Have you ever heard about that
the cliff of a snow mountain
once fascinated numerous people?
Legend has it that,
there were treasures at the peak
but also there was a bottomless chasm hidden over there.
The smart, the fool
and the kind people,
all are familiar to you.
On the mountainside, on the cliff,
on the cloud,
and in the human world,
snowflakes are drifting profusely and disorderly.
Joy of Life Season 1
Episode 45
She's in the imperial palace.
Who?
Si Lili.
How dare you mention her?
I'm about to settle the score with you.
I'm the envoy of Nanqing,
and she belongs to His...
She likes you.
I have to help her.
His Majesty is your little nephew.
But Lili is my sister.
What a messy relationship!
She just wanted to talk to you before going into the imperial palace.
She didn't ask you to marry her.
Why do you panic?
How's she now?
She's learning etiquette
and getting ready to meet His Majesty in the imperial palace at any time.
I'm afraid
you won't be able to see her again.
I don't want to see her.
To you,
it was
just a talk.
But to Lili,
she drifted along all her life
struggling for survival.
A talk with you
might be one of
her few good memories.
If you still feel angry,
don't blame her but me.
Your Majesty, happy birthday! May you live as long as the Heaven!
May you live a thousand of years!
Thank you for your
best wishes.
Please!
Take your seats.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Let's eat!
Your Majesty the Empress Dowager! Your Majesty the Emperor!
I'm Langtao.
I'd like to compete
with His Excellency Fan from Nanqing,
so as to add fun to the birthday celebration.
Mr. Fan, do you want to compete with him?
Your Majesty,
I'm willing to
admit defeat.
No need to compete.
Then,
so be it.
Your Excellency,
are you admitting that Nanqing is weak
without competent martial arts masters?
I admit defeat for myself.
It has nothing to do with Nanqing.
Didn't you remain undefeated
in front of your residence?
After entering Shangjing,
didn't you keep the flag unharmed on your way to the imperial palace?
How come you chicken out
in front of me?
Is it because the Nanqing martial arts masters
all tend to bully the weak and fear the strong?
I won't force you.
As long as you admit that
martial arts masters from Nanqing are weak and coward,
I can let you off.
Then let's fight.
I have something to say.
Senior, let me fight him instead.
Why?
I'm the Saintess of Beiqi,
but he talked wildly,
on the Hall, saying that
he fell in love with me at first sight.
He must be good
at martial arts.
Today, I want to see
how deeply
he loves me.
Your Majesty, I beg your approval.
Langtao, back off.
Will you fight me?
Of course. Why not?
What weapon will you use?
Sword.
His Excellency once fought a Ninth Dan martial arts master,
and he's also the poetic genius sent from Heaven.
Haitang is the Saintess of Beiqi
and the youngest martial arts master above the Ninth Dan.
Among the younger generation,
the most famous two
are finally competing for victory!
Wang,
why aren't you excited?
This fight
won't be exciting to watch.
How do you know?
Just wait and see.
Why don't they fight seriously?
Just think about it.
Come closer! Come closer! Come closer!
What's the relationship
between Miss Duoduo
and His Excellency?
It's...
What is it?
They're intimate.
How can they fight each other seriously?
But Miss Duoduo is not to blame.
Look at His Excellency.
He's adept with both the pen and the sword.
How can any girl not like him?
I just feel sorry for Beiqi.
They've only cultivated
one Saintess for so many years,
but she falls for
His Excellency.
Are you fighting
or dancing?
It's Her Majesty's birthday.
What are you doing?
Are you cheating Her Majesty?
Saintess, your martial arts skills are really amazing.
I really admire you.
Your Excellency, you're really resourceful.
I fail to control my strength
when fighting with a real competitor.
I didn't mean to hurt this minister.
I'm really sorry.
Your Majesty,
our fight ends in a tie.
Good! Good! Good!
On such an auspicious day,
a tie is the best.
That fight was really beautiful.
So auspicious!
I like it.
When we see the princess back home,
we must say
they fought each other relentlessly
with blood all over their faces.
Why?
Otherwise, I'm afraid it might be hard
for His Excellency to explain.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Right! Right!
Wang,
you're really foresighted!
I really admire you.
Wang, I've learned a lot
by your side these days.
Wang,
I even feel
I've become much cleverer
these days.
But you must know how far to go and when to stop.
you can't
outsmart His Excellency.
I know that.
Wang,
let's restrain our talents.
Fan Xian,
I heard after going back to Nanqing,
you'll take over the financial power of Neiku.
After that,
Embroidered Uniform Guards
will do business with your branch on behalf of Beiqi.
I see.
Wait!
Your Majesty,
I find it inappropriate.
We'd better consider carefully before making the decision.
