♪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 32]
Do you know
what you're about to face?
It's Du Tingxin.
She's a real mad dog!
Amitabha.
Du Tingxin's men are here.
Thank you.
Cangcang,
about Princess Ying and the Empress Dowager,
even I don't fully know
how they really died.
I understand.
Thank you, Father.
I remember,
when you were little,
you'd always pester me to braid your hair.
But I was never any good at it.
Later on,
you stopped caring
about those girlish things.
I don't know if that's just your nature,
or if
I didn't do well enough.
Father,
what's wrong?
Hurry!
Come on, hurry!
Quick!
[Fayun Temple]
[Sansheng Hall]
Preceptor Du.
It's been a long time.
Grand Tutor Ling,
so you really are still alive.
Did you think
that getting the Empress out of the palace
would keep her safe?
Right now,
she's quite safe.
As expected of you.
This plum wine was brewed last autumn.
Spring
is when it tastes best.
I'm afraid
I don't deserve your wine.
Now that Xiao Huan is dead,
I can keep the Empress alive.
What do you want?
I only ask you to write a letter,
ordering General Ling Jueding to hand over his command.
To threaten a father with his son's and daughter's lives like this...
you're asking for a bit too much.
The mighty Grand Tutor Ling,
now trapped in this shabby temple.
You should be grateful.
You should be glad
you still have a chance to bargain with me.
It seems
I still underestimated you.
The day you sent me that blood-written letter,
you should have known
this moment would come.
You've already driven Xiao Huan to his death.
What more do you want?
Have you forgotten
I'm of the Xiao bloodline too?
Grand Tutor,
have you decided?
It's a deal,
but I need to see some sincerity.
Please drink this cup of poisoned wine,
so I can feel at ease.
Good!
It's always easy doing business
with a smart man.
So, Grand Tutor,
shall we start
drafting the letter now?
You still don't understand me at all.
My life is mine to command.
So the advantage
isn't yours alone.
I've served
in office for decades,
and I've never bowed to threats.
These prayer beads bear poison.
I prepared it for myself long ago.
To use it now
is as good a time as any.
Why don't you take a guess
and place a bet:
will your poison take effect first,
or will mine?
Fine.
So you really are set on dying.
My fate
was always bound to end like this.
If I can't seize the Eastern Palace,
then wherever I am,
I'll end in total defeat.
This is the end I chose for myself.
It's just a pity,
Preceptor Du,
that I won't live to see...
how you end.
You've gotten the end you asked for,
so may you rest in peace.
I will be sure to reunite you
with your daughter soon.
Do you really think
you'll get what you want?
Do you think
the people you want dead
will die that easily?
Zhong Lin...
Cangcang.
You're awake.
Where are we?
Father...
Where's my father?
- Stop the carriage! - Cangcang...
Stop the carriage, now!
[Sansheng Hall]
Father!
Cangcang!
Father!
I have to go back and save him!
Cangcang!
- I have to go back for him! - Cangcang...
♪Sky so vast♪
♪The fading dusk sinks into the river♪
♪The wild geese cry long♪
♪Tonight my homeland feels as distant as a foreign shore♪
♪Snow so white♪
♪Bare branches haunt the empty lanes...♪
Father.
Cangcang...
♪Pale moonlight...♪
Cangcang...
Father!
Cangcang...
- Regarding roasted pear, - Don't leave me!
- only Golden Leaf pears from Shuiquan Village - Don't leave me!
are the very best.
They're full of juice.
And with your favorite pear blossom honey on top,
you used
to love it so much!
I love your roasted pears most.
All I wish for you
is peace and joy.
May the deities and Buddha
protect you for me.
Father!
♪The wind resounds clear and bright♪
♪Steel armor clashes in the setting sun♪
♪War drums pound♪
♪Echoing over ruined walls and borderlands♪
♪The night grows cold♪
♪A lonely Qiang flute breaks the heart...♪
Everything Grand Tutor Ling did today
was to keep you safe.
♪Only rusty spears left buried on the field...♪
Let's go.
♪The azure battle flag♪
♪Burning through the war flames for you♪
♪Honouring the fallen of our land♪
♪Looking back across the ends of the earth♪
♪Countless loyal spirits drift with no place to return♪
♪The ancient chronicles stand vast and cold♪
♪Etching only a half lost chapter♪
♪Buried beneath the drifting sand♪
♪Each word strikes with solemn weight♪
♪Let love and hate both fade away♪
♪The dragon patterned sword breaks♪
♪Still faintly warm with blood...♪
Father...
♪And knows it once belonged to yesterday♪
♪Shot at the moonlight?♪
♪Singing to the boundless sky♪
♪As tears fall in countless lines♪
[Wuying Hall]
♪In the distance♪
♪A lone lamp glows♪
♪That light♪
♪Was never mine to claim♪
[Wuying Hall]
♪Until you passed through my life♪
♪And lit up all my stars♪
♪Now I must return this love♪
♪Gently to the night sky♪
♪Raindrops fall with the wind♪
♪Caressing the mountains' scars♪
♪Like someone both strange and dear♪
♪Whispering love and hate♪
♪Raindrops drift along the wind♪
♪You fall into my desolate heart♪
♪Silently, they pierce through♪
♪The wounds time has left behind♪
Madam,
we found many bloodstains along the Qining River bank,
along with shredded pieces of His Majesty's robes.
