01x11 - Episode 11

[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 11]

[Wangcheng]

Hooray!

- Your Highness! - Your Highness!

Your Highness,

we've prepared wine.

Do me the honor.

Have some victory wine

before you go.

I appreciate it, General.

But we must hurry to Yunzhong.

No delays.

Your Highness.

She longs to go home.

Don't stand in her way.

Everybody,

thank you

for all this.

Your Highness,

take this for the journey.

Folks,

the army will move out.

Don't stand in their way or delay them.

We appreciate your good intentions.

My Lord, Mr. Deng is here.

Show him in.

Yes.

Mr. Xie, you're working at this late hour.

You truly are a pillar of the court.

You didn't visit me so late

just to praise me, did you?

I'm here to congratulate you.

Mr. Xie,

the battle of Wangcheng

was a good one.

What makes you say that?

Her Highness

commanded the victory.

And of course,

my brother fought valiantly.

I dare not take any credit.

Xie Yanlai escorted Her Highness

and helped secure the victory of Wangcheng.

So, he's likely to take over

the frontier troops in Yunzhong.

Mr. Xie,

that was a clever plan.

Have you lost your senses?

His Majesty made Yanlai

the Imperial Guard Commander.

How could he leave the imperial city?

Besides,

it won't be easy to take over frontier troops.

It might be hard for someone else.

But for you,

it's a piece of cake.

After all, your brother

deployed the bandits from Cangmu Stronghold

to fight for him.

I just wonder

if he knows

his connections

with those bandits

in the Wei Village.

Mr. Deng,

what's said

can't be unsaid.

Mr. Xie,

don't be nervous.

I'm just curious.

Who actually set the fire

in the Wei Village?

And why does a man

who cares for his younger brother

refuse to see the truth?

If you had proof,

you could report it to His Majesty.

Instead, you came to probe me so late.

Let me give you some advice.

You can't bring down my clan

by using Xie Yanlai.

There's a reason

that my clan has endured for a century.

I'm just talking about the facts.

As for your century-old authority...

Handled properly,

even a big tree can be uprooted.

How interesting.

Mr. Deng,

how about

we make a bet?

On what?

Tomorrow,

we'll both plead illness to avoid court.

See what His Majesty will do?

No.

I want you to see

who the ministers will support

and how much

my clan matters.

All right.

I'll take that bet.

The Northern Desert envoy is here.

You promised

that you would send troops

to help us invade Wangcheng.

But instead of sending any troops,

you watched our defeat

and heavy losses.

My remaining troops

all died in Yunzhong!

I wonder

how you'll explain that.

Battle conditions change rapidly.

I did my best to let you pass through

at great personal risk.

How could I have foreseen everything?

Besides,

if your remaining troops

died in my prefecture,

the court would suspect and blame me.

It wouldn't benefit me at all.

If it makes you

suspect my sincerity

in allying with you,

I'll be really disappointed.

Do you think this excuse

will justify my troops

dying in vain?

Has your king ever trusted me?

After all,

he still

hasn't told me

why he asked me to help your men

set the fire in the Wei Village

five years ago.

If I hadn't sent men to clear it up,

it wouldn't have been

kept so perfectly secret.

But now, you doubt me.

Go back and tell your king.

A plan succeeds

through mutual trust.

If he demands an answer

on this matter,

our alliance will end here.

Jiu,

had a nightmare?

Just now,

you looked in pain.

Nothing.

Just a dream.

I'm going to see my father soon.

Aren't you supposed to be happy?

It's not that I'm not happy.

I'm just scared.

Of what?

My father's illness.

People get sick.

Don't worry.

Maybe

by the time we arrive,

your father will have recovered.

I hope so.

The General once said,

when you came back someday,

he would be waiting at the city gate.

Yeah.

You're the undefeated God of w*r.

You're the esteemed Guard General.

But have you ever asked

if I wish to be a general's daughter?

Since childhood,

other girls have had parents around.

What about me?

I've always been neglected.

Have I ever cried

or complained to you?

I've never dared

to ask you for a little concern.

Because you've always been busy.

You're busy

protecting frontier people.

You're busy forging your fame.

You're too busy

to ask your daughter

what she really wants!

Father,

Xun and I love each other.

What's wrong with his origin?

If I can't marry him,

why did you marry my mother,

a noble young lady

from far away?

She stayed with you

and wasted her life here.

