01x02 - Episode 2

[bunniefuu]

It has all been dealt with?

Yes.

We went to all that trouble
to stage that assassination

and still learned nothing.

Still learned nothing?

You mean you still think
Chu's amnesia is feigned?

Your Majesty.

I am only concerned
that Lady Chu may remember nothing now.

But that does not mean

she won't suddenly remember it one day
because of some trigger.

If she regains her memory
after becoming Yanbei's Queen,

then for you and all Yanbei,
it will be a disaster.

Then what would you have me do?

k*ll her to end the threat for good?

Your Majesty.

- Everything I have done...
- Enough.

This ends here.

Su.

The Queen has only just woken.

She has lost most of her memory.

What should be said, and what should not,

you ought to know well enough.

I understand.

[Episode 2]

Waiting for me here so late...

Is something the matter?

Your plan was no use at all.

After a whole day of hassle,

playing Moon Guards in an assassination,

then bringing out Zhuge Yue's corpse,

Chu Qiao did not give a thing away.

I fear this time,
she truly remembers nothing.

She remembers nothing,

and you should count yourself fortunate,
General Cheng.

If Chu Qiao remembers how
you used her to k*ll Zhuge Yue

and wiped out her Xiuli Army,

then, given her nature,
your days in the army will be hard.

If she truly remembers nothing,

she will soon wed Yan Xun.

Then your Helian tribe's and your dream
of becoming the Queen of Yanbei

is about to come to nothing.

You summoned me here in the dead of night.

Surely it was not merely to mock me.

[He Lian Ling, Female official of Yanbei]

Speak.

What is it you want?

I only thought her old friends,

those people from the Datong Guild,

wouldn't want her to return to Yanbei
and become queen

any more than any of us would.

There is much I cannot do within the army.

There are certain matters

for which I must trouble you to go yourself,
Lady Helian.

Elders of the tribes,

even as you stand by and watch General Huan

and my 20,000 Black Eagle soldiers
fall at Meilin Pass,

you still refuse to come to our aid?

[Great Yong b*ttlefield, Yanbei]

[General Huan Huan]
[Head of the Snow Region tribe, Yanbei]

Your Majesty. Today,

not only will my Gelin tribe send no troops,
[Gelin Elder, Leader of Gelin tribe, Yanbei]

the Lanchuan tribe here
and the Hongchuan tribe

will not send troops either.

Our cavalry is meant to protect
Great Yan's people and land,

not for your Yan family to use for revenge!

General Huan, General Cheng is here.

General Cheng has brought reinforcements.

If the Black Eagle Army and General Huan

died in battle at Meilin Pass
because of this,

then the one who k*lled them would not be me,

it would be you, Your Majesty.

General Cheng, how many men have you brought?

So none of the tribes
will send aid any longer?

Apart from the main Black Eagle force

and the warriors of our Snow Region tribe,

His Majesty has no more troops, right?

Here's a letter written
by His Majesty himself. Take a look.

Yunbi?

The Yong army's provisions
have only just reached Yunbi?

His Majesty means to...

Your Highness, Yan Xun attacked by surprise.

He burned our granaries. We...
[Zhao Che, Seventh prince of Dayong]

We fell into his trap.

Seventh Prince.
Now that it has come to this,

do not resist in vain.

Warriors!

The Yan army has burned our provisions.

There is no way back for us now.

Either cut Yan Xun down from his horse,

or be left for slaughter
under our enemy's blade.

Seventh Prince, you are wrong.

You still have one path left.

Surrender to Yanbei.

Once, even my father believed
that you wolf cub had truly submitted.

Yet you repaid us
by slaughtering Zhenhuang City.

Zhuge Yue treated you as a true brother.

And now he lies dead, with no resting place.

I never said there would be a day
of peace between Yan and Yong.

I merely wanted Great Yong's soldiers
to see clearly.

Your Seventh Prince, Zhao Che,
is leading troops in the field,

while the Thirteenth Prince, Zhao Yang,
feared he would steal the glory,

and deliberately delayed the supplies,
driving you into desperation.

And the Emperor of Yong
is utterly foolish and blind.

He allows it all.

