01x07 - Episode 7

[bunniefuu]

[A Dream Within A Dream]

[Episode 7]

We won't talk about that.

Ten years ago, in the battle with Dongshuo.



went against the 40,000 elite troops of Dongshuo.

Without Nan Heng leading the army

and take the enemy general's head,

we would have never made a
comeback after three months of defeats

and achieved ten years of peace at the border.

- What's wrong? - Warrior, listen to yourself.

- What is it? - That was so careless of Nan Heng.



He was supposed to strategize at the back

but he led the army and rushed in front instead.

Warrior Li, let me tell you.

Perhaps Nan Heng is...

He is...

Perhaps there's a problem with his head.

You're right.

He must be out of his mind.

Otherwise, why would I even be telling you this?

Pardon me? I didn't hear that.

Nothing.

I was just saying,

all the sympathy goes to others,

but all the blame falls on Nan Heng.

Miss Song, you really do have a sharp eye.

You're so...

I'm so discerning

as I see right through Nan Heng's nature. Right?

I know, I know.

Let me tell you, Warrior Li,

in this world,

no one knows Nan Heng

better than I do.

Well, now there's one more.

Guess who it is.

I'd rather not.

The Song Residence is here.

I hope we never see each other again.

Warrior Li! Wait!

Think about what I said!

Contact me once you've made a decision!

Ambitious and ruthless.

Cold-blooded.

Capable of every crime imaginable.

A traitor who frames the loyal,

and even harms women.

I can't believe that wicked
woman sees me as that vile!

"Ambitious and ruthless, cold-blooded,

capable of every crime
imaginable, traitor to the loyal..."

People have been saying that
for years. We're used to it now.

But Your Highness, when
have you ever harmed a woman?

Go to Fading River Moon and get me Shangguan He!

Yes, Your Highness.

I put my foot in my mouth again.

In His Highness' eyes, I don't even
measure up to that useless Shangguan.

Ouch! Ouch!

Are you trying to k*ll me?

Cousin! Cousin!

I came as soon as I heard!

What happened to you?

Weren't you supposed to be suppressing bandits?

How did you end up in this state?

Your Highness,

the Fading River Moon Guild

is not as simple as it seems.

Li Shi Liu?

The real Li Shi Liu?

You're so lucky, Young Lady!

What? Is he that famous?

Of course!

He's ranked first on the list of dream husbands

among all the unmarried women in the capital.

He's been neck and neck for
years with General Chu Gui Hong.

Rumor has it he's cold by
nature and rarely shows his face.

But today he actually showed up and saved you.

Could you be a destined couple from a past life,

with love running deep?

Stop right there.

Please turn off your romance brain for a second.

I rushed through the script too quickly.

I only focused on the main plot

and completely overlooked such a hot commodity.

Wait... What if he was not
originally in the script at all?

What if he is

an anomaly who exists independently of the script?

[Li Shi Liu]

What else do you know about his past?

Tell me everything now.

What's this?

"Rogue Heroes Almanac: Featuring Li Shi Liu."

He's got a whole character profile?

They actually publish these?

Well, I have to say,

Miss Song has a sharp tongue
and unorthodox perspectives.

She made all of His Highness'
military feats sound so worthless.

Nonsense!

His Highness merely had occasional missteps.

It wasn't even that many.

He got sabotaged by a traitor once,

ambushed by enemy scouts once,

supply lines cut once, burned once...

Those were youthful indiscretions.

Hold on, what are you implying?

You're saying His Highness isn't young anymore?

Don't twist my words!

His Highness is in his prime.

Sure, life's left some weathering,

a few wrinkles here and there,

but he can still do 80 pushups daily!

Stay on topic!

Your Highness, Mister Shangguan
doesn't understand court politics.

That's why I must speak plainly!

You've poured your heart
into building Fading River Moon

to secretly cultivate influence

and gather intel for our future plans.

This identity must remain absolutely hidden!

Even if you wish to use your Li Shi
Liu persona to ally with Miss Song,

there's no guarantee she won't
eventually uncover your secrets and plans.

