General and I (A Lonesome Fragrance Waiting to Be Appreciated / 孤芳不自赏)

Your Majesty.

Prince of Zhenbei is still waiting outside.

Will you summon him?

Summon him.

Yes.

Summon Prince of Zhenbei Chu Bei Jie to make offerings!

Prince of Zhenbei, offer the incense.

What is happening?

Why can't it be lit?

Everyone else could light the incense right away

but not Prince of Zhenbei.

Could it be that the queen refuses to accept his incense?

The queen held no grudge against Prince of Zhenbei.

Why wouldn't she accept it?

Only the living can lie, but the dead know the truth.

Who knows if he's involved in the murder of both young princes?

- Exactly. - That's enough!

The ritual ends here.

- Wang De Quan. - Present.

Send the deceased into the ancestral hall.

Yes.

Just you and me will do.

Everyone else is dismissed.

Take the ashes of the deceased into the ancestral hall!

All right, get up now.

Congratulations to Prince Consort on your marriage.

I'll have gifts sent to Prince Consort's Manor now.

I haven't been well informed in the palace

so I'm late in preparing the gifts.

Please don't take it to heart.

I thank Noble Consort Zhang for your gifts.

I believe soon I'll have to prepare congratulatory gifts for you as well.

[Memorial tablets of Great Jin's Queen and two princes]

Subject Chu Bei Jie kowtows to the queen and two young princes.

May you rest in peace and enter paradise soon.

Who do you think will inherit my throne?

It definitely will be inherited by Your Majesty's offspring.

My offspring?

Lift your head up and take a look.

Where is my offspring?

They have both turned to ashes!

Condolences, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty is still in your prime.

You'll surely have more children.

More children?

She's already dead.

I can no longer have another child with her.

Shouldn't you know that the queen and I were childhood sweethearts?

She knew me best.

She's the only one I would spend the rest of my life with.

Your Majesty...

That's enough.

You need not say a word. Just listen to me.

The queen refused to accept your incense in front of everyone today.

I suddenly felt that she was reminding me

of the pain you suffer for losing Bai Ping Ting

as I did for losing my queen.

Such pain can never go away.

What is even more frightening is that

even if we pretend as if nothing has happened

this pain will only be a scar that can be torn apart at the slightest prodding.

I can never trust you without any doubt like I used to.

You will never go all out for me like you did in the past.

Your Majesty!

I know that you're a loyal subject.

But as long as there's a fraction of hesitation in your loyalty

I feel a fraction less secure.

It's no longer suitable to entrust all three armed services

in your care now that you've changed.

Hence, I will retrieve the tally from you today.

If you wish to win my trust again, prove it with your actions in time.

May the sun and moon prove my true heart to you.

Hereby before the queen and the ancestors

I swear never to covet power or the throne.

For as long as I live, I swear to serve the Sima family.

Should I break my promise

gods and spirits shall be enraged and condemn me.

Don't forget your promise.

Don't let me down.

One!

Two!

Again!

One!

Raise your arm higher!

Two!

It's so high up!

Look! It's so high!

They are already dead.

They can't see you.

Why would you keep up the pretense?

Get out!

You're angry?

You should be the one to get out of here.

You caved in to lust and caused the deaths of

the queen as well as the heirs of Great Jin.

It's a grave sin to rid your nation of its future ruler!

Ask your ancestors.

What right do you have to kneel in here?

I have a conscience so clear I could face the gods and all people.

Unlike you, a treacherous villain.

To be spared, I heard that

you killed Bai Ping Ting to prove your innocence.

How ruthless you are.

But even so, does your master still trust you as he once did?

How do you feel now?

Do you regret it?

Are you upset?

You deserved it!

He Xia!

You're not to be rude!

Remove yourself from the ancestors of Great Jin!

I'll spare your life this time!

I came to see you only for one purpose.

Bei Jie.

Stab me.

Great Jin is in national mourning.

I'll refrain from taking any life so you can keep your damn life.

You're acting like a real man now?

If you truly are a man, you wouldn't have killed Bai Ping Ting

so that your own life could be spared.

I'll kick you for Ping Ting's sake.

You used such a treacherous scheme to kill my entire family.

Chu Bei Jie, this second kick is for my parents.

I can't bear for you to be killed yet.

This pathetic look on you now makes you seem like a woman.

How adorable!

I'd like to see it for some time longer.

Why didn't you keep the prince consort of Bai Lan State behind?

Your Majesty.

Prince Consort just received the news last night.

It's said that he had wanted to ask Your Majesty for help

but he didn't get to see you.

The army of Liang State was almost right outside Yun-An City.

Prince Consort was worried about Bai Lan State's safety

and rushed back to offer assistance.

I realized how urgent this matter is, so I allowed him to leave.

I thought that I'd report to Your Majesty the next day

to make a judgment.

If every matter was left until the next day for me to decide

why would I still need you as a chancellor?

Bai Lan State is weak.

It's long depended on Great Liang.

They even sent Princess Yao Tian as a hostage for 10 years.

Back then, the princess hated Great Liang for bullying them

but they were too weak to fight back.

They don't have any other support.

They hope to collaborate with us, so they are willing

to open up all the passes into Bai Lan State.

Bai Lan State now has a valiant warrior as their prince consort.

If he could lead their army to fend off powerful enemies

why would they still rely on us?

He must have been sent to seek reinforcements.

How could you let him leave alone?

Foolish!

Your Majesty is right to lecture me.

I've been foolish.

However, I don't hold any military power

so I really couldn't help much even if I wanted.

Does Your Majesty know that Prince Consort went

to meet Prince of Zhenbei yesterday?

If Prince of Zhenbei didn't send out troops, how could I?

I could only allow him to leave.

Prince of Zhenbei?

Where is Chu Bei Jie?

Your Majesty.

Would you like to announce the decree you made yesterday?

Announce it.

Summon Chu Bei Jie into the hall!

Subject Chu Bei Jie greets His Majesty.

In response to the will of Heaven and the times

by the decree of King of Jin

Prince of Zhenbei Chu Bei Jie is deeply saddened by

the passing of the princes and queen.

In self-reproach of his negligence

he has asked to be stripped of his title as Prince of Zhenbei

and hands in his tally to resign from his post as Commander-in-chief

so as to offer consolation to the deceased.

However, in appreciation of Official Chu's many contributions

I can't bear to reproach him too harshly.

Hence, a less severe punishment is given to serve as a warning.

I now confer Chu Bei Jie as General of Zhenbei.

An official of the fourth rank.

This is to be announced to all.

By the emperor himself.

I thank Your Majesty for your graciousness.

What do you think about the battle in Bai Lan State?

Reporting to Your Majesty.

Liang State's cause for war is unjustified.

Yet after entering Bai Lan State, they were met with no resistance.

A smooth invasion like that is highly suspicious.

I think that we should act cautiously in response.

Bring me the azoth quickly.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

All medicine is a poison of some sort.

Please take care of your health.

It doesn't matter. It's just a supplement.

Your Majesty.

The alliance of Bai Lan and Jin is beneficial to both states.

People in the Western Regions look to Great Jin's silk as a great treasure.