He does not care whether you live or die.

Zhao Che, I gave you a chance today.

Since you insist on your own course,

do not blame me for casting aside old ties.

Yan Xun, you are the one acting blindly.

Warriors, form ranks.

Go back and tell the Emperor of Great Yong.

For all he has done to me, Yan Xun,

and all he has done to my Yanbei,

I will repay him a thousand,
ten thousand times over.

Your Majesty, sparing him at such a chance

is no different from
letting a tiger loose in the hills.

Great Yong's granaries are burned.

They have lost this battle.

Let Zhao Che go back and fight Zhao Yang.

It is far better than k*lling him.

Your Majesty, are you all right?

They all say I once led troops into battle,
and slew countless foes.

So how is it that now, I cannot fight at all?

You have not yet recovered.

You must not rush it.

Besides, His Majesty said
when this battle is over,

he will take you back to Yan's capital
to be wed.

By then, you will be
the rightful Queen of Yanbei.

You will not need to go to w*r again.

So I am to become

a useless person
who cannot even lift a sword?

Back then, when His Majesty
was trapped in Zhenhuang City,

you alone kept him safe.

You escaped Great Yong with him,
and returned to Yanbei.

After that,

it was you who helped him
win back the tribes of Yanbei,

and unite all of Yanbei.

How could you call yourself useless?

How do you know all these things?

These things...
Everyone knows all these things.

That is what everyone says.

That is what everyone says?

But I remember none of it.

Instead, a few things make me doubt.

If I was only a sl*ve girl in Great Yong,

then who taught me all these skills?

With such a lowly birth,

how did I ever come
to help the heir of Yanbei,

and defy the Emperor of Great Yong?

And how could I even
have pledged myself to him for life?

Lady Chu.

Lady Chu.

His Majesty has ordered

that you leave at once for the palace
in Yan's capital to recuperate there.

Yan's capital?

Where is Yan Xun?

The battle is fiercely intense.

His Majesty is leading our troops
against Great Yong.

He may not be able to look after you.

It all happened so suddenly.

I can only ask your pardon.

Your Majesty.

Chu. We have driven
back the Yong army.

They will withdraw within three days.

Your Majesty.

Where is Chu?

Miss Chu, she...

Your Majesty.

With Your Majesty in battle,
the camp is crowded and chaotic.

Lady Chu has only just
recovered from illness.

I have already sent her ahead
to the detached palace.

When did I ever say
she was to be sent away?

Your Majesty, the detached palace
has the finest physicians.

They can nurse Lady Chu back to health.

Cheng Yuan.

I know what you are thinking.

But you should also know where I stand.

I don't care about the grudge
between you and Chu,

or what right you think you have
to worry on my behalf, I warn you.

Do not scheme against her.

If any harm comes to her,
I will never forgive you.

Guards, go and bring Chu back to me!

Yes, Your Majesty.

It will be dark very soon.

Are we still pressing on?

General Cheng has given orders.

He fears something may happen on the road.

We are to ride through the night
to the detached palace.

Forgive the hardship, Your Majesty.

Thank you for your trouble, General.

A sandstorm is coming!

Who are you really?

Why have you seized me?

[Yu]

It is... It's the Datong Guild's arrow.

Quick, report this to General Cheng.

- Your Majesty.
- Where are they?

They must have fled that way.

After them!

Miss Chu.

What happened to your skills?

Who are you?

You know me?

You do not remember me?

[Zhong Yu, Datong Guild]
I am Zhong Yu.

You wrote to me.

You said you had awakened.

And that you did not wish to marry Yan Xun.

You asked me to bring Datong Guild men
to save you.

A letter?

I never wrote any letter.

I do not know you at all.

And another thing.

Why would I not wish to marry Yan Xun?

Miss Chu, have you forgotten?

Our Datong Guild has always
upheld justice for the common people,

hoping one day to bring
true harmony to the world.

But Yan Xun tried to wipe us out.

And the Xiuli Army.

To seize all military power,

he sent your Xiuli Army in southwest
to attack Meilin Pass.

Against Great Yong's 100,000 troops,

the Xiuli Army was nearly annihilated.
He Xiao fell in battle.