Commander Shen,
I've thought it
through.
It can only benefit Beiqi.
Nothing is inappropriate.
Fan Xian is too cunning to trust.
Your Majesty, please think twice.
Your Majesty,
I have something to report.
I originally intended to hold it after the birthday celebration,
but since Shen Zhong is too arrogant,
I can't tolerate it anymore.
Tell me about it.
Shen Zhong, Commander-in-chief of
Embroidered Uniform Guards,
is suspected of colluding with the Investigator's Office
to sell military information.
Treacherous as he is, he should be punished.
Your Majesty, please be perceptive and perspicacious.
Having controlled Embroidered Uniform Guards for so many years,
Shen Zhong is loyal to Beiqi all the time.
By accusing him of treason,
you'd better not talk recklessly.
I have evidence.
What evidence?
Our war against Nanqing
was started by mistake,
but we suffered great losses.
After all, we lost because
our military information was leaked.
Yan Bingyun from the Investigator's Office pried into information in Shangjing
and leaked the military information.
Everyone here
must have known about this.
But what you don't know is that
after coming to Shangjing,
Yan Bingyun and Lady Shen fell in love
and often saw each other in private.
It's pretty obvious as to
who leaked the military information.
Nonsense!
Yan Bingyun and Lady Shen
were intimate with each other.
Many people can prove that.
What's more,
when Yan Bingyun was caught,
Lady Shen visited him many times.
Their love was true.
Additionally, when Fan Xian
tried to rescue Yan Bingyun,
Lady Shen was the one
who led the way.
Many officers from Embroidered Uniform Guards saw that.
Your Excellency Shen,
do you still want to deny it?
She was deceived by Yan Bingyun.
Your Majesty,
I've never told my family
about military information.
Yan Bingyun couldn't have
got information from her.
Having told her or not,
you know it better than me.
Your Majesty,
my loyalty to Beiqi
is without question.
The frontier forces were defeated repeatedly,
and His Excellency Shen,
knew the military deployment very well.
Your Excellency,
your sister and you
are really suspicious.
Your Majesty, though I'm not capable,
I know
I'm a citizen of Beiqi.
I would never betray my country.
I know
Shen Zhong is loyal.
His Excellency Shen may be loyal,
but his sister...
I suggest
sending Lady Shen to prison
and using cruel torture to find out the truth.
Your Majesty,
though my sister
was blinded by love,
she would never
betray our country.
Your Majesty, please be perceptive and perspicacious.
Your Majesty, what do you think?
Mother, it's up to you.
Loyal and brave all the time,
Commander Shen has rendered many meritorious services to Beiqi.
It's inappropriate
to humiliate a meritorious minister.
But there's something
suspicious about it.
Even if your sister
didn't leak the secrets,
Shen Zhong, you're to blame for not teaching her
properly.
You can still be the Commander-in-Chief,
but the python pattern on your robe
should be removed.
Her Majesty has given the order.
What're you waiting for?
You killed my personal guards
and my adoptive father.
Have you ever thought this would happen to you?
Fan Xian.
Yes.
The business between Neiku
and Embroidered Uniform Guards
is settled.
After returning to Nanqing,
you should arrange it as soon as possible.
I see.
Your Majesty.
I still find it inappropriate.
Commander Shen is excited and indignant.
It's not appropriate for him to discuss government affairs.
Send him back
for a few days' rest.
Your Majesty,
whatever I say,
I say it for the benefits of Beiqi.
I'm selfless, Your Majesty!
You're selfless.
Are you suggesting we are selfish?
Her Majesty decides to do business with Neiku.
Is Her Majesty
selfish?
Take him away.
The traitor will endanger our country! Your Majesty, think twice!
The traitor will endanger our country!
Mr. Fan, when will you leave?
Your Majesty, I'll leave tomorrow.
After parting this time,
I wonder when we can meet again.
Mr. Fan, you should
spend more time writing your book.
I'm still waiting for the following chapters.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Making a man like Shen Zhong
lose all his authority
in such a short time,
Your Excellency, you're really amazing!
However,
he's still the Commander-in-Chief.
He won't hold the position for long.
Others will take over his power when he falls into disgrace.
It's only a matter of time.
It's a bit too fast.
Your Excellency, what's your concern?
Though we've taken down Shen Zhong,
we still haven't got
the name of
the smuggler.
Your Excellency!
Your Excellency, Shangshan Hu is here.
He wants to see you.
Where's the body of my adoptive father?
There's a cave on the cliff.
Was he buried inside?
I didn't bury him under the ground.
He said in his last wish that
after being locked up
deep in the dungeon for decades,
he was scared of the darkness under the ground.
He wanted to rest in the light.
Tell me the exact place.
I've written it for you.
