Episode 24
What's taking them so long?
Your Majesty.
What's the matter?
Your Majesty, please...
do not tell Noble Consort Ning that...
I gave you the map.
Does it make a difference who gave it to me?
Unlike Noble Consort Ning, I'm just a lowly maid.
Her Highness should be the one...
to hand the map to Your Majesty.
I've no rights to do so.
Then I won't speak a word of it.
Will this do?
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Hurry up!
Let's go!
How did it go?
-Are you alright? -I'm alright.
Yan Zheng's men were a handful.
Because their master is a handful.
Yandu is such a big city...
and of all places, the princess chose...
the place nearest to the palace.
The riskiest place is also the safest place.
Fire!
Run!
This way!
Why is the fire so fierce?
How did the fire break out?
What's going on?
Greetings, Your Majesty.
You may all retire.
Yes.
Ning Zhi, what took you so long?
Where were you?
I was admiring the flowers with the Princess Royal.
Don't you want me to spend more time with her?
Did she make a move?
Your Majesty!
Your Highness!
Guards!
Find out what happened out there!
Yes!
Sister, it's an earthquake!
This palace is collapsing!
Let's run!
This is clearly caused by an explosion.
Did something happen at the niter vault?
Another prophecy came true.
Your Majesty.
Are you alright?
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty, are you alright?
Your Majesty, are you well?
I'm fine.
What happened?
We don't know yet.
We only know that a huge explosion took place near Yongdong Gate.
The entire area within a radius of 3 miles was destroyed.
The whole place is in ruins, Your Majesty.
A huge explosion?
What are the casualties?
We've yet to count.
But that place is densely populated.
Judging from the situation there, at least...
seven to eight hundred people were killed and injured.
-Escort His Majesty to his bed! -Yes.
Your Majesty.
Your Majesty, are you alright?
-Your Majesty. -Your Majesty.
Your Majesty!
The empress dowager was struck by a fallen tile!
Her Highness is unconscious now!
Hurry!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty, are you alright?
I'm fine.
How's His Majesty?
His Majesty is fine.
Your Majesty.
Please immediately order...
all palace maids of all four academies...
as well as all eunuchs...
and all available personnel in the palace...
to head to Yongdong Gate and rescue the folks!
A serious explosion took place near Yongdong Gate.
Did a lot of people get hurt or killed?
Probably...
seven to eight hundred people.
Bring me my brush!
I need to issue an order!
Yes!
During Mangzhong in the 14th year of Tianqi Reign,
a natural disaster destroyed the farmland.
Officials of the Ministry of Revenue were racking their brains...
to ensure adequate tax income in autumn.
At the same time,
an unprecedented explosion...
took place all of a sudden in Yandu the capital...
and shook both the folks and officials.
Hurry! Help out!
Go.
-What's the situation? -Your Highness!
Your Highness!
Your Highness, the empress dowager has regained consciousness.
But she's not in her right mind yet.
I'm informed.
Your Highness.
I made a trip to the chief commander's residence.
Chief Commander Wei went out in the morning.
He hasn't returned since.
Alright.
Your Majesty.
What brought you over?
I heard you have a new prophecy.
Don't you always say that my prophecies...
never come true?
Are you hiding something?
Are you suspecting me?
This major event will be recorded in history...
as a mystery.
I can never be capable of...
plotting something as big as that.
It's just that whenever I close my eyes,
I see fireballs rising in the air...
and smoke gushing out from the ground.
Since Your Majesty came,
I shall tell you another secret.
The person that matters the most to you...
has died in this disaster.
Check on him.
Alright.
Be careful.
Be gentler.
Her Majesty has arrived!
Greetings, Your Majesty.
Rise.
Your Majesty, how's the empress dowager?
She might need some time to recuperate.
I'm glad she's fine.
She'll recover sooner or later.
Dear all.
This is a serious disaster in the imperial capital...
and I am saddened.
His Majesty loves his people.