All this happened
before you fell unconscious.

Do you not remember?

Everything you are saying,

I do not remember at all.

Why should I believe you?

What proof do you have?

What about Zhuge Yue?

Yan Xun used you
to lure Zhuge Yue into an ambush.

Zhuge Yue died because of you.
Do you know that?

You leapt into the frozen lake
to save Zhuge Yue.

Used me?

Remnants of the rebel Datong Guild.

They have abducted the Queen of Yanbei.

Seize them.

Stop! Do not run!

[Zhao Chun Er]
[Former Princess of Great Yong]

Guards.

Bring me two more bottles of wine.

Your Highness, you are drunk.

Your Highness, you cannot drink any more.

What did you call me?

- Your Highness.
- Your Highness.

What did you call me?

You called me Your Highness, did you not?

We are under His Highness's orders
to look after you.

We would not dare treat you
as anything but a princess.

Very well.

Since you still regard me as a princess,

then bring me some more wine.

I have not had enough yet.

Your Highness, you have already
had too much to drink.

The Seventh Prince gave orders.
You are to rest and recover.

Since you know I am
the Seventh Prince's sister,

how dare you defy my orders?

I am telling you.

Even if I have been cast down to a commoner,

I still carry Great Yong's imperial blood.

You low-born wretches.

One word from me to my brother, Zhao Che,

and he can have you all k*lled.

All right, stop it. That is enough.

Brother Yan Xun's wedding robe.

Brother Yan Xun.

I am a princess of Great Yong.

How dare you strike me?

Trust me, I'll have my brother k*ll you.

Your brother?

The Seventh Prince's army
is fighting the Yan army at Meilin Pass.

He has no time for you.

You are nothing but
a disgraced and exiled princess.

The emperor nearly had you ex*cuted.

You even caused your own mother's death.

What right have you still to look down on us?

If it were not for us,
slaving away to serve you,

you would have starved long ago.

By now, you would be nothing

but a nameless ghost haunting
these mountains.

Come on, let's go drink.

- Come on, let's leave.
- Madwoman.

Come, let's go.

Brother Yan Xun.

Where are you?

I have long heard
of Princess Chun Er of Great Yong,

renowned for her beauty beyond compare.

Now that I have seen you today,
your beauty truly lives up to its fame.

You are not a woman of Great Yong,

yet you follow Great Yong etiquette.

What are you trying to do?

Your Highness, there is no need
to concern yourself with who I am.

I have only come to deliver
an invitation to you.

An invitation?

I bring the wedding invitation

of King Yan and Queen Chu Qiao.

Chu Qiao?

Did she not already
fall into the frozen lake...

and die?

His Majesty gave the order.

Even if the frozen lake
had to be drained dry,

Lady Chu Qiao was to be found.

Heaven does not fail those who persevere.

At last, His Majesty found her.

He then sought out
the finest physicians in the land

to nurse Lady Chu Qiao back to health.

She has recovered well now.

Once Great Yong withdraws its forces
in the coming days,

His Majesty will make her Queen of Yanbei.

Chu Qiao.

She truly is fortunate.

Not only did she not die,

she is even going to marry
my Brother Yan Xun.

One cannot help but feel sorry for you,
Princess Chun Er.

His Majesty's marriage was meant to be yours.

As for Lady Chu Qiao's birth,
she is only a sl*ve.

To have the one you love taken by a sl*ve
must be agonizing.

Who exactly are you?

Why did you come here to sow discord?

Naturally, I have my reasons.

But you carry your regrets.

Is it not so?

I am no longer a princess.

I am of no use to you.

You should go.

The invitation has been delivered.

I shall take my leave.

Once a princess, always a princess.

And likewise,
once a sl*ve, always be a sl*ve.

[Invitation]

Chu Qiao,

I will make you long for death.

Your Majesty, this is not a place for you.

I wish to see Miss Yu
who is imprisoned within.

Your Majesty,
His Majesty has issued an order.

No one may have any contact
with the prisoner.

So do I have to get Yan Xun to come over

before you'll open the door for me?

I am simply obeying His Majesty's command.