I was intended to kill you
before you leave Shangjing.
I'll leave tomorrow.
You'd better hurry.
Given that you've disposed of my adoptive father's body,
I'll spare your life this time.
Fan Xian,
after my mourning period,
I'll go to Nanqing in person
to take your life.
I'll wait for you.
Gao Da.
Your Excellency.
Ask Haitang Duoduo
over.
What's wrong?
Your Excellency, there are many people in the mission.
It's easier for the princess to find out.
Please be cautious.
Hurry up and go!
Stop hanging out with Wang Qinian.
I...
What?
Your Majesty,
I've passed on your order
in advance.
Those who are loyal to you
in different ministries
all know that
we'll deal with Shen Zhong today.
For those who want to help Shen Zhong out of old friendships,
some are controlled
and some are sent away from the capital.
With my followers
and my mother's followers
working together,
Shen Zhong stands no chance.
He Daoren goes to see Fan Xian secretly.
Guo Baokun is the nominal Chief.
He Daoren is the actual future
Chief of secret agents in Shangjing Town.
After I leave,
you should take charge of the intelligence network in Shangjing Town.
I'll try my best.
Take it easy.
After our smuggling business expands,
we can buy information
openly.
It won't be long
before secret agents can live a safe life.
What else do you want to tell me?
I can't stay long
for fear that I might be discovered.
Nothing else.
No need to see me before I leave.
Protect yourself. Don't be discovered.
Your Majesty, since you've known
He Daoren is a secret agent of Nanqing,
why not catch him?
What can we get
by catching him?
Sometimes, enemies can
do things for us.
Look at the situation now.
Shen Zhong has no future.
Now we don't have to fight him.
So why not use our enemies?
But now,
He Daoren is useless
after defeating Shen Zhong.
No hurry.
By keeping He Daoren,
Nanqing can only
get the information
we want them to get.
Your Majesty, you want to use He Daoren
to sow distrust among our enemies.
But Her Majesty
has got Shangshan Hu.
Mother will never send Shangshan Hu
back to the army.
From now on,
that tiger is useless.
I'm afraid Fan Xian
will become a formidable enemy of Beiqi.
Fan Xian will never be our enemy.
Remember that
the biggest enemy
always comes from within.
Those princes from Nanqing
are all hard to deal with.
Fan Xian still has
a long way to go in future.
=Poetic Genius=
You're leaving.
Why ask me over?
I want to see someone.
Si Lili can't see you for sure.
It's Zhuang Mohan.
Didn't he spit blood
after being pissed by you?
You still can't let him go?
I was entrusted by someone to send him a message.
Why do you ask me for help?
You can see him yourself.
I don't want others
to know about it.
What about me?
I cry, "Can't you see? Can't you see?
The green leaves are fresh but the red flowers are fading!"
You're crabapple blossoms.
You're no mortal.
You're smooth-tongued
when asking for help.
Do me a favor.
I assure you
it won't harm Beiqi.
Nor will I scold him.
Master Zhuang.
=Zhuang Mohan, Beiqi Litterateur=
No need to stand up.
Fine.
Take a seat! Take a seat! Take a seat!
Look!
The line "One who has seen the ocean thinks nothing of mere rivers.
One who has appreciated the clouds over the Wushan Mountain sees nothing of mere clouds."
has beautiful diction and neat antithesis.
But without knowing the context of the latter sentence,
it doesn't make any sense.
It really doesn't make any sense.
Wushan Mountain is a holy mountain in the far south.
This mountain is renowned for its unparalleled cloudscape.
The latter sentence uses its name
to express the loyalty in love.
I see.
I've checked many books,
but I just couldn't find Wushan Mountain.
Luckily, you explained it to me.
Are you annotating the poetry collection?
Yes.
I have another question.
Look!
Prince Chen paid at a banquet in the Palace of Perfection.
Ten thousand coins for a cask of wine, with many a laugh and quip.
What's the literary quotation?
Prince Chen
is a prince surnamed Cao.
He once held a banquet
in the Palace of Perfection.
A prince surnamed Cao?
In past dynasties,
no one from the imperial families was surnamed Cao.
Master Zhuang,
I told you on the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest that
all these poems come from
another world.
So these literary quotations certainly
won't be found in historical records.
Then,
it's a fairyland in dream?
It's not a fairyland. It's...
What?
It's the imprint left by
another era.
What? Era?
It is earlier than all history
for hundreds and thousands of years.
It's a splendid
civilization
lost in the
river of time.
I don't get it. I don't get it.
Are you referring to
the ancient times?
It's even earlier than that.
How do you know these?
Since I was born,
these things
have been carved in my mind
as if I've seen them in my dreams.
So it is
a dreamland.
Can I put it this way?
Yes, you can.
Good.