I'm afraid His Majesty is dead.
There's no going back now...
[Dragon–Phoenix Blessings]
Word from the palace says
His Majesty truly is dead.
Impossible.
I believe in him.
If he's alive,
he would've come for you long ago.
He knows all about Fenglai Pavilion's shadow guards.
It's been so long and he still hasn't shown up.
These past few days I've kept thinking.
From the very start,
he told me to leave with the Imperial Seal.
It means he'd sensed
the upheaval in the palace.
That's exactly why
I can't let him down.
Not only must I guard the seal,
but I also have to do everything I can for him.
What are you going to do?
It's time
to gather up my father's forces
in the palace and the Capital.
All right.
Then I'll hurry back to the palace
and get Xiao Qianqing to help us.
You must be careful in everything.
Don't you dare act on impulse.
Those people
are probably scouring the city for you.
You should be careful too.
A realm can't go a day without a ruler.
[Pure and Spotless]
With His Majesty's life hanging by a thread,
we petition Your Highness,
for the sake of the countless people of Great Qi,
to take the reins!
We all support Your Highness ascending the throne!
I understand
where your hearts lie.
You may withdraw for now.
Your Highness...
Dismissed!
Understood.
Are you really going to become a traitor and usurper?
Do you truly want that throne?
So even you see me that way?
Xiao Qianqing,
you must not ignore
right and wrong.
If you really sit on that throne,
how will the world see you?
You'll be the usurper who killed the Emperor for the crown!
Are you really going to usurp the throne?
Have you thought at all
about Xiao Huan?
Or about Cangcang?
He is dead.
But rest assured,
I won't harm Ling Cangcang.
If we can find her,
I won't have her buried with him.
I'll name her Empress of the Late Emperor,
and move her to a separate residence
to live in honor.
Then I should thank you, shouldn't I?
Zhong Lin,
if you stay by my side,
the two of us
won't be any different from before.
So...
you plan to lock me in one courtyard
after another?
I just hope
we don't stand on opposite sides.
Not stand on opposite sides?
You're the one who's been walking away, not me!
To be this emperor,
you'd really be a coward who lies to himself?
What is it you really care about?
What is it I really care about?
What is it...
I really care about?
My imperial brother
died right in front of me, beyond all saving.
Now there's nothing left
for me to care about!
I only have...
I was wrong...
You've made it painfully clear...
that I misjudged you.
I remember you once told me
that ever since you were little,
you've always feared the sound of bells.
You're afraid
of that heart-ripping pain.
You like the sound of running water.
I made this for you myself.
Its chime is clear as water,
soft as rain.
When you wear it,
you won't be afraid anymore.
So you're really giving up on Xiao Huan and Cangcang?
Minister of Rites Liu Mingzhuo is advanced in years.
[Wuying Hall] He petitions to resign.
Approved.
Vice Minister of Revenue Liu Cheng requests to retire.
Approved.
Director Chen Ling of Personnel claims illness
and voluntarily resigns.
Approved.
Your Highness,
since you are Regent,
you should handle all affairs personally.
How can the memorials
be left to the Imperial Preceptor?
I never wanted to be Regent in the first place.
Li Chengtian,
if you can't stand me,
you can impeach me all you like.
You...
Preceptor Du,
you ought to avoid suspicion.
Otherwise,
if this spreads,
everyone will think
you are the one truly acting as Regent.
I'm only sharing the burdens of the realm.
Mr. Li,
are you suspicious of me,
or are you
actually coveting the Regent's power?
What do you mean by that?
I thought you still remembered His Majesty's kindness,
and would at least show some restraint.
But...
Mr. Li, you truly wronged me.
My heart is set only on Great Qi.
Your Highness,
in my view,
Mr. Li is already advanced in age,
yet still toiling in court day after day.
It is far too hard on him.
Mr. Li, why not follow the others,
resign and return to your family?
Wouldn't that be wonderful?
Approved.
No ambition,
unfit for great responsibility!
Who are you putting on this act for?
What are you talking about?
I don't understand a word.
I hear
you're still searching the Qining River for Xiao Huan.
Do you think
he's really dead?
Whether he's alive or dead,
there's no turning back for us now.
[Changhe Gate]
Sir.
Sir,
how did the Prince of Yuzhang handle
those resignation memorials?
He approved them all.
What is he trying to do?
He's going to ruin the realm.
- What are we to do? - Go back and tell the Old Madam
to gather all the family
and leave the Capital at once.
Sir, what about you?
There's one last thing I must do.
Once it's done,
I'll catch up with you.
Understood.
With His Majesty's fate uncertain,
the court has fallen into chaos.
The Prince of Yuzhang serves as Regent,
yet ignores state affairs.
[Changhe Gate] The Imperial Preceptor beside him
harbors wolfish ambition.
