♪The white sail came too late♪
♪Where did he go?♪
♪Snow veils the mountains♪
♪Love endures beyond life and death♪
♪A black chess piece♪
♪Whose game did he stumble into?♪
♪All his life, there's no escape♪
♪In ten thousand years, what will still remain?♪
♪Will anyone still love with an unchanging heart?♪
♪I will remember♪
♪Those days long past♪
♪As the wind drifts with the white sail♪
♪Ten thousand years ago♪
♪Did you once walk this shore?♪
♪Why can't our bond be severed in this life?♪
♪I am lost yet willing♪
♪Still I love you with a steadfast heart♪
♪Until all things fade away♪
♪The stars will remember us♪
[Love & Crown]
[Adapted from the novel "My Queen" by Xie Lounan]
[Episode 31]
Miss Ling.
Greetings, Miss Ling.
I've gathered all members of Fenglai Pavilion from every region.
They've been slipping into the Capital in secret
and are now standing by.
Very well.
Follow the plan.
Take your men to the Prince of Yuzhang's Manor and assist Zhong Lin.
The rest
is to stay put for now.
Yes.
What about you,
Miss Ling?
Phoenix Terrace.
Minister Lin,
you're back.
Your Majesty,
I have returned
alive.
You've served two reigns
and are revered by all.
Yet due to the Ling faction's framing,
you rose and fell three times
and were only reinstated today.
You've suffered a lot.
I was stubborn and rigid.
Your Majesty's decision to exile me
was to protect me.
I
understand.
Minister Lin, you're an upright man.
The future of Great Qi will depend on you.
Greetings, Your Majesty.
Mr. Li.
I hope you will continue
to select worthy talents for Great Qi
and demand justice for the people.
Also,
the status verification system must be abolished.
Only then can Great Qi remain stable for long.
Your Majesty, if you face any difficulty,
you must tell us.
Even if it costs my life,
I will protect you.
I appreciate it,
Mr. Li.
I would give
everything for Great Qi,
even if at the cost of my life.
Since birth,
I have suffered from cold sickness.
It's only with everyone's care
that I have lived to see this day.
I thank you all.
Thank you for never abandoning me
so that we could build this flourishing age together.
Today,
I'd like to look upon
my capital,
my officials and people,
and my land.
Long live the wise ruler!
Golden Phoenix Bids Farewell.
Cangcang,
when you see these fireworks,
leave this place.
Don't come back.
This place is dangerous.
If I survive this,
I will never let you leave me again.
Could it be...?
Xiao Huan!
Your Majesty,
you said you wished to die with dignity.
Do it now.
Is this
the ending you all wanted?
- Your Majesty! - Your Majesty!
Xiao Huan!
- Your Majesty! - Your Majesty!
No!
Cangcang.
Zhong Lin.
Where's Xiao Huan?
His Majesty jumped from Phoenix Terrace.
The river was fast.
Shi Yan and I have searched for him.
Xiao Qianqing's men are also looking along the banks,
but haven't found him.
Cangcang.
Where are you going, Cangcang?
I'm going to find him.
Du Tingxin has soldiers all over Phoenix Terrace.
If you go now, you're walking to your death.
Saintess.
Speak.
The Emperor of Great Qi jumped from Phoenix Terrace.
Is he dead?
They haven't found his body.
But no one has ever survived the Qining River.
He does have some backbone
to choose such a decisive way to die.
I didn't get to meet him once.
Now that I think of it,
that's a shame.
[Wuying Hall]
Well?
Do you like
the gift I gave you, Qianqing?
No.
When I wanted it, you didn't give it.
It means nothing when it comes late.
It's like sincerity.
If no one answers it,
then the answer no longer matters.
Tell me.
Other than the map,
what else do you want?
I only wish to serve you
and help you claim the throne.
Let's celebrate in advance.
May Great Qi
have peaceful weather
and thriving people.
Xiao Huan...
He jumped from Phoenix Terrace.
He might...
- He might be... - I don't believe it.
I don't believe a single word you say
unless I see it myself.
Cangcang.
Ying,
do you remember
we used to play
at Wuying Hall back then?
Thank you, Huan.
You said the mandarins were bitter
and refused to eat them unless we removed the pith.
But you didn't like the ones I peeled.
You said they were ugly.
You would only eat the ones Xiao Huan peeled.
I was upset
- so I peeled a lot for you. - Tasty.
I want more.
Peel one more.
If you like it,
I can peel more.
Here.
No.
Ugly.
Ying,
you must finish the mandarins
I peeled for you.
If not, I'll tell our mother
that you're playing favorites.
Your mandarins are ugly.
I don't want them.
Eat.
- If you don't finish them... - No.
Your mandarins are ugly.
Eat.
You have to finish them.
Ying.
Huan.
Help, Huan.
Ying!
You're bad!
Ying.
You're bad!
I don't want them.
Go away!
- Ying. - You're bad!
Ying.
You're bad!
Don't be afraid, Ying.
I'm here.
Don't be afraid, Ying.
Huan.
