ADAPTED FROM QING LINGYUE'S NOVEL OF THE SAME NAME
I came to Liang City
with some medicine too.
If you need medicine,
bring your prescription to the Protectorate.
Everything has been arranged.
Wonderful.
-Thank you, Your Highness. -Thank you, Your Highness.
Go get your medicine.
Okay. Thank you so much.
Thank you, Your Highness.
The rest of you
can consult me too.
-What? -You can heal too, Your Highness?
-I… -You don't trust me?
My medical knowledge
might be superior to hers.
Excuse me? Don't make a bold claim.
Do you fancy a competition
to see who can save more lives?
Bring it on.
All right.
Whoever comes to me
will receive extra rice.
-Be careful. -Line up, please.
Hold on.
Get in line!
-No need to rush. -Get in line!
No need to rush.
Ma'am, let me check on you.
They are as competitive as usual.
Thank you, Your Highness.
It's finally over.
Thank you for your help today.
-I appreciate it. -No need.
We work for the people.
That day on the dam,
I noticed they were ill.
So I used my mediocre medical knowledge
to treat them.
I thank you on behalf of the people.
However, you have proven today
that your medical knowledge is not mediocre at all.
It's quite good.
Stop putting me on a pedestal already.
Tell me then.
Who won today?
Okay.
Let's pretend
you won today.
Pretend?
In our match today,
I lost to you fair and square.
Heroine Feng, your medical knowledge commands respect.
Some might even call you Hua Tuo,
that your feat will be recorded in history.
All right.
Since you lost,
you should be punished.
What do you want now?
I think I sat far too long today,
so I'm having back pain.
I feel sore.
I wonder
how good of a masseur you are.
I'm just curious.
That's all.
Count yourself lucky today.
Relax.
Why are you so tensed?
What if this is an act of vengeance?
I'm not a sore loser.
Don't worry.
Your Highness, news from the capital of Yongzhou.
What happened?
People in the House of Jade have been arrested.
Inform Chuanyun and Chuanyu
to defend Liang City.
They will supervise the dam construction
and train the Moyu Cavalry.
Tomorrow morning,
you and I will return to the capital.
Yes, Your Highness.
UNWAVERING LOYALTY
You're awake?
I'll head back with you tomorrow.
You heard everything?
Let's head back together.
I want to be by your side.
I won't take a no.
So you were awake all this time.
Did you feign asleep just now
so that I would carry you?
Yes. You're right.
All right.
Let's head back together.
UNWAVERING LOYALTY
Who are you?
How dare you stop the carriage of the Divine Fairy?
-Continue searching! -Yes, sir!
As you predicted, Your Highness.
Let's go.
Did you hear?
Dadong has a Divine Fairy!
I did. My cousin just returned from the Imperial City.
He said the Divine Fairy was fine.
Just fine? That is inaccurate.
I heard she's as beautiful as a goddess.
And when she prayed in the Imperial Palace,
the flowers bloomed.
Yes.
She was meant
to receive the Sarira.
She was praying to Buddha for Dadong.
Touched by her devotion,
Buddha bestowed upon her the Sarira.
And then, she brought it to the Imperial City.
Do you know that night,
the Imperial City basked under the holy light?
People are more reassured now that we got the Sarira.
No wonder the Six States are calmer now.
But on her way back,
she ran into thugs and went missing.
Youzhou has sent its people looking for her.
The Divine Fairy has earned God's favor.
I'm sure she will be safe.
Come, have some.
-Okay. -Sir. Refill, please.
I'm coming!
Your Highness.
How is Youzhou?
His Lordship is searching for you.
Our people spied in secret
and found out
that it was the heir of Lord Youzhou who attacked you.
My brother sure is afraid that I, the Divine Fairy,
will usurp his position.
What about the marriage proposal?
Apart from Yongzhou,
the heirs from other states are coming.
I heard Yongzhou still hasn't decided on its candidate.
Yongzhou.
We'll stay in De City today
and return to Youzhou tomorrow.
Yes.
-Stop there. -Please.
Spare a few coins.
Let them in.
What got into you, ma'am?
My mother caught a cold a few days ago.
I think it went into her lungs.
Our village physicians couldn't heal her.
I plan to try my luck in the city.
Mother, you can't sit here.
It's okay. Let her be.
Thank you, miss.
Hong, get some bread from the restaurant.
Thank you, miss.
Thank you so much.
You're too kind.
I will not forget
the kindness you showed today.
We all have ups and downs.
Enjoy.
Wait.
Can you do us another favor
and let us tag along?
Let them come with us.
Miss.
We can use them as our disguise.
Okay.
My gracious lady
allows you to join us.
-Come. -Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you, miss.
After we traverse Zhuoshui,
we'll arrive in Youzhou.
What do you think of the Princess of Youzhou?