After the explosion, he immediately sent me...
to check on the victims.
The court takes this matter very seriously...
and has decided to allocate funds...
to relieve the victims...
and assure the folks.
We are thankful for His Majesty's kindness.
Have you found Chief Commander Wei?
Not yet.
What about Lang Kun?
Your Majesty.
I'm a soldier from the Patrol Unit.
I saw Mr. Lang Kun outside of...
the restaurant where the explosion took place.
And then?
Then an explosion took place in the restaurant.
I was blown off.
I don't know what happened to the two of them.
"The two of them"?
Who was there besides Lang Kun?
There was a man standing behind him.
He's very tall.
But, as I was standing behind,
I couldn't see his face.
Greetings, Your Majesty.
You're so lucky.
Even Yong De Palace was impacted by the explosion.
You were at the center of explosion.
Yet, you survived.
It's all thanks to Your Majesty.
My master once said that...
I'm a cat with 9 lives.
At this rate,
even 9 lives aren't enough.
I'll send someone to deliver some medicine to you.
Just recuperate properly...
and set everything else aside.
Don't worry. It's just a minor injury.
It's nothing serious.
I will recover in a few days.
Your Highness!
Your Highness.
Chief Commander Wei has returned to the palace.
He's fine.
Greetings, Your Highness.
Wei Guang.
Are you alright?
I'm fine.
The impact of the explosion was so strong.
A brick flew over and hit me in my head.
I was knocked out in an alley for one whole night.
Don't worry. I'm fine.
Two years!
My sister and I spent 2 years...
and put in so much effort to set up this niter vault.
It's gone.
It's all gone!
Don't worry, Your Highness.
But, there's one thing I don't understand.
I heard that Yan Kuan had prophesied the explosion.
Yet, Mr. Yan did not say anything about it...
or take any preventive measures.
What exactly is the reason?
I just asked Mr. Yan.
He told me that his brother has a plan...
and that we will know when the time is right.
Actually, this incident...
might be an opportunity for us.
Hundreds of people were killed in this explosion.
This is unprecedented.
The folks must be feeling insecure now.
At a time like this, if someone spreads a rumour,
saying that god is punishing our tyrannical emperor,
they will surely believe it.
Fortunately,
we have the assistance of an extraordinary man.
Yan Kuan's prophecy came true.
His advice was right.
He's truly an incredible person.
I've witnessed it myself.
Don't worry.
I will surely rescue your brother.
By then,
the two of you will assist me together.
I will be successful.
Your Majesty.
By 5 pm,
the number of deaths had increased to 836.
Enough.
Say no more.
Comfort the families of the victims properly.
You may retire.
Yes.
Why are you still here?
What are you waiting for?
Your Majesty, I have a request.
Ban Ling Er.
Aren't you asking for too much?
I'm done with your requests!
But Your Majesty...
has been restless and exhausted lately.
Your Majesty has done so much for the people of Liang.
Yet, nobody understands your feelings.
I'm the Emperor of Liang.
I'm the ruler of the nation.
If I can do something for the people of Liang,
no matter how tiring it is,
I won't have any complaint.
Actually, I'm more worried about Noble Consort Ning.
She's a reckless person.
If she learns that it was caused by Your Majesty,
she might not be able to understand.
That'd further complicate the matter.
You do have a point.
I heard from my servants that...
you came for me several times.
Do you need something?
Did you play a part in the explosion?
Tell me.
I told only you the location of the niter vault.
We met in the morning the day the explosion took place.
You told me that...
you could find the exact location...
and settle the problem.
Did an accident happen during the process?
I want to hear it from you personally.
Ning Zhi.
I know how you feel.
So many people died and I'm not happy about it either.
But I'm a chief commander.
I've seen more deaths than you.
If the niter vault did not explode today,
the number of deaths...
might be a hundred times more than that in the future.
In a battle in Pingzhou,
I killed 3,000 men.
I've lost count of...
the number of people I've killed.