And if Prince Nan Rui's
faction catches wind of this,

it'll be a disaster. There'll be no undoing it.

Fu Gui,

there is no such thing as something for nothing.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

That doesn't mean His Highness
should personally take the risk!

Let me ask you this,

do you have any way to break the
"system" Song Yi Meng claims exists?

Since you can't break it, you should use it.

Don't forget, you attacked Chu Gui Hong tonight.

How do you plan to clean up that mess?

Why would a rogue man suddenly

show up just to test your weapon?

Could it be

he's after your Duan Blade Technique?

Only one man cares about the technique.

Which is why I suspect

this Li Shi Liu might be working for Nan Heng.

That's bad news.

If that's true,

it means Heng has more cards
in his hand than we thought.

That's not all.

The bandit raid was supposed
to be a covert operation,

yet Li Shi Liu acted like he
knew about it ahead of time.

Your Highness,

I'm afraid

Nan Heng's spies may have infiltrated our ranks.

No way.

Don't scare me.

Your Highness, you're being overly cautious now.

This is all Nan Heng's fault.

He's making me paranoid.

Your Highness.

If Li Shi Liu really is Nan Heng's asset,

we can't ignore this threat.

Agreed. But the thing is we don't even know for sure

if he is holds that card.

I have a plan to find out.

But I'll need your help to carry it out.

Absolutely not!

His Highness is noble and dignified.

Why should he keep lowering himself
to curry favor with Song Yi Meng?

- But...
- Even if you break off her engagement with Chu Gui Hong,

the Song family wouldn't necessarily support us.

But if we just let the two families marry,

Warrior Li may lose the strategic advantage

before even obtaining the Duan Blade Technique.

Will you take responsibility for that?

I have no intention of waiting passively.

- Your Highness! - Shut up.

But Li Shi Liu is just a wandering rogue,

while Song Yi Meng is nobility bred.

Winning her affection won't be easy.

That's why you need to approach
her as a trusted friend instead.

Chu Gui Hong is his fiance,

he's bound to get jealous.

Once cracks start to show between them,

the relationship will eventually fall apart.

You want His Highness to demean himself

by playing matchbreaker?

Keep talking.

This booklet isn't entirely accurate.

The way I see it,

Li Shi Liu isn't just some ruthless swordsman.

He's actually quite kind-hearted.

At Fading River Moon, he's taken in
so many people who've lost their homes.

I saw it myself tonight.

Everyone there was nice.

Three years ago there was flooding.

Four years ago, w*r broke out.

Those tragedies happened because
of Nan Heng's political power grabs.

Song Yi Meng,

there's hope for you now.

You're saved!

- You're saved! - Young Lady, I don't get it.

What's not to get?

You see,

The Fading River Moon that Li Shi Liu built

has taken in the people who lost their homes

because of Nan Heng.

They must hate him.

No wonder Warrior Li kept asking me

questions about Nan Heng tonight.

So that's what it was.

He was testing where I stand,

seeing if I'm committed.

So what are you going to do next?

I'll pretend to work with her
under the guise of targeting myself.

With defeating Nan Heng as our goal,

we'll form a genuine alliance.

But what if Prince Nan Heng finds out?

What if she finds out your real identity?

Then we act first.

- k*ll her. - k*ll him.

Boss.

Here.

What is this?

The best way to win someone
over is with a handwritten letter.

Pour all your sincerity onto the page.

It works like a charm on women.

I don't have time for this.

Well, I do.

Don't let my laziness fool you,

I've got many love poems ready at all times up here.

You?

Fine. Do whatever you want.

Don't worry.

Just leave it to me.

It can't go wrong.

Young Lady!

Li Shi Liu...

Li Shi Liu has sent you a letter.

Li Shi Liu?

Dear Miss Song, I hope this letter finds you well.

The capital is in full bloom this season,

and I find myself thinking
often of our last meeting.

I've composed this humble
verse to convey my longing.

Spring brings flowers, autumn the moon,

but your face eclipses both soon.

Like paired candles, mated birds,

this lovesick fool aches for your words.