She took the initiative to deliver the Sarira to the Imperial City
and set herself up for much success.
She's not an ordinary woman.
What about the rumor that she was assaulted?
There was no one in the carriage.
If I have a woman like that,
my life will be interesting.
Feng Lanxi went to Liang City to meet with Prince Xieyue
and then Qingzhou withdrew its army.
Qingzhou and Yongzhou are two neighboring states.
If they join forces,
their power will grow stronger.
That's why I'm heading to Youzhou.
Youzhou and Qingzhou have been fighting for generations.
Joining hands with Youzhou against Qingzhou
is our best option.
This time, Wuyuan,
you have to help me.
Princess Chunran has to be mine.
However, the assault on the princess
might be the doing of the heir of Lord of Youzhou.
Since he already treats her like an enemy,
getting control over Youzhou must be a hard row to hoe for her.
She survived the assault.
That means not all hopes are lost
on Youzhou.
Besides, if she wants Youzhou to herself,
she needs all the help she can get.
That
only polishes my value.
I have a question.
Ask away.
If Princess Chunran of Youzhou
and Princess Xiyun of Qingzhou
confront you
and say they will only marry you,
who will you pick?
Wuyuan,
if you were me,
who would you pick?
I'm sure you already have an answer.
Princess Xiyun is known worldwide.
While she looks like a better candidate than Chunran,
Qingzhou and Jizhou are too far away.
If a war breaks out,
it will be hard for help to arrive.
At the moment, my pick will be Chunran.
When I ascend to the throne in the future,
getting Xiyun will be easy.
What now?
You're worried about the people again?
After this,
a war will break out.
To unite all states,
war is inevitable.
But with us containing the conflict,
many innocents
will be spared.
I sure hope
that the sacrifices are minimal.
I understand.
As a ruler,
my duty is to protect my subjects
and allow them to lead fulfilling life.
Can I hold you against your words?
Definitely.
Your Highness, they have been dealt with.
You can rest here.
We will stand guard by the door.
Yes.
Mother.
Your drug is potent.
They are good quality drugs
given by the heir of the lord before we left.
All this
just to get rid of the Divine Fairy of Dadong.
Mother, your strategy is brilliant.
We pretended to be homeless
to follow the princess.
All right. Do not dally.
Kill her,
so that we can return to His Highness.
All right.
Help!
They killed my servants. Now, they are after me!
Help!
Mister,
my daughter here is spouting nonsense.
She's crazy, you see.
She even hit her brother just now.
Look.
-Exactly. -My dear. Come with me.
-Don't bother others. -Wait.
If she's your daughter,
what's her name then?
I'll count to three.
Both of you answer at the same time.
One.
Two.
Sir.
Check if someone died in the inn.
Yes, sir.
She's fine. She's just drugged.
She should be awake soon.
Both perpetrators have been sent to the local council.
They said
this woman here had been donating money.
They wanted her money,
so they killed her guards and servants.
They have been sentenced to death.
The world is chaotic.
There is much unrest
and everyone is struggling to live.
Those who are at their wit's end might resort to crime.
If everyone can adhere to strict discipline,
it will be a prosperous world indeed.
I will definitely help you
to achieve your ambition.
Fret not, miss.
You are fine.
You were just drugged.
Also, both assailants
have been captured and are waiting
for their death sentences.
Thank you for saving my life.
I will never forget
this favor from you.
You're welcome.
Can I borrow a bowl of water?
Thank you.
You have the soundness of mind
to take care of your appearance after a crisis.
Very admirable.
Thank you, sir.
My appearance reflects my demeanor.
I have to remind myself
to stay strong
even if I hit rock bottom.
Those two were after your money.
In your future voyage,
remember to be discreet with how you spend your money.
Thank you for the advice.
Can you do me another favor
and escort me to Youzhou?
How do you know I'm heading to Youzhou?
Princess of Youzhou is looking for a suitor.
Judging from your manner of speech
and your foreign accent,
you must be heading there to ask for her hand.
Keen observation.
I will help you then.
QINGZHOU
Has the issue in Liang City been settled?
Yes.
Prince Yongping of Yongzhou, Feng Lanxi, was there
and killed Yu Ming.
He has reclaimed ownership of Liang City.
And then I met with him.
He proposed a canal management project.
Once the canals are built, the flood will disappear.
Mr. Lanxi.
His reputation precedes him.
Father,
your health…
Do not worry.
I know
my body very well.
I have also consulted the physician.
Feng Lanxi has a great reputation,
but he's still someone from Yongzhou.
You have to stay alert.
The world now
is not what it used to be.
A warring Six States
will appear soon.
While Qingzhou does not wish for dominion,
we can't
give up our defense either.
Father.
Feng Lanxi is trustworthy.
Also,
someone can vouch for his character.