Your mother...

You have no right to judge.

Then don't interfere with mine!

Sorry.

I'm sorry, Father.

Father.

I'm sorry!

Father,

I'm finally back.

Good.

Good you're back.

When did this happen?

How did your eyes...?

What did the Army Physician say?

We can send for an Imperial Physician.

You'll be cured.

Don't bother.

With or without my eyesight,

I can see everything

in the camp.

It's all in my heart.

Actually,

after I lost my sight,

I finally managed

to find inner peace.

I feel I am getting old.

I often thought of the past.

The more I thought, the more I felt sorry for you.

You've grown up,

and I've never flown kites

with you.

I even missed

your coming-of-age ceremony.

I still remember those words you said

when you left here.

In the dead of night,

it has haunted me all this time.

You were right.

I've never been a good father.

I've never asked

what you really want.

I have no right

to beg for your forgiveness.

Don't say that, Father.

I'm sorry for what I did to you.

Father,

I shouldn't have said

those harsh words.

Five years ago, I shouldn't

have left willfully

without even leaving you a message.

Father,

will you forgive me?

I've never blamed you.

There's nothing to forgive.

When you're no longer so stubborn,

it feels strange to me.

The biggest pride

of my life

isn't defeating enemies,

but having a daughter

even more stubborn than I am.

On the day of Wangcheng victory,

joy overwhelmed me.

I asked Changrong to write

a congratulatory poem on my behalf.

"My precious daughter was too confined

to let her talents shine.

How could I not think of her?

Yet she chose to temper herself.

She left home and achieved great deeds.

And her talents finally shone brightly.

Glorious and bright,

her light reaches the whole land."

Your Majesty,

an urgent military report about rewards

came from Wangcheng.

Without His Majesty's approval,

Her Highness distributed rewards on her own.

Wasn't she overstepping her authority?

Mr. Xie is on sick leave.

Mr. Deng has a day off, too.

To whom shall we

send this military report?

Mr. Deng, of course.

The late Emperor made him the regent.

We can't bypass him in military affairs.

Military affairs are urgent.

Mr. Deng knows nothing about warfare tactics.

Before Mr. Xie asked for sick leave,

he ordered that all military reports

to be sent to him.

Mr. Deng also gave an order.

Frontier affairs must be reviewed by him.

The Xie Clan of Gaoyang has stood for a century.

Oh. My memory fails me.

How many prime ministers

have come from their clan?

Since the founding of our dynasty,

there have been six.

Then send it to Mr. Xie.

But...

This is ridiculous.

Anything else?

Then the court is dismissed.

- We bid farewell to Your Majesty. - We bid farewell to Your Majesty.

[Xie Residence]

Mr. Xie, have you heard?

In today's court,

we won decisively.

I heard that old censor

nearly fainted from anger.

How many times have I warned you?

You must not be so arrogant.

Arrogance

leads to misfortune.

When people praise you

and our Xie household,

it's hard for me to stay humble.

I can't help feeling proud.

Forget it.

Mr. Xie,

won't you review the report?

Send this report to Mr. Deng.

To him?

Won't you review it?

No one but Mr. Deng

can review this report.

What if he doesn't...?

He will.

Mr. Deng,

you lost.

Don't be angry.

You need patience when dealing

with Xie Yanfang.

He got the military report,

but didn't even bother to review it.

He's obviously humiliating me.

This man...

It's him.

Who?

Liang Qiang.

The Third Prince's case involves his family.

Xie Yanfang had him exiled.

Very good.

[Approved]

Approving it already?

Since he's Xie Yanfang's enemy,

I'll give him some support.

Father.

Father, are you asleep?

I'm back.

I got it. I'm still awake.

I was waiting for you.

Father,

guess

what I brought back.

Did my patrol lady

bring back a spy?

I brought back a rabbit.

Well done, Zhao.

Jiu didn't catch it for you, did he?

No.

Father.

Look.

This little rabbit

looks like a snowball.

Rabbits can bite.

Don't forget.

You got bitten when you were little

and cried for three days.

I did?

I don't remember at all.

You remember almost nothing

about your childhood.

In your childhood,

you were extraordinary.

When you were born,

the room was bathed in red light.

A fortune teller passed by

and was utterly shocked.

He pointed at you and said,

"She's blessed by heaven."

Really?

Did you

go out again

and hear a story at the tea house?

What happened next in the story?

