01x13 - Episode 13

[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 13]

His crime is unforgivable!

Last night, he burned down

the Wei Village and k*lled 46 people!

Today, we will

beat him to death in public

to atone for his sins.

Sorry.

Because of me,

you were also scolded by the elders.

Don't be silly.

As your brother,

I must protect you.

Sadly, this is too serious.

Our elders are furious.

Even as the head of our clan,

I can't get you out of it.

Yanlai,

I believe you're innocent.

Once I'm away,

those elders

won't come after you anymore.

Where are you going?

Any plans?

This is a big world.

I will always have somewhere to go.

This secret elixir only belongs

to our direct line.

It can even revive the dying.

Keep it with you

in case of emergency.

Sorry, sir.

We're closed today.

Closed.

Sorry.

Sorry for that.

We're closed. Sorry.

Mr. Deng,

the venison and roast pork of Fenglin Restaurant

are absolutely delicious.

And have some meat soup.

That would be even better.

How about...?

I just need noodles.

When the Yang and Zhao Clans

held great power as imperial in-laws,

a single meal of theirs

would feed an ordinary family

for an entire year.

This gives a glimpse of the extravagance

of the imperial in-laws in power.

Mr. Deng,

we must bring down the Xie Clan.

Yes.

Yes, exactly.

We can't let them rise like the Yang and Zhao Clans.

I wish they would rise

like the Yang and Zhao Clans.

The rebellion of the Third Prince,

the young emperor,

and the foreign invasion...

The root cause

was the trouble of imperial in-laws.

Now, common folks

hate them a lot.

Once the Xie Clan oversteps,

even their reputation over a century

won't make anyone forgive them.

It makes sense, Mr. Deng.

It makes sense.

Xie Yanfang is cunning

and sophisticated.

He excels at seeking good fame.

Now, he's the Emperor's uncle.

Many people entrust him

with state affairs.

His reputation has grown.

But the Xie Clan

has more than just Xie Yanfang.

Leaving others aside,

his brother Xie Yanlai

behaves quite arrogantly

just like the Yang and Zhao Clans.

Well, Xie Yanlai

is quite extraordinary.

He can even manipulate His Majesty.

I would rather say

someone else manipulates His Majesty.

The Grand Princess does not

trust Xie Yanfang.

But she shows Xie Yanlai

special favor.

And why is that?

Maybe

she wants to raise up

a new imperial uncle

to cause infighting.

When brothers turn against each other,

a fight for status would be the worst.

Xie Yanlai is favored

and supported by the Grand Princess.

If he fights for power,

Xie Yanfang will surely

have a headache.

Father.

Father.

Our spy's latest report says

Chu Ling has been unconscious for days.

He's probably dying.

Xun,

look at the alchemy fire behind me.

Spiritual elixirs can only be done

by slow simmering.

An intense fire

will end in vain.

Your rash alliance

with the Northern Desert at Wangcheng

utterly failed.

Do you realize your fault?

Father,

I had a perfect plan

for the battle of Wangcheng.

But Chu Zhao interfered...

Once something goes wrong,

your plan cannot be branded as perfect.

Father,

fortunately,

I eliminated their remnants.

No future threats will be left.

Don't worry, Father.

How many times have I told you?

To seek great things,

you must behave like the stove fire.

You should stay patient

until the right moment comes.

I don't quite agree.

The w*r between the two states

has been going on for days,

but it's not intense.

Victory reports in the Capital

make people feel

that the Northern Desert

is merely bluffing.

Actually, that's not true.

The Northern Desert Royal Army

has been waiting

for a chance

to strike a fatal blow.

The chance is

the death of Chu Ling.

You're being too impatient.

Northern Desert foes are treacherous.

They aren't a reliable ally.

Father,

let me lead troops

to Yunzhong.

The Royal Army

has gathered and departed.

They're determined

to win this battle.

Chu Ling

is on his last legs.

He won't live long.

It's time for us

to turn the tide.

Even if Chu Ling dies,

his army can still fight a w*r.

What you should do

is to lead troops to the Capital

and guard the Emperor.

Yes.

Go get Mr. Zhong.

Yes.

Zhao,

scouts reported

the Northern Desert Royal Army

passed Heishui Ridge

and is less than a hundred li away.

Beacon towers along the way were ruined.

I'm afraid they'll arrive very soon.

We must make early plans.

Looks like their king knows

about Father's condition.

He knows the time has come.