Ew.

We haven't even been apart that long,

Why have you turned so corny?

Warrior Li, stop reading
those trashy romance books.

It will mess with your head.

It's bad for your mental and physical health.

Guys!

Order from Master He!

We're compiling all the
trendiest tropes into a handbook

to craft the perfect
hot-strong-pitiful backstory for Boss!

- Let me hear it! - Hot! Strong! Pitiful!

No woman in the world can resist

a man who's hot and strong with a pitiful story.

If she does,

then clearly, he's not hot enough,

not strong enough, and not pitiful enough.

Guys, come on.

This isn't good enough. Copy this one instead.

Come on, leave that stack of books there.

"A Millennial's Lament: Li Shi
Liu's 99 Near-Death Escapes."

Now that's hot, strong and tragic.

Losing his father at three,
and then his mother at five...

His only beloved dog abandoned him.

Self-taught martial arts,

only to have all his meridians shattered,

and then rise again from the ashes?

When did I ever go through any of this?

- I... - It gets even more ridiculous.

You were stabbed 128 times,

buried in an ancient well, and
crawled back to life 100 days later!

I was just trying to help Li...

To help you.

Hot, strong, pitiful?

This is nonsense!

Serves you right.

I hope this letter finds you well.

The capital swirls with rumors these days,

vicious enough to ruin a man's name.

Though I lack the means to clear my name,

knowing one true friend like
yourself is consolation enough.

Such petty slander isn't worth mentioning.

I've heard the power struggles
at court have intensified.

With General Chu preoccupied
by his imperial guard duties,

he may struggle to attend to your well-being.

If you do not mind,

you are always welcome at Fading River Moon

to share conversation and ease your solitude.

What's Song Yi Meng playing at now?

Your Highness, they might be poisoned.

Let Mister Shangguan try them first.

I'll shut up.

What do you think?

Your Highness, looks like Song Yi Meng

has taken the bait.

Your Highness, Prince Nan Rui has sent you a letter.

"Let us meet tomorrow at the Hour of the Goat,

at the Fading River Moon Guild Hall."

Has Prince Nan Rui just grown guts?

He is actually asking to see you outside the palace.

Chu Gui Hong just clashed with you
at Fading River Moon a few days ago.

And now Nan Rui extends an invitation?

This is interesting.

Amateur scheming.

The audacity of him to drag Rui into this.

- Are you going tomorrow? - Of course.

A chance like this doesn't come twice.

Ever since his release,

His Majesty returned his father's
belongings to the Qianyu Residence,

saying it was "returning them to their owner."

But in truth, it's a veiled threat to you.

He thinks that heirloom gives him an edge.

Then I'll make sure those wings
of his are clipped down to the bone.

Looks like Hu's nimble fingers

might finally come in handy.

If we get our hands on that thing,

we might crack the secret
of the Duan Blade Technique.

Will someone please explain
what you're talking about?

Qianyu Zhanyue Blade.

What?

- This way, please. - Wow, it's so eye-opening!

This way, please.

Bravo!

You got this. You got this.

Sir.

Go.

Didn't you hear him?

He asked you to go.

Guys,

let's move out.

Miss Song?

What is Miss Song doing here?

Listen up,

when we enter that hall later,

be mindful of your behavior.

No loud voices.

We don't want to scare our future Madam Chu.

General Chu's happiness rests in our hands now.

- Is that clear? - Yes, sir!

Place your bets!

Last chance to bet! Don't miss out!

Everyone can play.

No limits here!

Closing soon! Bets closing!

Hu.

Hu.

You're here, Lady Boss.

What a trouble.

Is your boss around?

Boss?

Didn't Boss say he wouldn't be around today?

He...

Is he around?

Why did you

invite me here today?

Why?

Oh, right. Why exactly?

This Fading River Moon Guild
is quite famous in the capital.

Have you ever been here before?

What about you?

Well, I...

Hang on, I asked you first.

You should answer.

I'm the elder brother. You answer first.

Hang on now...

You're not following proper etiquette.

I never follow proper etiquette.

