Music
By the way
the curfew is imposed in Diandu.
This is the pass token. Take it.
But...
When your father finds Yihuan missing tomorrow
you will be blamed.
It doesn't matter.
I'll insist that
I don't know anything.
But few people
can get the pass token.
He will not believe you.
Yeah.
But His Majesty gave a decree to reprimand my father.
If he will let go of your junior sister
shrink the responsibility to Priestess Xueyi
or rebel directly.
If he decides to rebel directly
your junior sister will be in danger.
But I'm his son, anyway.
He will...
beat me at most as just he did last time.
He won't kill me.
But...
You disobeyed your father
many times for me.
I...
Is this necessary
between us?
Besides, I'm doing this
for myself, too.
I don't want my father
to commit more crimes.
Nor do I want him to
break with the royal court.
Wu Sangui
puts so many dishes and fruits
in front of me every day.
He really takes me
as a pig who only eats.
I don't believe
you can always ground me.
Bro. Ye. Sis. Fan.
Junior Sister.
I know you'll come to save me.
Awesome.
Junior Sister.
Are you alright?
Did Wu Sangui embarrass you?
I'm fine.
He feeds me with food and drink.
Luckily, you're here to save me.
Otherwise, I'll soon be a pig.
Wu Sangui knew his ambition was expose
and Kangxi wouldn't forgive him
he's now planning how to rebel.
If he confirms that
we're not sincerely cooperating with them
he will kill you to pray for his victory.
Let's hurry and leave!
It's not a proper place for chat.
Let's go.
Go.
Get them!
Let go of us!
Don't move.
Don't waste your energy.
This is not an ordinary fishing net.
This is the gold net
I specially made.
None of you can dream of running away.
Li Yihuan.
In fact, you persuaded me.
Unfortunately
your senior brother and sister could hardly keep calm.
In this way
I finally realize that
Priestess Xueyi was right.
You're not sincere at all
to cooperate with me.
Instead, you just want to use me to deal with Kangxi.
I will not
be fooled by you!
You!
Take them back.
Li Defu.
Here.
Do you think
Li Yihuan and Li Jianqing are spies with the Anti-Qing Alliance?
Your Majesty.
Normally
I don't care for anything else
except taking care of you.
Besides
you think highly of them.
I...
I don't dare to judge.
You crafty man!
We're alone here.
Just get to the point.
Tell me what you think of it.
I'm just listening.
Your Majesty.
Dr. Li and his sister
are normal people
out of the palace.
They're different from other ministers.
They're not completely reliable.
But Your Majesty, when you were in danger
they risked themselves
to save you several times.
Especially Lady Attendant.
She is always afraid of
hardship
fatigue
pain
and death.
But in critical moments
she saved you at the risk of her own life.
I don't think
she faked it.
I can feel that
Yihuan truly cares for me.
But Oboi
and Priestess Xueyi
both accused them of
being spies with the Anti-Qing Alliance.
I can't help worrying about that.
Priestess Xueyi is an assassin
sent by Wu Sangui.
I don't know much
about her.
But I know Oboi very much.
Oboi and Wu Sangui very much.
They're your enemies.
As the saying goes
the enemy of my enemy
is my friend.
Yihuan.
Qianying. Mosheng.
You're the same as Qingcheng.
I watched you growing up.
You'd better tell me
where you keep the golden key
you had switched.
Then I'll plead with Duke Pingxi
to spare you.
Master Xueyi, why did you deliberately ask?
Master Yishou is the spy sent by Oboi.
Senior Fan
gave the golden key she got from Wu Yingqi
to the crown prince.
Tang Yishou
switched it
from the crown prince.
Now Tang Yishou is dead.
Did she
give the key to the royal court
or keep it to herself.
We can't verify it.
No.
Tang Yishou
can't have the golden key.
She isn't
the spy sent by Oboi, either.
But that day
when I buried her with my mother.
We found Oboi's token
from her body.
What could a token prove?
Anyway
Tang Yishou isn't a spy.
I didn't...
kill her, either.
In this case
why are you still denying it?
Once again.