What exactly happened
during the fire at Luling Palace that day?
What do you think happened?
Why did you abandon Ying?
You knew how she loved you, respected you.
Why didn't you save her?
You and I
were born into the imperial family.
Yes.
We were born into the imperial family.
Is this
the ending you all wanted?
What did Du Tingxin do to you?
Xiao Huan.
Why did you choose to jump from Phoenix Terrace?
You haven't even told me the truth.
What should I do now?
[Virtue Held Within]
Your Highness,
the Imperial Preceptor ordered me to bring the Princess of Ding'an back.
Where's Cangcang?
Even like this,
all you care about...
Tell me where Ling Cangcang is!
She's fine.
She's the Empress of Great Qi.
Of course, she's in Linghe Hall.
Your Majesty,
it's been a long while.
It feels like a lifetime.
Preceptor Du, you went to all this trouble
to bring me back to Linghe Hall.
Surely it's not for a casual chat.
You're the Empress.
Naturally, you should be in Linghe Hall.
I'm only doing my duty as Imperial Preceptor
to escort Your Majesty back to the palace.
You want to kill me?
Of course.
I can't wait to cut you into pieces.
If not for you,
Xiao Huan wouldn't have ended up like this.
His condition today
is all thanks to you.
Your fate is said to curse His Majesty.
As long as you're near him,
he will never meet a good end.
He's not dead.
He can't be dead.
I saw him jump from Phoenix Terrace with my own eyes.
Even if you lie to yourself,
I'm telling you, he will not survive.
For you,
Xiao Huan gave up the only medicine that could save him.
What were you doing?
For you,
he risked his life to travel alone to Xijiang for peace negotiations.
What were you doing?
Ling Cangcang,
he gave you everything he could.
Now that he's already jumped from Phoenix Terrace.
Why are you still alive?
Why didn't you
die with him?
Madam.
They found this blood-soaked robe in the Qining River.
How could I...
How could I possibly
let you die so easily?
Don't worry.
I won't torment you for long.
Once I've had my fun,
I'll send you
to your demise.
Du Tingxin,
if you want to kill me,
do it now.
Otherwise,
I swear I'll make you pay.
As matters stand,
what price could you make me pay?
It's been three days since His Majesty fell into the river.
The Capital Patrol Office has been dispatched
and searched the entire Qining River,
but they've found no trace of him.
Your Highness,
the Qining River is dangerous.
There are countless undercurrents and whirlpools.
I fear His Majesty
may not survive.
- Yes. - Yes.
The nation can't be without a ruler for even a day.
His Majesty has met with disaster
and left no heir.
Prince of Yuzhang, you're the regent now.
For the sake of the people of Great Qi,
you should...
How presumptuous!
Minister Xing,
what are you trying to say?
His Majesty's condition remains unclear,
and all of you
are already rushing to curry favor
with the Prince of Yuzhang.
How shameful.
If His Majesty
never returns,
what will become of Great Qi?
What will become of the imperial court?
In my opinion,
at a time like this,
only the Prince of Yuzhang...
I'm not interested.
Prince of Yuzhang.
If any of you
wish to fight over the throne, go ahead.
I'm not stepping into this mess.
His Majesty slipped
and fell into the river from Phoenix Terrace.
All the ministers present saw it with your own eyes.
No one who falls into the Qining River
has ever survived.
Even though the Capital Patrol Office
is still searching...
Whether alive or dead,
we must find His Majesty.
Until it's confirmed,
no one
is to covet the throne.
Minister Lin,
I know you're loyal to the Emperor.
I myself have known His Majesty since childhood.
All the more reason I can't accept this either.
But if His Majesty can't be found,
we can't wait forever.
You're right, Preceptor Du.
- True. - Yes.
However,
according to the founding laws of Great Qi,
if the emperor's life or death remains unknown,
only after one hundred days
with no word
may the throne pass to another.
One hundred days?
If any of you doubt it,
you may consult the law
and see whether I lie.
Uh...
Minister Lin has served two reigns
and even helped the late Emperor revise the code.
He's never mistaken.
However,
during these one hundred days...
We must ask the Prince of Yuzhang
to act as Regent
during this period.
When His Majesty returns,
all will naturally return
to its rightful order.
Yes.
That makes sense.
Please stay, Prince of Yuzhang.
His Majesty jumped from Phoenix Terrace,
and we don't know if he's alive.
You don't seem to care.
Why should I care about
the murderer who killed my mother and Ying?
Do you have no interest in the throne?
Since when have I ever cared for it?
I only wanted the throne
because Xiao Huan valued it more than his own life.
If he dies,
what use
is the throne to me?
Right now I have only one thought.
I hope he doesn't die in the Qining River.
I want to take his life with my own hands.
Then you should think about
how to find His Majesty first.
By the way,
the Empress weeps day and night.
She says she wants to die with His Majesty.
Your Highness,
what do you think we should do with her?
What do the rites say?
If there is no news
from His Majesty after a hundred days,
the Empress must be buried with him.