[Bravery]

W-What are you doing?

What are you doing?

What is this?

Do you see me as some vicious beast?

Why are you so afraid of me?

Could it be that this invitation today

was someone else's idea?

Nonsense! I...

I... I was just practicing calligraphy.

Besides, I am Jing's chosen blessing!

Why would I ever be afraid of you?

Good.

You can always share your
troubles with me directly.

Don't let yourself

be led around by others.

T-There's no one doing that.

My lady, this is the first floor of the guild,

the Moonview Hall.

Mind the steps.

Why is it called Moonview?

Because it's our main business floor.

There's gambling, trading,
music, dancing, dining.

Everything you can think of.

It's also where the boss

and the Night Wandering Gods hold meetings.

Now, head up these steps
and you'll reach the second floor.

That one's even more interesting.

Come along, my lady.

- Coming!
- This is the second floor, the Moongaze Hall.

It has guest rooms, private booths,

and elegant chambers for quiet meetings.

Whenever Boss negotiates
big deals, it's always here.

- Look over there. - Slow down.

This is the third floor, Moonvault Hall.

Top secret Night Wandering Gods meeting spot.

Ordinary people can't come up here.

I'm very ordinary.

- Then I guess I don't need to see it. - Wait, wait.

You're one of us now.

Go ahead, take a good look around.

Look! That over there is the intel
room. Top-level confidentiality.

- Let me tell you, outsiders aren't...
- Please stop.

Hu, there's really no need to go into such detail.

I'm not that curious.

That won't do!

You're going to be our lady boss one day.

You have to know all this.

The more you know, the sooner you die.

But Hu,

you've been taking me on this tour for an hour.

When am I actually going to meet your boss?

Master He said

that you must fully understand
how Night Wandering Gods operate,

and that you must feel at home first.

Let me show you the fourth floor now.

This here is the fourth floor,

Moonkeep Hall.

From here, you can overlook
the entire Fading River Moon.

Look!

This is the empire Boss built just for you.

Might as well say he built me a whole fish pond.

Besides that,

there's also a secret underwater level,

the Moonveil Hall.

But that one's Boss's private domain.

None of us really know what goes on down there.

But don't worry, my lady,

there are absolutely no women.

Long, come!

We're doomed!

Miss Song is insisting on seeing Boss.

I don't think she'll leave until
she sees him today, you know?

I barely managed to steer her to the VIP room!

What is Boss even doing today?

Why is he unavailable?

No idea.

Can't you at least help me find him?

Remember Master He's order earlier?

He told us Nan Heng is at Fading River Moon today,

and we're to keep a low profile
and not make any rash moves.

We've got guests.

Move! Move!

What's going on? What are these people trying to do?

Let's get out of here.

We're Qianyu Army! Here to make an arrest!

No one is leaving!

What are they doing?

- What's going on? - I don't know.

I don't know.

What are they trying to do?

Get up there! Walk!

Stand still! All of you, stand still!

Officer, sir,

might I ask who you're looking to arrest today?

Who is that? I don't recognize him.

Never seen him before.

Nan Rui.

If you keep eating,

I won't even be able to see you anymore.

Even if I stopped, you still wouldn't see me.

Who is it?

Come in!

Greetings, Your Highnesses.

Well, if it isn't Rong Hua.

What brings you here?

Your Highness,

I'm here with the Qianyu Army to make an arrest.

I ran into Ji Xiang on the way

and learned that both of you were here, so...

I've come to greet you.

Who are you arresting?

The head of Fading River Moon, Li Shi Liu.

What does Li Shi Liu look like?

What exactly did he do,

to have you mobilize such
a force just to capture him?

There's been a series of
thefts involving military weapons.

We suspect it's the work of
the Night Wandering Gods,

so we set a trap to lure them out.

And sure enough, just less than two hours ago,

someone showed up.

It was Li Shi Liu himself.

And yet with all your men,

you haven't caught him?

He's incredibly cunning.

Even when surrounded by dozens,

he managed to slip away and fled here.

However,

he's seriously wounded and can't move fast.

