01x20 - Episode 20

[bunniefuu]

= Dominion and Devotion =

= Episode 20 =

[Zhuo's Mansion]

Master, the people from the palace

turned our mansion upside down.

They are audacious beyond measure.

You must teach these
blind fools a good lesson.

Your Majesty, don't worry.

Master Pei's injuries
have not reached his vitals.

He will recover shortly.

You may leave.

Your Majesty,

everyone is here.

Got it.

Your Majesty,

Li Changjia's confession
has been read without omission.

Qian Ming,

do you admit guilt?

Your Majesty,

[Qian Ming, Minister of Personnel/Chief Examiner]
Li Changjia is falsely implicating me.

Imperial exams are our nation's foundation.

I wouldn't dare rig it even
if I died countless times.

Fine.

Do you think

you need not confess with the witness dead?

I

will let make you convinced.

Guards.

Summon Ding Shanwen.

Greetings,

Your Majesty.

[Ding Shanwen, Son of Vice Minister
of the Imperial Granary]

Aren't...

Aren't you dead?

You're quite informed, aren't you?

I anticipated that you
would k*ll the witness.

So, I selected a death row inmate

to take his place.

Your Majesty,

I...

I...

I'm willing to report Qian Ming

for selling imperial exam questions

and to expose other examinees
involved in buying the questions.

I only beg Your Majesty

for a lighter sentence.

Heed my orders.

Beat Li Changjia, Right Chief Censor,

to death.

Remove Qian Ming's duty
as Hanlin Academician

and beat him to death.

Ding Shanwen

bribed important ministers

and harmed imperial exams' fairness.

But he's meritorious for reporting.

He shall take 30 strokes.

And he's not allowed

to take the imperial exams.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty,

spare me!

Your Majesty!

Zhuo Shangxian

embezzled state funds,
formed factions for personal gain,

and disturbed the court order.

Strip him of the title of Supreme Master.

Remove his duty as Imperial Advisor.

Take back Tiger Tally
of Huting Army from him.

Confine him for fault reflecting
to serve as a deterrent to others.

That's all with the punishments.

It is time to reward based on merit.

Ministers,

what do you think of Luo Wenjing?

Your Majesty,

Luo Wenjing is Huiyuan of this year.

He could have stood by and done nothing.

But he risked his career and life

to seek fairness for all scholars.

He took risks to make an imperial appeal.

He has a righteous spirit.

Having him is truly a blessing for this country.

In my opinion,

Your Majesty should
promote him exceptionally

and entrust him with key duties.

Since this is the case.

I'll promote Luo Wenjing exceptionally.

From today onwards,

he will join the Censorate

as the censor.

Thank you,

Your Majesty, for your great favor.

But I have something to say.

What?

She is actually a woman?

This is a crime of deceiving the emperor.

How could a woman take the imperial exams?

This is unlucky.

My real name is Luo Wenxi.

I took the exams
with my elder brother's name.

Here I confess to Your Majesty.

Your Majesty, in my opinion,

Luo Wenjing exposed
the Imperial Advisor's crimes,

but deceiving Your Majesty
is an unforgivable crime.

She should be disqualified as Huiyuan
and be severely punished

to serve as a deterrent to others.

Who said she deceived me?

She told me about it

when she first met me.

Moreover, such a brave and astute person

with both virtue and talent

should not be punished.

Rather, I want to heavily employ her.

I'll appoint her as an official in the court

to help me govern.

Well...

Your Majesty,

this is unacceptable.

It's against the norms and laws.

Oh?

Tell me.

Which law of this country does it violate?

Well...

Since the law doesn't forbid it,
why can't it be done?

Your Majesty,

no woman has ever held
an official position before.

How can women be involved in state affairs?

Moreover, women usually stay in their boudoir.

Even if they read a few books,

what ability do they have to govern the country?

Is it so?

But before Luo Wenxi
revealed herself as a woman,

you gentlemen

were full of praise for her,

saying that she was
a blessing to Great Ning.

Now, with just a change of gender,

everything is no longer acceptable.

Aren't you

ashamed?

Starting from this year,

Great Ning's imperial exams
will not consider the background

or gender.

