Episode Twenty-three
Brother.
Xifeng.
What’s wrong?
It’s…
Wait.
General. Commandant-escort.
General. A prisoner escaped.
Escaped?
Who?
Yan Hongxiao
Yan Xun’s sister?
(Yeah)
Where did she escape?
Shili Slope.
She shouldn’t have gone very far away.
She is pregnant after all.
Let’s go.
I shall catch her.
Brother.
Yes, sir.
Let me handle this.
You?
I shall deal with
Yan Xun’s family appropriately.
(OK.)
Your Majesty.
Should we bring Bai Sheng into the court?
(Sound of riding horses)
(Woman struggling)
(Sound of shooting an arrow)
(Sound of woman falling down)
Someone cuts her head and brings it back.
How about her body?
Her body?
Just leave it to the wolves.
Let’s go.
(Sound of shooting an arrow)
(Sound of man falling off the horse)
(Sound of riding horses)
Yuwen Yue, what are you doing?
How about you?
We are capturing a prisoner.
A prisoner?
She is escaping.
Of course we need to track her down.
You bastard.
You are such a hypocrite.
I hate that about you the most.
Who shot Yan Xun
at last?
You are a bastard.
You pretended to be his close friend.
In critical times,
you only thought about protecting yourself.
You are such a hypocrite.
I hate it.
Yan Xun was too stupid.
That’s why he trusted you.
(Sound of fighting)
Yuwen Yue, don’t you dare.
If you kill me,
my father will let you pay for your action.
Please don’t kill me.
Are you afraid of death as well?
We have known each other for years.
We are friends.
Please don’t kill me.
You and Yan Xun have known each other for years.
Why didn’t it stop you from
killing his families?
He is going to die either way.
Yanbei is gone.
Yanbei is no longer powerful.
They are going to die sooner or later.
So are you.
I shall help you with that.
Young Master Yue. Please stop.
- Eunuch Wang, please help me. - Young Master Yue.
His Majesty calls for you to court.
Please put down your sword
and follow me.
(Screaming)
According to Eunuch Wang, you hurt Zhao Xifeng?
Yes.
I wanted to kill him.
Why?
Yan Hongxiao was pregnant
and a weak woman.
Zhao Xifeng is Your Majesty’s subject.
However, he killed without the imperial dreed. He deserved to die.
Zhao Xifeng is the heir of Zhao Gui.
Aren’t you afraid the Zhaos
will take revenge on you?
It is my responsibility
to maintain the dignity of the Wei State.
You are very loyal indeed.
Yuwen Huai told me that
a maid at your court
killed Yuwen Xi.
The Eyes of God
is not as powerful as before.
However, we still have Kagemune and Mi Zong.
If I really wanted to kill Yuwen Xi,
I didn’t need to wait until today,
let alone
ordering a maid belong to the Green Hills Court
to do it.
Are you saying
the maid acted in her own wish?
I don’t know.
I am investigating this matter.
According to my spy,
At the night when Yan Xun escaped,
someone shot him
and prevented him from escaping.
He also said
the person was you.
It was me.
You have known Yan Xun for years.
You could let him die just like that?
Serving Your Majesty is my priority.
Yan Xun is not my concern.
I know my duty.
Besides, it was Duke Dingbei who plotted a rebellion.
Prince Yan Xun has been here for years.
He never showed a sign of rebellion.
I hope your Majesty would forgive him
and let him live.
You are good at reading my mind.
Since you are very loyal
and would like to resolve issues for me,
I shall appoint you
as the vice supervising officer to decapitation
at the Jiuyou Platform tomorrow.
Yuwen Huai killed Duke Dingbei for me.
He got the first-class merit.
I shall appoint him as the supervising officer to decapitation.
You will assist Yuwen Huai tomorrow
to sentence the rebels from Yanbei.
What?
You have a problem with that?
Since you a such a loyal subject,
I shall warn you that
if you show even
a slight bit of mercy to Yan Xun
at JiuYou Platform tomorrow.
I shall treat you as one of them
and destroy the Green Hills Court.
Yes, Your Majesty.
You may excuse yourself now.
Your Majesty, Lady Dingbei is here.
Where is she?
Outside of the palace.
Would you like to see her now?
Chu.
I have enough food.
Chu.
They still give us food,
which means we are safe
at least for now.
My father will arrive at Chang’an soon.
We will get out of here in no time.
