Episode 16
Mr. Liu Shang, who did you...
learn chess from?
I'm not a good chess player.
I was tutored by...
the Taoist priest who taught me the art of deduction and prediction.
For some reason,
playing chess with you...
makes me feel like I'm playing against myself.
It's really unbelievable.
Judging from this,
I should perhaps, pay a visit to that Taoist priest.
He is an expert in the art of deduction and prediction.
I'm sure he will not play against you.
Each time I play against you,
I fall behind in strategy.
And that Taoist priest...
will not play a game he is bound to lose.
Sir, we received information from our spy.
As you and Mr. Liu Shang predicted,
His Majesty did not let Dugu Yan serve him in bed yesterday.
Today, under the pretext of being ill,
Dugu Yan closed her gate and increased the number of guards.
Proceed as planned.
Yes.
What does that information indicate?
You two are really good gay friends.
What does...
good gay friends (hao ji you)...
mean?
"Ji" (gay) refers to destiny...
and chance meeting.
"Good gay friends" means a pair of best friends...
who appreciate each other very much brought together by a blessed meeting.
Mr. Liu Shang, you are my good gay friend...
and I will surely treasure our bond.
Tell me.
Do you know why you are privileged...
to kneel before me?
I'm utterly grateful for Your Highness' grace.
My grace?
It's been one month...
and I'm still not pregnant.
Because of this, I've been suspected and ostracized.
I live in fear every day!
If you still can't impregnate me tonight,
tomorrow,
I'll order to have you castrated.
Dugu Yan!
Your Majesty! Please spare me!
I... I was forced to do this!
How audacious.
Imperial Physician Gao.
Yes.
Examine her pulse once again.
If you make any mistake,
I'll exterminate your family.
Yes.
Your Majesty, Her Highness is not pregnant.
My previous diagnosis was a mistake.
Please forgive me.
Please spare my life, Your Majesty.
Raise your head.
Let me see you properly.
Sir.
Everything went as the two of you predicted.
His Majesty went to Dugu Yan's place...
and discovered her fake pregnancy.
In a fit of anger,
he sent her to the Cold Palace.
Both her toy boy and Imperial Physician Gao...
will be executed at noon tomorrow.
You may retire.
Toy boy?
You guys set her up to have her caught red-handed?
Indeed.
Ever since we found out that Dugu Yan was faking pregnancy,
we sent men to monitor her outside of her bedchamber.
We ultimately discovered that...
whenever she closed her gate...
and increased the number of guards,
she would have her toy boy brought in from the back door.
How did you guys know that...
she would do it tonight?
When the prince and I...
went to greet her today,
I deliberately advised His Majesty against sleeping with her.
She needed to get pregnant quickly.
Of course she would look for an alternative.
But, what about His Majesty?
Why would he go to her place for no reason at all?
Dugu Yan is not the only one...
that can influence His Majesty.
Tonight, Eunuch Xue happened to...
report to His Majesty the news of Dugu Yan's ailment.
His Majesty was worried.
So, he went to her place.
Eunuch Xue is the spy you guys were talking about.
Am I right?
What a brilliant idea.
Although it was a brilliant idea,
Mr. Liu Shang and I...
couldn't have done it without some assistance.
Yes, sir.
Eunuch Xue deserves a reward.
The gayness is too strong in this.
It cannot be dodged.
You may leave.
Mr. Liu Shang, you've always been a careful person.
You're good at hiding your intentions.
But, why is it that...
you never hide anything from Tan Er?
If genuine feelings can be concealed,
they aren't genuine feelings.
Since you're so honest,
I should return the favour.
I definitely won't...
pressure anyone with my authority and social status.
However, I will not...
let another man have Tan Er.
You are a magnanimous person...
that supports fair competition.
I will surely do my best...
to avoid disappointing you.
Who are you people?
Noble Consort Dugu has fallen out of favour.
This is the only way to avenge my family now.
Mo Lian Cheng.
I waited 5 years for this.
How dare you rebel!
You're still playing dumb.
Do you dare to say that...
you've nothing to do with...
the fire that killed Wei Family 5 years ago?