His Majesty has spoken.
No one is permitted to approach the prisoner.

That includes you.

Chu.

This is the south-westernmost town
in Yanbei.

In the past, it was a barren land
known to all.

Now, it is the road all merchants must pass.

Shops and market stalls have sprung up here.

Travelers can also rest at the inns.

Chu.

I have not failed the promise
I once gave you.

I am doing all I can to renew Yanbei.

I wish Yanbei to return once more

to the place I once described to you.

What happened in the past,
I do not remember any more.

The promise you spoke of,

I do not know what that was either.

But I do recall something else.

What is it?

I want to go to the frozen lake.

Chu.

Why do you want to go there?

I always think of that frozen lake.

Even when I sleep,

that same frozen lake haunts my dreams.

I feel that place must hold
some great meaning for me.

I want to see it for myself.

The past does not matter
if you cannot recall it.

Your body is still weak from the cold.

It is not wise to visit
the frozen lake right now.

Come on. Let us have something to eat.

Chu, is something troubling you?

Ever since I woke
after falling into the frozen lake,

my memory has never returned.

What are you worried about?

Ever since I rescued you
after your last accident,

you've remained quiet and withdrawn.

Why will you not let me see Miss Yu?

- Why do you wish to see Zhong Yu?
- What are you hiding from me?

Zhong Yu's identity is unclear.

She is a dangerous woman.

I rule Yanbei.

I have many enemies.

Many people want me dead.

I only fear that because of me,
you will be drawn into harm.

That is why I would not let you see Zhong Yu.

Truly?

Yet I feel that is not the truth.

Since I woke, you have stayed by my side.

You have treated me kindly,
and you have told me many things.

But I still remember nothing.

And what you have told me
has only ever been fragments.

How am I to know you are not deceiving me?

Is it possible

that you are the most dangerous one of all?

Chu.

I am only speaking of what is before me.

I am merely weighing one possibility.

Why are you so quick to panic?

Chu.

Chu.

Ch...

Yan Xun.

Chu.

Chu.

These iron chains
belong to my Brother Zhao Che.

They were used in the army
for prisoners of w*r and sl*ves.

I never meant to chain you.

But if I had not,

I might never have seen you again.

Chun Er.

Yan Xun.

It has been so long.

Are you glad to see me?

I dressed up specially just to see you.

What do you want by dragging us
all the way out here?

Brother Yan Xun.

Do you still remember
this wedding gown I am wearing?

You can still change your mind.

Chun Er is waiting for you in the palace.

She's waiting for you
to be Great Yong's prince consort.

If you marry her,

the Emperor will lower his guard.

Chu.

There is no turning back for us now.

In the next moment,

we will carve our way out of Zhenhuang City,

and fight our way back to Yanbei.

We won't have to live in fear any longer,

or grovel beneath the Emperor of Yong's gaze.

We'll never have to turn back again.

We will avenge the souls of Yanbei!

Brother Yan Xun, what on earth is happening?

Let go.

No, Brother Yan Xun.

You must have your reasons, surely.

Was it Chu Qiao?
It must be that sl*ve girl filling your head,

bewitching you.

I, Yan Xun,

and your Zhao clan, for as long as I live,

have nothing between us but hatred!

Brother Yan Xun, take me with you.

- Step aside.
- I will not let you go.

Do not think I would not k*ll you.

Brother Yan Xun.

If you leave, my heart will die with you.

I would rather die by your hand.

Brother Yan Xun.

I hate you.

I hate you!

Chu Qiao.

I will definitely k*ll you.

So...

you really had forgotten.

It does not matter.

I have always remembered.

Back then, I chose it with such care.

Even every flower on the wedding gown,

I had the embroiderers
redo again and again.

Our wedding, watched by all,

I had longed for it for so very long.

But on our wedding day,
you tore this gown to shreds.

Because beneath your wedding robe,

you wore cold, merciless armour.

It took me so long, stitch by stitch,
to mend it.

But it is still torn to rags.

What is broken stays broken.

It can never be made whole again.

Just like me.

I can never go back.

Chun Er.

What lies between us was settled long ago.

Why are you doing this now?

What exactly do you want?