We'll follow this rite then.
I shall obey.
Your Highness,
when the decree announcing the emperor's passing
is issued,
please deliver the decree
for the Empress to be buried with him.
I will.
It was Xiao Huan.
He fooled me.
Now it's clear
that he was the one who killed Ying.
He would rather choose death
than admit it.
So he can't blame me
for destroying everything he cares about.
Your Highness.
Investigate all contact
between Nanrong Palace and Xuanguang Hall before the incident.
Do it quietly.
Don't let anyone in the palace find out.
Yes, Your Highness.
[Prosperity in Full Vigor]
Your Highness.
[Linghe Hall]
Your Highness.
The Imperial Preceptor said
Her Majesty is grieving too deeply
and shouldn't be disturbed.
But she must repay me
what she owes me.
[Linghe Hall]
Now
you finally understand my pain.
Give it back to me.
The pain of having your heart ripped out.
The pain of a thousand arrows through the chest.
I want you
to feel it just as I have.
Soon,
the news of His Majesty's passing
will be announced.
You're the Empress.
You will be buried with him.
But before that,
I want you to eat well
and stay alive.
I want you
to live in torment
for every single moment.
You know you're going to die,
yet you don't even flinch.
Truly a lovely couple who would die for each other.
He said he wanted to die with dignity.
Then he turned around
and jumped off Phoenix Terrace.
He just wanted to be thought dead and gone!
How I wish
I could run a sword through his heart myself.
Your Highness.
He said he chose death,
but jumped from Phoenix Terrace
and disappeared.
That means
there's still hope.
If he only disappeared,
then there's still hope.
[The Start of a Bright Future]
I passed by
your favorite dessert shop today.
I bought a few bowls
of your favorites.
Eat.
Do you know
why I like that shop?
No.
Because they use more sugar.
When it's sweet,
life doesn't feel so bitter.
But now it feels too sweet.
It doesn't taste good.
Fine.
Tomorrow
I'll buy from another shop...
Do you find this fun?
How many days can you keep me here?
I do find it fun.
I think you're doing well here.
Are you really that eager to leave me?
Xiao Qianqing,
I have to go.
I need to save Cangcang.
What did you say?
She's started eating again?
Yes, Madam.
Her Majesty has found her will to live.
I thought your love for Xiao Huan
was so deep
that you'd cry day and night
and suffer endlessly.
Since that's the case,
I won't let you live
a day longer.
Your Majesty, be on your way, please.
What?
Du Tingxin can't wait
for the Empress of Great Qi to be buried?
Is she so afraid I'll live another day?
Please do it yourself, Your Majesty.
If I do it,
it'll be painful.
How could I
give you what you want?
Forgive me then.
Zhong Lin?
Let's go.
Careful.
Madam,
Her Majesty has escaped.
I didn't know Her Majesty still had influence
inside the palace.
I truly
underestimated her.
[Fayun Temple]
Father.
I'm here.
Great that you're safe.
Father.
About what Du Tingxin has done,
were you involved?
Is it nippy outside?
Your hands are cold.
You're a grown-up
and still don't know how to take care of yourself.
Here.
Take this.
Do you know about the death
of the Empress Dowager Liu and Princess Ying?
Cangcang,
you came here
just to ask about this?
Stop hiding it, Father.
Xiao Huan has disappeared now.
The Prince of Yuzhang has turned against him
and joined Du Tingxin in the coup.
I need to know the truth.
Cangcang, stop digging.
What matters most now is that you head north
and meet Jueding.
The Northern Garrison Army can protect you,
understand?
You want me
to leave the Capital
and go to the northern border?
What about Xiao Huan?
What about Great Qi?
Cangcang, even if you find out the truth,
what difference does it make?
It does make a difference.
Father,
if Xiao Huan has only disappeared, it means there's still hope.
I believe
he'll come back alive.
That's why the truth matters.
Father,
please tell me.
Cangcang,
you're so stubborn.
You wouldn't listen to
a single word I said.
Do you know
what you're about to face?
Du Tingxin.
She's a mad dog.
♪Who walks lone through storm and snow♪
♪Reading every warmth and chill♪
♪Of the heart?♪
♪Who stands proud against a thousand weights♪
♪Grace only a mask he wears?♪
♪My blade sweeps the heavens♪
♪Blood once drenched♪
♪My armor and charging steed♪
♪I know what it means to let go♪
♪When to step in, when to hold back♪
♪A broken blade cuts through♪
♪Years of winter and summer♪
♪Enemy flags burn to ash like gauze♪
♪Yet my heart still bears the scars of rise and fall♪
♪I'm willing to wield my sword with you and burn the waning moon♪
♪I'm willing to brave all storms with you, boiling with passion♪
♪I'm willing to break my wings and become the blade in your hand♪
♪I'm willing to write with you this torn, enduring page of history♪
♪I'm willing to travel thousands of miles, seeking your ambition♪
♪I'm willing to give my life to keep you safe for a lifetime♪
♪I'm willing to sing through every farewell and wait for you another thousand years♪