I didn't kill Tang Yishou.
At that time
in the suburban temple
I went to save Childe Yingqi
at the risk of exposing myself.
So...
I sent a message to Shi Qinghong secretly
asking him to attack to cooperate with me.
Hurry.
This way.
Your Grace.
Do keep calm.
Don't tell them I'm the spy.
Li Dingguo and his men
will not kill
an unarmed woman.
I'll get Childe Yingqi out
and come back to you.
Childe Yingqi.
Wake up and leave with me.
Childe Yingqi.
But I didn't expect
he and his mother
had taken the frozen poison
that they couldn't talk or move.
So I cancelled the rescue plan
and sneaked out from the roof.
I was thinking
if she would betray me
I had to give up the sneaking plan
and went back to Duke Pingxi.
So...
How could I possibly
kill Childe Yingqi or his mother?
How could I explain to Duke Pingxi then?
To cover myself up
I fought with the Qing army
with Duke Jin
and Chen Shengnan.
When I returned to the room
I found
the princess consort was dead.
I was utterly upset.
I was thinking
how I could
explain to Duke Pingxi.
But unexpectedly
the princess consort
wasn't killed
but Tang Yishou was.
Yishou?
Master Yishou?
More surprisingly
Tang Yishou
was considered as the spy sent by Oboi.
Godfather.
Masters.
We found this on Master Yishou.
It seems to be from the royal court.
Exactly.
This is a special pass card made by Oboi.
He gave it to his most trusted subordinate.
I saw one in his house.
Do you mean
Tang Yishou is the spy for the royal court
we've been trying to find out?
Since I didn't kill Tang Yishou
someone else
must have done that.
And he must be
the real spy sent by Oboi.
He must have seen through
the plan
of Duke Jin and Tang Yishou.
He used the frozen poison secretly
and poisoned Tang Yishou disguised as the princess consort
killed her
and put his pass card on her
to frame her up.
In the end
he framed me up
as the murderer.
Master Xueyi, you have a ready tongue.
But do you think we'll believe you?
You want to bring up
internal strife in the Pearl Valley
and make us suspect each other.
So that you can take us down one by one.
I didn't know
it was a trap of Li Dingguo and Zhu Cixuan.
I thought
Childe Yingqi was guarded by her mother
the favorite princess consort of Duke Pingxi.
Why would I kill her?
It's still possible that
you killer her in chaos
to cover yourself up.
After that, you could shrink
all the responsibility to us.
Yes.
When Big Brother
asked us
to stab Childe Yingqi
didn't you also actively support him to cover yourself up?
I wasn't actively supporting!
I was forced to clarify my position.
Besides, I was gambling.
I was gambling that
Zhu Cixuan was just scaring him.
If he had really wanted to stab him
I would have immediately run away
and exposed myself.
You don't need to
kill Childe Yingqi then.
You can argue for yourself now.
But you don't even care for the apprentice
you brought up.
How could you possibly
sacrifice for Childe Yingqi?
Master Xueyi.
You killed Master Yishou.
Maybe...
you also had the real golden key.
Oh, I know.
You're lying
because you want to keep the key to yourself.
Great.
Kill two birds with one stone!
My Lord.
Don't be
fooled by them!
I'm loyal
to you!
I swear, My Lord.
Master Xueyi.
You failed to assassinate Kangxi.
He seems to keep calm.
But in fact
he wants to deal with Duke Pingxi.
It's the best plan to cooperate with us
and fight against Kangxi together.
You keep saying that
you're loyal to him.
But you insist on
bringing up the internal strife between him and us.
You really are
loyal to him, huh?
- My Lord. - You...
If I guess correctly
the copper box Master Xueyi brought you
is fake.
Otherwise
you can try.
How can we
prove its authenticity?
My father said
the copper box
was specially manufactured
by the best craftsmen of the Ming dynasty.
There are nine dragons on the box.
If the real box is put in water
the dragons will move.
If you want to prove its authenticity
put it in the water
and you'll know.
I tried.
The copper box
is fake.
Uh...
Girl.
