01x21 - Episode 21

[bunniefuu]

♪ From our first sight to your fading face ♪

♪ Fleeting fate, like a dream we can't embrace ♪

♪ Who squandered that heart-fluttering chase? ♪

♪ Only a silhouette is left ♪

♪ The ripples of time, interwoven ♪

♪ Flowing through my palm ♪

♪ Leaving deep wounds behind ♪

♪ I gaze out, through mist and rain ♪

♪ But cannot attain your horizon ♪

♪ Worldly charm fades in comparison ♪

♪ To your sweetest words ♪

♪ Wind on my cheek ♪

♪ Stirs up tangled thoughts ♪

♪ I can't let go ♪

= Money is Coming =

= Episode 21 =

Her Grace has arrived.

Princess Yuexi,
I didn't know you were coming.

Sorry for failing to greet you earlier.

Mr. Zhao, you're too polite.

I came unannounced.
Sorry for disturbing you.

Not at all.

You're too kind, Your Grace.

My visit is concerning the plague.

To be honest, Your Grace,

after I received your message,

I had physicians confirm the plague

and immediately reported it to the court.

But Yizhou is far from the capital,

so I haven't received any orders.

But the people are still gathering together,

and the plague will only spread worse.

Yizhou lies deep in Jiangnan,

with few soldiers stationed.

If the people learn about the plague,

and a riot occurs,

we won't be able to contain it.

But Mr. Zhao, do you know
that it's not just Yizhou?

If the plague spreads out of the city
during the wait for orders,

and affects other regions,

it won't just be a riot to worry about.

His Highness has said seeing this seal is
as if seeing him in person.

But do you still recognize this seal?



[is merely marrying Princess Yuexi
to forge an alliance.]

[Didn't expect him to trust her this much,]

[and even gave her his private seal.]

Please instruct, Your Grace.

I will act upon your orders.

The priority is to seal Yizhou's city gates

to prevent the plague from spreading out.

Your Grace, it's too late for that.

I have just received news

that the city gates have already
been sealed from the outside.

Currently, no one can get out

of Yizhou.

This fast?

From the capital to Yizhou,

it'd take at least ten days to deliver a message

whether by courier at top speed

or by pigeon posts.

The news of the lockdown arrived today,

which means at least ten days ago,

the capital knew of the Yizhou plague.

Back then, Yizhou had just begun

seeing more funerals.

Is this foresight from someone

or could this plague
have been a premeditated scheme?

The others have also been delivered.

Sir, the citizens

somehow learned about the plague
and are now gathering at the quarantine site,

demanding to leave the city.

The guards threaten to k*ll them
if they attempt to leave.

We can barely hold them back.

Let us out! We want to leave!

- We want to leave the city!
- We want to leave!

Let us out!

Yizhou has a population
of tens of thousands.

If a riot is caused by the plague,

even the garrison of three cities
may not be able to hold it off.

Please dispatch troops
for preemptive suppression.

In my view, plagues have always

resulted in many deaths.

This is a natural disaster,
not something humans can cure.

To prevent further spread and casualties,
Yizhou must be sealed off completely.

No one should be allowed to leave the city.

Yizhou lies in the heart of Jiangnan,
and is flourishing in trade.

With ample farmlands and a large population,

if the city is abandoned,
corpses will pile up,

farmlands will go untended,

and trade will be neglected.

This will be a devastating loss
for our dynasty.

In critical times,
one must cut their losses.

Even if the cost is significant,

but it can

ensure the safety of citizens
in nearby counties.

Moreover, with the plague rampant in Yizhou,

who would dare

to enter the city for aid?

Who says no one will?

His Majesty is wise.

I'd like to see which ill-intentioned people

dares to abandon my homeland.

I have fulfilled my mission.

Beiqiong's commander has withdrawn.

Only a small garrison remains to guard the border,

and they no longer pose a threat.

We've won a landslide victory!

Good! You have worked hard.

I will reward you generously.

I only did my duty.

On my way back to the capital,
I heard about Yizhou's severe plague.

My heart was uneasy, so I rushed here

and didn't have time to change.
I beg your forgiveness.

No matter.

It's natural for you
to worry about your family.

Why should there be any guilt in that?

Since you have returned,

do you have any countermeasures
for the plague in Yizhou?

Your Majesty, I believe we must
station heavy troops for defense.

This will prevent the spread of the plague

and riots among the citizens.

But Yizhou cannot be abandoned.

If Yizhou is abandoned,
the people will live in fear

and riots may arise.

If Yizhou is expendable,
then any city can be abandoned.

If this precedent is set

and the plague spreads uncontrollably,

then we won't be able to save anyone

or protect a single city.

The loss will be enormous.

Your Majesty, please do not do that.

That's easy for you to say.

The plague in Yizhou is rampant and severe.

How many people are willing
to risk their lives

to enter the city and provide assistance?

I am willing to go.

But you alone will not suffice.

If we are to send people,
we must dispatch reinforcements.

But the troops are stationed
far away at the borders.

The royal guards need to
protect His Majesty's safety.

They cannot be mobilized lightly.

I have returned victorious this time.

I granted leave to the Northern Frontier troops
who've long been away from home.

They're now stationed outside the city

and I have not disbanded them yet.

How many did you bring?

Fifty thousand.

You brought troops into the capital
without permission.

Are you deaf?

I merely granted leave to the soldiers
to accompany me back to the capital.

And I hastily came to meet His Majesty,

so they haven't been disbanded yet.

You've just returned from the frontline.

