I promise you.
But, I have a condition.
I'll stay behind with him.
Leave.
I've fulfilled my promise and made the greatest concession.
I hope you won't let me down.
Are you using me to take credit and seek rewards?
Can you still use your qi?
Yes.
But, I might not regain my consciousness.
Prince, do you trust me?
This is the most foolish and the most valuable part of you.
If I don't trust you...
why would I let you call the shots for me?
Leave him. You can go.
You said it just now.
I can stay behind with him.
You've accompanied him long enough.
You could only watch him die if you stay any longer.
I've promised Master Mei...
to ensure his safety.
She's not the only one you have to keep your words to.
Come. Take him away.
Release the arrows!
Stop!
Catch him alive.
- All right. I'll go after them. - Hold on.
I'll go after them.
You go after Gui Hua City's people.
Since they didn't honor their words,
we don't have to be the man of honour.
Kill all of them when you catch up to them.
Understood.
Your Majesty.
About Grand Tutor's action of secretly dispatching the imperial guards...
it's true that it's very outrageous.
But if he could use this opportunity to wipe out Prince Ning...
wouldn't that be sparing you of all the later troubles?
Prince Ning has no military power.
His female assassins are only good at assassination.
He can't lead the military to rise in rebellion.
Grand Tutor is the dominant player now.
I have no ways to restrict him.
If I lose Prince Ning...
wouldn't that give him the chance to take advantage on it?
Your Majesty is wise.
Besides...
that young lady has only the decree in hand.
The imperial guards might not believe her.
If she could save Prince Ning,
it's to everyone's delight and satisfaction.
If she couldn't save him...
that would be god's will and a man-made disaster too.
I'll surely punish Grand Tutor for his crime.
Why are you here?
We failed to defend Bi An Palace.
In the end, Chang An negotiated with them,
and exchanged the prince in return for our safety.
We managed to get the emperor's decree.
There's hope for Gui Hua City now. Enter the city with me.
Let's go.
Since you're in hot pursuit of us, let's put an end to this.
It's you?
You dare to come back?
You've quite some nerve.
I've brought the emperor's decree from the palace.
He wants all of you to withdraw quickly.
Leave Gui Hua City at once.
Show me the decree.
Just one word?
Yes.
You casually wrote a word on your palm...
and want to pass that off as the emperor's decree?
You've quite some nerve.
Arrest them.
My lord, can you answer two of my questions?
Ask away.
Whose order are you acting under to attack Gui Hua City?
The Grand Tutor's order.
That's His Majesty's order too.
That's great.
Where's the imperial decree from His Majesty?
The Grand Tutor is acting under His Majesty's oral decree.
We merely have the secret letter from Grand Tutor.
That means you've none.
In all fairness,
who's the one deluding the people with lies?
Demoness, how dare of you to question the emperor's order?
The emperor's order?
I have it on my palm.
It's handwritten by His Majesty on my palm.
Who dares to question the emperor's order?
Come out.
Don't forget. Whose imperal guards are you?
The crime of defying the order...
you can't bear it.
Why are you being so serious?
My lord, you need to think this way.
If it's a fake decree,
Gui Hua City will be held accountable too.
Prince Ning will be held responsible too.
His Majesty will punish him for his crime too.
As for the imperial guards...
you've merely been confused.
It's just an oversight.
But, if this decree is real...
All of you will go down with Prince Ning if he dies!
This...
I'll accept the order and retreat.
Let me deal with the rest.
Quickly find the prince and Chang An.
All right.
Gui Hua City has fallen apart.
Why are you so stubborn?
Everyone has something that they must do.
The thing that I need to do now...
is to keep my words and protect the prince.
There's no point to talk further.
Bring it on.
Ruan Niang, cut the crap with him.
- Just leave it to me. - Hold on.
Commander Li, bring the people and take ten steps back.
Step back!
All archers.
Aim at Prince Ning.
Follow my hand gesture.
Once I move my hand,
release the arrows at Prince Ning.
Can you do that?
Yes!
You can let go of all the Gui Hua City's people.
Why can't you let him go?
He sent someone to kill Lan Ruo.
He took away Grand Tutor's right-hand man.
The Grand Tutor wants his life for a life.
Since you must kill him...
you should kill me first.
Xie Huan.
You're the owner of the imperial without words,
Tang Dynasty's emperor.
We've spilled so much blood and pledged our lives to follow you.
You're now betraying me for that woman’s words,
and betraying your identity.
How does one conduct himself in bad faith?
Regardless if I'm Chang An or Xie Huan...
or your so-called emperor...
I must fulfill all the things that I've promised to do.
He has to die today.
You've been hit with my poison dart. You can't last any longer.