Do you always
have the real copper box
and ask Qingcheng
to switch a fake one?
If I were that scheming
I wouldn't have always been fooled!
If you didn't
Qingcheng must have done that.
Yes.
It must be Qingcheng.
She hid the real copper box
she got from you
but gave me a fake one.
Master Xueyi.
I feel so sad for Sis. Xue.
She always took you as her everything.
And she knew you had her little brother.
How dared she hide the copper box!
She sold you out
just because she was exposed.
Besides
she betrayed you
because she knew her brother was dead.
My Lord.
I gave you the copper box I got from Qingcheng.
I didn't know it was fake.
Oh, I see.
Here is the thing.
Master Xueyi.
Are you saying
we have the golden key and copper box
because you want to keep the treasure to yourself?
Are you going to cheat Duke Pingxi in this way?
Damn you!
You damn girl!
You seem to be ignorant and incompetent.
I didn't expect you to be so horrible
when playing tricks?
What tricks am I playing?
I'm telling the truth.
- You! - Stop!
Take them away.
Yes.
Junior Sister.
I didn't expect you
to so brilliant.
I'm afraid
Master Xueyi must be regretting that
she didn't kill you
on the way to Diandu.
I didn't have a choice.
If Duke Pingxi breaks his agreement
with our Pearl Valley
we'll die.
My Lord.
If you suspect me, please kill me.
I'd like to prove my loyalty
with my life.
You didn't kill Tang Yishou?
My Lord.
You saved me.
I pleaded to work for you
just to pay you back.
So...
why would I kill your favorite concubine
to cover myself up?
So it should be Qingcheng
who switched the copper box.
As far as I know
about Qingcheng and Yihuan
Yihuan
was unlikely to switch it.
But Qingcheng...
she seems to always listen to me.
But in fact
I'm afraid she has some other intention.
This time
when she knew her brother was dead
she fell out with me immediately.
I believe you.
I think
Qingcheng should have the copper box.
As for the real golden key
the spy
Oboi sent to the Pearl Valley
should have it.
Thank you for trusting me.
Hush.
Take Li Yihuan and her partners back.
Yes.
Li Yihuan.
This is the decree His Majesty wrote to me.
Read it.
His Majesty seems to be angry.
He asked me angrily
if I was behind this.
But he still
sounded close to me.
Therefore
as long as I sent you three and Priestess Xueyi
to the capital
I can get out of this completely.
Meanwhile
I can be awarded.
My Lord, I'd like to help you
to win Kangxi's trust with my life.
Yi Huan.
Now you see?
Your father pretended to cooperate with me
but tried to drive a wedge between Kangxi and me.
He would fail.
My Lord.
You get the wrong idea about my father.
You forced my father to kill my mother.
He hates you.
But you know.
My father
cares more for the great cause to recover the Ming
than his personal enmity.
So he sincerely wants to form the alliance with you
to go against the royal court.
But...
I don't want to rebel.
I'm living a comfortable life
as Duke Pingxi.
But you won't enjoy such life
for too long.
Do you think
when you obey the decree
sell us out
and kill Priestess Xueyi
His Majesty will drop the idea of dethroning you?
You're absolutely wrong.
His Majesty told me many times that
Oboi was a great threat to him.
Now he has arrested Oboi.
You're now...
the threat to him
who he wants to get rid of.
Did Kangxi really say that?
Sure.
If you don't believe it, let me show you.
He said like this.
Old bastard Wu Sangui.
How many years has he enjoyed his old honor?
He asks me for money every year!
The national treasury is depleted.
Now he wants more!
Nine hundred million taels of silver!
Isn't that enough?
He does enclosure
collects various taxes
and cast coins privately. Fine.
But how dared he
kill me!
That's capital crime!
How hateful he is!
Compared to Oboi
Wu Sangui is much worse.
I will kill him
sooner or later.
Damn Kangxi.
He's going too far.
My Lord.
I believe you know
the saying that
slay the lackeys when they have outlived their usefulness.
Over so many years
you asked Priestess Xueyi
to secretly hide in the Pearl Valley
and allowed us to grow.