Anyone with the will can serve the country.

My decision is final.

Anyone who dares to oppose

will be severely punished.

I, Luo Wenxi, thank you for Your Majesty's grace

on behalf of all women in this country.

Your Majesty,

why did you help me?

You want to know why?

That's right.

I

am indeed a woman.

You are now holding my biggest secret.

Anything you want to say?

I've offended Your Majesty.

I am guilty.

You're not guilty.

I only know

since Your Majesty ascended,
you've fought the Imperial Advisor

and fought for the people's land.

And with the initiation
of women in imperial exams,

countless women are provided
with new livelihoods.

In my heart,

Your Majesty is a wise ruler.

I am willing to give my all for Your Majesty
and assist with all my might.

When I first saw you,

it was like seeing myself.

I

am a woman.

But to survive,

I was forced to become a puppet emperor.

The hardships I endured

are beyond words.

What I admire most about you

is your courage

to do what you know is impossible.

You once said

that state pillars
are not divided by gender.

This

is also my long-cherished wish.

Therefore,

by helping you today,

I was also helping myself.

I still need more people like you

to help me cleanse the corruption.

Together,

we can bring light back
to this chaotic world.

I will go all out

for this matter.

This is the mark of innovation,

the Bloom Order.

I hereby appoint you as a special envoy.

You shall secretly

and gradually

pass the secret order on my behalf.

From the nobles, officials,
generals, and soldiers

to peddlers, menial servants,

butchers, and farmers,
all who will obey this order

and side with me

are welcomed

by me with open arms

and sincere gratitude

to create a bright future together with me.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Well done.

I heard it was quite a scene in the court.

What are you thinking?

Last night, I led people
to Zhuo's Mansion to find Auntie.

We searched all over but couldn't find her.

Only a chess set

was left in Auntie's room.

[Auntie]

[is playing a game called mutual destruction.]

But she solved the endgame long ago.

It needs no mutual destruction, but

sacrificing the pawn to save the queen.

Auntie is telling me

to give up on her.

Zhuo Shangxian is using her
as a survival bargaining chip.

She should be safe.

Jinyi,

I am now worried...

Naturally,

a coup.

That he will rebel.

The imperial city
has 20,000 Huting soldiers.

How can he rebel?

As a long-time operator,

he must have hidden strength.

Pass my word.

Lying in wait for countless days,

you shall rise for one command.

Yes.

If he truly has hidden forces,

he will surely act in these few days.

If they move,

the road they'll take to the imperial city

is right here.

Zhuo Shangxian is cunning.

What if they are not an army

but 3,000 diehards
who can scatter and go stealthy?

Such a troop need not be kept
outside the city.

They can be in the city.

Or what if

they're right in the palace?

What if I place my chess piece here?

When is the best time for you to attack?

Where have you hidden Auntie?

Honey, if you do not act,

I will start to doubt

my assumptions.

What assumptions?

A storm is coming.

Tension fills the air.

Something big must have happened outside.

I guessed it myself.

You suddenly locked me in this dungeon.

If it weren't for something big,
why would you move me,

a life-saving piece?

With someone like you teaching him,

no wonder he grew up to be like this.

I find this endgame quite interesting.

Why don't you tell me

how to solve it?

Your wisdom doesn't lose to mine.

Anyway, there is nothing to do.

Why not continue playing chess

with me?

Shift change.

♪ Candle lights the halls
through springs and autumns ♪

♪ Love and hate are written in a few strokes ♪

♪ Imperishable ♪

♪ Bloodstained vows with a touch of tenderness ♪

♪ Fate is written by the universe ♪

♪ Unending ♪

♪ Heaven falls ♪

♪ No concern for cause and effect ♪

♪ On the throne ♪

♪ Is it a shackle ♪

♪ Locking you and me up ♪

♪ Break through the wind and clouds ♪

♪ A dream lasts a lifetime.
The world has changed ♪

♪ One step forward, gaze back at the youth ♪

♪ At a glance, all beings bow their heads ♪

♪ I'm in the midst of chaos ♪

♪ At the end of the night ♪

♪ Having the loneliest dream in this world ♪

♪ Move on ♪

♪ Don't look back ♪