The General's condition has been kept secret.

I don't know why...

Nothing stays hidden forever.

Now, there's no need

to hunt for spies.

Since their king

has led the troops himself,

I will command our troops

to fight them

on behalf of my father.

The commander's absence from the w*r

will surely affect the army's morale.

If a woman like me

took command in her father's place,

the result wouldn't be as good.

But luckily,

I'm not only

Chu Ling's daughter,

but also the Grand Princess of State.

Heed my order, Zhong Changrong.

Yes.

Prepare the Grand Princess's procession.

We'll set out for w*r.

The secrets of Xie Clan of Gaoyang

are indeed more spectacular

than I imagined.

All who surrender,

for any reason,

shall be ex*cuted immediately

and excluded from the ancestral graves.

The Xie's secret elixir

can bring the dead back to life.

It's kept by the clan head.

Only the direct line can see it.

Bring the dead back to life?

How interesting.

Knowing that my father is gravely ill,

Four hundred thousand Northern Desert troops came up,

trying to capture Yunzhong.

Mr. Zhong,

you lead main troops

to confront the enemy's main force.

Yes.

I'll go with Zhong.

No.

You take the Vanguard Battalion to charge out from the left wing,

go through Yingzui Valley,

and circle around to the enemy's rear.

You and Mr. Zhong launch a pincer attack

to break up the enemy's as*ault.

Yes.

If you fail this mission,

you'll be punished.

Yingzui Valley is vital.

Our enemies also know that.

They'll guard it with massive forces.

I take your order.

I pledge to take Yingzui Valley.

Move out now.

- Yes. - Yes.

We swear to live and die for Yunzhong.

In this battle,

I will make our enemies know

that we will never yield a single inch

of our own territory.

When our state is in turmoil,

our late Emperor is gone,

and our new emperor is still young,

the Northern Desert invades our frontier

and slaughters our people.

As the Grand Princess of State,

I must protect all the people.

In the name

of the Grand Princess of State,

I condemn the Northern Desert.

Those who invade our land...

k*ll them!

Those who butcher our people...

k*ll them!

Soldiers,

follow me in k*lling the enemies!

We'll defend our territory

and guard our people!

- k*ll! - k*ll!

- k*ll! - k*ll!

- k*ll! - k*ll!

Let's k*ll!

Charge!

Charge!

[Yingzui Valley]

How dare

those northern foes invade our land!

Don't die.

You either.

At this rate,

we can't hold on.

Without reinforcements, we'll lose.

Hold on, all of you!

Frontier soldiers like us would rather

die on the b*ttlefield!

The Grand Princess of State.

Anyone who kills the Grand Princess

will win a title.

k*ll!

Why are you here?

To do what a mother should do.

You've suffered heavy casualties.

Unless you break through here,

even the reinforcements

will be trapped and k*lled at this pass.

It's Alan Ruoying.

The traitor our king has been hunting for 19 years.

How come she's here?

Catch Alan Ruoying alive!

I still failed

to be the perfect mother

in your heart.

I'm sorry.

I can find a way to break through.

Don't do anything stupid!

That day,

you said you would grant me a reward.

Now, I'm asking

for this reward.

I want you to live.

You want to know

how I've been all these years.

You also want to know

if I have forgiven you.

If you die,

you will never

know the answers.

Actually, I know.

I've always known.

No!

Mother!

Don't go!

Don't leave me alone!

Mother!

Mother!

General.

It's the General.

He's beating the drum to cheer us on!

♪I meddle around without any mercy♪

♪I'm my own pawn♪

♪I sigh at my fate♪

k*ll!

My mother

asked me to live.

Soldiers, on my command!

k*ll!

k*ll!

♪An old dream fades♪

♪A bumpy path lies ahead♪

♪Traps within traps, I never make mistakes♪

♪I take a risk at every step♪

Listen to the battle cries.

Her Highness is as good as you, General.

She's fighting alongside Jiu to k*ll the enemies.

♪Each link swaps bluff and truth♪

♪The world is my Weiqi game board♪

Zhao,

you must stay alive.

♪We're born like a mere ant♪

♪Joy and sorrow go unheard♪

♪I follow my destined path♪

♪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♪

♪The world is my Weiqi game board♪

♪Everything's just fleeting♪

♪The play begins♪

General...

General!

Father.

We...

- General. - General.

Father.

We won.

The General

died on the b*ttlefield

the way he wished.