You did it for today, didn't you?
So My Lord
why do you bother to scare us?
I heard Li Dingguo's daughter
was greedy for fun, ignorant and incompetent.
Unexpectedly
you're so wise.
You're flattering me, My Lord.
In fact, what I said
wasn't my own idea.
I heard it
when my father and big brother discussed about it.
I was just repeating like a parrot.
My Lord.
We formed an alliance with you with the true heart
to fight against the royal court together.
Please think about it carefully.
If you send us three to the capital
you'll be fighting with us
and giving away great profits to Kangxi.
But if you send Yihuan back to Kangxi
it'll do great good
to you and us.
Open the handcuffs
and release them.
Yes, My Lord.
Master Xueyi.
Sorry to grieve you.
Take all the responsibilities alone.
Don't worry. You have me.
I will plead for you
with Junior Long
to keep you alive.
Hope you'll keep your words.
Otherwise
you'll regret.
My Lord, don't worry, either.
I'll ask His Majesty
to postpone the plan to cancel feudatories
so that you'll have enough time to get prepared.
Okay.
Miss Yihuan.
Please take a message to your father.
Let's work together to expel the Qing out of Shanhai Pass first.
Neither of us shall have vicious intention
or the Qing may gain profits.
That's a deal then.
See you, My Lord.
Father.
See you then.
Mom.
- Go ahead. - Take care of yourself.
Be careful on your trip.
His Majesty commanded
to lock Priestess Xueyi up in the prison
and asked to see Wu Yingqi and Shi Qinghong.
Yes.
Eunuch Li.
Didn't His Majesty ask to see me?
His Majesty
asked you to have some rest in the Lodge of Eternal Happiness first.
Eunuch Li.
Shouldn't His Majesty be eager to see him this time?
After all, I had a narrow escape.
But why did he
ask me to go back to my palace directly?
Did he see me through
and not want to see me?
His Majesty keeps calm
but he must be suspecting you.
He doesn't want to see you.
I don't know
what he is thinking of.
Anyway
you shouldn't have come back.
I'll totally
get doomed because of you.
Let's go.
Your Majesty, vice-general Shi Qinghong and I
bring Lady Attendant Li Yihuan back
together with the criminal Priestess Xueyi.
Get up.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty.
I'm asking for punishment for my father.
Your Majesty, please punish me.
What wrong has your father done?
He said
he took the troops to exterminate the Plum Sect
and owed a huge debt of blood to Priestess Xueyi.
Priestess Xueyi disguised herself
as the maid senior of Concubine Li
sneaked into the palace
and tried to assassinate Your Majesty.
After she failed
she kidnapped Lady Attendant
to Yunnan
trying to frame my father up.
Luckily, my father managed to catch her
and saved Lady Attendant.
He asked me to apologize to you.
Your father caught the criminal
and saved my Lady Attendant
regardless of the trap.
He helped, instead of being guilty.
I'll award him.
Childe Yingqi.
Get up.
Your Majesty, I'd like to thank you for my father.
This way, please.
Thank you, Eunuch Li.
Eunuch Li.
Miss Yihuan.
Haven't you gone back to your palace yet?
I want to see His Majesty.
He said he didn't want to see you.
He didn't want to see me?
Miss Yihuan.
Greetings, Your Majesty.
You.
Wish you good luck, Your Majesty.
Greeting
Your Majesty.
Get up.
Junior Long.
I'm back.
I know.
I'm not blind.
I can see you!
I had a narrow escape to come back.
Why don't you feel happy?
You even seem to be angry!
Li Yihuan, do you confess?
What crimes have I done?
Two grave crimes.
What are they?
First, you colluded with the enemy.
When...
When did I do that?
Tell me.
When Priestess Xueyi failed to assassinate me
and took Concubine Li as the hostage
why did you save her
and be the hostage yourself?
I saved her
because she used to
take care of me.
Concubine Li and Priestess Xueyi
are spies sent by Wu Sangui.
You took her place
and I had to release Priestess Xueyi.
That made you suspicious.
If you think this way
I've got more crimes then.