A general conquers at the expense of myriads of lives.
A man in my position...
cannot be soft-hearted.
I never thought of this.
Maybe you're right.
It's better to sacrifice a hundred to save a thousand.
I'm just a woman.
I only see the people...
who died in the explosion...
as well as the agony in...
the eyes of their families...
who cried in despair.
I cannot...
I cannot convince myself...
to accept your reason.
Prior to this,
you were a trustworthy person to me.
But now,
I can no longer trust you.
Ning Zhi.
It is the men's duty to stop the Princess Royal...
and protect the country.
Just leave it to us.
You should just live comfortably in the royal harem.
Alright.
Don't worry.
I've sent everyone away.
The explosion that shook the palace...
gave me an excuse to get rid of the spies...
sent by the Princess Royal.
Don't worry, Your Highness.
You are healthy.
I'm old already...
and after what happened,
I feel like I'm getting senile.
I've become very forgetful too.
Then Your Highness would forget me...
and I would have to live on as Lang Kun forever.
That'll be bad.
What is this?
You have my protection. Is this still not enough?
Must you make Her Highness worry with you?
By the way,
what are the Princess Royal and Prince Guang Ding doing lately?
Something so serious just happened.
The people are alert and paranoid.
I believe they'll stay put for the time being.
These treacherous children of mine...
got so many people killed.
Because of them, you all are having such a hard time.
Wei Guang and Ning Zhi are the same.
I am so sorry.
You're done painting?
Hurry. Let me see it.
Your Majesty, why did you...
suddenly order me to draw Xiu Lan?
I'm just curious about...
the looks of the woman you loved for over a decade.
She's just an ordinary woman. There's nothing special about her.
I don't believe that.
She's pretty and graceful.
She looks educated too.
Is she from an educated family?
Her father is a teacher.
How's her family doing?
Her parents are still alive.
She has many siblings.
She's the youngest child in her family.
Your Majesty, Xiu Lan's death anniversary is approaching.
I'd like to pay my respects to her.
Good.
I'd like to give her a present.
Take this bangle.
I cannot accept this precious gift.
It's not for you.
It's for Xiu Lan's family.
Let them use this...
to renovate her tomb.
But, this is Your Majesty's favorite bangle.
It's not an important thing.
Nothing is better than...
doing meaningful things.
Take it.
Else, I'll get mad.
Yes.
I thank Your Majesty on behalf of Xiu Lan.
You're finally here, Lang Kun.
Your Highness.
We've nothing to talk about.
I only left the palace for a personal reason.
So I thought I should take the opportunity to return this to you.
Wait.
What do you want?
My ally told me that...
someone will help me if I'm in danger.
Now, I need you to answer...
a very important question.
Someone told me that...
the day the explosion took place,
you were right outside of the restaurant...
and there was another man standing behind you.
What was your objective?
Wei Guang was right.
You're not fit for this.
I won't let you leave unless you tell me the truth!
Did the two of you cause the explosion?
Was that man behind you Wei Guang?
Noble Consort Ning.
Do you know that...
being soft-hearted...
will get yourself...
and even the people you love killed?
If someone tells me to kill you today,
I'll do it without a moment of hesitation.
Can you do the same?
Know your place.
I know we've the same goal.
What's so hard about killing?
What makes you think that I can't do it?
Good.
This is interesting.
Let me tell you then.
I had nothing to do with the explosion.
Wei Guang wasn't involved either...
because the man standing...
outside of the restaurant with me that day...
was Wei Guang.
Then why did...
Wei Guang admit that...
he was the one behind the explosion?
The blood of his father flows in his body.
The father and son...
possess the same strengths...
and of course,
the same deadly weakness,
blind loyalty.
Wei Yan took the blame for the late emperor numerous times.
And now Wei Guang...
is also taking the blame for His Majesty's deed.
What did you say?
What do you mean he's taking the blame?
But there's another reason of course.