Now I understand why there're so many
unknown literary quotations.
It's not because I'm a poor scholar.
How can I know stuff
of the fairyland?
Don't let it bother you.
Fine.
When you came in just now,
why was there no report?
Actually,
I sneaked in to see you.
Your servant was lured away
by my friend.
Why do you sneak in?
Actually, I know
you are in Shangjing,
and I want to see you very much.
But my servant stops me
from visiting you.
He said my condition would go worse
if I see you.
Master Zhuang, are you sick?
I'm just old.
Don't! Don't! Don't!
Your Excellency, back on the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest,
I framed you up.
Till today,
I feel guilty all the time.
By seeing you today,
I can finally apologize to you in person.
Your Excellency,
please be magnanimous and forgive me.
Master Zhuang, you don't have to!
When it comes to explaining classic texts and annotating articles, you win.
But when it comes to reciting poems, I win.
For a literary giant...
Good poems!
...I'm not qualified.
Good!
But for a man,
you're not qualified.
I know you did that
to save Xiao En.
To be honest,
though he is surnamed Xiao,
he's my full brother.
Actually, Master Zhuang, I visit you this time
because Senior Xiao asked me to.
Really?
He finally wants to contact me.
Did he ask you
to tell me anything?
What's wrong?
Is he dead?
Before going back,
you should visit Zhuang Mohan when you're free.
Inform him of my death.
I will.
Tell me.
Will I see them after I die?
Man dies.
Senior Xiao died in peace.
He lived a miserable life.
That's because
he killed so many people.
Nowadays, man gets power
by killing others and setting places on fire.
Your Excellency,
you shouldn't be like that.
Man like you who's capable of writing wonderful poems
shouldn't be defiled by the secular world.
I can't bear to see
these excellent poems covered by dust.
Master Zhuang, I promise you.
I'll never be like that.
Good!
It's late.
I'm leaving.
When will you leave Shangjing?
We'll leave tomorrow.
Tomorrow?
Then this must be
our last time to meet.
In my lifetime,
I've annotated numerous books
and written many articles.
But my experience is
what I feel most proud of.
Isn't that Commander Shen?
Her Majesty ordered you
to rest at home for a few days.
But our Division can't operate
without a leader.
There's no other way.
From tomorrow on,
I'll take your position temporarily.
Feel relieved to rest at home.
Just leave
all the trouble
to me.
Your Excellency,
why are you still here?
Seriously speaking,
you're defying the imperial order.
Don't make it hard for me.
Shall I walk you out in person?
Your Excellency,
powerful and influential as you are,
why do you insist on staying here?
Should I find someone to help you?
Who are you?
How dare you break into the Division?
Your Excellency, are these
all your men?
What we're going to do today is simple.
Stop and kill the Nanqing mission.
There's no imperial edict.
It's my own decision.
As long as we kill every member of the Nanqing mission,
the business deal
will become null automatically.
Everyone,
succeed or not,
this operation will cost your lives.
I'm also afraid to die.
But on second thought,
if I can save Beiqi by sacrificing my life,
it's totally worth it.
With me or not, it's up to you.
I won't force you.
Commander Shen,
you should think is through.
Guards!
You traitors,
how dare you
do this?
Whoever leaves
will be killed!
Do you know
that will cost your lives?
You!
Come back!
Come...
Come on!
Take them!
Come on!
=Shangjing Town=
Your Excellency, do you trust
Guo Baokun to stay in Shangjing?
You're right.
What about leaving you behind?
Guo Baokun can definitely complete the task!
They can leave now?
It's too easy for them.
Your Excellency.
She's here.
See me off with a load of things?
Master Zhuang has passed away.
What?
In the river of history,
time goes round and round.
Memories about the former and present lives
join each other in an endless way.
In the long drunken Milky Way,
one season follows another in a flash,
and the wild geese are flying south.
I just can't give up
to be with you for my whole life.
I have been hovering in the dreams for hundreds and thousands of times.
I can't even say a word when I watch the flowers falling.
Year after year in the wandering,
I count the remaining years.
Even though we can't meet each other anymore,
even though we have ended up the destiny,
I never feel regretful.
In such a chaotic world,
I still miss you as ever.
I can't fall asleep under the moon.
With a gentle heart,
I cherish our remaining years.
Even though we have to go through
all the hardships along the journey,
you always stay by my side,
watching the falling flowers, speechlessly.
Year after year in the wandering,
I count the remaining years.
Even though we can't meet each other anymore,
even though we end up the destiny,
I never feel regretful.
In such a chaotic world,
I still miss you as ever.
I can't fall asleep under the moon.
With a gentle heart,
I cherish our remaining years.
Even though we have to go through
all the hardships along the journey,
you always stay by my side...