I'll all ears.
First
I persuaded Concubine Li to turn herself in
and tell on Priestess Xueyi.
Second
I asked my brother to disguise himself as you
and smash the assassination plan of Priestess Xueyi.
Third
when I was locked up by Wu Sangui
I still thought about you
by spying out his military forces.
You don't sound like you colluded with the enemy
but asking for award.
I'm finished with my confession.
What is my second crime?
Depending on my favor, you did violence
and hurt someone.
Who did I hurt?
He's right here.
You can inspect him right now.
Who is here?
He is...
right in front of you!
Your Majesty.
Do you know
I've been worried
after Priestess Xueyi kidnapped you?
You hurt my heart.
Didn't you do violence
and hurt me?
Junior Long.
I confess.
I'll never do that.
If you dare to make me sad ever again
see how I'll punish you!
Grandma.
After getting the decree of His Majesty
Wu Sangui did ask Wu Yingqi to send Priestess Xueyi
and Li Yihuan back.
The emperor
is smart.
But...
Wu Sangui
isn't ordinary, either.
It's peaceful
when a smart guy doesn't move.
Whenever he moves
he'll do an earthshaking event.
Empress, take a walk with me.
Grandma.
It's blowing hard outside.
Why don't you stay in for some rest?
What's big deal with the wind?
How many disturbances
have I gone through in my life?
The wind doesn't bother me.
Let's go.
Eunuch Li.
Lord Suo.
Please wait.
I have something urgent to meet His Majesty.
You have to wait, however urgent it is.
Lady Attendant was just back.
We know what's going on.
Junior Long, you know what?
Wu Sangui sent Priestess Xueyi back
just to safeguard himself.
I knew it.
That's why I spared him
and even awarded him.
I wanted to turn his trick to my own use.
Before I left
he showed me around his military camp.
Why do you think
he did that?
He took there
so that you could tell me
his army
was too courageous to be met with.
Besides, on my way back
I saw many weird things.
When I was little
there was a smithy
casting common farm tools.
But this time
I saw as plentiful smithies
as blackberries.
I haven't seen so many of them before.
My spies
reported the same condition.
So you had planted a spy!
Well, did you spy
tell you some other thing?
It was my first time
to see so many horses.
How are those horses compared to mine?
Much stronger.
Wu Sangui bought such Tibetan horses from Tibetans
with a large sum of money.
Your spy did a great job!
He even knew that.
But why did Wu Sangui
buy so many Tibetan horses?
Tibetan horses are strong
and run faster than the Sichuan horses we use.
They're also tall.
He accumulated so many war horses
and smithies.
Is he going to rebel?
Once I order to cancel feudatories
he will rebel
with Geng Jingrong and Shang Kexi.
But why did he show me that?
Didn't he fear that I would tell you?
He showed you that
on purpose.
He wanted you to tell me about it
so that I would be too scared
to give the order
to cancel feudatories.
Then...
Are you scared?
Has Songgotu arrived?
Yes, Your Majesty.
Get yourself in!
Wish you good luck, Your Majesty.
How are you doing with your mission?
Your Majesty.
I collected over five thousand blacksmiths
and ran more than one thousand smithies
to forge weapons at the same time.
What about horses?
Horses.
I sent my men to buy Tibetan horses in the pastoral area
and buy stronger horses
in Mongolia.
Now we've bought over 20,000 horses.
In two years
we'll have 50,000 horses.
Junior Long.
So you've been making secret preparation
just as Wu Sangui has.
Wu Sangui and I know what we are planning.
We are stalling for time
just because we're not assured of victory.
So...
you're going to cancel feudatories?
Sure.
I'll always be a powerless emperor
unless I get rid of them.
Only when I cancel feudatories
and take back Taiwan
can I have time
to develop agriculture and commerce
and make a prosperous country.
Your Majesty.
Please show some mercy
and spare Priestess Xueyi.
Concubine Li.
You knew she was using you.
And your brother died.
Why are you still pleading for her?
I told on her
because I was loyal to you.
Now I plead for her
because I want to pay her back
for bringing me up.