It's because of you.
He wants you to quit...
and stop risking your life like us.
Understand?
Your Majesty.
Regarding the men we sent to destroy the niter vault,
two went missing and three were knocked unconscious.
What?
I thought you told me that...
they are all dead!
I was negligent.
Please punish me.
I want those three...
to become the heroes of Liang...
that will be praised for ages.
Do you understand?
Your Highness.
His Majesty knows that...
you worked hard to help the folks.
So, he sent me to check on you.
Too many folks were injured and killed in this explosion.
How can I be at ease?
But, I'll do my best to assist His Majesty.
By the way Your Highness,
the palace maids of all four academies plan to go...
to the Imperial Garden tomorrow night to release lanterns and pray.
Pray?
It's the Qixi Festival tomorrow.
Are you all going to pray for love?
The palace is a cruel place.
We dare not ask for love.
Actually, we want to pray for Your Highness.
Me?
Why me?
Your Highness is known for your kindness.
Without your help,
we wouldn't be able to live so comfortably.
So, we're all thankful to you.
That's why we want to pray for you.
If you all wish to pray,
just pray for the people killed in the explosion...
and their families.
Your Majesty.
You've done a lot for them.
If it wasn't for you,
the number of casualties would have increased.
I just want peace of mind.
Every time I close my eyes,
I can hear...
the cries of the victims' families.
It's unbearable indeed.
But I remember that...
according to the inventory list of the niter vault we saw,
the niter came 2.5 kg at a time.
Why was there such a huge explosion?
Ban Ling Er.
How did you know that...
the niter came 2.5 kg at a time?
Don't you remember?
The day we buried Prince Bei Ying,
I saw that map too.
I don't remember.
Maybe I'm too forgetful.
You've good memory.
So, Your Majesty should rest well...
and take good care of yourself.
Do you still remember...
the amount of niter stated on the map?
I remember that...
it was a few hundred kilogram.
So what was the...
quantity of the largest batch of niter?
It was just 15 kg.
In fact, it only arrived last year.
You're lying!
Ban Ling Er, I did unfold that map that day.
We both saw that it was labelled as...
"Niter Vault of Yongdong Gate".
But right after that,
I ordered you to dig a hole!
I was the only one who went through that map.
Your Highness, you've misremembered.
I went through that map as well.
You still want to lie to me?
Who saved you thrice?
Your Highness, I dare not lie.
I did go through that map.
Ban Ling Er.
So you secretly...
dug out that map. Am I right?
You had the nerve to do that!
Your Highness! Please trust me!
I did not do that!
Speak!
Who did you hand the map to?
Come clean!
Fine.
Then I should send you to the Supreme Court...
and let them interrogate you!
Your Highness, please spare me!
I'm just scared.
I'm too afraid to tell you.
Guards!
Take Ban Ling Er to the Supreme Court!
Your Highness!
I'll come clean!
The truth is,
I...
I handed the map to His Majesty.
Do you know how many lives...
your folly cost us?
Your Highness!
Ning Zhi.
Are you done making arrangements for the families of the victims?
Have Your Majesty identified...
the cause of the explosion of the niter vault?
I only know that...
the niter vault was secretly set up by...
the Princess Royal and Prince Guang Ding.
The cause of the explosion...
is still unknown.
Ban Ling Er told me that...
she handed the map of the niter vault near Yongdong Gate...
to Your Majesty.
Are you suspecting me?
I...
did receive that map from her.
So I sent the commander of the Imperial Guards to check.
Someone accidentally sparked a fire...
and caused a huge explosion.
After the explosion,
I feared that the princess...
might falsely accuse me of causing the explosion...
because I sent the Imperial Guards.
So I...
was forced to keep it from you...
and let Chief Commander Wei bear the brunt.
That means,
Mr. Wei has nothing to do with this explosion at all.
I had no choice.
Prince Guang Ding and the Princess Royal...
are keeping an eye on me closely.