(Laughing)
When everything is settled,
come back to Yanbei with me.
You can bring your sisters along.
When we get out of here,
I will send someone to help me find them.
I don’t even know
whether they are still alive.
Don’t worry.
They will be just fine.
I certainly hope so.
They city is in chaos.
Even if you get out,
how are you going to look for them?
Don't think you are so fierce
that everyone are afraid of you
That's because you've never
met those real bad people
If you do
you may get hurt either
A'chu
When I first saw you
at the human-hunt field
I know you are special
I don't know why
you were so weak
But saw you
fighting for your life
in desperation on the field
I can't be cruel any more
A'chu, Yan is beautiful
There is rarely war
When summer comes
you can see the endless grassland
I remember being with my father,
eldest brother, my third brother
We rode horses together
to hunt horses on Xiuli Mountain
I was
small at that time
Just seven years old
Couldn't get on the grown horse
So my eldest brother found me
the child of the head horse
I thought he didn't
take me seriously
So I got angry at him
Now I know
he just want to protect
me from getting hurt
Have you heard of it?
My third brother has a bad temper
We were always fighting
He was
Every time he was angry
he will hold me high
saying he would throw me to the floor
Then
my second sister would rush forward,
take her whip
and lash my brother
again and again
I would lie on the floor
laughing
My third brother was really strong
But in fact he
could never
beat my sister
Now I know
he just didn't
want to hurt her
In winter each year
the snow will
last for over a month
Our whole family
will move to Shuobei highland
There is Huihui Mountain
High and tough
But there is many hot springs
My mother isn't strong enough
to bear the freezing coldness
Most time in the year
she would stay at the palace
beside the hot spring
We always sneaked there
to my mother and play with her
without my father 's permission
But when we got there
we'd always find him being there already
And our mother would lie on his arm
A'chu
Unlike in Chang'an, in Yan
fathers and sons, brothers and sisters
husbands and wives won't hate others
They are not enemies
In Chang'an, the grand families
have enough resources to waste on parties
while outside their walls
people starving to death
end up in the freezing river
On the land of Yan,
everyone can feed themselves
has enough clothes to keep warm
They can live
by their own choice
A'chu
go back to Yan with me
When we are back
I can protect you
No one can hurt you any more
No one can put a knife
on your neck
I'll take you to the prairie
to hunt horses on Xiuli Mountain
to see the endless grassland
to visit my mother
on Huihui Mountain
She's really gentle
She'll like you
A'chu
Are you telling me the truth?
Don't lie to me
You said yes?
Good wine
Listen to me
I'm really happy today
Leave, now
Why?
No greetings meeting the elder
Is this what I taught you
all these years?
Uncle
Why
Why doing this?
You know Yan Xun didn't do anything wrong
Ye'er
You are the most talented
one of this generation
in Wei family
No need to feel guilty
to act following the will of the majesty
No need to rush here
to query your uncle
at this time either
No
It should not be like this
That's not what you
taught me, uncle
Not like this
Winner-take-all
It is the truth
of this world
Am I right?
I know
You sympathize the Yan family
and hate the battle between the families
But however you hate your identity
the purest blood of Wei still
blows in your body
All the things
you enjoy since your childhood
is given by your family
Your status and power
is due to your family
One making no effort but enjoying
has no right
to blame or hate his family
Everything in this world
has its reason to exist
We, the Wei family
catch those traitors today
instead of them
killing us
Because our ancestor
never stop
strengthen ourselves
For all these years
no matter facing the attack across the border
or the changing of the dynasty
We live through all these challenges
and our blood never ends
Only the fittest can survive
The only way to survive is
to make yourself stronger
You standing here, sympathize them today
Have you ever thought
If everyone agrees with you
then
Tomorrow ones dying at Jiuyou
would be your family
No
Not like this
That's not true, uncle
I am no longer young
Cannot protect you for long
If one day in future
I'm on longer in this world
who will protect the family?
Who will protect my son
from being killed?
Who will protect my daughters
from being played?
Who will protect them?
You?
Brother, how is it going?
Zhao Dongting is back.
He's back?
What about aunt Bai Sheng?
Does she also come back?
Aunt Bai Sheng is kneeling outside the main hall.
But father ignores her.
Why?
Zhao Xifeng also killed
Princess Hongxiao.
Father didn't punish him
when he heard the news.
What?
Chun'er.