You should rest for a while.

The situation in Yizhou is still unclear.

You absolutely must not risk your life.

How about this,

I'll send another man to lead
your elite soldiers to provide aid.

What do you think?

This...

I'm willing to go in place of Prince Ning.

You are the Crown Prince.

How can you risk your life?

Precisely because I'm the Crown Prince,

I must take responsibility
for the well-being of all citizens.

Yizhou is not only home to my beloved,

but also tens of thousands of our citizens.

[Very well, entrusting the troops
to the Crown Prince]

[leaves Prince Ning with nothing to contest.]

In that case,

you may lead the elite soldiers

and head to Yizhou for disaster relief.

Yes.

Thanks to your letter,
I was able to bring back so many soldiers

so Yizhou won't become an isolated city.

I still owe my thanks to Her Grace.

Since Chuxi thinks so highly of you,

I will speak frankly.

Please speak.

I will deal with these
troublemakers in the capital.

But you must promise

to bring Chuxi back safely from Yizhou.

Please rest assured,
I will protect her with my life.

Good.

Let us out!

Why are you stopping us?

Your Grace, though the city gates are sealed,
I have a way to get you out.

You may get me out alone,
but can you take the entire Ning family out?

Let us out! We want to leave!

Let us out!

We're leaving!

Let us out!

- The magistrate is here!
- The magistrate is here!

Mr. Zhao, why is Yizhou sealed off?

There's a plague here,
and you won't let us flee?

Has the court abandoned us?

Let me out! I don't want to die here!

Are you trying to k*ll us?

We want to leave the city!

Everyone!

Everyone!

Please listen to me!

Yizhou is sealed off to prevent
the plague from spreading

and to ensure the safety
of many more people.

The court's aid is already on its way.

It will arrive soon.

For now, everyone must
cooperate with the authorities

and reduce gatherings

to prevent the plague
from infecting more people.

You're lying! The soldiers said
those who leave will be k*lled.

You're clearly trying to trap us to death.

You don't care about us at all!

- Let us out! - Yes, exactly.

Let us out!

The nobles have already fled the city,

leaving us poor commoners behind.

You clearly disregard human lives!

That's right, they disregard human lives!

I am still in the city.

Before today, no outsiders

were aware of the plague.

It's utter nonsense to say

people left beforehand.

Mr. Zhao, are you saying

you knew Yizhou had the plague,
and deliberately hid it from us commoners?

I think you're deliberately pretending to stay

to deceive us commoners!

Those rich people have all fled!

Let us out! We want to leave!

Did you bring many people today?

Not many.

But I just saw in the crowd quite a few people
from the Crown Prince's Residence.

They're probably sent
by His Highness from the capital

and were blocked here
as soon as they entered the city.

Inform all guards and soldiers
of the Ning's Residence

to come to the city gate
immediately to maintain order.

With the guards just arrived,

it should be able to stop
the citizens for a short while

and prevent them
from rushing out of the city.

Can you single him out
directly from the crowd?

He looks unfamiliar,
not like a Yizhou local,

and wasn't seen among the infected.

Understood, Your Grace.

- Let us out! - Out! Out!

What's going on?
Why are you arresting people?

I've seen you at Xiao Xu's residence.

That's impossible.
You couldn't have found out.

m*rder! m*rder! m*rder!

Everyone, don't be incited
and deceived by this villain!

Leave quickly to avoid getting hurt.

The soldiers stationed outside said

anyone leaving the city
will be k*lled without mercy.

Didn't you want to leave?

I just gave him a hand,

see if he could leave the city alive.

Mr. Zhao stopped you
because he's afraid you'll seek death.

Do you think just because
you're many in number,

the soldiers outside
won't be able to stop you?

Are you sure you want to risk your lives

fighting against those

armed soldiers outside?

Then tell us, what should we do?

We'll die anyway.

What do you want us to do? Right?

Isn't that right? Everyone, isn't it?

Let us out!

Who said staying in the city means death?

This plague is not incurable.

The physicians and doctors
are working on treatments.

If you fall ill after leaving,

which doctor would dare to treat you then?

And which doctor

is more familiar with the cure
than the doctors in this city?

Furthermore, the court's aid
is already on the way.

If you follow the officials' arrangements,

you won't get infected

and your life won't be at risk.

Who are you?

How can you guarantee

that the court's sending reinforcements
and not here to trap and k*ll us?

Exactly!

All the wealthy people have already fled.

That's right!

How do we know if this is true?

Exactly!

This...

I am Princess Yuexi,
the sole daughter of Prince Ning,

and the Crown Princess.

As long as I remain in this city,

and as long as my father
and fiance are alive,

no one dares to abandon Yizhou.

- Princess Yuexi? - The Crown Princess?

Is this real? Have you seen
Princess Yuexi before?

♪ Just a glance, and the world ♪

♪ Becomes no longer bright ♪

♪ Unknowingly, we're bound ♪

♪ By a thread of red ♪

♪ Let's face the world's perils together ♪

♪ Before petals fall, fall in love again ♪

♪ Like the wind entwining with you ♪

♪ Crossed through the vast lands ♪

♪ And the crowds ♪

♪ In this life, deep feelings
can't fit in a short letter ♪

♪ After all the world's splendor I've seen ♪

♪ Your face is what I love the most ♪

♪ All the memories ♪

♪ Are flashing back ♪

♪ Whether forever or just a moment ♪

♪ What remains is called longing ♪

♪ Wishing to be by your side, for eternity ♪