Settled?

Can it truly be settled?

What?

His Majesty and Chu Qiao were taken?

I never saw it coming.

The assassin was disguised as a beggar.

He drugged His Majesty and Miss Chu,
then carried them both off.

Bring the men and come with me.

I have nightmares day and night.

Those horrors replay again and again.

I die over and over again.

I dare not sleep, nor stay awake.

I can only drink myself senseless,
again and again.

Why?

Brother Yan Xun, tell me why.

Why am I the only one
left to live so miserably?

Why is it that every one of you
gets to live on just fine?

I do not understand.

I truly do not.

What is so special about you?

Why do you get to have all this?

While Great Yong's most exalted princess

must live in this leaking, drafty hut,

unable to have anything she wants.

Zhao Chun Er, what are you doing?

In Great Yong,

some noble houses brand their sl*ves
with their mark.

Just like their cattle and horses.

You are a sl*ve.

Then you should bear a sl*ve's mark.

I will brand you with the mark of a sl*ve.

You will carry it for the rest of your days.

Stop! Zhao Chun Er, are you mad?

Chu Qiao has done nothing wrong!

Brother Yan Xun.

Am I not innocent too?

What on earth did I do so wrong

- to deserve all this suffering?
- Do not run!

Let me go!

Chun Er.

You are not to blame.

If you want revenge, take it out on me.

You may have my life, if that is enough.

But I beg you, let Chu go free.

All that I owe you, let me make amends.

Very well. I shall grant your wish.

- You have lost your mind!
- Chu Qiao!

Chun Er, don't!
Whatever you wish, I will give you.

Chun Er!

Brother Yan Xun.

If you are willing
to put on this wedding robe,

and marry me,

I shall let her go.

All right.

I will marry you.

Bottoms up.

Where is Chun Er?

Brother Yan Xun.

You once shattered my heart.

Now, you will taste the agony

of losing your beloved
before the wedding day yourself.

I want nothing of your hand.

I only want Chu Qiao dead.

What are you all waiting for? k*ll him!

And collect your reward
from the Seventh Prince!

The Great Yong's granary.

They went to Great Yong's granary.

Do you know what this water vat is for?

What are you really trying to do?

The Great Yong's granary.

A few days ago,
Yan Xun burned Great Yong's army provisions.

This water vat was put here...

to put out fires.

But what use is it now?

People so love doing what changes nothing.

You tied me up here just to say all that?

Of course not.

What I mean is,
I am going to marry Brother Yan Xun.

Does that break your heart?

Why does this break my heart?

Do you think Yan Xun means that much to me?

Brother Yan Xun means nothing to you?

For you, he heartlessly cast me aside.

He rebelled on my wedding day.

His horse's hooves trampled my body.

They tore through his wedding robe
and thundered into my father's palace.

Did he really do that for me?

Was it not for Yanbei?

You heartless woman.

Ever since Brother Yan Xun was in Great Yong,
he has always protected you.

He even lost a finger for you.

And he wanted to make you his queen.

How dare a lowly sl*ve say that?

I truly cannot fathom it.

What is so special about you?

Why is it that my Brother Yan Xun,
and everyone else, all care for you?

You want to know?

Come here.

I will tell you.

Do you take me for a fool?

You are not stupid,
but you are not clever enough.

I cannot break free of these chains
made for sl*ves.

But I can still let you taste
what it is to be a sl*ve.

Did you not say these chains
were forged for lowly sl*ves?

Let me see,

what difference would it make
if they were borne

by a noble princess compared to a sl*ve?

Let me go.

[Ximeng City]

He has taken Chegu Grass for several days.

Why has he still not awoken?

Qianzhang Lake has been frozen for years.

The cold poison has seeped deep
into his vitals.

Few could withstand such a chill.

Whether he will wake up
depends entirely on his fate.

From this day, onward,
you will be Queen of Yanbei.

Our child will be the heir to Yanbei.

The long blade of Yanbei
was never meant for this.

The warriors of Yanbei attack,
and never evade their foe.

Where is the Queen?

Where has Her Majesty gone?

k*ll Chu Qiao!

You're speaking nonsense!