Now in this court,
those above
cannot reach the imperial ear,
and those below
cannot aid the common folk.
Villains hold sway,
a disgrace to Great Qi!
If this goes on,
the officials' hearts will scatter,
and Heaven itself
will show ill omen!
Why don't we
just throw Li Chengtian into the prison?
Let's see how tough this old bone really is.
If I do that now,
I'd only grant him the name of a loyal minister.
By now, every courtier who can be threatened or bought
is already under my command.
Those who still refuse to yield
also serve my purposes
thanks to Lingbi Sect's Heartbane.
Only a few stubborn old bones are left.
They are a deadly hidden threat.
Why not ask the Saintess to use the Heartbane on him as well?
That pack of vermin is foul and stubborn,
utterly unafraid of death!
Even if I poison him,
he'll most likely kill himself to prove his loyalty.
As for Li Chengtian,
if he must die,
I'll see that his death serves my ends.
[Merciful Salvation]
On guard!
- Mr. Li! - Mr. Li!
Mr. Li!
[One with Heaven and Earth]
We respectfully greet the Saintess!
Reporting to the Saintess,
several of our branches have been destroyed recently.
They say...
Say what?
They say the Ghost King has appeared,
and heaven and earth are as one.
And the Ghost King even beat us to it,
completing the Nanrong Palace mission
and killing Li Chengtian.
How could a new Ghost King appear?
Does he have the Moon-Eclipse on him?
Yes.
All those slain by him
bear ghost markings.
Only one who holds the Moon-Eclipse
can do this.
The Ghost King's return
is the glory of Lingbi Sect!
[Seven days earlier]
Now the Saintess is using Du Tingxin's hand
to endanger the whole court,
even all of Great Qi.
I've thought it through carefully.
I stand in the light,
and the Saintess hides in the dark.
If we are to save everyone's lives,
we must stage my death.
Your Majesty,
your body is already spent.
You can't take much more.
How can you possibly stand against them?
The Moon-Eclipse is the Ghost King's token
because it is both medicine and poison.
It can heal wounds and save lives,
and even strengthen one's inner power.
But once it's used, there is no turning back.
It'll consume your essence and shorten your life.
When the poison seeps into your bones,
it will destroy you.
He is inside.
Your Majesty has suffered.
I'm fine.
You truly have not betrayed my trust.
I've followed Your Majesty for so many years.
I never believed you would harm Princess Ying,
nor that you would seek your own death.
So your leap from Phoenix Terrace
must have been your plan to escape.
As soon as Eunuch Feng sent word,
I immediately activated the Xiaoxing secret guards
and learned you were here.
Commander Li,
head to the meeting spot outside the Capital now,
activate the Xiaoxing secret guards,
locate His Majesty,
and await his command.
Take care.
How are things at court?
Everything is just as you predicted.
Although everyone believes
you couldn't have survived in the Qining River,
the upright elder ministers
still invoked the ancestral rules
to block the Prince of Yuzhang from taking the throne.
Even the Imperial Preceptor can do nothing about it.
So,
they're focusing all their efforts
on searching for my body.
Good.
Next,
I'll use my identity as the Ghost King to lure the Saintess out.
Your Majesty...
Becoming the Ghost King with the Moon-Eclipse
is a choice I made long ago.
You've given too much for Great Qi.
I am answerable to the world,
and to every subject of Great Qi.
It's only Cangcang I've failed.
How is Cangcang?
The Empress is safe and sound.
I never imagined
that meeting Cangcang,
killing Li Lu,
and obtaining the Moon-Eclipse
were all fated from the start.
Whatever you plan to do,
I'll surely advance and retreat with you.
Cangcang,
her roots run deep in the palace.
If I move against her,
it'll surely trigger a mad backlash.
Only by getting you safely away
can I stake everything on one last move.
I'm sorry.
Bai!
Are you there?
Don't worry.
I believe in you.
I'll wait for you to come back.
Thanks for looking after me, sir.
I'll repay your kindness someday.
Let's go.
Are those wearing ghost masks from Lingbi Sect?
They are.
I hear Lingbi Sect is no small thing these days.
They're recruiting men,
growing stronger and stronger.
But hasn't Lingbi Sect
been suppressed by the court for over a year?
And they still dare to swagger around like this?
Word is the Lingbi Saintess
has returned from the far south,
and even latched onto the court.
Truly chaotic times.
The court itself is a mess.
The Emperor and Empress are both ill.
A prince is acting as Regent.
Could she be the Lingbi Saintess?
Hush.
Come on, have some tea.
My father planted spies in the palace.
How many are left?
I don't know the exact number.
Grand Tutor Ling laid many hidden pieces,
and even I don't know them all.
Then how am I supposed to find them?
Me?
Right.
The key lies with you.
What do you mean?
Before Grand Tutor Ling was killed at Fayun Temple,
he secretly summoned us.
If anything happened to him,
Fayun Temple would sound the bell as a warning,
and we were all to follow your lead.
All right.
How do we meet them?
Three days after the mourning period,
at Guisi Mausoleum.
♪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♪