Episode 17
It's been 4 hours.
I'll stop saying that you're pretending.
Let me go.
Even a wound would have healed by now.
I can't believe it still hurts.
Looks like someone doesn't want to leave yet.
Should I get you some medicine?
What?
You want more chocolate?
What chocolate?
It was bitterer than Chinese goldthread.
That factory should just shut down.
Should I cook another medicine for you?
I've been in bed for so long that my arms are aching now.
If you can give me a good massage,
I'll let you go.
I heard that...
when one is near death,
one will see a white passage ahead...
with blinding brightness.
But, why is it that I saw...
something different?
On top of pretending to be sick,
you have the nerve to claim that you were near death.
So, what did you see?
I saw...
a girl with ordinary looks.
She stood before me and said to me,
"Cheng Cheng,
if you don't go back,
I'll stay here with you."
That's my wound.
Are you even injured?
It was all because of a liar like you...
that I...
What?
Did you just reveal your honest feeling?
You still don't believe me?
No matter what happens in the future...
and no matter where you are,
as long as you need me,
I will appear at that time...
and place.
You're so annoying.
I need to go.
Sir.
Why were you in Liu Shang's room until now?
Liu Shang and I...
were almost killed in the market today.
Are you hurt?
Thanks to Liu Shang,
I'm fortunately unharmed.
From now on, you're not allowed to...
talk about another man in front of me.
Gosh.
He said exactly the same thing as Mo Lian Cheng.
The Mo Lian Cheng in the past...
is surprisingly graceful even when he flirts with a girl.
Why is the present Mo Lian Cheng...
so frivolous?
Sir, I need to go.
Sir.
Although Tan Er is your personal attendant now,
don't you think it's not a good idea...
to let her be alone with you...
after 5 p.m.?
Thank you for reminding me.
From now on, if it's past 5 p.m.,
I'll summon Jing Xin.
I won't be alone with Ms. Tan Er.
Sir!
Sir, you've been summoned to the palace.
His Majesty has just recovered from his illness.
He summoned all princes to the royal study.
His Majesty even instructed you...
to bring Ms. Qu Tan Er along.
This meeting is very likely related to the appointment of crown prince.
His Majesty might favour Prince Yi Huai...
as he wishes to reward him.
The position of the crown prince is not unchallenged.
The person who obtains it might not be able to keep it.
Looks like...
the competition for the position of the crown prince will repeat itself.
Is Brother Yi Huai's tragic fate...
really inevitable?
Mr. Liu Shang, why do you look...
even more worried than me?
If Prince Yi Huai is really appointed as crown prince,
he will surely declare you and Prince Jing Xuan...
his trusted aides.
Judging from your personality,
you will surely reply in sarcasm.
But, for the sake of your brotherhood,
please do not be harsh.
Are you Prince Yi Huai's advisor...
or my advisor?
Your brother is still alive.
You do not know the pain of losing him.
I wish to save you from this pain.
This is why I admonished.
By decree of the emperor,
as the heir apparent, the eldest prince, Mo Yi Huai,
is the destined future ruler.
He shall undergo the ceremony in accordance with the will of...
the present ruler and the people...
to inform heaven and earth, the royal ancestors and people that...
he has been installed as crown prince!
He shall occupy the East Palace...
as the future ruler...
who will bring prosperity to the land!
His installation shall be announced to the entire nation!
That is all!
Pan Er.
You finally came to see me.
Pan Er.
Are you here to rescue me?
Or did His Majesty forgive me...
and send you to visit me?
Pan Er, say something!
Should I dance for you?
Your Highness.
Don't worry.
I'm here to save you from your pain.
Come.
Your Highness, have some food.
Pan Er, I'm not hungry. I don't feel like eating.
Pan Er, tell me.
Does His Majesty miss me?
What's going on outside?
Tell me, Pan Er. Pan Er.
Alright. I'll tell you.
Mo Yi Huai has become the crown prince.
But, you...
still desire to revive your country.
Sooner or later,
you will pose a huge threat to Brother Yi Huai.
I can't believe...
I'm going to killed by a lowly maid.
Even if I'm gone,
State of Yu won't give up so easily.
One of us...
will reignite the country's flame of revival.
By then, you and Mo Yi Huai...
will surely get into deep trouble.
Inform His Majesty that...
Noble Consort Dugu committed suicide due to fear of punishment.
Yes.
I summoned you all after the installation...
because the crown prince requested for a betrothal.
He wants Ms. Qu Tan Er to be his concubine.
Father.
I came today...
to request that you approve...
my marriage with Ms. Tan Er.
Ms. Tan Er.
Don't you wish to have the freedom to determine...
your own fate?
Since both the crown prince and Prince Lian Cheng wish to marry you,
what do you plan to do?
When I was a property agent in Beijing,
I was single forever.
Why is it that in Eastern Yue,
I get to choose between a crown prince...
and the handsomest man in the country?
This is the life of Zhen Huan and Empress Dowager Xuan.
Qu Xiao Tan, once you become the empress,
all houses in Eastern Yue...
will be yours.
Are you...
really going to let go of this chance of a lifetime?
