Legend of Fu Yao (扶摇)

Empress Yuan is of prestigious status.

But she has demeaned herself by seeing a traitor off.

If this is made known to all, it will disgrace the imperial family.

Your Highness, please escort Empress Yuan away immediately.

How is this appropriate?

If my father asks about this...

I'll bear the responsibility.

Why would you do this to yourself?

I'm a man on the verge of death.

How am I worthy of your efforts?

Why aggrieve yourself like this?

Even if I can't save you...

I won't let Zhangsun Jiong get away with his scheme.

Our son...

He's a fine man.

He's a very fine man.

You found out about it?

I'll talk to Wu Ji right now.

I'll beg him.

I'll beg him to spare you!

You mustn't!

Qing Yi!

You mustn't!

- Jia-- - You mustn't!

You must let Zhangsun Jiong make his last move.

He'll only stop when I'm dead!

Only then will he spare you!

I don't need him to spare me!

If Wu Ji makes the wrong choice...

the scheme Zhangsun Jiong plotted for 20 years will succeed!

How could Wu Ji live with such a grave mistake?

Then don't tell him anything!

Don't say a word.

Wu Ji... will definitely become the next emperor.

He's just going to kill a traitor of Tianquan Kingdom!

Nothing else matters! It doesn't matter!

- Do you understand? - Wu Ji!

Come over here!

Jia...

No...

- Jia, listen to me. - Don't!

Qing Yi, I'm begging you.

Don't say a word.

- Don't say another word. - Trust me. I won't let you die.

Qing Yi... Wu Ji, leave now!

Qing Yi!

- Wu Ji, execute me now! - Jia, trust me!

- I won't let you die! - Qing Yi!

- Wu Ji! - Don't tell him!

- Come here! - Qing Yi!

Don't tell him!

Trust me!

Get out of here!

- I won't let you die! - Get lost!

Don't tell him!

Jia...

Jia...

Jia...

Jia!

Jia!

Jia!

Jia!

Jia...

Jia...

Jia...

Jia...

Jia!

Wu Ji...

Was he the one who abducted you?

Did he force you to stay?

Have you talked to Empress Yuan?

All of this...

Was my father behind all of this?

There are some truths...

I shouldn't be the one to reveal them to you...

Your Majesty.

You've been waiting all night.

Get some rest in your room.

Here it comes.

Your Majesty, the army reported back.

Prince De was executed.

Great!

He's finally dead.

He's dead...

Prince De... is dead.

Zhangsun Jia... is dead.

My younger brother...

He's dead.

How wonderful that he's dead...

How wonderful.

It's all over now that he's dead.

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty, what's wrong?

Is anyone there?

Anyone?

Summon the imperial physician!

Do you know who he was?

You were born on January 15, the day of the Lantern Festival.

It was supposed to be a full moon that night.

But it happened to snow heavily that day.

It was only after midnight that we had some moonlight.

When it snowed earlier that night...

It was just like the first time I met him.

Since then...

whenever I saw you, I'd always think of him.

He...

Who was he?

Wu Ji...

He was your biological father.

Zhangsun Jiong plotted all these years...

just so he could have you succeed the most dangerous position.

The throne of an emperor.

He wanted to see you and your father, Zhangsun Jia, kill each other.

He wanted to wipe out each and every of your closest kin.

He wanted to see you betrayed by your family and followers

while you sat upon the throne.

This is the reward he wanted to give you.

It's also the revenge he wanted from you.

Why?

Why?

Why are you telling me now?

No!

No!

Father...

When I was a child, I didn't know my identity.

I kept pestering Uncle Zhou with many questions.

He told me, "Your identity doesn't matter."

"What matters is who you truly are."

But now, I don't even know who I am anymore.

I'm just a crown prince who's undeserving of his title.

I'm also a disgrace to Tianquan's imperial family.

So?

Whatever people may call you...

you'll always be you.

Those...

The people who only care about your identity and authority...

Why care about them?

But even those closest to me treated me like this.

Perhaps, right from the beginning

they had unspeakable reasons for their lies and ploys.

The palace shines so brilliantly.

But it's nothing more than the biggest, most exquisite cage.

The sovereignty it represents is the one thing

that can make you lose your judgment, making you cruel and ruthless.

Wu Ji...

Everyone that wants to seize the throne...

They all turn into different people.

They...

Your mother, your father, and...

Prince De.

They lost to their desire for authority and to their own selfishness.

But you have to understand...

that you aren't like any of them.

And you mustn't be like them.

I once...

I just wanted...

to be the son...

that my father held in the highest regard.

I wanted to prove myself more worthy of Tianquan's throne than anyone else.

I didn't care about the means.

Fu Yao...

I'm not as good as you think I am.

Yes.

But this is who you truly are.

I've seen you with your mask on.

I've also looked right into your heart.

I know your methods.

I also know where you draw the line.

Wu Ji...

You're not them.

No matter how you change...

you'll always be the best person in my mind.

We once said...

that we'd turn the five kingdoms into how we envision them to be.

It's because I wanted to change the world...

That's why the gods are testing me now.

Am I right, Fu Yao?

All the pain I'm suffering now...

should be mine alone to bear.

Wu Ji, look.

What is this?

Take a look.

Look.

What is it that's swaying?

It's my shadow.

Don't laugh at me.

When I was a child, I was really scared of shadows.

I always wondered why this dark thing kept following me.

Would it hurt me?

I even acted ferocious to pick a fight with it.

Back then, I always thought how great it would be if there was only light...

Uncle Zhou later told me

that our shadows only follow us because where there is light...

there will also be darkness.

Wu Ji.

Perhaps, we all carry a darkness we can never be rid of.

But it's only because there's light in front us.

So... since we can shake off our own shadows...