Zhao.

All of you, leave us.

- Yes. - Yes.

Mu Mianhong blasted open

the pass at Yingzui Valley for us.

Father didn't lie to me.

My mother

is the best woman in the world.

She's kind

and brave.

And she loves me.

Mr. Zhong,

my mother...

She loves me.

She protected me with her own life.

Zhao,

if you feel sad,

let it all out.

Sad?

I'm not sad.

My father watched us

defeat our enemies.

And now,

he and my mother

can be reunited in the underworld.

They no longer need

to worry about mortal affairs.

I feel happy for them.

Make an announcement.

Guard General Chu Ling

passed away.

Now?

Is it appropriate?

The Northern Desert King lost and fled.

But the w*r isn't over yet.

If we announce the General's death now,

will our soldiers lose heart?

Now is the time.

We should let them know

the General has fought with them

and died in battle.

A general like him...

Even when he's gone,

the soldiers will believe

he's still there for them.

Even if the enemies return at once,

they will be fearless.

My father used

the last of his strength

to repel the enemies.

When we announce his death now,

grief shall turn into strength

instead of panic.

We're fearless.

We're invincible.

Our state

will win!

- Guard General Chu Ling! Farewell! - Guard General Chu Ling! Farewell!

- Guard General Chu Ling! Farewell! - Guard General Chu Ling! Farewell!

- Guard General Chu Ling! Farewell! - Guard General Chu Ling! Farewell!

- Guard General Chu Ling! Farewell! - Guard General Chu Ling! Farewell!

- Guard General Chu Ling! Farewell! - Guard General Chu Ling! Farewell!

You haven't slept for three days.

Are you torturing yourself?

I'm sorry.

Satisfied, huh?

Why must you push me?

Must you see

how I break down?

Xie Yanlai,

does it make you happy

when you crush

my composure?

Do you know why

I can't close my eyes?

Because when I close my eyes,

I see how my mother

sacrificed her life before me.

And I see

how my father passed away

with his eyes still open.

How am I supposed to face this?

How can I not hate or feel pain?

It's your fault.

He could have lived.

Even if he remained feeble,

he could at least be alive!

If he lived,

I wouldn't be an orphan.

You're the m*rder*r.

My mother died before me.

And you k*lled my father.

It's you!

Zhao.

Mr. Deng,

we looked into the Xie's secret elixir.

It's the Bloodburn Pill.

It's peculiarly poisonous.

Its power to revive the dead is a fraud.

Every time it is used,

death comes closer.

The bloodburn energy

has a supernatural effect,

so it takes a supernatural cost.

Everything in this world

has been destined.

Three years ago,

Chu Ling was badly injured in a battle.

He healed quickly

and won battles in the next year

as if he were blessed.

Yet his body kept getting worse.

He coughed up blood and went blind.

No one around him

except Xie Yanlai

was able to do that.

This can't possibly be a coincidence.

Are you saying

the Xie Family

poisoned Chu Ling?

I wonder how the Grand Princess

will feel when she knows

her most trusted Xie Yanlai

poisoned her father.

Announcement from the frontier!

Guard General Chu Ling passed away!

Announcement from the frontier!

Guard General Chu Ling passed away!

Announcement from the frontier!

Guard General Chu Ling passed away!

Shao You.

Guess.

Can we use

the death of the God of w*r

to uproot the Xie Clan

from their century-old power?

Go spread the news.

Make sure everyone knows it.

Yes.

His Lordship is right.

Chu Ling is gone,

but it's still hard

to invade Yunzhong.

Luckily, you took his advice

not to act rashly.

Once again, they ruined

such a great chance.

Calm down.

We'll find another chance.

Chu Ling is dead.

Under such circumstances,

Xie Yanlai is most likely

to take over his troops.

Xie Yanlai

ruined your plan

at Cangmu Stronghold

and then helped Chu Zhao

defeat the enemies.

If he takes command,

he'll be a huge threat.

Tie Ying.

Think about it.

Rumors that Chu Ling

was k*lled by the Xie's secret elixir

have spread to the Capital.

Chu Ling enjoyed immense prestige

in Yunzhong.

Those frontier troops.

Those common people

under his protection.

Tell me.

Do you think Xie Yanlai, the m*rder*r,

can leave Yunzhong alive?

In my opinion,

he can't.

Frontier folks are loyal.

If they believe

Xie Yanlai poisoned General Chu...

Good.

Very good.