Ms. Tan Er.
Tan Er?
You look like...
you've made a decision.
Your Majesty.
I don't want to marry...
neither the crown prince nor Prince Lian Cheng.
Could it be that you have found the right man?
That's right.
-Wait, Tan Er. -Screw it. He caught me.
Tan Er.
I won't blame you for rejecting my proposal in front of my father.
It's true that it's unfair to you if you can only be my concubine.
Tan Er.
Once I ascend the throne,
I will fulfill my promise...
and make you the empress of Eastern Yue.
If I'm still in this stupid place by then,
I'll surrender to my fate.
Aren't you being overconfident?
Love cannot be forced.
If you grab her hand by force,
won't you pressure her even more?
Tan Er didn't dare to speak honestly...
because she is your maid and fears for her safety.
Tan Er.
I won't let you bear the pressure alone.
I've always been impressed by you.
You're always so boastful.
Even if Tan Er rejects you and me,
she's still the female manager of my household.
She doesn't need your sympathy at all.
I understand that Prince Yi Huai wants to marry me.
But, why does Prince Lian Cheng want me too?
I wish Liu Shang was there too.
That would be so interesting.
I'm really curious.
You said you found the right man.
Who exactly have you entrusted your future to?
I can take care of myself.
I don't need to entrust my future to anyone.
Judging from your words,
there is room in your heart and...
you're putting up an act to deceive me.
Could it be that...
Mr. Liu Shang is the one?
It's not him.
My heart is beating perfectly fine.
I don't want to give it to someone.
I'll only believe in...
the result I obtain personally.
Sir!
You're overdoing it.
The awkwardness is giving me cancer.
I need to take my medicine.
Liu...
Cheng Cheng!
Open the door!
It's me!
Open the door!
Cheng Cheng.
Did you learn to knock...
from a deliveryman?
Were you trying to let the whole world know?
Cheng Cheng.
Is your wound infected?
Go back to your bed and rest.
Looks like you...
really know my thoughts.
I just heard a strange news...
from our spy in the palace.
He said that Qu Tan Er...
rejected the proposals of...
the crown prince and Prince Lian Cheng at the same time.
She even claimed to have found the right man.
Who is this spy?
He lied.
Which part is wrong?
Looks like you've already given your heart to me.
If you don't cut it out,
I'll change my mind...
and be the crown princess.
I am the sinner, Qu Jiang Lin. Greetings, Your Majesty.
Princess Lanyexi, you came from afar.
Don't mind the formalities.
Mr. Qu, please rise.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Princess.Lanyexi.
Do you know where you are?
I heard that...
ever since you entered the palace,
you've been refusing to lay down your whip.
What's the reason?
We people of Yongye always carry weapons with us.
There's no reason to lay down my whip in someone's residence.
You have a unique point of view indeed.
Mr. Qu.
Yes.
King of Yongye offered to resolve our dispute at the border...
with a diplomatic marriage...
and you contributed greatly to this.
Since you've made up for your mistake,
I shall reinstate you.
Thank you, Your Majesty!
Don't forget about my contribution.
Mr. Qu used his medical skill...
to save a large group of Yongye's livestock...
and reduce the herdsmen's loss.
I stopped my father from attacking...
in order to repay Mr. Qu's favour.
Your Majesty, the princess is young.
Please forgive her...
for her bluntness.
The people of Yongye are straightforward and unpunctilious.
But Princess Lanyexi,
the diplomatic marriage is such an important matter.
Yet, King of Yongye did not come with you.
This is surprising to me.
What's the reason?
I will choose my own husband.
Even my father and mother...
have no right to interfere.
How do you plan to choose your husband?
The method is a secret.
Your Lordship will know by then.
Which scoundrel...
had the nerve to mess with me at my place?
Is the Flute of Departed Soul still here?
If someone uses the destined master and the Flute of Departed Soul...
to unseal the Soul Suppressing Orb,
the Demon King will sense the power...
and come to Eastern Yue.
I used my own power...
to hide the Flute of Departed Soul.
Yet, the intruder still managed to find it.
Is this person stronger than me?
Now, we must...
recover the Flute of Departed Soul as soon as possible.
Otherwise, history will repeat itself.
Young man.
Could it be that you've seen the orb's destined master...
unsealing the orb with the Flute of Departed Soul?
I didn't just see it.
The destined master of the orb is a person I'm very close to.
I can tell you her identity.
However,
after knowing the identity of the orb's destined master,
you must do your best to protect her.
Never act on your own...
and fool her into...
unsealing the Flute of Departed Soul...
and leaving for Xuanling Continent.
That'll cause a huge disaster.
How could you say that to me?
Whenever I'm with you,
I feel like I'm naked.
I'm extremely embarrassed.
Did you agree to my condition or...
I agreed.
Tell me quickly. Who is it?
The second daughter of Qu Family,
Qu Tan Er.
Qu Tan Er?
She is the one?
You must remember...
what you promised me, old man.
Look at you. You were still calling me Mr. Liu earlier.
Why are you calling me "old man" now?
Is your eyesight deteriorating?
Is the medicine getting less effective?