Concubine Li.
Priestess Xueyi did a capital crime of assassinating the emperor.
She mustn't be spared.
Your Majesty, if you insist on killing her
I'd like to
die with her.
You want to die with her?
Your Majesty, please kindly agree.
Concubine Li
when I spared you
for the sake of old affection
I was showing mercy.
Don't have no sense of propriety.
Your Majesty.
Don't kill Priestess Xueyi.
What?
You want to plead for her, too?
No.
She couldn't have killed me
many times.
But she showed mercy at critical moments.
If she had killed me
I wouldn't have seen you again.
Yihuan.
Do you know here is rumor in the palace that
you're the spy with the Anti-Qing Alliance.
Your Majesty.
Priestess Xueyi give a confession that
she did everything alone
and vindicated Wu Sangui completely.
Wu Sangui must have sacrificed her
to protect himself.
But I'm afraid
Priestess Xueyi isn't
protecting Wu Sangui alone.
I see.
You still are suspecting Yihuan and her brother.
No. No.
I didn't mean to suspect Lady Attendant
and Dr. Li.
But before Oboi went mad
he warned me again and again.
Besides, Priestess Xueyi blurt out that
Dr. Li and his sister
were from the Pearl Valley.
This is a serious matter.
I don't dare to keep it secret.
But if Dr. Li and his sister
should be suspected...
I don't dare to judge.
Your Majesty, you shall call the shots.
You crafty guy!
I know exactly
what you're worried about.
The empress is my wife.
You're her uncle.
I love Yihuan.
But I trust
my wife and you.
- Thank you, Your Majesty. - Thank you, Your Majesty.
Get up.
Songgotu.
We're in the empress's palace.
No one else is here.
Say whatever you want to say.
If you keep slurring your speech
I'll kick your ass!
Yes.
Your Majesty.
I just feel
it doesn't matter
if Priestess Xueyi drove a wedge
just to revenge herself.
But what if she was telling the truth?
When she came back this time
she defended Wu Sangui, Dr. Li and his sister.
It means...
It means Wu Sangui formed an alliance with the Anti-Qing Alliance.
This is the only possibility.
Your Majesty.
Priestess Xueyi should have
vindicated Wu Sangui alone.
Why did she also vindicate Dr. Li and his sister
who she should have hated?
She will be killed for assassinating the emperor anyway.
She should have kept framing them up.
That should be logical.
If Duke Pingxi cooperates with the Anti-Qing Alliance
I...
I don't dare to think deeper.
When I mentioned Priestess Xueyi
Yihuan once pleaded for her
hoping I could spare her.
Then she's more suspicious.
It makes more sense
when Priestess Xueyi vindicated
Dr. Li and his sister.
You mean
I should kill Priestess Xueyi
to test them?
It's wise of you, Your Majesty.
As the old saying goes
it's easy to accept death unflinchingly
but hard to face the execution calmly.
Over so many years
I've seen so many people
trying to accept their death unflinchingly.
But on the execution ground
when they see the axe
at their last moment
they are likely to shake.
I know.
That's just because
Priestess Xueyi drove a wedge between you and us
just because she wanted to revenge herself.
But it's so wise of you, Your Majesty.
You won't believe her
will you?
I don't believe such rumors.
But you...
shouldn't keep pleading for her.
She must die.
I'll send you, your brother
and Concubine Li to supervise her execution.
Eunuch Li.
Could you leave us alone?
It's okay.
But you must hurry up.
I take great risk
to make you meet for the last time.
I see.
Thank you, Eunuch Li.
Okay. Okay.
Hurry.
Master Xueyi.
Master.
Yihuan and Qingcheng did their best.
But Kangxi
insisted on killing you.
Yihuan promised me
she would save me whatever happened.
If you go back on your words
and try to kill me
I will
no longer keep the secret for you.
Master.
Yihuan didn't go back on her word.
But that day
you exposed her and Big Brother
in front of Songgotu and so many imperial guards.
Though we managed
to patch it up
Kangxi had a reason to suspect us.
Music Kangxi had a reason to suspect us.
Music