Give it up already.
There's no need for us to come to this point.
If I promise to leave with you...
and be the emperor you claimed I am...
can you let him go?
You just wanted to leverage on Grand Tutor's power.
I'll kill Cha Luo on your behalf,
and retrieve the imperial order without words.
I'll leave with you.
You don't have to account to him anymore too.
All right.
Leave Prince Ning here.
Exchange you and the imperial order without words for his life.
- Walk the talk. - It's a deal.
You lied to me once just now.
This is for safety precaution.
Commander Li.
- Take Prince Ning away. - Yes.
Come.
Retreat!
Chang An!
Wan Mei.
You're a coward who's afraid to die.
You pandered to her.
I was wrong about you.
Wan Mei, it's not what you thought it is.
I made a deal with Ruan Niang.
I just have to do something in exchange for him.
I'll prove myself to you!
You can go. But, you need to leave him behind.
Although Gui Hua City suffered damage, he's surely nearby.
I took him along for self-protection.
When I get the things that I want,
- I'll surely let him go. - I don't believe you.
This is the emperor's decree.
You need to withdraw the troops and leave Gui Hua City at once.
Report!
The decree is real.
The emperor ordered us to retreat and leave Gui Hua City at once.
Yes!
There's indeed not a single word,
on the imperial order without words.
Who is that?
Chang An?
Why are you here?
I took an oath to risk my life...
to ensure prince's safety.
I'll prove myself to you!
You're here.
Miss Yue Ying.
How's the prince?
He's resting.
Is there anything?
I'm just worried. So, I came to take a look.
Since the prince is fine...
I'll go back first.
Yue Ying, is Wan Mei here?
Yes.
Let her in.
Yes.
Prince.
How is the situation outside?
It's scattered everywhere in the city.
But with a little repair, it can be restored.
Thanks to your timely retrieval of the decree.
I could still be alive,
to watch the sun rises and the shadows of the bamboos.
You're blessed and protected by gods.
I have a question.
Can you answer it truthfully?
Prince, please ask away.
You risked your life to get the decree at the palace yesterday.
Did you do it for me or Gui Hua City?
Before I went...
I was indeed worried about your safety.
But, when I returned...
I saw a city beyond recognition.
I finally understood.
Actually, I've no where else to go.
Although Gui Hua City has all sorts of unbearable things,
it's considered half my home.
So...
instead of saying that I did it for your safety...
or for Gui Hua City's survival...
I should say that I did it for myself.
So long as you and Gui Hua City are still standing...
I can still survive...
in this troubled world.
I have a question too.
I wonder if you would answer me.
Ask away.
Last night...
did Chang An do his best to protect you?
I was at times unconscious.
I'm not very clear of the situation.
I could only remember before I was unconscious...
Chang An was by my side doing his duty diligently.
But, I woke up in the hands of the imperial guards.
This is also the truth.
Why are you kneeling down?
I'm apologizing for Chang An.
He previously vowed to ensure your safety.
But, this morning...
he handed your over to the imperial guards.
Since you must kill him, you should kill me first.
Leave Prince Ning here.
Exchange you and the imperial order for his life.
Walk the talk.
Prince.
You're saying that...
he betrayed me for his life?
I'm not sure either.
Although I witnessed it with my own eyes,
I still have doubts in my heart.
I kneel down...
hoping that you'll not pursue this further.
Since you've saved Gui Hua City...
I'll not pursue this further.
But since you have doubts in your heart,
you could ask him directly and it'll be clear.
Forget it.
That is your choice.
I'll not impose on you or interfere.
In the worse case scenario...
even if Chang An did betray me,
you didn't have to blame him.
Even the lowly cricket and ant cling to life.
No vows matter more than life.
Thank you, prince.
What is this?
The imperial order without words left by Emperor Wu.
Imperial order without words?
I thought it was a rumor.
Most of the rumors in this world are true.
But, most people didn't have the chance to see it.
Prince of Peace had a vicious ways of doing things.
I supposed Emperor Wu was in hesitation...
if she should hand over the power to rule the world to her.
That's why she made this imperial order without words...
and sealed in the black iron.
That left the princess in the hands of destiny.
An omnipotent Emperor Wu...
would let destiny takes its course too?
Prince of Peace is Emperor Wu's daughter after all.
Sometimes...
no matter how firm a person is...
he would be influenced by emotion too.
There'll be times when he's in two minds too.
Just like how you are toward Wan Mei?
Has Cha Luo returned?
She has just returned to the city.
That's great.
I've went to Ting Zhu Court...
and apologized on your behalf.
Thanks for the trouble.
Do you want to know what the prince has said?