If you continue to stay in this place,
I'm afraid you'll soon meet your end.
Eastern Yue's fate is predetermined.
Return to where you came from if you want to protect yourself.
Father.
Why are you being so cautious?
What exactly is the matter?
When I was exiled to the frontier,
I thought that Qu Family was hopeless.
Surprisingly, I found hope in despair.
By chance, I found a precious treasure in Yongye.
What is this?
The Soul Suppressing Orb passed on in our family...
originally came with a secret training manual.
Unfortunately, the training manual is incomprehensible.
However, it is said that...
one person managed to decipher the manual and train accordingly.
As a result, he became extremely powerful and invincible.
Who is this person?
He is the founder and first emperor of Eastern Yue, Mo Yi Feng.
And what you're holding...
is the deciphered secret training manual.
If that's the case,
if you train according to the secret manual,
the magical power you obtain...
might make you the most powerful man in Eastern Yue.
That's not all.
This secret manual can also help me extract some of...
the power of the Soul Suppressing Orb...
and sense its magical power.
This is a precious item...
I found using the power I gained from the secret manual.
Initially, I wanted to investigate...
the identity of the owner of this item.
But, I didn't want to alert him.
After all, my real identity...
and power today...
must not be discovered yet.
More importantly,
the power of the Soul Suppressing Orb...
can only be fully unleashed by its destined master.
As such, we must now...
find the destined master of the orb as soon as possible.
Pan Er.
Do you know anyone in our family...
that is unruly and unusual?
Isn't it obvious?
That's surely my weird younger sister.
Her personality changed completely...
and she lost all her memories from before her suicide.
Yet, the princes in the capital love this crazy woman.
Besides Prince Yi Huai and Prince Lian Cheng,
even Prince Lian Cheng's advisor...
is very fond of her.
Father, instead of helping me,
you laugh at me.
Pan Er.
If I'm not mistaken,
Qu Tan Er must have something to do with the Soul Suppressing Orb.
-Father. -Don't be impatient.
When the time is right,
I will tell you everything.
Now, I have...
another urgent matter...
to settle as soon as possible.
Cheng Er. Mr. Qu.
The two of you came to me at the same time.
What's the matter?
Your Majesty, I'm old now.
I hope that Tan Er can stay by my side...
and be reunited with our family.
Your Majesty, I boldly...
request that you pardon Tan Er...
and allow her to return to Qu Family's residence.
Father, when Qu Family's properties were confiscated,
Qu Tan Er became a member of my household.
This is an imperial order. How can it be changed?
Your Majesty.
My health is constantly deteriorating.
My only wish is to be reunited with my family.
Please approve my request.
Father.
Qu Jiang Lin is an important official.
How can he go against the system...
for personal interest?
The two of them are so firm.
Is there something special about Qu Tan Er?
Qu Tan Er, what do you wish to do?
Your Majesty.
I'm doing very well in Prince Lian Cheng's household.
Moreover, the prince gave me a raise.
Now, I'm a department manager there.
I work with handsome and young guys.
I'm very satisfied with my current job.
Besides, the prince treats me very well.
As the saying goes,
"even the smallest kindness should be repaid greatly."
I'm willing to work for the prince...
and be loyal to him forever.
Father.
Working in Prince Lian Cheng's household...
allows me to gain some experience.
When I return in the future,
I can help you out with your management work.
This girl speaks in a very interesting manner.
But, I like her loyalty.
I allow you to stay in Prince Lian Cheng's household.
Thanks!
Tan Er.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Brother Lian Cheng.
Are you sure you don't want this diplomatic marriage?
This princess is extremely beautiful.
Isn't it a shame to lose her?
Besides, if you marry her,
you'll gain external support.
I already have a candidate for my princess.
How about...
you pick up this rewarding position of the princess' husband?
Brother Lian Cheng, don't make fun of me.
I prefer cute girls.
Cute girls?
Looks like Tan Er influenced Jing Xuan as well.
But Brother Lian Cheng,
if the princess chooses the crown prince...
Brother Yi Huai, if you don't do something,
the princess might choose Mo Lian Cheng...
and we'll be in a disadvantageous position.
We're princes of the great Eastern Yue.
Yet, we're here to be chosen by a princess from a tiny nation.
This is such an embarrassment.
When I ascend the throne,
I must make all these small nations submit to me.
Greetings, Your Lordship.
Don't mind the formalities, Princess Lanyexi.
This is a family banquet. Please be at ease.
I have a question for the princes.
Whoever answers it correctly will receive a gift from Yongye.
Why are men the ones in power...
when women are the ones procreating?
Isn't this absurd?
Which part of it is absurd?
It's a matter of course that men are superior to women.
Men's dominance is a result of natural selection.
It's god's will.
Princess Lanyexi, you have very special thoughts.
To me, I don't mind if it's the complete opposite.
It might even be quite interesting.
What do you think, Prince Lian Cheng?
Perhaps, some time in the future,
women will have the right to choose whether to procreate or not.
By then, it'll be understandable even if they don't give birth.
That's the answer I'm looking for.
I gift you a prized sword.
Thank you, Princess Lanyexi.