I know. It's Xiyun.
How do you know, Father?
Other than her,
who else can give you this confidence?
However,
why is she involved with Feng Lanxi?
Not just involved, I'm afraid.
Pray tell.
You're the best, Qiwu.
You made this yourself, didn't you?
In this world, only you know me this well.
You
and your sweet talk.
I'm not lying.
I'm being sincere.
Your stay in Liang City must be a tough one.
Not really.
While my sojourn there wasn't relaxing,
it was fulfilling nevertheless.
Once the dust has settled,
tell me more
about what you and His Highness went through in Liang City.
What do you think?
The last two months
were very eventful.
I'll tell you everything when I have the time.
So
did something else happen?
Something else?
Like did His Highness
confess again?
So many things were happening.
We didn't have the time for this.
If it happens, it happens.
It's delicious.
Never have I thought that such a story
would take place between them.
All right.
It's not bad.
You have indulged Xiyun a lot.
It's good that someone is taking care of her.
Also, this Feng Lanxi has spectacular talents
and is a cautious person.
With him by her side,
Xiyun should get by just fine.
You are the one who indulges her the most, Father.
You won't even let me tell her that you're sick.
It's just a temporary setback.
It's not serious at all.
She's traveling alone.
Do not burden her with unnecessary worries.
However, I know the Lord of Yongzhou's temper
very well.
If he knows Feng Lanxi is Hei Fengxi,
he will never let it slide.
About Feng Lanxi's proposal…
If he treats Xiyun well,
Qingzhou
will be his best ally.
As a matter of fact,
old people like us
can never stay in this position forever.
The world
will ultimately
fall onto young people like you.
Yongzhou will see a change of leadership.
It's up to Feng Lanxi to seize it.
These are the governmental policies
that I penned after you left Qingzhou.
Do read it.
Father, you're…
My child.
One day,
I'll have to leave this world.
And someone
has to protect Qingzhou.
Yes, Father.
Mentor, I returned to the capital in secret
and do not have the liberty to show my face.
So I'm staying elsewhere.
Please tell me what happened to House of Jade.
Minister Feng investigated the Ministry of Justice.
She did not find any missing person reports
or any relevant records.
I checked on the streets.
No one has seen them.
From the moment we have been privy until now,
we have been looking everywhere
to no avail.
It has already been two weeks.
What about the branches in other cities?
How are they doing?
Those outside of the capital are safe at the moment.
The House of Jade is but a small business.
Yet they went through all the hassle.
They must be after Fountain Abode.
I believe they are fully prepared
and are waiting for us to move.
However, we don't know who our enemies are
and what they wish to achieve.
According to the spy we planted
in Prince Ju's residence,
he is already aware of your true identity.
Is it his doing?
He lacks the competence to eliminate Fountain Abode.
He won't go as far
as to arrest someone
under my father's nose either.
All he can do is be a hindrance.
It's not like him.
But why the House of Jade?
What do they want?
Perhaps they want a deal.
The captured people are their leverage.
And so,
they would keep them alive.
This is already the best-case scenario.
You know who the enemy is, don't you?
We have
the same person in mind.
In Yongzhou, only someone with immense power
can pull such a bold move.
It must be from the royal family.
The extended royal family of Yongzhou
has always been dominated
by the Lord of Yongzhou.
They can't pull this off.
The mastermind must be your father,
the Lord of Yongzhou.
What do you plan to do now?
Father wants me to hand over Fountain Abode to him.
He doesn't know who I am yet.
That is my opening.
Your Lordship,
this is what I have found out lately
about Fountain Abode,
including their staff
and trading history.
At the moment,
I can only find out ordinary trades.
As for
their intel network that has access to all parties,
since different individuals
were dispatched separately,
I cannot trace it back
to the origin.
A huge net
with airtight management.
Impressive.
If we can make him work for us,
our nation will grow stronger.
-Yes. -Any other news?
Not at the moment.
However,
as per your request,
I investigated the entire royal family
but have not found anyone
that matches Hei Fengxi.
If he's not from the royal family,
we can give him an official title
and incorporate Fountain Abode
into our resources.
They will then work for Yongzhou.
If he refuses to comply,
he will not be able to wield this amount of power.
We will then destroy the network.
Yes, Your Lordship.
Do not write off the royal family yet.
If he's from the royal family,
it means he's accumulating power
to overthrow me.
We need to nip his plan in the bud.
Yes.
Your Lordship, you used the House of Jade as bait.
I'm sure
he has received your message.
Besides, we have set everything up.
We just have to make him walk into the trap.
My fellow countrymen! Come have a look.
These people have gone missing.
If you see them
and can drop a tip,
you will be rewarded.
Have a look! Come.
If you see them…
Making a scene in the market
to attract your opponent's attention.
Only you can come up with this.
Everyone loves money.