Later,

at this girl's first birthday,

she grabbed the Frontier Tally.

When she was five,

she led the servants and maids

to use brooms as spears

and pot lids as shields,

and she has piled up an enemy city

with bamboo steamers.

She even learned

to deploy troops.

In the end, she captured

the steward's three hens

that would still lay eggs.

I don't remember that.

Was I that remarkable?

Yes, you were.

And the old steward

cried for two nights.

Father,

I love the congratulatory poem

you wrote for me.

Let me recite it again.

"My precious daughter was too confined

to let her talents shine.

How could I not think of her?

Yet she chose to temper herself.

She left home and achieved great deeds.

And her talents finally shone brightly.

Glorious and bright,

her light reaches the whole land."

Father.

Father!

Father!

Army Physician!

Father.

When I left five years ago,

Father could still draw bows and sh**t.

When did he fall ill?

Let me be honest.

Over the past two years,

the General has been growing weaker.

Actually,

whether he did or didn't disarm,

he'd end up the same.

He's been poisoned for three years.

You sent him those cakes yourself.

From the Capital to Yunzhong,

they were delivered monthly.

Chu Ling would be k*lled anyway.

Not only by my blade,

but also by his daughter's love.

This is impossible.

In my past life,

poisoned jujube cakes

were sent to my father

after my wedding.

But in this life, no cakes were sent.

Why is Father still ill?

Do you know

what happened to my father?

I'm not sure about the reason.

I'll make him some medicine

for refreshment and replenishment.

You served him for five years.

Do you know

why he's fading so quickly?

Sorry.

I have no idea.

In this new life,

nothing has changed.

For you,

something has.

Yet some regrets

are inevitable.

Everything has its destiny.

So does a human.

He's defended the frontier all his life

and people revere him.

In the final days of his life,

his daughter and brothers-in-arms

keep him company.

Perhaps,

he isn't in that much pain.

Even if he passes away,

his love for you

won't fade away.

But he shouldn't be like this.

He just shouldn't.

He kills enemies at the frontier

and protects people here.

He has done everything

a general should do.

He protects 200,000 soldiers

and secures the peace of the state.

What else do you want?

I want him to live.

I want him to live!

I want him to call me "silly girl",

make jujube cakes with me,

and teach me riding and archery!

I want to make it up

and do what a daughter should do.

I want him to wait for me

to come home even if he scolds me.

I don't want a cold memorial tablet

of the Guard General.

What's wrong, Aunt?

Chu Ling.

[Chu Ling is dying. No cure. Awaiting your reply.]

He's dying.

Aunt,

you...

Are you going to see him?

Jiu.

Tell me.

What will a man think

before he dies?

Words left unsaid,

promises left unfulfilled...

Or...

Wishes that went unmet.

What could be

my father's wish?

If you really want to know,

you can ask him

when he wakes up.

Just stop

torturing yourself.

Zhao,

you look like

you did something wrong.

Your father wouldn't like it.

I just want to figure it out.

What exactly went wrong

that made me end up

like this again?

I have tried

so hard.

I have tried everything.

Why will my father

still leave me?

Zhao,

calm down.

What else can I do?

Tell me.

What else can I do

to save my father?

It still tastes a bit bland.

He can't take Zhuyu Powder.

He's too weak to take it now.

Madam Ge?

You...

Why are you here?

I'm your father's...

old friend.

I'm here for his final farewell.

Who on earth are you?

Old friend?

What kind of friend

would even remember

his food taboos?

She didn't fight like ordinary bandits.

In the Wangcheng battle,

the way she wielded twin blades

was peculiar.

Mu Mianhong, head of Cangmu Stronghold,

mastered twin scimitars.

In the first year of Tianshu

when Father suppressed them,

she jumped off a cliff and died.

Could she be...?

Mu Mianhong.

General,

this is our new maidservant.

She can't speak,

but she's good at decoction and soup.

Thanks for your work.

Thank you.

[Mu Mianhong]

Do you like this kind of father?

No?

Why?

Because he's a hero to others.

He's a hero to people in Yunzhong.

But I want him

to be an ordinary father.

He would carve wooden dolls for me,

watch fireworks with me,

give me pretty braids,

and be there with me

for every important moment.

But actually...

None of this happened.

What about...

Your mother?

Could Father

have been lying all along?

My mother is...

It can't be.

Zhao.

Zhao.

♪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♪