I suspect he's hiding somewhere in this guild.

We're interrogating two of his men.

Do let us know when you catch him!

Yes, Your Highness.

I'll take my leave now.

So Li Shi Liu is hiding in the guild.

Aren't you afraid?

No.

And that would be a lie!

A murderous rogue is in the same building as me.

Oh, I'm terrified!

Call Ji Xiang in here then.

Ji Xiang?

He, um...

He... He has a gambling problem.

He's off gambling.

Now that's odd.

Ji Xiang never leaves your side.

Why is it today of all days

that he leaves you alone to meet with me?

He...

I...

You...

How about some sunflower seeds?

We're not doing anything right now anyway.

When the time comes, I'll
disguise myself as Li Shi Liu,

barge into your room,

and pretend to collapse due to injuries.

Ooh, exciting!

And then?

Then you will rush over as if to check on me,

and pretend to remove my mask.

If Li Shi Liu really serves Nan Heng,

Nan Heng will definitely stop you.

Ah, I get it!

If Heng stops me,

I can report him to Father.

That'll give Father a reason to investigate him

and Night Wandering Gods, right?

His Majesty believes you to be honest
and pure-hearted, never one to lie.

He'll believe you for sure.

But what if Heng doesn't stop me?

I can't actually unmask you
and let him see your face, can I?

If Nan Heng doesn't interfere,

I'll just pretend to regain
consciousness and make a quick exit.

Your only task is to stall Nan Heng then.

I'm not sure I can stall him.

Don't worry.

Ji Xiang and Rong Hua will be
waiting outside to back me up.

But what if there's nothing
between Heng and Li Shi Liu?

After all that effort,

it'd be a complete waste. That's just...

If Li Shi Liu isn't Nan Heng's asset,

we can turn the situation to our advantage.

We'll make him your asset.

But...

How can we do that?

I'll bring contraband military
gear into Fading River Moon.

After I leave,

Rong Hua will lead a raid

and find the stash.

You're going to frame them!

Please calm down and hear me out.

Once the weapons are discovered,

there's bound to be a clash between
Qianyu Army and Night Wandering Gods.

That's when you step in to mediate
and de-escalate the situation.

Then,

Li Shi Liu will be grateful, and
far more willing to work for you.

From there, you can persuade him

and Night Wandering Gods to
pledge his loyalty and serve the court.

General, Rong Hua just left the room. You can go now.

Are you waiting for someone?

No! No one! I was just waiting for you to talk first.

Then why did you keep staring that way?

Who are you?

He seems unconscious.

He looks just like the man from the portrait.

That's Li Shi Liu!

Really?

Don't be afraid, Heng. I'm here.

I'm going to take off his mask

and find out who he really is!

Wait.

Aren't you going to call for help?

Call for help?

Rong Hua and Qianyu Army are right outside.

Call them in to arrest him.

If you're too scared to do it,

I'll go.

No, wait! Just wait!

Stop underestimating me now.

You think I'm scared of an unconscious man?

I'm going to see his true face with my own eyes today!

Heng,

I'm going over. Don't you dare stop me.

By all means, go on.

I'm really going now.

I'm going to take off his mask now.

Too slow.

What did you say?

I said you're too slow. Hurry up.

Alright!

I'm getting really close now.

Taking off his mask...

What are you trying to do?

You're trying to stop me, aren't you!

If you won't take it off,

I will.

Get in here!

Sir,

does that broad-shouldered,
thick-waisted attendant named Fu Gui

serve you?

What about him?

His temper is just too fiery.

He just offended a court
official's eldest daughter.

Your immediate intervention is required.

Eldest daughter?

Didn't I tell you to handle it properly?

Why is Song Yi Meng here?

I wrote those letters to get her here for your sake.

How was I supposed to know
she'd choose today to visit?

Let me help you.

- Hey... - I got this.

It's stuck.

My precious hair!

One more word, I'll shave
you bald and make you a monk.

What is taking General so long?

What is taking him so long?

It's not like there's traffic in ancient times.

Why...

What is Meng doing here?