He said he doesn't blame you.
He said even the lowly cricket and ant cling to life.
He even said that no vows matter more than life.
Do you have anything to explain?
No.
All right.
Seeing this swing swaying everyday gives me a headache.
Remove it.
I'll not be upset if I don't see it.
Same goes for this tree too.
I've my own unspeakable reasons.
Please believe in me.
Because I believed in you...
I've forced myself into a dead end again and again.
Today, I finally understood.
The problem between you and me...
is because I entrust my all to your care.
You, on the other hand, have always been holding things back,
and you wouldn't entrust yourself to me.
Wan Mei.
I really...
have a clear conscience.
If you have a clear conscience...
why don't you dig your heart out...
and show it to me?
So long as you are willing to...
I'm fine with anything.
You simply don't understand what I want!
Chang An.
I want to go through thick and thin with you.
I want to fight alongside you.
I want to be the only person you see.
Do you understand it?
You're indeed the only one I see.
But, there are things that I have to do.
That's right.
That's why we could never be together.
No matter the time...
I choose to believe in you.
I believe in you without reservation.
But your secrets...
were never shared with me.
Wan Mei.
Do you know?
The thing that hurts me the most...
is that you've made plenty of promises to me.
But, you never fulfilled them.
Do you know?
To me...
To me, this upsets me a lot...
and it hurts me dearly.
Forget it.
Let's end it here.
From today onward...
I'm only your master.
My words dictate your fate.
You must obey them.
Do as I say.
Destroy this swing.
Chop down this tree.
Don't make me repeat it.
City Master.
Wan Mei brought the decree and the imperial guards have retreated.
That's great.
Let's go back.
Should we send someone to ask around...
and we'll decide it later?
What do you mean?
The imperial guards besieged the city.
It increased prince and Wan Mei's authority by an odd coincidence.
I'm afraid if we return...
the prince will pursue further on you fleeing from the battle.
What if he pursues it?
My foundation can't be shaken so easily.
It's fine if you want to return now.
But, if the prince pursues on this matter...
I'll say that I acted on my own and forced you to leave.
By the time, I hope you won't refute it.
But...
I'm your shadow.
I live to keep you save.
City Master.
Liu Guang.
- You're back. - Right now, the city...
I'm acting under Gui Hua City Master's order,
to punish Cha Luo, the traitor, for abandoning the city and fleeing away.
What a joke.
There are no two masters in a city.
I, the City Master, Cha Luo, is here.
Which City Master's order are you acting under?
You fled when Gui Hua City endured calamity.
You don't deserve to be the City Master.
I advise you to accept your punishment.
You might have a glean hope of survival.
What gives you, an incompetent Jue Sha, to do this?
I'll only give you one chance.
Bring it on if you dare to!
Lord of Torture Chamber.
Yes.
You're in charge of the punishment in Gui Hua City.
If City Master disregard everyone's lives in imminent danger,
and fled before the battle...
- what should the punishment be? - I didn't!
If I didn't come back,
how would Wan Mei and Yue Ying break through,
and obtained the emperor's decree to withdraw the troops?
It seems like you're aware that you came back...
- after you left. - You...
Prince, you're right.
But, this has nothing to do with City Master.
I saw things weren't looking good,
and I acted on my own to take City Master away by force.
But, City Master was concerned about Gui Hua City.
She reprimanded me because of that...
and we returned immediately.
Is that so?
If so...
this has nothing to do with your master.
It's all my fault.
Lord of Torture Chamber.
What should the punishment be?
It's a capital offense to flee before the battle.
Don't cross the line.
Prince, although Lord of Torture Chamber was wrong,
he and City Master returned...
and made contribution in helping Yue Ying and Wan Mei break through.
His merits offset his faults.
He should be given a lighter punishment.
Give a lighter punishment?
Lord of Torture Chamber, how should we give a lighter punishment?
Whip a hundred times in public as a warning to others.
All right.
It seems like Lord of Torture Chamber has the intention for introspection.
Tomorrow afternoon...
we'll meet at Bi An Palace.
Wan Mei.
You did a good job in protecting the city.
You'll execute the whipping.
This serves as a warning to all.
We distinguish loyalty from treachery.
One reaps what he sows.
Xing Feng is my shadow.
Only my whip can be used.
Miss Wan Mei.
Thanks for the trouble.
Prince.
Xing Feng has learned his lesson.
Please spare him.
Prince.
Lord of Torture Chamber is loyal to Gui Hua City.
Please spare him.
Come. Let's go.
I'm fine.
Xing Feng is ignorant of the present state of affairs.
He has no respect for the master.
He lied to the master and overstepped his authority.
How can we show him sympathy?