Father gives orders
to kill Yanbei people
at Jiuyou Platform at noon today.
What...
what about brother Yan Xun?
It doesn't mention him.
Aunt Bai Sheng.
I will save brother Yan Xun.
Father, Chun'er comes to see you.
I want to show you something.
This is the pair of shoes
that Duke Dingbei and Aunt Bai Sheng
gave me as a gift
when they sent brother Yan Xun to Chang'an
as a guest.
This is a pair of little boots.
Aunt Bai Sheng
made it herself.
There are orchids, plum blossom,
decorated with pearls.
It's really cute.
I'm always reluctant to wear it, fearing that I will destroy it.
Before I actually put it on,
I have grown up.
My feet are too big
to fit in,
when I want to try it on.
At that time,
father asked all dukes
to send their son to Chang'an as a guest.
They were all reluctant to do so,
weeping and sobing.
Duke Dingbei was the only one
that sent brother Yan Xun
without second thought.
Father, when you first saw him,
you thought that you two were on the same wavelength.
You said that
you would treat him as your own son.
Do you remember that
when he was fourteen years old
you two went hunting together.
He nearly got trampled to death by a horse,
and got his arm hurt
when he tried to hunt a leopard.
You gave him a stern lecture.
But what did he do?
He held the leopard
in front of you, grinning.
He said that
the leopard was for you.
And...
he wanted to make a leather vest for you.
When it snowed in winter,
you could wear it under your garment.
The vest would keep you warm.
You really liked that vest.
You had been wearing it for years,
and didn't want to drop it.
You said that,comparing with my brothers,
Yan Xun was more like your son.
Have you forgetten all these?
Father.
Please excuse brother Yan Xun.
He didn't do anything.
He did nothing wrong.
He hasn't been home
for many years.
He grew up at your side.
Do you really want to kill him?
Won't your heart hurt, father?
Father.
Aunt Bai Sheng is kneeling outside the main hall.
She lost her husband,
her son and daughter.
All she has now
is brother Yan Xun.
Do you want to deprive her
of her last hope to live,
father?
Father.
Please excuse brother Yan Xun.
Please, father.
Madam, His Majesty calls you in.
Thank you.
Princess.
What are you doing?
Move!
You get too far.
Mother.
Mother,
I will go save brother Yan Xun,
no matter how you stop me.
Funny.
How do you save him?
I...
Acting like a spoiled child, as you are really good at.
Or you go find him,
and you two live and die together.
You want to die with him.
Do you know
whether he wants to die with you?
I don't care.
As long as there's hope,
I will go save him.
Since you want to see him...
Fine.
Let's go and see him.
However, I need to clear things up with you.
If you were to do anything
that debases your status,
I will kill everyone
in your palace.
These people
include your nannie,
and your maid that accompanied you to grow up.
If you think that
all their lives adding together
can't compare with Yan Xun's life.
You can just mess about as you wish.
I will show no mercy.
Mother.
How could things have turned out like this?
(Sound of unlocking)
Open the door.
Yes.
Wei Shuyou.
When is His Majesty going to
let me out?
You wish.
His Majesty commands that
sinner Yan Xun set out for Jiuyou Planform
and wait for sentence.
Prince.
Please.
Why are you standing there? Move!
Hurry up!
What are you doing?
Do you want to die?
You have swallowed your words.
You said that
you would take me to Yanbei.
I will take you away.
You wait for me here.
I don't believe you.
Take me with you.
Bold slave girl!
How dare you call her slave.
Yan Xun, that's quite arrogant.
At this moment,
you are still putting on airs
in front of me.
Chu, be good.
I mean good for you.
Take me with you
if you mean good for me.
Don't be silly.
your life could be in danger if you follow me.
Chu, be good.
Do as I say.
I killed Yuwen Xi.
If I get caught by feudal official,
I will die sooner.
Maybe I can manage to live
if I go with you.
Let her out.
You are the only one that imperial edict calls.
If she won't go, I won't go either.
You can just kill me here.
Fine.
If you want to die together,
I will grant you this favor.
Open the door.
Yes.
Yan Xun.
Chu.
Are you afraid?
Surely not.
The destiny of being emperor.
The fate of being sovereign.
The bell will toll 45 times
when the emperor is dead.
So the 35-times tolling
means the death of
the relatives of the emperor.
What will be, will be.
So just let them all come.
Since we can't hide from it,
let us face it together.