They are waiting for me to make a mistake.
I don't have to be the emperor.
But, I can't let a greedy man...
like Prince Guang Ding usurp the throne!
That'll be a huge disaster for the nation!
For the sake of the people,
I've no choice but to do this!
Even if Your Majesty hides the truth about this,
the princess won't let go of the opportunity.
By then, she'll say that you're being punished by god...
for your lack of virtues.
Your Majesty.
Back then, Your Majesty could even...
go against the advice of the court officials for me.
Where did that courage go?
It's different now.
Your Majesty, please issue a confession...
and regain the people's support with your sincerity.
I am as sad as anyone else.
The sound of the explosion has been haunting me since.
Ning Zhi.
Help me.
I want to be a good emperor.
I want to protect this country.
If you do not dare to face your own mistake,
how can you protect this country?
In order to remain on the throne,
there are things I am forced to do.
So the things that matter to you are the throne...
and your own reputation...
and not the people.
More than 800 people were killed in the explosion...
and countless of people were injured.
You are taking the blame for this case.
Once the news spreads, you'll be condemned for ages.
Are you going to sacrifice the reputation of Wei family?
Wei Guang, why are you doing this?
Wei Guang!
I know you're taking the blame for someone.
Ban Ling Er gave His Majesty that map.
I was negligent.
Both His Majesty and I are at fault in this case,
but you are not.
I've seen dead bodies strewn across the street.
I know the pressure you bear.
You must have a predicament.
Would you let me face it with you?
Help!
Help.
Are you alright?
Come. Get up.
Lang Kun!
I know you.
You're from the Winged Tiger Army.
You can't leave the palace without His Majesty's permission.
What was your mission?
Was it related to the explosion?
Speak!
Wei Guang.
Why did you suddenly request for a secret meeting today?
The explosion at Yongdong Gate...
killed 800 people and injured countless of people.
If no one takes the blame for this,
what will happen to Liang?
You're spouting nonsense!
Wei Guang.
Are you here to...
threaten me?
It's the exact opposite.
I'm here to help Your Majesty.
I'm willing to take the blame for this case.
But why do you want to do this?
Your throne is the throne of Liang dynasty.
Your land is the land of Liang dynasty.
But, those who built this country....
were my father,
my comrades...
and countless of soldiers who shed blood in the battlefield!
If the people learn that...
the emperor they hail...
caused their sufferings,
would they support him?
I only want to protect this country!
Is this your honest feeling?
I only know that...
patience is important.
Prince Guang Ding and the princess are biding their time.
Even the slightest mistake Your Majesty makes...
could lead to civil war,
let alone a huge mistake like this!
All I want...
is for the country to be peaceful....
and the people to be safe.
Your Majesty would only need to be faultless...
to prevent this war!
Wei Guang.
You are...
the only man I trust.
I hope you know what to do.
I shall excuse myself.
The prison is such a creepy place.
Each time I pass by,
I feel uneasy.
Maybe it's because Yan Kuan is inside.
Don't worry, Your Majesty.
Yan Kuan is just knowledgeable...
and brilliantly manipulative.
Witchcraft isn't real.
There's no such thing as
But, he did prophesy that...
you would die in that explosion.
But, I'm perfectly fine...
and standing right before Your Majesty.
But...
But, how did he predict the explosion?
In fact, the explosion...
was exactly the way he described.
I'm really restless.
The answer is simple.
If His Majesty could send men to blow up the niter vault,
Yan Kuan could do the same.
He only had to bribe the prison guards to do that.
As for...
the real culprit behind the explosion of the niter vault,
no one knows.
Then why did he do that?
He takes pride in his prophecies.
This huge disaster...
proved the legitimacy of his prophecy...
and with this, he will gain...
the Princess Royal's full trust.
Did he kill 800 people...
just for that?
Wei Guang was right.
This prison...
is the only place that can confine Yan Kuan.
Once he's released,
the country...
will plunge into chaos.