Since rumors have reached the Capital,

we'll add fuel to the fire.

Spread the news to Yunzhong

as quickly as possible.

I can't wait to see

how he gets crushed

by angry people

and perishes in misery.

There are rumors

that General Chu Ling was k*lled by the Xie's secret elixir,

the Bloodburn Pill.

These mere rumors

have spread far and wide.

Mr. Xie,

what's your opinion?

Mr. Deng, I'm not

as well-informed as you.

I didn't hear those rumors until today.

Then, ministers,

what do you think

when one single clan

has such poison?

General Chu Ling died.

Who knows if one of us

will be poisoned next?

Mr. Deng has a point.

If someone evil

uses such poison,

the consequences would be terrible.

It makes sense, Censor.

But lately,

I've heard about something fun.

Mr. Deng is keeping

the late Emperor's relics.

Mr. Deng,

what do you have to say?

Mr. Xie,

how can you

make irresponsible remarks about the late Emperor?

You guessed groundlessly, too.

How could you blame me

for doing the same?

That's right, Your Majesty.

General Chu was in poor health

for a long time.

Why did people suddenly say

he was poisoned?

Even in that case,

why did the Xie Family

get involved?

Victory news has just arrived.

Frontier troops are still fighting enemies.

Mr. Deng,

such rumors

will break the soldiers' hearts.

As the saying goes, nothing comes from nothing.

Whether the Xie Family has this secret elixir,

Mr. Xie,

you should know it perfectly.

Your brother Xie Yanlai

lurked by General Chu's side

for five years.

There could be plenty of chances

that he could poison the General.

Stop arguing!

Our enemies have just retreated.

All parts of our state

should unite against them.

I don't want to hear you argue.

I just want to ask

when my sister and my uncle

will come back.

Your Majesty,

the Grand Princess is

in mourning for General Chu.

When the w*r is over

and the funeral is done,

she will come back.

But...

General Chu is gone.

Let's not dwell

on a lady's mourning for her father.

General Chu is a pillar of our state.

He deserves generous rewards.

Even when he's dead,

to boost morale,

frontier troops who won this battle

should be rewarded.

It makes sense.

General Chu is our backbone.

He deserves a national funeral.

Wise decision, Your Majesty.

Mr. Xie, you really

prioritize the greater good.

How long

do you think

this secret can be kept?

If you're so confident,

why don't you ask my brother

when he comes back?

Oh.

The coffin from the Grand Princess...

You can have it sent to Yunzhong

for General Chu

to express your sorrow.

That's golden-thread nanmu, after all.

You wouldn't be reluctant, would you?

After only a few minutes,

you can't read anymore.

Those dense words

give me a headache.

Father,

shall we talk?

About what?

Tell me more

about my mother.

Father.

Father.

Are you hurt?

Do you like it?

Greetings, Lady General.

I miss you so much.

Zhao,

I know

you don't want to hear me out.

But...

It's unfair to Jiu.

People say

your father is the God of w*r

who never loses a battle.

As long as Chu Ling is around,

the frontier will always be peaceful.

But he's just an ordinary man.

He got injured,

fell sick, and died.

Three years ago,

in the Battle of the Frontier River,

your father was shot by a poisoned arrow

and nearly lost his life.

At that time,

Jiu took out this pill.

The arrow has the Northern Desert's poison!

Any antidote?

The toxin is inside him.

I'll purge it first.

But General,

you must rest very well

instead of going to w*r again.

Otherwise,

the remaining toxin will spread all over

and you won't live.

The w*r is urgent.

It can't do without me.

No, General.

You're too weak

to go to w*r again.

I would rather die

on the b*ttlefield.

How could I just stay bedridden?

General.

General.

Secret elixir from the Xie Clan.

A pill can revive the dying.

Will you try it?

Where did you

get this pill?

From my brother,

before I left home.

He wouldn't harm me.

General,

let me test it.

There's no time for it.

As long as it works,

I will take it

even if it's poison.

Your father took it

as his last hope.

To save his life,

we had no choice

but to take that risk.

Anyway,

without Jiu's pill,

the General would have died that day.

I, Zhong Changrong,

swear on my life.

When Jiu offered the pill,

he told us his true identity

instead of hiding anything.

The General was almost dying,

and we had to take that risk.

Report!

Xie Yanlai is kneeling in public to beg for forgiveness.

Crowds have surrounded him.

It's utter chaos out there.

♪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♪