When the alchemists refined mercury,

the rosy aura condensed after 81 nights.

It all comes down to the precise moment.

Opening the cauldron before completion

risks failure.

[Xiao Hong,
Prince of Xiaonan Prefecture]

You must be weary from the road.

Get some rest.

Yes.

General Chu Ling

shall be held negligent
for the Northern Desert's incursion.

Yes, they breached our frontiers,

but it is also true General Chu led them

into a void.

No reward for his merit,

yet only a trial for his fault?

Since he took command,

victory has been his solemn duty.

Had Yunzhong fallen,

the consequences
would've been catastrophic.

Merit cannot offset
such a grave failing.

Your Majesty,

Chu Ling has been lax
in disciplining his troops

and must be held to account.

- Seconded. - Seconded.

Chamberlain,

your concern for the state
is commendable.

But I must ask this.

No sooner

had Xiao Xun fled back to Xiaonan,

than the invasion happened.

​Is this striking coincidence

proof of collusion from within?​

Your Highness

reminded me of something.

As I recall,

Mr. Deng argued most fervently
for Xiao Xun's pardon,

claiming it was to appease

the Lord of Xiaonan.

Such impeccable timing

for a show of mercy.

Watch your words, Mr. Xie.

His Majesty decreed

Xiao Xun's pardon and return.

Who am I to challenge

the throne?

Word has it

you've set your sights

on Xiao Xun's residence.

It is a place

of great vantage.

Better to use it than waste it.

His Majesty, in his infinite mercy,

bestowed it upon me.

What?

You wish for it as well?

Enough.

With the Northern Desert encroaching,

our priority is to steady the troops.

As for the cancer within...

I shall see for myself

who is so desperate

to usher in the enemy.

I am weary.​

​Should you have no other matters,​​

​you may take your leave.​

- We bid farewell to Your Majesty
- We bid farewell to Your Majesty

- and Your Highness.
- and Your Highness.

Who would have thought Xie Yanfang

would show his hand so brazenly?

Since he dared tell you

he would bring

the Grand Princess a true w*r,

he clearly fears nothing,

knowing we lack the evidence

to move against him.

Indeed.

The very fact he said it

proves he has

​a contingency plan in place.

Even if we sent men to investigate now,

they would find nothing.

Xie Yanfang is guarded
like an iron fortress.

But even the tightest defense
has a flaw.

​Why not start

by digging into his place in Gaoyang?​

When he came to the Capital,

he brought ​all his men​

with him.

​The rest

at the Gaoyang estate

are of no consequence.

You are right, though.

To strike at the heart of the threat,

one must first brave the lion's den.

​Shao You.​​

Send men to Gaoyang at once.​​

Understood.

Mr. Xie,

better mind your moves

in this game.

[Prince Xiao Xun's Residence]

Move more to the left.​​

​Raise it higher.​

[Xie Residence]

That's it.

Get down.

With that plaque in place,

the whole estate

seems brighter.

Mr. Xie,

rumors have it

Guard General Chu Ling's negligence

allowed the breach.

Do you think

he'd be like Xiao Xun,

colluding with the enemy?

If Xiao could survive such dire straits,

so can he.

Having spent years at the frontier

with an undefeated record,

the prestige he holds among the people

can not be undone by a single lapse

in judgment.

We may have orchestrated

the invasion,

but his swift

tactical shift

lured the enemy to Xinggu Pass

and secured a total victory.

Many now laud

his braveness and mind.

It seems

we've only served to further his renown.

True.

Just as you are renowned

throughout the land.

Though away from court for years,

your foundation

remains unshakable.

No.

He and I...

have never been the same.

Since the estate is renovated,

send for Yanlai.

Tell him

it is the Master's command

that he return at once.

He's always been

at odds with your family.

Why this?

I am merely curious.

After five years, does the hound...

still know its leash?

​Blessings and calamities coexist.​​

​Great fortune​

​is accompanied by great danger.​

[Chu Tang, Cousin of Chu Zhao]

​This title

may not prove to be

a shield

for the Chu Family.

Of course,

I am grateful

for Uncle's care years ago.

It's just...

Should I fall from this height,

as family,

you will inevitably be implicated.

So,

you'd better plot

your own course.

Zhao,

no need to test me.

From the day

you attained this title,

the Chu Family

rises and falls

with you.

Very well.

Then

from now on,

I shall maneuver in the light,

while you operate in the shadows.

I'll be your fortress,

and you'll be my reach.

​If we win,​​

​we shall share in glory​

​and splendor.​

If we fail...

I am yours to command.

Please keep faith with your pledge.

After this tea,

there is no turning back.

Now that I depart the Capital,

​I must rally

every available ally​

​to hold the court for me.​

♪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♪