That year, I was away from the capital for war.
Because of our different political views,
you sent the Imperial Garrison to set a fire.
As a result, my entire family was killed.
Since you don't dare to admit it,
I can only make you pay with your blood and life!
Stop, General Wei!
Was it Mid-Autumn Festival the day the fire took place?
On Mid-Autumn Festival 5 years ago,
there was a huge banquet in the palace.
The Imperial Garrison was ordered by the prince to return to the palace...
to take charge over security.
They had no time to set a fire.
He's about to die...
and you're still lying for him!
If you don't believe me,
you can check the record of activities in the palace.
Does the culprit...
have a brand that looks like a talisman on his body?
That's the symbol of...
the organization formed by the rebels from the previous dynasty...
called Hongshuntang.
From what I heard,
there were a few more fires in the city that day.
Based on the investigation conducted,
they were the deeds of the rebels from Hongshuntang.
Just a few days ago,
the soldiers guarding the city gate captured 3 of them.
After an interrogation,
they discovered that the fires on Mid-Autumn Festival 5 years ago...
were actually directed by Noble Consort Dugu.
If you don't believe me,
you may go to the prison and find out personally.
If you let someone...
make use of your love for your family,
you might make a grave mistake.
I was extremely foolish...
to believe in Dugu Yan.
Now that I'm in this misery,
I am...
too ashamed to live on!
Stop, General Wei!
General Wei, although you were misled,
you realized your mistake in time.
I will not take action against you.
Thank you, sir.
No matter what I'll have to do,
I will...
make up for my sins.
Based on what you said,
the revelation of Dugu Yan's affair...
and Brother Lian Cheng's alibi in the attempted assassination...
both have something to do with Mr. Liu Shang.
That's right. Liu Shang is extremely resourceful.
He seems to be even cleverer than Prince Lian Cheng.
We must guard against him.
His Majesty fell ill all of a sudden this morning.
The imperial physicians can't seem to do anything about it.
All other princes are rushing to the palace.
Sir, you should also head over as soon as possible.
What are His Majesty's symptoms?
His Majesty feels hot and cold at the same time...
and experiences spasm.
It's definitely a withdrawal caused by discontinuation of Dugu Yan's drug.
I shall head to Dugu Yan's place.
Perhaps, I can find out about the cure from her.
Brother Yi Huai, please wait patiently for news from me.
Father.
Was there anything unusual in His Majesty's routine today?
There... There was nothing unusual.
Father.
Right. The tonic.
Prior to this, Dugu Yan would always...
deliver a kind of tonic in the morning.
And today, His Majesty hasn't consumed it.
Sir.
His Majesty might have been poisoned by Dugu Yan.
I'll stay here...
and try to clear the poison for His Majesty.
If you go to the prison with Prince Jing Xuan...
to get the cure from Dugu Yan immediately,
there might still be some hope for His Majesty.
I'll be counting on you.
Before Mr. Liu Shang clears the poison,
no one is allowed to disturb him!
Leave.
Let's go.
Please say good things about me...
to Prince Yi Huai.
I will surely...
Yes.
Your Highness is confined here...
with no knowledge of the events in the palace.
His Majesty did not consume your tonic this morning.
So, he's now suffering from...
withdrawal symptoms such as spasm and more.
If Your Highness tells me the way to cure His Majesty,
perhaps,
I can rescue you.
Your Highness.
If someone else cures His Majesty,
I'm afraid you'll lose your best opportunity.
The cure...
is the blood from the heart of his relative.
Pan Er.
You are my only hope now.
Ms. Pan Er.
Prince Lian Cheng and Prince Jing Xuan...
are heading over.
I'll take you out from the side door,
so that you can avoid them.
It's Mo Lian Cheng again.
He's the cause of my misery.
Your Highness.
Why don't you tell them that...
the cure is hidden at a faraway place,
so that you can send them away...
and put them in a dishonourable position?
Mr. Liu Shang.
Where are Prince Lian Cheng and Prince Jing Xuan?
The princes have learnt of...
the location of the cure from Dugu Yan.