Fruit Hero, you're finally here!

You guys sure are something.

You just had to climb through
windows when you could've used doors.

Guess boys will always be boys.

How does she know Li Shi Liu?

Why are you avoiding me?

We've met before,

no need to act like a stranger now.

Fruit Hero?

Could Meng be having an affair with Li Shi Liu?

No, that's impossible. She won't.

Miss Song.

Warrior Li, what's with your voice today?

Did you catch a cold?

I heard you were betrothed to
the young master of the Chu family.

Why are you

being so familiar with me?

Oh, sorry. I forgot you're ancient.

No touching between unmarried men and women.

I get it.

Since you're here,

let's get to business.

I'll pour you some tea.

Come, have a seat.

Miss Song.

Boss is here to see you.

Miss Song.

You...

Did you just teleport?

Teleport?

And your voice is good now?

So, I'll let you talk. Please excuse me then.

Where are you going?

How did that happen?

So...

Miss Song, what brings you here today?

I've had a lot of free time lately,

so I brought you a little something.

Thank you. That's very kind.

But I've got something urgent to attend to.

Let's talk next time.

Warrior Li!

Why are you suddenly

so cold to me?

When was I ever warm to you?

Didn't you write in your letter

that Chu Gui Hong was too busy to keep me company,

and that I could always stop by the guild

when I was lonely?

I did say that.

Feel free to stay as long as you like.

I really do have urgent
business now. I'll see you later.

No!

I've got something even more important.

I want to have a serious conversation with you

about Nan Heng.

Nan Heng?

[Master and servant share a
deep bond. Fu Gui was here.]

Master and servant share a deep bond.

But His Highness just told me to get lost.

I know...

Nan Heng is a prince, after all.

In your world,

people must instinctively fear him.

But Warrior Li,

think about this,

what if one day,

Prince Nan Heng and Prince Nan Rui's feud

plunges the realm into chaos?

What do we do then?

Taking down a prince is no simple matter.

I need to know, what cards do you hold?

Song Yu De is my father.

Chu Gui Hong is my fiance.

Isn't that enough?

Meng wants me to ally with
Li Shi Liu against Nan Heng?

I need to know your full plan.

If you have no foolproof strategy,

I'm not going to risk my men's lives.

Please excuse me.

The Lantern Festival!

On the fifteenth day of the lunar month,

the capital will host a grand celebration.

Every citizen in the city will be there.

That's when

Nan Heng will strike.

He'll plunge the city into flames.

Countless will die.

Warrior Li,

if you trust me,

help me stop him.

What do you say?

The Lantern Festival

is held every year.

Lanterns are lit, the people pray for blessings.

It's just an ordinary event.

Why are you so certain Nan Heng will strike?

It's precisely because the festival is so ordinary

that it makes the perfect cover
for him to eliminate political rivals

and consolidate power.

The palace guards were severely punished?

[Four hours ago]

His Majesty's repeated decrees
of blame aren't coincidental.

It seems he intends to hand over palace defense

to Chu Gui Hong as well.

When that happens, the entire capital and palace

will be under the control of Chu
Gui Hong and Prince Nan Rui.

He's only held his post for less than ten days.

To promote him further,

he'll need one notable achievement.

The Lantern Festival!

If he's put in charge of the festival's security,

and the event goes smoothly,
it would make his promotion...

Inevitable.

Warrior Li,

I know you have doubts.

But this really isn't just any ordinary matter.

If we don't stop Nan Heng,

not only Chu Gui Hong,

many innocent civilians will suffer!

Warrior Li,

you have a compassionate heart for the people.

Are you really going to stand by and do nothing?

I haven't even made a plan yet,

yet Song Yi Meng knows so much.

Could it be she and Chu Gui Hong
are plotting chaos to frame me?

Then handing the credit for solving
it to him as a political achievement?

Warrior Li,

think carefully.

Has Nan Heng not committed
enough evil over the years?

If

What holds you back

is fear of going against a prince,

I can bring Chu Gui Hong in to join us.

The three of us will take down Nan Heng together!