Money is the quickest way to achieve one's goal.
This is what I learned from you.
You see. You're almost running out of money.
No one has taken the bait yet.
If you can drop a tip, you will be rewarded.
-Here they are. -Spread the news.
-You're disrupting public order. -Back off.
-Bring them in. -Move aside.
Take down the people and the noticeboard.
Back off.
Move!
-Hurry! -I'm on the move.
Move. Quick.
MINISTRY OF JUSTICE
Come out now.
I seek clarification, Your Highness.
Go ahead, Mentor.
Your Highness,
if your identity is revealed
and His Lordship knows you're the owner
of Fountain Abode,
he will be suspicious of you.
He will think you're seditious.
He hates being lied to,
so he will be furious.
Prince Ju
will seize this opportunity
to add insult to injury.
If you are aware of this, why are you taking this risk?
It is an emergency.
You should lay low for the moment.
Do not stay on the front line
lest they find something about you.
Besides, the House of Jade
is full of people ready to die for you.
They will not snitch you out.
Why don't you wait until the storm is over
before taking your revenge?
Mentor.
I built Fountain Abode
to protect others.
Besides,
I have grown up.
I can protect myself and the people around me.
Found it.
Those who were arrested
were sent from the Ministry of Justice
to a private residence 50 m to the eastern outskirts.
Official Zhang? Ministry of Justice?
He is close to His Lordship.
So the mastermind is His Lordship?
Yes, it's my father.
You already knew?
I was told my father has heard
of Lanxi's extraordinary feats.
He isn't too happy about it.
Nice move, Your Highness.
Our plan is going swimmingly.
Is anyone from House of Jade willing to testify?
They are being interrogated.
None has given in,
but they are definitely guilty of treason.
Soon, they will serve their sentence.
Force him out.
Ju'er, you will take the lead.
Circulate the news
that if he doesn't appear within the next three days,
all his subordinates will be killed.
Zhang Zhongge and you will be watching closely nearby
and setting up a trap.
We will then wait for our prey.
Yes, Father.
I snuck into the Imperial City to investigate,
but I realized I was being tailed.
Therefore, I played along
and tailed them back.
In their residence,
I found this letter.
It's a wordless letter.
There should be codes on it
and the sender
must be the mastermind.
If this is related to Locust and Cricket,
then it is related to world peace.
After this thing is over,
I'll let my people of Fountain Abode investigate it.
Thank you, Your Highness.
Your Highness, I have news.
Prince Ju entered the palace and told His Lordship
that if the owner of Fountain Abode does not show himself,
the people in the House of Jade
would all die after three days.
After three days?
I knew it was Feng Ju.
He wants me to fight against my father
and reap the benefit.
What should we do next?
Something is off.
A rash decision might lead me to the trap.
I plan
to save the people of House of Jade.
Father, this is a serious matter.
Shouldn't you discuss this with Fengxi or Mr. Feng?
Don't tell them.
They don't want to burden us
and won't let us act on it.
However, Tianshuang Sect has always defended justice.
We cannot stand still
while something inhumane unfolds before us.
Let us be the owners
of Fountain Abode.
Do not put Mr. Feng in a tight spot.
It's the only way to keep all parties intact.
-Yes, Master. -Yes, Master.
Your Highness, Tianshuang Sect is on the move.
All is as you predicted.
Good.
Now, we stand and watch.
Lanxi,
it's your move next.
Move aside.
Move aside!
This isn't the route to the palace.
Someone wants to see you.
Do not speak, Your Highness.
You can save it
for later.
Lanxi,
you have returned.
Have a seat.
ROOM OF SERENITY
Let's have a talk
between us.
How long ago was it since we last drank together?
A decade, I presume.
Ever since you pretended to be sick.
ROOM OF SERENITY
That year
was also the year Hei Fengxi appeared in the martial arts world.
Has it been a decade?
How time flies,
like an arrow.
Indeed.
A decade has gone by.
I have achieved nothing,
but you, Lanxi, have been busy.
I want to rest too,
but some business remains unfinished.
For a decade, I haven't been sleeping well.
However, I had a wonderful sleep last night.
For once, I came to terms with many things
and made a lot of decisions.
Lanxi, are you trying to come clean to Father now?
If Father knows you're the owner of Fountain Abode,
will he still care that you're his son?
You don't have any proof.
Why should I turn myself in?
You're just trying to give me a scare.
Haven't you received news
that people in House of Jade will be executed soon?
Unless you don't care about them.
Right.
You look all virtuous from the surface,
but deep down, you couldn't care less about others.
I wonder how despair
your followers will feel.
Father gave you three days
to identify the owner of Fountain Abode.
I will give him three days too.
In your opinion,
between the power Fountain Abode holds
and the life of Yongzhou's Third Prince,
which one does he cherish more?