They've left the palace to look for the cure.
This must be Dugu Yan's trick to send them away.
The last ingredient is the Soul Captivating Herb.
I once saw it at Xuanling Continent.
This herb can be used to...
produce the Soul Captivating Powder.
This drug must be consumed daily.
Once discontinued,
there'll be withdrawal symptoms.
The addiction can only be cured...
with the blood from the heart of a relative.
Let's go.
Mr. Chief Imperial Physician.
I guarantee with my life that...
this medicine can save His Majesty.
This...
Mr. Liu Shang.
What kind of sorcery did you use...
to treat His Majesty?
-I... -I instructed him to do so.
Huai Er.
Father.
Huai Er.
Father.
Huai Er.
Father.
Please get some rest for now.
Prince Yi Huai.
What method did you use to treat His Majesty?
My father was poisoned by the Soul Captivating Powder.
This is the poison Dugu Yan put into her tonic.
It can only be cured with the blood from a relative's heart.
Mr. Liu Shang.
Am I right?
You are right.
After identifying the cause,
Mr. Liu Shang could not find the other princes in the palace.
As such, he sought help from me.
So,
the liquid in the bowl is my blood.
Was it really...
Brother Yi Huai who saved my father with the blood from his heart?
Yes.
No wonder Brother Jing Kang tried so hard to stop us...
from entering the palace.
He must have done so...
after learning about the cure.
Whose blood do you think...
Liu Shang used...
to cure my father?
Since Prince Lian Cheng fell for Noble Consort Dugu's trick,
Liu Shang couldn't have identified the cure...
any earlier than that.
That means,
the blood in the bowl couldn't be the blood of...
Prince Lian Cheng or Mo Jing Xuan.
The other princes in the palace and the empress dowager...
were all away on a summer retreat.
Brother Jing Kang and I did not present our blood.
No other in the palace...
could be the donor of the blood in that bowl.
Unless...
Liu Shang is not the person he claims to be.
If Liu Shang is my father's son,
everything can be explained.
Brother Yi Huai, how do you plan to investigate?
Mo Lian Cheng...
shouldn't have used his own blood.
Prince Yi Huai will surely suspect him.
But,
how can we possibly fool him with chicken or duck blood?
Come and check out our umbrellas!
Umbrellas for sale!
Duckies.
Don't blame me.
Young lady, do you want to buy or not?
If everyone looks at the ducklings without buying like you,
I'll go broke.
Boss, do you have a knife?
You must keep this bag of blood properly.
Umbrellas for sale!
Check out our umbrellas!
Come and take a look!
I almost killed a duckling...
just to get some blood for you.
What's the matter?
Blood!
Help!
Who's the culprit?
Save him!
Get a doctor!
Call the ambulance!
Is there a doctor here?
Liu Shang!
Wake up!
Call 119!
No! Call 120!
Liu Shang! Wake up!
Liu Shang!
Doctor! Save him!
Cheng Cheng.
Cheng Cheng, wake up.
Do you feel better now?
Cheng Cheng.
You must hang in there.
If you don't hang in there,
I'll be left alone.
How do I survive here?
You scoundrel! You liar!
If it wasn't for you,
I wouldn't end up in this stupid place.
If you decide to stay,
I'll stay with you.
Okay?
Cheng Cheng.
What did you call me?
Cheng Cheng.
You'll take the initiative now?
Why can't I take a look?
It's the blood bag.
I panicked and forgot!
You lied to me again!
Once I settle everything here,
I'll take you home.
Okay?
You don't have to worry.
I only took one dose of the Soul Captivating Powder yesterday.
If I take the cure now,
I should be fine.
Most importantly,
I need to do this...
to confirm Liu Shang's identity.
This cup contains Mo Jing Kang's blood.
If Liu Shang's blood can't cure you,
you can still use Jing Kang's blood.
Your pulse is even more unstable now.
Indeed, it doesn't relieve my condition.
Then you should quickly...
Be patient.
Your pulse is starting to stabilize.
Looks like...
Liu Shang isn't a member of the royal family.
Whose blood did he use to cure my father?